Blood Ties

The King's Chosen, Book 1

By: L. Waithman

Narrated by: Adriel Brandt

Length: 11 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

At the heart of an ancient prophecy is young Lucas, who has the sole power to save two medieval kingdoms from destruction...but will he discover this ultimate secret before it’s too late? Lucas has been raised as a blacksmith’s son—an outsider ostracized by the other village children.

One night at a nearby monastery, a mysterious black stone whispers a haunting premonition to Lucas. When his father is murdered, the monks take Lucas in, convinced he is an extraordinary hero foretold by destiny. However, a restless Lucas runs off to join a circus where he draws the attention of the powerful King Itan, who believes Lucas is one of “the chosen”, a group of boys who are descendants of great warriors.

The king will stop at nothing to compel Lucas to join his chosen army, all while the soldiers who killed Lucas' father are closing in. Before long, Lucas becomes embroiled in a plot to defeat the king, while an unseen enemy begins planning to bring the young man down before he can learn of his remarkable power.

This first novel of L. Waithman’s richly imagined fantasy series will leave you eagerly awaiting Lucas’ next adventure. An audiobook produced by e-Audio Productions.

©2022 L. Waithman (P)2023 e-Audio Productions LLC

good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

A Great YA Fantasy with Abrupt TBC Ending

A young boy with a mysterious past is taken in by fighting monks after his father is murdered. This is the first of the series that introduces us to Lucas, the blacksmith’s son with unique abilities that may play a role in a prophecy about two warring kingdoms. Not content to stay in the monastery, young Lucas leaves to join a traveling circus, where his special abilities start to reveal themselves … and he draws the attention of the King. Tragically, the jealousy of another young boy sends Lucas into hiding until a mysterious group of toughs/assassins flushes him out into the open and he is finally accepted into a group of young soldiers known as The Chosen (no spoiler here … the series is called The Kings Chosen so you had to be expecting that right). What follows is another typical YA trope where the leader of the Elite Born takes an instance dislike to Lucas and uses his authority over all the Chosen to make his life difficult … but Lucas manages to survive and gain a solid reputation despite all of that. The writing here is surprisingly tight and well done that, with the aid of a solid narration for each of the characters, makes this one of the better audiobooks in the fantasy genre that I have encountered. The only reason it failed to get top marks is the abrupt ending … obviously this is a setup for the series; however, it is still a stand alone book and it should have resolved at least one of the plot conflicts … if it does I missed it as it seems to be to simply drop off after a new character states that it is time for Lucas to know who he really is … so tune in at the same bat time on the same bat channel to see the exciting conclusion to who the heck is Lucas. It should say something that regardless of my displeasure at the ending … I will probably pick up the next installment

I was given this free advance review/listener copy (ARC) audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

#BloodTies #TheKingsChosen #FreeAudiobookCodes

One of the best I have listened to so far

Epic story! Fantastic narration. Overall a really really good listen. This is a series so hopefully we will get the next volume soon!

A hero discovering his extraordinary potential!

L. Waithman weaves an enthralling tale in "Blood Ties," where a blacksmith's son, Lucas, finds himself caught in a web of destiny and power. Narrated by the talented Adriel Brandt, the story unfolds with a blend of mystery and adventure, transporting listeners to medieval realms. With a relentless king, impending danger, and a young hero discovering his extraordinary potential, "Blood Ties" is a gripping fantasy that demands to be heard.