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Blackguards
- Tales of Assassins, Mercenaries, and Rogues
- Narrated by: Michael Page, Nick Podehl, Steven Brand, Scott Aiello, Lauren Fortgang, Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 18 hrs and 18 mins
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Publisher's summary
Rogues. Assassins. Mercenaries.
Whether by coin or by blood...you will pay.
A fantasy anthology featuring the deadly, the worldly, and the sneaky. Blackguards consists mainly of stories in established series, and the authors range from wildly successful indie authors to New York Times best sellers. If you enjoy roguish tales of scoundrels and ne'er-do-wells, this one's for you.
Contents:
- Foreword by Glen Cook (Black Company)
- Richard Lee Byers, "Troll Trouble"
- David Dalglish, "Take You Home"
- James Enge, "Thieves at the Gate"
- John Gwynne, "Better to Live than to Die"
- Lian Hearn, "His Kikuta Hands"
- Snorri Kristjansson, "A Kingdom and a Horse"
- Joseph Lallo, "Seeking the Shadow"
- Mark Lawrence, "The Secret"
- Tim Marquitz, "A Taste of Agony"
- Peter Orullian, "A Length of Cherrywood"
- Cat Rambo, "The Subtler Art"
- Laura Resnick, "Friendship"
- Mark Smylie, "Manhunt"
- Kenny Soward, "Jancy's Justice"
- Shawn Speakman, "The White Rose Thief"
- Jon Sprunk, "Sun and Steel"
- Anton Strout, "Scream"
- Django Wexler, "The First Kill"
- Paul S. Kemp, "A Better Man"
- James A. Moore, "What Gods Demand"
- Jean Rabe, "Mainon"
- Bradley P. Beaulieu, "Irindai"
- S. R. Cambridge, "The Magus and the Betyar"
- Clay Sanger, "The Long Kiss"
Please note: "The Lord Collector" by Anthony Ryan, which appears in the print edition of Blackguards, is not included in this audio edition.
Full cast of narrators includes: Richard Poe, Gabra Zackman, Karyn O'Bryant, Macleod Andrews, Ray Porter, Tim Gerard Reynolds, John Keating, Kevin T. Collins, David DeVries, Elijah Alexander, Allyson Johnson, Oliver Wyman, and Victor Bevine.
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The Crown Tower (Dramatized Adaptation)
- The Riyria Chronicles, Book 1
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Bradley Foster Smith, Chris Genebach, Danny Gavigan, and others
- Length: 10 hrs and 11 mins
- Original Recording
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A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two remarkable men. Now if Arcadius can just keep Hadrian and Royce from killing each other, they just might succeed.
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This “dramatized’ version adds religious profanity
- By bro.Rob on 07-22-22
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Unfettered
- Tales By Masters of Fantasy
- By: Terry Brooks, Patrick Rothfuss, Robert Jordan, and others
- Narrated by: Peter Ganim, Marc Vietor, Bronson Pinchot, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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You define life or it defines you. In Shawn Speakman’s case, it was both. Lacking health insurance and diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 2011, Shawn quickly accrued a massive medical debt that he did not have the ability to pay. That’s when New York Times best-selling author Terry Brooks offered to donate a short story that Shawn could sell to help alleviate those bills—and suggested he ask the same of his other writer friends. Unfettered is the result: An anthology built in order to relieve that debt, featuring short stories by some of the best fantasy writers in the genre.
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A TRULY BAD COLLECTION OF DOGS
- By Randall on 12-21-18
By: Terry Brooks, and others
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Drumindor
- Riyria Chronicles, Book 7
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 12 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
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When a master-craftsmen dwarf is fired, he threatens retaliation. The rogues-for-hire known as Riyria are commissioned to find and stop him. Traveling to the paradise resort of Tur Del Fur, the two are granted a lavish allowance that, along with the easy job, promises to turn the trip into a vacation. Everything would have been perfect except that the disgruntled employee’s last name is Berling and the target of his wrath is the legendary towers of Drumindor.
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The Viscount and the Witch
- By: Michael J. Sullivan
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 46 mins
- Unabridged
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Eleven years before they were framed for the murder of a king, before even assuming the title of Riyria, Royce Melborn and Hadrian Blackwater were practically strangers. Unlikely associates, this cynical thief and idealist swordsman, were just learning how to work together as a team. In this standalone first installment of The Riyria Chronicles, Royce is determined to teach his naive partner a lesson about good deeds. Join Royce and Hadrian in this short story about one of their earliest adventures.
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only if you dont own cronicles book 2
- By Atle on 10-06-15
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Unbound
- Unbound, Book 1
- By: Shawn Speakman
- Narrated by: Dick Hill, Tim Gerard Reynolds, Nick Podehl, and others
- Length: 20 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Not bound as a book. Free. Like Unfettered before it, the contributing writers of Unbound were allowed to submit the tales they wished fans of genre to hear - without the constraints of a shackling theme. The result is magical. Twenty-three all-original stories are sure to captivate you - some will move you to tears while others will keep you listening long into the night. The power of Unbound lies in its variety of tales and the voices behind them. If you are a fan of discovering new writers or hearing the works of beloved authors, Unbound is for you.
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There are some gems in this one
- By Gyula Mészáros on 04-16-18
By: Shawn Speakman
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Prince of Fools
- The Red Queen's War, Book 1
- By: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 14 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
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The Red Queen is old but the kings of the Broken Empire dread her like no other. For all her reign, she has fought the long war, contested in secret, against the powers that stand behind nations, for higher stakes than land or gold. Her greatest weapon is The Silent Sister - unseen by most and unspoken of by all. The Red Queen's grandson, Prince Jalan Kendeth - drinker, gambler, seducer of women - is one who can see The Silent Sister.
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A fantasy odd couple caught up in a bigger game
- By Lore on 04-10-16
By: Mark Lawrence
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The Pariah
- By: Anthony Ryan
- Narrated by: Steven Brand
- Length: 19 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path - one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier's life in the king's army. Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance.
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Has a great first half then slowly goes downhill
- By Spencer Corpuz on 08-31-21
By: Anthony Ryan
What listeners say about Blackguards
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- John Schutte
- 08-08-17
Adequate for casual filler between books or series
Some good, some not so much, some quite good, none excellent. Most too short and devoid of sufficient context detail. Look to Aurthur Conan Doyle and the like for truly good shorts. Ok while looking for the next good read.
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- Kindle Customer
- 03-10-21
a bunch of teases
a series of a bunch of short stories that really get you wanting to know more and not giving you enough information to find more
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- M. Kirk DeBaets
- 02-13-17
Some awesome, some meh.
It's an anthology, and ultimately the editor makes the call for what goes in and what stays in the cutting floor. Best just to say the editor and I were not in perfect agreement.
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1 person found this helpful
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- mohammed valji
- 09-26-16
mixed bag
Definitely worth a credit. give me a lot of good ideas on future series of books to pay attention to.
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2 people found this helpful
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- S Jones
- 04-15-20
fun listen
Mostly I loved it, there were a couple I had trouble finishing but this is a really mixed bag of short stories with the time.
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- Michael n Brouillard
- 07-24-23
Some great, some good
I liked this anthology and highly recommend. Not every story is enrapturing but that’s what helps give one the feel for which authors you like, and which you don’t.
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- Robert
- 04-15-16
Some worthy tales in the mix, but not many.
All the stories in this collection are set in a historical fantasy realm. It is advertised as being about villains. In the best cases, this means that the story is set in some old-style place where magic may or may not exist and there is a person of questionable morals that is trying to do the right thing or maybe just survive. In the boring cases, this means some poor attempt at a GoT imitation or some cliche about the tough lady playing a damsel in distress. In the terrible cases, this means some story contrived to describe throat slashing in detail with some child molestation thrown in.
Overall, I would have trouble recommending the entire set though there are a few good stories thrown in the mix.
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11 people found this helpful
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- scott Winegar
- 08-24-17
fun to pick through for good and bad
fun to pick through searching between good and bad story telling. good and smart writers all, but some awkward story telling at times.
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- Julescrown
- 10-04-17
good collection with great stories :)
highly recommended this set of stories. great imagery and well crafted stories. this is an eclectic mix.
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- 🔥 Phx17 🔥
- 04-17-22
Looking to sink your teeth in a new series?
Twenty five novellas between 15 and 90 minutes, over half of which connect to series. I found a few series to wishlist and also enjoyed some of the self-contained stories. The content runs the gamut from YA to grimdark, is mostly medieval and some urban fantasy, has the violence and betrayal you’d expect from a series titled Blackguards, and has only an occasional F 💣 and indirectly referenced sex.
Happily, the table of contents labels each novella and, contrary to the summary, even The Collector is included in this, as of 2022. Many of these titles can be bought individually, but if there are 5 of the 25 titles that appeal, you are better off spending the credit on this. I found several 4-5 star listens (🔥) and only a few that didn’t work at all for me (👎🏼).
Random, hopefully helpful thoughts, in book order:
🔥1. Mainon by Jean Rabe- assassin hired to foil an assassin, YA
🔥2. Irendai by Bradley Beaulieu- lyrical mind-trip with Egypt-like trickster gods and pit fights
-series: Song of the Shattered Sands
🔥3. The Subtler Art by Cat Rambo- Mage or assassin- who’s the better artist? short story
4. Jancy’s Justice by Kenny Soward- side character gets her own interlude story
-series: Gnome Saga (not available on Audible)
🔥5. Troll Trouble by Richard Lee Byers- freelance caper helping a troll with an incubus issue
-series: Forgotten Realms
🔥6. A Better Me by Paul Kemp - advertised as Conan meets Indiana Jones and I approve!
-series: Egil and Nix
👎🏼7. The First Kill by Django Wexler- apparently, there’s occult magic but I only heard a spy caper
minus the background story.
-series: Shadow Campaign… I’ll pass, as this promises blah blah military tactics,
but I did enjoy the YA Wells of Sorcery trilogy by this author.
8. Man Hunt by Mark Smylie- tricorn hats and no before/after, just the hunt
9. Better to Live Than to Die by John Gwynne- feels grimdark without the bloody fun bite of First Law
-series: Faithful and the Fallen
10. The Secret by Mark Lawrence- features the ruminations of a killer
-series: trilogies run long and MC is a sociopath
🔥11. Friendship by Laura Resnick- “a man’s friends are always more dangerous than his enemies”
🔥12. The Long Kiss by Clay Sanger- ridden hard and put away bloody… for those on Team Arya of GoT
🔥13. The White Rose Thief by Shawn Speakman- YA fantasy prologue with gargoyles, witches, fairies
14. A length of Cherrywood by Peter Orullain- vicious, trigger warnings for deviant abuse, GoT level
15. A Taste of Agony by Tim Marquitz- Eunuch assassin and ditto on above trigger warnings
👎🏼16. What the Gods Demand by James A Moore-dark and dreary
-series: Seven Forges
🔥17. Take You Home by David Dalglish- YA -assassin turned Robin Hood. Cheesy, but strangely captivating
-series: Shadowdance
18. Seeking the Shadow by Joseph Lallo- weapons maker seeks new master
-series: Book of Deacon
19. Sun and Steel by Jim Sprunk- oh, the dark chains that bind
🔥20. The Betya and The Magus by S.R. Cambridge- the not-so-meet-cute for two partners in crime
-series: why is there no series in Audible?!
21. A Kingdom and a Horse by Snorri Kirstjansson- short, but hey, Ray Porter!
👎🏼22. Thieves and the Gate by Jane Enge- Oyssseus as a pirate (and not the good kind)
23. His Kikuta Hands by Liam Hearn- looks at two folks on the enemy side- a Japan-tinged feudal fantasy. This takes place during the third book and I’m not sure if it plays well without having heard the series
-series: Tales of the Otori (it’s good if you like samurai style stories on the still waters run deep end)
24. The Lord Collector by Anthony Ryan- no honor among thieves… or family
series: Raven’s Shadow
🔥25. Scream by Anton Stout- Rogue with a talent made for crime- noir feeling urban fantasy involving an art heist.
series: Simon Canderous
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3 people found this helpful