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A review by jjwilbourne
Hell Skin by Garrett Robinson
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
4.5
Coming to the end of a series of books is like watching a gymnast and holding your breath, anxious and hopeful that they’ll stick the landing. While Garrett Robinson’s Hell Skin isn’t the very end of all Underrealm stories, it represents the completion of the Tales of the Wanderer trilogy.
In Hell Skin, Albern continues to recount the tale of his journey with Mag. He and Mag find themselves caught up in a war between a rebel group and those loyal to the Dosean crown. But their ultimate mission to find Kita and avenge Mag’s late husband is yet to be completed. Even while Albern and Mag close in on the dark weremage, Kaita, herself, is eager to finish the Uncut Lady once and for all. And this time, with the help of the dark lord’s unrivaled magic, she is poised to succeed.
To date, Stone Heart was my favorite Underrealm entry. Indeed, the Tales of the Wanderer trilogy is my favorite set of books within the Nine Realms. I especially appreciated how the framing device of Albern recounting the story to a character in the future played excellently into the journey of the character (Sun) that is hearing it. Again, Robinson delivers on that promise.
The series as a whole has been quite emotional and cathartic, but this one was especially so because we finally reached the ending that Sun had been begging Albern for. Albern took his time to get there, and the experience was better for it.
And the twist in the story… It completely caught me off guard, and it was marvelous.
Now that I’m on the other side, I’m left wondering if Robinson will tell more about Albern or Mag’s backstory. There are still questions left unanswered. Hell Skin paid off on the promises of the first novel, but there are mysteries yet to be unraveled. Perhaps we will hear those stories in another series. If not, here’s hoping for a second trilogy!
I very much recommend Hell Skin and the Tales of the Wanderer series if you’re looking for a gripping adventure in a fantastic world.
*Full Disclosure — I work for the publisher, but I wasn't paid to review this book. While this is an honest review, I was involved in the production of the audiobook, and I receive a small royalty for purchases of the audiobook version*
In Hell Skin, Albern continues to recount the tale of his journey with Mag. He and Mag find themselves caught up in a war between a rebel group and those loyal to the Dosean crown. But their ultimate mission to find Kita and avenge Mag’s late husband is yet to be completed. Even while Albern and Mag close in on the dark weremage, Kaita, herself, is eager to finish the Uncut Lady once and for all. And this time, with the help of the dark lord’s unrivaled magic, she is poised to succeed.
To date, Stone Heart was my favorite Underrealm entry. Indeed, the Tales of the Wanderer trilogy is my favorite set of books within the Nine Realms. I especially appreciated how the framing device of Albern recounting the story to a character in the future played excellently into the journey of the character (Sun) that is hearing it. Again, Robinson delivers on that promise.
The series as a whole has been quite emotional and cathartic, but this one was especially so because we finally reached the ending that Sun had been begging Albern for. Albern took his time to get there, and the experience was better for it.
And the twist in the story… It completely caught me off guard, and it was marvelous.
Now that I’m on the other side, I’m left wondering if Robinson will tell more about Albern or Mag’s backstory. There are still questions left unanswered. Hell Skin paid off on the promises of the first novel, but there are mysteries yet to be unraveled. Perhaps we will hear those stories in another series. If not, here’s hoping for a second trilogy!
I very much recommend Hell Skin and the Tales of the Wanderer series if you’re looking for a gripping adventure in a fantastic world.
*Full Disclosure — I work for the publisher, but I wasn't paid to review this book. While this is an honest review, I was involved in the production of the audiobook, and I receive a small royalty for purchases of the audiobook version*