
The Veiled Throne
The Dandelion Dynasty, Book 3
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Narrated by:
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Michael Kramer
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By:
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Ken Liu
About this listen
With the invasion of Dara complete, and the Wall of Storms breached, the world has opened to new possibilities for the gods and peoples of both empires as the sweeping saga of the award-winning Dandelion Dynasty continues in this third book of the “magnificent fantasy epic” (NPR).
Princess Théra, once known as Empress Üna of Dara, entrusted the throne to her younger brother in order to journey to Ukyu-Gondé to war with the Lyucu. She has crossed the fabled Wall of Storms with a fleet of advanced warships and 10,000 people. Beset by adversity, Théra and her most trusted companions attempt to overcome every challenge by doing the most interesting thing. But is not letting the past dictate the present always possible or even desirable?
In Dara, the Lyucu leadership as well as the surviving Dandelion Court bristle with rivalries as currents of power surge and ebb and perspectives spin and shift. Here, parents and children, teachers and students, Empress and Pékyu, all nurture the seeds of plans that will take years to bloom. Will tradition yield to new justifications for power?
Everywhere, the spirit of innovation dances like dandelion seeds on the wind, and the commoners, the forgotten, the ignored begin to engineer new solutions for a new age. Ken Liu returns to the series that draws from a tradition of the great epics of our history from the Aeneid to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and builds a new tale unsurpassed in its scope and ambition.
©2021 Ken Liu. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
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TWO HOSPITAL BEDS in a Stanford University lab. Two still figures, attached by bundles of cables to the experimental QARMA supercomputer. Analise and Wolfe are true scientific pioneers, the first humans to ever leave the shells of their physical bodies to explore an entirely new virtual universe beyond time and space. But their creation, the most vivid VR metaverse ever envisioned, has come under attack.
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Great start to a new series
- By Jason B on 10-06-23
By: Patrick Cumby
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Deadman Walking
- A LitRPG Apocalypse Series
- By: C.B. Titus, Seersucker
- Narrated by: Heath Miller
- Length: 10 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Even after the bombs fell, even after countries unleashed weapons beyond imagination on one another, even after lawlessness became the norm, people still expect their mail. As a deadman, I'm uniquely suited to deliver it.
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I was hooked the moment Heath Miller first spoke.
- By Andrew on 09-16-23
By: C.B. Titus, and others
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The Cerulean
- By: Amy Ewing
- Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest
- Length: 15 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Sera Lighthaven has always felt as if she didn’t quite belong among her people, the Cerulean, who live in the city above the sky. She is curious about everything - especially the planet her city is magically tethered to - and can’t stop questioning things. Sera has always longed for the day when the tether will finally break and the Cerulean can move to a new planet. But when Sera is chosen as the sacrifice to break the tether, she feels betrayed by everything in which she’d been taught to trust. In order to save her city, Sera must end her own life.
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Queer Bait
- By Lasheida on 11-05-22
By: Amy Ewing
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Commerce Emperor
- A Progression Fantasy Epic
- By: Maxime J. Durand, Void Herald
- Narrated by: Eric Jason Martin
- Length: 16 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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When Robin Waybright became the Merchant Hero, all of Pangeal turned into his marketplace; for the Merchant can buy and sell anything. Youth, skills, memories, hair color, joys and illnesses… in the trade of power, every deal can tip the scale. And Robin needs power. His homeland of Archfrost teeters on the brink of collapse, the sinister Demon Ancestors plot in the shadows, and twenty-one other Heroes, each with their own Class, have been chosen to save the world of Pangeal. Not all of them are friendly.
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Book has a super interesting premise and by time Robin gets his hero class I❤it!!!
- By Lonnie-The GreatNorthernTroll-Moore on 03-10-24
By: Maxime J. Durand, and others
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A Han Yang Omnibus
- A Combined Collection
- By: Han Yang
- Narrated by: Blaine Maddox, Diana Richardson, Matt Hicks, and others
- Length: 134 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Mayor Of Mythos, Dungeon Realms, Isekai Warden, Conquering New Earth, Spartan Justice, Colony Builders, Reincarnation Trials, Jespa: The Space Trader, Dean Hawthorne, And My Girlfriend Is A Sorceress From Another World. These great books in one omnibus offering! If you like high fantasy, science fiction, action, adventure, and great storytelling, give this bundle a try!
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It's multiple unfinished stories.
- By Alana Renee' on 06-22-24
By: Han Yang
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Heroes Road: Volume One [Dramatized Adaptation]
- Heroes Road, Book 1
- By: Chuck Rogers
- Narrated by: full cast
- Length: 17 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Coel ap Math and Snorri Yaroslav serve on the Frontier with Debts of Commission they can never hope to pay. When an enemy no one believes exists wipes out their detachment, the two warriors find themselves disgraced, destitute, and dishonorably discharged. They are soldiers without a cause, and must pay off their commissions or face a lifetime of indentured servitude or a rope.
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was a bit hesitant at first
- By albert hurt on 08-12-22
By: Chuck Rogers
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Aces
- Book 1
- By: Craig Alanson
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
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Children are not supposed to rescue their parents, life is supposed to be the other way around. And rescues aren't supposed to be needed on the trip out to the new colony planet Valhalla. Slow, yes. Boring, yes. Dangerous? No, the trip is not supposed to be dangerous, never has been. When thieves attack the transport ship to steal an ancient alien artifact, and young Kaylee and her brother, Manny, are cut off from their parents, they have to stop the thieves from getting what they want.
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Tough for this EXFOR reader to get through
- By tosbanzai on 04-20-18
By: Craig Alanson
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All Systems Red
- By: Martha Wells
- Narrated by: Kevin R. Free
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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All Systems Red is the tense first science fiction adventure novella in Martha Wells' series The Murderbot Diaries. For fans of Westworld, Ex Machina, Ann Leckie's Imperial Raadch series, or Iain M. Banks' Culture novels. The main character is a deadly security droid that has bucked its restrictive programming and is balanced between contemplative self-discovery and an idle instinct to kill all humans.
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I just wish all four stories were one book...
- By Garrett Stone on 11-05-18
By: Martha Wells
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Limitless Lands
- The Complete Series, Books 1-5
- By: Dean Henegar
- Narrated by: Jack Voraces
- Length: 62 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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Colonel James Raytak is about to die. The 93-year-old combat veteran is living his last days in a nursing home, and his only hope for survival is found inside the virtual world of Limitless Lands. With every swing of his sword and every command given to his army, Raytak is one step closer to returning to the people he loves. Many foes will stand in his path, and despite a lifetime of military experience and powerful allies, victory is not assured.
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Outstanding!!!!
- By Jeremiah D. Laxson on 09-17-24
By: Dean Henegar
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Of Blood and Fire
- The Bound and the Broken, Book 1
- By: Ryan Cahill
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
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Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of Southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving - a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war.
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Didn’t expect a “grow up power fantasy”
- By Mike Thomas on 07-23-22
By: Ryan Cahill
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Elven Alliance Boxed Set One
- Books 1-3 (Elven Alliance Boxed Sets)
- By: Tara Grayce
- Narrated by: Liz Brand
- Length: 25 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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The human kingdom of Escarland and the elven kingdom of Tarenhiel have existed in an uneasy peace after their last wars ended with both kings dead. As tensions rise once again, desperate diplomacy might be the only way to avert war. If only negotiations between elves and humans were that simple. When a diplomatic meeting goes horribly wrong, Essie, a human princess, finds herself married to the elf prince and warrior Laesornysh. Fitting in to the serene, quiet elf culture might be a little difficult for this talkative princess, but she’s determined to make it work.
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Shampoo
- By Amazon Customer on 11-19-24
By: Tara Grayce
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Talon of the Silver Hawk
- Conclave of Shadows, Book 1
- By: Raymond E. Feist
- Narrated by: Peter Joyce
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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In a distant land, high among the snow-capped mountains, a peaceful nation is mercilessly put to the sword...yet one will survive. Little more than a boy, Talon of the Silver Hawk must carry on until, someday, he can take vengeance. Leaving the icy fastness of his ancient home, Talon descends into the dangerous land of his adversary. Treading a perilous path, he must survive battlefields, court intrigues, treacherous enemies, backstabbing friends, and beautiful yet deadly women.
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Can't finish
- By Adam McPhie on 04-09-20
By: Raymond E. Feist
What listeners say about The Veiled Throne
Highly rated for:
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- Eric Grant
- 02-01-24
Fantastic storytelling
Overall great, but takes a good chunk of time to indulge itself and enjoy the world; which all great fantasy sagas inevitably do. Looking forward to Speaking Bones
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- Kindle Customer
- 06-14-24
Odd cooking competition
The usual great story and characters take center stage and we prepare for a huge climax in the world. Then an odd cooking competition takes place. Still great, but they kinda lost me there.
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- kody
- 09-22-24
still loving it. new characters get a spotlight.
I just love watching the story unravel, at times I wanted certain stories to be focused on but eventually I came around to just loving every second of it.
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- Faisal Sultan
- 04-13-25
1 Star deducted due to lack of editor!
Another 5-star book but Im deducting a star because of the weird detour in the third act of the book for a really boring cooking competition. i mean, what? By the end of the book you find out why that plot device was used but it could’ve been done in a more concise way. Otherwise another great book in the series.
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- John Hernandez
- 01-04-22
Epic in scope
Ken Liu is one of the best modern fiction writers. He builds a world and continues to expand on it in great detail. I love the character development and the prose he writes.
Michael Kramer breathes life into this beautiful narrative of a war between two people.
I cannot wait for the finale of the series.
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- C. Mabry
- 06-25-24
A Rollercoaster of Emotions
having read the first two books, I can certainly say that I'm enthralled into this world at this point. while I like the way that the story is constantly evolving, I think that at times there's a omission of some of the things that originally made the story great. The idea of silk punk is unique to this story. I love seeing that included and I love seeing it rationalized throughout the story. while I think overall the story is still really solid and still very, very good. there are some chapters that dragged on a little bit too long for me. And, some characters that were given a little too much emphasis. where is the first few books moved around between the main character and secondary characters these ones seem to be more stagnant and the stories weren't as gripping or as enthralling as some of the previous ones. nonetheless really great story and excellent read very much looking forward to the last book.
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- Brian Howard
- 12-12-21
Better Than Previous Installment
This was quite a pleasant surprise for me, having listened to the first two so long ago, and, for some reason, highly suspicious of the notion this could be, in any sense, well... Good!
It was... It truly was. Do yourself a favor and add this to your library
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- Micah Huang
- 08-23-22
A Spectacular, Soaring Fantasy Epic
It’s hard to sum up anything about the Dandelion Dynasty. The scale, the vividness of setting, the deft and playful way in which Ken Liu interweaves the narrative with threads of culture, science and history and, most of all, the unabashed humanity of the story; these are things that can only be truly apprehended through direct experience. During my listening journey, I have been reminded of many other wonderful tales- from favorite translations of Homer, reconstructions of Beowulf and Gilgamesh and ever-changing oral “lung songs” of diasporic Chinese mythology, to the beloved fruits of 20th century anglophone fantasy. The pluralism and flair of LeGuin. The speculative “mind-pleasure” of Herbert or Asimov. The erudite charisma of Tolkien, the empathic whimsy of JK Rowling, the intensity of George RR Martin and the stylish patter of Susannah Clarke. These are, so to speak, adjacent nodes and connecting threads in the literary web of which the Dandelion Dynasty is part, but there is a flair, a boldness- a singular quality of “capacious mind”- which is unique to this story. Like the Ano Classics, or the Dance Songs of a Lyucu Shaman, this story is a living thing that intertwines with the life and perspective of the reader, raising questions and inviting growth on every page, at every twist of the exquisitely turned plot. From beginning to end, via hero’s journey, revealed wisdom and yes, even bilingual pun, this tale soars to new heights of form, function and vision like a silken airship, a stringless kite- or a dandelion seed, tossed on the wind.
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- Susan
- 02-12-24
Fun, but lots of filler
Overall, quite enjoyable. The narrator is great. only complaint is that the second half was full of unnecessary filler/fluff.
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- Jefferson
- 09-26-23
Cooking, Conversations, & Cross-Cultural Exchange
The Veiled Throne: The Dandelion Dynasty Book 3 (2021) is a nearly 1000-page epic fantasy novel whose long set piece climax is a three-part cooking contest between rival restaurants that even the gods of Dara show up to watch. Although the novel does also feature infiltrations, massacres, and escapes, as well as a large-scale naval battle involving a gargantuan city ship, a submersible ship, a large-screen shadow-puppet show, explosives, hand-to-hand combat, cow-dragons, and whales, author Ken Liu seems most interested in cooking and conversations—about politics, love, philosophy, strategy, engineering, storytelling, truth, taste, drama, disguise, parents and children, teachers and students, literacy vs. orality, genius vs. nature, character-based writing vs. alphabet writing, accommodation vs. war, and more.
The Dandelion Dynasty is closer to traditional sf than to traditional epic fantasy, in that the books are novels of ideas based on the concept that the universe is knowable, with biological/scientific explanations for the seemingly fantastic creatures (like the flight and fiery breath of the cow-dragon garanafin) and convincing cultures (art, religion, war, language, cuisine, ethics, funeral customs, gender roles, families, and foundation myths) extrapolated from different environments and histories. No magic. Although gods do play a role, at times trying to influence events, they generally fail to prevent the mortals from doing what they want to do and mostly serve as a chorus for the action. It has been called a silkpunk epic, with technology, devices, and inventions based on scientific principles, e.g., silkmotic (static electricity) lamps and lances, airships, submersible ships, programmable mechanical carts, a roller coaster, etc.
The main plot starts eight years after the events of the second book, The Wall of Storms (2016). Two years remain in the uneasy ten-year truce between the “barbaric” Lyucu invaders of two Daran islands (Unredeemed Dara) and the rest of the “civilized” Daran islands (Free Dara), with Daran Empress Jia still wielding power as Regent for still “unready” to rule twenty-year-old Phyro, while mollifying the Lyucu occupiers by giving them tribute and ignoring their atrocities and attempts to use pirates to kidnap scholars and craftsmen from Free Dara. As usual, Jia is working on a secret scheme “to uproot the weeds of war and cultivate the plants of peace” despite knowing it will alienate her from her people and family. (To—unfairly—generate suspense, Liu narrates much of the novel from Jia’s point of view so that whenever we’re in her head she avoids thinking about the details of her it’s-fine-to-fight-evil-with-evil plan, apart from a highly addictive drug she’s developing.)
The conquering Lyucu stuck on their two occupied islands are divided between their accommodation faction wanting to treat the local Darans as subjects rather than slaves and wanting to learn Daran writing and technology and to incorporate the Darans into their government and army and the hardline faction wanting to destroy the language, religion, bodies, and souls of the Darans to turn them into obedient slaves and their towns into pastures. The Lyucu ruler Tanvanaki is trying to strengthen the accommodators with the help of her righthand thane Goztan (whose son Kinri is secretly learning Daran history and language and culture from a Daran scholar), but the hardcore haters are persistent and potent.
At the end of the second novel, Thera abdicated as Empress of Dara to sail on a desperate mission with about 1000 Daran soldiers and scholars and her husband to be, Takval, scion of the Agon (ancient enemies of the Lyucu) to the scrublands on the far side of the world across the Wall of Storms to make an alliance between Dara and the Agon which will (she hopes) end in the Agon conquering the Lyucu so they’ll be unable to send another invasion fleet with which to complete their conquest of Dara. In this third book Thera is discovering the unexpected costs of merging her Darans with the native Agon.
Whew.
Liu develops all those situations and sub-plots through a rotating array of compelling characters from various classes and cultures. Most of his villains have appealing qualities, as his heroes have disappointing flaws. One of my favorites is Rati Yera, an elderly, illiterate, wheelchair-bound, graverobber-inventor and the leader of the do-gooding Blossom Gang of street performers, but I also like the earnest Kinri, drawn to Daran culture despite being the son of an important Lyucu thane, and the naïve Princess Fara, aka Dandelion, who likes art and stories, unlike her martial, older brother Phyro who’s all, “Free occupied Dara from the yoke of barbarian oppression NOW!”
It’s very much a novel of cross-cultural conflict and influence. Many Lyucu see Daran writing (“word scars”) as an evil force stifling the natural breath of the spoken voice, farming as soul-destroying, and Darans as cowardly, sneaky, scheming villains, while many Darans view the Lyucu as illiterate, savage, sadistic, treacherous monsters. As characters say, “In war you tend to become like the enemy.” Indeed, the Darans are working on raising Lyucu garanafin, while the Lyucu are working on adopting Daran military technology. Is it possible to merge with the other by sharing non-martial things like language and cuisine? Where should one’s loyalty lie when one has a parent from each culture? Will it all end up in an Adrian Tchaikovsky-like salvation via enriching cultural interchange or in a mutually destructive apocalypse? We’ll have to read the fourth novel to find out.
Liu too often indulges in easy plot contrivance, moments where careful characters get sloppy with disguises, or shrewd characters get gullible with untrustworthy villains, etc. But there are also many more impressive scenes (like the cooking contest) and many cool lines like these:
“To hold competing ideals might save your life.”
“Why should we listen to the gods or to dead scholars? What do they know of being alive?”
“History is always a story told through the present.”
“Young people who haven’t experienced suffering easily romanticize the past.”
“One of the best things about teaching is learning something new from one's student.
Audiobook reader Michael Kramer does a professional job of enhancing the story.
By the end of this book, Liu has set up situations with different sets of characters in different places, all of which ought to come together in a massive climax in the last novel, so I’m looking forward to the (41 hour, eek!) conclusion to the series, Speaking Bones (2022).
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