Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Warring Son  By  cover art

The Warring Son

By: Bryce O'Connor
Narrated by: Mikael Naramore
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Raz i'Syul Arro is a hunted man. To the south, the Mahsadën of Miropa are gone. The šef lay dead, slain at Raz's own hands, their cruel will ripped from the shadows of the city. In response, riders careen to every reachable corner of the known realms, telling anyone with a mind to listen of the boundless riches promised for the Monster's head. The world now turned against him, Raz is forced to flee, escaping along the northern roads just as the summer months come to an end. For a time the coolness and breathtaking verdure of the great rolling woodlands he finds himself in are a welcome change, offering a sublime peace from a life that has rarely known more than brutality and bloodshed.

But that peace - as is so often the case - is a shallow trickery. The North, it seems, is not far-gone from the corruption and wickedness Raz had hoped to leave behind in the fringe cities. Before long he finds himself embroiled in the savage politics of this new land, forced to play a part in the ugly game of intrigue and violence once more. To survive, Raz must again give way to the Monster, making his stand within the devouring walls of the cruel coliseum the Northerners call simply "the Arena". Blood, after all, freezes as hard and cold as anything else.

©2016 Bryce O'Connor (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

What listeners say about The Warring Son

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    626
  • 4 Stars
    157
  • 3 Stars
    51
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    5
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    628
  • 4 Stars
    100
  • 3 Stars
    26
  • 2 Stars
    4
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    546
  • 4 Stars
    138
  • 3 Stars
    51
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    7

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

❤👍🏻

I love this series I am going to go crazy for the next book. The characters are so well crafted they could step off the pages...the world building is the perfect between enough & not too much detail. Good and evil...violence & peace all have a place in reality & these books are incredibly deep looking into the souls of man & they're motivations & justifications. Highly entertaining! Your sucked in and experiencing it all as you read. Excellent narration!!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It Just Gets Better!

Book 2 is here and it is just as exciting, intense, immersive, and emotional as the first. The Warring Son picks right up where The Child of the Daystar left off, and just like its predecessor this book hooks you in from jump street. The pacing of this book is even more fluid than the first and it constantly has you wanting to listen to one more chapter to find out what is yet to come. In this book, Raz is faced with a new set of challenges and our badass protagonist, becomes even more engaging and complex as we get our second look into the life of the Atherian. Having had my second delve into the world Bryce has created, I can start to see that larger shape of his story develop. Plot lines are starting to weave themselves together and I can't wait to see what book 3 has in store. At this point, the first book seems like an amazing prologue used to introduce us to the world and its characters, and in this book the story really takes off. Do yourself a favor and start reading the Wings of War series, because it's fantastic!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Paper thin plot

Is there anything you would change about this book?

The beginning was terrible. Make the plot make sense so that the reader can agree or at least understand the choices that are being made.

What could Bryce O'Connor have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?

Logical characters.

Which scene was your favorite?

I liked the fighting scenes. I didn't finish the book, so maybe there was something emotionally touching later that I didn't get to.

Did The Warring Son inspire you to do anything?

No.

Any additional comments?

I could not follow the logic of any character. The bad guy governor reopened a gladiator arena and arrests children to be killed so he can take their stuff. Why? Because he is the antagonist so he has to be the worst guy possible.

The protagonist saves a young man and his sister who are fleeing the city from the governor by running around the city (literally running outside around the city) until their pursuers get bored and give up. That's right, crank up that Benny Hill music and run around until mercenaries hired to collect criminals give up out of boredom. How about run to the neighboring town? Curses, why didn't they use their knowledge, gained through a lifetime of living in the area, to figure that there is a relatively close neighboring town.

The protagonist sells himself into gladiator slavery for literally no reason. He doesn't even try to bargain for the kids freedom. Even the kids were confused. It's like the protagonist felt that the plot wouldn't go further without this and he went a few minutes too long without killing something.

The plot is extremely flimsy when the easiest way to save the kids is to take them somewhere else. I guess the book wouldn't be very exciting if the plot went like this: Raz went into town to purchase supplies and walked the kids to the neighboring town several days away. A lot less killing, but certainly a more reasonable plot development than suddenly selling yourself into slavery.

There was the most blatent plot summary of the previous book that I had ever seen. He was speaking with a woman and they had a conversation that went exactly like this:

woman, "I did some research about you"
Raz, "Tell me, what did you learn about me"
woman, "Plot summary"
Raz, "Yes, tell me more".
woman, "More plot summary"

and this continues until she summarizes the previous book. It was at this point that I stopped listening and a couple months later I realize that I don't want to ever pick this up again. I loved the first book; however, the sequel is a big letdown. Maybe there was some great writing over the horizon, but I just can't make it that far.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

I hate you

omg. I hate you. the anguish. the horror. I can't even. I'm not the type to stop in the middle of a story. I have to hope for...something. some relief. but my heart is not ready for more carnage.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    1 out of 5 stars

Brutality beyond my capacity

I can take a lot of explicit violence as long as I don't have to look at it. Battles as part of the story are welcome regardless of the outcome. But a certain amount of compassion for the reader is expected. The author went too far here, to the point where the violence left scars on me. There are few books I would roundly condemn. This is one of them.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Started cool, and then.....

......it seems to have lost itself IN itself. Won't be finishing the series, and honestly glad I didn't waste the credits from an average amount of enjoyment after the first book.
Really enjoy the author, so this wasn't an expected outcome.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Leave the kids alone

To much savagery. Kids slaughtered was not acceptable. Won't buy another book from this author.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

No depth... Tons of action

there us no depth to this story. just more action, revenge, and violence. Just shows the depths of darkness in the qorld created.

I like the story for what it is. It will never be as good as others, but it is alright to kill time.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The most amazing thing I've ever listened to.

There are no words for what this book is, I am shocked by how astounding it is, better than the first, if you see this, I ask that you read this beautiful work of art.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

Lazy writting.

Did not like the graphic detail of the kids death. The writer was lazy. Should have been able to make the point without it. Like in the first book and the death of his clan.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful