Mike Smith
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The Justice of Kings
- By: Richard Swan
- Narrated by: Lucy Paterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne. Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.
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Give it a try. Doubtful you'll regret it.
- By Taylor Ascher on 03-13-22
- The Justice of Kings
- By: Richard Swan
- Narrated by: Lucy Paterson
An Excellent Beginning
Reviewed: 04-25-24
This is by far one of my favorite intro books to any recent fantasy series. It’s dark in all the right ways. It features intense violence, but uses it to show the effects that violence has on people, rather than purely as spectacle. It puts a ton of moral and ethical questions in front of the reader, and has a great cast of characters. I couldn’t recommend a start to a series much more, it hooked me immediately.
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The Trials of Empire
- By: Richard Swan
- Narrated by: Lucy Patterson
- Length: 17 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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The Empire of the Wolf is on its knees, but there's life in the great beast yet. To save it, Sir Konrad Vonvalt and Helena must look beyond its borders for allies—to the wolfmen of the southern plains, and the pagan clans in the north. But old grievances run deep, and both factions would benefit from the fall of Sova. Even these allies might not be enough. Their enemy, the zealot Bartholomew Claver, wields infernal powers bestowed on him by a mysterious demonic patron. If Vonvalt and Helena are to stand against him, they will need friends on both sides of the mortal plane.
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Excellent series. Author checks all the boxes and is a master of his craft
- By Rich on 04-18-24
- The Trials of Empire
- By: Richard Swan
- Narrated by: Lucy Patterson
A Lot More Supernatural Than Books 1-2
Reviewed: 04-25-24
The series took a much more supernatural bend as it progressed, and unfortunately that was always the part of the series I liked the least. It might not bother you at all, and that’s well and good.
The 3rd act of the book felt rushed, and much of the plot was explained quickly by monologuing or info dumping, and it all dealt with supernatural or divine beings. The last act that dealt with tying loose ends, and dealt with human problems and human solutions, was much more enjoyable to me. Outside of that gripe, it was a solid read. I liked it, I just liked a good deal less than the first two books which very quickly entered my “top 10 books of the last few years” list. It would be unfair to rate it harshly, as my biggest complaint boils down to “it wasn’t as good as it’s predecessors that i deeply adore.”
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Priest of Bones
- War for the Rose Throne, Book 1
- By: Peter McLean
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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The war is over, and army priest Tomas Piety heads home with Sergeant Bloody Anne at his side. But things have changed while he was away: His crime empire has been stolen, and the people of Ellinburg - his people - have run out of food, hope, and places to hide. Tomas sets out to reclaim what was his with help from Anne, his brother, Jochan, and his new gang: the Pious Men. But when he finds himself dragged into a web of political intrigue once again, everything gets more complicated.
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Fantasy version of Peaky Blinders
- By Kindle Customer on 10-22-18
- Priest of Bones
- War for the Rose Throne, Book 1
- By: Peter McLean
- Narrated by: John Lee
A great book for a slump
Reviewed: 07-29-23
I can really drag my feet with new books, especially the start of a new series, but this story gripped right away. It is very much “Peaky Blinders but fantasy”- but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. It felt a little familiar, and made it easy to jump in. I’m in the middle of the third book in the series now, and can confidently recommend diving in. I cant wait to listen more tomorrow.
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The Blacktongue Thief
- By: Christopher Buehlman
- Narrated by: Christopher Buehlman
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path. But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.
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Outstanding
- By Anne Vaughan on 05-28-21
- The Blacktongue Thief
- By: Christopher Buehlman
- Narrated by: Christopher Buehlman
A wonderfully pleasant surprise
Reviewed: 07-29-23
The polarizing reviews left me with very medium expectations, but this book was absolutely awesome. The magic system is fun and interesting, the characters are great, and the narration suited the story very well. Sometimes it can be a bit hard to grasp what is being said through the thick accents of the characters, but as someone who often listens to books at 1.15-1.3x speed, I was able to easily discern everything after gaining a little familiarity. It felt very conversational. I was left really craving more, and cant wait to see where this series goes- and I will be very upset if the narration changes.
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The Lies of Locke Lamora
- Gentleman Bastard, Book 1
- By: Scott Lynch
- Narrated by: Michael Page
- Length: 22 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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An orphan’s life is harsh - and often short - in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges death and slavery, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentleman Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game.
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Narrator is a bit too much
- By Brandon Yapel on 03-02-20
- The Lies of Locke Lamora
- Gentleman Bastard, Book 1
- By: Scott Lynch
- Narrated by: Michael Page
An amazing story with exceptional narration.
Reviewed: 07-29-23
This quickly became one of my favorite fantasy books of all time, and the narrator perfectly rooted the voices of the main characters into my mind. I can’t imagine it any other way.
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