Free the Darkness Audiobook By Kel Kade cover art

Free the Darkness

King's Dark Tidings, Book 1

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Free the Darkness

By: Kel Kade
Narrated by: Nick Podehl
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Raised and trained in seclusion at a secret fortress on the edge of the northern wilds of the Kingdom of Ashai, a young warrior called Rezkin is unexpectedly thrust into the outworld when a terrible battle destroys all that he knows.

With no understanding of his life’s purpose and armed with masterful weapons mysteriously bestowed upon him by a dead king, Rezkin must travel across Ashai to find the one man who may hold the clues to his very existence.

Determined to adhere to his last orders, Rezkin extends his protection to an unlikely assortment of individuals he meets along the way, often leading to humorous and poignant incidents.

As if pursuing an elite warrior across a kingdom, figuring out who he is and why everyone he knows is dead, and attempting to find these so-called friends and protect them is not enough, strange things are happening in the kingdom. New dangers begin to arise that threaten not only Rezkin and his friends, but possibly everyone in Ashai.

This is the first installment of an ongoing series. This book is intended for adult readers. It contains graphic violence, creative language, and sexual innuendo. This book does not contain explicit sexual content.

©2016 Kel Kade (P)2016 Podium Audio

Accolades & Awards

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Fantasy Warrior Epic Fantasy Epic Fiction Witty Funny Coming of Age Genre Fiction Feel-Good Royalty Scary
Unique Premise • Engaging Mystery • Exceptional Narration • Entertaining Social Misunderstandings • Captivating Plot

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I really want to write a review to do it justice. I can't express how much I love Rezkin and his adventures in the 'outworld'. Watching Rez shift from being totally isolated all his life in brutal training to being thrust into the populous is touching and often times comical. There is tons of action, a minor magic system and a bit of romance on the side.
I am a huge fan of Anthony Ryan, Michael J. Sullivan and Patrick Rothfuss. If you like these authors, you should really give this book a try. It is a great addition to the genre of epic fantasy.
Nick as narrator, as usual, is brilliant and truly brings the characters to life.

Wow!! This book...

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I absolutely *loved* the series (though I have yet to listen to the 3rd book). The premise behind the plot is like something I have never seen before. The main character grows up away from regular society and this has not had typical relationships with anyone (parents, family, friends, girlfriend, etc.). Due to a miscommunication, the main character carries out a purpose which was not actually intended for him. It leads him to interact with others, and due to his lack of social experience, it causes many misunderstandings which are both comical and tragic. His newfound relationships with others also lead to other events which may not have occurred had he not met those people, as he has no control over what the others will say or do. As he meets more and more people, it becomes increasingly difficult for him to have control over everything. During the story, we learn about the character as he learns about himself which he had never known. The main character also seems like a bit of an antihero. One moment, you're cheering for him because of his actions. The next moment, you wonder if they are truly actions worth cheering for. It is a fantastic series! Also, I absolutely love Nick Pohdel as a narrator. I happened to start with him as a narrator and haven't been able to handle listening to anyone else now. He can do so many voices and speaks in a way which is engaging but not overly fast. I actually came upon this series after doing a search for Nick Pohdel as a criterion.

An unusual but delightful premise

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If you know what you're getting into then it's a fun ride but make no mistake the main character is a Mary sue who's good at everything except emotion. However, the story is decent and the narrator is very good.

It's a power fantasy but it's a good power fantasy

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Rez, undaunted and slightly amused, squared off with the Abrams A1A main battle tank. He wondered how on earth anyone could trust such a bulky and clumsy machine. Clearly, men who would engage in battle in such a 'contraption' had very little understanding of honor, tactics, and training. He heard a click! Moving with inhuman speed, Rez parried the incoming SABOT round with a deft flick of his Sheyalin sword. The round parried off course, and struck the incoming Cruise Missile scant moments before it would have killed him. Then with a deft and mighty bound, Rez leaped into the air. His muscular abdomen flexed like tempered steel in glory personified. In a single motion while in flight, he lashed out, severing the turret from the body of the tank. He sheathed his sword mid flight before his feet hit the ground.

I can't tell you how much i am enjoying this book. Well, I guess i could. Wait, I think i just did:)

The narration is absolutely out of this world. What a skill and talent this narrator is! I just got done listening to DUNE, and what a piece of crap that was compared to this! I think the narrator makes the read come to life in such a wonderful way. Great voices. Great consistency. Seamless transitions. He, even does the female voices justice. I don't know who to applaud more. The author. Or the Narrator.

The story is fun, exciting, and fast paced action. Never a wasted moment. Rez's internal dialogue is amusing and thoroughly enjoyable. His naivety in real practical life, when compared to his skills mastery and rule following sets up comical dilemma and situation. Rez is like James Bond, except, even better... minus the ladies... Ha!

Vivid scene depiction. Wonderful story flow and time lining. Perhaps more for boys and men, being that the central story line reads like a male fantasy of every 'would be male warrior'. Im 48. Have read everything from Tolkien, to the Rift Gate saga by Raymond E Feist. The Shannara Books. Glen Cook's The Black Company... and much more. This book is up there with all of them... and I'm only on book 1!!

Kudos!!!!

OccamsPhazer

Rule # 260: Thou Shall Enjoy Every Second...

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Awesome! Very engaging. Listened to it twice already, can't wait for book two! Already preordered!

Great Read

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