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The Talmont Trilogy #1
The Burning Land
The Falcons are knights of the Vestal Order, pledged to use their powers to protect the Empire of Talmont from the cruel Vyr and the carnage they have unleashed upon the world.
When the Falcons take a Vyr alive, they go against the protocols of the Vestal Order and interrogate him. They are horrified to learn, if the Vyr speaks truly, that the Empire's worst enemy may not be the Vyr . . . but the Vestal Order itself.
Led by the charismatic Romara Challys, the Falcons go rogue, their quest for the truth taking them through burning forests, lost ruins and the uncanny traces of a dying race, desperate to find answers . . . before it's too late.
But the Vestal Order has no plans to let Challys and her knights succeed in their mission. With the greatest knight in history and an army of fanatics at their heels, the Falcons must evade capture and discover the truth as soon as possible. Because time is running out . . . for everyone.
When the Falcons take a Vyr alive, they go against the protocols of the Vestal Order and interrogate him. They are horrified to learn, if the Vyr speaks truly, that the Empire's worst enemy may not be the Vyr . . . but the Vestal Order itself.
Led by the charismatic Romara Challys, the Falcons go rogue, their quest for the truth taking them through burning forests, lost ruins and the uncanny traces of a dying race, desperate to find answers . . . before it's too late.
But the Vestal Order has no plans to let Challys and her knights succeed in their mission. With the greatest knight in history and an army of fanatics at their heels, the Falcons must evade capture and discover the truth as soon as possible. Because time is running out . . . for everyone.
550 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 1, 2024
18 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
About the author
David Hair
47 books535 followersDavid Hair is the author of The Bone Tiki, winner of Best First Novel (Young Adult Fiction section) at the 2010 NZ Post Children's Book Awards. The Bone Tiki and its sequel The Taniwha's Tear are fantasy novels set in New Zealand. David is a New Zealander, who has worked primarily in financial services. He has a degree in History and Classical Studies. He has lived from 2007 to 2010 in New Delhi, India, but usually resides in Wellington, New Zealand. Apart from writing, he is interested in folklore, history, and has a passion for football.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 25, 2023
Really enjoyed this! I liked the way we know what the individual characters are thinking and I thought all of the characterisation was well done. The world building too was good, though far from unique. Despite much action, I thought the pace was a little slow in places, but this actually didn’t affect my attention as it was a fairly complex story. I look forward to seeing how the rest of the series pans out. I am definitely also intrigued to check out this author’s previous works. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
December 1, 2023
David Hair, author of The Moontide Quartet, begins his new series, The Talamont Trilogy.
The book tells the story of a group of knights, called the Falcons, led by the charismatic Vestal Knight, Romara Challyis who after her (maybe) lover, Jadyn, gets clapped in irons for questioning a Vyr, (the bad guys of the book) against the express orders of the ruling church. This leads to a daring prison break to get Jadyn out. However, Amarra also gains a couple of unexpected companions, the Vyr Gram, and a thief called Aura, from what appears to be an Italian type culture.
They then collect some more members of the falcons, and also an initiate knight called Soren and set off to understand the reasons for the Vyr attacks (who are kind of a rebel set of magic users that employ a similar magic to the knights of the book). They learn from Gram that mabe the Vyr aren’t really the bad guys and actually it is the Empire and the Vestal Knights that are really the bad guys and that they are killling the land with their magic and they just don’t care.
In the midst of this, we have lots of character development, because we need to have some tortured individuals to make it believable. It turns out that the magic that the Vestal Knights use can burn people out and make them turn into something similar to the Vyr (who turn into beserking type monsters) and Romara is turning to the dark side. Not only that Jaydn and his beau, Romara find out that they not might be as hot for each other as they first thought as they both start to develop feelings for other people and then people are not what they seem.
In the Burning Lands, David Hair decides to throw everything at the reader. He wants a Mistborn level of adventure, but with a Star Wars type ethic. However, he also wants a rip roaring adventure reminiscent of Sebastian de Castell and tries to get the grimdarkness of Joe Abercrombie. Does it work? Well, to a degree it does!
It’s obvious that David Hair is able to write a good adventure story with tons of action, sizzling sword fights and zippy magic. And I did enjoy this aspect.
However, it is not without its problems. The plot starts of promisingly. There seems to be this ecological disaster going on that seems to mirror the climate disasters that are happening in our own world, especially the increase of wildfires that are plaguing various parts of the world, and the fact that the main cause for our current woes are ourselves and the way we treat the planet. However, it’s not long before this aspect is left by the wayside in favour of a traditional chase by bad guys across the continent.
In addition to that, the characters are a bit sketchy too, even though we are supposed to like and understand the reasons for their behaviours. Romara who is going through a change, instead of coming off as tortured and unsure, comes across as a whiny adolescent.
Another problem that I had with the book was that David Hair regularly used accents in his dialogue which unfortunately detracts from the character. For instance, Aura, who is from an Italian type culture comes across as Andrew Sachs in Fawlty Towers and is used as a comedic character, except, it’s not. It’s a bit cringe to be honest! It just doesn’t work.
There were other things that I thought didn’t work or could have been done in different ways. However, there were elements that I enjoyed. The world building was good, and like I said, the adventure aspects of the story worked well and I did enjoy them.
In addition to this, the magic system was something of note. It is primarily based around object magic that imbues the user with power. However there are two contrasting ways of using the power. The Vestal Knights have the power attached to their swords and it subsequently gives them superhuman powers, whereas the Vyr tap into the power and use it to transmute their physical appearences. And then there is a more natural power called the Aegis, which is classed as heresy by the empire.
So all in all, I actually generally liked the story, but it was a bit of a mixed bag for me.
The book tells the story of a group of knights, called the Falcons, led by the charismatic Vestal Knight, Romara Challyis who after her (maybe) lover, Jadyn, gets clapped in irons for questioning a Vyr, (the bad guys of the book) against the express orders of the ruling church. This leads to a daring prison break to get Jadyn out. However, Amarra also gains a couple of unexpected companions, the Vyr Gram, and a thief called Aura, from what appears to be an Italian type culture.
They then collect some more members of the falcons, and also an initiate knight called Soren and set off to understand the reasons for the Vyr attacks (who are kind of a rebel set of magic users that employ a similar magic to the knights of the book). They learn from Gram that mabe the Vyr aren’t really the bad guys and actually it is the Empire and the Vestal Knights that are really the bad guys and that they are killling the land with their magic and they just don’t care.
In the midst of this, we have lots of character development, because we need to have some tortured individuals to make it believable. It turns out that the magic that the Vestal Knights use can burn people out and make them turn into something similar to the Vyr (who turn into beserking type monsters) and Romara is turning to the dark side. Not only that Jaydn and his beau, Romara find out that they not might be as hot for each other as they first thought as they both start to develop feelings for other people and then people are not what they seem.
In the Burning Lands, David Hair decides to throw everything at the reader. He wants a Mistborn level of adventure, but with a Star Wars type ethic. However, he also wants a rip roaring adventure reminiscent of Sebastian de Castell and tries to get the grimdarkness of Joe Abercrombie. Does it work? Well, to a degree it does!
It’s obvious that David Hair is able to write a good adventure story with tons of action, sizzling sword fights and zippy magic. And I did enjoy this aspect.
However, it is not without its problems. The plot starts of promisingly. There seems to be this ecological disaster going on that seems to mirror the climate disasters that are happening in our own world, especially the increase of wildfires that are plaguing various parts of the world, and the fact that the main cause for our current woes are ourselves and the way we treat the planet. However, it’s not long before this aspect is left by the wayside in favour of a traditional chase by bad guys across the continent.
In addition to that, the characters are a bit sketchy too, even though we are supposed to like and understand the reasons for their behaviours. Romara who is going through a change, instead of coming off as tortured and unsure, comes across as a whiny adolescent.
Another problem that I had with the book was that David Hair regularly used accents in his dialogue which unfortunately detracts from the character. For instance, Aura, who is from an Italian type culture comes across as Andrew Sachs in Fawlty Towers and is used as a comedic character, except, it’s not. It’s a bit cringe to be honest! It just doesn’t work.
There were other things that I thought didn’t work or could have been done in different ways. However, there were elements that I enjoyed. The world building was good, and like I said, the adventure aspects of the story worked well and I did enjoy them.
In addition to this, the magic system was something of note. It is primarily based around object magic that imbues the user with power. However there are two contrasting ways of using the power. The Vestal Knights have the power attached to their swords and it subsequently gives them superhuman powers, whereas the Vyr tap into the power and use it to transmute their physical appearences. And then there is a more natural power called the Aegis, which is classed as heresy by the empire.
So all in all, I actually generally liked the story, but it was a bit of a mixed bag for me.
October 17, 2023
The Burning Land by David Hair is the first book of The Talmont Trilogy and it's recommended to fans of Brandon Sanderson and Joe Abercrombie.
The Burning Land is a great story about the manipulation of the truth, black-and-white seeing of the world, and confrontation with reality. The Falcons, a special order of knights, are honorable mages who are supposed to protect others from evil Vyrs. But what happens when they catch one Vyr alive and they find out that the truth is maybe different and they are the villains?
The plot promises a strong story with a lot of space for character development. However, I did not find the characters real and well-built. They are functional but to me, they seem flat.
The story is quite long, full of action and fight sequences. If you are looking for an epic adventure story with magic battles - this book is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Jo Fletcher Books for an eARC!
The Burning Land is a great story about the manipulation of the truth, black-and-white seeing of the world, and confrontation with reality. The Falcons, a special order of knights, are honorable mages who are supposed to protect others from evil Vyrs. But what happens when they catch one Vyr alive and they find out that the truth is maybe different and they are the villains?
The plot promises a strong story with a lot of space for character development. However, I did not find the characters real and well-built. They are functional but to me, they seem flat.
The story is quite long, full of action and fight sequences. If you are looking for an epic adventure story with magic battles - this book is for you.
Thank you NetGalley and Jo Fletcher Books for an eARC!
February 5, 2024
I’ll start this review by saying I’m a fan of Hair’s previous work, The Moontide Quartet (even though I really disliked book 3, book 2 remains one of the best books I’ve read). So, I was really excited to see that he was coming out with a new series set on a new world.
In the Burning Land we are going to follow a group of Vestal Knights as they discovered that their kingdom and faith might not be as good as it was supposed to be.
As you can see, I’m staying out of spoiler territory since I believe that the plot of the book was great, but we deviated from it a lot in the middle. Very early on, thanks to capturing an enemy soldier, they find out that the magic they use might be killing the place where its crystal is placed. I loved it, the beginning was so engaging filled with action and intrigue. But at a point our heroes are forced to leave in the search on a man while their enemies are hunting them, and honestly, I’m not usually a fan of this. Even though the world was amazing and really cool to explore I was expecting more and more from the plot, and it didn’t deliver until the ending, leaving more questions than answers.
As I just said the world was great, especially the magic system. I’m not surprised since Hair is usually really good at this, I just wished we had more of the politics seeing as in the Moontide Quartet it had a huge part. Again, the magic, amazing. We have rechargeable magic swords for the good guys, more usual magic for the wizards and “rage” magic for the bad guys. There one more but I won’t talk about that one since I would consider it spoilers.
Characters play a huge role in this story. We have Romara, the leader of the Vestal Knights we follow, she starts as a fantastic leader to follow but as the story progresses, she became the most annoying of all the characters, at times feeling like a teenager acting more out of stupidity than anything else. We have Jadyn, the one who suspects, he’s the one that starts our story and honestly, I quite liked him, he’s your more usual white knight, with a heavy moral compass and who just wants to do the right thing. Besides a few more Vestal Knights we also have a thief and the vyr (the enemy soldier) which were some of the more interesting characters, although they also acted a little bit too young sometimes. The characters are given space to grow, and they do in a lot of ways but honestly, I don’t think it did enough since a couple of them felt more regressive than progressive. I do have to say that my favourite one was the wizard in the Vestal Knights, she’s just the best.
The thing that annoyed me the most is the transcription of accents, I know is a me thing, but honestly, I hate it. For someone whose first language is not English, listening to accents is fine but reading them is awful. I’m never going to be on board with this, just do it on the audiobook and it will be fine.
As a wrap up, I think The Burning Lands has equally as pros as it has cons, so if you’re looking for a more classic take on fantasy, where morally and moral conflict have a huge part of the story, you’re going to enjoy it a lot. If you want something huge or gory then this one might not work for you. As it is I gave 3.75 star rating, and I will continue with the series since the story is still very intriguing.
In the Burning Land we are going to follow a group of Vestal Knights as they discovered that their kingdom and faith might not be as good as it was supposed to be.
As you can see, I’m staying out of spoiler territory since I believe that the plot of the book was great, but we deviated from it a lot in the middle. Very early on, thanks to capturing an enemy soldier, they find out that the magic they use might be killing the place where its crystal is placed. I loved it, the beginning was so engaging filled with action and intrigue. But at a point our heroes are forced to leave in the search on a man while their enemies are hunting them, and honestly, I’m not usually a fan of this. Even though the world was amazing and really cool to explore I was expecting more and more from the plot, and it didn’t deliver until the ending, leaving more questions than answers.
As I just said the world was great, especially the magic system. I’m not surprised since Hair is usually really good at this, I just wished we had more of the politics seeing as in the Moontide Quartet it had a huge part. Again, the magic, amazing. We have rechargeable magic swords for the good guys, more usual magic for the wizards and “rage” magic for the bad guys. There one more but I won’t talk about that one since I would consider it spoilers.
Characters play a huge role in this story. We have Romara, the leader of the Vestal Knights we follow, she starts as a fantastic leader to follow but as the story progresses, she became the most annoying of all the characters, at times feeling like a teenager acting more out of stupidity than anything else. We have Jadyn, the one who suspects, he’s the one that starts our story and honestly, I quite liked him, he’s your more usual white knight, with a heavy moral compass and who just wants to do the right thing. Besides a few more Vestal Knights we also have a thief and the vyr (the enemy soldier) which were some of the more interesting characters, although they also acted a little bit too young sometimes. The characters are given space to grow, and they do in a lot of ways but honestly, I don’t think it did enough since a couple of them felt more regressive than progressive. I do have to say that my favourite one was the wizard in the Vestal Knights, she’s just the best.
The thing that annoyed me the most is the transcription of accents, I know is a me thing, but honestly, I hate it. For someone whose first language is not English, listening to accents is fine but reading them is awful. I’m never going to be on board with this, just do it on the audiobook and it will be fine.
As a wrap up, I think The Burning Lands has equally as pros as it has cons, so if you’re looking for a more classic take on fantasy, where morally and moral conflict have a huge part of the story, you’re going to enjoy it a lot. If you want something huge or gory then this one might not work for you. As it is I gave 3.75 star rating, and I will continue with the series since the story is still very intriguing.
November 4, 2024
I picked this book up on a whim in Waterstones and I am so glad I did. From the onset I thoroughly enjoyed the setting and backstory to this book which I felt was built upon throughout the book. There were at times where I was a little confused but the ability of the author to explain these more difficult parts at different points in the book where it made more sense to do so really pushed the story along.
I thought that the character building was great and as this is only the first of 3 books, it is clear to see how the character building will only increase as this felt like for some characters we only scratched the surface.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and while waiting for the next one to come out in 2025 I will be trying one or two other books by David Hair!
Thank you to David Hair.
I thought that the character building was great and as this is only the first of 3 books, it is clear to see how the character building will only increase as this felt like for some characters we only scratched the surface.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and while waiting for the next one to come out in 2025 I will be trying one or two other books by David Hair!
Thank you to David Hair.
November 8, 2023
3/5.
I'd like to start this review by saying I am grateful for having been given the opportunity to read this book and be introduced to a new author. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to have the chance to read.
This book begins with the Falcons, a pentacle of sworn knights, there to serve the empire under all circumstances. The knights possess a special Gift which allows them to draw upon power from a special crystal. But after certain events unfold, the knights become renegades on the run.
This was a great book to be introduced to a new fantasy world and to once again dive into adult fantasy. It's been a while since I have explored this genre, having been reading a lot of YA fantasy as of late.
I thought the world building was intriguing, and I saw a lot of links to our world and references to political situations that are relevant to us in present times. I found myself specifically reflecting on the Orders' annihilation of other races and then telling the population a different story as to how these races were wiped out. It was interesting to read.
I also take my hat off to David Hair for addressing issues around gender inequality. I personally believe he hit the nail on the head with how it is in present times. Women have the ability to lead, women are placed in leadership roles, but within those roles, there is still resistance and sexism present.
I found this to be relatable and relevant.
One of the most difficult aspects of this book to get into was the pacing. I found it to be rather slow-paced and took a long time to reach the point, which I think made it slightly less enjoyable for me. I also found it tricky to personally like some of the characters - in particular, Romara. I just didn't find her relatable or likeable a lot of the time.
In saying that, it was a book that grew on me the more I read. I admittedly was not invested at the beginning, but the more I read, the more I enjoyed it.
And the way this one ended - well, of course I have to read book two when it comes out. I can't finish on that clifhanger and not read on!
An enjoyable book and one worth reading.
I'd like to start this review by saying I am grateful for having been given the opportunity to read this book and be introduced to a new author. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for allowing me to have the chance to read.
This book begins with the Falcons, a pentacle of sworn knights, there to serve the empire under all circumstances. The knights possess a special Gift which allows them to draw upon power from a special crystal. But after certain events unfold, the knights become renegades on the run.
This was a great book to be introduced to a new fantasy world and to once again dive into adult fantasy. It's been a while since I have explored this genre, having been reading a lot of YA fantasy as of late.
I thought the world building was intriguing, and I saw a lot of links to our world and references to political situations that are relevant to us in present times. I found myself specifically reflecting on the Orders' annihilation of other races and then telling the population a different story as to how these races were wiped out. It was interesting to read.
I also take my hat off to David Hair for addressing issues around gender inequality. I personally believe he hit the nail on the head with how it is in present times. Women have the ability to lead, women are placed in leadership roles, but within those roles, there is still resistance and sexism present.
I found this to be relatable and relevant.
One of the most difficult aspects of this book to get into was the pacing. I found it to be rather slow-paced and took a long time to reach the point, which I think made it slightly less enjoyable for me. I also found it tricky to personally like some of the characters - in particular, Romara. I just didn't find her relatable or likeable a lot of the time.
In saying that, it was a book that grew on me the more I read. I admittedly was not invested at the beginning, but the more I read, the more I enjoyed it.
And the way this one ended - well, of course I have to read book two when it comes out. I can't finish on that clifhanger and not read on!
An enjoyable book and one worth reading.
April 11, 2024
Received this as an ARC. This is a fun, action-packed adventure story with some humor and a fun cast of characters. There were some slow moments, but the action moved briskly along for the most part, and this one was a quick read even with it not being a short book.
January 12, 2024
The Burning Land is the first volume of what promises to be another excellent epic fantasy.
The basic plot of a small band of people searching for something while being pursued by the forces of evil is definitely not new and David Hare certainly used it himself in his last trilogy. However in this first book of The Talmont trilogy, he has created a world with history, politics and an intriguing magic system that really drew me in.
Our small band of good guys are searching for the truth about the shards of a powerful crystal that have been planted around the empire and power the magic that fuels the weapons and minds of the elite warriors and priests. Are they benign and just use natural energy or are they destroying the land?
Any fantasy book stands or falls by its characters and David Hare has created a brilliant group of contrasting characters, on both sides.
The standout character for me though was Aura, the Nepali who falls in with the group after helping one of them escape from prison. Not being a citizen of the empire, her command of the language is poor which leads the other characters to underestimate and look down on her. However, she is possibly the most intelligent of the entire group, already speaking four languages fluently and her instincts save them on more than one occasion.
As always, David Hare excels at the world building. I loved the world here and enjoyed the snippets of history that are dotted throughout the book giving the reader insights into the present situation. The magic was interesting especially the idea that the stones that power the magic are causing an ecological disaster. The use of the magic by the warriors will also eventually destroy them as they get taken over by which affects Romana as she draws near to the end of her career as a warrior at the age of thirty.
The pace of the book felt right to me. There are some exhilarating action scenes especially at the beginning and end of the book but as it is a quest story, it never really stops moving. The plot twists and turns as the Falcons (and the reader) learn more about the truth and it kept me interested right up to the final page.
This is the start of another great series by David Hare and I am very grateful to the publishers, Quercus Books, and Net Galley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
The basic plot of a small band of people searching for something while being pursued by the forces of evil is definitely not new and David Hare certainly used it himself in his last trilogy. However in this first book of The Talmont trilogy, he has created a world with history, politics and an intriguing magic system that really drew me in.
Our small band of good guys are searching for the truth about the shards of a powerful crystal that have been planted around the empire and power the magic that fuels the weapons and minds of the elite warriors and priests. Are they benign and just use natural energy or are they destroying the land?
Any fantasy book stands or falls by its characters and David Hare has created a brilliant group of contrasting characters, on both sides.
The standout character for me though was Aura, the Nepali who falls in with the group after helping one of them escape from prison. Not being a citizen of the empire, her command of the language is poor which leads the other characters to underestimate and look down on her. However, she is possibly the most intelligent of the entire group, already speaking four languages fluently and her instincts save them on more than one occasion.
As always, David Hare excels at the world building. I loved the world here and enjoyed the snippets of history that are dotted throughout the book giving the reader insights into the present situation. The magic was interesting especially the idea that the stones that power the magic are causing an ecological disaster. The use of the magic by the warriors will also eventually destroy them as they get taken over by which affects Romana as she draws near to the end of her career as a warrior at the age of thirty.
The pace of the book felt right to me. There are some exhilarating action scenes especially at the beginning and end of the book but as it is a quest story, it never really stops moving. The plot twists and turns as the Falcons (and the reader) learn more about the truth and it kept me interested right up to the final page.
This is the start of another great series by David Hare and I am very grateful to the publishers, Quercus Books, and Net Galley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
January 25, 2024
Thank you Quercus Books, and Net Galley for sending me the arc of The Burning Land by David Hair in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. Having not read anything by David Hair previously, I was intrigued by the start of an epic fantasy that focused on a band of people on a journey, hunted and having to face challenges and accusations, and I can truthfully say that Hair doesn’t disappoint!
This is the first book in The Talmont trilogy and it is packed full of mature and well developed world building, historical aspects, politics and of course a brilliant magic system. Never mind the characters, who are truly well-rounded, developed and thought out, providing contrasting views and personalities across the board.
The book focuses on a core group of soldiers who are searching for the true roots of a crystal that powers their world, magic, weapons and minds of priests and warriors. Is this crystal truly a force for good or evil? Our core group are The Falcons, vestal warriors led by FMC Romana, who takes a lot to like but, is no weaker a character for that, plus other characters they pick up along the way. Aura, the Nepali who helps one of them escape from prison joins the group, and whilst the Empire’s language being her 2nd weaker tongue, is a truly intelligent and great character with a sense of intuition that shouldn’t be denied, plus her distinct perspective provides a humourous holistic viewpoint.
The world building in The Burning Land is so well crafted, weaving in history with current timeline to create a 360 view of a world that has been shaped by it’s history, politics and magic. And the magic is truly intriguing, is it a force for good or evil? Is it destroying their world. Add in some truly breath taking action and a plot that flows as speedily and convoluted as the quest, taking you up inlets, twisting and turning right until the end. I was totally engrossed in this book from the start and can’t wait to see where the next book in the series takes Falcons next.
This is the first book in The Talmont trilogy and it is packed full of mature and well developed world building, historical aspects, politics and of course a brilliant magic system. Never mind the characters, who are truly well-rounded, developed and thought out, providing contrasting views and personalities across the board.
The book focuses on a core group of soldiers who are searching for the true roots of a crystal that powers their world, magic, weapons and minds of priests and warriors. Is this crystal truly a force for good or evil? Our core group are The Falcons, vestal warriors led by FMC Romana, who takes a lot to like but, is no weaker a character for that, plus other characters they pick up along the way. Aura, the Nepali who helps one of them escape from prison joins the group, and whilst the Empire’s language being her 2nd weaker tongue, is a truly intelligent and great character with a sense of intuition that shouldn’t be denied, plus her distinct perspective provides a humourous holistic viewpoint.
The world building in The Burning Land is so well crafted, weaving in history with current timeline to create a 360 view of a world that has been shaped by it’s history, politics and magic. And the magic is truly intriguing, is it a force for good or evil? Is it destroying their world. Add in some truly breath taking action and a plot that flows as speedily and convoluted as the quest, taking you up inlets, twisting and turning right until the end. I was totally engrossed in this book from the start and can’t wait to see where the next book in the series takes Falcons next.
February 4, 2024
The Burning Land by David Hair book 1 of the Talmont Trilogy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for this eARac.
The Falcons are Knights of the Vestal Order committed to keeping the Empire safe but when one of its members questions a supposed enemy, they learn things they should not know, which has marked them as enemies of the Empire, and they must flee as they seek to learn more.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The story kept me hooked from the start as we see the Falcons in action and their learning of what the Empire is doing, leading to a chase across the lands where they uncover more information about just what is going on.
The characters in the books were really well done and I enjoyed reading from the different perspectives of the Falcons and at times even some of those chasing them. Each was given time to shine and let the reader know what they were thinking and their motivations.
The world-building was very well done and it was fun to see a chase across the lands and learn about some of those lands from the differing views of some of the characters. It is a world that I want to learn more about, especially the precursors to the Vestal Knights.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Burning Lands and would recommend it to any fans of fantasy especially those of classic fantasy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for this eARac.
The Falcons are Knights of the Vestal Order committed to keeping the Empire safe but when one of its members questions a supposed enemy, they learn things they should not know, which has marked them as enemies of the Empire, and they must flee as they seek to learn more.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The story kept me hooked from the start as we see the Falcons in action and their learning of what the Empire is doing, leading to a chase across the lands where they uncover more information about just what is going on.
The characters in the books were really well done and I enjoyed reading from the different perspectives of the Falcons and at times even some of those chasing them. Each was given time to shine and let the reader know what they were thinking and their motivations.
The world-building was very well done and it was fun to see a chase across the lands and learn about some of those lands from the differing views of some of the characters. It is a world that I want to learn more about, especially the precursors to the Vestal Knights.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Burning Lands and would recommend it to any fans of fantasy especially those of classic fantasy.
February 5, 2024
The Burning Land by David Hair book 1 of the Talmont Trilogy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for this eARac.
The Falcons are Knights of the Vestal Order committed to keeping the Empire safe but when one of its members questions a supposed enemy, they learn things they should not know, which has marked them as enemies of the Empire, and they must flee as they seek to learn more.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The story kept me hooked from the start as we see the Falcons in action and their learning of what the Empire is doing, leading to a chase across the lands where they uncover more information about just what is going on.
The characters in the books were really well done and I enjoyed reading from the different perspectives of the Falcons and at times even some of those chasing them. Each was given time to shine and let the reader know what they were thinking and their motivations.
The world-building was very well done and it was fun to see a chase across the lands and learn about some of those lands from the differing views of some of the characters. It is a world that I want to learn more about, especially the precursors to the Vestal Knights.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Burning Lands and would recommend it to any fans of fantasy especially those of classic fantasy.
Thanks to Netgalley and Quercus books for this eARac.
The Falcons are Knights of the Vestal Order committed to keeping the Empire safe but when one of its members questions a supposed enemy, they learn things they should not know, which has marked them as enemies of the Empire, and they must flee as they seek to learn more.
Overall I enjoyed this book. The story kept me hooked from the start as we see the Falcons in action and their learning of what the Empire is doing, leading to a chase across the lands where they uncover more information about just what is going on.
The characters in the books were really well done and I enjoyed reading from the different perspectives of the Falcons and at times even some of those chasing them. Each was given time to shine and let the reader know what they were thinking and their motivations.
The world-building was very well done and it was fun to see a chase across the lands and learn about some of those lands from the differing views of some of the characters. It is a world that I want to learn more about, especially the precursors to the Vestal Knights.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Burning Lands and would recommend it to any fans of fantasy especially those of classic fantasy.
December 1, 2023
I enjoyed reading this! This is a well written story with substantial world building and a solid plot. The characters are well fleshed out and character development was apparent. I liked that, especially in action scenes, there are multiple POVs and although it got confusing at first, I got to focus clearly on individual characters. It also makes all the members of the group stand out. I also like that the story actually has real-life and modern issues being hinted on such as the obvious scarcity of women in positions of power as well as destruction of natural resources among other things. I cannot wait to know what happens next in the next instalment of the Talmont Trilogy. I would recommend this to anyone who loves epic adult fantasy books.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and Quercus Books for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.
January 29, 2024
What a fantastic read this book is. I was very pleased when the publisher allowed me to read this early, especially as this book is just supremely good.
From the onset, you appreciate the return of David Hair. His sublime ability to create some incredible characters, all with such depth and interest that it is a joy as ever for the the stories to ebb and flow around and past such characters. Characters that you feel for or hate, but ultimately forge that emotional connection.
Underneath all of this is a perfectly crafted story which just lifts you as you read it, such is the skill of the author and the sheer joy that this story brings you as you devour it as quickly as you can.
Welcome back David, we have missed you. I sincerely hope this book brings you the acclaim and success that you very much deserve.
From the onset, you appreciate the return of David Hair. His sublime ability to create some incredible characters, all with such depth and interest that it is a joy as ever for the the stories to ebb and flow around and past such characters. Characters that you feel for or hate, but ultimately forge that emotional connection.
Underneath all of this is a perfectly crafted story which just lifts you as you read it, such is the skill of the author and the sheer joy that this story brings you as you devour it as quickly as you can.
Welcome back David, we have missed you. I sincerely hope this book brings you the acclaim and success that you very much deserve.
October 14, 2023
This is a strong, well-written story. There is a good balance of characters within the story that are complex and understandable and operate within a world that is fleshed out. The plot has good pace with plenty going on to keep the reader's attention. The magic system is at the story's heart and well-integrated into the plot.
The flow of the story affects the perspective and the point of view is from the person dealing with the situation at that time. This is an interesting mechanism and allows for characters to be developed more fully. However, it does require that the reader pay attention as there is a regular shift between first-person reflection and third-person description.
The book provides a very good read that draws you into the twists and turns of the story.
The flow of the story affects the perspective and the point of view is from the person dealing with the situation at that time. This is an interesting mechanism and allows for characters to be developed more fully. However, it does require that the reader pay attention as there is a regular shift between first-person reflection and third-person description.
The book provides a very good read that draws you into the twists and turns of the story.
January 31, 2024
My first book from this author and I enjoyed it. A brave bunch of knights using power drawn from certain “nodes” are fighting against deformed citizens who have powers of their own.
Except the lines get blurred as to who are actually the bad guys, and as our gang dare to question things they find themselves hunted by both their colleagues and those they once hunted.
Some good characterisations, liked the strong female commander who has to hand command over to someone else who doesn’t want it. As we progress through the story there are revelations from their colleagues and suspicions that not much of what they know is true.
Solid fantasy here with an interesting plot and characters with depth. Good stuff.
Except the lines get blurred as to who are actually the bad guys, and as our gang dare to question things they find themselves hunted by both their colleagues and those they once hunted.
Some good characterisations, liked the strong female commander who has to hand command over to someone else who doesn’t want it. As we progress through the story there are revelations from their colleagues and suspicions that not much of what they know is true.
Solid fantasy here with an interesting plot and characters with depth. Good stuff.
July 10, 2024
This book was epic both in scale and scope which is nothing less than I would expect from this author
Huge sweeping story, multiple POVs some good and some rather not, a fascinating magic system and a really cool world all combined to make this a really engaging read that kept me interested right until the end. It also featured a quest which is something I love and I totally fell in love with Aura and Elindhu albeit for different reasons. Elindhu because she is a scholar and loves knowledge which I can relate to and Aura because she was simply hilarious. I am excited to see where this story goes next and I think next time I am at the library I will be grabbing a few more by this author and finishing some of his previous series as this has got me reinvested
Huge sweeping story, multiple POVs some good and some rather not, a fascinating magic system and a really cool world all combined to make this a really engaging read that kept me interested right until the end. It also featured a quest which is something I love and I totally fell in love with Aura and Elindhu albeit for different reasons. Elindhu because she is a scholar and loves knowledge which I can relate to and Aura because she was simply hilarious. I am excited to see where this story goes next and I think next time I am at the library I will be grabbing a few more by this author and finishing some of his previous series as this has got me reinvested
December 12, 2023
I finished this book and literally said wow out loud. And I'll say it again. Wow. What an amazing book and start to a series.
Everything about this is epic: the worldbuilding, the magic system, the characters, the politics, the twists and turns. After the first few pages, which were admittedly a little hard to get into, I couldn't put it down. The pacing just kept me turning the pages.
The only thing that I found slightly annoying was the language Aura spoke was a weird bastardisation of Spanish and Italian. I just found it a little jarring.
I cannot wait for the next book, and I will be looking into further works by this author.
Everything about this is epic: the worldbuilding, the magic system, the characters, the politics, the twists and turns. After the first few pages, which were admittedly a little hard to get into, I couldn't put it down. The pacing just kept me turning the pages.
The only thing that I found slightly annoying was the language Aura spoke was a weird bastardisation of Spanish and Italian. I just found it a little jarring.
I cannot wait for the next book, and I will be looking into further works by this author.
January 31, 2024
"The Burning Land" was an odd one for me! Throughout the book, I had the feeling that I'd read this before (I absolutely haven't, and can't even bring to mind anything similar enough to cause that feeling). Maybe I'm just very, very comfortable with David Hair's writing after reading "The Tethered Citadel" trilogy. Anyway... This is a brilliant book! Great writing, characters, setting, plot. Gather supplies before you start this one because you won't want to move once you start!!
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.
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December 24, 2024I had pretty high expectations for this given how much I loved Hair's Moontide Quartet, so this one, despite still being enjoyable, suffered a little in comparison. The characters were generally likeable, but felt a little flat. (I say "generally" because Romara came across as rather annoying, which might have been intentional given what she was going through.) The book in general felt rather trope-y, and lacked the depth of cultural worldbuilding that the Moontide Quartet had. Nevertheless, this was an enjoyable read - the fight scenes in particular were exceptionally written - and I'm looking forward to the sequel.
October 29, 2023
Thanks, Netgalley and Publisher for the opportunity to read and review! The story is solidly written and I enjoyed it a lot! The character development was handled well and in tune with the story development and enjoyed that ballance. The world-building is also uniquely fleshed out and well crafted by the author! There's action from beginning to end and a lot of key point scenes are happening one after another, so the reader literally can't stop reading. Really intriguing read which doesn't give you a break from start to finish!
January 17, 2024
Fantasy quest. Rules like to rule, and don’t always tell the truth. Romara and her Falcons knights are going to find this out the hard way when friendships mean they disagree and go against the Vestigial Order’s leaders. So they set out to find the truth for themselves. The first book sets the scene and takes time to get going. So three stars for the beginning. 4 stars by the end as the excitement and tension increased, and now I’m ready for book two. Thank you to Quercus Books and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.
January 31, 2024
I thoroughly enjoyed The Tethered Citadel Series, an epic fantasy featuring a fantastic and original world building and a plot that mixes politic, magic and personal stories.
This is one is the start of a new travel into a new place.
This is a fantasy according to my heart: gripping, compelling and entertaining.
I liked the intrigue and the complex world building. There's echo of other series I loved and this makes it more intriguing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Jo Fletcher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
This is one is the start of a new travel into a new place.
This is a fantasy according to my heart: gripping, compelling and entertaining.
I liked the intrigue and the complex world building. There's echo of other series I loved and this makes it more intriguing.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Jo Fletcher for this ARC, all opinions are mine
February 14, 2024
So I just finished this book and I'm really having a hard time rating it because there is so much here to like there's so much story that could be enriched the characters just seem to forget the story itself though and contradict what they did previous chapters it's really odd and weird sometimes wondered if I was reading that tire fantasy I don't know maybe it's just me I don't think I'll be reading book too and it's a shame too cuz I liked the majority of this author's books ,Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC, either way on to the next one
February 2, 2024
It took me some time to get into the book, but whew it hairbrush I wasn't and to put it down.
It was slow in some scenes, but picks back up again and doesn't disturb the reading experience.
The battles and the characters are well written, the magic system interesting.
I enjoyed this book a lot and will definitely read the next installment.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. My thoughts and opinions on this book are my own and given voluntarily.
It was slow in some scenes, but picks back up again and doesn't disturb the reading experience.
The battles and the characters are well written, the magic system interesting.
I enjoyed this book a lot and will definitely read the next installment.
Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC. My thoughts and opinions on this book are my own and given voluntarily.
March 27, 2024
Received arc from Quercus Books and Netgalley for honest read and review,this review is my own.
I enjoyed this one, even if at times it was a bit slow.But with the first in a series you are always going to get a little bogged down with all the characters etc.
This was a good story and it flowed really well, and I kept going.
It is quite good to find a story that starts off on one path but then changes as the story goes on.
Really enjoyed.
I enjoyed this one, even if at times it was a bit slow.But with the first in a series you are always going to get a little bogged down with all the characters etc.
This was a good story and it flowed really well, and I kept going.
It is quite good to find a story that starts off on one path but then changes as the story goes on.
Really enjoyed.
January 12, 2025
I could not put this book down.
David Hair has done an exquisite job of world building and taken a classic quest of heroes and turned their world view upside down. While still being true to their values while wrestling with the order of what they've known, they choose to follow the path to truth. I also really liked the characters and was shipping the budding romance that wasn't the main characters.
Great book - can't wait to read the next in this series.
David Hair has done an exquisite job of world building and taken a classic quest of heroes and turned their world view upside down. While still being true to their values while wrestling with the order of what they've known, they choose to follow the path to truth. I also really liked the characters and was shipping the budding romance that wasn't the main characters.
Great book - can't wait to read the next in this series.
March 26, 2025
Honestly I love David Hair and his style of writing seemingly blending real world cultures with fantasy novels and this does not disappoint.
The knights all draw power from certain nodes and use this against deformed citizens who have their own type of power.
This is classic good v evil fantasy but sometimes the lines get blurred and questions and suspicions arise. Excellent edge of the seat stuff.
Highly recommend
The knights all draw power from certain nodes and use this against deformed citizens who have their own type of power.
This is classic good v evil fantasy but sometimes the lines get blurred and questions and suspicions arise. Excellent edge of the seat stuff.
Highly recommend
October 5, 2024
This book was good. But it had parts that felt a bit too stretched out. I did enjoy it, but I feel as though it could be maybe 20-30 pages shorter.
I'm interested in seeing what comes next and maybe bits and pieces will line up then.
I'm interested in seeing what comes next and maybe bits and pieces will line up then.
September 5, 2024
He must be revenged!
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