The Sum of All Men

Name: The Sum of All Men
Brand: Blackstone Audiobooks
Availability: InStock
Author: David Farland
ISBN: 9781483076003

Author: David Farland

Series: Runelords Series #1

Narrator: Ray Porter

Unabridged: 21 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Published: 10/13/2008

Categories: Fiction, Fantasy, Epic, Paranormal

Synopsis

David Farland’s acclaimed Runelords series introduces a world where the social structure is based upon the magical exchange of “endowments” such as stamina, grace, and wit. The Runelords are those who receive these endowments from their vassals, becoming superhuman in exchange for the responsibility of caring for those they have deprived of strength, or beauty, or sight.Young Prince Gaborn of Mystarria is traveling in disguise on a journey to ask for the hand of the lovely Princess Iome of Sylvarresta. Armed with his gifts of strength and perception, the prince and his bodyguard stop at a local tavern, where they spot a pair of assassins who have their sights set on Princess Iome’s father. As they race to warn the king, they realize that more than the royal family is at risk—the very fate of the Earth is in jeopardy.

About David Farland

David Farland is the pseudonym of Dave Wolverton, an American author of fantasy fiction who lives in Utah with his wife and five children. He was a budding author during his college years but came to prominence when he won the Writers of the Future L. Ron Hubbard Gold Award for On My Way to Paradise in 1987. He has achieved much renown in the science fiction field, but fans may know him best as the author of Star Wars novels; The Courtship of Princess Leia was met with acclaim from critics and readers alike and became a New York Times bestselling novel.

About Ray Porter

Ray Porter is an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator and fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. He has appeared in numerous films and television shows, including Almost Famous, ER, and Frasier.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Mark on June 23, 2024

I read this one a long time ago - probably very close to when it was published in 1998. I'm prompted to review it by David Farland's untimely death a few months back. It's a fun fantasy story that centres on one strong idea and runs with it ... apparently for 9 books! I don't tend to stick with series......more

Goodreads review by Tadiana ✩Night Owl☽ on May 19, 2016

This was a reasonably good swords-and-sorcery type of fantasy adventure, well thought-out and with a very unusual magical system, and popular enough that it's a series of eight books so far. But I just could not with the way that their magic worked. It was highly disturbing, and it ruined the entire......more

Goodreads review by Dirk on February 10, 2020

Well, I truly enjoyed this one. It is old school traditional fantasy with some interesting elements, notably the use of runes and the endowment system. The latter, which is the driving factor of this world’s magic system, makes for a truly unique dynamic and directly affects the narrative. As such,......more

Goodreads review by Bradley on September 21, 2019

Man versus Nature. Writ large. Or larger, if you consider we're dealing with whole armies concentrated into a single man or the Earth in the other. This is an epic fantasy that's competent in characters if not in extensive worldbuilding. But more importantly, it runs with a very, very cool idea. And......more

Goodreads review by Tom on January 27, 2008

This following review was an assignment for a fantasy literature course at BYU. The Runelords Author, Title, Facts of Publication The Runelords was written by David Wolverton and published in 1998. The author used the pseudonym David Farland to market the book because he wanted it on store shelves in......more

Quotes

“Farland once again proves himself a wizard at storytelling…This latest is certain to summon past readers of the series back to bookstores.”

Publisher's Weekly

“Ray Porter keeps the battles fresh with a tone of wonder as the events unfold. He uses pace effectively to vary the intensity of the battles and to show the vulnerability and humanity of Gaborn and his allies. Porter narrates as a historian, with subtle clues to his biases and prejudices, but a general dedication to telling the story objectively.”

AudioFile

“The author’s inventive approach to magic and his skill at depicting complex, believable characters make this tale a good choice.”

Library Journal

“Farland gets a prospective series off to a dynamic start with a compelling, action-packed story set in an intricate created world in which magical powers are unusual and convincing.”

Booklist