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A review by ade625
The Broken God by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
4.0
Summary: The Broken God by Gareth Hanrahan is a strong continuation to the Black Iron Legacy series, a world where mad gods walk the earth, monsters roam the streets, and Dragon crime families hold hostage entire cities. While perhaps a step down from the two previous entries, the book is still a great ride the whole way through.
The Broken God brings us back Carillion Thay and Spar as prominent POVs, and includes Baston, a former member of the criminal Brotherhood, and friend of Spar’s, and Rasce, Chosen of the dragon Taras, representing one of the Ghierdana families interests in the city of Guerdon.
For Cari, this book is somewhat of a journey of discovery, as she tries to figure out her place in the world beyond her position as the Saint of Knives, while also trying to make her way to Khebesh to trade knowledge for knowledge to bolster Spar’s waning power. She quickly finds herself hunted by Artolo, a Ghierdana agent she stabbed and drove out of Guerdon months previous. Cari’s story is one of reconnecting with her past, while trying to understand who she is and who she wants to be.
Rasce, Baston and Spar’s story is intertwined heavily in this book. Rasce is tasked by his great uncle dragon to corner the yliaster (alchemist stuff) supply in the city. This means working outside the zone of the city controlled by Lyrix, and potentially endangering the treaty that split the city apart in the first place. Baston is recruited due to his skills and his old contacts in the Brotherood, but his loyalties are divided, and struggles to figure out what the right thing to do is. Spar manages to make a connection with Rasce, giving him a similar sort of sainthood that Cari had, and their differing interests clash – Spar just wants to protect the people of the New City, his magic given body, without unravelling in the process.
As usual, the world-building is incredible. It came as no surprise to me the knowledge that Hanrahan writes books for roleplaying games, as the man is bursting with ideas. In this story, we get to see the return of old allies and enemies (well, mostly enemies) and a much bigger look at the Ghierdana. I was maybe a little disappointed that the Ghierdana are mostly just what they seem – crime families ran by dragons. The backstory to how the dragons came about is novel, but not used much, and as a faction they seem almost vanilla compared to some of the other crazy elements of this world. We get a lot more new stuff in Cari’s story, however, and even a look at what was once the heart of the godswar itself.
Eladora Duttin is back, in a mostly adversarial role this time, along with supporting players of hers from the previous novel. It’s great how the protagonists from one book become villains in the next. I have to admit, I never completely warmed to Rasce or Baston. I enjoyed their storylines, especially when characters from the previous books were involved (especially when Spar is involved) but I never found myself too bothered about what their eventual fate might be. Cari I still loved, even more for the development she underwent in the last two books.
I don’t think the plot had quite the impact that it did in the previous two books. It was good, but it didn’t have as much of the twists, turns, shifting factions and unfolding mysteries and before. And the last sequences were certainly less bombastic than in The Shadow Saint, and The Gutter Prayer.
Having said that, this is still a great book, with most of the elements I’ve come to expect from a Black Iron Legacy book. A world still bursting with character, twisty plots and danger round every corner. Don’t stop here fans (and if you’re not a fan, don’t start here either – pick up The Gutter Prayer for the start of this series).
Rating: 8/10
Thanks to Netgalley and the Orbit for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For reviews like this and more, visit my blog
The Broken God brings us back Carillion Thay and Spar as prominent POVs, and includes Baston, a former member of the criminal Brotherhood, and friend of Spar’s, and Rasce, Chosen of the dragon Taras, representing one of the Ghierdana families interests in the city of Guerdon.
For Cari, this book is somewhat of a journey of discovery, as she tries to figure out her place in the world beyond her position as the Saint of Knives, while also trying to make her way to Khebesh to trade knowledge for knowledge to bolster Spar’s waning power. She quickly finds herself hunted by Artolo, a Ghierdana agent she stabbed and drove out of Guerdon months previous. Cari’s story is one of reconnecting with her past, while trying to understand who she is and who she wants to be.
Rasce, Baston and Spar’s story is intertwined heavily in this book. Rasce is tasked by his great uncle dragon to corner the yliaster (alchemist stuff) supply in the city. This means working outside the zone of the city controlled by Lyrix, and potentially endangering the treaty that split the city apart in the first place. Baston is recruited due to his skills and his old contacts in the Brotherood, but his loyalties are divided, and struggles to figure out what the right thing to do is. Spar manages to make a connection with Rasce, giving him a similar sort of sainthood that Cari had, and their differing interests clash – Spar just wants to protect the people of the New City, his magic given body, without unravelling in the process.
As usual, the world-building is incredible. It came as no surprise to me the knowledge that Hanrahan writes books for roleplaying games, as the man is bursting with ideas. In this story, we get to see the return of old allies and enemies (well, mostly enemies) and a much bigger look at the Ghierdana. I was maybe a little disappointed that the Ghierdana are mostly just what they seem – crime families ran by dragons. The backstory to how the dragons came about is novel, but not used much, and as a faction they seem almost vanilla compared to some of the other crazy elements of this world. We get a lot more new stuff in Cari’s story, however, and even a look at what was once the heart of the godswar itself.
Eladora Duttin is back, in a mostly adversarial role this time, along with supporting players of hers from the previous novel. It’s great how the protagonists from one book become villains in the next. I have to admit, I never completely warmed to Rasce or Baston. I enjoyed their storylines, especially when characters from the previous books were involved (especially when Spar is involved) but I never found myself too bothered about what their eventual fate might be. Cari I still loved, even more for the development she underwent in the last two books.
I don’t think the plot had quite the impact that it did in the previous two books. It was good, but it didn’t have as much of the twists, turns, shifting factions and unfolding mysteries and before. And the last sequences were certainly less bombastic than in The Shadow Saint, and The Gutter Prayer.
Having said that, this is still a great book, with most of the elements I’ve come to expect from a Black Iron Legacy book. A world still bursting with character, twisty plots and danger round every corner. Don’t stop here fans (and if you’re not a fan, don’t start here either – pick up The Gutter Prayer for the start of this series).
Rating: 8/10
Thanks to Netgalley and the Orbit for providing me with an e-arc copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
For reviews like this and more, visit my blog