The Counterfeit Count by Armen Pogharian

The Counterfeit Count Reviews

• 
  Kim

  Adara’s dream is becoming a Warder agent. Her final test is to covertly follow the royal Cruesean coach. While she struggles to extricate herself from a thicket of thorns, the coach stops. She hears the ringing of steel on steel and looks to see Geren fighting with the Count’s personal guard. Back in Eridan, the panicked appearance of Geren’s spirit sign in the cavern below the Knife & Cat tavern, alarms the leaders of the Warders. News from their contacts in the local thieves’ guild convinces them to send Draham and Toran on a desperate mission.
  
  The characters are interesting. The storyline is entertaining. This is a great book for fans of YA fantasy.
  
  The narrator, Michelle Babb, is wonderful at bringing the story off the page. She is great at bringing the unique and goofy characters to life. She really captures each character’s voice.
  
  All thoughts and opinions are my own, I have not been influenced by anyone.
• 
  Julie Howard

  I enjoyed this second instalment in The Warders series. It's a fantasy based story but it is so much more, intrigue, magic, mystery and betrayal keeps the reader or listener hooked until the end. Having read the first book I knew the characters and it great catching up with there progress in becoming Warder agents, especially as I like the characters. The story does work as a standalone but is better as part of a series. It is a little bit confusing keeping everybody straight to begin with (especially if you haven't read the first book), with the unusual names and because it jumps from character to character setting up the scene but it doesn't last long and you soon get sucked into the adventure. The story is well plotted with a lot going on, it does end nicely but also sets it up for The Warders next mission. A mission I can't wait to join them on.
  Adara is all ready to become an official member of the Warders and join there cause to keep the peace between the warring cities by using covert methods. Which explains why she is deep in the woods secretly following a royal coach, as part of here final stealth test. However when she becomes separated from her trainer, she is surprised to stumble over him attacking the guards. An explosion knocks her out before she react and when she awakes it is to find her mentor and the royal coach has disappeared. Is this part of her training or has something more deadly happened. Adara isn't a warder yet and with no way to contact the rest of the agents, she will have to go it alone. News of there agents in trouble reaches the warders, as does the news of the deadly trap they have got caught up in. A trap that has Draham and Toran posing as assassin's to enter the enemies base,to find there missing friends and possibly to stop a war from breaking out when the count is discovered to not be himself.
  I like the narrator and she is the main reason I gave this series ago in the first place but now I am hooked.
  I was given this free review copy at my request and have voluntary left this review.
• 
  Susan May

  This is such a great story. The characters are absolutely wonderful. The narrator did a fabulous job bringing them to life. It has a doppelganger & a Nightmare (demon steed) which was different.
  On a routine training mission things go awry for Adara and Geren. Geren stops to help the coach they had been following and ends up in a prison cell with Leoric the Count of Creuse. Adara is knocked unconscious and awakens to a brother and sister poking her with a stick. She learns they are runaway slaves and feels bad for them. She desperately wants to help them. She also needs to rescue Geren. Meanwhile, Nemus, the chief mage of Creuse has cloned Leoric the Count. Once he has accomplished his goal, he will end the clone and take out Leoric as well.The Warders race to save not only Adara and Geren but also Leoric, Toran and Draham.
  I devoured this in one sitting. I just love these goofy characters.
• 
  Jennifer Tipton

  Adara is on a training mission with Geren whom is training her to join an elite group called the Warders . As part of her test they’re both following a random carriage stealthily and cannot be spotted, which happens to be count Lyrics. Things go wrong when they both come across an evil plot to use a counterfeit count so that the evil Belarock ( slave trader ) can have the trade agreement to go in his favor.
  
  Geren and the real Count get captured and Adara is knocked out and manages to gain two runaway orphans who team up with her to figure what happened to her and to her friend. As well as stop an evil mage whom is trying to take over as chief mage.
  
  This series make me think of the Lord of the Rings movies allot of which I like so it made The Warders Series easy to listen too. Very interesting plots and spoils to the hearts content.
  
  Michelle Babb is a very talented narrator and is a joy to listen to her at work bringing the characters to life.
  
  I was given an audio version of this book for my honest review.
• 
  fred jones

  Top notch inventive YA fantasy with a great story, interesting and well described characters, demons, dopplegangers, mages, traitors, politicians and with slavers and pirates thrown in make this can action packed entertaining read. Adara is on a training mission when she and Geren her trainer come upon an ambush in the woods. With Geren taken all she has to rely on is two escaped child slaves until she can contact the warders. I always find Armen Pogharian's work to be a pleasure and this one is no exception, even with the cliff-hanger type ending, and combined with Michelle Babb 's usual superb narration it is a real joy to listen to. I received a complimentary copy of the audio book from the narrator and am leaving a honest voluntary review.
• 
  Brian Wilkerson

  Armen Pogharian asked me to read his novel "Counterfeit Count". It is a sequel to "Poisoned Princess" but it was delightful how stand-alone it is. I will examine Plot, Character and Polish, and then assign a grade.
  PLOT
  
  This one is like the Final Exam from Hell. Adara is in the final stages of her Warder training (basically black ops for the kingdom of Eridan) when her final test, one of stealth, stumbles into a conspiracy where a failing grade will lead to her death. Without her mentor and few resources, she needs to unravel the conspiracy before it can reach its goal.
  
  There are other viewpoints involved but what I like about this book is how it is used. There are two others, Toran (Adara's fellow Warder) and Geren (her mentor). Toran's viewpoint is basically meeting up with her at the city where the plot takes place, at which point their viewpoints merge. Geren's viewpoints are few and far between, to add useful information to the reader's perspective as well dramatic irony. In other words, the multiple viewpoints do not compete for space and instead blend well.
  
  There's also an exclusive scene or two with the villains, but one of them is the prologue to set up the plot in the first place.
  
  While the previous story was a Quest narrative, this one is conspiracy/mystery thing. The heroes need to find the real count and figure out the evil plan so they can thwart it. It's like the same players but different D&D module. Which creates a different sort of fun with the same sort of charm. There's even a scene where the quartermaster (so to speak) of the Warden's is explaining the range of a mission critical ranged weapon.
  
  I like the ending. It is both complete and incomplete. It's like The Adventure Continues but diving immediately into the details of that adventure; no pause between them.
  
  CHARACTERS
  
  There is a lot of Adara this time. In the previous story, she didn't have the skills for such a quest but here she puts her new training to good use. There's also more of her backstory and personal traits. Little details like her favorite tea blend fill in characterization. Then there's her sneaky and spying and deducing stuff.
  
  As for Toran, the protagonist of the previous story, he seems to be a lot more worried about Adara than the other warders.
  
  The villain isn't going to win any prizes for depth or sympathy or magnificence etc. He's rather flat as an ambitious and ruthless individual but I'd hardly call that a fault. The wider context of villainy and conflict is plenty interesting.
  
  POLISH
  
  It looks good, technically speaking.
  
  Trickster Eric Novels gives "Counterfeit Count" an A+
  
  This has been a free review request. The author requested an honest review so I provided one.
• 
  Anne Rightler

  Having read and enjoyed the first book in the Warders series written by Armen Porgharian, I knew I would enjoy this second one, The Counterfeit Count. Even though this is not my usual book genre to read or listen to this fantasy adventure entertained me. The book is delightful with quite the cast of characters. The elves, dwarves, and pirates fit the medieval time. I especially liked the demon steed, NightMare. Mages, magic, and disappearing creatures add huge interest as The Warders with probationary, Adara, are on a dangerous mission to find and free the Count and expose his doppelganger. With engaging storytelling the author keeps the reader's interest high with suspense, mystery, and some edge-of-the-seat action. The narrator, Michelle Babb, does an excellent job of giving characters their unique voice, making for an enjoyable listening experience. I enjoyed the book and look forward to listening to any other books in this series. I received a complimentary copy of the audiobook and was not required to write a review. The opinions are my own.
• 
  Susan May

  I really enjoyed this story. The narrator did a great job bringing the characters to life. I fell in love with these goofy characters in book 1 and this one didn't disappoint.
  On a routine training mission things go awry when Adara and Geren are attacked. Geren stops to help the coach they had been following and ends up in a prison cell with Leoric the Count of Creuse. Adara is knocked unconscious and wakes up to a brother and sister poking her with a stick. She learns they are runaway slaves and feels bad. She desper wants to help them. She also needs to rescue Geren. Nemus, the chief mage of Creuse, has cloned Leoric the Count of Creuse. He did this to rush the treaty with Eridan and Nalton. Once he has accomplished his goal he will end the clone and Leoric as well. The Warders race to save not only two of their own Adara and Geren, but also Leoric and Draham.
  This story has a doppelganger and a Nightmare (demon steed) which was cool. A great read.
• 
  Lis Carey

  Adara is undergoing her field trial test, the final step in completing her preparation to become a full-fledged member of the Warders, the secret organization that protects Eridan. Geren has assigned her to secretly follow the coach of the Count of neighboring Cruese. She's shocked when she hears sword striking sword, and comes into view of the coach to see Geren fighting the Count's personal guard. Has he gone mad? Has he gotten sucked into Cruese's complex political conflicts? Is it the trickiest part of her test? Instead of finishing up her field trial, she now has a dangerous mystery to untangle.
  
  Meanwhile, back in Eridan, Geren's spirit sign appears to the leaders of the Warders, with critical information there's no way to get to Adara, the only agent, or almost agent, close at hand.
  
  While Adara is seeking Geren, and recruiting unlikely local help, Draham and Toran are dispatched to Cruese. Due to the lack of time, and the urgency, they're carried by a nighthorse who has grievances enough to make them wary of trusting her.
  
  The action moves along nicely, the story is interestingly complex, and I can't help but love the characters. That includes not just the Warders, but the Count, Adara's distinctly underage local help, and other new and old allies. Michelle Babb, as always, does an excellent job of narration.
  
  I received a free copy of this audiobook, and am reviewing it voluntarily