Voice of War

Threadlight, Book 1

By: Zack Argyle

Narrated by: Adam Gold

Indies Today 2020 Best Fantasy Award

The world will change forever....

While preparing for the birth of his first child, Chrys Valerian is tasked with uncovering the group responsible for a series of missing threadweavers - those able to see and manipulate threadlight. With each failure, the dark voice in his head grows louder, begging to be released.

A young girl from a secret city in the center of the Fairenwild veers off course to explore the streets of Alchea, never expecting that her journey would end in chains.

Far in the deserts to the south, a young man's life changes after he dies.

When Chrys learns who is responsible for the missing threadweavers, they come for him and his family. He must do everything in his power to protect those he loves, even if it means trusting strangers or, worse, the growing voice in his mind.

Together, these three will change the world - whether they intend to or not.

SPFBO Award Finalist for Best Fantasy Book 2020

©2020 Zack Argyle (P)2020 Zack Argyle

Good fantasy story, easy to follow, one critique

Really enjoyed this book, I'll definitely pick up the next one. Super easy to follow, I didn't have to do mental gymnastics to keep up with it which was a really welcome change of pace. the one issue I had was that the magic system was lifted directly from Mistborn and Lightbringer.

intriguing, beautiful, compelling.

The magic system here doesn't become so complex that it trips over itself and you lose the greater story elements. I love these characters and the ways in which each of them help to define the social order. This feels like very clean world building while still giving solid social commentary.

I could see every scene and the narration was nuanced.

I will definitely continue the series.

good story

i had some trouble in the beginning getting into this one...but when everything finally clicked i loved it. very goodstory. cant wait to start book 2

Fans of Brandon Sanderson, I give you Zack Argyle

Voice of War by Zack Argyle on Audible - 4.5/5 Stars

Fans of Brandon Sanderson, I give you Zack Argyle.

Voice of War is a novel that hinges on its incredible magic system, a combination of Allomancy from Mistborn and the eye color caste system of The Stormlight Archive. Threadweaving is everything in the nation Alchea. If you are born a sapphire or emerald Threadweaver, you'll experience a life of prestige and opportunity. If you aren't, you can still get by, but it will be far more difficult.

Chrys Valerian, a high general of Alchea and sapphire Threadweaver, is preparing for the birth of his first child. But something is rotten in the state of Alchea. Blood thieves have been kidnapping Threadweavers, draining their blood, and selling what they take on the black market. This is a direct affront to Alchea's power structure, and Chrys is tasked with bringing the thieves to heel.

What he discovers during the course of his investigation will change how Threadweaving is viewed forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Voice of War. Chrys is a voice we don't often see in epic fantasy, that of a soon-to-be father approaching middle age. He fears for his wife and coming child, worries about the state of his country, and wonders when the mistakes of his past will catch up with him. Plus the spirit in his head is superbly rendered by the talented Adam Gold, a masterful narrator who will be lending his silky tones to Divinity's Twilight next year.

Our other POVs, youthful Laurel and jaded Alverax, are equally delightful. I wondered if introducing Alverax near the halfway mark would result in uneven pacing, but his scenes accelerated the plot and I enjoyed every instant I spent listening to his glib tongue.

Also, by all accounts the sequel is even better than the original. I look forward to diving in as soon as I can.

PS - Did I mention Voice of War was a finalist for the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO) Best Book of 2020? Get it NOW!

A solid entry to a new world

I thoroughly enjoyed the voice and pacing of the writing. The narrator is great and really makes the production spring to life. The story itself was solid—it was very easy to flow with and follow along. There were times where I was making things more intricate and more dynamic in my head with where I thought things were going. I did find myself wanting a bit more with the ending (certain reveals I thought could have been big “wow” moments but just became “oh…” moments). It was still a great read and I’m very much looking forward to book 2!

Good but...

Narration good. Story OK but it took forever to tell. The beginning of the story unneccasary cruel. After I read first few chapters could not face book for days. Characters somehow not memorable. Not a bad book but not for me.