The Thousand Deaths of Ardor Benn
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- $9.99
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"Mission Impossible, but with magic, dragons, and a series of heists that go from stealing a crown to saving the world" (David Dalglish).
Master con artist Ardor Benn and his crew of intrepid thieves are hired to pull off a series of wildly complex heists, from stealing a crown to saving the world, in this daring fantasy adventure.
Liar. Thief. Legend.
Ardor Benn is no ordinary thief. Rakish, ambitious, and master of wildly complex heists, he styles himself a Ruse Artist Extraordinaire.
When a priest hires him for the most daring ruse yet, Ardor knows he'll need more than quick wit and sleight of hand. Assembling a dream team of forgers, disguisers, schemers, and thieves, he sets out to steal from the most powerful king the realm has ever known.
But it soon becomes clear there's more at stake than fame and glory -- Ard and his team might just be the last hope for human civilization.
Discover the start of an epic fantasy trilogy that begins with a heist and quickly explodes into a full-tilt, last ditch plan to save humanity.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Making dragon droppings a vital resource is about the only original aspect of this overlong epic fantasy series debut. Ardor Benn is a roguish ruse artist straight out of central casting who gets what he wants through elaborate trickery. He began his career as a Harvester, responsible for collecting different varieties of magic grit, which is ground up from various source materials. His story follows a familiar arc: Ard is hired for a high-stakes job the theft of the royal regalia from King Pethredote, ruler of the four islands of the Greater Chain so that part of it can be fed to a dragon and transformed into a special grit. This caper naturally ends up having broader implications for Ard's world. Unsurprisingly, and disappointingly, he's paired with another cookie-cutter figure: Quarrah Khai, an accomplished thief who just happens to be a beautiful woman and extremely attracted to him. The setup for the score takes too much time, and Whitesides often pulls his punches, undermining the twists' emotional impact. This doorstop fails to justify its length.
Customer Reviews
Fantastic Read
What a fun entertaining and well thought out book. The plot is cleverly designed and well written. I am excited to read the next book in the series.
Fantastic!
Awesome story! A great balance of humor and action. The characters are captivating and the plot keeps you hooked. Definitely recommend this book and looking forward to another installment.