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The Dreadbound Ode Trilogy
When a shadowy creature appears on the long night of the solstice festival, Brohr is blamed for the grisly murder it commits. He flees the noose, one step ahead of his people’s otherworldly oppressors, into the hinterlands, where dark magic, family secrets, and a band of broken rebels await.
Overhead, a grim omen spells the end of the world. With the help of a precocious thief, and a binder of spirits who is whispered to be a collaborator, Brohr must rally his downtrodden people to rise up, lest they perish in the looming apocalypse.
But the leader of the provincial garrison is a fallen aristocrat with designs of his own, and in the shadows, the creature that sparked it all wages a secret war against the heavens.
From barbaric hinterlands, to cosmopolitan cities in the sky, to vistas more distant than any star, three villagers from an obscure backwater are bound by fate to war against the gods themselves.
Overhead, a grim omen spells the end of the world. With the help of a precocious thief, and a binder of spirits who is whispered to be a collaborator, Brohr must rally his downtrodden people to rise up, lest they perish in the looming apocalypse.
But the leader of the provincial garrison is a fallen aristocrat with designs of his own, and in the shadows, the creature that sparked it all wages a secret war against the heavens.
From barbaric hinterlands, to cosmopolitan cities in the sky, to vistas more distant than any star, three villagers from an obscure backwater are bound by fate to war against the gods themselves.
1080 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 24, 2025
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2 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
July 3, 2025
Pretty darn good.
June 26, 2025
I really enjoyed this trilogy. It's sort of like a slightly more mature "realistic" take of a decaying space opera that, you know, is Medieval and full of demonic magic. Okay, maybe realistic is the wrong word but I really love the strong characterization and focus on the society itself versus combat and monsters.
July 16, 2025
A wonderful world to explore! It's a powerful, thoughtful, visceral ride!
Jordan's use of symbolism shows his vast and integrative knowledge of world religions, myths, and mystical traditions.
He takes that knowledge of symbolism, the kind that haunts our collective hindbrain even though it is esoteric for most cultures now, and brings it out in a way where you might just be constantly drawing paralells with human mythos for years to come.
It's brilliance is in how he so throughly understands the myth and symbolism of mankind as a whole, that this isn't glib, but intuitive. This allows the symbolism to gently be drawn through his world into ours. It's never garish, always elegant and refined.
It's a world that could very well be ours, but very much is not. Magical traditions blend with science..as if when humans first discovered science, that is where we stayed, seeing technology as the magic and alchemy it truly is. I have heard people use steampunk in reference, but never firmly, and to me it's more alchemist punk. Part of the reniassance, part of the dark ages. That little cusp where if the cards would have fallen differently for our relaity, we could be.
The Gods have not quite disappeared on the horizon, and aspects of great civilizations from our past can be seen in the modern culture.
It's the mark of a great fantasy and sci fi writer to me, ro create a world that is almost more our world than the one we are in. A wonderful escape and a heart felt journey, with haunting and beautiful symbolism.
A darker ride than Pratchett or Tolkein, but one they would have enjoyed. A timeless yet fresh and modern take on it's genres.
Jordan's use of symbolism shows his vast and integrative knowledge of world religions, myths, and mystical traditions.
He takes that knowledge of symbolism, the kind that haunts our collective hindbrain even though it is esoteric for most cultures now, and brings it out in a way where you might just be constantly drawing paralells with human mythos for years to come.
It's brilliance is in how he so throughly understands the myth and symbolism of mankind as a whole, that this isn't glib, but intuitive. This allows the symbolism to gently be drawn through his world into ours. It's never garish, always elegant and refined.
It's a world that could very well be ours, but very much is not. Magical traditions blend with science..as if when humans first discovered science, that is where we stayed, seeing technology as the magic and alchemy it truly is. I have heard people use steampunk in reference, but never firmly, and to me it's more alchemist punk. Part of the reniassance, part of the dark ages. That little cusp where if the cards would have fallen differently for our relaity, we could be.
The Gods have not quite disappeared on the horizon, and aspects of great civilizations from our past can be seen in the modern culture.
It's the mark of a great fantasy and sci fi writer to me, ro create a world that is almost more our world than the one we are in. A wonderful escape and a heart felt journey, with haunting and beautiful symbolism.
A darker ride than Pratchett or Tolkein, but one they would have enjoyed. A timeless yet fresh and modern take on it's genres.
January 19, 2026
The story is told in three parts. In the first, our three protagonists all live in the same small village on a conquered world. As the story progresses, they leave this world and try to find safety elsewhere. However, the old gods are coming back and the three find themselves in the middle of the ultimate battle between “good” and “evil”. There is magic in this universe, alongside technology; with the latter often relying on the former to function.
This series was considerably darker than my usual choices. The imagery was often bleak, brutal, and gruesome. The characters were mostly rather unlikeable and often made poor and/or selfish choices. Brohr and Lyssa, at least, seemed fundamentally to want to do the right thing, though often circumstances made that difficult. Henrik’s focus throughout was on what was best for Henrik, though this did not always result in happy outcomes for him. I think that this lack of likeability is a feature of the genre, and it does not detract from the enjoyment of the story.
Overall, I was really engrossed in the story and found it both interesting and unpredictable. I would recommend the trilogy to readers who enjoy complex characters and motivations, and can handle darker themes.
I received the audiobook of this trilogy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. The narration was excellent overall, though the speaking voices were a little inconsistent.
This series was considerably darker than my usual choices. The imagery was often bleak, brutal, and gruesome. The characters were mostly rather unlikeable and often made poor and/or selfish choices. Brohr and Lyssa, at least, seemed fundamentally to want to do the right thing, though often circumstances made that difficult. Henrik’s focus throughout was on what was best for Henrik, though this did not always result in happy outcomes for him. I think that this lack of likeability is a feature of the genre, and it does not detract from the enjoyment of the story.
Overall, I was really engrossed in the story and found it both interesting and unpredictable. I would recommend the trilogy to readers who enjoy complex characters and motivations, and can handle darker themes.
I received the audiobook of this trilogy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. The narration was excellent overall, though the speaking voices were a little inconsistent.
July 15, 2025
An absolute gem of a trilogy.
July 18, 2025
I ABSOLUTELY LOVED this trilogy - definitely a must-read for grimdark fans.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews