The Darkest Core Audiobook By Peter Hackshaw, Portal Books cover art

The Darkest Core

Netherdei, Book 2

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The Darkest Core

By: Peter Hackshaw, Portal Books
Narrated by: Joe Jameson
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Of the eight affinities in Netherdei, Falken is the only follower of Shadow.

Hunted by demonic spirits and imperial forces, Falken must help liberate his fellow cultivators and prepare for all that is to come. His former home, the Ardent Lunar Sect, lies broken, the man he thought of as a father buried in the ruins.

To understand his powers and unlock the secrets of his fabled obsidian sword, Falken is forced to leave the safety of the oubliette. Through tragedies and new horrors, Falken and his friends must venture across the seas to the kingdom of Diyu, the land of ancient cultivators.

But the shadows hide all manner of beasts, and a trickster demon of the Hidden Realm watches Falken’s progress with a covetous eye.

For even the gods don’t want Falken to obtain the Darkest Core....

About the series: The Darkest Core is the sequel to number one international Amazon and Audible best seller The Shadow Sect. The series is a tale of magicking, cultivation, and fantasy, perfect for fans of The Witcher and Avatar: The Last Airbender, and is inspired by the worlds of xianxia and wuxia.

©2023 Peter Hackshaw (P)2023 Portal Books Epic Fantasy
Amazing Writing • Great Character Progression • Stellar Vocal Performance • Wonderful Worldbuilding • Epic Storytelling
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I felt like this was kind of all over the place. Both in story telling and how the powers scaled and grew. The direction was all over the place. I still like it but it needs more focus imo.

I liked it a lot but...

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I absolutely loved the first, so I was excited to be able to go straight into book 2. The writing is amazing as always, and the characters continue to be great. I really can't wait to see where it goes with book 3! If you're looking for a new series, seriously check out this one. Narrator also continues to do masterful work.

A great continuation to the series!

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A stellar vocal performance and many laughs to be had.

So, I admit the first book was better to me. That was a clear cut hero's journey mixed with a sprinkling of red wedding. This felt like something closer to Empire Strikes Back mixed with some of the more pointless deaths of A Song Of Fire And Ice.

Everytime one of the side characters started to get interesting, they ended up going away for various reasons. I do feel the lead character matures which is over all a good thing. But the plot, the main plot is kind of predictable.

The side quests are what offers the greatest high points, really delving into the folklore of this wonderful world the author has created. I mean the best arcs involve things that have nothing to do with the main characters central quest, or involve everything on the high seas. Seriously, managing to make a voyage that epic takes amazing writing talent.

Leaders in this world tend to be stupid, selfishly so. I think the only one I like is a kid. I guess you could say, most people I love from book one, become the those I like the least in book two.

Anyways, this last part feels like a spoiler but I'll add it on because it gives me the most mixed feelings. So probably best to stop reading here if it bothers you, though this isn't confirmed, just interpretation.





Pretty sure that the story is implying time travel. I mean, you get that idea pretty early on and the rest of the book just reinforces this notion. I am pretty sure I can guess how future installments will go at this point because of it. The only question that will cause me to read future installments is the fact that I want to know if this is an infinite time loop or if things can be changed. It is a novel approach for how it is introduced but this is probably the last story that needed this element thrown in. I just hope I'm wrong and this time travel stuff gets executed in a way that leaves me in awe.

Epic Highs & Some Middling Lows!

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Wow this was a great book. Amazing improvement from book 1 which I also enjoyed. This is the first story in a long time that had me laughing out loud with the humor of the characters. Can't wait for more.

Best book so far this year

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I loved the story really want it to continue onto more books and how he will use the mirrors

The great writing

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I listened to the first book what feels like forever ago. I’m glad the author didn’t rush to get this one out because it definitely didn’t disappoint!

Worth the wait

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Listener received this title free

Well done! It has great character progression as well as powers. It is a great combination of Cultivation and fantasy that also reminds me of Game of Thrones with it brutality and action. Joe Jameson expertly narrates this too! Get your copy today if you haven't already! Such a great series!

Great Sequel!

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I really liked this book. I will be continuing this series and buy the next book.

5 stars

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The story and narration of this story is amazing. the MC is not OP, just unique, the battles are well written, the life of the MC and "companions" are sad, funny and exciting. you find yourself rooting for all of them and sad for the losses they experience. I listen and read to a lot of these stories and I can say I truly love these books and hope they keep coming. hats off to the author and narrator this is truly a hidden gem.

Hidden gem.

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I love the cultivation in this. I would however love to see more progression and levels to the system… right now the thing I enjoy the most is the writing. Plot is spot on and the narration is godteir!

Absolute genius

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