For the Killing of Kings

The Ring-Sworn Trilogy, Book 1

De: Howard Andrew Jones

Narrado por: Lori Prince

Howard Andrew Jones' powerful worldbuilding brings this epic fantasy to life in For the Killing of Kings, the first audiobook of his new adventure-filled trilogy.

Their peace was a fragile thing, but it had endured for seven years, mostly because the people of Darassus and the king of the Naor hordes believed his doom was foretold upon the edge of the great sword hung in the hall of champions. Unruly Naor clans might raid across the border, but the king himself would never lead his people to war so long as the blade remained in the hands of his enemies.

But when squire Elenai’s aging mentor uncovers evidence that the sword in their hall is a forgery, she’s forced to flee Darassus for her life, her only ally the reckless, disillusioned Kyrkenall the archer. Framed for murder and treason, pursued by the greatest heroes of the realm, they race to recover the real sword, only to stumble into a conspiracy that leads all the way back to the Darassan queen and her secretive advisers. They must find a way to clear their names and set things right, all while dodging friends determined to kill them - and the Naor hordes, invading at last with a new and deadly weapon.

©2019 Howard Andrew Jones (P)2019 Vibrance Press

Ready for books 2 and 3

This is a new epic fantasy that focuses on an elite group of warriors trying to defeat treachery in their ranks and evil leaders both at home and abroad. The author compared it on GoodReads to a Three Musketeers vibe, and I definitely see that here. The difference is, that this world, like any good fantasy world, has magic in it.

One of the things I love about a good fantasy story is that it usually has an ensemble cast where small sections are going on their own really amazing adventures. They will eventually meet up, but in the mean time, just before you’re bored, the narrative shifts to whatever one of the other groups is doing. We have two sets of good characters here, one at home and the other on the fringe looking for help.

There is a prophecy in this book, but the fun thing with it is that it’s not a huge one that will go across the entire trilogy. Without being specific with spoilers, it does come to a satisfying end for this first volume of the trilogy. There is still more to see and do, and I’m here for it.

I got this audiobook because I am a fan of the narrator. Due to the length and nature of the book, there was a huge cast, and she got to let her voice work shine. Her males sound male and different from each other. Her females also have different tones, including one voice for Varama (? I’m not sure of exact spelling) that would have been a perfect voice for Luna Lovegood from the Harry Potter series (that slightly out of touch but sharply intelligent voice.) This was a long story, but Lori’s great performance made it easy to dig in and get lost with it.

Recommended to fantasy lovers. This is my first from this author, but as long as Lori Prince remains the narrator, I’ll keep listening.

Disclaimer: I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Refreshing

This well written fantasy was a breath of fresh air. The story, plot and characters were intriguing and were developed slowly and steadily throughout the book. The author build his new world clearly and as a reader, I was excited to learn more with each passing page. I'm excited to read the upcoming books in the series.

Original Engaging High Fantasy

Writing that pulls you in and characters that have depth and development. Cant wait for volume 2.

Great story; not so great narrator

It’s a classic fantasy epic, well written and a great read. I’m not so crazy about the narrator though due to her pronunciation of certain things. Like “calvary” instead of “cavalry” and every st sound is pronounced “sht”.

Exciting Story

While I enjoyed this story, it feels more like half a book than a full story as non of the arcs really came to an end. That said, the world building and characters are fantastic. I just wish the story arc was better and the story showed rather than told a bit more than it currently does.

Overall, if you're alright with having to read more than just the first book to feel satisfied with the story arc and love world building with interesting characters, then you should definitely give this one a shot.