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Escape from Bythos  By  cover art

Escape from Bythos

By: Phil Tucker
Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine
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Publisher's summary

While listed as book 6, Escape from Bythos is actually the prequel novella to the series and can be enjoyed at any point.

How did Asho end up as Lord Kyferin's squire?

Escape from Bythos leads seamlessly into the novel The Path of Flames, detailing how Asho acquired his freedom against all odds and escaped the slave city of Bythos.

All Ennoian knights must sacrifice a single year of their lives to garrison the subterranean city of Bythos. Known as their Black Year, it is a time both loathed and dreaded. Lord Kyferin, the infamous leader of the Black Wolves, is down in the depths with six of his knights. Biding his time. Whoring. Dreaming of bloody invasions he'll launch when he is free to return to Ennoia.

Then a Bythian slave brings word of dangerous prey. A legendary monster. A cavekiller. Kyferin chooses to mount a hunt, taking a fraction of the men needed so as to increase his glory. This cavekiller, however, is different. More lethal. Ferocious. And the Bythian slave that Kyferin brings as a guide is none other than Asho's father....

©2016 Phil Tucker (P)2018 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about Escape from Bythos

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A lot of words...

This story felt like I needed a lot more information to enjoy. It was clearly an attempt to pull me into a greater series, but it was just a bunch of names and places and words that I had no context for and quite frankly, didn’t enjoy.

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6 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great narration and story!

Great short story introduction into this series by the author, the narration was excellent! Will check out the rest for sure!

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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Not bad

I loved this story but couldn't stand the way it was being read. If it wasn't for the action it would have felt like a very long clear eyes commercial.

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2 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars

Not terrible, not great

I didn’t like the narration. Levine provided semi- decent voices for the different characters, but it nonetheless felt unemotional, unconvincing and sometimes rushed.
As for the story, the universe sounds like an interesting one, if only it could be written by a better author. There didn’t seem to be nearly enough descriptions of the scenery and setting for me to be able to properly picture how things looked, and the writing style often felt like it was just trying a bit too hard. Like a book for teenagers that’s desperate to be taken more seriously. Almost ‘edgy’.
Having said that, I don’t regret the read as, like I say, the universe sounds compelling. But I won’t be listening any more from the series.

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1 person found this helpful

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  • 10-18-20

Excellent short story

I really enjoyed this story , i actually found myself laughing out loud when he was trying to work out what the best gift would be .

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Short story but brilliant!

Escape from Bythos
By: Phil Tucker
Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine
Series: Chronicles of the Black Gate, Book 0.5
This is a short story about morals, courage, right and wrong, slave and master, a cave dwelling monster, and fate. It is short but has a lot thrown in there! It has all this and more!
The narrator has the perfect voice for this story!

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Engaging intro to this series.

My Rating: 4.25 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.25.

Bythos is a slave city, the bottom (subterranean) of the classes in the Ascendant Empire. Zekko is a worker who has lived under the oppressive regime wondering how his gods can allow this system. Zekko’s children, Asho and his younger sister Shaya, will soon be of age to face the Choosing process where they will be evaluated to be sent to a life of servitude in the next level or contemned to remain as a slave in Bythos.

The children seek adventure by going into a forbidden mine, where legends tell of a killing monster, the cavekiller. They are frightened back to their father to let him know that there is a living cavekiller deep in the shaft. This will require action by the Ennoian knights who are serving their year in the loathed city. Zekko seeks out Lord Kyferin who agrees to take a small force to face the cavekiller even though legends indicate that only a large group of fighters should face the monster. Kyferin directs Zekko to be the guide into the depths of the mine.

Zekko has been approached by his work friends who are recruiting to rebel against the higher realms. This has pushed Zekko into a mindset of confusion and he has to contemplate his faith and tradition. He has choices to make as he could lead the knights with protective or deadly motives. When they face the battle, Zekko makes a sacrifice that will change his life and the lives of his family.

I know (knew) nothing about this series but I like fantasies with class battles and dangerous creatures. This is a short novella that explains how Asho ends up where he is for the following books. The characters were well developed, and the world building was displayed through the lifestyles and actions of the characters. I found the story engaging and I would be willing to listen to more in the series.

Audio Notes: Noah Michael Levine does a nice job with the narration. He portrays the characters with appropriate voices and emotion. The audio enhanced my enjoyment of the story.

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

Escape from Bythos [Chronicles of the Black Gate]

I prefer to listen to books in published order. I completed this excellent short story after finishing the series, Chronicles of the Black Gate. However, this book can be completed where ever the listener prefers. There are no spoilers in this book to ruin the other books in the series.

The story is a plus to the series, giving a bit of background to some of the main characters.

Noah Michael Levine does a fine job with the narration.

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1 person found this helpful

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

MC is a bootlicker

I love this author, but based on this short story I probably won’t read the remainder of the series.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Escape from Bythos

Introduction:
In the icy realms of HowlStrom, where the frost bites and the winds howl, I, Kiba Snowpaw, an Alpha Ice Wolf with the mastery of ice magic, find solace in the mystical world of literature. Amidst the eternal winter that graces my world every century, I stumbled upon a gem, an audiobook that echoed the cold, harsh, yet beautifully savage nature of my icy abode - "Escape from Bythos" by Phil Tucker.

Basic Plot Summary:
In the subterranean slave city of Bythos, Asho’s destiny is as cold and unforgiving as the icy plains of HowlStrom. A slave, bound to serve, until fate and a cavekiller monster intertwine his path with Lord Kyferin, the infamous leader of the Black Wolves. It’s a dance of destiny, as chilling as the frosty air that graces my fur, a tale of escape, freedom, and the icy chains of servitude.

Analysis/Evaluation:
As an Alpha Ice Wolf, I found a kinship with Asho’s icy chains of servitude, a reflection of the frost that binds my world. Tucker’s narrative is as intricate as the frosty patterns that grace the windows of my icy abode. It’s a tale that resonates, echoing the cold, harsh yet liberating winters of HowlStrom.

Characters:
Asho, a slave, yet with the spirit as untamable as the icy winds of my world. Lord Kyferin, a leader, as cold and unforgiving as the eternal winter, yet with depths as mysterious as the icy caves of HowlStrom. Their dance of destiny is a symphony of frost and fire, a narrative as complex as the icy patterns that grace my world.

Structure:
Tucker weaves a narrative as intricate as the frosty patterns that adorn the icy plains of HowlStrom. Each chapter, a snowflake, unique, chilling, yet beautifully savage. It’s a dance of words, as graceful as the icy winds that howl through the frosty air.

Impact:
In the icy silence of HowlStrom’s eternal winter, "Escape from Bythos" echoed a melody of freedom, a song of icy chains and frosty liberation. It’s a narrative that lingers, as persistent as the frost that graces the icy plains of my world.

Hook and Thesis:
In the dance of frost and fire, where slaves are bound and leaders are as cold as the icy winds, there lies a tale of escape, as chilling, yet liberating as the eternal winters of HowlStrom.

Praise and Critique:
Tucker’s narrative is as intricate as the icy patterns of HowlStrom, yet at times, the frost seems to overtake the fire, the cold narrative echoing the chilling silence of an eternal winter. Yet, in this icy dance, there lies a warmth, a tale of freedom, as liberating as the thawing springs of HowlStrom.

Evaluation:
As an Alpha Ice Wolf, with the mastery of ice magic, I found solace in Tucker’s frosty narrative. It’s a tale that resonates, echoing the icy chains and frosty liberation that graces the world of HowlStrom.

Comparison:
In the icy realms of literature, where frosty narratives and chilly tales abound, "Escape from Bythos" stands as a monument, as enduring as the icy peaks of HowlStrom. It’s a narrative that echoes the cold, harsh yet beautifully savage nature of my icy abode.

Conclusion:
As the icy winds howl through the frosty air, and the eternal winter graces the world of HowlStrom, I, Kiba Snowpaw, an Alpha Ice Wolf with the mastery of ice magic, find solace in the icy chains and frosty liberation of "Escape from Bythos". It’s a tale that lingers, as persistent as the frost that adorns the icy plains of my world, a narrative as chilling, yet liberating as the eternal winters of HowlStrom.

In the words that echo the LitRPG realms, “In every level, there’s a new devil,” and in the icy dance of frost and fire, slaves and leaders, "Escape from Bythos" unveils a level where the devils are as cold as the icy winds, yet the dance of destiny is as warm as the thawing springs of HowlStrom. A howl in the frost, a song of icy chains and frosty liberation.

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