-
Empire of Sand
- The Books of Ambha
- Narrated by: Soneela Nankani
- Length: 17 hrs
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

pick 2 free titles with trial.
Buy for $19.99
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
The Jasmine Throne
- By: Tasha Suri
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio
- Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exiled by her despotic brother, princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana: an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin. The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household, biting her tongue and cleaning Malini’s chambers.
-
-
I had to stop
- By Evanlee on 07-11-21
By: Tasha Suri
-
She Who Became the Sun
- By: Shelley Parker-Chan
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
-
-
Almost great.
- By stacey on 09-13-21
-
The Bone Shard Daughter
- By: Andrea Stewart
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus, Feodor Chin, Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands. Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
-
-
I didn't like it
- By indexOutOfBounds on 01-25-21
By: Andrea Stewart
-
The Unbroken
- By: C. L. Clark
- Narrated by: Rasha Zamamiri
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought. Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.
-
-
R-Rated Fantasy
- By Tin Minute Book Reviews on 04-26-21
By: C. L. Clark
-
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
- A Novel
- By: Shannon Chakraborty
- Narrated by: Lameece Issaq, Amin El Gamal
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
-
-
Fantastic Adventure and Performance
- By talid217 on 03-07-23
-
An Ember in the Ashes
- By: Sabaa Tahir
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire's greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.
-
-
Not That Impressed.
- By Brian on 05-01-15
By: Sabaa Tahir
-
The Jasmine Throne
- By: Tasha Suri
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio
- Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exiled by her despotic brother, princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana: an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin. The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household, biting her tongue and cleaning Malini’s chambers.
-
-
I had to stop
- By Evanlee on 07-11-21
By: Tasha Suri
-
She Who Became the Sun
- By: Shelley Parker-Chan
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus
- Length: 14 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1345, China lies under harsh Mongol rule. For the starving peasants of the Central Plains, greatness is something found only in stories. When the Zhu family’s eighth-born son, Zhu Chongba, is given a fate of greatness, everyone is mystified as to how it will come to pass. The fate of nothingness received by the family’s clever and capable second daughter, on the other hand, is only as expected.
-
-
Almost great.
- By stacey on 09-13-21
-
The Bone Shard Daughter
- By: Andrea Stewart
- Narrated by: Natalie Naudus, Feodor Chin, Emily Woo Zeller
- Length: 13 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The emperor's reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic powering the animal-like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire's many islands. Lin is the emperor's daughter and spends her days trapped in a palace of locked doors and dark secrets. When her father refuses to recognise her as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic.
-
-
I didn't like it
- By indexOutOfBounds on 01-25-21
By: Andrea Stewart
-
The Unbroken
- By: C. L. Clark
- Narrated by: Rasha Zamamiri
- Length: 18 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Touraine is a soldier. Stolen as a child and raised to kill and die for the empire, her only loyalty is to her fellow conscripts. But now, her company has been sent back to her homeland to stop a rebellion, and the ties of blood may be stronger than she thought. Luca needs a turncoat. Someone desperate enough to tiptoe the bayonet's edge between treason and orders. Someone who can sway the rebels toward peace, while Luca focuses on what really matters: getting her uncle off her throne.
-
-
R-Rated Fantasy
- By Tin Minute Book Reviews on 04-26-21
By: C. L. Clark
-
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
- A Novel
- By: Shannon Chakraborty
- Narrated by: Lameece Issaq, Amin El Gamal
- Length: 16 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean’s most notorious pirates, she’s survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural.
-
-
Fantastic Adventure and Performance
- By talid217 on 03-07-23
-
An Ember in the Ashes
- By: Sabaa Tahir
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham, Steve West
- Length: 15 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Laia is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire's greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.
-
-
Not That Impressed.
- By Brian on 05-01-15
By: Sabaa Tahir
-
Iron Widow
- By: Xiran Jay Zhao
- Narrated by: Rong Fu
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain. When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected - she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow.
-
-
A fun yet uneven read.
- By Cody McGrath on 09-28-21
By: Xiran Jay Zhao
-
The Tethered Mage
- Swords and Fire, Book 1
- By: Melissa Caruso
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 14 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled - taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army. Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire. Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage. War looms on the horizon....
-
-
A hollow, but enjoyable read
- By Maia Czwornog on 09-15-20
By: Melissa Caruso
-
Circe
- By: Madeline Miller
- Narrated by: Perdita Weeks
- Length: 12 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the house of Helios, god of the sun and mightiest of the Titans, a daughter is born. But Circe is a strange child—not powerful, like her father, nor viciously alluring like her mother. Turning to the world of mortals for companionship, she discovers that she does possess power—the power of witchcraft, which can transform rivals into monsters and menace the gods themselves.
-
-
Refined writing with an intimate performance
- By Michael - Audible Editor on 04-11-18
By: Madeline Miller
-
Girl, Serpent, Thorn
- By: Melissa Bashardoust
- Narrated by: Nikki Massoud
- Length: 10 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There was and there was not, as all stories begin, a princess cursed to be poisonous to the touch. But for Soraya, who has lived her life hidden away, apart from her family, safe only in her gardens, it's not just a story. As the day of her twin brother's wedding approaches, Soraya must decide if she's willing to step outside of the shadows for the first time. Below in the dungeon is a demon who holds knowledge that she craves, the answer to her freedom.
-
-
It really is gay and it really does slap
- By R. Havens on 04-24-21
-
Son of the Storm
- By: Suyi Davies Okungbowa
- Narrated by: Korey Jackson
- Length: 17 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
From one of the most exciting new storytellers in epic fantasy, Son of the Storm is a sweeping tale of violent conquest and forgotten magic set in a world inspired by the pre-colonial empires of West Africa.
-
-
A story with so much potential
- By Steph on 08-09-21
-
Sufficiently Advanced Magic
- Arcane Ascension, Book 1
- By: Andrew Rowe
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 21 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five years ago Corin Cadence's brother entered the Serpent Spire - a colossal tower with ever-shifting rooms, traps, and monsters. Those who survive the spire's trials return home with an attunement: a mark granting the bearer magical powers. According to legend, those few who reach the top of the tower will be granted a boon by the spire's goddess. He never returned. Now it's Corin's turn. He's headed to the top floor, on a mission to meet the goddess.
-
-
Couldn't make it through the whole book
- By Zero on 07-11-17
By: Andrew Rowe
-
Warbreaker
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan
- Length: 24 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Warbreaker is the story of two sisters who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can be collected only one unit at a time.
-
-
My Favorite Sanderson Yet
- By Carol on 09-10-17
-
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns
- Rise of the Empress, Book 1
- By: Julie C. Dao
- Narrated by: Kim Mai Guest
- Length: 13 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high? Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins.
-
-
Wow...
- By KaitheShopper on 09-22-18
By: Julie C. Dao
-
The Fifth Season
- The Broken Earth, Book 1
- By: N. K. Jemisin
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 15 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is the way the world ends...for the last time. It starts with the great red rift across the heart of the world's sole continent, spewing ash that blots out the sun. It starts with death, with a murdered son and a missing daughter. It starts with betrayal, and long dormant wounds rising up to fester. This is the Stillness, a land long familiar with catastrophe, where the power of the Earth is wielded as a weapon. And where there is no mercy.
-
-
The Nay-Sayers are Wrong.
- By Steve Groves on 02-10-20
By: N. K. Jemisin
-
Hall of Smoke
- By: H. M. Long
- Narrated by: Samara Naeymi
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hessa is an Eangi: a warrior priestess of the Goddess of War, with the power to turn an enemy's bones to dust with a scream. Banished for disobeying her goddess's command to murder a traveller, she prays for forgiveness alone on a mountainside. While she is gone, raiders raze her village and obliterate the Eangi priesthood. Grieving and alone, Hessa - the last Eangi - must find the traveller and atone for her weakness and secure her place with her loved ones in the High Halls.
-
-
great world building book!
- By quang tran on 02-23-23
By: H. M. Long
-
Black Leopard, Red Wolf
- The Dark Star Trilogy, Book 1
- By: Marlon James
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 24 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the stunning first novel in Marlon James' Dark Star trilogy, myth, fantasy, and history come together to explore what happens when a mercenary is hired to find a missing child. Tracker is known far and wide for his skills as a hunter: "He has a nose," people say. Engaged to track down a mysterious boy who disappeared three years earlier, Tracker breaks his own rule of always working alone when he finds himself part of a group that comes together to search for the boy.
-
-
Opaque. And hard to care about.
- By Lisa Gray on 02-07-19
By: Marlon James
-
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
- By: N. K. Jemisin
- Narrated by: Casaundra Freeman
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian North. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history.
-
-
Read, don't listen, to this book
- By Kaylee on 02-24-19
By: N. K. Jemisin
Publisher's Summary
A nobleman's daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri's captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.
The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.
When Mehr's power comes to the attention of the Emperor's most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.
Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance....
Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for fans of City of Brass and The Wrath & the Dawn.
Critic Reviews
"The desert setting, complex characters, and epic mythology will captivate readers of Suri's debut fantasy." (Booklist, starred review)
"Genuine, painful, and beautiful. A very strong start for a new voice." (Kirkus, starred review)
"Complex, affecting epic fantasy.... Intricate worldbuilding, heartrending emotional stakes...well-wrought prose." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
More from the same
What listeners say about Empire of Sand
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- superstardrifter
- 01-25-19
Fantastic listen!
This book was recommended to me by a great many people in twitter or on discord or a bit of both. I had grabbed the audiobook with every intention of listening to it immediately but it got a little back burnered. Once I got started, this was a very difficult book to stop listening to. I wandered around work, headphones on. I wandered around home, headphones on. There was also that time I had to explain to my boss why I was all teary-eyed… yeah. #AwkwardWorkplaceSobbing
This is the story of Mehr, who is the illegitimate daughter of the governor of one of the provinces of a vast desert empire. She is half-Amrithi, a people who are generally shunned for their beliefs and rituals. Mehr’s mother taught her some of those rituals before she was exiled from the city and Mehr was left to be raised by her Ambahn father and her cruel stepmother, who grudgingly allow Mehr to dance the rites with her mother’s friend Lalita. The only person other than Lalita that Mehr has is her sister, Arwa.
One day, a storm comes. A storm of magic and daiva, beings said to be descended from the gods, who the Amrithi themselves are descended from. Mehr has daiva magic in her blood, and when the storm comes, she dances the rites to look for her missing friend, and the storm answers… but so does the Maha, the religious leader of the empire, a nearly-god-like being who reigns over the mystics of the desert. The Maha can see the magic in Mehr’s blood, and knows that it can be used to influence the god’s dreams, which make up the world. Mehr is more or less forced to marry the odd mystic Amun, and when she says her vows, she is tied irrevocably to him… and through him to the Maha… but Amun isn’t cruel, despite all evidence otherwise. He does what he can to protect Mehr from the worst of the binding.
And so, Mehr and Amun are enslaved by this cruel being, and forced to perform rites that their people, the Amrithi, consider heresy. But… Mehr isn’t the type to just give in. Mehr is going to resist!
Guys. Okay… guys. Holy forking shirtballs, this book. So, every now and then (and I’ll admit that it’s more than never at this point because I read a lot of books these days, lol) a book comes along, and I get so emotionally invested in the characters and the story and everything else that when heart wrenching things happen to those characters, I am suitably wrenched. This is definitely one of those books for me. Having it narrated by someone who is giving those moments feeling might be worse.
Look, I had to take a break at about 75% and listen to a How to Train Your Dragon audiobook because I was so flipping emotional and had to calm down. It was one of those books. >.>
Also, maybe I’m just an emotional person, I dunno. People will be like ‘Jeez Kristen, yeah it was a pretty good book, I guess,’ and I’ll just be like ‘*bawl* I KNOW, RIGHT?’
Okay, this is getting pretty unintelligible. Let’s see if I can sum it up:
This book was well written and the world was so realized that I fully imagined myself within it as it went. I (obviously) cared what happened to the characters. I cheered for protagonists, I hated antagonists. The plot moved at a pace that I liked, though I can see where people who complain that it gets slow in the middle are coming from. It’s slower, but I never found it too slow. When twists happened, I was shocked! When I felt that something big and tense was about to happen, I tensed and worried for Mehr and Amun. The romance between them was sweet AF, slow-burning, and almost seemed to happen without either of them really realizing it. Loved it.
The narrator, Soneela Nankani, absolutely nailed it. She gave emotional moments the emotion they needed. She brought each and every character to life for me, and it honestly made this experience more real for me than I think it would have been if I had read it rather than listened. The voice of the daiva was a really good special effect.
So, as is obvious now, it’s pretty safe to say that I loved this book from start to finish, and I cannot wait for more. This book emotionally drained me, but… and I’m not sure I can explain this in a way that makes any sense… it did it in a good way? Like my heart hurts, but it was worth it. Which sounds weird, but then… I’m pretty weird. ^_^
27 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Kevin Potter
- 09-02-19
Unexpectedly WOW!
Here is a book that is fresh and new and brilliantly imagined!
First, let's talk about the narrator.
I'm often leery of narrators at either end of the octave spectrum (deep-voiced males or high-voiced females) as they tend to struggle with opposite-gender voices. I am extremely pleased to say that though she is near the high end of the spectrum, Soneela Nankani did not have that problem at all!
Similarly, sometimes books based on non-western cultures end up being narrated with accents that are not understandable (or close enough to it), such as the narration of Black Leopard, Red Wolf. I'm still disappointed at not being able to listen to that book. But again, we do not have that problem here.
As one would expect, quite a bit of the dialogue is lightly accented in tones that sound very Indian and Middle-Eastern, but the narration is crisp and clear.
The array of voices used is impressive, and even the male voices are excellently pitched and believable. Her vocal inflections border on perfection, as do her tempo shifts throughout the text.
It feels really nitpicky, but if I had a critique on the narration it would be that there are perhaps two or three voices that do not sound the way they are described in the text.
Now, the story.
Let me preface this with the fact that ordinarily I can't stand romance fiction. The storylines, themes, and tensions explored rarely interest me and I just find the contrivances stretching my suspension of disbelief.
This is absolutely not the case here.
To be clear, this is very much a fantasy-romance book. But it doesn't read like the usual drivel I come across in that genre. While there are some action sequences, violent conflict, and some really cool visuals, it is not what anyone might call "Action Packed."
I don't mean to belittle anyone's taste here, all fiction has value. I simply personally don't find most fantasy-romance stories to be enjoyable or the least bit believable.
But this book does not have that problem.
First and foremost, every single character comes across as a fully realized, complete individual with their own goals, needs, quirks, and issues. Each behaves in a way that is consistent with what we (eventually) know of their background. And each clearly demonstrates a wealth of experiences that brought them to the person that they are.
Nothing herein feels the least bit contrived or "convenient." Every major point is a clear consequence to something else that came before, and every time you think you know what's going on, something else comes up to remind you of how wrong you are.
There is plenty of dramatic tension here that feels real and visceral and powerful. And while I'm not normally fond of political power struggles (I'm rather burned out on those), this one was so brilliantly put together that I couldn't help but love it.
Now, about the writing.
Over and above my initial reservations simply from knowing what I was getting myself into, there are a few hiccups in the prose. There are some clunky sentence constructions, a handful of typos (just a bit more that I would expect in a novel of this size), and quite a bit of unnecessary passive voice.
Elsewise, however, the writing is quite brilliant.
And finally, the ending.
This is one of those rare cases of an ending that comes together in a way that I did not foresee in the slightest!
But don't misunderstand. There is no Deus Ex Machina here. Everything is a consequence of what came before, and it all ties together brilliantly. Shockingly, but brilliantly.
There is a moment near the end that my jaw just about hit the floor. It was a total wow moment. And then the next moment was an even bigger wow!
If you read just one fantasy-romance this year, it should be this one.
Even if you're not normally open to fantasy-romance (as I've said, I usually run very quickly in the other direction when I see them), as long as you don't demand constant action in your fantasy I think you'll find something to love in this book.
12 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Liza
- 03-12-19
A Tale About Identity
This story started out slow as the author built the world her characters lived in. Her lyrical prose also contributed to the pace and the mood of the story. The narrator added to the melancholy tone - although I am not sure if that tone was meant to showcase culture. Her writing style reminded me of the way Circe was written.
Tasha Suri wrote a beautiful story about being true to one's self, one's identity, one's heritage. She also wrote a heartwarming love story that made me reflect about marriage vows and defining one's self within the bounds of marriage.
The mythology she created was clearly explained and defined. Her hope-filled tale tugs at the heartstrings and ends on an inspiring note.
I would recommend this to readers who enjoy mythology, magic systems/worlds, and fans of love stories.
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Debrah
- 04-16-21
Alot of Repetition
Like the idea of the Story. Characters come and go without development. Poetry rich sing song use of the language which I liked. Characters were not very likable.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Lisa R.
- 01-21-19
Empire of Sand book 1?
I enjoyed reading something very different from all the (predictable story line) fantasy books I’ve read. The story is interesting and while not a page turner, enjoyable. I think I would have enjoyed it more if the narrator had been less dramatic. I gave it 4 stars as I imagined it if I had read, not listened to it. The dramatic reading made my view of the characters skewed. For example Meher comes off as a weak, pleading girl but is truly a strong, capable woman.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- SarahH
- 12-05-18
Mostly Awesome With Some Slow Parts
This story was SO good! The author build a rich, layered world with gorgeous prose and a main character I really rooted for! Soneela Nankani is always perfect. Her narrations bring the story to life!
The reason I gave this 4 stars and not 5 was that there were places where the main character internalized in a really repetitive way that kind of made the story drag. I felt that some of the internalization could have been cut to move the story a long at a faster pace. There were times that she belabored a point or description or reaction to the point that I was like "I get it! Move on already!" But those times were not frequent enough for me to not like the book. I will DEFINITELY continue the series!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Miss bean
- 01-12-22
not a adult romance.
sucks. guy in the story barly speaks through the whole book. character is boring. just not good. wasted a credit for this and i am annoyed. its a long book but really really boring.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
- Michell O
- 07-26-19
it was okay..
I started this audio book twice before I actually continued on. For some reason it didn't grab me in the first few chapters. Then things picked up a bit, then got slow..then picked up. I'm not sure that I will continue this series. this book ended without a cliffhanger so I really dont need to know what happens next. Overall an average read and I did enjoy it.
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 12-29-18
Great narrator and story
Wonderful narrator, though the quality is a bit echoey, and interesting story. First audiobook I've completed and would highly recommend!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A N
- 12-10-18
Really good world building
But lacks good pacing and needs some help from an editor. Enjoyable overall. I feel like there's a better story somewhere in the future.
1 person found this helpful
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
The Jasmine Throne
- By: Tasha Suri
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio
- Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exiled by her despotic brother, princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana: an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin. The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household, biting her tongue and cleaning Malini’s chambers.
-
-
I had to stop
- By Evanlee on 07-11-21
By: Tasha Suri
-
Empires of Sand
- By: David Ball
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 27 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After four trips to the Sahara and extensive historical research, David Ball crafted this sweeping adventure novel spanning two continents and 15 years. Set against a backdrop of the crumbling French Empire’s attempts to colonize the Sahara Desert, Empires of Sand follows the lives of two cousins who are raised as brothers but destined to become enemies. It is 1870, and France is at war with Prussia.
-
-
my first review
- By Pamela on 08-18-11
By: David Ball
-
The Girl of Fire and Thorns Stories
- By: Rae Carson
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda, Luis Moreno
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The King's Guard, watch him prove himself - and uncover a secret that he must keep forever. In The Shadow Cats, discover how Elisa's rivalry with her older sister looks from Alodia's point of view, and why Alodia agrees to marry her sister off to King Alejandro. And in The Shattered Mountain, learn how Mara survived her village's destruction before she became Elisa's best friend and handmaiden.
-
-
Very intense
- By Bruce on 03-22-18
By: Rae Carson
-
Death and Night
- A Star-Touched Novella
- By: Roshani Chokshi
- Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He was Lord of Death, cursed never to love. She was Night incarnate, destined to stay alone. After a chance meeting, they wonder if, perhaps, they could be meant for more. But danger crouches in their paths, and the choices they make will set them on a journey that will span lifetimes. Discover how Maya and Amar first met and fell in love.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Jennifer Zdinak on 09-07-17
By: Roshani Chokshi
-
King's Dragon
- Crown of Stars Series, Book 1
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio
- Length: 21 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Torn by internal strife, Wendar faces deadly raids from the north by an inhuman race, the Eika. And now terrifying portents are being seen; old ruins restored to life under the light of the full moon and peopled by the long-vanished Lost Ones; dark spirits walking the land in broad daylight. And suddenly two innocents are about to be thrust into the middle of the conflict.
-
-
Great to finally hear this story brought to life.
- By Chris on 05-05-20
By: Kate Elliott
-
The Complete Earthsinger Chronicles Novellas
- Earthsinger Chronicles, Books 1.5 - 3.5
- By: L. Penelope
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Delve deeper into the world of the Earthsinger Chronicles with these prequel novellas full of magic, adventure, destiny, and love.
-
-
well done
- By Wonder Rose on 09-25-21
By: L. Penelope
-
The Jasmine Throne
- By: Tasha Suri
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio
- Length: 19 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Exiled by her despotic brother, princess Malini spends her days dreaming of vengeance while imprisoned in the Hirana: an ancient cliffside temple that was once the revered source of the magical deathless waters but is now little more than a decaying ruin. The secrets of the Hirana call to Priya. But in order to keep the truth of her past safely hidden, she works as a servant in the loathed regent’s household, biting her tongue and cleaning Malini’s chambers.
-
-
I had to stop
- By Evanlee on 07-11-21
By: Tasha Suri
-
Empires of Sand
- By: David Ball
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 27 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
After four trips to the Sahara and extensive historical research, David Ball crafted this sweeping adventure novel spanning two continents and 15 years. Set against a backdrop of the crumbling French Empire’s attempts to colonize the Sahara Desert, Empires of Sand follows the lives of two cousins who are raised as brothers but destined to become enemies. It is 1870, and France is at war with Prussia.
-
-
my first review
- By Pamela on 08-18-11
By: David Ball
-
The Girl of Fire and Thorns Stories
- By: Rae Carson
- Narrated by: Jennifer Ikeda, Luis Moreno
- Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The King's Guard, watch him prove himself - and uncover a secret that he must keep forever. In The Shadow Cats, discover how Elisa's rivalry with her older sister looks from Alodia's point of view, and why Alodia agrees to marry her sister off to King Alejandro. And in The Shattered Mountain, learn how Mara survived her village's destruction before she became Elisa's best friend and handmaiden.
-
-
Very intense
- By Bruce on 03-22-18
By: Rae Carson
-
Death and Night
- A Star-Touched Novella
- By: Roshani Chokshi
- Narrated by: Priya Ayyar
- Length: 3 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
He was Lord of Death, cursed never to love. She was Night incarnate, destined to stay alone. After a chance meeting, they wonder if, perhaps, they could be meant for more. But danger crouches in their paths, and the choices they make will set them on a journey that will span lifetimes. Discover how Maya and Amar first met and fell in love.
-
-
Amazing!
- By Jennifer Zdinak on 09-07-17
By: Roshani Chokshi
-
King's Dragon
- Crown of Stars Series, Book 1
- By: Kate Elliott
- Narrated by: Shiromi Arserio
- Length: 21 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Torn by internal strife, Wendar faces deadly raids from the north by an inhuman race, the Eika. And now terrifying portents are being seen; old ruins restored to life under the light of the full moon and peopled by the long-vanished Lost Ones; dark spirits walking the land in broad daylight. And suddenly two innocents are about to be thrust into the middle of the conflict.
-
-
Great to finally hear this story brought to life.
- By Chris on 05-05-20
By: Kate Elliott
-
The Complete Earthsinger Chronicles Novellas
- Earthsinger Chronicles, Books 1.5 - 3.5
- By: L. Penelope
- Narrated by: Allyson Johnson
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Delve deeper into the world of the Earthsinger Chronicles with these prequel novellas full of magic, adventure, destiny, and love.
-
-
well done
- By Wonder Rose on 09-25-21
By: L. Penelope
-
Retribution Falls
- Tales of the Ketty Jay, Book 1
- By: Chris Wooding
- Narrated by: Rupert Degas
- Length: 13 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frey is the captain of the Ketty Jay, leader of a small and highly dysfunctional band of layabouts. An inveterate womaniser and rogue, he and his gang make a living on the wrong side of the law, avoiding the heavily armed flying frigates of the Coalition Navy. With their trio of ragged fighter craft, they run contraband, rob airships, and generally make a nuisance of themselves. So a hot tip on a cargo freighter loaded with valuables seems like a great prospect for an easy heist and a fast buck. Until the heist goes wrong, and the freighter explodes.
-
-
Please record the rest of the series!
- By fierros on 02-19-18
By: Chris Wooding
-
Foundryside
- A Novel
- By: Robert Jackson Bennett
- Narrated by: Tara Sands
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sancia Grado is a thief, and a damn good one. And her latest target, a heavily guarded warehouse on Tevanne’s docks, is nothing her unique abilities can’t handle. But unbeknownst to her, Sancia’s been sent to steal an artifact of unimaginable power, an object that could revolutionize the magical technology known as scriving. The Merchant Houses who control this magic - the art of using coded commands to imbue everyday objects with sentience - have already used it to transform Tevanne into a vast, remorseless capitalist machine.
-
-
Parts & Sums
- By CaffineFreeJAVA on 05-07-19
-
Uprooted
- By: Naomi Novik
- Narrated by: Julia Emelin
- Length: 17 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for 10 years, a fate almost as terrible as falling to the Wood.
-
-
Great story, hard to listen to.
- By Rej on 05-21-15
By: Naomi Novik
-
The Ones We Burn
- By: Rebecca Mix
- Narrated by: Roisin Rankin
- Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ranka is tired of death. All she wants now is to be left alone, living out her days in Witchik’s wild north with the coven that raised her, attempting to forget the horrors of her past. But when she is named Bloodwinn, the next treaty bride to the human kingdom of Isodal, her coven sends her south with a single directive: kill him. Easy enough, for a blood-witch whose magic compels her to kill. Except the prince is gentle, kind, and terrified of her. He doesn’t want to marry Ranka; he doesn’t want to be king at all.
-
-
Easily one of my favs
- By de on 05-03-23
By: Rebecca Mix
-
Chosen of Chaos
- Eve of Destruction, Book 1
- By: Benjamin Medrano
- Narrated by: Abby Craden
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Evelyn enjoyed living a nice quiet life in an anarchic pirate port, far from the world she’d once conquered. Then came an attack by mercenaries that made her angry. By the time the dust settled, she had a group of former slaves which she’d freed, her djinn assistant had convinced several of the women that they should join Evelyn’s brand-new harem, and she was looking for a new home, likely aboard a ship.
-
-
Sci-Fi Fantasy At Its Best
- By Sierra Argyri on 08-26-21
By: Benjamin Medrano
-
The Bird King
- By: G. Willow Wilson
- Narrated by: Elmira Rahim
- Length: 14 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
G. Willow Wilson’s debut novel Alif the Unseen was an NPR and Washington Post Best Book of the Year, and it established her as a vital American Muslim literary voice. Now she delivers The Bird King, a stunning new novel that tells the story of Fatima, a concubine in the royal court of Granada, the last emirate of Muslim Spain, and her dearest friend Hassan, the palace mapmaker. Hassan has a secret - he can draw maps of places he’s never seen and bend the shape of reality.
-
-
Good enough to suffer through the poor narration
- By J. OBrennan on 03-22-19
By: G. Willow Wilson