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Emperor of Thorns

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Emperor of Thorns

By: Mark Lawrence
Narrated by: Joe Jameson
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About this listen

Lawrence brings the Broken Empire series to its devastating conclusion

The path to the throne is broken – only the broken can walk it

The world is cracked and time has run through, leaving us clutching at the end days. These are the days that have waited for us all our lives. These are my days. I will stand before the Hundred and they will listen. I will take the throne no matter who stands against me, living or dead, and if I must be the last emperor then I will make of it such an ending.

This is where the wise man turns away. This is where the holy kneel and call on God. These are the last miles, my brothers. Don't look to me to save you. Run if you have the wit. Pray if you have the soul. Stand your ground if courage is yours. But don't follow me.

Follow me, and I will break your heart.

 Dark Fantasy Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Humorous Military Classics Scary Heartfelt

Continue the series
The Secret cover art
The Secret By: Mark Lawrence

Critic reviews

Praise for Prince of Thorns:

‘Dark and relentless, Prince of Thorns will pull you under and drown you in story. A two-in-the-morning page turner. Absolutely stunning… jaw-dropping’
ROBIN HOBB

‘Excellent – on a par with George R.R. Martin’
CONN IGGULDEN

‘[A] morbidly gripping, gritty fantasy tale.’
Publishers Weekly

‘Lawrence’s poetic prose is amazing, far and away the best of the modern fantasy authors’
PETER V. BRETT
All stars
Most relevant
This has been a mindblowing series. A phenomenal story about an anti-hero that you can't help but love. Jorg is the most interesting character in Fantasy in years. His flaws are so deep they're best described as a chasm. He meets aggression with violence, challenge with inspired violence and hardship with inventive violence. For all that, he's a layered character (probably more onion than parfait) who sublimates any 'good' traits to fuel revenge and ambition. The paradox, though, is that he is intrinsically a good man (or boy). As the story unfolds, though, he's vindicated.

The story itself is fresh and unique - there's nothing quite like it out there. There are so many twists and turns to the plot that it's difficult to describe. The pace never flags, though, and the quality of the writing remains excellent throughout. There was not one point through all 3 books where I re-wrote the text in my mind. Mark Lawrence is a phenomenal writer who has created a new, post apocalyptic world full of magics, mayhem and madmen.

Breathtaking ending

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This book and trilogy are a rare thing, a succinct trilogy in the fantasy genre. Done & dusted with no extra faff and satisfactorily concluded. I cannot stress enough how difficult this can be to find. This book and world can easily have been stretched, extra characters brought in there world fleshed out until it takes 10 books to find out what was meant to happen. This author never made that mistake. Masterfully told like the previous books and without any wasted words. There are now other books for the world and I can't speak to them but I am interested enough to have a glance but it is in no way required. That my friends is how you write a fantasy series.
The narration is perfect.
But if you're reading this review you're already two books in so let me just assure you that this book is worth it.

The best is yet to come

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I listioned to all 3 books in this series, I did struggle with the 3rd book a bit but what made this a great listion was the amazing way it was told, one of the best narrators I have heard, though I do love Stephen Brands voice more all in all a good set

Fantastic Narrator

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Up there with some of the greatest fantasy books I have ever read. in short a classic.

Fantastic

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Sublime. Bittersweet. Powerful. These and many fit the end of one of the best Dark Novels I have ever had the pleasure.

What A Series

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