The Infernal City

Elder Scrolls Series #1

By: Greg Keyes

Narrated by: Michael Page

Four decades after the Oblivion Crisis, Tamriel is threatened anew by an ancient and all-consuming evil. It is Umbriel, a floating city that casts a terrifying shadow-for wherever it falls, people die and rise again. And it is in Umbriel's shadow that a great adventure begins and a group of unlikely heroes meet. A legendary prince with a secret. A spy on the trail of a vast conspiracy. A mage obsessed with his desire for revenge. And Annaïg, a young girl in whose hands the fate of Tamriel may rest.

©2009 ZeniMax Media Inc. The Elder Scrolls is a registered trademark of ZeniMax Media, Inc. (P)2012 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This action-based fantasy will find a following among YA and adult gamers." ( Library Journal)

An Exciting Read

I was a little skeptical when I first saw this book. In my experience, novels based on games are little more than poorly hashed head-canons filled with unnecessary adverbs. This one, however, was a pleasant surprise. Keyes managed to fully develop several different characters and give them challenging yet plausible situations. The author's powers of description are perfectly balanced, giving the reader just enough detail without dominating the imagination. The narrator's gritty Dunmer voice took a little getting used to, but after a while it was just another character voice.
I highly suggest it for Elder Scrolls Fans. Though Keyes explains important parts of the lore, I found the experience deepened by my own understanding of the world.
In short, The Infernal City was an exciting and emotionally engaging read. I can't wait to read Lord of Souls!

2 books 1 story

This is a fun book, however you have to buy both books for the whole story.

Interesting Story, Sloppy Delivery

Engaging tale taking place between Oblivion and ESO. Well written besides but sloppy finale cliffhanger.

Solid Elder Scrolls Story

Definitely felt immersed into the Elder Scrolls universe. The story had a great starting point and finished well, which led me directly to the sequel.

Riveting and good, a little hard to follow

As an Elder Scrolls fan, playing Oblivion and others after, this is a great story. It describes well and the performance is pretty good. The only thing I had trouble with is when they switch characters in between one chapter. You kinda have to remember where they last left off then try and contemplate what they're currently doing. Other than that, fantastic!