The Unspoken Name cover art

The Unspoken Name

The Serpent Gates, Book 1

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The Unspoken Name

By: A. K. Larkwood
Narrated by: Avita Jay
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About this listen

The Unspoken Name by A. K. Larkwood is the incredible first epic fantasy in the Serpent Gates duology.

'An astounding debut . . . unlike anything I've read before' - Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wyld

Does she owe her life to those planning her death . . .

Csorwe was raised by a death cult steeped in old magic. And on her fourteenth birthday, she’ll be sacrificed to their god. But as she waits for the end, she’s offered a chance to escape her fate. A sorcerer wants her as his assistant, sword-hand and assassin. As this involves her not dying that day, she accepts.

Csorwe spends years living on a knife-edge, helping her master hunt an artefact which could change many worlds. Then comes the day she's been dreading. They encounter Csorwe’s old cult – seeking the same magical object – and Csorwe is forced to reckon with her past. She also meets Shuthmili, the war-mage who’ll change her future.

If she’s to survive, Csorwe must evade her enemies, claim the artefact and stop the death cult once and for all. As she plunges from one danger to the next, the hunt is on . . .

Continue the thrilling fantasy adventure with The Thousand Eyes.

©2020 A. K. Larkwood (P)2020 Macmillan Digital Audio Action & Adventure Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Literature & Fiction Magic Science Fiction & Fantasy Fiction Magic Users War

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Critic reviews

A fun, fresh new take on the traditional fantasy quest and an adventure I couldn't put down! (S. A. Chakraborty)
The Unspoken Name is the best kind of modern fantasy – it feels totally fresh, it's full of satisfyingly weird gods and frightening magic . . . I loved this book! (Jen Williams)
What a glorious book! Richly detailed, enthralling, and extraordinary, with brilliant nods to such luminaries as Ursula K. Le Guin and Diana Wynne Jones . . . Fabulous, in every meaning of the word (Jenn Lyons)
The action is fast-paced and emotionally compelling; the magic is dangerous, beautiful, and utterly compromising. I love this book so much (Arkady Martine)
An unexpected and new take on classic orcs 'n' swords fantasy. Stylish, classy, and timeless - but with racing stripes and an inbuilt camera. I cannot recommend it enough (Tamsyn Muir)
A perfect fantasy debut (Daily Mail Best SFF of 2020)
Takes all the tropes of fantasy – orcs and epic quests, dead gods and undead souls, daring rescues and last-second escapes – and spins them into something wild and new. A dizzy, delicious debut (Alix E. Harrow)
A truly wonderful book . . . grabbed my attention on the first page and wouldn’t let go. Fresh, exciting and new, with fascinating characters, shifting alliances, impossible odds, breathtaking settings, and shocking twists (Dyrk Ashton)
The Unspoken Name has everything – spine-tingling prose, gorgeous worldbuilding, powerful older women, found family (but it's terrible), giant snakes, ancient tombs, dead gods, and true love. It's fantastic. I read it in one sitting (Emily Tesh)
Larkwood's debut is a fresh, fun take on the genre, packed with smart prose, badass characters, and fantastic worldbuilding. A necessary addition for any fantasy lover's collection (Tara Sim)
All stars
Most relevant  
Beautifully written, this book has an amazing world and story. The characters all have layers and individual agency, all of them interesting in their own way. The plot was thoughtful and intertwined brilliantly. Now one of my favourites, it was a refreshing change to the standard in fantasy.

Increadible

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I came because Tamsyn Muir posted about this book, and I am a huge Locked Tomb fan. Also I liked the narrators voice and accents she does. But the story does not grasp me. I have taken some lovely naps listening to this book. I like the voice but it is the same always, does not realy convey urgency during action scenes. There is great intonation and voices, but I miss emotions, or difference in pace. its almost slow. I dont know if the story is slow paced and written cold and with some distance to the characters, or its something about the narrator, but I am not following. I want to like it, I almost like it, but most of what I hear sounds like "nap time". And I have 8 more hours to go (I rewind the parts I slept through)

Feels slow

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This had the bones of being very good. It’s beautifully written. The world feels grand and mysterious. But there’s so little meat to the relationships between characters, their motivations and therefore the plot feels like it’s just trudging along a set path. A path that feels very random at times

Lost potential

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A super interesting, original and well written story that stands out from the usual cliché fantasy books.

Brilliant

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Absolutely adored this book! Stunningly written and very nicely narrated!!! Some of the plot twists and the way the themes of the book came back round to meet were just *chef's kiss* 100/10

Absolutely EXCELLENT story with great narration

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Had a blast listening to this one plenty of ups and downs and keeps you going with an ending that's keeps you asking questions can't wait to start book 2.

Really good and exciting

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If you love the fantasy genre you won't be dissapointed. Up there with Peter Newman and Jen Williams. I can't wait to find out what happens next :) Also on audible it was very well performed.

I loved this book!

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at times I struggled to keep up with the names and role of the people and places. but it was well worth that struggle. a great book, well narrated.

excellent book

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I enjoyed this because it was a unique and original story. I found the second part of the book confusing as I'd just got used to the characters and then had to get to grips with some new ones so I almost gave up but thankfully these didn't change again.
It would have been five stars from me if the story were a bit more concise. I thought parts of it were longer than necessary. However, the skillful writing still meant that I enjoyed it and at the end I felt I wanted to applaud the narrator for the marathon she'd been through and for helping me to enjoy and stick with the meaty story!

Enjoyable

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this audiobook was a real pleasure to listen to. enjoyed the originality of the story.

original

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