
Forge of Darkness
Kharkanas Trilogy, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Daniel Philpott
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By:
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Steven Erikson
About this listen
Steven Erikson entered the pantheon of great fantasy writers in 1999 with his debut, Gardens of the Moon. In the span of just 10 years, he completed his epic telling of the Malazan Book of the Fallen, collecting hordes of fans along the way. Now Erikson returns with a place for new listeners to enter the Malazan world, a trilogy that takes place at a time before the events of the concluded series.
Forge of Darkness takes listeners to Kurald Galain, the warren of Darkness, and tells of a realm whose fate plays a crucial role in the fall of the Malazan Empire and surrounds one of the Malazan world’s most fascinating and powerful characters, Anomander Rake. It’s a conflicted time in Kurald Galain, where Mother Dark reigns above the Tiste people. But this ancient land was once home to many a power...and even death is not quite eternal.
The commoners’ great hero, Vatha Urusander, longs for ascendency and Mother Dark’s hand in marriage, but she has taken another Consort, Lord Draconus, from the faraway Dracons Hold. The idea of this union sends fissures throughout the realm, and as the rumors of an inevitable civil war burn through the masses, something emerges from the long-dead seas. The Vitr - an ancient power that shakes the dormant and dying powers of the past. Caught in the middle of it all are the Sons of Darkness: Anomander, Andarist, and Silchas Ruin of the Purake Hold.
It’s a time of great strife as the past and the present of this warren boil with unfathomable alliances, great deceptions, and even greater passions...of both love and hate. This ancient tale within the world Erikson introduced in the Malazan Book of the Fallen should appeal to fans of George R. R. Martin for its characters and intrigue, but goes leaps further in the realm of the imagination.
©2012 Steven Erikson (P)2012 Brilliance Audio, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Story
In a daring and deadly heist, thieves have made away with an artifact of terrible power - the death mask of Louis Charbon. Made by a master craftsman, it is imbued with the spirit of a monster from history, a serial murderer who terrorized the city. Now Charbon is loose once more, killing from beyond the grave. But these murders are different from before, not simply random but the work of a deliberate mind probing for answers to a sinister question.
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Slow and convoluted
- By GTR on 04-28-21
By: Marina Lostetter
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The Silverblood Promise
- The Last Legacy, Book 1
- By: James Logan
- Narrated by: Brenock O’Connor
- Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Lukan Gardova is a cardsharp, academy dropout, and—thanks to a duel that ended badly—the disgraced heir to an ancient noble house. His days consist of cheap wine, rigged card games, and wondering how he might win back the life he threw away. When Lukan discovers that his estranged father has been murdered in strange circumstances, he finds fresh purpose. Deprived of his chance to make amends for his mistakes, he vows to unravel the mystery behind his father's death. His search for answers leads him to Saphrona, fabled city of merchant princes, where anything can be bought if one has the coin.
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Nothing to care about.
- By Skrapps on 07-02-24
By: James Logan
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Borrowed Time
- By: John Nolte
- Narrated by: Jim Seybert
- Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Joshua Mason has been alive for thousands of years. He doesn't know how or why it happened, only that he can die like any man, but will always return. When you live forever, everything you love will die, so he decided long ago to not become attached. That all changed when he met Doreen. With her, he found something more than the woman he loves, after thousands of years of wandering, he found his place in the world. Now she's dying of old age. Distraught, Joshua promises to look after Charlie, Doreen's grandson, who is thirty-six, but forever a child due to a terrible brain injury.
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Great story, compelling characters
- By Amazon Customer on 10-23-23
By: John Nolte
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Of Bone and Thunder
- A Novel
- By: Chris Evans
- Narrated by: Todd Haberkorn
- Length: 16 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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In this strange, new world deep among the shadows under a triple-canopy jungle and plagued by dangers real and imagined, soldiers strive to fulfill a mission they don’t understand and are ill-equipped to carry out. And high above them, the heavy rush of wings slashing through the humid air herald a coming wave of death and destruction, and just possibly, salvation.
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Vietnam in Fantasyland
- By Michael D. Stuart on 04-19-25
By: Chris Evans
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A God in the Shed
- A God in the Shed, Book 1
- By: J-F. Dubeau
- Narrated by: David Marantz
- Length: 12 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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The village of Saint-Ferdinand has all the trappings of a quiet life. Though if an out-of-towner stopped in, they would notice one unusual thing - a cemetery far too large and much too full for such a small town, lined with the victims of the Saint-Ferdinand Killer, who has eluded police for nearly two decades. It's not until after Inspector Stephen Crowley finally catches the killer that the town discovers even darker forces are at play.
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So Disappointing
- By NNN on 03-11-18
By: J-F. Dubeau
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Dragonslayer
- The Dragonslayer, Book 1
- By: Duncan M. Hamilton
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 10 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
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Once a member of the king's personal guard, Guillot dal Villevauvais spends most days drinking and mourning his wife and child. He’s astonished - and wary - when the Prince Bishop orders him to find and destroy a dragon. He and the Prince Bishop have never exactly been friends, and Gill left the capital in disgrace five years ago. So why him? And, more importantly, how is there a dragon to fight when the beasts were hunted to extinction centuries ago by the ancient Chevaliers of the Silver Circle?
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Show, don’t tell
- By Julie Moran on 10-16-20
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Semiosis
- A Novel
- By: Sue Burke
- Narrated by: Caitlin Davies, Daniel Thomas May
- Length: 14 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Only mutual communication can forge an alliance with the planet's sentient species and prove that mammals are more than tools. Forced to land on a planet they aren't prepared for, human colonists rely on their limited resources to survive. The planet provides a lush but inexplicable landscape—trees offer edible, addictive fruit one day and poison the next, while the ruins of an alien race are found entwined in the roots of a strange plant. Conflicts between generations arise as they struggle to understand one another and grapple with an unknowable alien intellect.
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Weird. But good. But weird.
- By Lilyn G. on 03-20-18
By: Sue Burke
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Rubicon
- By: J. S. Dewes
- Narrated by: Eunice Wong
- Length: 16 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Sergeant Adriene Valero wants to die. She can't. After enduring a traumatic resurrection for the ninety-sixth time, Valero is reassigned to a special forces unit and outfitted with a cutting-edge virtual intelligence aid. They could turn the tide in the war against intelligent machines dedicated to the assimilation, or destruction, of humanity. When her VI suddenly achieves sentience, Valero is drawn into the machinations of an enigmatic major who’s hell-bent on ending the war—by any means necessary.
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some twists and turns
- By Ocean State Prime on 06-24-23
By: J. S. Dewes
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The Black Company
- Chronicles of The Black Company, Book 1
- By: Glen Cook
- Narrated by: Marc Vietor
- Length: 10 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Some feel the Lady, newly risen from centuries in thrall, stands between humankind and evil. Some feel she is evil itself. The hardbitten men of the Black Company take their pay and do what they must, burying their doubts with their dead - until the prophesy: The White Rose has been reborn, somewhere, to embody good once more. There must be a way for the Black Company to find her....
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Hard Boiled Morally Ambiguous Epic Fantasy
- By Jefferson on 03-18-11
By: Glen Cook
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Deadmen Walking
- A Deadman's Cross Novel
- By: Sherrilyn Kenyon
- Narrated by: Holter Graham
- Length: 10 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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To catch evil, it takes evil. Enter Devyl Bane—an ancient dark warlord returned to the human realm as one of the most notorious pirates in the New World. A man of many secrets, Bane makes a pact with Thorn—an immortal charged with securing the worst creations the ancient gods ever released into our world. Those powers have been imprisoned for eons behind enchanted gates . . . gates that are beginning to buckle. At Thorn’s behest, Bane takes command of a crew of Deadmen and, together, they are humanity’s last hope to restore the gates and return the damned to their hell realms.
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Overall good
- By 1safelady on 05-24-17
By: Sherrilyn Kenyon
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The Rook
- A Novel
- By: Daniel O'Malley
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 17 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Myfanwy Thomas awakes in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, her only hope of survival is to trust the instructions left in her pocket by her former self. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization - and this person wants her dead.
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Tale of Two Myfanwy's
- By Tango on 03-18-13
By: Daniel O'Malley
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Winter's Orbit
- By: Everina Maxwell
- Narrated by: Raphael Corkhill
- Length: 15 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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A famously disappointing minor royal and the emperor's least favorite grandchild, Prince Kiem is summoned before the emperor and commanded to renew the empire's bonds with its newest vassal planet. The prince must marry Count Jainan, the recent widower of another royal prince of the empire. But Jainan suspects his late husband’s death was no accident. And Prince Kiem discovers Jainan is a suspect himself.
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Great Sci-Fi Mystery
- By April Reads and Listens on 05-06-21
By: Everina Maxwell
Would you listen to Forge of Darkness again? Why?
Steven Erikson is probably the best fantasy writer it has ever been my pleasure to read or listen to.What was one of the most memorable moments of Forge of Darkness?
Kadaspala ripping out his own eyes in grief.Which scene was your favorite?
Anomander Rake meeting Caladan Brood for the first time.If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?
It doesn't start how you think it does.Any additional comments?
The audio on this book was recorded far too low. I was straining to hear for over 1/2 the book.Too Quiet
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Poor choice with the narrator
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Difficult , Rewarding
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First, a brief review: A stirring, powerful, thought-provoking, wonderful "must read."
Now, a bit more info.
I've read this before I listened to it. It's HUGE. Just as in his "Fallen" works, this requires you to think. AND. It's setting the groundworks for a strong, amazing trilogy down the road. If you liked "Gardens of the Moon," which I've already reviewed here at Audible, you'll love this book. "Gardens" carries it's work somewhat herein, so you'll be comfortable. The descriptions are astounding, the plots and storylines immense, and the fantasy element is superb. A powerful mix of fantasy, machiavellian plots and engaging characters.
No spoilers here, as usual. I WILL tell you to look at my review of Erikson's "Gardens of the Moon," so you can get a better idea, if you need one.
This is EPIC. Strong fantasy at it's finest. And just like "Gardens," it's not a casual listen.
This is fantasy on par with NOTHING else out there. It's unique and refreshing. And again, anyone who knows Erikson's works will agree: He's preparing us in this first book for very great things.
Enjoy.
A Precursor Epic Fantasy - A Rewarding Beginning!
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Complex and Intricate
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Good thing I've read the Malazan books!
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Erikson's best yet
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Where does Forge of Darkness rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
Right at the top. The production is great, the narrator is engaging and consistent. Erikson is at his most philosophical and his prose is deliciously dark, but at times still warm and humorous.Who was your favorite character and why?
Draconus. He is the beating heart of the book for me.What about Daniel Philpott’s performance did you like?
The most important thing about a narrator for me is that they make it easier, not harder, to follow the storyline. Philpott does this.I can't believe I have to wait for the next book!
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Erickson always delivers a great story.
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what is this
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