Of Blood and Fire

The Bound and the Broken, Book 1

By: Ryan Cahill

Narrated by: Derek Perkins

Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

Born in fire. Tempered in blood.

Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North.

In the remote villages of Southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving - a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries.

There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold. He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will.

Includes bonus story The Fall.

©2021 Ryan Cahill (P)2021 Podium Audio

Quintessential

The word Quintessential does not even do this book justice! It is amazing and if you call yourself a fan of dragon books it is quintessential that you read it!

Very good book except for the f-bombs.

Really good book with interesting characters and good plot twists. I wish the author had omitted the f-words. They add nothing and feel out of place in context.

Absolutely Thrilling

Ryan continues to provide a gripping story that brings about everything you love from the stories that came before, while simultaneously bringing new breadth and a unique story of its own. The Fall travels back 400 years from the time of the first novel Of Blood and Fire and provides some backstory as to how The Order fell and the Dragonguard came to power. I could feel not only the tension and anguish in these characters we spend less than 100 pages with but also the strength and Ryan's writing abilities continue to grow with this novella. This will definitely be a story I continue to read through and loved every moment of it.

Solid start to series

Familiar tropes yet comforting as if being served your favorite childhood dish. Looking forward to seeing where the story leads.

Weaving Similar Threads…

To start - congratulations Mr. Cahill and Mr. Perkins on both your writing and narration, for a self published book I consider this worthy of a place on my shelf! This first novel in The Bound and the Broken was a great book. The characters were compelling and the story held my attention save for a small part of the third act. I’ll address the Oliphaunt in the room. This book is similar to the likes of Eye of the World and has some passing similarities to A Game of Thrones and The Fellowship of the Ring… HOWEVER…Ryan Cahill brings us, in my opinion, a fresh story of fantasy, dragons and magic. Does it have elves? Yes, does it have dwarfs? Yes, does it even have a creepy monster called a Fade? YES! It’s Cahill’s writing and more specifically story telling that makes this novel one and of its own. I must say though if I heard “raided a curious brow” one more time, lol. I do recommend this for those who enjoy intriguing tales of fantasy who are looking for that Tolkien hole to fill in the reading hearts. Happy listening, everyone.

The Fall Novella is included at the end

I love this series so far....and THE FALL novella is included at the end of the narration. You will fall in love with the characters, the dragons, the families, the magic, and the story. Ready to read all 5 now!
Regarding The Fall novella included at the end of book one:
OMG!!!! The Fall is So good! What a moving story, beautifully written, betrayal by loved ones, gut wrenching hurt by this betrayal, makes one think, read this after book one, explains so much that I wanted to know, die well, live better, rakeena (Broken) not all have the strength to become “broken”… I pray you never understand why I have no choice , some lose too much. imagine this happening to you. What a great novella. 5⭐️

Great beginning

well written and read. certainly worth a credit and look forward to next book.

Action packed, great characters, awesome story.

Never a dull moment in this fantastic new world. The characters feel real. The battle scenes make you feel like you are there, and the narrator does a fantastic job of putting emotions into his performance.

Good

A good start to an intriguing series. I will continue on with this at some point.

Awesome Prose

Well written, fluid illuminating prose, characters are real and you understand their struggles, pain, and joys without it being overwritten. Background history not overly explained but nuggets dropped along the way keeping the mystery and the reader wanting more. One of the best series I’ve listened to in a while. I just might finish the series instead of only getting 2/3rds through book two before getting bored.