A Testament of Steel

Instrument of Omens, Book 1

By: Davis Ashura

Narrated by: Nick Podehl

A young man with no past must progress into a warrior out of legend.

Cinder Shade’s life begins on a fateful afternoon at the bottom of a well where he awakens, bruised, battered, and bereft of all memory. His only understanding is a driving imperative to protect those who can’t defend themselves and become a warrior worthy of the name.

He discovers within himself a peculiar gift, one in which the codes of combat are made evident and the language of steel is made clear.

When he earns a place at a prestigious elven warrior academy, Cinder fights to enhance his knowledge and perhaps even humble the proud elves who believe no human is their equal. His hard-earned skills are put to the test when strange rumblings emanate from deep in the Dagger Mountains. Monsters out of myth emerge. And so does something far worse... An ancient god. The world believes this deity long dead, but he is very much alive. And he remembers his enemies all too well. Even if they don’t remember themselves.

©2020 Davis Ashura (P)2020 Podium Audio

Fragging INCREDIBLE!!!

Davis Ashura is an exceptional author. He has a very unique way of captivating my imagination, and because of this I purchased this title without taking a single glimpse at the publishers summary or listening to the available sample. Nick Podehl in turn is an equally brilliant narrator with the ability to bring to life the characters of the books he performs and to turn them into truly believable persons... Each with their very own personality. So believable in fact that I sometimes become overwrought with sadness when nearing the end of a book for fear of having to say goodbye to the characters that Nick has brought to life. Ashura and Podehl together form a team of impeccable standards and the stories they weave fill me with emotions and rock me to my core... So how excited do you think I was when I realized that A Testament of Steel is a prequel to my most beloved Audible series "The Castes and the OutCastes". As I had said... I purchased this title having knowing nothing about it except for its author and narrator. The moment I realized this most wonderful Easter egg, I literally jumped out of my seat and pumped my fist!

Just as in The Castes and the OutCastes, Ashura and Podehl never hold back... The amount of tension, excitement and on the edge of your seat moments in this book will astound you. If you have not read The Castes and the OutCastes, have no fear. You will still find this book enjoyable, but I assure you... Listening to or reading the prequel to this series will put you center stage into one of the most enjoyable experiences that I have ever had since joining Audible. The knowledge gained from The Castes and the OutCastes creates a tension so great... So enjoyable... That... That I literally have no words to explain it. Knowing what I know had me on the edge of seat waiting for a single moment to happen unlike any other. Not the day before Christmas as a kid or wondering what your 7th birthday was going to bring could compare to the feeling that this book gave me. The moment is always "almost" there so many times that I started to bite my nails again and I stopped biting my nails years ago. That "moment" that you are waiting for throughout the whole book is framed with wonderful characters so real and believable that I half expected myself to step outside my house and see them casually strolling down the street... I wanted to see them strolling down the street. Everyone of them is brought to life by Podehl in a way that only he can do, and he does it so well. I absolutely know that I am repeating myself in this review, but I can't help it... It's worth repeating. The book is beautiful and brilliant. Normally I have no trouble writing reviews, but with A Testament of Steel... Its so good that I actually feel that I can not write a review that would do it justice. Please... I pride myself on helping people. I am a people pleaser and I like to make people happy. Reading or listening to this book will make you happy. Especially if you have read The Castes and the OutCastes. The only thing bad about this book is that it is new and waiting for the sequel is going to be hard to say the least. This is the only thing bad that I can say about Audible as well... Waiting for the sequels and follow ups to the great books that Audible offers is a chore in and of itself.

I Can’t Rate This High Enough!

I’ve listened to the prequel series, “Castes and Outcastes” and enjoyed it. So when I saw that Davis Ashura had written the start of a new series, I purchased the book. I never wanted this story to end, I couldn’t get enough. My opinion, for what it is worth, is that “A Testament of Steel” was so much better, and I really liked the other series.

This story was engaging, the characters were well written and the kind you just wanted to win. There was, for me, just nothing to pick at about this book.

And of course Nick Podehl is fantastic. Every time, all the time.

Summary: BUY THIS BOOK!

Great read!

This book is a tale of coming to age in a unique and sad perspective that begs more questions than it answers. Our protagonist is gifted with a stong yet damaged mind and is often faced with hardships not easy to overcome. Despite this he often overcomes and suprises those around him. The author has a way of pulling you in and making you empathize with Cinder and in fight scenes or confrontations I often felt tense or anger myself. Or the strong sense of brotherhood and comradery often portrayed throughout the book. Overall I really enjoyed this book and it's resonated well with me. Can't wait to see the rest of Cinders adventure unfold. So without futher ado thank you, and keep up the great work Mr. Ashura.

Fanstastic

great audio book to listen to. well worth the credit. Narrator Nick Podehl was fantastic as usual.

pretty darn good

This was a great read. It is twice as long as the books I normally read and I worried that the pace would be too slow and my mind would wonder off but it wasn't lile that. I felt engaged and interested the whole time. I recommend listening to this book.

Best Continuation of all time

If you know who this author is then you’ll know who this book is about. Good job Mr. Ashura🙌🏼❤️

I didn’t realize how much I missed this and the connection they create.

Great listen

Five stars across the board, my only disappointment is the wait until Book 2 is released.

Good start

I like it so far, just hope the next book is just as good. Very good characters, including the love interest (which I usually don't like).

Phenomenal

I thoroughly enjoyed the entire book. I am really looking forward to the next installment.

AMAZING

Incredible story. Performance by Nick was amazing. Can't wait for the next one, they better use Nick again! if it wasn't for Nick, I would not have found this book.