Broken Crossroads

Knights of the Shadows, Book 1

By: Patrick LeClerc

Narrated by: Hank Hayden

The city of Laimrig, once a mighty hub of commerce and a seat of power sinks into corruption and decay. Slavers, crime lords, and corrupt officials hold sway while the ruling nobility wallow in decadence. War rages beyond the borders, while within rebellion simmers and sinister plots unfold.

Trilisean is an acrobat turned burglar. Conn is a jaded former mercenary. Against the background of deadly blades, subtle schemes, glittering treasures, dark sorceries, and fell servants of forgotten gods, fate has thrown them together.

Fate has a sense of humor.

Broken Crossroads is a fast-paced, witty, swashbuckling modern pulp fantasy adventure in the tradition of Fritz Leiber and Robert E. Howard.

©2016 Patrick LeClerc (P)2020 Patrick LeClerc

Good Bad Guys?

Our 2 key protagonists; she's an amoral thief, and he's a deserter from the military. However, you come to like them both as they partner up in some exciting adventures in relieving other people of their valuables, and ironically, help save their city. The narration is good and overall the story is strong enough I will definitely take on Book 2.

An Interesting Multi-talented Pair

Lots of action and intrigue.  Trilisean is a woman of many talents – an acrobat, former slave, and a master thief.  Conn is a mercenary with deadly blade skills.  Together they are formidable and their joint relationship while not romantic there is definitely some chemistry between them.  The excitement begins when they become embroiled in things other than minor thievery.     

The author, Patrick LeClerc is skilled at world-building and character development.  His story is fresh yet very reminiscent of the vintage sword and sorcery tales.  His dialog is strong, advances the story, and keeps the book flowing smoothly.  The plot twists were perfectly executed and smooth.

The narrator, Hank Hayden gives a strong performance complete with unique and consistent voices that fit the personality of each character.  The words flow smoothly and in a nice voice tinged with the exact amount of inflection for each character and situation.

This is a quality story both in design and performance.  I hope to experience more works by LeClerc and Hayden. 

There were no issues with the production or quality of this audiobook. It was crisp and clear.
 

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-bias, honest review.