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Engines of Empire

By: R. S. Ford
Narrated by: Alison Campbell, Ciaran Saward, Phoebe McIntosh, Ewan Goddard, Andrew Kingston, Martin Reeve, Stephen Perring
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Publisher's Summary

“An excellent start to a new series: fast-paced and engaging, with a properly epic setting and a cast of characters I look forward to seeing more of.” (James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost)

“Epic fantasy fans listen up: This is the good stuff. Highly recommended.” (Kirkus, starred review)

From an unmissable voice in epic fantasy comes a sweeping tale of clashing guilds, magic-fueled machines, and revolution.

The nation of Torwyn is run on the power of industry, and industry is run by the Guilds. Chief among them are the Hawkspurs, whose responsibility it is to keep the gears of the empire turning. That’s exactly why matriarch Rosomon Hawkspur sends each of her heirs to the far reaches of the nation.

Conall, the eldest son, is sent to the distant frontier to earn his stripes in the military. It is here that he faces a threat he could have never seen coming: the first rumblings of revolution.

Tyreta is a sorceress with the ability to channel the power of pyrestone, the magical resource that fuels the empire’s machines. She is sent to the mines to learn more about how pyrsetone is harvested - but instead, she finds the dark horrors of industry that the empire would prefer to keep hidden.

The youngest, Fulren, is a talented artificer and finds himself acting as a guide to a mysterious foreign emissary. Soon after, he is framed for a crime he never committed. A crime that could start a war.

As the Hawkspurs grapple with the many threats that face the nation within and without, they must finally prove themselves worthy - or their empire will fall apart.

“A heady blend of action, arcana, and intrigue.” (Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Gutter Prayer)

©2022 R. S. Ford (P)2022 Orbit

Critic Reviews

“Ford succeeds in building a complex fantasy world, complete with warring factions, fearsome creatures, and bloody struggles for power.... Fans of R.A. Salvatore’s DemonWars Saga will be especially hooked.” (Publishers Weekly)

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A great start to an epic fantasy

Engines of Empire was an amazing first entry into the series.

What I liked about this particularly was that even though it was an epic fantasy, which is usually marked by lots of characters and slow build ups, the first book really got off to a blazing start and didn't feel meandering at all.

All the characters were well crafted and I liked them all. I liked that there was only 4 main characters (all of whom were family) so it made following the story easier and each was given plenty of time to be fleshed out. I did wish Conell would've got some more limelight.

The plot was engaging and kept me hooked with plenty of twists thrown in. Though admittedly some of them were somewhat predictable.

The multiple voice actors really enhanced the story. Can't wait for the next book.

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Amazing Universe But Tired Tropes Abound

I tell you what, this book has some amazing elements, but it's let down badly by some really tired tropes.
On the positive side, this is an almost perfect execution of a world that mixes technology, magic and Fantasy. The authors ability to invent thematic names for place, characters and organisations is second to none - some of the best I've heard.
BUT, and it's a really big but, there's elements that are sooo tired and also probably incredibly dated in today's environment. Most of the characters are interesting, or have their moments, but there's one that finds themselves perpetuating the "noble savage" trope, then going on to be a white knight, extolling the virtues of colonialism - and it's so tired, vaguely offensive and frankly so boring. These chapters are just so bad!
However, there's so much potential in the other areas, with political intrigue, decent action, good descriptions of military units... all that is cool, but there's too much to get past. I just don't know if I care enough about the individual stories since they seem to have been done before.

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