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A Soldier's Life #4
A Soldier's Life: Book 4: The Hounds
The company returns to the capital of the Telhian Empire, but our hero is not safe. First Citizens plot against him, but he finds allies and reluctantly joins the conspiracy against the Emperor. His tribulations are not over, as he must now survive becoming one of the Empire's elite Hounds.
513 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2025
248 people are currently reading
182 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 43 reviews
April 26, 2025
This series just keeps getting better with each iteration! The first couple of books of the series had a lot going for it, if you want you can read my reviews, but they were held back by some relatively minor issues. But with book 3 and now this book, this series has really taken a big step forward from being good to being great.
The author has shown a proven ability to weave together an intricate story with lots of moving parts and keep the pace both engaging and tense along the way without robbing us of payoffs or leaving us with cliffhangers. We have likable protagonists and hateable antagonists. We have a cool world. An interesting magic system. Good combat. Payoffs. No filler novels. No cliffhangers.
Too many of these progression series decline as they progress, getting mired in mundane plots, slowed progression, repetitive plots, less and less combat, and shameless fillers and lazy cliffhangers. Those authors get a big head about all their glowing reviews and sales, and forget which genre they are writing for. This is power fantasy . We want good guys beating bad guys, and if we can do it in a way that’s engaging and suspenseful, all the better. We want to see progression in magic. We want to see combat that isn’t repetitive. We want interesting magic. We want payoffs! We want to see the antagonists get what’s coming to them. We want to revel in the wins and the progression. So far this series is doing everything right, and we can see the author’s talent evolving before our eyes. I don’t think I have anything really negative to say about it at this point. Even the weird English phrases our MC used previously, contradicting his whole secrecy narrative, got addressed in this book specifically as kind of a mea culpa from the author for that. So he read the feedback and takes it as constructive.
I actually thoughts this was wrapping up that this book was ending the arc of our MC in the empire, but the epilogue seems to point to maybe more empire content down the line with the remains of the company we had come to love.
I want to give the author props for the realistic way it takes on corruption and how it makes people feel under the weight of it, using that to create tension and emotion within us as readers. I also want to give him props for not being afraid to kill off characters, to have plans blow up in everyone’s faces, and react accordingly. That comes across as soberingly realistic the way he writes it, not contrived as so many authors seem to do.
Can’t wait to see where this goes. I’m probably gonna give in and pay the patron to find out 😂
The author has shown a proven ability to weave together an intricate story with lots of moving parts and keep the pace both engaging and tense along the way without robbing us of payoffs or leaving us with cliffhangers. We have likable protagonists and hateable antagonists. We have a cool world. An interesting magic system. Good combat. Payoffs. No filler novels. No cliffhangers.
Too many of these progression series decline as they progress, getting mired in mundane plots, slowed progression, repetitive plots, less and less combat, and shameless fillers and lazy cliffhangers. Those authors get a big head about all their glowing reviews and sales, and forget which genre they are writing for. This is power fantasy . We want good guys beating bad guys, and if we can do it in a way that’s engaging and suspenseful, all the better. We want to see progression in magic. We want to see combat that isn’t repetitive. We want interesting magic. We want payoffs! We want to see the antagonists get what’s coming to them. We want to revel in the wins and the progression. So far this series is doing everything right, and we can see the author’s talent evolving before our eyes. I don’t think I have anything really negative to say about it at this point. Even the weird English phrases our MC used previously, contradicting his whole secrecy narrative, got addressed in this book specifically as kind of a mea culpa from the author for that. So he read the feedback and takes it as constructive.
I actually thoughts this was wrapping up that this book was ending the arc of our MC in the empire, but the epilogue seems to point to maybe more empire content down the line with the remains of the company we had come to love.
I want to give the author props for the realistic way it takes on corruption and how it makes people feel under the weight of it, using that to create tension and emotion within us as readers. I also want to give him props for not being afraid to kill off characters, to have plans blow up in everyone’s faces, and react accordingly. That comes across as soberingly realistic the way he writes it, not contrived as so many authors seem to do.
Can’t wait to see where this goes. I’m probably gonna give in and pay the patron to find out 😂
May 8, 2025
This continues to be a fun series and it remains one of my favorites. Book 4 is usually where my interest begins to wane with most series, so I'm happy to have enjoyed this volume as much or even more than the previous ones.
This story really scratches that itch that so few ever do: providing a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired world without ruining it for me by turning it into a carnival of stupidity to represent critical fail rolls of a dice. It's ironic considering the author's pen name, but they do an excellent job managing the tone and tension with low-key humor as well as solid difficulty ratings for the encounters. While Eryk has some extreme skills, they are limited in usage. They are strong in 1 vs 1 encounters, but his strongest skills can't be used when others are watching.
I think it strikes a great balance of having an OP skill that gets the character out of a few tight spots while still having him really work for everything else. His current skillset has been built up, bit by bit, over all his experiences and it's satisfying to see the growth and Eryk overcoming challenges with the hard-earned skills rather than relying on his trump card for every encounter as he was forced to do in the early volumes.
I'm excited to see what unexpected turns the next book will take us in as we venture into what will probably be a very different locale compared to what we've seen so far.
This story really scratches that itch that so few ever do: providing a Dungeons & Dragons-inspired world without ruining it for me by turning it into a carnival of stupidity to represent critical fail rolls of a dice. It's ironic considering the author's pen name, but they do an excellent job managing the tone and tension with low-key humor as well as solid difficulty ratings for the encounters. While Eryk has some extreme skills, they are limited in usage. They are strong in 1 vs 1 encounters, but his strongest skills can't be used when others are watching.
I think it strikes a great balance of having an OP skill that gets the character out of a few tight spots while still having him really work for everything else. His current skillset has been built up, bit by bit, over all his experiences and it's satisfying to see the growth and Eryk overcoming challenges with the hard-earned skills rather than relying on his trump card for every encounter as he was forced to do in the early volumes.
I'm excited to see what unexpected turns the next book will take us in as we venture into what will probably be a very different locale compared to what we've seen so far.
November 4, 2025
Curioso que tengan estas portadas tan feas estos libros tan chulos...
Me remito a las reseñas anteriores, un disfrute de lectura. A por el siguiente y luego a esperar a junio para el próximo.
Me remito a las reseñas anteriores, un disfrute de lectura. A por el siguiente y luego a esperar a junio para el próximo.
May 4, 2025
4.5 Stars
This episode had a much greater variety of settings and action. I wanted to read this all day.
This episode had a much greater variety of settings and action. I wanted to read this all day.
December 12, 2025
I just have one question, why this much innuendo and sexual implications? The previous volumes were okay, but this one is just irritating and a little disgusting.
Constentanly reading about every woman body parts' discription becomes boring quickly.
The protagonist is a real pushover and too soft! You can even call him an idiot. I think I'll drop this series.
Constentanly reading about every woman body parts' discription becomes boring quickly.
The protagonist is a real pushover and too soft! You can even call him an idiot. I think I'll drop this series.
May 5, 2025
Book four
This is one of my favorite series. Funny thing though, even though book four is published, it is only about half published over on Royalroad. Book five is likely to be published before the end of book four hits Royalroad. I've never seen it happen like this before. Normally the book is published on Royalroad before it is published in book form.
If you want to spend a bit of money you can read some on the authors patron page. You have to drop quite a bit to get all of book five and part of book six.
Personally I'll just wait till it gets published and buy a copy of the book.
7/10
This is one of my favorite series. Funny thing though, even though book four is published, it is only about half published over on Royalroad. Book five is likely to be published before the end of book four hits Royalroad. I've never seen it happen like this before. Normally the book is published on Royalroad before it is published in book form.
If you want to spend a bit of money you can read some on the authors patron page. You have to drop quite a bit to get all of book five and part of book six.
Personally I'll just wait till it gets published and buy a copy of the book.
7/10
May 5, 2025
Read this very quickly, like the previous 3 books (After I finished the previous book, I thought that I had to wait for this one to come out, but apparently, it was already out).
His story continues as he moves from one group to another so it's not boring. He is a good guy who works for good and bad people.
I like his "Powers/abilities" and how they work!
The spells and scrolls and other items are fun and some are unique to this series.
He is not all powerful, but has potential to be so.
His story continues as he moves from one group to another so it's not boring. He is a good guy who works for good and bad people.
I like his "Powers/abilities" and how they work!
The spells and scrolls and other items are fun and some are unique to this series.
He is not all powerful, but has potential to be so.
September 5, 2025
The start of this was little disappointing, but it picked up in the later half.
I will be picking up the sequel.
It's going to be a wild ride after this.
3/5 Stars
I will be picking up the sequel.
It's going to be a wild ride after this.
3/5 Stars
June 7, 2025
To me this book is a big pile of filler. Nothing really progressed, he still is obeying his captors/slavers like a good little guy. Aside from that, our soldier is finally leaving. We still don't get any good descriptions on how big these towns are, because these wars the emperor keeps pushing is not sustainable in the long run.
April 27, 2025
A great addition
The ending had an interesting twist. There were a few branches of the story I wish were flushed out or pursued more, but I very much enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next!
The ending had an interesting twist. There were a few branches of the story I wish were flushed out or pursued more, but I very much enjoyed this book and am looking forward to the next!
May 1, 2025
Written in the same mostly deadpan matter-of-fact narration that made the series this big a hit with me, the book continues Eryk's journey, first as a bodyguard, protegee, and secret co-conspirator of High Mage Zyna and then as a Hound (the sort of state police/special forces of the Empire) in training and action.
The same powerful narrative energy, inventiveness, and interesting characters, old and new - most notably Zyna, Renna, and Konstantin of the familiar ones - and while the book is hefty the action moves generally well and in new locales.
A killer with scruples, Eryk has to balance his morality with the need to ingratiate himself with powerful imperial leaders who value loyalty and ruthlessness - some of the best novel moments are here.
Not to speak of murderous Orc special forces infiltrating the Empire to cause havoc, deadly creatures large and larger, and the ultimate test - what does Eryk want and who is he loyal to in the end?
An extraordinary last chapter from a different POV brings the book to a conclusion that both ends to a large extent the main storyline of the first 4 books, but also begs many questions that hopefully will be resolved in the next books which are huge asaps.
Overall just superb and a top 10 of the year
The same powerful narrative energy, inventiveness, and interesting characters, old and new - most notably Zyna, Renna, and Konstantin of the familiar ones - and while the book is hefty the action moves generally well and in new locales.
A killer with scruples, Eryk has to balance his morality with the need to ingratiate himself with powerful imperial leaders who value loyalty and ruthlessness - some of the best novel moments are here.
Not to speak of murderous Orc special forces infiltrating the Empire to cause havoc, deadly creatures large and larger, and the ultimate test - what does Eryk want and who is he loyal to in the end?
An extraordinary last chapter from a different POV brings the book to a conclusion that both ends to a large extent the main storyline of the first 4 books, but also begs many questions that hopefully will be resolved in the next books which are huge asaps.
Overall just superb and a top 10 of the year
July 20, 2025
It only took 4 books for the main story to start getting interesting. I've enjoyed the series thus far but it is extremely slow and consists mostly of meandering side stories. The improved pacing and characters in this fourth book makes me almost want to give it a 3/5 (I might change the rating later). I feel like the series is slowly improving in all aspects. We have better characters (the emperor was great), faster (yet still glacial) pacing, more interesting storylines etc. I'm eager to see how things develop, even if the tempo remains as slow as it is I'll relish every moment in this world until the end.
May 7, 2025
Definitely my favorite book in the series so far. Back in books 2 and 3, I really thought the plot would end up disappointing me, but the twists completely turned things around. This one tied up a lot of loose ends in a really satisfying way. The characters feel so full of life and depth—it’s genuinely hard to read about their passing. I'm especially glad the annoying plots in the empire got resolved quickly, instead of dragging on for years, thanks to the MC constantly taking initiative. 5 stars for sure.
August 27, 2025
Author: Erick Thiemke
Book: A Soldier's Life: Book 4: The Hounds
NO SPOILERS.
All strings come together, pulled into a single knot of storytelling. Maveith's world is changing. Konstantin continues to torture Eryk. Mage Castile is in survival mode. High Mage Zyna is now a Chancellor. And Eryk? Well, he's learning to bake bread. Humor, action, and tragedy engulf everything. The ending of book 4 was epic. Still continues to be an entertaining series.
Now, I'm impatiently awaiting the next book.
Book: A Soldier's Life: Book 4: The Hounds
NO SPOILERS.
All strings come together, pulled into a single knot of storytelling. Maveith's world is changing. Konstantin continues to torture Eryk. Mage Castile is in survival mode. High Mage Zyna is now a Chancellor. And Eryk? Well, he's learning to bake bread. Humor, action, and tragedy engulf everything. The ending of book 4 was epic. Still continues to be an entertaining series.
Now, I'm impatiently awaiting the next book.
June 6, 2025
I still really enjoy it, and even though it stays quite basic, we do see a lot of time spent on 'training' rather than having a thrilling storyline. That said, I still finished the book very quickly... Well done! I think it's because I really connect with the author's/MC's way of thinking, and I generally find their behavior logical. I feel like I probably would have followed the same course of action.
December 28, 2025
2.5. The first two-thirds were a slog. Boring plus icky age gap romances. MC has the same taste as Leonard DiCaprio... yuck.
Hopefully, all the romance nonsense is left behind. I don't believe one woman has been depicted as less than beautiful. It feels very weird. Women characters are more than their looks. The author has to do better.
The last third was good. It actually focused on the plot. Funny how that works. I'll give this series one more book.
Hopefully, all the romance nonsense is left behind. I don't believe one woman has been depicted as less than beautiful. It feels very weird. Women characters are more than their looks. The author has to do better.
The last third was good. It actually focused on the plot. Funny how that works. I'll give this series one more book.
May 13, 2025
what a book!
it is unbelievable that we can be in book 4, and that the story and writing just keeps getting better! an amazing book. so few books I read these days are good beyond the first or second book. looking forward to the next installment
it is unbelievable that we can be in book 4, and that the story and writing just keeps getting better! an amazing book. so few books I read these days are good beyond the first or second book. looking forward to the next installment
May 25, 2025
The ending makes me want to recommend people to wait until you get book 5 to start.
The MC really grows into his power here, makes his competency feel earned and not a plot device. Lot's of plot, very fast paced as usual.
The MC really grows into his power here, makes his competency feel earned and not a plot device. Lot's of plot, very fast paced as usual.
May 31, 2025
This series is becoming one of my fave read lately. The MC is far from OP, world setting is nice and well built. stuff is happening and I am eager to read what happens next. It lacks of Epicity but is a solid read
November 15, 2025
This was OK.
Bit too much time spent cooking.
The hounds the MC worked with and for seemed cartoonishly evil or bad.
But still an easy read/listen, and I've started on the next book - which seems an improvement.
Bit too much time spent cooking.
The hounds the MC worked with and for seemed cartoonishly evil or bad.
But still an easy read/listen, and I've started on the next book - which seems an improvement.
April 28, 2025
Super strong series
Just read through Book 4. Read 1-3 twice. One of the best stories I have read in a long time. Highly recommend buying the books!
Just read through Book 4. Read 1-3 twice. One of the best stories I have read in a long time. Highly recommend buying the books!
May 2, 2025
Such a good book
The worst part of this book is waiting for the next book. Keep up the good work it is a wonderful series.
The worst part of this book is waiting for the next book. Keep up the good work it is a wonderful series.
May 4, 2025
Great series, Look forward to the next book.
May 4, 2025
This series gets better with every book. The ending was unexpected and I'm looking forwards for book 5.
May 13, 2025
I don’t know what it is, but I do find it hard to stop listening to these books. This one was my favorite so far.
May 21, 2025
Could not put the book down.
I enjoy the intrigue and characters immensely. Can’t wait for the next chapter to see how Eryk grows. He is truly a hero…
I enjoy the intrigue and characters immensely. Can’t wait for the next chapter to see how Eryk grows. He is truly a hero…
June 13, 2025
Ahhhhhhh it WAS AWESOME
Great job with the book. My only complaint was that it ended and the next book is months away.
Dam that was a good book!
Great job with the book. My only complaint was that it ended and the next book is months away.
Dam that was a good book!
June 24, 2025
Holy nuggets bro what on earth
June 26, 2025
Eric is such a badass! The way he gets passed around from one job to the next is funny to me. The Hounds aren't quite what was expected 🤔 😕 Can't wait for book five!
July 26, 2025
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