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The Paladins #3
The Old Ways
"Imagine knowing something, knowing it so well that it's burned deep into your gut. You’d question your own name before you questioned this. And then...one day...the whole world changes, and you know nothing."
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Having fled the defeat at the Green Gulch, Darius and Jerico, believing themselves the last two paladins of their kind, must separate once more in order to survive. While Jerico rushes to the aid of Lord Arthur and the siege at his Castle of Caves, Darius travels east, determined to remove the bounty on his head. But on his way, he encounters a young priest following an older way of faith, whose desire for their return will risk destruction upon all the North.
THE OLD WAYS by David Dalglish
Sacrifice must be made in blood.
----
About the Author:
David Dalglish currently lives in rural Missouri with his wife Samantha, and daughters Morgan and Katherine. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and currently spends his free time playing way too much Warhammer 40k.
----
Having fled the defeat at the Green Gulch, Darius and Jerico, believing themselves the last two paladins of their kind, must separate once more in order to survive. While Jerico rushes to the aid of Lord Arthur and the siege at his Castle of Caves, Darius travels east, determined to remove the bounty on his head. But on his way, he encounters a young priest following an older way of faith, whose desire for their return will risk destruction upon all the North.
THE OLD WAYS by David Dalglish
Sacrifice must be made in blood.
----
About the Author:
David Dalglish currently lives in rural Missouri with his wife Samantha, and daughters Morgan and Katherine. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and currently spends his free time playing way too much Warhammer 40k.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 30, 2011
52 people are currently reading
645 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
November 23, 2015
4.5 Stars
The Old Ways, book three in The Paladins series by David Dalglish is the best of the series to date. We still see the story from our two heroes points of view, but now they are truly united as friends. Their trials and tribulations have led them to this point as hunted and persecuted men, and for the fist time, their goals and beliefs are one. The payoff of the first two books is finally realized in this one as the punching bag with a giant heart (Jerico) is truly allied with his friend, the driven man with a giant and sword (Darius).
This is a dark and action filled book that has a few surprises as well. Although this is the longest of the three books, I did not want it to end. Dalglish ramps up the emotional weight of this story which has not been seen in the series thus far. Sure we are invested in the two Paladins, but now also we find ourselves drawn to Sandra, Kaide, and even to Luther. Simply fantastic.
I love how through being tested in so many ways both men show growth. Like the author himself confesses, it is hard not to be taken in by Darius, his story, his growth, and his triumphs. I hope in the next book that we can finally be reunited with the sword and the shield fighting side by side again.
These novels are very accessible. They are quite Young adult friendly without being dumbed down. The Old Ways is the best book of The Paladins and I cannot recommend it enough.
Great stuff...
The Old Ways, book three in The Paladins series by David Dalglish is the best of the series to date. We still see the story from our two heroes points of view, but now they are truly united as friends. Their trials and tribulations have led them to this point as hunted and persecuted men, and for the fist time, their goals and beliefs are one. The payoff of the first two books is finally realized in this one as the punching bag with a giant heart (Jerico) is truly allied with his friend, the driven man with a giant and sword (Darius).
This is a dark and action filled book that has a few surprises as well. Although this is the longest of the three books, I did not want it to end. Dalglish ramps up the emotional weight of this story which has not been seen in the series thus far. Sure we are invested in the two Paladins, but now also we find ourselves drawn to Sandra, Kaide, and even to Luther. Simply fantastic.
I love how through being tested in so many ways both men show growth. Like the author himself confesses, it is hard not to be taken in by Darius, his story, his growth, and his triumphs. I hope in the next book that we can finally be reunited with the sword and the shield fighting side by side again.
These novels are very accessible. They are quite Young adult friendly without being dumbed down. The Old Ways is the best book of The Paladins and I cannot recommend it enough.
Great stuff...
February 11, 2013
The Old Ways is the third book in “The Paladins” series, and it continues the story of Jerico a Paladin for Ashhur, and Darius a new convert to Ashhur.
This story takes an interesting twist as Darius tries to understand what his new faith in Ashhur means, and how he can seek redemption for the things he did under the direction of Karak’s prophet. It also introduces a new villain on the scene with Cyric, who is an apprentice priest to Karak, but one who is very studied in the “old ways” where faith wasn’t a freewill choice, but one often a result of fear.
From a theological standpoint, I struggled a little because I don’t understand how Cyric functions with the approval of his god Karak given some of the things that Cyric claims. It is clear that Karak can interact with the world as he caused the flame on Darius’ sword to go out even though Darius proclaimed great faith. As such, it seemed like Karak was somewhat limited.
As I read in another comment, I would really like some more background on the two deities. Why is Ashhur considered good and Karak evil? Why are they enemies?
Overall, I felt this one deserved the full three stars. It met my expectations, but was a little slower paced than the two previous books, and felt like the story abruptly came to an end to be finished up in book four.
This story takes an interesting twist as Darius tries to understand what his new faith in Ashhur means, and how he can seek redemption for the things he did under the direction of Karak’s prophet. It also introduces a new villain on the scene with Cyric, who is an apprentice priest to Karak, but one who is very studied in the “old ways” where faith wasn’t a freewill choice, but one often a result of fear.
From a theological standpoint, I struggled a little because I don’t understand how Cyric functions with the approval of his god Karak given some of the things that Cyric claims. It is clear that Karak can interact with the world as he caused the flame on Darius’ sword to go out even though Darius proclaimed great faith. As such, it seemed like Karak was somewhat limited.
As I read in another comment, I would really like some more background on the two deities. Why is Ashhur considered good and Karak evil? Why are they enemies?
Overall, I felt this one deserved the full three stars. It met my expectations, but was a little slower paced than the two previous books, and felt like the story abruptly came to an end to be finished up in book four.
March 17, 2025
This book has two subplots; both about paladins of Ashur attempting to stop the overwhelming spread of Karak fanatism in their own way.
The paladin Jerico follows his conscience and rushes to support to the fair and wise King Arthur during the civil wae, all whilst engaging in a newly found romance (with the sister of his ally no less) and fending off assassination attempts. Darius in the meanwhile fends off the threat of Cyric, a young student of Karak turned evil incarnate after performing a forbidden ritual.
Both are interesting stories exploring the two characters, as well as providing more depth about the world of Dezreal. If I had to pick a favourite, it would likely be Darius's story who is faced with combating most terrifying threats on the continent yet. The book was more or less consistently engaging and was happy reading the book provided I took regular rest between chapters (unlike night of wolves which was awesone and couldn't stop reading).
In terms of critiques, at a personal level whilst I like the characters, none of them are especially appealing to me and also don't have too strong a connection to the story behind the deities or various internal factions. However the final few chapters the stakes really ramped up and the references to mysteries and situation in prior books left me finishing the book on a good note.
I would still recommend finishing this segment of the series if you have come this far! 4/5 Strong and kept me entertained the whole way through.
The paladin Jerico follows his conscience and rushes to support to the fair and wise King Arthur during the civil wae, all whilst engaging in a newly found romance (with the sister of his ally no less) and fending off assassination attempts. Darius in the meanwhile fends off the threat of Cyric, a young student of Karak turned evil incarnate after performing a forbidden ritual.
Both are interesting stories exploring the two characters, as well as providing more depth about the world of Dezreal. If I had to pick a favourite, it would likely be Darius's story who is faced with combating most terrifying threats on the continent yet. The book was more or less consistently engaging and was happy reading the book provided I took regular rest between chapters (unlike night of wolves which was awesone and couldn't stop reading).
In terms of critiques, at a personal level whilst I like the characters, none of them are especially appealing to me and also don't have too strong a connection to the story behind the deities or various internal factions. However the final few chapters the stakes really ramped up and the references to mysteries and situation in prior books left me finishing the book on a good note.
I would still recommend finishing this segment of the series if you have come this far! 4/5 Strong and kept me entertained the whole way through.
January 20, 2025
More enjoyable than book 2, but still doesn't surpass the 1st.
Book 2 of this series was a much more dark storyline than here in book 3. Book 2 had a heavy focus on Darius' faith, and his god's challenges. Jericho was embroiled in an uprising against the king; which would inevitably put him in the path of Darius, and his devotion to Karak.
This book picks up right at the end of book 2. Darius, and Jericho are still "wanted" by the followers of Karak, and the battle between the armies of Arthur & Sebastion have retreated & given chase respectively. The story in this book is lighter in tone, as we see the two paladins once again confronting the consequences of their actions from book 2. That does not mean it is all sunshine & rainbows though. A new wrinkle in their path takes the form of a young priest of Karak named Cyric who seeks to return to the old ways [hence the name of the book]. Given what said old ways are; it is intriguing to see how our intrepid heroes will overcome this new threat Cyric poses. Lastly the gray sister Valessa whom returned from the abyss at the end of book 2 continues her pursuit of Darius throughout this book. Her path of destruction until she fulfills her goal of killing Darius is a tense ride when viewed through Darius' perspective, and a [somewhat] mirroring of Darius' story from book 2 of his devotion to Karak.
By books end I'm still invested to get to the next, and final in the series. Here's to hoping that the 4th book is the epic conclusion we deserve.
Book 2 of this series was a much more dark storyline than here in book 3. Book 2 had a heavy focus on Darius' faith, and his god's challenges. Jericho was embroiled in an uprising against the king; which would inevitably put him in the path of Darius, and his devotion to Karak.
This book picks up right at the end of book 2. Darius, and Jericho are still "wanted" by the followers of Karak, and the battle between the armies of Arthur & Sebastion have retreated & given chase respectively. The story in this book is lighter in tone, as we see the two paladins once again confronting the consequences of their actions from book 2. That does not mean it is all sunshine & rainbows though. A new wrinkle in their path takes the form of a young priest of Karak named Cyric who seeks to return to the old ways [hence the name of the book]. Given what said old ways are; it is intriguing to see how our intrepid heroes will overcome this new threat Cyric poses. Lastly the gray sister Valessa whom returned from the abyss at the end of book 2 continues her pursuit of Darius throughout this book. Her path of destruction until she fulfills her goal of killing Darius is a tense ride when viewed through Darius' perspective, and a [somewhat] mirroring of Darius' story from book 2 of his devotion to Karak.
By books end I'm still invested to get to the next, and final in the series. Here's to hoping that the 4th book is the epic conclusion we deserve.
November 21, 2021
'Wholesome' Read.
As if the world is chasing paladins for better or worse.
[Played the interactive version of this book on a smartphone game.]
Author : David Dalglish
Gamifiers : Michael Gilbert, Sam Landstrom
1. Darius's growth as a character is much significant in this book. His recovery from the false teachings may not be easy as it seems. He's great in the end.
2. Enjoyed the part when Valessa stalked Darius. haha~
3. Jerico, without a doubt, my favorite character from this book. Man went through so much, but never lost his faith, and kept hold of his ideals.
4. Light Romance, which I longed for. Some memorable moments.
5. New enemies, more powerful ones at that. Many died from both sides.
The ending even more interesting. To the next book!
Thanks!
As if the world is chasing paladins for better or worse.
[Played the interactive version of this book on a smartphone game.]
Author : David Dalglish
Gamifiers : Michael Gilbert, Sam Landstrom
1. Darius's growth as a character is much significant in this book. His recovery from the false teachings may not be easy as it seems. He's great in the end.
2. Enjoyed the part when Valessa stalked Darius. haha~
3. Jerico, without a doubt, my favorite character from this book. Man went through so much, but never lost his faith, and kept hold of his ideals.
4. Light Romance, which I longed for. Some memorable moments.
5. New enemies, more powerful ones at that. Many died from both sides.
The ending even more interesting. To the next book!
Thanks!
December 22, 2019
ดารุสเป็นพระเอกแทนเจริโค
ตอนท้ายพลอตเรื่องทวิสต์ได้ดี
ใช้คำขู่ง่าย ๆ แต่ทำให้เกิดขึ้นจริง
จิตวิทยาทำให้ หนัง action สนุกขึ้น
ขู่แล้วพระเอกก็เอาแต่คิดว่า ถึงขู่ยังไงก็ต้องทำ
และด้วยความเป็นพระเอก คนอ่านก็มักจะคาดว่าจะไม่เกิดอะไรร้ายๆ ขึ้น
(เพราะทั้งสองเล่มที่ผ่านมาก็ไม่ได้มีอะไรร้ายๆเลย)
ตอนท้ายพลอตเรื่องทวิสต์ได้ดี
ใช้คำขู่ง่าย ๆ แต่ทำให้เกิดขึ้นจริง
จิตวิทยาทำให้ หนัง action สนุกขึ้น
ขู่แล้วพระเอกก็เอาแต่คิดว่า ถึงขู่ยังไงก็ต้องทำ
และด้วยความเป็นพระเอก คนอ่านก็มักจะคาดว่าจะไม่เกิดอะไรร้ายๆ ขึ้น
(เพราะทั้งสองเล่มที่ผ่านมาก็ไม่ได้มีอะไรร้ายๆเลย)
September 19, 2020
This book series has such complex ideas and motifs. I love how much the characters are relatable to our musings on the human condition. I really love this series. Also, LUTHER YOU BASTARD! I HOPE YOU ROT IN THE BURNING FLAMES OF HELL!
Apart from that, Sandra, oh poor Sandra.... WHYYYYYY!!!!!
And Cyric's an asshole of the worst caliber. I hate that dude. I hate that dude with a vengeance.
Apart from that, Sandra, oh poor Sandra.... WHYYYYYY!!!!!
And Cyric's an asshole of the worst caliber. I hate that dude. I hate that dude with a vengeance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I love how the characters develop throughout. I may appear generous with my rating but if I read a book or series from start to finish without stopping or complaint then how can I rate it anything but 5 Star. it helps though that this series is set in my preferred genre.
March 12, 2017
First, after the darker second book, this one returned some both funny and harsh talks. I am not a fan of pointless cursing, but there are times when a nasty curse is better than anything else.
Apart from that, I'll not comment much more to avoid spoilers.
Apart from that, I'll not comment much more to avoid spoilers.
October 7, 2017
A solid 3.5 stars! This is a really fun series and book 3 definitely kept the pace and energy up and lived up to expectation. I'm looking forward to the grande finale!
January 26, 2019
What a guilty pleasure. D&D in book form. Well-paced, sufficient depth of theme, and quality action-scene writing.
February 17, 2012
Rating: 5 out of 5
No one’s perfect, but sometimes everything comes together, especially in literature. It’s fascinating to watch an author grow and grow, slowly improving over time, fixing faults in their writing, finding new ways to explore tired old plot devices, coming to grips with their weaknesses and making them strengths. It’s not all that rare in the world of books, but it’s still special.
And this brings us to The Old Ways: Paladins Book III by David Dalglish.
I, for one, am a huge fan of the author’s work. (Surprised? Look through my archived reviews and you won’t be.) I’ve read every book Dalglish has come out with, and either loved or really liked every one. But this one is something special. Gone is his penchant for rushing, for occasionally taking the easy way out and brushing aside important internal conflict. Instead, what the author has given us in this book is a pace that moves slowly, fluidly, that gradually builds the tension and grows the characters until they explode off the page in the last act.
The Old Ways continues with the struggles of Jericho, paladin of Ashhur, and Darius, former paladin of Karak. The story picks up where we left off in Clash of Faiths, with Darius being converted to the side of light in his trial-by-fire (and unnecessarily rushed) clash with his old friend. He’s a man isolated even when he’s surrounded by people. He’s haunted by his past deeds, both inwardly and outwardly, and the fact that many of those past deeds hurt a great many people does nothing but make life much more difficult for our poor antihero.
But he’s learning, changing, determined to become a better man, even if it kills him.
On the other side of the coin we have Jericho, the sometimes too-good-to-be-true goodie-goodie. While I loved his character when he first appeared in Half-Orcs, truth be told he can be a bit one-note with how honorable and loyal he is. But then again, his purpose in this story is to act as foil for Darius, for Darius is the true star of the show, the character that grows and experiences pain and redemption and acts like a living, breathing human being. He is the backbone of this novel—the backbone of the series, really—and in this book he really shines.
Along with Darius’s redemption, Dalglish also pushes the envelope with his new cadre of villains. We have Valessa, the Grey Sister who died in Faiths, only to be reborn as something dark and complex, a being of shadow that cannot rest until her mission (killing Darius) is accomplished. The scenes involving her were brilliantly done, full of contradiction, self-loathing, and doubt. If there’s one character that I hope future books explore deeper, it’s her.
Then we have Luther and Cyric, priests of Karak who start up the journey toward changing the world to fit their god’s image. The complexity of each character is fantastic. They’re literary interpretations of different ways of obtaining political power—subterfuge cunning, and force and tradition. Both are effective in their own ways, and to watch their respective plans unfold on the page was awe-inspiring. Especially with Luther, who offers a surprise at the end that literally left me speechless.
So yes, I can say that David Dalglish has done it again. He’s written a book full of trepidation and turmoil, full of violence and self-discovery, a book that I fully ingested with aplomb. I may not be someone you really want to listen to in regards to my opinion on this book, since I’m a little more than biased toward him, but in my humble opinion he has created a work that goes far beyond simply being a third book in a series.
And that’s because The Old Ways, while not perfect, is just about as close as any writer can get to that unreachable ideal.
No one’s perfect, but sometimes everything comes together, especially in literature. It’s fascinating to watch an author grow and grow, slowly improving over time, fixing faults in their writing, finding new ways to explore tired old plot devices, coming to grips with their weaknesses and making them strengths. It’s not all that rare in the world of books, but it’s still special.
And this brings us to The Old Ways: Paladins Book III by David Dalglish.
I, for one, am a huge fan of the author’s work. (Surprised? Look through my archived reviews and you won’t be.) I’ve read every book Dalglish has come out with, and either loved or really liked every one. But this one is something special. Gone is his penchant for rushing, for occasionally taking the easy way out and brushing aside important internal conflict. Instead, what the author has given us in this book is a pace that moves slowly, fluidly, that gradually builds the tension and grows the characters until they explode off the page in the last act.
The Old Ways continues with the struggles of Jericho, paladin of Ashhur, and Darius, former paladin of Karak. The story picks up where we left off in Clash of Faiths, with Darius being converted to the side of light in his trial-by-fire (and unnecessarily rushed) clash with his old friend. He’s a man isolated even when he’s surrounded by people. He’s haunted by his past deeds, both inwardly and outwardly, and the fact that many of those past deeds hurt a great many people does nothing but make life much more difficult for our poor antihero.
But he’s learning, changing, determined to become a better man, even if it kills him.
On the other side of the coin we have Jericho, the sometimes too-good-to-be-true goodie-goodie. While I loved his character when he first appeared in Half-Orcs, truth be told he can be a bit one-note with how honorable and loyal he is. But then again, his purpose in this story is to act as foil for Darius, for Darius is the true star of the show, the character that grows and experiences pain and redemption and acts like a living, breathing human being. He is the backbone of this novel—the backbone of the series, really—and in this book he really shines.
Along with Darius’s redemption, Dalglish also pushes the envelope with his new cadre of villains. We have Valessa, the Grey Sister who died in Faiths, only to be reborn as something dark and complex, a being of shadow that cannot rest until her mission (killing Darius) is accomplished. The scenes involving her were brilliantly done, full of contradiction, self-loathing, and doubt. If there’s one character that I hope future books explore deeper, it’s her.
Then we have Luther and Cyric, priests of Karak who start up the journey toward changing the world to fit their god’s image. The complexity of each character is fantastic. They’re literary interpretations of different ways of obtaining political power—subterfuge cunning, and force and tradition. Both are effective in their own ways, and to watch their respective plans unfold on the page was awe-inspiring. Especially with Luther, who offers a surprise at the end that literally left me speechless.
So yes, I can say that David Dalglish has done it again. He’s written a book full of trepidation and turmoil, full of violence and self-discovery, a book that I fully ingested with aplomb. I may not be someone you really want to listen to in regards to my opinion on this book, since I’m a little more than biased toward him, but in my humble opinion he has created a work that goes far beyond simply being a third book in a series.
And that’s because The Old Ways, while not perfect, is just about as close as any writer can get to that unreachable ideal.
September 11, 2014
Another amazing series by David Dalglish devoured in a matter of days. And devoured is an extremely appropriate word for his books. Because that is exactly what I do. Word for word, page for page, book by book, and all I want is more more MORE. The stories are full of adventure, detail and elements that just pull you in and won't yet go.
The Paladins is the second series that I have read by the amazing David Dalglish. My first was the Shadowdance Trilogy which I got for way to cheap on my kindle. And I devoured (that awesome word again! :)) them in a matter of days and they left me with a desperate need to talk to someone else about them - and I mean this in the nicest way possible. However it has proved extremely difficult for my friend to get a copy of them so I had to find some other way to satisfy my urge. And the only way to do that was to start reading The Paladins.
Over the three books, we have seen the relationship between Jerico and Darius go through some rough spots but eventually have them overcome such difficulties (even difficult difficulties!) to realise and cherish the strong bond the two have.
The Old Ways ending left me screaming (well maybe more like growling and cursing). Of course this was before I read the authors note at the end saying that book 3 wasn't the end for Jerico and Darius (which was very lucky for you Mr Dalglish!)
Well here's to say that I will be jumping up and down until the magnificent Mr Dalglish graces us with the jewel that will be book 4.
Can't wait!!!!
And seriously! If you are smart enough you will read these books. And I mean ALL OF THEM!!
WORTH WAY MORE THAN 5 STARS!!!
The Paladins is the second series that I have read by the amazing David Dalglish. My first was the Shadowdance Trilogy which I got for way to cheap on my kindle. And I devoured (that awesome word again! :)) them in a matter of days and they left me with a desperate need to talk to someone else about them - and I mean this in the nicest way possible. However it has proved extremely difficult for my friend to get a copy of them so I had to find some other way to satisfy my urge. And the only way to do that was to start reading The Paladins.
Over the three books, we have seen the relationship between Jerico and Darius go through some rough spots but eventually have them overcome such difficulties (even difficult difficulties!) to realise and cherish the strong bond the two have.
The Old Ways ending left me screaming (well maybe more like growling and cursing). Of course this was before I read the authors note at the end saying that book 3 wasn't the end for Jerico and Darius (which was very lucky for you Mr Dalglish!)
Well here's to say that I will be jumping up and down until the magnificent Mr Dalglish graces us with the jewel that will be book 4.
Can't wait!!!!
And seriously! If you are smart enough you will read these books. And I mean ALL OF THEM!!
WORTH WAY MORE THAN 5 STARS!!!
December 4, 2016
A little short for my appetite
A little short for my appetite. It was a disappointment to read the third book of the series in a couple of hours. I had read book one and two in another book of books, and went out and ordered books three and four, thinking I would have three or four days of reading (I work full time, so most of my reading takes place at the meals between/during bites). Maybe I was so engrossed in the story that I glossed over some parts that I should have paid more attention to? I don't know. Book four awaits me, but I just finished reading the end notes about this series by David. Does he imply that this is just a minor offshoot from a larger set of books that I have missed of this universe he has created, if so, I guess I have more research to do and books to find. Can't wait to finish book four, so I can start my research into this new possible set of books to keep me from becoming a couch potato glued to the television, with all its crazy ideas of what everybody else thinks will keep me glues to my chair.
A little short for my appetite. It was a disappointment to read the third book of the series in a couple of hours. I had read book one and two in another book of books, and went out and ordered books three and four, thinking I would have three or four days of reading (I work full time, so most of my reading takes place at the meals between/during bites). Maybe I was so engrossed in the story that I glossed over some parts that I should have paid more attention to? I don't know. Book four awaits me, but I just finished reading the end notes about this series by David. Does he imply that this is just a minor offshoot from a larger set of books that I have missed of this universe he has created, if so, I guess I have more research to do and books to find. Can't wait to finish book four, so I can start my research into this new possible set of books to keep me from becoming a couch potato glued to the television, with all its crazy ideas of what everybody else thinks will keep me glues to my chair.
December 5, 2015
"The Old Ways", the third in The Paladins series, was maybe not quite as good as the first book but better than the second, and it continues to be a very enjoyable series.
As in the previous volumes, the story is split between Jerico and Darius, who are now allies. Both are interesting and have good character moments, although Darius is the more complex, as he struggles with his new faith in Asshur.
The plot is action-packed and moved along well. It's not a particularly deep book, but there's plenty of excitement.
Valessa, no longer human but given a strange shadow-form, had an interesting inner struggle with her condition, her mission, and her faith, and the fire-and-stone Abyss lions were creepy in a good way. The principle villain, Cyric, was a solid antagonist, but I did feel like he was just a carbon-copy replacement of the last book's antagonist, Velixar.
The end did have a deus ex machina that unfortunately wasn't really explained.
As in the previous volumes, the story is split between Jerico and Darius, who are now allies. Both are interesting and have good character moments, although Darius is the more complex, as he struggles with his new faith in Asshur.
The plot is action-packed and moved along well. It's not a particularly deep book, but there's plenty of excitement.
Valessa, no longer human but given a strange shadow-form, had an interesting inner struggle with her condition, her mission, and her faith, and the fire-and-stone Abyss lions were creepy in a good way. The principle villain, Cyric, was a solid antagonist, but I did feel like he was just a carbon-copy replacement of the last book's antagonist, Velixar.
The end did have a deus ex machina that unfortunately wasn't really explained.
January 25, 2012
Well he did it again! Another very well written book by David Dalglish. Who would have thought a paladin with a changed heart and an invisible killer could make such a great read. David spins a great look into this fantasy world, holding you there with such great characters. Story lines that leave you hungry for the next book. In my opinion Dalglish is the next great indie writer, do yourself a favor and check out his books.
January 30, 2014
il più debole dei tre finora letti.
lo schema ormai è noto: problemi vari che gli eroi superano brillantemente fino alla fine, quando tutto converge nella battaglia finale.
che i supereroi vincono, come sempre, ma non del tutto, come sempre, altrimenti non ci sarebbe il libro successivo.
L'azione è sempre vivace, quindi i libri si fanno leggere rapidamente.
Ma il divario tra l'ideale libro fantasy che leggi tutto d'un fiato perchè non *puoi* resistere e The Paladins si sta allargando...
lo schema ormai è noto: problemi vari che gli eroi superano brillantemente fino alla fine, quando tutto converge nella battaglia finale.
che i supereroi vincono, come sempre, ma non del tutto, come sempre, altrimenti non ci sarebbe il libro successivo.
L'azione è sempre vivace, quindi i libri si fanno leggere rapidamente.
Ma il divario tra l'ideale libro fantasy che leggi tutto d'un fiato perchè non *puoi* resistere e The Paladins si sta allargando...
February 9, 2013
The Old Ways wasn't my favorite book in the series, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a great book! There were moments within that were among the best of the three books I've read. I love what Valessa has become and can't wait to read book 4 to see how she and ________ will __________.
SORRY - not gonna put up any spoilers!
Another great installment in the Paladin series.
SORRY - not gonna put up any spoilers!
Another great installment in the Paladin series.
April 20, 2013
This series is as captivating as any I have read in recent memory. I am becoming a fan of Darius who, despite his original intentions, always ends up doing the right thing. I look forward to the next book.
December 12, 2015
I'm of the opinion that this quartet of books would have been better suited as just one long volume rather than 4 shorter works. That said, it fills the itch it was intended for - sword and sorcery with a touch of pulp.
May 6, 2016
Great book can't wait to read the next one... keep up the good work...
Five stars all the way.. this guy has become one of my favorite authors. I own most of his books and enjoy rereading them when I get a chance.
Five stars all the way.. this guy has become one of my favorite authors. I own most of his books and enjoy rereading them when I get a chance.
December 16, 2012
I really enjoyed this book and continue to enjoy the series. The characters are great, the story is fun and engaging.
January 11, 2012
A fun read! I really like the characters of Darius and Jerico and the connection they have had throughout these books. I am looking forward to the next in the series.
January 27, 2012
Loved it. I feel like each book in this series keeps getting better and better.
February 13, 2012
It was an enjoyable read, fast paced and kept my interest. Looking ofrward to the next in the series.
January 24, 2013
These dudes just face this endless poo-storm. Really. I would totally just want a decent nap if I were these protagonists. Would rate higher but the bad dude pov's ruin it for me.
February 6, 2013
Character devolpment was lacking and story line was par at best. Only reason to read was to get to the next book, hopefully the next book makes up for what this was lacking.
February 19, 2013
I want to be Darius when I grow up. Reformed paladins kick ass. :-)
August 25, 2013
Very entertaining, Dalglish continues to improve his writing skill.
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