War Echoes

Fall of Radiance, Book 3

By: Blake Arthur Peel

Narrated by: Michael Kramer, Kate Reading

Length: 10 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's Summary

The echoes of war are sounding. The kingdom is on the verge of breaking.

Owyn and Zara, having saved the rangers and the Conclave from certain destruction, return to the capital city by royal summons. The king has a plan to unite his fractured kingdom... and the young heroes of Forest Hill are going to help him.

However, when Owyn's master, Elias, returns in a most unexpected way, he brings a troubling message - a secret that's been held for more than 20 years.

Time is running out. Together, Owyn and Zara must convince the rebels to lay down their swords for the good of the realm. If they fail, the kingdom may very well tear itself apart... leaving them vulnerable to the ravages of the R'Laar.

The third book in the Fall of Radiance series is here. Perfect for fans of Sabaa Tahir, Sarah J. Maas, and Brandon Sanderson.

©2020 Aethon Books (P)2020 Aethon Audio

Another strong addition to the series

War Echoes expands the story of the Fall of Radiance in nearly every way. The characters grow and develop even more, and we get even more insight into the world of Byhalya, which I love.

Overall, this has been my favorite addition to the series, with a very strong ending!! Definitely looking forward to book 4.

best so far

I love when a series gets better, and this one does. The Character growth was perfect. Narrators still do absolutely glorious reading.

Excellent series

I've enjoyed every book in this series so far and this was my favorite! I highly recommend it. The narrators are excellent and the story is great. I can't wait for the next book in the series. It's gets better with each new book.

Daughter’s review

My daughter listened to this book. She said:
“A refreshing and well written story, the unique style allows the reader to become one with the characters, seeing and feeling the adventure through them. I give this book five stars.”

Brilliant Book

The story picks up not long after the events of book 2, in which Zara thwarted the plans of the Harbingers through a series of very cunning, daring, and oft, just very lucky events. Not only did she stop the assassination of the High Magus, but she also worked out other aspects of their plans and stopped that as well, alerting members of the Conclave to what was happening. At the start of War Echoes, we find Zara being spoken to about her actions, and, as a result of them, being raised to the level of Seeker by the High Magus Sylvania. She also receives a summons to come before the King.
Meanwhile, Owyn is still coming to terms with the events from the previous book, in which he was pivotal in uncovering that the Master Warden was actually under the control of the Demons, and that Advisor Creed had been taking money to act against the Rangers Oath, and killing in cold blood, causing unrest in the North. If it were not for Owyn and First Warden Tamara, this would never have been uncovered, and as it was, many Rangers died, and, unfortunately, an entire village of unarmed women and children were slain by Creed before he could be stopped.
Tamara has now been named Master Warden in a vote of the Rangers, to replace Thorne now he is dead. Elias is still missing, and Owyn has been summoned before the King. Talon has said since he has no master, he will go with Owyn, and Master Warden Tamara, in her new position, gives them her approval, as well as a Ranger guard.
As with the other books, the story is told from the point of view of Owyn and Zara. The two of them meet to see the King, and from there, are told to go and meet with the Nightingales, to try and bring them into the fold, as the kingdom will need all the warriors it has to survive the Demon threat. To assist them, they are provided with someone who used to be a Nightingale to take them to Dunmar City and meet the Protector.
This is a fascinating book, one with a lot of treachery, deception, mystery, and some outstanding character interplay. The Political scheming that is going on, between the King, the Nightingales, the Rangers, and the Conclave is incredibly complex, as each is not only trying to vie for power, but also try to make sure that someone else does not wipe them out. It is a very strategic game, in that each of the major players is not strong enough to rule the Kingdom on its own, each of them needs at least 1 other Party, preferably two. What started out initially with the King having both the Rangers and the Conclave under his banner has quickly changed, and they have become separate entities on their own, each of them a powerful entity within their own right. And suddenly the entire Kingdom has become unstable at a time when it needs to be at its most stable, right when the threat from the R’laar is at its greatest.
Owyn and Zara head off to Dunmar city, with a small force, including a pompous knight who works for the King. It is here that the character work is really exceptional, as we get to learn (without giving too much away), more about Owyn’s past, and how the Nightingale’s have impacted on it, and how he really struggles between having such strong prejudice, but also his loyalties to not only the Rangers, but to Zara as well. For Zara is not just a powerful and clever Magus, she is also a skilled diplomat, her high intelligence allows her to see things others do not, and she uses these to her (and her friends) best advantage.
In Dunmar City, there are all sorts of fascinating things that happen that make this a really intriguing story, one that is not just great for the story arc, but it is really good for the development of the main characters as well.
Overall, this is an outstanding addition to the series in that it sets up the next book brilliantly, but it also does a wonderful job of developing both the characters and the world around them. This is a must read for those that are into the series, and for those thinking about it, the quality of this book will make you want to get into the series.
Michael Kramer and Kate Reading do a brilliant job with the Narration, Kramer is outstanding as Owyn and his take on the rest of the main cast. Reading however, is one step above, and is truly exceptional as Zara, and is amazing as the other major characters in the story.
Both do an amazing job with their voice roles, giving clear, concise, and easy to understand narration, with a wide variety of character voices. Reading is a true Master at Narration, conveying each of her characters thoughts and emotions to the listener easily. Kramer does an outstanding job of also making sure that as the listener, we are not only being told the story, but we understand the emotional state of the character as well.
This is a very clever and expertly Narrated Audiobook, one that is not to be missed.

A lot of the story don't make sense,

Some parts of story just don't gel together, for example betraying your own king to get support from nightingale but they are so easily wiped out by 10000 soldiers, where apparently there is much more

Really good read, captivating

I found the story to be rather well done. Was not disappointed. The plot runs well, and stays rather fast paced. However, I found some characters were not acting in the same characteristic way I felt they had up to this point. There were a few situations where various characters have had consistent reactions through the first two books, but in this one I felt they seemed to act against the character's nature. Granted it created the necessary drama, but I felt their reactions were only there to create that drama and did not flow as well as expected. One of the characters acts rather cowardly at one point, and that point is pointed out specifically in the narrative, however at a later point that same character is brazenly fearless. Again, did not seem to flow as well as it should have. Over all I am very happy with the story-line, barring a few minor inconsistencies. The momentum of the story continues to grow and carries on to the end. I look forward to the next book.

War Echoes

Book three of the series continues with an unexpected turn on the events, but really shows how the reality of the situation at hand would play out given the history of the world. So far you've seen the side of the small towns, the mages, and the rangers. Now you get to hear more from the Kingdom as well as the Nightengales. Of course you get to see our heroes of the story continue to grow and build themselves as well.

Of course the narrators continue to perform excellently as they always do. They are not as animated as some other narrators, but they are very professional, and tell the story very clearly.

The story itself is good, but I wouldn't say it's completely unique and surprising. I would though recommend to read for everyone who has been along for the ride so far. Looking forward to the next book!

The End Days are Truly Upon Us

Character building is good and this series goes from strength to strength.

Tamara is now Master Warden. Talon, whom I find a very irritating character, is still following Owyn around and King Aethelgar continues to prove he is an untrustworthy snake.