Empire of Exiles

By: Erin M Evans

Narrated by: Imogen Church

Length: 18 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Magic, mystery, and revolution collide in this fantasy epic where an unlikely team of mages, scribes, and archivists must band together to unearth a conspiracy that might topple their empire.

“The beginning of a truly epic tale. Deft worldbuilding and wonderful verbal fencing that is a delight to read. In these pages, you are in the hands of a master.”—Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms and internationally bestselling author

Twenty-seven years ago, a Duke with a grudge led a ruthless coup against the empire of Semilla, killing thousands. He failed. The Duke was executed, a terrifyingly powerful sorcerer was imprisoned, and an unwilling princess disappeared.

The empire moved on.

Now, when Quill, an apprentice scribe, arrives in the capital city, he believes he's on a simple errand for another pompous noble: fetch ancient artifacts from the magical Imperial Archives. He's always found his apprenticeship to a lawman to be dull work. But these aren't just any artifacts—these are the instruments of revolution, the banners under which the Duke lead his coup.

Just as the artifacts are unearthed, the city is shaken by a brutal murder that seems to have been caused by a weapon not seen since the days of rebellion. With Quill being the main witness to the murder, and no one in power believing his story, he must join the Archivists—a young mage, a seasoned archivist, and a disillusioned detective—to solve the truth of the attack. And what they uncover will be the key to saving the empire—or destroying it again.

©2022 Erin M Evans (P)2022 Orbit

Superb fantasy

Great characterization, well developed magical system, and compelling murder mystery make this superb fantasy one of the best of 2022.

Excellent story

I enjoyed every second of it. Imogen Church was an excellent narrator with great voices and emotions, and I loved Evans' style of writing and the great cast of characters.

Need. Sequel. Now.

I know it's coming out soon, but COME ON. I HAVE NEEDS, EVANS. Loved Brimstone Angels and I miss Farideh, but I've found a worthy successor and more.

Moving

This is a story that really makes you feel what the characters feel, the anxieties and struggles. The world is exceptional and the story itself is very interesting. The only issue was the the narrator who mispronounced a main character's name and who had some emphasis and cadence issues I disagreed with. Top notch.

A true joy!

Lord on the mountain! This one has it all. Fantastic world building. Delightful characters. Political intrigue A magic system that’s original and relatable. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

the characters and their relationships and depth of personality

Great read, love the characters, love the magic system. Love the individual voices. love the intrigue.

very good

heartfelt and great fun. reader is really good. last 3 hours were a bit fraught... it's a small quibble though. overall a wonderful experience. looking forward to the next one!

Unique fantasy brings mystery

A unique take on fantasy as a genre. There’s magic, but not as you typically see it, there’s fantastic creatures and people, but not ones that you are used to seeing. And it’s all packaged in a murder mystery unraveled by unlikely allies. Because it’s unique it took me a little longer to get a handle on the setting and plot, but once I got far enough in I was hooked.

Great story, Great world, Amazing performance

One of the best listens ever, couldn't put it down. Such a fun world to explore with Evans' characters, who were a delightful break from the typical fantasy series staples. And what an incredible performance by Imogen Church - she brought every character to blazing life with such a consistent and nuanced voice and performance for each one. Just amazing all around.

A high fantasy murder mystery

This was good as heck! Fun world-building, characters I fell in love with and want only good things for, and a solid mystery at the center. Evans is so good at answering questions in a way that opens up more, bigger questions. I kind of want to read it again, knowing all the twists, so I can see how she sets them up. SO glad there’s going to be more books in the series!

The narrator kills it, too, especially when things get creepy.