Ancient Things: A High Fantasy Adventure

The Land of Broken Roads, Book 1

By: Ryan English

Narrated by: Peter Kenny

In a world of wonder, mystery, and lurking threats, a young boy and a giant wolf must rely on each other to escape the things that hunt them both.

The age of mankind is over, its empire reduced to a land of rubble and broken roads. Vicious things nest in the old, forgotten ruins, and what's left of humanity huddles in tiny communities that grow smaller every generation. But when a young boy is taken in by an unlikely ally, a glimmer of hope is born.

After waking up in a mysterious forest with no weapons, supplies, or even memories of his life before, Dirt should have ended up a barely adequate snack. Luckily, he attracts the attention of a gigantic, curious wolf pup, who rescues him, and they quickly become friends.

The world is beautiful and wondrous, perfect for a pair of adventurous youngsters, but that doesn't mean it's safe. Dirt is small and frail, and the mighty Socks has problems of his own. His Mother, an immense being of unfathomable power, sets a high bar for her offspring. If Socks can't meet the challenge, he'll die. Mother's not too fond of the clingy little human he insists on keeping either.

If the two of them are to survive long enough to grow up, they'll need all of Dirt's sincerity, discipline, and cunning as well as Socks's valor and tremendous strength. And they'll also need to beware: not everything that was lost should be rediscovered, and not everything that sleeps should be disturbed.

The first volume of the hit fantasy adventure series—with more than a million views on Royal Road—now available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!!

©2025 Ryan English (P)2025 Podium Audio

an amazing read by Peter.

I'm only a handful of chapters in so far and I'm absolutely loving the job that Peter is doing on his narration of this book. Ryan's story is enchanting, and Peter's narration just turns it up to a whole nother level.

See through new eyes

Murderous goblins, chattering like parrots. A filthy child, surviving on morning dew and fiddleheads. The dream of trees, and the awakening of giants. Curious dryads, accidentally lethal. Places of man, dead and full of terrors. Telepathic wolf pups as big as elephants. Mother, goddess of endless creation and destruction. Father, whose howling wrath shakes the earth. Blood, life, friendship, terror, mystery. Come explore the land of broken roads. It's like nothing you've ever read.

Absolutely Wonderful

This is the honey and mint sweetener equivalent of epic fantasy writing. While many many others are high fructose corn syrup or saccharine this author has written the first book in a series that promises to be something warm and satisfying on a cold night. Peter Kenny has a narration style and voice that never grates or suffers from a lack of character. The art on the cover caught my eye because it is unique and interesting and the story has lived up to this judgement in my personal opinion. I have read several decades worth of fantasy and am constantly trying to find that new hidden gem in among the dross. Tropes get old for me quickly and lately the fashion in fantasy has become more like playing a game or watching an adaptation series targeting minds that are less sophisticated or demanding in their fantasy. It’s just so satisfying to find a fantasy novel that is none of those things and also unique. I find myself rationing my listening as I wait for the next installment to drop in June.

Surreal fantasy at its best

Delightfully different, the story pulls the reader along pellmell through strange and wonderous adventures. 5 stars.

Giant Puppy fun

Bruh. This book was hard for me to read but easy to listen to on audible. Starts slow and seems to take lots of tangents, but it’s enjoyable to slow down and listen to.