The Garden of Empire
Pact and Pattern, Book 2
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Narrated by:
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Jeremy Ang Jones
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By:
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J.T. Greathouse
About this listen
The boy once known as Wen Alder has become the rebel witch Foolish Cur.
Schooled in both the powers that bound him to serve the emperor as well as the furious, wild magic of his mother’s ancestors, he was torn between two worlds, until he realized the brutal nature of the emperor and his rule.
Joining the rebellion, he soon experienced the painful sacrifices that come with defiance. Yet even more dangerous times lay ahead.
For the emperor—covetous of all the magic he controls—has decided to take his ruthless quest for power to the gods themselves. If he succeeds, the gods will unleash a storm of death and destruction unlike any even imagined. Only Foolish Cur has the skills and strength to stave off such a nightmare.
While Foolish Cur fights the Empire in Nayen, others wage their own rebellions. A successful tutor opens a school to preserve his own dying culture while a warrior of the plains discovers powers long thought lost. And a servant of the empire begins to question the violence that threatens to engulf them all…
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Long ago the gods chose a great hero to act as their agent in the mortal world and to stand against the demonic spawn of Chaos. The gods gifted their champion, Daemron, with three magical Talismans: a sword, a ring, and a crown. But the awesome power at his command corrupted Daemron, turning him from savior to destroyer. Filled with pride, he dared to challenge the gods themselves. Siding with the Chaos spawn, Daemron waged a titanic battle against the Immortals. In the end, Daemron was defeated, the Talismans were lost, and Chaos was sealed off behind the Legacy - a magical barrier the gods sacrificed themselves to create.
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Not a Good Book - Amateurish and Derivative
- By Grace Ausley on 01-06-14
By: Drew Karpyshyn
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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 Steel Remains
- By: Richard K. Morgan
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 15 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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In just a few short years, Richard K. Morgan has vaulted to the pinnacle of the science fiction world. Now he turns his iconoclastic talents to epic fantasy, crafting a darkly violent, tautly plotted adventure sure to thrill old fans and captivate new readers.
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This isn't your father's gay hero!
- By Kindle Customer on 01-23-09
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Dawn of War
- Blood War Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Tim Marquitz
- Narrated by: John Pruden
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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For hundreds of years, the bestial Grol have clawed at the walls of Lathah without success. Now armed with O'hra, mystical weapons of great power, they have returned, to conquer. Witness to the Grol advance, Arrin can abide his exile no longer. He returns to Lathah, in defiance of death, with hopes to save his beloved princess and the child born of their illicit affair. He finds her unwilling to abandon her people.
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A sprawling Epic fantasy in the best sense!
- By The Bookwyrm Speaks on 09-03-15
By: Tim Marquitz
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The Oremere Chronicles Omnibus
- The Complete Series
- By: Helen Scheuerer
- Narrated by: Angele Masters
- Length: 52 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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At 16, Bleak lost the only person she cared for when her mentor died at sea. Now 19, she still misses him terribly. She needs him more than ever. That’s why Bleak drinks. But the haze of the mead and wine has hidden something from her. Her powers have grown more than she knows. Others have noticed. When the king sends his top commander to take her, Bleak is too hungover to resist. But he isn’t the only one who needs her for their plans. What does he want?
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“Whut?”
- By Anonymous User on 02-08-23
By: Helen Scheuerer
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The Empire of the Dead
- By: Phil Tucker
- Narrated by: Paul Guyet
- Length: 8 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Acharsis has always loved long shots. But even with a perfect scheme and a handpicked squad of godsblooded grifters and fighters, breaking into the undead lord's Akkodaisis' ziggurat is suicidally impossible. Good thing Archarsis is a fallen demigod with more than one trick up his sleeve....
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Incredibly imaginative
- By RyRy on 09-08-17
By: Phil Tucker
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Flame in the Mist
- By: Renée Ahdieh
- Narrated by: Nancy Wu
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Wrath and the Dawn comes a sweeping, action-packed YA adventure set against the backdrop of feudal Japan, where Mulan meets Tamora Pierce.
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Very Good
- By Ingrid on 07-15-17
By: Renée Ahdieh
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At the Sign of the Crow and Moon
- A Sorcery Ascendant Prequel Novella
- By: Mitchell Hogan
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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In the bustling capital city of the Mahruse Empire, Felicienne Shyrise spends her days as a talented investigator, taking on stolen goods and missing person cases and the occasional murder the city guard are too incompetent - or too lazy - to resolve. During the nights she hones her skills playing Dominion, a board game almost as complicated as life itself. She dreams of making a name for herself and becoming the richest woman in the Empire.
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Worth It
- By Gaia on 09-23-19
By: Mitchell Hogan
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The Valiant
- By: Lesley Livingston
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham
- Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Fallon is the daughter of a proud Celtic king and the younger sister of the legendary fighter Sorcha. When Fallon was just a child, Sorcha was killed by the armies of Julius Caesar. On the eve of her 17th birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her place in her father's war band. She never gets the chance. Fallon is captured and sold to an elite training school for female gladiators - owned by none other than Julius Caesar himself.
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Couldn't keep my attention
- By Kendall on 03-13-17
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Akiri: The Scepter of Xarbaal
- Akiri, Book 1
- By: Brian D. Anderson, Steven Savile
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 9 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Akiri is a blistering new heroic fantasy novel from the multiple award-winning international best sellers Brian D. Anderson and Steven Savile who have come together to create the first adrenalin-filled standalone novel in Akiri's tortured world. Can one betrayal can save a kingdom? Will two destroy it?
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Buy this story!!!
- By wlantz on 11-02-16
By: Brian D. Anderson, and others
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Wit'ch Fire
- The Banned and the Banished, Book 1
- By: James Clemens
- Narrated by: Jennifer Van Dyck, Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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On a fateful night five centuries ago, three mages made a desperate last stand, sacrificing everything to preserve the only hope of goodness in the beautiful, doomed land of Alasea. Now, on the anniversary of that ominous night, a girl-child ripens into the heritage of lost power. But before she can even comprehend her terrible new gift, the Dark Lord dispatches his winged monsters to capture her and bring him the embryonic magic she embodies.
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An Amazing Journey
- By Drink Coffee, Read Books on 12-27-14
By: James Clemens
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Night of Knives
- Novels of the Malazan Empire, Book 1
- By: Ian C. Esslemont
- Narrated by: John Banks
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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The small island of Malaz and its city gave the great empire its name, but now it is little more than a sleepy, backwater port. Tonight, however, things are different. Tonight the city is on edge, a hive of hurried, sometimes violent activity; its citizens bustle about, barring doors, shuttering windows, avoiding any stranger's stare. Because tonight there is to be a convergence, the once-in-a-generation appearance of a Shadow Moon - an occasion that threatens the good people of Malaz with demon hounds and other, darker things....
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Worth the wait
- By Aran on 06-20-16
By: Ian C. Esslemont
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Phoenix Unbound
- The Fallen Empire Series, Book 1
- By: Grace Draven
- Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Every year, each village is required to send a young woman to the Empire's capital - her fate to be burned alive for the entertainment of the masses. For the last five years, one small village's tithe has been the same woman. Gilene's sacrifice protects all the other young women of her village, and her secret to staying alive lies with the magic only she possesses. But this year is different. Azarion, the Empire's most famous gladiator, has somehow seen through her illusion - and is set on blackmailing Gilene into using her abilities to help him escape his life of slavery.
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Nothing special. Highly predictable
- By J. C. Schmidt on 10-10-18
By: Grace Draven
What listeners say about The Garden of Empire
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- drexcaliber
- 10-04-22
An epic in metamorphosis
I finished the first book hungry for more, and Greathouse did not disappoint. While The Hand of the Sun King set the world and rules for Foolish-Cur, this book expanded on the perspectives and experiences of those in his wake - figurative and literal. The magic doesn't grow stale as politics, philosophy, morality, and every character's pursuit of or flight from justice carries the reader further into the garden of landscapes, cultures, and mysteries. I especially enjoyed the interludes, which brought a new narrative style that fed a fertile bed of possibilities - for the reader and Greathouse's characters.
Now, as I put the book down, I am hungry for another - but this time with a clean pallet. This garden has much to offer - beyond the wake of Foolish Cur.
I enjoy Jones as a narrator. His accents feel natural and add to the characters, sometimes drawing attention by contrast to the real-world histories and cultures they relate to. One characteristic of his reading style is to drop his voice mid-sentence, as if it is the end, only to continue the thought. More than a few times I had to revise the meaning in my mind to bridge one of these caesuras.
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- adam
- 06-29-23
great story
i’m really like this story and the evolution. the magic system is cool and great setting.
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- R. Peyton
- 08-13-22
I’m hooked
I pre-ordered immediately after finishing Hand of the Sun King. A decision of blind faith that was well rewarded. The story of Wen Alder (Foolish Cur) was as gripping and nuanced as the first book. I look forward with quiet eagerness to book 3!
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- rhrlowry
- 01-13-24
A good sequel
I generally find true stories more compelling than fiction. That said, the first book of this series was enjoyable, if a bit predictable. This sequel is better--I had a hard time turning it off. I particularly enjoyed the character development of Wen Alder. His growth as he matures from a sincere but untested youth to a young adult that realizes wisdom is elusive is realistic. Any book that makes the reader care about a character is a win for the author! Looking forward to book 3.
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- Allen
- 08-22-22
A disappointing second book
In the first book we followed Wen Alder and his growth from childhood to a young adult. Time passes by and while many said the story crawled at a marginal pace, it was enjoyable. This book the pacing felt like it was snail slow as the story happens over the course of the year.
In this book we follow 3 new perspectives. I do not mind new point of views but the biggest flaw is how jarring it goes from one perspective, Wen Alder, to three new characters told from a 3rd person narrative. For some, they will find some characters incredibly boring, and others will see it as refreshing. I was the former.
We jump from Foolish Cur’s venture into a rebellion. To Hand Pinion’s perspective as he runs from The Phoenix King’s encroaching army. We get glimpses of a new witch rising on the other side of the world. Then we get 45 minute segments of Wen Alder’s former teacher, Kora Hal, exciting story of… opening a school? I found myself at 1.5x the speed or even skipping by boring segments of Kora Hal trying to teach young student just so I could jump back to Foolish Cur’s far more interesting plot. In fact, I could argue you could erase Kora Ha’s whole character arc and write his backstory in a chapter. It was that boring to me.
Foolish Cur’s character progression practically halts in this book. His intelligence is still there but is mired by self-loathing. This gets tiring after awhile. You understand his perspective, but everyone walks over him because he believes he is guilty for it all. A slight spoiler but the ending will only make him even more self-loathing in the sequel, if I decide to get book 3 I do not look forward to more self-loathing. At least Hand Pinion sees growth and Kora Ha grows more into himself.
Overall I’m just disappointed with the book. The prose is still great, the narrator is great, but the story left me disappointed. I probably will not pick up book 3. But do not let this review dissuade you from picking this book up though, maybe you will like it.
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- Akiva Hoffman
- 12-18-22
This is my new favorite fantasy series!
When I finished Hand of the Sun King earlier this month, I knew I had discovered something special. But with The Garden of Empire, J.T. Greathouse's Pact & Pattern trilogy has vaulted to my favorite new fantasy series.
The story broadens and deepens in The Garden of Empire, now being told in four POVs -- each wrestling with conflicting allegiances, and some dealing with life-shattering moral questions. While HotSK was about Wen Alder/Foolish Cur's development into a Hand of the Empire, this book is mostly focused on the growing Naiyeni rebellion, and war is central to most of the text.
I had been concerned that Wen Alder/Foolish Cur was too powerful at the end of HotSK, but that was swept aside in the first few pages. He still has a lot to figure out, his magic has made him dangerous, and no one trusts him. Hand Pinion is reeling from the aftermath of the battle at Greyfrost Keep, and keeps being thrust into situations that he is unprepared for. While his character can be annoying at times, he's very believable and his arc becomes quite interesting in ways I had not anticipated. Koro Ha's story is fascinating and tragic, and I'm looking forward to see how he intersects with the primary story arc in the final book of the series. And there's a new POV character who we see only in brief interludes, to give us an idea of what's happening on the opposite side of the empire. Looking forward to seeing a lot more of her in the next book as well.
As before, we are treated to rich characterization, vivid description, a believable lush world, amazing magic, and wrenching moral conflicts. I don't want to spoil anything, but the scope of this series turns quite epic by the end of The Garden of Empire.
Also, the audio narration by Jeremy Ang Jones is excellent.
Recommended for fans of:
Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun
Steven Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen
Shelley Parker-Chan's She Who Became the Sun
Seth Dickinson's The Traitor Baru Cormorant
R.F. Kuang's The Poppy War
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