Book description
The Ember Blade by Chris Wooding Audiobook Review
Let me get this straight - Chris Wooding started writing novels because apparently nothing else was happening in Leicestershire, and now we're supposed to believe his ancestor is John Milton? Sure, Chris. Next you'll tell us you discovered the Holy Grail while backpacking through Spain, which would explain the "legendary sword" business in your book.
Speaking of which, The Ember Blade serves up fantasy tropes like a buffet line at a Renaissance faire - take what you want, but don't expect anything you haven't seen before. We've got the reluctant hero Aren, who's apparently never heard the phrase "question authority" until his father gets his head chopped off. Then it's straight to the prison mine because nothing says "compelling character development" like a good old-fashioned enslavement montage.
The real magic happens when our hero escapes and gets adopted by his people's version of Batman - a brooding protector who hates him but must protect him because... plot convenience. It's like watching a soap opera written by Tolkien after he discovered Twitter.
But here's the thing that really grinds my gears: the Ember Blade itself. This supposedly legendary sword is apparently locked in the fantasy equivalent of Fort Knox, guarded by what I can only assume are the world's most incompetent security guards since our teenage protagonists decide "Hey, let's just steal the most famous weapon in the kingdom!" with all the casual planning of a weekend heist movie.
The audiobook narration presumably delivers these predictable beats with professional competence, which is really the best you can hope for when adapting a story that feels like it was assembled from a fantasy clichΓ© bingo card. Wooding's attempt to "modernize classic fantasy values" mostly results in characters who talk like they're texting while riding into battle.
At its core, this is Lord of the Rings meets The Hunger Games with a dash of Prison Break - familiar ingredients served lukewarm. The revolution brewing in the background promises more excitement than what's delivered, but don't worry, there are two more books to fix everything that isn't broken.
Perfect for listeners who enjoy their fantasy as predictable as their morning coffee.
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Dark Matter
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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