Master of Sorrows, Justin Travis Call
Master of Sorrows, Justin Travis Call
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Master of Sorrows

Author: Justin Travis Call

Narrator: Peter Kenny

Unabridged: 19 hr 16 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 02/25/2020

Synopsis

You’ve heard the story before: an orphaned boy, raised by a wise old man, comes to a fuller knowledge of his magic and uses it to fight the great evil threatening his world.But what if that hero were destined to become the new dark lord?The Academy of Chaenbalu has stood against magic for centuries. Hidden from the world, acting from the shadows, it trains its students to detect and retrieve magic artifacts, which it jealously guards from the misuse of others. Because magic is dangerous: something that heals can also harm, and a power that aids one person may destroy another.Of the academy’s many students, only the most skilled can become avatars—warrior thieves, capable of infiltrating the most heavily guarded vaults—and only the most determined can be trusted to resist the lure of magic. More than anything, Annev de Breth wants to become one of them.But Annev carries a secret. Unlike his classmates who were stolen as infants from the capital city, Annev was born in the village of Chaenbalu, was believed to be executed, and then unknowingly raised by his parents’ killers. Seventeen years later, he struggles with the burdens of a forbidden magic, a forgotten heritage, and a secret deformity. When Annev is subsequently caught between the warring ideologies of his priestly mentor and the Academy’s masters, he must finally decide whether to accept the truth of who he really is … or embrace the darker truth of what he may one day become.

About Justin Travis Call

Justin Travis Call is a graduate of Harvard University and the author of Master of Sorrows, Book 1 of the Silent Gods series. In addition to being a novice screenwriter and voice actor, Justin is also the CEO of Broomstick Monkey Games and codesigner of Imperial Harvest and Royal Strawberries. When he isn’t reading or writing books, Justin likes boxing, designing tabletop games, and playing League of Legends. He currently lives in Park City, Utah, with his wife, his two sons, his Great Dane (Pippa) and his Saint Bernard-mastiff (Herbie).

About Peter Kenny

Peter Kenny, an AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator, is a talented and experienced actor, voice-over artist, singer, musician, and designer, with over twenty-five years of experience working in theater, film, television, and audio. He has achieved great critical acclaim for multicharacter recordings of audiobooks by authors such as Iain Banks, Christopher Priest, and Edmund St Aubyn.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Petrik

I have a Booktube channel now! Subscribe here: [URL not allowed] ARC provided by the publisher—Gollancz—in exchange for an honest review. Master of Sorrows a great coming-of-age fantasy debut with promises of bigger things to come waiting to be fulfilled. For two years Master of Sorrows......more

Goodreads review by Sean Barrs

This is a very strong dark fantasy debut that will appeal directly to fans of The Poppy War and The Name of the Wind. It’s intense, mystical and brutal. The novel is Asian inspired, depicting a fighting academy that has an eastern quality to it. The masters who rule their and teach their ways despi......more

Goodreads review by James

I received an uncorrected proof copy of Master of Sorrows in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Justin Call and Gollancz. The narrative begins as we are introduced to the 17-year-old acolyte Annev. He is aiming to progress to the desired status of an Avatar of Judgement in this educational......more

Goodreads review by TS

ARC received from the publisher, Gollancz, in exchange for an honest review. 4.5 stars. Master of Sorrows was a remarkable debut which I simply cannot put down. This book recalled so much about what I loved about classic epic fantasy and yet felt modern. The author has quoted David Eddings as his ear......more

Goodreads review by Ashleigh (a frolic through fiction)

This book was sent to me by the author. This in no way influences my opinion of the book. I initially finished this book and thought it to be around a 4.5 rating, but it has stayed on my mind for so long that I finally yielded and gave it a rare 5 stars. It's one of those books that I've been raving......more

Quotes

“A classic coming-of-age tale meets a hero-to-be adventure with spiraling depth…Call writes a world of deep and profound mythology.” Ed McDonald, author of Blackwing

“Artifacts, ancient secrets, and an aching desire to prove himself force neophyte Annev de Breth to contend with magical forces in Master of Sorrows, the first book in The Silent Gods series from Justin Travis Call…Master of Sorrows is a rousing and imaginative high fantasy novel—a promising beginning to a new series.” Foreword Reviews

“In Master of Sorrows, the first of a new series, Justin Travis Call asks a question that has been largely missing from high fantasy: What if the orphaned hero and the threat to the world were one and the same? Annev de Breth, a warrior-thief with a past shrouded in mystery, must face this very notion in a novel that turns one of the core fantasy plots on its head. Brutal and intense, this is a book no one will be able to put down.” Seattle Book Review

“In a world where difference means death, can a boy with a secret find his own path?…Debut novelist Call plunges the reader directly into the action and never lets the pace flag. Even as we learn about the ancient battles, dark prophecies, and mystical assassins that are about to change the course of Annev’s life, the stakes remain appealingly human: Can Annev achieve his goals without betraying his moral code? Will the people he cares about accept him for who he is? A fast-paced, action-packed epic fantasy to sink your teeth into.” Kirkus Reviews

“Game designer Call inverts fantasy tropes…A late-stage reveal and violent climax nicely set up book two.” Publishers Weekly

“Call’s debut, which kicks off the Silent Gods series, takes its time coming to a boil, but by the final act there is plenty of action and conflict. Readers of Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor trilogy or Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicle will appreciate the depiction of a young conflicted hero coming of age in a fantastic school.” Library Journal

“If you loved Robin Hobb’s Fitz in Assassin’s Apprentice, you’ll love Annev in Justin Call’s Master of Sorrows!" Adrian Selby, author of The Winter Road

“A fast-paced and intricate coming-of-age story that shows that villains aren’t born but forged.” Nick Martell, author of The Kingdom of Liars

“An astonishing first step along a dark descent that readers will want to see to the end.” Christopher Ruocchio, author of Empire of Silence

“Master of Sorrows is one of the best books I have read this year and a perfect example of grimdark fantasy. It isn’t overly mired in negativity or cruelness. The rawer parts of grimdark and epic fantasy are there, but this story is tinged with hope in the best possible way. It is riveting, exciting, and one that is going to stick with me for a while.” Grimdark Magazine

Awards

  • Tor.com Reviewers' Choice
  • Polygon Pick
  • Amazon Best Book of the Month
  • Seattle Book Review Pick
  • iBooks bestseller
  • Reading the West Book Award
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