The Sword Defiant

, #1

by

eBook, 609 pages

English language

Published May 2, 2023 by Orbit.

ASIN:
B0BD4HJCPZ
(1 review)

The sword cares not who it cuts.

Many years ago, Sir Aelfric and his nine companions saved the world, seizing the Dark Lord's cursed weapons, along with his dread city of Necrad. That was the easy part.

Now, when Aelfric - keeper of the cursed sword Spellbreaker - learns of a new and terrifying threat, he seeks the nine heroes once again. But they are wandering adventurers no longer. Yesterday's eager heroes are today's weary leaders - and some have turned to the darkness, becoming monsters themselves.

If there's one thing Aelfric knows, it's slaying monsters. Even if they used to be his friends.

1 edition

reviewed The Sword Defiant by Gareth Hanrahan (Lands of the Firstborn, #1)

Not badly written, but not for me

Eagerly picked up a new Hanrahan book as I'm enjoying his Iron-Gods-Is-Not-A-Trilogy. However this one is as grimdark as The Iron Gods, but with no joy in it at all. This is some years after a successful vanquishing of the Big Bad Evil Guy, and it's everything slowly going wrong. It's not written badly, but it's certainly less funny, the characters are mainly arseholes, and I'd rather have read a book about the events before this book.

Also a little unfair, but it feels too much like a D&D campaign in a book. I'm sure ironically it will turn out to be one of the few fantasy books at the moment that isn't "based on our cool campaign in university" but the descriptions are literally thieves, wizards, barbarians, etc. And a lot of healing potions.