A building gripping story. Some great twists!

This book was given to me free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.

This book is well read and a wonderful story. It starts out slowly building and giving you more and more while keeping you wondering where it is all going.
The story develops further and takes a turn that I just wasn't expecting and catapults it into a different direction to what you are expecting.

Lots of little twists and turns keep you guessing and engaged throughout.

The narration is actually fantastic, the author gives voice to all characters and conveys emotion and drives the story.

I am thoroughly looking forward to a second instalment of this story. Hoping to see even more from some of the secondary characters and where the primary ones will go.

In summation if you want a strong fantasy story with a few twists and an ever developing story then this is the book for you.

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Great storyline, great characters!!!

This is one of the best audiobooks that I have listened to in a long while, the storyline had me gripped from the start. The characters were all likeable with the narrator giving each distinctive and believable voices.

Even before I finished this audio I went looking for the next instalment and it will definitely be one I will be following


Please note that I was given this free copy to provide a non-biased review

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Interesting start to a new series

This book opens with quite a dark scene and this tone continues for much of the book, but it mostly works well as the author sets the scene in this new fantasy series.

The main focus of this first installment is focused on Calidan and Cassius who manage to escape the tragedy that opens this book and follows them through their journey that eventually results in them being enrolled in the Imperator academy. This is a school where they will learn to become Imperators, or voices of the emperor, a role that seems to be a fantasy equivalent of a secret agent or special forces, they are highly trained in military skills amongst other things and are assigned dangerous and difficult tasks by their emperor. Of the two of them, Calidan did not have any choice about joining because of something that happened shortly after they began fleeing their village at the start of the book, he becomes bonded to a giant panther, one of the titular Great Hearts that are practically a myth to most people in that world.

Sometimes, it doesn't matter if you include some of the back story for a fantasy world as part of a review, but in the case of this one I think it is better to allow other readers to experience things unspoiled since gradually learning about this world definitely enhances the overall story. One part of this book that I did not enjoy as much as the rest of it were the occasional flashforwards we got to a much older Calidan, they didn't provide much of interest to the main story and disrupted the overall flow at the same time with no clear benefit to them, perhaps they work better in the text editions but didn't really fit this audiobook version.

The author has chosen to narrate his own book for this audiobook version and on the whole it works quite well, it is clearly more on the side of a reading than a performance, but that style seems to suit the story that can be quite dark at times.

Overall, this was an interesting start to a new series, it gave us a glimpse of an interesting world and a varied cast of characters, while still delivering a story that was sufficiently compelling in its own right.

[Note - I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.]

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1 person found this helpful

‘For a second there was only the silence of blood dripping from our blades’

David’s first Audiobook, David’s first narration... DO NOT LET THIS PUT YOU OFF!
Honestly, David’s storytelling has put him easily into my top 5 favourite narrators. His style is just brilliant, I felt myself drawn in from the beginning and struggled to put the book down. I’d happily listen to him narrating any of my favourite books! Very close to a 5 star rating, but when speaking character voices the emotion (especially menace) has some room for improvement (give the man a break, it’s his first go!)
The story itself I thought was a great premise too. I was a little dubious when the sci-fi element was introduced later on, but I’m excited to see where the story takes us in the next instalment.
Look out for David and get in early, because he’s going to be a huge hit!!
This is my honest opinion of a free review copy.

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A fun, engaging, progressive story

I listened to the audiobook version of “The Great Hearts”, and I have to say I very much enjoyed both the story and David Oliver’s narration. Even in his after-note at the end, he acknowledges that he’s not a professional narrator, but still he did a fine job and I’m a bit envious that he, as the author, dares to put voice to his own creation. Sure, there is the occasional, slight mis-step, but overall I found him more engaging and more listenable than some of the pro voice actors I’ve heard.

After a brief “present day” intro, the main character begins to narrate the events of his childhood, which quickly build to a particularly brutal turn of events. One particular instance, which I won’t spoil by mentioning here, really made that chapter stand out above the rest; while the details weren’t dwelled upon, and possibly some readers would glaze past them, I remembered what had previously been mentioned which made what occurred shortly after that much more monstrous. From there, we follow the main character and his childhood friend, plus another character and a mysterious giant telepathic intelligent cat, as they cross the harsh countryside, the months pass, and they toughen to their new environment. The story slows pace as the companions reach a city and enlist in military training; this section, interspersed with the occasional ‘present day’ return to the older MC, takes up about half of the book, but is not without plot and character progression. Many new characters enter the story, form friendships (and in one case an enemy who massively gets what’s coming to him), and as they become a fighting unit the story branches beyond the training phase into the final act, which I’m pleased to say took a slightly unexpected turn (using a theme I’m a bit of a sucker for) and really opened up the lore and history of the world.
The Great Hearts is a fun, engaging, sometimes dramatic, progressive story that’s driven by the build and reveal of its own mysteries. It’s a story that you won’t regret taking a chance on. Four stars due to the occasional, small stumbles and the slightly too long training arc, but if I could fractionalise it I’d give The Great Hearts a rating of 4.3, just not quite enough to tip the balance into 5-star territory, but still very much enjoyable, and certainly enough so for me to want a sequel.

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Fantastic debut and great narration!

I was given this audiobook by the author. I don't usually read fantasy but was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. The characters are really well thought through and at times I forgot it was fantasy. David did a great job of the narration and really brought the story to life. I can't wait for the next book!

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