The Hidden Kingdom

Legends from Qiledara, Book 1

De: Amy Daniels

Narrado por: Phillip Nathaniel Freeman

The Hidden Kingdom by Amy Daniels, narrated by Phillip Nathaniel Freeman, also the voice of King Radomir, Gueric, Otheran, Corwin, Eyvindur and all the dragonkin, and other men; Matthew Biddulph as Aaron the Dragonslayer and the murder victim; Bobby Gaglini as Timothy the Brave; Robert Cassyleon as Damien; Cory Barton as Lance; Zach Brown as old Evrart, Nathaniel, Leonardo, the doctor, and other men; James Hernandez as Loman; Brad Grochowski as Malchom, old Graybeard, a Resistance fighter and the herald; Ellen Cribbs as Lady Barbara and other women; Marnie Thomson as Alianora; Hannah Dere as Elodie; Scott Fins as Guillemin, Iskander and Blero; Ged Cartwright as Thevenin, King Luan, Owen, and the murder victim’s father; Rob Sharp as Captain Varden and a soldier from the Hidden Kingdom ;Jenny W. Chan as Janine and various women and children; Louise Porter as the sorceress Lysandra and the mother of the murder victim; Carolynne Henry as Queen Lysandra and other women; Amy Daniels as various women; Kevin Casey as Lord Cedric; Emily Christine as Brenda

Book One in the series Legends from Qiledara: Prince Aaron, with the help of his friend and squire Timothy, sets out to complete trials King Radomir announces for him and his twin brother, Prince Damien. Though by the old law Aaron as the oldest son should inherit the throne, his father King Radomir appears to favor Prince Damien. Thus, Radomir pits his twin sons against one another in the trials. Aaron’s mentor Gueric has provided Aaron with a solid foundation since childhood and instills values in him that the late queen would have desired to see in her son: true honor and valor. Throughout his journey into adulthood, as he completes the trials, Aaron learns the depth of the corruption in his kingdom. Aaron faces a journey that will force him to face this corruption and determine who he will be in this economy of power in which only Aaron or Damien will emerge as the future king.

©2023 Amy Daniels (P)2025 Amy Daniels

Excellent beginning for a promising series

The Hidden Kingdom by Amy Daniels is the first audiobook in the Legends from Qiledara series and serves as a solid opening to what feels like a thoughtfully built fantasy world. I have already reviewed the second audiobook in the series, Shadow of the Dragon, and I enjoyed that listening experience very much. Going back to this first entry made me appreciate the series even more, and I am glad to have discovered where everything started.

The audiobook runs just under fourteen hours and is presented with a full cast of voice actors. From the beginning, the production feels well organised, with clear performances and a steady pace that makes it easy to settle into the story.

The focus here is on Prince Aaron, who is being prepared for leadership under the watchful eye of his father, King Radomir. Alongside his loyal friend and squire Timothy, Aaron faces a series of challenges meant to test his readiness for the crown. His twin brother Damien is also part of this process, and the relationship between the two adds quiet tension throughout the story. Without going into spoilers, the audiobook explores responsibility, loyalty, and the weight of expectations, while hinting at deeper issues within the kingdom.

The writing is vivid but never overwhelming. Descriptions are clear and purposeful, helping the listener picture the world without slowing the story down. The pacing allows the characters to develop naturally while laying the groundwork for what is clearly a longer journey.

The full-cast performance is very entertaining. Each character is easy to recognise, and the actors work well together to keep conversations natural and engaging. This is a series I would comfortably recommend to fantasy fans who prefer full-cast productions over solo narration.

With two audiobooks already available and two more books planned in the series, The Hidden Kingdom truly feels like the beginning of a much larger adventure. I am very much looking forward to seeing where the story takes us next!

The Hidden Kingdom

The Hidden Kingdom steps straight into familiar fantasy territory with rival princes, a volatile king, backstabbing advisors, old laws rubbing up against ambition, and a kingdom that feels like it’s been waiting a long time for things to go wrong.

At the centre are twin brothers Aaron and Damien, locked into a succession struggle engineered by their father, King Radomir. By the old law, Aaron should inherit the throne, but Radomir’s favour clearly lies elsewhere.

His solution is to announce a series of trials to determine who is worthy to rule, setting up a rivalry that quickly turns personal. Aaron approaches the trials with a sense of restraint and duty, supported by his friend and squire Timothy, while Damien leans fully into underhanded deceit and manipulation, and generally anything else he can get away with including attempts to remove his brother from the equation altogether.

The story isn’t short on action either, with battles and physical conflict woven steadily through the larger political and personal tension.

The overall tone of the story feels aimed at a middle-teen audience. Short, sharp sentences keep the writing is straightforward and easy to follow, prioritising clarity over elegance. There are occasional parts geared toward more adult territory, so maybe aimed at the more mature side of teens rather than a younger YA crowd.

Most of the characters fit familiar fantasy archetypes. The power-mad king, the scheming second son, the honour-bound heir, the loyal companion, and the wise older advisor all do their jobs well. Damien and King Radomir dominate the antagonistic space, and their presence provides much of the tension, even if neither character is particularly subtle in their motivations.

The world-building is solid and reasonably ambitious. With a sense of long history behind the kingdom, including ancient conflicts involving dragons and humanity, and a mysterious kingdom that has deliberately hidden itself away from the world.

The audiobook uses a full cast, anchored by Phillip Nathaniel Freeman. Overall, it works well. The performances add energy and variety without becoming distracting and help keep characters distinct.

Audio quality is generally strong with no production issues of note except for one minor side character where the audio sounds noticeably different, almost as if recorded on a lower-quality setup. It stood out briefly, but the character appears infrequently enough that it didn’t hurt the overall listen.

Overall, The Hidden Kingdom is a steady, traditional fantasy audiobook that leans into familiar structures and clear storytelling. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it delivers a comfortable, easy-to-follow listen with enough ambition and momentum to carry the story forward.