Knight's Ransom

The First Argentines, Book 1

By: Jeff Wheeler

Narrated by: Kate Rudd

“Jeff Wheeler has always been one of our more dependable storytellers. Knight’s Ransom adds to his reputation. A fine page-turner.” --Terry Brooks, New York Times bestselling author.

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler comes an epic new series of warring kingdoms, deadly family rivalries, and fearless loyalty, set in the world of Kingfountain.

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. A brutal war of succession has plunged the court of Kingfountain into a power struggle between a charitable king who took the crown unlawfully and his ambitious rival, Devon Argentine. The balance of power between the two men hinges on the fate of a young boy ensnared in this courtly intrigue. A boy befittingly nicknamed Ransom.

When the Argentine family finally rules, Ransom must make his own way in the world. Opportunities open and shut before him as he journeys along the path to knighthood, blind to a shadowy conspiracy of jealousy and revenge. Securing his place will not be easy, nor will winning the affection of Lady Claire de Murrow, a fiery young heiress from an unpredictably mad kingdom.

Ransom interrupts an abduction plot targeting the Queen of Ceredigion and earns a position in service to her son, the firstborn of the new Argentine dynasty. But conflict and treachery threaten the family, and Ransom must also come to understand and hone his burgeoning powers - abilities that involve more than his mastery with a blade and that make him as much a target as his lord.

©2021 Jeff Wheeler. (P)2020 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“With this superlative epic fantasy…Wheeler does an expert job of reintroducing his fantasy world through the eyes of sympathetic characters that fans and new readers alike will root for. This is sure to be a hit.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

“[Wheeler] adds elements of Arthurian legend to the start of the First Argentines series…along with splendid palace intrigues and battles.” (Booklist, starred review)

“Full of surprise, heartbreak, intrigue and knightliness…a great start to what feels like a solid series!” (The Nerd Daily)

Wrong narrator

Male lead is read by a woman?? Most of the characters are men and sound very off when read by a woman. Decent story though.

This book is so entertaining!

I listen to audible while I clean and do laundry. I was searching for things to do so I could excuse my listeing. VERY entertaining story and I can't wait for the next one! I also love that I could let my daughter listen to this without worry.

Lots of betrayal; not much plot progression

I listened to and read this story. I reviewed the book on Amazon. The performance of the audio book is okay. I thought the female narrator didn’t have sufficient skills to differentiate between male characters of similar age, and dialog scenes were tricky as it was difficult it tell which character was speaking at times. The voice acting was fine for the parts in the female protagonist’s voice, but I think a male voice actor would be better since the story is so heavily populated with men. Sorry for my sexist opinion! I’ve heard female narrators do amazing performances with a variety of characters, but this one doesn’t seem as skillful at times.

A great page turner

I was caught up in the story right from the start. The narrator does a wonderful job bringing the story to life.

Keeps you wanting to know more

I really enjoyed this book. It keeps your attention and wanting you to keep reading. I really like this book. I recommend it to anyone who like fantasy books.