Ancient Things: A High Fantasy Adventure cover art

Ancient Things: A High Fantasy Adventure

The Land of Broken Roads, Book 1

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About this listen

In a world of wonder, mystery, and lurking threats, a young boy and a giant wolf must rely on each other to escape the things that hunt them both.

The age of mankind is over, its empire reduced to a land of rubble and broken roads. Vicious things nest in the old, forgotten ruins, and what's left of humanity huddles in tiny communities that grow smaller every generation. But when a young boy is taken in by an unlikely ally, a glimmer of hope is born.

After waking up in a mysterious forest with no weapons, supplies, or even memories of his life before, Dirt should have ended up a barely adequate snack. Luckily, he attracts the attention of a gigantic, curious wolf pup, who rescues him, and they quickly become friends.

The world is beautiful and wondrous, perfect for a pair of adventurous youngsters, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Dirt is small and frail, and the mighty Socks has problems of his own. His Mother, an immense being of unfathomable power, sets a high bar for her offspring. If Socks can't meet the challenge, he'll die. Mother's not too fond of the clingy little human he insists on keeping either.

If the two of them are to survive long enough to grow up, they'll need all of Dirt's sincerity, discipline, and cunning as well as Socks's valor and tremendous strength. And they'll also need to beware: not everything that was lost should be rediscovered, and not everything that sleeps should be disturbed.

The first volume of the hit fantasy adventure series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!

©2025 Ryan English (P)2025 Podium Audio
Action & Adventure Epic Fantasy Wolf
All stars
Most relevant
Not what I expected in the best kind of way. great story great narration 100% recommend

Refreshing

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I would really recommend any fan of fantasy to give this book a go.

I can honestly say that I really enjoyed listening to this book. The author does an impressive job at showing both the effortless wonder and unintentional terror that nature has to offer, all shown from the perspective of a child, Dirt, who has lost almost all of his memory. Fortunately for Dirt, he meets a wolf called Socks and the two become fast friends as the explore and learn together.

A great story with superb narration!

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Wonderful, grown-up fantasy story where you get to explore and immerse yourself in a unique world. It’s a fresh breath of air between most fantasy books full of gore, complicated feelings, ill intent and unnecessary commentary on everyone’s attractiveness, as it follows the adventures of two best friends who happen to be a young boy and a giant wolf pup.
The only minus as the series progress is Dirt’s thickness in not learning much from his earlier missteps when interacting with other humans, often redoing the same mistakes without taking any cues, which gets a bit annoying, but overall a fun and engaging story I’d strongly recommend!

Refreshing adventure

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This book really pulled me in.
It’s raw, emotional, and full of depth—the kind of story that sticks with you.
The characters feel so real, shaped by pain, hope, and everything in between.
There’s a quiet power in the way it explores survival, identity, and what it means to keep going when everything falls apart.
By the end, I wasn’t ready to let go. I’ll definitely be picking up Book 2

Development

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A wonderful novel, full of important truths. Hugely engaging characters, well written and performed. I look forward to the next instalment.

Enthralling

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