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The Coward
- Quest for Heroes, Book 1
- Narrated by: Matt Wycliffe
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
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The Coward
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Summary
Kell Kressia is a legend, a celebrity, a hero. Aged just 17, he set out on an epic quest with a band of wizened fighters to slay the Ice Lich and save the world, but only he returned victorious. The Lich was dead, the ice receded, and the Five Kingdoms were safe.
Ten years have passed; Kell lives a quiet farmer's life, while stories about his heroism are told in every tavern across the length and breadth of the land. But now a new terror has arisen in the north. Beyond the frozen circle, north of the Frostrunner clans, something has taken up residence in the Lich's abandoned castle. And the ice is beginning to creep south once more.
For the second time, Kell is called upon to take up his famous sword, Slayer, and battle the forces of darkness. But he has a terrible secret that nobody knows. He s not a hero - he was just lucky. Everyone puts their faith in Kell the Legend, but he's a coward who has no intention of risking his life for anyone....
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What listeners say about The Coward
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 14-09-21
A quintessential quest story
A reluctant hero, a dough eyed shitling of a youth, a campy yet mysterious bard, a shorter and less bulky Marvel Hercules (he's got a scimitar so it's still cool!), A brawny bear of a woman that can prolly suplex boulders and a off-putting yet reliable humanoid with a cool ass mace-axe. This colorful cast goes on a quest! And in this story, the author Stephen Aryan and narrator Matt Wycliffe give a clear picture of the places, it's inns, taverns, food, people, cultures and etc. All done to fine detail, there is the topics of faith, politics and legends done as a secondary piece that add to the story's already smooth world building and narrative, adding character and fleshing out a much grander intrigue that may culminate to something spectacular.
An adventure was felt and achieved in The Coward, can't wait for its sequel!!
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Richard McFerran
- 13-07-21
Different
Wow!! Listening to this book was a pleasant surprise.
Yes, it certainly takes a different approach to the role of a hero, however listening to this book is not a gamble, it is a must.
Assuming you like the genre of fantasy...
... I have listened to a few of Stephen Aryan books, I found this author because I really like the narrator Matt Addis, when I saw this book had a different narrator, Matt Wycliffe, I nearly chose not to listen to it.
I am disappointed thst Matt Wycliffe has only narrated this one book available on Audible. I would be stunned if we do not hear more from Matt Wycliffe. His delivery of this book was excellent. In hindsight I am glad, as he gave this book its own unique feel.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- sonvagun
- 02-07-21
good story, bad production
I enjoyed this tale, but the production let it down. narrator repeats himself and it hasn't been edited out
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- paul sparks
- 28-06-21
Outstanding book
The title is misleading but in a good way, there are layers upon layers in this book revealing the strengths and weaknesses of its characters, even the antagonists in this book are neither truly good or bad, the narrator took some getting used to but he settled in well and did an outstanding job, I can’t wait for the second part of this series
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- alexus_maximum
- 10-10-23
Mediocre and shallow
A mediocre fantasy adventure, shallow characters and an uninteresting plot. The language lacks variety and the metaphors, where used, are straightforward and uncomplicated.
The narrator does a reasonable enough job, but editing is poor as I count at least 5 instances where a phrase is repeated and not cut; they couldn't even be bothered to listen back to it.
Still, I finished it, so it can't be that terrible...If you're a fan of deeper, grim fantasy by the likes of Erikson, Abercrombie etc steer clear.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Collecta Girl
- 16-07-23
My Review
just finished the book.
the narraters performance is mind blowing T-T
the more you read the better it gets
I have to say the writer is good at creating many interesting characters and the general story feels like going through an RPG game especially the fight scenes!!!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- The Curator
- 07-01-23
Could go either way
I enjoyed this fairly well told version of the old trope of rag-tag group achieving feats of bravery against a backdrop of religious hypocrisy but the dedication to members of the military at the start had me worried it would trot into Christo-fascism! Maybe that’ll be book 2.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Isabella Necessary
- 28-11-22
Great story, plenty of character, nice narrating
I enjoyed this plot with everything pieced together beautifully at the end and lots of trials and tribulations for the lead character. Though personally I felt there was one hurdle too many thrown in the journey and I just wanted to know how they got to the end as it was clear the hero would make it, they were all neatly described and had enough happening to keep me reading on.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Eden
- 30-07-22
Thoroughly enjoyed! Binge listened
Can't wait for the next one now.
One little issue is that there are a few editing mistakes where some bits are repeated.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mark Chitty
- 19-07-21
An engaging Quest story with depth
Stephen Aryan manages to deliver a fantastic story here. The well-used trope of the hero's quest is done well and there are plenty of little aspects that add more depth, which I fully expected given the quality of his previous novels. The characters were great, with Kell an intriguing protagonist with a past I wanted to find out more about - it kept me listening and pushed me to find extra time to spend with him and the crew. The ending was nice and leads very well into a sequel that promises to be a different kind of story, and one I'm looking forward to. Narratyion was also excellent, bringing the world and characters to life - very enjoyable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- FanFiAddict
- 01-06-21
The Coward is a Gratifying Romp
Rating: 8.75/10
The Coward is a gratifying romp from beginning to end. Equal parts character study, comedy, and adventure story, it has the makings of a perfect summer fantasy read. It is a little bit Kings of the Wyld, a smidge Fate of the Fallen, and a helluva ton of fun. It was a book I could not put down and now I eagerly await the sequel.
This is my first novel by Aryan (and no, this is NOT A DEBUT). I have his past two (2) series, The Age of Darkness and Age of Dread, both of which came out from Orbit Books and have now climbed Mt. TBR to get their just due. If either are as engaging as Kell Kressia’s ARC, I feel like I will be in good hands.
Let’s start with the story: Kressia isn’t a hero. Far from it. He was just lucky, which to be honest, is my favorite type of hero to read about. I don’t know about you, but reading about a hero that is near invincible or has this amazing unknown power can start to become stale. Something about a character who shouldn’t have been there in the first place ultimately becoming the “hero” and reaping praise just sound entertaining, especially when their secret is found out.
As Kressia begins his “crusade”, he gathers a ragtag bunch of, we will call them “mercs”, to help aid him in his fight against whatever evil resides in the north. This grouping, though decidedly pro-killing whatever needs killing to bring back the sun shiny goodness of Spring, isn’t what you would call “savior-y”, but is at least made up of a couple of sword-swinging folks who can hack off some heads. There is plenty of banter betwixt them all, also some punches and accusations thrown, but when danger strikes, they are always there to lend a hand, a foot, or a stab.
The world-building, while fairly decent in size, isn’t fleshed out on a large-scale, but it is enough to sink your teeth into. You feel the warmth of a tavern fire, the brisk chill of the icy wind, and the harsh tundra the gang has to cross to get to the castle. I did enjoy that Aryan didn’t allow the group to just traipse easily from one place to another. There was always an obstacle (or obstacles) at every turn, each requiring a different sort of skill, always keeping them on their toes.
All in all, this was a very entertaining read (or shall I say listen). I absolutely loved the audiobook with narration by Matt Wycliff and I hope to hear more from him in the future. If you want a light fantasy read filled with humor, adventure, and a solid character study, The Coward is the one for you.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Michael
- 19-07-21
Great Start to a new Series
Coward, the first book in a new series by Stephen Aryan gives a novel start to the "Heroic Quest" type story by beginning after the "Great Hero's Quest" has already taken place. Kel, having already lived through one quest to stop a great evil and still suffering the scars, both seen and unseen, from that journey is then forced to set out on a new journey to the North confronting old and new dangers with a new group of Heroes.
The story itself is entertaining if a bit familiar. Some of the challenges and enemies will remind you of different stories but that can happen with how many fantasy stories are in the world. I enjoyed the twist of a reluctant hero who had already done his part and was hesitant to return to a quest that killed 11 others and almost killed him the first time. The characters were mostly well written, and the journey itself was exciting with known and unknown dangers popping up throughout. Some twists were obvious, others less so, and aside from some production issues where the narrator said the same sentence twice in a row, I thoroughly enjoyed it. I am looking forward to the next book in the series and the continuation of Kel's journey.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 24-09-23
Great Story
1st ever story by author Stephen Aryan I have read. The concept of The Coward intrigued my curiosity enough to dive in. Well written, pacing, and character developing. Kell was not your usual protagonist, which helped to elevate the story. Matt Wycliffe was fantastic with the narration. DRmz 9-24-23
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-07-23
A Truly Incredible Story
I was excited to read this book but had no idea the journey it was about to take me on. From the in depth world building, to incredible and deep character building, to wonderful storytelling, this book was amazing from start to finish. I cannot wait to ready the second book in this series!! (And please Stephen….make more in this series)
If you’re a fan of medieval-esk fighting fantasy mixed with sorcery then this book is for you!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Serenity
- 20-06-23
Very Enjoyable
I thought the twist on the usual hero trope was well done. I will pick up the next book immediately.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Phillip M Guzman
- 17-03-23
Wonderful story!
Unconventional start and twists that were pleasantly unexpected. Wonderfully written and produced! I cannot wait for the rest of the series.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 11-03-23
Great
Please note: by submitting your review to confirm you have read and agree to audible’s
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jon Jacobson
- 19-12-22
Relatable Characters and a good story
The protagonist was relatable and the narration and story were compelling. Three more words
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Girlymctx
- 19-12-22
Thoroughly Enjoyed It!
The beginning took a bit to get rolling but I can say once this book took off, I didn't want it to end. I enjoyed the MC & the way the author gave him purity in integrity & knowledge. It allowed the previous story, which we only learned thru the MC, as he worked everything out in his head. He was no longer an eager young man wanting to be in the center of a great adventure. The MC learned, as in all adventures, the Hero's are actually jackasses & he actually was able to outlive the 11 other "Heroic Friends" while fighting off a very, very evil "Leach". Not "Liche", not a liche...
*It left me smiling at the end*
More to come I'm told too.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 13-12-22
Absolutely incredible
one of the absolute best fantasy novels I have ever listened to, I am in love with everything about it and now I want to know so much more about the World created behind the novel.
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