Betrayer's Bane

Publisher's Summary

Tyrion was a good person who had been born to a simple family and raised with love, but the world has shaped him for a different fate. Twisted by violence and torture, he is obsessed with a relentless desire for vengeance, and he has sown the seeds of wrath in his children. The She'Har have offered him the opportunity to be a great leader and usher in a new era of prosperity and peace, but, despite his gentle beginnings, Tyrion is no hero.

Heroes are born to build, and while many laud the efforts of such leaders, others will work to bring them down, for all good things must come to an end. Every forest must inevitably face the flame.

Destiny has chosen Tyrion for a different path and has given him the spark that will burn the world to ashes. Embracing the evil within, he will reap a harvest of hatred, and no one will find safety in the purge of fire that he brings; even the betrayer has his bane.

Will anything be left to rise from the ash?

©2016 Michael G. Manning (P)2017 Podium Publishing

great book perfectly performed.

incredibly dark story . I loved the while trilogy. the reading was fantastic he sounds angry as rewired most of the time perfect for the story.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Second time I listened to series - Still great

One of the smartest and most brutal series I’ve ever listened to.

I will probably wait a year and listen again

5 of 5 people found this review helpful

Warning: Depravity Ladened

Michael Manning is an exceptional author as he continues to demonstrate in book 3 of this trilogy. However, the content of this book and book 2, The Silent Tempest, are so steeped in acts of degeneracy as to make it unpleasant and difficult to find much enjoyment in their telling.

Alex Wyndham performed an excellent performance of the characters.

In short, this is a very dark series and, even for most adult listeners, and not for the weak of heart.

4 of 4 people found this review helpful

I hard read but a worthy conclusion

it was a very good book.. that being said it was also one of the saddest reads I have read in a very long time I applaud Michael G Manning for being able to tie these two stories together and make a book that explains the past and answers the questions left by the other series he wrote first.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

A refreshing twist

Tired of reading stories where ever thing magically works out in the end to the point that it almost seems that the achieved goal is almost meaningless? Then listen to this series and follow a story where every gain makes your heart break as you relate to the characters, even the "bad" ones. So sit back listen and judge the characters and ask yourself what would I do? Before you know it you'll be hooked!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Brutally honest dark fantasy

Love this series. Heart wrenching. I wish more fantasy writers would take risks with tone like this. Narrator was awesome.

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Bloody Brilliant!

Where does Betrayer's Bane rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Top ten for sure

Any additional comments?

It's a lot to handle. But done well enough to make it incredibly moving.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Disappointment

Any additional comments?

After really enjoying the first two books of the Betrayer's Bane series, I found Embers of Illeniel to be somewhat of a let down. The first two books were dark and horrifying, and yet still found a way to exude hope for the future. With Embers of Illeniel the author spent much of the book with the characters brooding and either giving or receiving various forms of torture.

The savagery of the first books hold nothing in comparison to this one, as rape, child abuse, sexual abuse, incest, and brutal murder, become common themes. There is an attempt to justify these horrors with the theme of revenge and needed destruction to secure the future, but after a while you begin to believe that the ends do not justify the means, and you lose any good will towards the heroes of the story. One exception would be Brigid, who is probably the most viscous of them all, steals the story with her sadness and destructive force.

Overall, I felt Embers of Illeniel did not hold up to the first two books of the series, though the series as a whole was worth a listen. Don't expect any happy endings or for a neat wrap-up at the ending though, as this series won't provide it. The narration of Alex Wyndham is good thought the series.

4 of 6 people found this review helpful

awesome

you can tell his writing has came such a long way from the blacksmith's son even though that was a really good books to I never want to see this series ends this the second time I have listened to this book and I never listen to the same book twice

A one-of-a-kind, pure audible delight!

The story of vastly superior civilizations using their dominion over the weak to satiate their schadenfreude in arena blood sport is an old one is both human history and as a foundation for many fantasy novels. When the aforementioned conquerors turn it to be magical, aether-weilding multi-dimensional trees? That's a new one in me! But If, somehow, magic trees of a height to dwarf a redwood - with super-brains - don't do it, the trees, called the, "She'Har" entice a selected critter to munch on one of their fruits that grant sentience, knowledge and experience of every She'Har who's every existed.

Random critter, I dub thee, baby tree!

Though the She'Har seem to have nailed the method in quickly rising to the top of the food chain needed for subsequent self-authorized planetary asylum from the "enemy", the age-old advice given from every boy's father that, "To look upon a mother now is to look upon the daughter later." doesn't quite hold it's weight in the world of the She'Har!


final statement: complaint about a story made with extraordinary effort for the reading/listening pleasure at ones own discretion is like nothing about paying someone to fix your car and bitching that your friends don't like the color: Nonsensical and f**king stupid. how stupid would the story have been if a madman and his gaggle offspring wooed the slave She'Har with candlelight and elder tree fruit dinner? it was a sensible and (imo) necessary conclusion the author surely made it the detail.

A Spiral Into Utter Darkness!

This, series has been genuinely outstanding. It includes what I would regard as some of the most powerful scenes that I have ever seen in a fantasy series. Tyrion's endless struggle against his oppressors and his own nature is genuinely a dark and gripping tale. He is constantly hemmed in by the unforeseen consequences of his actions and he and his children descend into a darkness that threatens to overcome everything. I now think that the author was definitely right to include his warning about the nature of the book, it delves into areas that are far from comfortable reading. Child abuse, domestic violence, intolerance and dark deeds are at the heart of this story and yet there are also positive, strong characters and the enduring hope, albeit often fleeting, that light will prevail. The tale of Tyrion's torment, his crushing desire for revenge and how it drives a man who undoubtedly had goodness in his soul to the edge of his sanity is a masterpiece. The true darkness though is how it effects those around him and what many of them become.

The narration by Alex Wyndham is top quality throughout, his voices really help to flesh the characters out.

The tensions grow as Tyrion and the world around him are dragged further and further into darkness. It all leads up to a quite cataclysmic finale and a sudden, brutal ending. Although there are some slower passages in this book the way that the sheer madness builds and then quite literally shudders to that dramatic conclusion is near perfection.

7 of 7 people found this review helpful

Very good end

The beginning of this 3rd chapter it was slow and it didn't convince me. However as the story continued it got interesting and although sad I really like the end. It is also good to finish in 3 books. Many thanks

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Excellent conclusion

This is a very dark book, be warned, but also a very satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and I very much enjoyed all 3 books. This series well worth the read if you like a grittier fantasy. The description of magic was also interesting and imaginative. Very solid voice acting was the icing on the cake.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Wonderful narrator and great story

Great end to this trilogy. Quite dark in places but good characterisations made it believable. Highly recommend Alex Wyndham's narration.

Wow

Absolutely could not get enough of this book it's had me on many late nights not being able to stop myself from carrying on. The story just enveloped me

Not the norm for this genre

As a avid fantasy fan this was not the norm, this was refreshingly different ,dark some times uncomeatable I would not recommend this to a newbie but to somebody who wants to take a break from the usual stuff . I hated the end after such a build up ,not enough time was given to the final moments . If time was the problem cut some the unnecessary child relationship stuff. so New ,Brilliant Idea rushed ending for me

Amazing

I wish there was more! I loved every single on of these books. Now they have come to a conclusion it's saddening that the story is over. please let there be more some day. or even a film. 👌

Well worth downloading

An enjoyable, immersive tale, albeit not the most cheerful content at times but an excellent listen nevertheless. Definitely worth purchasing.

Brilliant & Dark at the same time

Probably the best book yet, dark & disturbing but brilliantly written , this was a somber & satisfying ending to The tale of Tirrian and the beginning of the line of illeniel , I definitely recommend this trilogy book 3 did not disappoint Fantastic.

love story

its not the best written book in the world. but such a great story and wiyh brilliant ideas!