Gareth Hanrahan
Adult Fantasy
He thought he was saving the world. That was his first mistake.
Twenty years ago, Alf and his companions defeated the Dark Lord and claimed his city. Now, those few of the Nine that remain find themselves unwilling rebels, defying the authority of both the mortal Lords they once served and the immortal king of the elves – the secret architect of everything they’ve ever known.
Once lauded as a mighty hero, Alf is now labelled a traitor and hunted by the very gods he seeks to bring down. As desperate rebellion blazes across the land, Alf seeks the right path through a maze of conspiracy, wielding a weapon of evil. The black sword Spellbreaker has found its purpose in these dark days. But can Aelfric remain a hero, or is his legend tarnished forever?
This second novel continues Gareth Hanrahan’s acclaimed epic fantasy series of dark myth, daring warriors and bloodthirsty vengeance.
-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.
Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.
My Opinion
“And the thing about saving the world was, the world didn’t stay saved.”
(3.5 / 5) Alf and his friends thought they were saving the world (book one, The Sword Defiant), and yet the world is still broken, maybe even more than before.
Alf struggles to find his place. Is he still the hero or is he a traitor? The questions he faces are weighing heavily. Olga and Derwyn have found their way and because of experiences in book one, the townspeople believe him to be a beloved leader, even at his young age. Both struggle to lead this town and find the best path for a war that is on the horizon.
As the story continued, I found myself not as invested as before. I felt connected with the characters in the first book but struggled connecting this time around. Derwyn and Olga were the most interesting because of the treacherous path ahead of them. Olga’s journey then took a turn I was not expecting and the vibe felt different with this twist.
But Alf seemed to have no direction. His confidence plummeted and the strong, courageous Alf was nowhere to be found. And the sword!! Where was his spunk? He was hilarious before so I really hope he finds that fire on this unexpected path he started on.
General content summary: F words= 42
Alcohol (multiple)
Physical violence (multiple, arrows, knife, kicks, blood, some details but not gore)
Missing child
Undead
Corpses (multiple, some details)
Fall from large height
Killings (stabbing, battle, weapons, beheading, blood, some details, multiple)
Captivity
Large creature attacks and fighting (multiple, some details, blood, injuries)
Head displayed on a spike (few details)
Thank you to Orbit for the copy!
The book releases May 7, 2024
**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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