The Heroic Age Trilogy

A Mortal Techniques Box Set

By: Rob J. Hayes

Narrated by: Kim Bretton

Length: 44 hrs and 8 mins

Publisher's summary

Includes all three books in the award-winning Mortal Techniques series.

Book One: Never Die.

Ein is on a mission from God...the God of Death. Time is up for the emperor of Ten Kings, and it falls to Ein, an eight-year-old boy, to render the judgement of the reaper. He can't do it alone, but luckily the world is full of travelling heroes. There's only one catch; in order to serve him, they must first die.

Book Two: Pawn's Gambit

Yuu wants nothing more than to forget the mistakes of her past. The gods have other plans. Once a renowned strategist and general five years ago, Yuu made a mistake that cost her everything. Now, she is on the run, royal bounty hunters snapping at her heels. But, what if there was a way to get back what she lost, a way to bring back a murdered prince? Every century, the gods hold a contest to choose who will rule from the heavenly Jade throne. Each god chooses a mortal champion, and the fate of all existence hangs in the balance. On a battlefield full of heroes, warriors, assassins, and thieves, can Yuu survive long enough to learn the rules of the game, let alone master it?

Book Three: Spirits of Vengeance

Haruto swore his soul to the God of Death for the chance to hunt down the vengeful ghost of his wife. He’ll die as many times as it takes. The Ipian Empire was once a land that welcomed dragons and spirits alike, but a century of war and bloodshed has seen them all but vanish. Now, the lost things are returning, and the Onryo have gathered. Five legendary spirits with mysterious powers, bent on freeing an ancient evil that would wreak havoc on humanity. As a plague of spirits sweeps across the land, the Onryo leave a bloody trail for Haruto to follow. But, who’s hunting who?

Fans of Will Wight and Andrew Rowe will love this energetic, anime-inspired trilogy.

©2019, 2021, 2022 Rob J. Hayes (P)2022 Rob J. Hayes

The Heroic Age

It was a fantastic audiobook to listen to while working out in the gym. I think my favorite was the first book in the series. It was absolutely hilarious. 5/5

Good but flawed.

It's definitely a manga-style story and I liked it a lot. That said, there are a few places in every book where the narration is interrupted by a piece of dialog being repeated due to editing flaws.

It's fairly easy to move past, but I found it annoying.

A great read for young adult and family

Little kids may not get every aspect of this, but the storylines are quite entertaining and grab you. You will have no trouble keeping interest with this story, and all three of the stories came together to make for a wonderful compilation for a road trip.

The best hidden gem on audible

Had I found these books as individual listens I would have gladly used a credit for each and considered them well spent. All three for one credit? you are a fool if you don't listen.

From richly developed characters, to a hauntingly engaging plot, these stories draw the listener into a complex world festooned with the unexpected. Even better is the fact that they are brilliantly depicted through the voice of a narrator whose deft handling of each character brings them to life in a way few can match, and none surpass.

Absolutely brilliant storytelling, the likes of which I've rarely encountered on audible or in print.

I hope there's more to come because this narrative voice is one I long to hear again.

Epic.

world building is excellent
characters are excellent

Any who enjoy cultivator styled books wool enjoy these.

So many nitpicking things

Don’t read or get this especially on Audible if you have lived in Asia (I live in Japan part time) or have trained in martial arts (44 years in November). Especially the narrator. She destroys the Japanese pronunciation of words and terms largely. The mixing of Japanese / Chinese definitions at times is teeth gritting.

The stories are ok and enjoyable for what they are and that’s

Easily one of the best of the best

These stories and flawless narration will stay with me for a long time. I thought that Cradle and God of War were awesome. I'm glad to know that I can add this to my collection. Amazing writing and interpretation of the story by the narrator.

Overall worth the experience.

So to start, the story and the narrator are both quite good. theres some definite cliche moments and some cheese here or there. but its far outshined by the overall story.

--ive tried to keep details out, but spoilers ahead.--


Each book follows a different story and protagonists. though they are clearly linked and makes sense.

i do take some issues with the protagonist from the second book. her inner monolog and her actions don't sinc up well. she spends more time trying to throw away her assets and companions than is reasonable for someone thats supposed to be a master tactician. she makes remarkably short sighted decisions. i found myself saying, "wtf is wrong with you" more times than i would like.

as others have mentioned. theres several spots where lines are repeated due to poor editing. sometimes with completely different inflections on the line.

One of my biggest complaints is in the 3rd book. i got a 3rd of the way through and have no idea who the main character is. Ha-Ru-To? Ho-Ru-To? Hu-Ru-Tu? Hu-Ro-To? she pronounces if differently every other time she says it(literally like 6 different pronunciations in the first 3 hours) and the name is used painfully frequently. its extremely disruptive to immersion.

overall, its worth the credit. but if continuity is a major concern for you, you may struggle at points.

Wonderfully Immersive

A broad expansive tale spanning multiple centuries. Linked together through the weaving of histories and storylines.

The characters are full bodied and wonderfully written. The narration brings them to life such it is easy to forget what you're hearing is not a recitation of actual historical events.

Excellent but lacks editing

Loved everything about the stories, characters, and narration except for the lack of editing. I enjoyed Kim Bretton’s narration but a handful of lines were repeated in the last book. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment but it was noticeable.