Book Review: "The Sword Defiant" by Gareth Hanrahan

 

Set in a world of dark myth and dangerous prophecy, The Sword Defiant launches an epic tale of daring warriors, living weapons, and bloodthirsty vengeance.

The sword cares not who it cuts.

Many years ago, Sir Aelfric and his nine companions saved the world, seizing the Dark Lord's cursed weapons, along with his dread city of Necrad. That was the easy part.

Now, when Aelfric - keeper of the cursed sword Spellbreaker - learns of a new and terrifying threat, he seeks the nine heroes once again. But they are wandering adventurers no longer. Yesterday's eager heroes are today's weary leaders - and some have turned to the darkness, becoming monsters themselves.

If there's one thing Aelfric knows, it's slaying monsters. Even if they used to be his friends. - from Netgalley.com

This eARC was given to me through Netgalley.com and I am providing an unbiased review.

This is definitely one of the best novels I was NOT expecting this year! Having read Hanrahan's previous trilogy (the Black Iron Legacy) he has been an author I check on for future works to be coming out. Somehow I missed this one on my regular radar, and found it through Netgalley. It doesn't state it  clearly, but this is probably going to be at least a two, possibly three, book series, and is certainly what I would consider an epic fantasy story.

In many ways, this makes me think of the LOTR series by Tolkien. I would liken it in the way that thirty years have passed since the completion of the Fellowship's mission, and one of the group is trying to get the group together to fight a new threat because they are the champions of the realm. It's definitely a good D&D type feel ... magical weapons, sorcerers, vampiric elves, wood elves, humans, dwarves, and a slew of histories and cultures spread out amongst them all. Hanrahan has done a wonderful job creating this world, including some maps, with multiple cultures, backgrounds, languages, and history. The MC being a human, shows signs of aging, indifference, regret - so many different feelings, as I could only imagine one would feel having 'lived the life' the author told. I felt drawn to the humanness of this character. Typically, the attitudes of some of the other races in the story were similar to how I picture them (ie. elves haughty, dwarves being loud, and demanding, etc).

Overall this is a well-written novel and I am anxious for a follow-up(s) though I am sure I may be waiting quite some time if it is to match the quality of this first book.