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  • The Twice-Dead King: Ruin

  • Warhammer 40,000, Book 1
  • Written by: Nate Crowley
  • Narrated by: Richard Reed
  • Length: 11 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (240 ratings)

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The Twice-Dead King: Ruin

Written by: Nate Crowley
Narrated by: Richard Reed
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Publisher's Summary

A Warhammer 40,000 novel

Pride is everything for the dynastic kings of the Necron race, who have awakened after millennia to see their empires occupied by foul beasts and simple minds. For the Necron Lord Oltyx, the Ithakas dynasty was his by right, but the machinations of the court see him stripped of his position and exiled to a forgotten world.

Listen to it because

See the struggles of the Necron court from their own eyes, and discover the lengths one Lord will go to for the status they desire.

The story

Exile to the miserable world of Sedh, the disgraced Necron Lord Oltyx is consumed with bitterness. Once heir to the throne of a dynasty, he now commands nothing but a dwindling garrison of warriors, in a never-ending struggle against Ork invaders. Oltyx can think of nothing but the prospect of vengeance against his betrayers, and the reclamation of his birthright. But the Orks are merely the harbingers of a truly unstoppable force. Unless Oltyx acts to save his dynasty, revenge will win him only ashes. And so he must return to the crownworld, and to the heart of the very court which cast him out. But what awaits there is a horror more profound than any invader, whose roots are tangled with the dark origins of the Necrons themselves.

Written by Nate Crowley. Narrated by Richard Reed.

©2021 Games Workshop Limited (P)2021 Games Workshop Limited

What listeners say about The Twice-Dead King: Ruin

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  • Overall
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    5 out of 5 stars

A surprisingly great book

Starting this book I knew basically nothing of the Necrons. I had a general understanding of the Necrons backstory, as well as how they are split into dynasties - but beyond that was next to nothing.

This book was captivating - I never could have imagined how dynamic Egyptian space robots could be. Definitely worth a listen!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

The best necron book you could read

Everything in this book screams 40k and also brings a good story to understand what it means to be necron

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Necron fans required reading

Tense, but filled surprisingly heartfelt moments that uncover something not seen with Necrons often. Love it.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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great performance

this was an excellent listen, the narrator was fantastic at bringing to life the unloving Necron story.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Long live the King

As a person who normally prefers Imperium books, the Nechrons were never really a big story I was too particularly interested in, however safe to say this book paints the Nechrons as, although not fully as they could have, a cultured and interesting society. While I still think The Infinite and The Divine does a better job getting you to enjoy and even love the Nechrons, this book does a great job “humanizing” the undead, unfeeling, uncaring, robot Egyptians. Putting us in the robot body of a Nechron Heir, second in line, and exile, who is forced to deal with an Ork invasion, Imperium Invasion and the Nechron’s collapsing mental state. Overall I recommend it as a good follow up to Infinite and Divine.

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Necrons, Characters, Stories. A win-win

Unlike the Infinite and the Divine, The Twice-Dead King: Ruin curries a serious, morose tone of the tale with some minor humor that gives the audience a wide perspective view of the Necrons, their fears and tribulations, and the understanding of the gradual collapse of their Empire. What is profound by this tale is that the Necrons are the underdogs in this story as Crowley places them in a situation not only to deal with outside threat, but also from within.

The main protagonist, Oltyx, is the center focus of the story as the Necron Lord, exiled and stripped from his royal position, portrays the hallmarks of interest, for not only he commands a wide cast of characters of the mad, the broken, and the close insane, but rather implements unorthodox methods of change that is quite surprising and refreshing.

Crowley has weaved a tale that place the Necrons in a different spotlight. Forget about the Horus Heresy folks, cause the Necrons would hook new or old fans into wanting more of them.

And as for Richard Reeds... what else is there to say about him? His voice is as clear and crisp like crystal rain and brings new life to the characters enough to divert your attention solely to heed his lines.

P.S. I can confirm that there is no bolter porn in this story

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    5 out of 5 stars
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enjoy

good story. has some necron humour and a good pace. action, lore, and laughs. great.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Easily one of the best 40k books out there

I cannot recommend this book enough, especially if you are a necron fan. strangely one of the most emotional 40k books, especially towards the end.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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RUIN has been my favorite 40k listen!

This story has it all. Vengence, Ruin and Redemption. Never though I would enjoy the cold steel of the Necrons, (sorry for the heresy) but I may be a convert. You will not be disappointed, for the dynast!

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Best 40k Book. Great for even non 40k fans.

A fantastically written tragedy. The worst aspects of the book being when the rest of the 40k universe comes knocking and pulls us away from the trials and tribulations of a desperate people and their
doomed king.

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