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Queen of Fire
- A Raven's Shadow Novel
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 26 hrs and 37 mins
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Publisher's summary
In this “deftly and originally executed” (Booklist) New York Times best-selling novel, Vaelin Al Sorna must help his Queen reclaim her Realm. Only his enemy has a dangerous new collaborator, one with powers darker than Vaelin has ever encountered...
“The Ally is there, but only ever as a shadow, unexplained catastrophe or murder committed at the behest of a dark vengeful spirit. Sorting truth from myth is often a fruitless task". After fighting back from the brink of death, Queen Lyrna is determined to repel the invading Volarian army and regain the independence of the Unified Realm. Except, to accomplish her goals, she must do more than rally her loyal supporters. She must align herself with forces she once found repugnant - those who possess the strange and varied gifts of the Dark - and take the war to her enemy’s doorstep. Victory rests on the shoulders of Vaelin Al Sorna, now named Battle Lord of the Realm. However, his path is riddled with difficulties. For the Volarian enemy has a new weapon on their side, one that Vaelin must destroy if the Realm is to prevail - a mysterious Ally with the ability to grant unnaturally long life to her servants. And defeating one who cannot be killed is a nearly impossible feat, especially when Vaelin’s blood-song, the mystical power which has made him the epic fighter he is, has gone ominously silent...
Don't miss the continuation of this epic saga: The Wolf's Call, a Raven's Blade novel.
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Praise for the Raven’s Shadow novels
“Ryan hits all the high notes of epic fantasy - a gritty setting, ancient magics, ruthless intrigue, divided loyalties and bloody action.” (Publishers Weekly)
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The Roman grip on Britain is weakening. Emperor Nero has turned his face away from this far-flung outpost. The Druids are on the rise, spreading seeds of rebellion among the British tribes. Roman cruelty and exploitation has angered their British subjects. The warrior queen Boudicca will lead the tribes to war. Standing against the rising tide of Boudicca's rebellion is Roman Tribune, Gaius Valerius Verrens, Commander of the veteran legions at Colonia.
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Good story, well told and well read
- By Mike Varley on 10-01-14
By: Douglas Jackson
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Wytchfire
- The Dragonkin Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Michael Meyerhofer
- Narrated by: Craig Beck
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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In a land haunted by the legacy of dead dragons, Rowen Locke has been many things: orphan, gravedigger, mercenary. All he ever wanted was to become a Knight of Crane and wield a kingsteel sword against the kind of grown horrors his childhood knows all too well. But that dream crumbled - replaced by a new nightmare. War is overrunning the realms, an unprecedented duel of desire and revenge, steel and sorcery. And for one disgraced man who would be a knight, in a world where no one is blameless, the time has come to decide which side he's on.
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Can't judge a book by it's cover.
- By Fantasy Reader on 08-29-15
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Warcraft: Durotan
- The Official Movie Prequel
- By: Christie Golden
- Narrated by: Toby Longworth
- Length: 7 hrs and 29 mins
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In the world of Draenor, the strong and fiercely independent Frostwolf Clan are faced with increasingly harsh winters and thinning herds. When Gul'dan, a mysterious outsider, arrives in Frostfire Ridge offering word of new hunting lands, Durotan, the clan's chieftain, must make an impossible decision: abandon the territory, pride and traditions of his people or lead them into the unknown.
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Great for fans and loremasters alike
- By Brandon Long on 05-04-16
By: Christie Golden
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The Doomfarers of Coramonde
- Coramonde Series, Book 1
- By: Brian Daley
- Narrated by: Cameron Beierle
- Length: 13 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Just yesterday, Sergeant Gil MacDonald and his APC crew had been fending off an ambush in a Viet Nam jungle. In the middle of the firefight, some kind of magic spell had transported them to this Fantasy Land complete with flying dragons, wizards, crazy castles, and dispossessed princes. They would stay trapped here forever unless they could rescue the sorceress Gabrielle. Master magician Amon held her captive in his palace; and to reach her, Gil and his men would have to infiltrate Hell itself!
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Waited over twenty years for an audiobook version!
- By Naomi on 02-16-12
By: Brian Daley
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Warsworn: The Complete Trilogy
- Warsworn, Books 1-3
- By: Ben Hale
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 33 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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Forged for combat, the rock trolls have no equal. They train from birth, endure brutal conditioning, and mark their skin with every kill. They have become the very flesh of war and inspire fear across the globe. Now a bounty has been issued, one that calls for the extermination of their race.
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Loved it - Spoiler Alert
- By Michelle on 04-19-22
By: Ben Hale
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The Well of Eternity: Blizzard Legends
- World of Warcraft: War of the Ancients, Book One
- By: Richard A. Knaak
- Narrated by: Ramon De Ocampo
- Length: 12 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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In the first chapter of this epic trilogy, the outcome of the historic War of the Ancients is forever altered by the arrival of three time-lost heroes: Krasus, the dragon mage whose great power and memories of the ancient conflict have inexplicably diminished; the human wizard Rhonin, whose thoughts are divided between his family and the seductive source of his now-growing power; and Broxigar, a weathered orc veteran who seeks a glorious death in combat.
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Be aware!
- By Anonymous User on 10-29-20
By: Richard A. Knaak
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Rhapsody
- Child of Blood
- By: Elizabeth Haydon
- Narrated by: Kevin T. Collins
- Length: 30 hrs and 3 mins
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Rhapsody is a woman, a singer of some talent who is swept up into events of world-shattering import. On the run from an old romantic interest who won't take no for an answer, Rhapsody literally bumps into a couple of shady characters: half breeds who come to her rescue in the nick of time. Only the rescue turns into an abduction, and Rhapsody soon finds herself dragged along on an epic voyage--one that spans centuries and ranges across a wonder-filled fantasy world.
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Good story! Terrible narration.
- By CharmY2K on 04-30-15
By: Elizabeth Haydon
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Green Rider
- By: Kristen Britain
- Narrated by: Ellen Archer
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Karigan G’ladheon, running away from school, is traveling through a deep forest when a galloping horse pounds up to her, its rider impaled by two black-shafted arrows. With his dying breath, he tells her he is a Green Rider, one of the magical messengers of the King. Before he dies, he makes Karigan swear to deliver the message he’s carrying, and gives her his green coat, with the symbolic brooch of his office.
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What a fantastic discovery!
- By GLENNO on 11-27-14
By: Kristen Britain
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A Warrior's Journey
- Dragonlance: Ergoth Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Paul B. Thompson
- Narrated by: Dennis Holland
- Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
The mighty Ergothian empire is gripped by civil war. Centuries before the first Cataclysm sunders Ansalon, two imperial dynasties struggle for supremacy. Brutal warlords jockey for power, while corrupt wizards sell their skills to the highest bidder. Unnatural monsters prey on the unwary. Amid this chaos and upheaval, a brave young peasant shakes the towers of the mighty as his fate and the destiny of Krynn collide.
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Only buy on sale
- By Mr Dangerous on 08-06-24
By: Paul B. Thompson
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Legend
- Drenai Series
- By: David Gemmell
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 13 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Druss, Captain of the Axe: the stories of his life were told everywhere. Instead of the wealth and fame he could have claimed, he had chosen a mountain lair, high in the lonely country bordering on the clouds. There the grizzled old warrior kept company with snow leopards and awaited his old enemy, death.
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Two Legends Come to Audible
- By Carol on 06-26-17
By: David Gemmell
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The Emperor's Blades
- Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1
- By: Brian Staveley
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 19 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Performance
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The emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.
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4 Primary Crimes Committed By The Author
- By Captain Spanky Of Nazareth on 05-09-16
By: Brian Staveley
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The Valiant
- By: Lesley Livingston
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Story
Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary fighter Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed by the armies of Julius Caesar. On the eve of her 17th birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in her father's war band. She never gets the chance. Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators - owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself.
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Couldn't keep my attention
- By Kendall on 03-13-17
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Child of Vengeance
- A Novel
- By: David Kirk
- 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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What listeners say about Queen of Fire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Stephanie
- 07-16-15
Fitting end, but doesn't live up to expectations
Queen of Fire wraps up the story begun in Blood Song very well. In some places, too well. But that is not my gripe about this end to the trilogy. Maybe my residual expectations from the jackrabbit start that was Blood Song were just too high for any author to sustain. Tower Lord was certainly a preview of what was to come in Queen of Fire, so I guess I cannot really claim complete surprise or disappointment.
What I liked? This book, like the others, is dialogue and character-driven. We learn so much about the characters in this book, and are introduced to many others. And through these characters we better understand the interests driving Vaelin et al. and those against whom he battles. The writing is still fantastic, though the prose fails to rival what I enjoyed so much at the start of the series. Ryan is a phenomenal writer, and that carries this story. He pays close attention to detail, cleans up loose ends, and leaves the reader feeling satisfied. After finishing this book, I was not left wanting - I was simply satisfied at a job well done and a trilogy well-read.
What I didn't like? As in Tower Lord, the perspective shifts between the major characters. Vaelin, Reva, Lerna, etc. At the beginning of each of the five parts, we get the first-person perspective of our dear Alpiran scholar. I found this format more difficult to follow and less enjoyable to read than the perspective used in Blood Song. On the same note, I found Queen of Fire to be more convoluted than necessary - many characters have multiple names, there are multiple empires all referred to as "the empire" - in a politics/religion based world with multiple battling factions, it is mandatory to more clearly delineate the "Who's Who" of the world. A few characters had names that Brand pronounced very similarly, which only added to my confusion. I found myself often rewinding and relistening to parts in an attempt to figure out which character had met tragedy or success, or which characters were involved in a complex scene involving much dialogue. The drawback to Brand's narrative style (which I love) is that there is not excessive differentiation to the voices of each character - so it is more difficult to follow when the writer (thankfully) assumes the intelligence of his readers and doesn't repeat the names every other line.
Something tells me, this is one book I would have enjoyed more in print. I found myself frequently wishing I could flip back easily to another part of the book and re-read it. Or flip back to the last time that Vaelin was the perspective-holder so that I could maintain continuity in events. It also would have helped with the occasional boredom that arose during the more bland dialogue that inevitably results from the climax of a battle of conquest (battle strategy, for example).
I am glad this trilogy is finished. But I am sad I have nothing else to read from Anthony Ryan. He is an amazing author and I eagerly await his next book.
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- phalaenopsisinGville
- 07-17-15
Intimidated, humbled, confused...but ...
Where does Queen of Fire rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
top 20 out of 200
What other book might you compare Queen of Fire to and why?
similar to anything by Steve Erikson, because of the intimidation and confusion
Would you listen to another book narrated by Steven Brand?
He has become the 'voice' of Anthony Ryan, but I would not listen to his narration with another author. Perhaps I am spoiled by the likes of Vance, Reynolds, and others, who use intonations (?) for different characters. Brand makes listening to Ryan more challenging.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The ending!!!! After so much darkness (three books worth!), the final curtain was very beautiful, uplifting, and gratifying, and I wasn't lost listening to it.
Any additional comments?
I am purchasing the e-book version, thinking it will facilitate my comprehension of the many characters, names of places, and events, as I have done with the first two. How about an audible on "How to Understand the Raven's Shadow Series" !! That's how much I love the series!! Great writing!! Doesn't deserve the bashing from some critics. Ryan controls the plot and character development. There is enough of Vaelin, as his song has diminished, and other songs are now playing.
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- Brenda Spiva
- 08-01-15
Satisfying end to a great series
This has been a well written and imaginative saga. That characters grew a place in my heart even. I need to state that I found Steven Brands narration unimaginative and almost monotone at times. He wasn't awful, but he wasn't great either, giving little change to either voice or inflection when voicing different characters. Male and female, they were the same. But my overall assessment is of a series I will likely listen to again in future. Happy listening!
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- Jason Sharpe
- 07-28-15
Excellent Audio Story
A rich story crafted in a detailed, believable world, Ryan delivers an engrossing narrative that captures the reader/listener and creates that personal investment indicative of great fiction. The narrator in this Audio version is outstanding - with just subtle character differentiation, he delivers the content more as a narrator than an actor and the effect is superb.
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- Rob
- 12-06-16
A great trilogy
Loved the trilogy. Brilliant writing, great story line.
OK. Performance. Steven Brand doesn't do voices, so sometimes you lose the narrative.
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- Taylor
- 09-09-15
Just an ending of this.
I think of the epic tale and can tell you the second book is where I began to hate this series. With the new character and others so disconnected. It became less a tale and more a collection of s*** that happened.
The book continues on, we have this ending that has to happen. What is his grand plan? Kill em all.... Then what?
I have to say, probably the weirdest book I've ever wanted to finish.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- Domenic
- 03-28-17
Monotone narrator
Narrator is very monotone and doesn't have a variety of voices. However, the story was pretty good if you can get past the narrator.
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Overall
- Josh D
- 08-04-15
Ending to a promising series
Book 1 was out of this world, absolutely amazing. The latter 2 books left something to be desired though. I stuck out tower lord/queen of fire because I was so invested in the characters from blood song (vaelin caenis nortah etc). I was a little disheartened at the end but all in all a series worth reading.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- SoCal Shopper
- 09-02-15
A fitting end to the series
I reread the other books in the series before reading this one and I'm glad I did; there were many details to this story I wouldn't have remembered if I hadn't.
It did seem like it could have used another pass at editing. There were a few points that didn't seem as clearly explained as in the previous books in the series. Perhaps that is why others were so harsh in their reviews.
The narrator is very enjoyable to listen to, but I do wish he would distinguish the different voices of the characters more.
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
- DadTStep
- 09-07-16
Good
Ok, no complaints, nor anything ti be very carried away about. Solid
Performance was strong.
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