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The Triempery Revelations #4
The God Spear
It will take a god to awaken a god.The Heir to Essera’s throne, Handurin Stauberg-Randolph, has escaped from Sordan and sought out the Kheld people of Amallar. He hopes to gain them as allies, particularly against the murderous sorceror Nammuor.
Dorilian Sordaneon has also left the safety of Sordan—and stopped the Rill god-machine. Handurin doesn’t know it yet, but Dorilian is hot on his heels. Which means Dorilian is in Amallar too, living in secret among Khelds who believe he killed, well, just about everyone.
But Amallar isn’t as welcoming as Hans thinks, or as backward as Dorilian believes.
Dorilian Sordaneon has also left the safety of Sordan—and stopped the Rill god-machine. Handurin doesn’t know it yet, but Dorilian is hot on his heels. Which means Dorilian is in Amallar too, living in secret among Khelds who believe he killed, well, just about everyone.
But Amallar isn’t as welcoming as Hans thinks, or as backward as Dorilian believes.
- GenresFantasyEpic Fantasy
529 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 16, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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September 18, 2025The God Spear resumes the story of the Triempery, throwing two main characters and a handful of side players square into the stew of political intrigue and deadly machinations against contending powers, all bent on seizing their own ends and triumphs.
Here, Dorilian's youthful, impetuous mistakes will catch up with his mature aspirations. He is faced with the ruin of a grand plan left to an inept son by his brilliant, statesman grandfather, and deep seated hatreds inflicted by the Kheld King when the younger brother falls out of his orbit and returns to the land and the people his dead brother tried to elevate to equal status in a divided society
Hans, brought up outside of the world's woes, and able enough to think critically, must stand in the shadow of his sibling's mistakes, where the people he must rule are convinced that the ally he needs to win over is their inveterate enemy. The going belief that the dead king was their hero, stands hard set against the question Hans must answer himself: is Dorilian friend, or enemy, and could be become the trustworthy ally needed to bring about a return of the hope of a unified society. And will the ingrained impression of hatred held by the people he must lead throw its long shadow into the future. Can he make his young voice heard in time to make a difference, before disaster overtakes aspiration?
Told with heart and passion in a world setting that is both original and strange, with godlike magic and deadly intrigues played from behind the scenes by a notable and terrifying enemy, the mix of human characters and lofty aristocrats and the god like Highborn - this story continues to develop all of what came before, in ways that both thrilled and satisfied.
Too few fantasy series explore characters who have the ability and the scope to grow and change from the impacts of their deeds, nor do most tales carry the vision to depict prejudice and opinions that are not easily uprooted. I found the human complexity of the characters captivating and the story exceptionally well executed. Recommended.
Here, Dorilian's youthful, impetuous mistakes will catch up with his mature aspirations. He is faced with the ruin of a grand plan left to an inept son by his brilliant, statesman grandfather, and deep seated hatreds inflicted by the Kheld King when the younger brother falls out of his orbit and returns to the land and the people his dead brother tried to elevate to equal status in a divided society
Hans, brought up outside of the world's woes, and able enough to think critically, must stand in the shadow of his sibling's mistakes, where the people he must rule are convinced that the ally he needs to win over is their inveterate enemy. The going belief that the dead king was their hero, stands hard set against the question Hans must answer himself: is Dorilian friend, or enemy, and could be become the trustworthy ally needed to bring about a return of the hope of a unified society. And will the ingrained impression of hatred held by the people he must lead throw its long shadow into the future. Can he make his young voice heard in time to make a difference, before disaster overtakes aspiration?
Told with heart and passion in a world setting that is both original and strange, with godlike magic and deadly intrigues played from behind the scenes by a notable and terrifying enemy, the mix of human characters and lofty aristocrats and the god like Highborn - this story continues to develop all of what came before, in ways that both thrilled and satisfied.
Too few fantasy series explore characters who have the ability and the scope to grow and change from the impacts of their deeds, nor do most tales carry the vision to depict prejudice and opinions that are not easily uprooted. I found the human complexity of the characters captivating and the story exceptionally well executed. Recommended.
May 18, 2025
Wow this is the best one since Sordaneon which is still for me the best book in the series so far, tho they all are very good. This one felt like the second half of what the the second stone was the first half to, and as such has a much bigger pathos. A 4.5 ⭐ for me overall.
September 23, 2025
I inhaled this book it was so good.
July 25, 2025
A better installment to The Second Stone. Dorilian secretly follows Hans and arrives at Amallar with a hidden identity — a move no one in the Triempery could have predicted.
I love how this book delves into the culture of the Khelds and the nuances of perspectives it brings considering the highly patriarchal state of the Staubaun society. Here amongst the Kheld, women possess a lot of agency, not just individually but systematically. And this is something rarely pulled off in most stories I've read
It also introduces a new character that has become one of my favorites in the series in the person of Aubrey Amundda.
This entry is pretty much a Hans book, and it focuses on the weight of responsibility he bears in trying to simultaneously appease Stefan's horde loyalists with his own vision for the Kheld people
It's such a beautiful book especially the ending sequence. Such a scene would be an all timer if it's captured on television
I love how this book delves into the culture of the Khelds and the nuances of perspectives it brings considering the highly patriarchal state of the Staubaun society. Here amongst the Kheld, women possess a lot of agency, not just individually but systematically. And this is something rarely pulled off in most stories I've read
It also introduces a new character that has become one of my favorites in the series in the person of Aubrey Amundda.
This entry is pretty much a Hans book, and it focuses on the weight of responsibility he bears in trying to simultaneously appease Stefan's horde loyalists with his own vision for the Kheld people
It's such a beautiful book especially the ending sequence. Such a scene would be an all timer if it's captured on television
March 1, 2026
Book four of Triempery is another 5 star entry for the series.
Within this book the pay-off from books 1-3 really starts to come to the fore, alongside the trust that LL Stephens places on the reader begins to realise.
The characterisation of the two main characters (Dorillian & Handurin) is excellent in this book and I really enjoyed the exploration of their relationship. Seeing how Dorillians worldview and interactions has been shaped by his male role models and the huge impact that a good man (Marc F) has on his perspective in a relatively short period.
Seeing Hans have his childhood trauma removed and have the space to grow from a more neutral position further highlights the rabbit holes that Stefans insecurity sent him down.
Within this book the pay-off from books 1-3 really starts to come to the fore, alongside the trust that LL Stephens places on the reader begins to realise.
The characterisation of the two main characters (Dorillian & Handurin) is excellent in this book and I really enjoyed the exploration of their relationship. Seeing how Dorillians worldview and interactions has been shaped by his male role models and the huge impact that a good man (Marc F) has on his perspective in a relatively short period.
Seeing Hans have his childhood trauma removed and have the space to grow from a more neutral position further highlights the rabbit holes that Stefans insecurity sent him down.
March 27, 2026
[There are no explicit plot spoilers in this review.]
The God Spear is Book IV in the Triempery Revelations series by L.L. Stephens. It's easily the most satisfying book since the first, tying together multi-book threads into a conclusion full of long-promised change.
Handurin "Hans" Stauberg-Randolph has arrived in the land of his people, the Khelds, and must navigate the politics of needing their backing while constantly being typecast into the mold of his brother's actions and mistakes. Meanwhile, Dorilian Sordaneon has pursued Hans in disguise away from safe haven in Sordan, hoping to resurrect his plots within plots while avoiding recognition by the Khelds who unanimously want to kill him.
This book has a narrow focus on a small time window and a limited set of characters, but brings back the best of the political intrigue from previous books. While we don't get to see much of what's going on in the rest of the world, reading about Hans's attempt to win over the Khelds is captivating. The author does a fine job of capturing the tension between Hans as one who truly wants to lead for the betterment of his people, and the existing factions that desire a compliant figurehead for their own machinations.
A common refrain from Hans is, "I'm not Stefan." Stefan's character in Book II was a weak spot for me, but his extreme unworthiness is finally vindicated here -- the interplay between Hans and the Khelds would not have been nearly as interesting if Stefan had redeeming qualities.
The God Spear pushes the characters towards a tipping point where they might possibly break out of old patterns and enact plot-shifting change. Both Hans and Dorilian experience real growth, and Nammour's shadowy evil is finally unmasked as an unequivocal threat to the populace. With just two books to go (the next one being The Walled City), it's clear that the author has a well-planned, convergent endpoint in mind and the skill to pull it off.
The God Spear is Book IV in the Triempery Revelations series by L.L. Stephens. It's easily the most satisfying book since the first, tying together multi-book threads into a conclusion full of long-promised change.
Handurin "Hans" Stauberg-Randolph has arrived in the land of his people, the Khelds, and must navigate the politics of needing their backing while constantly being typecast into the mold of his brother's actions and mistakes. Meanwhile, Dorilian Sordaneon has pursued Hans in disguise away from safe haven in Sordan, hoping to resurrect his plots within plots while avoiding recognition by the Khelds who unanimously want to kill him.
This book has a narrow focus on a small time window and a limited set of characters, but brings back the best of the political intrigue from previous books. While we don't get to see much of what's going on in the rest of the world, reading about Hans's attempt to win over the Khelds is captivating. The author does a fine job of capturing the tension between Hans as one who truly wants to lead for the betterment of his people, and the existing factions that desire a compliant figurehead for their own machinations.
A common refrain from Hans is, "I'm not Stefan." Stefan's character in Book II was a weak spot for me, but his extreme unworthiness is finally vindicated here -- the interplay between Hans and the Khelds would not have been nearly as interesting if Stefan had redeeming qualities.
The God Spear pushes the characters towards a tipping point where they might possibly break out of old patterns and enact plot-shifting change. Both Hans and Dorilian experience real growth, and Nammour's shadowy evil is finally unmasked as an unequivocal threat to the populace. With just two books to go (the next one being The Walled City), it's clear that the author has a well-planned, convergent endpoint in mind and the skill to pull it off.
April 8, 2024
I pre-ordered with Forest Paths Books and received a copy a bit earlier.
The story continues exactly where the events in the Second Stone left us. In this book, the readers follow the path of Dorilian in Amallar and Hans path to leadership with the Kheld people. Dorilian experiences the Kheld culture firsthand and becomes more familiar with the Kheld people's traditions. We even see an intimate relationship taking form. In terms of politics, the book is very rich, mostly within the Amallar thread. The antagonists are scheming behind the backs of our main characters but are not necessarily brought to the fore in this book. We see some developments in terms of Dorilian's powers and some additional plots are beginning to take shape. The hints about Hans' background are becoming more pronounced and I think I like where this might be going forward.
Anyway, this is a nice sequel to the Triempery Revelations series that begun with the stunning Sordaneon. I am already looking forward to the Walled City where I am sure more action is expected.
The story continues exactly where the events in the Second Stone left us. In this book, the readers follow the path of Dorilian in Amallar and Hans path to leadership with the Kheld people. Dorilian experiences the Kheld culture firsthand and becomes more familiar with the Kheld people's traditions. We even see an intimate relationship taking form. In terms of politics, the book is very rich, mostly within the Amallar thread. The antagonists are scheming behind the backs of our main characters but are not necessarily brought to the fore in this book. We see some developments in terms of Dorilian's powers and some additional plots are beginning to take shape. The hints about Hans' background are becoming more pronounced and I think I like where this might be going forward.
Anyway, this is a nice sequel to the Triempery Revelations series that begun with the stunning Sordaneon. I am already looking forward to the Walled City where I am sure more action is expected.
August 10, 2025
Writing this review after having read the first 5, I think this book challenges for the best one yet. I've thought hard about why that is, and I think it's because of what the author does best - the relationship between characters. While the third book deals with Dorillan in his native Sordan, this one has him undercover with the Khelds who (most) would like nothing else but to see him dead. The way he deals with this proves him to be a competent protagonist even when out of his element. The friendship that grows between him and Hans - and others - drives everything forward and it's all these elements together that create another page-turner that I just couldn't put down.
January 15, 2026
Like teaching rocks that the wind blows
A constant struggle to teach the Khelds that they are being led astray to them finally believing and listening in their future king for the good of them all. I enjoyed this one a lot, I really hope to see Dorillian and Aubrey together
A constant struggle to teach the Khelds that they are being led astray to them finally believing and listening in their future king for the good of them all. I enjoyed this one a lot, I really hope to see Dorillian and Aubrey together
August 6, 2025
One of the best series I've ever read, it's crazy how few have read it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews