Veil of Darkness

The Earthsoul Prophecies, Book One

De: Greg Park

Narrado por: Alan Humpherys

The prophecies begin to be fulfilled. The Earthsoul weakens, and the demon god Maeon presses his realm ever closer to the world of men. The Veil separating life from death has thinned, and many evil spirits have been refleshed back into existence. Led by the Dreadlord Throy Shadan, these refleshed beings have rallied their forces for one final march against the Nine Lands.

Meanwhile, in the capital city of Trian, a secret society called The Hand of the Dark has risen in opposition to the rightful government. Sworn to Maeon, their goal is the complete destruction of the Fairimor bloodline and the death of the Earthsoul itself.

The only hope against this threat lies in the courage and strength of one young man. Heir of the ancient Fairimor birthright, he must take up a Blood Orb of Elsa and use it to rejuvenate the Earthsoul before the world is swallowed in a sea of death and misery. There is just one problem: He may be as dangerous as the enemy.

Greg Park's vision of the fantasy genre is unique—a carefully woven tapestry of myth and magic, intense action and quiet contemplation that brings to life a rich and varied world.

Brilliantly conceived, with more than six thousand years of history, The Earthsoul Prophecies is a magnificent tale of a dying world's struggle for survival and an insightful look into mankind's proven capacity for good and evil.

©2004, 2007 Greg Park (P)2024 Greg Park

Great to revisit

I read the physical copy of The Veil of Darkness the first year it came out. I thoroughly enjoyed revisiting the Earthsoul Prophesy series again. It was a little refreshing to have a narrator who didn’t voice act each character’s voice. (Even though I really enjoy many narrators who do)
One critique I would give is one word in particular is used so much throughout the book and the narrator pronounces it wrong! (I believe this might just be a me thing so don’t let it distract you) Foliage should be pronounced /fō-lē-age/ not /f-oi-lage/. Other than that little nitpick, Mr. Humpherys does a great job. I listened at 1.5 speed and he was clear and easy to understand.

For lovers of the Wheel of Time

I read this story for the first time well over a decade ago and I was hooked before I finished the first chapter! Greg has built a phenomenal world, filled with an incredibly large cast of well written characters that are loveable, some hard not to hate, and many others who waste no space in regards to helping move the story along!
Coming back to this story nearly 15 years after the first time I read it, it stands the test of time and remains a high fantastical masterpiece!
I can only imagine what narrating a book is like, what's easy and what is difficult about it. Alan Humpherys does a decent enough job. His narration of this story certainly flows, is smooth and concise. Nothing is lost as far as the words are written on the page for him to read. As far as performances go it lacked to some degree. As I said though, I can only imagine how hard it must be to try and give individuality to the voice of dozens, if not hundreds of characters.
Overall, I am pleased with the telling of this fantastic story in this audible rendition!

Well done!

great story

I'll start with the cons the reader was a little speedy for the first couple chapters but I just slowed it down but after that he found a good pace to listen at normal speed. the story is written well, you feel the emotions well and has good flow the plot flows wellso you dont get bored. the epilog leaves you wanting to instantly download the next book to hear what adventures Jace will face next

Everyone should listen to this book!

I am normally not a fan of audiobooks. But since this is my ALL time favorite series I wanted to make sure the audiobook did it justice. I was very surprised with how much I enjoyed the audiobook. I normally find narrators voices annoying. In my opinion narrators try too hard when reading. So it never sounds natural or authentic. Especially in fantasy books. They always try too hard to be fantasy. But that didn’t happened with this one. I think the narrator did a great job of sounding real while reading. He didn’t try too hard or make up dumb voices for the different characters. He didn’t sound forced or awkward. There was a very natural flow to how he was reading it.

As with any book to audiobook there were definitely names and places I pronounced differently. But that’s always expected. It was always a surprise to hear the difference after so many years of saying it in my head.

There were only a few things that really jumped out at me. And I would have to go back and double check. But throughout the book there were a few names that the narrator switched how he said it from time to time. In the beginning he would say it one way and then slowly throughout the book he would change it. I think I noticed because of how many times I’ve read this book. I know it almost word for word. I don’t think someone listening to this for the first time would notice. But it’s something that caught my attention.

But overall I was pleasantly surprised with how good this audiobook ended up being. I would definitely recommend it to everyone!

Easily one of my favorites.

I love this series so much. To be honest it was the series that got me interested in reading books. I've bought and read all 5 and got my sister into it as well. Greg Park has crafted a fantastic story and universe and I cannot wait to see what he comes up with next. I'll be looking forward to the second book on audible. If I could make it happen, I would make this into a television series. Anyways, definitely 10/10.

A "must have" for my audio collection

Having read through the Earthsoul Prophecies a few times, I was very interested in hearing the audio version. I'm glad to say I was not disappointed. It's a great addition to highly readable series of books. I enjoyed listening to this book as much as reading it.

Regarding the quality of the audio, I found the narration natural and relaxing. The pacing felt good and easy to comprehend. Alan Humpherys's voice lent a good balance to the material which I found refreshing.

Greg's worldbuilding is detailed and descriptive, full of characters that feel alive, and with relationships that work well together. To accomplish this, the first book does lean heavily on exposition. However, I enjoyed listening to its inception and evolution. I liked the mix of plot and action. I found myself getting invested again in the lives of the characters, their hopes and fears, successes and failures.

My biggest disappointment after reaching the end was that I didn't have an option to download and start listening to the second book. I'm looking forward to enjoying the remaining books as an audio adventure.

If you're already a fan of the Earthsoul Prophecies, you will want to add this to your collection. If you are new to the series, I envy the experience you will have when discovering this gem for the first time.

DECADES LATER

Finally got to enjoy Parks story in audio form after almost 20 years. Can't wait for the next one.

A thrilling mix of suspense, mystery, and a fun love story

“Veil of Darkness” by Greg Park is an audiobook that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat! It’s a perfect mix of suspense, mystery sprinkled with a fun love story. The narrator’s voice acting is great. He brings each character to life and helps you feel immersed in the story of Jase and his quest to understand his new found powers and the ultimate quest to stop the Earthsoul from collapsing. Park’s storytelling is so good that you’ll be hooked from the first chapter to the last minute. There are many twists and turns, and you’ll feel like you’re right there in the story. Greg Park has done a wonderful job developing each of the characters which makes it easy as a reader/listener to cheer for them. The author and reader did a wonderful job transporting me to another world. If you’re a fan of dark and thrilling stories, you have to listen to this one. It’s a must-read!

Extremely fun book, great story telling

One of my favorite books out there! It captures fantasy, action and adventure with an original coming-of-age story. It captures the awkwardness of a young adult trying to find himself while taking on the burden of the world.
The narrator did a good job, annunciation on a few things/names were not what I had imagined but that could entirely be on me!
The narrator could have captured emotion/contextual language better but overall did a fine job.