• Blood of Innocents

  • The Sorcery Ascendant Sequence, Book 2
  • By: Mitchell Hogan
  • Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
  • Length: 20 hrs and 51 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (5,806 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Blood of Innocents  By  cover art

Blood of Innocents

By: Mitchell Hogan
Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $34.94

Buy for $34.94

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Anasoma, jewel of the Mahruse Empire, has fallen.

As Caldan and his companions flee the city, horrors from the time of the Shattering begin to close in.

With Miranda's mind broken by forbidden sorcery, Caldan is forced to disobey the most sacrosanct laws of the Protectors if he is to have any chance of healing her.

But when one of the emperor's warlocks arrives to take control of him, he begins to suspect his burgeoning powers may be more of a curse than a blessing, and that the enemies assailing the empire may be rivaled by even more sinister forces within.

This is an updated recording from the original 2014 edition, also performed by Oliver Wyman, which matches the current reissue of the print book.

©2014 Mitchell Hogan (P)2014 Audible Inc.

What listeners say about Blood of Innocents

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,241
  • 4 Stars
    1,958
  • 3 Stars
    484
  • 2 Stars
    89
  • 1 Stars
    34
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3,587
  • 4 Stars
    1,394
  • 3 Stars
    277
  • 2 Stars
    29
  • 1 Stars
    15
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2,901
  • 4 Stars
    1,708
  • 3 Stars
    520
  • 2 Stars
    123
  • 1 Stars
    48

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Disappointing Second Installment

What would have made Blood of Innocents better?

In the first book the characters developed individually and in their relationships in a moderately satisfying way. The protagonist's naive nature and feckless enthusiasm were excusable because he had grown up in a sheltered environment. In this book ,however, all of the characters just act as foils to progress a very predictable plot. Caldan is shocked, over and over, that he isn't taken seriously by people in power. This is really painful to read. It's like watching a bad horror movie where the irrational actions of the characters just make you want to punch them. And it is made worse by the fact that Caldan is supposed to be this strategic genius who is great at reading patterns and people. And he shifts between offhandedly slaughtering enemies, and being appalled that he has done something so callous as to strike a lady! (The lady in question being a murderous sorceress).

All this ends up just making it impossible to understand his motivations or maintain respect for a character which the first book managed decently. Hogan got lazy with this book and instead of working on character development and finding ways to flow forward the plot from there just makes up absurd situations and conclusions to ram forward to the next story line.

Also, he repeatedly uses the "I don't have time to explain right now" ploy to avoid characters from understanding what they need to, when there is never actually a shortage of time. Usually these phrases occur during the middle of journeys or preparation periods that are days or weeks long, and the explanation would take maybe 30 seconds. No time while making a campfire, or during eating, or before sleep? I don't mind suspending disbelief but it's much easier to get lost in a story if you maintain realistic premises for inter-character tension and lack of clarification.

Has Blood of Innocents turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

What about Oliver Wyman’s performance did you like?

Wyman has a good voice and keeps dialogue going smoothly. He isn't as good as some in switching between male and female characters, but overall does a pretty good job of processing the story.

What character would you cut from Blood of Innocents?

The healer. She just whines and moans and has really flimsy motivations. Basically playing the part of "moral compass" (badly) to keep Caldan from treating Bells like the villain she is and getting crucial info out of her.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

44 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Varying IQ of main character used as a plot device

Sometimes the main character is made unable to effectively communicate, or make decisions, in order to create the conflict needed to advance the story. It takes away my ability to identify/sympathize with the character's woes. Unrealistic character actions and behavior should not be used to create conflict.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

39 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Opposite characters

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the author stayed true to the characters. Makes me cringe when Caldan is reduced to being a worthless and useless hero. I thought Caldan was excellent in dominion but in thiis book his actions falls short. Makes me want to give up on this book and several times i had to stop listening. This is the longest time i finished the book. There's no page turner. The heros are reduced to bunggling fools.

Would you ever listen to anything by Mitchell Hogan again?

Perhaps not. That remains to be seen with the 3rd book.

Which character – as performed by Oliver Wyman – was your favorite?

Caldan used to be my favorite character until the author destroyed his traits.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

The only redeeming quality is the 3rd book. Hopefully the author wakes up from this nightmare of character destruction. If not then the author just wasted my time and credits.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

31 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

2 Major Crimes Against The Reader

Any additional comments?

There is a rising plague of this one particular violation of the author-audience agreement wherein, the author does not finish any significant segment of their story at the end of their first book... or second. - Oftentimes there is a fake or unsatisfying ending wherein the hero "survives"... and a "leg of the adventure" has ended via some vague landmark. - But then there's THIS... the kind where the author feels no need to end any part of the story at all. There is no conclusion, and so therefore... you have experienced no story. You have simply been bullied into buying a next CHAPTER in the same unconcluded story... via the not-at-all clever mechanisms of kidnapping & extortion. - "You don't want to waste all those hours you've invested in this book do you??? - No... we thought not."
I'm pretty tired of it.
If you want to sell me a big book DO IT! I'll buy it. Sanderson does it all the time! But please stop this nonsense.

The narrator is good enough to warrant the descriptor of "performance". He's pretty great. So that's not an issue here.

The lead character's IQ consistency though... (meaning the reliability of his intelligence to remain consistent so you don't have to suffer the author moving the plot forward by way of making the lead character suddenly, temporarily, and unfathomably stupid) is lacking in a fairly shameful way.
Moving the story into turmoil by giving your lead (otherwise brilliant) character sudden and momentary bouts of unbelievably low intelligence that are fundamentally inconsistent with the remainder of the book two or three times per novel... is hack-knee writing. No deadline is that important. Don't go to the dark side. You're better than this... but only on days when you consciously and respectfully choose to be.
Is it abysmal??? No.
Am I judging this author against the highest standard because so much of the work is fantastic? - Absolutely. Watching someone give up at mile 25 of the marathon is a lot more painful to me than witnessing someone who never even got off the starting line.
3 stars.
End of rant.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Mitchell Hogan Has Lost His Way

There are some issues with this book. I couldn't seem to care about any of the characters or any of the conflicts that just seem to develop as a result of someone acting like an idiot or developing powers that seem to manifest just to move things along. People end up dying and I'd find myself happy that there was one less person I'd have to follow. Most of the characters are one dimensional and Mr. Hogan doesn't help the matter by keeping one of the main female characters in a vegetative state the entire book.

Oliver Wyman does a fair job with the narration although I had to speed the book up because I found the normal speed to be unbearably slow. I also found myself overtaken with the desire to hit something every time he whispered or did a female voice.

Overall the book isn't the worst thing I've read this year and it certainly isn't the best. If you are looking for something to pass the time then this might be the book for you. I don't know if I will end up getting the next book in the series when it come out but I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

26 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Great world, dumb characters

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not without reservations. While this book continues the interesting conflict started in book 1, the remarkable stupidity of the main characters makes it hard to empathize with or relate to them.

What was most disappointing about Mitchell Hogan’s story?

In one word, characters. In book one Caldan was naive and it was believable as he had grown up sheltered. In book two he remains naive despite a series of betrayals and reversals that would have even the cheeriest optimist proceeding with caution. This would be acceptable, if not desirable, in a main character but it doesn't fit with him being portrayed as a master of strategy capable of outthinking his opponents with ease. It almost seems like there are two Caldans; one who is tough and brilliant and another who is overly trusting and willfully ignorant. Sadly it is the later which appears the most, mainly to advance the plot in some way. My other complaint is the one dimensionality of the female characters. This may be a personal preference, but i prefer interesting female characters with depth to them and I found that lacking from the women in this book.

Which scene was your favorite?

All of the magic fights were enjoyable

Did Blood of Innocents inspire you to do anything?

Write this review..

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed book one, I love the world the author has built and the magic system. I will wait and see from reviews whether future books have improved before I buy any more.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

25 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

One dimensional

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

If the story had followed the first chapter of the first book, when the characters were interesting. The protagonist of this novel just keeps making foolish choices and never really being punished for them. It is like he lives in a paranoid delusion but the rest of the universe is patronizing him. I couldn't finish the book because I no longer believed in any of the characters.

The world and characters early in the first book were intriguing,and I wanted to see how they turned out. But as the second book went on, I found myself having to bribe myself to listen and I finally gave up.

What do you think your next listen will be?

Not sure

Would you listen to another book narrated by Oliver Wyman?

Yes; solid but unobtrusive voicework.

What character would you cut from Blood of Innocents?

The protagonist; if were omitted, then perhaps we could have a rational plot.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

17 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Must consider to read!

Sometimes, I'm so busy enjoying a great listen I forget to tell others about it! That was the case with this sequence.

I finished listening to it, went and listened to 2 other books and read about 6 (Kindle versions from amazon) - but even through all those other stories, the enjoyment I got from this sequence kept calling me back - I had to come back and listen to it again - just for fun.

That doesn't mean that there weren't slow parts to the book - there were. Second time around, I just skipped those portions (lol).

What I really liked about this sequence of books was that the main character is allowed to grow, his development isn't held back by the writer simply to keep me listening as some writers do - he really grows, he learns, he uses what he learns to good effect, and all the while, I enjoy seeing it happen.

It was FUN! But of course, that's just what I think. I first entitled this review "Must Read!" Then I realized that everything, truly, isn't for everyone. So, at the very least, do yourself a favor and consider reading/listening to this series if you want something enjoyable to listen to. First though, see what others have to say before you decide.

If you have a book/series/sequence you've enjoyed, please share. Thanks.

BTW - if you're wondering what the series of books were that I read from Amazon (Kindle books above), it was the "eye of the moonrat" series and the series following that - it was entertaining, though I thought the main character's growth was artificially retarded by the writer - he didn't need that gambit to make it a good story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great read

truly enjoyed the story, the reading and overall book. can't wait for the next one.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Hard to Empathize with Main Character

I almost stopped listening to the book after the first couple of hours. The main character, Caldan, made so many naïve/poor choices that were inconsistent with other examples of wisdom that it was hard to empathize, like, and respect him. I suppose it is possible that someone could be that dense and inflexible, but they generally don't survive long. For a while I thought that maybe I am a sociopathic genius unjustifiably applying the fundamental attribution error. But as I thought of the main characters created by Brandon Sanderson, Michael J. Sullivan, Patrick Rothfuss, Kel Kade, etc.... I feel that this critique of the main character is appropriate.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

12 people found this helpful