The Mercenary Code

The Shattering of Kingdoms, Book 1

By: Emmet Moss

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Winner of the 2020 Society of Voice Arts Award for Audiobook Narration - Fantasy.

Break the Code. Shatter the World.

Centuries ago, the murder of a beloved king tore apart the Kingdom of Caledun. The land was plunged into chaos and thousands perished in the aftermath. A new order was established in an attempt to return Caledun to its former glory. It failed, but in its place rose the beginnings of the Code.

During this same period, the mystical caretakers of the Great Wood retreated from the world of Kal Maran, their disappearance an ominous harbinger of the suffering that was to follow. The Great Wood now grows out of control. Cities, towns, and villages have fallen before the relentless march of the forest. Without the former guardians to keep her tame, the wood has become a place of peril, and dark creatures of legend now hunt beneath its leaves.

The summer season is now a time of armed conflict. The fall of the old monarchy has brought about a ceaseless cycle of combat. Grievances are settled by the strict tenets of a binding Mercenary Code and the men who would die to preserve its honour.

However, change is in the air. Political rivalries have escalated, and dire rumblings of a revolution abound. Thrust to the forefront of the shattered land's politics, a mercenary fights for more than just riches. In the north, a borderland soldier wrestles with his own demons and looks to find his true purpose. And in the shadow of the Great Wood, a young man's chance encounter with a strange visitor gives hope to a land divided.

©2019 Emmet Moss (P)2020 Podium Audio

Don't hesitate to get all four books

I don't have the time to write a review for each book, so I'll do it for all of them at once. I don't usually do reviews, but I couldn't let these books go by without praise. Book one starts slowly, but it takes time to build a solid foundation for a story, so be patient. By the third chapter, I was hooked. Charters were easy to like. You'd like to tag along to find out what happens next. All the characters seem to stand out and pull you into their part of the story. Mr. Moss did an excellent job of making the elf and dwarf races different than the traditional norm. They seemed natural and not so magical. The magic system was believable, and there were other answers to some problems.

The story moved along nicely through each book, and you never felt lost when you started the next book. They seemed to flow seamlessly forth. Sometimes the second or third book in a series can be slow in pulling you back into the story. Not so in this case; I loved every book.

Simon Vance is an excellent narrator. I could and do listen to and enjoy most books he narrates. He always seems to make each character's voice different and believable for that charter.

I hope you find my comments helpful and will take a chance on all four of these books. Happy listing.

Interesting Book 1 with some flaws

I was torn as I read thru the book. Much of the character development and story was lacking the traditional polish I am used to from more veteran authors. This is the authors first major publication so that is understandable but still left me wondering about some of storyline. I normally don’t feel as though a book leaves out things but I felt a bit lost reading some of the material. If you’re going to name your mercenary company the Fae Darin make is clear that you’re not referring to a group of Far (class of people) but too a group of mercenary humans. Perhaps it’s my personality but as was dying for some kind of map, no matter how broad or rough to follow the story. Just things like that for me made it difficult.

At the end of the book there was some great resolution and positioning. Ultimately I am going to move forward and try book 2.

Ps Simon Vance is magnificent.

Story line pretty good, Simon made it better.

The story had 3 separate lines and became confused on which was where - will need to listen again. However, Simon Vance is such a great narrator that I'm looking forward to revisiting the story again.

A Great Story!

Loved the book and story. I'm about to embark on the second book immediately, as I can't wait for it to continue!

Excellent beginning to a hopefully great Series!

I really enjoyed this book amd I'm excited the there are so many more already finished, so I can read on...

Starts rough but gets good.

Multiple story lines and a lot of characters to learn out of the gate. Like reading 4 books at the same time a chapter at a time. Took a minute to get going but about a third in it starts to get good and make sense.

Amazing story

This is an amazing start to an amazing story, Simon Vance kills it (as usual). The book is a tiny bit slow to start, but once it picks up it never stops! It will have you on the edge of your seat until the last word!

great story. but...

I loved most of this. seeing it come together at the end was great but I missed a few threads someplace. had to re listen and still feel like something is missing. Maybe it was deliberately left open for the next book. I do love all the crazy story lines.

Slow

Not very good. Writing is ok. Story a bit slow and tedious. 1 of the 3 story arcs was incredibly boring.

A great story.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. The narrator did an excellent job. I can't wait to start book 2.