The Cruelty of Magic

The Cruel Origins, Book 1

De: Shawn Amick

Narrado por: Alexander Keys

A warlord seeks the destruction of Runefall, and the end of magic, as a prophecy is met with doubt.

Kyra, a young woman capable of wielding rune magic, is called from her hidden city to a temple no one knows about. As Kyra wrestles with a prophecy, and wanting to save her city, a dwarven king leads his people to carve a new home for themselves but instead finds himself approaching divinity. On the other side of the world, a dark sewer hosts a father and son who escaped a tyrannical attack. They now hide and attempt to summon a golem for protection but learn something about magic that might change the world.

Intricate stories and deep lies connect peoples from all across the land. The actions of one may very well condemn the lives of another, even if they never meet.

Such is the cruel way of the world and the unforgiving cost of magic.

©2024 Shawn Amick (P)2024 Conquest Publishing

fabulous

i really enjoyed this book! this was a great example of Epic fantasy! the plot, story & world building were fabulous! i found the characters to all have individual things i liked & some things i disliked! the narration was good but was probably my least favorite thing about this read, the narrator did an ok job, it was such a great read the narrator kept my attention throughout the entire read! i look forward to the next one in the series!this book was given to me by story Origin, i read it voluntarily, my opinions & thoughts are my own! i highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a great read!

Amazing story

If this was the debut novel, we are in for a phenomenal series.
The characters were believable, the world building was amazing, and the story arch was incredible.
That being said, I would strongly suggest finding a different narrator. He sounded like the type of reader who could win awards for reading newspaper articles. Also, and I don't know if this was the way he was taught, or ifhe has a speech impediment, but the way he reads, if a word ends with the letter "D"he pronounces it as if it's a "T" so for example, the word "ground" was pronounced "grount" and the word blade, was pronounced "blate."
If you're able to look beyond that, you will enjoy this book.

Great plot

I was hooked by the plot from the beginning. The characters are well developed, the plot is really interesting, and the worldbuilding is great. The only thing that put me off was the narration - too many pauses in every sentence; it was annoying. But the book itself is great!

Female lead characters

This high fantasy is compelling, funny and thrilling. There are twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. I listened to the audiobook and it was a great experience. I definitely recommend checking this book out.

Epic Fantasy

This story was a good wpoc fantasy. The world building was really good, took his time building the history of the world to make sure the readers truly understood how the war in the current time happen. The where also several places where I deffently felt the LOTR influence.

if you love battles for what's right and long journeys to understand yourself and your would. Or just epic fantasies this is one for you.

A Tense Dark Fantasy

Readers who love the tension created in a fantasy when right or wrong is ambiguous will enjoy the conflict developed in this story. The tension is best expressed by this quote: “It is within the instability of magic where our only chance lies.”
This dark fantasy does a great job creating a grim world with multiple characters who are not clearly good or evil but have complex and conflicting motivations that drive the plot. The quality of the writing is high, using an omniscient POV where the reader is made privy to inside information and background details as the characters interact. This POV works well and is helpful in understanding the world building in this first installment of a series.
Each chapter begins with “Thoughts of War” that are an intriguing addition, like excerpts from a memoir, reminiscent of Brandon Sanderson’s style in his book The Way of Kings. The story definitely has Tolkienesque vibes with its mixture of characters (dwarves, ogres, etc.) who are set within a world of mythological flavor.
The most intriguing character is Kyra who possesses a rare gift of magic and is summoned on a conflicting quest. As the story progresses, the secrets that are revealed about magic challenge deep philosophical questions: “Who holds the power of creation? Is the risk worth the reward? What is belief? Whispers of something you hope to be true? And what is the purpose of life? To be needed?”
Much of the novel’s action includes battles or fighting scenes. The intensity is strong, but the purpose is vague. I would have liked a stronger development and understanding of the values that each of the main characters were fighting for, a better understanding of their motivation to fight. In other words, if they win, what do they gain? What drives them to want to fight and hopefully win? I would have been more invested in the many battles if my passion had been more fully ignited about the reward or punishment or result that they either look forward to or regret if the characters win or lose? In other words, what does peace look like? What does going back home after a battle look like?
However, in fairness to this story, my complaint is rooted in the very nature of the modern dark fantasy that embraces ambiguity. The chaos and confusion that dominates the plot becomes the very struggle for me to love it. When there is no clear value, the depth of the world is thin, and I’m left feeling apathetic.

Loved it! Yes

Loved the book enjoyed the feel of like lord of the rings meets Harry Potter kind off. Definitely a genre I read! Perfect narrator as well ❤️

Prophecies, hidden cities, & a gritty underworld!

The Cruelty of Magic is a mesmerizing journey through prophecies, hidden cities, and the gritty underworld of Runefall! Kyra’s fierce determination, paired with a dwarven king’s unexpected path to divinity, makes for an epic tale brimming with raw magic and intrigue. Shawn Amick’s world is rich and ruthless, and Alexander Keys’ narration brings every twist to life with captivating depth!

A Truly Dark & Twisted Fantasy

This was my first experience with this author's work. I was amazed at the comprehensive worldbuilding; however, there were times when I thought the story got a little lost in the details. I was moved by some of the characters and their stories, and it was important to note the names of the characters in order to know whose story was being presented at that point in the flow of the plot. I enjoyed the complex magic systems. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. I thought Alexander Keys' narration was great, and I was entertained by his performance of various voices for the different characters. I was given a copy of the audiobook. I volunteered, without financial gain, to post this review which reflected my honest opinions regarding this audiobook.

Intriguing Story Hurt by bad narration

I've read the original and enjoyed it so I was excited for this updated release. However, I couldn't make it through an hour of this narrator because he was giving my a headache. The voices are fine, but the cadence is so bizzare and unnatural that I thought it might have been AI. I tried to push through, but I genuinely couldn't muster it, which is a shame because the story had me intrigued. will continue with the ebook. listen to the sample first.