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3.78 AVERAGE
3.78 AVERAGE
It’s fine but the middle is slow, and the end is unsatisfying. It’s a series apparently, but I doubt I’ll continue it unless I hear amazing things about the sequel.
I liked that parts of this book that acknowledged that even heroes can come home with PTSD and have a hard time.
But the writing seemed pretty pedestrian to me. There was a lot of action, but I found myself skimming over a lot of the action scenes because I honestly didn't care what happened. Some characters were going to fight really hard. Somebody was going to take a serious injury that would be handled with a few stitches in a later scene and never referred to again. Somebody was afraid.
So probably, just not for me. I see lots of folks liked it. I did read to the end (in spite of some skimming), wanting to know how things came out. But I don't plan to read the sequel (sequels?)
But the writing seemed pretty pedestrian to me. There was a lot of action, but I found myself skimming over a lot of the action scenes because I honestly didn't care what happened. Some characters were going to fight really hard. Somebody was going to take a serious injury that would be handled with a few stitches in a later scene and never referred to again. Somebody was afraid.
So probably, just not for me. I see lots of folks liked it. I did read to the end (in spite of some skimming), wanting to know how things came out. But I don't plan to read the sequel (sequels?)
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts
I have never read anything by Stephen Aryan, so I wasn't sure what to expect. But it's safe to say that he is officially on my radar and I'll be devouring all of his previous work.
The Coward follows Kell Kressia, a farmer who is trying to escape from his hero past. Much to his annoyance, he is summoned by the King and sent off once again to destroy the forces in the North that threaten the kingdoms. Convinced that he survived his first quest by luck and luck alone, he concocts a plan that will hopefully increase his chances of survival. On his way North, he recruits a unique group of warriors willing to risk their life for the sake of glory and fame. But none of them were prepared for the dangers along the way, let alone the actual threat that awaits them beyond the ice.
There was a unique juxtaposition of hero and coward and how easily the line between the two can be blurred. The truth behind a warrior's journey was darkly comedic and depressing all at once. It was also incredibly human, a concept that is often lost in most fantasy novels. Usually the heroes are painted in an infallible light but that is not the case in The Coward. All of the characters made it easy to immerse myself within the story. It felt like I was part of the motley group, sitting around the campfire listening to their stories. I didn't want the story to end, simply because I loved the bond that naturally grew within the group.
The POV chapter shifts were difficult for me to enjoy at first. The political intrigue angle didn't seem to mesh with the main story, but it didn't take long for me to throw that thought out the window. I usually guess where a story is heading early on the book, but I found myself pleasantly surprised when the story kept shifting. It has the perfect blend of action, comedy, and mystery. The ending took me by surprise and not because it was a cliffhanger. It's just one of those endings that's so clever that you almost want to laugh.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for an e-arc copy for review.
The Coward follows Kell Kressia, a farmer who is trying to escape from his hero past. Much to his annoyance, he is summoned by the King and sent off once again to destroy the forces in the North that threaten the kingdoms. Convinced that he survived his first quest by luck and luck alone, he concocts a plan that will hopefully increase his chances of survival. On his way North, he recruits a unique group of warriors willing to risk their life for the sake of glory and fame. But none of them were prepared for the dangers along the way, let alone the actual threat that awaits them beyond the ice.
There was a unique juxtaposition of hero and coward and how easily the line between the two can be blurred. The truth behind a warrior's journey was darkly comedic and depressing all at once. It was also incredibly human, a concept that is often lost in most fantasy novels. Usually the heroes are painted in an infallible light but that is not the case in The Coward. All of the characters made it easy to immerse myself within the story. It felt like I was part of the motley group, sitting around the campfire listening to their stories. I didn't want the story to end, simply because I loved the bond that naturally grew within the group.
The POV chapter shifts were difficult for me to enjoy at first. The political intrigue angle didn't seem to mesh with the main story, but it didn't take long for me to throw that thought out the window. I usually guess where a story is heading early on the book, but I found myself pleasantly surprised when the story kept shifting. It has the perfect blend of action, comedy, and mystery. The ending took me by surprise and not because it was a cliffhanger. It's just one of those endings that's so clever that you almost want to laugh.
A huge thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for an e-arc copy for review.
adventurous
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Stephen Aryan was already an auto buy author for me, but this book has cemented that. I loved it! We follow Kell, a living legend and the only survivor of the quest to slay the Ice Lich ten years ago. Now Kell is being called upon to return to the North to defeat a new threat. He must reluctantly answer that call, knowing he is not the hero everyone thinks he is.
What I loved about this book was the exploration of the truth of what being a hero really means, and just how far legend can stray from reality. It's a fascinating concept to me, and I really enjoyed the journey Aryan took me on while exploring this.
I also really like the author's writing style. It's engaging yet straight forward, and puts you right in the middle of the story. He writes really appealing characters that you want to know more about and I really like where this story went, and indeed where it's heading in the sequel.
So this book has a reluctant hero battling his own inner demons, a rag-tag group banding together and a fight for survival against both men and beasts. The story is multiple P.O.V, so not only do we get to follow Kell and his group, but we also follow a couple of others who give us insight into the political and social aspects of the Five Kingdoms and I'm really looking forward to seeing this more in depth in the sequel. In fact my only regret is knowing how long I have to wait before seeing where Kell's story goes next!
What I loved about this book was the exploration of the truth of what being a hero really means, and just how far legend can stray from reality. It's a fascinating concept to me, and I really enjoyed the journey Aryan took me on while exploring this.
I also really like the author's writing style. It's engaging yet straight forward, and puts you right in the middle of the story. He writes really appealing characters that you want to know more about and I really like where this story went, and indeed where it's heading in the sequel.
So this book has a reluctant hero battling his own inner demons, a rag-tag group banding together and a fight for survival against both men and beasts. The story is multiple P.O.V, so not only do we get to follow Kell and his group, but we also follow a couple of others who give us insight into the political and social aspects of the Five Kingdoms and I'm really looking forward to seeing this more in depth in the sequel. In fact my only regret is knowing how long I have to wait before seeing where Kell's story goes next!
adventurous
challenging
sad
tense
slow-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
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
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:
Complicated
Genre: new adult, epic fantasy, high fantasy, quest, political/ religious intrigue
Age range: 17+
Overall: 4.5/5
Characters: 4/5
Plot: 4/5
Writing and Setting: 4-5/5
Content warning: *swearing, gore, violence, use of weapons, underage drinking, flagellation, death, injury, mental illness: PTSD, Anxiety, Depression.
The gist of my review:
With epic battles, a seemingly impossible quest, and cast of misfit heroes, ‘The Coward’ by Stephen Aryan is a great read for fans of ‘The Lord of The Rings’.
On top of this, Aryan did an incredible job of combining this really interesting magic system, elements of political/religious intrigue, and developing a diverse and in- depth world.
I’m under the impression that this book has one of the greatest first sentences of all time.
“Kell Kressia, slayer of the Ice Lich and saviour of the Five Kingdoms, tripped on a rake and fell into a pile of horse shit.”
I really enjoyed this book. The reason as to why I didn’t give it a 5/5 was because there was a very obvious lull in the middle of the book. During this, there was a lot of battles for Kell and the crew but they all seemed to resemble each other slightly which then became a little repetitive. Alongside this, there were scenes throughout the book that were trying to invoke some very profound emotions, however I found that I wasn’t overly moved.
Characters: 4.5/5
The supporting characters were fantastic. Normally I would break each character down and talk about them individually, however there is a number of very distinct voices in this story, and to do them all justice, this review would be very long. For now I’m only going to talk about the two main and their very polarising characters.
Kell Kressia:
Kell is a really interesting character. This book provides a lot of insight about his past and how he previously made the journey to slay the Ice Lich alongside a crew of eleven heroes. At the time he had been a young, naive seventeen year old and had come back as the lucky sole survivor from beyond the frozen circle.
In the present timeline he’s ten years older and has lived an unforgiving life. Initially he runs from the call to slay another threat, but a young man, Garren, challenges Kell’s legacy, coerces him into making the journey north and demands that he joins Kell on his quest.
Kell is a strong willed, brave, and insightful character. He cringes at the idea of being a leader, but he cares for his crew and respects the fact that he’s not the strongest or most ambitious in his quest. He’s very accepting of the differences between his crew members and we see new developments in Kell’s character as he interacts with each individual.
Throughout the story we are given a unique perspective between Kell from the past and Kell from the present, and so we are able to see how far he’s come as a person and in his personal growth.
Reverend Mother Britak :
The Reverend Mother is the holy leader of the religious group who follow The Shepard. She is a harsh, strict yet faithful leader to her religion and is striving to spread the word of the Shepard throughout The Five Kingdoms through any means necessary. She has some very ‘questionable’ ways of ensuring that the 12 pillars (kind of like the 12 commandments) are followed and her intentions are to increase her zealot followers.
According to her religion, magic and magical beings are against the word of the Shepard, and therefore Kell, his legacy and his current journey are a distractor to the public and towards her campaign.
Although Kell and Britak don’t cross paths in this book, Britak’s narrative sets her up to be a very compelling and lethal enemy in the sequel.
A special mention to Vahli and Willow because they were both fantastic characters.
Plot: 4/5
Admittedly, I didn’t have high hopes for the plot of this book. I usually don’t enjoy when the plot is centralised around a main quest, and this is one of those books, however when I reached the last couple of chapters, things started to unveil that gave hints towards the nature of the sequel and I can’t express how much those details changed my mind about this book. In my opinion, the last couple of chapters are what gave it an extra 1.5 stars and made me immediately excited for the release of the sequel.
Writing and Setting: 4-5/ 5
We see multiple perspectives throughout the book, however our main characters are Kell and Britak. The writing is in third person which allows for some very interesting perspectives.
As previously mentioned, there were parts in the book that were trying to evoke a lot of emotion and I didn’t really connect with them. These scenes were fairly early on in the timeline so I’ve put it down to not knowing the characters all that well in comparison to the emotions I felt towards the end of the book.
Without a doubt, the world building must be praised. We see a vast array of kingdoms, races, creatures, towns and locations that were fascinating to read about that is unique to this story and incredibly creative.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Grief
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol
Minor: Forced institutionalization
adventurous
dark
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
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
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
Book Review
Title: The Coward by Stephen Aryan (The Quest for Heroes Book 1)
Genre: Fantasy, Dark
Rating: 5 Stars
I have read The Coward before and loved it but with the upcoming release of the sequel I had to re-read it to see if it was a good as I remember it being the first time around and to complete the duology. I loved the opening line to this book it is just as memorable as the opening line to Nevernight as they both involves the mention of shit. We are introduced to Kell Kressia, the resident hero who slew the Ice Lich nearly ten years before along with 11 other heroes. Kell remembers a very different set of events than the one that is told by the bards where he took off the Lich’s head with one blow of his mighty sword, Slayer but has come to live in relative peace until the King’s men coming knocking once more. Kell has been ignoring the warning signs that something is wrong for a while, relying on his friends like Dos Mohan to keep him sane and safe as they remember the scars, inside and out, he returned with last time. However, King Bledsoe, isn’t a man to be refused and Kell is practically forced to travel to the capital, Thune, where he learns from an old friend, Lukas that the Ice Runners have sent an envoy just like last time asking for help in dealing with whatever has taken up residence in the Ice Lich’s castle. I can immediately tell that Kell doesn’t want to go, even though I have read this book before, it is painfully obvious that Kell wants to refuse more than anything and return to his farm but he can’t without speaking to the King first and assessing how real the threat is and whether or not there is anyone else to deal with it even though Kell doesn’t particularly care.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, Kell decides to undertake the journey despite not wanting to because he knows he is going to be pressured into it anyway and sooner or later the effects of what is happening in the North will reach him. However, with the money he was given for the journey he decides that he isn’t going to go to the North and he will get over to Corven and start a new life as soon as he can but it isn’t going to be easy. Meanwhile, we are introduced to Mother Britak who lives in the Holy City of Lorzi under King Roebus. Britak has wanted to extent the church’s power and influence for years and has been manipulating the King in order to get what she wants for years. When news reaches them of Kell’s journey she wants to have him killed as she believes the entire thing is a plot created by King Bledsoe for more power and influence. She is also trying to influence Princess Sigrid, Bledsoe’s only child as she will be the next ruler even if not in name but there are plots within plots here. Britak is a villain in the story since she uses fear, pain and torture in order to get what she wants claiming it is for her faith which is the most dangerous kind of person willing to do anything in order to justify their faith. She also has a spy as the King’s wife which is helping her but we learn that Sigrid isn’t stupid and might play Britak the way she is trying to play Sigrid and I immediately feel in love with her as a character. Kell also isn’t having an easy time since he ends up being set upon by a young boy named Gerren who wants to join Kell, this is an uncomfortable reminder for Kell as Gerren is the same age he was when he joined the heroes but Kell isn’t going to make the same mistake twice. He tells Gerren he can’t come with him and does everything in his power to avoid the boy for his own good as Kell knows he shouldn’t have gone with the heroes the decade before and he bears the physical and mental scars of that journey. In the end he has to confess to Gerren that he isn’t going to the frozen North and that he is escaping once and for all as he feels he has done his part and it is someone else’s turn.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, Kell tries to run from his journey but Gerren soon makes this impossible for him sending word ahead right up until the North telling everyone that Kell is coming. Kell still believes for a moment that he can run from the journey ahead of him because he believes he was cursed by the Ice Lich and that anyone that journeys with him including Gerren will die because of it, however as more and more people become interested in him and the journey, Kell knows that running isn’t an option now and he might as well accept his upcoming death. Kell and Gerren are joined on their journey by a bard called Vahli and there is far more to him than meets the eye as Gerren finds out but I can’t remember if he is the one Britak sent to kill Kell or not. Britak explains that she has sent many assassins to kill Kell over the years and none have every succeed which also tells us that Kell hasn’t lost his fighting instinct at all and there is more to him that we haven’t seen yet. They are also joined by a creature known as an Alfar, and these creatures are strange and widely feared by many but Kell is willing to take all the help he can get and accepts the Alfar into his small party shortening her name to Willow as that is pronounceable for him. Willow seems to have some strange magic within her but not much is known about her race and this is followed by the arrival of Bronwyn into the party as she is clearly a warrior. I remember Bronwyn from my first time reading the book and her story arc is going to make me cry all over again as it is one of the most heart-breaking in the book.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, the group are continuing to head north but they are attacked along the road and they are trying to be kept from venturing further than Hundar although the group don’t know this yet. The group prepare for a fight but it is four against fifteen since Gerren isn’t much use in battle right now and Kell prepares for the end but they end up being saved by a group of Choate which confuses Kell since he only knows one, his barber back home. However, we know that Dos Mohan is behind this and he actually carries the title of War General and is highly respected among his people and they were protected because Dos Mohan sees Kell as family which is extremely important to the Choate people. By the time they reach Kinnan, Kell doesn’t think anyone else will join the group but is surprised at the arrival of Malomir. Malomir claims to be the King of the Summer Isles but no one believes him but he proves himself useful with a blade despite his drinking habits so they include him and their party now numbers six, which Kell knows isn’t going to be enough to get them to the Frozen Circle and back in one piece. I genuinely forgot how much I adored Malomir and his light-hearted nature and the banter between him and Bronwyn is divine. As they are getting close to crossing over onto the Ice Fields, Kell is beginning to accept that this is everyone he is going to be taking with him and they make camp for the night. Gerren is given first watch after being his training with Malomir who has the patience for it when they are attacked by a pack of voran and they take a particular interest in Gerren since he is the weakest of the group and the wolf like creatures sensed this. Gerren’s thoughts on Kell are confused since he believes Kell to be a coward which he kind of is but Kell sticking around and saving them even when he could have fled and left them to die is confusing him because he refuses to see Kell as a good man which he is despite everything he has gone through.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, the group make their final stop in Meer before heading out onto the ice where they will be alone. Kell has made peace with whatever fate awaits him at this point but it is clear that Gerren hasn’t and he falters wanting to head home releasing his mistake. It is Kell who explains what he is feeling right now since he once felt it himself and explains to Gerren that if he wants to leave in the morning none of them will think any less of him but if he decides to stay and journey with them he needs to do it for his own reasons no matter how selfish they are. He does end deciding to stay which might not have been the right choice since I know the fate that awaits him in the end but there is nothing we can do about that. I did really enjoy watching the development of Malomir and Bronwyn’s relationship which initially seems to begin because they are strong enough to take each other on in a fight but I think it is because each recognises the loneliness in the other even if they don’t really talk about it right now. Willow is also an interesting character to learn more about as she seems to be there to see if the animal on the ice are different to those in the rest of the world and no other reason but she sticks with them throughout the journey even though she doesn’t need to and helps them even when it is of no benefit to her. When they get on the ice properly Kell is the only one that knows this landscape and the things that live in it so he becomes the leader properly which he hasn’t been up until now as the decision making was shared among them. However, when soon after crossing into the Frozen Circle it is clear that something or someone knows the party is there and it doesn’t want them there. This thing has great power since it can influence the ice bears living there to attack them even when it isn’t in their nature to do so and it shocks everyone in the group, bringing the reality of their current situation into full clarity. Despite this they band together, working against the elements in order to make sure everyone including the dogs is taken care of before heading to sleep and even then they emotionally support each other which was nice to see but some characters like Vahli and Bronwyn are keeping secrets which are going to come out sooner or later.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, it soon becomes clear to the group that the w the creatures of the ice are reacting to them isn’t normal and something is controlling them. After a vicious fight with a sabre of maglau Bronwyn is injured causing her to fall unconscious which unbalances Malomir who has fallen in love with Bronwyn. Kell knows they have to keep moving but they are soon found by a group of evil spirits and there is no way for them to escape and no way for them to fight the creatures. One by one they fall under the spell even Willow, the only one with the power to resist them is Malomir and he eventually finds a way to drive the creatures off and save his friend but not before we get to witness the horrors hiding within their minds. After this everyone is a little changed but they are soon helped by a Frostrunner clan who help heal Bronwyn and restore some of their spirit before they continue with their journey. Crossing over the frozen lake, Kell knows this is the most dangerous part of the journey as the ice might give way beneath them and this isn’t helped when a pack of garrow, a type of shark begin hunting them. There is nothing they can do but try and outrun the beasts to get to firmer ground which Kell and Willow have managed to do but during this Gerren is thrown from the sled and is on the ice alone and he knows that he might die here but he has no choice but the run and pray that he makes it to safety before the garrow reach him. The tensions at this point are getting really high since they are close to their destination but nowhere near the end of their journey yet and I know that a few members of the party are going to die before the end of the book and I am not emotionally ready to go through this again despite having read the book before.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, I was definitely not emotionally prepared for the deaths of certain characters and they broke my heart all over again but together the group see their mission to the end even at a great cost. Unlike the last time though Kell isn’t the only survivor but the remaining party agree that he should tell King Bledsoe that everyone else died the same as before in order to allow them to have some peace in their lives and Kell agrees before making his journey home. Along the way he bumps into Dos Mohan and learns that they are related as Mohan’s younger brother is Kell’s father which adds a light-hearted feel to these scenes despite all the pain and death Kell has suffered through. By the time he makes it back to Thune he is ready to return to his farm after recounting his story but we learn that King Bledsoe has died and this information is temporarily kept from Kell as he is going to be the new King alongside Princess Sigrid in a political move which I doubt Kell is going to be happy about since he has clearly shown he has no time for politics. Overall, The Coward definitely lived up to my memories of reading it the first time, smashing my heart to pieces and I can’t wait to dive into The Warrior and see what became of our reluctant hero.