Immortals

An Epic Fantasy Adventure (Essencers of Aelathia, Book 1)

De: Joshua Smith

Narrado por: Tim Gerard Reynolds

The world has been destroyed...

...and remolded in the image of its destroyer.

For thousands of years, stories had been told of the terrible Sorceress who'd given all her power to end the ancient world. But those were just stories. Now, new stars dot the sky - signs of Sorceress Jocina's power returning so she can finish the job.

For A’banna, these signs mark the end of her service to the Sorceress as priestess. Commanded to sacrifice a living being in Jocina's name, she can't go through with it. A’banna flees into the jungle, but the wide world is much different than she knows. Further, she’s being hunted by Jocina’s sadistic son and her monstrous creations. Nature itself seems set against her.

Bedel and Raynt, two of the Magical Affairs Commission’s elite agents and powerful essencers, might be her only hope. They've dedicated their lives to holding back the tide of Jocina's darkness, and preventing her inevitable return, but when they discover A’banna on the edge of death, all missions are postponed in an effort to protect her.

Might this strange, defecting priestess hold the keys to defeating the Sorceress once and for all? Or will she cause two of the most powerful remaining essencers to meet their doom for nothing?

Experience the start of a fantasy epic filled with magic, war, and characters that leap out of the audio. It's perfect for fans of Jeff Wheeler, Brandon Sanderson, and AC Cobble.

Narrated by the award-winning Tim Gerard Reynolds.

©2019 Aethon Books (P)2019 Aethon Books

Excellent narration

While Tim Gerald Reynolds' narration was excellent, I can't say the same for the actual story. I noticed a number of the reviews started that the book picked up after the prologue, which was far too long IMO (over an hour). Unfortunately I didn't find that to be the case. There was some interesting scenes and quite a few battles, but sadly the story just never grabbed me, which is a shame as I usually love epic fantasy. I was given a free review copy of this audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Lack of urgency toward world ending event

The good. Joshua Smith is a very good writer along with Tim Gerard Reynolds being a tier 1 performance narrator. Even the story outline held the promise and hope of being an interesting tale.

The bad. The story was overly complex and convoluted, with too many strange named characters they might as well be related to Phssthpok the Pak and so many factions making it difficult keep up with all that's going on or whose side each were on. Finally, the story was filled with self-reflections, lamentations and constant world building that made the progress so laden with make-weight that it made for an unexciting adventure.

Fans of epic fantasy have a new author to follow

For epic fantasy fans, this book has it all. Good guys trying to keep the evil elements of the world at bay, the bad guys working their magics to destroy life, and the development of memorable characters leaving the reader wanting to hear more. We're thrown directly in this world, with life threatening circumstances from the very start. Within all the nonstop action of the story, puzzles are interwoven, and evil plots are formed. So paying close attention is mandatory to acquaint yourself with this world, it's magics, politics, and our characters placement in it. Tim Gerard Reynolds is perfect with his narration, and I feel he was made for this story, as he is with Michael J Sullivan's work. Give it a try, as for me I'm ready for the next of the series.

Incredibly Detailed Debut w/ First-Class Narration

I received this title as a giveaway and I am glad I got the opportunity to experience this debut by Joshua Smith. I am amazed at the level of detail he fits into his world and it's hard to imagine he isn't a seasoned writer with dozens of books under his belt - simply amazing work.

The story simply wasn't my cup of tea. The magic system didn't sit well with me but that's personal preference. I am a simple creature and I found my brain working too hard to understand the fabric and the essences. There was a heavy dose of exposition and over-explanation early in the book but things begin to pick up and there is some fantastic action throughout.

Tim does a flawless job narrating and he was a great choice for this novel. I hope others have the chance to listen to this story as I am sure many will find it outstanding.

Great Debut!

Excellent world-building. Great characters. This felt like reading a classic bit of fantasy and is really impressive for a debut. Tim Gerard Reynolds is incredible as well. Highly recommended!

nice start

nice start to a new series by a new author to me and I must say I am looking forward to more in the future.

Strong premier

💥💥💥💥💥 Five bangs.

I listen to a few fantasy books a year. This one popped up on my radar because RC Bray published it through Blue Heron Audio. Totally worth the listen.

A good story that I hope continues

The first hour and a half is a bit rough with a lot of exposition, but if you make it through that the story picks up quite nicely.

Deep worldbuilding on par with Tolkien

The depth of the world building in this book is amazing. On par with Tolkien.

Tim Gerard Reynolds does a great job with the story but I’m going to end up reading this to really get immersed in this deep world.

Tim always does a great job...but

The author likes to write much more than is needed, I found myself drifting and thinking about other things and losing sections of the book. It was a bit boring the only salvation was the narrator.