The Ember Blade cover art

The Ember Blade

The Darkwater Legacy, Book 1

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The Ember Blade

By: Chris Wooding
Narrated by: Simon Bubb
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About this listen

A land under occupation. A legendary sword. A young man's journey to find his destiny.

Aren has lived by the rules all his life. He's never questioned it; that's just the way things are. But then his father is executed for treason, and he and his best friend, Cade, are thrown into a prison mine, doomed to work until they drop. Unless they can somehow break free....

But what lies beyond the prison walls is more terrifying still. Rescued by a man who hates him yet is oath-bound to protect him, pursued by inhuman forces, Aren slowly accepts that everything he knew about his world was a lie. The rules are not there to protect him or his people but to enslave them. A revolution is brewing, and Aren is being drawn into it, whether he likes it or not.

The key to the revolution is the Ember Blade. The sword of kings, the Excalibur of his people. Only with the Ember Blade in hand can their people be inspired to rise up...but it's locked in an impenetrable vault in the most heavily guarded fortress in the land.

All they have to do now is steal it....

©2018 Chris Wooding (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction

Critic Reviews

"The Ember Blade is hands down the best fantasy novel I've ever read." (Grimdark Magazine)
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took me a little while to get into this book but then it hooked me looking forward to what comes next

slow start but it builds

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Amazing! absolutely fell in live with the characters, the author had a way of bringing them all to life, greatness and failings alike came across realistically giving them the feel of real people and had me attached to each and every one! highly reccomend this book!

Couldn't stop listening!

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The first 10 minutes is a slow start but then the story kicks off and it's an adventure. Rich characters, well narrated and great story.

great story and great characters

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Great storyline Chris definitely hooks you into the troubles and successes of the characters. Captivating journey, look forward to hearing the next book. Simon Bubb is a well crafted reader

Great storyline

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Chris Wooding is a gifted world builder who weaves together a story of intrigue and camaraderie with otherworldly fantasy.

The narration is a bit stiff and took some getting used to.

Master world builder

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I was very disappointed when Chris called it a day, on the crew of the Ketty Jay. The series is as good, if not better than The Expanse and up there with the Serenity and her crew. But now I sand in awe, and all I can say is "All is forgiven"

All is forgiven!

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Chris Wooding has written what is basically a flawless novel. It certainly wears its influences on its sleeves, with a Tolkien journey, elements of heist thriller, and then scenes plucked straight out of Gulag/Concentration Camp literature. Yet the overall feel of it is perfectly immersive, it doesn’t seem cogged or forced or insincere at any point. I keep wanting to call it perfect, again and again. This could be unwise, as overselling it might make some determined to hate it, or hypersensitive to anything they don’t love. To be fair, it is on the slower side at times. I found this helped with its sense of immersion and realism, so I liked it, but here’s your warning. If you hate slow moments then it will frustrate you at times; but if you want perfect pitch fantasy adventure this is for you.

Perfect

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The setting was laid very well, with world-building that was presented piecemeal without extensive exposition. The fall of Ossia (?) is one example of this, where you find more details on how it happened MUCH later in the book. Characters were amazingly complex; not just the flawed main lead, but the side characters too, with loving relationships and friendships breaking apart or holding fast. Keel (?) and Grub in particular, were very compelling characters to learn about. The story, while a little bit predictable on the whole, was still entertaining with a few surprise twists. The fantastic performance by the narrator enhanced all of this as well. Great audiobook!

Story and performance were amazing

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Epic fantasy at its best. Wonderful 3 dimensional Characters. In-depth world building. Excellent narration. Can’t wait for the next installment.

Classic Fantasy.

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This book is packed to the brim with action. I felt like i was constantly on the edge of my seat. The characters are great and unique the narrator nailed this, one of my top audible picks!

brilliant book fast paced binge worthy.

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