
The Book of Swords
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About this listen
New epic fantasy in the grand tradition - including a never-before-published Song of Ice and Fire story by George R. R. Martin!
Fantasy fiction has produced some of the most unforgettable heroes ever conjured onto the page: Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné, Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. Classic characters like these made sword and sorcery a storytelling sensation, a cornerstone of fantasy fiction - and an inspiration for a new generation of writers spinning their own outsize tales of magic and swashbuckling adventure.
Now, in The Book of Swords, acclaimed editor and best-selling author Gardner Dozois presents an all-new anthology of original epic tales by a stellar cast of award-winning modern masters - many of them set in their authors' best-loved worlds. Join today's finest tellers of fantastic tales, including George R. R. Martin, K. J. Parker, Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, Ken Liu, C. J. Cherryh, Daniel Abraham, Lavie Tidhar, Ellen Kushner, and more on action-packed journeys into the outer realms of dark enchantment and intrepid derring-do, featuring a stunning assortment of fearless swordsmen and warrior women who face down danger and death at every turn with courage, cunning, and cold steel.
Featuring 16 all-new stories:
- "The Best Man Wins" by K. J. Parker
- "Her Father's Sword" by Robin Hobb
- "The Hidden Girl" by Ken Liu
- "The Sword of Destiny" by Matthew Hughes
- "'I Am a Handsome Man,' Said Apollo Crow" by Kate Elliott
- "The Triumph of Virtue" by Walter Jon Williams
- "The Mocking Tower" by Daniel Abraham
- "Hrunting" by C. J. Cherryh
- "A Long, Cold Trail" by Garth Nix
- "When I Was a Highwayman" by Ellen Kushner
- "The Smoke of Gold Is Glory" by Scott Lynch
- "The Colgrid Conundrum" by Rich Larson
- "The King's Evil" by Elizabeth Bear
- "Waterfalling" by Lavie Tidhar
- "The Sword Tyraste" by Cecelia Holland
- "The Sons of the Dragon" by George R. R. Martin
And an introduction by Gardner Dozois
Readers: Arthur Morey, Julia Whelan, Mark Deakins, Ralph Lister, Kirby Heyborne, Nicholas Guy Smith, Richard Brewer, Steve West, Elliott Hill, Kim Mai Guest, Katherine Mc Ewan, and John Lee
©2017 George R. R. Martin, Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, and Garth Nix (P)2017 Random House AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Story
If you’re a fan of fiction that is more than just black and white, this latest story collection from number-one New York Times best-selling author George R. R. Martin and award-winning editor Gardner Dozois is filled with subtle shades of gray. Twenty-one all-original stories, by an all-star list of contributors, will delight and astonish you in equal measure with their cunning twists and dazzling reversals. And George R. R. Martin himself offers a brand-new A Game of Thrones tale chronicling one of the biggest rogues in the entire history of Ice and Fire.
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A fun way to sample Authors- More Rothfuss Please!
- By gc on 08-31-14
By: Neil Gaiman - contributor, and others
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Fool's Assassin
- Book One of the Fitz and the Fool Trilogy
- By: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Elliot Hill
- Length: 27 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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FitzChivalry - royal bastard and former king’s assassin - has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire. Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past...and his future.
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Switching to Kindle version.
- By ZionLion on 08-13-14
By: Robin Hobb
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Fool's Errand
- The Tawny Man Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: James Langton
- Length: 25 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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For fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But now, into his isolated life, visitors begin to arrive: Fitz's mentor from his assassin days; a hedge-witch who foresees the return of a long-lost love; and the Fool, the former White Prophet, who beckons Fitz to fulfill his destiny. Then comes the summons he cannot ignore. Prince Dutiful, the young heir to the Farseer throne, has vanished.
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A solid fantasy story in first person
- By Kevin Stokes on 08-31-14
By: Robin Hobb
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The Rise of the Dragon
- An Illustrated History of the Targaryen Dynasty, Volume One
- By: George R. R. Martin, Elio M. García Jr, Linda Antonsson
- Narrated by: Harry Lloyd
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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This lavish visual history—featuring over 180 all-new illustrations—is a stunning introduction to House Targaryen, the iconic family at the heart of HBO’s Game of Thrones prequel series, House of the Dragon.
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This is a cash grab, and nothing more
- By Lisa Carrasquillo on 10-25-22
By: George R. R. Martin, and others
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The First Book of Swords
- By: Fred Saberhagen
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 8 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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For a game, the gods have given the world 12 Swords of Power so that they might be amused as the nations battle for their possession. But Vulcan the Smith has had his own little joke: the Swords can kill the gods themselves. What started out as Divine Jest has become all too serious as the gods fight to recover the Swords, and mortals discover that the mantle of power is more delicious and more terrible than anything they could have imagined.
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One Of My Very Highest Recommendations!
- By Michael on 02-25-13
By: Fred Saberhagen
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The Ice Dragon
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Maggi Meg Reed
- Length: 47 mins
- Unabridged
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In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, the ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember. Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold.
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Throne Starter Kit
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 07-19-17
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Songs of Love and Death
- All-Original Tales of Star-Crossed Love
- By: George R. R. Martin - editor, Gardner Dozois - editor
- Narrated by: Phil Gigante, Michael Page, Susan Duerden, and others
- Length: 19 hrs and 39 mins
- Unabridged
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Award-winning, best-selling author Neil Gaiman demonstrates why he’s one of the hottest stars in literature today with “The Thing About Cassandra,” a subtle but chilling story of a man who meets an old girlfriend he had never expected to see .International blockbuster bestselling author Diana Gabaldon sends a World War II RAF pilot through a stone circle to the time of her Outlander series in “A Leaf on the Winds of All Hallows.”
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A list of the stories and a few remarks
- By DecemberRain on 04-30-16
By: George R. R. Martin - editor, and others
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Dreamsongs (Unabridged Selections)
- By: George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: George R. R. Martin, Claudia Black, Mark Bramhall, and others
- Length: 51 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Dubbed "the American Tolkien" by Time magazine, number-one New York Times best-selling author George R. R. Martin is a giant in the field of fantasy literature and one of the most exciting storytellers of our time. Now he delivers a rare treat for listeners: a compendium of his shorter works, collected into two stunning volumes, that offers fascinating insight into his journey from young writer to award-winning master.
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- By Maliboo on 07-22-13
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The Dying Earth
- Tales of the Dying Earth, Book 1
- By: Jack Vance
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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The stories in The Dying Earth introduce dozens of seekers of wisom and beauty, lovely lost women, wizards of every shade of eccentricity with their runic amulets and spells. We meet the melancholy deodands, who feed on human flesh and the twk-men, who ride dragonflies and trade information for salt. There are monsters and demons. Each being is morally ambiguous: The evil are charming, the good are dangerous. All are at home.
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A Decadent and Hopeful Dying Earth
- By Jefferson on 06-27-10
By: Jack Vance
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Windhaven
- By: Lisa Tuttle, George R.R. Martin
- Narrated by: Harriet Walter
- Length: 13 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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The planet of Windhaven was not originally a home to humans, but it became one following the crash of a colony starship. It is a world of small islands, harsh weather, and monster-infested seas. Communication among the scattered settlements was virtually impossible until the discovery that, thanks to light gravity and a dense atmosphere, humans were able to fly with the aid of metal wings made of bits of the cannibalized spaceship.
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A promising early Martin work
- By Ryan on 12-04-12
By: Lisa Tuttle, and others
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Woundhealer's Story
- The First Book of Lost Swords
- By: Fred Saberhagen
- Narrated by: Cynthia Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Returning to the milieu of his Swords trilogy, Saberhagen offers a new scenario. The gods have withdrawn from the human world and the 12 Swords of Power they had forged are now scattered, lost and hidden. The weapons are still coveted, though, by men like Baron Amintor, who has lost one kingdom and now sees them as the means to another. No scruples stop him from stealing the sword Woundhealer from the White Temple, where its powers were offered to cure all pilgrims.
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Choose Your Sword, And Step Forward Into Destiny!
- By Michael on 03-08-13
By: Fred Saberhagen
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Legends
- Stories by the Masters of Fantasy, Volume 1
- By: Stephen King, Robert Silverberg
- Narrated by: Frank Muller, Sam Tsoutsouvas
- Length: 5 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Revisit the famous and fantastic realms conjured up by the world's most celebrated authors of fantasy in Legends - the greatest collection of original fantasy short novels ever published, where the best of the best tell all-new original tales set in the lands they created. Each audiobook presents the novels complete and unabridged, and will be sensational listening for the millions of fans of these writers and worlds.
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A GREAT REDISCOVERY
- By Darth Daddy on 04-14-13
By: Stephen King, and others
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The Farseer: Assassin's Apprentice
- By: Robin Hobb
- Narrated by: Paul Boehmer
- Length: 17 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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With unforgettable characters, a sweeping backdrop, and passionate storytelling, this is a fantasy debut to rival that of Robert Jordan. Filled with adventure and bloodshed, pageantry and piracy, mystery and menace, Assassin's Apprentice is the story of a royal house and the young man who is destined to chart its course through tempests of change.
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Not a waste of 83 hours...just the 60 I spent.
- By Sean on 01-07-13
By: Robin Hobb
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Wild Cards I
- Wild Cards, Book 1
- By: George R. R. Martin - editor
- Narrated by: Luke Daniels
- Length: 18 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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In the aftermath of WWII, an alien virus struck the Earth, endowing a handful of survivors with extraordinary powers. Originally published in 1987, the newly expanded saga contains additional original stories by eminent writers.
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Dry Politics
- By Jim "The Impatient" on 02-24-13
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Dying of the Light
- By: George R. R. Martin
- Narrated by: Iain Glen
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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A whisperjewel has summoned Dirk t’Larien to Worlorn, and a love he thinks he lost. But Worlorn isn’t the world Dirk imagined, and Gwen Delvano is no longer the woman he once knew. She is bound to another man, and to a dying planet that is trapped in twilight. Gwen needs Dirk’s protection, and he will do anything to keep her safe, even if it means challenging the barbaric man who has claimed her. But an impenetrable veil of secrecy surrounds them all, and it’s becoming impossible for Dirk to distinguish between his allies and his enemies.
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A thoughtful, gothic sci-fi debut
- By Ryan on 11-23-13
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Iron, Fire and Ice
- The Real History That Inspired Game of Thrones
- By: Ed West
- Narrated by: Rory Barnett
- Length: 20 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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A young pretender raises an army to take the throne. Learning of his father’s death, the adolescent, dashing and charismatic and descended from the old kings of the North, vows to avenge him. He is supported in this war by his mother, who has spirited away her two younger sons to safety. Against them is the queen, passionate, proud, and strong-willed and with more of the masculine virtues of the time than most men. She too is battling for the inheritance of her young son, not yet fully grown but already a sadist who takes delight in watching executions.
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Fun history for all -not just Game of Thrones fans
- By Annabells on 06-14-19
By: Ed West
What listeners say about The Book of Swords
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- alisa
- 10-25-17
a mixed bag
This collection has a lot to offer I'm a big fan of Garth Nix Robin Hobb and GRRM. I'd never heard of some of the authors included but now I'm interested in searching down other novels. some of the stories were so tough to get through and blended together.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Nick
- 07-18-18
Great compilation! Great stories.
Some performances better than others. Almost all the stories were top notch. Great stories by some of the best authors in their genre.
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- AtomixIGN
- 10-23-17
Solid, but not amazing anthology
One of the things I like about Gardner and GRRM anthologies is that they both tell you about the author and give you a list of their previous Works before presenting their novelas. That is especially useful in the audiobook version of Book of Swords as it's divided into 260 - 5 minute chapters. So if you want to skip ahead to Scott Lynch in the chapter hundred 50-ish range you just keep clicking forward until you hear an author description chapter. it's jarring because of the change of narrator. I have to mention that almost all of the narrator's here are very good. that is rare.
There are a number of very solid stories in this book. Robin Hobb, the aforementioned Scott Lynch. George RR Martin throws a chapter from the Blood of the Dragon series he's been working on forever. it's a fine elaboration on the chapters from the History of Westeros. the Riverside story in this book is an odd one, but apt.
I would say if anything this book suffers from a number of notable absences. There's no Brandon Sanderson or Joe Abercrombie. There's no Patrick Rothfuss or Jim Butcher. I would have liked to have heard the words "Would you like to destroy some evil today?" or have taken a journey with a certain dozen and a certain father of swords with a certain crack nut narrating the tail.
One of the best reasons to pick up an anthology like this is to discover or get into somebody who has a great series that you might not have heard of or have been hesitant to try. So I'm writing this in direct response to anyone who would buy big giant book filled with stories by dozens of authors to only read one and review it based on that one story.. don't publish reviews.
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20 people found this helpful
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- Yuman
- 11-27-17
S&S At it's best.
Excellent variety, inventive writing, along with polished voicing, time and imagination flew for the length of the book.
Dozen or so short stories made good breaks and range, my favorite was the ancient story teller about hunting a dragons gold.
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6 people found this helpful
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- eric
- 11-09-17
awesome.
It's only good because of the Game of thrones short story. lol. jk. some books were pretty good.
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- Michael
- 12-16-20
while all the stories are good...
...one alone makes this whole book worth it.
The Smoke of Gold is Glory is truly the best of the bunch. It played out like a movie in my head.
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- Kupfer
- 04-06-24
Too Much Fantasy
I am a true fan of the medieval so I was initially excited by the titles and the prospects for a good read. That quickly changed and I had to stop listening when it became apparent that this was a work truly dedicated to pure fantasy, much of which just baffled me and my thinking.
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- Stoutfelow
- 08-24-24
the variety of stories kept my interest.
not all the stories kindled my interest. the readers were all very good. I won't name names.
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- 🔥 Phx17 🔥
- 01-18-24
Few memorable novellas
The best thing I can do is address some of the other reviews, to provide a better idea of the contents.
It was said there’s no Table of Contents and the narrators aren’t identified:
It appears the editors took this comment to heart because there is now a nice Table of Contents clearly identifying the 16 novellas and further separating the author intros so that you can skip them if you’re that impatient to move forward. At the very end, you are provided the title, author, and narrator of each entry.
It was said there is inappropriate content:
There are two entries using the F bomb (and only 1 over-using it). There are zero described sex acts; everything is fade to black or obliquely mentioned. There are two entries with themes of abusing women (again, discussed but not detailed). As for violence, it’s about what you’d expect from something titled Book of Swords.
It was said this cared most about diversity:
By my count, there were 4 of 16 (25%) with a FMC and 2 of 16 (12.5%) with LGBTQ representation.
If you are that fragile flower that needs 100% of your fantasy to feature straight, white, males,
then by all means pass on this.
As for me, my biggest issue is that so many of these were forgettable. Sure, there were swords and stabby stabby parts, but were there characters I’ll be able to name or worlds/magic systems I’ll be able to describe a week from now? Not really. There were a few solid entries and I now have a few authors to look up (a primary benefit of anthologies, in my opinion). This was an acceptable 2-for-1 credit purchase.
Still on the fence? Here’s a quick blow by blow:
1. ⭐️ Best Man Wins by KJ Parker - contrarian and pithy, like Bronn lecturing on swords and war … without the fooox.
2. Her Father’s Sword by Robin Hobb - skip this if you don’t like the GrimDark genre or couldn’t handle Theon’s arc- FMC with lots of plundering and a brutal Darwin aesthetic. Guessing this was the “inappropriate content” entry that turned another off. Seems to be from the author’s Farseer universe.
3. ⭐️ Hidden Girl by Ken Liu - his stories tend to be more cerebral, but the shorter length makes it go down easier as the question posed is: should killers have a conscience? FMC. Ode to Arya?
*** random thought and probably way off base: it feels a little like the authors were assigned to pick a GoT character and write a tribute story, but not using the GoT universe
4. ⭐️ The Sword of Destiny by Matt Hughes - feels like classic 80s fare with Faustian bargains and Sphinx-style riddles. Tyrion would be tickled.
5.⭐️ I am a Handsome Man, Said Apollo Crow by Kate Elliot - Brienne would approve of this slick story. Steve West’s narration elevates things.
6. The Triumph of Virtue by Walter Jon Williams - Bland. Feeling Gendry’s ultimately pointless arc.
7. ⭐️The Mocking Tower by Daniel Abraham - Feeling Qarth and strange magics and indirect lessons
8. Hrunting by CJ Cherryh- A Beowulf tribute giving 13th Warrior vibes that never quite hooked me. Channeling “what is dead may never die!”
9. ⭐️ A Long Cold Trail by Garth Nix - lighter tale of sorcerer’s puppets and godlettes, felt Sam Tarly YA
10. When I was a Highwayman by Ellen Kushner - not sure if it was the robo-narration of Kirby Heyburn or the dwelling on domestic squabbles but this went over like Renly and Margaery’s honeymoon.
MM references.
11. ⭐️ The Smoke of Gold is Glory by Scott Lynch - did he just say “well placed buttocks”? This was cheeky and felt like a pirate treasure hunting adventure. It was fun enough that I may finally bite on the author’s much longer Lies of Lock Lamora.
12. The Colgrid Conundrum by Rich Larson - went off script and from swords to steampunk, with furnaces, masks, and potions. The number of F bombs and abuse themes also dimmed my enjoyment.
13. The King’s Evil by Elizabeth Bear. FMC. … zzz… what? Where was I? Must have dozed off.
Too much feelings, not enough action.
14. Water falling by Lavie Tidhar - “The job was simple: find a man, then kill him.” Another one that goes off script. Was there a sword at all? This was instead a Weird Western tale of gunslinging, addiction, and chained-gods. Very gritty.
15. The Sword Tyraste by Cecelia Holland - Steve West at his shouty, chew the scenery best,
but I still won’t remember much except it was a revenge tale.
16. The Sons of the Dragon by George RR Martin, narrated by Ralph Lister - a nice supplement between seasons of House of the Dragon, but it’s mostly a recitation of who beget who, and who beheaded who.
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- Joshua
- 12-14-19
stupendous
I just love being able to hear more information and Histories on the series as George RR Martin writes thank you very much.
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