The Gods of Men

By: Barbara Kloss

Narrated by: Emma Lysy

Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins

Publisher's summary

Sable hated the gods. She hated what men did in their name.

Magic is forbidden throughout the Five Provinces; those born with it are hunted and killed. Sable doesn't know her music holds power over souls, not until, at age nine, she plays her flute before the desert court and accidentally stops her baby sister's heart, killing her. Horrified by what she's done and fearing for her life, she flees north, out of Provincial jurisdiction and into the frigid land of exiles and thieves, known as The Wilds. There, Sable lives in hiding, burdened by guilt, and survives as a healer. But now, 10 years later, someone, or something, is hunting her.

On the run again, Sable's best chance for survival is Jos, a lethal man from the Five Provinces, who claims to need her skills as a healer to save his dying father, and she needs the large sum of money he's offered. There's something about him Sable doesn't trust, but she doesn't have many options. A spirit of the dead is hunting her, summoned by a mysterious necromancer, and it's getting closer.

Sable soon discovers she's just the start of the necromancer's plan to take over the Five Provinces, and she's the only one with the power to stop it. But harnessing her forbidden power means revealing it to the world and the dangerous Provincial, Jos, she's beginning to fall for.

©2018 Barbara Kloss (P)2018 Barbara Kloss

I want to like this…..

I’m struggling to finish what I think is a good story. It’s hard to tell. After making it past a barrage of names and cities the story seems gripping. But the narrator…while she has a nice tone to her voice she somehow manages to sound annoyed, aggressive and chipper all at the same time. Her inflections are confusing and don’t seem to match the tone of the story. I’ll soldier on…..but I find myself distracted.

Wonderful fantasy

I loved the world building, the magic, the suspense, the performance-everything. I enjoy listening to this narrator, I’ll listen to anything she reads. The story and plot were amazing and I cannot wait for the next book to come out because I need to know what is happening in Astreia and what happens with Imari and Jos.

I am in love with these characters. What an amazing story

If you want to get to know an amazingly unique world full of wonder, this is the book for you. I found my self fully invested in the characters. While reading I started daydreaming of the possible outcomes. I could literally see the movie play as I slept. This is the first book I have read by Barbara Kloss. I will read everything she writes and you should too.

I wanted to like it...

*spoiler warning*

This book could've been 5 stars if not for all the aggressive/violent men characters. Just be warned that this book contains a lot of talk/instances of rape and sexual assault and can be hard to listen to. Even the guy protagonist of all things is incredibly violent, and only realizes the error of his ways after he falls in love with a woman. *rolls eyes*

I really wanted to like the story-- and would've liked it but that was just a bit much.

The story pulls you in- keep going!!

The story begins unfolding immediately with many characters and places but once I was pulled into this world, it was hard to leave it! The book gets better and better as you go along the journey. I am so excited to dive into the second book to see what happens next…Great Job!

loved the book, love the narration more

I originally read this book a while ago and when I saw an opportunity to download it from the author I snatched it up! What was a great story on paper really came to life with the narration. Emma Lysy really gave emotion and depth to each character. It was a pleasure to listen to and only makes me want the next chapter in this story even more.

Could not put it down

It’s so good!! I lost sleep over this book because I just couldn’t stop listening. Seriously loved it! I wish the other 2 books were on Audible! 😭