A fantastic read for fans of grimdark fantasy

I loved this book start to finish, brilliant and great narration. Can't fault it. The story rolled along at a great place and never left me bored. The plot twists and changes were dramatic enough to keep me listening and wanting more, the characters are well written and very interesting. All in all a great audiobook. Very highly recommended, well done Simon on the narration and well done Brian on a great book. I think I might have to own the books as well as the audiobooks. Superb.

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3 people found this helpful

amazing begining with such a wide potential

If you could sum up The Emperor's Blades in three words, what would they be?

With fantasy you can often get either political intrigue, beasts and sword play or spirituality and magic. The Emperor's blade will give you all three.

What other book might you compare The Emperor's Blades to, and why?

wide ranging epic, if you like GRR Martin or Brandon Sanderson, this will be for you. Big story's, wide ranging that have tangle and twist together.

Which scene did you most enjoy?

not wanting to give it away, when the seemingly good become bad, and the bad protectors.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Even bore it ended I wanted more.

Any additional comments?

Give it a go, it makes itself worth it.

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A great new world of adventure

Everything you ever want from a fantasy tale
First part kept me wanting to listen more and more
Hope the rest is as fantastic as this
Highly recommended :)

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Great narration

Overall I really liked this book. It was a little slow in places but was great.
Also the narrator was amazing!

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Excellent - a good buy after two mistakes

Would you consider the audio edition of The Emperor's Blades to be better than the print version?

I'm afraid I can't comment on a comparison between the audio version and the print version as I don't read much these days - it's so much easier to listen especially while driving or dozing!

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Emperor's Blades?

The death of one of the main characters came as a surprise - unexpected but poignant. I won't say who so as not to spoil your enjoyment and speculation.

What does Simon Vance bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?

Simon Vance reads well - much better than some narrators I've listened to on Audible. He's clearly read the book innumerable times in preparing his performance. His obvious enjoyment of the plot is deftly transmitted to the listener.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The death of a character early in the book was a particularly moving section. The author painted a stark picture of her lonely, sadistic, lingering torture and death.

Any additional comments?

I'm looking forward to my next credit so I can buy the sequel.

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Blades are not necessarily made of steel.

The Emperor gifts his children with differing challenges that none of them are comfortable with.
Kaden the Heir to the throne is sent to a monastery to learn from the monks.
Valyn is in training to become one of the elite strike force of the Kettral and struggles to find his place amongst them as everything he attempts goes wrong.WHY?
Adare their sister the new minister of finance struggles with the politics of government.
What is going on? Once you get introduced to them and the interweaving of events this book comes alive as they are tempered into the Emperor's swords,.

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Solid story with a straight forward plot

I liked the pace of the story and the characters where good and varied. A good solid story but I must say that the plot, however much I actually liked it, weren't the deepest I have come across. But overall a fine tale and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

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Great narration, good storyline

The narration was brilliant. The storyline was not as good as I expected. I'm hoping the storyline improves over the following books and the first book was a scene setter

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Parallel story lines formed a great landscape

Set in an imaginative environment which with no jarring aspects. The environment was developed nicely while leaving a number of aspects incompletely explained.
The parallel stories of the different siblings had interest of their own - though some will appeal more to some than others. This interest was greatly enhanced as the interaction of the stories was developed and allowed you to overlook the less captivating themes. The two brothers adventures were most appealing with their physical challenges and sense of uncertainty but the "deep thinking" of the sister was rather frustrating.
The ending climaxes across the story lines were exciting but marred by the obvious "setting up of the sequel".

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More

You know when you've picked a winner, because you're left always wanting more. I'm relatively a novice to this genre of book, but I found myself captivated, I like his style of writing, reminds me of Dan Brown, keeps you dangling at all times following the characters. I'd highly recommend the Emperor's Blades, very much looking forward to the rest of the series.

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