The Court of Broken Knives

By: Anna Smith Spark

Narrated by: Colin Mace

Perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence and R Scott Bakker, The Court of Broken Knives is the explosive debut by one of grimdark fantasy's most exciting new voices.

It is the richest empire the world has ever known, and it is also doomed -- but only one man can see it.
Haunted by prophetic dreams, Orhan has hired a company of soldiers to cross the desert to reach the capital city. Once they enter the palace, they have one mission: kill the emperor, then all those who remain. Only from the ashes can a new empire be built.

The company is a group of good, ordinary soldiers for whom this is a mission like any other. But the strange boy Marith who walks among them is no ordinary soldier. Though he is young, ambitious, and impossibly charming, something dark hides in Marith's past -- and in his blood.

Dive into this new fantasy series for readers looking for epic battle scenes, gritty heroes, and blood-soaked revenge.

Dark yet satisfying.

My only suggestion would be that the male performer slow down his reading a bit in some areas, sometimes it was like he was racing through the story.

It’s...fine.

The story itself is intriguing, but the motivation of the protagonist/antagonist is confusing at best and annoying at worst. Still, the prose is very well written and there are some interesting characters.

The narrator/direction was lacking in almost every way. From inconsistent volume to indiscernible characters, it was an absolute slog to get through.

Not sure I’ll continue the series on audible. Might buy the actual book, though.

Bleak, Despairing, Sad but truthfully Beautiful.

Ancient bloodlines, Villainous Heroes, Mages, Dragons, maudlin backdrops...check. Grimdark in it's truest form, great read.

What an unexpected adventure

An unexpected adventure that took hold of my thoughts and wouldn’t let go. Must read.

Grimdark fantasy with no redeeming characters

Anna Smith Spark’s The Court of Broken Knives is the first installment in her Empires of Dust trilogy. The ale is a grimdark fantasy with extensive violence. The tale is relayed through several perspectives by characters fatally flawed. The main character is a young prince banished but presumed killed for the murder of the son of a high nobleman that was his lover. He is basically a killing machine without any regard. He connects with a group of mercenaries hired to kill the emperor.

Spark weaves a dark tale where everyone seems to be tainted and willing to kill under almost any circumstances. The narration is good with solid character distinction. Pacing is smooth.