The Lost War: Eidyn Trilogy, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Justin Lee Anderson (Author), Euan Morton (Narrator), Podium Audio (Publisher)

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"Strikingly intense...immersive and thoroughly compelling." (SFX)

"Compelling and entertaining...inventive and fun." (SciFiNow)

The war is over, but something is rotten in the state of Eidyn.

With a ragged peace in place, demons burn farmlands, violent Reivers roam the wilds and plague has spread beyond the Black Meadows. The country is on its knees.

In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first magically-skilled draoidh to be named King's Envoy.

Now, charged with restoring an exiled foreign queen to her throne, he leads a group of strangers across the ravaged country. But at every step, a new mystery complicates their mission.

As bodies drop around them, new threats emerge and lies are revealed, can Aranok bring his companions together and uncover the conspiracy that threatens the kingdom?

Strap in for this twisted fantasy road trip from award-winning author Justin Lee Anderson.

Shortlisted in the 2019 Booknest Fantasy Awards

Listening Length

20 hours and 4 minutes
Author

Justin Lee Anderson
Narrator

Euan Morton
Audible release date

April 28, 2020
Language

English
Publisher

Podium Audio
ASIN

B086WKTY96
Version

Unabridged
Program Type

Audiobook
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Product details

Listening Length	20 hours and 4 minutes
Author	Justin Lee Anderson
Narrator	Euan Morton
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	April 28, 2020
Publisher	Podium Audio
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B086WKTY96
Best Sellers Rank	#69,356 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #1,976 in Classic Literature (Audible Books & Originals) #2,671 in Horror Fiction #2,960 in Epic Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals)

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Top reviews from the United States

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Kindle Customer

Amazing world and story!

Reviewed in the United States on October 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

Every so often I find a book I just don't want to finish. Not because I don't like it. Just the opposite! I just don't want to leave the world the book has created in my mind. This is one of those books! I almost wish I hadn't found it until the second or even third book had been released so I could stay immersed in its words.
From the character development to the pace and rhythm of the story, Mr. Anderson has created a true gem. You will regret finishing this book MUCH more than you regret starting it. While that may not sound like a compliment to many, in my mind it is the highest praise possible.

8 people found this helpful

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BookwormBlues

Pure Artistry

Reviewed in the United States on March 9, 2021

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I have been aware of Justin Lee Anderson for a while now, though it took me until this last bit of life happening for me to pick up his book (I’m sorry it took so long). The Lost War ended up being just the thing I needed, which is odd, because when I started it I was pretty sure I was going to bounce off it. You see, on the surface, this book feels a lot like your quest-trope fantasy and that’s not really my bag of oats. However, once I really settled into the story, I realized there’s a lot going on under the surface, I just had to give myself time to see it.

In short, I really ended up having a lot of fun with this one, and enjoying it to a degree I did not anticipate.

Anderson thrusts his reader into a world where a war just ended. Now, let me take a moment to appreciate this setting, because I loved it. I saw what was going on right away, and thought, “Yes, I am here for this.” The reason being, in fantasy, we read a lot about wars starting, wars being fought, wars simmering in the borderlands, but we rarely read a book set in a time after the war has been fought, and everything, for good or ill, is starting to settle.

The dynamics The Lost War were masterfully played out. Anderson created a whole new category of strife for the bereaved residents of Eidyn to deal with in the form of plagues and demons, other horrors that make life miserable. So, the war ends, which is not always a good thing, but usually there’s some form of relief… “Yay, no more fighting” at least. Anderson, however, uses this ending as a vehicle to unleash a whole new slew of trials upon the land. As the description says, “the country is on its knees” and as the reader, you’ll feel that throughout. Furthermore, this aspect, this tug-of-war with such a big event and its ramifications provoked a bit of thought in me regarding my own writing, how one thing can spark another. How unexpected results can move a story down unexplored pathways.

And here’s the thing. You might read that and think, “Well, that sucks,” but it’s truly an example of how the entire book works. Anderson sets you off balance, and you don’t even realize he’s done it.

Anyway.

You’ve got this really interesting setup, a place steeped in pain, with a lining of hope, and insert your plot. Aranok, a draoidh (read: magician) has been called by the king to restore an exiled queen to her throne. In order to do this, he has to lead a group of strangers across unknown lands, and somehow you know, at this point, unexpected things will happen and swords will be drawn. Blood will spill.

As you can see, this book might feel a lot like a lot of other fantasy books you might have read. The first chunk of the novel will likely either make it or break it for you, because there are a lot of names and places, people being introduced, and this quest is set up. However, if you’re a reader who doesn’t mind all that, the payoff is fantastic. There’s a whole lot going on under the surface that Anderson hints at, alludes to, or toys with in supremely subtle ways, and this, friends, is what hooked me. The example of the war/beasties aspect I listed above is just one. His ability to take something that should be straightforward (Yay, the war is over!) and make it absolute crap (Oh, a plague.) kept me absolutely engaged and intrigued.

What this all leads to is an atmosphere that is welded like a hammer in Anderson’s toolkit. You don’t really realize how ominous things feel until you’re in the middle of the book thinking, “Holy shit, when did things start feeling like this?” What I’m saying is, the book sort of creeps up on you. At the start, you’re thinking this is your typical fantasy quest story, but you keep pushing on and one thing leads to another. It’s like Anderson is playing a song on the piano, throwing in a minor key here and there. You don’t realize he’s turning this peppy song into a lament until it’s too late to turn back. All it takes is one note here, one note there, and this song you thought you knew turns into something else entirely.

The truth is, none of that would be as effective without that familiar-feeling beginning. It’s through that understood starting point that the rest of this book is able to be as effective as it ended up being. Added into that, the pacing was near perfection. Once the story takes off, it’s like rolling a boulder down a hill. It picks up speed and momentum, something always happening right where it needs to to drive the plot along, or build the world or characters, sometimes all three. By the end of the book, the pacing is relentless, and the ending is… really a thing to behold due to that.

Anderson’s magic system is superb, and he has a way with writing not just magic and action to keep them vivid and interesting, but characters as well. Even the intrigue was really well done. In fact, when I think of this book, I’m fairly amazed by how well balanced all the different elements of it were. Anderson basically threw a whole bunch of balls in the air, and then juggled them all without dropping any of them at any point.

When I think about The Lost War, what I realize is it’s Anderson’s ability to tell a story that really captivates me. The entire book felt like the piano song I mention above. You start out feeling like this is a familiar tale, and you recognize it. He throws in some minor notes here and there, subtly fiddles with the tempo, and before you even realize what’s happening, you aren’t hearing that familiar song anymore, but something else entirely. Every element plays off of every other element to create something that, in the end, you both recognize and not. It’s pure artistry. I was amazed by how he managed to transform something I went into thinking, “Yeah, I know this story” into something I left thinking, “Holy crap, what did I just read? That was… WOW.”

So, what do you have here? Something truly unpredictable. This book showcases what sleight of hand and manipulation of a story can really attain. It’s the first book in a new series, and I absolutely cannot wait to read more. The Lost War ended up being a huge surprise, and one I hope you read and enjoy as much as I did.

One person found this helpful

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KE Size

An interesting read

Reviewed in the United States on June 12, 2021

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The characters of this story are interesting and likeable, which is why I think I really enjoyed it. The world building was not particularly new or creative and so I felt the first third is the book was a bit slow, but eventually it picked up nicely and had some intriguing twists to the story. I think the slowest part for me was the religion being a Christian seeming religion and that religion played a large role in many of the characters. I will say I found the naming of people and lands to be done well. I'm not often surprised and this was a well thought out twist that was worked in along the way. The author's prose is very readable, though nothing particularly fancy. I'd recommend this for fans of epic and grimdark fantasy. Overall, I give it 4.5 stars.

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CF WELBURN

the fellowship of the draoidh

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2021

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Winner of SPFBO 2020, this book had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, it did not disappoint! I was engrossed in the story from the outset. The narration flicks constantly between several povs, but it all felt necessary and seamless. The disparate characters draw and bounce off one another as they go from one dire situation to the next. There are some cool set pieces, some feels, and some neat ideas (I loved the story behind a certain relic). Overall I felt it to be a tale of friendship. Will be reading on for sure!!

One person found this helpful

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Kindle Customer

Highly recommended

Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2019

Verified Purchase

Having read and loved the author's previous book, Carpet Diem, I was looking forward to this book. I was not disappointed. Although it's not a comedy, as his first book was, it was still written with some humour. The characters are well-rounded and real. The plot was nicely twisty without becoming frustrating and the ending... so good!

6 people found this helpful

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Amazon Customer

Well Done!

Reviewed in the United States on January 12, 2022

Verified Purchase

Very enjoyable read. Skipped a few of the overly descriptive parts but that is just me. I enjoy the parts that move the story along and there are lots of these. Looking forward to the next in the series(I hope)!!

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Alan Bradshaw

Great Book

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2019

Verified Purchase

This is an excellent first book for a new series. I have to say it was a little confusing at first because it seems like there should be a book before this one, but as I got further in it made more sense. I highly recommend this first book in the series and am hoping for book two to be released in the near future.

2 people found this helpful

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Althea

BUY THIS AWESOME BOOK

Reviewed in the United States on September 19, 2019

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For goodness’s sake BUY THIS BOOK! It’s fantastic, anyone interested in a great story will love it, and then when our friend Justin Lee Anderson has made his millions he can stop worrying about marketing and he can FOCUS ON WRITING THE SEQUELS SO I CAN GET ON WITH MY LIFE!!

Have I mentioned that the book is great? It really is.

4 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Timeo Danaos

A very woke fantasy

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 18, 2019

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The book is well written and Anderson has thought the plot through, so there's that. I put it on my kindle due to a Facebook review that said it was in the vein of David Gemmell. The influence is obvious, but the true influence is those horrid modern Star Wars efforts and anything by the BBC. After a while the book got incredibly annoying in that all the female characters are strong (all the females are warriors?), brave, insightful, blah, blah, blah, whereas we are told repeatedly how stupid men are, that they have something dark at heart, they all have clay feet, etc, etc, ad nauseam.
It must be said that Gemmell was about growth, redemption, doing the right thing in gritty worlds and was ultimately quite uplifting. He was also Christian, and Anderson by contrast is rabidly anti-Christian (lots of anti-kirk references). I would argue that this is a corruption of Gemmell.
The Lost War is a fantasy novel, an entertainment, competent and well-written. But at the end of the day, it just reinforces the relentless modern matriarchal trope if how perfect females are in all circumstances whereas males are inferior, the source of all evil and the usual nihilistic mantra of our wonderfully progressive world. I won't be reading any further as it too BBC for my taste, but I am sure plenty will enjoy its worldview.

54 people found this helpful

Summer

Awesome, a joy, read this!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 22, 2019

Verified Purchase

What a joy. So good to read a book with some depth, decent storyline, quality writing skills and not aimed at young adults. Rah. This really is a book to stand out in terms of a damned good read. The characters are believable and have a bonus of not having silly made up unpronounceable "fantasy" names or living in places with equally unpronounceable irritating place names. It's an honest book which will appeal to most lovers of this genre I'm sure. Loved the twist at the end. Loved the very dark epilogue teaser! Reminded me of The Wheel of Time series of books in that it really did create a believable otherworld without jolts of "oh, that was like LOTR" or "ahh yes, Harry Potter" which seem to crop up in many other fantasy novels. So yes, absolutely loved it. Please hurry up with book two!!... Oh and please keep the same publisher because the delightful tactile experience of decent quality paper and bindings was a joy too. Go buy it. You won't be disappointed.

31 people found this helpful

Tracy C

Got it because of Carpet Diem; enjoyed it for itself

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 28, 2019

Verified Purchase

I had read and loved a previous novel by the same author. I enjoyed Carpet Diem so much that I read Book 1 as soon as it was available. (I would normally wait for the complete set but was desperate to read anything else from the author.

This book is a totally different proposition but I still loved the characters, story and writing (& being an Edinburgh native the interesting use of place names!).

Only problem now is that I've got to wait to read the rest of the journey :(

23 people found this helpful

Dollym

A page turner

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

Loved this book totally different from his last one but the story grabs you from the very beginning. The twist in the tail is totally unexpected.......

20 people found this helpful

Amazon Customer

A cracking read in the (perhaps older side of) Young Adult fantasy.

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 4, 2019

Verified Purchase

First thing about this book, make sure it's for you. Just a subjective opinion, but I suspect it fits in the Young Adult genre, and absolutely hits that nail on the head. If your tastes are hard and jaded (Joe Abercrombie/George RR Martin, Robin Hobb), it may not hit the harshness that you're after. And I don't think it was aimed at being that bleak either (though if you're potentially starting to head down that path, this would be an absolute beacon book in that direction without landing you the whole depressing heap in one big slap!).
What it does, and marvellously well, is introduce a story of questions; If I was going to mark a story as a Young Adult book that needs you to think, this'd be it. A large part of the fun I had from it was (as I find with good stories) piecing together fragments, and seeing where the author is planning to go.

I suspect it'll open horizons of many a younger (and probably not so young) readers. If you like the mental 'chess' with an author as a story unfolds, this would definitely be one to pick up!

16 people found this helpful

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