
The Empire's Ruin
Ashes of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Moira Quirk
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Joe Jameson
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Oliver Cudbill
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Written by:
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Brian Staveley
About this listen
Brian Staveley, author of The Emperor's Blades, gives listeners the first book in a new epic fantasy trilogy based in the world of his popular series the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, The Empire's Ruin.
Best of Summer 2021 - Polygon
The Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The advantages it used for millennia have fallen to ruin. The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, granting instantaneous travel across the vast lands of the empire, can no longer be used.
In order to save the empire, one of the surviving Kettral must voyage beyond the edge of the known world through a land that warps and poisons all living things to find the nesting ground of the giant war hawks. Meanwhile, a monk turned con-artist may hold the secret to the kenta gates.
But time is running out. Deep within the southern reaches of the empire and ancient god-like race has begun to stir.
What they discover will change them and the Annurian Empire forever. If they can survive.
©2021 by Brian Staveley. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.You may also enjoy...
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What the critics say
“Brian Staveley’s books are epic in every sense of the word. His characters are complex, his history deep, his plots rife with action and intrigue. He’s a giant in the genre, no doubt.” (Nicolas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld)
“If you loved Brian Staveley's Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, then hang onto your war hawk, 'cause his new book, The Empire’s Ruin, returns to the world of the crumbling Annurian Empire in a spectacular way. Fans of Staveley's work, and those who enjoy epic fantasy outside the conventional mold, are going to unearth treasure.” (R.S. Belcher)
What listeners say about The Empire's Ruin
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 2024-01-11
keeps me coming back
this entire series has been a delight of a discovery. both the author and the voice actors have illustrated a world I'm sorry to leave behind. can't wait for more!
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- Chris
- 2023-02-15
Amazing!
Gwenna’s story in particular is incredibly engaging, and the plot threads set up in this book will have you wondering exactly how everything will play out.
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- Run small, uncomfortable, poorly made
- 2023-04-06
New favorite wither
I really enjoyed chronicles of the unhewn thrown. But I LOVED this book. I can’t wait for the sequel!
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- The Tugboat
- 2024-05-20
Slow Burn
This title started slow and was difficult to get into initially. A lot is dumped on the reader with few strands of understanding from the previous narrative but eventually becomes something that you simply can’t put down. Excellent story that keeps you guessing most of the way, very entertaining.
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- SL
- 2022-09-27
Grew into a great story...
I wasn't wowed by the beginning but it turned out to be a great story. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 2024-12-10
great start, but the end gets a little dry.
two of the three stories are really good and the other is alright. looking forward to the next one if it is ever written.
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- JIE GAO
- 2023-01-16
great story, BUT WHAT'S NEXT?
Initially was not sure about the new narrators, as I'd grown fond of the previous one, but quickly discovered that each narrator had been chosen to represent / follow particular characters (each chapter features one of 3 separate, yet interwoven storylines). By the end I was eagerly anticipating each chapter. I felt the ending a bit abrupt, but I'm sure there will be another book forthcoming.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sunshine
- 2023-05-10
Brilliant!
Well developed, flawed, fascinating characters will keep you captivated. The parallel story lines are interwoven expertly.
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- RA
- 2022-12-11
Ending leaves a lot to be desired.
Some of the narration was annoying (voice/tone). Will watch for the next book but the multiple story lines just stopped at the end, almost like the book was half finished and just stopped.
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- Aleef
- 2023-05-16
Very nice
To me this was the best book in the series (yes, I know it's technically the first book in a new series for some reason but you know what I mean). The author takes his time to develop the characters and the story which is something I really appreciate in a book. I just felt like the previous books were missing something I couldn't quite identify. This one however was perfect and I enjoyed every single word. The kid added just a little bit of something special that I imagine the adult audience (parents) would appreciate more than the younger readers reading/listening to this book. I feel like an extra chapter to wrap up the implied conclusions of the 3 separate story lines would have been a bit better. Anyway, I would definitely buy the next book. I really enjoyed this one and I'm happy I stuck with this series through the more challenging parts.
The performance was almost great. Other than the occasional mispronounced word I thought that both narrators did an amazing job of reflecting the different character personalities in their voices. However, one thing that bothers me a lot is over emphasizing every word that is not a dialogue. Everything between dialogues is described at a very slow, overly tired pace that is not appropriate for every situation. I understand it while they describe a jungle of horrors but it makes no sense when the situation is not tense. I saw someone complaining in another review about not having Simon Vance read it but to me he is one of the narrators that annoys me the most on this particular point.
Overall an excellent book. I'm very picky. I rarely say that. Great job.
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