My Quick Takes:
- 5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Genre 📚 Epic Fantasy
- Language 🤐 infrequent mild
- Spice ❤️🔥 none
- Content 🤔 graphic violence, death, themes of war
I think John Gwynne is my favorite epic fantasy author.
A Time of Dread kicks off a trilogy that takes place 100 years after the conclusion of Gwynne’s series The Faithful and the Fallen. While you can start here, I highly highly recommend starting with the first book in this 7 book saga, Malice. There were so many details about what happened after the final book in the quartet, Wrath, that A Time of Dread almost reads like an extended epilogue.
Diving back into the Banished Lands was just what I needed after feeling like I was in a fantasy rut. I found this book much easier to get into as I was already familiar with the realm and there were less points of view than the previous set.
I’ve read each book so far as an immersive read, meaning I’m listening to the audio and following along in the book. It’s been a fantastic experience and I am obsessed with the narrator, Damian Lynch. His narration and different accents are phenomenal, highly recommend. The physical books were good to help keep track of character lists and physically consult the map throughout the plot.
If you’re looking for a swords and shields fantasy with a dash of magic, welcome to the Banished Lands. Truth and Courage!
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