LIMITED TIME OFFER | Get 3 months for $0.99 a month

$14.95/mo thereafter - terms apply.
The Emperor's Blades cover art

The Emperor's Blades

Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne, Book 1

 Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends January 29, 2026 11:59pm PT.
Just $0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Emperor's Blades

Written by: Brian Staveley
Narrated by: Simon Vance
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offer ends January 29, 2026 11:59pm PT.

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $32.00

Buy Now for $32.00

About this listen

Now includes special bonus content. Stay tuned after the audiobook to hear “The Last Abbot of Ashk’lan,” a short story by Brian Staveley.

The emperor of Annur is dead, slain by enemies unknown. His daughter and two sons, scattered across the world, do what they must to stay alive and unmask the assassins. But each of them also has a life-path on which their father set them, destinies entangled with both ancient enemies and inscrutable gods.

Kaden, the heir to the Unhewn Throne, has spent eight years sequestered in a remote mountain monastery, learning the enigmatic discipline of monks devoted to the Blank God. Their rituals hold the key to an ancient power he must master before it's too late.

An ocean away, Valyn endures the brutal training of the Kettral, elite soldiers who fly into battle on gigantic black hawks. But before he can set out to save Kaden, Valyn must survive one horrific final test.

At the heart of the empire, Minister Adare, elevated to her station by one of the emperor's final acts, is determined to prove herself to her people. But Adare also believes she knows who murdered her father, and she will stop at nothing - and risk everything - to see that justice is meted out.

©2014 Brian Stavely (P)2013 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved. Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Military Fiction
All stars
Most Relevant
I'm hooked. the stroy, the words and performance. incredible. i just used a credit for book 2. I couldn't stop listening. I enjoyed everything even the short story at the end.

on to book 2!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
didn't expect much from this considering it was free, and free titles usually aren't great but I loved it all. I loved the characters, loved the story and I enjoyed the performance as well though I did feel that he used the wrong voice for different characters by mistake a few times which threw me off and made me rewind to confirm that another character hadn't jumped in. all in all very excited to move onto book 2.

loved it. absolutely loved.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
It’s a good book
Easy to listen to and to follow with a nice build up to get into the characters

Good book

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I now look for books read by Simon. He's the best and always makes the stories come alive.

Another Simon Vance

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The reader is excellent- varied voices, correct emotional tones.
Characters strong and well differentiated, placed in credible perils in different parts of a tangible world.
I’ve already downloaded the next one!

Quality storytelling and narration

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews