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Kallattian Saga #3
Gloves of Eons
Factions rise — Zeal ignites — Bells toll
Hanen and Rallia Clouw find themselves between power hungry factions and must choose which tools to take up to reach their goals.
With the Rotha revealed to be a thinking, breathing being, Katiam Borreau must tread carefully and choose her allies wisely.
Ousted from their western holdings, the Paladins of the Hammer retreat to the west to face new and old intrigue set against them.
Made the unwitting messenger of dark gods, Seriah Yaledít seeks solace in the road, fleeing from blind panic gnawing at her mind.
Dark tools forged, scale weights measured, cities made pawns of those in power, and the secrets of heresies long past come fully into the light to cast their dark shadows on everything.
All would be heroes must give their lives,
Or be made illustration—
For those who've still to come and try,
To fall or rise,
Above their station.
Gloves of Eons is Volume Three of the Kallattian Saga, the Epic Fantasy series from Andrew D Meredith.
Hanen and Rallia Clouw find themselves between power hungry factions and must choose which tools to take up to reach their goals.
With the Rotha revealed to be a thinking, breathing being, Katiam Borreau must tread carefully and choose her allies wisely.
Ousted from their western holdings, the Paladins of the Hammer retreat to the west to face new and old intrigue set against them.
Made the unwitting messenger of dark gods, Seriah Yaledít seeks solace in the road, fleeing from blind panic gnawing at her mind.
Dark tools forged, scale weights measured, cities made pawns of those in power, and the secrets of heresies long past come fully into the light to cast their dark shadows on everything.
All would be heroes must give their lives,
Or be made illustration—
For those who've still to come and try,
To fall or rise,
Above their station.
Gloves of Eons is Volume Three of the Kallattian Saga, the Epic Fantasy series from Andrew D Meredith.
- GenresFantasyEpic Fantasy
611 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2023
About the author
Andrew D. Meredith
20 books173 followersAndrew D Meredith’s journey has taken him to many fantastical places. From selling books in the wilds of western Washington to designing and publishing board games in the great white midwest. He now resides in the Colorado Rockies, and is committed to the quest he was called to so long ago: the telling of fantastical tales, and bringing to life underestimated characters willing to take on the responsibilities no one else will.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 20, 2024
My complete review is published at Before We Go Blog.
“What walks unseen between the worlds? What seeks demise of impossibility?”
Opening the cover of a new Kallattian Saga book from Andrew D. Meredith is like uncorking a bottle of well-aged Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a rare opportunity to savor the work of a master vintner whose art is intertwined with centuries of religious history. As the third volume of the Kallattian Saga, Gloves of Eons is vintage Meredith, with a timeless feel that captures the essence of humanity in a well-realized world far removed from our own.
Many authors strive for an immersive worldbuilding experience, but few achieve it as successfully as Andrew D. Meredith in Gloves of Eons. Every aspect of Meredith’s world is meticulously crafted, giving it a lived-in feel that evokes the depth and nuance of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
Gloves of Eons brings back all our favorite characters from Deathless Beast and Bone Shroud. It feels like catching up with old friends as we spend time with each of Meredith’s main protagonists.
First up are Hanen and Rallia Clouw, the brother-and-sister duo who, after suffering a stinging betrayal, struggle to find their path forward among the Black Sentinels. Meanwhile, Jined Brazstein continues navigating the politics of his religious order while discerning his own personal faith among competing theologies. Among the Paladames, Katiam Borreau and Astrid Glass care for an unexpected companion who brings both promise and uncertainty.
As much as I loved spending time with these well-established characters, the star of Gloves of Eons is Ophedia, a young Black Sentinel with surprising parentage and the most captivating character arc in this third volume of the series:
“Yeah,” Ophedia said. “I’m a responsible adult now, which is why I’m jailbreaking foreign spies and acting as an accomplice to a guy with a cloak made of darkness.”
Gloves of Eons largely focuses on the fallout of events from Deathless Beast and Bone Shroud. Like the first two volumes of the Kallattian Saga, the plot of Gloves of Eons has a hockey stick-shaped buildup, with a slow and methodical start leading to an unexpectedly tense climax that brings a satisfying, albeit too abrupt, conclusion to the novel.
Andrew D. Meredith’s prose is Proustian as ever, timeless in its understated beauty. Like Proust, Meredith brings a charming eloquence to every page, regardless of whether he is describing the astounding or the mundane.
Gloves of Eons is a stunning lamentation: a remembrance of things past with a hopeful eye toward time regained. As his characters discern their legacies, Andrew D. Meredith establishes himself as a master of the literary epic fantasy. The Kallattian Saga will continue with Book Four of the series, Dread Knight.
“What walks unseen between the worlds? What seeks demise of impossibility?”
Opening the cover of a new Kallattian Saga book from Andrew D. Meredith is like uncorking a bottle of well-aged Châteauneuf-du-Pape, a rare opportunity to savor the work of a master vintner whose art is intertwined with centuries of religious history. As the third volume of the Kallattian Saga, Gloves of Eons is vintage Meredith, with a timeless feel that captures the essence of humanity in a well-realized world far removed from our own.
Many authors strive for an immersive worldbuilding experience, but few achieve it as successfully as Andrew D. Meredith in Gloves of Eons. Every aspect of Meredith’s world is meticulously crafted, giving it a lived-in feel that evokes the depth and nuance of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Middle-earth.
Gloves of Eons brings back all our favorite characters from Deathless Beast and Bone Shroud. It feels like catching up with old friends as we spend time with each of Meredith’s main protagonists.
First up are Hanen and Rallia Clouw, the brother-and-sister duo who, after suffering a stinging betrayal, struggle to find their path forward among the Black Sentinels. Meanwhile, Jined Brazstein continues navigating the politics of his religious order while discerning his own personal faith among competing theologies. Among the Paladames, Katiam Borreau and Astrid Glass care for an unexpected companion who brings both promise and uncertainty.
As much as I loved spending time with these well-established characters, the star of Gloves of Eons is Ophedia, a young Black Sentinel with surprising parentage and the most captivating character arc in this third volume of the series:
“Yeah,” Ophedia said. “I’m a responsible adult now, which is why I’m jailbreaking foreign spies and acting as an accomplice to a guy with a cloak made of darkness.”
Gloves of Eons largely focuses on the fallout of events from Deathless Beast and Bone Shroud. Like the first two volumes of the Kallattian Saga, the plot of Gloves of Eons has a hockey stick-shaped buildup, with a slow and methodical start leading to an unexpectedly tense climax that brings a satisfying, albeit too abrupt, conclusion to the novel.
Andrew D. Meredith’s prose is Proustian as ever, timeless in its understated beauty. Like Proust, Meredith brings a charming eloquence to every page, regardless of whether he is describing the astounding or the mundane.
Gloves of Eons is a stunning lamentation: a remembrance of things past with a hopeful eye toward time regained. As his characters discern their legacies, Andrew D. Meredith establishes himself as a master of the literary epic fantasy. The Kallattian Saga will continue with Book Four of the series, Dread Knight.
December 18, 2023
I don’t want to wait for volume 4 I want to read it now.
May 12, 2025
Imagine what you and I could do, better scholars than he, if we could unlock and wear the Dread Plate.
Opening the first page of Gloves of Eons, I was immediately pulled back into the undertone of dark intrigue that Meredith threads beneath the interwoven layers of the Kallattian story. The atmosphere seeps off the page immediately, making a sinister promise before we are guided back into the stories of Katiam, Jined, Hanen and Rallia, Ophedia, and the rest of our main cast.
One of the things I've loved about this series is that Meredith leans heavily into the wars that happen in the shadows, the political and social webs woven between factions and nations that can topple kingdoms with the pull of a single thread. And in Gloves of Eons, I reached a point in the series that always reminds me why I love reading long fantasy stories: it felt like walking into a warm room with old friends. I've spent time with these characters through the two previous books, and the pay off felt so satisfying in this installment.
But I suppose that is the point of faith. To feel your way slowly in the dark, with only the lantern of your hope held out.
Katiam and Astrid take a larger part of the stage, and we get to see more of the Crysalas vaults and Paladames. The Paladins of the Hammer find themselves on a dangerous mission to slip through the noose of opposing faith factions, and the Black Sentinels are in disarray. Hanen strays toward a darker path.
My personal enjoyment of this third book was at its highest because of the time spent with the characters and settling in to the comfortable familiarity that is always so rewarding when reading series. There were some character motives that I struggled to follow, especially in the second half of the book, but I actually enjoyed the less frantic pace compared to books one and two. Meredith expands the world even further while still sticking to his enviable way of working in lore and exposition without info-dumping.
Heroes of all the old stories fall because they seek to be heroes. Their desire for glory is what brings them low, and they become lessons in futility.
I say it with every book I read in this series, but if you are a reader looking for modern writing style, classic fantasy undertones, and a deeply nuanced exploration of religious and political themes, the Kallattian Saga should be high on your list.
October 29, 2025
So far it is one of the best fantasy series I've read.
I feel confused, overwhelmed, and longing to know and understand more, just like the first books in the Malazan series, and for me there is no better praise.
The good: there are still 5 books more in this wonderful world.
The bad: they are not yet published.
Please Mr. Meredith, hurry up!
Reread October 2025:
I was thinking of just skipping through pages to refresh my memory before starting Dread Knight.
Actually it was impossible, because with so many characters, so many plots and subplots and the level of details, all adding something to the story, you might miss something important.
In the end I can only confirm how excellent this book is and probably I enjoyed it even more than the first time.
I feel confused, overwhelmed, and longing to know and understand more, just like the first books in the Malazan series, and for me there is no better praise.
The good: there are still 5 books more in this wonderful world.
The bad: they are not yet published.
Please Mr. Meredith, hurry up!
Reread October 2025:
I was thinking of just skipping through pages to refresh my memory before starting Dread Knight.
Actually it was impossible, because with so many characters, so many plots and subplots and the level of details, all adding something to the story, you might miss something important.
In the end I can only confirm how excellent this book is and probably I enjoyed it even more than the first time.
May 31, 2024
Continuing the Meredith tradition of excellent storytelling, Gloves of Eons returns readers to the world of Kallattia and its many mysteries. I’m writing this review having now read the book twice, and much like the previous two entries, I am utterly convinced that this series is telling a story unlike anything else I’ve experienced. While many other epic fantasy series have found success and told compelling stories in their own right, the Kallattian Saga is the only one to offer me such a holistically joyous constellation of bold theatre, labyrinthine intrigue, sincere compassion, genuine wonder and striking wanderlust.
In context, Gloves of Eons felt much quieter than the previous two entries, opting to focus much more on the simmering tensions that are now rising up as a consequence of everything that has come before. Like any series with length to match its ambition, approaching this challenge is an outright necessity to keep the momentum of such an expansive story rolling. Yet even Gloves of Eons stage setting manages to be interesting and digestible, with clear cause and effect rippling through every chapter.
Character progression is slowed down while plot and world-building are dialled up, and if Andrew D. Meredith had chosen any other timing to do this, it might have muddled up the reading experience, but instead it came at just the right time. The world is starting to outwardly become the playground of gods that it always kept close at hand in the background – but while brining it up to the foreground, tactfully keeping the agency of the characters as the focal point, and letting their actions dictate the flow.
I often talk about the big picture when I discuss books in a review format, but Gloves of Eons defies that routine. I can’t talk about how much I love it without mentioning the homely feeling of being a fly on the wall during Hanen & Alodda’s timid courtship, Jined’s journey of faith, or Katiam’s call to purpose. That’s before even mentioning my solitary membership in the ‘Dane Maric redemption arc’ club, which I say jestingly, but genuinely reflects my firm investment in the characters and world being explored here.
If there is a mark against Gloves of Eons, it is probably in the isolated handling of a few key scenes. To skirt around spoilers as much as possible, I will just say that a certain parentage revelation and a certain scene involving fire didn’t have the impact they ought to have had. This is mainly due to how rushed they came across, which in turn resulted from matter-of-fact description that simply needed more emotion and time to linger. This is a rare feeling to get from Andrew Meredith’s writing, and doesn’t worry me at this stage, it only warranted mention for how it stuck out in my mind.
I’ll leave my overall thoughts with this; whenever I walk into my local bookstore and look at the fantasy section, I’m left with an empty feeling of want. It is only when I pick up a book like Gloves of Eons that I understand why. The best releases aren’t coming from the publishers who stack the shelves, though those books are still perfectly readable, it’s coming from talented writers in the quiet corners of the publishing world, churning out passion-driven masterpieces like the Kallattian Saga. Gloves of Eons does not slow down the series in the slightest and will continue to appeal to fans of the first two books. With the fourth book on the way already, I feel truly spoiled for phenomenal epic fantasy.
In context, Gloves of Eons felt much quieter than the previous two entries, opting to focus much more on the simmering tensions that are now rising up as a consequence of everything that has come before. Like any series with length to match its ambition, approaching this challenge is an outright necessity to keep the momentum of such an expansive story rolling. Yet even Gloves of Eons stage setting manages to be interesting and digestible, with clear cause and effect rippling through every chapter.
Character progression is slowed down while plot and world-building are dialled up, and if Andrew D. Meredith had chosen any other timing to do this, it might have muddled up the reading experience, but instead it came at just the right time. The world is starting to outwardly become the playground of gods that it always kept close at hand in the background – but while brining it up to the foreground, tactfully keeping the agency of the characters as the focal point, and letting their actions dictate the flow.
I often talk about the big picture when I discuss books in a review format, but Gloves of Eons defies that routine. I can’t talk about how much I love it without mentioning the homely feeling of being a fly on the wall during Hanen & Alodda’s timid courtship, Jined’s journey of faith, or Katiam’s call to purpose. That’s before even mentioning my solitary membership in the ‘Dane Maric redemption arc’ club, which I say jestingly, but genuinely reflects my firm investment in the characters and world being explored here.
If there is a mark against Gloves of Eons, it is probably in the isolated handling of a few key scenes. To skirt around spoilers as much as possible, I will just say that a certain parentage revelation and a certain scene involving fire didn’t have the impact they ought to have had. This is mainly due to how rushed they came across, which in turn resulted from matter-of-fact description that simply needed more emotion and time to linger. This is a rare feeling to get from Andrew Meredith’s writing, and doesn’t worry me at this stage, it only warranted mention for how it stuck out in my mind.
I’ll leave my overall thoughts with this; whenever I walk into my local bookstore and look at the fantasy section, I’m left with an empty feeling of want. It is only when I pick up a book like Gloves of Eons that I understand why. The best releases aren’t coming from the publishers who stack the shelves, though those books are still perfectly readable, it’s coming from talented writers in the quiet corners of the publishing world, churning out passion-driven masterpieces like the Kallattian Saga. Gloves of Eons does not slow down the series in the slightest and will continue to appeal to fans of the first two books. With the fourth book on the way already, I feel truly spoiled for phenomenal epic fantasy.
December 5, 2024
I received an audiobook from the author because I’m awesome and he likes me. 😎😜
No, in reality, I received one in exchange for an honest review. So here we go:
Gloves of Eons doesn’t really pick up where I expected it to (which is to say, not exactly where book 2 left off), but as I started into the book, I quickly realized that not only was it the right place to pick back up, but also where I wanted it to. Most our characters have gone their separate ways after the events at the end of Bone Shroud, but not so far that we feel as if we’ve missed their stories.
Unexpectedly, I was far more invested in characters in this book that I had been in the previous books. Meaning characters I hadn’t previously been invested in. I still love Jined’s story, and the way it develops in this book, but honestly, I found myself wanting to follow Dane more than we did. I also am loving Kattiam’s storyline here.
This book, though still having a fair amount, didn’t really seem as action heavy as the first 2. It was more political. The various religions and sects vying for power, and the continued fallout with the Paladins is at the forefront of this novel. And Meredith does it really well.
I’m still excited and looking forward to book 4, but now I’m sad, because we have to wait so long for it. 🤣 That’s really not an issue though because I have other books (By Meredith as well as others) that need to be read still. It’ll be here before I know it.
No, in reality, I received one in exchange for an honest review. So here we go:
Gloves of Eons doesn’t really pick up where I expected it to (which is to say, not exactly where book 2 left off), but as I started into the book, I quickly realized that not only was it the right place to pick back up, but also where I wanted it to. Most our characters have gone their separate ways after the events at the end of Bone Shroud, but not so far that we feel as if we’ve missed their stories.
Unexpectedly, I was far more invested in characters in this book that I had been in the previous books. Meaning characters I hadn’t previously been invested in. I still love Jined’s story, and the way it develops in this book, but honestly, I found myself wanting to follow Dane more than we did. I also am loving Kattiam’s storyline here.
This book, though still having a fair amount, didn’t really seem as action heavy as the first 2. It was more political. The various religions and sects vying for power, and the continued fallout with the Paladins is at the forefront of this novel. And Meredith does it really well.
I’m still excited and looking forward to book 4, but now I’m sad, because we have to wait so long for it. 🤣 That’s really not an issue though because I have other books (By Meredith as well as others) that need to be read still. It’ll be here before I know it.
December 3, 2023
The Kallattian Saga has become one of my favorite series, right along LOTR and Chronicles of Narnia, and Gloves of Eons solidly cements the saga in such lofty company. This book was a wild ride! Andrew is very good a dolling out information bit by bit, but I finally felt like I got to know Kallatia and it's history much better in this book. However, the more I learned of Kallatia the more I came to realize how much more he has yet to reveal and expand on. It is like summitting a peak that you saw from the valley, only to realize that it is the first foothill and the real mountain ranges are only now in view. His character development and interaction continues to be the best I have ever read. The book ends on a brutal cliff hanger which will be great ... once the next book is out; for now it feels like someone hit pause right as the Battle of Helms Deep is about kick off and said "come back next year" to see the rest. I am hooked on this saga and it is a good thing that Andrew is a fairly quick writer, haha.
November 22, 2023
Immensely Satisfying
Andrew D Meredith continues to wow me with the intricate weaving of multiple storylines and POVs. Not a single character in the world feels wasted with more than a handful of "Ah ha!" moments.
And somehow, someway... I began to feel some positive emotion towards one of the most unlikable characters... those who have read the series can probably surmise who.
The Kallattian Saga has shot to the top of my favorite series list which has long been held by Glen Cook's The Black Company.
Extremely excited for the next book, Dread Knight!
Andrew D Meredith continues to wow me with the intricate weaving of multiple storylines and POVs. Not a single character in the world feels wasted with more than a handful of "Ah ha!" moments.
And somehow, someway... I began to feel some positive emotion towards one of the most unlikable characters... those who have read the series can probably surmise who.
The Kallattian Saga has shot to the top of my favorite series list which has long been held by Glen Cook's The Black Company.
Extremely excited for the next book, Dread Knight!
July 5, 2024
This was another enjoyable chapter in a larger fantasy story revolving around the politics of various religious factions. The author does a great job balancing the larger shifts between churches and sects on one hand and interpersonal conflicts on the other. A novel about competing religious factions could very easily become boring and bogged down in minutiae, but the author avoids this by keeping the story grounded in the lives of the main characters as they navigate the shifting landscape.
October 14, 2023
Review to come on 10/17 at SilverstonesBooks.com
December 3, 2023
mesmerizing!
Schisms within the Order deepen. Secrets & corruption lie hidden within the faith. Calculating politics clouding ominous dark intention.
Mystery & conflict both intrigue & captivate. Strong character & world building continue. Excellent rich 3rd entry!
Schisms within the Order deepen. Secrets & corruption lie hidden within the faith. Calculating politics clouding ominous dark intention.
Mystery & conflict both intrigue & captivate. Strong character & world building continue. Excellent rich 3rd entry!
April 9, 2025
As I suspected in the previous book, Dane Merrick is turning out to be a delightfully complex character.
And Hanan's story arc didn't quite follow what I had expected.
All in all, a good read
And Hanan's story arc didn't quite follow what I had expected.
All in all, a good read
August 26, 2025
4.5 can’t wait to continue this series!
November 20, 2023
I finished this last night and have spent today trying to figure out how to put my experience with this book into words. Not an easy task. There were moments throughout the book where my brain made connections to events from the previous two. Lots of little 'oh dang!' kind of moments.
I eagerly await the next book.
I eagerly await the next book.
September 26, 2023
*video review coming soon!*
I continue to be impressed with what Andrew D. Meredith is doing with the Kallatian saga, and this third entry continues to ramp things up. Bone Shroud had a lot of big changes and a climax that left me eager for more, and Gloves of Eons absolutely delivered. Each of the main plotlines has expanded and grown in this entry and it really feels like the series is ramping up for even bigger things.
A couple of things I want to call out that I especially enjoyed are the unique action sequences and the tie ins to the previous books. Firstly with the action, the way we explore paladinal warfare was just excellent and done in such a unique way. When your Paladins serve a very present deity, seeing miracles and faith in action makes for delightful action sequences. Commenting on the tie ins may also seem a bit obvious, but this book really pulled together the big events of the first two books and showed why they were so important and then continued to build on those events which is something I appreciate.
Kallatian quickly became one of my favorite series, and I absolutely cannot wait for more!
I continue to be impressed with what Andrew D. Meredith is doing with the Kallatian saga, and this third entry continues to ramp things up. Bone Shroud had a lot of big changes and a climax that left me eager for more, and Gloves of Eons absolutely delivered. Each of the main plotlines has expanded and grown in this entry and it really feels like the series is ramping up for even bigger things.
A couple of things I want to call out that I especially enjoyed are the unique action sequences and the tie ins to the previous books. Firstly with the action, the way we explore paladinal warfare was just excellent and done in such a unique way. When your Paladins serve a very present deity, seeing miracles and faith in action makes for delightful action sequences. Commenting on the tie ins may also seem a bit obvious, but this book really pulled together the big events of the first two books and showed why they were so important and then continued to build on those events which is something I appreciate.
Kallatian quickly became one of my favorite series, and I absolutely cannot wait for more!
December 12, 2023
I think that I still strongly prefer more narrative-driven action stories to big epic fantasies, but at this point I may just be too fully invested in this world and it's characters for that to detract from my enjoyment of the most recent installment in this saga.
CHARACTERS
Book two left our characters in some really interesting places. Jined's relationship with Grisone got even deeper, Hanen and Ralia found themselves in charge of the Black Sentinels (or what's left of them), Katiam is now the caretaker for a sentient, magical rose, and Seriah is still reeling from the part she played in unwittingly fulfilling a wicked prophesy. Right from the beginning, I found myself invested in each of these main arcs. I think the parts featuring Hanen and Ralia are still some of my favorite moments the series has to offer. I was a little surprised at how deep into darkness Hanen starts to wander as he comes upon different relics of immense power. He's still the Hanen that we know and it was interesting to see him use these twisted tools for good, but I do worry about what will become of him in the next book. I am also still enamored with the adorable, but brave, Whisper. I really enjoyed Jined's arch as well and was a little surprised that he had really no direct interactions with his god at all this time around. Given how active Grisone was in the previous book, his absence here definitely elevated the sense of mystery around these deities and left our characters to speculate at what his actions (or lack there of) might mean. Katiam remained somewhat static for much of the book, though the time she spent with her new botanical buddy did allow us to further explore the more magical side of this world a bit more. Her story doesn't get quite as mystical as it did before, but there are some serious implications that her chapters will likely have on the next entry in the series. We also get to see a bit more of characters like Astrid, Ophedia, Loic, and Cavian, providing us with more depth into these characters who have been mostly in the background up until now. We also get some representatives from the non-human qavle and hralgren races which was fun. I do wish that we would get a deeper dive into these more alien peoples and aspects of the world, but there's already so much going on, that I don't know how that would fit in. On that note, I will say that there are a TON of characters running around at this point. The cast is a lot more massive than I can personally keep track of sometimes and I occasionally felt like the appearance of a minor character should have been more impactful to me than it was. I am so invested in the primary and secondary members of the cast, that this didn't really bother me at all. It's also worth noting that there is a very detailed glossary included in the back of the book, so those reading visually may have an easier time than I did since you could easily flip back and forth to remember who certain people are.
PLOT/TONE
With the Moteans only just recently dispatched, a new form of religious fanaticism enters the fray. This militaristic faith reminded me a little of the Red Priests from Brandon Sanderson's ELANTRIS, and it was really interesting to see that kind of thing play out within this setting. Given the importance of Faith to so much of the main plot and some of the main characters, seeing it portrayed in a more negative light felt like it gave some really interesting contrast to how we've seen religious orders handled in the series thus far. One thing that may have helped me enjoy this one more than previous entries is that all of the characters are (sort of) brought together a bit earlier in the story. The conflict is a bit more central as the threat of this tyrannical movement impacts multiple parts of the world at once. That said, there is still this nice balance of giving each of the main character groups their own separate arcs that happen within or around the core narrative. Seeing all of these characters working toward similar ends gave the book a sense of cohesion that I usually don't feel until the end of these books. Even though there isn't necessarily a ton of interaction between the main characters, the way their stories intersected felt quite rewarding. It also seemed as though the stakes have continued to get higher. There appears to be something brewing among the more divine side of things. The full extent of "Little Rose's" powers and abilities remain a mystery. Hanen's collection of powerful items could do him more harm than good and a couple of villains from past books may not be fully dead after all which would certainly complicate things for everyone. Tonally, this book is largely consistent with those that came before, but there is this air of anticipation over what is yet to come. With so much of the main points of conflict left unresolved, it feels as though there might be a bit of a reckoning coming in the next book, so I am very excited to see how that all plays out.
SETTING/WORLD
Given the more centralized nature of the conflict, there isn't quite as much traveling around as there has been in past books. There are a number of different locations visited, but a lot of the action takes place within one main city. I didn't mind this personally, as Meredith has a knack for making somewhat typical fantasy towns/cities/settlements feel rather special in an almost-cozy sort of way that's really hard for me to articulate or put my finger on. I think it was interesting how the events in this place kind of served as a microcosm of the conflict brewing in other parts of the world, including the city that Hanen, Ralia, and company depart from early on. As I mentioned before, there also isn't a whole ton of magical elements outside of the Ratha's magic, but Seriah does have one rather mystical experience near the end of the story that I loved. Hanen also has an encounter with the darker side of the pantheon earlier in the book which I found to be absolutely fascinating. Where I think a lot of the intrigue comes from this time around is in following up on some concepts that were mentioned, but not explicitly shown in previous books. One example is the Black Sentinel Council whom we get to finally meet. What's even more interesting is that it's not necessarily Hanen nor Ralia that get the most amount of interaction with them. The Protectorate Wars also factor in as more than just historical context. Relics from the war start to turn up in the present day and many of them have rather dark natures. With so many races, factions, objects of power, mystical forces, and mysteries to uncover, I am very excited to see what will happen next in this world.
THE AUDIOBOOK
If you have liked Andrew D. Meredith's performance of his previous books, then you will not be disappointed here. There were a couple of new vocal tricks he used to simulate crowds that I thought were pretty clever, but the narration is otherwise comparable to the audio editions of the previous books. I do continue to be amazed by how well he does with this and it's really cool to hear things like the Forward and Afterward as well as the glossary all read in the author's own voice. There's this sense that the story is being read exactly as the author intended it and I think I'm a little addicted to the idea of authors narrating their own work now. I think Meredith also either is recording or already has done recordings for other indie authors' books, so I will have to check out his other work on Audible at some point as well.
CONCLUSION
If you've been a fan of THE KALLATIAN SAGA so far, then I think you will love this even more than the first two books. If you've been a little more middling on them, then I would say this one might just make you more excited since it does a nice job of pulling a lot of different things early on while still allowing space for the individual stories to be told. If you haven't been enjoying it, then you probably aren't reading this review anyway :-).
(+) Characters are all back and better than they ever have been before
(+) Minor characters got some amazing development in this installment
(+) The way faith is represented felt even more interesting as we see examples of religious orders that either want to do good or to dominate in the world
(+) Exciting action sequences help break up the quieter moments
(+) The magic and mythology of this world is expanded upon slightly, with some interesting hints being dropped for what the future may bring
(+) The story leaves off in a rather fascinating place that's not quite a cliffhanger, but definitely doesn't wrap things up in a neat bow either
(+) I continue to appreciate the uniqueness of this world and enjoy it's more alien elements
( ) The scope of the narrative and the cast is still a bit broader than I typically enjoy, but I found that mattering less this time (perhaps partly because I'm feeling pretty invested at this point)
CHARACTERS
Book two left our characters in some really interesting places. Jined's relationship with Grisone got even deeper, Hanen and Ralia found themselves in charge of the Black Sentinels (or what's left of them), Katiam is now the caretaker for a sentient, magical rose, and Seriah is still reeling from the part she played in unwittingly fulfilling a wicked prophesy. Right from the beginning, I found myself invested in each of these main arcs. I think the parts featuring Hanen and Ralia are still some of my favorite moments the series has to offer. I was a little surprised at how deep into darkness Hanen starts to wander as he comes upon different relics of immense power. He's still the Hanen that we know and it was interesting to see him use these twisted tools for good, but I do worry about what will become of him in the next book. I am also still enamored with the adorable, but brave, Whisper. I really enjoyed Jined's arch as well and was a little surprised that he had really no direct interactions with his god at all this time around. Given how active Grisone was in the previous book, his absence here definitely elevated the sense of mystery around these deities and left our characters to speculate at what his actions (or lack there of) might mean. Katiam remained somewhat static for much of the book, though the time she spent with her new botanical buddy did allow us to further explore the more magical side of this world a bit more. Her story doesn't get quite as mystical as it did before, but there are some serious implications that her chapters will likely have on the next entry in the series. We also get to see a bit more of characters like Astrid, Ophedia, Loic, and Cavian, providing us with more depth into these characters who have been mostly in the background up until now. We also get some representatives from the non-human qavle and hralgren races which was fun. I do wish that we would get a deeper dive into these more alien peoples and aspects of the world, but there's already so much going on, that I don't know how that would fit in. On that note, I will say that there are a TON of characters running around at this point. The cast is a lot more massive than I can personally keep track of sometimes and I occasionally felt like the appearance of a minor character should have been more impactful to me than it was. I am so invested in the primary and secondary members of the cast, that this didn't really bother me at all. It's also worth noting that there is a very detailed glossary included in the back of the book, so those reading visually may have an easier time than I did since you could easily flip back and forth to remember who certain people are.
PLOT/TONE
With the Moteans only just recently dispatched, a new form of religious fanaticism enters the fray. This militaristic faith reminded me a little of the Red Priests from Brandon Sanderson's ELANTRIS, and it was really interesting to see that kind of thing play out within this setting. Given the importance of Faith to so much of the main plot and some of the main characters, seeing it portrayed in a more negative light felt like it gave some really interesting contrast to how we've seen religious orders handled in the series thus far. One thing that may have helped me enjoy this one more than previous entries is that all of the characters are (sort of) brought together a bit earlier in the story. The conflict is a bit more central as the threat of this tyrannical movement impacts multiple parts of the world at once. That said, there is still this nice balance of giving each of the main character groups their own separate arcs that happen within or around the core narrative. Seeing all of these characters working toward similar ends gave the book a sense of cohesion that I usually don't feel until the end of these books. Even though there isn't necessarily a ton of interaction between the main characters, the way their stories intersected felt quite rewarding. It also seemed as though the stakes have continued to get higher. There appears to be something brewing among the more divine side of things. The full extent of "Little Rose's" powers and abilities remain a mystery. Hanen's collection of powerful items could do him more harm than good and a couple of villains from past books may not be fully dead after all which would certainly complicate things for everyone. Tonally, this book is largely consistent with those that came before, but there is this air of anticipation over what is yet to come. With so much of the main points of conflict left unresolved, it feels as though there might be a bit of a reckoning coming in the next book, so I am very excited to see how that all plays out.
SETTING/WORLD
Given the more centralized nature of the conflict, there isn't quite as much traveling around as there has been in past books. There are a number of different locations visited, but a lot of the action takes place within one main city. I didn't mind this personally, as Meredith has a knack for making somewhat typical fantasy towns/cities/settlements feel rather special in an almost-cozy sort of way that's really hard for me to articulate or put my finger on. I think it was interesting how the events in this place kind of served as a microcosm of the conflict brewing in other parts of the world, including the city that Hanen, Ralia, and company depart from early on. As I mentioned before, there also isn't a whole ton of magical elements outside of the Ratha's magic, but Seriah does have one rather mystical experience near the end of the story that I loved. Hanen also has an encounter with the darker side of the pantheon earlier in the book which I found to be absolutely fascinating. Where I think a lot of the intrigue comes from this time around is in following up on some concepts that were mentioned, but not explicitly shown in previous books. One example is the Black Sentinel Council whom we get to finally meet. What's even more interesting is that it's not necessarily Hanen nor Ralia that get the most amount of interaction with them. The Protectorate Wars also factor in as more than just historical context. Relics from the war start to turn up in the present day and many of them have rather dark natures. With so many races, factions, objects of power, mystical forces, and mysteries to uncover, I am very excited to see what will happen next in this world.
THE AUDIOBOOK
If you have liked Andrew D. Meredith's performance of his previous books, then you will not be disappointed here. There were a couple of new vocal tricks he used to simulate crowds that I thought were pretty clever, but the narration is otherwise comparable to the audio editions of the previous books. I do continue to be amazed by how well he does with this and it's really cool to hear things like the Forward and Afterward as well as the glossary all read in the author's own voice. There's this sense that the story is being read exactly as the author intended it and I think I'm a little addicted to the idea of authors narrating their own work now. I think Meredith also either is recording or already has done recordings for other indie authors' books, so I will have to check out his other work on Audible at some point as well.
CONCLUSION
If you've been a fan of THE KALLATIAN SAGA so far, then I think you will love this even more than the first two books. If you've been a little more middling on them, then I would say this one might just make you more excited since it does a nice job of pulling a lot of different things early on while still allowing space for the individual stories to be told. If you haven't been enjoying it, then you probably aren't reading this review anyway :-).
(+) Characters are all back and better than they ever have been before
(+) Minor characters got some amazing development in this installment
(+) The way faith is represented felt even more interesting as we see examples of religious orders that either want to do good or to dominate in the world
(+) Exciting action sequences help break up the quieter moments
(+) The magic and mythology of this world is expanded upon slightly, with some interesting hints being dropped for what the future may bring
(+) The story leaves off in a rather fascinating place that's not quite a cliffhanger, but definitely doesn't wrap things up in a neat bow either
(+) I continue to appreciate the uniqueness of this world and enjoy it's more alien elements
( ) The scope of the narrative and the cast is still a bit broader than I typically enjoy, but I found that mattering less this time (perhaps partly because I'm feeling pretty invested at this point)
Read
August 23, 2025Never started this as it was a mistake that it got listed as reading now. I will read this series but my TBR is a long one so don't know when I will get to it though.
May 10, 2025
The epic adventure continues as conflict encompasses the land. Paladins, Moteans, Paladames, Shieldmaidens, Black Sentinels, Monks of Nifara, Chalicians, gods, goddesses, and monsters all struggle for power and dominion over the hearts and minds of the people of Kallattai. The scope is massive, but the story stays rooted in well developed characters striving to move forward each and every day. Hanen and Ophedia take a front seat in this adventure, the former journeying down a dark path to try and accomplish (hopefully) noble ends, and the latter coming to grips with being the daughter of a fallen Knight. Katiam and Astrid continue their quest with the Rotha, but encounter many challenges along the way. And Seriah struggles to overcome her shame for the perceived betrayal of her goddess. Dorian, Jined, and our other favorites are also on hand, but they take on more of a supporting role in this tale. Yes, I would have loved to read more about Jined, Cavian, and Loic, but Dane Marric's terrific arc overcomes the disappointment of their diminished roles. We'll see if Marric continues on this path or not....
The Gloves of Eons is a grand adventure that challenges the reader to stay sharp and focused or nuances and key events will be missed. I found this tale to be similar to a Malazan novel as just about anything can happen at any time, and strange events that boggle the mind occur more often than not. In fact, I am still trying to piece out exactly what happened in the epilogue!
Another fine read that leaves me anxious for more.
The Gloves of Eons is a grand adventure that challenges the reader to stay sharp and focused or nuances and key events will be missed. I found this tale to be similar to a Malazan novel as just about anything can happen at any time, and strange events that boggle the mind occur more often than not. In fact, I am still trying to piece out exactly what happened in the epilogue!
Another fine read that leaves me anxious for more.
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