
City of Blades
The Divine Cities
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Narrated by:
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Alma Cuervo
About this listen
The city of Voortyashtan was once the home of the goddess of death, war, and destruction, but now it's little more than a ruin. General Turyin Mulaghesh is called out of retirement and sent to this hellish place to find a Saypuri secret agent who's gone AWOL in the middle of a mission. But the ghosts of past wars have followed her there, and soon she begins to wonder what happened to the souls in the afterlife when the gods were defeated by her people, the Polis. Do the dead sleep soundly in the land of death? Or do they have plans of their own?
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nice story, BAD ROBOT!
- By Robert on 02-28-25
By: M. R. Mathias
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Veiled Alliances
- A Prequel Novella to the Saga of Seven Suns
- By: Kevin J. Anderson
- Narrated by: David Colacci
- Length: 4 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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This audiobook shows the origin of the green priests on Theroc, the first Roamer skymining operations on a gas-giant planet, the discovery of the Klikiss robots entombed in an abandoned alien city, the initial Ildiran expedition to Earth, the rescue of the generation ship Burton and the tragedy that leads to sinister breeding experiments. Veiled Alliances is an excellent starting point for readers new to the Saga, as well as an unforgettable adventure for fans of the series.
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Start with Book One
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 06-05-14
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A Test of Wills
- By: Charles Todd
- Narrated by: Samuel Giles
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Ian Rutledge returns to his career at Scotland Yard after years fighting in the First World War. Unknown to his colleagues he is still suffering from shell shock, and is burdened with the guilt of having had executed a young soldier on the battlefield for refusing to fight. A jealous colleague has learned of his secret and has managed to have Rutledge assigned to a difficult case which could spell disaster for Rutledge whatever the outcome. A retired officer has been murdered, and Rutledge goes to investigate.
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Difficult to follow the narrator
- By Carol on 01-02-13
By: Charles Todd
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My Soul to Keep
- By: Tananarive Due
- Narrated by: Peter Francis James
- Length: 18 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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When Jessica marries David, he is everything she wants in a family man: brilliant, attentive, ever youthful. Yet she still feels something about him is just out of reach. Soon, as people close to Jessica begin to meet violent, mysterious deaths, David makes an unimaginable confession: More than 400 years ago, he and other members of an Ethiopian sect traded their humanity so they would never die, a secret he must protect at any cost.
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A Book I Can't Keep
- By Mistsofjade on 07-19-20
By: Tananarive Due
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Theft of Swords [Dramatized Adaptation]
- Riyria Revelations, Book 1
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Amanda Forstrom, Andrew Quilpa, Andy Brownstein, and others
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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There is no ancient evil to defeat, no orphan destined for greatness, just two guys in the wrong place at the wrong time. Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles until they become the unwitting scapegoats in a plot to murder the king. Sentenced to death, they have only one way out...and so begins this tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend. Avempartha is the second of a six book series entitled the Riyria Revelations.
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Could do without the commercials throughout it
- By Amazon Customer on 01-26-22
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The Hallowed Hunt
- By: Lois McMaster Bujold
- Narrated by: Marguerite Gavin
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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The half-mad Prince Boleso has been slain by a noblewoman he had intended to defile. It falls to Lord Ingrey kin Wilfcliff to transport the prince to his burial place and to bring the accused killer, Lady Ijada, to judgment. The road he travels with his burden and his prisoner is fraught with danger. But in the midst of political chaos, magic has the fiercer hold on Ingrey's destiny, and Ijada herself may turn out to be the only one he dares trust.
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Extremely disappointing
- By Loren on 10-12-12
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The Devil’s Dust Boxed Set
- By: M. N. Forgy
- Narrated by: Joe Arden, Maxine Mitchell
- Length: 41 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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This bundle includes What Doesn't Destroy Us, The Scars That Define Us, The Fear That Divides Us, The Lies Between Us, and What Might Kill Us.
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loved this series
- By Jonathan Gaddis on 07-25-21
By: M. N. Forgy
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Forging Hephaestus
- Villains' Code Series, Book 1
- By: Drew Hayes
- Narrated by: Amy Landon
- Length: 26 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Gifted with meta-human powers, Tori Rivas kept away from the limelight, preferring to work as a thief in the shadows. But when she's captured trying to rob a vault that belongs to a secret guild of villains, she's offered a hard choice: prove she has what it takes to join them or be eliminated. Apprenticed to one of the world's most powerful (and supposedly dead) villains, she is thrust into a strange world where the lines that divide superheroes and criminals are more complex than they seem.
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A Nice Surprise with some Really Fun Characters
- By Small Mountain on 09-29-17
By: Drew Hayes
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The Forever War
- By: Joe Haldeman
- Narrated by: George Wilson
- Length: 9 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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William Mandella is a soldier in Earth's elite brigade. As the war against the Taurans sends him from galaxy to galaxy, he learns to use protective body shells and sophisticated weapons. He adapts to the cultures and terrains of distant outposts. But with each month in space, years are passing on Earth. Where will he call home when (and if) the Forever War ends?
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A classic.
- By John on 09-24-08
By: Joe Haldeman
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Alien Clay
- By: Adrian Tchaikovsky
- Narrated by: Ben Allen
- Length: 13 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The planet of Kiln is where the tyrannical Mandate keeps its prison colony, and for inmates, the journey there is always a one-way trip. One such prisoner is Professor Arton Daghdev, xeno-ecologist and political dissident. Soon after arrival, he discovers that Kiln has a secret. Humanity is not the first intelligent life to set foot there. In the midst of a ravenous, chaotic ecosystem are the ruins of a civilization, but who were the vanished builders and where did they go?
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Super good!
- By Jessi on 11-26-24
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Sufficiently Advanced Magic
- Arcane Ascension, Book 1
- By: Andrew Rowe
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 21 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Five years ago Corin Cadence's brother entered the Serpent Spire - a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire's trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire's goddess. He never returned. Now it's Corin's turn. He's headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.
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Very good book
- By Jason N. on 07-20-17
By: Andrew Rowe
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Elantris
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 27 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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Once the godlike rulers of the capital of Arelon, the inhabitans of Elantris have been imprisoned within themselves, unable to die after the city's magic failed years ago. But when a new prince falls victim to the curse, he refuses to accept his fate.
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What if your body could never heal?
- By Lore on 09-12-13
What listeners say about City of Blades
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- Melissa
- 03-06-16
Good Read
it was not as good as city of stairs, but is a really good follow up book. a first in any series has the benefit of new, of introducing characters. the pacing of this one is different, but a great perspective shift following the general around.
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1 person found this helpful
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- G. Parish
- 03-27-21
Stay the Course
I recently listened to City of Blades written by Robert Jackson Bennett and narrated by Alan Cuervo.
In the City of Blades General Mulaghesh is called, reluctantly, out of retirement. Shara sends her by a roundabout route to the city of Voortyashtan. It seems there is a material there which does some things that are almost...divine. Many want to certify it as safe, but her predecessor disappeared and she is tasked with not only investigating the missing scientist, but also verifying the nature of this revolutionary substance, while under the pretense of just being a retired general that has been forced to tour bases to show off to the troops.
Narration: Alma Cuervo did a fairly solid job with the narration. Since the main point of view was that of General Mulaghesh, she embodied the general’s sarcastic and weathered, if extremely quick wit. Her voice had that since of age of an older woman, that tone that has edge and wit combined in it. Her diction was clear and she was a delight to listen to.
Conclusion: The City of Blades is a bit of a slow starter. Initially it’s a bit of a mystery novel that seems to have fairly low stakes. Once in the city of Voortyashan, however, the cold case heats up and the city's legacy of their dead goddess rears its head in the form of bloody sacrifice. If you can stay the patient course of the faithful, you will find this a book that imminently rewards patience.
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- Joseph
- 11-01-23
Not as good as the first, but still pretty good
In the sequel here we get a time jump of 5 years and we don’t follow Shara anymore. Instead we follow a side character from the first book, who I liked originally, but liked even less here. We get to meet some interesting characters and see another new and different city. The setting isn’t my favorite, the city here just didn’t feel as interesting as in the first book.
If you liked the first one, I say check this one out. Although I wouldn’t say it’s as good, it continues a lot of plots I was very interested in seeing after the first book. I do hope we get more from Shara again in the final book.
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- Alex Pritchard
- 06-07-21
More depressing than the first one
Different characters and a different tone than the first one, but still pretty good. Not really a sequel in the traditional sense.
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- E. Color
- 11-13-17
Fantastic fantasy
I love City of Stairs when I first read it and this book only improves upon a book I already love.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-10-21
Good but not nearly as good as the first book
I enjoyed it, however knowing how much better the first was, this leaves much to be desired.
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- Matthew
- 03-06-16
A Sequel Refined into Magnificence
Any additional comments?
Was City of Stairs just a successful prototype? I only ask because this book blew its predecessor out of the water. Just like how I knew Seveneves was going to be my book of the year last year, I have the suspicion that this will be 2016's book of the year.
City of Blades stars Mulaghesh, who was my second favorite character of the first book, as she is strong-armed into searching for another missing person in the capital city of the god of war. This time around, the mystery is streamlined and makes plenty of sense after the reveal. Now, we do get a handful of other returning characters, including my favorite. However, these characters play a weak second to some of the newly introduced characters. The takeaway is that this is it's own book, it may be in the same world, but I hesitate to call it a direct sequel.
This book seems like it might be high fantasy, and I suppose it is, but being set in a more modern setting breathes so much fresh life into the genre that this book is something new entirely. Beyond this, Bennet has become more focused and created a tighter book than the first in the series. There wasn't a single moment of the book that I was bored. I was constantly given ideas and themes to think about when I had set the book down, and even better, none of my trigger points of rage were ever clicked. It just is a masterpiece.
I recommend this to anyone that even has a passing interest in fantasy novels. And even if you didn't like the first book much, if you were at all interested in the premise, I highly recommend this book.
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4 people found this helpful
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- James Jakins
- 02-20-16
Amazing book
Who was your favorite character and why?
Mulaghesh. She's everything I like in a character. Funny and tragic in equal measure.
Which scene was your favorite?
I honestly don't know if I could pick one scene as a favorite. This book(Series, really) is full of great moments.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Oh yes. This book explores some heavy themes, and there are a few moments that got to me. I won't discuss them, because, you know, spoilers.
Any additional comments?
It's a great sequel that I enjoyed even more than the first. Amazing story, amazing narration. Excited for the next one.
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- Ben Wood
- 05-09-16
Another good one by RJB!
Second installment in the Divine Cities series, and a real page turner. Definitely worth a read for fans of fantasy and SciFi. Robert Jackson Bennet's world has definite potential to expand outward exponentially, and I hope it does.
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- Dave
- 11-03-16
You Want Me to Blow Up the Afterlife?!?!
The gods have been destroyed. This isn't myth or ancient history -- it happened less than a lifetime ago. They were oppressive and made slaves of much of humanity until the eventual uprising came. But if the gods are all dead, then what happened to the afterlives they created, and those left in them?
But really, I'm only scratching the surface. Straight up: City of Blades is the best thing I've listened to thus far this year. What's so impressive is not just the fantastic world building, but all the balls Robert Jackson Bennett is juggling and how timely it all feels in these politically divisive days. There is political unrest, divine terrorism, magical death swords, and best of all: our hero General Turyin Mulagesh.
Formerly retired General Mulagesh is a woman made of chrome (over 30 who isn't defined by being a mother, wife, etc. Bonus: she's tough and hilarious). She's also disabled -- she lost her left hand in the Battle of Bulikov and is trying to figure out how to make do with the clunky prosthesis. It's unusual to get that kind of protagonist in a fantasy novel, which is a shame because daaaaaaamn is Mulagesh a delight to read. While she was a strong supporting character in City of Stairs, she takes the spotlight in this book and does it with style. In the first chapter of the book, some guy with a weapon screams at her F--- you, Mulagesh, and f--- AIEEEEEEEE!!!! because Mulagesh just kicked his ass when he threatened her. Later on, she responds to a diplomatic gathering, "I'm on vacation you dumb sons of bitches!" Yes, there were times I was literally laughing out loud listening. But in addition to all the fun, she's driven by a darkness in her history, and a desire to right the wrongs of her past. She'd be right at home sharing a plate of pancakes with Hellboy.
Mulagesh is a portrait of a soldier in a time of political divisiveness (both in the story and, of course, in our own current events). Bennett writes with a fury aimed at the absurdity of war but retaining respect toward the soldiers who live and fight through it. Toward the end of the book we read, "Perhaps it's just that one who lives a life of war becomes a refugee from it." That feels like a pretty apt description for how veterans may feel when they return home from war and re-enter society. At times, City of Blades reads as if Sebastian Junger had been embedded in some strange war against dead gods with insurgents from the afterlife, divine artifacts, and those in the armed services stuck in the crossfire of it all.
Whatever the literary equivalent of action movie set pieces is, Bennett has it in spades. There's a chapter about midway through the book where a sword is being delivered to Mulagesh. We know this is very bad news, but the way Bennett keeps upping the stakes throughout this chapter is nothing short of breathtaking. Bennett also broke my heart playing with some of fantasy's tropes. Toward the end of the story, it becomes clear that several characters aren't going to make it out alive. And yet, this is a story that deals with miracles and the divine, right? So I kept hoping maybe there was some way death might be reversed. Please!?!?! But, no. The characters stay dead, and the survivors are ripped apart by the loss of their friends and family.
City of Blades is my kind of book -- it has incredible worldbuilding, as well as characters who feel like they've lived a lifetime and are struggling with their sins. I was surprised by how touched I was when Sigurd said to another character that there was more to life than the great tasks that we set for ourselves. I mentioned political divisiveness earlier, and the whole story line involving Mulagesh's history on the battlefield and promotion through the ranks put me in mind of the soldiers who put themselves in harm's way for their country.
Alma Cuervo is yet again a perfect match for this book. I'm so glad Recorded Books brought her back to narrate Mulagesh's POV flawlessly. She's not the flashiest of narrators, but she makes each one of these characters breathe, and it's hard for me to imagine any of these characters being read by someone else. (I know the third book in this trilogy stars Sigurd, and I really hope that despite this, Recorded Books brings back Cuervo. She is so great at everything she does here.)
City of Blades is the second book in the Divine Cities trilogy, but that shouldn't scare you off if you haven't read the first book (although the first book is all kinds of awesome too). It stands on its own just fine, and it's the best kind of fantasy book -- one that will sweep you away to another to inhabit another world, so that when you return to this one, you'll be able to view if from a whole different perspective. This is the kind of book that makes you remember why you love fantasy.
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4 people found this helpful