The Iron Circlet

By: Phil Tucker

Narrated by: Noah Michael Levine

Length: 14 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's Summary

The fourth book in the new epic fantasy series listeners are comparing to the works of David Gemmell and Raymond E. Feist.

The war for the soul of the Ascendant Empire is coming to a head. Factions with ill intent move to undermine or destroy that which has stood for centuries, while armies muster promising slaughter.

In this time of desperation, old enemies find common ground. Ancient truths emerge to shatter long held beliefs. Monsters from myth and legend emerge onto the world stage, while blood drowns the ceremonies of the faithful.

Unpredictable, fast paced, and packed with unforgettable characters, The Iron Circlet is the fourth installment in a gripping new epic fantasy series.

©2017 Phil Tucker (P)2017 Audible, Inc.

Unexpected Twists - Hanging on Every Word

The second to last book in the Chronicles of the Black Gate series. This book really threw me for a few loops. I was expecting it to go one way, and Phil Tucker definitely switched it up on me and kept me guessing right up until the very last chapter of this one. The character arcs are spot on and none of the characters really leave anything to be desired. Another masterpiece by Phil Tucker! I have recommended this series to all of my friends and even bought a few copies for them. I just can’t believe that even after 4 books, this series still has me enthralled. This book really does have it all too, magic, mystery, open combat even on an epic scale, and the world building is still spot on. I never get tired of hearing about the various places and lore of the world and I can’t wait to see what the next book has in store for me.

The audio quality was spot on, as always. Noah Michael Levine continues to be one of the best narrators I’ve ever heard and I am still not tired of listening to him tell me this story. 4 books, and over 40 hours worth of content later and I still hang on his every word. The man is truly an amazing narrator and I want to listen to his other works.

This installment takes place across a wide swath of the empire, but it mostly focuses on Starkadr, the home of the flamewalkers of old, and the fall of the empire. I have to say, the ending through me pretty hard and it was not even close to what I thought was going to happen going into this book. Even after 4 books, it all still feels really fresh and interesting. Audsley goes through a lot of harrowing experiences with his demons and it starts to seem like they are successfully corrupting him, or are they? Audsley is one of the strongest people, mentally, I’ve ever read that didn’t seem just overly powerful for no reason, and he is still my favorite character in the whole series.

Audiobook was provided for review by the author/narrator/publisher.
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Loved It

Was on the edge of my seat the whole book. I can't wait to hear the last book.

more like a video game then a story

I really liked the series and will certainly read the last book but I think it was filled with almost tedious battle scenes and the characters ability to revive became ridiculous. I felt no sense of peril for the main characters. I found myself skimming over some of the battle scenes.

Great Story

The best series since The Cronicles of Thomas Covenant. The Lord of the rings for this decade.

Awesome!

This is a great story snd it was creatively narrated!
The story is so deep and just. The story brings you into the life of the characters. Thier fear, struggles and motivations!

when is the next one coming?

Really great storyline. characters are very well developed. can't wait for the next one.

Series deserves much more fame

fricken amazing story. Phil Tucker should have more notoriety! Audsleys story is so sad but so good, As is Tyron's my favorite characters for sure. Nothing beats the part in the story where the demon explains how its going to "break Audsley in" if you will. such insanely good writing

A step down

1. Writing quality: excellent
2. Explicit and crude content: unnecessary. A distraction and withdrawal from an otherwise great story. Why the F-bombs? Why the explicit sexual scenes? Leave it to the reader’s imagination next time and you also appeal to a wider audience like the Wheel of Time series.
3. The narrator does well! His performance keeps you connected and holding on to the final scene.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any better!

Lo and behold, another powerful story that completely flips everything we thought we knew on its head!

As always, Noah Michael Levine gave a fantastic performance and only those pesky, odd pronunciations prevents it from being a 5-star performance.

I can honestly say there were so many times in this book that I thought I knew what was going on, and every damn time my expectations ended up getting thrown right out the window!

I love the way some characters are coming together, as well as seeing the promises of others doing so. I love the way the various reveals are timed and how things end up coming together! Just when you think a character has given all they have, a new way is presented for them to give just a bit more and still be the hero of the day.

I still love Ferrick the most, and though he's grown on me quite a lot, I'm a bit annoyed with Audsley just now. He can be so naive sometimes!

Now, as with previous installments, I'm really frustrated that I can't give it the 5 stars the story deserves. It really is an incredible story. I just can't overlook the grammar problems, which really haven't improved since the first book.

I do find myself wishing there'd been a bit more preamble, a bit more lead-in to the ending. While there is plenty of that in regards to the major conflict (humans vs orcs/craw. And no, I'm not oblivious to the many parallels between these books and the back story to the Warcraft video games), the background one that ends up taking center stage could use a bit more.

Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of progression and foreshadowing for what ends up happening, it's just that I would have liked to spend just a little more time leading up to it.

As to the ending itself, as always, I really couldn't ask for much more. There is Tucker's trademark escalation of climaxes as we make our way to the final ending, and it's accompanied by several awesome reveals, some crazy twists, and a number of incredible moments, both in terms of plot and character.

We're once again left with a cliffhanger ending that has me on the edge of my seat and I'm thankful I already have the next (and final) book ready to go so I can dive right in and march my way on inexorably to the conclusion of this epic series.

Amazing

The series has been great throughout every book and I am enjoying it immensely. The narration is some of the best that I have heard.