Sins of Empire Audiobook By Brian McClellan cover art

Sins of Empire

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Sins of Empire

By: Brian McClellan
Narrated by: Christian Rodska
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A new epic fantasy series from highly acclaimed fantasy author Brian McClellan, set in the same world as the Powder Mage trilogy.

A world on the cusp of a new age...

The young nation of Fatrasta is a turbulent place - a frontier destination for criminals, fortune hunters, brave settlers, and sorcerers seeking relics of the past. Only the iron will of the lady chancellor and her secret police holds the capital city of Landfall together against the unrest of an oppressed population and the machinations of powerful empires.

Sedition is a dangerous word....

The insurrection that threatens Landfall must be purged with guile and force, a task that falls on the shoulders of a spy named Michel Bravis, convicted war hero Mad Ben Styke, and Lady Vlora Flint, a mercenary general with a past as turbulent as Landfall's present.

The past haunts us all....

As loyalties are tested, revealed, and destroyed, a grim specter as old as time has been unearthed in this wild land, and the people of Landfall will soon discover that rebellion is the least of their worries.

©2017 Brian McClellan (P)2017 Hachette Audio Action & Adventure Epic Fantasy

Critic reviews

"Furious, visceral, and relentlessly thrilling action." (Kirkus)

"Fans of McClellan's Powder Mage trilogy will be happy to return to this fascinating fantasy world, where magic and technology come together in the midst of complicated relationships and unsure alliances.... [A] compelling read." (RT Book Reviews)
Compelling Characters • Intricate Plot • Fast-paced Action • Unexpected Twists • Excellent Worldbuilding
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In short, this is a well-written book that is worth your time and money.

The good: The narrative is great, certainly a lot better than I was expecting. There is a fair amount of mystery about what the real motivation is for everybody. About every quarter of the book you learn something important to change how you view the world. Going into the book, I was cynical about the character tropes based on the publisher summary; however, I found every character reasonable and believable (even the antagonists). Each character has their own motivation and didn't seem to do things just so the author can move the plot along. The magic system is interesting, but is not fleshed out too much. The narrator does a good job keeping tone and rate of speaking consistent with the tone of the book. When the action is getting fast and furious you can really feel the tension.

The bad: the narrator does a bad job with female voices. Men voicing for women are not usually very good, but this was particularly bad. I think if the 'Lady' in Lady Vlora Flint was removed I would never have known her gender based off the narrator's voice. It also took me about an hour to warm up to the narrator's voice in general, but I found it enjoyable (eventually). It could have been like one of those "the beatings will continue until the morale improves" situations.

There are several references to the past of some characters that would probably be appreciated if prior novels were read (this is the first book I've read from this author).

Normally I find more than a few things to gripe about in a book, but for this I only found the narrator irritating sometimes. This book was a great experience and I can't believe I found it from a random pick.

Making a great book: Mystery, magic, and mayhem

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At first I thought I made a mistake choosing this book. I just couldn't connect with the characters. By the third chapter I was hooked! stick with it. It surprises you with twists and mysteries.

A Great Read!

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Continuing to build on the world and characters formed in the Powder Mage trilogy and associated short stories, McClellan expands his 'French Revolution with Magic' motif into the new world. Replacing the Holmes-esque civilian character with a member of a brutal secret police, the narrative is split between three perspectives once again; focusing and expanding on the much-expanded role of Vlora in the beginning, but introducing a cast of colorful new characters and familiar old.

If one thing stands out about this particular installment, it would be the absolutely unexpected plot twist. Two in particular, I never saw it coming, and I tend to scoff at most author's telegraphed attempts to fool an audience. Rodska does wonders, and keep and enjoyable cadence and character accents throughout. Now for the hard part; waiting for the author to finish the series.

Continuing the Powder Mage Trilogy, McClellan and Rodska continue to deliver.

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I really enjoyed this book, Sins of empire really lets you see the growth in the authors skill it carry’s the same themes and feel of the previous series but everything is done better, better world building, better character development, better dialogue. If you liked the powder mage series or even if you didn’t I would give this book a try.

Better than the first series

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The first series set in this world is one of the best I've read in a while. So I expected this to be good but not better than the original trilogy. It is. In every way. It's a bloody, witty, hell of a good time.

Wow!

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This book takes place in the same universe as the powder mage trilogy, which I loved. I feel like this book was a great follow up to that series.

I will say that this story is very similar to that in the Powder Mage Trilogy, however the story is awesome and just barely original enough to keep me engaged. The book set up an exciting follow up to come.

Fantastic Followup to the Powder Mage trilogy

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Really good reader which can make or break a story. little slow in beginning but not so bad i didn't want to read on. I will listen to the next book.

this was well worth buying

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Mad Ben Styke! A new gritty favorite character of mine! seeing familiar and new faces in this world I enjoyed the first time around was great! The audio book in tandem with my Hardcover was awesome, Rodska is a pro and his voice switching was solid!

Great continuation To a great trilogy!

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After the powder mage trilogy I wasn't sure if find anything to match that. boy was I wrong. Brian McClellan has created another masterpiece and Christian Rodska has again performed flawlessly.

A solid follow up.

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Not a genre I usually purchase but a well written, interesting story extremely well performed. I probably write up one book out of every ten I purchase. After I finish this review I expect I will soon be writing one for the second book in this series.

All the entertainment you could ask for

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