Engines of Chaos

By: R.S. Ford

Narrated by: Alison Campbell, Phoebe McIntosh, Ciaran Saward, Andrew Kingston, Martin Reeve, Mark Meadows, Katie Villa, Diana Croft

"Perfect for fans of Brent Weeks, George R. R. Martin, or David Gemmell . . . . The best traditional epic fantasy I have read in years." — Grimdark Magazine on Engines of Empire

“An excellent start to a new series: fast-paced and engaging, with a properly epic setting and a cast of characters I look forward to seeing more of.” – James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost on Engines of Empire

From an unmissable voice in epic fantasy comes the second novel in a trilogy where guilds clash, magic fuels machines, and an empire begins a revolution.

Torwyn burns as Sanctan Egelrath tightens his grip on power. The Draconate Ministry has gathered its forces, determined to eradicate the Guilds, but Rosomon Hawkspur still stands in their way.

Her only hope could lay with Lancelin Jagdor, sent to gather allies in their struggle against the usurper. Can even the greatest warrior in Torwyn hope to succeed with so many adversaries determined to stop him?

Tyreta returns home with newfound strength and mysterious sorcerous abilities, only to discover it is not the land she left behind. She will have to call upon her untested powers to survive when she embarks on a mission that could turn the tide of war.

Conall, trapped in a dangerous land, has his own enemies to defeat before he can hope to escape and join the conflict that threatens his family. Even if he succeeds, he must overcome the demons that threaten from within or face damnation.

Though Rosomon is vastly outnumbered, and her family lost, she is determined to strike back against her enemies. But saving her homeland might prove an impossible task.

“Epic fantasy fans listen up: This is the good stuff. Highly recommended.” —Kirkus (starred review) on Engines of Empire

For more from R. S. Ford, check out:

Age of Uprising:
Engines of Empire
Engines of Chaos

Critic reviews

“Epic fantasy fans listen up: This is the good stuff. Highly recommended.”—Kirkus (starred review) on Engines of Empire

"Perfect for fans of Brent Weeks, George R. R. Martin, or David Gemmell . . . . The best traditional epic fantasy I have read in years."—Grimdark Magazine on Engines of Empire

“An excellent start to a new series: fast-paced and engaging, with a properly epic setting and a cast of characters I look forward to seeing more of.”—James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost, on Engines of Empire

“Ford succeeds in building a complex fantasy world, complete with warring factions, fearsome creatures, and bloody struggles for power . . . Fans of R.A. Salvatore’s DemonWars Saga will be especially hooked.”—Publishers Weekly on Engines of Empire

“A heady blend of action, arcana, and intrigue.”—Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Gutter Prayer, on Engines of Empire

"The latest from Ford is the first in a new series that will give fantasy readers exactly what they want: conspiracy, magic, a delectable cast of characters, and an ending that will leave them begging to know what happens next."—Booklist on Engines of Empire

Great story, great narration

Loved it, great continuation of the story, narration is some of the best I have heard on audible.

Great worldbuilding, good storytelling

This sequal is a good continuation to the first book, with great worldbuilding and fleshed out characters. However, its characters' progression and arcs are a bit frustrating. The heroes are thrown here from side to side without taking fate to their own hands. All their efforts are constantly ruined by suspiciously clever antagonists who are always one step ahead. It seems the characters are simply being carried away by events and by their enemies without coming out from the otherside better - they are simply carried over to a new events they have no control over. I found that quite annoying. Hopefully in the next book we can see some progress in their arc.

Splendid work

While not as rich and engaging as the first title, this book brought so much more of this fascinating world into view. A wonderful book.

a long setup for the next book

in short, not a single good thing really happens to the main characters. the two sons are almost living the same storyline. the daughter has a story arc that largely meant nothing and has no real standing out moments. the mother has repeating story parts that the other characters practically reference how things will happen just like before multiple times. the new characters are very stereotype based

I'm sure this is a set up for the "darkest before the dawn" story in the next book, but I was drawn in by the first book and kept waiting for a similar pacing and rise/fall in this one. it isn't bad per se, just, slow and never has movements where things pay off or work out

This was great!

This was definitely a bit slow to start but it was still a great 2nd book o can’t wait for the next one I love this characters