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The Child of Chaos
- The Chronicles of Chaos, Book 1
- Narrated by: Glen Dahlgren
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
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The Child of Chaos
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Summary
Readers' Favorite Gold Medalist for YA Epic Fantasy
American Fiction Award Winner for Epic / High Fantasy
Nothing can break the stranglehold the gods of Order have on the world...except a roll of the dice.
An irresistible longing drags young Galen to an ancient vault where, long ago, the gods of Order locked Chaos away. Chaos promises power to the one destined to liberate it, but Galen's dreams warn of dark consequences.
He isn't the only one racing to the vault, however. Horace, the bully who lives to torment Galen, is determined to unleash Chaos—and he might know how to do it.
Galen's imagination always got him into trouble, but now it may be the only thing that can prevent Horace from unraveling the world.
"This is no ordinary sword and sorcery story. This is what fantasy fiction should be. [Glen Dahlgren is a] novelist who I think will become more widely known as his skill is appreciated." (Piers Anthony, New York Times best-selling author of Xanth)
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Critic reviews
"This book shows [Glen Dahlgren] to be a formidable novelist in his own right." (Piers Anthony, New York Times best-selling author of the Xanth series)
"An immensely satisfying page turner with some profound things to say about friendship, responsibility and true courage." (Lee Sheldon, award-winning writer of Star Trek: The Next Generation and The Lion's Song)
What listeners say about The Child of Chaos
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs S Charters
- 15-07-24
Beautifully narrated and well written
🎧Audio Book Review🎧
The Child Of Chaos
Glen Dahlgren
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is the first book in the Chronicles of Chaos series and one that I've been excited to start, having seen so many great reviews.
As you know, I'm not the biggest fantasy reader, but I do love to stretch my reading genres every now and then and I think that I've honed my fantasy reads to mostly really enjoying the YA offerings.
This series perfectly fitted this and I'm pleased to say that I've actually got the first 3 books to review.
As usual, with the first of a fantasy series, we see a lot of world building within this first book.
This is usually the part that bogs me down, but the way that this book pans out means that the world building is skillfully threaded throughout the majority of the book - so we're learning about the magic and systems, the different towns and Gods as we go along.
This works so well as it meant that my interest was held through the whole of the book as I could clearly visualise the journeys that the characters were taking and work through the clues as they found and explored them.
I loved that the main characters were still young as this will really appeal to the target audience. I also loved that they had all been friends (or acquaintances) when younger and we now followed as they took their separate paths and developed into their roles within the system as a whole.
I liked all of the characters - yes even Horace! Because they all had their own roles to play in the storyline and having those more evil characters, added colour and excitement to this great plot.
I spent the whole story trying to work out who would be revealed as the Child Of Chaos and of course, I didn't even get close.there were some great surprises and twists as we read and of course the way this one ends makes it quite clear that there is much more to come from this world!
This was so well written and beautifully narrated (by the author themself!)
I was totally immersed for large clumps of time and finished this in just a couple of sittings!
I'm already looking forward to reading book 2 - The House Of Prophecy.
**NB - just to clear up the confusion in book numbers - this is the first book of the series, but there is also a prequel (or book 0) which some refer to as the first book.
I haven't read this book yet and will probably read it at the very end of the 3 books I currently have.
I am pretty sure is doesn't need to be read first and it just adds some extra context to the series?**
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Emilie Wardell
- 08-08-24
Amazing narration!
This was a great fantasy that was made even better because of the narration! I was immersed in Galen's world and rooting for him right from the start. I particularly enjoyed the dual storyline showing the different path that Galen and Horace's choices take them one. I disliked Horace as much as I liked Galen!
I'm really looking forward to seeing where this series can go!
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Kristel Greer
- 06-08-24
A compelling fantasy with incredible world-building and intriguing characters
Galen wants more for his future than his family’s tradition of all the men being fishermen. He has always felt different which his mother encouraged through her vibrant and fantastical stories until her disappearance. Galen’s imagination was his daily escape from life until he receives an opportunity to try out to become a Priest of Charity. Though unsuccessful, Galen feels a calling towards another magic – Chaos which is the magic rumored to have enticed his mother away. Galen experiences strange dreams that warn of dark consequences if the chosen Child of Chaos unleashes its God’s power, yet he cannot risk seeking it.
Meanwhile, Horace, a once brutal tormenter and bully of Galen, is also seeking greatness. Galen’s destiny seems intertwined with Horace as Galen’s actions allows Horace to rise in the ranks of the Priests of Evil. Not satisfied with his new status, Horace is convinced he is the foretold Child of Chaos and is determined to let Chaos loose on the world.
Galen, with his best friend Gusset, follow his feeling of ‘Longing’ for Chaos. When trouble finally catches up with them and all hope seems lost, Dantess, a Priest of War, strives to aid Galen in his escape. Whether Galen or Horace is the fabled Child of Chaos, the world seems headed for a devastating upheaval.
I listened to the audiobook and the author/narrator does an incredible job of pulling you into the story quickly. The characters are fleshed out, with complex personalities and whether you love or hate them, you become invested in their journeys. Having loved Dantess in The Game of War, I was wary of a new main character, but Galen was easy to root for as he is courageous and loyal. When he meets Dantess, their scenes were thrilling and emotional to read. The contrasts in Galen and Horace’s storylines gave depth to the central plot while showcasing how family dynamics/loss can affect someone’s path differently. Overall, the world building, character development and compelling plot threads had me gripped from the start and constantly wanting more.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Siobhain (What You Tolkien About)
- 13-08-24
fantastic narration
I originally reviewed the ebook version of The Child of Chaos back in May and back then it was a solid 4 stars. It is now an easy 5 stars. Back then I think it may be my reading that was lacking because honestly this is a perfect fantasy series (well first in a series). I should start by saying I love all types of reading including audiobooks but sometimes I can be picky – mostly because certain narrators I just don’t gel with not down to anything they do, I just can’t get immersed… Glen Dahlgren on the other hand had me captivated instantly. I’m not sure if it’s because he’s reading his story but from the very first sentence I was engaged and immersed in the world.
My original reading I had a bit of trouble getting attached to the characters right away but Dahlgren gives voices to them and brings them fully to life. I loved the use of, I’m assuming a type of synthesiser to change some of the voices. I am in fact in awe that every character seemed to have their own voice with their own tone etc. And best of all, even the female characters sounded great.
I cannot wait to start the second audiobook. I literally finished this one over a few days by listening during my commute, while cooking, and before bed…basically whenever I could! If you love fantasy with a vivid world and characters that are given brought to life fantastically, this is for you.
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