
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.
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- 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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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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Fatemarked
- The Fatemarked Epic, Book 1
- By: David Estes
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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They are the fatemarked. Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Murdered at birth. Their time to step into the light has come. An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. When kings start dying, that hope and belief swiftly turns to fear. Roan Loren is one of the fatemarked, but has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him. A great evil is coming. He can't hide anymore.
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Written to fit an ideology, not the story it tells
- By znidarsic.blaz on 04-30-18
By: David Estes
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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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A Warrior's Path
- The Castes and the OutCastes Book 1
- By: Davis Ashura
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 17 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Sweeping from the majestic city of Ashoka to the perilous Wildness beyond her borders, enter a world where Caste determines mystical Talents, the purity of Jivatma expresses worth, and dharma may be based on a lie.Rukh Shektan has always understood duty. As a member of Caste Kumma, the warrior Caste, nothing else is acceptable. He is expected to take part in the deadly Trials, to journey the Wildness and protect the caravans linking Humanity's far-flung cities. Though the mission is dangerous, Rukh's hope and optimism are undaunted. Karma, however, is a fickle fiend.
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Very Bad... why all the good reviews?
- By clifford on 09-15-16
By: Davis Ashura
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The Armored Saint
- By: Myke Cole
- Narrated by: Michi Barall
- Length: 7 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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After witnessing a horrendous slaughter, young Heloise opposes the Order and risks bringing their wrath down on herself, her family, and her village. She must confront the true risk that wizards pose to the world and weigh the safety of her people against justice.
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Written well, but uninteresting
- By Anonymous User on 03-26-18
By: Myke Cole
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The Fate's Forsaken Omnibus
- Books 1-2 and Prequel Novella
- By: Shae Ford
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 37 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Books 1, 2, and the prequel novella of the Fate's Forsaken series. The series follows the adventures of Kael: a young man who is thrust from his home in the Unforgivable Mountains and onto a hero's path. The journey is long, the battles are fierce - nearly all of his companions are outlaws. And Kael's rotten bad luck seems to make everything worse. This is his story.
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Fantasy with light romance
- By Skipper on 09-23-15
By: Shae Ford
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Return of the Darkening Series: Complete Boxset
- By: Ava Richardson
- Narrated by: Tiffany Williams
- Length: 24 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Thea Flamma has one goal: to bring honor to her noble family by becoming a dragon rider. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she’s paired with Seb, an awkward, scrappy stablehand far removed from the elegance of her world. Their dragon has chosen, and the two must put their differences aside to master the bond that could save the realm.
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A new type of dragon rider
- By Claire on 09-17-17
By: Ava Richardson
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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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Dragonvein, Book One
- By: Brian D. Anderson
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Carentan, France, 1944 - Ethan Martin, a soldier in the 101st Airborne, is fighting for his life. But soon he will learn what peril truly is when he is ripped from his world and transported to a land of magic, swords, and dragons. And though the Nazis are now far, far away, danger is closer than ever.
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Interesting Story but very light on in details.
- By Kindle Customer on 07-16-15
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The Complete Rhenwars Saga
- An Epic Fantasy Pentalogy
- By: ML Spencer
- Narrated by: Simon Wright
- Length: 61 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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The Well of Tears was created to harness the power of the Netherworld to prevent a magical apocalypse. Now Darien Lauchlin is the last surviving mage capable of reversing the destruction the Well unleashed. Darien will be forced to sacrifice everything of himself and everyone around him—all to preserve a nation of people who despise him.
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Good but confusing story.
- By Ben P. on 12-05-22
By: ML Spencer
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Heroes Die
- The First of the Acts of Caine
- By: Matthew Stover
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 22 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Renowned throughout the land of Ankhana as the Blade of Tyshalle, Caine has killed his share of monarchs and commoners, villains and heroes. He is relentless, unstoppable, simply the best there is at what he does. At home on Earth, Caine is Hari Michaelson, a superstar whose adventures in Ankhana command an audience of billions.
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Don't Let the Cover Turn You Off
- By Paul on 08-13-12
By: Matthew Stover
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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
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Nightblade
- By: Ryan Kirk
- Narrated by: Andrew Tell
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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A quiet child, Moriko is forced into a monastic system she despises. Torn from her family and the forest she grew up in, she must fight to learn the skills she'll need to survive her tutelage under the realm's most dangerous assassin. Young, beautiful, and broke, Takako is sold to pay for her father's debts. Thrust into a world she doesn't understand and battles she didn't ask for, she must decide where her loyalties lie. When their lives crash together in a kingdom on the brink of war, the decisions they make will change both their lives and their kingdom forever.
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Such a Fantastic Hidden Gem
- By Michelle @ In Libris Veritas on 12-21-15
By: Ryan Kirk
What listeners say about The Emperor's Blades
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- Deldepth
- 05-15-15
The pace of the story dragged it down.
As far as stories goes, this has a very slow pace. It wasn't until the last few hours of the audiobook when the story really started to pick up and gain shape. Up until that point, there were just a multitude of cliché cliff hangers while the story switched from character to character.
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12 people found this helpful
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- Skipper
- 03-09-16
3rd-person POV fantasy, and not too long
This is the first book of an epic fantasy trilogy, set in a Japanese-type medieval culture. It's told in 3rd person, with the POV limited to the Emperor's three children, ages 17, 18, and 21. He calls them his blades. Hence the title.
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.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Nicholas A. Lovier
- 01-25-15
Confusing, but I eventually dug in.
Unfortunately, by the time the characters really started to develop, the story ended. And at a cliffhanger no doubt, to encourage the reader to buy the next book in the series. Very slow at times, but also a deep storyline that has me hooked. I will most likely follow up with book 2 in the series.
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- Penpaperandplans
- 03-23-15
Great Epic Fantasy
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.
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- Brian Young
- 02-23-15
Just what I was looking for
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.
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- jay
- 04-21-15
Amazing!!
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 it
What was one of the most memorable moments of The Emperor's Blades?
The last two chapters, I kept thinking wow this is a gd masterpiece
What about Simon Vance’s performance did you like?
Everything
Did 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 eyed
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- carol
- 04-18-14
Rarely have I listened to such a fabulous book!
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.
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- Kyle
- 05-23-17
Fantastic
What an amazing world and immersive story, looking forward to the rest of the series
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- Travis
- 06-09-16
Great fantasy book! Pleasantly surprised!
I would definitely recommend! Best I've read since Stormlight! Hopefully it stays strong from here on out! Can't believe I'm just reading this now!
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- Charles Herrin
- 03-06-15
Superb!!
This was a fantastically crafted story. From the get go, Brian creates tension and intrigue, maintaining it so well, while at the same time using the slow-reveal to keep the reader thirsty for more. The characters are well defined and relatable and the issues dealt with tug at the heart-strings. I also seriously enjoyed the world building that went into this creation. It is vast, yet believable, fantastic, but realistic. I would recommend this book to anyone that includes The Lord of the Rings and the Song of Ice and Fire in their top favorites.
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