The White Towers

The Rage of Kings #2

by Andy Remic, Lee Gibbons (Illustrator)

Vagandrak is broken, and a new threat has arisen that threatens to defeat even the mighty Iron Wolves.

The twisted, deviant Elf Rats have gathered in the toxic realm beyond the White Lion Mountains… swiftly they invade the troubled land of Vagandrak, killing for profit and pleasure.

The now-disgraced Iron Wolves are the realm’s only hope, but there’s a problem: they’ve been sentenced to death by the insane King Yoon for the dark sorcery in their blood.

In the mountains of Zalazar lie the White Towers, pillars of legend said to contain the Heart of the Elves. The Iron Wolves must journey north to steal the Heart, and purify the evil in the land, but the land belongs to the Elves – and they won’t give it up without a fight!

File Under: Fantasy

Genres: Fantasy, High Fantasy

460 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Andy Remic lives in Lincoln, UK, although his heart and viking soul belong to the Scottish mountains. Married with two children, Andy has a variety of esoteric and sometimes contrasting loves, including sword fighting, climbing, mountain biking, kick-boxing, Ducati motorcycles and retro-gaming. He recently wrote the computer version of his novel Biohell for the 48K Spectrum, in which many people are still stuck. He writes in both SF and fantasy fields, and is sometimes accused of literature. Current novels include: Spiral, Quake, Warhead, War Machine, Biohell, Hardcore and the upcoming Cloneworld, Theme Planet and TOX for Solaris Books, and the Kell’s Legend trilogy, Kell’s Legend, Soul Stealers and Vampire Warlords for Angry Robot Books.

Reviews

[Bookwraiths · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths Reviews

With The White Towers (The Rage of Kings Book 2), Andy Remic does something amazing. He takes the members of the Iron Wolves and actually begins to turn them into some semblance of human beings without losing their grimdark appeal. For those of you have not read my review of THE IRON WOLVES , I’m sure that seems somewhat nonsensical but just trust me when I say that our heroes are some of the most despicable, vile, and loathsome humans you will ever come across. From pit fighters to drug addicts to kidnapper/serial killers, the Iron Wolves run the gamut of human depravity. Honestly, when reading the first book of the series, I felt dirty for even routing for them to not be hanged for their crimes against humanity. But as I said, in book two, Andy Remic begins their slow transformation into something more than classic grimdark caricatures.

The story picks up right where book one ended: the remaining Iron Wolves have saved the Kingdom of Vagandrak from Orlana the Changer and her vile mud orcs and inhuman “splice” only to be arrested and sentenced to death by mad King Yoon. Now, they must not only find a way to save their sorry assess from the hangman’s noose but also, somehow, escape the impregnable fortress in the Pass of Splintered Bones. And even if they succeed in doing those things, none of them are prepared for what awaits them back home. For Orlana’s coming has awoken another enemy: the Elf Rats. These twisted denizens of the toxic land far to the north have returned to their ancient homeland, determined to avenge themselves on their ancient tormenters and wipe the scourge of mankind from Vagandrak!

From this great beginning, Mr. Remic weaves a grimdark story that actually spends a great deal of time on the characterization of the individual members of the Iron Wolves. The Captain of the Wolves, KiKi, has her early years and unusual childhood explored. Dek the Pit Fighter opens up about his family. Narnok of the Axe begins dealing with his wife’s betrayal and his vile torture. Trista the Serial Killer turns into more than a murdering ice princess. Even Prince Zastarte exorcizes his demons to an extent and explains how he had been lead down the path to serial killing. Not that any of these epiphanies by the Wolves washes them white as snow or changes their inherent evilness, but at least, Mr. Remic begins to explore the why of their insanity. That, in and of itself, made the characters more real and compelling to me.

Another thing that Mr. Remic does a good job of doing is actually giving readers a less over-the-top villain. The Iron Wolves really suffered, in my opinion, from the fact that Orlana the Changer was so evil, so ridiculously inhuman that all her actions seemed surreal. Here, though, the author finds the right balance between vile and fantastical with the Elf Rats. Sure, they are genocidal monsters, but their reasons for being such are clearly articulated, allowing a reader to understand why they hate the humans of Vagandrak so much and what they hope to gain from their behavior. Perhaps that doesn’t seem very praise worthy, but after book one, I thoroughly enjoyed knowing exactly why the bad guys were killing everyone.

With all that being said, I want to assure grimdark lovers that even with Mr. Remic spending more time of characterization and explanation The White Towers is still a blood spattering grimdark fantasy. There are pages and pages of gory atrocities, fierce battles, and monstrous genocide. Sex also plays a major role here, and more than a few of our heroes are bi-sexual, which leads to several uncomfortable moments when the less open-minded members of the group discover this. So if you loved book one or are overdue for a hit of grimdark, pick this one up, but just make sure you have a clean rag to wipe all the blood off your face as you read it.

I received this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank Netgalley and Angry Robot Books for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just as violent and brutal as The Iron Wolves, The White Towers once again follows a band of heroes with magic-induced battle skills as they fight to save their land from an incomprehensible evil – the once fabled and still feared, elf rats.

Do not read this book until you’ve read The Iron Wolves as this story directly follows the events of the preceding book in the duology.

Whereas The Iron Wolves introduced an array of heroes, The White Towers takes the time to further develop them. Following a tried and true fantasy troupe, the Iron Wolves embark on a quest to destroy the heart that pumps life into the menacing and truly terrifying elf rats, journeying through all manner of hell along the way. With each battle, the characters grow stronger, their bonds deeper, their heroism personified.

This book is not for the squeamish as the fight scenes are justifiably gory – this is a dark fantasy story set in a dangerous land and the gruesome depictions of these battles enhance the atmospheric nature of this dangerous place.

My rating: 5/5, just like The Iron Wolves, The White Towers is a great, dark, and engrossing fantasy read.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s a universal truth that when one evil falls, another will rise to take its place. Orlana the Changer is gone. The Iron Wolves have dealt with her and her army of mud orcs in their own inimitable style. However, no sooner has Orlana been dispatched than the Elf Rats are on the rise.

The Wolves continue to be a thoroughly disreputable, sometimes almost contemptible, bunch and you can’t help but love them for it. There is nothing better than an anti-hero, a character you know you should probably hate but can’t help but enjoy. The great thing is that every single one of the Wolves falls squarely into this category. In all honesty, I’d be hard pressed to tell you which of them is my favourite. If you put a gun (or should that be axe?) to my head, I’ll admit a soft spot for Narnok. You just can’t beat a gruff warrior with an introspective streak who still manages to get carried away like a maniac in the heat of battle.

Each member of this most dysfunctional of families is flawed, in some cases almost beyond repair. Addiction, violence, jealousy and yet more violence, all help to contribute to the group dynamic. Remic’s writing makes it all but impossible not to get drawn into the group’s adventures. As an extra bonus, on top of all the usual Iron Wolf related mayhem, there is a new character called Mola of the Dogs. Turns out, like the other members of his old platoon, he’s a complete maniac (and damned awesome to boot).

Now I’d imagine some of you will be asking the questions “How do I know if Mr Remic is the right author for me? Should I be reading The White Towers?” Fear not, here are a few key points that you may wish to consider that will allow you to make an informed decision. (1) Things regularly get extremely violent – blood, guts, and gore abound. Seriously, try and imagine the most graphic scene you have ever read. Got it? Good. Multiply that by about a factor of 100 and then add more axes. (2) The adult language used is fruity enough to make the most hardened longshoreman blush. Put it this way, there is a character whose name I can’t even mention in this review because it would probably upset more than a few people. If the swearing in this book had a cinematic rating it would best be described as 18 (hard R) rather than PG 13 (3) There is some nudey mixed-gender wrestling that was explicit enough to make my face go beetroot red. (4) Read The Iron Wolves first. You’ll be missing out on a real treat if you haven’t read the first part of this series. You need to know why this group are the way they, and the first novel offers invaluable insight.

When it comes to all this adult content I count myself a fan of Remic’s raw, often visceral, style. I think it takes genuine skill to know when to go all out and when a moment is best left to a reader’s own imagination. I’ve read more than a few examples from other authors attempting to deliver fictional shocks. More often than not they tend to get this delicate balance wrong. Andy Remic however always manages to tread this fine line with the masterful skill I’ve come to expect.

There is always a concern that the second book in a series will underwhelm. Is it possible to achieve the same lofty heights as book one? I’m pleased to report, that in this case at least, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. There is some great character development and many of the deliberate gaps that existed in various backstories are being filled in. The more I learn about the Wolves history the more it surprises me that the members of this group haven’t ended up hacking one another to bits. Various secrets and grudges keep things bubbling along nicely. As I said before, they are a flawed bunch, but from a reader’s standpoint perfectly so.

Book two of The Rage of Kings series ends on a suitably shocking note, an impressive feat in itself considering there have been pages and pages of chaos and bloodshed already. I now find myself in the midst of a quandary. I need to know what happens next, immediately if not sooner. Like a warrior addicted to the honey leaf, I’m already craving my next Iron Wolves fix. Damn you Remic! Damn you and your sneakily evil, blackest of black hearts, with all your insanely readable stories and your utterly nutty characters. There had better be more and it had better arrive bloody soon or I will be forced to take drastic action*


* That’s right I’ll be forced to unleash a sternly worded e-mail. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

[Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ugh. I really wanted to like this. I swear I did.

But what the actual hell.

Some of the writing in this book was so terrible that it hurt my brain trying to comprehend what the author was trying to say, why he would try to say it that way, and why an editor would allow it to stay in a final draft. Technically speaking, the writing was poor.

It was poor structurally, too. At least once a chapter, the author would attempt, unsuccessfully, to flesh out some sort of personality and history for these characters by spending multiple pages talking about their past. I could forgive that, but adding another page of dialogue where character number two asks number one if they are okay and number one decides to summarize everything the author just said is something I cannot forgive. You could literally pull 5-10 pages from each chapter and have a much shorter and equally effective book. I could probably look past the other problems it has if it was only 200 pages of below average literature rather than 450.

I get that these characters are supposed to be ex-hero, assholes that are trying to be heroes again, but I just don't give a crap about any of them. They don't seem like real people or even convincing imaginary people. When one of them got hurt or it appeared they were about to die, I just didn't care. Their constant banter is neither funny nor interesting, just another waste of pages. I get that most of them hate or severely dislike one another, but half of what they say to one another sounds like something you would hear on a school bus by kids just learning how to swear.

On that note, I enjoy bloody, gritty, sexy, mature content as much as the next person, but there are few circumstances where I think it necessary to use the same swear word more than three times in a single sentence and not a single time that that happened in this book is one of those few. It got to the point where it was a juvenile thing and the word lost its meaning.

If it weren't for the interesting premise and the somewhat entertaining action, I would have given this a single star, a very rare thing for me to do. Yet, even as I type this, I feel the urge to knock it down to one as I think about the time wasted reading this and relive the awful parts of it.

I notice this was published in 2014. I also noticed the ending was left open for a third book. It is my sincere hope that the author has not just been lazy for the last four years and that he just doesn't intend to continue this.

[Gillian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let me start by saying I received this book form the Goodreads giveaways, I don't think I would have given it a try otherwise. I haven't read the first book in the series.

Overall I enjoyed the story, it was a dark and interesting world. The characters were gritty, violent and twisted. It was hard to care about many of them they way their pasts were descried, like torturing people for entertainment. I did like Kiki though, and I enjoyed getting a glimpse into her very unique history.

I felt like I was missing part of the story since I haven't read the first book, I had no idea what the curse of the Iron Wolves was. There were also parts of the story that seemed not to have any real purpose or conclusion and I was left hanging about what had just happened like the burned man Crowe.

The very graphic descriptions and language were too much for me, and I'm not one to shy away from violence.

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 4 out of 5]

With The Iron Wolves, Book 1 of The Rage of Kings, being one of my favorite reads of last year, I was definitely anxious to check out the sequel. Although it does suffer somewhat from the dreaded second-book syndrome, coming across as more of a bridge between books than a standalone novel, that's not altogether a bad thing (more on that in a moment). Overall, The White Towers was still a great read.

On the strongest side of the middle book 'bridge' syndrome, Andy Remic really opens up the lives and histories of the Iron Wolves here, providing us with glimpses into who they really are, where they've come from, and what makes them tick. It's an approach that strips away some of the madcap cruelty of the first volume, humanizing the Wolves in such a manner that you can't help but sympathize with even the darkest of the lot. We heard a lot about their curse in the first book, but the story careened along at such a frantic pace, we didn't really have time to get to know them. It's only here that we begin to appreciate just how much they've suffered, and just how damaged they really are.

If the first book was General Dalgoran's tale, then this one is altogether Kiki's. It is she who now leads the Wolves, and she who provides the primary focal point for the narrative. As we learn here, her story is perhaps the darkest and most tragic of all, with the curse of the Iron Wolves paling in comparison to the curse of her birth. We get a lot more of her relationship with Dek here, but we also discover there are overlapping love/lust triangles within the Wolves, with desires both unexpressed and unrequited. It's odd, it's awkward, and it's a bit messy (especially when Zastarte starts taunting Dek with threats/promises of man-on-man lust), but it all makes a tragic sort of sense. Much to my surprise, it is actually Prince Zastarte who grows and develops the most here, with some rather pithy insights into both the human condition and the reasons behind his own cruelties. He was somebody I loved to hate in the first volume, but hated to love here.

"Ironic, that’s me, a creature of the King’s Court, a creature of lace and perfume and alcohol and oral sex; a beast of the hedonistic virtues of court and parties and afterplay; ironic that such as me would want to return to simple virtues."

As for the weaker side of the middle book syndrome, The White Towers comes across as a bridge between bigger story arcs. It begins with an underground flight from execution, with none other than King Yoon along for the ride as a prisoner/hostage. This is probably the most entertaining part of the story, with some great banter, really inventive threats, and some . . . well, troubling dialogue. As much as we have no reason to trust the madman, Yoon actually makes us question his motives, and wonder if the Wolves have saved the world from Orlana or just doomed it to something worse. I was surprised to see such doubt cast on the story, and to so successfully have such suspicions raised, but it definitely casts a new light on things.

The villains this time out aren't mud orcs but elf rats - twisted, cursed creatures with a dark affinity for the twisted, poisoned woods of their homeland. These guys are really creepy, with the ability to send out roots and tendrils that can either creep inside your head and steal your thoughts, or brutally rape your every orifice and tear you from the inside out. They're a more interesting race than the mud orcs, particularly given their sorrowful history, but it must be said their leaders cannot hold a candle to the over-the-top glory of Orlana the Changer.

"The rumour had gone round faster than a beautiful whore with syphilis. These were elf rats. Fucking elf rats. Returned to claim the land as their own; as had their ancestors; as the Dark Legends foretold, despite the words and pictures being banned from schools and libraries and museums."

It's with the elf rat story arc and the quest of the White Towers themselves that the narrative suffers some in terms of pacing and substance. There's a lot of waiting and traveling here, and despite some epic set pieces along the way (the salt plains were awesome), the climax seems somewhat rushed. In fact, if it weren't for the revelations about Mola (one of the 'lost' Iron Wolves), even the final sacrifices might have fallen a little flat - especially since I wonder how final they really are. Most frustrating of all, however, is the short epilogue in which a year-and-a-half of subsequent events are quickly summarized, with some big happenings just dropped in. I think, if the narrative had stretched to encompass that time period in the body of the novel itself, it might have felt a lot less like a middle book.

My minor quibbles about being a middle book aside, The White Towers was a heck of a lot of fun - and, in the grand scheme of things, it's probably better to come away wanting more, than feeling like the author packed in too much. The Iron Wolves are a fantastic lot, and the book doesn't suffer the slightest from the change in leadership. Once again, Remic mixes ample doses of pulp and profanity into his fantasy, with dark horrors balanced by even darker humor, creating a sequel that builds nicely on the original, and which absolutely demands a third.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

[Andrew Weston · Rating 5 out of 5]

In “The White Towers” – book 2 of The Rage of kings Series – we find the Iron Wolves in desperate need of someone to throw them a bone!
It transpires King Yoon isn’t the drooling lunatic everyone thought he was. Well, he is, BUT, there’s an insidious lucidity to his insanity that borders on delirium. His past actions have all been part of a master plan, one that fell to ruin when the Iron Wolves destroyed Orlana the Changer.
But, there’s no denying the fact that Orlana’s rabid host was on the verge of decimating Vagandrak’s armies. So, who would dare deny the Iron Wolves acted in the nation’s best interests? Well, King Yoon would. And he rewards their valorous acts by sentencing them to death, forcing the gang to go on the run.
Bad timing, really, seeing as how the elf rats – twisted deviants living in the poisoned realm beyond the White Lion mountains – capitalize on Vagandrak’s vulnerability by invading! And the elf rats are out for payback. Their land was cursed by Yoon’s forefathers, thousands of years ago, and they’ve been forced to eke out a living, just this side of extinction, ever since. But they’ve had thousands of years to prepare. And that preparation shows, in a devastating series of strikes that brings Vagandrak to its knees.
They need the Iron Wolves. But will they be enough?
Again, I would invite you to discover the answer for yourselves in a wonderfully crafted tale of violent delights and visceral vengeance that is as unforgiving as it is relentless. The pace is fast, furious, and frantic; the characters as humanly flawed as they are eloquently filthy; the action, as addictive as it is barking, brutally mad; and the land in which it is set, as starkly beautiful as it is savagely toxic. In a nutshell? Heaven!
If you can’t get away on holiday this year for fear of clampdowns, then get yourself a one-way ticket to Vagandrak. You won’t EVER want to come back.

[Mr Chuck · Rating 2 out of 5]

Call it 1 1/2 starts. I really enjoyed the first book. Was exciting, gritty, gory and had characters that made you want to see them take of the world.

This time however by 60% of the book I didn't care. The new enemy came out of no where and are stupidly powerful. There's a new story with the magik they use and it just got so fucking boring.

I hated the ended too. I seemed as if a new writer had come along and just tried to redo the characters back stories and their personalities.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I did not want this story to end. I dragged my reading of this novel for as long as I could. Fantastic characters, superb plot, sex scenes, extreme violence, what more could a girl want? And elf rats? Forget about it! Highly recommended.

[Kevin Neff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Started out good, but I was bogged down by the last half. It lost its momentum and I had a hard time finishing it.

[Dawna Raidmae · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful, bloody, cathartic read.

When life looks cruddy, just read Remic's books. He'll put things in proper perspective. As always, a wild ride to read.

[Adrian CIochina · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant book

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Writing 4/5
Imagination 5/5
Plot 4/5
Setting 4/5
Characters 4/5
My Overall Enjoyment (Not an average) 4/5

Andy Remic wows again with his second book in the Rage of kings series. This story takes place on a different front than the first book so here we see the Iron Wolves fighting the powers and forces of the Elf Rats. Action packed and as always with Remic the same brutal, violent, and dark style remains. Let it be known right away; if you are squeamish, don't like violence, cussing, or sex scenes don't pick this up. It is not for you. You will just write a negative review because you will not be able to see past that and experience what Remic has done with this book. If you can handle those things, and like brutal, dark fantasy, this is really an essential entry in the grimdark catalogue.

It is my estimation Andy Remic is writing some of the most imaginative fantasy today. Every other page I felt shocked, disgusted, or delighted with what he came up with next. I never tired of the story or characters. This was a fun book to read. It's not a huge investment in time or intellectual power either. And that's not to say it's not a well written or clever book. It is also a bit over 450 pages so it's not short by any means. It's to the point, in the style of old pulp fiction like Robert E. Howard's Conan books or Fritz Liebers Farhad and the Grey Mouser. Those authors have legions of fans and Andy Remic is just as good. I have not read a bad book by him. I am an impatient reader. If a book has needless dialogue that doesn't move the story along or cause me to care about a character, I quickly give up. I never experienced that in this book. Everything that happens or is talked about moves the story along or is important to know about the character.

The Iron Wolves are not nice. They typify the anti-hero. They have very troubled pasts. We learn about this little by little and it's really fun for me to see how they have become what they are. They have petty quarrels, jealousy's, and hatreds against each other and the world. They come across as very real. I have met people like each of these men and women who can't get past the events that shaped them. I really believe Andy Remic has an excellent understanding of psychology, and he uses it for character development.

If you enjoyed book 1, The iron Wolves, I think you will love this book. It can also be read as a standalone but since it picks up directly after the events of book 1, I advise you start with book 1. As mentioned, this is dark, brutal, violent fantasy with a pulp fantasy/sword and sorcery feel and it immediately reminded me of those wonderful books mentioned above and also Moorcock's Elric and Wagners's Kane. I highly recommend this book.

[Alex George · Rating 4 out of 5]

Firstly, it’s only fair to say that I received the novel as a giveaway at the Scarborough Fantasycon event 2016. I give this book a 3.6, which is probably unfair to the writer, because Andy is very talented, and this can be seen by his description of his characters that are villainous, gritty, and realistically portrayed—they’re as human as you can get, with weaknesses, a violent past, and multiple cracks in the outer invincible shell they project on their world. Furthermore, Remic’s Elf Rats are truly disgusting and grotesque in a nightmare sense. Remic is obviously trying for a brooding, horror style mood, which he projects successfully with his dark characters and the gruesomeness of his fighting scenes, and his writing style is further enhanced by sexual scenes—we need more of this in fantasy novels, for I don’t see why our protagonists should not be fully developed: surely they have urges and animal instincts like the rest of us?

Remic also makes free use of swearing, again to add realism, though this is not a tool writers should pick, unless it suits their style. I enjoyed the descriptions of Mola and his dogs, among the best in the entire novel. Also, Kiki was well rounded: we got an insight to her past, her present drive, and she continues to grow on the reader as the novel progresses. The other four Iron Wolves in Kiki’s ‘pack’ are also portrayed in omniscient mode so we get a good grasp of what makes them tick, but none of them are as endearing to the reader as Kiki—even Mola. And that is probably what justifies, for me, the rating: I didn’t find myself liking the characters enough. When the novel draws to its close, loose ends are tied up, but in a way that doesn’t leave me wondering what will happen in sequels, and that’s very important for a reader: though left satisfied with what has been offered, the feeling should abound that something is still missing, not all wrongs have been set right, that perhaps something else is waiting to happen in the next novel which must be read in order to satisfy that craving. And I agree with what some readers have said about the closing chapters feeling rushed.

However, despite all this, Remic has received excellent ratings and reviews, and obviously has managed to satisfy a growing need in readers who want more blood, gore, grit, bad characters: anti-heroes…which seems to be the new trend. So, there’s a lesson there for the rest of us. Perhaps Remic is having the last laugh.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC courtesy of NetGalley.

Because Iron Wolves was one of my favorite reads of 2013, I jumped at the opportunity to get my greedy eyes on the next installment in the Rage of Kings series.

True to the cardinal rule of cliffhangers, White Towers picks-up where Iron Wolves left off and doesn’t let-up for 464-pages. Returning for readers’ pleasure are such iron wolves nemesis as the Red Thumb Gang, King Yoon, a stray iron wolf and also the elf rats. While new to readers, the elf rats are the stuff of Vagandrak’s nightmares and they are back with a vengeance.

Similar to the likes of Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence, Andy Remic constructs a gritty and engaging series populated with compelling anti-heroes readers cheer for to win, but whom we do not pity when they lose. Remic is particularly effective in contextualizing our (anti) heroes, through the use of flashbacks and a growing self-awareness of among our morally-challenged champions.

Remic’s ability to spin a yarn sucked me right back into the world of the Iron Wolves and kept me reading much, much too late at night. I neglected my work, my studies, my dog, my children and even my marital duties to get to the next page… and I don’t regret a minute of it.

White Towers is a solid, satisfying read.

[Bobbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this, I really did. I have some quibbling annoyances, but overall, it was a good read. My first annoyance: Don't spend a page describing the life of a character who dies in the next paragraph. It doesn't add to the story. It's not giving you anymore insight into the world at which we're looking.
Annoyance #2 : I get you're trying to give us back story on the characters, but some time it gets to be just a bit much. I don't want a soliloquy every time you switch viewpoints.

Now, on to the good points! Interesting Tale, I've not read the first book, but was able to get up to speed very quickly. Characters are gritty and dark, with sudden blooms of light. I see the word "grimdark" being tossed about, and yes, that fits. Novel protagonists, it's always nice to have something that is not your standard bad guy trope. Definite twists I didn't see coming, although I might have if I had read the first book. All in all, a satisfying read!

[Kdawg91 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Remic has gone and done it, I PUT DOWN what I was reading to read The White Towers. Why would I strap on the meat suit and jump in the dog pit you ask? well...I'll tell you. Because my dear reader The Rage of Kings series is a visceral thrill ride of dark fantasy FOR GROWN FOLK. The wolves aren't nice folks and honestly, being nice is over rated. This time around a bit of heart and soul was introduced to the chaos and I devoured every page.

I am offically adding Andy Remic to my buy on sight list although I am not thrilled bout the ending, (you keep doing that dude)

This is a GREAT series, do you need more motivation? check this out, if you like hard core violent fantasy tales, the wolves are for you.


go read them, I don't lie, I'm a book critic.

[Shane Kiely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like The Iron Wolves it's got problems in terms of pacing (the finale in particular wraps itself up a little too quickly) & the prose is a bit rough. The characters aren't as unlikeable as they were previously, but in the process I feel they've lost a certain charm. The villains this time are underwhelming, they lack the sense of urgency the previous antagonists provided. There's still enough there to hold attention to the end. The action is still very well written & there's a nice callback to Remic's other series. Still an enjoyable read, but doesn't quite transcend book one's flaws & is found wanting slightly when compared to the previous instalment's strengths.

[Arnie Shunneson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Generally liked it. This genre is right in my wheelhouse. Like the previous book though it meandered a bit then felt rushed at the end. There were certainly good parts. Loved the Dogs and the descriptions of the Elf rat battles were top notch. Not sure If I will read the third and final book when it comes out but most likely will to see what happens to these characters.

I received this book from Good Reads for free in exchange for an honest review.

[Todd · Rating 2 out of 5]

Call it 2 and a half stars. It started out quite a bit better than its predecessor, The Iron Wolves. Characterization and the flow of the book were significantly better. It falls apart in the end, though. Deus ex machina shows up left and right and unsatisfactorily concludes the novel. I won't be reading any more of this series.

[Mike · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fun read, but rambled about at times. When serious dangers threatened, some impossible magic always seemed to come through and save the day. In other words, when the times got tough, instead of a good story line, the earth opened, the winds blew or some other unbeknown magic saved the day.

[Lesley Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Even better than the first book in the series. The characters really shine through and you feel joined with them on their quest. Fantastic battle and fight scenes which really capture the imagination. It was a pleasure to read. Thank you.

[Kirk Levesque · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this one better than the first book. I did not feel it had a "second book syndrome" as others have stated. It was great to get more history on each of the iron wolves and it added more depth to each of the charachters.

[Felix · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Howard & Gemmell give Remic a try. Gritty and fantastic!

[Gerald Black · Rating 4 out of 5]

dark, violent, and brutal. Not for everyone. Similar to Abercrombie and Gemmel

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The main reason I could not give this book 5 stars like The Iron Wolves is that I don't believe that Dek and Trista should have survived, but that's how I wanted it to end.