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  • The Mercenary Code

  • The Shattering of Kingdoms, Book 1
  • By: Emmet Moss
  • Narrated by: Simon Vance
  • Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (123 ratings)
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The Mercenary Code cover art

The Mercenary Code

By: Emmet Moss
Narrated by: Simon Vance
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Summary

Winner of the 2020 Society of Voice Arts Award for Audiobook Narration - Fantasy.

Break the Code. Shatter the World.

Centuries ago, the murder of a beloved king tore apart the Kingdom of Caledun. The land was plunged into chaos and thousands perished in the aftermath. A new order was established in an attempt to return Caledun to its former glory. It failed, but in its place rose the beginnings of the Code. 

During this same period, the mystical caretakers of the Great Wood retreated from the world of Kal Maran, their disappearance an ominous harbinger of the suffering that was to follow. The Great Wood now grows out of control. Cities, towns, and villages have fallen before the relentless march of the forest. Without the former guardians to keep her tame, the wood has become a place of peril, and dark creatures of legend now hunt beneath its leaves. 

The summer season is now a time of armed conflict. The fall of the old monarchy has brought about a ceaseless cycle of combat. Grievances are settled by the strict tenets of a binding Mercenary Code and the men who would die to preserve its honour. 

However, change is in the air. Political rivalries have escalated, and dire rumblings of a revolution abound. Thrust to the forefront of the shattered land's politics, a mercenary fights for more than just riches. In the north, a borderland soldier wrestles with his own demons and looks to find his true purpose. And in the shadow of the Great Wood, a young man's chance encounter with a strange visitor gives hope to a land divided.

©2019 Emmet Moss (P)2020 Podium Audio

What listeners say about The Mercenary Code

Average customer ratings
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The Code is Everything

This book gets off to a slow start while the character/world building, which is vast, gets under way. However, it is worth the wait. I would class this as a 'busy' book' as a lot of different storylines are in play. The one down I did find was the introduction of Kieri, the camp pro. The quick relationship which seemed to grow between her and Leoric seemed a little ridiculous.

One thing that could have helped this book further was a list of the characters involved. I always find it helpful to separate characters out when there are so many diverse ones.

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

Solid Epic Fantasy

Brilliant performance by Simon Vance as always, i struggled a little with the characters and hopping between them, however I thoroughly enjoyed it, solid concept and looking forward to starting the next book as always!

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

A fun and solidly written fantasy story

Purchased this book on a whim and have had no regrets. Great story and character design. The world building and lore is interesting and well thought out. Narration is well done and suited to the story and characters.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Great listen

Loved the story and great narration. Finished this book and immediately download the next in the series.

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

Absolutely love it

This honestly brought me back to other amazing stories like LOTR or The Hobbit. Just used my last 2 credits to buy the remaining 2 books, can't wait to see what happens next 😁

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Really enjoyed this book

Found the beginning of this book a little confusing, couldn’t follow the story But I’m so glad I stuck with it !
As the story unfolded I became more hooked really enjoyed this and can’t wait to start book 2

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4 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Struggling

I feel that it’s an okay book, but I’ve really struggled to concentrate on the story and find myself thinking of anything but the story.
Personally I think it’s Simon Vance’s voice - I recently listened to another book narration by him which I enjoyed but he’s obviously using his (only) voice range for characters in this story that I can’t disassociate from the previous book, I know it’s just me so give the book a chance..

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Messy

This series is too "messy" for me. Too many characters and plotlines at the same time. Really like Simon Vance but that was not enough to save these books for me.

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

Too jumbled, maybe easier to follow the book.

A jumbled mess, switching between a few characters before getting used to it. Gave up at chapter 10 as I was getting lost.
Connecting to the characters is a huge part of any story, but I had no idea who and where most were.

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1 person found this helpful