Download Popular Titles Audiobooks in Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

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Title: The Indigo Pheasant

Subtitle: Longing for Yount, Book 2

Author: Daniel A. Rabuzzi

Narrator: Kieron Elliot

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-12-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

London 1817. Maggie Collins, born into slavery in Maryland, whose mathematical genius and strength of mind can match those of a goddess, must build the world's most powerful and sophisticated machine - to free the lost land of Yount from the fallen angel Strix Tender Wurm. Sally, of the merchant house McDoon, who displayed her own powers in challenging the Wurm and finding Yount in The Choir Boats, must choose either to help Maggie or to hinder her.

Together - or not - Maggie and Sally drive to conclusion the story started in The Choir Boats - a story of blood - soaked song, family secrets, sins new and old in search of expiation, forbidden love, high policy and acts of state, financial ruin, betrayals intimate and grand, sorcery from the origins of time, and battle in the streets of London and on the arcane seas of Yount.

Members Reviews:

Fails on Job One

Sigh...I wanted to love The Indigo Pheasant because the first of this series, The Choir Boats, was such a nice introduction to a unique author's voice and I thought the 2nd in the series was bound to be more of the same or better, but it isn't. If I'm reading non-fiction, Job One of the book is enlightenment and if I am entertained in the process so much the better. Reverse that for fiction; Job One is to engage my mind fully, help me totally suspend disbelief, and if I learn something in the process, all the better. Rabuzzi's fiction succeeds admirably at enlightening; his use of a wide and sophisticated vocabulary and the many historical, literary, and mythological references kept me thinking and "googling" throughout the book, but The Indigo Pheasant fails on Job One. If you read fiction strictly for really beautiful and poetic language, you can "float" a while listening to this book, but this is not a fantasy novel that will you carry off to another world - the sensation I had was more like reading someone's journal of an adventure than of having an adventure myself.

Plot: All but about the last hour and 1/2 of this audio book is about the politics and financing involved in building a boat. It is a boat designed to save the world, but 12 hours is still a long time to for boat-building to be engaging. Rabuzzi tries to build some tension in the narrative with some subplots, but his attempts are thwarted by the fact that almost everything is being relayed to the listener via his rather wooden dialog and a whole series of quotes and epistolary fragments. The quotes, receipts, letters, and legal excerpts do provide a good sense of the period of time and the mindset of early 19th century people, but it's not a very engrossing way to tell a fantasy tale.

Characters: After creating some very interesting, albeit larger than life, characters in The Choir Boats, Rabuzzi "disappears" many of the characters in The Indigo Pheasant - killing off some, and sidelining many. And then he makes two of the central players, Sally and Maggie, completely unlikable. Sally, who I loved for her intrepid spirit, strong loyalty to family, and kindness becomes a love-sick idiot - completely self-absorbed, stupid, and oblivious to her mission, family, and friends. Maggie, who was the mysterious, determined underdog in The Choir Boats, suddenly becomes arrogant, judgmental, and brash to the point of rudeness.

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Title: Edge of Darkness

Author: Nathan E. Meyer

Narrator: Roy Wells

Format: Unabridged

Length: 1 hr and 16 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-13

Publisher: Nathan E Meyer

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

Bloody swords, sinister sorcery. Beneath the temple of a dark god lies the technology of a forgotten civilization, protected by an angry priestess. Two thieves enter the black sanctuary bent on a fortune. What one of them discovers is a surprising truth. Dark gods must fall.

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Title: The Ashes of Yester

Author: Dustin Hurley

Narrator: Les Parker

Format: Unabridged

Length: 50 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-05-13

Publisher: Dustin C Hurley

Ratings: 5 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

No one knew for certain just what the Blood of Heroes was, or whence it came. Some said men like old Droom came by it through a secret pact with the devil. Others said it spewed forth from hidden wells, a magical substance formed during the creation of the world. I know not, nor how King Agdalard came to know of it. This one thing I know for certain: the day Garl and his men drank the Blood from old Droom's flask was the day the tide of war changed...

In a time of war, a young nobleman suffers the loss of all he holds dear - his one true love, his humanity, and his heroes. An epic fantasy short story.

Members Reviews:

A great read

Where does The Ashes of Yester rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

We've listened to many audio books over the years and this ranks in the top 5

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Title: Heir to the High Queen

Author: Chris Wichtendahl

Narrator: Emily Eldridge

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-03-13

Publisher: Chris Wichtendahl

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

One hundred years after the turning of the Age, all is not well in Amorlia. Champion Kel Vega seeks to fill the void left by his dead father, though a paramilitary organization known as the Pacifica and his mother's growing animosity make that difficult. It is also a time of political change, as Artemis Vega faces her first real challenge for the throne from powerful industrialist Mar Dagnae and the charismatic religious leader Jat Loren.

Following an embarrassing failure, Kel will be cast out of his mother's palace, sent to wander the length and breadth of Amorlia, gathering allies and enemies along the way. When disaster threatens his world and all reality itself appears ready to crumble, will Kel and his band of heroes be up to the task, or will the Age of Wonder come to a premature and very final end?

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Title: Season of Shadows

Subtitle: Volume One of The Summerlands

Author: Ellen Foxxe

Narrator: A. C. Fellner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 14 hrs and 55 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-31-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 4 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

The last royalist refuge...

When the peasant rebellion, led by the Chamber of Statesmen, overthrew the royal line of Albin, only one haven remained to such loyal warriors as the king's military leader, Sir Andrew - the new world. This largely unexplored continent soon became the gathering place for all the malcontents, surviving Royalists, religious dissidents, and criminals, who otherwise might disrupt the peace of Albin.

Yet while the colonists had expected to face dangers of the wild, nothing had prepared them for the humanoid winged creatures - the yerren - that flew the skies, attacking their struggling outposts seemingly without reason. Nor could they root out the spies within their own ranks who were ready to betray them to the Chamber of Statesmen.

Still, Sir Andrew swore he'd provide a place of safety for the precious treasure he guarded - the last surviving member of the Royal line, the princess who now went by the name of Katin and masqueraded as a fledgling herbalist. But when word came of an invasion fleet setting forth from Albin, Sir Andrew knew he could not lead poorly trained and equipped farmers and tradesmen against two foes. He would have to put an end to the threat of the winged beings before the fleet's arrival - even if it meant risking his own life in the heart of Yerren territory....

Members Reviews:

Great writing!

The author has a good understanding of character development and the talent to carry the reader effortlessly through hours of reading fun. She chose a difficult pattern for this book, switching the view now and again, but pulls it off with no confusion whatsoever. A wonderful social commentary in fantasy form, sure to have lasting effects on anyone under 25, and full of "truth" for people of all ages. This book stands alone, and you needn't feel you must purchase the next in the series, though I am compelled to do so simply because she writes so well.

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Title: Season of Storms

Subtitle: Volume Two of The Summerlands

Author: Ellen Foxxe

Narrator: A. C. Fellner

Format: Unabridged

Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-30-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

After holding off the deadly creatures who had devastated the winged Yerrens and the New Albin colonies, Sir Andrew and his allies face a new menace when two pretenders to the throne of Albin and the resulting unrest threaten to destroy the motherland.

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Title: Horrible Humes

Subtitle: RuneSword, Volume Four

Author: Stephen Billias

Narrator: James Patrick Cronin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

They are four outcasts brought together by the god Vili, bonded by a sacred oath and sworn to each other's fealty. Bith the young sorceress. Cal warrior and outlaw for a crime he didn't commit. The troll Hathor who has foresworn his people's barbarous ways. The enigmatic elf Endril. Each had pledged to defeat the Dark Lord and his minions...or give their lives trying.

Members Reviews:

Having "Horrible" on the cover doesn't exactly help

"Horrible Humes (i.e. Humans)" is the fourth book in the "Runesword" series Written by Stephen Billias. It continues to detail the further adventures of our four Outcasts; Bith a young human sorceress, Caltus a young human warrior, Hathor the vegetarian troll and Endril the world weary elven archer. In this installment the group learns of a breach in the Mistwall where a frigid new villain uncreatively dubbed the Ice Queen is forcing her cold will on the denizens of the North. So, in true hero fashion the Outcasts set out once again to thwart evil. Here are my thoughts on Horrible Humes;

Pros

+ Quick and easy read.

+ Had a bit of a darker tone (for Hathor at least) than the previous books.

+ Cover art by Larry Elmore.

+ The Wind-Websters were an interesting society.

Cons

- Contained one of the most ridiculous and laughable premises for a fantasy book ever. Hathor the troll is captured by the Ice Queen because she believes his vegetarianism is a threat to all evil races since he's not a blood-thirsty meat eater. Are you kidding me??

- Extremely abrupt ending.

- Story didn't really follow the group finding and destroying a Runesword as commanded by the god Vili in the previous books. In this book there's no Vili, no Runesword and no Dark Lord.

- Ice Queen villain was extremely vague and woefully underutilized.

- Some feats of utter ridiculousness. Examples include Endril killing a dragon with a single arrow and then Hathor forsakes his vegetarian ways and eats the whole thing!

- Endril is often depicted as a stereotypical fop and dandy elf complete with pointed shoes and flute accompanied by singing and dancing around. Ugh.

- No world map.

Horrible Humes had a few interesting ideas but for the most part failed to deliver. This entire book seemed to completely sidetrack the original purpose of the Outcast companions. With no Vili, Runesword or Dark Lord this just felt like a side quest for the group. It was almost as if the author wasn't briefed on what the overall story and purpose of the quartet's quests. In any case not a stand out tale in the Runesword series.

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Title: The Dreamstone

Subtitle: RuneSword, Volume Three

Author: J.F. Rivkin

Narrator: James Patrick Cronin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 13 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

Beyond the Mistwall, the Dark Lord gathers strength, turning his enemies' worst fears to reality with... The Dreamstone.

Bith the sorceress and her companions - Cal the outlaw, Hathor the troll, and Endril the elf - have armed themselves with powerful weapons and magic. They are ready to do battle with the Dark Lord's minions, be they orc or dragon. But are they ready to confront their own nightmares?

Members Reviews:

A slight improvement in the Runesword series

"The Dreamstone" is the third book in the "Runesword" series. Written by two different female authors under the pseudonym J.F. Rivkin (responsible for the excellent but largely unheard of and underappreciated Sword & Sorcery series, Silverglass) it details the further adventures of our four Outcasts; Bith a young human sorceress, Caltus a young human warrior, Hathor the vegetarian troll and Endril the world weary elven archer. In this installment the group learns that their reoccurring wizard nemesis Schlein has been given a powerful artifact called the Dreamstone by his master, the aptly named Dark Lord. With this stone Schlein can attack the heroes while they sleep and make the danger of dreams a reality. Here are my thoughts on The Dreamstone;

Pros

+ Quick and easy read.

+ Had a bit of a darker tone than the previous books. You can clearly see the more adult Sword & Sorcery influence of the authors while still trying to balance the book for a younger audience.

+ Cover art by Larry Elmore.

+ Doesn't continue to rely heavily on Norse mythos.

+ The "Dark Lord" actually begins to take on a form and is partially described.

Cons

- Bith and Cal's squabbling is still present and continues to annoy. To quote the elf Endril at the end of the first chapter, "Did I say you were behaving like a green girl? Forgive me. I was incorrect. Both of you are behaving like nursery brats."

- Extremely abrupt ending. Just when the story was shaping up it ended.

- Story didn't really follow the group finding and destroying a Runesword as commanded by the god Vili in the previous books. While a sword with runes on it was destroyed while Cal was fighting a demon it's never explained that it was a Runesword. Nor does Vili appear to commend them on the completion of their quest.

- As in the previous books things move along rather quickly and often without purpose making things feel loosely strung together.

- No world map.

The Dreamstone, in my opinion is the strongest Runesword title that I've read so far. However, that's not exactly a difficult feat to achieve. There were parts that I really enjoyed reading while there were other areas, such as the YA influence, that slowed things down for me. It's too bad that the J.F. Rivkin authors weren't hired to write more of the series as I think it would have helped fill in the storyline a bit more. However, I still felt some things were left unfinished, especially regarding the god Vili and the destruction of another Runesword.

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Title: Dark Divide

Subtitle: RuneSword, Volume Five

Author: Mark Acres

Narrator: James Patrick Cronin

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-13

Publisher: Audible Studios

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

In the crypt-like depths of Ochre Mountain, an evil vampire rises from a slumber of centuries. Eager to pay homage to the Dark Lord, he unleashes a legion of zombies to conquer the land of the living, and to at least breach the boundary of the Dark Divide.

Members Reviews:

This made me stop reading the series.

I've read others from this series, but I didn't like this one. It was too focused on Cal.

Another average tale in the Runesword series

"Dark Divide" is the fifth book in the "Runesword" series Written by Mark Acres. It continues to detail the further adventures of our four Outcasts; Bith a young human sorceress, Caltus a young human warrior, Hathor the vegetarian troll and Endril the world weary elven archer. In this installment the group faces Malendor, an ancient elven vampire and nemesis of the elf Endril. Malendor, a servant of the ever present Dark Lord controls vast armies consisting of soldiers, cultists, creatures and of course the undead. As Malendor begins forcing his will upon the Northern settlement of Trondholm our heroes must once again halt the Dark Lord's evil plans. Here are my thoughts on Dark Divide;

Pros

+ Story detailed a bit more background on Endril's past and why he was banished from Elven lands.

+ Quick and easy read.

+ Plenty of use of the undead which I always find interesting.

+ Had a bit of a darker tone at times than the previous books.

+ Short but engaging battle at the end of the book.

+ Cover art by Larry Elmore.

+ Clear use of Dungeons & Dragons style spells and creatures. Creatures such as wights, zombies, vampires, wyverns and spells such as Death, Levitation, Fireball and Dispel Magic. Easy to follow if you've played the role-playing games in any form.

Cons

- As with all other books in this series the ending was abrupt and rushed.

- Yvaine unbelievably turned to evil almost instantly.

- Malendor completely underutilized his undead legions and magical items. A perfect example was his Wight Wyvern Riders. He only used them for scouting, not in combat. He also had an entire chest of magical items of which he only used one. Why?

- Endril is depicted as a stereotypical foppish, dandy elf, yet again.

- Cal and Bith, still utterly annoying. Brash, impulsive, whiny and all together irritating. I could happily do without either of them.

- Cal's squire was named Orlac in one chapter then Olaf in another. Where was the editor?

- Who was the vampiric orc Gobslobble? The only other previously mentioned orcs in the story were Gutstomper and Bloodseeker. Rather confusing.

- No world map or the region of Trondholm.

Dark Divide, at times, had a few interesting ideas but much like the previous books did nothing to really improve the series. In the author's defense, this book did follow more of the original purpose of the Outcast companions which involves following the Norse God Vili, finding the lost Runeswords and destroying the Dark Lord's minions. Dark Divide was slightly more interesting than most of the previous Runesword tales but it's still nothing I'd recommend to avid fantasy readers.

Fantasy adventure

Cal and his companions must save the Kingdom of Tronholm when a vampire looses his zombie hordes on the land of the living to secure the region for his Dark Lord.

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Title: Monarch Rising

Author: Chris Wichtendahl

Narrator: Emily Eldridge

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 6 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-17-13

Publisher: Chris Wichtendahl

Genres: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fantasy: Epic

Publisher's Summary:

Artemis Vega has secured her Land from its would-be conquerors and is finally crowned Monarch. Yet while Vega may be secure for now, all of Amorlia will soon find itself at risk from her enemies' sinister plans. Artemis must now navigate the swirling eddies of probability known as the Time of Changes, an era prophesied to lead to an Age of Wonder. However, if Artemis falters, the Age to come will be one of Darkness unending...

Members Reviews:

Love

This is an amazing book. Chris Wichtendahl's writing style is very creative and easy to follow. He is an orginal thinker, so it will be like nothing you have ever read before.