
The Tower of Fools
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Narrated by:
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Peter Kenny
About this listen
"A fantastic novel that any fan of The Witcher will instantly appreciate." (The Gamer)
Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher series has become a fantasy phenomenon, finding millions of fans worldwide and inspiring the hit Netflix show and video games. Now the best-selling author introduces listeners to a new hero on an epic journey in The Tower of Fools, the first book of the Hussite Trilogy.
Reinmar of Bielawa, sometimes known as Reynevan, is a healer, a magician, and according to some, a charlatan. When a thoughtless indiscretion forces him to flee his home, he finds himself pursued not only by brothers bent on vengeance but by the Holy Inquisition.
In a time when tensions between Hussite and Catholic countries are threatening to turn into war and mystical forces are gathering in the shadows, Reynevan's journey will lead him to the Narrenturm — the Tower of Fools.
The Tower is an asylum for the mad...or for those who dare to think differently and challenge the prevailing order. And escaping it, avoiding the conflict around him, and keeping his own sanity will prove more difficult than he ever imagined
"A ripping yarn delivered with world-weary wit, bursting at the seams with sex, death, magic and madness." (Joe Abercrombie)
"This is historical fantasy done right." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
"A highly enjoyable historical fantasy." (Booklist)
The Tower of Fools is an historical novel set during the Hussite Wars in Bohemia during the 1400s, a period of religious conflict and persecution. Characters in the novel may express views that some listeners might find offensive.
Also by Andrzej Sapkowski:
Witcher collections
The Last Wish
Sword of Destiny
Witcher novels
Blood of Elves
The Time of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
The Tower of Swallows
Lady of the Lake
Season of Storms
The Malady and Other Stories: An Andrzej Sapkowski Sampler (e-only)
Translated by David French
©2020 Andrzej Sapkowski (P)2020 OrbitListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Sapkowski's energetic and satirical prose as well as the unconventional setting makes this a highly enjoyable historical fantasy. Recommended for Sapkowksi's many existing fans." (Booklist)
"Sapkowski's love for the period is clear as he touches on notorious historical events and figures.... The carefully painted landscapes and intricate politics effortlessly draw readers into Reinmar's life and times. This is historical fantasy done right." (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
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Harlequin
- The Grail Quest, Book 1
- By: Bernard Cornwell
- Narrated by: Andrew Cullum
- Length: 14 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Thomas of Hookton is one of these archers. But he is also on a personal mission: To avenge his father's death and retrieve a stolen relic. Thomas begins a quest that will lead him through fields smeared with the smoke of fires set by the rampaging English, until at last the two armies face each other on a hillside near the village of Crécy.
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A Masterful Tale Told by a Truly Gifted Narrator
- By Syphi on 11-27-14
By: Bernard Cornwell
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Ascendant
- A Dragon Rider Fantasy (Songs of Chaos, Book 1)
- By: Michael R. Miller
- Narrated by: Peter Kenny
- Length: 17 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Holt Cook was never meant to be a dragon rider. He has always served the Order Hall of the Crag dutifully, keeping their kitchen pots clean. Until he discovers a dark secret: dragons do not tolerate weakness among their kin, killing the young they deem flawed. Moved by pity, Holt defies the Order, rescues a doomed egg and vows to protect the blind dragon within.
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Great Fantasy Coming of Age Story
- By ZC on 11-20-20
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Dragon Rider
- A Novel
- By: Taran Matharu
- Narrated by: Tom Babbage
- Length: 17 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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Jai lives as a royal hostage in the Sabine Court—ever since his father Rohan, leader of the Steppefolk, led a failed rebellion and was executed by the very emperor Jai now serves. When the emperor’s son and heir is betrothed to Princess Erica of the neighboring Dansk Kingdom, she brings with her a dowry: dragons. Endemic to the northern nation, these powerful beasts come in several forms, but mystery surrounds them.
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Great fantasy book
- By Ashley on 05-20-24
By: Taran Matharu
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Benjamin Ashwood
- Benjamin Ashwood Series, Book 1
- By: AC Cobble
- Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Life is simple in Ben's small town until an attack brings the arrival of exciting strangers straight out of a story. Before Ben understands what is happening, he embarks on a dangerous journey to help his friends. A mage, demons, thieves, and assassins are just a few of the perils he will face while trying to make it to safety. But things aren't always what they seem, and safety is a fragile concept when the destructive behaviors of the powerful are exercised unchecked.
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This book deserves to have a higher average rating.
- By Christopher on 10-09-18
By: AC Cobble
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Debt of Bones
- Sword of Truth Series
- By: Terry Goodkind
- Narrated by: Sam Tsoutsouvas
- Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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A milestone of storytelling set in the world of The Sword of Truth, Debt of Bones is the story of young Abby's struggle to win the aid of the wizard Zedd Zorander, the most important man alive. Abby is trapped, not only between both sides of the war, but in a mortal conflict between two powerful men. For Zedd, who commands power most men can only imagine, granting Abby's request would mean forsaking his sacred duty. With the storm of the final battle about to save the life of a child....
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Bags! This is a good prequel.
- By Patrick Sanchez on 05-02-14
By: Terry Goodkind
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A Testament of Steel
- Instrument of Omens, Book 1
- By: Davis Ashura
- Narrated by: Nick Podehl
- Length: 19 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Cinder Shade’s life begins on a fateful afternoon at the bottom of a well where he awakens, bruised, battered, and bereft of all memory. His only understanding is a driving imperative to protect those who can’t defend themselves and become a warrior worthy of the name. He discovers within himself a peculiar gift, one in which the codes of combat are made evident and the language of steel is made clear.
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Repetitive plot, terrible dialogue
- By Anonymous User on 01-10-21
By: Davis Ashura
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First King of Shannara
- The Shannara Series, Prequel
- By: Terry Brooks
- Narrated by: Scott Brick
- Length: 19 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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In this prequel to The Sword of Shannara, in which many details of the Four Lands' history are revealed, Druids, horrified by the misuse of magic, have eschewed it in favor of science. But Bremen the Druid studies magic, and becomes an outcast on its account. Bremen discovers that an invincible army of trolls are fast conquering all that lay to their south. Before them come the Nazgul-like Skull Bearers, disfigured and transformed Druids who have fallen prey to the dark arts.
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A True Pleasure
- By K & L MITCHELL on 08-23-08
By: Terry Brooks
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Gardens of the Moon
- The Malazan Book of the Fallen, Book 1
- By: Steven Erikson
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 26 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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The Malazan Empire simmers with discontent, bled dry by interminable warfare, bitter infighting and bloody confrontations with the formidable Anomander Rake and his Tiste Andii, ancient and implacable sorcerers. Even the imperial legions, long inured to the bloodshed, yearn for some respite. Yet Empress Laseen's rule remains absolute, enforced by her dread Claw assassins.
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An engrossing yet demanding high epic
- By Adnan on 11-20-12
By: Steven Erikson
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Once Was Willem
- By: M. R. Carey
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Eleven hundred and some years after the death of Christ, in the kingdom that had but recently begun to call itself England, I, Once Was Willem, rose from the dead to defeat a great evil facing the humble village of Cosham. The words enclosed herein are true. I speak of monsters and magic, battle and bloodletting, and the crimes of desperate men. I speak also of secret things, of that which lies beneath us and that which impends above.
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Once Was Willem
- By Pamela on 04-24-25
By: M. R. Carey
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Black Talon
- Dragonblood Assassin, Book 1
- By: Jaime Castle, Andy Peloquin
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer, Kate Reading
- Length: 18 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Kullen is the emperor’s assassin. The sharp hand of justice. The Black Talon. Gifted a soul-forged bond with his dragon, Umbris, Kullen is tasked with hunting any and all who oppose the empire. But when the secretive Crimson Fang murders two noblemen before his very eyes, Kullen must discover the truth of who they are and what they want. What he uncovers is a web of lies and deceit spiraling into the depths of Dimvein.
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😱 This is the new thing...
- By Willis Burns on 03-14-23
By: Jaime Castle, and others
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Ilium
- By: Dan Simmons
- Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 29 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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From the towering heights of Olympos Mons on Mars, the mighty Zeus and his immortal family of gods, goddesses, and demigods look down upon a momentous battle, observing - and often influencing - the legendary exploits of Paris, Achilles, Hector, Odysseus, and the clashing armies of Greece and Troy. Thomas Hockenberry, former 21st-century professor and Iliad scholar, watches as well. It is Hockenberry's duty to observe and report on the Trojan War's progress to the so-called deities who saw fit to return him from the dead.
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Achaeans and robots and post-humans, oh my
- By Ryan on 04-11-14
By: Dan Simmons
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The City That Would Eat the World
- More Gods Than Stars, Book 1
- By: John Bierce
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 20 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Thea is a washed-up mimic exterminator who expected more out of life, not some hero from stories. Aven is an impulsive wandering adventurer whose personal goddess is constantly getting her into trouble. Neither of them has the slightest interest in getting involved in world-shaking historical events. History doesn't care what they want, unfortunately. It's fallen right into their laps in the shape of a god-slaying weapon from a fallen civilization. Thrown together out of chance, Thea and Aven will have to learn to work together if they want to survive their pursuers.
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Disappointment
- By Elizabeth T. on 04-19-25
By: John Bierce
What listeners say about The Tower of Fools
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- Brian
- 10-07-21
Good story, just couldn't get into it
Giving this less than 3 stars would simply be rude. It's not a bad book. Nor is the narration bad. The narration is quite good. The book also had some great moments.
Overall I just couldn't get into it.
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- Sharon
- 10-01-22
What an amazing work and performance
About an era and area i knew nothing about other than WWII and the cold war. which are now much more clear. Now eager to visit and see first hand the rural towns of Silesia not just Prague.
Using the time till the third audiobook is released to listen again, the good thing about audio is no reading glasses, but you can miss things.
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- Pam W
- 12-16-20
Wild journey of Reynevan
Reynevan is caught with another man's wife. Vengeful brothers are hot on the trail and so the story of the trials of Reynevan begin. Our main character is an absolute fool that everyone tries to help along the way, which he repeatedly ignores following a fools course, thus The Tower of Fools is aptly named. Set somewhere between the Czech Republic and Poland, he finds himself caught up in the war of the Hussites and the Catholics, with neither side trusting his motives.
A lot of this story isn't translated, and I'm not very familiar with that part of European history, so much was hard to follow.
I had fun with the first half of the book, but Reynevan was a character that I soon grew tired of, because of his constant stupidity. A couple of his supporting characters saved the day, as far as keeping my interest in the story with humor and common sense. I think if I could have read the original version and have known something of the historical characters and time period, I would have enjoyed this book more. Peter Kenny was spot on brilliant with his narration, as usual.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Scentart
- 07-01-22
Peter Kenny nails it again
This work of fiction centers around the history of the emerging Christian reformation while adding comedic touches and magic. One issue I had was difficulty with Czech and Polish names and places. plus, not translating Latin , which is used repeatedly left me in the dark.
To help me better appreciate the novel, researching Medieval terms and the names for clothing. military weapons and armor was helpful. I also found it helpful to study maps of Bohemia in the mid 1400's.
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- Ariana Reed
- 02-15-25
Historicity
I enjoyed the story. The depth and length of his works are incredible. My only “dislike” was my own ability in keeping all of the characters and their names in order. I love the aspect of using historical events and this tumultuous time period for the setting.
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- Nikolas P. Robinson
- 07-21-21
Good Enough I'll Continue the Trilogy
Andrzej Sapkowski's The Tower of Fools won't necessarily appeal to fans of his far more popular The Witcher series. While elements of his distinctive writing style carry over to this first book of the Hussite Trilogy, the story itself is a major departure from what readers might expect.
The Tower of Fools is more akin to Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver (the first book of The Baroque Cycle) or Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, in that it's a dense fantasy tale firmly embedded within true European historical context. Whereas The Baroque Cycle transpired in a fictionalized version of the late 1600s to early 1700s, and Clarke's novel took place in the 1800s, Sapkowski's trilogy inserts itself into Eastern Europe of the 1400s.
We are introduced to Reinmar of Bielawa, an unlikely and peculiar hero, as unwanted adventure is thrust upon him by virtue of Reinmar caught in the process of a different sort of thrusting--with the wife of a member of a wealthy and powerful family. On the run from vengeful aristocrats (and those working on their behalf), the inquisition (for being a magician and heretic), and sinister forces with unknown motives, Reinmar finds himself on a meandering scramble across the Eastern Europe of the late Middle Ages.
Populated by an almost intimidating cast of additional characters, while not as bad as Pynchon's Gravity's Rainbow--a book I've never been able to finish--it becomes challenging at times to keep track of precisely who is who. Strange acquaintances along the way become friends, friends become enemies, and enemies become victims of the peculiar sort of charmed life Reinmar seems to live. With the familiar wit and subtle comedic writing Sapkowski brings to the narrative, we witness an extreme example of fortune favoring the fool. As Reinmar stumbles from one bit of trouble to another, dragging unfortunate allies with him as he careens from frying pan to fire and back again.
Densely packed with historical events and figures of the Hussite Revolutionary period, The Tower of Fools is as much a history lesson as a tale of fantasy. Though Sapkowski's novel incorporates elements of magic, witches/sorcerers, and supernatural beings aplenty, the narrative is so deeply fixed in a foundation of historical veracity that it all feels more textured and real than it might otherwise. Of course, those familiar with The Witcher are well aware that the author is capable of fleshing out a fictional world without the benefit of drawing the fine details from real-world history. It's a nice touch, though, being able to explore a historical period many of us aren't familiar with.
The titular Tower of Fools--though referenced at numerous points throughout the story--makes an appearance in Chapter 26, at almost the end of the book. It could be argued that the wider world we witness in the book is the real Narrenturm, and the whole of Eastern Europe and the Holy Roman Empire makes up the real Tower of Fools.
Though the story is not one that I can praise in more than peculiarly specific ways, the narration provided by Petter Kenny is spectacular. This narrator is impressive, to put it mildly. He successfully tackles various accents, dozens of characters, as well as songs and chants performed in Latin and other languages, all with a clarity and quality that almost astounded me.
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3 people found this helpful
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- Daniel R.
- 04-21-21
Decent
Not as good as The Witcher books, but still a decent story. I look forward to the next two books in the series
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- Christopher
- 01-09-21
Its not the Witcher, but there is something here
The book starts off slow but the build to the ending is very good. Don't come in expecting a Witcher novel it's something unique and fresh and I cannot wait to see where this goes.
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2 people found this helpful
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- nicholas
- 01-27-23
Typical Sapkowski. Not The Witcher.
ive seen a lot of polarizing reviews for this one. Lots of Witcher fans from the games or books going into this expecting more Witcher.
The Witcher this is NOT but it is still written like typical Sapkowski. It is VERY dialogue heavy and slow. Sapkowksi often uses the dialogue his characters speak to tell the story rather than the usual descriptive heavy Curtains Are Blue style like other authors. its not a bad thing but i can see how it turns people off of his work.
This is SLOW as well. i find it funny people try this book then find it slow, meandering, boring when The Witcher series is also this. Boring, slow, tiresome BUT its still good. Nothing happens in the first Witcher book Blood of Elves and the same goes for here.
Tower of Fools feels Episodic so i suggest a chapter a day instead of binge listening to avoid burn out. It has the main character and crew going somehwere, talking and then repeating while hijinx ensue or nothing at all happens.
its a historical fiction so bring your wikipedia and youtube video essays along as well as maybe the PDF to translate the loads of latin in here.
as always Peter Kenny does a great job and what makes an OK book into something Alright if that makes sense.
I enjoyed it but you cant go into this expecting The Witcher . It is not.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Griselda
- 07-04-21
Crafted world building along with Witty writing
if you're a fan of the Witcher series, this book delivers a new perspective on a historical period coupled with magic.
the outcome is interesting and has me looking forward to the next book in the trilogy once it's available in U.S countries.
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