The Sword Triumphant by Gareth Ryder-HanrahanMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Back Cover Blurb:
In his youth, Aelfric slew the Dark Lord and saved the world, only to find out, many years later that his heroic deeds had served only to preserve the corrupt rule of the Erlking. As keeper of the dread sword Spellbreaker, Aelfric was drawn into a desperate rebellion against the immortal elf who had been secretly manipulating humanity since the dawn of time.
When it was done, he left the sword and the title of hero behind and went home. His tale should have been over.
Decades have passed. But when a figure from his past brings a cryptic message from one of the Nine, it seems the Lammergier is needed again. Does the old hero have one last quest left in him? Can his broken sword be reforged - and at what cost?
Review:
Gareth Hanrahan is one of those authors who just when you think his imagination and creativity can't get any more mind blowing, proceeds to top himself and leaves you scratching your head as to how one person could hatch such genius stories and worlds. Such was the case with Hanrahan's debut series The Black Iron Legacy, which I believe was one of the most original and genre-defying series I've ever read. But now after finishing the final book in his latest series, Lands of the Firstborn, I have to re-evaluate that assessment because he's done it yet again folks!
THE SWORD TRIUMPHANT is just that, a triumphant conclusion to a trilogy that had me riveted throughout, not being able to focus on anything else in my life as I was completely enraptured with each book. I won't give too much away as this is the third and final entry, but I will try to put into words the elements that made this climax such an outstanding read and by extension, the entire series.
The thing that I love about this series, and it was even more evident in this book, is Hanrahan's willingness to inject non-traditional characters, creatures, locations etc... into the plot without concern about what is usually expected in a fantasy story. I can't tell you how many times I said to myself, "oh no he didn't just do that, DID HE?" And that's part of the reason why his books work so well for me, the unpredictability of just what you are going to get when you sit down to embark on each reading session. It keeps you on your toes and that's really what fantasy should be in my opinion, experiencing something that you almost can't wrap your mind around it's so foreign to any real world way of thinking.
THE SWORD TRIUMPHANT took me through a full spectrum of emotions. I knew that this ending would have heart-wrenching moments, and they were particularly impactful for sure, but there are also times of undeniable courage, hope, and determination which counterbalanced the sad parts wonderfully and make for a truly rewarding read. When the final moments were upon me I found myself caught up in everything that I had gone through with these characters for the past 1500 or so pages. The mark of a great read is just how invested and worried you are as to what the outcome will be in the end. If you don't care about the characters or story one bit, then why go on the journey? Well, I was all in during this last few chapters and I'm still reeling at what Hanrahan delivered in those sequences. Just a masterful way to wrap up a tremendous fantasy epic.
There are authors who just elevate the genre solely by their wit and storytelling prowess. Gareth Hanrahan is one of those authors and honestly if you've never read any of his stuff, you need to get on that. I honestly don't know what is coming next from him but I'm sure it will be another idea that stretches the boundaries of the usual formulas once again. I really can't wait to see what he comes up with. Meanwhile I'll bask in the glow of having read his two published series to date knowing that I've read some of the best that fantasy has to offer.
Oh and by the way, THE SWORD TRIUMPHANT will be released on May 27th from Orbit Books. So get those preorders in now!
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