The Killing Fog

The Grave Kingdom, Book 1

By: Jeff Wheeler

Narrated by: Emily Woo Zeller

The Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Kingfountain series conjures an epic, adventurous world of ancient myth and magic as a young woman’s battle with infinite evil begins.

Survivor of a combat school, the orphaned Bingmei belongs to a band of mercenaries employed by a local ruler. Now the nobleman, and collector of rare artifacts, has entrusted Bingmei and the skilled team with a treacherous assignment: brave the wilderness’s dangers to retrieve the treasures of a lost palace buried in a glacier valley. But upsetting its tombs has a price.

Echion, emperor of the Grave Kingdom, ruler of darkness, Dragon of Night, has long been entombed. Now Bingmei has unwittingly awakened him and is answerable to a legendary prophecy. Destroying the dark lord before he reclaims the kingdoms of the living is her inherited mission. Killing Bingmei before she fulfills it is Echion’s.

Thrust unprepared into the role of savior, urged on by a renegade prince, and possessing a magic that is her destiny, Bingmei knows what she must do. But what must she risk to honor her ancestors? Bingmei’s fateful choice is one that neither her friends nor her enemies can foretell, as Echion’s dark war for control unfolds.

©2020 by Jeff Wheeler. (P)2019 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Critic reviews

“Wheeler (Broken Veil) opens the Grave Kingdom series with this winding tale of valor and sacrifice, set in a realm where using magic summons a heavy fog that kills every living thing it touches. [T]he threat of the fog looming in the background adds atmosphere and tension.... This excellent introduction to the prolific Wheeler’s work will appeal to fans of Asian-influenced fantasy.” (Publishers Weekly)

“The unique cast of characters in a well-constructed world will appeal to readers of Terry Brooks and Orson Scott Card.” (Booklist)

Difficult to listen to, unfortunately.

I absolutely love Jeff Wheeler. I own every book. Big, big fan. I will say I’m submitting this review having only made it through the first chapter, because unfortunately, it’s taken me close to a full week and three separate attempts to get through the narration.

The switch from Kate Rudd’s smooth, melodic voice to the new narrator’s breathy, melodramatic style is quit difficult to get used to. Her character voices, while animated, are a bit much - especially when transitioning directly from her dark, dramatic narration style. It’s a bit... jarring.

I’m going to give it my all in attempting to finish this book bc of my love for Jeff Wheeler’s writing style, but know that it will not be nearly as enjoyable and smooth as silk as the previous books. I wish I could say differently!

Jeff Wheeler does it again!

I purchased this book when it first came out. I started it with much anticipation. I had difficulty getting through this book on my first try because it was a bit dark and with the shelter in place order across the country, I needed something lighter. Fastfoward six months and I was ready to delve into this new world created by Jeff Wheeler. It was brilliant, intriguing, and now I'm ready for book two. The narration pulls you in and immerses you into the mystical world. Bravo on another imaginative creation!

Great

I love Jeff Wheeler and this one doesn’t disappoint. Riveting story lone, great character development. Ready for the next one already!

It is a decent story for bedtime.

I kept falling asleep listening to the audio version of this book. The story is okay but not intriguing. The performance was too soothing in tone.

Good story. Difficult narration

I enjoyed the story, like most Jeff Wheeler stories, but I found the narration hard to stomach. It felt that Emily was constant speaking in a whisper. It was not annoying enough to stop listening, but close. Aside from that, this series seems like a nice departure from the themes of some of Jeff's other series. I look for to the rest of the series... except for the narrator.

excellent narration and story!

This book is a slightly different flavor then Mr. wheeler's other books, but keep an open mind and it will not disappoint. I've listened to almost everything he's put out, and once again I'm blown away by his writing, I absolutely loved the eastern culture influence that is prominent in this book.

The characters are well thought out and developed, and the way they interact with one another feels authentic and genuine.

Loved the book and narration is top notch.

Good story; poor narration

The story is fast-paced paced and interesting, but the narration was so bad. The narrator tried way too hard when saying any male characters' lines and it sounded farcical. I look forward to the next book, but I'll read it rather than listen to it.

If I didn't love Jeff Wheeler's work so much...

I would have abandoned this book during the first chapter. I am currently in chapter 12 and it is like slogging through mud.

I appreciate the switch to an Asian narrator for a story that is obviously inspired by that culture, but Ms. Zeller's breathy whisper voice just isn't doing it for me. The character voices are great, but the narration is duuuuulllllll.

I'm used to Jeff Wheeler's series being a bit of a nut where you have to break through the first bit to get to the good parts. I plan on finishing the series, but it's been a struggle so far

Great Book

It was exciting and the story was well written. The voice and performance were amazing.

Great story...

I've greatly enjoyed Jeff wheeler's books in the past. Unfortunately, the narration on this one was whisper-like and made the story a chore to get through at times.