Scan barcode
A review by a_reader_obsessed
The Priest by Rowan McAllister
3.0
3.5 Sequel-itis Stars - BR with Adam!
I get it. Sometimes you have to take a detour to fill in some blanks and set things up for the overall arc, and it’s not as thrilling or exciting as the first installment. That’s kinda what happened here for me.
Briefly, 1000 years ago the veil was torn apart allowing evil creatures known as spawn, to come through a rift to wreck havoc on mankind. There’s various “fighters” present who have made it their life mission to kill these monsters (the first book featuring wizard Lyuc) and here, it’s the Brotherhood, a fear based religion that uses pain to acquire power enough to kill them.
When one of the Brotherhood’s priests Tas, discovers a fallacy in their practice, it throws off his entire known existence, putting him in an existential crisis that comes at the most inopportune time. He needs to reap a pain offering from local villager Girik, so he can kill a spawn that has been terrorizing the area, but how can Tas go forward knowing that such a barbaric practice is not needed? Just imagine what he can glean by doing the opposite of pain, and you know exactly what I’m hinting at...
Ensue a quick sexy progression between Tas and Girik and an even quicker love connection (which fell a bit short of its mark) as this spans just a few days. However, Girik is the bestest of the gentlest giants out there, and he was my favorite part until we meet back up with Lyuc, Yan, and Bryn again from The Wanderer...
Overall, I applaud McAllister’s intricate world building. Beware huge religious themes and not in a good way. This sort of thing is necessary, but I’m just not interested in the doctrine that devoted side characters zealously cling to blindly. Regardless, things are changing fast. Tas’s world and that of all the kingdoms is about to be put upside down on its axis. The truth they figure out is a mind boggling revelation requiring them to band together to start forth on the seemingly insurmountable task to right some very very big wrongs.
So, this installment was wholly necessary to the story arc but just not as compelling when compared to the first book. Regardless, I’m still reading the next adventure because I need to see how this intriguing fantasy saga plays out!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review
I get it. Sometimes you have to take a detour to fill in some blanks and set things up for the overall arc, and it’s not as thrilling or exciting as the first installment. That’s kinda what happened here for me.
Briefly, 1000 years ago the veil was torn apart allowing evil creatures known as spawn, to come through a rift to wreck havoc on mankind. There’s various “fighters” present who have made it their life mission to kill these monsters (the first book featuring wizard Lyuc) and here, it’s the Brotherhood, a fear based religion that uses pain to acquire power enough to kill them.
When one of the Brotherhood’s priests Tas, discovers a fallacy in their practice, it throws off his entire known existence, putting him in an existential crisis that comes at the most inopportune time. He needs to reap a pain offering from local villager Girik, so he can kill a spawn that has been terrorizing the area, but how can Tas go forward knowing that such a barbaric practice is not needed? Just imagine what he can glean by doing the opposite of pain, and you know exactly what I’m hinting at...
Ensue a quick sexy progression between Tas and Girik and an even quicker love connection (which fell a bit short of its mark) as this spans just a few days. However, Girik is the bestest of the gentlest giants out there, and he was my favorite part until we meet back up with Lyuc, Yan, and Bryn again from The Wanderer...
Overall, I applaud McAllister’s intricate world building. Beware huge religious themes and not in a good way. This sort of thing is necessary, but I’m just not interested in the doctrine that devoted side characters zealously cling to blindly. Regardless, things are changing fast. Tas’s world and that of all the kingdoms is about to be put upside down on its axis. The truth they figure out is a mind boggling revelation requiring them to band together to start forth on the seemingly insurmountable task to right some very very big wrongs.
So, this installment was wholly necessary to the story arc but just not as compelling when compared to the first book. Regardless, I’m still reading the next adventure because I need to see how this intriguing fantasy saga plays out!
Thank you to the author/publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review