The fetters of fate are binding. Neither man nor god can break them.
After the fall of the great Vandarian fortress of Dragon’s Bane, Elyon Daecar gathers his army in the Lakelands to the north. They have suffered a great defeat. Heroes and friends have fallen. Yet with the Windblade in his grasp, Elyon will not yield. From east to west and north to south, he will take the fight to the enemy, and soar.
After finally meeting with her grandmother in Aram, Saska - born of Light and Steel and Sea - has discovered the truth of her sire…and the great fate that now awaits her. It is much to place upon her shoulders. Much to expect of one so young. Ahead of her lies a great journey, and a great challenge…yet she needn’t face it alone.
The Shadow Order is no more. Jonik, Ghost of the Shadowfort, has unearthed the terrible truth of its founding. An order born of need…required to do terrible things. As his company begin to disband, Jonik finds himself stranded, driven by a noble purpose, battling with his demons. As the darkness gathers around him, he must fight to stay in the light. If he fails, he will fall…to the ruin of all.
At the heart of Vandar, Amron Daecar prepares to defend the southern coast against invasion, while his oldest and dearest friend, Lythian Lindar, returns at last to the lands of his birth. Meanwhile, in the south of Tukor, a once-mad king returns, his heart restored to a holy path. And further east, in the Highplains of Rasalan, his granddaughter strives to return to her homeland after the destruction of the city of Thalan.
Across the north, the dragons swarm, sent forth by the will of Agarath. In the days to come, their lord and master will show his face. A face of calamity and dread, to cover all the land in shadow. If the darkness is to be repelled, the forces of light must rise up to meet it. From the pits of the earth, ancient creatures are coming forth, as the world begins to return to one of gods…and monsters.
I love reading this story and seeing the converging story lines come together and grow apart and then continuing to cheer them back together. So many characters are growing in their own ways.
I really wish we had an end to this story. After 5 books, each 1000 or more pages long I feel a little worn out. Another spreadsheet, another list of characters and where they arcs have left them. There is a lot of excitement to the tale, but the paths keep going on and on.
Atdzimušais senatnes pārstāvis Eldars un tā milzu pūķis Dread, no sajūtas, kāda rodas vien par to iedomājoties, un simtos tūkstošos mērāmā dienvidu kontinenta armijas turpina savu karagājienu pret ziemeļu kontinentā esošo Tukoru, Rasalanu un galvenokārt Vandaras karalistēm. Daudzi Eldara karagājienam seko aiz patriotiska lepnuma un vienkāršas vēlmes atriebt kādu senčiem nodarītu sāpi, bet tikpat liela daļa to dara aiz bailēm pret Eldaru un Dredu, ja tie pat ieminētos par vēlmi palikt mājās.
I purchased the first four books in this series together, and read them uninterrupted from the first word to the last. Then waited and waited, and waited some more for this one. It was so worth the wait! I didn't even have to re-read to remind myself where each character was left in the previous book. He did a beautiful job reminding us of previous happenings as each character continued their story. I will say, that this book, like the others, has a tendency to leave you on the edge of your seat. I really can't wait for the next one. The Bladeborn Saga is masterfully thought out and written.
This was another great instalment of an epic fantasy where a huge cast of characters battle for what they think is right.
I really like how each chapter concentrates on a particular character and their part of the story and how they relate to one another.
The writing style is fast-paced and gives a fabulous sense of place. Some of the group battles are rather prolonged for me; I prefer one on one with the base of justice. My favourite characters are Saska and Elyon, though the rest of the cast fit the plot extremely well. I do like Amara as the strong, won't take crap, woman - looking forward to seeing how that turns out.
Hope it's not too long before the next marathon instalment.
I really tried not to read this book fast because I wanted to savour it. I did it,anyway because it is so very good. I am so in love with this author and all his books that it's a good thing for him I'm not fifty years younger lol. He keeps you so drawn in and involved with each character like you are a part of them. I really wish you could rush good work because I would rush him lol. Toby you are the best thanks for another great read.
Buckle up your seat belts, it’s going to be a rocky flight.
I am loving this series. I don’t know whether to feel elated that the story continues or peeved because I really want to know how it all works out. I’ll stick with both. This is one fantastic story, so many characters, so many dimensions, I truly recommend it.
There are times this series reaches some point of greatness, and times where I just groan in annoyance with some of the author's phraseology choices.
Some of my issue with the series is the narrator. There are so many good ones out there but Steven Brand is not one of them. I've left more than one series just because he's narrating. I think I'll try to get through book 6 without him and see if that makes a difference.
Now to this book. When it reaches a high level of predictability, I consider that a bad thing. And when I see things coming and am proven correct, well... And this one just dragged. I get the author is "setting the stage" but I found my mind wandering many times. For me that's dangerous because then I start focusing on things like phraseology, the narrator's inability to create any distinguishable character voices, story beats, predictable moments, etc. But when a story is good I rarely ever get caught up in the minutia and annoyances as they become minor.
Anyway. Bood 3 The Erland Saga is out and I can't be bothered to jump on book 6 of this series because I'm actually excited for R.S. Moule's series. It's good SOOOOO good. And Collin Mace is narrating and he's spectacular.
Absolutely AMAZING series and a MUST READ for fantasy lovers!
Throughout history, by the manipulations of gods and the corrupt hearts of men, these kingdoms have clashed. Each war, called a Renewal, has decimated the populations before ushering in times of peace and regrowth...but now it's the Last Renewal, the War Eternal, and history along with prophecies thousands of years in the making are coming to fruition. Monsters long thought to be myth are rising and leaving the shadows, the oceans are churning, and the dragons have left their nest.......and the machinations and sacrifices that a queen demigod set in motion 3500 years ago may be the only hope for mankind. This is not one story of a group of people out to save the world. This is the story of a man who sets out on a quest to cure his crippled body and finds a prophecy only he can fulfil. The story of an assassin determined to end the Order that bred him, after he finally broke free of their chains. The story of an adventurer scholar who uncovered a secret in a stolen book that might change the course of history. The story of a slave who is battling the chains of her past, trying to understand where she came from. The story of a captain who learns that to embrace the enemy might be their only salvation. The story of 2 demigods, and the queen that broke every rule in order to trick fate so that mankind has a chance....if they're strong enough. As each seek their own ends, paths may cross and secrets are revealed, but will it be enough, or will the corrupt hearts of men doom mankind? If you love these kinds of epic stories like I do, this series is an absolute MUST READ! It is absolutely fantastic!
I have to preface this review by acknowledging that Steven Brand is my absolute favorite voice narrator. I know that this is a subjective opinion but it amazes me that I read so many comments that his narrative is boring or simply not dynamic enough. His delivery is strong and concise with just enough inflection to create nuisance between character. He doesn’t allow his voice over to become an amateurish-characterization which speaks to his professionalism as a SAG/AFTRA talent.
Now… let’s get to the story!
TC Edge has created such a magnificent story laden with rich character development, which is the cornerstone of this series. I have been a loyal fan for the past couple of years and I await each book eagerly. This has been, far-and-away, my favorite story of the last five plus years BUT this latest installment really challenged my patience. At moments it felt as if he had lost control of the depth of the individual plots that bind the principals together. By the end of this sizable read I was all-in but he has lost some forward progress as he continues to try and add even more twists and turns, including some fairly predictable fantasy components.
In closing I will say I will eagerly start the next book in this series but I am truly hoping he doesn’t follow GOT path of creating more content just for the sake of creating content.
Another solid entry in the Bladeborn Saga, The Fetters of Fate delivers an epic final act and sets us up for the eventual final showdown between our heroes and the enemies to the south.
The first 2/3 of the book was not bad, but I wouldn’t say I enjoyed reading as much as other entries. We focused on some new pov characters that, while important to the story, weren’t that enjoyable to read. I’d chalk this up to simply not liking or not knowing these characters well enough.
Almost no Ranulf in this book, which again was for (spoiler) reasons, but I missed his chapters immensely.
However, the final act saw most of our heroes finally together in an epic battle worthy of the name of this series. The battle ended how I expected, but was still a great read and sets us up an uncertain future for our heroes.
Good overall, the final act pushes this book up to a *9.0/10 for me.
Another thrilling, tumultuous, adventure! This is a world in conflict, with Heroes wielding weapons forged from the heart of a god. Amazing and Terrible beasts from ancient ages are summoned by Evil Sorcerers lusting for ultimate power. The action is non stop. My only small wish would have been for a 1-2 page forward to remind us of the story at that point. A story with so many wonderful characters and so many shifting currents is hard to remember after a short while. Strong recommendation
Much like book 4, this was a slow build to an epic finish. There are times when I feel like this series is reaching its end, and others where I feel like it can just go on and on and....
This is fast becoming one of my favorite fantasy series settings, with amazing locations, people, magic, and history. Definitely the high point of this series.
POVs got a bit bloated, as we got up to 12 in this book. Certain characters suffered from this, while others were allowed to grow and shine. Interested in how things will go in the next one.
Absolutely love this series so far, and looking forward to the next book! The author did an excellent job creating this world and developing its characters. It was hard to put this book down, but also the struggle to make it last longer knowing there would be a wait before the next book is released, it was a back and forth battle for me.
Highly recommend this series to any lover of fantasy and action genre!
The author has created a world rich with different cultures/people and abilities. He slowly introduces them and fills in the boundaries of each. Finally he blends them all in a world where each is trying to balance against the others while competing with a rich and compelling history. Fetters of Fate was great and I can’t wait for the next installment!
This book continues the at times confusing journey of the heroes and villains across the country. Some times it becomes a little confusing because of all the names being followed, the trials each one is resolving or enduring. All that becomes plain when the fighting starts, there are some exciting battles and new heroes that step up to help. It's a long read and every page is a new part of the adventure.
I love the multi POV style here because every character is written extremely well and the storylines of each and one of them are interesting and keep the story from getting boring. I'm totally invested and can't get enough.
This is book 5 and I've devoured them all since I started reading. Lots of twists and turns, political intrigue, questions answered and immediately new ones arise, dragons, bonded animals, battles, sword fights,...this series has it all!
This book was awesome as are all the rest in this series. The battle scenes near the end of the book were especially interesting and very well described. It's always easy for me to picture exactly what TC Edge is describing within these stories. Also all the characters are fantastic and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book.
Another outstanding book in this epic series. Great pace and enough reveals, action and coming together of plot lines to keep you hooked from start to finish. Every plot line is as gripping as the rest - an amazing achievement by TC Edge. Roll on the next instalment of this gripping saga!
I was afraid this was going to start dragging but this is the beginning of the climax. Looking forward to book 6! For me I know it's good when thoughts of the story come to me throughout the day.
I have enjoyed this authors writings as well as other series- however this has been my favorite series. This book brings together many opening in the books today. I am already dreading the wait for the next book to come out.
So much action. So many changes. People flipping sides, changing their alignment. And yet the story isn't done yet. Exciting and nerve racking. I have so many questions. Can't wait for the next one.
I really loved this book. Such a great continuation of an awesome series. I highly recommend this book and I can’t wait for the next one. I love the characters and the world building is fantastic. I’m so glad I learned about this series. Such an amazing epic fantasy book.
Really enjoying the way the separate stories are merging and intertwining. The way Elyon and Saska have grown as characters is great to see. Can't wait for the next installment.
I'm impatient.... I gave this book four stars because I was ready for closure, but now I find there may be two more? I really enjoy the story and the way the author follows the characters in each chapter. I will definitely read the books til all is resolved, but I'm impatient.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I am so invested in this book, these characters, this story, this world! Amazing world building and the way the events always tie up so beautifully towards the end of each book. More more more! Can’t wait for the 6th 🥰