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Sins of Empire cover art

Sins of Empire

Written by: Brian McClellan
Narrated by: Christian Rodska
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Publisher's Summary

A new epic fantasy series from highly acclaimed fantasy author Brian McClellan, set in the same world as the Powder Mage trilogy.

A world on the cusp of a new age...

The young nation of Fatrasta is a turbulent place - a frontier destination for criminals, fortune hunters, brave settlers, and sorcerers seeking relics of the past. Only the iron will of the lady chancellor and her secret police holds the capital city of Landfall together against the unrest of an oppressed population and the machinations of powerful empires.

Sedition is a dangerous word....

The insurrection that threatens Landfall must be purged with guile and force, a task that falls on the shoulders of a spy named Michel Bravis, convicted war hero Mad Ben Styke, and Lady Vlora Flint, a mercenary general with a past as turbulent as Landfall's present.

The past haunts us all....

As loyalties are tested, revealed, and destroyed, a grim specter as old as time has been unearthed in this wild land, and the people of Landfall will soon discover that rebellion is the least of their worries.

©2017 Brian McClellan (P)2017 Hachette Audio

What the critics say

"Furious, visceral, and relentlessly thrilling action." (Kirkus)

"Fans of McClellan's Powder Mage trilogy will be happy to return to this fascinating fantasy world, where magic and technology come together in the midst of complicated relationships and unsure alliances.... [A] compelling read." (RT Book Reviews)

What listeners say about Sins of Empire

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Great Fantasy!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book and chose to review it. This in no way impacts my opinion.

I really liked this one. A good mix of low fantasy and steampunk to keep me (and my boyfriend) super interested! I loved the characters and how this progressed. But there were some things I wish that had been done differently - and it would have been nice for everyone to interact more.

When this book - and ultimately series - was first pitched to me (back in the day *hides*), I was told that I could jump right into this series without needing to read the first to understand what was going on. While that was true, this book is definitely the start of it's own own series and has a great cast of characters, there were winks and nods to the past that probably would have had more context if I had read that original series first. Which isn't all that disappointing because I am okay with not having that context but I am probably still going to read that first series. So it would have been nice to know how they related back to one another.

But ultimately, that was my biggest complaint. I loved the characters, the action, and the pacing. I liked seeing how it all progressed throughout and thought that there were some really good twists and turns. Both my boyfriend and I thought that there was a big introduction to the stone obelisk at the beginning that didn't really make its way back until too late but I was happy with how it turned out.

I would have liked for the main three storylines to intersect more, especially since they only did through a character that wasn't even a "main" character of this book, but the previous series. That's probably what annoyed me the most out of it. But I loved how the main characters were portrayed and how they ultimately worked together without knowing it. I thought there was the right amount of smarts, perserverence, and tenacity spread across the characters.

And the world was really fun to be in! I loved the lower fantasy elements to it mixed in with some steampunks elements, which made it a really fun read. I always enjoy going into those types of worlds since I don't visit them often. But McClellan does a good job of making it accessible to all audiences - and keeping me and my boyfriend (who have VERY different fantasy tastes) engaged and intrigued the entire time.

This was definitely a fun read and everything I could have asked for in a low fantasy. But the questions becomes: should we finish this trilogy first or go back and read the "prequels" to this so we have more context? Stay tuned to see what we choose to do!

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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matchlocks and magic

very fun listen with good voice acting. never heard a fantasy story.quite like it.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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A great start to the trilogy

I loved the Powder Mage Trilogy, and was unsure whether this would live up to it. But it did! Can’t wait to read the next book.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding

A masterpiece. Both the writing and the performance are first class. An absolute joy.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent Tangle of Webs

Great story that bounces back and forth between 3 very different characters. They interwine with one another often, and the story moves fast.

I at times had difficulty following places and groups of people, but it doesn't hurt the story, nor warrant a rating down.

I especially liked Ben Styke. His character was gritty and raw. The voice for him in particular was great.

The narrator is general was flawless. He has a large amount of voices in his arsenal.

Recommend this book if you're looking to lose yourself in a beautiful world of chaos.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

better than previous trilogy

This book was way way way better than previous books. The characters were more fascinating I found. The only thing missing was a solid ending. which fell flat for me.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Fun story, characters and world

The performer did a great job bringing the characters to life. I will be looking for others in the series if they're as well performed.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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  • Sal
  • 2020-05-11

Great story, compelling characters

worth the listen, I enjoyed it alot powder magic is pretty awesome. alot of awesome characters

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Loving this more than the Powder Mage Trilogy

I enjoyed the Powder Mage Trilogy, but in Sins of Empire, the first in a new series set in the same world we meet familiar loved characters and new interesting ones. I found the writing to be better and the characters to be well fleshed out and having very individual traits and personalities. I've already purchased the second book in the series, Wrath of Empire, and know I will enjoy that too. #Audible1

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

nice way to coninue this world

this was a nice way to continue the powdermage world. bringing back alot of the characters in the powdermage trillogy. Christian rodska does a great job with giveing the characters live through his voices and emotions. #audible1

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