Enjoyable epic fantasy with some emotional twists and an interesting band of heroes. I really enjoyed the way this story was told and the narrator, David Thorpe was an absolute treasure to listen to. His voices and accents for our varying heroes added more depth to the already well-fleshed-out characters. His conveyance of emotions just helped with the overall immersion on top of the great worldbuilding. The ending was a pleasant surprise full of emotion and character growth. If you are a fan of epic fantasy with a rag-tag group of heroes, this is not one to be missed.

🗡️Quest turns into saving the world
🧛Reluctant hero
🗡️Morally grey characters
🧛Emotional betrayal
🗡️Matriarchy
🧛Secret identities

Thank you Bookouture Audio via Netgalley for the ALC. All opinions are honest and my own.

Epic Fantasy Read!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for this ARC!

This book read to me like a Brandon Sanderson novel… the world building was intense and honestly kind of hard to follow. I was given the audiobook ARC for this book and for Epic Fantasy Novels I like to be able to tab my books… tabs help my brain with world building! 😂😂
I did however really enjoy the audiobook!!!! There were so many accents and each character had their own way of speaking so that you immediately knew who was talking when!! The Narrator did an amazing job!!!

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it if you like epic fantasy!!

If you’re a fan of epic fantasy with a touch of grit and a dash of reluctant heroism, The Assassin’s Shadow will have you hooked. The story follows Locan A’Shadow, a retired assassin who just wants to live out his days in peace—until a dark force rises and drags him back into the chaos.

R.S. Moule does an excellent job weaving a world filled with danger, magic, and moral dilemmas, keeping you on the edge of your seat. The plot is fast-paced, yet there’s plenty of room for character growth, especially as Locan forms unlikely alliances with a young noble and an elf sorcerer.

David Thorpe’s narration is spot-on, bringing the diverse cast to life with distinct voices that match their personalities. His delivery makes the 16-hour journey feel seamless, so you’ll never be bored, even as the story shifts from tense moments to deep, emotional exchanges.

If you love authors like Joe Abercrombie or John Gwynne, you’ll feel right at home with The Assassin’s Shadow. It’s a fantastic start to the Legends of the Shadow series, and I can’t wait to see where this adventure goes next!

The Assassin's Shadow - R.S. Moule
Format: Audiobook
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What an epic start to a new Fantasy series!

I was given this ARC by @netgalley and @bookouture.


The story reminded me of playing Diablo with my son, with orcs and vampires and magical Elvin. The detail going into these creatures was amazing, and the world building phenomenal. @rs_moule had my full attention from the start.

It starts with Cetrik, who is seeking the deadliest man alive, Locan A'Shadow, and what transpires when he finds him. There are battles from the word go, politics that will blow your mind, and of course, some family drama! I was tense the whole time, just waiting for the next thing to happen.

The narrator did such a good job with the different voices of the characters. It really felt like I was right there with the little band of misfits as they trudged through the land on their quest.

If you are looking for high fantasy with epic battles, intriguing political viewpoints, then this is for you! I can't wait to see what else these two will get up to.


#fortheloveofreading📚
#fortheloveofbooks #justonemorepage #booksarebetterthanpeople #NetGalley #TheAssassinsShadow

The narrator did an AMAZING job especially voicing numerous characters.
This book is VERY high fantasy and readers who love a chaotic “mentor” and a mentee who doesn’t know what he’s getting into I think will really enjoy this.
Cetriks upbringing makes him very posh and haughty at the beginning of the book but by the end he’s a new person. This book does start off as a story telling/journal entry then evolves into the story itself. If you enjoy high fantasy, vampyres, a sassy horse, and a group of misfits then you’ll definitely enjoy this book!
Thank you Second Sky for the arc!

This is a pretty classic but compelling fantasy tale of unlikely companions joining forces to defeat the Big Bad.
The world building is interesting and the story itself is fast paced and full of action.
I liked it but I felt the characters missed something and I never really cared for them, which is really important to me.
I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator is good, but the heavily accented voices chosen for some of the characters didn't work for me, and it somehow put me off.
In short I think this is a solid story, but it didn't really stand out.

Thank you Bookouture Audio for this ARC!

First and foremost, thank you so much to NetGalley for this ARC.

While I do not think I am the intended audience for this book, it was quite a ride. It took a while to get in to, but once the story got moving, it was interesting! The ending was a little too gory and I would have liked a little more romance. Those are just personal preferences though.

#TheAssassinsShadow #NetGalley

A teen story with a decent narrator who sounds like he was having an off day, maybe the content didn’t hold his interest, I know it didn’t hold mine either

The story seems so good, but I just couldn't get over the narration. I had to DNF after 10% in. Even speeding up the reading to 1.5, I just couldn't do it. The David Thorpe's voice didn't work at all for this book. The main voice was ok, but the voices/accents were distracting; and when he would "exclaim" or show excitement/great, I had to turn down my earbuds (the narrator's microphone also didn't seem to appreciate it).

I'm extremely interested in the story, but the narration makes it hard to continue. I'll be picking up a digital copy instead.

I received the Assassins Shadow as an ARC audiobook from NetGalley and listened to it while working and watching my toddler. I definitely think this book is more of a teen adventure story than something for me but the plot line and world building was perfect and o think if I was a few years younger I would’ve loved it even more

The narrator of this book did a wonderful job, bringing the voices, the accents and the characters to life. We follow Cedric throughout the story and his journey to find his self as he looks back on his youth. This was a little confusing at sometimes to me cause there was that little bit of Time shifting to me. But overall, the story was a good listen.

The Assassin’s Shadow is a solid high fantasy novel filled with deception, intrigue, and adventure.
However, as an audiobook, it didn’t quite hit the mark. Whether due to the narration or the pacing, it didn’t fully capture the depth of the story as well as it might in print. That said, it’s still a good fantasy read and worth checking out, especially for fans of the genre.

Nothing against the book—everything against the narrator. His cadence is grating, and I couldn’t get past two chapters. He’s too peppy, over-enunciates every word, and his ‘accents’ are unintentionally laughable. The premise and early chapters suggest a solid story, but David Thorpe’s narration makes it impossible for me to continue. That said, he was almost bearable at 1.75x speed. I’ll be switching to the ebook instead to actually enjoy the story without the distraction of his delivery.

I give the book alone 3.5 stars based on what I’ve listened to. If I were rating the narrator? 0 stars.

As a new fantasy reader, this was a nice introduction to what true fantasy books are all about. As someone who typically enjoys romantasy, this book was action driven that I actually didn't miss the romance piece. I think this has a lot to do with the narrator and his enthusiasm for showcasing Cetrik and Locan. The book follows Cetrik as he goes to search for the infamous Locan and the adventure starts right away. Although the ending was a tad predictable I still enjoyed listening to the story and characters evolve. Id recommend this book to beginner fantasy readers since it was an action-packed book that was easy to follow along.

Really solid starting book in a series. The narrator was great. I thought the pacing of this book was a little haphazard but the last 25% was great. Can't wait for more!

i am so thankful i was able to listen to this book! i wouldnt have picked up this book otherwise, but i actually really enjoyed the story!! i had a great time reading it :)