The Ninth Rain cover art

The Ninth Rain

The Winnowing Flame Trilogy, Book 1

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About this listen

The first in a blistering new trilogy from Jen Williams, acclaimed author of British Fantasy Award-nominated Copper Cat trilogy. Epic fantasy for fans of Robin Hobb and Jay Kristoff's Nevernight.

Jen Williams, acclaimed author of The Copper Cat trilogy, featuring The Copper Promise, The Iron Ghost and The Silver Tide, returns with the first in a blistering new trilogy.

The great city of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now its streets are stalked by wolves. Tormalin the Oathless has no taste for sitting around waiting to die while the realm of his storied ancestors falls to pieces - talk about a guilt trip. Better to be amongst the living, where there are taverns full of women and wine.

When eccentric explorer Lady Vincenza 'Vintage' de Grazon offers him employment, he sees an easy way out. Even when they are joined by a fugitive witch with a tendency to set things on fire, the prospect of facing down monsters and retrieving ancient artefacts is preferable to the abomination he left behind. But not everyone is willing to let the Eboran empire collapse, and the adventurers are quickly drawn into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war. For the Jure'lia are coming, and the Ninth Rain must fall....

©2017 Jennifer Williams (P)2017 Headline Digital Classics Fantasy Fiction Magic Cats

Critic reviews

"An original new voice in heroic fantasy." (Adrian Tchaikovsky)
"Fantasy adventure at its very best." ( Starburst)
"Williams excels at eldritch world-building." ( Guardian)
All stars
Most relevant
it has been very hard for me to get into new authors, so entrenched I have been in my love of Tolkien, Robert Jordan, Terry Pratchett, James Barclay and David Gemmell.

I have now added Jen Williams to that list. I loved every moment of this story, and eagerly await my next credit so I can get my hands on the second book.

immediately fascinating characters, a believable and well envisioned fantasy world, and a story that made me want to just keep listening added up to make this one of the best things I've listened to in a long time.

I have to give a mention to the excellent narrator also. who brought the characters truly to life.

Stunning and inventive

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Slow to start, as with a few other reviews I nearly gave up initially, I am glad I did not. It is not my favourite book or even the best one I have read recently, however it is a very entertaining one, this is why I read fantasy.

Slow to start, but!

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New to Jen Williams and delighted to discover the fruit of her rich and blood curdling imagination

Rollicking and uncompromising fantasy

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I nearly returned it because i was finding the narrator so annoying. While his character voices are excellent, he reads the story as if it’s dreamy poetry and it’s beyond irritating. However, I followed the reviews, one reviewer said to stick with it because it gets really good, and it does.
Loved the story, loved the characters, and it became a ‘page turner’ to the point where i can overlook the horrible narration style. On the positive side, he doesn’t keep reading basic words incorrectly. Onto the next book now.

Loved it, eventually

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I almost stopped listening after the first few chapters as I thought it just wasn't for me. I'm so glad I continued anyway and ended up really enjoying it. An original story and well narrated. On to book 2 :-)

Glad I persevered!

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