Book description
Hey there, fellow book-lover! Buckle up, because I'm about to drop a sonic boom of adventure straight into your ears with Chains of the Heretic, the third rung on Jeff Salyards's "Bloodsounder's Arc" ladder. Picture this: an audiobook that's less "serene meditation" and more "thick-honed, pulse-squaring, dragon-breathing" sound-track for your daily commute. I'm talking a narrator who doesn't just read the lines, he shouts them, breathes them, almost lets them spill over the edges of your head like a dragon's tail.
The story kicks off in the thick-fogged corridors of the Syldoonian Empire, where Emperor Cynead has hijacked the Memoridons-those memory-witches who control history itself-and turned them into his personal spell-guards. He's the kind of ruler who'd rather have you remember his face than your own. But then-enter Captain Braylar Killcoin, a man with a cursed flail called Bloodsounder that literally cuts through the veil of reality. He's on a mad dash with his Jackal company to reach the deposed emperor Thumaar and help him reclaim the throne. Think less "Bourbon Street" and more "Bourbon-Betrayal" with a side of cosmic-gate-hopping.
Now, don't let the title fool you into thinking we're just about political intrigue. There's a supernatural splash too: the Godveil, a wall so dense that it separates the human past from a future where the Deserters-those rebels who abandoned humanity a thousand years ago-live in ruinous ruins that are apparently still alive. Are they gods? Demons? Maybe just very, very good at hiding from the government. Either way, Braylar's crew are pulled into this labyrinth of ancient secrets and a veil that's as thick as a bad joke.
And the characters? Oh, they're like the kind of quirky sitcom cast you forget you're listening to until they're standing on the front page of your ear. Soffjian, Braylar's sister, jumps back into the mix after a near-death-by-fate and convinces her commander Darzaak to release her-because what's a villain without a little loyalty debt? Then there's Arki, a translator who can read the ancient language of the Godveil in a way that makes you think the book itself is an interpretive dance. And the Jackals-imagine a band of misfit soldiers, each one more eccentric than the last, all fighting in a world that feels like a mash-up of Tolkien, Mad Max, and a sci-fi sitcom set on a desert.
The climax is a masterstroke. Braylar uses Bloodsounder to split the Godveil, and the Jackals slip into a land that's as gorgeous as it is terrifying. The narrative twists and turns faster than a cat on a laser pointer, and the audio narration-oh, the audio narration!-keeps you on your toes. Every line of Salyards's sharp dialogue is punctuated by a pause that lets you gasp, laugh, or roll your eyes, depending on where you're at in the plot. And when the Deserters make their grand entrance, the voice shifts to a tone that feels like a whispered warning from the cosmos-like the universe itself is holding its breath.
What I love most about this audiobook is how it turns hard-boiled fantasy into an experience that feels as fresh as a brand-new meme. It's like a rollercoaster that keeps you on the edge of your seat, yet it also has those slow-motion moments where you get to savor the worldbuilding. The pacing-never too slow, never too rushed-keeps the story moving forward like a freight train on a clear track.
If you're looking for a listening adventure that blends political drama, supernatural stakes, and a cast of characters that could only exist in a writer's fever dream, Chains of the Heretic is the audio trip you didn't know you needed. Jeff Salyards has delivered a hard-boiled fantasy that doesn't just get into your head; it takes a front-row seat in your skull, shouting, "We're still here, baby." Grab your headphones, press play, and let the Bloodsounder blaze your ears into a new horizon.
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Show Off
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience