Redemption's Blade

After the War, Book 1

By: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Narrated by: Nicola Barber

Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

Ten years ago, the renegade demigod known as the Kinslayer returned. His armies of monsters issued from the pits of the earth, spearheaded by his brutal Yorughan soldiers. He won every battle, leaving burnt earth and corruption behind. Thrones toppled and cities fell as he drove all before him.

And then he died.

A handful of lucky heroes and some traitors amongst his own, and the great Kinslayer was no more. Celestaine was one such hero and now she has tasked herself to correct the worst excesses of the Kinslayer and bring light back to her torn-up world. With two Yorughan companions she faces fanatics, war criminals, and the monsters and minions the Kinslayer left behind as the fragile alliances of the war break down into feuding, greed, and mistrust.

The Kinslayer may be gone, but he cast a long shadow she may never truly escape.

©2018 Rebellion (P)2018 Recorded Books

Critic reviews

“Great pace, compelling characters, some serious ethical arguments to make, and amazing action scenes. And it’s startlingly fun.” (Tor.com)

Brilliant

A heroic story told backwards and beautifully. The voice at first seems all wrong but by the end nothing else would have been right.

I really enjoyed it!

A fascinating and fresh take on the classic fantasy quest story, this book was fun, funny, and not without emotional depths, too. You’ll find well-developed characters, great world-building, a well-paced plot, and a sprinkling of humor. It sort of reminded me of a more serious version of Kings of the Wyld, but I enjoyed this book much more than that one. They’re really not that similar, but there you have it. Anyway, I’d recommend this to fans of classic and modern fantasy alike. Happy reading 😁

Excellent writing, perfect narration!

Nothing more to say! It is so well done, I am sure I will enjoy it again and again.

Despite running along age-old tropes, actually really quite imaginative and, damn hurry up with the sequel already..

The breadth of Adrian Tchaikovsky's repertoire continues to astound me. I haven't come across another author that has been able to create such mature (for lack of a better word) narratives, in so many vastly differing ends of the fantasy & sci-fi genres.
With a single exception, every book of his that I've read and listened to (prob. close to 3/4 of what's available on Kindle & Audible from him so far) is a master work - remarkably well thought-out, original in most ways, and enrichingly imaginative.

This specific book, for example, is in essence just another fantasy adventure... a hero and her band of unlikely allies, having a go at some villains to save the world.
Just based on that summation, had it been by pretty much any other author, I would have likely skipped over it and turned on the teli instead.

And... not that this story is world shattering, or anything of the sort... But, maaan, Tchaikovsky really knows how to tell it.


The narration is top notch as well... not certain, but I think the same narrator has done at least some of Tchaikovsky's space sagas as well, and she is very, very good.

Looking forward to the sequel!

Excellent story, engrossing and some fun

If you read lots of fantasy/ adventure this book may stand out- it has elements you can find in other books but is ultimately different. The author tells a good story but it was the gradual revealing of the characters, their impressions and lessons that kept my interest. Tchaikovsky brought them to life for me and I wanted to know what happened to them.
And Nicola Barber brought even more depth to the story. Her performance is what makes me love audible books- engaging and memorable.

Fun and interesting fantasy romp.

This is a fun little story about what happens after the Great Enemy is defeated in all those other epic fantasy books we love.

It's fun and a little meta. Its full of interesting concepts and excellent world building. The characters can be tropey and cliche, but that's clearly intentional, well executed and the characters are likeable and/or likeably hateable.

a near-perfect balance.

Rarely have I ever seen such a brilliant example of World building, pacing, story arc, and character development so compellingly done. And so well-balanced.

Good story

Volume up and down made it hard to listen to. Constantly having to adjust controls. Good story though.

Incredible!

Fellow lovers of fantasy, complex characters, will adore this book! Again the author succeeds in delivering a masterpiece that is both thought provoking and exhilarating! And the voice actress performed astoundingly!

The story of what happens after the epilogue.

Tchaikovsky’s superb skill and creativity kind of annoys me. The other two books of his that I have finished have been intensely original and compelling, and this trend continues in Redemption’s Blade.

This book ends up being what I expected the first Mistborn, The Final Empire, to be. While I love that book, I was always a little let down that it wasn’t really about the ‘what happens after.’ Thankfully this book now exists.

In its most basic form, Redemption’s Blade is a road trip across a classical fantasy world after the stereotypical dark lord has been defeated. It follows one of the slayers of the great evil along with a handful of companions, two of which that used to be the enemy’s soldiers. The focus is on the after-war sociology, politics, economy, psychology, and religion. You know, the things that should be boring, but in this setting are fascinating. There is action throughout so you shouldn’t feel like you’re reading a history book or anything stale like that. And let’s not forget character growth and the internal conflicts of survivors.

As always, of special note is that this book is self-contained. I believe it is going to be part of a series, but don’t let that scare you off, there is a clear beginning, middle, and end. I was satisfied with how it ended, but I can guarantee I’ll pick up any other books that are released in this series given how much I enjoy the world and style.

I recommend this book to any fans of fantasy, especially the ones that always wonder what happens after the last page of a fantasy epic.