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Lands of the Firstborn #1
The Sword Defiant
Set in a world of dark myth and dangerous prophecy, this thrilling fantasy launches an epic tale of daring warriors, living weapons, and bloodthirsty vengeance.
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.
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.
554 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2023
413 people are currently reading
11795 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 346 reviews
February 20, 2023
Original review posted on my blog Out of This World SFF:
https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...
Gareth Hanrahan is such an imaginative author and one of my favorites when it comes to churning out edgy entertaining fantasy that doesn't fit the usual stereotypes. His Black Iron Legacy series is so brilliant and a reminder that great fantasy doesn't have to follow a certain formula, as he so deftly created one of the most original fantasy worlds in recent memory. Hanrahan also injects a healthy dose of the weird in his characters and setting, which I absolutely love. So when I saw that Orbit was promoting a brand new book by him that would be releasing this coming May, I couldn't move fast enough to try to scoop up an early copy.
The book begins by introducing us to Aelfric (or Alf as his friends affectionately call him) as he is conversing with the sentient demon sword Spellbreaker. TALKING SWORD - count me in! Anyway, Aelfric is one of The Nine Heroes who defeated the dark Lord Bone and in doing so wrested away certain tainted and evil artifacts such as the aforementioned Spellbreaker. We get the impression right away that the sword is a total pain in the ass and still has a desire for blood and to commit evil deeds even though it is now in the hands of the most honorable Aelfric. As the story progresses Alf begins to speculate about whether Lord Bone may not be dead as many of his companions firmly believed. At the very least Bone's lingering influence may still have a significantly strong hold on the cursed city of Necrad. This in the form of complex spells that one member of The Nine specifically is still struggling to decipher and untangle years after Lord Bone was defeated. It is from this point on where the story goes from good to flat out extraordinary. At least it did for me.
Just as with Hanrahan's previous series, THE SWORD DEFIANT has completely next level worldbuilding. Yes this one leans slightly more toward a traditional fantasy setting, but he still manages to infuse enough twisted and dark elements to keep things mysterious, creepy, and ominous. Especially when it comes to the dread city of Necrad where there are many secrets and layers that make this no quaint kingdom/village fantasy world. It's part of what made this such a fun read for me, I never knew what the next town or fortress would bring as many are populated by both dark magic and also witches, elves, and dwarves that are slightly off and disturbing. Or in some cases extremely off and disturbing.
Another aspect that really clicked with me was the whole "let's get the band back together" vibe. It reminded me a lot of Nicholas Eames' Kings of the Wyld. Part of what made this story so great was how faced with a potential new threat Aelfric has to travel around and work hard to assemble The Nine Heroes again, and let's say some are more challenging than others to get on board. Complacency is real apparently when it comes to once legendary heroes.
THE SWORD DEFIANT satisfies on so so many different levels and it really kept me transfixed throughout. If you enjoy fantasy that doesn't infodump or spoon-feed you to death, then you really should check out Gareth Hanrahan's books and this one in particular. Edge of your seat adventure, vile and unmerciful antagonists, a dark and mysterious world, macabre creatures straight out of your nightmares, and that trademark strange (in a good way) edge that is the backbone of every Hanrahan story. This is an absolute must read for every fantasy aficionado. Get your preorders in now because you don't want to waste a single moment plunging into this one once it is officially published.
https://outofthisworldrev.blogspot.co...
Gareth Hanrahan is such an imaginative author and one of my favorites when it comes to churning out edgy entertaining fantasy that doesn't fit the usual stereotypes. His Black Iron Legacy series is so brilliant and a reminder that great fantasy doesn't have to follow a certain formula, as he so deftly created one of the most original fantasy worlds in recent memory. Hanrahan also injects a healthy dose of the weird in his characters and setting, which I absolutely love. So when I saw that Orbit was promoting a brand new book by him that would be releasing this coming May, I couldn't move fast enough to try to scoop up an early copy.
The book begins by introducing us to Aelfric (or Alf as his friends affectionately call him) as he is conversing with the sentient demon sword Spellbreaker. TALKING SWORD - count me in! Anyway, Aelfric is one of The Nine Heroes who defeated the dark Lord Bone and in doing so wrested away certain tainted and evil artifacts such as the aforementioned Spellbreaker. We get the impression right away that the sword is a total pain in the ass and still has a desire for blood and to commit evil deeds even though it is now in the hands of the most honorable Aelfric. As the story progresses Alf begins to speculate about whether Lord Bone may not be dead as many of his companions firmly believed. At the very least Bone's lingering influence may still have a significantly strong hold on the cursed city of Necrad. This in the form of complex spells that one member of The Nine specifically is still struggling to decipher and untangle years after Lord Bone was defeated. It is from this point on where the story goes from good to flat out extraordinary. At least it did for me.
Just as with Hanrahan's previous series, THE SWORD DEFIANT has completely next level worldbuilding. Yes this one leans slightly more toward a traditional fantasy setting, but he still manages to infuse enough twisted and dark elements to keep things mysterious, creepy, and ominous. Especially when it comes to the dread city of Necrad where there are many secrets and layers that make this no quaint kingdom/village fantasy world. It's part of what made this such a fun read for me, I never knew what the next town or fortress would bring as many are populated by both dark magic and also witches, elves, and dwarves that are slightly off and disturbing. Or in some cases extremely off and disturbing.
Another aspect that really clicked with me was the whole "let's get the band back together" vibe. It reminded me a lot of Nicholas Eames' Kings of the Wyld. Part of what made this story so great was how faced with a potential new threat Aelfric has to travel around and work hard to assemble The Nine Heroes again, and let's say some are more challenging than others to get on board. Complacency is real apparently when it comes to once legendary heroes.
THE SWORD DEFIANT satisfies on so so many different levels and it really kept me transfixed throughout. If you enjoy fantasy that doesn't infodump or spoon-feed you to death, then you really should check out Gareth Hanrahan's books and this one in particular. Edge of your seat adventure, vile and unmerciful antagonists, a dark and mysterious world, macabre creatures straight out of your nightmares, and that trademark strange (in a good way) edge that is the backbone of every Hanrahan story. This is an absolute must read for every fantasy aficionado. Get your preorders in now because you don't want to waste a single moment plunging into this one once it is officially published.
September 4, 2024
I loved the Tolkien inspiration with the very original take "what happens after the great war against evil is won".
The pacing was slow, the story driven more by the characters than the plot. I'm very ok with this perspective, but unfortunately I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, expect maybe for the talking sword.
I don't think it has anything to do with the quality of the book, I thought is was great, it might just not have been for me at the time.
Overall I liked it but not loved it.
The pacing was slow, the story driven more by the characters than the plot. I'm very ok with this perspective, but unfortunately I couldn't really connect with any of the characters, expect maybe for the talking sword.
I don't think it has anything to do with the quality of the book, I thought is was great, it might just not have been for me at the time.
Overall I liked it but not loved it.
May 24, 2025
”Getting old was surviving a series of unseen battles; you didn’t always know you were fighting them, but got buffeted and wounded all the same.”
this book had a lot of things going for it, but it was very bogged down by the slower pace. it’s also more of a character driven story, which is fine.. if i had gotten invested in any of them. the mc Alf is a renowned hero, who also has become the wielder of a sentient/cursed sword called Spellbreaker. Alf has to gather some of his old companions to help him face a new threat, but not all of them are quite how he remembers. im deciding to give this book some credit because it is the first in a series and the potential is there. im hoping to enjoy the others more cause this author has written one of my favorite books of all time, so i know he’s very capable.
this book had a lot of things going for it, but it was very bogged down by the slower pace. it’s also more of a character driven story, which is fine.. if i had gotten invested in any of them. the mc Alf is a renowned hero, who also has become the wielder of a sentient/cursed sword called Spellbreaker. Alf has to gather some of his old companions to help him face a new threat, but not all of them are quite how he remembers. im deciding to give this book some credit because it is the first in a series and the potential is there. im hoping to enjoy the others more cause this author has written one of my favorite books of all time, so i know he’s very capable.
July 4, 2023
4.0 Stars
Review Video: https://youtu.be/smJkPBN9j1o
This was a solid first book in a new epic fantasy series. In terms of characters and plot, this one is rather traditional. This classic setup gives the story a familiar and comforting tone.
I have previously read and loved the author's other work, The Gutter Prayer, and so I inevitably found myself comparing. I liked this one but much prefer his debut novel because it was so much more original which particularly memorable characters. While the Sword Defiant is a strong read, it felt much safer. I wished the author had stepped out of the box instead.
Regardless of my preferences, this is still a good story that I would recommend this fantasy readers looking for something new.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
Review Video: https://youtu.be/smJkPBN9j1o
This was a solid first book in a new epic fantasy series. In terms of characters and plot, this one is rather traditional. This classic setup gives the story a familiar and comforting tone.
I have previously read and loved the author's other work, The Gutter Prayer, and so I inevitably found myself comparing. I liked this one but much prefer his debut novel because it was so much more original which particularly memorable characters. While the Sword Defiant is a strong read, it felt much safer. I wished the author had stepped out of the box instead.
Regardless of my preferences, this is still a good story that I would recommend this fantasy readers looking for something new.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
May 8, 2023
I cried during the first and last chapter of the book (and a few times in between), that's probably all you need to know about how fast I got attached to the characters. I was honestly not expecting that to happen so quickly, but I'm glad it did.
I ended up loving this book and not wanting it to end, I also took my sweet time with it, but a part of that was because the pacing was so slow.
This is a very character driven story, so in the grand scheme of things I don't mind that not much was going on, because we got to know the characters very well. But yeah, if you're expecting to breeze through it, it might not be so easy.
We have two main characters, Alf and his sister Olva. Alf is one of The Nine, heroes who saved the world once upon a time. He's getting old and ends up on a new quest to gather his fellow heroes and fight another sort of evil that's rising on the horizon.
Meanwhile Olva is a mother who's on a quest to save her son who went in search of his uncle Alf. She never set out to be a hero, but hey, neither did Alf when he started.
Alf's PoV was more interesting to read, but I liked reading Olva's too.
I love both of them and literally every single character in the book, I'm not exaggerating. I feel like they were all fleshed out and Gareth Hanrahan made me care about each of them as if they were the main characters. How??? Who knows.
But I have to single out the talking sword, Spellbreaker. It was so funny, I knew I was going to like it from the moment it spoke. It's possibly my favourite character, next to Cu (who's described as a "suspicious dog" in the character list at the start of the book, I thought that was funny too).
The world building is tied with the characters as the best thing in the book, it's well developed and I could imagine everything clearly.
Now let's talk about the ending. I was hoping that something like that would happen, but I didn't predict it. For how detailed the rest of the book was, I think we could've used a tiny bit more explanation as to how it happened, before the jump, but I also think it's clear enough to understand.
And the ending ending, like the very last page...how do you expect me to be calm after that? I must now what happens next!!! This is cruel!!!
To tie into that, because so much was built in this book, I'm sure the next one(s) will be even more exiting. I can't wait.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
I ended up loving this book and not wanting it to end, I also took my sweet time with it, but a part of that was because the pacing was so slow.
This is a very character driven story, so in the grand scheme of things I don't mind that not much was going on, because we got to know the characters very well. But yeah, if you're expecting to breeze through it, it might not be so easy.
We have two main characters, Alf and his sister Olva. Alf is one of The Nine, heroes who saved the world once upon a time. He's getting old and ends up on a new quest to gather his fellow heroes and fight another sort of evil that's rising on the horizon.
Meanwhile Olva is a mother who's on a quest to save her son who went in search of his uncle Alf. She never set out to be a hero, but hey, neither did Alf when he started.
Alf's PoV was more interesting to read, but I liked reading Olva's too.
I love both of them and literally every single character in the book, I'm not exaggerating. I feel like they were all fleshed out and Gareth Hanrahan made me care about each of them as if they were the main characters. How??? Who knows.
But I have to single out the talking sword, Spellbreaker. It was so funny, I knew I was going to like it from the moment it spoke. It's possibly my favourite character, next to Cu (who's described as a "suspicious dog" in the character list at the start of the book, I thought that was funny too).
The world building is tied with the characters as the best thing in the book, it's well developed and I could imagine everything clearly.
Now let's talk about the ending. I was hoping that something like that would happen, but I didn't predict it. For how detailed the rest of the book was, I think we could've used a tiny bit more explanation as to how it happened, before the jump, but I also think it's clear enough to understand.
And the ending ending, like the very last page...how do you expect me to be calm after that? I must now what happens next!!! This is cruel!!!
To tie into that, because so much was built in this book, I'm sure the next one(s) will be even more exiting. I can't wait.
*Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review*
October 12, 2023
Well, that was…pretty damn great. (Forgive my dramatic wizard’s pause, Alf.)
The author is open about his love for Tolkien, & there’s a strong thread of homage in the setup, but as everything unfurled it took some turns that surprised me. So it’s definitely its own thing—some Tolkien, some RPG, a pinch of GRRM, & the author’s own take on classic Nerd Fantasy(tm) motifs/themes/imagery. Overall, lots of fun. 👽
To elaborate…I’d classify this as dark fantasy, but it’s not grimdark; the humorous moments & appreciation of (as opposed to derision of) victory against impossible odds keep it from descending into a mire of try-too-hard gloomth. That being said, this is without question an adult novel—which is just wonderful, because so much fantasy these days has become YA in disguise. These are grown-ass characters with real problems—that is, bigger concerns than moping + moaning over some puerile love triangle with a sullen bad boy. You won’t find endless monologues of juvenile angst over meaningless lovelorn tripe—instead, these characters have life experience both good & bad that has twisted their current situation into a pretzel of loyalties & counter-loyalties. They have perspective on what’s important & what ultimately matters in the grand scheme. For example: What is a fighting man’s role in peacetime? What does he do when he’s sick unto death of killing, yet killing is the one action where he feels comfortable & natural? The scene where Alf battles his disgust for the youthful, unbloodied, peace-coddled lordlings playing at being warriors was so poignant & sad—both for Alf & the young idiots in question. 😢 In any case, the book is filled with scenes like this: bittersweet moments that are more likely to be appreciated by…shall we say…grownups. It’s primarily a book about coping with loss—loss of friends, of purpose, of memories, of innocence—& that more than anything is what makes it Dark.
Anyhoo. I’m making this sound uber Brooding & Deep(tm), so forgive me; I hate when reviewers climb on preachy soapboxes. Despite my philosophical waffle, this is a genuinely fun read—I haven’t enjoyed an unfinished** fantasy epic this much in a long time, & I’m keenly awaiting the next installment. 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (And re: my pre-reading review, kindly allow me this vapid comment: Aelfric is a hottie.)
**Translation: not Old Skool ‘90s, & therefore already completed.
PRE-READING REVIEW:
Book: Hey, sweet thing. I’m a chunkster epic fantasy that’s based on the downside of a Tolkien HEA.
Me: Okaaay. Tell me more.
Book: I’ve got a fabulous moody cover with a sexy-scruffy Sandor Clegane clone holding an Aragorn sword.
Me: …Take my money, handsome. I trust you.
The author is open about his love for Tolkien, & there’s a strong thread of homage in the setup, but as everything unfurled it took some turns that surprised me. So it’s definitely its own thing—some Tolkien, some RPG, a pinch of GRRM, & the author’s own take on classic Nerd Fantasy(tm) motifs/themes/imagery. Overall, lots of fun. 👽
To elaborate…I’d classify this as dark fantasy, but it’s not grimdark; the humorous moments & appreciation of (as opposed to derision of) victory against impossible odds keep it from descending into a mire of try-too-hard gloomth. That being said, this is without question an adult novel—which is just wonderful, because so much fantasy these days has become YA in disguise. These are grown-ass characters with real problems—that is, bigger concerns than moping + moaning over some puerile love triangle with a sullen bad boy. You won’t find endless monologues of juvenile angst over meaningless lovelorn tripe—instead, these characters have life experience both good & bad that has twisted their current situation into a pretzel of loyalties & counter-loyalties. They have perspective on what’s important & what ultimately matters in the grand scheme. For example: What is a fighting man’s role in peacetime? What does he do when he’s sick unto death of killing, yet killing is the one action where he feels comfortable & natural? The scene where Alf battles his disgust for the youthful, unbloodied, peace-coddled lordlings playing at being warriors was so poignant & sad—both for Alf & the young idiots in question. 😢 In any case, the book is filled with scenes like this: bittersweet moments that are more likely to be appreciated by…shall we say…grownups. It’s primarily a book about coping with loss—loss of friends, of purpose, of memories, of innocence—& that more than anything is what makes it Dark.
Anyhoo. I’m making this sound uber Brooding & Deep(tm), so forgive me; I hate when reviewers climb on preachy soapboxes. Despite my philosophical waffle, this is a genuinely fun read—I haven’t enjoyed an unfinished** fantasy epic this much in a long time, & I’m keenly awaiting the next installment. 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (And re: my pre-reading review, kindly allow me this vapid comment: Aelfric is a hottie.)
**Translation: not Old Skool ‘90s, & therefore already completed.
PRE-READING REVIEW:
Book: Hey, sweet thing. I’m a chunkster epic fantasy that’s based on the downside of a Tolkien HEA.
Me: Okaaay. Tell me more.
Book: I’ve got a fabulous moody cover with a sexy-scruffy Sandor Clegane clone holding an Aragorn sword.
Me: …Take my money, handsome. I trust you.
May 18, 2023
I would like to thank Orbit and both Edelweiss and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
The Sword Defiant was an absolute joy for me to read! And I hope that what I am about to say will not detract in any way from GRH’s extraordinary imagination, skillful characterization and fantastic storytelling, but I think a few gamers will be able to relate to where I’m going with this sentiment!
Not only was this story filled with brilliant, fully realized and unique characters, as well as a loyal doggo I adored, I absolutely loved the world-building! It was so atmospheric and toothy, specifically Necrad and its unearthly green miasma
and so because of this hazy, sickly green coloured lens I was essentially reading from, I was thrown waaaay back to my World of Warcraft days
WoW was my intro to mmorpgs and I only have the fondest of memories from that time, so reading while cloaked in this fuzzy feeling of nostalgia meant this book was most assuredly a slam dunk for me! 🥰
Things I loved:
🖤I loved the way the backstory was revealed through snippets of memory, flashbacks, introspection.
🖤The epic as fk Nine.
🖤I loved loved Alf and Olva and Torun...ok and Gundan and Blaise and Thurn and Lath and Spellbreaker of course!
🖤 The ending omg I am addicted to rereading the end of Chapter 42 and then all of Chapter 43, breaking out in goosebumps and then sobbing and then exhaling in relief, happy again. rinse and repeat. It's manic but I'm here for it because at least I'm wild about this story!
💚🖤This was wonderful work and I am excited for the rest of the series to come, and also for my reread of this book before the second installment comes out! I may have leveled up from my WoW days, but I am really happy to have Lands of the Firstborn for a quest-y nostalgic hug when I need it 💚🖤
The Sword Defiant was an absolute joy for me to read! And I hope that what I am about to say will not detract in any way from GRH’s extraordinary imagination, skillful characterization and fantastic storytelling, but I think a few gamers will be able to relate to where I’m going with this sentiment!
Not only was this story filled with brilliant, fully realized and unique characters, as well as a loyal doggo I adored, I absolutely loved the world-building! It was so atmospheric and toothy, specifically Necrad and its unearthly green miasma
and so because of this hazy, sickly green coloured lens I was essentially reading from, I was thrown waaaay back to my World of Warcraft days
WoW was my intro to mmorpgs and I only have the fondest of memories from that time, so reading while cloaked in this fuzzy feeling of nostalgia meant this book was most assuredly a slam dunk for me! 🥰
Things I loved:
🖤I loved the way the backstory was revealed through snippets of memory, flashbacks, introspection.
🖤The epic as fk Nine.
🖤I loved loved Alf and Olva and Torun...ok and Gundan and Blaise and Thurn and Lath and Spellbreaker of course!
🖤 The ending omg I am addicted to rereading the end of Chapter 42 and then all of Chapter 43, breaking out in goosebumps and then sobbing and then exhaling in relief, happy again. rinse and repeat. It's manic but I'm here for it because at least I'm wild about this story!
💚🖤This was wonderful work and I am excited for the rest of the series to come, and also for my reread of this book before the second installment comes out! I may have leveled up from my WoW days, but I am really happy to have Lands of the Firstborn for a quest-y nostalgic hug when I need it 💚🖤
May 4, 2023
witcher meets lord of the rings, if both combined were a dnd campaign
May 10, 2023
*4.75
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
The Sword Defiant is a memorable start to a new fantasy story from Gareth Hanrahan, author of the incredible The Black Iron Legacy trilogy, brimming with a richly detailed world and complex characters. It's grittiness and magic really makes it stand out from other books in the genre and I was so excited to have a new Hanrahan book in my hands again.
The Sword Defiant centers around Sir Aelfric, part of the famed Nine who once saved the world from the Dark Lord Bone. Now, the Nine are spread out throughout the world doing their own things while also maintaining threats of evil and the city of Necrad from any new threats that may pop up. Alf is dragged back into things when he is told of a new prophecy that hints at a new darkness rising up and he is forced to return to Necrad to find out what's going on.
This book is filled to the brim with intricate, immersive world-building that seemed to have endless opportunities for expansion in future books. This world has so many different sides to it, from the dark city of Necrad to the more countryside-like areas of Mulladale to the beautiful lands of the elves. I really loved how gritty and almost creepy this world felt on the whole, and I think Hanrahan really excelled in building up this world that is bold and interesting while maintaining a strong, ever-present sense of dread and disturbances in the air. Let's just say that 'necromiasma' exists in the air of Necrad and leave it there. I also really loved spending some time in the land with the elves and seeing what their life was like–fantasy books always make me want to just live with the elves in their beautiful lands.
I really liked our main POV characters of Alf and Olva and how real they felt. Alf is like any hero of the past who sort of just wants a quieter life away from those who worship him for his deeds in the past, but he also doesn't really know how to do that and still wants to be fairly useful dealing with threats. Olva is also just like any mom who is desperate to find her child who has embarked upon some ill-advised journey and now is nowhere to be found. And let's not forget the cursed demon sword Spellbreaker who, dare I say, almost stole the show in every scene in which it was present (for me, anyway). Spellbreaker can speak to Alf and is somewhat half the epitome of evil and also half the snarkiest sidekick you'll ever meet who has no problem causing trouble or calling trouble to you so that you can kill it–with no remorse. Spellbreaker added an extra layer of intrigue to the story.
The pacing is a little up and down throughout the book, but overall I'd consider it a little on the slower paced side and a bit of a slow burn with regard to uncovering new plot points and following along after our characters as they discover things. I will admit that the latter middle half of the story did feel like it lagged ever so slightly and there didn't seem to be quite as much going on. There was a perceived sense of urgency in relation to some new, rather large and immediate threats, but the characters seemed to be getting distracted and having long conversations and explorations that made me question just how urgent things were. I didn't necessarily mind them as someone who prefers a slower pace to rushed action, but it did sort of feel at odds with the general pacing and plotting at times.
The magic is definitely on the softer side because I didn't really notice too much in the way of consistency and rules just yet, but I do think that there is a lot more to learn about the magic in this world. I do have the sense that future books will dive deeper in the magic due to one of the characters in this book's desire to actually study magic. Still, I loved the magical elements, from the dark magical creatures that existed to the healing cordials to the curses and everything in between. I can't wait to see more of this world and the magic that exists within it.
One thing that I really loved about Hanrahan's previous trilogy and that holds true in this one is his sort of casual yet epic prose style. This one's a bit hard to explain, so bear with me. The Sword Defiant feels like an epic fantasy in scope. There's a huge world with tons of world-building, legendary characters and evils, and so much more, yet the story doesn't feel like it takes itself too seriously. Our characters are not necessarily all noble heroes with perfectly epic battles and events, but rather are all fairly messy people with messy lives and battles and obstacles. Much in the way that the world itself is gritty, the general writing and atmosphere feels gritty and here to be honest, and I really love that about Hanrahan's writing.
Overall, I've given The Sword Defiant 4.75 stars!
Find this review at Forever Lost in Literature!
The Sword Defiant is a memorable start to a new fantasy story from Gareth Hanrahan, author of the incredible The Black Iron Legacy trilogy, brimming with a richly detailed world and complex characters. It's grittiness and magic really makes it stand out from other books in the genre and I was so excited to have a new Hanrahan book in my hands again.
The Sword Defiant centers around Sir Aelfric, part of the famed Nine who once saved the world from the Dark Lord Bone. Now, the Nine are spread out throughout the world doing their own things while also maintaining threats of evil and the city of Necrad from any new threats that may pop up. Alf is dragged back into things when he is told of a new prophecy that hints at a new darkness rising up and he is forced to return to Necrad to find out what's going on.
This book is filled to the brim with intricate, immersive world-building that seemed to have endless opportunities for expansion in future books. This world has so many different sides to it, from the dark city of Necrad to the more countryside-like areas of Mulladale to the beautiful lands of the elves. I really loved how gritty and almost creepy this world felt on the whole, and I think Hanrahan really excelled in building up this world that is bold and interesting while maintaining a strong, ever-present sense of dread and disturbances in the air. Let's just say that 'necromiasma' exists in the air of Necrad and leave it there. I also really loved spending some time in the land with the elves and seeing what their life was like–fantasy books always make me want to just live with the elves in their beautiful lands.
I really liked our main POV characters of Alf and Olva and how real they felt. Alf is like any hero of the past who sort of just wants a quieter life away from those who worship him for his deeds in the past, but he also doesn't really know how to do that and still wants to be fairly useful dealing with threats. Olva is also just like any mom who is desperate to find her child who has embarked upon some ill-advised journey and now is nowhere to be found. And let's not forget the cursed demon sword Spellbreaker who, dare I say, almost stole the show in every scene in which it was present (for me, anyway). Spellbreaker can speak to Alf and is somewhat half the epitome of evil and also half the snarkiest sidekick you'll ever meet who has no problem causing trouble or calling trouble to you so that you can kill it–with no remorse. Spellbreaker added an extra layer of intrigue to the story.
The pacing is a little up and down throughout the book, but overall I'd consider it a little on the slower paced side and a bit of a slow burn with regard to uncovering new plot points and following along after our characters as they discover things. I will admit that the latter middle half of the story did feel like it lagged ever so slightly and there didn't seem to be quite as much going on. There was a perceived sense of urgency in relation to some new, rather large and immediate threats, but the characters seemed to be getting distracted and having long conversations and explorations that made me question just how urgent things were. I didn't necessarily mind them as someone who prefers a slower pace to rushed action, but it did sort of feel at odds with the general pacing and plotting at times.
The magic is definitely on the softer side because I didn't really notice too much in the way of consistency and rules just yet, but I do think that there is a lot more to learn about the magic in this world. I do have the sense that future books will dive deeper in the magic due to one of the characters in this book's desire to actually study magic. Still, I loved the magical elements, from the dark magical creatures that existed to the healing cordials to the curses and everything in between. I can't wait to see more of this world and the magic that exists within it.
One thing that I really loved about Hanrahan's previous trilogy and that holds true in this one is his sort of casual yet epic prose style. This one's a bit hard to explain, so bear with me. The Sword Defiant feels like an epic fantasy in scope. There's a huge world with tons of world-building, legendary characters and evils, and so much more, yet the story doesn't feel like it takes itself too seriously. Our characters are not necessarily all noble heroes with perfectly epic battles and events, but rather are all fairly messy people with messy lives and battles and obstacles. Much in the way that the world itself is gritty, the general writing and atmosphere feels gritty and here to be honest, and I really love that about Hanrahan's writing.
Overall, I've given The Sword Defiant 4.75 stars!
July 28, 2023
This is a very solid first entry into a new fantasy series by author Gareth Hanrahan. I thoroughly enjoyed the quest this book set me on! The story kind of reminded me of “Lord of the Rings” meets “Dungeons & Dragons”. It is fairly traditional fantasy story in the sense of the set up like Lord of the Rings. You have a fellowship, elves, dwarves, the hero knight, orcs, evil beings, etc. However, the twist I loved that this book explored was what happened after our fellowship of heroes defeated evil 20 years ago. It was not just “they lived happily ever after”. This book starts to explore that question and it really intrigued me.
First off, the world building is fantastic. From your mundane farmlands to the whimsical land of the elves, to the dark city of Necrad engulfed by “necromiasma”. I found it all very intriguing and felt like I was transported to this fantasy world. I cannot wait to explore more of this land in future books.
I would say that this story is more character based than plot based. There is absolutely a plot, but the characters are fantastic. That is what makes this book so good to me. You start to learn about this fellowship that defeated evil years ago. They are all very different, have different personalities, have different backgrounds but were a tight knit group of friends in the triumph. They formed friendships and bonds after going through all that adversity together. However, when a new threat seems to arise years later, things are not the same. One may think to just get the band back together and run it back! Problem solved. No, life is more complicated than that. That is what really worked for me. It was my main takeaway from this book. Over the years, life experiences happen, people change, grow further apart, and perspectives shift. Our main character, Alf, is learning this throughout the novel. It is a struggle he is constantly facing, something he is having a hard time coming to terms with. The character felt so real. I could feel his internal struggle, his sense of feeling lost and conflicted. It was very well done.
Overall, I recommend “The Sword Defiant”. It is a promising start to a new fantasy series, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here! The world building is great, but I am very intrigued to see the journey all of these characters take. The themes of aging friendships and family will keep me coming back for more! Oh and yeah there is a talking sword, Spellbreaker, and it’s awesome!
First off, the world building is fantastic. From your mundane farmlands to the whimsical land of the elves, to the dark city of Necrad engulfed by “necromiasma”. I found it all very intriguing and felt like I was transported to this fantasy world. I cannot wait to explore more of this land in future books.
I would say that this story is more character based than plot based. There is absolutely a plot, but the characters are fantastic. That is what makes this book so good to me. You start to learn about this fellowship that defeated evil years ago. They are all very different, have different personalities, have different backgrounds but were a tight knit group of friends in the triumph. They formed friendships and bonds after going through all that adversity together. However, when a new threat seems to arise years later, things are not the same. One may think to just get the band back together and run it back! Problem solved. No, life is more complicated than that. That is what really worked for me. It was my main takeaway from this book. Over the years, life experiences happen, people change, grow further apart, and perspectives shift. Our main character, Alf, is learning this throughout the novel. It is a struggle he is constantly facing, something he is having a hard time coming to terms with. The character felt so real. I could feel his internal struggle, his sense of feeling lost and conflicted. It was very well done.
Overall, I recommend “The Sword Defiant”. It is a promising start to a new fantasy series, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here! The world building is great, but I am very intrigued to see the journey all of these characters take. The themes of aging friendships and family will keep me coming back for more! Oh and yeah there is a talking sword, Spellbreaker, and it’s awesome!
May 7, 2023
A classic Dungeons & Dragons, and Sword & Sorcery garnished tale that's dark and engrossing. Like his previous series, Hanrahan sets his story in a city that teems with unknown danger and violence, and the suffocating ambience of the gritty tale is greatly enhanced which keeps the reader interested. As usual, the action is good, and is complemented by decent worldbuilding using some familiar tropes and plot motifs.
Although I enjoyed reading the story, I didn't feel any emotional resonance towards the characters. I was intrigued by the character of a sentient talking sword, but it remained underdeveloped, as I was waiting for the interpersonal dynamics between the sword and its wielder which didn't happen in a convincing manner. It was mawkish, and Aelfric was pretty much of a dumb character without any depth or that much needed complexity. However, I'm very much interested to know further about the history of the elves and their part in shaping the world, manipulating the events and such.
The most fascinating part of the story was incorporating Death as a character, and the eternal battle that rages between the Elves and Death. And, furthermore it would be even more intriguing to see what kind of a dichotomy Hanrahan will weave between the humans and their non-human counterparts, including the city of Necrad, which supposedly is the crux of the main conflict. Readers who wants a foray into Hanrahan's work may pick this up, but, I remain steadfast in my opinion that The Gutter Prayer is his best work so far.
Although I enjoyed reading the story, I didn't feel any emotional resonance towards the characters. I was intrigued by the character of a sentient talking sword, but it remained underdeveloped, as I was waiting for the interpersonal dynamics between the sword and its wielder which didn't happen in a convincing manner. It was mawkish, and Aelfric was pretty much of a dumb character without any depth or that much needed complexity. However, I'm very much interested to know further about the history of the elves and their part in shaping the world, manipulating the events and such.
The most fascinating part of the story was incorporating Death as a character, and the eternal battle that rages between the Elves and Death. And, furthermore it would be even more intriguing to see what kind of a dichotomy Hanrahan will weave between the humans and their non-human counterparts, including the city of Necrad, which supposedly is the crux of the main conflict. Readers who wants a foray into Hanrahan's work may pick this up, but, I remain steadfast in my opinion that The Gutter Prayer is his best work so far.
March 31, 2023
The Sword Defiant
by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
Fantasy Dark High
NetGalley ARC
Years ago, Alf and the rest of the Nine saved the world, killing the Dark Lord and locking up his cursed weapons and the city he populated with the monsters of his experiments, but many, including the monsters, still search for these magical weapons so to become rich and powerful.
But when Alf gets a warning from another of the Nine he goes back to the city to find the darkness that is trying to claim it, only to find out that even heroes can succumb to the city's darkness.
The blurb sounded so interesting. Monsters, heroes, and quests, but sadly the monsters really don't get a lot of attention, and the quests are the heroes traveling from here to there, and bad guys only show up once or twice. The heroes, eh. Only Alf really gets any attention, sure he's the MC, along with another, but the rest, including the nine, aren't really described. And the monsters are also left behind with the descriptions.
As to the story, it started off great, I was hooked, then it started to ramble, talking about the adventure and the battle the nine did to save everyone. I kept checking to see if this book was part of a series, and honestly, I would much rather read about them fighting The Dark Lord, it sounded as if it would have had a lot of action, which this book didn't.
It wasn't that bad of a read, but it was slow because of the lack of action, and I really didn't feel much for Alf, his sister I could relate to, and everyone else were just there as filler. The sword, even though it was part of the plot, it didn't impress me much.
With a little more action, blood, guts, and gore, I would have given this book at least one more star!
2 Stars
by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
Fantasy Dark High
NetGalley ARC
Years ago, Alf and the rest of the Nine saved the world, killing the Dark Lord and locking up his cursed weapons and the city he populated with the monsters of his experiments, but many, including the monsters, still search for these magical weapons so to become rich and powerful.
But when Alf gets a warning from another of the Nine he goes back to the city to find the darkness that is trying to claim it, only to find out that even heroes can succumb to the city's darkness.
The blurb sounded so interesting. Monsters, heroes, and quests, but sadly the monsters really don't get a lot of attention, and the quests are the heroes traveling from here to there, and bad guys only show up once or twice. The heroes, eh. Only Alf really gets any attention, sure he's the MC, along with another, but the rest, including the nine, aren't really described. And the monsters are also left behind with the descriptions.
As to the story, it started off great, I was hooked, then it started to ramble, talking about the adventure and the battle the nine did to save everyone. I kept checking to see if this book was part of a series, and honestly, I would much rather read about them fighting The Dark Lord, it sounded as if it would have had a lot of action, which this book didn't.
It wasn't that bad of a read, but it was slow because of the lack of action, and I really didn't feel much for Alf, his sister I could relate to, and everyone else were just there as filler. The sword, even though it was part of the plot, it didn't impress me much.
With a little more action, blood, guts, and gore, I would have given this book at least one more star!
2 Stars
July 23, 2025
What happens when you have won the war and been declared a hero?
”We won,” he whispered to the shade of the past, “and it’s still bloody hard.”
I love any subversion of troupes and showing the aftermath of a victory after the songs have been sung peaked my interest.
They’d slain the dark lord; how could they fall down managing the happily ever after?
I went in with high expectations and unfortunately felt slightly disappointed.
It was well-paced, had distinctive characters, even a talking DEMON SWORD.
I just felt like I had read this sort of story before, despite me being so intrigued initially by the subversion.
”Whichever side wins, Lae, they’ll tell stories about how they were the heroes. And they’ll be right, too. We were lucky–we saw real darkness, and we knew we stood in the light. It’s not always so clear.”
Yes, the war is over. Yes, our 45 year old veteran can’t settle down, relax; feels like has had to be doing something, anything.
But then, lo and behold, there is another fight, another enemy.
It has potential and I like Gareth’s writing style in this and his other series. Easy and bingeable.
Physical arc gifted by Orbit.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
”We won,” he whispered to the shade of the past, “and it’s still bloody hard.”
I love any subversion of troupes and showing the aftermath of a victory after the songs have been sung peaked my interest.
They’d slain the dark lord; how could they fall down managing the happily ever after?
I went in with high expectations and unfortunately felt slightly disappointed.
It was well-paced, had distinctive characters, even a talking DEMON SWORD.
I just felt like I had read this sort of story before, despite me being so intrigued initially by the subversion.
”Whichever side wins, Lae, they’ll tell stories about how they were the heroes. And they’ll be right, too. We were lucky–we saw real darkness, and we knew we stood in the light. It’s not always so clear.”
Yes, the war is over. Yes, our 45 year old veteran can’t settle down, relax; feels like has had to be doing something, anything.
But then, lo and behold, there is another fight, another enemy.
It has potential and I like Gareth’s writing style in this and his other series. Easy and bingeable.
Physical arc gifted by Orbit.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
April 25, 2023
There once was a evil necromancer named Lord Bone. He ruled from the ancient city of Necrad, the city of the Witch Elves. Summerswell quaked in fear of his army of vampires, dreadworms, and ogres. His reign of terror was endless. That is until the Nine rose up to stop him. The greatest heroes of the realms, magicians, warriors, a dwarf, a Wood Elf princess, and a Changeling brought together and led by Peir, the paladin. They fought Lord Bone and killed him in his fortress of Necrad, bringing peace to the world at the cost of the Nine’s leader. That’s where the songs end with the world living happy every after.
“The Sword Defiant” by Gareth Hanrahan starts fifteen years later and follows Alf, one of the Nine sworn to protect the newly freed city of Necrad. He is older now, more broken and tired, but unwilling to lay aside his burden of Spellbreaker, the evil sentient sword. The war against the ultimate evil is over, so now what is a great hero supposed to do? It also follow Olva, his estranged sister, who is desperately searching for her son who left to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.
This novel is deep enough in both world building and plot to satisfy any epic fantasy fan. The story has twists and turns that keep you intrigued and guessing. I found myself just saying “Just one more chapter” well past midnight. It is a fun book.
Yet, what is going to stay with me is not the fights or the world building. No, what is going to stay with me is the relationships. At its heart the story is about growing older and drifting from your friends. Alf is past his prime at the beginning of the story and what keeps him going is his devotion to his friends, his found family, the Nine. They were true companions that loved one another and strove against evil together. Now they are drifting apart and Alf has to doubt and have conflicts with his friends.
Hanrahan has captured that feeling so well. As someone in their mid-thirties I find that my friendships are nearly as strong as they were. There’s this distance between us both physically and emotionally. Weeks, even months can go between chances for us to get together, and when we do we were not the same people we were the last time we met. Life experiences have changed us and while we can catch each other up on our lives, we will never really understand.
I loved the world building and the characters, but it is that study of fading friendships that I will keep coming back to. It is what I will remember most… Besides Spellbreaker, because who doesn’t love an unapologetic evil talking sword?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“The Sword Defiant” by Gareth Hanrahan starts fifteen years later and follows Alf, one of the Nine sworn to protect the newly freed city of Necrad. He is older now, more broken and tired, but unwilling to lay aside his burden of Spellbreaker, the evil sentient sword. The war against the ultimate evil is over, so now what is a great hero supposed to do? It also follow Olva, his estranged sister, who is desperately searching for her son who left to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.
This novel is deep enough in both world building and plot to satisfy any epic fantasy fan. The story has twists and turns that keep you intrigued and guessing. I found myself just saying “Just one more chapter” well past midnight. It is a fun book.
Yet, what is going to stay with me is not the fights or the world building. No, what is going to stay with me is the relationships. At its heart the story is about growing older and drifting from your friends. Alf is past his prime at the beginning of the story and what keeps him going is his devotion to his friends, his found family, the Nine. They were true companions that loved one another and strove against evil together. Now they are drifting apart and Alf has to doubt and have conflicts with his friends.
Hanrahan has captured that feeling so well. As someone in their mid-thirties I find that my friendships are nearly as strong as they were. There’s this distance between us both physically and emotionally. Weeks, even months can go between chances for us to get together, and when we do we were not the same people we were the last time we met. Life experiences have changed us and while we can catch each other up on our lives, we will never really understand.
I loved the world building and the characters, but it is that study of fading friendships that I will keep coming back to. It is what I will remember most… Besides Spellbreaker, because who doesn’t love an unapologetic evil talking sword?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
April 6, 2023
I received this book for free from Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
I was immediately drawn to the premise of The Sword Defiant, which focuses on what happens after the heroes vanquish the villain and save the world. The story follows Aelfric, an aging hero of legend who still roams the earth after he and his ragtag group of friends, dubbed the Nine, defeated a powerful necromancer called Lord Bone. Aelfric is not only tasked with the protection of the deceased Lord Bone’s sentient sword, which is coincidentally the most powerful weapon in the world, but also forced to confront the fact that evil can appear in the unlikeliest of places.
At first, I was hesitant to pick up a novel with a talking sword—no matter how good the premise sounded. I still have nightmares even thinking about the garrulous skull from The Mages Guild quest line in Elder Scrolls Online and live in fear of encountering anything remotely similar. But thankfully my fears were unfounded and I was relieved to discover that the sword in The Sword Defiant, named Spellbreaker, was not completely and inescapably obnoxious. And to make it even better, when Spellbreaker got a little overly sinister and mouthy, Aelfric quickly shut him up. Aelfric is truly the hero the world needs.
Admittedly, I was less pleased at the fact that this sword—which, as I’ve mentioned before, is the most deadly weapon in the world—is constantly left behind by Aelfric, who out of all the Nine, was the only one deemed virtuous and capable enough to protect it. I felt like every time I turned around the sword was being shoved into a box, left unguarded in the rooms of Inns, or driven into the ground outside of a fire as a purposeful gesture of trust to remain unarmed. Surely there should be some exceptions to this weapon-free campsite rule when one is carrying a magical nuclear weapon and the other party knows this and is even another member of the Nine, the people who entrusted the sword to Aelfric in the first place?
My frustration at these constant and blatantly imprudent actions were further compounded by the fact that Aelfric constantly bemoans his own lack of intelligence and cunning in comparison to the rest of the Nine. I truly wished he would stop telling me how lacking he was in the wisdom department, as I already knew from the sheer fact that he kept leaving his magical evil sword laying around, even after break-ins and failed attempts to steal it. If the decision on what is the most intelligent action to take is obvious even to an inanimate object, like an evil sword, perhaps the character should check himself.
Despite that massive conundrum, I did like Aelfric as a character. A lot of this is probably from the perspective of the novelty of reading about an aging hero after saving the world. After all, Frodo rode off into the sunset to the elves' Grey Havens after he successfully destroyed the One Ring. And other works frequently fade to black when either damsel or the day is saved. So it was a breath of fresh air to see The Sword Defiant explore the toll of saving the world. Aelfric is an older swordsman, with aches and pains, who isn’t above bumbling and grumbling, but always strives to do The Right Thing. I think he will remind a lot of fantasy readers of another aging fantasy protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, though Aelfric is a lot more idealistic than Geralt.
The Sword Defiant is at its best when it focuses on the magical city, Necrad. Before the events of the novel, the Nine liberated this ancient city, built by elves, from the grasp of Lord Bone, who had created great and terrible creatures to defend it. After the defeat of Lord Bone, the Nine swore to continue protecting the city of Necrad. The city is somehow both mysterious and fleshed out, so much so that it feels as if it is truly its own character. And its otherworldly beauty and alien-like features—like its own miasma, runes, circling dreadworms, dead defense systems, and a sprawling labyrinth underneath the city—truly jump off the page. It doesn't hurt that there's also all kinds of creatures roaming this city, like Witch Elves, Vatlings, vampires, wraiths, and more.
Unfortunately, the rest of The Sword Defiant’s world-building, outside of the city of Necrad, is not very strong. The elven city in which Aelfric’s sister, Olva, temporarily resides, is not nearly as well described, nor is the small agricultural hometown in which she and her brothers grew up. The magical system seems to relate somewhat to runes and obviously necromancy, as well as a less respectable form of earth magic that drives the user insane with continued usage, but outside of a member of the Nine being the new most powerful wizard in the world and being able to extend his consciousness to floating eyeballs, I know no specifics about how the magic is learned or performed.
Likewise the pacing and character development of the story leave something to be desired. The Sword Defiant has two narrators, Aelfric and his sister, Olva. Olva is a sheltered widow who never really left her small town before the events of The Sword Defiant, making her (with her sheltered life), the perfect character to comment on the world to readers. But Olva is severely underutilized. Though she alludes to what her brother and the Nine were like in the past, she never shows us in flashbacks. She simply tells us behind a wall of exposition. Similarly, the rest of what we learn of the Nine is told to readers through songs and tales. Though this tracks with a medieval world where songs and tales were some of the only means of entertainment, it’s hard to take them at face value as The Sword Defiant makes it a point to continue telling readers how inaccurate these portrayals are and how most everything told in these tales is not true or exaggerated.
Though I enjoyed reading these epic poems, songs, and tales, as they immersed me more in the world, I was taken aback by the fact that readers are never given this direct glimpse of the Nine in their prime. Each member of the Nine is an archetype—there’s a thief, a paladin, a dwarf, a weak bodied but able-minded wizard, a strong farm boy, an immortal elven princess, and so on and so forth. But we never see these characters back when they were young and taking on Lord Bone and his minions or at low points in their lives where they struggle with their beliefs or anything else of the sort. Though I love that The Sword Defiant focuses on the time after the saving of the world, I do think this lack of portrayal of the younger Nine was an odd narrative decision to make, as it robs readers of the ability to fully appreciate the growth of the characters as they aged or who they have become in the present day, which is a pretty big selling point of the novel.
Similarly, the pacing in The Sword Defiant was lacking. The plot felt stretched thin, as if not much was happening and what was, was being dragged into taking more time than necessary. I struggled reading from Olva’s perspective, because it truly felt like so little was happening in her quest to find her missing son. Sadly, I just could never quite get attached to her (much like my experience with the Nine), as her character was limited to one defining trait: she was a mother. I was more interested in Aelfric’s perspective, as I liked the gruff man, and felt like he was always in the thick of things or taking some sort of ill-advised action, which was exciting in its own irritating way. Aelfric’s relationships with his fellow members of the Nine, though predictable because of the familiarity of the tropes of each character, were the most interesting to me.
The ending was also interesting in a more bemusing way. I was shocked when The Sword Defiantcame to a screeching halt. One minute I was reading a very action-packed, high stakes scene and the next paragraph, The Sword Defiant jumped to having the events told to the reader from a future, outside perspective. I found this incredibly jarring and actually went back and reread the last few pages of the book multiple times because I was convinced I missed something pivotal that accounted for this incredibly sudden change in the method of storytelling. Upon these repeated checks, there was nothing that occurred which accounted for the novel's sudden switching from Olva's perspective to that of a tale recounting the current events, which are now apparently part of legend, and then back to the regular narration again—meaning I had no earthly idea the specifics of remotely anything that had just happened in the final battle of the novel.
If the abrupt changes in narration weren't enough, I also struggled to grapple with the events of the ending themselves in such a short time period. Something very important is revealed at about 90-95% of the way through The Sword Defiant and I wasn’t given much time at all for it to sink in before the novel abruptly ground to a halt and ended. In a way, this makes me really want to read the next novel in the trilogy even more, so that I can understand what exactly happened and what the implications of the events actually were, because at this point, not only the details, but the basics are feeling pretty murky to me. I wish I could have traded in more of Olva’s perspective for more time at the ending of the novel.
The Sword Defiant offers some truly unique world-building in the form of its city Necrad. Though the novel’s character development and magic systems aren’t nearly as strong as the characterization of this city, I really enjoyed the exploration of the theme of what happens to the heroes after the world is saved and they’re no longer young and hale. I think fans of The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, and The Witcher series will find a lot to love in this book and I look forward to reading the future entries in the series.
*All quotes taken from an ARC and subject to change at time of publication.
I was immediately drawn to the premise of The Sword Defiant, which focuses on what happens after the heroes vanquish the villain and save the world. The story follows Aelfric, an aging hero of legend who still roams the earth after he and his ragtag group of friends, dubbed the Nine, defeated a powerful necromancer called Lord Bone. Aelfric is not only tasked with the protection of the deceased Lord Bone’s sentient sword, which is coincidentally the most powerful weapon in the world, but also forced to confront the fact that evil can appear in the unlikeliest of places.
"If there's one thing Aelfric knows, it's slaying monsters. Even if they used to be his friends."*
At first, I was hesitant to pick up a novel with a talking sword—no matter how good the premise sounded. I still have nightmares even thinking about the garrulous skull from The Mages Guild quest line in Elder Scrolls Online and live in fear of encountering anything remotely similar. But thankfully my fears were unfounded and I was relieved to discover that the sword in The Sword Defiant, named Spellbreaker, was not completely and inescapably obnoxious. And to make it even better, when Spellbreaker got a little overly sinister and mouthy, Aelfric quickly shut him up. Aelfric is truly the hero the world needs.
Admittedly, I was less pleased at the fact that this sword—which, as I’ve mentioned before, is the most deadly weapon in the world—is constantly left behind by Aelfric, who out of all the Nine, was the only one deemed virtuous and capable enough to protect it. I felt like every time I turned around the sword was being shoved into a box, left unguarded in the rooms of Inns, or driven into the ground outside of a fire as a purposeful gesture of trust to remain unarmed. Surely there should be some exceptions to this weapon-free campsite rule when one is carrying a magical nuclear weapon and the other party knows this and is even another member of the Nine, the people who entrusted the sword to Aelfric in the first place?
My frustration at these constant and blatantly imprudent actions were further compounded by the fact that Aelfric constantly bemoans his own lack of intelligence and cunning in comparison to the rest of the Nine. I truly wished he would stop telling me how lacking he was in the wisdom department, as I already knew from the sheer fact that he kept leaving his magical evil sword laying around, even after break-ins and failed attempts to steal it. If the decision on what is the most intelligent action to take is obvious even to an inanimate object, like an evil sword, perhaps the character should check himself.
"If Peir was here, he'd know the right thing to do. He'd know who to trust, who to shun. He'd find the right path forward. He'd tell Alf where to Aim his sword. But Peir was dead and it was up to Alf. Up to him to bring warning. Maybe up to him to defend the city against this new threat. This rising darkness."
Despite that massive conundrum, I did like Aelfric as a character. A lot of this is probably from the perspective of the novelty of reading about an aging hero after saving the world. After all, Frodo rode off into the sunset to the elves' Grey Havens after he successfully destroyed the One Ring. And other works frequently fade to black when either damsel or the day is saved. So it was a breath of fresh air to see The Sword Defiant explore the toll of saving the world. Aelfric is an older swordsman, with aches and pains, who isn’t above bumbling and grumbling, but always strives to do The Right Thing. I think he will remind a lot of fantasy readers of another aging fantasy protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, though Aelfric is a lot more idealistic than Geralt.
The Sword Defiant is at its best when it focuses on the magical city, Necrad. Before the events of the novel, the Nine liberated this ancient city, built by elves, from the grasp of Lord Bone, who had created great and terrible creatures to defend it. After the defeat of Lord Bone, the Nine swore to continue protecting the city of Necrad. The city is somehow both mysterious and fleshed out, so much so that it feels as if it is truly its own character. And its otherworldly beauty and alien-like features—like its own miasma, runes, circling dreadworms, dead defense systems, and a sprawling labyrinth underneath the city—truly jump off the page. It doesn't hurt that there's also all kinds of creatures roaming this city, like Witch Elves, Vatlings, vampires, wraiths, and more.
"The world's saved. You've got to figure out how to live in it."
Unfortunately, the rest of The Sword Defiant’s world-building, outside of the city of Necrad, is not very strong. The elven city in which Aelfric’s sister, Olva, temporarily resides, is not nearly as well described, nor is the small agricultural hometown in which she and her brothers grew up. The magical system seems to relate somewhat to runes and obviously necromancy, as well as a less respectable form of earth magic that drives the user insane with continued usage, but outside of a member of the Nine being the new most powerful wizard in the world and being able to extend his consciousness to floating eyeballs, I know no specifics about how the magic is learned or performed.
Likewise the pacing and character development of the story leave something to be desired. The Sword Defiant has two narrators, Aelfric and his sister, Olva. Olva is a sheltered widow who never really left her small town before the events of The Sword Defiant, making her (with her sheltered life), the perfect character to comment on the world to readers. But Olva is severely underutilized. Though she alludes to what her brother and the Nine were like in the past, she never shows us in flashbacks. She simply tells us behind a wall of exposition. Similarly, the rest of what we learn of the Nine is told to readers through songs and tales. Though this tracks with a medieval world where songs and tales were some of the only means of entertainment, it’s hard to take them at face value as The Sword Defiant makes it a point to continue telling readers how inaccurate these portrayals are and how most everything told in these tales is not true or exaggerated.
"The songs never told it that way, though....The songs never spoke of the messy parts, the compromises and the arguments. They told of the Nine riding to battle on the backs of sea-serpents, but never the quarrels and bargains that came before. In the songs, it was always good against evil...and you knew that however dark the tale got, there'd be light at the end."
Though I enjoyed reading these epic poems, songs, and tales, as they immersed me more in the world, I was taken aback by the fact that readers are never given this direct glimpse of the Nine in their prime. Each member of the Nine is an archetype—there’s a thief, a paladin, a dwarf, a weak bodied but able-minded wizard, a strong farm boy, an immortal elven princess, and so on and so forth. But we never see these characters back when they were young and taking on Lord Bone and his minions or at low points in their lives where they struggle with their beliefs or anything else of the sort. Though I love that The Sword Defiant focuses on the time after the saving of the world, I do think this lack of portrayal of the younger Nine was an odd narrative decision to make, as it robs readers of the ability to fully appreciate the growth of the characters as they aged or who they have become in the present day, which is a pretty big selling point of the novel.
Similarly, the pacing in The Sword Defiant was lacking. The plot felt stretched thin, as if not much was happening and what was, was being dragged into taking more time than necessary. I struggled reading from Olva’s perspective, because it truly felt like so little was happening in her quest to find her missing son. Sadly, I just could never quite get attached to her (much like my experience with the Nine), as her character was limited to one defining trait: she was a mother. I was more interested in Aelfric’s perspective, as I liked the gruff man, and felt like he was always in the thick of things or taking some sort of ill-advised action, which was exciting in its own irritating way. Aelfric’s relationships with his fellow members of the Nine, though predictable because of the familiarity of the tropes of each character, were the most interesting to me.
The ending was also interesting in a more bemusing way. I was shocked when The Sword Defiantcame to a screeching halt. One minute I was reading a very action-packed, high stakes scene and the next paragraph, The Sword Defiant jumped to having the events told to the reader from a future, outside perspective. I found this incredibly jarring and actually went back and reread the last few pages of the book multiple times because I was convinced I missed something pivotal that accounted for this incredibly sudden change in the method of storytelling. Upon these repeated checks, there was nothing that occurred which accounted for the novel's sudden switching from Olva's perspective to that of a tale recounting the current events, which are now apparently part of legend, and then back to the regular narration again—meaning I had no earthly idea the specifics of remotely anything that had just happened in the final battle of the novel.
If the abrupt changes in narration weren't enough, I also struggled to grapple with the events of the ending themselves in such a short time period. Something very important is revealed at about 90-95% of the way through The Sword Defiant and I wasn’t given much time at all for it to sink in before the novel abruptly ground to a halt and ended. In a way, this makes me really want to read the next novel in the trilogy even more, so that I can understand what exactly happened and what the implications of the events actually were, because at this point, not only the details, but the basics are feeling pretty murky to me. I wish I could have traded in more of Olva’s perspective for more time at the ending of the novel.
The Sword Defiant offers some truly unique world-building in the form of its city Necrad. Though the novel’s character development and magic systems aren’t nearly as strong as the characterization of this city, I really enjoyed the exploration of the theme of what happens to the heroes after the world is saved and they’re no longer young and hale. I think fans of The Lord of the Rings, The Wheel of Time, and The Witcher series will find a lot to love in this book and I look forward to reading the future entries in the series.
*All quotes taken from an ARC and subject to change at time of publication.
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May 31, 2023
You can listen to an audio-version of this video at https://youtu.be/hZGIqxieCRU
Necrod is a place of nightmares vanquished and persevering. This city, covered by the “eternal greenish gloom” of its necromiasma, makes for the central locale in Gareth Hanrahan’s The Sword Defiant, an ambitious and trope-defying fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of Tolkien, role-playing gamers, and fantasy enthusiasts well outside those two groups. If there is any place of origin for this city of wonders and terrors, it is to be drawn from the following Tolkien line: “…and Barad-Dur would not have been destroyed but occupied…” (as cited from the author’s Acknowledgments). The project of this gorgeous novel is to question what follows after the Dark Lord’s defeat. What awaits the heroes once they stand triumphant? What challenges? What new battles? With all the spoils of victory, so too comes the risk of corruption–and as the world moves on from the clear demarcation lines between good and evil, what happens to those who still see the world in those terms?
One such individual is the primary point of view character, Aelfric. Alf is the old-school protagonist of a sword’n’sorcery novel, a man whose moral compass only points one of two directions: good or evil. This served him and his fellow companions, the Nine, well when they were fighting to rid the world of its Dark Lord, the mighty necromancer Bone. (https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxm0r8Ws8u...) It has continued to serve Aelfric well in his time since. He’s spent much of the last fifteen years in the dungeons below Necrod, fighting side by side with another of the Nine, the shapeshifting Changeling Loth, against prowling nightmares and monstrosities, making sure they never have the opportunity to cause ruin to the surface world:
Above him, meanwhile, Necrod and the other members of the Nine have both changed. Gareth Hanrahan has a special touch when it comes to fantasy cityscapes. Guerdon, in his Black Iron Legacy is similarly a place of nightmare and iniquity, but also great opportunity; with Necrod, there’s the essence of Barad-Dur in so many ways, also a touch of Post-WWII Berlin, isn’t there, with several different zones of influence or occupation, each held by the four great powers that took the city–the Lords of Summerfell, the dwarves of Dwarfholt, the Wood Elves who serve the Erlking, and the Nine themselves. There is also the Liberties, a zone carved out for the former prisoners of war, Necrod’s original inhabitants – witch elves, ogres, alchemically fabricated creatures known as Vatlings.
The Nine is not a name without association, and I don’t believe for a moment that an author so intimately familiar with Tolkien, so involved with and inspired by the world of Middle-Earth, would have named the band to which his main character belongs without intent. Tolkien’s nine were lords of Men, once the greatest and mightiest of their race, now corrupt. Hanrahan’s story of heroes on the moral decline certainly recalls the possibility; as Aelfric reconnects with his fellow members of the Nine, I stood alert, scrutinizing their every behaviour, and especially doubtful of every instance in which Alf would think something like “It all made sense. He could trust his old companions” (120). The dwarf Gundan, the first of the Nine Alf ever befriended, is impossible not to like; yet his bloodthirst, the gleeful slaughter he unleashes on the Liberties, and his authoritarian touch with the non-Nine members of Necrod’s ruling council portray someone a lot more morally gray than you might think. You can tell much about Gundan by this exchange with Necrod’s official ruler, Lord Vond:
Others in the Nine have similar idiosyncrasies. Alf loves and trusts them all, and tries his hardest to bring them under a common goal, punctuated by prophecy of dark times ahead. The task is harder than it should be. Alf is a little like a tree bent by the wind in numerous directions, leaning whichever way the latest member of the Nine bends him towards. And, as reader, you’re in the same position – every one of his friends, from Loth to the wizard Blaise and thief Berys, from the dwarf Gundan to the elven princess Laerlyn and even the Wilder barbarian Thurn, every one of them brings up points that sound both valid and morally just. Alf finds himself in an impossible situation, his perspective skewed and the moral certainty he hopes for impossible to pinpoint. Worst yet, the discord he finds among the Nine is something he feels responsible about–almost as if, by throwing himself into the fight with countless monstrous hordes below Necrod, he turned too blind an eye on the goings on in the world. The Nine, you see, lost their leader in their moment of triumph. The paladin Peir sacrificed himself to stop Bone and ever since, Alf has felt that he could never fill those shoes. Whether they are for him to fill or not is beyond the point, really–it’s a source of guilt and perceived failure that haunts our protagonist. Some of the others in the Nine, meanwhile, operate by a logic that can be best summarised with the following words uttered by Berys:
I would do a disservice to the secondary point-of-view character in this novel if I didn’t mention her sections. Olva is the sister to Aelfric, whom he has not seen in over twenty years. Her quest is that of a parent trying to be reunited with her son–a young boy, Derwyn, whose wanderlust pushes him towards running away from home as soon as Olva tells him who his uncle is. On her quest to find and save her son from some unsavoury folks, Olva meets a mercenary, a dwarf, an elf–only, at the end of this journey awaits not a punchline but a gut-wrenching twist.
I can’t speak of The Sword Defiant without touching on the weapon Aelfric wields. The sentient sword Spellbreaker is a personable weapon if there ever was one. His is not a *nice* personality, mind, but nice is boring; I much prefer evil and devious in my own sentient weaponry*. Spellbreaker is not much fond of Alf and seeks to betray him at every turn he can, early on–Aelfric, meanwhile, “dislikes the sword’s unpleasant company, its combination of malign utility and lurking treachery” (92). Yet I genuinely teared up further into the narrative, seeing wielder and weapon develop a grudging respect and something perhaps even deeper than that.
Thea Dumitru stands behind the gorgeous illustration on The Sword Defiant‘s cover of Alf as he holds onto Spellbreaker. Few other publishers can compare with Orbit’s covers – I read Justice of Kings the same week as I did this novel, and the covers of both are the best kind of fantasy art you can hope for in a cover. Huge props to the team at Orbit for that!
One element I regret to bring to your attention is the amount of errors throughout the novel. It’s a bummer there are as many typos here as I came across and I’m surprised the proofreading folks at Orbit failed to catch as many as they have. Even the blurb seems to have something of an error to it: “Many years ago, Sir Aelfric and his **nine** companions saved the world” – but that’s not quite right, is it? Alf is part of the Nine, but this description would make for ten heroes. It’s entirely possible I’m overlooking something, but I don’t think I am. (Correction: author Gareth Hanrahan clarified on twitter that the blurb refers to the eight others in the Nine plus the sword Spellbreaker itself).
These errors are a small blemish on what has otherwise been a genuine highlight of my year as a reader. Not only that; The Sword Defiant is an inspiration, showing as it does how the most well-known tropes in fantasy can be turned on their head and made fresh again. No trope is ever truly tired – not in the capable hands of authors whose vision shines new light for all us writers. I’m in half a mind to write an essay about Hanrahan’s treatment of elves and how that ties into the larger history of the portrayal of this species since Tolkien to this day.
This is a genuinely fantastic read, one I hope you will get to experience for yourself very, very soon. You’ll enjoy this book if you:
*Grew up on the Lord of the Rings or novels like the Dragonlance Chronicles and now need something super-charged and more morally complex;
*Love cursed swords, gore, grisly betrayals and genuinely tragic character-driven moments;
*I mean, come on, it’s a fantastic premise for a fantasy novel, you should be reading it already;
*And more! Prob’ly.
I have a deep-rooted love for Hanrahan’s fiction. This is the fourth novel of his I’ve read, and serves as a great jumping-on point for his work; he’s also a talented ttRPG writer and I can’t wait to see his work on the Second edition of The One Ring. That said, when his main character has a nickname such as Alf, I couldn’t help but think about this:
Necrod is a place of nightmares vanquished and persevering. This city, covered by the “eternal greenish gloom” of its necromiasma, makes for the central locale in Gareth Hanrahan’s The Sword Defiant, an ambitious and trope-defying fantasy novel that will appeal to fans of Tolkien, role-playing gamers, and fantasy enthusiasts well outside those two groups. If there is any place of origin for this city of wonders and terrors, it is to be drawn from the following Tolkien line: “…and Barad-Dur would not have been destroyed but occupied…” (as cited from the author’s Acknowledgments). The project of this gorgeous novel is to question what follows after the Dark Lord’s defeat. What awaits the heroes once they stand triumphant? What challenges? What new battles? With all the spoils of victory, so too comes the risk of corruption–and as the world moves on from the clear demarcation lines between good and evil, what happens to those who still see the world in those terms?
One such individual is the primary point of view character, Aelfric. Alf is the old-school protagonist of a sword’n’sorcery novel, a man whose moral compass only points one of two directions: good or evil. This served him and his fellow companions, the Nine, well when they were fighting to rid the world of its Dark Lord, the mighty necromancer Bone. (https://youtube.com/clip/Ugkxm0r8Ws8u...) It has continued to serve Aelfric well in his time since. He’s spent much of the last fifteen years in the dungeons below Necrod, fighting side by side with another of the Nine, the shapeshifting Changeling Loth, against prowling nightmares and monstrosities, making sure they never have the opportunity to cause ruin to the surface world:
Down there, he’d killed things that shouldn’t exist, war-beasts grown in the alchemical vats of Lord Bone, necromantic horrors held together by sorcery and hate. Monsters that deserved death — and he’d fought them fairly, sword against claw, against spell, against tooth-filled maw and grasping tentacle…
Above him, meanwhile, Necrod and the other members of the Nine have both changed. Gareth Hanrahan has a special touch when it comes to fantasy cityscapes. Guerdon, in his Black Iron Legacy is similarly a place of nightmare and iniquity, but also great opportunity; with Necrod, there’s the essence of Barad-Dur in so many ways, also a touch of Post-WWII Berlin, isn’t there, with several different zones of influence or occupation, each held by the four great powers that took the city–the Lords of Summerfell, the dwarves of Dwarfholt, the Wood Elves who serve the Erlking, and the Nine themselves. There is also the Liberties, a zone carved out for the former prisoners of war, Necrod’s original inhabitants – witch elves, ogres, alchemically fabricated creatures known as Vatlings.
The Nine is not a name without association, and I don’t believe for a moment that an author so intimately familiar with Tolkien, so involved with and inspired by the world of Middle-Earth, would have named the band to which his main character belongs without intent. Tolkien’s nine were lords of Men, once the greatest and mightiest of their race, now corrupt. Hanrahan’s story of heroes on the moral decline certainly recalls the possibility; as Aelfric reconnects with his fellow members of the Nine, I stood alert, scrutinizing their every behaviour, and especially doubtful of every instance in which Alf would think something like “It all made sense. He could trust his old companions” (120). The dwarf Gundan, the first of the Nine Alf ever befriended, is impossible not to like; yet his bloodthirst, the gleeful slaughter he unleashes on the Liberties, and his authoritarian touch with the non-Nine members of Necrod’s ruling council portray someone a lot more morally gray than you might think. You can tell much about Gundan by this exchange with Necrod’s official ruler, Lord Vond:
“You’re not above the law,” [Vond said.]
“Yes, we are. We make the law. There wouldn’t be any law here if we hadn’t killed Lord Bone. We slew one ruler of this city, and he was a lot scarier than you.” (153)
Others in the Nine have similar idiosyncrasies. Alf loves and trusts them all, and tries his hardest to bring them under a common goal, punctuated by prophecy of dark times ahead. The task is harder than it should be. Alf is a little like a tree bent by the wind in numerous directions, leaning whichever way the latest member of the Nine bends him towards. And, as reader, you’re in the same position – every one of his friends, from Loth to the wizard Blaise and thief Berys, from the dwarf Gundan to the elven princess Laerlyn and even the Wilder barbarian Thurn, every one of them brings up points that sound both valid and morally just. Alf finds himself in an impossible situation, his perspective skewed and the moral certainty he hopes for impossible to pinpoint. Worst yet, the discord he finds among the Nine is something he feels responsible about–almost as if, by throwing himself into the fight with countless monstrous hordes below Necrod, he turned too blind an eye on the goings on in the world. The Nine, you see, lost their leader in their moment of triumph. The paladin Peir sacrificed himself to stop Bone and ever since, Alf has felt that he could never fill those shoes. Whether they are for him to fill or not is beyond the point, really–it’s a source of guilt and perceived failure that haunts our protagonist. Some of the others in the Nine, meanwhile, operate by a logic that can be best summarised with the following words uttered by Berys:
“We saved the world, and that means we get a say in how it’s run.” (236)
I would do a disservice to the secondary point-of-view character in this novel if I didn’t mention her sections. Olva is the sister to Aelfric, whom he has not seen in over twenty years. Her quest is that of a parent trying to be reunited with her son–a young boy, Derwyn, whose wanderlust pushes him towards running away from home as soon as Olva tells him who his uncle is. On her quest to find and save her son from some unsavoury folks, Olva meets a mercenary, a dwarf, an elf–only, at the end of this journey awaits not a punchline but a gut-wrenching twist.
I can’t speak of The Sword Defiant without touching on the weapon Aelfric wields. The sentient sword Spellbreaker is a personable weapon if there ever was one. His is not a *nice* personality, mind, but nice is boring; I much prefer evil and devious in my own sentient weaponry*. Spellbreaker is not much fond of Alf and seeks to betray him at every turn he can, early on–Aelfric, meanwhile, “dislikes the sword’s unpleasant company, its combination of malign utility and lurking treachery” (92). Yet I genuinely teared up further into the narrative, seeing wielder and weapon develop a grudging respect and something perhaps even deeper than that.
Thea Dumitru stands behind the gorgeous illustration on The Sword Defiant‘s cover of Alf as he holds onto Spellbreaker. Few other publishers can compare with Orbit’s covers – I read Justice of Kings the same week as I did this novel, and the covers of both are the best kind of fantasy art you can hope for in a cover. Huge props to the team at Orbit for that!
One element I regret to bring to your attention is the amount of errors throughout the novel. It’s a bummer there are as many typos here as I came across and I’m surprised the proofreading folks at Orbit failed to catch as many as they have. Even the blurb seems to have something of an error to it: “Many years ago, Sir Aelfric and his **nine** companions saved the world” – but that’s not quite right, is it? Alf is part of the Nine, but this description would make for ten heroes. It’s entirely possible I’m overlooking something, but I don’t think I am. (Correction: author Gareth Hanrahan clarified on twitter that the blurb refers to the eight others in the Nine plus the sword Spellbreaker itself).
These errors are a small blemish on what has otherwise been a genuine highlight of my year as a reader. Not only that; The Sword Defiant is an inspiration, showing as it does how the most well-known tropes in fantasy can be turned on their head and made fresh again. No trope is ever truly tired – not in the capable hands of authors whose vision shines new light for all us writers. I’m in half a mind to write an essay about Hanrahan’s treatment of elves and how that ties into the larger history of the portrayal of this species since Tolkien to this day.
This is a genuinely fantastic read, one I hope you will get to experience for yourself very, very soon. You’ll enjoy this book if you:
*Grew up on the Lord of the Rings or novels like the Dragonlance Chronicles and now need something super-charged and more morally complex;
*Love cursed swords, gore, grisly betrayals and genuinely tragic character-driven moments;
*I mean, come on, it’s a fantastic premise for a fantasy novel, you should be reading it already;
*And more! Prob’ly.
I have a deep-rooted love for Hanrahan’s fiction. This is the fourth novel of his I’ve read, and serves as a great jumping-on point for his work; he’s also a talented ttRPG writer and I can’t wait to see his work on the Second edition of The One Ring. That said, when his main character has a nickname such as Alf, I couldn’t help but think about this:
May 10, 2023
A grimdark D&D type novel that started off great but didn’t hold my interest very well the rest of the way. Gets points for the characters which were fantastic.
March 10, 2023
2.5 stars. Full review to come closer to publication date.
July 24, 2023
Quite liked this one, but minus one star for heroes drinking healing potions. For gods sake, its 2023!
May 9, 2023
I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher, Orbit Books, in exchange for an honest review.
Imagine that, after the Fellowship defeats the Dark Lord, they decide to (mostly) stay in the magical city said evil called home and spend the next 20 years trying to purge it of rot in their own ways. Imagine that evil is once again rearing its head, but these famous heroes are now too tired, too old, and their relationships with one another too frayed to combat it with the same vigor with which they saved the world in their youth. Throw a sentient, mostly evil weapon into the mix and you have the premise of The Sword Defiant, the first installment in Gareth Hanrahan’s Lands of the Firstborn trilogy.
I love the idea behind this story. I love the examination of classic fantasy tropes from slightly different angles, and that’s exactly what this book was. It would make an excellent starter book for readers just starting to get more invested in fantasy as a genre, who have maybe only had experience with titans like The Lord of the Rings and other classics. There were a couple of little twists that were fun reveals, and the battle scenes were pretty well done. I was definitely invested enough in the story to want to pick up the second installment whenever it becomes available, because I have less of an idea where the plot is heading from here.
However, I did have some issues with this book. It felt either overly long, and could have been a stronger story if shortened by a hundred or so pages, or it could have been tightened and lengthened into a more solid standalone instead of drawn out into a trilogy. I also found myself having a difficult time forming much of any kind of emotional connection to a single character, much less to all those about whom I could tell I was meant to care. I didn’t feel that there was much if any significant character development, and that made me care less about the twists and turns of the plot.
For me, this was a fun, if borderline forgettable, foundational beginning to what I hope will be a series that develops greater depth and demands greater emotional investment in further installments. I enjoyed it enough to continue the series, but I’m not totally sold as of yet. However, I can see the idea of this story enchanting less jaded readers.
Imagine that, after the Fellowship defeats the Dark Lord, they decide to (mostly) stay in the magical city said evil called home and spend the next 20 years trying to purge it of rot in their own ways. Imagine that evil is once again rearing its head, but these famous heroes are now too tired, too old, and their relationships with one another too frayed to combat it with the same vigor with which they saved the world in their youth. Throw a sentient, mostly evil weapon into the mix and you have the premise of The Sword Defiant, the first installment in Gareth Hanrahan’s Lands of the Firstborn trilogy.
I love the idea behind this story. I love the examination of classic fantasy tropes from slightly different angles, and that’s exactly what this book was. It would make an excellent starter book for readers just starting to get more invested in fantasy as a genre, who have maybe only had experience with titans like The Lord of the Rings and other classics. There were a couple of little twists that were fun reveals, and the battle scenes were pretty well done. I was definitely invested enough in the story to want to pick up the second installment whenever it becomes available, because I have less of an idea where the plot is heading from here.
However, I did have some issues with this book. It felt either overly long, and could have been a stronger story if shortened by a hundred or so pages, or it could have been tightened and lengthened into a more solid standalone instead of drawn out into a trilogy. I also found myself having a difficult time forming much of any kind of emotional connection to a single character, much less to all those about whom I could tell I was meant to care. I didn’t feel that there was much if any significant character development, and that made me care less about the twists and turns of the plot.
For me, this was a fun, if borderline forgettable, foundational beginning to what I hope will be a series that develops greater depth and demands greater emotional investment in further installments. I enjoyed it enough to continue the series, but I’m not totally sold as of yet. However, I can see the idea of this story enchanting less jaded readers.
May 9, 2023
I am just impressed by the quality of this book; I did not expect to be so happy about it. This is one of those cases in which gorgeous cover belongs to very good book!
May 3, 2023
I expected this to be the usual high fantasy epic, but the author took all the associated tropes and turned them into a unique story. It was a very satisfying 5 star read for me! Halfway through, I even ended up buying the author's other series.
This is high fantasy that's accessible for someone who wants to dive into the subgenre. There's sword and sorcery, humans, elves, and dwarves. All of the familiar fantasy tropes are there.
The author also introduces new terms and new species, such as "necromiasma," a greenish cloud that lingers over the ancient elvish city of Necrad, previous home to the vanquished Lord Bone, the necromancer and Big Bad of twenty years past. There are also Vatlings, creatures grown from Lord Bone's alchemical vats that are made from bone, flesh, and magic. There are dreadworms, wyvern-like creatures made of shadow.
Anyway.
The story weaves back and forth between the present day and the MC, Alf's, recollections of the past, when the Nine great champions bonded together to defeat Lord Bone and take over his city, Necrad. The author expands on Alf's recollections in a way that you can understand his nostalgia, including the regrets and doubts that have grown over the years. Their heroic deeds have turned into myths and legends, but the real story (as Alf recollects) isn't as glamorous or straightforward.
I also really liked how most of the characters are morally grey. It was hard to define anyone's motives, especially seeing it through Alf's POV. The friend he knew twenty years ago isn't the same person now. And you can see that Alf struggles a lot with it.
Another thing that the author captured well was that everyone seemed like they fit in the world, such as their manner of speech (which depended on their race and class), the way they acted around others, etc. I've been reading too much fantasy where modern ways of speech are inserted into a world that's clearly medieval and suspension of belief just doesn't work at all in those cases.
A few things I wish were tweaked: Olva's storyline in the elvish forest should've been shorter. It seemed to drag on for an unnecessary amount of time. And I wish Torun the dwarf had more sway in the story. She just seemed to be there for the sake of having an oddball character. Hopefully she plays a bigger role in the sequel.
Anyway, I absolutely can't wait for the sequel. I just wish there was a signed copy I could buy.
Thank you to Orbit and Goodreads for this arc.
This is high fantasy that's accessible for someone who wants to dive into the subgenre. There's sword and sorcery, humans, elves, and dwarves. All of the familiar fantasy tropes are there.
The author also introduces new terms and new species, such as "necromiasma," a greenish cloud that lingers over the ancient elvish city of Necrad, previous home to the vanquished Lord Bone, the necromancer and Big Bad of twenty years past. There are also Vatlings, creatures grown from Lord Bone's alchemical vats that are made from bone, flesh, and magic. There are dreadworms, wyvern-like creatures made of shadow.
Anyway.
The story weaves back and forth between the present day and the MC, Alf's, recollections of the past, when the Nine great champions bonded together to defeat Lord Bone and take over his city, Necrad. The author expands on Alf's recollections in a way that you can understand his nostalgia, including the regrets and doubts that have grown over the years. Their heroic deeds have turned into myths and legends, but the real story (as Alf recollects) isn't as glamorous or straightforward.
I also really liked how most of the characters are morally grey. It was hard to define anyone's motives, especially seeing it through Alf's POV. The friend he knew twenty years ago isn't the same person now. And you can see that Alf struggles a lot with it.
Another thing that the author captured well was that everyone seemed like they fit in the world, such as their manner of speech (which depended on their race and class), the way they acted around others, etc. I've been reading too much fantasy where modern ways of speech are inserted into a world that's clearly medieval and suspension of belief just doesn't work at all in those cases.
A few things I wish were tweaked: Olva's storyline in the elvish forest should've been shorter. It seemed to drag on for an unnecessary amount of time. And I wish Torun the dwarf had more sway in the story. She just seemed to be there for the sake of having an oddball character. Hopefully she plays a bigger role in the sequel.
Anyway, I absolutely can't wait for the sequel. I just wish there was a signed copy I could buy.
Thank you to Orbit and Goodreads for this arc.
May 8, 2023
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🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - ᴘʟᴏᴛ
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - ᴘᴀᴄɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ
°
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ
Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a sucker for old crews/companies getting back together to see a job done, despite all being past their prime. It's a trope that will never fail to grab my attention and get me reading. The Sword Defiant feels a lot like Lord of the Rings mixed with a grimdark D&D campaign.
This book has a really strong start. It sets up Alf as a hero and his motivations very well. The middle meanders far too much but the story definitely found its pace again towards the end and finished on a decently satisfying high note.
Hanrahan knows how to create something that feels vast, lived-in, and quintessentially fantasy. From the vast, sweeping landscapes to the range of different races and fantastical creatures. This is really where Hanrahan shines most.
I found the writing really solid. Strong description of the world that didn't overstay their welcome but provided just enough for me to paint a picture, but would've liked a few more descriptions of the characters.
This is a great read, if not an unnecessarily long one. I'd recommend it to LotR fans, Witcher fans, and D&D fans. If you're big on those three, you'll get a lot out of this book.
Full Review
Plot
The blurb for this one really drew me in. I'm a sucker for old crews/companies getting back together to see a job done, despite all being past their prime. It's a trope that will never fail to grab my attention and get me reading.
The Sword Defiant feels a lot like Lord of the Rings mixed with a grimdark D&D campaign. A fellowship of nine characters of all races and trades (man, elf, dwarf, wizard, paladin, thief, changling, barbarian, and priestess) who once defeated a dark lord in a dark tower in a dark land, along with host of corrupted creatures. It's your typical high fantasy story archetype. Except this all happened long ago and the Nine have settled into comfortable lives. All except Alf, who can't seem to settle at all. On learning a prophecy that the darkness is returning, he goes seeking the Nine once more.
This book has a really strong start. It sets up Alf as a hero and his motivations very well. It held my attention for a good long while. However, once I hit the halfway point, I started to realise that not a lot had actually happened. The middle meanders far too much. The compelling mystery of who opened the tomb was solved rather anticlimactically, with the mystery of the witch assassin taking its place. A mystery that wasn't nearly as interesting and did little to drive the narrative forward. This was also solved and began another mystery, and so forth. The story definitely found its pace again towards the end and finished on a decently satisfying high note.
The book's main problem is its length. Too often nowadays, fantasy books are bloated to 600 pages or more when really they only need to be between 400 - 500 pages. I feel this could be a lot tighter and a more succinct story if some of this was shaved off, but on the whole, I found it a compelling story and I enjoyed the read.
I was quite unsurprised when reading the afterword at the end to discover, according to the author, that this book is heavily inspired by Lord of the Rings and tabletop gaming. You can really tell, but without it ever feeling like a copy.
Characters
So I know the Fellowship of the Ring had nine companions, but unless you're going to explore all of those characters and give them all some form of growth, it might be best to trim the cast. Nine is just too many important characters to know so little about. I knew Alf. I felt comfortable with him as the MC and he worked really well. In fact, he gave me Geralt of Rivia vibes. He had the grumpy monster hunter thing going on. But the rest of his company felt very surface level. I knew only very basic stuff about them, and nothing deeper.
Gundan was great. I loved the foul-mouthed, quick-to-brawl dwarf. But did I feel like I actually knew him? Unfortunately not.
Olva, Alf's sister, is also strangely a large part of the story. Much like Alf's POV, I initially enjoyed her quest, but also like Alf's, it meandered too much and in the end I just started to lose interest and not care whether she ever for Derwyn or not. Her story didn't get interesting. I actually kind of hated how little she seemed to care about her dog, Cu. Like seriously. You can't let your character be neglectful towards a dog and expect readers to be cool with them. Too often Cu would get injured and Olva would just run away and leave him to eventually limp his way back to her. Want to make her likeable? Make her pick the damn dog up before she runs. For the majority of Olva's chapters, I was more concerned about how Cu was. You can't include a good boy and not expect readers to favour him. You just can't.
Setting
When I requested this book for Netgalley, I did so on the strength of the blurb. It was only after I began that I realised it was written by Gareth Hanrahan. I was immediately excited. I read the Gutter Prayer last year and was thoroughly impressed with the world-building. Hanrahan knows how to create something that feels vast, lived-in, and quintessentially fantasy.
The world within The Sword Defiant is no exception. This world is the very definition of high fantasy.
From the vast, sweeping landscapes to the range of different races and fantastical creatures. This is really where Hanrahan shines most.
Writing Style
Much like the Gutter Prayer, I found the writing really solid. Strong description of the world that didn't overstay their welcome but provided just enough for me to paint a picture. Would've liked a few more descriptions of the characters. It was hard to picture the all at times.
The battles and fight scenes were also great. Love a good, epic battle.
All in all, very strong writing.
Final Impression
This is a great read, if not an unnecessarily long one. I'd recommend it to LotR fans, Witcher fans, and D&D fans. If you're big on those three, you'll get a lot out of this book. It does seem there'll be a sequel and I'm as yet undecided if I'll pick it up. While this book has an interesting ending, I'm not sure there's enough of an incentive there to make me hungry for more, not enough of a open plot thread to make speculate where it could go next. Things were pretty much wrapped up here. There's not much of a hint as to what the next conflict could be, but who knows? Maybe I'll fancy it by the time it's out.
ＴＬＤＲ
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀꜱ
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - ᴘʟᴏᴛ
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - ꜱᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 - ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 - ᴘᴀᴄɪɴɢ
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ
°
🌕🌕🌕🌗🌑 - ꜰɪɴᴀʟ ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ
Big thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me read an early copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a sucker for old crews/companies getting back together to see a job done, despite all being past their prime. It's a trope that will never fail to grab my attention and get me reading. The Sword Defiant feels a lot like Lord of the Rings mixed with a grimdark D&D campaign.
This book has a really strong start. It sets up Alf as a hero and his motivations very well. The middle meanders far too much but the story definitely found its pace again towards the end and finished on a decently satisfying high note.
Hanrahan knows how to create something that feels vast, lived-in, and quintessentially fantasy. From the vast, sweeping landscapes to the range of different races and fantastical creatures. This is really where Hanrahan shines most.
I found the writing really solid. Strong description of the world that didn't overstay their welcome but provided just enough for me to paint a picture, but would've liked a few more descriptions of the characters.
This is a great read, if not an unnecessarily long one. I'd recommend it to LotR fans, Witcher fans, and D&D fans. If you're big on those three, you'll get a lot out of this book.
Full Review
Plot
The blurb for this one really drew me in. I'm a sucker for old crews/companies getting back together to see a job done, despite all being past their prime. It's a trope that will never fail to grab my attention and get me reading.
The Sword Defiant feels a lot like Lord of the Rings mixed with a grimdark D&D campaign. A fellowship of nine characters of all races and trades (man, elf, dwarf, wizard, paladin, thief, changling, barbarian, and priestess) who once defeated a dark lord in a dark tower in a dark land, along with host of corrupted creatures. It's your typical high fantasy story archetype. Except this all happened long ago and the Nine have settled into comfortable lives. All except Alf, who can't seem to settle at all. On learning a prophecy that the darkness is returning, he goes seeking the Nine once more.
This book has a really strong start. It sets up Alf as a hero and his motivations very well. It held my attention for a good long while. However, once I hit the halfway point, I started to realise that not a lot had actually happened. The middle meanders far too much. The compelling mystery of who opened the tomb was solved rather anticlimactically, with the mystery of the witch assassin taking its place. A mystery that wasn't nearly as interesting and did little to drive the narrative forward. This was also solved and began another mystery, and so forth. The story definitely found its pace again towards the end and finished on a decently satisfying high note.
The book's main problem is its length. Too often nowadays, fantasy books are bloated to 600 pages or more when really they only need to be between 400 - 500 pages. I feel this could be a lot tighter and a more succinct story if some of this was shaved off, but on the whole, I found it a compelling story and I enjoyed the read.
I was quite unsurprised when reading the afterword at the end to discover, according to the author, that this book is heavily inspired by Lord of the Rings and tabletop gaming. You can really tell, but without it ever feeling like a copy.
Characters
So I know the Fellowship of the Ring had nine companions, but unless you're going to explore all of those characters and give them all some form of growth, it might be best to trim the cast. Nine is just too many important characters to know so little about. I knew Alf. I felt comfortable with him as the MC and he worked really well. In fact, he gave me Geralt of Rivia vibes. He had the grumpy monster hunter thing going on. But the rest of his company felt very surface level. I knew only very basic stuff about them, and nothing deeper.
Gundan was great. I loved the foul-mouthed, quick-to-brawl dwarf. But did I feel like I actually knew him? Unfortunately not.
Olva, Alf's sister, is also strangely a large part of the story. Much like Alf's POV, I initially enjoyed her quest, but also like Alf's, it meandered too much and in the end I just started to lose interest and not care whether she ever for Derwyn or not. Her story didn't get interesting. I actually kind of hated how little she seemed to care about her dog, Cu. Like seriously. You can't let your character be neglectful towards a dog and expect readers to be cool with them. Too often Cu would get injured and Olva would just run away and leave him to eventually limp his way back to her. Want to make her likeable? Make her pick the damn dog up before she runs. For the majority of Olva's chapters, I was more concerned about how Cu was. You can't include a good boy and not expect readers to favour him. You just can't.
Setting
When I requested this book for Netgalley, I did so on the strength of the blurb. It was only after I began that I realised it was written by Gareth Hanrahan. I was immediately excited. I read the Gutter Prayer last year and was thoroughly impressed with the world-building. Hanrahan knows how to create something that feels vast, lived-in, and quintessentially fantasy.
The world within The Sword Defiant is no exception. This world is the very definition of high fantasy.
From the vast, sweeping landscapes to the range of different races and fantastical creatures. This is really where Hanrahan shines most.
Writing Style
Much like the Gutter Prayer, I found the writing really solid. Strong description of the world that didn't overstay their welcome but provided just enough for me to paint a picture. Would've liked a few more descriptions of the characters. It was hard to picture the all at times.
The battles and fight scenes were also great. Love a good, epic battle.
All in all, very strong writing.
Final Impression
This is a great read, if not an unnecessarily long one. I'd recommend it to LotR fans, Witcher fans, and D&D fans. If you're big on those three, you'll get a lot out of this book. It does seem there'll be a sequel and I'm as yet undecided if I'll pick it up. While this book has an interesting ending, I'm not sure there's enough of an incentive there to make me hungry for more, not enough of a open plot thread to make speculate where it could go next. Things were pretty much wrapped up here. There's not much of a hint as to what the next conflict could be, but who knows? Maybe I'll fancy it by the time it's out.
August 12, 2023
DNF at 35%.
This is hard and makes me sad. I love Hanrahan's Black Iron Legacy series. His creativity and imagination shine so brightly in the creature designs and world building that it's genuinely astonishing. He's shown diversity in writing different kinds of stories within those books. Just a great author.
But this book is boring. I was interested to see him take on a more classic fantasy setting, especially with the whole "heroes beat the bad guy forever ago, and this is the fallout" type story. I love that shit.
But The Sword Defiant does nothing with it. It's just blah to me. Alf is boring. The talking sword isn't utilized well. The past events about the Nine's journey and war sounded so much more interesting and fun. I'd have rather had that story first, and then this book so that I'm already invested in the characters and world by the time I see them 25 years later. I feel like I've missed everything.
It feels like a different author. Hanrahan's creativity isn't seen here at all.
This is hard and makes me sad. I love Hanrahan's Black Iron Legacy series. His creativity and imagination shine so brightly in the creature designs and world building that it's genuinely astonishing. He's shown diversity in writing different kinds of stories within those books. Just a great author.
But this book is boring. I was interested to see him take on a more classic fantasy setting, especially with the whole "heroes beat the bad guy forever ago, and this is the fallout" type story. I love that shit.
But The Sword Defiant does nothing with it. It's just blah to me. Alf is boring. The talking sword isn't utilized well. The past events about the Nine's journey and war sounded so much more interesting and fun. I'd have rather had that story first, and then this book so that I'm already invested in the characters and world by the time I see them 25 years later. I feel like I've missed everything.
It feels like a different author. Hanrahan's creativity isn't seen here at all.
May 28, 2023
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I was gifted a copy by Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, gore, injury, self harm, body horror, war, death, murder, kidnapping
--
Now this book wasn’t initially on my radar, though I have been wanting to pick up Hanrahan’s Black Iron Legacy series, but it was a surprising read and mostly in a good way.
The Sword Defiant is unique as the fundamentals of the book are that we are returning to a fantasy world where the key players are war veterans and the grand conflict that they were victorious in is of the past. This is the book for anyone who has ever wanted to know more of the aftermath of the big events in their favourite fantasy stories, of how the heroes or really the people overall fare after evil has been vanquished.
There are 2 key storylines that we follow. That of Alf, one of the Nine heroes who defeated Lord Bone who years on has the duty of guarding the cursed sentient sword – Spelbreaker – which used to belong to the big baddie, in order to keep it out of the hands of anyone who would use it to cause chaos. After receiving word of darkness rising again he sets of to “get the band back together” in order to face the potential new threat that lurks. The other point of view is that of Alf’s sister, Olva who finds herself stepping outside of everything she is familiar with on a quest of her own when her son gets kidnapped, and all roads seem to lead to Necrad – the dreaded city that was Lord Bone’s former stronghold.
The synopsis mentioning former heroes turning dark, bloodthirsty vengeance and monster slaying had me thinking that it was going to fall a lot more into Grimdark territory but that isn’t exactly the case. Sure it has its fair share of blood and gore but it also has the feel of a classic fantasy epic with a dash of mystery and that sense of foreboding surrounding it all.
The worldbuilding is explored predominantly through the characters on their journeys recalling moments of history or being told stories from the past or through memories found at the places revisited. This was all really thorough, with the descriptions and narrative being quite immersive and will be a real treat for anyone who enjoys D&D.
Though despite really enjoying all the depth and detail, the amount that there was effected the overall flow of the main plot. Hanrahan is without a doubt a great writer and all the tensions that were simmering and being built up in the background were great. However, the slow pacing meant that when the big reveals came they fell flat for me and I also easily guessed some of the twists. The moments of action too, though well written when they were on the page, felt subdued for the most part since a lot of the time they were skimmed over or when they were occurring we were in the perspective of the character that wasn’t involved.
Whilst on the topic of characters though what I did really like was that we got a really good portrayal of the not so-rose tinted aftermath of war and victory for people of all different backgrounds, even the actual heroes that won. Alf expressing survivor’s guilt as well as a sort of restlessness as he was trying to find a purpose away from his past was really interesting to see. Yet my favourite character was actually Spellbreaker because the banter it had with Alf was hilarious! (Yes the sword talks!)
All in all my feelings on the book are a little conflicting. It felt very much like a prequel setting up the bigger story that is to come even though there were so many key moving parts in this first book. The last 100 pages were when the ball really got rolling and was when I was most engaged with the story so I am definitely interested in checking out the sequel to see where it all goes next!
Final Rating – 3.75/5 Stars
**I was gifted a copy by Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, blood, gore, injury, self harm, body horror, war, death, murder, kidnapping
--
Now this book wasn’t initially on my radar, though I have been wanting to pick up Hanrahan’s Black Iron Legacy series, but it was a surprising read and mostly in a good way.
The Sword Defiant is unique as the fundamentals of the book are that we are returning to a fantasy world where the key players are war veterans and the grand conflict that they were victorious in is of the past. This is the book for anyone who has ever wanted to know more of the aftermath of the big events in their favourite fantasy stories, of how the heroes or really the people overall fare after evil has been vanquished.
There are 2 key storylines that we follow. That of Alf, one of the Nine heroes who defeated Lord Bone who years on has the duty of guarding the cursed sentient sword – Spelbreaker – which used to belong to the big baddie, in order to keep it out of the hands of anyone who would use it to cause chaos. After receiving word of darkness rising again he sets of to “get the band back together” in order to face the potential new threat that lurks. The other point of view is that of Alf’s sister, Olva who finds herself stepping outside of everything she is familiar with on a quest of her own when her son gets kidnapped, and all roads seem to lead to Necrad – the dreaded city that was Lord Bone’s former stronghold.
“Fortune’s wheel turns ever on, my friend. It exalts the humble and brings low the mighty – and if you hang on long enough, then you can go around for a second turn.”
The synopsis mentioning former heroes turning dark, bloodthirsty vengeance and monster slaying had me thinking that it was going to fall a lot more into Grimdark territory but that isn’t exactly the case. Sure it has its fair share of blood and gore but it also has the feel of a classic fantasy epic with a dash of mystery and that sense of foreboding surrounding it all.
The worldbuilding is explored predominantly through the characters on their journeys recalling moments of history or being told stories from the past or through memories found at the places revisited. This was all really thorough, with the descriptions and narrative being quite immersive and will be a real treat for anyone who enjoys D&D.
Though despite really enjoying all the depth and detail, the amount that there was effected the overall flow of the main plot. Hanrahan is without a doubt a great writer and all the tensions that were simmering and being built up in the background were great. However, the slow pacing meant that when the big reveals came they fell flat for me and I also easily guessed some of the twists. The moments of action too, though well written when they were on the page, felt subdued for the most part since a lot of the time they were skimmed over or when they were occurring we were in the perspective of the character that wasn’t involved.
“For all the horrors of the war, for all they’d suffered, those years had defined him. He hadn’t been happy – there’d been little time for joy, although maybe that only made the snatches of merriment all the sweater – but he had been complete. He’d known his purpose then with perfect clarity. Now he was adrift.”
Whilst on the topic of characters though what I did really like was that we got a really good portrayal of the not so-rose tinted aftermath of war and victory for people of all different backgrounds, even the actual heroes that won. Alf expressing survivor’s guilt as well as a sort of restlessness as he was trying to find a purpose away from his past was really interesting to see. Yet my favourite character was actually Spellbreaker because the banter it had with Alf was hilarious! (Yes the sword talks!)
All in all my feelings on the book are a little conflicting. It felt very much like a prequel setting up the bigger story that is to come even though there were so many key moving parts in this first book. The last 100 pages were when the ball really got rolling and was when I was most engaged with the story so I am definitely interested in checking out the sequel to see where it all goes next!
Final Rating – 3.75/5 Stars
May 2, 2023
On my blog.
Galley provided by publisher
I started The Sword Defiant immediately after finishing The Shadow Saint, a book which I have to confess to not getting along with. So, I was a little concerned that I might not enjoy this one. Happily, that was not the case.
The Sword Defiant is set after the battles are over, a good few decades after, in fact. The heroes have all settled down into new roles, until one of them is called back with the discovery that the tomb of the villain they defeated the first time around has been broken into.
Putting it bluntly, the reason I enjoyed this one a whole lot more than The Shadow Saint came down to the use of past tense instead of present. I couldn’t really explain what it is about present tense that doesn’t work for me with fantasy in particular, but it grated on me a lot while reading. So, I have to admit, I let out a big sigh of relief when it turned out this book was in past tense.
The plot here is really split into two separate strands: Alf who is investigating the tomb’s reopening and his sister, Olva, who is following after her son as he ends up kidnapped for reasons unknown (until the end that is). I have to admit, Olva’s storyline was the one that kept me more interested, especially her dynamic with Bor. Yes, they got separated about a third through and Bor didn’t really show up again (boo!), but they were the most interesting to me. I hope book two will have him still, although the ending was pretty ambiguous. Alf, in comparison, while interesting enough, didn’t quite have the pull of Olva.
I think that’s why, emotionally, I didn’t have much invested in this book. It was exciting and all, the worldbuilding was great, and the ending made me very intrigued to see where it would go next, but I just wasn’t quite emotionally invested in it. Now, if you were to tell me there’s a Bor and Olva reunion coming later on… You would very much have my attention there, but for now, it was a book I enjoyed a lot but didn’t quite love.
That said, though, I would definitely still recommend this one. It was compelling and interesting, reasonably fast paced, while still giving you enough on the worldbuilding front. One I’ll be keeping an eye out for sequels of, I feel.
Galley provided by publisher
I started The Sword Defiant immediately after finishing The Shadow Saint, a book which I have to confess to not getting along with. So, I was a little concerned that I might not enjoy this one. Happily, that was not the case.
The Sword Defiant is set after the battles are over, a good few decades after, in fact. The heroes have all settled down into new roles, until one of them is called back with the discovery that the tomb of the villain they defeated the first time around has been broken into.
Putting it bluntly, the reason I enjoyed this one a whole lot more than The Shadow Saint came down to the use of past tense instead of present. I couldn’t really explain what it is about present tense that doesn’t work for me with fantasy in particular, but it grated on me a lot while reading. So, I have to admit, I let out a big sigh of relief when it turned out this book was in past tense.
The plot here is really split into two separate strands: Alf who is investigating the tomb’s reopening and his sister, Olva, who is following after her son as he ends up kidnapped for reasons unknown (until the end that is). I have to admit, Olva’s storyline was the one that kept me more interested, especially her dynamic with Bor. Yes, they got separated about a third through and Bor didn’t really show up again (boo!), but they were the most interesting to me. I hope book two will have him still, although the ending was pretty ambiguous. Alf, in comparison, while interesting enough, didn’t quite have the pull of Olva.
I think that’s why, emotionally, I didn’t have much invested in this book. It was exciting and all, the worldbuilding was great, and the ending made me very intrigued to see where it would go next, but I just wasn’t quite emotionally invested in it. Now, if you were to tell me there’s a Bor and Olva reunion coming later on… You would very much have my attention there, but for now, it was a book I enjoyed a lot but didn’t quite love.
That said, though, I would definitely still recommend this one. It was compelling and interesting, reasonably fast paced, while still giving you enough on the worldbuilding front. One I’ll be keeping an eye out for sequels of, I feel.
July 19, 2023
4.5 stars
20 years ago, a band of 9 heroes overthrew the great Lord Bone and his necromantic army. In doing so, 8 heroes survived. Sworn to protect Necrad, the city they rescued, they must now live out their lives in a world destroyed by war and evil magic. From talking swords, and magic potions and wards, to a great load of fantastic creatures such as vatlings, dreadworms, witch elves, wood elves, wilders, dwarves, and wraiths, “The Sword Defiant” is an ambitious and trope-defying fantasy novel.
The story follows 2 siblings, The first is Aelfric of Mulladale, called the Bonebreaker, dubbed Sir Lammergeier, Keeper of the magic sword Spellbreaker, one of the Nine (also known as Alf). He is the main protagonist in this story and can be best described as a classic fantasy hero. He comes from a farm and achieved great fame while defeating Lord Bone. While he didn’t shine as a new favorite character for me, I did very much enjoy reading his chapters and I am excited to see where the story will lead him in the future books.
The second protagonist is Olva, and while both are siblings, the resemblances stop there. While Alf is led by the plot of the story, Olva creates her own twists and turns to make the plot follow her. She is on a very different quest from Alf during this book, but both storylines merge together very nicely in the end.
To finish off, lets talk world-building. As I mentioned briefly in the first paragraph, “The Sword Defiant” is an ambitious fantasy novel, while it has lots of lore and lots of different moving parts, it becomes very rewarding to understand all of this and try to figure out the mysteries throughout the book and the future betrayals.
This is all I’ll say for now. I really enjoyed this book and I am extremely exited to read book 2 next year!
20 years ago, a band of 9 heroes overthrew the great Lord Bone and his necromantic army. In doing so, 8 heroes survived. Sworn to protect Necrad, the city they rescued, they must now live out their lives in a world destroyed by war and evil magic. From talking swords, and magic potions and wards, to a great load of fantastic creatures such as vatlings, dreadworms, witch elves, wood elves, wilders, dwarves, and wraiths, “The Sword Defiant” is an ambitious and trope-defying fantasy novel.
The story follows 2 siblings, The first is Aelfric of Mulladale, called the Bonebreaker, dubbed Sir Lammergeier, Keeper of the magic sword Spellbreaker, one of the Nine (also known as Alf). He is the main protagonist in this story and can be best described as a classic fantasy hero. He comes from a farm and achieved great fame while defeating Lord Bone. While he didn’t shine as a new favorite character for me, I did very much enjoy reading his chapters and I am excited to see where the story will lead him in the future books.
The second protagonist is Olva, and while both are siblings, the resemblances stop there. While Alf is led by the plot of the story, Olva creates her own twists and turns to make the plot follow her. She is on a very different quest from Alf during this book, but both storylines merge together very nicely in the end.
To finish off, lets talk world-building. As I mentioned briefly in the first paragraph, “The Sword Defiant” is an ambitious fantasy novel, while it has lots of lore and lots of different moving parts, it becomes very rewarding to understand all of this and try to figure out the mysteries throughout the book and the future betrayals.
This is all I’ll say for now. I really enjoyed this book and I am extremely exited to read book 2 next year!
December 30, 2024
I rarely review books, and even more rarely 5 star them, mostly because I don't think it's something writers should necessarily do. But I don't know Gareth and we don't have any publishers in common, so I feel like it's okay in this case. And this is a great book. The world was familiar yet intriguing, deep without being overwhelming, and the characters really drove the plot rather than the other way around. Great stuff. Can't wait to read the rest of the series (which will be a minute, because TBR)
February 10, 2025
This is a good example of how good execution can elevate otherwise simple ideas. The Sword Defiant isn't a revolutionary, or even very ambitious story. It is, however, a lot of fun. A LOT of fantasy RPG tropes are played straight, and I think some readers will be understandably turned off by this. For my part, it was refreshing to see such apparent love and care for the patterns and lyrical mythology at the heart of great fantasy.
February 8, 2023
Loved reading the book. It was great from start to finish. I loved the world-building. The systems of magic. The characters were real and genuine to me. I can't wait to read the next one.
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