The Keeper Chronicles: The Complete Trilogy

The Keeper Chronicles, Book 1-3

By: JA Andrews

Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds

Length: 46 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

When Mallon the Undying threatened the land years ago, the elves stopped him - and then disappeared.

Now Mallon's followers seek to bring him back to finish what he started. 

Only the Keepers - storytellers, historians, and magic-wielders - are left to stand against them.

Alaric, who betrayed everything he believed to save his wife - and still failed.

Will, a storyteller who’s convinced his weak magic makes him useless. 

And Sini, a former slave girl with unimaginable power but no way to wield it. 

Can they survive being hunted by dragons, attacked by frost goblins, and betrayed by traitors in their midst? 

Or will Mallon's minions overwhelm them and plunge the land into darkness? 

Fans of Patrick Rothfuss, David Eddings, and Terry Brooks will love this engaging trilogy. Dive into this enchanting epic fantasy series fans call "heart-pounding, emotional, and very satisfying".

©2019 JA Andrews (P)2020 Podium Audio

it has arrived!

I've been waiting for this to hit audible and I don't think I've ever spent an audible credit so quickly. For those who have read some of the books the chapters break down like this:
Book 2 starts at chapter 59
Book 3 starts at chapter 112

TGR does an amazing job, as always, and I actually slowed down my listening time from 1.5x to enjoy it more.

And here's my original ebook review for reference...

I love this series so much... Don't wait! Get it now!
I would consider myself an old school fantasy lover and spent much of my youth reading Tolkien, McKiernan, McCaffrey, Tad Williams and pretty much anyone else I could get my hands on. Recently I have dove into indie fantasy and let me tell you, JA Andrews is leaps and bounds ahead of the field, her story telling is phenomenal and you can't help but get sucked in and feel fully immersed while reading. Once you hit that 30% point of each book you can't help but get swept up in the story, you have to pick up the book every free minute you have until you finish it.

Getting a little fatigued by all the grimdark books? Looking for something to rekindle that same passion you had as a kid the first time you read about dragons? This is it, this is the story. She will make you laugh, she will make you cheer, she will make you send her messages about how your wife asks what's going on in the story because you are crying into your coffee mug while reading!

Her side story (and bonus story) fit in so well with the main trilogy that I have tremendously high hopes for future novels.

Loved the series

I have to admit that I am becoming harder to please as I grow older (and wiser). I find myself giving up on a series if it can't keep my attention within the first few hours. This trilogy was a refreshing change & I loved the way it focused on each character separately. The narrator always does a fantastic job so no surprise there. Now I need to see what else JA Andrews has up her sleeves. Great job. Highly recommend.

Don’t invest your time in this story with a bogus ending!!. . . 😱

Starts out interestingly and the unfortunately the plot twist and character breakdown at the end make you say, “Oh dear Lord! Did I just spend all this time following all these characters and sub stories to have the author crap out with an unbelievable and totally out of character action by the chief villain of the last book?” So ridiculous by the author it makes me mad! What, were you late to your publishing date? Or just tired of the whole thing yourself and just pulled enough plot threads together to make a doschdveled bow for your “ present” of a book? . . . 😱
————————————————————————————————————————
5 stars is great (I rarely give this rating).
4 stars is good (given only to interesting and well-written books).
3 stars is OK (the usual listen I encounter on Audible).
2 stars is poor (and not worth the credit or the listen).
1 star is awful (and to be diss'ed and shunned and spread as thus through out the Audible Universe)!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 😱

exceptional

I love a good fantasy but I usually end up sending a good percentage back cause the characters are simplistic, the plots are too predictable, or it is one similar battle after another. This one kept me totally engaged. Thank you

Not worth the time or the credit

I got reeled in by all the fantastic reviews, but now that I've finished the first book, I cannot possibly understand how it was rated so well. This book is written for children - the characters are two tone (good or bad), the writing is mediocre, and the plot is extremely predictable. Don't waste your time with this novel!

Excellent Story

I enjoyed the three stories very much. TGR's performance is top notch. The characters are well developed, and the story is creative and interesting enough. The trilogy has a very satisfying ending, which is is sometimes under appreciated. Putting the three books together like this makes this so much more enjoyable. Highly recommended.

On the fence - started it - tore down the fence

Let's start by stating I have over 600 books in my library. The majority of them Fantasy, SCI-FI, and a smattering of military books. I sift through Audible quite often trying to find another great book. There are many haha

The reviews on the main page made me question whether I'd enjoy this book. So I didn't buy it right away. However, something about it kept pulling me back to it over and over again. I finally pulled the trigger on it.....and I was sucked into it day after day until I completed it.

The book is not generic, it has emotion to it, which is becoming more and more rare. I was emotionally invested in the people. The magic system was unique and not overwhelming. The author definitely spent a lot of time and care on this world.

I would 100% buy this book again. I encourage all others to give it a shot. You won't be disappointed.

Great escape!

I am so happy to have discovered JA Andrews! These books got increasingly rich in character, and always carried hope and goodness as a core reality. I love the diversity in the development of the elves and dwarves. The sword lore was a bit confusing, and I wish more time was spent with the final revelations, but I am eager to jump into Andrews’ next work!

A True gem of a trilogy - memorable and bright

The characters are extraordinarily well developed. Plenty of twists and turns keeping the listener engaged. Hope amidst chaos. A worthy contribution to epic fantasy. Thank you JA Andrews.

Exposition & Abandoned Major Plot Threads.

Edit: Forgot to give credit to the amazing narration. It is top tier.
Unfortunately Tim Gerard Reynolds' performance is too good for this "Trilogy" <- if you can even call it that.

Pacing..... Pacing....... PACING!!!

All three books have different main characters..... YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT GOING IN. To give you an Idea, I'm nearly a quarter of the way through Book 3, and the plot hasn't even started yet. We're still getting introduced to the NEW MAIN CHARACTER.

My interest in this story swings from a 10 to a 0, upon each book change, it's terrible. For real, you WANT to know what happens next and.... just, nope. You do not get to know that, You do not get to experience any of that. ZERO resolution. AT ALL. It feels like a punch to the gut, And it happens TWICE!

The action and suspense in Book One is amazing, but at it's heart its a story about love. And here's the thing.... I actually really enjoy a good romance plot-line in a series. I am on Book 3 at the moment, and books one and two each had a love interest for their respective MC's. I am expecting a third.

Now, onto why this is rated 3 stars overall and not 5 like many here, with a 2 for story.

If you've ever read the start to a really great series, and you know there's more books to come, THE BEST part is not having to go through 10 chapters of exposition at the beginning of the next book, you get to bask in the afterglow of the previous book before the plot of the next iteration kicks off.

An author has to work to make you like a character, and when they do, it feels great. Especially when you come back to them, and get to live in and see how they've grown. So when the characters that you've grown attached to get abandoned and left out to sea, well at least to me, it's frustrating.

It wouldn't be such an issue of mine if the romance plot lines didn't ALL just STOP right after the first kiss. Personally I really liked the one in Book 2. And I was hoping to get to see more of it. But no, we get a new MC in book 3. So even if it is further explored later in Book 3, it will be done from an outside perspective..... The same as it was done in Book 2. <- That last bit sucked when it happened.

Book 1's entire plot is driven by a need that the romantic interest of the MC has. And from like page 3 we learn about how Alerick (I think that's how you spell it) has to save some chick he's madly in love with (Seriously this is in the prologue, like first 10 min of the story, not a spoiler), well.... actually I can't spoil it...... because it never happens.... YEP, you read that right. We get a Kiss, at the end of book one, and like literally 10min of characterization for the catalyst to Book 1 at the very end, and that's it. And honestly it's barely any characterization at all.

Trust me when I say this woman went through some stuff. Yeah well. You don't get to find out how it affects her. And If it's somehow at the end of book 3, I honestly think that would be worse than never finding out. Because it will be far far far far far too late for me to care. And that sucks. Going from loving characters to hating them because when the iron is most hot, and you are ready for the strike. That iron is just tossed onto the ground... And JA Andrews walks away from it. And you're left holding this now cold metal that *could* have been something great.

AND THEN THERE IS A NEW MAIN CHARACTER!!

So that closure that you might have wanted, only the entire reason book one happens in the first place, yeah THAT closure. Well, you never get it....

And something very VERY similar happens AGAIN from Book 2 to Book 3 as well.

JA Andrews sets up each book like it's part of a Trilogy. She calls it a Trilogy. It is most definitely NOT a trilogy. It is an Anthology. With characters that loosely interact with each other, and occasionally see each other.

Like the C plot in the first book gets more "Screen time" than any resolution you *might* glean from the few appearances the First Book's MC gets in Book Two, and you get even less time from the love interest in Book 1. I'm nearly 3/4 through this trilogy and I STILL don't know SQUAT about Evangeline (Alerick's (Book 1 MC) Love interest)..... Like NOTHING.

I wouldn't be as frustrated by this if JA Andrews wasn't so good at making, and developing compelling characters. And, she is good at it. The characters ARE compelling.... But they TAKE FOREVER to get there, like a quarter too about a third of each book is just setup FOR NEW MAIN CHARACTERS that I don't care for, all I want is to go back to the old characters and see what's happening. And then once the NEW characters do get interesting, they are abandoned as well.

I can't find another way to describe the feeling you get at the start of Book 2 and 3 as anything other than overwhelming and crushing disappointment.

Imagine letting your puppy out of the house to do their business in the back yard, and they do. You're so proud of your little pupperino. You can do this together, they will be house trained, and today was a big day for your doggo. You feed them a treat as soon as they're done., and give them some love. You pet their head tell them you love them.
And then... right as you let them back in. They hop on your couch and turns out they saved the last of their wet milky turds for your new plush cushions and that fuzzy blanket you got for Christmas. That's how the transitions from book 1-2 & 2-3 feels. Picture that scenario.... Feel what you would feel in that moment. Stinky wet turds all over your couch. And your favorite blanket is ruined. And just know, that's what you're in for...

And then.... a few days later... after you've spent hours scrubbing it all clean. You've finally managed to get rid of the stain on the couch, and you went all the way to target to replace the blanket. "It was a gift" you think to yourself. But you liked that weighted fuzzy blanket so much, you went out and got another one.
Only for the little demon turd factory you call a puppy to erect another moment to god of defecation and feces all over your brand new blanket AGAIN!

The only reason the Story isn't 1 star is because the endings to book 1 and 2 are so good, and the dog at least kinda crapped outside, even if it was only a rouse to destroy that which you love.

Serendipity!

I listen to A LOT of fantasy, with my favourites being the mind blowing Joe Abercrombie but also Brandon Sanderson and M. J. Sullivan among others,
Having finished a relisten to them all, I was desperately searching for something new and came across this because I knew and liked the narrator. I took a chance and I am so glad I did. This is not my usual preferred grim dark but it is extremly enjoyable. Though it isn’t innovative as such, it does feel fresh and well imagined. I liked the main characters and, as the previous reviewer mentioned, how well each books moves on yet interweaves their storylines. I am going to buy this on hardcopy, I liked it that much.

Epic saga

I admit that I bought this book because it was good value, 3 books for 1 credit is not to be sniffed at. I intended to listen to the first part and then skip to something different and maybe come back to it later. I was so enthralled by the first story I blitzed all 3 in one go. Each book is a story on its own, no padding to make it a series, just well crafted stories that are entertaining from beginning to end. I will be looking for more books from j a Andrews in the future. Narrator is very good too, keeping you interested in the story all the way through.

Good value

I struggled to finish book 1. Book 2 and 3 were more enjoyable. The narrator was excellent.

Enjoyable listen

3 books in 1, in a sale and a narrator I favoured I had to take the plunge.
Enjoyable book. Not over complicated and a good ending. (I’ll admit A little in love with Will) sad I know. But recommend.

very enjoyable

I don't often write reviews but as a connoisseur of fantasy I enjoy a book that can bring me in and keep me in, and this book definitely did that I did not put it down once. so if you want something that is easy to listen to I would highly suggest this book.

Really good 'read'

Narrator was great
Kept me interested and a good storyline
Would highly recommend if you like fantasy

Thrilling

Fabulous listen. Gripping stroy through out the 3 books. All emotions checked off. Would listen again

Magical saga at its finest.

Fantastic story, great character depth and build up. action that pulls you in to keep you listening. Hats off to Tim G Reynolds for another stupendous performance. To all involved, thanks you for your effort.

Fresh air in a genre full of stuffy tropes

Great tale, loved the progression of the series as you start with one protagonist and transition between new ones but never have to leave your old friends along the way.

Fully enjoyed

A great story so I thought I should give it a review. The story can be a little predictable in places, but the characters are good and it's thoroughly enjoyable. Totally worth it.