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kasey555's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I was pleasantly surprised by this sequel. I found that The Warrior is far more fleshed out than it’s predecessor The Coward. I enjoyed the world building and the elements of fear and distrust mixed in. I did think however that Sigrid’s story line was a little weak and seemed to only aid in wrapping up loose ends from the first book rather than being an independent point of view.
willrefuge's review against another edition
4.0
8 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/08/10/the-warrior-by-stephen-aryan-review/
Kell Kresia, two time Hero of the Four Kingdoms, King of Algany, most famous man alive—is trapped. Trapped in a grand design as the “king” of one of the four kingdoms, a position he fills mostly as a figurehead. Trapped in a loveless marriage, his wife Sigrid was born to rule but for the nature of being a woman, something she has never forgiven the world for. Trapped and surrounded by people and fame, he can’t find any alone time or anonymity among the commonfolk.
So when his old friend Willow shows up requesting for her homeland, Kell can’t wait to leave.
But this isn’t something as simple as a quest north to defeat the Ice Lich. The land of the Alfár is remote and hidden—somewhere humans have rarely tread. More importantly, it is a land out of time; both literally and figuratively, as the passage of time moves differently in this realm, meaning that for every week that passes within, a year or more might pass in the outside world. Then there is the Malice, the strange and terrible affliction that poisons the land.
Meanwhile life in the Four Kingdoms goes on, with Sigrid (and her infant son) ruling alone. Day to day politicking aside, the continent inches ever closer to war, divided on the worship of the Shepherd, the religion that one Reverend Mother Britak would use to create a theocracy. Despite its very nature being based on a lie, the faith continues to push into Algany, its devotees purging any other beliefs in their way. And without Kell’s legend to dissuade her, there may be nothing holding Britak back from the future she desires. Nothing but Sigrid.
Only upon reaching the Alfár homeland of Gilial do Kell and his party realize just how far gone the place truly is. The trees have withered and died, or turned to monsters of bark and branch. The animals have become mindless beasts only sated by blood and meat. The other races of Gilial have fallen into ruin, and are only rumored to exist in any form. While the Alfár are just a shadow of their former glory—a dying, infected species, day by day more and more fall victim to the Malice.
There exists a plan to save Gilial but it is dark and desperate, despicable and deranged. Willow seeks to stop it, something which Kell and his companions—members of his personal guard: Odd, a loner harboring a terrible secret; and Yarra, harboring deep regret—are instrumental to, as humans may resist the Malice better than their Alfár counterparts.
Only upon seeing the state of the land they might wonder—how could the cure possible be any worse than the affliction?
—
For it to be precious, life has to end. If I live forever and do nothing, then what was the point?
—
While the first quest broke Kell, the second made him whole. What will this third one do?
Well, at least he won’t have to face the Ice Lich. Or WILL he?
No. He won’t. Instead he’ll face a world unseen by most of humanity, full of vibrant locales and ruined cities and creatures never seen before—all corrupted by the Malice’s influence. It was quite the tale, one that left me wanting to see more of this new world, yearning to see it before it had been devastated by the Malice. What we see in the Warrior is a world laid to waste. Oh, to see it before!
But anyway, the story is a good one. Kell’s is, at least. Full of twists and turns. Challenge and peril. A land full of surprise and opportunity. The story winds its way through this strange land, eventually leading to the heart of the Malice—and to the big reveal. As big reveals go, this may not have been anything game-changing, but it was at least interesting. And the conclusion and aftermath more than make up for any letdown in the mystery department.
The issue I have is not with Kell’s story, but Sigrid’s. Even in the first few pages of her first chapter, you knew where it was going to lead. Well, you knew where Kell’s was leading too. But where Kell’s was interesting, immersive, and exciting throughout—and even sprinkled with a seed of doubt—Sigrid’s only started this way. But at the 3/4 mark, it takes a turn. Everything afterwards seems like a foregone conclusion.
While a great tale and quest, the Warrior ain’t exactly innovative. It’s strongly reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings, albeit an abbreviated, poor man’s version. It’s entertaining, sure; almost everything that it does, this book does well (excluding, of course, the conclusion at home). It isn’t a retelling of LotR, or a fanfic, although the quest is rife with similarities. That said, there’s nothing wrong with doing a little LotR impersonation every now and then. Impression is the highest form of flattery. And LotR is (no matter your opinion on it) the most popular fantasy tale. It would be impossible not to draw similarities between the two. And that’s okay. Because it’s not a clone, a rip-off, or a retelling. The Warrior tells an amazing story with just a little bit of a letdown towards the end.
TL;DR
The Warrior isn’t a game-changer. It tells of a quest—a fellowship, if you will—through a land devastated and barren, to reach some peril at the end and vanquish it. I mean, just stop me here if this reminds you of anything. Or just keep reading. Because while the initial plot is hardly innovative, once you get into it it’s sure immersive. A plague destroying a previously forgotten land. A race against time. A legend with nothing to prove, hunting the Malice that threatens his friends. A new world to explore. An old world to remember. I mean, it’s all quite good. And a worthy conclusion to a fabulous duology!
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2022/08/10/the-warrior-by-stephen-aryan-review/
Kell Kresia, two time Hero of the Four Kingdoms, King of Algany, most famous man alive—is trapped. Trapped in a grand design as the “king” of one of the four kingdoms, a position he fills mostly as a figurehead. Trapped in a loveless marriage, his wife Sigrid was born to rule but for the nature of being a woman, something she has never forgiven the world for. Trapped and surrounded by people and fame, he can’t find any alone time or anonymity among the commonfolk.
So when his old friend Willow shows up requesting for her homeland, Kell can’t wait to leave.
But this isn’t something as simple as a quest north to defeat the Ice Lich. The land of the Alfár is remote and hidden—somewhere humans have rarely tread. More importantly, it is a land out of time; both literally and figuratively, as the passage of time moves differently in this realm, meaning that for every week that passes within, a year or more might pass in the outside world. Then there is the Malice, the strange and terrible affliction that poisons the land.
Meanwhile life in the Four Kingdoms goes on, with Sigrid (and her infant son) ruling alone. Day to day politicking aside, the continent inches ever closer to war, divided on the worship of the Shepherd, the religion that one Reverend Mother Britak would use to create a theocracy. Despite its very nature being based on a lie, the faith continues to push into Algany, its devotees purging any other beliefs in their way. And without Kell’s legend to dissuade her, there may be nothing holding Britak back from the future she desires. Nothing but Sigrid.
Only upon reaching the Alfár homeland of Gilial do Kell and his party realize just how far gone the place truly is. The trees have withered and died, or turned to monsters of bark and branch. The animals have become mindless beasts only sated by blood and meat. The other races of Gilial have fallen into ruin, and are only rumored to exist in any form. While the Alfár are just a shadow of their former glory—a dying, infected species, day by day more and more fall victim to the Malice.
There exists a plan to save Gilial but it is dark and desperate, despicable and deranged. Willow seeks to stop it, something which Kell and his companions—members of his personal guard: Odd, a loner harboring a terrible secret; and Yarra, harboring deep regret—are instrumental to, as humans may resist the Malice better than their Alfár counterparts.
Only upon seeing the state of the land they might wonder—how could the cure possible be any worse than the affliction?
—
For it to be precious, life has to end. If I live forever and do nothing, then what was the point?
—
While the first quest broke Kell, the second made him whole. What will this third one do?
Well, at least he won’t have to face the Ice Lich. Or WILL he?
No. He won’t. Instead he’ll face a world unseen by most of humanity, full of vibrant locales and ruined cities and creatures never seen before—all corrupted by the Malice’s influence. It was quite the tale, one that left me wanting to see more of this new world, yearning to see it before it had been devastated by the Malice. What we see in the Warrior is a world laid to waste. Oh, to see it before!
But anyway, the story is a good one. Kell’s is, at least. Full of twists and turns. Challenge and peril. A land full of surprise and opportunity. The story winds its way through this strange land, eventually leading to the heart of the Malice—and to the big reveal. As big reveals go, this may not have been anything game-changing, but it was at least interesting. And the conclusion and aftermath more than make up for any letdown in the mystery department.
The issue I have is not with Kell’s story, but Sigrid’s. Even in the first few pages of her first chapter, you knew where it was going to lead. Well, you knew where Kell’s was leading too. But where Kell’s was interesting, immersive, and exciting throughout—and even sprinkled with a seed of doubt—Sigrid’s only started this way. But at the 3/4 mark, it takes a turn. Everything afterwards seems like a foregone conclusion.
While a great tale and quest, the Warrior ain’t exactly innovative. It’s strongly reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings, albeit an abbreviated, poor man’s version. It’s entertaining, sure; almost everything that it does, this book does well (excluding, of course, the conclusion at home). It isn’t a retelling of LotR, or a fanfic, although the quest is rife with similarities. That said, there’s nothing wrong with doing a little LotR impersonation every now and then. Impression is the highest form of flattery. And LotR is (no matter your opinion on it) the most popular fantasy tale. It would be impossible not to draw similarities between the two. And that’s okay. Because it’s not a clone, a rip-off, or a retelling. The Warrior tells an amazing story with just a little bit of a letdown towards the end.
TL;DR
The Warrior isn’t a game-changer. It tells of a quest—a fellowship, if you will—through a land devastated and barren, to reach some peril at the end and vanquish it. I mean, just stop me here if this reminds you of anything. Or just keep reading. Because while the initial plot is hardly innovative, once you get into it it’s sure immersive. A plague destroying a previously forgotten land. A race against time. A legend with nothing to prove, hunting the Malice that threatens his friends. A new world to explore. An old world to remember. I mean, it’s all quite good. And a worthy conclusion to a fabulous duology!
rhiannonreads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
a_novel_craving's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, War, Murder, Blood, Confinement, Death, Grief, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, and Violence
coach_steve_is_my_dad's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bookish_benny's review against another edition
4.0
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The Warrior is an enjoyable fantasy book that toes the line between a 3 and 4 star book.
It continues where it left off in The Coward and this is where I enjoyed the story most. When Kell and his wife Sigrid, were still together in the same place. Not long into the book they split up as Kell returns a favour to a friend and travels with them on a deadly mission and this then splits the story into two.
The first part of the story and one I preferred is political and intense with Sigrid in control of the Five Kingdoms. The second part of the story, which reads parallel to the first, is about Kell and his journey. This had an adventure feel to it that juggled action and travelling.
I really liked the new characters Stephen added into this world and I feel that without these characters this would have been nowhere near as good. They each bring something new to the world and provide a unique insight whether they're from the Ravens or are an Alfár. I liked how they each had their own issues and this was touched upon in a clever way as they dealt with the threats they faced.
There are action scenes in this book but they seem to lose momentum at times or possibly go on too long for what reason I'm not sure as I felt if they were condensed and altered in pace they could provide great reading.
One of my issues with The Coward was the travelling part and unfortunately The Warrior suffers in this department again slightly. The time is filled in generally with some kind of character development but I found myself skipping ahead to see how much longer till the next chapter.
I liked the characters but wanted a bit more depth and I wished the story hadn't been split so much but understand why this was done. It's my opinion that I think those who would enjoy this the most are light fantasy readers. I suspect that if you are a hardcore epic fantasy reader I think you might find this a little too tame for your tastes.
The Warrior is an enjoyable fantasy book that toes the line between a 3 and 4 star book.
It continues where it left off in The Coward and this is where I enjoyed the story most. When Kell and his wife Sigrid, were still together in the same place. Not long into the book they split up as Kell returns a favour to a friend and travels with them on a deadly mission and this then splits the story into two.
The first part of the story and one I preferred is political and intense with Sigrid in control of the Five Kingdoms. The second part of the story, which reads parallel to the first, is about Kell and his journey. This had an adventure feel to it that juggled action and travelling.
I really liked the new characters Stephen added into this world and I feel that without these characters this would have been nowhere near as good. They each bring something new to the world and provide a unique insight whether they're from the Ravens or are an Alfár. I liked how they each had their own issues and this was touched upon in a clever way as they dealt with the threats they faced.
There are action scenes in this book but they seem to lose momentum at times or possibly go on too long for what reason I'm not sure as I felt if they were condensed and altered in pace they could provide great reading.
One of my issues with The Coward was the travelling part and unfortunately The Warrior suffers in this department again slightly. The time is filled in generally with some kind of character development but I found myself skipping ahead to see how much longer till the next chapter.
I liked the characters but wanted a bit more depth and I wished the story hadn't been split so much but understand why this was done. It's my opinion that I think those who would enjoy this the most are light fantasy readers. I suspect that if you are a hardcore epic fantasy reader I think you might find this a little too tame for your tastes.
bookwyrm_kris's review
adventurous
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
amberraetoro's review against another edition
5.0
Even better than the first book. What was missing from "The Coward" was found in "The Warrior."
Book 2 is deeper, darker and more original than the first. Like the first book it is an epic fantasy quest but Aryan goes much deeper into his characters this time around. We understand them deeper, they face darker challenges, and share their flaws. For me this made all the difference. I felt connected to the charters and the story. Very excited to see what Aryan puts out next.
Book 2 is deeper, darker and more original than the first. Like the first book it is an epic fantasy quest but Aryan goes much deeper into his characters this time around. We understand them deeper, they face darker challenges, and share their flaws. For me this made all the difference. I felt connected to the charters and the story. Very excited to see what Aryan puts out next.