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  • The Shadow of What Was Lost

  • The Licanius Trilogy, Book 1
  • By: James Islington
  • Narrated by: Michael Kramer
  • Length: 25 hrs and 28 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (2,608 ratings)

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The Shadow of What Was Lost cover art

The Shadow of What Was Lost

By: James Islington
Narrated by: Michael Kramer
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Summary

It has been 20 years since the end of the war. The dictatorial Augurs - once thought of almost as gods - were overthrown and wiped out during the conflict, their much-feared powers mysteriously failing them. Those who had ruled under them, men and women with a lesser ability known as the Gift, avoided the Augurs' fate only by submitting themselves to the rebellion's Four Tenets.

A representation of these laws is now written into the flesh of any who use the Gift, forcing those so marked into absolute obedience. As a student of the Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war fought - and lost - before he was born. Despised by most beyond the school walls, he and those around him are all but prisoners as they attempt to learn control of the Gift. Worse, as Davian struggles with his lessons, he knows that there is further to fall if he cannot pass his final tests. But when Davian discovers he has the ability to wield the forbidden power of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything.

To the north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir. And to the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian’s wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is...

©2014 James Islington (P)2015 Podium Publishing

Critic reviews

"Robert Jordan fans should check this out!" (Pop Bop, Top 500 Amazon Reviewer)

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What listeners say about The Shadow of What Was Lost

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  • 03-07-18

Really enjoyed this!

Loads of fun, listened to it whenever an opportunity arouse. Loads of scope for a follow up

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1 person found this helpful

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Excellent

Absolutely loved it. Seriously good storyline. Intriguing and thoughtful, well written and well delivered.

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excellent

Gripping book with twists and turns at every corner. Great narrator too, looking forward to the next one I've already bought.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Hard to get into, then hard to get out of!

Epic story, with so many twists and turns..great on the one hand but also somewhat confusing and convoluted. I did like it, will listen to the others in this series though not with the rapt attention I had with other authors of this genre. What can I say, I'm a Brandon Sanderson fan!?

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  • 08-11-19

Brilliant book

I was looking for something new and i came across this ...straight away i was dragged into the story, currently finishing the second book and looking forward to the last book coming out this month. it packed with action and everything you want in a fantasy novel. i highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a good fantasy novel. I came to this book because of Michael Kramer - i simply love him reading books to me, the way he does female voices are not the best but can't fault his performance and i do look out for other books he has read.

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Good read from start to finish

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it kept me entertained and keen continue. A very good read (or listen).

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A masterwork of storytelling

Starting off as a standard teen storyline, I went into this with low expectations. Boy was I wrong, with twists and plots within plots this book is a worthy successor to The Wheel of Time and a book as good for adults as for young adults

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    4 out of 5 stars

Cool story bro, for real

At first I have to admit that I wasn't a fan. This was very similar to some books I had read before, yet some parts were annoyingly predictable, but after the half way mark I noticed that I no longer could predict a thing and needed to find out more. Enjoed the book and Michael Kramer is the best.

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    5 out of 5 stars

A Great Masterpiece by a Great Mastermind no doubt

After a few chapters, I was worried that the book lacked both sufficient characters and a good story- but then, I began to get drawn in... This is a VERY complex well thought out tale, that captures aspects of great mystery, deception, political strategy, very subtle hints of romance... It is a story of hope, of the loyalty of young friends who are robbed of their innocence and plunged into a world where they are forced to positions of responsibility and power but surrounded by treachery and lies, forcing them to grapple with and pursue, and even change, their own identities and re-determine their true purpose and path..

You will agree that this book is like a whirlpool, you're sucked in at a bearable pace, then feel the pull strengthen and accelerate causing you to tense up and at times struggle to keep up... With every chapter, the story is twisted into greater complexity and intensity, and though you will be left with no doubt that the story has really only just begun when you reach the end of the book, you will be thoroughly satisfied at finally putting it done and having some time to assimilate the story so far before eagerly searching out details of the release of the next instalment/Book in the series.

This is definitely a 5 star read in every respect!! The narrator as usual, is credited with a fantastic performance only perfecting what is already a perfectly great story/book!!

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Interesting First Book

The writing style takes a bit away from emersion but can't wait to start book 2

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1 person found this helpful