the journey ends
Well, the journey ends, but it was a wonderful trip. A few days ago, I received “A Time of Courage”, the final installment in Gywnne’s “Of Blood and Bone” saga, which actually wraps up the entire “The Faithful and the Fallen” cycle that began with “Malice”. My anticipation to read this book got the better of me, and since I had a few days away from regular work, I resolved to devour it in a few days worth of reading, which I managed to do, finishing this morning. Wow, is all I can say.
The climatic final battles of the Order of the Bright Star and their allies versus Asroth and his minions made for an incredible read. You will root and cheer for Riv, Bleda, Byrne, Keld, Drem, Cullen, Meical, and the rest, and trust me, they need it. There is plenty of tragedy and not everyone you hope will make it out alive does, is all I can say without being too spoilerish. And some of the loses will definitely bring a tear to your eye if you have fallen in love with many of this saga’s heroes, as I have. There’s also is a tale of the final days of one the long-dead Banished Land favorites and their family that will also have the reader reaching for their tissue box.
Gywnne is a clever, inventive writer who takes the classic fantasy trope of “Dark Lord” versus noble heroes, and throws in enough twists, betrayals, thrilling action scenes, and even some well-sprinkled romance so that you still worry of the outcome, and are glued to every page. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have read by Gwynne, and while it is bittersweet to leave the Banished Lands and their characters behind, I can’t wait to see what Gwynne has in store for us next!
Don’t miss out on reading “A Time of Courage”, it is an excellent novel and kudos to Gwynne for not disappointing with the conclusion to this epic series, no let-down here, it was well worth the wait!
