Of Empires and Dust

The Bound and the Broken, Book 4

De: Ryan Cahill

Narrado por: Derek Perkins

I'ldryr viel asatar. I sanvîr viel baralun.

In fire, we are forged. In blood, we are tempered.

In the Aravell woodland, Calen Bryer grapples with the fallout from the Battle of Aravell. The path forward is littered with choices that will bleed him dry. But he is a Draleid, he is a guardian, and he will always stand when others call. He will be the light they look to.

His sister, Ella, lies fragmented, her mind split between worlds, her fate unknown. But the blood of the wolf is strong.

Hundreds of miles away, in the western villages of Illyanara, Dahlen Virandr leads the defense of Salme and all its inhabitants gathered from across the region. The Uraks are unrelenting, and they know only blood and death. If this is to be his end, he will enter Achyron's Halls as a warrior who would not yield.

Below the mountains of Lodhar, Queen Kira waits in the dark while Hoffnar attempts to seize control of the Freehold and lead the dwarves towards a new dawn of war.

In Valtara, Dayne Ateres hunts those who betrayed his family, while Alina prepares her army to besiege the legendary Achyron's Keep.

At the edges of the Burnt Lands, Rist Havel is offered a new path forward, one that few have ever trodden, one that could forge him into a mage of no equal.

With the news that Ilkya and Jormun have fallen, along with their soulkin, Eltoar finds himself face-to-face with Salara Ithan—a remnant of his past life that he had long thought dead.

As the Blood Moon taints the sky, Kallinvar and the Knights of Achyron battle tirelessly against the Shadow, doing everything within their power to hold back the darkness.

Gods are waking.

The world is burning.

Ashes and dust are all that will remain.

©2025 Ryan Cahill (P)2025 Podium Audio

I'm bound to this series, and broken to have to wait for the next book.

This book adds to a gratifying build-up to a collision between mortals and gods. Its been so fun following the successes and heartbreak of the characters. Each one so rich of character and important to the world they live in the books bb

Riveting

All the paths are converging. I can’t wait to hear the conclusion!! I fear it will be heartbreaking.

I need more!

I tried not to go through this so fast, but I couldn't help it. The narrators voice, the storyline, and the characters are all so amazing!

best book in the series, hands down!

so, every book that Ryan writes gets better and more detailed, obviously, but this book had me literally hooked to the point where I couldn't physically put it down. that's quite a feat, since very few books and writers have ever been able to do that for me. I won't spoil anything, but this book has one of the most gut-wretching and beautiful twists in any series that I've ever read. again, great book, highly recommend.

To much violence detracted from the story.

Loved the characters and the plot. Have listened to the first four books several times while waiting for of Empires and Dust, this one was disappointing. The battle scenes were too long and really added nothing to the plot or the characters. I don't mind long books, but I want the characters to grow and change, and the plot to deepen. I wanted more of Fader. I did hope his character would be developed more.
I am looking forward to the next book.