A Testament of Steel

Instrument of Omens, Book 1

By: Davis Ashura

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

Length: 19 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's Summary

A young man with no past must progress into a warrior out of legend.

Cinder Shade’s life begins on a fateful afternoon at the bottom of a well where he awakens, bruised, battered, and bereft of all memory. His only understanding is a driving imperative to protect those who can’t defend themselves and become a warrior worthy of the name. 

He discovers within himself a peculiar gift, one in which the codes of combat are made evident and the language of steel is made clear.

When he earns a place at a prestigious elven warrior academy, Cinder fights to enhance his knowledge and perhaps even humble the proud elves who believe no human is their equal. His hard-earned skills are put to the test when strange rumblings emanate from deep in the Dagger Mountains. Monsters out of myth emerge. And so does something far worse... An ancient god. The world believes this deity long dead, but he is very much alive. And he remembers his enemies all too well. Even if they don’t remember themselves.

©2020 Davis Ashura (P)2020 Podium Audio

Brilliant. Seriously.

Davis Ashura ups his game on this. This is seriously on a whole different level from his previous works (which were already great), and Nick Podehl brings the HEAT. Read it. Right now.

Great Story!

I was hesitant to try something so new but I'm very glad I did. It was a wonderfully written story with great progression. It kept me curious as to what would happen next with the right amount of anticipation and satisfying results. Very much so looking forward to the next part of the story.

ABSOLUTELY FANTANSTIC!

THIS BOOK WAS ABSOLUTELY WORTH THE WAIT, NICK PODEHL, DID A SUPERB JOB NARRATING! I REALLY COULD NOT STOP LISTENING, I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START OR HOW TO DESCRIBE, IF YOU HAVE LISTENED OR READ ANY OF DAVIS ASHURA’S OTHER BOOKS THEN YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH HIS WRITING AND THE LEVEL OF DETAIL AS WELL AS THE EMOTIONAL COMMITMENT. JUST READ OR LISTEN EVEN IF THIS IS A FIRST. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED

This is a solid 4.5 audiobook.

But unfortunately Audible has a dumbed down rating system that doesn’t allow for nuance. Moreover they do an extremely poor job of communicating an effective rubric for listeners to rate the audiobooks... What criteria should there be for a 5 star rating?... for a 1 star rating? How many one star reviews have you seen for books that are well edited and decently performed? How many 5 star ratings have you seen where the written review sites major flaws in the audiobook? How many times have you purchased a 4.5 star audiobook with 100s of reviews whose sole editor was very obviously an animated paper clip? ...Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. A Testament of Steel is absolutely worth your credit. It’s definitely not necessary to read Davis Ashura’s preceding Castes and OutCastes series in order to enjoy this book and be able to follow the plot. That said, this book does take place in the same universe as CAOC and there will be quite a few confusing terms and references relating to events and characters from Ashura’s other books. I did find myself wanting to go back and re-read the earlier series to refresh my memory as these things popped up. In the end, it should be said that this book is not a direct sequel to the preceding CAOC, but many of the primary characters can be found in this book, and it IS in some sense a continuation of the preceding storyline. Although Ashura has done a good job of making this book able to stand on its own. The writing and performance are as good as I’ve come to expect from Nick Podehl and Davis Ashura. The story and plot are engaging. Was this among the most compelling listens I’ve come across?... probably no, but I feel that given the absolute goat-rope that the Audible ratings system has become, I can’t bring myself to penalize this book with a 4 star rating.

DID NOT WANT IT TO END!

Wow...great story! When I realized where Davis was going, I got really excited. To carry on with the story line was a great idea. Davis Ashura is within doubt, one of my favorite authors and he really proves his talent in this book. Cannot wait for the next installment! Way to go Davis!

Davis Ashura never disappoints!

Yet another tale of mythical beasts, faithful compatriots and sword action abound! A nice story of a boy’s wayward adventures into manhood. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!

very enjoyable story

i liked this book an as normal Davis Ashura is good at writing a smooth moving story to keep you wanting more an always full of emotions. what is it about a boy who is called Cinder "sorry may of mispelled" an he wakes up one day with no memory an has club foot an a bad leg an decides he want to protect people since his parents were killed by a wolf so he starts his journey. this was the negative part for me somehow cinder outgrows his club foot an leg gets strong with no explanation on how it happen. he gos to a school to leran to be a warrior an becomes one of the top of his class were he gos to train with elves that are rude an sort of bullies toward him an his human friends so he trains hard to beat them in a tournament an he also makes friends with the dwarfs. an at the end they all learn that working together can help for the last battle.

Fabulous!!! You'll be hooked!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Waiting for the next one will feel like a lifetime or two. It's engaging, poignant, well written, flows perfectly... Well worth every second of your time. It's been a while since I've felt this way about a new story. The world is rich with myth, lore, and adventure. Even the "no-good" characters grab your attention. Do yourself a favor and don't pass this up!!

More please...

I could not put this book down . It was awesome. Nick Podehl is an amazing storyteller. I need more. Awaiting book two.

An Amazing Find

I am very happy I discovered this book. If you are into cultivation type novels, this is definitely worth looking into. You get pulled into the story of the growth of Cinder, the main character, and following his development and growth. This is the perfect set up for a series, and I can't wait for the next books. This is by first Davis Ashura book, and I'm very impressed.