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4.38 AVERAGE
4.38 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
From not having finished many books, I am suddenly way ahead and have reviews to write!
So ok, this was about war war and WAR!. Planning for war, riding to war, gathering troops, sneak attacks and all hell is breaking loose.
This is the culmination of the two previous books, and well the ones before this series too. If anyone is crazy enough to try and jump in now I only say, no, a fantasy series needs to be read in order. And especially this one. Lots of people, lots of history.
But this is the last one and either they will loose or they will live to see another day. But lots of people will be dead before that, lots I am telling you.
I liked it. No more banished land for me now, but he does have a new series out. I am intrigued
So ok, this was about war war and WAR!. Planning for war, riding to war, gathering troops, sneak attacks and all hell is breaking loose.
This is the culmination of the two previous books, and well the ones before this series too. If anyone is crazy enough to try and jump in now I only say, no, a fantasy series needs to be read in order. And especially this one. Lots of people, lots of history.
But this is the last one and either they will loose or they will live to see another day. But lots of people will be dead before that, lots I am telling you.
I liked it. No more banished land for me now, but he does have a new series out. I am intrigued
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A Time of Courage was action packed and relentless. This was certainly a satisfying conclusion to Of Blood and Bone. By focusing on a smaller cast of characters and giving a much narrower timeline, John Gwynne effectively pulls off an even more fantastic sequel to his already great The Faithful and the Fallen.
Well my time in The Banished Lands has come to an end. Seven books over two series and it is bittersweet for sure. These books will always be some of my favorites and I urge anyone to pick them up. John Gwynne’s ability to fully invest with characters, whether it’s Corban and Co. from the first four or Drem, Riv, and Bleda from the follow up is staggering. I will admit the pace in the last one is relentless but it definitely has been set up that way. These books have something for everyone. Great characters, a world that actually utilizes the entire span of its continent, huge sweeping action and set pieces that are both brutal and poetic (seriously JG is a master of action writing), and relatable themes about love, loyalty, and friendship. This series sort of came out of nowhere and grabbed a hold of me with both hands. Can’t wait to see what comes next. As always, Truth and Courage.
First of all: Why? Why, John Gwynne, did you feel the need to make this hurt so much? The tears were flowing fast as this one wound to a close - not only for those lost (though there was certainly much of that!), but also because it's hard to say goodbye to a series that I've enjoyed this much.
When I initially started this sequel trilogy I worried that I might not feel as connected to the characters as I had with Corban and the gang. That I would enjoy these books, but probably not love them as I had with The Faithful and the Fallen. And yet, here I am, red-eyed and still sniffling, amazed at the depth of emotion Gwynne managed to wring out of me. Bleda, in particular, has become an all-time favourite, and following his journey from resentful ward to capable leader has been so satisfying.
As with Wrath John Gwynne proves in this last instalment that he really knows how to execute a falling action. His conclusions are epic fantasy at its grandest scale, and reading this book was as immersive an experience as any movie. (The fight scenes alone beg to be adapted to the screen.) I found myself cheering for heroes, cursing villains, and having to push the book away, afraid to turn the page, high on a flurry of conflicting emotions, completely immersed in the fate of the Banished Lands. And while not everything worked out as I would have hoped (when does it ever, in wars of this scale?), I found myself closing the book feeling the satisfied pleasure of a story well told and an ending that remained true to the journey its heroes had taken.
This series, in all its wild and heartbreaking glory, has become one of my favourites, and I can only hope that Gwynne continues to write for years to come.
Truth and Courage!
When I initially started this sequel trilogy I worried that I might not feel as connected to the characters as I had with Corban and the gang. That I would enjoy these books, but probably not love them as I had with The Faithful and the Fallen. And yet, here I am, red-eyed and still sniffling, amazed at the depth of emotion Gwynne managed to wring out of me. Bleda, in particular, has become an all-time favourite, and following his journey from resentful ward to capable leader has been so satisfying.
As with Wrath John Gwynne proves in this last instalment that he really knows how to execute a falling action. His conclusions are epic fantasy at its grandest scale, and reading this book was as immersive an experience as any movie. (The fight scenes alone beg to be adapted to the screen.) I found myself cheering for heroes, cursing villains, and having to push the book away, afraid to turn the page, high on a flurry of conflicting emotions, completely immersed in the fate of the Banished Lands. And while not everything worked out as I would have hoped (when does it ever, in wars of this scale?), I found myself closing the book feeling the satisfied pleasure of a story well told and an ending that remained true to the journey its heroes had taken.
This series, in all its wild and heartbreaking glory, has become one of my favourites, and I can only hope that Gwynne continues to write for years to come.
Truth and Courage!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Very satisfying conclusion to this series and the Banished Lands as a whole. Although I think I became slightly fatigued with all the battle sequences here. I wanted a few more slow moments of reflection. Nonetheless, it was great. And the ending leaves a possibility of returning to this world to tell another story.
I'm really gonna miss the Banished Lands books and this world. I've had such a wonderful time. Thank you John Gwynne. TRUTH AND COURAGE!
I'm really gonna miss the Banished Lands books and this world. I've had such a wonderful time. Thank you John Gwynne. TRUTH AND COURAGE!
"We are just people, all of us the same. Flawed, fragile, stubborn, angry, happy. And life treats no one differently. We are born, and we live, and then we die. It's what we do while we are here that counts. And if we can be called friend, then we are lucky indeed."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Violence, Blood, War
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
This wasn’t QUITE the conclusion nor the series I was hoping for after loving the first series I read by this author but you can’t win them all right? It was still a decent conclusion and an overall decent series but it just didn’t hit in the same way as other work I’ve read by this author. I kept hoping for just a little bit more and I never got that little but more. I still do recommend it, John Gwynne is an excellent high fantasy author!