The Summoner: Echoes of the Fallen

The Summoner, Book 1

De: Ben Krauter

Narrado por: Ben Krauter

After surviving the last great war, Moon Elf Ezekiel Graystone wanders the war-torn remains of Terrial in search of his lost brother. Along the way, he crosses paths with Davis - a young boy threatened by the malevolent church that serves the demon god king. As he tries to protect Davis, Ezekiel must confront the harsh reality of a world dominated by evil, where the wicked reign supreme and the innocent suffer. With the help of old companions and new allies, they must fight back against the church to thwart its twisted designs. Yet even as they battle, the looming presence of Tal'Dar and his forces threatens to destroy all.

The Summoner: Echoes of the Fallen is a thrilling dark fantasy exploring the consequences of what happens after evil triumphs.

©2023 Benjamin Krauter (P)2023 Benjamin Krauter

Dark Fantasy Adventure

Set in a world after the end. A world where the good have already lost, the heroes are long gone, and the survivors are just trying to piece things back together. The Summoner: Echoes of the Fallen opens in that aftermath. The war is long over. Evil has won. Races have been turned against their very nature. Undead elves prowl the forest they once protected. Dwarves hunt anything that moves from beneath the soil.

It's been more than 120 years since "the Fall", when demons possessed the dead and wiped out the command that once led humanity's armies and killed their gods. The world that's left is all ruins, superstition, and wandering undead. In the middle of this, a young boy named Davis crosses paths with Ezekiel, a relic from before the war, one of the few who still remembers the world as it was before the god-king's rule scrubbed history clean.

The story is mix of dark fantasy adventure, rescue, and found family, as Ezekiel and his unlikely companions begin their trek toward the citadel to save the boy.

It's a world thick with lore, and you can tell right away that Ben Krauter's a Dungeons & Dragons dungeon master. The story has that campaign-like rhythm: Rich world-building, shifting party members, and a series of encounters that each feel like their own self-contained adventures contributing to a larger arc. There's a real sense of journey. Travelling through abandoned towns, crossing paths with inquisitors and corrupted former high races. Every location feels like it has its own history, even if we only get a glimpse of it.

There's a bit of everything in the travelling party too, again feeding those D&D vibes. Korlak the orc, Drez the water goblin, Liara the alchemist (or possibly poisoner, depending on your tolerance for moral grey areas), and Onyx, a metal-furred cat from the ash elemental plane. Onyx is a fantastic character and total cat with her eye-rolling attitude. It's a lively mix, and even though the story edges into darker territory, with occasional mild horror and gore, there's still a sense of camaraderie running through it all.

Magic, of course, is outlawed. The Inquisition hunts anyone who uses it, branding them heretics, unless they're useful enough to be absorbed into the machine. Davis's abduction by the Inquisition adds some urgency to the story, as there are only two outcomes for those taken, and neither is good.

Tone-wise, it leans a little toward the young adult end of dark fantasy. Plenty of violence and danger, but still written with a sense of wonder about the world's ruins and mysteries. There are flashbacks to the war that add context and melancholy rather than just exposition dumps, and it fits the "journey through the aftermath" mood the book is going for.

As for the narration, for a self-narrated title, it's surprisingly solid. These can often be hit and miss, but Krauter handles his own material well. His delivery matches the tone of the story, and while it's not a flashy performance, it's consistent, clear, and well-recorded. No background noise, no distracting edits – just clean narration that lets the story do the heavy lifting.

All up, The Summoner: Echoes of the Fallen delivers a world worth exploring. It's packed with lore, atmosphere and adventure. It does what good dark fantasy should: makes you believe there's something left worth fighting for, even after everything's fallen apart.

No Darius?

Well done Ben on both the writing and audio book. I’m looking forward to reading more about the “Broken Shackles”. Book 2 now please!

Hooked and ready for more

Within the dark fantasy world of Terrial, "The Summoner: Echos of the Fallen" takes the reader on a thrilling journey of discovery and magic. The narrative slowly reveals and builds the world of Terrial as well as fleshing out our cast of characters as they embark on their perilous journey of searching for family with a slew of moral decisions.

The author painstakingly crafted a universe and characters that act and feel unique while being bound by their own codes of ethics. Each with varying views of their own world with varying motivations driving them to each of their goals. Each character has a different aspect I can find relatable, including our antagonists. Zeke is tactical and really displays his analytical side to many situations. Both Davis and Drez are such pure souls who you cheer and hope for their continued innocence. Liarra acting as a voice of reason and curiosity, alongside Korlac, the lovable brute who cherishes his friends above all else.

What came to mind while reading some of the dialogue between the characters was visualizing a group of friends engaged in a tabletop role-playing game and bantering and discussing various matters with one another.

In conclusion, "The Summoner: Echoes of the Fallen" is a well crafted dark fantasy novel wanting to tell a story that pulls its audience in with the unknown and builds upon itself, wanting to tell more. I eagerly await for its sequel as to see where our party is led and how they will continue to survive this world dominated by the malevolent church and their Demon God King Tal'Dar.

Dungeon Crawler meets Sleepy Tavern

Thoroughly enjoyed the Summoner - a great combination of world building, classic D&D elements, and relationship development across the characters.
Looking forward to seeing the party grow, I'm hopeful for the quest and can't wait to pick up the next one!

Terrific world building and compelling characters

Evil forces control the world of Terriel, and our heroes offer the first sparks of hope in a long, long time. The characters and their interactions are a ton of fun, and there are terrific scenes- one of my favorite is in a certain apparently abandoned city. Great book - fans of fantasy parties getting together and facing impossible odds will love this one. Ben Krauter does an excellent job narrating his book, and I am greatly looking forward to the next one.

Worth the read just for the world building and lore.

Really enjoyed this title. The characters had substance and the world was well thought out. I look forward to seeing how the lore develops as the taste we got in this one was really enticing.

Great story with characters you grow to care for in a fun world

I really enjoyed the narration as well as all the characters looking forward to the second book it's a very fun and compelling world not super long but enough to keep you going

Dream Blessed

Enjoyed the story and await the next book. I like how the characters developed supporting the plot.

Great start to a promising story!

Bad ass summoner. Cool companions. Annoying kid. Great start to a very promising series. Cannot wait for the next book.

really great book

the characters and world building are all done very well in a easy to follow along with writing style. very good start to a series.