Shadows of Ivory

Godforged Chronicles, Book 1

By: Bryce O'Connor, TL Greylock

Narrated by: Kate Reading

An undying king. A relic of rune-carved bronze and ivory flames. A war for powers only a god could fathom.

In the centuries since rising up against a cruel, twisted dynasty, the Seven Cities have done much to move past their horrid histories, the memories of ancient monarchs who once fed on the life and blood of their own people. Those with a talent for magic are no longer hounded and slain. The lands beyond the Cities are safe, spared the atrocities the Alescuans once wrought upon them. For 300 years, there has been peace.

Then Eska de Caraval, head of the prestigious Firenzia Company, finds herself framed for murder.

Soon hunted for the strange bronze disc she most certainly did not steal, Eska is forced to pit both wit and blade against all manner of adversaries who would eagerly see her dead. An assassin in the shadows. A monster in the deep. A rival looking to burn her alive. From sword and fang and flame Eska must defend herself, struggling all the while to prove her innocence and unravel the mysteries of a dangerous artifact.

But unbeknownst to Eska and her enemies, the cruelest of those tyrants of old is stirring in his grave.

©2020 Wraithmarked Creative, LLC (P)2020 Tantor

Not a fan of the narrator.

I wasn’t able to listen past the first few chapters. Nick Podehl and other narrators like him set a standard bringing each character to life. I’ll have to buy the book.

Slow due to character building

The book was slow moving at first. wasn't sure if I would like it or not. I continued to listen to the character development and the world development. About halfway, I started to really get into the storyline. Now that the stage has been set, I am looking forward to the next book. I know its going to be action packed.

A bit too much stage setting

The story is a bit plodding; which I don't mind on it's own, but there aren't enough good characters to keep it interesting along the way. There's a lot of attention given to people, places, and culture of the modern and historical world, but they often play very small if any roles in the overall plot, and I found it very difficult to mentally track all the names and locations. Several times I confused two characters or thought they were the same person.

The book definitely began to pick up in the last 30% or so, and I was enjoying it more and more. However the ending was quite unsatisfying, and, like most of this book, felt like it was all just setup for the next installment.

I haven't decided if I'll continue the series or not. It seems a shame not to after so much foundation has been set, but I'm tempted to just cut my losses and move on.

The saving grace, however, is Kate Reading. She makes anything enjoyable to listen to and gives a stellar performance here as always.

great story. reminded me of lies of locklemora

not like the thievery part but the focus on conversation and mystery and cleverness.

I was absolutely in raptured and it was a great joy of a story

very slow

Great reader(kept picturing shallan though for about 3 hrs) story it's self is very slow moving and nothing seems to have been accomplished. I kept expecting the image on the giver to make an appearance throughout the story... as well as just more to happen.

A great adventure story

I didn’t know archaeology was so cool. Eska de Caraval comes from money. She’s smart, good-looking, and driven. She also has little interest in trivial matters; scientific work is her priority. Manon de Barca, on the other hand, pursues archaeology to make money. Their rivalry keeps things exciting.

Eska gets framed for murder and hunted for the bronze disc she did not steal. Her wits and focus (enhanced by a drug she consumes excessively) help her face her opponents and overcome adversities (natural and preternatural). When Manon loses everything, she must sell her unique gifts (Carrier magic) to protect her family.

I loved almost everything about this book. It’s done with such a great spirit of high adventure and excitement that you barely have time to catch your breath between the adrenaline-fueled action scenes. The protagonists’ storylines kept me engaged by keeping the stakes personal.

The world inspired by Renaissance Italy hides many secrets and there’s a lot of power play and politics going on in the background. It gives context to the events but never eclipses them.

That being said, the first half of the story was slower, and the second got grand in scope. So grand that it left a lot of questions unanswered and served as a set-up for the sequel. Don’t get me wrong - I’ll be getting the sequel as soon as I can, but I would like a better conclusion.

The main issue I have with Shadows of Ivory as a product is its cover. It’s misleading about the tone of the story. It suggests something bleak and can discourage readers from trying it. And that would be a shame. In reality, it’s an exciting adventure fantasy with a few darker moments. I think the original cover conveyed the story and the tone of the book much better1.

I had a blast reading (actually listening to) Shadows of Ivory and I can't wait to read the sequel.

1 But perhaps the new cover sells better? Not sure. Personally, I dislike it and if the book weren't picked as SPFBO finalist, I would probably not read it precisely because the new cover suggests something MUCH darker than pure excitement and great characters that you get.

Narration great, but couldn’t make up for plodding story

The narrator, Kate Reading, is my favorite, female narrator, and superb as usual. She couldn’t make up for the plodding story.

I really love the narrator Kate Reading

So, here's the thing for me in regards to audio books..the reader makes a huge impact on the book. There are many readers I just can't listen to even if it's a book I really want. I get it, when you are too side tracked by the specific voice to continue on with the book. BUT that's why you have the ability to listen to it with the sample. Now that being said,I actually came to this book because of the reader Kate Reading. I would listen to her if she read a menu outloud. I actually go to her line up of books and pick that way for another read. My husband and daughters feel the same way and we have over 2000 books on Audible. SO LISTEN TO THE SAMPLE.
The book itself was very intertaining and well developed. I feel as though the groundwork has been carefully layed out for the future books. I dont mind that there is a cliffhanger ending as I'm already planning on the next book. I feel as though I have invested time in this world and want to hang out with the next one...hopefully it will be read by Kate Reading.

Character focused but very enjoyable

Some ppl mentioned a slow build, and it wasnt face paced, but it was steadily done and not plodding imo. I much prefer slower yet actually believable characters than mass action with shallow development and characters that aren't fully fleshed out.
I fully enjoyed the detailed world building and time taken to establish personalities that felt nuanced. I look forward to the next books and where the author is taking us.

Too slow for too long

If I’m 1/3 through a book and the story hasn’t come together, I stop. I had to quit ~5 hours in. From other reviews, it appears to get better but I don’t have the patience.