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Fallen Blade #6
Darkened Blade
Kelly McCullough, author of Drawn Blades , presents another Fallen Blade adventure with Aral Kingslayer...
Aral Kingslayer has nothing to lose—and only justice to gain. Torn apart by the death of his goddess, he must avenge her in order to save himself from being lost forever....
It’s been nine long years since the death of his patron, Namara, and exalted assassin Aral Kingslayer desperately misses the thrill and glory of being a higher power of justice. Now he is haunted by the ghosts of the past—and by the ghost of the lost goddess herself.
When Namara calls upon Aral in a dream to seek justice for her death and the ruination of her temple, Aral must obtain the help of his fellow former Blades and his Shade familiar, Triss, to pursue the vengeance he knows Namara deserves. Even if it means attacking Heaven’s Son—and going against one of their own—in a bloody battle of epic proportions...
Aral Kingslayer has nothing to lose—and only justice to gain. Torn apart by the death of his goddess, he must avenge her in order to save himself from being lost forever....
It’s been nine long years since the death of his patron, Namara, and exalted assassin Aral Kingslayer desperately misses the thrill and glory of being a higher power of justice. Now he is haunted by the ghosts of the past—and by the ghost of the lost goddess herself.
When Namara calls upon Aral in a dream to seek justice for her death and the ruination of her temple, Aral must obtain the help of his fellow former Blades and his Shade familiar, Triss, to pursue the vengeance he knows Namara deserves. Even if it means attacking Heaven’s Son—and going against one of their own—in a bloody battle of epic proportions...
320 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 28, 2015
24 people are currently reading
456 people want to read
About the author
Kelly McCullough
39 books370 followersKelly McCullough was raised and educated by free-range hippies. Later he received a degree in theater and worked in improv. That combination was the perfect preparation for his current career as author and cat herder. He lives and writes in the Midwest with his physics-professor wife, Laura. He enjoys hiking and biking and his role as self-heating cat furniture. He is the author of the WebMage and Fallen Blade series.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
February 7, 2022
This was a weak end to the Fallen Blade series. For the most part the series has been a fun old school fantasy tale full of action, intrigue, mystery, magic, and fun fantasy creatures.
The flaw of this final book was the fact that it was more action and not so much of the small scale intrigue and mystery that we got in the first 4 instalments of the series. Turns out that I really liked the mystery and the intrigue a lot better than the action so I missed it!
On the plus side I did feel like this final book has some positive moments and that the actual conclusion to the story was quite satisfying. It is just a pity this book was not consistently good.
All in all this was a weak ending to what has been an OK fantasy series but it did have a satisfying wrap up despite that.
Rating: 2.5 stars. I’ll round down this time as I rounded up for the last book and my interest waned more while listening to this final book in the series.
Audio Note: As always Graphic Audio did a good job with the audio production. It helps they have a full cast, music, and sound effects.
The flaw of this final book was the fact that it was more action and not so much of the small scale intrigue and mystery that we got in the first 4 instalments of the series. Turns out that I really liked the mystery and the intrigue a lot better than the action so I missed it!
On the plus side I did feel like this final book has some positive moments and that the actual conclusion to the story was quite satisfying. It is just a pity this book was not consistently good.
All in all this was a weak ending to what has been an OK fantasy series but it did have a satisfying wrap up despite that.
Rating: 2.5 stars. I’ll round down this time as I rounded up for the last book and my interest waned more while listening to this final book in the series.
Audio Note: As always Graphic Audio did a good job with the audio production. It helps they have a full cast, music, and sound effects.
July 21, 2015
A decent ending to the six-book series. I like the author's works, but this felt rushed and incomplete.
This read like two books combined and massively cut down to comply with a 300-page publisher limit - it's 295 plus a glossary. The last third of the book switches between dense interaction and cut-scene changes (Essentially "Two weeks later, we reached our destination"). There are character build-ups that go nowhere such as Faran's attraction to Aral. The confrontation with the Big Boss is a bit of a letdown. And then there's a hasty epilogue set three years later that doesn't really resolve anything.
Worth reading to finish the series; I just wish the series had actually had a finish.
This read like two books combined and massively cut down to comply with a 300-page publisher limit - it's 295 plus a glossary. The last third of the book switches between dense interaction and cut-scene changes (Essentially "Two weeks later, we reached our destination"). There are character build-ups that go nowhere such as Faran's attraction to Aral. The confrontation with the Big Boss is a bit of a letdown. And then there's a hasty epilogue set three years later that doesn't really resolve anything.
Worth reading to finish the series; I just wish the series had actually had a finish.
January 7, 2022
Right up front I have to admit that I took a long time before picking this book up, and once I did start reading I kept finding breaks to stop for a day or two. Pondering the reason why I discovered that I loved Aral and Triss and I knew at a meta level that this was the last book I'd see them in. It was breaking my heart to say goodbye to them.
I'll also admit that my five star rating is not just for this book but for the series as a whole. Watching Aral go from a completely broken man who puts himself together again piece by piece is a fantastic journey. Seeing how he reacts to friends and enemies and most importantly himself and Triss as he builds himself into some admirable is poignant and inspiring. The story in this book drives him again to a place where he can't help but break again, but we know him now, we know how he'll react.
I cried at three different places in this book. The emotional response of me as a reader was quite powerful.
Aral heads off for a final confrontation with the Son of Heaven. Is it vengeance or justice he seeks. What will he do when faced with that choice. We have ideas based on what we have learned about Aral, but we also know that by killing the Son of Heaven he will be condemning untold thousands to death in the upheavals that will follow. How can he choose either way. The friends that surround him trust him to make the right choice for them. Complicating that is what can he do to help the remaining survivors of the fall of the temple of Namara?
As a final book it was fairly satisfying. I'll be incredibly vague here to avoid spoilers. Most of the loose ends were tied up. We learn how Farran and the other apprentices can make their way in a world without the goddess Namara. We even get to meet some of the goddesses friends. The epilog was a gift to the reader set years after the final scene. It gives some details about what happened to the many characters, but also allows enough gaps for your own head cannon to satisfy.
I can't believe it took me so long to discover these books. I'm crushed that there are no more stories of Aral. But I'll take a lot at McCulloughs other books to see what else he might have made.
I'll also admit that my five star rating is not just for this book but for the series as a whole. Watching Aral go from a completely broken man who puts himself together again piece by piece is a fantastic journey. Seeing how he reacts to friends and enemies and most importantly himself and Triss as he builds himself into some admirable is poignant and inspiring. The story in this book drives him again to a place where he can't help but break again, but we know him now, we know how he'll react.
I cried at three different places in this book. The emotional response of me as a reader was quite powerful.
Aral heads off for a final confrontation with the Son of Heaven. Is it vengeance or justice he seeks. What will he do when faced with that choice. We have ideas based on what we have learned about Aral, but we also know that by killing the Son of Heaven he will be condemning untold thousands to death in the upheavals that will follow. How can he choose either way. The friends that surround him trust him to make the right choice for them. Complicating that is what can he do to help the remaining survivors of the fall of the temple of Namara?
As a final book it was fairly satisfying. I'll be incredibly vague here to avoid spoilers. Most of the loose ends were tied up. We learn how Farran and the other apprentices can make their way in a world without the goddess Namara. We even get to meet some of the goddesses friends. The epilog was a gift to the reader set years after the final scene. It gives some details about what happened to the many characters, but also allows enough gaps for your own head cannon to satisfy.
I can't believe it took me so long to discover these books. I'm crushed that there are no more stories of Aral. But I'll take a lot at McCulloughs other books to see what else he might have made.
March 15, 2018
As with all these books the writing is good and the storyline interesting. The ending felt rushed but was still a good conclusion to the tale. Worth reading.
November 19, 2018
Good series, there was some repetitious themes throughout but nothing that i felt took away from the overall story line. There was a little bit of a rushed feeling in this last installment, but overall I still enjoyed the tale, the characters, and the pacing. I would recommend if you are light on good things to read.
November 21, 2023
I kind of wish I had refreshed my memory on book 3, when Jax first showed up, because I remember nothing about that book and a lot of the threads here in the last one tie back to that book. Even without that memory, this was a nice wrapup to the series. The primary focus was on the Order putting itself back together--and I especially enjoyed seeing Faran get the recognition she deserves. The secondary focus on taking out the root of the undead corruption ended up a little rushed in comparison, but I preferred the first focus anyway so I was fine with that emphasis.
June 28, 2015
Mostly talk, not much action. A weak (apparent) end for a series that started out promisingly, with the nonsuspenseful plot used as just a framework on which to hang longwinded explanations, ruminations, discussions, and breastbeating. Moreover, Kelos turns out to be by far the most complex character here, not to mention the canniest, smartest, most visionary, most magically powerful, and best fighter. Aral and the rest turn out to be just along for the ride.
April 17, 2018
And the series is done. Im going to miss Faran and Harad. But the rest were meh.
The finale could have been loads better.
The finale could have been loads better.
July 5, 2021
Dissatisfactory end to a great series
Now the writing style is great as ever, the problem I have with this is exclusively plot related and therefor from here
*SPOILER*
The whole thing doesn't make much sense.
*So the antagonist this time is the Son of Heaven chief priest. We learn that secretly he is an undead necromancer and has turned tens of thousands of kings, nobles, important civil servants etc into zombies infected with his strain of the undead curse and so made them his minions.
How did nobody notice this? It's the same thing that Maylien's sister from the first book had been infected with. Now these undead are superhumanly strong, are not affected by injuries, can not die, probably also don't age, possibly can't have children and regularly need to kill humans to bathe in their blood. And they change personality, suddenly going cruel-insane. Now one of these, like Maylien's sister can of course fly under the radar if the person turned undead is intelligent and has ressources. But this undead epidemic could never be kept secret. Imagine how many people need to get murdered at a regular basis to keep these humanlike undead from decaying into regular undead.
Plus, Aral has dealt with Maylien's sister before, and he or Triss didn't notice the curse on the Son when they were visiting and sparing his life in the previous book?
*My second problem is that after the necro-zombie ruling class problem is gone, some of the countries develop democracy movements. Really? I don't buy it.
*My third problem is that the surviving blades/blades in training are now re-establishing their assassins for justice order in the open and without divine sanction.
Now this makes no sense at all. That's a bit like the Judge Dredd situation, plus Dredd is also the juristiction. What made the order work is that the blades did NOT choose the targets. The goddess did. Now of course, the failed Hitler assassins that were executed were heroes, but can you imagine a bunch of humans running around, deciding who they want to murder in the name of justice???????????? How do you control that all of these new Blades ONLY kills mad dictators?
You know what is going to end in? Terrorism.
*Plus, in the end we see them re-building their monastery on Namara's island. Fully in the open. No government on that whole planet is going to allow this to happen. And rightly so. The only thing that shielded the blade temple from instant annihilation was the power of the goddess and that everyone knew that these blades were guaranteed to only kill crazy perverts.
We see now the justice of the eleven kingdoms being put into the hands of the population. At that point the Blades should cease to exist as an organisation.
*Another thing that is not at all resolved is that during the book on occasion we saw Aral still receiving blessings from dead Namara. Like when he mends the broken goddesss-blade and the wounds inflicted by it magically heal. Or when her benediction makes his efik-addiction go away miraculously. The fact that Aral can work god magic by his faith in Namara even after her death is never picked up.
*What also doesn't make sense is how the gods could only put to sleep and bury the mightiest of their first created children, while they were able to truly kill on of their own, Namara.
*What's also never resolved is the fact that the goddess forged blades that can hurt gods are still out there and in use by assassins. I thought the gods killed Namara for having given these weapons to humans. In general I found it totally dissatisfactory that the killing of Namara and the power of justice itself was not the central plot of this book.
Now the writing style is great as ever, the problem I have with this is exclusively plot related and therefor from here
*SPOILER*
The whole thing doesn't make much sense.
*So the antagonist this time is the Son of Heaven chief priest. We learn that secretly he is an undead necromancer and has turned tens of thousands of kings, nobles, important civil servants etc into zombies infected with his strain of the undead curse and so made them his minions.
How did nobody notice this? It's the same thing that Maylien's sister from the first book had been infected with. Now these undead are superhumanly strong, are not affected by injuries, can not die, probably also don't age, possibly can't have children and regularly need to kill humans to bathe in their blood. And they change personality, suddenly going cruel-insane. Now one of these, like Maylien's sister can of course fly under the radar if the person turned undead is intelligent and has ressources. But this undead epidemic could never be kept secret. Imagine how many people need to get murdered at a regular basis to keep these humanlike undead from decaying into regular undead.
Plus, Aral has dealt with Maylien's sister before, and he or Triss didn't notice the curse on the Son when they were visiting and sparing his life in the previous book?
*My second problem is that after the necro-zombie ruling class problem is gone, some of the countries develop democracy movements. Really? I don't buy it.
*My third problem is that the surviving blades/blades in training are now re-establishing their assassins for justice order in the open and without divine sanction.
Now this makes no sense at all. That's a bit like the Judge Dredd situation, plus Dredd is also the juristiction. What made the order work is that the blades did NOT choose the targets. The goddess did. Now of course, the failed Hitler assassins that were executed were heroes, but can you imagine a bunch of humans running around, deciding who they want to murder in the name of justice???????????? How do you control that all of these new Blades ONLY kills mad dictators?
You know what is going to end in? Terrorism.
*Plus, in the end we see them re-building their monastery on Namara's island. Fully in the open. No government on that whole planet is going to allow this to happen. And rightly so. The only thing that shielded the blade temple from instant annihilation was the power of the goddess and that everyone knew that these blades were guaranteed to only kill crazy perverts.
We see now the justice of the eleven kingdoms being put into the hands of the population. At that point the Blades should cease to exist as an organisation.
*Another thing that is not at all resolved is that during the book on occasion we saw Aral still receiving blessings from dead Namara. Like when he mends the broken goddesss-blade and the wounds inflicted by it magically heal. Or when her benediction makes his efik-addiction go away miraculously. The fact that Aral can work god magic by his faith in Namara even after her death is never picked up.
*What also doesn't make sense is how the gods could only put to sleep and bury the mightiest of their first created children, while they were able to truly kill on of their own, Namara.
*What's also never resolved is the fact that the goddess forged blades that can hurt gods are still out there and in use by assassins. I thought the gods killed Namara for having given these weapons to humans. In general I found it totally dissatisfactory that the killing of Namara and the power of justice itself was not the central plot of this book.
April 21, 2021
I'm sad to see this series come to an end. I would also love to see this become adapted for TV or a movie. Aral reunites with his friends and foes in this book. You really learn more about Aral's character and the love he and Triss have. I wanted to cry a few times when things come to realization for some of the apprentices/students. It was overall a very good book. I would have liked to have known what happened to a few people or the outcome of something else, but I'm still content with how it all ended.
December 18, 2022
7 out of 10 stars
While this series as a whole basically fell into forgettable fantasy for me this last book was the best of the series. The stakes being higher and all the characters being together made for a more enjoyable read than the previous books.
By the end I did start to feel for the characters outside of Aral and overall this book moved quickly without feeling rushed. I would have liked if in the final climax there was more of a cost to the good guys, I think if Aral would have died in the process of killing the son of heaven the end would have felt more emotional/real. I thought that was going to happen and was a little disappointed with the full nobody dies happy ending.
While this series as a whole basically fell into forgettable fantasy for me this last book was the best of the series. The stakes being higher and all the characters being together made for a more enjoyable read than the previous books.
By the end I did start to feel for the characters outside of Aral and overall this book moved quickly without feeling rushed. I would have liked if in the final climax there was more of a cost to the good guys, I think if Aral would have died in the process of killing the son of heaven the end would have felt more emotional/real. I thought that was going to happen and was a little disappointed with the full nobody dies happy ending.
October 1, 2023
Disappointing ending to the series and sadly weaker than the earlier books. Aral has a moral dilemma that he struggles with over the course of the book but it's really not much of a decision and having such an obvious choice be the central moral dilemma of the book really weakens the whole story in my opinion.
December 9, 2020
I am really sad that this tale has ended. I loved Aral and Triss and I was very satisfied over the ending. I definitely understood the themes that were presented and I personally connected with them. I would love to hear more tales of Aral and Triss in the future.
December 8, 2021
Too damn fast!
First half is ok but then it goes light speed / teleporting/ fast forward to the conclusion and some needed plot moments.
Nice to finish the series but it would deserve a more detailed story.
First half is ok but then it goes light speed / teleporting/ fast forward to the conclusion and some needed plot moments.
Nice to finish the series but it would deserve a more detailed story.
February 17, 2018
A little too grim, even though they are all a bit so - this one felt hopeless.
June 23, 2018
I think the ending was bit unrealistic but it was good send of a great series.
It did feel really rushed at times though I felt like could have been two books as is also condensed.
It did feel really rushed at times though I felt like could have been two books as is also condensed.
September 2, 2020
A good ending to a fun series!
January 11, 2021
Fantastic
Best series I have read in a long time. Hopefully more to come from this author!
6 books just isn't enough!
Best series I have read in a long time. Hopefully more to come from this author!
6 books just isn't enough!
October 23, 2021
3.5 stars. Decent enough conclusion, I suppose. But way too much angst in a somewhat meandering story before the end was reached.
March 16, 2017
Not everything I could have hoped for from the end of the series but in hindsight I did enjoy this series and Aral a lot.
September 9, 2016
I'm just going to put my review of the entire series here, like the last book I give the Fallen Blade series as a whole 5 Stars, and like the last book I have some minor quibbles with some things but they aren't enough to detract a star at all. I think this series is definitely greater than the sum of it's parts. While each book is engaging and fun in it's own right, looking back at the character growth through all six books is what I really love. And man are there some great characters in these books.
Aral is my favorite kind of protagonist especially when he starts to crawl out of the hole he's in at the beginning of the series. He's a depressed addict, he's not the best blade anymore, he's let himself go for years and he's not sure about anything anymore, but he still believes in justice and he'll fight for it because of that belief. In this last book that belief in justice causes him no small amount of turmoil, when he has to choose between two different paths that both have horrible consequences. Reading the book I really felt for Aral and up until pretty much when he made his choice I had no clue what he was going to do.
Other standout characters are pretty much everyone else in the books, all the other remaining blades as well as some of the familiar faces from Tien. I especially fell in love with Faran as the series went on; her character growth as she became a young woman, and the growth of her relationship with Aral from a sort of adversarial master/apprentice, father/daughter sort of thing to equals was great to read.
I also really love the world of the Fallen Blade series. Each setting conjures up rich images and I enjoyed a departure from the typical Medieval Europe vibe that a lot of fantasy is set in. And finally, it seems like a small stupid sort of thing, but when I come across a series of books that don't fall into the trope of "men are the leaders and the warriors and women are always beautiful/princesses" I kind of fall in love. The casual equality of this series is one of my favorite things. And by that I mean, the guard that just got their throat cut? Just as likely to be a man as a woman. The leader of that warrior tribe? Man or woman, doesn't matter. The heir to the thrown, or the two nobles dueling each other for leadership of their estate? Could be either because you don't need a male heir just because that was how it was done back in the day on earth. I also loved how sexuality was treated in this series, most especially how ladies aren't shamed for sleeping with who they want to, and the fact that there are at least a few queer characters in the series(Our protagonist included who is bisexual, though it's only mentioned) All these things are just small bits that aren't actually important to the story itself but I personally find them to be the icing and sprinkles on top of an already very tasty cake.
And finally after this long rambling word vomit of love I come to the few tiny issues I had. One being that there was a lot of repeated information, a lot of the same things said over again in each book. This probably wouldn't have been so noticeable if I had put some time between reading each book, but I marathoned the series one after another so everything was pretty fresh. And two, the final book did feel a tiny bit rushed in places and there were some kind of awkward jumpy moments where we go from one scene and then at the start of the next chapter a fairly decent chunk of time had passed, or something had happened in that gap. This could definitely have been fixed if the book were longer, but it wasn't so bad that it took me out of the story.
So there ends my review of the Fallen Blade series. My biggest problems were that I couldn't put the books down so some info felt repetitive and that I wished the last book were longer. Not bad, not bad at all. This one is going down as one of my favorites.
Aral is my favorite kind of protagonist especially when he starts to crawl out of the hole he's in at the beginning of the series. He's a depressed addict, he's not the best blade anymore, he's let himself go for years and he's not sure about anything anymore, but he still believes in justice and he'll fight for it because of that belief. In this last book that belief in justice causes him no small amount of turmoil, when he has to choose between two different paths that both have horrible consequences. Reading the book I really felt for Aral and up until pretty much when he made his choice I had no clue what he was going to do.
Other standout characters are pretty much everyone else in the books, all the other remaining blades as well as some of the familiar faces from Tien. I especially fell in love with Faran as the series went on; her character growth as she became a young woman, and the growth of her relationship with Aral from a sort of adversarial master/apprentice, father/daughter sort of thing to equals was great to read.
I also really love the world of the Fallen Blade series. Each setting conjures up rich images and I enjoyed a departure from the typical Medieval Europe vibe that a lot of fantasy is set in. And finally, it seems like a small stupid sort of thing, but when I come across a series of books that don't fall into the trope of "men are the leaders and the warriors and women are always beautiful/princesses" I kind of fall in love. The casual equality of this series is one of my favorite things. And by that I mean, the guard that just got their throat cut? Just as likely to be a man as a woman. The leader of that warrior tribe? Man or woman, doesn't matter. The heir to the thrown, or the two nobles dueling each other for leadership of their estate? Could be either because you don't need a male heir just because that was how it was done back in the day on earth. I also loved how sexuality was treated in this series, most especially how ladies aren't shamed for sleeping with who they want to, and the fact that there are at least a few queer characters in the series(Our protagonist included who is bisexual, though it's only mentioned) All these things are just small bits that aren't actually important to the story itself but I personally find them to be the icing and sprinkles on top of an already very tasty cake.
And finally after this long rambling word vomit of love I come to the few tiny issues I had. One being that there was a lot of repeated information, a lot of the same things said over again in each book. This probably wouldn't have been so noticeable if I had put some time between reading each book, but I marathoned the series one after another so everything was pretty fresh. And two, the final book did feel a tiny bit rushed in places and there were some kind of awkward jumpy moments where we go from one scene and then at the start of the next chapter a fairly decent chunk of time had passed, or something had happened in that gap. This could definitely have been fixed if the book were longer, but it wasn't so bad that it took me out of the story.
So there ends my review of the Fallen Blade series. My biggest problems were that I couldn't put the books down so some info felt repetitive and that I wished the last book were longer. Not bad, not bad at all. This one is going down as one of my favorites.
May 2, 2025
2025 Update: not entirely sure how I feel about the resolution for one character, but neither are the other survivors, so probably fair. Could have used a few more pages on the epilogue, but at the end of the day it's pretty satisfying.
**********
A fine conclusion to a very nifty series. I do think this one may have been a bit rushed and could have done more to let things breathe a little as they stormed on to the confrontation we've been waiting for since the series started: bringing the Son of Heaven to justice for orchestrating the murder of Namara and destroying the order.
Aral does get plenty of time to wrestle with the consequences of the mission; because of the other evil acts of the Son, it's not as simple as most assassinations, even of a powerful spiritual or political leader. This one would set off a chain-reaction of death and destruction and chaos that would span the entire continent. It's understandable how that might weigh heavily on Aral, who has been struggling with a spiritual and emotional evolution for the entire series, trying to rebuild a life after crawling into a bottle to steadily destroy himself after surviving the death of his goddess.
I do think he makes it harder on himself than it should be, considering the scope of evil the Son of Heaven continues to perpetuate: this isn't someone who is doing a few bad things to maintain and grow his power, he's corrupting everything in a fashion that guarantees the murder of innocents for as long as the system continues. And eventually, it will all go to hell anyway, because the rot is not sustainable...and eventually all men will die anyway.
The magic of the Blades is still one of the best things of this series: it's flexible and interesting but not overwhelmingly powerful. They have power, but it's checked. I also really like how they're trying to rebuild the Blades into a force for justice again, even with their goddess gone. You can see the need for them as a political force, but also so the remains of the order have a purpose again, as they've all been struggling without one.
There's one other thing that's very interesting about this series: it's heavily influenced by eastern mythology and cultural designs while still written in a very western style. Is that appropriation or just a clever and creative use of materials at hand? I'd argue for the latter, but its an interesting aspect and its nice to read something that's not so heavily defined by northern european influences.
One last thing is also of note: bisexuality is common in the Blades and barely worth comment, which is refreshing. Aral for example, generally prefers women, but is more than comfortable with his attractions towards and prior relations with men as well. It's just who they are, and their religious order has no prescripts regarding sexuality so there you go. I thought it was fairly well done for a fantasy novel.
I'm a little bummed these are done: I'd certainly love to see more of this world and these characters (especially Faran, whose path to recovering her humanity has been quite compelling) and it's not like there aren't any other paths to go down, even after the epilogue. Maybe we'll get lucky and McCullough will revisit this land again.
**********
A fine conclusion to a very nifty series. I do think this one may have been a bit rushed and could have done more to let things breathe a little as they stormed on to the confrontation we've been waiting for since the series started: bringing the Son of Heaven to justice for orchestrating the murder of Namara and destroying the order.
Aral does get plenty of time to wrestle with the consequences of the mission; because of the other evil acts of the Son, it's not as simple as most assassinations, even of a powerful spiritual or political leader. This one would set off a chain-reaction of death and destruction and chaos that would span the entire continent. It's understandable how that might weigh heavily on Aral, who has been struggling with a spiritual and emotional evolution for the entire series, trying to rebuild a life after crawling into a bottle to steadily destroy himself after surviving the death of his goddess.
I do think he makes it harder on himself than it should be, considering the scope of evil the Son of Heaven continues to perpetuate: this isn't someone who is doing a few bad things to maintain and grow his power, he's corrupting everything in a fashion that guarantees the murder of innocents for as long as the system continues. And eventually, it will all go to hell anyway, because the rot is not sustainable...and eventually all men will die anyway.
The magic of the Blades is still one of the best things of this series: it's flexible and interesting but not overwhelmingly powerful. They have power, but it's checked. I also really like how they're trying to rebuild the Blades into a force for justice again, even with their goddess gone. You can see the need for them as a political force, but also so the remains of the order have a purpose again, as they've all been struggling without one.
There's one other thing that's very interesting about this series: it's heavily influenced by eastern mythology and cultural designs while still written in a very western style. Is that appropriation or just a clever and creative use of materials at hand? I'd argue for the latter, but its an interesting aspect and its nice to read something that's not so heavily defined by northern european influences.
One last thing is also of note: bisexuality is common in the Blades and barely worth comment, which is refreshing. Aral for example, generally prefers women, but is more than comfortable with his attractions towards and prior relations with men as well. It's just who they are, and their religious order has no prescripts regarding sexuality so there you go. I thought it was fairly well done for a fantasy novel.
I'm a little bummed these are done: I'd certainly love to see more of this world and these characters (especially Faran, whose path to recovering her humanity has been quite compelling) and it's not like there aren't any other paths to go down, even after the epilogue. Maybe we'll get lucky and McCullough will revisit this land again.
June 8, 2015
V konečnom dôsledku vydarená séria, akčná, dynamická a oddychová. Páčilo sa mi, že sa zaobišla bez POV (ktoré tam vlastne boli, ale veľmi slušne zakomponované v úvodných pasážach kapitoliek, či monológoch takže palec hore). Veľmi vydarená zbierka hrdinov, ktorý vlastne -ako sa to v časti fantasy stalo súčasťou kánonu - neboli hrdinskí (či prehnane idealizovane prezentovaní). A ktorí umierali, prípadne prišli k pracovnému úrazu. Keďže tému asasínov som v mala tú česť (niekedy viac smolu :-) čítať v tomto roku viackrát, tak toto je jednoznačne v tejto chvíli moja TOP adult verzia a asi aj lepšia ako Night Angel od Brenta Weeksa. Čo oceňujem najviac, že to (za čo patrí vďaka všetkých literárnych božstvám) nie je romantické ani romantizujúce, ani osudovo vzťahové. Pol hviezdičky som pridala za to, že muži ešte stále dokážu napísať akčný príbeh, ktorý nepotrebujú nadstavovať zbytočnou erotikou či doslova zabiť patetickou "zaláskovanosťou". Čiže narácia je pomerne jednoduchá: úvod kapitoly, akcia, akcia, akcia. Ženy sú akčné bez submisivity či potreby prejavovať ženskú citlivosť (práve cez tie POV pasáže). Na jedného hlavného mužského protagonistu pripadajú ko-protagonistky v počte tri samostatné, logicky uvažujúce ženy, profesionálne asasínky a WOW, napísal to muž. Nie je to až tak prvoplánovo drsne dark v opisoch ako Lawrence či Abercrombie, ale čo sa týka bojových/akčných scén, sú pomerne slušné, často prítomné, nápadité a ako to býva, samozrejme ovplyvnené súčasnou akčnou filmovou tvorbou a jednou nemenovanou video hrou. S niektorými vlastnými nápadmi a scénami sa autor v jednotlivých dieloch slušne pohral (žena v červených šatoch). Pre mňa je celá séria veľmi príjemné prekvapenie a keby sa črtalo ešte pokračovanie, idem do toho, aj keby to bolo len o niektorých z protagonistov či protagonistiek.
December 8, 2016
Kelly McCullough wraps up his Fallen Blade series in the sixth installment, Darkened Blade. Without fanfare, we are rushed back to the Wall, the dividing line between the eleven kingdoms and the ancient Sylvani Empire, where Aral, Siri, Faran and Kelos are still licking their wounds after their battle with the buried god. Their stay is short lived when Aral has a dream in which Namara, the long dead goddess of Justice, urges him to seek justice and end the pain the world continues to feel at the hands of the Son of Heaven. Gathering his comrades and their Shade familiars, they embark on a quest wrought with peril in the hopes of reviving their order and putting an end to the necromancers' reign. Along the way, they will gain allies and lose others and, at long last reaching Heaven's Reach, come face to face with the Son of Heaven. It rests on Aral Kingslayers shoulders to decide the lesser of two evils and hope his soul can live with the bloodshed soon to follow, all in the hopes of creating a more stable foundation for the world to rest on.
The Fallen Blade series is a wonderful twist on the sword and sorcery genre. Filled with wily assassins and their amusing shadow familiars, Aral and the gang once again don their black garb and goddess-forged swords as they seek vengeance for the fall of their temple. As is usual with this series, we find ourselves helplessly pulled along, yearning for our heroes to come out on top as they face one life-threatening crises after another. The magic is more than unique and the story is able to hold it's own in a fight. I am, without a doubt, pleased at how it ended and look forward to reading them again in the future, this time all at once.
The Fallen Blade series is a wonderful twist on the sword and sorcery genre. Filled with wily assassins and their amusing shadow familiars, Aral and the gang once again don their black garb and goddess-forged swords as they seek vengeance for the fall of their temple. As is usual with this series, we find ourselves helplessly pulled along, yearning for our heroes to come out on top as they face one life-threatening crises after another. The magic is more than unique and the story is able to hold it's own in a fight. I am, without a doubt, pleased at how it ended and look forward to reading them again in the future, this time all at once.
June 6, 2015
91yGnbQUTSL._SL1500_Aral Kingslayer was once First Blade in an order of assassin mages for the Goddess of Justice. Then, his goddess was murdered, the abby destroyed, and his brethren killed or scattered. His only companion was his familiar, Triss. In his despair, Aral became a drunk and a smuggler for five years in the city of Tien, which has the greatest price on his head.
Then, someone recognized him.
Darkened Blade by Kelly McCullough is the fifth book of a series about Aral's fight out of the darkest period of his life. He must over come addiction, alcoholism, questions of faith, and despair while learning the truth behind the murder of his goddess, wrestle with the corruption of the world's major governments, and discover that the betrayals haven't stopped. McCullough's book continues to deliver a rich world with rich, dynamic characters. Once a broken man, Aral's inner quest and growth make him an unexpected and engaging hero even as his quests for justice lead him out of Tien, out of isolation, and out of his spiral of destruction.
The entire series is a good read, and Darkened Blade delivers on the inherent promise of the first four books. While the storyline and structure of the book indicates that it is the last of the series, it remains a series I will reread for pleasure.
Then, someone recognized him.
Darkened Blade by Kelly McCullough is the fifth book of a series about Aral's fight out of the darkest period of his life. He must over come addiction, alcoholism, questions of faith, and despair while learning the truth behind the murder of his goddess, wrestle with the corruption of the world's major governments, and discover that the betrayals haven't stopped. McCullough's book continues to deliver a rich world with rich, dynamic characters. Once a broken man, Aral's inner quest and growth make him an unexpected and engaging hero even as his quests for justice lead him out of Tien, out of isolation, and out of his spiral of destruction.
The entire series is a good read, and Darkened Blade delivers on the inherent promise of the first four books. While the storyline and structure of the book indicates that it is the last of the series, it remains a series I will reread for pleasure.
May 4, 2015
This series has continued under the radar for some time, and I've continued to enjoy it throughout. I think this may be the final book in the series (although I hope not) and if it is, it is a fitting end to a great series. Aral Kingslayer is one of my favourite sword & sorcery characters in a long time - a flawed, heroic protagonist of the first order. His familiar, Triss, is equally amazing. Together they are an amazing team... but they are not alone. Mr. McCullough has populated his world with a number of strong characters. Oddly enough the villains are usually the least interesting characters in his world... mostly because they are almost never present in the story.
My only criticism (if it is a criticism) is that McCullough interests a number of great characters but never does anything with them...
My only criticism (if it is a criticism) is that McCullough interests a number of great characters but never does anything with them...
January 9, 2025
On the surface the Fallen Blade books shouldn't be my thing. I tend to avoid series, and I'm not big into magic (there's not really that much, actually) or intricate plots. But I'm really glad I gave these a shot. The main character Aral and his familiar Triss have become two of my favorite characters, and I love Faran as well. I was really sad to finish this knowing there aren't any more books to read. I wouldn't suggest starting with this one--the other books lead up to this one, and a lot of things won't make sense or have the same resonance if you haven't read what came before--but the whole series is definitely worth reading.
October 7, 2015
I enjoyed this last book.
It did feel a bit rushed, however in the end I am happy with how it finished. A fitting end (or should I say a new beginning) for Aral, and his companions.
I would love to read more books in this universe, perhaps some about Faran. She is a very interesting young woman, and I think it would be fascinating to explore her character and personal journey, and see from her eyes.
Thanks to kelly for writing this series, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
It did feel a bit rushed, however in the end I am happy with how it finished. A fitting end (or should I say a new beginning) for Aral, and his companions.
I would love to read more books in this universe, perhaps some about Faran. She is a very interesting young woman, and I think it would be fascinating to explore her character and personal journey, and see from her eyes.
Thanks to kelly for writing this series, I have thoroughly enjoyed it.
August 1, 2015
A pleasing mix of action, magic and a complex main character. Although the cover doesn't say "Thrilling conclusion" anywhere this felt like the final book in a series. A lot of loose threads were wrapped up, including dealing with the Big Bad AKA the Son of Heaven, as well as a lot of character issues dating from the death of Aral's Goddess.
Fave moments: the sailjump and the Blade dedication scenes
Fave moments: the sailjump and the Blade dedication scenes
April 29, 2015
Sad Aral is done, loved the story
Well written, Aral remains unsure and conflicted, his growth as a man and a leader is clear in this volume. At once less human and more focused on the"big picture" this final volume fulfills the promise of the series, something that is rare today. I am so glad I read Arals story, my only sadness is that it is complete. Highly recommended.
Well written, Aral remains unsure and conflicted, his growth as a man and a leader is clear in this volume. At once less human and more focused on the"big picture" this final volume fulfills the promise of the series, something that is rare today. I am so glad I read Arals story, my only sadness is that it is complete. Highly recommended.
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