
The Emperor's Blades
Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Simon Vance
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By:
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Brian Staveley
About this listen
Now includes special bonus content. Stay tuned after the audiobook to hear “The Last Abbot of Ashk’lan,” a short story by Brian Staveley.
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.
Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it's too late.
An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test.
At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor's final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing - and risk everything - to see that justice is meted out.
©2014 Brian Stavely (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Story
Marcus' hero days are behind him. He knows too well that even the smallest war still means somebody's death. When his men are impressed into a doomed army, staying out of a battle he wants no part of requires some unorthodox steps. Cithrin is an orphan, ward of a banking house. Her job is to smuggle a nation's wealth across a war zone, hiding the gold from both sides. She knows the secret life of commerce like a second language, but the strategies of trade will not defend her from swords. Geder, sole scion of a noble house, has more interest in philosophy than in swordplay.
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glad I didn't listen to reviews
- By Juan acosta on 02-01-20
By: Daniel Abraham
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For the Killing of Kings
- The Ring-Sworn Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Howard Andrew Jones
- Narrated by: Lori Prince
- Length: 16 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Their peace was a fragile thing, but it had endured for seven years, mostly because the people of Darassus and the king of the Naor hordes believed his doom was foretold upon the edge of the great sword hung in the hall of champions. Unruly Naor clans might raid across the border, but the king himself would never lead his people to war so long as the blade remained in the hands of his enemies. But when squire Elenai’s aging uncovers evidence that the sword in their hall is a forgery, she’s forced to flee Darassus for her life, her only ally the reckless, disillusioned Kyrkenall.
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Great Story!
- By Aurora McMillian on 05-15-19
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Kingfall
- The Kingfall Histories, Book 1
- By: David Estes
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 29 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Infused with magic, shadows and starlight, the powerful godblades were believed to be lost nearly half a millennia ago, when the Godswar ended. Now, however, one has been found by the unlikeliest of wielders: Sampson Gaard, a blind but ambitious prince with something to prove. The only question is whether he controls the blade or the blade him. With an insidious evil lurking in the shadows, the answer may very well determine the fate of all Kingfall.
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Pleasant Surprise
- By christain naidu on 07-29-21
By: David Estes
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The Heresy Within
- First Earth Saga (The Ties That Bind, Book 1)
- By: Rob J. Hayes
- Narrated by: Jaret Ross
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
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Thanquil Darkheart is a witch hunter for the Inquisition, on a holy crusade to rid the world of heresy. He’s also something else...expendable. When the God Emperor gives Thanquil an impossible task, he knows he has no choice but to venture deep into the Wilds to hunt down a fallen Inquisitor. Even the best swordswoman is one bad day away from a corpse. It’s a lesson Blademaster Jezzet Vel’urn isn’t keen to learn. Chased into the Wilds by a vengeful warlord, Jezzet makes it to the free city of Chade. But instead of sanctuary, all she finds are more enemies from her past.
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New fan of Rob J Hayes
- By Pam W on 04-13-23
By: Rob J. Hayes
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Dragon Mage
- Rivenworld, Book 1
- By: ML Spencer
- Narrated by: Ben Farrow
- Length: 27 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Aram thinks he’s nothing but a misfit from a small fishing village in a dark corner of the world. As far as Aram knows, he has nothing, with hardly a possession to his name other than a desire to make friends and be accepted by those around him, which is something he’s never known. But Aram is more. Much, much more. Unknown to him, Aram bears within him a gift so old and rare that many people would kill him for it, and there are others who would twist him to use for their own sinister purposes.
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Did I really listen to the same as others?
- By Kindle Customer on 08-05-21
By: ML Spencer
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The Black Prism
- By: Brent Weeks
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 21 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Guile is the Prism. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live. When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.
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Nice first book. slow start
- By Amazon Customer on 12-13-16
By: Brent Weeks
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The Ember Blade
- The Darkwater Legacy, Book 1
- By: Chris Wooding
- Narrated by: Simon Bubb
- Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Aren has lived by the rules all his life. He's never questioned it; that's just the way things are. But then his father is executed for treason, and he and his best friend, Cade, are thrown into a prison mine, doomed to work until they drop. Unless they can somehow break free.... But what lies beyond the prison walls is more terrifying still. Rescued by a man who hates him yet is oath-bound to protect him, pursued by inhuman forces, Aren slowly accepts that everything he knew about his world was a lie.
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I cried at the end of this damn thing.
- By Amazon Customer on 05-09-19
By: Chris Wooding
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Once There Were Heroes
- A Time of Dragons, Book 1
- By: Philip C. Quaintrell
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 25 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Dragons Riders: The last noble warriors in the realm. Only heroes can embolden the ordinary. For centuries, millennia, the Dragon Riders galvanized generation after generation, adding Riders to their ranks and birthing dragons from their eggs. But there are no more heroes. War with the Andarens is like nothing the Riders, nor the armies of Erador, have ever faced. In the place of heroes, there are only soldiers now. Fodder for the machine of war. This time of twilight is set to be the crowning hour of the dark when the light is losing its grip.
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No Dragons Here
- By Connor on 03-29-24
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The Briar King
- The Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone, Book 1
- By: Greg Keyes
- Narrated by: Patrick Michael
- Length: 19 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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Two thousand years ago, the Born Queen defeated the Skasloi lords, freeing humans from the bitter yoke of slavery. But now monstrous creatures roam the land and destinies become inextricably entangled in a drama of power and seduction. The kings woodsman, a rebellious girl, a young priest, a roguish adventurer, and a young man made suddenly into a knight all face malevolent forces that shake the foundations of the kingdom, even as the Briar King, legendary harbinger of death, awakens from his slumber.
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Good stuff
- By Jake on 06-10-10
By: Greg Keyes
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The King's Sorcerer
- Jon Oklar, Book 1
- By: B. T. Narro
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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On the anniversary of his father’s passing, Jon leaves home in search of answers. The land is full of mystery and intrigue, and Jon wants to explore it all with the dream of one day becoming a sorcerer. But when Jon receives an invite to the castle for training, he starts to believe there has to be a catch. A long time ago, Jon’s father was once a guard near the capital city. Now Jon finds himself back where his father used to work, and he’s beginning to learn why his father had wanted to raise him away from here.
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YA dulls the edge in this one
- By NoOneSpecial on 09-25-20
By: B. T. Narro
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Dragon Trials
- Return of the Darkening, Book 1
- By: Ava Richardson
- Narrated by: Tiffany Williams
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Eighteen-year-old Sebastian Smith never expected to be chosen as a Dragon Rider. Coming from the lowest ranks of Torvald society, his future seemed bleak—until he’s selected to train at the prestigious Dragon Academy. Thrust into a world where he doesn’t belong, Seb finds the connection with his dragon more powerful than he ever imagined.
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Excellent Dragon Adventure
- By Striker on 09-08-16
By: Ava Richardson
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The Cycle of Arawn
- The Complete Trilogy
- By: Edward W. Robertson
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 65 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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The White Tree (book one): In Mallon the dark magic of the nether has been banned for centuries. Its users have been driven out or killed. Its secrets lost. But the holy book of the nethermancers has just been found by a boy named Dante. As he works to unlock the book's power, he's attacked in the street. The nethermancers aren't gone—and they want their book back. Caught between death cultists and the law, Dante fights for his life, aided by his growing skills and a brash bodyguard named Blays.
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In Response to the Criticism from Other Reviewers
- By Jonah on 06-11-17
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Forsworn: A Powder Mage Novella
- By: Brian McClellan
- Narrated by: Julie Hoverson
- Length: 2 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Erika ja Leora is a powder mage in northern Kez, a place where that particular sorcery is punishable by death. She is only protected by her family name and her position as heir to a duchy. When she decides to help a young commoner-a powder mage marked for death, fugitive from the law-she puts her life and family reputation at risk and sets off to deliver her new ward to the safety of Adro while playing cat and mouse with the king's own mage hunters and their captain, Duke Nikslaus.
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Good short story, subpar narration
- By Derpentine on 04-27-15
By: Brian McClellan
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Master of War Boxset
- Books 1-3
- By: David Gilman
- Narrated by: Gildart Jackson
- Length: 53 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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England, 1346: For Thomas Blackstone, the choice is easy - dance on the end of a rope for a murder he did not commit, or take up his war bow and join the king's invasion. As he fights his way across northern France, Blackstone learns the brutal lessons of war - from the terror and confusion of his first taste of combat, to the savage realities of siege warfare.
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Master of War (1-3)
- By teejay spina on 02-13-23
By: David Gilman
The pace of the story dragged it down.
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I would rate the contents PG 16. Violence with tons of bloody gore. No sex, but foul language includes lots of F-bombs and crude sexist language, especially in the Kettral Training Grounds. At times, it was all a bit much.
Good book, despite some quibbles. For a nice change of pace, the magic is atypical. Leaches are born with the ability to draw power from a particular element (like Butcher's Codex Alera). There are ancient portals for traveling long distances, created by the gods (yes, gods play a fairly big role). We also get huge birds with an 80-foot wingspan, trained to fly warriors into combat, similar to Temeraire -- His Majesty's Dragon. (But unlike Novik, Stavely failed to make these birds seem real to me, because he never showed them cold, hungry, thirsty — eating, drinking, sleeping, etc.)
Then they are the nearly immortal Csestriims, a pre-human race, amazingly intelligent and utterly without emotion (see prologue). These Csestriims want to wipe out humanity, similar to the Cyber-race in Battlestar Galactica.
I like the length. Excessively long fantasy novels are not my thing. This series is fairly dark and sad, but also promising, with an engrossing plot. Stavely offers a measured blend of action, dialogue, and interaction. Some internal reflection, but not too much. I enjoyed the proverbs from the monastic Shin (Zen) masters and the quotes from the Book of War.
Scenes transition nicely, without jitterbug leapfrogging (Yay!). Chapters transition from Kaden, studying at the Shin monastery in the Bone Mountains at the edge of the world, to Valyn on the Qirrin Islands, striving to become a Kettral (a black-ops elite warrior who travels on a huge kestrel-like raptor), to the eldest sibling, 21-year-old Adare, the first female finance minister, working in the capital city. When their father suddenly dies, life is never the same for the three, and the race is on to save the Unhewn Throne.
I was afraid all the adults in the book would be incompetent or evil — as many of them were. That would be a total turn off. For credibility, a few adults showed courage and sense.
The map in the e-book is blurry but the author has a sharper image on his blog site. There is an appendix of information about the various gods in the book.
Narration by Simon Vance is nearly perfect but some voices sound too much the same.
3rd-person POV fantasy, and not too long
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Confusing, but I eventually dug in.
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What did you love best about The Emperor's Blades?
I knew before starting that the narration would be top notch. I often select books based on my favorite narrators. This story did not disappoint. I hope that this is just the start of an epic series.What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?
Simon Vance does not just read a book aloud, he breathes life into each character.Any additional comments?
Spend that credit. You will not be sorry.Great Epic Fantasy
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Where does The Emperor's Blades rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I feel like this series is going to be in my top 3 very soon. I just wish more of the books were out.What other book might you compare The Emperor's Blades to and why?
I'm not sure how to compare this to another book series. I will say it temporarily filled the void I have while waiting on the next books in The Kingkiller Chronicle and Stormlight Archive series.Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
Some elements seem a little brutal at times. However, I think it's the author trying to use background to paint each characters motives and emotional state.Any additional comments?
Overall, I'm very pleased. It was dark, has a little magic, a slight twist on the standard epic fantasy (boy rising to power), a little gore, and plot twists. Bottom line, it was worth the purchase (credit) and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for their next fantasy story.The only negative I have, is that it developed very slowly and seemed to end abruptly. Perhaps the character building process that I enjoyed is what made it seem slow. I can't say for sure, you'll have to decide for yourself.
Just what I was looking for
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I have been listening to about 2 or 3 audiobooks a month for the past 4 years and this book is easily in my top 3 of all time. It's one of those rare combinations of genius writing and an exceptional narrator. I'm always a little worried when I buy a fantasy type book because a lot of the time they end up being written for 12 year olds. This is definitely an adult book and it kept me on the edge on my seat through the entire story. I'm listening to the second book in the series right now and it's proving to be just as good as the first. Do yourself a favor and download this, you won't regret itWhat was one of the most memorable moments of The Emperor's Blades?
The last two chapters, I kept thinking wow this is a gd masterpieceWhat about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?
EverythingDid you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?
I would never admit it if it did but, when _____ died I might of got a lil teary eyedAmazing!!
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Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would definately recommend this audiobook to a friend. It was so enjoyable; I felt like I was right there in the action. Also strong women in this book, which I definately find appealing!What did you like best about this story?
The writing was fabulous. I was totally drawn into the story, the action, the drama, the characters.What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?
Simon Vance is one of my favourite readers. He has an amazingly soothing voice, but also does a multitude of characters voices so well.Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
Yes, definately! I had a hard time NOT listening, when I had to do other things that required my attention.Any additional comments?
Can't wait til the second book comes out. This is a new author, and he is very very talented.Rarely have I listened to such a fabulous book!
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Fantastic
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Great fantasy book! Pleasantly surprised!
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Superb!!
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