Review copy was received from Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Thirteenth Month by Elizabeth Hunter Narrator: Nene Nwoko
Series: Seba Segel #1
Published by Tantor Audio on December 9, 2025
Genres: Fantasy
Length: 14 hours, 15 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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Time is the most fluid medium in the universe; humans are its most replaceable element."
There are rules for traveling:
A mage must never go forward.
Keep the secrets of the order in all times.
And never, ever travel during the thirteenth month.Born into a powerful mage family, Narine Anahid Khoren is a time traveler whose life is constantly in flux. Since committing to the order of the Seba Segal at fourteen, she’s spent her life traveling through history, trying to make a difference and sacrificing her life in the present for one jumping through the past.
But while the world in 2071 has moved forward, the ancient order of the Seba Segel have become ever more archaic. The secret sect founded by astronomer priests has passed its magic to thousands of generations, perfecting the secrets of divination and time travel, while also amassing power, influence, and riches.
Change is on the horizon, and some in the order would do anything to stop it from coming. When one of the highest laws of mage travel is broken in the thirteenth month, Narine, her friends, and one unsuspecting professor will have to scour history to set the timeline right.
I read the ebook version of The Thirteenth Month about 2.5 years ago. While I am not a fan of time travel, I really enjoyed it. I wanted to refresh my memory since the series is planned to continue this year That was a good plan because there was much I had forgotten. I think my mind glossed over some details in the audio version which were more clear when reading the ebook.
The Thirteenth Month is the start of a new series set in Ethiopia about 40 years in the future, and also many times in the past. The world is rich with complex magic, well drawn characters and lots of cultural aspects. There are a variety of mages in the Seba Segel who help advise governments and leaders throughout time to save lives as they can. There are mages who are diviners (look at futures), alchemists, hedge mages, weavers and travelers. We learn a bit about the different magics.
Narine is a traveler from a family of travelers. I really liked her as we got to know her. She certainly made some mistakes though. These mistakes, and the fact her mother is pretty independent, make her not a favorite of the council. The council decides when traveling should happen, and is worth the risk.
I’m not going to spoil the story but it’s Narine’s life over about a six year period and how she gets stuck in the past. It has a huge impact on her life, her family and time itself. It’s frightening because women in the past are just not always treated well. Or rather men in any time period seem to think they should make all the decisions and have all the control. But her power and knowledge is exciting.
I’m eager to go forward and see what happens with her family. There are political machinations going on, clear in this book already.
Narration:
Nene Nwoko was a new narrator to me. Her voice was a bit low and gritty so it took me a bit to settle into it. While the audio is a longer one, it read easily and didn’t feel too long. I enjoyed the performance and the hint of accents in the voices, leading to a more diverse cultural feeling. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Elizabeth Hunter
Elizabeth Hunter is a contemporary fantasy and romance author. She is a graduate of the University of Houston Honors College and a former English teacher.
She currently lives in Central California with her husband, son, very ineffective canine assistants, and a pitifully empty fish tank.
ELIZABETH HUNTER is a ten-time USA Today and international best-selling author of romance, contemporary fantasy, and paranormal mystery. Based in both Central California and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, she travels extensively to write fantasy fiction exploring world mythologies, history, and the universal bonds of love, friendship, and family.
She has published over forty works of fiction and sold over a million books worldwide. She is the author of the Glimmer Lake series, Love Stories on 7th and Main, the Elemental Legacy series, the Irin Chronicles, the Cambio Springs Mysteries, and other works of fiction.
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I read all types of books but my favorites are urban fantasy and romantic suspense.I like some romance and some action / adventure / mystery in everything.I like sex in my books but please, only between TWO people.Intimate conversation is equally important to the sex in a book.It lets me see the characters.The other thing I enjoy is humor.
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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 25-Audio
- 25-COYER
I love the sound of this. I love that its going to be a series, especially since you enjoyed it so much😁
It’s very atmospheric with rich details about that part of the world in Africa.
That’s a complex world Hunter has created. Great review, Anne💜
Thank you Jonetta. It is a very diverse and fresh look at that part of Africa.
Nice call rereading!
yes reading in a different format but it really set me up for the next 2 books coming out this year.
Yeah, my memory is full of potholes and I have to re-read so often these days. Glad it was just as good the second pass-through.
Yes I’m looking forward to more of the story as the next 2 books are out this year.
This sounds good, glad you enjoyed it and the narration too. I’d have to re-read too if I’m continuing a series and it’s been a while.
It’s certainly much easier if I can fit in a reread. This was a different format so that was nice too.
Hmmm… This one sounds interesting. I do need to read this author. Someday.
She’s a favorite. Her books fall into a bunch of genres and series. I liked some more than others. Let me know if you want a rec at some point if you have a genre idea.
I think I remember hearing about this one before. Glad it was just as good for you this time around!
I found it really interesting with the cultural aspects of Ethiopia.