Aching God
Iconoclasts, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Mike Shel
About this listen
Winner of 2019 Voice Arts Award, Audiobook Narration - Fantasy
"Closer, mortal. You are here, finally, to feed the Aching God...."
The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside and isolated with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. But just as old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, he receives an urgent summons back to that old life.
To save his only daughter, he must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. Along with a group of inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. He has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But how can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god?
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- Narrated by: Mark Bramhall
- Length: 15 hrs
- Unabridged
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Japan in the late 16th century was a land in turmoil. Lords of the great clans schemed against one another, served by aristocratic samurai bound to them by a rigid code of honor. Bennosuke is a high-born but lonely teenager living in his ancestral village. His mother died when he was a young boy, and his powerful warrior father Munisai has abandoned him for a life of service to his Lord, Shinmei. Bennosuke has been raised by his uncle Dorinbo, a Buddhist monk who urges the boy to forgo the violence of the samurai and embrace the contemplative life.
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Clever weaving of history and fiction.
- By JW Crummett on 02-25-16
By: David Kirk
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Akiri: The Scepter of Xarbaal
- Akiri, Book 1
- By: Brian D. Anderson, Steven Savile
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Akiri is a blistering new heroic fantasy novel from the multiple award-winning international best sellers Brian D. Anderson and Steven Savile who have come together to create the first adrenalin-filled standalone novel in Akiri's tortured world. Can one betrayal can save a kingdom? Will two destroy it?
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Buy this story!!!
- By wlantz on 11-02-16
By: Brian D. Anderson, and others
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Time's Children
- By: D.B. Jackson
- Narrated by: Helen Keeley
- Length: 16 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Fifteen-year-old Tobias Doljan, a Walker trained to travel through time, is called to serve at the court of Daerjen. The sovereign, Mearlan IV, wants him to Walk back 14 years to prevent a devastating war that will destroy all of Islevale. Even though the journey will double Tobias' age, he agrees. But when he arrives, he discovers that Mearlan has already been assassinated, and his court, destroyed. The only survivor is the infant princess. Still a boy inside his newly adult body, Tobias must find a way to protect the princess from assassins and build himself a future...in the past.
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Love this!
- By Julie K. on 09-03-20
By: D.B. Jackson
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Starless
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Caitlin Davies
- Length: 21 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Destined from birth to serve as protector of the princess Zariya, Khai is trained in the arts of killing and stealth by a warrior sect in the deep desert; yet there is one profound truth that has been withheld from him. In the court of the Sun-Blessed, Khai must learn to navigate deadly intrigue and his own conflicted identity…but in the far reaches of the western seas, the dark god Miasmus is rising, intent on nothing less than wholesale destruction.
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The most beautiful thing I've enjoyed this year!
- By DabOfDarkness on 08-06-18
By: Jacqueline Carey
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Ink Mage
- A Fire Beneath the Skin, Book 1
- By: Victor Gischler
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham
- Length: 11 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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In the first installment of the A Fire Beneath the Skin trilogy, the city of Klaar has never fallen. No enemy has ever made it across the Long Bridge or penetrated the city's mighty walls. Even when a powerful invading army shows up at the gates, the duke and his daughter, Rina Veraiin, are certain that it poses little threat. But they are cruelly betrayed from within and, in a horrific spasm of violence, the city is brought to its knees.
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mixed feelings
- By Elvira on 10-28-15
By: Victor Gischler
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Madrenga
- By: Alan Dean Foster
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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He is plainly too young and too inexperienced for the mission, but on the advice of her aged adviser Natoum, and with her husband off at war, the queen reluctantly assigns the task of delivery to...Madrenga. Accompanied only by a runt of a pony and a scrap of a pup, he sets off to transport the royal message to its destination. No matter what it might take. But things are not always what they seem. Heroes are sometimes made of the strangest stuff, and love is to be found in the most unexpected places...if one doesn’t die while treading the lethal path.
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Unique and captivating!
- By Julie Moran on 02-05-21
By: Alan Dean Foster
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Shadowmarch
- Shadowmarch, Volume I
- By: Tad Williams
- Narrated by: Dick Hill
- Length: 29 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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For generations the misty Shadowline has marked the boundary between the lands of men and the lost northern lands that are the lair of their inhuman enemies, the ageless Qar. But now that boundary line is moving outward, threatening to engulf the northernmost land in which humans still live - the kingdom of Southmarch.
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It's the characters that matter...
- By JC on 11-09-10
By: Tad Williams
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Nights of the Witch
- War God, Book 1
- By: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Barnaby Edwards
- Length: 22 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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A young girl called Tozi stands at the bottom of a pyramid, waiting to be led to the top where her heart will be cut out.... Pepillo, a Spanish orphan who serves a sadistic Dominican friar, is aboard the Spanish fleet as it sails towards Mexico.... This is the epic story of the clash of two empires, two armies and two gods of war. Five hundred desperate adventurers are about to pit themselves against the most brutal armies of the ancient Americas, armies hundreds of thousands strong.
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engaging story.
- By Dennis Lewis on 12-14-16
By: Graham Hancock
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Kushiel's Dart
- By: Jacqueline Carey
- Narrated by: Anne Flosnik
- Length: 31 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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The land of Terre d'Ange is a place of unsurpassing beauty and grace. It is said that angels found the land and saw it was good...and the ensuing race that rose from the seed of angels and men live by one simple rule: Love as thou wilt.
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The Kushiel series in order
- By Glen Gaines on 10-27-09
By: Jacqueline Carey
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I, Strahd: The Memoirs of a Vampire
- Ravenloft: Strahd, Book 1
- By: P. N. Elrod
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 8 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Some of the parchment pages were the color of cream, thick and substantial, made to last many, many lifetimes. Other pages were thin and desiccated, positively yellow from age, and crackled alarmingly as Van Richten turned them over. There were no ornate illuminations, no fussy borders, only lines of plain text in hard black ink. The flowing handwriting was a bit difficult to follow at first; the writer's style of calligraphy had not been in common use for 300 years. No table of contents, but from the dates it looked to be some kind of history.
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Love it...just one complaint....
- By Ryan Conrad on 03-15-14
By: P. N. Elrod
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Dragons of the Dwarven Depths
- The Lost Chronicles, Volume 1
- By: Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman
- Narrated by: Sandra Burr
- Length: 15 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The companions believe they have slain the evil Dragon Highlord Verminaard. They have rescued the refugees from Pax Tharkas and taken them to a valley in the Kharolis mountains.
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Loved the book. Loathed the narrator.
- By Customer on 06-02-15
By: Margaret Weis, and others
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The Empire of the Dead
- By: Phil Tucker
- Narrated by: Paul Guyet
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Acharsis has always loved long shots. But even with a perfect scheme and a handpicked squad of godsblooded grifters and fighters, breaking into the undead lord's Akkodaisis' ziggurat is suicidally impossible. Good thing Archarsis is a fallen demigod with more than one trick up his sleeve....
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Incredibly imaginative
- By RyRy on 09-08-17
By: Phil Tucker
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Beautiful prose, beautifully narrated.
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Seventeen years have passed since the Necromancer Queen Talia was overthrown and slain, and her capital city destroyed by the Knights of the Order of Eternal Vigilance. Anskar DeVantte, raised in the sacred disciplines of the Order, is now ready to face the brutal initiation trials to become a consecrated knight-sorcerer. But the further Anskar rises in the ranks the more his faith wavers. As troubling powers awaken within him, a schism grows between Anskar and his hallowed Order, and he draws the hungry gaze of the vanquished queen’s fanatical followers.
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Bounty hunter Ryhalt Galharrow has breathed Misery dust for 20 bitter years. When he's ordered to locate a masked noblewoman at a frontier outpost, he finds himself caught in the middle of an attack by the Deep Kings, one that signifies they may no longer fear the Engine. Only a formidable show of power from the very woman he is seeking, Lady Ezabeth Tanza, repels the assault.
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Hard Boiled Morally Ambiguous Epic Fantasy
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Grimdark at its finest
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In the bustling capital city of the Mahruse Empire, Felicienne Shyrise spends her days as a talented investigator, taking on stolen goods and missing person cases and the occasional murder the city guard are too incompetent - or too lazy - to resolve. During the nights she hones her skills playing Dominion, a board game almost as complicated as life itself. She dreams of making a name for herself and becoming the richest woman in the Empire.
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Worth It
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Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of Southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving - a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war.
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Didn’t expect a “grow up power fantasy”
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The rot eats away at mortals. The Witnesses pray so that they may not turn into one of the forgotten. And the constricting mists infect the lands with fear. But there is more to this tale than just the Elders and their Seeds. Four mortals will have a part to play in Minethria’s fate. A farmer girl with only love in her eyes. A warrior born to the life of a refugee. A highborn stuck between the realm of gods and men. And a woman running into front lines and away from home.
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Catharsis abound
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The Blacktongue Thief
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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
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The Pariah
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Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army. Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance.
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Has a great first half then slowly goes downhill
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The Sword Defiant
- By: Gareth Hanrahan
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Many years ago, Sir Aelfric and his nine companions saved the world, seizing the Dark Lord's cursed weapons, along with his dread city of Necrad. That was the easy part. Now, when Aelfric—keeper of the cursed sword Spellbreaker—learns of a new and terrifying threat, he seeks the nine heroes once again. But they are wandering adventurers no longer. Yesterday's eager heroes are today's weary leaders—and some have turned to the darkness, becoming monsters themselves. If there's one thing Aelfric knows, it's slaying monsters. Even if they used to be his friends.
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Below average
- By Jacob dale clifford on 07-21-23
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What listeners say about Aching God
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Kindle Customer
- 09-15-18
a great story
a great fantasy novel well written I say give it a try and find out for yourself every book is a world and this find out for yourself.
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4 people found this helpful
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- sharon
- 10-05-18
Outstanding
It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to a book that has both poetic prose and engaging characters. Highly recommended for those who like old school fantasy.
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- John
- 11-12-20
Super Fantasy Horror Story
I really enjoyed this Audible book. Hooked me right from the start and couldn’t stop listening. I’m so glad a friend recommended. It’s a really good monster horror story with lots of gore and violence in a fantasy setting with really good narration. So good in fact, I had already purchased the next in the series before completing this one and now I can’t wait to get into it next.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-15-22
Fantasy sci-fi worthy of beingcalled literature!!!
Beautiful writing.
I love fantasy sci-fi but most of these Audible titles make me feel like I lose 4IQ points for each one I listen to. They feel like they are written by junior high school students, and not very brights ones at that. Mike's writing is the OPPOSITE. If you have ever read and appreciated (not even necessarily enjoyed) Shakespeare, you know that almost every line he wrote was worth studying on its own as his writing was so packed with immense meaning, wit, allegory, imagery and just overall language mastery. Well, Mike is NOT the Bard, but then again who is? However, he is so much closer than any recent fantasy sci-fi writers on Audible. He is on the side of literature that reminds of how beautifully eloquent many old letters were from the 18th and 19th century even from regular people compared to our current Tik-Tok and Instagram culture of verbal ignorance.
His characters are so well layered and their relationships with others are profound and appreciable, it really gets the reader vested into the story's outcome.
The story itself was very original, creative and also very ambitious, which could easily have turned into a disaster, if it was not so well written and thought out.
Simon Vance is a decent narrator but his voice sounds too old, which is tolerable for this book as the main and other key characters are themselves old, but his voice really does not fit any of the younger characters I'm afraid.
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-31-23
Not for everyone.
Was gripped by the story in the first few chapters. Simon Vance made the tale come alive as usual. It's not the epic fantasy some may expect, has more of a ravenloft/darkest dungeon approach. looking forward to the rest of the series .
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- SinnaPomme
- 03-14-24
Wow.
Onion. Ok bear with me. This story unfolds with the timeless, tasty, pungent, patterned, tear-wrenching consistency of that ancient vegetable. It feels ancient. it feels like a lost story, a cautionary tale of antiquity, perhaps burned at the library of Alexandria?
The dialog is like smooth music. Invasive. Seamless.
Simon, fabulous as always.
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- Cameron
- 10-02-18
Fantastic start to a new series
I was so surprised by this book. I listen to audio books exclusively, I hardly ever have the time to read them anymore. That being said narration is extremely important to me. Certain books that would otherwise be great, have been left untouched due to the narrator (::coughnickpodehlcough::) being completely unsuited and/or bad. After listening to the sample chapter I was pleasantly surprised by Simon Vance (this was the first time I've heard him), and boy, I'm so glad I bought this book. Simon Vance was spectacular. He's a narrator that doesn't just read the book, he acts the part of every character. He has a recognizably distinct voice for each character, he reads with emotion and realism. In fact, I'd go so far as to say he's the best narrator I've listened to (for this genre) other than Steven Pacey. That being said, not only is the narrator top notch... the book is surprisingly extremely well written, engaging, well paced, action packed, emotional and... realistic. I know that's an odd term for a book in this genre, but when reading it I couldn't help think that I was reading about characters and a universe in an alternate reality. Or a history from thousands of years ago that actually existed.
I say "surprisingly" because I was a little hesitant since this is a self published book and a debut novel, however, it reads like it was written by someone that's been established in the genre for 20+ years.
It opens with Auric (forgive the spelling if/when I get some of these names wrong). An aging warrior and adventurer, and also our protagonist, that was employed by the Syraic League for 30 years. The League is a militaristic order that's tasked by the regions nobility to search and explore ancient Djao ruins for lost and forgotten relics, and other items of importance. The Djao are an ancient race that worshiped demons and practiced dark, necromantic arts. Auric is old, weary and has some serious PTSD from his time spent with The League, holding himself responsible for a catastrophic failure of an expedition he led his team of fellow League members (and friends) on. Having lost his wife, son and having a strained and distant relationship with his only surviving estranged daughter, Agnes, we find him living in a small village outside the life of court, in retirement from The League. He's learned to enjoy three years of life after retirement here until nightmares begin, nightmares of the most harrowing event of his life. It is at the onset of these nightmares that he receives a summons from the Syraic Lector to come back to Boudan, the home of the Queen, Court and the headquarters of the Syraic League. The summons is vague, but mentions his daughter is in peril.
All these details are exposed in the first chapter, what goes on from here is simply a fantastic story of sword and sorcery, love and comradery between friends and fellow adventurers, nightmarish descriptions of horrible creatures and perhaps the best description of how a lifetime of "adventuring" and exploring these types of horrible places can scar the mind. I felt so much sorrow for Auric and the things he's seen and experienced, and the author does such a great job of portraying his genuine fear, anxiety, dread and guilt. It's the first time in a fantasy book that I've read a truly terrifying and accurate depiction of PTSD and it's effects on a character. Along with this, I also had such an extreme feeling of foreboding, dread and creeping anxiety myself while reading. Like I knew there was something evil in the shadows, something unknown waiting around the corner waiting to consume everyone in the book... but I didn't know what it was. Very Lovercraftian horror-esque in this sense, and I loved every second of it!
I also loved the sub characters in this book. We have Belach, a staunch supporter that meets Auric at the beginning of the book and is tasked to help him get to Boudan to answer his summons. Belach is a friendly, warm and good hearted soldier around the same age as Auric, that is loyal to the bone. Sira, a healing Priestess of Belu that has a chance encounter with Auric, a girl with a lopsided smile that reminds Auric of someone near and dear to his heart. Del, a tattooed, menacing Sorceress with a vast knowledge of the Djao and a heart of gold. Lumari, an alchemist that is a bit OCD and perfectionist and lastly, Nais, a young and brash swordsman that's a bit reckless, vain and condescending although extremely deadly with a blade. Watching these people grow to know each other, rely on each other, protect each other and care for each other was really great. These aren't the most fleshed out characters in fantasy, in terms of their backstory, but they all feel REAL. I grew to care about them all, and was genuinely worried when they were in peril.
The author does a fantastic job at world building as well. Instead of dumping chapters of information on us with long drawn out descriptions of insignificant details, he seamlessly weaves in details throughout the story, mainly using character dialogue. The world slowly and naturally unfolds for the reader and we begin to envision it, and it seems like just when we are a little lost and wondering about something, the author does a great job at tying up the loose ends.
I'm beginning to ramble so I'll just say a few more things here. I can't write the review without giving a shout out to the chapter that introduces The Queen (long may she reign!). Just remember that when you read the book, that when you reach the chapter with her introduction, you're in for a treat! The authors description of her is truly chilling.
The book isn't perfect and does have a slow chapter or two near the beginning, but that's nothing compared to how good the book is overall. This was also one of those books that I was dreading the ending so bad, simply because I knew it would be over. I wanted more, and when it ended I just felt lost, even though the ending was solid and wrapped up the story of the first book, while still leaving plenty of possibility and intrigue for the second and third book.
For any fans of classic sword and sorcery, dark fantasy, Lovecraftian horror... this book is for you. It's not quite as polished as something on the level of Martin or Abercrombie, but man, for an authors first novel, it's truly something special. I'll be buying the second book (titled "Sineater", scheduled for an early 2019 release) on day one. Mark my words, Mike Shel is one to keep an eye on people, he's going to be big if he continues down this road.
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- Florian Bucher
- 01-28-23
Finally a mature main character and decent world!
It's so rare nowadays to find characters that are not just cliches and caricatures of a human being compared with an interesting world and some cosmic horror elements.
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- Vanessa S. Tyre
- 06-02-23
Fantasy with a kick
I did not expect the style of this fantasy novel but was pleasantly surprised and impressed with it nonetheless. Great storytelling and performance combined. Enjoyed it way more than I ever thought that I would. It was like a bountiful mix of Indiana Jones, Dungeons and Dragons and a little Chinese Period Fantasy. All my favorite types of entertainment!
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- Kindle Customer
- 01-20-21
Excellent
I'm very choosy when I'm looking for a new read.
It has to be worth my time. I liked the title and cover art but often the inside falls short. I read some reviews and some referenced D & D. while I have never played it I am partial to swords and sorcery. the pacing is very good I think. He keeps it on point without too much clutter. not too many POVs or too much exposition. Great characters too both important and not so much. He manages to craft defined personalities for both kinds. Oh, did I mention the gore? if you're a bit squeamish you might want to pass on this one. I don't think i've read a book with such gory detail! Hats off Mike! Hats off to Simon as well! I don't listen to many books due to poor narrating but he is very good. so if you're even slightly interested in any of the above this is a must read.
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