The Way of Edan

The Edan Trilogy, Book One

By: Philip Chase

Narrated by: Allen Walker

Holy war. Magic rooted in empathy and transcendence. Fantasy creatures as never seen before. The Kingdom of the Eternal will awaken when the Way of Edan holds sway over all of Eormenlond. So say the prophecies. With unrivalled power in the gift, the Supreme Priest Bledla leads Torrlond and its mighty army to convert rival kingdoms by the sword and by the fang.

Among the gathering resistance is the sorceress Sequara, whose mission is to protect her island and her Andumaic faith from the Torrlonders’ aggression.

As holy war looms over the kingdoms of Eormenlond, a chance encounter bestows a terrible curse upon a young man. Dayraven’s curse may decide Eormenlond’s fate. But first, with the help of unlikely friends, he must survive the shattering of his world.

Equal parts epic and lament, The Way of Edan is the lyrical opening of The Edan Trilogy.

©2023 Philip Chase (P)2024 Philip Chase

Critic reviews

"In The Way of Edan, Philip Chase has written a highly accomplished first novel. The storytelling is top-notch. There's a gravitas in the writing that put me in mind of Tolkien, with definite shades of Katherine Kerr, along with John Gwynne. This is a novel born of love for the story." - Mark Lawrence (author of The Broken Empire Trilogy)

"What a wonderful read! Prose that is smooth and accessible, a world with a weight and a depth to it, and a gripping and emotional story. There's a lot to love here. Lovely to see the Anglo-Saxon influences that gave me a real sense of time and place, and the storytelling was done with a deft, assured hand." - John Gwynne (author of The Faithful and the Fallen)

"The Way of Edan encompasses an expanding war driven by voracious religious fanaticism. Young heroes emerge, bonded by loyalty, in an age of ripening prophecy. Traditional fantasy readers will find elves with a fresh spin expanding the familiar bounds of individuality, and women, old and young, who wield magic in positions of power." - Janny Wurts (author of The Wars of Light and Shadow)

Performance was excellent, easily one of the best I’ve heard.

An exceptionally written story. It mixes both classic story telling elements with modern prose. The story itself will make you feel every emotion from joy to despair. Paired with the exceptional performance, this is a must listen.

A modern take on your classic fantasy told with heart & insight

WAY OF EDAN immediately draws you in with its use of clear rather modern language presented with a classical flare. Written in the modern day to sit timelessly among the fantasy classics which hold up a properly curated fantasy library. It’s that accessibility which make the magic words truly enchanting and bring to life characters that are more complex than mere heroes or villains - though there are those in this story well worth admiring or hating. Largely due to a virtuoso reading.

Engaging Writing and Story with Fantastic Narration!

Definitely worth your time! Allen's narration combined with Philips writing will have you whisked away to Eormenlond!

Allen does so well I honestly forgot it was him narrating.

still a great book. recommend it to all fantasy fans looking for something modern but has those traditional influences

The narrator was phenomenal.

The voices for each character was great. This is way better for a first time narrator, than some I listen to all the time 👍

Brilliantly Narrated Philosophical Fantasy

This is likely the best self published fantasy novel I’ve gone through. In many ways this’ll be a review of two parts since I primarily went through this on audiobook.

The Way of Edan tells the story of a nation with a powerful organized religion run primarily by wizards who manufacture a holy war as an excuse to invade several neighboring countries.
While this is going on a seemingly simple village boy named Dayraven has what should’ve been a fatal encounter with an elf that awakens a strong magic he never knew lay inside him.
What follows is a story that is told beautifully and deliberately that takes its cues, not just from Tolkien but also from many sources even older, especially Beowulf. One thing that the author, Philip Chase, has been very transparent about is that just like Beowulf and The Lord of the Rings, the Edan books are written as a lament, specifically for the past. However despite many of the classical trappings the writing itself is very modern. Chase writes with beauty and elegance, but also a brutality and harshness that could make even a George RR Martin fan squirm.
To many people this first volume will seem very classic, but if they write it off, or dock it a star for its familiarity then for my moneys worth, they’re taking a shallow reading. Chase is laying the foundation for a series to come that I eagerly await. This first book is executed very well on a technical level, and personally I greatly enjoyed it.

Now…as for the eagerly awaited audiobook……….

Allen Walker (known as The Library Allenxandria on YouTube) is the audiobook narrator and does a fantastic job. I listen to a lot of audiobooks and Walker is up there with the absolute best of narrators! The story is also easy to follow on audio and that’s in no small part to Walkers distinct characterization and voices for the various characters.

Amazing narration!

Great performance from Allen Walker! Although a first time narrator, he performs with the ease and skill of a seasoned professional. This is my second time reading The Way of Edan and Phillip Chase’s plot, characters, and world are just as engrossing as the first time. Everyone, please check out this book and I cannot recommend Allen Walker’s narration enough! Excited for book 2!!

Amazing

I absolutely loved this book. The narrator did an 👏 job and brought the character to life. I can't wait for the next book.

Great Book 1

Great start to a book series (I’ve read the physical series and each book gets even better!) Allen Walker’s narration really brought the story to life.