Emperor's Blades

Audiobook The Emperor's Blades, by Brian Staveley, translated by Hana Vlčinská. Read by Ondřej Novák, directed by Ondřej Černý. Chronicles of the Unsealed Throne #1 The first volume of an epic fantasy of intrigue and empire, for fans of George R. R. Martin and Douglas Hulick. The circle is closing. The stakes are high. And old truths will come alive again... The Emperor was assassinated, leaving the Annurian Empire in disarray. His descendants must now bury their grief and prepare to uncover the plot. News reaches the Emperor's son Valyn, who is undergoing training for the Empire's deadliest fighting force, far across the sea. He expects trouble, but after several "accidents" and a warning from a dying soldier, he realizes that his life is in danger. Before he can take any action, however, he must survive the mercenary's brutal final initiation. Meanwhile, the Emperor's daughter, the Minister Adare, pursues her father's murderer right in the capital. Court politics may be her undoing, but she longs for justice. And Kaden, heir to the empire, studies in a remote monastery. There, the disciples of the Void God teach in a ruthless manner, and Kaden must master it in order to gain their ancient power. When the imperial delegation arrives, he knows enough to sense evil intentions. But will it be enough for him to survive when long-hidden forces come into play? BRIAN STAVELEY Brian Staveley teaches literature, religion, history, and philosophy, which influence his novels, and holds an MA in creative writing from Boston University. He works as an editor at Antilever Press and has published his poetry and essays, which have also been published electronically. He lives in Vermont with his wife and son, and divides his time between running hikes, chopping wood, and writing.   ONDŘEJ NOVÁK (1980) Born in Hradec Králové, he gained theatre experience from the age of six in a drama club, later in the Jesličky Theatre or the Klicper Theatre, which he successfully used during the entrance exams to the Theatre Faculty of the JAMU. After graduating in drama, he became a member of the National Theatre of Brno, where he spent more than 13 seasons. Calafuna, Figaro, Danceny or Ježibaba in The Gingerbread House, roles in which he appeared on the stage of the beautiful Mahen Theatre. Apart from theatre, he has also done dubbing, shooting radio and TV commercials and hosting an afternoon show at Kisshadi Radio, where he was also the programme director or creative manager for several years. Today he is a freelance actor and presenter, the voice of Autosalon, and he's making up radio commercials, TV, to the Internet, interested in marketing, copywriting, and she tries to read stories to her kids every night.