“No surrender. No retreat.” With twenty enemy swords at their backs and a broken bridge ahead, the last knights of an outlaw order turn to fight. A young woman with forbidden magic joins their final stand. And as blade meets blade, she starts to sing…
Adelais was raised in the far north, learning stories of the old gods and the skill of weaving runes into magic. Now, she is locked in a convent far from home, forced to kneel to a foreign god.
When inquisitors arrive with plans to torture an innocent man, Adelais cannot stand by. She aids an attack to free the prisoner and joins the raiders as they flee into the night.
Her new companions are the last of the Guardians—once a powerful holy order, now ragged fugitives, hunted almost to extinction.
The knights carry a secret treasure, precious and powerful enough to shape kingdoms. Their pursuers, desperate to possess it, will crush any who stand in their way.
Nowhere is safe—in city or chateau, on the road or in the wilds. And even disguised as a boy, Adelais draws attention wherever she goes. Is she angel or demon, priestess or witch?
Adelais must summon all her courage and all her memories of the old gods’ magic as the noose tightens around her and a thunderous final reckoning approaches.
Discover a thrilling new series, with a rich world and action that will leave you breathless. Hammer of Fate is inspired by Viking magic, medieval combat and the fall of the Templar knights—perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence, Andrzej Sapkowski and Robin Hobb. - from Netgalley.com
I received an eARC from Netgalley.com and am providing an unbiased review.
I was a bit hesitant on requesting to read this story, based solely on the synopsis. Not so much what the story is about, but the last bit, where "... perfect for fans of ..." then lists a few authors that I consider fairly well-known for their works. This time I decided to take the risk, requested the novel, and am glad I did.
I already said I was hesitant about starting this one, and the beginning of the novel had me wondering if maybe I had been right. The story felt a little slow at the start, but soon started to make some sense. This portion of the tale is told by three of the more principal characters: Adelais, Malory, and Guy. Not one of my favorite ways of reading a story from three viewpoints, but for the most part, it works well for this tale. Much of it is because each character is not telling the same event(s) from their point of view, but the events around their self, which adds to the overall story.
Truly a very well written work that does remind me stories of the Templars, Vikings, and other mythological beliefs. Throw in a bit of Robin Hood type theatrics, and it turns out to be a really good story. I look forward to the next installment, and plan to check out other works from this author.
No comments:
Post a Comment