A review by rg9400
The Exile by Ryan Cahill

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Wow, I am amazed by how much of a turnaround I had reading this book compared to Of Darkness and Light. I was initially planning on only finishing this novella as a way to kill time before another book releases, and then DNFing the series. However, this book single-handedly roped me back into the series. I think Ryan Cahill is significantly better given a page limit, and like the prior novella, he excels at a more action-focused and brisk pacing without large swaths of meandering travel or POV hopping. Even more impressive in terms of quality jump is the character-focused narrative here. There is plenty of action, but more depth is given to Dayne here than anything else I've seen in the series so far, and it even fleshes out some of the more intriguing side characters from the main series. And while Belina is not necessarily the best female character I've read, she's significantly better than any other ones from the main series. She's an active character, given plenty of badass moments, and her entire character does not revolve around a male character. I don't mean to insult Cahill's earlier work, but I just want to quantify how huge of a jump in writing quality this novella is, and how it addresses some of my core concerns from my earlier Of Darkness and Light review. If Of War and Ruin carries this momentum forward, I will be very happy, even though the huge page count makes me a bit weary.