
The Court of Broken Knives
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Narrated by:
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Colin Mace
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Meriel Rosenkranz
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By:
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Anna Smith Spark
About this listen
Perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence and R Scott Bakker, The Court of Broken Knives is the explosive debut by one of grimdark fantasy's most exciting new voices.
It is the richest empire the world has ever known, and it is also doomed - but only one man can see it.
Haunted by prophetic dreams, Orhan has hired a company of soldiers to cross the desert to reach the capital city. Once they enter the palace, they have one mission: Kill the emperor, then all those who remain. Only from the ashes can a new empire be built.
The company is a group of good, ordinary soldiers for whom this is a mission like any other. But the strange boy Marith who walks among them is no ordinary soldier. Though he is young, ambitious, and impossibly charming, something dark hides in Marith's past - and in his blood.
Dive into this new fantasy series for listeners looking for epic battle scenes, gritty heroes, and blood-soaked revenge.
©2017 Anna Smith Spark (P)2017 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Story
In a world scarred by an apocalyptic past, evoking a time both 2,000 years past and 2,000 years into the future, untold thousands gather for a crusade. Among them, two men and two women are ensnared by a mysterious traveler, Anasûrimbor Kellhus - part warrior, part philosopher, part sorcerous, charismatic presence - from lands long thought dead. The Darkness That Comes Before is a history of this great holy war, and like all histories, the survivors write its conclusion.
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Finally in audiobook!
- By Andy on 06-28-12
By: R. Scott Bakker
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The Grace of Kings
- The Dandelion Dynasty
- By: Ken Liu
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 21 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods.
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Unfortunately cannot recommend
- By Eric on 05-21-16
By: Ken Liu
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The Builders
- By: Daniel Polansky
- Narrated by: Corey Gagne
- Length: 3 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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A missing eye. A broken wing. A stolen country. The last job didn't end well. Years go by, and scars fade, but memories only fester. For the animals of the captain's company, survival has meant keeping a low profile, building a new life, and trying to forget the war they lost. But now the captain's whiskers are twitching at the idea of evening the score.
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A gem
- By Jonathan on 10-12-16
By: Daniel Polansky
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Of Blood and Fire
- The Bound and the Broken, Book 1
- By: Ryan Cahill
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of Southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving - a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war.
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Didn’t expect a “grow up power fantasy”
- By Mike Thomas on 07-23-22
By: Ryan Cahill
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The Justice of Kings
- By: Richard Swan
- Narrated by: Lucy Paterson
- Length: 13 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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The Empire of the Wolf simmers with unrest. Rebels, heretics, and powerful patricians all challenge the power of the Imperial throne. Only the Order of Justices stands in the way of chaos. Sir Konrad Vonvalt is the most feared Justice of all, upholding the law by way of his sharp mind, arcane powers, and skill as a swordsman. At his side stands Helena Sedanka, his talented protégé, orphaned by the wars that forged the Empire.
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Give it a try. Doubtful you'll regret it.
- By Taylor Ascher on 03-13-22
By: Richard Swan
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Grave Empire
- By: Richard Swan
- Narrated by: Nathaniel Priestley, Zoe Mills
- Length: 16 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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A new age of exploration and innovation has dawned, and the Empire of the Wolf stands to take its place as the foremost power in the known world. Glory and riches await. But dark days are coming. A mysterious plague has broken out in the pagan kingdoms to the north, while in the south, the Empire’s proxy war in the lands of the wolfmen is weeks away from total collapse. Worse still is the message brought to the Empress by two heretic monks, who claim to have lost contact with the spirits of the afterlife.
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Brilliant!
- By Kindle Customer on 02-12-25
By: Richard Swan
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The Complete Poppy War Trilogy
- The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, The Burning God
- By: R. F. Kuang
- Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 66 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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This collection features the novels in her historical military fantasy trilogy—The Poppy War, The Dragon Republic, and The Burning God—a complete epic inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic.
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Not a book for everyone but an excellent story
- By Anonymous User on 06-23-23
By: R. F. Kuang
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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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The Shadow of the Gods
- By: John Gwynne
- Narrated by: Colin Mace
- Length: 18 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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After the old gods warred and drove themselves to extinction, the cataclysm of their fall shattered the land of Vigrio. Now, power-hungry jarls carve out petty kingdoms, and monsters stalk the shadow-haunted woods and mountains. A world where the bones of the dead gods still hold great power, promising fame, and fortune for those brave - or desperate - enough to seek them out. As whispers of war echo over the plains and across the fjords, fate follows the footsteps of three people. All three will shape the fate of the world, as it once more teeters on the edge of chaos.
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Not for me
- By John on 05-31-21
By: John Gwynne
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Swan Song
- By: Robert R. McCammon
- Narrated by: Tom Stechschulte
- Length: 34 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Facing down an unprecedented malevolent enemy, the government responds with a nuclear attack. America as it was is gone forever, and now every citizen - from the President of the United States to the homeless on the streets of New York City - will fight for survival. In a wasteland born of rage and fear, populated by monstrous creatures and marauding armies, earth's last survivors have been drawn into the final battle between good and evil, that will decide the fate of humanity.
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Simply an Amazing Story
- By Amanda H. on 06-21-12
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Empire of Silence
- Sun Eater, Book 1
- By: Christopher Ruocchio
- Narrated by: Samuel Roukin
- Length: 26 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The galaxy remembers Hadrian Marlowe as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives - even the emperor himself - against Imperial orders. But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier. Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world.
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A Slow start at best....then the story tapers off
- By paul nordquist on 08-21-19
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The Devils
- By: Joe Abercrombie
- Narrated by: Steven Pacey
- Length: 25 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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Brother Diaz has been summoned to the Sacred City, where he is certain a commendation and grand holy assignment awaits him. But his new flock is made up of unrepentant murderers, practitioners of ghastly magic, and outright monsters. The mission he is tasked with will require bloody measures from them all in order to achieve its righteous ends. Elves lurk at our borders and hunger for our flesh, while greedy princes care for nothing but their own ambitions and comfort. With a hellish journey before him, it's a good thing Brother Diaz has the devils on his side.
By: Joe Abercrombie
What listeners say about The Court of Broken Knives
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Jeanette O'Steen
- 04-04-23
Dark yet satisfying.
My only suggestion would be that the male performer slow down his reading a bit in some areas, sometimes it was like he was racing through the story.
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- Andy
- 08-04-19
It’s...fine.
The story itself is intriguing, but the motivation of the protagonist/antagonist is confusing at best and annoying at worst. Still, the prose is very well written and there are some interesting characters.
The narrator/direction was lacking in almost every way. From inconsistent volume to indiscernible characters, it was an absolute slog to get through.
Not sure I’ll continue the series on audible. Might buy the actual book, though.
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6 people found this helpful
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- G. Brown
- 01-06-19
Bleak, Despairing, Sad but truthfully Beautiful.
Ancient bloodlines, Villainous Heroes, Mages, Dragons, maudlin backdrops...check. Grimdark in it's truest form, great read.
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1 person found this helpful
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- EWC
- 01-27-23
What an unexpected adventure
An unexpected adventure that took hold of my thoughts and wouldn’t let go. Must read.
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- GPChlorine
- 10-03-17
Sword and Sorcery at Its Best
Sword and sorcery, demons, dragons, assassins, blood sacrifice, all the usual trappings, but told in a realistic, natural way that makes it all seem normal. I fell into the story quickly, easily, able to suspend disbelief.
Unusually, the male narrator does a good job with women's voices, not making them simpering or nasally, just softer, not easy with his natural bass baritone. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was because when he was not voicing a character, he tended to talk low, and I had to adjust the volume.
There are short flashbacks, brief retellings of legends, the main narration in third person, and short first person parts from a separate character by a different narrator, all woven together into a beautiful brocade of a tale.
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7 people found this helpful
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- Anthony
- 11-26-18
good story, technical problems with performance
Story was good. Anna Smith Spark is very descriptive of the world, can get tedious at times. Fits the Grimdark genre well, main character is an anti-hero you'll love and hate. Overall good sword and sorcery tale, will be looking at other offerings from Spark.
There is an issue with the narrator's recording, it's very quiet. I had to crank up the volume to hear him and when he yelled or it switched to the female narrator it almost blew my speakers out. Otherwise I enjoyed the performance of both narrators.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Alex Fox
- 12-19-22
For fans of lyrical grimdark
Spark’s prose really sings with this narration. Both brutal and beautiful, I was engaged throughout this story. Not for the faint of heart but can’t recommend this book enough for fans of grimdark and amazing prose. Marith is so well-realized, such a detestable yet relatable character for anyone who has struggled with addiction or depression. Tobias is good hearted at his core but hardened in a world that demands it from him. Orhan is a measured, straight forward cynic in a rotting city. Thalia…I expect we’ll see more character development for her in future installments. Can’t wait to continue the series!
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- Taylor Wright
- 01-14-23
1 Star
When deciding what book to pick I was reading the reviews and there was a 1 star review. It said it was irredeemably dark and to me that is a 5 star review. This book is great if you like dark fantasy and a interesting world! Highly recommend
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- Pam W
- 04-20-24
Awesome
Loved the performance of the narrators. Some slow spots, but overall a true grimdark experience. Have to go to book 2, like now.
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- superstardrifter
- 09-28-17
Beautiful prose, beautifully narrated.
This book is so well written. The imagery. Ermagherd, the imageryyyyy. The setting just came to life in my head as I listened. So gritty and real. I’m not sure anything I can tell you about it is going to do it justice. The prose is absolutely beautiful, but wooooow does it describe a grim world.
This was one of those audiobooks that I turned on, and then just did not turn off until it was done. It’s about 16 and a half hours long, so, I started it in the morning and just… listened. Listened through dinner. Listened throughout the evening. Listened while getting ready for bed. Just sat there sometimes, with (I can only assume) a stupid AF look on my face while just listening. Always listening. It’s one of those.
We start off following a mercenary band who are on their way to Sorlost, which is something like the biggest, most important city in this world. It’s where the emperor lives, and these mercenaries have been hired to assassinate him. We see things from the POV of the mercenary band’s leader sometimes, and from the newest recruit at other times. Right off the bat, they’re attacked in the desert by a dragon. Yep, this book has dragons. Badass AF dragons with boiling acid for blood. Marith, the pretty boy who can just sort of use a sword slays this dragon… and that’s not even the most surprising thing about him. Oh no. No, no, no. There are quite a lot of surprising things about him, as we find out.
This book gets daaaark. Anna Smith Spark is known as the Queen of Grimdark for a very good reason, ladies and gents. This book, on more than one occasion, had me just blinking and uttering a soft ‘daaaamn‘ to nobody in particular. This happened most especially around a lot of Marith’s escapades. I’ve read a lot of dark stories but this one definitely sways to the darker side of things, while not being completely grim. Thalia, for example, seems to generally enjoy her life as the high priestess, at least at the beginning of the story, despite having to do some messed up things. Necessary things, to her. She has never known otherwise. Sometimes you have to do necessary things, even if they are unpleasant. Orhan, the politician and King’s advisor, is also leading a pretty great life, laying around in bed with his bf and eating lavish food while plotting an assassination on the side.
The characters, while not as richly described as the world they live in are still well described enough that I could visualize them. Beautiful, pale Marith with the dark hair, and Thalia with the lovely bronze skin. The horrible things that tend to happen at the hands of these beautiful characters- baby killing, eye gouging, limb removal, et cetera- are all described in a way that still made me grimace at the very idea of them, but weren’t described to the point of visually seeing it happen, if that makes sense. This, to me, is a really solid example of good writing. Making me cringe at very unpleasant events without making me sick to my stomach at the same time. Giving me horrible characters who do horrible things without making me want to immediately desist listening to their story, instead making me want to not stop listening to it… That takes skill.
This book has two narrators. Most of this book is told from the third person, from the point of view of four characters. Sometimes though, we see one of those characters, Thalia, in the first person. The use of more than one narrator here to achieve this in audio was kind of amazing. Colin Mace does the bulk of the narration here and he nails it so hard. Never heard him narrate before, but I can tell you that I’d definitely like to listen to him again. He put so much emotion into his narration of the story, and made each and every character unique. Really just quite amazingly done. Meriel Rosenkranz narrates the first person POV bits from Thalia, and she did great too. She gives Thalia a really great accent, and tells the high priestess’ story wonderfully. Loved the narration.
Guys, it was fantastic. Very worth a listen!
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10 people found this helpful