
The Empire's Ruin
Ashes of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1
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Narrated by:
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Moira Quirk
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Joe Jameson
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Oliver Cudbill
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By:
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Brian Staveley
About this listen
Brian Staveley, author of The Emperor's Blades, gives listeners the first book in a new epic fantasy trilogy based in the world of his popular series the Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, The Empire's Ruin.
Best of Summer 2021 - Polygon
The Annurian Empire is disintegrating. The advantages it used for millennia have fallen to ruin. The ranks of the Kettral have been decimated from within, and the kenta gates, granting instantaneous travel across the vast lands of the empire, can no longer be used.
In order to save the empire, one of the surviving Kettral must voyage beyond the edge of the known world through a land that warps and poisons all living things to find the nesting ground of the giant war hawks. Meanwhile, a monk turned con-artist may hold the secret to the kenta gates.
But time is running out. Deep within the southern reaches of the empire and ancient god-like race has begun to stir.
What they discover will change them and the Annurian Empire forever. If they can survive.
©2021 by Brian Staveley. (P)2021 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
“Brian Staveley’s books are epic in every sense of the word. His characters are complex, his history deep, his plots rife with action and intrigue. He’s a giant in the genre, no doubt.” (Nicolas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld)
“If you loved Brian Staveley's Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, then hang onto your war hawk, 'cause his new book, The Empire’s Ruin, returns to the world of the crumbling Annurian Empire in a spectacular way. Fans of Staveley's work, and those who enjoy epic fantasy outside the conventional mold, are going to unearth treasure.” (R.S. Belcher)
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Tedious and lacking heart
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 01-02-21
By: Edward W. Robertson, and others
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The Heresy Within
- First Earth Saga (The Ties That Bind, Book 1)
- By: Rob J. Hayes
- Narrated by: Jaret Ross
- Length: 17 hrs
- Unabridged
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Thanquil Darkheart is a witch hunter for the Inquisition, on a holy crusade to rid the world of heresy. He’s also something else...expendable. When the God Emperor gives Thanquil an impossible task, he knows he has no choice but to venture deep into the Wilds to hunt down a fallen Inquisitor. Even the best swordswoman is one bad day away from a corpse. It’s a lesson Blademaster Jezzet Vel’urn isn’t keen to learn. Chased into the Wilds by a vengeful warlord, Jezzet makes it to the free city of Chade. But instead of sanctuary, all she finds are more enemies from her past.
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New fan of Rob J Hayes
- By Pam W on 04-13-23
By: Rob J. Hayes
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The Squire
- Blood of Kings, Book 1
- By: Duncan M. Hamilton
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Conrad lives a quiet rural life with his parents in the Northlands. During one fated night, his world is turned on its head, as nightmares become reality. While his Northlands blood cries out for revenge, Conrad’s head tells him surviving is the best he can do. Rescued by a motley band of mercenaries, Conrad embarks on a life he could barely have imagined. As new challenges, friends, and enemies present themselves, Conrad knows that one day he will have to face the evil that so altered his life, and when that day comes, he must be ready.
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Similar Feel to Wolf of North + Society of Sword
- By Samuel Hudnet on 05-01-21
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The Complete Rhenwars Saga
- An Epic Fantasy Pentalogy
- By: ML Spencer
- Narrated by: Simon Wright
- Length: 61 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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The Well of Tears was created to harness the power of the Netherworld to prevent a magical apocalypse. Now Darien Lauchlin is the last surviving mage capable of reversing the destruction the Well unleashed. Darien will be forced to sacrifice everything of himself and everyone around him—all to preserve a nation of people who despise him.
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Good but confusing story.
- By Ben P. on 12-05-22
By: ML Spencer
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Awaken
- The Mortal Mage, Book 1
- By: B. T. Narro
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs
- Unabridged
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Desil has spent his life training, but a promise to his mother has kept him from using his abilities for anything worthwhile. Now all he does is help his mother manage her tavern as his father rests in a grave. Desil knows there's at least one other mage somewhere in this territory who can do what he can; they share a connection through their magic, although they've never met. He stays up nights wondering what they might be able to accomplish together.
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My First Return
- By Kyle the Professional Audible User on 01-24-18
By: B. T. Narro
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Fatemarked
- The Fatemarked Epic, Book 1
- By: David Estes
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 19 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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They are the fatemarked. Misunderstood. Worshipped. Hated. Murdered at birth. Their time to step into the light has come. An ancient prophecy foretold their coming, the chosen few who will bring peace to a land embroiled in a century of mistrust and war. When kings start dying, that hope and belief swiftly turns to fear. Roan Loren is one of the fatemarked, but has hidden his mark of power his entire life, fearing the damage it might cause to those around him. A great evil is coming. He can't hide anymore.
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Written to fit an ideology, not the story it tells
- By znidarsic.blaz on 04-30-18
By: David Estes
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The Ember Blade
- The Darkwater Legacy, Book 1
- By: Chris Wooding
- Narrated by: Simon Bubb
- Length: 30 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Aren has lived by the rules all his life. He's never questioned it; that's just the way things are. But then his father is executed for treason, and he and his best friend, Cade, are thrown into a prison mine, doomed to work until they drop. Unless they can somehow break free.... But what lies beyond the prison walls is more terrifying still. Rescued by a man who hates him yet is oath-bound to protect him, pursued by inhuman forces, Aren slowly accepts that everything he knew about his world was a lie.
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I cried at the end of this damn thing.
- By Amazon Customer on 05-09-19
By: Chris Wooding
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Kingfall
- The Kingfall Histories, Book 1
- By: David Estes
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 29 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Infused with magic, shadows and starlight, the powerful godblades were believed to be lost nearly half a millennia ago, when the Godswar ended. Now, however, one has been found by the unlikeliest of wielders: Sampson Gaard, a blind but ambitious prince with something to prove. The only question is whether he controls the blade or the blade him. With an insidious evil lurking in the shadows, the answer may very well determine the fate of all Kingfall.
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Pleasant Surprise
- By christain naidu on 07-29-21
By: David Estes
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The Mercenary Code
- The Shattering of Kingdoms, Book 1
- By: Emmet Moss
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Centuries ago, the murder of a beloved king tore apart the Kingdom of Caledun. The land was plunged into chaos and thousands perished. A new order was established in an attempt to return Caledun to its former glory. It failed, but in its place rose the beginnings of the Code. During this same period, the mystical caretakers of the Great Wood retreated from the world of Kal Maran, their disappearance an ominous harbinger of the suffering that was to follow. The Great Wood now grows out of control. Cities, towns, and villages have fallen before the relentless march of the forest.
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Quite Impressed
- By Maclane on 07-27-20
By: Emmet Moss
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Kings of the Wyld: Booktrack Edition
- By: Nicholas Eames
- Narrated by: Jeff Harding
- Length: 17 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
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A retired group of legendary mercenaries get the band back together for one last impossible mission in this award-winning debut epic fantasy. Kings of the Wyld: Booktrack Edition adds an immersive musical soundtrack to your audiobook listening experience!
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Trying Way Too Hard
- By Acerock on 11-26-20
By: Nicholas Eames
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The Raveling: The Complete Saga
- By: Alec Hutson
- Narrated by: Guy Williams
- Length: 51 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Long ago, the world fell into twilight, when the great empires of old consumed each other in sorcerous cataclysms. In the south, the Star Towers fell, swallowed by the sea, while the black glaciers descended upon the northern holdfasts, entombing the cities of Min-Ceruth in ice and sorcery. Then from the ancient empire of Menekar, the paladins of Ama came, putting every surviving sorcerer to the sword and cleansing their taint from the land. The pulse of magic slowed, fading like the heartbeat of a dying man. But after a thousand years, it has begun to quicken again.
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Narration is intolerable
- By Kristal L. Fye Jozefik on 04-22-20
By: Alec Hutson
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The King's Sorcerer
- Jon Oklar, Book 1
- By: B. T. Narro
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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On the anniversary of his father’s passing, Jon leaves home in search of answers. The land is full of mystery and intrigue, and Jon wants to explore it all with the dream of one day becoming a sorcerer. But when Jon receives an invite to the castle for training, he starts to believe there has to be a catch. A long time ago, Jon’s father was once a guard near the capital city. Now Jon finds himself back where his father used to work, and he’s beginning to learn why his father had wanted to raise him away from here.
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YA dulls the edge in this one
- By NoOneSpecial on 09-25-20
By: B. T. Narro
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The Wolf's Call
- A Raven's Blade Novel
- By: Anthony Ryan
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 16 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Vaelin Al Sorna is a living legend, his name known across the Realm. It was his leadership that overthrew empires, his blade that won hard-fought battles - and his sacrifice that defeated an evil more terrifying than anything the world had ever seen. He won titles aplenty, only to cast aside his earned glory for a quiet life in the Realm's northern reaches. Yet whispers have come from across the sea - rumours of an army called the Steel Horde, led by a man who believes himself a god.
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A Return To Form: Vaelin Is Back
- By Chris on 07-30-19
By: Anthony Ryan
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Once There Were Heroes
- A Time of Dragons, Book 1
- By: Philip C. Quaintrell
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 25 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
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Dragons Riders: The last noble warriors in the realm. Only heroes can embolden the ordinary. For centuries, millennia, the Dragon Riders galvanized generation after generation, adding Riders to their ranks and birthing dragons from their eggs. But there are no more heroes. War with the Andarens is like nothing the Riders, nor the armies of Erador, have ever faced. In the place of heroes, there are only soldiers now. Fodder for the machine of war. This time of twilight is set to be the crowning hour of the dark when the light is losing its grip.
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No Dragons Here
- By Connor on 03-29-24
What listeners say about The Empire's Ruin
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- Franklin Ferny
- 07-20-21
Still great
I was a little bummed out when I saw that Simon Vance wasn't the narrator and it took some time to get used to but overall the multiple narrators did incredible. the story itself start off a little rough but once it really gets going it's an awesome continuation to Chronicles
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1 person found this helpful
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- Marlon F.
- 07-25-21
very full book, loads of adventure.
this was an excellent book. I hope there is more to come. I am not sure how I feel about the ending, there is so much left unsaid and at the same time it could almost stand alone. I look forward to more to come.
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-26-21
my favorite book this year
I loved it from start to finish it one of those books where I got so emotionally invested in the characters I found myself pacing during parts of the book
Gwenna Sharpe no f*&^ quit!!!
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- Farel
- 07-20-21
Absolutely incredible!
One of the best fantasy books I've read. Staveley is only getting better at this. Loved the new settings and chance to explore the continent of Menkiddoc.
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- Bob
- 02-14-23
Excellent
Great follow up to a great series. I can’t wait for the next book. I like the three different narrators.
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- ninjajoe
- 07-16-21
Noticeable improvement in just about every regard.
I absolutely love this book. the voice actors were perfect. be careful because it does get quite gory.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Eric B
- 07-30-21
love the story
loved it, however, this book was a bit more graphic than his other. More graphic than it needed to be. in my opinion. but I still loved the story.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 10-27-21
Series keeps getting better and better!
great series! Gwena was amazing. i want to get the book now and get the story again.
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- Rick
- 07-09-22
Fourth the charm
Enjoyed as much as the best of the first three. Congrats, Brian! Must be very difficult to keep the pace and creation up to your standards.
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- Adam Gilbert
- 03-26-23
Fantastic extension
Loved the whole book, can’t wait to see what’s next.
One five one five one five one five
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