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  • The Pariah

  • The Covenant of Steel, Book 1
  • By: Anthony Ryan
  • Narrated by: Steven Brand
  • Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (320 ratings)

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The Pariah

By: Anthony Ryan
Narrated by: Steven Brand
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Publisher's Summary

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

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)

What listeners say about The Pariah

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good book will listen to the next

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

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simply amazing

one of the best books I had please reading to date. characters are rich and well developed. story keeps you on the edge of the sit throughout entire adventure. a must read!

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great

a great story, engaging characters and a great performance by the narrator. would recommend it as a great listen.

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a gripping tail!

excellent! well worth the read :-) is an excellent storyteller. can't wait for the second book of the series. :-)

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Great story and even better pacing

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.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Adequate but barely

narrator was good, but I struggled to keep interested. needed to move quicker.. did like most of the characters.

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Gripping

Anthony Ryan is a master of his craft. Like the Raven’s Shadow books, the hero of The Covenant of Steel is flawed but posses a particular strength and unique qualities that makes you hope for his success. Ryan’s narrative is flawless - characters are exquisitely crafted, the scenery dark and detailed and the action perfectly described - from the hidden knife thrust to the trading of sword strokes. Again Steven Brand is the perfect performer. I love his accent, timbre and pace. He doesn’t need to adopt a voice for each character like some narrators, the narrative is so mesmerising and Brand’s narration so enthralling it’s not required. If you love fantasy, you will love The Pariah.

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Captivating storytelling

It took some time to warm up to this book in both narration and prose, but once I did it was awesome. Different from many other generic fantasy worlds, this one feels so much more alive with unique characters fitting well into a well crafted world. This easily fits into one of my top 10.

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Anthony Ryan's best work to date

Ryan's previous books are excellent. And this bests them, comfortably. Highly recommended. The performance is topnotch too.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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A solid listen

I enjoyed this though I found that some plot points were handed to Alwyn by a character with the right knowledge at the right time. Still, it was a good listen and I will probably go back for the rest of the trilogy.

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