Echoes of a Fallen Kingdom

Stalwart Link, Book 1

By: B. T. Narro

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 10 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

Strong-willed and full of hope, Leo strives to learn more of the magic he has read so much about. He's heard of invisible links in his world, and hidden rifts to other realms filled with creatures and stones of power. But Leo's family is stuck in an impoverished city. He performs backbreaking farm work beside his older brother, a rebellious and cunning thief, but nonetheless a brother whom Leo would trust with his life. Their father takes care of them as best he can, but a dangerous secret has weighed heavily on him for years. He won't be able to keep it hidden much longer.

Leo believes everything will change for the better when he begins work as a bookbinder and finally leaves the dreadful farm. He can apply for apprenticeship to the Bookbinding Guild upon his soon-approaching birthday.

Everything will change, but in ways their family would never expect. It all begins when Leo's brother steals something that he should've left alone.

©2018 B.T. Narro (P)2019 Tantor

Excellently Written Characters

Some of the best-written characters I've read. Everyone feels real and natural. The story is subtly suspenseful and I feel that every interaction could turn for the worse. Fair warning, the story does not have a lot of events happen (as other reviews point out). It is much more link the first of The Fellowship of the Ring. However, it establishes a well-designed world. The style and skill make it clear the author has grand plans for the story.

Suroringly good

Simon Vance the narrator is the reason I picked up this book. A very good choice. Well written and exciting.

Spellbinding!

I'm really enjoying this series! Like so many others have said, the pacing seems slow, but the writing is so good it still holds my attention. As someone with ADHD (and picky taste in books), I love that I feel engaged and really want to know what's coming next. The characters are relatable (especial in our current climate of classism, sexism and racism in our world) and the plot is promising. It feels to me like there's a consistent pull to the story and keeps you hanging around to find out where it's all going, and that it's going to be big!
Simon Vance is a great narrator, as well, really bringing the characters into the mind's eye.
I'm on book two and still loving it!

Oh no it's not bad but

It's a decent coming of age hard luck fantasy story. But the whole rest of the story is gonna be colored by the fact that the two main characters left their best Friend a nine year old girl alone in the city to go join the military. Because they wanted to. That is not Normal behavior at any age. And it kind of Throws a bit of a moral cloud over .
No matter how the rest of the story goes I will always Not associate with the main characters as much as I might have after that.

Excellent!!!

What Great story line. Very gripping and on the edge. Most of all I loved the Narrator!!! He made this book come alive!!! 👏👏👏

Enjoyable, but I don't know why

To start with, Simon Vance killed it as always. This story seems like it's going to be great but this first book seems mostly just the setup. Although not a lot of amazing things happened, it was still enjoyable and I'm really looking forward to the next book.

1 day LOVED IT

Hooked at the Beginning finished in one day. Highly Recommend this if your looking for a new book.

Enthralling

This is one of the best books I've listened to in a while. It was exciting and entertaining. My only complaint might be that there is a lot of back story and build up between situations but otherwise i loved it and s'm looking forward to the rest of the series.

Do not pass this book up!

I just finished my last series and was looking around ,and just snatched this goodie.Its one of the best I've had in yrs ,and I have almost 100.Story OH ya,Action definitely,I can't wait for the next book witch I'm starting right now,30 seconds after I finished this one.

We love a prologue!

Was I expecting a 10 hour prologue as a first book in a series I was just getting into? absolutely not.
Was I thrilled by the world building and attention to character pronunciation? oh absolutely.
I look forward to what comes next!!