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The Pariah

The Covenant of Steel, Book 1

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The Pariah

By: Anthony Ryan
Narrated by: Steven Brand
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About this listen

When the task is a killing, be quick and make sure of it.

Torment is an indulgence.

Save it for only the most deserving.

Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army.

Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance. But as dark forces, both human and arcane, gather to oppose Evadine's rise, Alwyn faces a choice: can he be a warrior, or will he always be an outlaw?

The Pariah begins a dark and bloody new fantasy epic from New York Times best-selling author Anthony Ryan, whose books have sold more than a million copies worldwide.

©2021 Anthony Ryan (P)2021 Hachette Audio UK Dark Fantasy Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction

Critic Reviews

"A master storyteller." (Mark Lawrence)

"A gritty, heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance. I loved every single word." (John Gwynne)

"The Pariah is Anthony Ryan at his best. A fast-paced, brutal fantasy novel with larger-than-life characters and a plot full of intrigue and suspense." (Grimdark Magazine)
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narrator was good, but I struggled to keep interested. needed to move quicker.. did like most of the characters.

Adequate but barely

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What i hate most about a book is when the author spends 20 minutes describing the weather. This book does none of this, cutting straight to it and get's the story going and what a great story its been. Hope the rest of the books in this story stay to this standard.

Great story and even better pacing

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I really liked the story and kept trying to persevere for this reason but realised I could listen to entire chapters without actually registering any of the words! The narrator doesn't use different accents or even change his voice slightly for any of the different characters and his pace and tone were mostly unchanging. I feel like this performance really detracted from what seemed like an excellent story and I couldn't finish the book.

Excellent story but lacklustre narration!

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loved it will definitely buy the next in series can't wait for it thank for a good read

good book will listen to the next

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What I thought started out as a by the numbers grimdark tale, something I was convinced I would think nothing of, slowly turned into a rich and immersive tail full of colourfully twisted but endearing characters. It has the edge of an unorthodox tale of revenge that will leave you pleased with the results. Above all I found myself unknowingly hypnotised by the graphic and detailed battle sequences. Whilst not for the faint of heart, the violence, military tactics and knowledge of weaponry has been researched diligently. For readers with an eye for detail and appreciation for the hardships of a medieval setting, this is indeed the book for you

Character development, story and battle sequences

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