Empire of Exiles

De: Erin M Evans

Narrado por: Imogen Church

Magic, mystery, and revolution collide in this fantasy epic where an unlikely team of mages, scribes, and archivists must band together to unearth a conspiracy that might topple their empire.

“The beginning of a truly epic tale. Deft worldbuilding and wonderful verbal fencing that is a delight to read. In these pages, you are in the hands of a master.”—Ed Greenwood, creator of the Forgotten Realms and internationally bestselling author

Twenty-seven years ago, a Duke with a grudge led a ruthless coup against the empire of Semilla, killing thousands. He failed. The Duke was executed, a terrifyingly powerful sorcerer was imprisoned, and an unwilling princess disappeared.

The empire moved on.

Now, when Quill, an apprentice scribe, arrives in the capital city, he believes he's on a simple errand for another pompous noble: fetch ancient artifacts from the magical Imperial Archives. He's always found his apprenticeship to a lawman to be dull work. But these aren't just any artifacts—these are the instruments of revolution, the banners under which the Duke lead his coup.

Just as the artifacts are unearthed, the city is shaken by a brutal murder that seems to have been caused by a weapon not seen since the days of rebellion. With Quill being the main witness to the murder, and no one in power believing his story, he must join the Archivists—a young mage, a seasoned archivist, and a disillusioned detective—to solve the truth of the attack. And what they uncover will be the key to saving the empire—or destroying it again.

©2022 Erin M Evans (P)2022 Orbit

I snapped at so many people...

This book pulls you in fairly quickly and you will forget everything you're supposed to do until you have finished it, but even then, you will discover there's a sequel and then you will question whether or not laundry is that important to do... l

I could not stop listening/reading and snapped at someone every time they interrupted me. I haven't been THIS engrossed in a book in over 10 years! It's clever and the world-building is first-class: Top notch, realistic, but not overbearing. Every character is so damn compelling, it feels like they come right off the page and start talking to you.

Need. Sequel. Now.

I know it's coming out soon, but COME ON. I HAVE NEEDS, EVANS. Loved Brimstone Angels and I miss Farideh, but I've found a worthy successor and more.

Excellent story

I enjoyed every second of it. Imogen Church was an excellent narrator with great voices and emotions, and I loved Evans' style of writing and the great cast of characters.

Superb fantasy

Great characterization, well developed magical system, and compelling murder mystery make this superb fantasy one of the best of 2022.

wonderful

the writing is good, but it really shines with Imogen Church's flair for bringing personalities to life.

A true joy!

Lord on the mountain! This one has it all. Fantastic world building. Delightful characters. Political intrigue A magic system that’s original and relatable. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

the characters and their relationships and depth of personality

Great read, love the characters, love the magic system. Love the individual voices. love the intrigue.

Moving

This is a story that really makes you feel what the characters feel, the anxieties and struggles. The world is exceptional and the story itself is very interesting. The only issue was the the narrator who mispronounced a main character's name and who had some emphasis and cadence issues I disagreed with. Top notch.

Excellent Story!

I really enjoyed the setting and story. I think the archives was such a fun change from what I usually encounter. Having studied history and museums it tickled my nerdy little heart to hear the specialists dig into the details. I also enjoyed the unraveling of the mystery and how it all came together. The politics were intriguing but not totally overwhelming so it was impossible to follow.

However, I can’t for the life of me understand why a book that’s less than 400 pages was 18 hours long.

very good

heartfelt and great fun. reader is really good. last 3 hours were a bit fraught... it's a small quibble though. overall a wonderful experience. looking forward to the next one!