After the War of the Gods, the demons were cast out and fell to the world. Mankind was nearly eradicated by the seemingly unstoppable beasts until the gods sent the great hero, Ramrowan, to save them. He united the tribes, gave them magic, and drove the demons into the sea. Ever since, the land has belonged to man, and the oceans have remained an uncrossable hell, leaving the continent of Lok isolated. It was prophesized that someday the demons would return, and only the descendants of Ramrowan would be able to defeat them. They became the first kings, and all men served those who were their only hope for survival.

As centuries passed, the descendants of the great hero grew in number and power. They became tyrannical and cruel and their religion nothing but an excuse for greed. Gods and demons became myth and legend, and the people no longer believed. The castes created to serve the Sons of Ramrowan rose up and destroyed their rulers. All religion was banned and replaced by a code of unflinching law. The surviving royalty and their priests were made casteless, condemned to live as untouchables, and the Age of Law began.

Ashok Vadal has been chosen by a powerful ancient weapon to be its bearer. He is a Protector, the elite militant order of roving law enforcers. No one is more merciless in rooting out those who secretly practice the old ways. Everything is black or white, good or evil, until he discovers his entire life is a fraud. Ashok isn’t who he thinks he is, and when he finds himself on the wrong side of the law, the consequences lead to rebellion, war - and destruction.

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Listening Length	16 hours and 21 minutes
Author	Larry Correia
Narrator	Tim Gerard Reynolds
Whispersync for Voice	Ready
Audible.com Release Date	October 27, 2015
Publisher	Audible Studios
Program Type	Audiobook
Version	Unabridged
Language	English
ASIN	B012BSGXOK
Best Sellers Rank	#4,949 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals) #79 in Historical Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals) #233 in Historical Fantasy (Books) #352 in Epic Fantasy (Audible Books & Originals)

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5 star		72%
4 star		20%
3 star		5%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Top reviews from the United States

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Lowell D. Jacobson

A Compelling Start to a New Fantasy Series

Reviewed in the United States on October 23, 2015

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I don't normally review books I've read on Amazon -- why gild the lily, and add to what others have already done far better than I could? But given the relatively few reviews for this so far, I figured that I'd chime in for a change.

I've enjoyed Larry Correia's other series (Grimnoir and MHI), which were entertaining and well-written (if nothing incredibly deep and a bit on the "pulpy" side but very enjoyably so), so I decided to give this a try. I'm quite glad that I did.

This is unequivically Larry Correia's best work yet. While the prose in his prior series can be workman-like at times (and the focus on some of the details of action sequences can detract slightly from the narrative), the quality of writing here is a clear improvement beyond the solid efforts of Larry's previous series. The characterization is also Larry's best work, with the protagonist significantly more nuanced and complex than in prior series (with the possible exception of Franks in MHI), while still being heroic and sympathetic and acting rationally, given his outlook, knowledge, and constraints. The plotting is extremely well-done and well-paced, and the periodic flashbacks (especially in the early going) were well-placed and of well-tailored length to slake the reader's thirst for backstory and worldbuilding without giving away the whole game or detracting from the overall narrative arc.

Overall, the world is close enough to ours to be recognizable and not so different that it and its characters are unrelatable. Their motivations are well-established, and even having read Larry's two other fantasy-ish series, the plot twists and events were not the least bit predictable, other than insofar as characters in novels should act in a manner true to who they are. Side characters are filled in as necessary, again, without giving away too much information or giving us full insight into their plans and motivations for those whose arcs are not resolved in this book. While there are hints as to some of their motivations, particularly for the more minor characters whose arcs are resolved -- the hints provided regarding the "string-pulling" big bad behind the scenes and the "dirty work" big bad implementing things, and the inferences that the reader can draw, are tantalizing, and make me wish that this whole series had already been completed.

Continuity is also well-established, as are the laws of unintended consequence -- in several instances, characters are appropriately forced to deal with the results of their earlier choices, both for good and for ill. All-in-all, its a very promising start to the series. Is it Brandon Sanderson's "The Stormlight Archive"? No, it's not -- more focused on action, narrower in scope, less concerned with the overall magic system and worldbuilding. But it's thoughtful, creative, interesting, coherent, consistent, well-paced and well-plotted -- a damn fine fantasy book.

My only complaint -- though it's a good problem to have -- is the wait before the next book in the series comes out. Nicely done, Larry -- and keep up the great work!

171 people found this helpful

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Michael Knopp

Interesting idea, mediocre execution

Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2019

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Son of the Black Sword checks all boxes of a book I should like. I like Larry Correia’s Monster Hunter books. It has a beautiful map on the inside. It has an illustration by Larry Elmore on the inside. The world building is pretty impressive (seems loosely based on India’s caste system from the 1800s). There are cool monsters.

But I found the book to be “OK”.

I think it has to do with two issues. Our protagonist is pretty bland. The first 150 pages really only focus on him. It starts in the present as Ashok fights some monsters. Then it jump back to fill in his backstory. It does this for about 150 pages. Then Ashok kind of disappears and we’re introduced to several more characters. None of these characters are given time to develop before the climax of the first book. There’s enough cool stuff happening that I’ll probably read the sequel but it won’t be near the top of my must read pile.

8 people found this helpful

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Bruce Parrello

An incredible throwback to the days when books brought joy

Reviewed in the United States on April 9, 2019

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The plot doesn't matter. This is a book about decency, duty, and loyalty. Every character is compelling and deep: you understand both who they are and why they are. Because it is about duty, loyalty, and decency, it is full of scenes that bring tears to your eyes, and the actions are bigger and brighter because they matter. I am so accustomed to the gray blandness of modern entertainment that I could not understand at first why I was unable to let go of this book. But I could not, and I finished it in less than 30 real-world hours. Buy it, read it, buy more and give them to your fiends. The world needs more books like this.

12 people found this helpful

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hoosiertoo

Correia's best yet - IMO, of course...

Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2015

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I came to MHI and the Grimnoir Chronicles late; devoured them all and wanted more - especially the Grimnoir series. When I heard Correia had a new book coming out I was disappointed to find that it was neither series, but the concept looked intriguing, so I bit - and I'm glad I did. I bought the Kindle edition. If there were flaws, they were barely noticeable. Quite happy with the purchase.

Wonderful world building. Great plot, believable characters, nasty villains and flawed heroes. Above all, his best writing yet. Considering my last read was the ponderous "Hell's Foundations Quiver" - which I enjoyed (bit of a masochist I guess) - "Son of the Black Sword" was a rippingly good read. I've seen elsewhere that the first third of the book was slow, but compared to Weber's prose it was positively speedy. As always, Correia writes great action sequences, but it was the world building that stood out. Outstanding. I know these things take time, but more and sooner would be much appreciated!

4-stars plus. Not perfect but damned good. Highly recommended.

27 people found this helpful

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Jay Lamborn

Better than MHI

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2019

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I'm a big fan of Monster Hunters International. It is, after all, Correia's seminal work, but this book was the best thing he's done, in my opinion. The world-building involved is immense. The character development is wonderful. I was totally taken by surprise with some of the plot twists. House of Assassins just came out and I cannot wait to dig in. This is an incredible work of sword and sorcery fantasy. If that's your thing (heck, even if it isn't), check this out.

8 people found this helpful

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Top reviews from other countries

Gregory

Best of Correia, so far..

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 19, 2016

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This is excellent and rich enough to almost be in Gemmel territory but Mr Correia is trying to do quite a lot at the same time and his novels suffer a bit from it. It is a shame because it wouldn't have taken much polish to make it perfect. Amateurs of his works won't be disappointed as it is probably his best in pure literary terms but you would be better starting with Monster Hunters or Hard Magic if you wanted to discover this brilliant and (over) prolific author.

I didn't name Gemmel in vain as this book has a very similar feel to his novels with the story revolving around the theme of the imperfect but unstoppable hero in a familiar yet completely exotic world. As usual, Correia isn't afraid to borrow myth and culture from many unlikely sources but the sauce takes and the world and its inhabitants are complex and completely believable. This is the first book in a series but it has a satisfying end and feels complete on its own.

Kindle Customer

Great start to a series

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 21, 2017

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Love finding a new series and this ticked all the boxes and kept me hooked from the beginning. Ashok is already a well developed interesting main character but only just beginning to explore his past and the history of the world Correia has created. You can feel inspirations from other great fantasy novels but it is an interesting new take that I look forward to reading more of.

One person found this helpful

Robert Morris

Gemmell lives!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2016

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A mighty warrior, struggling between conscience and duty. A society built on cruelty at the verge of rebellion. Demons that are only held at bay by magical swords, which are possibly sentient or possessed, and wizards whose powers come from fragments of the black steel swords. All that really needs to be said about this novel is that fans of the late David Gemmell will find it tremendously enjoyable.

3 people found this helpful

bob blake

a good decision. Very well thought out storyline

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 19, 2016

Verified Purchase

Another book bought on a whim, a good decision. Very well thought out storyline, great characters and enough action to satisfy everyone who likes that sort of thing. The main character is compelling and this book I imagine is the scene setter out of the series. A great read and I look forward to the next chapter.

One person found this helpful

Mr P

Really good

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2016

Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and is very entertaining. I stayed up far too late to finish it!

A refreshing twist on ‘classic’ fantasy books, with an interesting world, some nice humour and plenty of action.

I already have my suspicions about the demons in the book and will be interested to see if my theories pan out. Hurry up with book 2 please.

One person found this helpful

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Son of the Black Sword: Saga of the Forgotten Warrior, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

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