Emperor Forged

An Empire Reforged, Book 1

By: K.D. Robertson

Narrated by: Gabriel Michael, Katana Jones

Length: 7 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

The emperor is dead. Betrayed. Now a new ruler must rise from the ashes.

Mykah had been the Empire’s greatest general before it had rotted to corruption. Now he builds his own empire in order to crush the greatest nation in the world. At his side is the stunning woman who leads the horned barbarians from the north, known as the oni.

The Empire’s armies are limitless. They have dragons, vampires, scores of mages, space-bending foxes, and more patriotic knights than one can imagine. Their industrial network can outfit an army in days.

Sometimes, winning requires a lot more than just a good army and tactics.

Mykah is up against the clock as the Empire rushes to crush his rebellion. He needs to find an edge over his opponent. His old allies turn on him even as he gathers new ones: elite sorceresses, energetic berserkers, and the horned beauty that leads the oni.

Establishing a new empire is hard. Mykah needs to do it before his past catches up to him and grinds him into the dust.

©2019 K.D. Robertson (P)2022 Royal Guard Publishing LLC

Excellent performance elevates already great book

This was K.D. Robertson's first book and even though it was late to make the jump to audio it was worth the wait. The story is solid if less complex than Robertson's later works, but the performance is amazing. The casting really nailed actors who brought an extra dimension of emotion to key scenes that I don't think hit as hard as when I first read this in print. The performance for Miya really stands out and the production made some very cool choices about how to present draconic voices that I found very enjoyable. If you enjoyed Heretic Spellblade or Demon's Throne this gives you many of the same elements in a more stripped down and simple setting. I would definitely recommend people give this one a listen.

There are Mages and Dragons and Oni...

Oh my!...I know that line was cheesy, but I found it humorous! XD

A powerful veteran warmage decides to rebel and establish his own kingdom, after the previous one he served fell to corruption. Forming an alliance with lifelong enemies, the veteran seeks to claim or destroy the corrupted lands, one beautifully bloody battle at a time.

First thing that needs to be recognized are the voice actors. Gabriel Michael is always a good pick when voice acting MCs that have a certain level of swagger, which fits this story very well. Katana Jones is quickly becoming a favorite with the amount of depth she brings into her performance.

The story as whole is unapologeticly fast-paced with a lot of suspense. There isn't a slow startup like you would seen in any typical fantasy series. You literally hit the ground running(stabbing, it's actually stabbing). Yet, at the same time a lot of enjoyable characters are introduced to assist the MC in his quest and making the story feel more fleshed out. The daunting challenges that the heroes had to face: corrupt mages, vampires, dragons and more, as well as the epic battles that ensued, made this an exciting audiobook.

Overall, this was a well-narrated conquering fantasy story with a lot of characters to love and a lot of battles to enjoy. Looking forward to book two.

What. A. Ride!!!

HIGHLY recommend it!!!
I haven't cared for/been burnt out by epic and high fantasy for a while now but this book kept me coming back for more even though. Fighting against my exhausted mind, crying out for sleep...! Haha

I just got done with the audible with the epic Gabriel Michael and the amazing Katana Jones as the narrators! Doing their thing as a duo and bringing a production to life that doesn't just feel like someone reading a book. Katana Jones is one my favorite female narrators with her range of female voices with burning passion in ALL kinds of emotional moments.
And Gabriel has quickly become one of my favorites as well. His ability to breath life into the MCs... he also has passion to match Katana which is probably why they do so well together with so many books!

Very engaging story!

I really enjoyed this one by K. D. Robertson as the plot is well thought out and characters are developed well enough to believe. Gabriel Michael and Katana Jones do an excellent job narrating

Great opening to what I am looking forward to be a fantastic series

I did not get this book for free.

I have listen to this authors, previous books and have really enjoyed them. The characters are well written, and the plot is something I think people will relate to.
Both narrators do an excellent job of voicing each character in their own unique way
I highly recommend this book

Huge Pass

5 chapters in and every female mentioned is lusting over the MC another writer joins the mobile book game which is audible

Awesome story!

This was an awesome book and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series. Great work author and narrators.

A little predictable but doesn’t shy away from intimate scenes.

The overall book was decent. It was Defined, well flushed out, with a clear sense of direction.

Performance was good. Only thing I could say is during the intimate scenes they overlay audio of male and female at times. I understand they are trying to be more realistic. However, I couldn’t hear either at times. Definitely not a negative just different.

The story itself was a little predictable. It has a few twist and turns, but it’s a nice point a-b story. If I could give 3.5 I would. I think it is worth the credit.

good progression fantasy

starts off a little slow and in middle of things but the story really evens out and turns out very well. looking forwards to more

Unique and Epic!

You can hear it just from the tone and the words the narrator uses. The story best way to describe is epic, very different to a lot of current works, well made and very involving. You get lost in the story, a power struggle that is well told. It is action packed, fast paced, with some touch of harem lit but we'll placed and contributing. The narrators are super involved, granting a lot more detail and emotion than you can feel in other works. I definitely recommend this listen!

fantastic fantastic

loved the story and the performance was very well done.
i would definitely recommend.

The empire has fallen. Corrupted. Time to revolt.

At my request I received a copy of this audiobook in order to give a fair and unbiased review.

Genre: Fantasy epic with harem elements.

Power dynamics in harem: Girls in this book are both subservient to the MC.
Explicit/adult material: Explicit.

Summary:
Mykah has defended the empire from the barbarian oni for a century. But the emperor is dead and the empire is no longer as it was.
Vampires, dragons and others have split the once human empire between them and hold no loyalty to the tradition and culture of the empire that was.
Mykah must rebuild the empire and defeat the evil that has taken control from within. He must rebel.

Narrators
Voice diversity: Well done, some races use sound filters to show their power, but even without it characters have their own voice.
Pacing and intonation: Very good. The action is intense and the celebrations joyful. Very immersive.
Sex scenes: Work well. Utilizes simultaneous recordings to allow overlapping moans and dialogue. Works well.
Overall: 4.5 / 5 stars.

The book’s strengths.
- It is a fantasy story about an empire in civil war first, and a sexual harem second. That works well.
- It does a great job of world building and explaining that world through the culture clash of the humans and the oni.
- Great narration

The book’s weaknesses.
- The sexual bonding between the MC and his girls feels a bit sudden. There is trust and respect, but more sexual build-up would have been a boon.

Overall: 4/5 stars

Epic

Great start to a series very well done book with a great story and great characters amazing narration

super intense

Great book and very intense. a lot of world building and battle tactics. MC is a very smart guy with and a great planner. Loved it.