donna_reads 's review for:

The Coward by Stephen Aryan
4.0
adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-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

 Do you need an entertaining, page turner of a fantasy?? Then The Coward will check those boxes for you!! This book is chock full of action, danger, political maneuvering, and a cast of characters that you will want to see succeed and some creatures that will probably also give you some nightmares!! Kell Kressia is the reluctant hero who has spent the past ten years working his farm and trying to avoid the spotlight after being the only survivor of a quest to defeat an evil ice demon. But as the world's weather continues to get colder and colder, the possibility that the demon has returned becomes more and more likely. Kell is summoned by the King and ordered to head North and take care of whatever is there just like he did before. Along Kell's journey, he picks up companions of all types and skills, who each have their own reasons for wanting to go North and face this threat.
The action and pace just keep ramping up and it really is a non stop ride, with otherworldly dangers, creatures and threats from throughout the kingdom.
It was easy to get drawn into the world, the different peoples, the religion of the Shepard, and the companions on the journey are unique and Kell is certainly easy to root for. I really enjoyed the bard, Vahli and the Alfar, Willow as well as Lukas and Sigrid. The Reverend Mother Britak is not one to mess with and there are so many possibilities for what may happen in the next book, I can't wait to find out what happens in the next part of Kell's journey!! Definitely recommend this fun read!!

ARC provided by Angry Robot and NetGalley (