• Crown of Shadows

  • Coldfire Trilogy, Book 3
  • By: C. S. Friedman
  • Narrated by: R.C. Bray
  • Length: 19 hrs and 4 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (822 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Crown of Shadows  By  cover art

Crown of Shadows

By: C. S. Friedman
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $29.95

Buy for $29.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

More than a millennium after the human race forges an uneasy stalemate against the demonic human-psyche feeders known as the fae, a pain-hungry demon called Calesta declares war on all living beings.

©1995 C.S. Friedman (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Despite opposition by his Patriarch, warrior priest Damien Vryce again seeks the assistance of the immortal sorcerer Gerald Tarrant. While racing against time to prevent the enslavement of their world, the two men find themselves trapped between justice and retribution. Betrayal and loyalty assume ironic forms in this conclusion to Friedman's complex and compelling "Cold Fire Trilogy." The richly detailed setting and strong supporting characters give substance to a tale that explores the consequences of embracing evil in hopes of achieving its redemption." ( Library Journal)

Featured Article: The Best Fantasy Audiobook Series


There is nothing like a great fantasy series, one that invites you to bring yourself into an inventive world unlike our own. And a masterful fantasy audiobook can further enhance that feeling, taking an engaging reading experience and amping it up to the realm of total immersion. Marked by brilliant narration and perfect character voices, a stellar audiobook series takes an already amazing fantasy saga and transforms it into an unforgettable adventure. If you’re looking for the best fantasy book series to listen to, these titles are a great place to start.

What listeners say about Crown of Shadows

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    526
  • 4 Stars
    203
  • 3 Stars
    72
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    520
  • 4 Stars
    169
  • 3 Stars
    37
  • 2 Stars
    12
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    464
  • 4 Stars
    189
  • 3 Stars
    71
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wow, the ending blew me away!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes, the author provides detail to the mindset of each character and the narrator brings them to life. The final book had me on edge from beginning to end.

What other book might you compare Crown of Shadows to and why?

I find it to be unique. A living world that adapts and has a symbiotic bond with its inhabitants. It feels like the era is old but it is actually thousands of years into our future.

What about R. C. Bray’s performance did you like?

I really enjoyed the narrator's performance. He scares me when he does the voices of the nameless and the demons. Each character sounds different and he really brings out the personality of the Hunter and the Priest.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

I actually cried at the end. I don't want to give anything away but you actually feel sorry for many of the characters.

Any additional comments?

I wish there were more books to this series but at last it cannot be. :-( So I purchased C.S Friedman's "Feast of Souls"..

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

But wait! There's More!

3.5 Originally posted at Fantasy Literature.

Crown of Shadows brings C.S. Friedman’s COLDFIRE trilogy to a close. (This review may contain spoilers for the previous books, which you really must read before beginning Crown of Shadows.)

In the previous book, When True Night Falls, the unlikely allies Reverend Damien Vryce and undead vampire Gerald Tarrant battled their way across hostile foreign countries to combat the evil force that was threatening humanity. Just when they thought they were finished, they were essentially told: “But wait! There’s more!” Now they’re on their way back home where they will — they hope — finally really combat the actual final real ultimate source of evil … which turns out to be Calesta the demon.

Damien and Gerald will once again be called on to travel together to intimidating foreign lands, fight side-by-side, and save each other’s lives. There will again be deadly enemies, powerful illusions, and hostile terrain to overcome. Just when I thought Friedman had put Gerald and Damien through every lethal landscape she could think of, she sends them through a horrible hell inhabited by Gerald’s numerous victims. This part is quite upsetting and makes us question whether or not we really want to see Gerald redeemed.

Meanwhile Calesta has been mustering up his own troops. One of these is the patriarch of Damien’s church. This man has the best of intentions and we even see him calling for unity and tolerance, but he has no idea that his desire to rally his church on a crusade against Gerald is playing right into a demon’s plans. Friedman does a great job with this character, using him to again emphasize the blurriness of the line between good and evil.

Calesta has also dredged up Gerald’s last living descendant, a decadent man named Andrys who is perfectly willing to be Calesta’s pawn. For most of his life he has let hatred and despair drive him, but he also will be changed by his encounters with the other characters in this tale.
Friedman surprised me with this story. With all the emphasis on sacrifice and redemption, I kind of thought I knew how it was going to turn out, but I was wrong. The story is about sacrifice and redemption, but it didn’t go like I expected. Also surprising are the stunning revelations we get about where the demons of Erna came from. I liked this part of the story best.

In audio format Crown of Shadows is only 19 hours long (book 1 was 24 hours and book 2 was 26 hours long) but it is still longer than it needs to be with too much page time spent describing travelling. This is my main complaint about the series. The trilogy could have been condensed to two volumes and it would have been better. Despite the length, though, the COLDFIRE trilogy is an above average epic science fantasy that’s smart and thought-provoking.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Expertly Wrought Conclusion to Awesome Trilogy

Diverse narration of a beautifully complex dark fantasy epic. If you've come this far in the series, don't stop now! :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Weakest of the trilogy

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Only if they wanted to complete the triology.

Would you ever listen to anything by C. S. Friedman again?

No.

Any additional comments?

This was the weakest of the three novels in the series, I just didn't find the new characters compelling.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great ending to an interesting trilogy :)

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes definitely, its always amazing to see a new word with some pretty interesting concepts and the characters are not bad at all . :)

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crown of Shadows?

I really loved all the book but I think by the end I was speechless , nice twists :)

What does R. C. Bray bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I think that R.C Bray did bring the book to live , he did an awesome job all together ,I hope I will found his work more often in this genre . Thank you R C Bray :)

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

"Sacrifice" maybe or "Don't trust the dead guy" :)

Any additional comments?

Great writing, C S Friedman did a wonderful job with this trilogy hopefully she will add more books in this world :)

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Superb story!

Where does Crown of Shadows rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Among the topp ten

What was one of the most memorable moments of Crown of Shadows?

All of it! Its a rollercoaster, that takes you through the whole spektra of emotions.

What does R. C. Bray bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings to life a very wide range of distinct of characters and with his tune and modulation he brings sorrow, thrills or action alive.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Hell yeah!

Any additional comments?

Get it! Get it, now!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Simply the BEST

CS Friedman’s storyline is so creatively imaginative and believable, especially the way she outlines how the Fey works and how humanity started as space faring nomads in search of a new planet to colonize and how Erna thrust humanity back into the proverbial Dark Ages! Her Coldfire Series is among the BEST sci-fi/high fantasy Series ever produced! Would love to see movies and tv series based upon it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite sci-fi trilogies

When I first read this series at 10 years old, I was instantly hooked. The planet, the characters, whole story, drew me in. Gerald is still my favorite character and three ending of this book made me want to cry. But to find out if it was sadness or happiness, you'll need to read it for yourself to find out.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Least favorite of the trilogy.

I thought is was extremely slow. Was not a big fan of the ending. Still a decent read though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

a powerful conclusion to an incredible story

Stunning worldbuilding and captivating characters and delicious dialogue all add up to a series that's one of my all time favorites. I gladly re read all three books every few years. The prose can be overwrought, and there are a few phrases you might get tired of hearing - "he drew in a deep breath", "he thought he saw a smile on their lips, but he couldn't be sure", "tears, hot tears fell from his eyes", "he vomited as if that physical act alone could rid his body of the terror inside him", the list goes on - but these things are all EASILY forgiven because of just how excellent everything else is and just how surprising yet inevitable the conclusion to the tale feels. There's talk now of the series being developed into a TV show, and when you get a glimpse of how vivid and complex the worldbuilding is in these books, I think you'll agree how exciting that possibility sounds.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!