
The Ruin of Kings
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Narrated by:
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Feodor Chin
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Vikas Adam
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Soneela Nankani
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By:
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Jenn Lyons
About this listen
"Everything epic fantasy should be: rich, cruel, gorgeous, brilliant, enthralling and deeply, deeply satisfying. I loved it." (Lev Grossman, author of The Magicians)
Jenn Lyons begins the Chorus of Dragons series with The Ruin of Kings, an epic fantasy audiobook about a man who discovers his fate is tied to the future of an empire.
When destiny calls, there's no fighting back.
Kihrin grew up in the slums of Quur, a thief and a minstrel's son raised on tales of long-lost princes and magnificent quests. When he is claimed against his will as the missing son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds himself at the mercy of his new family's ruthless power plays and political ambitions.
Practically a prisoner, Kihrin discovers that being a long-lost prince is nothing like what the storybooks promised. The storybooks have lied about a lot of other things, too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, and how the hero always wins.
Then again, maybe he isn't the hero after all. For Kihrin is not destined to save the world.
He's destined to destroy it.
Library Journal Best Books of the Year - 2019
Kirkus Reviews Best Books of the Year - 2019
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"A trio of talented narrators tackles the first book in a new fantasy series centered on a man who is destined to destroy an empire...the trio complement each other and elevate an unconventional story filled with intense world-building and vivid characters." (AudioFile Magazine)

Editor's Pick
Bloodlines and battlefields
"There's nothing like getting sucked into a truly epic fantasy story and that's exactly what Ruin of Kings delivers from the moment you start getting to know the cheeky young Kihrin, following his journey from orphaned street rat to long-lost heir to a royal house to on-the-run savior (or destroyer) of the world. Narrators Feodor Chin, Vikas Adam, and Soneela Nankani seamlessly pull you into a world full of wizards, dragons, demons, and witches, all made believably real thanks, in part, to the all-too-human motivations of the characters. It all comes together to make this series starter come alive in the most delicious ways."
—Abby W., Audible Editor
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Story
Dragons once soared in the skies, but that was before the Transformation, before they took human form. Now, demonic forces stand to obliterate them. When left mortally wounded, Darnuir, the Prince of Dragons, can only be saved through a dangerous rebirthing spell. He is left as a babe in human hands. Twenty years later, Darnuir is of age to wield the Dragon's Blade. As the last member of his bloodline, he is the only one who can. He is plunged into a role he is not prepared for, to lead a people he does not know.
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Awesome listen!
- By superstardrifter on 02-12-17
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The Dragon's Path
- The Dagger and the Coin, Book 1
- By: Daniel Abraham
- Narrated by: Pete Bradbury
- Length: 15 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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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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The Pariah
- By: Anthony Ryan
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army. Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance.
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Has a great first half then slowly goes downhill
- By Spencer Corpuz on 08-31-21
By: Anthony Ryan
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The Priory of the Orange Tree
- By: Samantha Shannon
- Narrated by: Liyah Summers
- Length: 25 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction - but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
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In a word, WOW
- By Kevin Potter on 03-09-19
By: Samantha Shannon
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Black Sun
- By: Rebecca Roanhorse
- Narrated by: Cara Gee, Nicole Lewis, Kaipo Schwab, and others
- Length: 12 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
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In the holy city of Tova, the winter solstice is usually a time for celebration and renewal, but this year it coincides with a solar eclipse, a rare celestial even proscribed by the Sun Priest as an unbalancing of the world. Meanwhile, a ship launches from a distant city bound for Tova and set to arrive on the solstice. The captain of the ship, Xiala, is a disgraced Teek whose song can calm the waters around her as easily as it can warp a man’s mind. Her ship carries one passenger.
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5-star Concept; Too Many Threads Left Hanging
- By Lisa Davidson on 10-26-20
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The Last Sun
- By: K. D. Edwards
- Narrated by: Josh Hurley
- Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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Rune Saint John, the last child of the fallen Sun Court, is hired to search for Lady Judgment's missing son, Addam, on New Atlantis, the island city where the Atlanteans moved after ordinary humans destroyed their original home. With his companion and bodyguard, Brand, he questions Addam's relatives and business contacts through the highest ranks of the nobles of New Atlantis. But as they investigate, they uncover more than a missing man: a legendary creature connected to the secret of the massacre of Rune's Court.
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Holy shit that was so good!!!
- By SMC on 10-12-18
By: K. D. Edwards
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Foundryside
- A Novel
- By: Robert Jackson Bennett
- Narrated by: Tara Sands
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic - the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience - have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine.
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Parts & Sums
- By CaffineFreeJAVA on 05-07-19
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An Ember in the Ashes
- By: Sabaa Tahir
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire's greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.
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Not That Impressed.
- By Brian on 05-01-15
By: Sabaa Tahir
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The Blacktongue Thief
- By: Christopher Buehlman
- Narrated by: Christopher Buehlman
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
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Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path. But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.
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Outstanding
- By Anne Vaughan on 05-28-21
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The Rage of Dragons
- By: Evan Winter
- Narrated by: Prentice Onayemi
- Length: 16 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost 200 years. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every 2,000 women has the power to call down dragons. One in every 100 men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine. Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, giftless Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He's going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn't get the chance. Those closest to him are murdered....
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It's... almost really good.
- By Chris on 01-25-20
By: Evan Winter
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Ascendant
- A Dragon Rider Fantasy (Songs of Chaos, Book 1)
- By: Michael R. Miller
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. He has always served the Order Hall of the Crag dutifully, keeping their kitchen pots clean. Until he discovers a dark secret: dragons do not tolerate weakness among their kin, killing the young they deem flawed. Moved by pity, Holt defies the Order, rescues a doomed egg and vows to protect the blind dragon within.
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Great Fantasy Coming of Age Story
- By ZC on 11-20-20
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Theft of Swords
- Riyria Revelations, Volume 1
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 22 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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Acclaimed author Michael J. Sullivan created instant best sellers with his spellbinding Riyria Revelations series. This first volume introduces Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater, two enterprising thieves who end up running for their lives when they’re framed for the death of the king. Trapped in a conspiracy bigger than they can imagine, their only hope is unraveling an ancient mystery - before it’s too late.
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Two books in one - keep listening!!
- By Magpie on 08-21-12
The overall story was interesting, but it was unnecessarily confusing. I'm 100% glad I listened to this via audiobook rather than suffered through all the pages.
Interesting story but incredibly confusing
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Great book but a little of a struggle sometimes
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Good first book, phenomenal series
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excellent story and narration
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amazing
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Incredible writing, terrific pacing and storytelling
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Honestly, it’s an achievement I finished this book at all since I’ve tried to read this book three times before and was unsuccessful all three times. The thing about this book is that it is confusing. Very, very confusing. This time I started this book because I was in the right mood where I wanted to read a book with no thoughts, and just be here for the vibes. And this book fit the bill.
As confusing as this book is, I think I really enjoyed it. Is that weird? I would recommend reading this by e-book and audiobook together. The e-book so you can search names, places, and things more easily than you could with a physical book, and the audiobook because the narration performances are FANTASTIC and really do help bring the characters and story to life.
Trigger warnings include multiple mentions and scenes of rape, PTSD, sexual assault, slavery, torture, suicide (part of reincarnation rituals), incest, graphic violence, mind control, body possession, kidnapping, misogyny, domestic violence, abuse, and murder.
I will try my best to break down this story. But if I get details wrong, well...I tried.
This story is told from three different timelines and by different POVs. Remember how confusing The Witcher TV show was before everyone caught on to the multiple timelines that were happening? This is like that.
Our first timeline, and one that we see more in voiceover than playing out in real time, is the one told in present-day. Told in third-person, this is where we start with the main protagonist, Kihrin, in a jail cell with a captor by the name of Talon. Talon holds a magic stone that records whatever the holder is saying and wishes to record Kihrin’s story as they pass the time. In this present-day story, Kihrin is 20.
The story then begins with their accounts of what happened that leads up to them being locked away together.
We have Kihrin telling his story in first-person set in the past (he’s 16 here) where he is captured and being sold as a slave. He captures the eye of one wizard, Relos Var, and a group of vané. Vané are the last immortal race and the Manol vané here are a group of worshippers to a death goddess and their Black Brotherhood “cult”, as they are referred to, are able to come back from the dead. At least, that’s how I understand it.
No, it is not at all lost on me how the Black Brotherhood name so closely resembles the Black Dagger Brotherhood created by J.R. Ward, and the vané here resemble vampires in appearance and agelessness, as well as the vané’s penchant to drink blood during their sacred rituals. Coincidence?? The word vampire does not exist in these books but if you were to give the vané a familiar name, I think it would be vampire.
Anyways.
In Talon’s recounting of events told in third-person, Kihrin is 15. Her story being us up to Kihrin’s retelling of his story. And Kihrin’s chapters brings us to present-day. It’s important to note that Talon is not human and every character she “tells” the tale from in their perspective are all people who have died and has eaten, or she has stolen their memories. It’s actually sad when you think about it, but I liked some of these characters.
Then there’s a third narrator who talks in first-person, who inputs his opinion of the recorded accounts called Thurvishar. His comments add as a footnote throughout the story and is sarcastic but insightful. I found him funny. His character does show up in the story in Talon and Kihrin’s accounts and I think it’s surprising to see him in flesh and bone after only associating him as a voice in the footnotes. He has some pretty funny footnotes regarding his own character as well.
Confused yet? Yeah.
I think the only book I appreciated being told in a nonlinear fashion is WHERE DEATH MEETS THE DEVIL by L.J. Hayward, and that’s because the past and present timelines built off each other in parallel that worked really well. Here? It just didn’t really seem all that necessary, honestly. This book is confusing for a whole host of reasons, and the multiple timelines will probably turn a lot of readers off before they even get to the other reasons why this book is confusing.
Let’s talk about names. There is an explanation for so many names being so similar, and it is actually part of the worldbuilding. But as someone who doesn’t usually read adult high fantasy, this was not fun to try to follow along with. We have a lot of names that start with a T and a lot that start with a K, and almost none of them are pronounceable without the help of the audiobook. This is before we add in the names of trying to remember or pronounce the places this book is set in.
While there is a pronounciation guide at the end of the book, it’s at the END. Same with the glossary. How is anyone supposed to know any of that is there??? That’s the kind of stuff that should be at the front of the book.
This book is FULL of unreliable narrators. This means that what you’re being told in one storyline from one character could change multiple times until the truth is revealed later in the book. This goes for the very, very complicated family tree of our protagonist Kihrin. This book involves body switching due to magic and lots of murder involved, so who’s really whose parent is COMPLICATED. The family tree diagram is a spoiler at the end of the book, and I’m not sure if it answers more questions than it asks even if you look at it early.
Another layer of complicatedness is the idea of reincarnation and past lives. The questions are who is able to be reincarnated and who is able to remember all of their past lives. This is complicated, and trying to make sense of the different afterlives presented in this book are not clear. But just know that not everyone stays dead in this book, although there is an extremely high body count.
Someone I haven’t mentioned yet is Teraeth. He is a vané who does remember his pasts, and he has a very slow burn (like HUNDREDS of years in the making) with Kihrin. Kihrin is a total disaster bi, who in this book, has too much to deal with and is actually just a teenager so he doesn’t necessarily think that he’s bi yet. Moments between Kihrin and Teraeth are hilarious a lot of the time. They like to needle each other and their banter is neverending. In terms of physical appearance, they are around the same age. However, when you add in Terareth’s reincarnations and immortality and everything we find out about Kihrin’s history, the whole thing gets more than a little murky.
This series is apparently a polyam endgame with Kihrin, Teraeth, and someone we meet at the end of this book, so this romance has a while to go. I love slow burns that crosses multiple books, so to me, this is PERFECT.
I am a sucker for spoilers and indeed looked ahead to some reviews for future books and this series is going to be very queer. And I am here for all of it!!! We have some ace characters in a relationship in the other books? I will suffer any number of confusing storylines as long as the romances are queer. I am simple that way.
I think character-wise, the book is entertaining and a lot of fun. If extremely violent. Please do take a look at the trigger warnings because this book is DARK.
I ADORE Kihrin, and Talon is a very interesting character. They definitely bring life to the story. This book, so far, contains gods and goddesses, demons, vampires (and maybe reptile vampires??? I think), zombies, and dragons. Like I said. This book is ~vibes~ for me. I think I got the main pieces of the storyline figured out by the end of the book, although I would be hard pressed to give a summary of what all happened.
LUCKILY...the audiobook has an excerpt of book 2, THE NAME OF ALL THINGS, at the very end. What’s included in that excerpt? That’s right, a recap of everything you need to know going into book 2. So, if you need a reminder of what you just read, there is a convenient excerpt at the end of the audiobook to jog your memory.
I think the narrators of the audiobook did an EXCELLENT job here. Vikas Adam (Kihrin), Soneela Nankani (Talon), and Feodor Chin (Thurvishar) are really amazing narrators and they switch between male and female voices very well. I wouldn’t have finished the book without the help of their narration, and I really appreciate how they brought the story to life!!
Which is why I was so very confused at the narrator changes for the second book, but I think I understand now after some research. The events of book 2 run in parallel to the events in book 1 and is actually about different characters that will eventually catch up with the main storyline. These books are massive in this series (the audiobooks around 27 hours each), so the reader commitment here is actually asking for a lot. But one of the leads for the second book is actually part of the polyam relationship with Kihrin and Teraeth in the long run, so I guess I can deal. She’s also a demon. So, that’s fun. It helps that by the time I’m reading this, books 1 through 3 are out and we’re a month out from book 4’s release (out of a 5 book series), so I guess I’m coming into this series at a really good time.
All I can really say is that I’m happy I finally finished the book, I did enjoy it, and I’ll be diving into the next book immediately!
Confusing, but still a very enjoyable book!!
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Terrible waste of money!!
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Good book
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