Book Review - THE SWORD DEFIANT by Gareth Hanrahan

 

(Title: The Sword Defiant / Author: Gareth Hanrahan / Publisher: Orbit / Publication Date: May 2, 2023 / Total Pages: 608)

Back Cover Blurb

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.

Review 

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 is 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. 

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