The Dragon in Winter by Jonathan Maberry

On December 31, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star Books3 Comments

Publisher: Macmillan Audio (Audiobook – 20 August 2024)

Series: Kagen the Damned – Book Three

Length: 20 hours and 57 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The damned rush to their final battle in the epic dark fantasy novel, The Dragon in Winter, which brings an exceptional conclusion to author Jonathan Maberry’s Kagen the Damned series.

As I mentioned in my recent review for the author’s other 2024 release, NecroTek, I am a huge fan of Jonathan Maberry, having really gotten into his elaborate and deliciously gritty thrillers and other pieces of fiction since I started this blog. While I am most familiar with the author’s long-running Joe Ledger series, one of his more intriguing recent bodies of work has been the Kagen the Damned series. A dark fantasy fiction series that follows a highly damaged figure who seeks bloody revenge after the dastardly Witch-king uses magic to destroy his kingdom and kill the royal children in his care, the Kagen the Damned books were an incredible pivot into the fantasy fiction genre for Maberry that I deeply enjoyed. Both of the previous books in the series, Kagen the Damned (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2022) and Son of the Poison Rose (one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2023) were five-star reads, and I have so much love for this series (which also includes the novella I Say Your Name in the Dark Nights) due to its elaborate storytelling, damaged characters, and intriguing take on the fantasy genre. Because of how impressive the first two entries in this series are, I have been eagerly awaiting the third and seemingly final book, The Dragon in Winter, for a long time, and it was one of my most anticipated books of 2024.

Nearly a year after the bloody massacre that saw the dread Witch-king of Hakkia conquer the former Silver Empire in a single night, the war to reclaim the throne is finally here. As the Witch-king continues to plot, planning to ascend to godhood, his enemies have rallied around the unlikely figure of Captain Kagen Vale, better known as Kagen the Damned.

Once the loyal guardian of the Silver Empire’s heirs, Kagen has survived despair, damaging revelations and damnation from his gods to stand against the Witch-king and gain the bloody vengeance he so desperately needs. Having proven his valour in combat and his ability to face off against the darkest of magic, Kagen has managed to gather a massive army of rebels, outlaws and the soldiers of various allied nations determined to stop the Witch-king for good. But this army of flesh and blood men will not be enough to stand against the destructive power of the Witch-king alone.

As magic continues to return to the land, Kagen and his allies soon find themselves beset by the Witch-king’s sinister powers and dread allies, as vampires, demons, magic users and other fell creatures emerge, determined to keep the Witch-king on his bloody throne. To survive, Kagen will need to find magic of his own that will allow him to withstand the Witch-king’s power. But the more he looks, the darker secrets he unravels, and soon everything he thought he knew about the world will come tumbling down around him. Worse, an even more dangerous threat is rising in the frozen north, as a tortured dragon calls out in despair and is answered by a being of unimaginable power. Can Kagen stop the Witch-king before his dark plans come to pass, or will the dread flames of vengeance consume the entire world?

What an outstanding end to one of my favourite new fantasy trilogies! The Dragon in Winter was another exceptional novel from Jonathan Maberry that serves as a fitting and powerful end to the Kagen the Damned dark fantasy series. Loaded with insane action, brilliantly damaged characters, and some fantastic storytelling, The Dragon in Winter was an incredible book that perfectly utilises Maberry’s distinctive style. I had an amazing time listening to this impressive book, and it gets an easy five-star rating from me, especially on audiobook.

Maberry had to achieve a lot with this third Kagen the Damned novel, as not only did readers require a satisfying end to the trilogy, but this book needed a distinctive story much like the previous entries. I feel that Maberry achieved both these goals, as The Dragon in Winter was a compelling and dark read that provided a great mixture of adventure, war, intrigue and character growth, all while continuing and concluding the storylines from the previous books. This third novel starts shortly after Son of the Poison Rose and sees Kagen taking on the role of general by leading a small army against the Witch-King’s forces, while the previously established story threads about the various nations building their armies to join the war come to fruition. Maberry does a great job of resetting the scene in these early chapters, and not only do you get to see the situation from Kagen’s perspective but multiple scenes are shown from the antagonists’ side as they make their preparations to foil the protagonist and his allies.

Much of the middle of the story follows Kagen and his unlikely allies as they prepare for the inevitable final confrontation, attempting to gain additional ways to fight against the Witch-king. While some of Kagen’s sequences aren’t entirely necessary for the full advancement of the plot (the goblin cave sequence, for example), they are all generally intense and character building, and they all tie in nicely amongst the other storylines about war preparations and the Witch-king unleashing his dark minions upon the world. A secondary major storyline focuses on the characters of Jheklan and Faulker, Kagen’s brothers, who journey up to the frozen Winterwilds in search of the last dragon. This storyline proves to be quite an interesting addition to the story, as while the characters are disconnected from the rest of the plot due to distance, their actions have big impacts on the overarching narrative. This middle part of the story ends with a major confrontation between a memorable supporting character and a dark set of antagonists, which was not only very awesome but helped to set the scene for the rest of the book.

The final third of The Dragon in Winter is all action and excitement as the final battle of the war is unleashed on multiple fronts. Maberry expertly brings all the various ongoing storylines to the boil, as the protagonists find themselves in mortal peril. There is a little bit of everything here, including massive war sequences, smaller battles with huge sacrifice and big revelations finally coming to the surface. The author keeps the tension extremely high during this third act, and you are constantly on the edge of your seat, especially as your favourite characters face doom and destruction at every turn. I loved the way many of these storylines came together, and while a couple of big moments were easy to see coming (although for me that just increased the anticipation), there were also some reveals I couldn’t have predicted. This includes the book’s massive twist that turns around much of what you thought you knew for the last two entries in the series. I felt that this twist was very clever, especially when you consider the subtle hints leading up to it, and I appreciated how it changed the emotional impact of some previous scenes. Everything leads up to the big final confrontation, which was as bloody and hard-hitting as you would expect. This confrontation was chaos, carnage and catastrophe, and I felt that it was a fitting end to a dark trilogy that revelled in bloodshed. While I do feel that the final boss takedown was a tad anticlimactic due to who got the kill, and Maberry reigned in the tragedy far more than I expected, this conclusion was extremely awesome, and I hung on every word right to the very end. Everything was very nicely wrapped up, although there is potential for Maberry to revisit this series in the future, which could result in some more gripping adventures.

I always love the way that Maberry manages to apply his distinctive writing style to all his novels, no matter the genre, and it always works to create a powerful and exciting read, especially in The Dragon in Winter. The large number of short chapters allows for a quick pace, and you are constantly jumping from sequence to sequence, eager to see what will happen next. Maberry also excels at featuring a huge range of alternating perspectives as the book continues, with the point of view jumping around various interesting characters chapter to chapter. While much of this focuses on the main protagonist, you are often following many of the fascinating and fun supporting characters as they go about their own adventures. There are also multiple chapters shown from the perspective of the villain or his minions, and I love how the reader are constantly let into the antagonist’s plans, which helps to raise tension as you worry that they are one step ahead. Throw in several additional perspective chapters from one-off characters, which often help to highlight some of the darker events going on in the wider setting, and this great jump in perspectives allows for a particularly complex and layered narrative that is so fun to navigate. Of course, the real highlight of any Maberry book is the exceptional action sequences that pump some massive excitement into the plot. Maberry is extremely talented at envisioning fight scenes of any size or shape, and I found myself constantly enthralled by the many, many battles that were contained in The Dragon in Winter. This includes deep personal battles, running skirmishing or even a truly massive full-on war sequence with unique participants, all of which come across extremely well thanks to the author’s powerful and descriptive writing that captures every sword thrust or slice of the protagonist’s blades.

The Dragon in Winter continues to exhibit many of the dark fantasy elements that made the first two Kagen the Damned books so awesome to read. Maberry really dove into the genre with a vengeance in this series, and I love how he pulled together a rich and powerful fantasy world loaded with both unique features and classic fantasy creatures and monsters. Thanks to the author’s detailed writing and tendency to effectively recap key elements of the series, readers can easily absorb all the key elements of this universe, and it proves to be fascinating to take in, especially as Maberry loads it with secrets, deep history, and hints of other lands yet to be visited. Of course, as this is Maberry, there is also a strong Lovecraftian vibe to this universe, as many of the elder gods and other associated beings have a place in this realm. The author does a great job of exploring these classic Lovecraftian creatures throughout the course of the series, and the way they are worked into the main plot of The Dragon in Winter is extremely clever, especially if you have seen examples of them in some of Maberry’s other series. For readers expecting a typical fantasy read, I should warn that The Dragon in Winter, like the rest of the Kagen the Damned series, gets very dark and brutal at times, and there are a lot of strong references to violence, torture, sexual assault and other troubling features that probably won’t appeal to every reader. I feel that while Maberry occasionally goes a bit overboard with these darker inclusions, for the most part it helps to create a powerfully grim overarching tone that raises the stakes and ensure you are constantly rooting for the protagonist to succeed and bring a bit of justice to the world. It also works very well alongside the awesome action sequences, and for those fans of some very bloody fights, including those featuring pure evil fantasy and horror creatures, you are in for an amazing time here.

While the action, setting and clever storytelling is an exceptional part of The Dragon in Winter, I also need to highlight the various impressive characters featured throughout this book. Due to The Dragon in Winter being the last entry in this trilogy, Maberry spends much of this book finalising key character storylines, allowing for a much more personal entry in the series that will really appeal to those readers who have grow attached the protagonists in the first two books. As such, this final Kagen the Damned novel features an array of great characters who are so well written and who often feature their own powerful and personal character arcs.

Like with the rest of the series, much of the book’s character work is focussed on the main protagonist, Kagen Vale, who thanks to the dark deeds he has witnessed has been given the title Kagen the Damned. A moody and deadly figure, Kagen has gone through so much despair and darkness in this series, and it has been a powerful journey following him this far. Maberry did an outstanding job continuing Kagen’s story in The Dragon in Winter, and it was great to see how far Kagen has come, especially as he now uses his inner darkness, past trauma, and even the damnation of his gods, to fuel his desire to fight. While he has overcome many of his past traumas, Kagen does experience new ones in The Dragon in Winter, as he finally understands the full scope of the evils unleashed upon the world, including by his own people. This allows for some more dramatic sequences from the protagonist, and part of the emotional strength of the story is watching Kagen overcome even these revelations, especially with the help of his friends. I have really appreciated how well Maberry has written Kagen’s pain and deeper heart throughout the series, and it was fantastic to see some of this pain finally come to an end in this final novel.

Aside from Kagen, the rest of the supporting cast proves to be quite exceptional, and there are many fascinating characters you become attached to as a result. I personally loved seeing more of Kagen’s two friends and comrades, Tuke and Fillia, who form a hilarious put powerful trio as they fight together against the odds. Essentially Kagen’s conscience and voice of reason, Tuke and Filia are the perfect supporting characters to the protagonist, and I love how they constantly anticipate Kagen’s behaviour and manipulate events to ensure he does what they want. However, they also have their own compelling adventures outside of Kagen, especially when they lead the final battle, and you care nearly as much for them (if not more) than you do Kagen by the end of things. Maberry also invests a lot of time in The Dragon in Winter to the amusing characters of Jheklan and Faulker Vale, Kagen’s brothers and mischievous adventurers. While they have had minor appearances in the previous novels, Maberry only featured them as major, fleshed out characters in this final book, as they lead their own expedition to the frozen Winterwilds. While they are relatively new figures, the reader quickly becomes intrigued by their storylines, especially as it is loaded with adventure and a certain comedic charm thanks to the brother’s juvenile nature. However, while they are often unserious, when the chips are down Jheklan and Faulker get serious quick, and Maberry ensured that they encounter some real tragedy that shows the true heart of these figures.

While there are other great supporting characters I could talk about, including a vengeful widow and a scarily powerful vampire elf, I want to finish by mentioning the various villains, who are some of the best characters in The Dragon in Winter. This includes the sinister Witch-king and his court, who are constantly plotting to destroy the world and kill Kagen. The Witch-king is particularly malevolent in this book, and Maberry continues to build on the revelations surrounding him in this final book, providing even more fun context and twists. I also love the continued focus on the Witch-king’s terrified advisors, Lord Nespar and Jakob Ravensmere, who find themselves way over their heads as they try to serve their lord and their own agendas. However, the devilishly fun character known as the Prince of Games easily steals every scene he is in, and I loved his constant manipulations and chaotic nature, especially as it brings great fun to the Witch-king’s dark court. The Prince of Games, who has some interesting links to some of Maberry’s other series, perfectly rounded out this cast of villains, and I really appreciate how much depth and complexity these antagonists, and indeed every character in the Kagen the Damned series, brought to the overall story.

As with all Maberry’s previous books, I chose to check out The Dragon in Winter on audiobook, which is the best format to enjoy the author’s captivating narratives in. Maberry’s short chapters, elaborate world building, intense action and over-the-top characters really come to life when they are read out loud, especially when it is done by the legendary Ray Porter. Porter has long perfected the tones to get the most out of Maberry’s writings and his infectious and compelling voice expertly captures the inherent dark nature of Maberry’s writing and helps to send the crazy scenes of carnage straight into the listener’s head. The narrator knows exactly how to portray Maberry’s great, larger-than-life protagonists and villains, and you can easily imagine each of the figures and their actions as Porter reads them out. I particularly enjoy how well Porter captures the various emotional states of these characters, and you always hear the despair, anger or fear of each of these figures when they speak. This especially true for the primary protagonist, Kagen, and I always appreciate how well the narrator showcases his many dark emotions as he goes through the wringer time and time again. Throw in some truly chilling voices for the various villains and evil monsters that the protagonists encounter, and Porter’s performance was once again exceptional, allowing for quite an awesome audiobook. With a runtime just short of 21 hours, this is a long audiobook to check out, although you really don’t mind as it becomes hard to stop listening to The Dragon in Winter, especially during the various climatic or intense sequences. I had such a great time listening to The Dragon in Winter, and this such an amazing format to enjoy this latest Maberry novel on. Indeed, I loved it so much I listed it as one of my favourite audiobooks of 2024, even before I finished it, so do yourself a favour and check out this novel on audiobook right away.

Thanks to its powerful story, intense action and damaged characters, The Dragon in Winter was another incredible read from Jonathan Maberry that I could not get enough of. One of the best books of 2024, The Dragon in Winter was an outstanding final entry in the Kagen the Damned series, and I loved every single second I spent reading it. Highly recommended on all formats, especially those read out by Ray Porter, The Dragon in Winter is so damn good, and it will be interesting to see if Maberry decides to return to the fantasy genre again the future. In the meantime, we’re only a few months off from Maberry’s next book, Burn to Shine, which will probably be one of the best things I read in 2025.

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Quick Review – The Book That Broke the World by Mark Lawrence

On December 17, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Quick Review6 Comments

Publisher: Harper Voyager (Trade Paperback – 9 April 2024)

Series: The Library Trilogy – Book Two

Length: 369 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The master of elaborate fantasy fiction continues his outstanding and intricate Library trilogy with the captivating novel, The Book That Broke the World.

Mark Lawrence is an exceptional author who has been wowing fantasy and science fiction fans since 2011 with impressive reads that borrow heavily from both genres. Some of his better-known series include the Broken Empire novels, the Book of the Ancestor trilogy and The Book of the Ice trilogy (which includes The Girl and the Stars and The Girl and the Mountain). His current body of work, the Library trilogy, might be his most ambitious series yet as he envisions a complex and intense story of hope, discovery and secrets within an impossible library that bends time, reality and the lives of its many alien inhabitants. The first book in the series, The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, was an epic read that told the story of Evar and Livira, two teenagers brought to the library in very different circumstances, who work to uncover its many mysteries. This was such a great read, especially as Lawrence loaded in a particularly clever central twist that blew my mind, and The Book That Wouldn’t Burn ended up being one of my favourite books of 2023. As such, the sequel, The Book That Broke the World, was one of my most anticipated reads for 2024, and it ended being a very interesting second entry in this amazing series.

Plot Synopsis:

We fight for the people we love. We fight for the ideas we want to be true.

Evar and Livira stand side by side and yet far beyond each other’s reach. Evar is forced to flee the library, driven before an implacable foe. Livira, trapped in a ghost world, has to recover her book if she’s to return to her life. While Evar’s journey leads him outside into the vastness of a world he’s never seen, Livira’s destination lies deep inside her own writing, where she must wrestle with her stories in order to reclaim the volume in which they were written.

And all the while, the library quietly weaves thread to thread, bringing the scattered elements of Livira’s old life – friends and foe alike – back together beneath new skies.

Long ago, a lie was told, and with the passing years it has grown and spread, a small push leading to a chain of desperate consequences. Now, as one edifice topples into the next with ever-growing violence, it threatens to break the world. The secret war that defines the library has chosen its champions and set them on the board. The time has come when they must fight for what they believe, or lose everything.

The Library Trilogy is about many things: adventure, discovery, and romance, but it’s also a love letter to books and the places where they live. The focus is on one vast and timeless library, but the love expands to encompass smaller more personal collections, and bookshops of all shades too.

Lawrence had to achieve a lot in this sequel, as he needed provided a compelling follow-up to his previous novel while also advancing the story in a clever and unique manner. I felt that he succeeded on all fronts, as The Book That Broke the World proved to be just as complex, intense and addictive as the first book in the series. Set in the immediate aftermath of the shocking events of The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, The Book That Broke the World continues to follow star-crossed lovers Evar and Livira as they to try and find each other despite the insurmountable odds of existing in different times and being born different species who are constantly at war with each other. This new novel once again sees them parted, primarily due to one of the characters being a ghostly presence in the other protagonists’ time, and they soon end up discovering new periods of history within the library as war, strife and a new dangerous race upset the balance of events. There is a certain feeling of tragedy and frustration for much of Evar and Livira’s narrative, as the two remain separated from each other, and you really get invested in their story, as well as the lives of their associated supporting characters, especially as the blending of timelines leads to some new interactions.

While it was great to continue to follow the adventure of the same main characters from the first book, the thing that made The Book That Broke the World’s narrative really stand out was the inclusion of new point-of-view protagonists whose additional narrative supported the unique story of Evar and Livira. The first of these, Arpix, was a major secondary character in The Book That Wouldn’t Burn, and his use as a perspective protagonist here was very effective, especially as it allowed for a more measured view of some of the crazy events occurring throughout the book. Arpix was a great character in this sequel, and I especially enjoyed seeing him interact with Evar and his family as Lawrence throws him into a delightful romance narrative with a very unlikely but entertaining figure.

However, it was the other additional point-of-view character who really turned The Book That Broke the World into something special, as Lawrence introduced a seemingly new protagonist, Celcha, a slave in the city surrounding the library, who finds herself drawn to its secrets thanks to the machinations of her unusual brother and the ghosts that visit him. A member of an alien species who came from a different period than Evar and Livira, Celcha has an intriguing narrative within The Book That Broke the World, as she tries to escape the manipulations of other visitors from the library while also trying to learn more about her species. Celcha’s narrative is at first separated from the rest of the storylines, and it is initially unclear what role it is going to play in the larger plot. However, the way that Lawrence ends up tying it together with the rest of the plot is very clever, especially as he utilises the uncertainty of when Celcha’s story fits into the overarching timeframe of the narrative to tie up many mysteries from the first book while weaving in a complex new player. These intriguing, character driven arcs come together extremely well by the end of the story, and you will be amazed at how well Lawrence’s many complex puzzle pieces fit together by the end for an addictive and memorable narrative.

As with most of Lawrence’s writing, The Book That Broke the World is a very complex and lore-heavy book that requires readers to really pay attention to the many, many details loaded into the overall text of the plot. This results in a very elaborate narrative as Lawrence is constantly working in compelling details about his intriguing universe while also layering down constant hints and plot points that will become relevant later for twists and other reveals. Readers really get caught up in the majesty of the massive setting of the Library trilogy, and I really appreciated how Lawrence was capable of blending fantasy elements with more science fiction focused occurrences, like advanced technology and time travel. I also loved how well the author used the various character perspectives to further enhance the scope of the narrative and the setting, and you must appreciate the mystery and scope of his ambitious setting and the elaborate narrative around it, especially when it comes to the many fascinating side characters and protagonists he works in the plot.

While this proves to be a great book to read, it isn’t always the easiest novel to follow, as Lawrence throws in a lot of high-concept moments and plot points that sometimes seem a little too complicated for the narrative’s own good. Readers are also required to remember a lot of key details from The Book That Wouldn’t Burn to fully appreciate the scope and cleverness of this second entry in the series. While I was able to recall most of the details of the first book (the recap at the front was quite helpful), I can imagine some readers might have a little more difficulty, especially if there is a big gap between reads in the series. Despite that, I think it would be possible to jump into the Library series from this second novel, but you really would be better off reading The Book That Wouldn’t Burn first as it allows you to become much more invested in the various compelling character arcs and emotionally laden storylines.

Mark Lawrence continues to showcase his inventive and unique fantasy style with The Book That Broke the World. Providing readers with a complex and compelling sequel to his first Library novel, The Book That Broke the World continues the intense narrative in some fantastic directions, while constantly working to make the plot even more intricate and powerful. An outstanding piece of fantasy fiction that will keep you guessing to the end, The Book That Broke the World comes highly recommended, and I look forward to the fast-approaching final entry in the series that is out in a few months’ time.

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Blood Over Bright Haven by M. L. Wang

On December 10, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Five-Star Books3 Comments

Publisher: Del Rey (Trade Paperback – 29 October 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 431 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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One of the biggest rising stars in fantasy fiction, M. L. Wang, effortlessly showcases her amazing talent with the outstanding read, Blood Over Bright Haven.

M. L. Wang is an awesome author who I have been hearing a lot about over the last few years. Debuting back in 2018 with her first book, The Sword of Kaigen, Wang blew away the fantasy crowd with this intriguing debut fantasy novel that featured a compelling Asian inspired setting and theme. While I have yet to have the pleasure of reading The Sword of Kaigen, it is currently high on my to-read list, especially as it has received an exceptional amount of love in fantasy circles. As such, this has made me very curious about Wang, so when I saw that her new book, Blood Over Bright Haven, was coming out in Australia, I made sure to grab a copy of it. Wang’s second adult fantasy novel, Blood Over Bright Haven was originally self-published in 2023, although I think I will be counting it as a 2024 release later this year. I really loved the sound of this cool book from Wang, and boy did Blood Over Bright Haven deliver, as it proved to be an epic and highly impressive read.

In a world full of death, despair and fear, the city of Tiran serves as a gleaming beacon of civilisation and safety. Protected by a magical dome that keeps out the destructive Blight, a mysterious occurrence that destroys everything it touches, Tiran has managed to survive while the rest of the world withers away. Many of Tiran’s citizens believe that the dome, and the magic that powers it, are a gift from the city’s forefathers and only they have the right to benefit from it. However, not everyone is treated the same within Tiran.

Sciona is a talented young mage seeking to become the first women ever admitted to the High Magistry at the University of Magics and Industry. After studying for 20 years Sciona finally proves herself worthy to become a highmage and is excited to push the field of magic forward with her inventive techniques and unparalleled ambition. However, despite everything she has achieved, when Sciona arrives at the university, she is treated with scorn and derision by her male colleagues and assigned only a janitor to help her rather than a qualified assistant.

Determined to show everyone what she is capable of, Sciona sets out to pioneer new ways of harnessing magical power that will allow Tiran’s dome to be expanded. Forced to work with the tools in hand, Sciona decides to train her new assistant, the Kwen janitor Thomil, and soon discovers a bright and focused mind. A former hunter from the plains who sort sanctuary with the city after seeing his entire tribe torn apart by the Blight, Thomil has lived within the oppressive Tiranish system for ten years, trying to survive the city’s prejudice for the Kwen.

Despite their differences, Sciona and Thomil form a formidable team, especially when Sciona begins using Thomil’s knowledge of the world outside of Tiran to good use. But their work will uncover a dark secret, one rooted at the heart of Tiran’s history and their ability to harness magic. Can Sciona and Thomil overcome the shocking truth before them to ensure both their people’s survival, or will everything they know come crashing down?

Well damn, now that was a particularly awesome book! While I had high hopes for Blood Over Bright Haven, this honestly blew me away as Wang produced a truly inventive and powerful novel loaded with dark twists, complicated characters, and a unique magical system. I could not stop reading Blood Over Bright Haven once I started as this was such an addictive and memorable read. As such, I have very little choice but to award Blood Over Bright Haven a well-deserved five-star rating, and this was easily one of the best fantasy books I read in 2024.

Wang brings together an addictive and complex stand-alone fantasy narrative for Blood Over Bright Haven that I am frankly still not over due to its very clever twists and dark turns. Starting off with a great prequel scene that sets the stage for much of the drama to come, you are soon introduced to main character Sciona as she works to become a highmage in the male-dominated magical trade of the city. The fantastic entrance exam for the High Magistry was honestly the part of the book that first really grabbed my attention, and I loved how it simultaneously introduced the ambitious protagonist and several key plot points, all while presenting the basics for the novel’s distinctive magical system. I really cannot emphasise how well these initial scenes set the rest of Blood Over Bright Haven up, and you really plunge into the rest of the story from there.

From there the book quickly evolves into a complex story that is part intriguing magical research story part societal piece, as Sciona tries to overcome the inherent sexism of her colleagues while also working with her new assistant Thomil. Thomil, a Kwen from outside of the city, provides some further insights into the plight of the refugees in the city, which really amps up the excellent social commentary that the author is making. Thomil’s introduction also allows Wang to further dive into the complex elements of the book’s magic as Sciona teaches him the basics to make him a better assistant. You swiftly become attached to this new partnership between the idealistic and academic Sciona and the more pragmatic Thomil, and their combined dive into magical theory and the deeper issues of the city proves fascinating, right up until you hit the book’s big twist about halfway through. Now, I don’t want to reveal too much about this twist because it is so damn impactful, but I also really want to gush about how clever it is. I must commend Wang for how effectively she set up elements of this reveal in the first half of the book and I was really impressed with how it made so much sense looking back. It also completely changes the entire tone and context of much of the previous plot, which is frankly brilliant, and you go into the next part of the book a little traumatised as a result.

Naturally the second half of the book is very dark, as Sciona and Thomil try to move past the terrible secrets they have learned. This results in multiple brilliant scenes, as Sciona has her eyes full opened to all the secrets and lies around her. I particularly enjoyed the great sequence where Sciona overcomes the initial trauma of learning the book’s big secret by completely outthinking a doctor (who’s alchemical ‘cures’ is another grim plot inclusion which allusions to the historical medical treatment of women), and her somewhat naïve attempts to rationalise everything going on. Wang takes the reader into the final third of the book with some major moments as the protagonists go on the offensive and try to show the city the truth, even if they don’t want to see it. I particularly enjoyed the protagonist’s initial inventive attempt to sway people to her cause, which backfires in some shocking, if predictable ways, and everything is set up nicely for the final big twist, which I had honestly been hoping for most of the book. Wang wraps everything up brilliantly, and there is a bleak, yet hopeful, conclusion, which I think fit the powerful overarching narrative extremely well. You honestly come out of finishing Blood Over Bright Haven extremely thoughtful, and I cannot emphasise enough just how complex, compelling and clever this entire story was.

I deeply enjoyed how Wang set out her outstanding story, and I really found myself drawn to her compelling writing style in Blood Over Bright Haven. A very impressive and though-provoking stand-alone fantasy read, Wang balances a lot of great elements in her writing and sets it out extremely well for the reader to appreciate. The focus on some complex and highly relatable protagonists, whose perspective of the story allows to fully appreciate the hidden horrors of the plot, works extremely well, and I got so drawn into the various elements of the story as a result. Wang also proves effective at changing the tone of the book to match the plot, and I appreciated how the feel of the book went from a determined tale of magical research against the odds to something far bleaker. The background setting of Tiran was also extremely effective at helping to showcase the various social issues and concerns that Wang was strongly alluding to with her writing, and the more you learned about the city, the more you understand the points that the author was making. Wang also proved very effective at hiding the set-up for her big twists throughout her writing, including in examining history and magical theory, which is something I really appreciated. All the elaborate elements and reveals are extremely well foreshadowed in the earlier parts of the book, and I really enjoyed how everything came together in this plot.

As I have mentioned quite a few times above, I loved the compelling fantasy elements of the Blood Over Bright Haven, which were extremely inventive and highly memorable. This includes the magical city of Tiran, which, in addition to providing societal elements for the plot, also had a compelling history tied around magic and religion. However, the best fantasy elements of Blood Over Bright Haven was the truly unique magical system that so much of the plot was focussed on. In this case, magic revolves around a spellograph, essentially a magical steam-punk computer/typewriter, that allows its wielder to perform magic by setting out specific tasks and drawing energy from an alternate dimensional plain. While this sounds a bit clunky, it works extremely well, and Wang does an impressive job of setting it out and explaining it to the reader. The more you learn about this elaborate system, the more you appreciate Wang’s inventiveness, as she clearly put a lot of thought into the various processes and aspects of her system. The author furthers this by focusing much of the narrative around the protagonist’s magical research, and the reader finds themselves following all of Wang’s thoughts and complex in-universe theories to their inevitable conclusions. This outstanding magical system adds so much to the book, especially as so much of story’s darker moments are tied into understanding the full extent of how the citizens of Tiran came by their magic and how they utilise it. This was easily one of the more inventive new sorcerous concepts that I have seen in fantasy fiction for a while, and I cannot emphasise enough about how impressive I found it.

Finally, I need to highlight the great characters who Wang’s impressive narrative was set around, the brilliant, self-absorbed magical student Sciona and the former hunter turned desperate refugee Thomil. While on paper they sound like the leads of a rom-com, Wang has some elaborate and deep storylines around them that allow for some massive emotional depth and character growth. The two characters play off each other extremely well in the first half of the book, being an interesting duo trying to prove to the world what they can do. Both characters represent the oppressed classes of Tiran, and it was fascinating to see the different ways in which they try to address it, from Sciona trying to prove herself to those who will never respect her, while Thomil learns to knuckle under to survive, despite his pride and deep fury. While there is a little bit of a romantic edge to them at the start, the big reveal at the centre of the novel and their wildly different, but understandable, reactions to it, drives a big wedge, especially as it forces Sciona to finally fully address the many ills of her society, while Thomil comes to understand just how badly he has been wronged. I felt that both protagonists had some brilliant changes in their personality in the second half of the book, especially Sciona, who loses everything she previously believes in. Their subsequent interactions are laced with tension, especially as Sciona still attempts to see good in those around her, while Thomil has a more realistic viewpoint. Despite this, Thomil still tries to help her, and their final interactions, especially once Sciona finally understands everything, is very heartfelt and moving. These two protagonists are so well written, and Wang’s ability to dive into their minds and hit them with dark emotional curveballs created some gripping and powerful moments. Throw in Thomil’s wild, but entertaining niece, and a group of fantastic villains whose entitlement, selfishness, and determination to continue institutionalised oppression (cough, sounds familiar, cough), really make you hate them, and this proved to be an outstanding character-driven book.

M. L. Wang is easily one of my favourite new fantasy authors as Blood Over Bright Haven was so damn good. The epic combination of compelling narrative, extremely inventive fantasy elements, effective social commentary, and great characters made for a particularly impressive read, which sticks in your mind long after you put Blood Over Bright Haven down. I honestly cannot recommend this fantastic book enough, and you are in for an incredible treat if you decide to pick it up. As for myself, I am planning to check out The Sword of Kaigen in the new year, as I really want to read more awesome fantasy fiction from this brilliant new author.

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Waiting on Wednesday – Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler

On December 4, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. In this latest Waiting on Wednesday post I look ahead to Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me by Django Wexler, which is sure to be one of the most entertaining fantasy books of 2025.

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Earlier this year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the hilarious novel, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying by Django Wexler, the first book in the Dark Lord Davi duology. This book was an intriguing and clever fantasy comedy that followed a funny, if slightly cracked protagonist, Davi, who has found herself stuck in a dark fantasy realm where she is the prophesised saviour of the human Kingdom. However, saving the Kingdom proves to be a near impossible task and Davi finds herself constantly dying and being reborn, often at the hands of the interchanging Dark Lords who come to power to oppose her. After centuries of painfully dying in this time loop Davi finally snaps and decides that if you can’t beat them join them. This leads Davi on a dangerous journey into the wastelands containing the continent’s various non-human races as she embarks on an ambitious plan to become the Dark Lord herself.

I had such a great time reading How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, as Wexler wrote a particularly hilarious, meta, and occasionally dark tale around this fantastic premise and his eccentric protagonist. I honestly laughed myself silly the entire way through How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying, and I also appreciated the intriguing and clever storytelling that the author was adding in. As such, I have been curious to see how Wexler planned to finish off his duology for a while, and it looks like we’re about to see it in May 2025 with the sequel, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me.

Plot Synopsis:

Dark Lord Davi rules the kingdom, but she must now break the time loop that binds her in this hilariously bloody conclusion to the Dark Lord Davi duology.

Davi has left the horde behind her, hoping to find a peaceful solution to keep the Kingdom from being destroyed this time. But her plan to guide the Kingdom to peaceful prosperity is thwarted when she finds her usual love interest, Prince Johann, already married and the bloodthirsty Duke Aster running the government. Johann’s new husband is everything Davi is not, but he holds a key to the one mystery she can’t solve – the origins of the time loop that has entrapped her.

With restless armies at her doorstep, Duke Aster reaching for power, and an ancient magician hounding her every turn, Davi must scheme her way to peace and uncover the truth behind her curse if she is to break the spell that binds her once and for all.

Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me looks set to be a particularly awesome sequel to the first Dark Lord Davi book, and I love the fun direction that Wexler is apparently taking the story. Returning Davi to the Kingdom as a reluctant conqueror rather than a saviour is a nice touch, and I love the idea of seeing the protagonist attempt to deal with the politics she is so familiar with from a different direction. At the same time, it sounds like there is going to be some entertaining romantic shenanigans and dark political manoeuvres as Davi tries to save everyone, only to run into the typical problems of human nature. This cool new plot idea really works as a follow up to the previous book, and I cannot wait to see how Wexler brings this duology to an end. I am especially curious to find out how and why Davi is caught in her fantasy time loop, and I am hoping for an especially crazy or ironic background premise.

Honestly, after how much fun I had with How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying this year there is no way I will not be grabbing Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me as soon as I can. This first book had so much going for it, and I really grew to enjoy Django Wexler’s style and entertaining ideas. As such, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me is now one of my most anticipated books of 2025 and I have no doubt I will have a blast getting through this comedic sequel.

Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder by K. J. Parker

On December 3, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Fantasy, Five-Star Books3 Comments

Publisher: Orbit (Trade Paperback – 5 December 2023)

Series: Corax Trilogy – Book Three

Length: 323 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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One of the masters of comedic fantasy, K. J. Parker, ends his fantastic Corax trilogy on an outstanding note with Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder.

As we get to the end of 2024, I’m desperately trying to finalise reviews for books I read earlier in the year. This includes the third and final entry in the Corax trilogy by K. J. Parker, which I enjoyed a few months ago. Parker, a pseudonym of author Tom Holt, released his entire Corax trilogy in 2023, which follows a resourceful and ill-fated rogue, Saevus Corax, as he finds himself in all manner of trouble. Set in the same universe as the author’s The Siege series, which featured Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City (one of my favourite books of 2019), How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It (one of my favourite books of 2020) and A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (one of my favourite books of 2022), this was a trilogy with a lot of potential, and I eagerly grabbed all three books the first chance I could.

While I managed to get all three of the Corax novels last year, I only had the chance to read the first novel, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead before 2023 ended. This first entry in the trilogy was pretty damn incredible, and I loved the wonderful and highly entertaining story it contained, especially as it was masterfully layered with Parker’s trademark humour. Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead got an easy five-star rating from me, and it ended up being one of my favourite books of 2023. I quickly got onto the second book in the series, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, earlier this year, and just like the first entry, it proved to be a remarkable read that I had a wonderful time with. As such, I made sure to read the final book in the trilogy, Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder, as quickly as I could, and it proved to be great reading whilst away on holiday. I regret not writing something about Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder sooner, as it was an outstanding and epic read that I could not put down, but hopefully I can make up for it now.

After years of schemes, daring cons, an unwilling coronation and other unfortunate adventures, Saevus Corax is still stuck doing the only job he’s good at, battlefield salvage. Unglamourous and often disgusting work, it provides a basic living for his large crew of outcasts and rogues as they tour their world’s many scattered battlefields, rescuing and repurposing everything they can recover from the dead. However, Corax’s band are about to encounter the only thing that can make their business unprofitable, a massive total war that threatens to burn the entire continent.

Seeing the signs of upcoming mass conflict, Corax and his crew attempt to flee to safer climates where they can still potentially make a living. However, Corax finds his plan to escape thwarted by the family he has long tried to run away from. His sister, Phantis, has finally caught up with him, but instead of the vengeance she always promised, she needs his help to survive a coup gone bad. Despite his reluctance to get involved, Corax attempts to help, only to get dragged into even more danger.

Soon, with war coming closer and various factions seeking to kill him and claim the many bounties on his head, Corax is forced into one final scheme to get enough money to retire and escape from everything. Reuniting with his old flame, the beautiful con artist Stauracia, Corax attempts to find a long-lost treasure that could solve all his problems. But with betrayal coming from all sides, can Corax survive the chaos to come, or has he finally encountered a situation that even he cannot think his way out of?

Parker continues to showcase why he is the master of hilarious fantasy fiction, as Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder was another amazing read with a captivating and unique plot behind it. Masterfully wrapping up the Corax trilogy with a dark and entertaining story, Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder had me hooked the entire way through and, just like all the other books in the series, it gets a full five-star rating from me.

This third Corax book proved to be an excellent read, with Parker taking his audience on a final wild ride of schemes, betrayal and family drama, as Saevus Corax comes face to face with all his demons. While easily enjoyed as a standalone novel, Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder is best read after the rest of the trilogy, especially as many of the ongoing storylines and character relationships come to an end here. The plot of this book is epic and entertaining, as war, his ongoing conflict with his family and a desire to finally live a normal life drive Corax towards one final scheme while also trying to wipe away the sins of his past. However, as this is Corax, nothing goes to plan, and he soon encounters multiple setbacks and conflicts that he is forced to overcome in his typical resourceful way. However, this time Corax experiences some truly devastating betrayals and dark moments that destroy him in a way never seen before. Parker really lays in the clever twists for this last book in the trilogy, and you will not be prepared for some of the dark routes he goes. I felt that the big betrayal halfway through the novel was pretty impactful, although the final twist of the knife from his worst enemy at the end was the most heartbreaking. Everything comes to an impressive end that, while satisfying, fits within the tragic narrative that is the protagonist’s life, and honestly could the author really have left this series on a true happy ending?

The author continues to utilise the writing style and intriguing setting that made the first two Corax books and the preceding Siege trilogy so successful. While this similarity in style and substance does deal a certain dose of repetition to this third book, I still have a ton of fun reading them, and Parker makes it work so well in the context of his story. Utilisng a chronicle format from the perspective of the protagonist, Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder recounts the events of this final adventure, once again loaded with Corax’s distinctive and often satirical commentary and observations on events. The author relies heavily on twists, betrayals and deep intrigues throughout the plot, all of which are carefully pulled together, explored and savagely roasted by the protagonist as he experiences them. The continued cynicism and sarcastic take on the world that Corax witnesses and human nature in general brings in much of the book’s humour, and it is hard not to enjoy Corax’s unique thoughts. This first-person perspective is such an effective storytelling method for the series, and I love how it enhances the humour of the story while also serving as a good tool for exploring the various aspects of the semi-fantasy/alternate history world that the author is setting so many of his books in. Parker’s style really fits the complex narratives of deception, lies and betrayal that are the hallmark of the Corax series, and I am so glad that he set out this novel the way that he did.

The final Corax book was just as character focused as the previous entries, and I appreciated how Parker brought his various character arcs to a final close in Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder. Most of the focus remains on titular perspective protagonist, Saevus Corax, and it was great to see his unique story come to an end. A typical Parker protagonist, in that he is clever, funny, unrepentantly cynical and just a little bit tragic, Corax has been a great figure to follow, especially due to the elaborate schemes and complicated history that define his life. Constantly analysing the world and relying on the predictability of human nature, Corax is a dangerous person, especially when dealing with the various people trying to manipulate him as he tries to do the right thing. While he is usually able to outsmart everyone, several betrayals in this book really get under his skin, and he ends up being particularly rash and devastated at times. Despite this, he is still the clever, surprisingly honest, and often thoughtful figure that you have come to love in the previous novels, and I really appreciated seeing how his story concluded in this final Corax novel.

Aside from the protagonist, Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder features an interesting range of supporting characters, many of whom have a complex relationship with the protagonist. The most prominent of these is the manipulative force of nature, Stauracia, a con-artist who has a lot of history with Corax. Corax and Stauracia play off each other perfectly, and I always enjoy seeing their unique form of courting involving cons, lies and deceit. Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder is the book that really defines their relationship, and it was awesome to see their chemistry on full display as they try to work together for the ultimate final score. The rest of the cast is pretty fun as well, with the highlight being Corax’s sister Phantis. Parker has spent the entire trilogy hyping up Corax’s family as dangerous antagonists, and the author didn’t disappoint when it came to finally featuring one. Phantis is an incredibly selfish, vindictive and manipulative figure, and it was great to see the fantastic scenes between her and Corax, which amped up the family drama. While I was slightly disappointed we didn’t get to meet another member of Corax’s family that has been talked about a lot, Phantis was more than enough for this book, especially as she hits Corax where it really hurts in some of the darkest scenes of the book. Throw in the recurring background characters from the previous novels, including Corax’s band of scavengers, and this proves to be a great cast with a lot of fun features. However, readers are warned not to get too attached to any of them, as Parker has final book killing fever and deals with several characters in intriguing ways, especially as many are tempted by betrayal and their own sinister schemes.

In the end, Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder was yet another outstanding and deeply clever novel from K. J. Parker that I honestly cannot rave about enough. Providing its own addictive and funny narrative, while also bringing the entire Corax trilogy to a fitting end, Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder was an epic read that proves near impossible to turn away from. Parker is such an impressive author, and I look forward to seeing what he produces next, especially as he appears to have a new series starting in mid-2025.

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Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

On November 29, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Comedy/Satire, Extended Universe, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Murder Mystery, Throwback Thursday14 Comments

Publisher: Gollancz/Penguin Audio (Audiobook – 1989)

Series: Discworld – Book 8 / City Watch – Book One

Length: 13 hours and 29 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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I recently revisited one of my favourite books in Terry Pratchett’s iconic Discworld series, Guards! Guards!, and I just had to review it to showcase how much fun this series can be.

I have never made any secret of the fact that I love all things Terry Pratchett as the Discworld books were one of the formative series of my youth. A massively popular series set on a flat world carried through space on the back of a giant turtle and four elephants, the Discworld books present a range of unique fantasy adventures, backed with exceptional comedy and satire. This series is so much fun, and I honestly love every single Discworld book, having read them all multiple times, usually while laughing myself silly. Indeed, I am such a big fan of this series that I named my blog after a location in the universe. Despite my overwhelming love for this series, I haven’t reviewed many Discworld books (the exception being Moving Pictures and The Last Continent). That changes with my review of the outrageously funny Guards! Guards! which I recently enjoyed while on a road trip.

Guards! Guards! is a particularly entertaining addition to the Discworld series that I have a lot of love for. Serving as the first book in the City Watch sub-series, Guards! Guards! sees Pratchett blend his typical fantasy and comedy elements with a complex murder mystery. This book follows the ragtag city watch of this world’s main recurring city, Ankh-Morpork, as they try to solve a series of deaths caused by a monstrous murder weapon. Due to its brilliant and hilarious story, as well as the fact that it perfectly sets up the rest of the awesome City Watch books, I generally consider Guards! Guards! to be one of my absolute favourite Discworld novels, and I have featured it in various Top Ten Tuesday lists over the years.

On the fantastical and impossible Discworld no place is more dangerous, corrupt or morally unhealthy as the legendary and stinking city of Ankh-Morpork. The Disc’s largest city, Ankh-Morpork has many terrors haunting its urban depths, where life is cheap and death lurks around every corner. However, not even the hardest criminals, deadliest wizards or most manipulative politicians are prepared for an ancient and malevolent creature that is about to be unleashed upon the city.

A shadowy secret brotherhood has engineered an elaborate plan to seize power in Ankh-Morpork through use of an unlikely weapon, a dragon. Summoning a fully formed fire-breathing dragon to cause terror, the brotherhood hopes to use the resulting carnage to bring in their own puppet to control the city. However, the dragon has its own ideas about what sort of terror it wants to bring down on humanity.

With the rest of the city powerless against the dragon, it falls to the ramshackle Ankh-Morpork Night Watch and its depressed captain, Sam Vimes, to try and stop it. The only problem is the Watch are the biggest joke in the city, incapable of standing up to normal crime, never mind carnage caused by magical dragon. But with an unnaturally keen new recruit guilting them into action, and a terrifying dragon fanatic with a crush on Vimes keeping them in line, the Watch is going to try and save the day, even if no-one wants them to.

Guards! Guards! still reigns supreme as one of my top Discworld novels from the always impressive Terry Pratchett. Featuring a unique plot, loaded with an outstanding mix of mystery, humour and fun fantasy elements, Guards! Guards! brilliantly sets up one of Pratchett’s best sub-series while presenting its own epic and powerful story. An exceptional read from start to finish, this book gets a very easy five-star rating from me, and I love it so damn much.

The plot of Guards! Guards! is so damn clever and is peak Pratchett in its inventiveness and impressive characters. Presenting an entertaining and humourous noir murder investigation in a fantasy series, Guards! Guards! has a lot of moving parts to it, including some impressive character-driven story arcs, all of which come together beautifully for a particularly intense and insane story. Starting off very strong with some great introductions to various key characters, including the young and keen Carrot Ironfoundersson, who journeys to the massive and corrupt city of Ankh-Morpork to join the Night Watch, providing fresh blood, irrepressible honesty and uncontrolled enthusiasm to the small squad of rejects and failures currently staffing it. Carrot’s arrival corresponds with the start of a bold conspiracy, as a secretive mystic brotherhood plots to dethrone the Patrician and take over the city. The initial scenes of this book are extremely good, and I love how Pratchett expertly sets up the entire narrative with some hilarious moments, including the opening sequence with the Elucidated Brethren of the Ebon Night, whose petty ideology shows you just what sort of criminal minds we are truly dealing with.

Things go in a chaotic direction as the Night Watch, led by the drunk and depressed Captain Vimes, witness a direct murder by dragon and begin their own investigation into the matter. Pratchett expertly pivots the story around from its comedic fantasy start into a complex police procedural/noir murder investigation, as the protagonists try to find out why the dragon is terrifying the city and who benefits from the apparent crime. At the same time, several great character arcs emerge, including a truly nice, if unconventional romance, new friendships, and a fun analysis of dragon mythology. There is a great twist about halfway through the book as the down-and-out Night Watch witness an interesting change to the classic dragon fantasy tale that sees a unique king take over the city.

The final third of the book is some of Pratchett’s strongest writing, as Vimes identifies the true culprit and must work to undo the damage they caused. There are some great moments in this last part of the book as Pratchett presents his own unique and hilarious take on classic fantasy tropes, including the famed million-to-one shot, the heroic rescue, and the successful defeat of a dragon. I felt that the identity of the main villain of the story was very clever, and Pratchett sets it up well with subtle clues, although if you know Pratchett’s thoughts on certain government positions it’s not too surprising. Still, the final confrontation between the protagonists and this villain is great, and being literal has never been so deadly. Pratchett leaves Guards! Guards! on a hopeful note, and it’s impossible not to come away with a smile on your face.

Pratchett was really on-point when it came to writing Guards! Guards! and I loved how perfectly it came together. As with all books in the Discworld series, Guards! Guards! features an exceptional mixture of fantasy and humour elements, as the unusual and cynical Discworld produces some unusual situations, layered in with a great plot and some fantastically complex characters. A lot of the humour is derived from classic fantasy scenarios that are taken up to 11 and shown in outrageous manners, accompanied by sarcastic comments from the characters as they witness them. For example, this book serves as an ode to the guards and watchmen from classic fantasy fiction, and there are some funny scenes when these self-aware guards realise how expendable they are in a fantasy story. However, Guards! Guards! also features a brilliant third element as Pratchett also features a compelling crime fiction read, accompanied with an addictive murder mystery.

The blend of fantasy and crime fiction elements works incredibly well, and it is highly entertaining to watch a serious investigation consider magic, suddenly appearing dragons, and the unique background setting of Ankh-Morpork. I also loved how many clever and subtle jokes Pratchett was able to weave in because of these crime fiction inclusions, and he ends up lovingly roasting so many classic tropes from police procedurals and noir detective novels. Despite having read this book many times, I still laugh like crazy at all the humourous moments in Guards! Guards!, especially as you always discover a new joke or pun you previously missed. I honestly don’t have time to list all the funny scenes in Guards! Guards!, but favourites include the various meetings of the petty and mostly incompetent Elucidated Brethren, Carrot’s naïve overreactions upon discovering crime in the city, and various musings on how to achieve a perfect, million-to-one chance. Pratchett once again expertly backs up his humour in Guards! Guards! with a series of entertaining footnotes spread throughout the book, that prove to be nearly as much fun as the main story. These brilliant footnotes contain additional jokes, sarcastic comments, or interesting expansions of the Discworld universe, and they always bounce off the main story perfectly, providing extra laughs and food for thought where necessary. I really cannot emphasise just how well this blend of genres worked with Pratchett’s unique and endearing humour, and it proves impossible not to have an exceptional time while reading this book.

As with most Discworld books, Guards! Guards! works exceedingly well as a standalone novel, and I feel that anyone wanting a laugh could easily jump in and follow the story without any issues. Due to its early position in the shared Discworld universe, you don’t have to know anything about the other entries in the overarching series to jump right in, as Pratchett goes a tad light on some of the more outrageous Discworld elements. As such, I consider Guards! Guards! to be one of the very best entry novels to new Discworld readers. It also proves to be a brilliant first book in one of Pratchett’s best sub-series, and so many key details of the subsequent City Watch books are introduced here. This includes some excellent early looks at the chaotic city of Ankh-Morpork and key recurring characters in the larger universal plot. Ankh-Morpork is a great background setting for Guards! Guards! and it was the first book completely set within the bounds of the city. I loved seeing this crazy city in even more detail, and all the fun elements set up here help to make it an epic setting. As such, this is a great book for any Discworld reader, new or old, and it’s one of my favourites for very good reason.

As with pretty much all of Pratchett’s works, the key things that made Guards! Guards! so impressive were the amazing and unique characters that were featured throughout the plot. Pratchett had a real knack for producing complex, multi-layered figures who can be both comedic and tragic at the same time, and who you couldn’t help but love. Guards! Guards! was a particularly good example of this, as Pratchett featured a range of brilliant and entertaining characters who would go on to be become major recurring figures in the Discworld canon. Indeed, Guards! Guards! is one of the most significant books for new characters, and it is frankly amazing how many exceptional major and iconic figures were introduced here. Each of these characters were so well written, and you have to love both their specific arcs in this book, as well as how they were expanded on in later works.

The most prominent character in Guards! Guards! is Captain Samuel Vimes. A cynical and damaged man whose habit of calling out social inequities has seen him assigned to the joke position as head of the Night Watch, which he deals with by drinking vast amounts of alcohol. A parody of every hard-drinking cop and private eye in classic noir fiction, Vimes starts the book with no prospects and too many dead friends. Given new purpose when the dragon appears in the city, Vimes turns his innate rebellion to a purpose and tries policing and detecting. Pratchett does an exceptional job setting up Vimes here in Guards! Guards!, and it is no wonder he goes on to be one of his top protagonists. Vimes’s depressed investigative method proves quite successful, and it was entertaining to watch Vimes attempt to solve the case while sarcastically calling out his fellow citizens’ base stupidity and selfishness. Pratchett also sets up an impressive redemption arc around Vimes, which comes about through a combination of trusted colleagues, romance, and a renewed determination to uphold the law. While he ends the book still irritated with the world, the road forward to Vimes doing bigger and better things is well established, and you really get drawn into his arc as a result.

Another impressive character is naïve and innocent City Watch recruit, Carrot Ironfoundersson. Due to his complex home situation and a late life revelation that he’s human rather than a dwarf (being six and a half feet tall wasn’t a clue to him), Carrot is sent to Anhk-Morpork with a desire to become a watchman, which he incorrectly believes is a noble calling. Thanks to his literal personality and highly moral upbringing, Carrot proves to be an anathema to the lawless folks of Anhk-Morpork, as he comes to town bringing justice, enforcing obscure laws, and actually arresting thieves: “change your ways”. A brilliant parody of ultra-righteous fantasy kings, Carrot serves as an outstanding comic relief for much of the book, especially when it comes to his wholesome interactions with the exceedingly criminal inhabitants of the city. However, beneath his comedic cover, Carrot is written as a complex figure of change, and his ability to inspire the other characters, either through guilt or determination, leads to some big moments. Pratchett did an amazing job with Carrot in Guards! Guards!, and it was fascinating to see how he evolves from his initial innocent personality, to a more clever, but still determined, character.

Aside from Vimes and Carrot, the other two watch characters are Sergeant Fred Colon and Corporal Nobby Nobbs, both of whom are excellent and solid comedic characters. The stereotypical fat sergeant and dodgy corporal, Pratchett has fun setting them up as unassailable fixtures of the Night Watch as they do the jobs nature intended for them, and I love how they play off each other. While Colon has some hilarious scenes, including his attempt at archery and his various ill-timed run-ins with the dragon, you can tell that Pratchett had a lot more fun writing Nobby. While not all his over-the-top characteristics from the series are shown in Guards! Guards!, Nobby is still a particularly entertaining figure. Between his coarse language, petty criminal mindset, and uncharacteristic foppish behaviours, every scene with Nobby is highly amusing, and I love how Pratchett expanded off clever stereotypes about lifetime corporals to create this wayward figure.

Outside the members of the City Watch, there are a fantastic array of figures who help to make Guards! Guards! a particularly enthralling story. This includes one of the few female characters in the book, Sybil Rankin, a dragon-loving heiress who ends up being Vimes’s unlikely love interest. Deliberately written as the direct opposite of a noir femme-fatale in both personality and appearance, Sybil is a force of nature, using her accumulated nobility to pull the Night Watch, especially Vimes, into her orbit. It proves impossible not to like Sybil as you watch her confidently go after Vimes or try to put the dragon to heel, and she ends up being one of the most complicated female characters that Pratchett wrote (which is saying a lot when you think of some of his other great female characters).

The other major character that I want to separately highlight is the Patrician of Ankh-Morpork, Lord Havelock Vetinari. While he has appeared in previous Discworld novels (notably Sourcery), this is the first book that showcases him as a full character. Generally depicted as a Machiavellian mastermind and one of the few people capable of controlling the chaotic city, Vetinari has some great early scenes. However, it’s not until the second half of the book when you realise just how fantastic a character he is. Deposed by the false king, Vetinari initially appears to be completely powerless in the dungeons, until Vimes is thrown in with him and begins to realise that he is still in control, especially as he’s managed to cultivate a new intelligence network (procured by providing wartime strategy to magical rats), while also getting locked in a dungeon specifically designed to keep him safe. His subsequent scenes tormenting the book’s real antagonist and talking about the nature of humanity with Vimes really cement him as an impressive figure, and the seeds for his many later inclusions as the Disc’s ultimate political mastermind are well sown here.

While I know I’ve been going on a bit about characters (blame Pratchett for being such a good writer), I just need to highlight a few more figures who have a great role in Guards! Guards!. This includes the Librarian, one of Pratchett’s most iconic characters, who proves to be just as much fun outside of a wizard focused book, and it was entertaining seeing him interact with a separate group of friends. You get a great introduction to the character of Cut-My-Own-Throat Dibbler, whose mercantile tendencies are on full display here. The unusual swamp dragon Errol proves to be an unlikely pet, and his arc about finding love and his true form was particularly heartwarming. Finally, I must mention the book’s great antagonist, who fully embraces the mad tendencies that his position demands. While I won’t go into too much detail about who he is, I will say I loved seeing his various internal rants about the world, and the scenes with his incompetent henchmen were so damn funny. All these characters, plus even more hilarious figures, are instrumental to so much of Guards! Guards! brilliant charm and humour, and after being introduced to them here, it’s impossible not to follow them on their full journey.

I have had the pleasure of reading Guards! Guards! in a couple of different formats over the years, but to my mind the best way to enjoy this book, and indeed any Discworld novel, is on audiobook. The Discworld audiobooks are something very special, and I find that the unique stories, excellent humour and elaborate characters really come across when read out by a passionate narrator. With the recent re-release of various Discworld audiobooks, there are now two different unabridged versions of Guards! Guards! fans can enjoy, and I want to highlight them both here.

The first Guards! Guards! audiobook is the original version with the talented Nigel Planer, who narrated 22 of the original 23 Discworld audiobooks. Guards! Guards! is one of his best performances, and it set the scene nicely for many of his subsequent Discworld audiobooks, especially as he settled on a lot of key character voices and tones here. While it has been a little while since I’ve listened to Planer’s version of Guards! Guards!, I have enjoyed it so many times it is permanently engrained in my head (I used to grab the tape cassette version out of my local library all the time). Planer, who does all the voices himself, really captures the essence of Pratchett’s storytelling and excels at expressing the author’s unique humour through his vocal work. I also felt that his portrayal of many of the key characters was second to none, and he really brought to life all the City Watch protagonists, as well as some other long-running figures, in some impressive ways. He would revisit many of these voices in multiple subsequent performances, and it is a testament to his skill that the initial tones he came up with here, worked so well in the later books. I frankly have so much love for Planer’s original take on Guards! Guards!, which definitely still stands the test of time, and his excellent and heartfelt voice work defines many of the City Watch characters for me.

While Nigel Planers original version is perfect, current Discworld fans may be more familiar with the latest audiobook production of Guards! Guards!, which was part of a recent re-recording of all the Discworld books. These new audiobooks each feature a different famous British performer voicing the main plot, while acclaimed actors Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Nighy have key roles in every single production. While these have been out for a little while, I only just listened to my first one . Coming in at a runtime of 13 and a half hours, which is a tad longer than the roughly 10-hour long Planer version, this Guards! Guards! audiobook was extremely fun, and it served as excellent entertainment on a recent road trip.

The new version of the Guards! Guards! audiobook is primarily voiced by British radio and television personality Jon Culshaw. Culshaw is amazing in the role, and I was deeply impressed with his take on the Guards! Guards! characters. Each unique character comes across extremely well in Culshaw’s capable hands, and I enjoyed his take on their unique characteristics and eccentric personalities. He perfectly showcased protagonist Samuel Vimes’s drunken despair and depression, while various other key members of the watch, such as the extremely keen Carrot and the more cautious Colon, are shown extremely well. I also felt that Culshaw did an incredible job with several complicated figures from the story, such as the infamous watchman Nobby Nobbs, who Culshaw gifts a gruff and weaselly voice that sounded a lot like David Bradley or Jon Pertwee. His Lord Vetinari is also amazing, and the deep and threatening tones really capture the character’s dangerous nature. Finally, I felt that his take on the main female character, Sybil Ramkin, was just perfect, and you really got the full blast of her big personality and excessive aristocratic characteristics. Many of the other side characters were also perfectly portrayed to my mind, and I must highlight the excellent way in which he disguised the voice of the main antagonist during some key secret society scenes.

Culshaw’s primary narration is well backed up by Peter Serafinowicz and Bill Nighy in their respective roles. Serafinowicz provides the voice of Death whenever he appears in this audiobook, which works out extremely well even with Death’s relatively minor role in Guards! Guards!. Serafinowicz has an exceptional Death voice, and hearing it suddenly appear throughout Guards! Guards! is so damn epic, especially during one scene where Death is hiding amongst the soon-to-be deceased. Nighy, on the other hand, narrates the various footnotes. Nighy was a perfect choice for this, and his calm, consistent tones, echoing Peter Jones’s similar role in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy radio and TV editions really highlighted the subtle comedy of these footnotes. I felt that all three of these distinctive actors really vibed together in the Guards! Guards! audiobooks, and the switch between them was seamless, allowing for a particularly awesome listen. Throw in an interesting short afterword about fantasy elements by acclaimed author Ben Aaronovitch, and this proved to be a remarkable and compelling audiobook I could not get enough of. While Nigel Planer’s original narration of Guards! Guards! is always going to live in my head rent free, I felt that this new version more than lived up to the hype surrounding it, and I really appreciated the unique and powerful performances these new narrators brought to the table. Frankly both of the audiobook versions comes highly recommended by me, and it is impossible to be dissatisfied by them at all.

Whew, well in case you could guess from this massive review (it got away from me), I love Guards! Guards! and I have some very strong feelings for it. One of Terry Pratchett’s best Discworld novels, Guards! Guards! is the perfect blend of fantasy, crime fiction and humour that you could ever want, and I always get wrapped up in its elaborate story. A wildly entertaining and comedic novel from start to finish, Pratchett added so much heart to this book, and you get drawn into the impressive characters and compelling, crime fiction plot. A brilliant start to the City Watch subseries, Guards! Guards! is so damn good, and I know I will be reading it many more times in my life. I can think of no better way to emphasise just how amazing Guards! Guards! is than to mention that I used it to introduce the Discworld to my wife, who is now powering through the series on her own. So do yourself a favour and check this book out now!

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Canberra Weekly Column – Fantasy – 7 November 2024

On November 25, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Canberra Weekly Column, FantasyLeave a comment

Originally published in the Canberra Weekly on 7 November 2024.

Make sure you check out my extended reviews of The Fury of the Gods, The Heart of the World, and Buried Deep and Other Stories.

Quick Review – The Heart of the World by Amie Kaufman

On November 25, 2024November 25, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Fantasy, Quick Review, Young Adult3 Comments

Publisher: Allen & Unwin Australia (Trade Paperback – 27 August 2024)

Series: The Isles of the Gods duology – Book Two

Length: 424 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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One of Australia’s leading authors of young adult fiction, Amie Kaufman, presents a cool conclusion to The Isles of the Gods duology with the fun read, The Heart of the World.

Amie Kaufman is an impressive Australian author who has produced multiple entertaining and enjoyable series over the years, mostly in collaboration with other awesome authors. For example, I best know Kaufman from the intriguing and addictive young adult science fiction trilogy she cowrote with Jay Kristoff, the Aurora Cycle trilogy, which proved to be particularly fun (see my reviews for Aurora Rising, Aurora Burning and Aurora’s End). Kaufman’s latest body of work has been The Isles of the Gods duology, a great young adult fantasy series that follows several teenage protagonists who find themselves drawn into an ancient war between gods. This series began last year with the first book, The Isles of the Gods, and has just come to an end with the compelling read, The Heart of the World.

Plot Synopsis:

Magic and sacrifice will collide as lovers and gods, enemies and allies vie for the fate of the world in this heart-pounding sequel to The Isles of the Gods, which Stephanie Garber called deliciously diabolical and full of heart.

When Selly and Leander began their treacherous voyage to the Isles of the Gods, the captain’s daughter and the playboy prince were strangers. But amid talk of war and a deadly attack on their ship, the unthinkable happened.

They fell in love.

Leander’s ritual at the island temple was meant to prevent a war between the gods. Instead, it nearly cost him his life, and drew the goddess Barrica back from exile. Now, as her Messenger, Leander is imbued with her deadly magic, and only Selly’s presence can stop it from consuming him.

But Barrica wasn’t the only immortal roused from sleep. The God of Risk, Macean, was awakened by an enemy all thought dead, and across the sea he’s calling for war.

The fight to save their world will take Selly and Leander from the gilded ballroom of the royal palace to the hallowed halls of an ancient library. Battle lines will be drawn, and bonds will break.

With the wrath of gods and the machinations of power-hungry rulers straining their loyalties, can their love withstand the trials that await them?

The Heart of the World was an exciting and moving book that did an excellent job wrapping up the storylines started in the first book. Set immediately after the events of The Isles of the Gods, Kaufman presents an intense, character-driven narrative, as the teenage protagonists attempt to deal with the return of gods into their world. Told from the perspective of five characters, you get some interesting storylines here, including Leander learning to control his power as his god’s Messenger while Selly tries to help him while also learning about the deadly politics of the realm. Other character storylines of note include the scholar Keegan attempting to determine how to stop the oncoming chaos while also dealing with his many personal issues, the antagonistic Messenger of Macean, Laskia dealing with having power for the first time, and the conflicted Jude trying to determine where he stands in the world.

Kaufman does a great job blending these cool, character-driven storylines together into one compelling and exciting narrative with a very fast pace. There is an excellent blend of politics, character growth and a deepening of personal relationships, as each of the protagonists react to the changes brought on by the events of the first book. Things take a more urgent turn halfway through as the warring gods emerge and the characters find themselves desperately caught up trying to stop or control the destructive fight to come. Featuring a countdown towards inevitable carnage, I liked how Kaufman kept the intensity and stakes of the second half of the book high without showing too much actual conflict and bloodshed, instead relying on compelling character moments thanks to a variety of unique interactions. The protagonists are forced to overcome the consuming influence of their gods, both of whom want war, as they attempt to save their world, and I felt that the author came up with a well-written and cleverly set up solution to the entire plot. The book ends on a satisfying and hopeful note, and I really had a fun time getting through this compelling story.

I really liked how The Heart of the World came together, and Kaufman ensures that it is accessible and enjoyable for a range of fantasy fans. While I would recommend reading The Isles of the Gods first, new readers can probably dive into The Heart of the World straight away without too much prior context, as the author’s descriptive writing style and ability to effectively recap events really helps. While some of the key fantasy elements from the last book aren’t as comprehensively covered in this sequel, such as spirit magic, Kaufman ensures that all the key features of this universe are well covered. Indeed, there is a major religious focus throughout The Heart of the World, and it was fascinating to see various characters react to the direct influence and power of the two warring deities.

The resulting story moves at high speeds, and I honestly found myself powering through The Heart of the World every time I picked it up. It helped that Kaufman made excellent use of quick and sharp perspective changes, and the jump from one short character-focused chapter to the next allowed for some quick plot progression. As with the prior book in the duology, I felt that The Heart of the World was an excellent fantasy book that would appeal to a lot of readers, not just its intended young adult audience. In particular, Kaufman sets up a lot of mature and intelligent themes and moments, most of the based around her complex protagonists, which I think will resonate with a teenage audience. However, older fantasy readers can also enjoy The Heart of the World thanks to Kaufman’s clever writing and intriguing themes.

I also need to quickly highlight the excellent character work contained within The Heart of the World, which I felt helped to turn this sequel into something special. Kaufman does an outstanding job continuing to explore her five damaged protagonists, and there is some great continuation to the complex character elements set up in the first book. This includes a compelling look of the romance angle between Leander and Selly, who are forced to deal with major obstacles, including Leander’s sudden uncontrollable power, while Selly is forced out of her comfort zone on the waves and into the deadlier wilderness of court life. I also loved the storyline of Laskia, who’s experience as her god’s Messenger went in a darker direction, as she struggles with finally having power and the ability to control her destiny after a lifetime of being manipulated by others. All of the other protagonists have their own unique moments as well, and I really appreciated how all their respective family issues became even more apparent in this second book, as all five of them experience some form of betrayal or disappointment at the hands of their family which they must overcome. Throw in a particularly entertaining new supporting character in Kiki, a bubbly and unstoppable force of social energy, and the cast of The Heart of the World was particularly strong and resulted in some moving moments.

Overall, The Heart of the World was an amazing new novel from Amie Kaufman that I was glad I checked out. Providing a great ending to The Isles of the Gods duology, The Heart of the World had a brilliant, character-driven narrative, that is so easy to get lost in. A fantastic and very fun novel that is worth checking out, especially if you enjoyed Kaufman’s previous work.

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The Fury of the Gods by John Gwynne

On November 25, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star Books3 Comments

Publisher: Orbit/Little Brown Audio (Audiobook – 22 October 2024)

Series: The Bloodsworn Saga – Book Three

Length: 19 hours and 30 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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John Gwynne brings his awesome Bloodsworn trilogy to a truly epic conclusion with the outstanding novel, The Fury of the Gods.

For the last few years one of the most compelling fantasy series has been the Bloodsworn Saga trilogy from acclaimed fantasy author John Gwynne. This series is set in a Norse-inspired fantasy world shattered by warring gods and now filled with monsters, voyaging warriors and the human descendants of the gods whose power often see them collared and controlled as thralls. The series started back in 2021 with the impressive read, The Shadow of the Gods, which introduced the main characters and set them on their quests. I almost missed The Shadow of the Gods when it came out, but I was glad that I didn’t, as it turned out to be one of my favourite books and audiobooks of 2021. Gwynne continued the series in a big way the next year with the excellent sequel, The Hunger of the Gods, which expertly continued the series and ended up also being a top book and audiobook of 2022. Due to how amazing the first two entries in the trilogy proved to be, I have been eager for to the finale of the trilogy for a while, and I was so happy we got one in 2024. One of my most anticipated books in the second half of 2024, The Fury of the Gods was everything I hoped it would be and more, and I listened to it the very first chance that I got.

The gods have returned, and all must pay the price!

After centuries of imprisonment following the last great war of the gods, the evil and crazed dragon-god Lik-Rifa has been released and now seeks to rule over the land of Vigrid. With the cunning rat-god Rotta at her side, Lik-Rifa leads a vast army made up of her monstrous children, as well as ambitious mercenaries and Tainted warriors. Determined to place the entire continent under her dark rule, Lik-Rifa turns her eyes to the stronghold of Snakavik and moves to destroy the last vestige of resistance against her.

However, not all is lost, as some seek to stand against Lik-Rifa. Elvar, leader of the Battle-Grim, has killed her father and taken control of Snakavik. Bound by fate and her oaths, Elvar must balance her new responsibilities as ruler while she plans for war against Lik-Rifa, a seemingly impossible task. However, Elvar has done the impossible before by resurrecting Lik-Rifa’s hated brother, the wolf-god, Ulfrir, and binding him to her will. Now her most potent weapon and the ultimate bait for Lik-Rifa, Elvar seeks to use Ulfrir to destroy the gods coming for her. But even a giant wolf-god might not be enough to win the war, and Elvar needs even more allies to help her.

After scouring a bloody path across Vigrid, Orka Skullsplitter has rescued her son, but still seeks vengeance against Lik-Rifa’s forces. To that end, Orka reunites with her old warband, the Bloodsworn, and sets them to join Elvar’s growing host. Made up of deadly Tainted warriors, including their latest recruit, Varg No-Sense, the Bloodsworn have many reasons to fight against the dragon-god’s followers. Together, the Bloodsworn, Battle-Grim and their various allies prepare to face Lik-Rifa’s army in the greatest battle the world has ever known. But no-one is prepared for the chaos that is about to engulf Vigrid, as greater threats arise to devour all.

Gwynne continues to impress with this third and final Bloodsworn Saga novel. The Fury of the Gods was another high-octane, character driven, dark fantasy novel, that takes the reader on a powerful adventure. Loaded with fantastic moments and amazing action, The Fury of the Gods proved to be an outstanding conclusion to the Bloodsworn Saga, and I had such an awesome time getting through it.

The Fury of the Gods featured a spectacular and captivating narrative that starts off strong and refuses to slow down the entire way through. Taking off immediately after The Hunger of the Gods, Gwynne effectively sets the stage for the oncoming battles as the various character arcs continue at breakneck pace. Once again telling the story through the eyes of five distinctive protagonists (Orka, Elva, Varg, Biorr and Gudvarr), you get drawn into their intriguing personal tales as they recount the events they observe. The first half of the book keeps these protagonists mostly separated, and their various storylines continued in similar directions to The Hunger of the Gods. Orka is still set on her bloody revenge mission and must overcome her imprisonment by the rat-god Rotta. Varg and the Bloodsworn journey back from their rescue mission in the neighbouring nation of Iskidan, encountering new threats along the way. Elvar takes up the responsibility of ruling Snakavik after killing her father and finds herself leading the war against Lik-Rifa. Finally, Biorr and Gudvarr provide intriguing insights into Lik-Rifa’s camp, as both the conflicted Biorr and the snivelling Gudvarr try to survive the rise of dragon-god in their own different ways.

Gwynne does a good amount of set-up in this first half of the book, and it was nice to see the various characters continue to breathe on their own for a bit, while also amping up the dangerous antagonists. You once again get quickly drawn into each of the protagonists narratives, and I think that it is a testament to Gwynne’s writing that each of these storylines proved to be as entertaining and compelling as the rest. Unlike other multiple-perspective novels I have read, I honestly loved every single character perspective in The Fury of the Gods, and I was excited to continue each of them. Indeed, I find it hard to choose a favourite, as they were all fun while offering something a little different. That being said, Elvar’s chapters moved the plot along the most, and Gwynne did his best character work with her in this book.

Everything leads up to a particularly epic final half, as Gwynne brings together all five point-of-view characters to the same location for the first time in the series. With the protagonists spread out on each side of the conflict, you get a great view of the massive extended war as the god-led armies fight it out on several fronts, including in a brutal siege. Gwynne kept the action going thick and fast here, and there are some great encounters and moments as the various characters meet on the battlefield. Everything leads up to a massive confrontation nearly two-thirds of the way through, and there are some highly dramatic moments here, especially as the first big-death was a little unexpected. This major fight ends in an interesting way, although details of it are spoiled a little by the awesome cover above. This leads to some more fantastic moments, including the final battle between both sides. The author chucks in a few more tragic moments in this final bit of the book, although I must admit that there weren’t a lot of surprises here, with many of the big reveals well telegraphed in advance. I also thought that the various revenge arcs cluttered up the plot in a predictable manner, and I wish Gwynne had thrown a twist or two in here. Still, everything ended on an extremely epic note, and readers who enjoyed the previous Bloodsworn Saga books will come away very satisfied and happy with the finalised character arcs.

As with the previous Bloodsworn Saga novels, Gwynne brings a distinctive style to The Fury of the Gods, which I felt greatly enhanced the story. The blend of compelling Norse-inspired fantasy elements, great character work, and brutal action makes for awesome reading, and Gwynne presents it all in an accessible and enjoyable way. I loved how the characters’ dialogue and inner thoughts fell in line with the book’s historical inspiration, and while this style might not be for everyone, elements of it, such as the repetition of certain thoughts and phrases, gives it a real saga feel. As with the previous entries in the series, Gwynne makes excellent use of multiple character perspectives to tell his elaborate narrative, with his five point-of-view characters helming various chapters. The split between these five characters worked extremely well, and you get some intriguing alternate perspectives of events that blend well as the book continues. Gwynne makes excellent use of this split during some of the bigger combat scenes, and the use of shorter chapters when things get particularly exciting allows the reader to quickly switch amongst the action. Talking of action, Gwynne ensures that the combat in The Fury of the Gods is as bloody and well-written as in the previous books, and his brilliant action scenes are so well described and bring you right into the midst of the fighting.

As The Fury of the Gods is the third and final book in an epic fantasy trilogy, it obviously isn’t the most ideal place for readers to dive into the overarching story, and you really should start at the beginning of the series for the full emotional impact. However, for those who want to start with The Fury of the Gods, Gwynne does make this book somewhat accessible to new readers. Between the detailed summary of the prior books, glossary of terms, character lists and the callbacks to the previous events during the plot, new readers can follow The Fury of the Gods easily enough and have fun. This includes enjoying the full impact of the cool fantasy setting of Vigrid that Gwynne has lovingly set up during the three books. The clever use of Norse-inspired elements really lends itself to the epic revenge driven narrative that Gwynne features, and the mixture of mythological, fantasy and historical elements proved to be a winning combination. I still love seeing the various warbands using Viking war tactics against dark dangers and massive gods, and Gwynne really went all out making so many traditional Norse elements, such as weaponry, armour, ships and mentality, seem as realistic as possible. At the same time, the book’s fantasy inclusions, such as the various monsters and Tainted, the human descendants of the gods, add so much to the story, through their vicious nature, intriguing descriptions, and underlying societal issues. This was an overall pretty awesome setting, that Gwynne uses to full effect to tell his compelling tale. I hope that Gwynne returns to this world at some point in the future, and it wouldn’t surprise me if some of the younger characters featured here get their own story.

In addition to The Fury of the Gods’ fantastic story and great writing, I also need to talk about the awesome characters. Throughout the Bloodsworn Saga, Gwynne has put a lot of work into building up his various characters, and by this point in the trilogy you are highly invested in their respective stories. As such, there aren’t a lot of new figures in this final book, and you generally know what to expect when one of the protagonists’ chapters begins. However, it still proved awesome to see these figures in action again, and their compelling character arcs and differing personalities deeply increase the impact of the narrative. Of the main cast, I would say that Elva steals the show the most in The Fury of the Gods. While she has not always been the most exciting character in the series, this third and final book was where she really shined, primarily because she takes on the role of war leader against Lik-Rifa, and the increased responsibility changes her. As such, it was outstanding to follow her storyline, and I appreciated seeing how conflicted she got at times, especially when it came to treating the Tainted in her domain. Due to this, as well as some other badass scenes, Elva was one of the most compelling protagonists in The Fury of the Gods for me, and Gwynne provided an interesting conclusion to her narrative that I felt really worked.

The other four main characters all proved to be brilliant additions to the book, and their perspectives ensured quite an elaborate story. The dangerous fighters, Orka and Varg, were both solid point-of-view characters in The Fury of the Gods, and I really enjoyed seeing how their respective arcs continued, especially as they were the main avenue to seeing the Bloodsworn warband. Of all the protagonists, you were most likely to see action with Orka or Varg, and their various bloody sequences were a lot of fun. That being said, Gwynne went a little light with the character development for these figures in this book, and while they have some moving moments (Orka comes out of her solitude to find people she cares about, while Varg finally cements his place in the Bloodsworn), I felt that Gwynne focused way too much on their respective hunts for revenge, which resulted in some of their stuff getting a little repetitive.

However, Gwynne more than overcomes any minor deficiencies with Orka and Varg through his use of the antagonistic perspective characters Biorr and Gudvarr, both of whom have joined Lik-Rifa’s cause. Biorr proves to be a complex figure in The Fury of the Gods, and I loved how conflicted he become as his longstanding fanaticism slowly beings to wear away in the face of meeting his gods. Gwynne did a really great job with Biorr, and his personal journey and attempted redemption made for some powerful moments. On the other hand, we have the entertaining and despicable Gudvarr, whose chapters I always have fun with. Gudvarr is an impressively annoying figure who has spent the last two books trying to avoid danger only to find himself getting stuck in progressively worse situations. However, because he is naturally cowardly, weaselly and vindictive figure, you really don’t feel sorry for him, especially as every bad situation is the result of some failed ploy to gain influence or power. While Gudvarr is a particularly contemptible figure, it honestly proves impossible not to enjoy his chapters, as they are generally the most amusing in the entire book thanks his snarky inner monologue, the deadly situations he barely escapes from, and the near certainty that he is going to come to a sticky end. As such, I really enjoyed following Gudvarr and you can’t help but look forward to seeing what dangerous or manipulative situation he finds himself in next.

Finally, I must highlight all the awesome and impressive supporting characters that are featured in The Fury of the Gods. Gwynne has built up an exceptional and massive cast of characters throughout the series, all of whom add something to book. I loved seeing the many complex interactions that occurred between all these characters in The Fury of the Gods, and it was fun to see many of them meet for the first time in this final book, especially once all the perspective characters are together. Highlights include the key members of the Battle-Grim and Bloodsworn warbands, all of whom have gone through so much throughout the trilogy. Several of the best characters from both bands experience major tragedy in The Fury of the Gods, and it proves hard not the feel for them. I also need to mention the main antagonists, Lik-Rifa and Rotta, two vengeful gods whose desire for revenge and control move much of the plot along. I loved seeing the various human and Tainted characters interact with these dark gods, and Gywnne ensured they came across as a massive and dangerous threat. Two entertaining giant ravens, a fun talking head, and so many other great characters ensured that The Fury of the Gods was a moving and deeply personal read, and I am so glad I got the opportunity to know them during the run of this trilogy.

As with the previous books in the Bloodsworn Saga, I chose to grab The Fury of the Gods on audiobook, which proved to be a particularly awesome way to enjoy this epic read. Featuring a runtime just under 20 hours, The Fury of the Gods audiobook is a lengthy but highly exciting listening experience, and I found myself powering through this audiobook, namely because the format deeply enhances the intense story and intricate writing. Narrator Colin Mace, who has lent his voice to the other Bloodsworn Saga books, did another brilliant job with The Fury of the Gods, and his impressive voicework leant some additional impact and gravitas to the book. Mace perfectly portrays the Norse-inspired fantasy elements of the book, and I really loved how effectively he captured the various hard-nosed characters of the series. I especially loved Mace’s take on the gigantic gods and other dark creatures haunting the lands, and I felt that the narrator was a key reason why I had so much fun with this audiobook. Probably one of the best formats to enjoy The Fury of the Gods, listeners will have such an epic time with this audiobook.

With blood, fury and vengeance, the Bloodsworn Saga comes to a brilliant end that I could not get enough of. The Fury of the Gods was another exceptional read from John Gwynne, and I was so very happy to see how this entire epic narrative concluded. Loaded with action, excellent fantasy elements, and so many impressive characters, The Fury of the Gods was an outstanding book on its own, as well as an incredible conclusion to one of the most epic fantasy trilogies out there. One of my favourite fantasy books of 2024, The Fury of the Gods was an excellent read that gets an easy five-star rating from me.

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Waiting on Wednesday – A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde

On November 13, 2024 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Waiting on Wednesday6 Comments

Welcome to my weekly segment, Waiting on Wednesday, where I look at upcoming books that I am planning to order and review in the next few months and which I think I will really enjoy. Stay tuned to see reviews of these books when I get a copy of them. For my latest Waiting on Wednesday post, I highlight an intriguing 2025 fantasy debut with A Song of Legends Lost by M. H. Ayinde.

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The new year is shaping up to quite impressive fiction wise, as there are a ton of awesome new novels coming out in 2025. While I love seeing some of my favourite series continuing, I am also always keeping my eye out for something new, especially if that means debuts from promising new authors. I have already identified a couple of cool Australian crime fiction debuts coming out in early 2025, and now I’m turning to fantasy fiction debuts, there is a compelling fantasy novel from a first-time author is coming out in April.

This fantasy debut is A Song of Legends Lost by new author M. H. Ayinde, and not only does it have an amazing cover, but it also sounds really impressive. Set to be a gripping and powerful revenge tale, A Song of Legends Lost has an interesting magic system revolving around the summoning of ancient ancestor spirits for combat purposes. However, when a commoner summons the wrong spirit by accident, it leads to all manner of trouble, both in the spirit realm, and on the physical plane. I really love the sound of A Song of Legends Lost and I think that this novel could have some real potential for next year, and I cannot wait to check it out.

Plot Synopsis:

A relentlessly gripping tale of revenge and rebellion from a major new voice in epic fantasy

In the kingdom of Nine Lands, incursions by an ancient enemy are dealt with by the Invoker clans – warriors of noble blood who can summon their ancestors to fight with them in battle. But when Temi, a commoner from the slums, accidentally invokes a powerful spirit, she finds it could hold the key to ending this centuries-long war.

But as secrets long buried come to light, Temi will learn that not everything that can be invoked is an ancestor, and some of the spirits that can be drawn from the ancestral realm are more dangerous than anyone can imagine.