I was never tempted to skip a section because it was from the point of view of a character I couldn't engage with. John Gwynne has stated that the creatures introduced in A Time of Dread were his spin on the horror elements we have seen over the years. I was kind of afraid going into this one but Gwynne proved me wrong and this was an excellent extension which has the same vibes but a slightly different tone in writing. The battles descriptions are epic and for me there is the right amount of them with description and dialogues which sound very real and natural. As for the world that these characters are presented in - it is much the same and yet much changed from what we came to know in tFatF.

This was an enjoyable, satisfying read that absolutely nails plot, character, world-building, and style. By building the tension with each page turned, the last 20% of the book became one damn fine breathtaking and compelling book to read. But it seems lik Gwynne's characters are generally strongly heroic, decent, good, brave, and likable while far from perfect. And the mentioned dread… it is at first a mere whisper of foreboding, fleeting, hinted at, creeping but ever present.

Horrible circumstances reveal to Drem that his life, and his family, are not what he thought they were and drive him to find Sig and the members of Dun Seren to help with the situation unfolding in Drem’s town. The inclusion of Sig, a giantess from the original series, as a POV character in this certainly helps to deliver upon that nostalgia.

I’ve read a lot of epic fantasy books and I’m confident enough to say without hesitation that Gwynne is one of—if not the—best when it comes to writing grippingly realistic battle scenes. He is the son of a trapper but has grown up knowing very little about his mysterious father or long-dead mother. The book starts off a little slow, but then soon after I became completely immersed in this brilliant and brutal world that the author created.Summary: I loved the first entry in this new series and I think it has the potential to be as epic as the first series!

There are so many small details and mentions that just give everything occurring that extra little bit of magic, making it so much more fun. By reading TFatF before reading this, you would have lived through the histories talked about in this book.

I fully expect that this next book is going to start off at a blistering pace, and for that I am extremely excited. He is married with four children and lives in Eastbourne running a small family business rejuvenating vintage furniture. Those looking for that constant gritty edge we've come to associate with Grimdark fantasy won't find it here. Thank you all so much for reading this review, and I hope you all have picked up at least the first book in the Faithful and the Fallen series already or I haven’t done my job of convincing you very well!

R. Martin, and Brandon Sanderson with what he has achieved with A Time of Dread and his previous series.

Over a hundred years ago, the Ben-Elim along with the giants and human warbands have vanquished the mighty demon horde of the Kadoshim. You might know this if you’ve been a follower on my blog for about the past year or so: one of my favorite authors is John Gwynne. Speaking of characters: for me, the driving force of a compelling book depends hugely on its characters. When John Gwynne announced this new series, I was both overjoyed at getting to visit this world and it’s characters again, but at the same time very worried.