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.
Empire of the East  By  cover art

Empire of the East

By: Fred Saberhagen
Narrated by: Raymond Todd
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $21.80

Buy for $21.80

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

In the distant future, society has crumbled. Dark forces now rule the land, keeping all humans under their oppressive thumbs.

In the darkness of the shadows and whispered on the winds, there is talk of rebellion. In the swamps, a small band has formed. Determined to regain their freedom, the rebels, heavily outnumbered, plan to overthrow an army of thousands, with the help of one incredible weapon.

It is only a legend, a story left over from the Old World before magic and the wizards came to the land. A weapon of technology. It is the mystical Elephant, and whoever masters it holds the key to freedom...or defeat.

One young man, determined to avenge the death of his family, sets out to join the rebellion and find Elephant. What he discovers will change everything.

©1979 Fred Saberhagen (P)2005 Blackstone Audiobooks

What listeners say about Empire of the East

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    118
  • 4 Stars
    103
  • 3 Stars
    72
  • 2 Stars
    22
  • 1 Stars
    9
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    70
  • 4 Stars
    55
  • 3 Stars
    32
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    8
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    87
  • 4 Stars
    57
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    3

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

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

Can't recommend

I read this as a child and loved it then. Fast forward 35 years and I realize it's not very good. However, the most annoying part is the lousy narration. It just moves it from a bad book to a terrible audio book. There is a funny forward written by the narrator that is almost a love letter to Fred Saberhagen. It is a little over the top in praise.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Uninteresting

I looked forward to listening to this book. I had known about Fred Saberhagen for sometime as I have been "into" SF for many years, but just hadn't gotten around to any of his material. Well... I just couldn't get into this story. I quit in the middle of part 3. I did not care about characters, the plot was not unique. It was like he told himself he needed to write a book that had some typical sci fi/fantasy riffs, complete with the usual suspects. . I just can't recommend this book. I did not care for the plot or characters. It did not have any heart. There are too many good ones out there don’t waste your time.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

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

The worst audio book I've ever heard

What disappointed you about Empire of the East?

The narrator was awful. He yelled the entire time, had stupid accents, and did his best to ruin a pretty meager story.

What was most disappointing about Fred Saberhagen’s story?

It could have been a 20 page short story.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Raymond Todd?

anyone else.

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

No.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

READ

I don't know if the story is good or not - the narrator ruins the story. I think I would actually have to read it myself to truly know.
The story seems discordant, but the narrator reads it in such a choppy manner that I can't be sure. It's hard to listen and it easy to be distracted by other things going on around me so that I miss key points in the story and have to go back and listen again - argggggg.
The narrator also seems to lack the basic ability to follow the writers grammar clues, completely skipping over intentional pauses marked by commas and then completely distorting the sentences. He does this through the entire book.
So don't waste your credit or $ on this one, check it out from you local library if you are truly interested.

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars

stay away

An awful book! It was painful to listen to, although other reviews said that it got better towards the end. Weak character development. Characters had no personality. This book was like a trilogy crammed into one abridged book. A descent plot that goes nowhere. Its just bad

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

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful