Wraith

Empire and the Hand, Book 1

By: Robert Allen Johnson

Narrated by: James Foster

Length: 5 hrs and 20 mins

Publisher's summary

In Wraith, author Robert Allen Johnson leaves the alleys, battlefields, and politics of ancient Rome behind in favor of fantastical war-torn lands from ages long past.

Following the tales of two haunted, fragile protagonists, Wraith drops the listener into dense forests scouted by cruel soldiers, abandoned wilds teeming with dangerous mysteries, scorched villages burned to ash, and hidden rebel camps as both men fight to escape their haunted, tortured pasts.

In Tiro's tale, a troubled bowman known as "The Ghost" fights to navigate a world of loneliness, revenge, and purpose after losing all he holds dear. In the tale of Arach, a weary traveler in a strange, foreign land meets a mysterious, unwelcome visitor with unknown intentions.

Thus begins the first chapter of Johnson's new series Empire and the Hand, a dark, emotional ride through failure, purpose, vengeance, and regret that will leave fantasy, mystery, and historical fiction fans breathless and eager for more.

©2015 Robert Allen Johnson (P)2015 Robert Allen Johnson

Great book.

It was a great book that kept my attention. Helped pass the time while driving.

Dislointed fantasy noir

In Wraith we are introduced to Tiro a young man that is a master with the bow. So good in fact he takes on the persona of the bowman sniper “The Ghost”, whom the government soldiers fear. We get to learn about he took on this persona and exactly what the demons are that now haunt him.

Then there is Arach, a traveler in a distant land. Who is plagued by a supernatural Wraith that seems to have taken a liking to him. That also seems to like Arach to suffer, by taking those who get close to him.

The story is told from both of these characters points of view switching without warning. One sentence will be one of them and the next will be the other. This made it difficult to know where the story was taking place. Confusing my more than once enough to where I had to rewind and re-listen to parts.

While I think I have figured out the relationship between the two protagonists, I have not figured out how the wraith plays into everything. If I am correct this story will make much more sense otherwise it seems like two unrelated stories that happen to be told at the same time. Again I cannot say to much as this was a short story where little is not tied to the plot.

I would classify this story as a fantasy noir. Because Arach and Tiro are victims of suffering, while living in a fantasy world of magic and the supernatural. If you want a fantasy story that is a little dark and a little different from the norm. Wraith is for you. I see the series expanding into something special, just not quite there yet.

James Foster, once again, has a flawless performance. Doing his best to differentiate the characters. The issues I found with the story had nothing to do with the narration. He was able to make himself sound evil for the wraith, much appreciated and enjoyable. While Arach and Tiro were very similar in tone, making you need queues from the story to tell you who was taking the spotlight in the story.

Audiobook provided for review by the narrator.

Please find this complete review and many others at my review blog

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Couldn't Put It Down

What made the experience of listening to Wraith the most enjoyable?

There were no dull moments in this book. It seemed like I couldn't put the book on pause at the end of a chapter because I wanted to know what happened next.

What did you like best about this story?

It seemed like I was there. The author's storytelling, combined with the narrator's professional delivery were a perfect match.

Which scene was your favorite?

Each chapter seemed to get more intense, terrifying, and heartbreaking as it went on. Just the kind of book that only gets better the deeper you get.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

Wow, I have no idea.

Any additional comments?

Wonderful book, I would recommend it to everyone.

It was exactly what I needed during my mid-terms

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

I would definitely recommend this audiobook to a fantasy fiction lover. I liked the narrator's soothing voice, though at times he was a bit too fast. Overall, I liked how he convincingly changed his voice according to the character. For instance, when he was reading Wraith's bits, there was no doubt that he was Wraith.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wraith?

I cried twice, so I have not one, but two memorable moments of it. The first bit was when Tiro founded his family and neighbours dead and it was devastating. I thought his sister was murdered, too. Ugh that was so bad. The second memorable moment was when Arach came across with Tiro's sister.

Would you listen to another book narrated by James Foster?

Yes, I would love to.

Any additional comments?

Firstly, I want to thank the author Robert Allen Johnson who was kind enough to send me a free copy of this audiobook. I've listened to it during my mid-terms week and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like I said, it was exactly what I needed: a good fantasy book... The story was very gripping and I loved Tiro. I believe he is a good example of an epic hero. I, also liked how kind Arach was. All in all, I cannot wait to get my hands on the second book!

So Good!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes! I already have. The story is so engaging. I can't wait for the next book!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wraith?

There are so many heartbreaking, sad, and spooky moments throughout the book, from one chapter to the next. I should keep them to myself to avoid any plot spoilers though.

Which character – as performed by James Foster – was your favorite?

Both of the main characters, Tiro and Arach, were memorable. Both have very different stories, but both kept me engaged and wondering what happens next to them.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It definitely made me nervous at times and a little creeped out.

Any additional comments?

Buy this book! I can't wait for the next one!

Good but could be better

Would you try another book from Robert Allen Johnson and/or James Foster?

I would listen to another from author Robert Allen Johnson to see if my opinions change any and I will definitely listen to James Foster again if given the opportunity.

Any additional comments?

The summary holds much promise for a great story, however what actually happens is two protagonists wander around, one stealthily bringing men to their death, one stubbornly turning away from those in need. There’s plenty of slaughter by an Empire of soldiers, rebel forces, a juvenile killing machine and a wraith. I can see the author cranking out six plus books all leading the reader on and on and….with no real purpose to a final end where in one paragraph we are told something of real significance.

What is the Empire? Who are the Rebels? What happened to get to this point of war? Even subtly answering these questions in the first book in order to really grab the readers attention would have been better than leading us around by the ears in a seemingly endless amount of travel, death and fluff, only then to be presented with a meaningless ending intended to suck the reader into continuing to buy into the story. The writing overall was fine, there were no glaring mistakes in grammar. Truly I believe the author has a great imagination and a talent for writing but this book appears to be the consequence of boredom with the writing of another series.

James Foster, narrator of Wraith, is a beautiful reader and the overall production is of high quality. Foster kept the story at a steady pace and his relaxed yet penetrating voice lent authenticity to the dark and foreboding atmosphere. He didn’t need to and didn’t use a bunch of flashy voices for the characters, but there was enough distinction to know who was talking. If the author wishes to keep the story in sync he would be well advised to keep Foster for any future installments.

I think Wraith the series has potential but will fall dramatically short of its mark if this first book is any indication of what lay ahead.

This book was gifted to me by the author and Audible in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you.

An engaging fantasy!

Set in an ancient world where might often makes right, Tiro and his sister must navigate around deadly pitfalls. Young Tiro is an excellent shot with the bow and he hates the Empire and all who serve it. Meanwhile, we have this traveler, Arach, who is an older man. He is plagued by a supernatural entity, the wraith, which gives him and his horse no end of grief.

This was a very captivating book. It had that historical fiction quality about it that often made me feel like I was reading a story set in ancient Asia someplace. Then the author pulls in some fantastical elements here and there which make the story a little spooky and that much more interesting. The first openings scenes had me hooked. I definitely wanted to know more about what was going on and why Tiro was taking people out with his bow and why he has so much anger. The author was able to keep my interest at that level for much of the book.

Tiro and his sister are close and they both care about their mother; their step-father is another story. This rebel group, the Hand, has their eye on Tiro. The Hand is well organized with a chain of command and supply routes and contingency plans. However, they do demand obedience and Tiro does have a little problem with doing as he’s told. Tiro’s sister has a few good lines but after the first few chapters, she fades into the background until a certain important event happens later. So, if there is one thing that could strengthen this book, it would be to have more female characters and give them relevant roles.

Arach is the other main character and he is a bit more mysterious. He’s not as full of anger as Tiro is. In fact, he talks to his horse and seems quite fond of him. Then there’s this wraith that plagues him. At first, it’s a suspicious pest, but as the story progresses, it becomes a true threat.

With this wraith being such a nuisance, I did wonder if maybe Tiro is putting his energies into fighting the wrong Big Bad Guy (the Empire). There’s definitely something more afoot in the land and the author has set us up perfectly for a sequel to figure out what that is. Over all, this was a good solid read that I enjoyed quite a bit. The main characters had more complexity than I expected and the world building was good. Definitely looking forward to the next in the series.

I received a copy of this audiobook at no cost from the author (via the GoodReads Audiobooks group) in exchange for an honest review.

The Narration: James Foster did a very good job with these characters. Tiro sounds like a young man and Arach sounds like an old crotchety man. His female voices are believable. He did a good job getting strong emotions across without overdoing them.

Spooky and Satisfying

Would you listen to Wraith again? Why?

Yes. I'm sure I will listen to this again before the next book comes out. There seems to be so much beneath the surface to this book, a second read/listen would be worth it.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Wraith?

The story of Arach was so spooky and sad throughout. I'm not sure which of the two stories was better, but this one won on the memorable and creepy scale.

Which scene was your favorite?

So many! One that sticks out is when Tiro returns home.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes! It's a book that moves fast and rarely, if ever, slows down. It was easy to get lost in the story and lose track of time.

Any additional comments?

I cannot wait for the next book!

The Start of a Promising Series.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

With memorable characters and questions left to be answered, this promises to be an epic fantasy series.

Excellent Story! Great Narrator.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes. It is well written, a good story, and the reader does a really good job! I received this recording w/o charge in order to review it. I was not compensated in an way. I would not write a good review of a book i didn't like. I drive a lot and listen to a LOT of audio books. However, i have a low tolerance for lazy writing, formulaic stories and narration that doesn't suit my tastes. This book had none of those. It is really well written in a somewhat poetic style. The story follows two separate lines and both easily hold the reader's attention. The narrator does and EXCELLENT job of distinguishing the different characters, w/o making it feel like you're listening to one of those corny dramatizations. i would DEFINITELY recommend this book to a friend and will surely be reading/listening to the other books to come in this series!

What other book might you compare Wraith to and why?

The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings

Which character – as performed by James Foster – was your favorite?

The character of the Wraith was really well done.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

When i realized this was only the first installment of a series and that I was at the end of this book, I nearly wept.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait for the next one in the series.