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The Bound and the Broken #4.5
The Truth
The Truth will set you free.
The final The Bound and The Broken novella coming 2026!
The final The Bound and The Broken novella coming 2026!
302 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2026
About the author
Ryan Cahill
12 books4,350 followersGet your FREE copy of The Fall – a prequel novella from Ryan Cahill's new epic fantasy series, The Bound and The Broken – when you sign up for his mailing list:
www.ryancahillauthor.com
Ryan Cahill is the Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series, The Bound and The Broken.
Born and raised in Ireland, Ryan now resides amongst the rolling hills and hobbit holes of Middle-Earth, New Zealand. He does not own enough swords, would sell his left kidney for a dragon egg, and despises mushrooms in all their eldritch forms.
There are three things Ryan has always told himself about writing. Write the books you want to read. Write the books that your younger self would be proud of you for reading. Make sure they have dragons.
www.ryancahillauthor.com
Ryan Cahill is the Sunday Times and USA Today bestselling author of the epic fantasy series, The Bound and The Broken.
Born and raised in Ireland, Ryan now resides amongst the rolling hills and hobbit holes of Middle-Earth, New Zealand. He does not own enough swords, would sell his left kidney for a dragon egg, and despises mushrooms in all their eldritch forms.
There are three things Ryan has always told himself about writing. Write the books you want to read. Write the books that your younger self would be proud of you for reading. Make sure they have dragons.
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September 21, 2026
“[W]hen they finally emerged on the other side all they could see was devastation.” That’s me at the end of this novella, utterly torn apart. It is especially heartbreaking since you know where these events lead if you’ve read The Fall, the first novella of The Bound and The Broken series.
The Truth is a wonderfully apt title since there are several views on what exactly that truth is. Whose truth is the right one? Is there even one? I was tossed around a lot, looking through different characters’ eyes and not knowing which way was up. Seeing Eltoar, Alvira, Aeson, Farda, and even Fane follow their tragic paths was tearing me apart. I especially felt with Farda, so much so that I spilled a few tears. But it was also a great joy getting to see the familiar characters and their backstories, as contradictory as that might sound. Yes, it was awfully painful but it was also exceptionally rewarding.
It was also immensely satisfying after finding out “what” happened in The Fall, to now find out “why” it happened. The Truth is also episodic, covering a span of 92 years that explains how people who once trusted and loved one another eventually become responsible for that catastrophe.
All in all, The Truth is another fantastic addition to one of my favorite fantasy series. I think a reread of the entire series is on the agenda until the final book will be released.
The Truth is a wonderfully apt title since there are several views on what exactly that truth is. Whose truth is the right one? Is there even one? I was tossed around a lot, looking through different characters’ eyes and not knowing which way was up. Seeing Eltoar, Alvira, Aeson, Farda, and even Fane follow their tragic paths was tearing me apart. I especially felt with Farda, so much so that I spilled a few tears. But it was also a great joy getting to see the familiar characters and their backstories, as contradictory as that might sound. Yes, it was awfully painful but it was also exceptionally rewarding.
It was also immensely satisfying after finding out “what” happened in The Fall, to now find out “why” it happened. The Truth is also episodic, covering a span of 92 years that explains how people who once trusted and loved one another eventually become responsible for that catastrophe.
All in all, The Truth is another fantastic addition to one of my favorite fantasy series. I think a reread of the entire series is on the agenda until the final book will be released.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Another 5 star banger from the master of dragon rider fantasy, Ryan Cahill!
Going into this, I just knew it was going to be special. Having read everything in this series you come to expect greatness. Even with all these unrealistic expectations, I was still blown away.
This is probably his most emotional book yet as it will make you FEEL for these characters. I like how he shows both sides of this conflict, never making it easy to tell who is good and who are the bad guys.
Some of the best battles and action scenes are scattered throughout the book. Perfect pacing from page one, I read this in two sittings. If I didn't have a TBR pile as tall as a building, I'd be more than happy to pick this up and do a re read.
I never thought I would find a novella that could top The Exile, but The Truth may very well be just too damn good. I've always said The Bound and the Broken is THE BEST fantasy series being written right now and I stand by that one thousand percent. While the novellas may not be required reading to understand the main story, you will miss so much greatness by not picking them up. They just add so much to every facet of the narrative that I think they elevate the story to a whole other level.
Short answer, read this and the main series. NOW.
Going into this, I just knew it was going to be special. Having read everything in this series you come to expect greatness. Even with all these unrealistic expectations, I was still blown away.
This is probably his most emotional book yet as it will make you FEEL for these characters. I like how he shows both sides of this conflict, never making it easy to tell who is good and who are the bad guys.
Some of the best battles and action scenes are scattered throughout the book. Perfect pacing from page one, I read this in two sittings. If I didn't have a TBR pile as tall as a building, I'd be more than happy to pick this up and do a re read.
I never thought I would find a novella that could top The Exile, but The Truth may very well be just too damn good. I've always said The Bound and the Broken is THE BEST fantasy series being written right now and I stand by that one thousand percent. While the novellas may not be required reading to understand the main story, you will miss so much greatness by not picking them up. They just add so much to every facet of the narrative that I think they elevate the story to a whole other level.
Short answer, read this and the main series. NOW.
June 18, 2026
1st & 2nd read: 5 stars!
Revealing, heartbreaking, devastating! RTC
Revealing, heartbreaking, devastating! RTC
June 17, 2026
“fly, alvira. in this life and always.”
•••
well this novella vindicates me for my eltoar love. it’s never going away. (pls don’t crucify me eltoar haters). and i didn’t expect to be crying over farda of all characters but somehow it happened twice.
this was a perfect novella for me, and a big part of that was definitely the scope. there are five povs on either side, and i empathised with and understood each one. seeing the same characters interact from each of their perspectives was also fascinating. eltoar and fane’s dynamic was probably my favorite. seeing eltoar get sucked into fane’s view of the world and how fane handled him was incredible.
the entire book had this impeding sense of doom as it came closer and closer to full circle, ending up right where the fall started. i just reread the fall and it hits so much harder now, having seen how long these fractures were forming for. hearing eltoar and alvira’s thoughts about each over absolutely killed me. those books really are two sides of the same coin; the fall was so action packed and immediate, focused in on the battle. the truth shows that it goes far beyond that. 92 years before the fall. 20 years. 7. 2. 1. 4 months. it’s very clear that there was never one breaking point for the order, and there were so, so many moments where things could’ve gone differently.
i’m so excited (scared) for of gods and ashes. i know it’s going to be absolutely insane.
•••
well this novella vindicates me for my eltoar love. it’s never going away. (pls don’t crucify me eltoar haters). and i didn’t expect to be crying over farda of all characters but somehow it happened twice.
this was a perfect novella for me, and a big part of that was definitely the scope. there are five povs on either side, and i empathised with and understood each one. seeing the same characters interact from each of their perspectives was also fascinating. eltoar and fane’s dynamic was probably my favorite. seeing eltoar get sucked into fane’s view of the world and how fane handled him was incredible.
the entire book had this impeding sense of doom as it came closer and closer to full circle, ending up right where the fall started. i just reread the fall and it hits so much harder now, having seen how long these fractures were forming for. hearing eltoar and alvira’s thoughts about each over absolutely killed me. those books really are two sides of the same coin; the fall was so action packed and immediate, focused in on the battle. the truth shows that it goes far beyond that. 92 years before the fall. 20 years. 7. 2. 1. 4 months. it’s very clear that there was never one breaking point for the order, and there were so, so many moments where things could’ve gone differently.
i’m so excited (scared) for of gods and ashes. i know it’s going to be absolutely insane.
June 19, 2026
Speechless. RTC!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Check out the FULL, spoiler-filled review at SFF Insiders
Ryan Cahill is a bloody genius. Plain and simple.
It is a near impossible task to put into words the level of anticipation and expectation I had before starting The Truth. I have loved The Bound and the Broken with a passion that deserves its own dragon bond. And this is potentially my favorite entry Ryan has given us in this epic narrative.
The Truth is a raw, bloody peek behind the curtain of betrayal and devastation that sets the emotional stage for what I would argue is THE new standard for epic, dragonrider fantasy series. I don’t make that claim lightly. There is just nothing that matches The Bound and the Broken for powerful, epic moments, inspirational speeches, bloody dragon battles, and nuanced characters with so much motivation that you find yourself rooting for every single character at different stages of the books. Of all the fantasy worlds that I love to frequent, Epheria is the one I consistently most long to return to so I can join the draleid on dragon wing. The Truth was a blast of dragonfire into my imagination as I was reminded how deeply I love The Bound and the Broken.
In my opinion, The Bound and the Broken is the greatest dragonrider series currently being written and is a strong contender for the best ever written. This is a series that transcends the epicness of bloody battles and inspiring speeches and has taken on a true life of its own. I’ve been saying it for years, but The Bound and the Broken is special. It just is.
If you haven’t started The Bound and the Broken, The Truth is not where you should start. But you NEED to read this book, because it is so, so good. So do yourself a favor, pick up a copy of Of Blood and Fire and start your journey.
“Draleid N’aldryr.”
Ryan Cahill is a bloody genius. Plain and simple.
It is a near impossible task to put into words the level of anticipation and expectation I had before starting The Truth. I have loved The Bound and the Broken with a passion that deserves its own dragon bond. And this is potentially my favorite entry Ryan has given us in this epic narrative.
The Truth is a raw, bloody peek behind the curtain of betrayal and devastation that sets the emotional stage for what I would argue is THE new standard for epic, dragonrider fantasy series. I don’t make that claim lightly. There is just nothing that matches The Bound and the Broken for powerful, epic moments, inspirational speeches, bloody dragon battles, and nuanced characters with so much motivation that you find yourself rooting for every single character at different stages of the books. Of all the fantasy worlds that I love to frequent, Epheria is the one I consistently most long to return to so I can join the draleid on dragon wing. The Truth was a blast of dragonfire into my imagination as I was reminded how deeply I love The Bound and the Broken.
In my opinion, The Bound and the Broken is the greatest dragonrider series currently being written and is a strong contender for the best ever written. This is a series that transcends the epicness of bloody battles and inspiring speeches and has taken on a true life of its own. I’ve been saying it for years, but The Bound and the Broken is special. It just is.
If you haven’t started The Bound and the Broken, The Truth is not where you should start. But you NEED to read this book, because it is so, so good. So do yourself a favor, pick up a copy of Of Blood and Fire and start your journey.
“Draleid N’aldryr.”
Review of advance copy received from Author
"And believe me when I tell you, the truth will set you free. Or it will kill you.”
We have the final not-a-novella from Ryan Cahill in the behemoth that is The Bound and the Broken, and as a fan, I'd have it no other way. Sitting around 80k words, The Truth is less of a linear story and more like bullet points throughout the time leading up to The Fall. These bullet points highlight important battles, decisions, conversations and revelations. Don't get me wrong, the story flows well and the pacing is fantastic, but we have some big time jumps.
The questions that are answered left me with more…but it does answer some of the lingering questions of the fandom about the build up to that night of betrayal.
Like in everything Cahill writes, he is able to carry on important parts of the plot while deep diving into the thoughts and emotions of his characters. I think this is his finest skill as an author. The ability to take knowledge and events the reader is already aware of and still make them care as they read the moments unfold is a special talent. But there are many new revelations dealing with character relationships and motivations. There were parts that gave me actual chills. Two moments that are still stuck in my mind.
We go through points in time with beloved and disdained characters alike, reliving so many of their darkest moments, while also covering new ground with Alivra, the Archon of the Draleid and the absolute Legend that she has become in the series lore.
Some of the best parts of The Truth are about the characters most of us would consider villains. Fane Mortem is my favorite PoV, followed by Farda Kyrana. There is something sickening to me about finding good qualities and heroic deeds from two characters I've actually hated throughout this series…But that's the point. Nothing is black and white and everything is grey. Fane and Farda are shown in a new light that really starts to make the reader question some of their feelings about them.
Cahill has delivered a tense, emotional, political, thought-provoking installment into his series. The book has the probability to leave readers even more at odds when it comes to how they view the night of The Fall and which side was more right…because you can actually make arguments for both.
"All swords seem a valiant thing until they cut you, and you learn to fear their edge."
The Truth has set the final stage. Of God's and Ashes is the most anticipated book of my life and I look forward to the day I hold it in my hands.
We have the final not-a-novella from Ryan Cahill in the behemoth that is The Bound and the Broken, and as a fan, I'd have it no other way. Sitting around 80k words, The Truth is less of a linear story and more like bullet points throughout the time leading up to The Fall. These bullet points highlight important battles, decisions, conversations and revelations. Don't get me wrong, the story flows well and the pacing is fantastic, but we have some big time jumps.
The questions that are answered left me with more…but it does answer some of the lingering questions of the fandom about the build up to that night of betrayal.
Like in everything Cahill writes, he is able to carry on important parts of the plot while deep diving into the thoughts and emotions of his characters. I think this is his finest skill as an author. The ability to take knowledge and events the reader is already aware of and still make them care as they read the moments unfold is a special talent. But there are many new revelations dealing with character relationships and motivations. There were parts that gave me actual chills. Two moments that are still stuck in my mind.
We go through points in time with beloved and disdained characters alike, reliving so many of their darkest moments, while also covering new ground with Alivra, the Archon of the Draleid and the absolute Legend that she has become in the series lore.
Some of the best parts of The Truth are about the characters most of us would consider villains. Fane Mortem is my favorite PoV, followed by Farda Kyrana. There is something sickening to me about finding good qualities and heroic deeds from two characters I've actually hated throughout this series…But that's the point. Nothing is black and white and everything is grey. Fane and Farda are shown in a new light that really starts to make the reader question some of their feelings about them.
Cahill has delivered a tense, emotional, political, thought-provoking installment into his series. The book has the probability to leave readers even more at odds when it comes to how they view the night of The Fall and which side was more right…because you can actually make arguments for both.
"All swords seem a valiant thing until they cut you, and you learn to fear their edge."
The Truth has set the final stage. Of God's and Ashes is the most anticipated book of my life and I look forward to the day I hold it in my hands.
July 12, 2026
So I received an early advanced copy of this and immediately dropped what I was reading…
In a series known for having really good and crucial to read novellas, I am happy to say that the final novella in The Bound and the Broken hits the mark and is in my opinion the strongest of the novellas.
Absolutely heartbreaking and as the title suggests, we learn the The Truth of why The Fall occurred. Cahill has come such a long way in such a short period of time and it really shows with this.
This one hurts but is oh so good.
5/5
In a series known for having really good and crucial to read novellas, I am happy to say that the final novella in The Bound and the Broken hits the mark and is in my opinion the strongest of the novellas.
Absolutely heartbreaking and as the title suggests, we learn the The Truth of why The Fall occurred. Cahill has come such a long way in such a short period of time and it really shows with this.
This one hurts but is oh so good.
5/5
September 30, 2026
Another amazing novella in The Bound and the Broken series. I'm sad this is the last one because these novellas have been some of my absolute favorites not just for the series, but as far as a novella goes in general. Ryan knows how to pack a punch with this and hit you where it hurts. And this one, is no different. In all honesty, it makes me want to reread the whole series.
Absolute banger. Read The Bound and the Broken if you haven't ASAP!!
Absolute banger. Read The Bound and the Broken if you haven't ASAP!!
July 15, 2026
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For more reviews, go to: https://wolfmantula.com/recent-posts/
————————————————————————————————
MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: Advanced Reader Copy
The Truth is a powerful yet intoxicating story that captures a raw and visceral account of how the entire order of Draleid and their ideals slowly unraveled from within over nearly a century. Cahill uses time jumps to perfection, keeping the pacing tight and the tension at its peak throughout. Spanning from 92 years before the events of The Fall, it shows the growing fractures all the way to the very day of when the order ceased to exist. It is a story of corruption, betrayal and tragedy, and while it always feels like Cahill has reached his peak, he proves to be a true student of the craft by finding new ways to work in something he’s never done before and nails it flawlessly.
The story is told through many point of views, but is mainly about Alvira, Eltoar, Farda and Fane while giving glimpses of other characters that we’ve all grown to love like Aeson, Chora and Salara. It’s something special to see who all these characters were before the world changed because The Truth is a perfectly crafted work of art that humanizes every single character. Each of these characters deliver an incredible dynamic that not only sets the entire world of Epheria ablaze, but lit a fire in my own heart.
I’m no stranger to Cahill mollywhopping me in the emotional feels, but The Truth was a knockout punch to the very core of my soul. There’s certain things you can write about or put in film that would break me. I’m not a father, but I am an uncle to two wonderful kiddos that I adore to the end of time, and there’s a part of this story that honestly completely wrecked me. It made me understand the ache, the pain and the absolute torment that destroyed a man’s heart and made me like a certain character more than I ever had, because I would be him… and he’s actually now my favorite character because of this. Cahill said this was not a happy story and he didn’t lie.
“The why of things always matters… If we do not understand why something has happened then we are doomed to watch it happen again. The cause of something is rarely what we see on the surface.”
The Truth is one of those stories that needed to be told more than any other story, because this is, in fact, the truth. Seeing the city of Ilnaen at its height rather than just the glimpses we’ve gotten throughout the series adds an even deeper layer to the tragedy of this story. It makes you realize just how controlled everything is and how long the manipulation has been going on. How deeply rooted it is and how far one is willing to go to see his plans develop. It shows that the “bad guys” all along were just being puppeteered by someone else, the mastermind behind it all.
One of my biggest issues as a reviewer is how much Star Wars I see in things and I wish I didn’t see it everywhere. I can’t help but see the Star Wars parallels within the story even more than what I’ve already seen throughout the series. I may be grasping at straws here but these feel correct to me: Amatkai feels like Sidious, Fane as Count Dooku, Eltoar as Anakin, Farda as Maul, Alvira as Qui-Gon, Aeson as Obi-Wan, Salara as Ahsoka and even Chora has a Yoda-like feeling about her. The Truth feels like a mix of the prequels. The corruption happens differently and at a later time in life, but we now know how it all started. This reminds me of one of the most famous quotes in all of Star Wars: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
By weaving this intricate web of manipulation, Cahill has crafted a tragedy that strikes with absolute precision. The Truth isn’t just a prequel, it is a vital expansion of The Bound and the Broken lore that proves the most terrifying monsters may not be the ones we suspected all along. It is a stunning, heartbreaking, and completely unmissable achievement that will linger in your thoughts and discussions long after the final page is turned.
Follow me on X: Twitter.com/wolfmantula
For more reviews, go to: https://wolfmantula.com/recent-posts/
————————————————————————————————
MY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5
FORMAT: Advanced Reader Copy
The Truth is a powerful yet intoxicating story that captures a raw and visceral account of how the entire order of Draleid and their ideals slowly unraveled from within over nearly a century. Cahill uses time jumps to perfection, keeping the pacing tight and the tension at its peak throughout. Spanning from 92 years before the events of The Fall, it shows the growing fractures all the way to the very day of when the order ceased to exist. It is a story of corruption, betrayal and tragedy, and while it always feels like Cahill has reached his peak, he proves to be a true student of the craft by finding new ways to work in something he’s never done before and nails it flawlessly.
The story is told through many point of views, but is mainly about Alvira, Eltoar, Farda and Fane while giving glimpses of other characters that we’ve all grown to love like Aeson, Chora and Salara. It’s something special to see who all these characters were before the world changed because The Truth is a perfectly crafted work of art that humanizes every single character. Each of these characters deliver an incredible dynamic that not only sets the entire world of Epheria ablaze, but lit a fire in my own heart.
I’m no stranger to Cahill mollywhopping me in the emotional feels, but The Truth was a knockout punch to the very core of my soul. There’s certain things you can write about or put in film that would break me. I’m not a father, but I am an uncle to two wonderful kiddos that I adore to the end of time, and there’s a part of this story that honestly completely wrecked me. It made me understand the ache, the pain and the absolute torment that destroyed a man’s heart and made me like a certain character more than I ever had, because I would be him… and he’s actually now my favorite character because of this. Cahill said this was not a happy story and he didn’t lie.
“The why of things always matters… If we do not understand why something has happened then we are doomed to watch it happen again. The cause of something is rarely what we see on the surface.”
The Truth is one of those stories that needed to be told more than any other story, because this is, in fact, the truth. Seeing the city of Ilnaen at its height rather than just the glimpses we’ve gotten throughout the series adds an even deeper layer to the tragedy of this story. It makes you realize just how controlled everything is and how long the manipulation has been going on. How deeply rooted it is and how far one is willing to go to see his plans develop. It shows that the “bad guys” all along were just being puppeteered by someone else, the mastermind behind it all.
One of my biggest issues as a reviewer is how much Star Wars I see in things and I wish I didn’t see it everywhere. I can’t help but see the Star Wars parallels within the story even more than what I’ve already seen throughout the series. I may be grasping at straws here but these feel correct to me: Amatkai feels like Sidious, Fane as Count Dooku, Eltoar as Anakin, Farda as Maul, Alvira as Qui-Gon, Aeson as Obi-Wan, Salara as Ahsoka and even Chora has a Yoda-like feeling about her. The Truth feels like a mix of the prequels. The corruption happens differently and at a later time in life, but we now know how it all started. This reminds me of one of the most famous quotes in all of Star Wars: “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.”
By weaving this intricate web of manipulation, Cahill has crafted a tragedy that strikes with absolute precision. The Truth isn’t just a prequel, it is a vital expansion of The Bound and the Broken lore that proves the most terrifying monsters may not be the ones we suspected all along. It is a stunning, heartbreaking, and completely unmissable achievement that will linger in your thoughts and discussions long after the final page is turned.
August 7, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Ryan Cahill ist ein Mastermind!
The Truth ist der Countdown zu „The Fall“. Mit der Novelle „The Fall“ hat die ganze Reise angefangen. Und jetzt, 4 Novellen und 4 Hauptbände später, bekommen wir von Ryan Cahill die Vorgeschichte präsentiert; und diese lässt ALLES und JEDEN in einem anderen bzw. neuen Licht erscheinen!!! Ich kann garnicht in Worte fassen, wie unfassbar genial Cahill ist und wie er die ganze Story und jeden einzelnen Charakter durch diese Informationen durchrüttelt! Man möchte am liebsten sofort nochmal die ganze Buchreihe von vorne lesen, mit dem Wissen im Hinterkopf, was man jetzt nach der Lektüre von „The Truth“ hat.
Cahills Bücher haben von Anfang an vor grauen Charakteren nur so gestrotzt, aber was man hier erfährt, lässt einen die vermeintlichen „Bösewichte“ nochmal ganz anders und auf einem tieferen Level verstehen. Eine spezielle Hintergrundgeschichte hat mich dermaßen gebrochen, dass ich aus dem Weinen kaum mehr herausgekommen bin. Ich gebe zu, dass ich für diesen Charakter (obwohl Antagonist) schon immer einen Softspot hatte - zu erfahren, was die Hintergründe waren, warum er die Entscheidungen die er getroffen hat, gefällt hat, war unglaublich schmerzhaft mitzuerleben. Ebenso schmerzhaft war mit anzusehen, wie wahre und respektvolle Freundschaften zerbrechen konnten und wie durch gezielte Manipulation Dinge erreicht werden können - absolut erschreckend!
Mein Herz ist bei dieser Reihe und den Charakteren - die Reihe ist mein Platz 1 und hat mein Leben beeinflusst und verändert - Ryan Cahill ist für mich ein absolutes Mastermind und das, was er hier geschaffen hat und vor allem auch, WIE er uns das näherbringt, ist der absolute Wahnsinn! Wie alles zusammenhängt und wie die Charaktere aufgebaut sind, ist ein einziges Kunstwerk und Meisterwerk! Ich kann hier nur super persönliche Worte schreiben, weil die Reihe so viel mit mir macht und ich einfach nichts anderes tun kann als zu schwärmen und mein Herz sprudeln zu lassen!!
Mit tiefer Demut und Dankbarkeit, dass ich diese Geschichte lesen darf und dass sie Teil meiner DNA werden konnte 🙏🙏🙏
Lest bitte alle diese Reihe - sie wird nächstes Jahr auch auf Deutsch kommen 🙏🥳
Ryan Cahill ist ein Mastermind!
The Truth ist der Countdown zu „The Fall“. Mit der Novelle „The Fall“ hat die ganze Reise angefangen. Und jetzt, 4 Novellen und 4 Hauptbände später, bekommen wir von Ryan Cahill die Vorgeschichte präsentiert; und diese lässt ALLES und JEDEN in einem anderen bzw. neuen Licht erscheinen!!! Ich kann garnicht in Worte fassen, wie unfassbar genial Cahill ist und wie er die ganze Story und jeden einzelnen Charakter durch diese Informationen durchrüttelt! Man möchte am liebsten sofort nochmal die ganze Buchreihe von vorne lesen, mit dem Wissen im Hinterkopf, was man jetzt nach der Lektüre von „The Truth“ hat.
Cahills Bücher haben von Anfang an vor grauen Charakteren nur so gestrotzt, aber was man hier erfährt, lässt einen die vermeintlichen „Bösewichte“ nochmal ganz anders und auf einem tieferen Level verstehen. Eine spezielle Hintergrundgeschichte hat mich dermaßen gebrochen, dass ich aus dem Weinen kaum mehr herausgekommen bin. Ich gebe zu, dass ich für diesen Charakter (obwohl Antagonist) schon immer einen Softspot hatte - zu erfahren, was die Hintergründe waren, warum er die Entscheidungen die er getroffen hat, gefällt hat, war unglaublich schmerzhaft mitzuerleben. Ebenso schmerzhaft war mit anzusehen, wie wahre und respektvolle Freundschaften zerbrechen konnten und wie durch gezielte Manipulation Dinge erreicht werden können - absolut erschreckend!
Mein Herz ist bei dieser Reihe und den Charakteren - die Reihe ist mein Platz 1 und hat mein Leben beeinflusst und verändert - Ryan Cahill ist für mich ein absolutes Mastermind und das, was er hier geschaffen hat und vor allem auch, WIE er uns das näherbringt, ist der absolute Wahnsinn! Wie alles zusammenhängt und wie die Charaktere aufgebaut sind, ist ein einziges Kunstwerk und Meisterwerk! Ich kann hier nur super persönliche Worte schreiben, weil die Reihe so viel mit mir macht und ich einfach nichts anderes tun kann als zu schwärmen und mein Herz sprudeln zu lassen!!
Mit tiefer Demut und Dankbarkeit, dass ich diese Geschichte lesen darf und dass sie Teil meiner DNA werden konnte 🙏🙏🙏
Lest bitte alle diese Reihe - sie wird nächstes Jahr auch auf Deutsch kommen 🙏🥳
July 4, 2026
The last novella of The Bound and the Broken series doesn’t hold back on the emotional gut punches!
As always with Cahill’s work this is fantastically well paced. Full of action, politics and some jaw dropping revelations, The Truth adds a new perspective into the lore of this series and has me even more amped for Of Gods and Ashes.
The depth and development that Novellas have provided to this series is incredible and I think this may be my favourite of them.
(I received my eARC from the author as a member of his Patreon)
As always with Cahill’s work this is fantastically well paced. Full of action, politics and some jaw dropping revelations, The Truth adds a new perspective into the lore of this series and has me even more amped for Of Gods and Ashes.
The depth and development that Novellas have provided to this series is incredible and I think this may be my favourite of them.
(I received my eARC from the author as a member of his Patreon)
Review of advance copy
Got this as an e-Arc through Ryan Cahill's Patreon.
This was yet another good novella filling in some of the blanks. Amazing lore and awesome perspectives blurring the lines on who to root for even more. I can't go into more details, because to do so would ruin it for people that haven't read it yet.
And now I have to wait for the last book 😫
This was yet another good novella filling in some of the blanks. Amazing lore and awesome perspectives blurring the lines on who to root for even more. I can't go into more details, because to do so would ruin it for people that haven't read it yet.
And now I have to wait for the last book 😫
June 23, 2026
Blessed to have been able to read an ARC of this one!
An incredible addition to the world of The Bound and the Broken and one that provides an immense amount of new perspective to the series.
I’m primed for the final installment and will be counting down the days until its arrival!
An incredible addition to the world of The Bound and the Broken and one that provides an immense amount of new perspective to the series.
I’m primed for the final installment and will be counting down the days until its arrival!
July 30, 2026
This book was awesome and it really has me excited for the last book in the series. It’s these novellas which add so much to the overall story and make you want to reread all the previous books in the series. I am grateful to Ryan for giving me this Arc to read and really can’t wait for the final novel in the series because this book was fantastic!
September 10, 2026
Officially my favorite novella in the series. I couldn’t put it down from the very start. It was everything and more I could have hoped for. I love this it fills in the history and lore that led to the fall. So much action, emotion, and depth. I cannot wait for the final book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
The prolific Ryan Cahill has done it again. He’s produced another banger of a story in seemingly less time than it takes a hatched dragon to grow.
Flippancy aside, I’m sure Cahill spent many hours at all times of day and night pouring figurative blood, sweat and tears - and bucket-loads of talent - into crafting this whopper of a novella.
Coming in at just under 300 pages, this baby is as big as some fully-grown novels and packs an emotional punch as weighty as the mighty Helios.
I continue to be in awe at not only how prodigious Cahill is but also the consistently fantastic quality of his work.
The Truth is no exception. It’s a gripping insight into what caused The Fall (the subject of the first novella in The Bound and The Broken series) and the motivations of the major players in that tumultuous event.
It’s fascinating to experience the causes and build-up to this epic history from various viewpoints and it adds so much depth to the Epheria world lore and the overall series’ story.
It challenges readers’ understanding and previous perceptions about what happened to The Order and left my appetite whetted even more for the finale to what is proving an incredible journey.
There are so many aspects of Cahill’s writing which deserve praise. From exhilarating action and characters who wring every emotion from you, to hugely imaginative worldbuilding and dialogue which lingers long in the memory.
Ultimately, the simple truth is: he’s a superb storyteller and every aspect of his craft contributes to him being absolutely on top of his game when it comes to epic fantasy.
I mentioned his dialogue. Cahill doesn't just write great dialogue, he writes superbly quotable dialogue. Speeches which inspire, chill and awe. Lines which deserve to be savoured and pored over time and time again.
I’m truly so impressed by the words he weaves, the emotions he sparks and the wisdom he imparts through his characters.
The dialogue is philosophical at times. At others, it’s pure and raw emotion. And, in some instances, we get irritable profanity, courtesy of the wonderfully cynical and blunt Castor - a very welcome newcomer to the series.
Many of The Truth’s cast, however, are already well known to us but this prequel novella peels back and reveals so much more about them.
Avoiding spoilers, I loved the contrasting character arcs of Alvira Serris and Eltoar Daethana, discovering what shaped Farda Kyrana into the man we first meet in Of Blood and Fire, and likewise getting inside the head of Fane Mortem. It’s wonderful stuff.
Like every Cahill book, The Truth is full to the brim with emotion and powerful themes. Characters deal with the burdens and challenges of duty and honour. They are haunted by the deaths of comrades and loved ones. They are torn between loyalty and revolution, and they pay the price of doing what they think is right when faced with the corruptive influences of power.
We are treated to scintillating action from the outset and it rarely lets up. We experience the brutality and sheer power of dragon combat and the devastating mental and physical trauma when the bonds between dragons and their riders are broken by death.
The pages are packed with love, loss, grief, betrayal, sacrifice and vengeance. They are full of portentous and momentous events - thunderous battles, verbal confrontations and tough decisions - which have huge consequences down the line, leading to the tragedy of The Fall and everything which followed in a broken world.
In fact, this story is all about tragedy. Not just the terrible slaughter of The Fall itself but the transformation of the leading characters and their relationships across the decades preceding that pivotal event, and the emotional weight of their crumbling fellowship.
Structured through chronological time-jumps, each focusing on a crack in The Order’s foundations, the novella is an exploration of loss and the high cost of duty as the characters navigate a world order in which grief and dutiful service collide with the balance and corruption of power.
A recurring quote - “The darkness of this world needs nothing more to triumph than good souls looking on and doing nothing” - serves as a moral compass which would resonate in any period of real world history.
And then there is the repeating debate about duty, honour and sacrifice, and whether the lives of a few are an ethical trade-off when saving the lives of many, or whether even the lives of many are sometimes worth a stable world order and a “greater good”.
We have a reference to the humble willow in a poem which is recited to signify how some roles bear the pain of the world so others don’t have to. And an argument that “all great things require sacrifice” to justify mass deaths for the sake of positive change.
Heavy stuff, delivered with poignancy, passion and a sensitivity to the joys and ills of any world, real or imaginary.
The story has a political thriller streak running through it, with secret meetings in hidden places and a cabal of underground resistance fighters plotting rebellion. I enjoyed this element, and it underpinned the fracturing and building of different relationships as the characters moved towards the inevitable and fateful, climactic showdown.
I think the essence of a great fiction writer is not just about the cleverness of the sentences they put on a page. Although Cahill is a magician with words, it’s the power of his storytelling which shines brightest for me. It captivates, it surprises, it inspires, it hurts and it delights.
Cahill binds us with characters who speak to our hearts and souls, and he breaks us with the sheer emotive power of his writing as he puts those characters through the absolute wringer.
And I’m here for every moment of it, so bring on the final chapter. I’m no Seerdruid but I'm confidently predicting that Cahill’s destiny is to forge a path to glory with the series finale.
* I received an advanced reader copy and this is a voluntary review.
Flippancy aside, I’m sure Cahill spent many hours at all times of day and night pouring figurative blood, sweat and tears - and bucket-loads of talent - into crafting this whopper of a novella.
Coming in at just under 300 pages, this baby is as big as some fully-grown novels and packs an emotional punch as weighty as the mighty Helios.
I continue to be in awe at not only how prodigious Cahill is but also the consistently fantastic quality of his work.
The Truth is no exception. It’s a gripping insight into what caused The Fall (the subject of the first novella in The Bound and The Broken series) and the motivations of the major players in that tumultuous event.
It’s fascinating to experience the causes and build-up to this epic history from various viewpoints and it adds so much depth to the Epheria world lore and the overall series’ story.
It challenges readers’ understanding and previous perceptions about what happened to The Order and left my appetite whetted even more for the finale to what is proving an incredible journey.
There are so many aspects of Cahill’s writing which deserve praise. From exhilarating action and characters who wring every emotion from you, to hugely imaginative worldbuilding and dialogue which lingers long in the memory.
Ultimately, the simple truth is: he’s a superb storyteller and every aspect of his craft contributes to him being absolutely on top of his game when it comes to epic fantasy.
I mentioned his dialogue. Cahill doesn't just write great dialogue, he writes superbly quotable dialogue. Speeches which inspire, chill and awe. Lines which deserve to be savoured and pored over time and time again.
I’m truly so impressed by the words he weaves, the emotions he sparks and the wisdom he imparts through his characters.
The dialogue is philosophical at times. At others, it’s pure and raw emotion. And, in some instances, we get irritable profanity, courtesy of the wonderfully cynical and blunt Castor - a very welcome newcomer to the series.
Many of The Truth’s cast, however, are already well known to us but this prequel novella peels back and reveals so much more about them.
Avoiding spoilers, I loved the contrasting character arcs of Alvira Serris and Eltoar Daethana, discovering what shaped Farda Kyrana into the man we first meet in Of Blood and Fire, and likewise getting inside the head of Fane Mortem. It’s wonderful stuff.
Like every Cahill book, The Truth is full to the brim with emotion and powerful themes. Characters deal with the burdens and challenges of duty and honour. They are haunted by the deaths of comrades and loved ones. They are torn between loyalty and revolution, and they pay the price of doing what they think is right when faced with the corruptive influences of power.
We are treated to scintillating action from the outset and it rarely lets up. We experience the brutality and sheer power of dragon combat and the devastating mental and physical trauma when the bonds between dragons and their riders are broken by death.
The pages are packed with love, loss, grief, betrayal, sacrifice and vengeance. They are full of portentous and momentous events - thunderous battles, verbal confrontations and tough decisions - which have huge consequences down the line, leading to the tragedy of The Fall and everything which followed in a broken world.
In fact, this story is all about tragedy. Not just the terrible slaughter of The Fall itself but the transformation of the leading characters and their relationships across the decades preceding that pivotal event, and the emotional weight of their crumbling fellowship.
Structured through chronological time-jumps, each focusing on a crack in The Order’s foundations, the novella is an exploration of loss and the high cost of duty as the characters navigate a world order in which grief and dutiful service collide with the balance and corruption of power.
A recurring quote - “The darkness of this world needs nothing more to triumph than good souls looking on and doing nothing” - serves as a moral compass which would resonate in any period of real world history.
And then there is the repeating debate about duty, honour and sacrifice, and whether the lives of a few are an ethical trade-off when saving the lives of many, or whether even the lives of many are sometimes worth a stable world order and a “greater good”.
We have a reference to the humble willow in a poem which is recited to signify how some roles bear the pain of the world so others don’t have to. And an argument that “all great things require sacrifice” to justify mass deaths for the sake of positive change.
Heavy stuff, delivered with poignancy, passion and a sensitivity to the joys and ills of any world, real or imaginary.
The story has a political thriller streak running through it, with secret meetings in hidden places and a cabal of underground resistance fighters plotting rebellion. I enjoyed this element, and it underpinned the fracturing and building of different relationships as the characters moved towards the inevitable and fateful, climactic showdown.
I think the essence of a great fiction writer is not just about the cleverness of the sentences they put on a page. Although Cahill is a magician with words, it’s the power of his storytelling which shines brightest for me. It captivates, it surprises, it inspires, it hurts and it delights.
Cahill binds us with characters who speak to our hearts and souls, and he breaks us with the sheer emotive power of his writing as he puts those characters through the absolute wringer.
And I’m here for every moment of it, so bring on the final chapter. I’m no Seerdruid but I'm confidently predicting that Cahill’s destiny is to forge a path to glory with the series finale.
* I received an advanced reader copy and this is a voluntary review.
Review of advance copy received from Autorin bzw. Autor
𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐀𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐫
THE TRUTH is the fourth novella in THE BOUND AND THE BROKEN. I can't even say this is my favorite novella, because each one has been exceptional in its own way. They all tell a different story and have a distinct voice. This time, we finally get the long-awaited backstory to The Fall.
Like a countdown, this novella—one that could almost be considered a short novel—relentlessly builds toward the night the Order falls.
The story begins ninety-two years earlier, tracing the events that ultimately lead to the great betrayel among the Draleid.
What unfolds is a story of pain, broken ideals, disappointment, and a growing sense of estrangement.
At its heart are Alvira Serris, Eltoar Daethana, and Farda Kyrana. As Draleid, they share an extraordinary bond—perhaps something even deeper than friendship. More like family. They are Bound, connected to one another on a level that reaches far beyond words, strengthened by the Soulkin bond they share with their dragons.
The Draleid serve the Order, defending it with unwavering honor, firm principles, and an unshakable sense of duty.
As always, Ryan Cahill excels at creating conflicts that resist simple moral judgment. The Draleid are forced into impossible choices where there are no right answers—only different prices to pay.
Years later, Alvira becomes Archon and assumes leadership of the Draleid. The weight of that role changes her. She grows calmer, more responsible, and increasingly driven by reason, while her closest friends remain guided more by emotion and idealism. It is this gradual divergence that accelerates the tragic chain of events, culminating beneath a blood moon in the burning ruins of Ilnaen.
Even though I knew exactly where the story was heading, I felt a growing sense of dread with every chapter. I found myself fearing events that had already become inevitable. That is what The Bound and the Broken does to me every single time: it makes me feel.
That emotional impact comes largely from Cahill's incredible character work.
"The elf had always had an intensity about him, a way of staring at everyone and everything as though they were works of art to be studied and puzzled"
Every character feels fully realized, with clear motivations and distinct personalities. Through the shifting perspectives, we come to understand their emotions and the choices they make—even when we don't agree with them.
Ever since Of War and Ruin, one central idea has run through this series for me: there is no absolute truth. There are only perspectives. Nowhere is that message more evident than in The Truth.
A book called The Truth that spends every chapter reminding us that truth itself depends on where we stand.
The primary antagonist here is Fane, and his scenes with Eltoar were among my favorites in the entire novella. This is what true temptation looks like—not force, but doubt, understanding, and small, deliberate steps. Their conversations are a dance, beautifully written from beginning to end. And what makes it even more compelling is that Fane himself is, in many ways, someone who was once seduced as well.
Something else that stood out to me once again is the way Cahill writes relationships. His characters speak to one another as though they genuinely matter to each other. Friendship, family, and love all feel authentic.
Because of that, loss and betrayal carry real weight. The characters' lives matter—and so do their relationships. In many fantasy novels, moments like these are dealt with quickly before the story moves on. Not here. Cahill shows just how deeply our relationships shape us and how profoundly their loss continues to echo.
Toward the end, there is an abrupt cut exactly where The Fall begins. That was honestly my only real criticism. I would have loved to see that transition handled a little differently—perhaps by revisiting a few familiar scenes from The Fall, but now through this new perspective and with everything we've learned in The Truth.
I mention this partly because I don't want this review to read like nothing but praise. 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙍𝙐𝙏𝙃 is, I genuinely struggled to find much to criticize.
As with every book in this series, I couldn't start another one for several days after finishing it. I've come to expect that from Ryan Cahill's books. They stay with me. They refuse to let me go.
I'll end with a quote from a fellow reader because I honestly don't think this series has ever been described more perfectly:
"You begin the book bound. You finish it broken. That's why it's called The Bound and the Broken."
THE TRUTH is the fourth novella in THE BOUND AND THE BROKEN. I can't even say this is my favorite novella, because each one has been exceptional in its own way. They all tell a different story and have a distinct voice. This time, we finally get the long-awaited backstory to The Fall.
Like a countdown, this novella—one that could almost be considered a short novel—relentlessly builds toward the night the Order falls.
The story begins ninety-two years earlier, tracing the events that ultimately lead to the great betrayel among the Draleid.
What unfolds is a story of pain, broken ideals, disappointment, and a growing sense of estrangement.
At its heart are Alvira Serris, Eltoar Daethana, and Farda Kyrana. As Draleid, they share an extraordinary bond—perhaps something even deeper than friendship. More like family. They are Bound, connected to one another on a level that reaches far beyond words, strengthened by the Soulkin bond they share with their dragons.
The Draleid serve the Order, defending it with unwavering honor, firm principles, and an unshakable sense of duty.
As always, Ryan Cahill excels at creating conflicts that resist simple moral judgment. The Draleid are forced into impossible choices where there are no right answers—only different prices to pay.
Years later, Alvira becomes Archon and assumes leadership of the Draleid. The weight of that role changes her. She grows calmer, more responsible, and increasingly driven by reason, while her closest friends remain guided more by emotion and idealism. It is this gradual divergence that accelerates the tragic chain of events, culminating beneath a blood moon in the burning ruins of Ilnaen.
Even though I knew exactly where the story was heading, I felt a growing sense of dread with every chapter. I found myself fearing events that had already become inevitable. That is what The Bound and the Broken does to me every single time: it makes me feel.
That emotional impact comes largely from Cahill's incredible character work.
"The elf had always had an intensity about him, a way of staring at everyone and everything as though they were works of art to be studied and puzzled"
Every character feels fully realized, with clear motivations and distinct personalities. Through the shifting perspectives, we come to understand their emotions and the choices they make—even when we don't agree with them.
Ever since Of War and Ruin, one central idea has run through this series for me: there is no absolute truth. There are only perspectives. Nowhere is that message more evident than in The Truth.
A book called The Truth that spends every chapter reminding us that truth itself depends on where we stand.
The primary antagonist here is Fane, and his scenes with Eltoar were among my favorites in the entire novella. This is what true temptation looks like—not force, but doubt, understanding, and small, deliberate steps. Their conversations are a dance, beautifully written from beginning to end. And what makes it even more compelling is that Fane himself is, in many ways, someone who was once seduced as well.
Something else that stood out to me once again is the way Cahill writes relationships. His characters speak to one another as though they genuinely matter to each other. Friendship, family, and love all feel authentic.
Because of that, loss and betrayal carry real weight. The characters' lives matter—and so do their relationships. In many fantasy novels, moments like these are dealt with quickly before the story moves on. Not here. Cahill shows just how deeply our relationships shape us and how profoundly their loss continues to echo.
Toward the end, there is an abrupt cut exactly where The Fall begins. That was honestly my only real criticism. I would have loved to see that transition handled a little differently—perhaps by revisiting a few familiar scenes from The Fall, but now through this new perspective and with everything we've learned in The Truth.
I mention this partly because I don't want this review to read like nothing but praise. 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙏𝙍𝙐𝙏𝙃 is, I genuinely struggled to find much to criticize.
As with every book in this series, I couldn't start another one for several days after finishing it. I've come to expect that from Ryan Cahill's books. They stay with me. They refuse to let me go.
I'll end with a quote from a fellow reader because I honestly don't think this series has ever been described more perfectly:
"You begin the book bound. You finish it broken. That's why it's called The Bound and the Broken."
July 2, 2026
I received an eARC as of The Truth by Ryan Cahill as a member of his Patreon. AS noted by the author, this novella is best read after reading all the previous novellas and novellas to date. My review is intended to be mostly spoiler free but will discuss and reference characters’ motivations, impacts, and outcomes from the rest of the series. So I marked it with spoilers, just in case! Additionally, I have chose quotes from each section that I think reflect the key theme of that section. It will include names of the POVs we see within this novella. This is my review.
Part I - 92 years before The Fall
“If we do not understand why something has happened then we are doomed to watch it happen again. The cause of something is rarely what we see on the surface.” - It is important to question the reasoning behind a decision or action, especially one of such magnitude as betrayal. Sometimes we can make sense of the treachery through such questioning but sometimes there will never be an explanation.
Cahill uses rapid switching between the POVs of three Draleid we know from TBATB series. The three POVs cover a battle but focuses more on its emotional impact and toll. You get a firsthand witness of the carnage that is Draleid vs Draleid battling. However, the focus of these first 4 chapters is the impact of war and its loss. A discussion on the reason behind the betrayal rises to the forefront of the conversations and interactions. One POV brings us into the discussions of The Order regarding the aftermath of the battle. The council begins to question and fear the Draleid after the impact of the battle and the decisions of those that return. Part I ends with a somber mood and the drowning of grief within the depths of a wine glass.
Part II - 20 years before The Fall
“No matter which path she walked, pain and suffering would blossom, agony and grief. One of the most difficult lessons in her life had been accepting that simple truth.” - Our decisions and their outcomes shape us and mold us through their impact. The internal strife with these decisions are demonstrated well here.
Shifting POVs around yet another gruesome battle focus on two themes: the burden of leadership and sowing mistrust within Eltoar. We are introduced to the Kavosian, a nation of people from the Southwest of the continent of Epheria, and one of their creatures. The Keyak are a Karvosian creature whose blood and spit are acidic and even devours the scales and flesh of dragons. We get a POV of a young Fane as he navigates the battle against Karvosi and Keyak, while on a self serving mission of his own. The struggle of inaction to save more while sacrificing some is one we witness yet again. This represents a shift between the younger Alvira we saw in the first part to the Archon she has become. We do not yet see or realize what experience led to this lesson being learned though. Fane and Eltoar discuss what it means to have power and the freedom of decision. We witness the sowing seeds of doubt against the council within Eltoar.
Part III - 7 years before The Fall
“Let not any soul stay their conscience by the delusion that they do no harm if they take no part. The darkness of this world needs nothing more to triumph than good souls looking on and doing nothing.” - Action and inaction have lasting impact on the world and people around us. Evil is always vigilant and requires constant resistance to combat.
Brief encounters show us the building relationship of Eltoar with his new apprentice. Through the POV of the senior Draleid, you witness a young Aeson quickly rising the ranks of the new generation of Draleid. The cracks within the relationship between Eltoar and Alvira begin to show. Fane uses honesty to twist the conversation in a way that makes Eltoar begin to question his Archon. You see Fane nourish and cultivate the seeds of doubt into those of mistrust. Through Fane’s POV you also gain an understanding of his beliefs and can begin to see a path to the tyrannical leader he is in The Bound and the Broken novels. Eltoar’s internal struggle is further demonstrated by seeing his gentle teachings to his new apprentice Salara. He coaches her on becoming her best self and to not give into the doubt or adversity from others. He teaches her that with love, growth is always the result, never weakening.
Part IV - 2 years before The Fall
“All great things require sacrifice.” - This section is all about the sacrifice of decisions and the downstream ripple effects they have.
Eltoar’s dissent with council and conflict with Alvira has grown to become public knowledge and casts shadows on their interactions. Through another argument, you fully realize the change of positions between Alvira and Eltoar from the first chapter is much deeper than the sudden swap in perspective and approach that it appears in the earlier chapters. Alvira has grown under the responsibility of power as Archon. The realization that the Draleid can enact absolute power given their insurmountable strength but instead they must serve as a weapon of the people and to do so means adhering to the decisions of the council, the representation of the people. We witness the impact this decision has on Farda. His loss creates a hollow that begins to shape him into the lost shell of a person he is in the novels. Lastly, we witness Fane’s encounter with a Seerdruid
Most of the chapters begin to shorten here, lending a sense of urgency and impending doom to the reader as we get closer and closer to the night of The Fall.
Part V - 1 year before The Fall
“The Draleid, The Order. What are we? Because I can’t see it.” - Farda speaking aloud the self fulfilling prophecy of The Fall of the Draleid and the Order
“Because before me I see a man with a darkness in his heart that is swallowing him whole…And I believe that watching the world he loves tear itself apart is the darkness that devours him.” - Fane describing Eltoar.
Conflict continues to build. The ideas shared between Fane and Eltoar are framed as the truth and given supportive evidence. Eltoar learns the truth behind the events from the beginning of the novella. We witness the first domino within the Order, Eltoar, the First Sword of the Draleid, begins to waver.
Part VI - 4 months before The Fall
“If I am right, then we take one step closer to a world without bloodshed. And if I am wrong, then I will stand beside you without doubt in my heart. I will be the blade of the voiceless, and I will sing their song in blood.” - Eltoar hopes to convince Alvira of his truth.
Final vestiges of trust erode away. Last bits of resistance fade. Confrontation occurs and reconciliation fails. A final test of commitment is given to Eltoar.
Part VII - The Night the Order Fell
“And believe me when I tell you, the truth will set you free. Or it will kill you.”
We witness events immediately preceding events in The Fall. You also experience new POVs and events during The Fall and relive some of the most horrific and difficult moments. For me, one such scene takes a sad moment from The Fall and turns it into one truly devastating by witnessing actions that show alignment was much closer than it was perceived as being. It had the potential to have stopped some, if not all, of the horrible events in The Fall, but it went recognized. The true cost of The Fall is depicted in even more details by sharing from so many perspectives, additionally from the building conflict described so well in the novella as a whole.
This novella shines through artful slow building of the conflict between Alvira and Eltoar. Every interaction is tense and you as the reader want them to agree and to see things the same. Both held the same ideas, just at different times. Such is fate that their beliefs did not align temporally and leads to the ever building fall out between the two. The writing and interactions in this book capture your attention and hook with a deep sense of anxiety and one of impending doom. This is an expertly written prequel. Prior knowledge of the final outcome and the events of The Fall extremely raises the emotional impact of this novella. At points in reading this novella, I was begging for a realization or a change in perspective for the characters. It beautifully sets up the background for characters in the novels and explains why they are the way they are.
My only criticism is that this wasn’t a full blown novel. I would have loved to experience more events after The Fall. The buildup was perfect and the aftermath was palpable. It would have been neat to get a time skip after The Fall to learn more about picking up the shattered pieces of the surviving Draleid.
Lastly, if I had to describe the premise behind this book with a single word it would be: why. But I definitely think Truth is well chosen!
Part I - 92 years before The Fall
“If we do not understand why something has happened then we are doomed to watch it happen again. The cause of something is rarely what we see on the surface.” - It is important to question the reasoning behind a decision or action, especially one of such magnitude as betrayal. Sometimes we can make sense of the treachery through such questioning but sometimes there will never be an explanation.
Cahill uses rapid switching between the POVs of three Draleid we know from TBATB series. The three POVs cover a battle but focuses more on its emotional impact and toll. You get a firsthand witness of the carnage that is Draleid vs Draleid battling. However, the focus of these first 4 chapters is the impact of war and its loss. A discussion on the reason behind the betrayal rises to the forefront of the conversations and interactions. One POV brings us into the discussions of The Order regarding the aftermath of the battle. The council begins to question and fear the Draleid after the impact of the battle and the decisions of those that return. Part I ends with a somber mood and the drowning of grief within the depths of a wine glass.
Part II - 20 years before The Fall
“No matter which path she walked, pain and suffering would blossom, agony and grief. One of the most difficult lessons in her life had been accepting that simple truth.” - Our decisions and their outcomes shape us and mold us through their impact. The internal strife with these decisions are demonstrated well here.
Shifting POVs around yet another gruesome battle focus on two themes: the burden of leadership and sowing mistrust within Eltoar. We are introduced to the Kavosian, a nation of people from the Southwest of the continent of Epheria, and one of their creatures. The Keyak are a Karvosian creature whose blood and spit are acidic and even devours the scales and flesh of dragons. We get a POV of a young Fane as he navigates the battle against Karvosi and Keyak, while on a self serving mission of his own. The struggle of inaction to save more while sacrificing some is one we witness yet again. This represents a shift between the younger Alvira we saw in the first part to the Archon she has become. We do not yet see or realize what experience led to this lesson being learned though. Fane and Eltoar discuss what it means to have power and the freedom of decision. We witness the sowing seeds of doubt against the council within Eltoar.
Part III - 7 years before The Fall
“Let not any soul stay their conscience by the delusion that they do no harm if they take no part. The darkness of this world needs nothing more to triumph than good souls looking on and doing nothing.” - Action and inaction have lasting impact on the world and people around us. Evil is always vigilant and requires constant resistance to combat.
Brief encounters show us the building relationship of Eltoar with his new apprentice. Through the POV of the senior Draleid, you witness a young Aeson quickly rising the ranks of the new generation of Draleid. The cracks within the relationship between Eltoar and Alvira begin to show. Fane uses honesty to twist the conversation in a way that makes Eltoar begin to question his Archon. You see Fane nourish and cultivate the seeds of doubt into those of mistrust. Through Fane’s POV you also gain an understanding of his beliefs and can begin to see a path to the tyrannical leader he is in The Bound and the Broken novels. Eltoar’s internal struggle is further demonstrated by seeing his gentle teachings to his new apprentice Salara. He coaches her on becoming her best self and to not give into the doubt or adversity from others. He teaches her that with love, growth is always the result, never weakening.
Part IV - 2 years before The Fall
“All great things require sacrifice.” - This section is all about the sacrifice of decisions and the downstream ripple effects they have.
Eltoar’s dissent with council and conflict with Alvira has grown to become public knowledge and casts shadows on their interactions. Through another argument, you fully realize the change of positions between Alvira and Eltoar from the first chapter is much deeper than the sudden swap in perspective and approach that it appears in the earlier chapters. Alvira has grown under the responsibility of power as Archon. The realization that the Draleid can enact absolute power given their insurmountable strength but instead they must serve as a weapon of the people and to do so means adhering to the decisions of the council, the representation of the people. We witness the impact this decision has on Farda. His loss creates a hollow that begins to shape him into the lost shell of a person he is in the novels. Lastly, we witness Fane’s encounter with a Seerdruid
Most of the chapters begin to shorten here, lending a sense of urgency and impending doom to the reader as we get closer and closer to the night of The Fall.
Part V - 1 year before The Fall
“The Draleid, The Order. What are we? Because I can’t see it.” - Farda speaking aloud the self fulfilling prophecy of The Fall of the Draleid and the Order
“Because before me I see a man with a darkness in his heart that is swallowing him whole…And I believe that watching the world he loves tear itself apart is the darkness that devours him.” - Fane describing Eltoar.
Conflict continues to build. The ideas shared between Fane and Eltoar are framed as the truth and given supportive evidence. Eltoar learns the truth behind the events from the beginning of the novella. We witness the first domino within the Order, Eltoar, the First Sword of the Draleid, begins to waver.
Part VI - 4 months before The Fall
“If I am right, then we take one step closer to a world without bloodshed. And if I am wrong, then I will stand beside you without doubt in my heart. I will be the blade of the voiceless, and I will sing their song in blood.” - Eltoar hopes to convince Alvira of his truth.
Final vestiges of trust erode away. Last bits of resistance fade. Confrontation occurs and reconciliation fails. A final test of commitment is given to Eltoar.
Part VII - The Night the Order Fell
“And believe me when I tell you, the truth will set you free. Or it will kill you.”
We witness events immediately preceding events in The Fall. You also experience new POVs and events during The Fall and relive some of the most horrific and difficult moments. For me, one such scene takes a sad moment from The Fall and turns it into one truly devastating by witnessing actions that show alignment was much closer than it was perceived as being. It had the potential to have stopped some, if not all, of the horrible events in The Fall, but it went recognized. The true cost of The Fall is depicted in even more details by sharing from so many perspectives, additionally from the building conflict described so well in the novella as a whole.
This novella shines through artful slow building of the conflict between Alvira and Eltoar. Every interaction is tense and you as the reader want them to agree and to see things the same. Both held the same ideas, just at different times. Such is fate that their beliefs did not align temporally and leads to the ever building fall out between the two. The writing and interactions in this book capture your attention and hook with a deep sense of anxiety and one of impending doom. This is an expertly written prequel. Prior knowledge of the final outcome and the events of The Fall extremely raises the emotional impact of this novella. At points in reading this novella, I was begging for a realization or a change in perspective for the characters. It beautifully sets up the background for characters in the novels and explains why they are the way they are.
My only criticism is that this wasn’t a full blown novel. I would have loved to experience more events after The Fall. The buildup was perfect and the aftermath was palpable. It would have been neat to get a time skip after The Fall to learn more about picking up the shattered pieces of the surviving Draleid.
Lastly, if I had to describe the premise behind this book with a single word it would be: why. But I definitely think Truth is well chosen!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
„If you rise, others will rise with you. All great things my Friend, requires sacrifice. That is the truth, and the only truth.“
Was bleibt von der letzten Novelle vor dem großen Finale, ist die Gewissheit, dass sich niemand sicher sein kann, die richtigen Entscheidungen getroffen zu haben oder sie in der Zukunft zu treffen. Diese Unsicherheit - und darin besteht Ryans herzzerreißende Genialität - herrscht sowohl in seinen Büchern wie auch in der Realität. So fern Drachen und Draleid unserer Wirklichkeit auch zu sein scheinen, die großen Wahrheiten bleiben in beiden Welten bestehen.
The Truth war alles, was ich mir gewünscht hatte. In seinen Novellen erzählt Ryan Cahill die Backstories der Charaktere, die in den Hauptbüchern große Rollen ausfüllen müssen und daran beinahe zerbrechen. The Truth war für mich die stärkste der Novellen.
Es ist die Geschichte von Figuren, die sich selbst und ihr Handeln immer wieder hinterfragen. Von erschütternden Gefühlen, und unglaublich starken Bindungen. Freundschaft, Ehre, das Band zwischen Drachen und Draleid. Figuren, die an sich, an den Strukturen zweifeln, denen sie unterworfen sind. Es ist die Geschichte vom Zerfall von „The Order“ und die Geschichte von Eltoar, Alvira, Farda und Fane. Zudem ist es ein Countdown über beinahe 100 Jahre, der sich in „The Fall“, der allerersten Novelle, auflöst.
Ich habe mich schon immer gefragt, wie es zu den Rissen, die sich im Orden aufgetan haben, und schließlich zu dessen Vernichtung führten, gekommen ist. Diese Antworten bekommen wir hier - auf typisch geniale Cahill-Art. Wir sehen die tiefe Freundschaft zwischen Alvira, Eltoar und Farda, das tiefe Vertrauen und die schwere Bürde, die auf ihren Schultern lastet. Natürlich macht es diese Einsicht noch schwerer, den Zerfall der Freundschaft mitanzusehen - er geschieht nicht abrupt, die Zweifel schleichen sich ganz langsam in die Beziehung ein und knabbern an den Rändern.
Außerdem bekommen wir ein Reich zu sehen, in dem Korruption und Kriege herrschen. In dem nicht die Wahrheit ausgesprochen wird und in dem abgewogen wird zwischen Menschenleben und Wohlstand. Natürlich fallen dann unbequeme Fragen auf fruchtbaren Boden.
Ehrlich, ich war extrem von der Geschichte gefesselt. Als Fane Mortem als Battlemage das erste Mal aufgetaucht ist, habe ich aufrecht im Bett gesessen und mein Herz schlug hastig. Genauso hätte ich nie gedacht, dass ich einmal Mit einer bestimmten Figur meine Tränen teile - falsch gedacht. Das Band zwischen „Soulkin“ und Draleid war so anrührend gezeichnet - am liebsten würde ich selbst auf meinen Drachen steigen.
„Draleid Nal‘dryr“
Was bleibt, ist ein tiefes Verständnis für die Charaktere, die in „Of Blood and Fire“ „nur“ auf der gegnerischen Seite standen. Es gibt in Cahills Romanen kein Schwarz und kein Weiß, sondern nur Grauschattierungen, und Entscheidungen, die die Figuren (und der Lesende) mit ihrem Gewissen vereinbaren müssen. Diese Entscheidungsfindungen, diese Auseinandersetzung im Inneren der Charakter so glaubhaft darzustellen, dass der Lesende die Entscheidungen nachvollziehen kann, ist nicht leicht - und Ryan Cahill hat es geschafft, diese 50 Schattierungen von Grau in meinen Kopf zu malen und mich jedes Mal mit den Drachen in den Himmel steigen zu lassen.
Danke für diesen Wahnsinnsflug. Für die Atemlosigkeit, für die Tränen und für die Lacher. Ich bin nicht bereit für den Schluss. Werde es wohl nie sein.
Was bleibt von der letzten Novelle vor dem großen Finale, ist die Gewissheit, dass sich niemand sicher sein kann, die richtigen Entscheidungen getroffen zu haben oder sie in der Zukunft zu treffen. Diese Unsicherheit - und darin besteht Ryans herzzerreißende Genialität - herrscht sowohl in seinen Büchern wie auch in der Realität. So fern Drachen und Draleid unserer Wirklichkeit auch zu sein scheinen, die großen Wahrheiten bleiben in beiden Welten bestehen.
The Truth war alles, was ich mir gewünscht hatte. In seinen Novellen erzählt Ryan Cahill die Backstories der Charaktere, die in den Hauptbüchern große Rollen ausfüllen müssen und daran beinahe zerbrechen. The Truth war für mich die stärkste der Novellen.
Es ist die Geschichte von Figuren, die sich selbst und ihr Handeln immer wieder hinterfragen. Von erschütternden Gefühlen, und unglaublich starken Bindungen. Freundschaft, Ehre, das Band zwischen Drachen und Draleid. Figuren, die an sich, an den Strukturen zweifeln, denen sie unterworfen sind. Es ist die Geschichte vom Zerfall von „The Order“ und die Geschichte von Eltoar, Alvira, Farda und Fane. Zudem ist es ein Countdown über beinahe 100 Jahre, der sich in „The Fall“, der allerersten Novelle, auflöst.
Ich habe mich schon immer gefragt, wie es zu den Rissen, die sich im Orden aufgetan haben, und schließlich zu dessen Vernichtung führten, gekommen ist. Diese Antworten bekommen wir hier - auf typisch geniale Cahill-Art. Wir sehen die tiefe Freundschaft zwischen Alvira, Eltoar und Farda, das tiefe Vertrauen und die schwere Bürde, die auf ihren Schultern lastet. Natürlich macht es diese Einsicht noch schwerer, den Zerfall der Freundschaft mitanzusehen - er geschieht nicht abrupt, die Zweifel schleichen sich ganz langsam in die Beziehung ein und knabbern an den Rändern.
Außerdem bekommen wir ein Reich zu sehen, in dem Korruption und Kriege herrschen. In dem nicht die Wahrheit ausgesprochen wird und in dem abgewogen wird zwischen Menschenleben und Wohlstand. Natürlich fallen dann unbequeme Fragen auf fruchtbaren Boden.
Ehrlich, ich war extrem von der Geschichte gefesselt. Als Fane Mortem als Battlemage das erste Mal aufgetaucht ist, habe ich aufrecht im Bett gesessen und mein Herz schlug hastig. Genauso hätte ich nie gedacht, dass ich einmal Mit einer bestimmten Figur meine Tränen teile - falsch gedacht. Das Band zwischen „Soulkin“ und Draleid war so anrührend gezeichnet - am liebsten würde ich selbst auf meinen Drachen steigen.
„Draleid Nal‘dryr“
Was bleibt, ist ein tiefes Verständnis für die Charaktere, die in „Of Blood and Fire“ „nur“ auf der gegnerischen Seite standen. Es gibt in Cahills Romanen kein Schwarz und kein Weiß, sondern nur Grauschattierungen, und Entscheidungen, die die Figuren (und der Lesende) mit ihrem Gewissen vereinbaren müssen. Diese Entscheidungsfindungen, diese Auseinandersetzung im Inneren der Charakter so glaubhaft darzustellen, dass der Lesende die Entscheidungen nachvollziehen kann, ist nicht leicht - und Ryan Cahill hat es geschafft, diese 50 Schattierungen von Grau in meinen Kopf zu malen und mich jedes Mal mit den Drachen in den Himmel steigen zu lassen.
Danke für diesen Wahnsinnsflug. Für die Atemlosigkeit, für die Tränen und für die Lacher. Ich bin nicht bereit für den Schluss. Werde es wohl nie sein.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Score: 7.9; Note: Read via an Advanced Reading Copy from Ryan Cahill's Patreon
The Truth continues Ryan Cahill's standard of excellence, excelling in the areas that he has meticulously mastered throughout the years he has been writing this series.
The heart of Cahill's writing lies in his characters and their emotional turmoil as they reconcile the world around them with who they are as people. In The Truth, the challenges that the characters face are central to the main narrative. Every POV character is used to highlight their emotional over the course of the 92 years this novella takes place in. Eltoar and Farda's journeys in particular are done particularly well, showing a natural evolution and who they are and who they will become as time marches forth.
While called The Truth, this novella is less about an objective truth, and more about the internal truths governing each character's mentality as the character slowly march towards inevitability of The Fall. The motivations, and how each character arrived those motivations, are explored in depth, giving a multi-faceted depth to what "The Truth" could ultimately refer to. It is in those small moments which character stew upon that eventually blossom to an end of an era. There are as many sides to a story, and as many truths existent in the world, as there are people in the world, and Ryan Cahill displays to this great effect by how the same event can have a different distortion on each individual present.
Ryan Cahill's use of language to convey these emotionally poignant moments is particularly striking, and shows his evolution as an author in how he is able to convey all of the complex emotions in a resonant way without feeling heavy-handed. His evocative language was done wonderfully in Of Empires And Dust, and continues here to masterful effect, through imparting emotional weight to scenes, concepts, and themes with less of a runtime compared to his longer works.
The length of The Truth is one of the main things holding it back from true greatest. Evidently enough, being an novella, The Truth will necessarily be a shorter length story, and in that, some of progression can feel somewhat sudden or jerky. While converting this into a full-length novel is undoubtedly a tad unrealistic, given everything, what is present feels a bit barebones compared to the scope and scale what 92 years truly means. Nevertheless, that does not diminish what is present, but simply that what is there does not capture the full picture to the best of its abilities.
Ultimately, The Truth is an excellent continuation of The Bound and the Broken and demonstrates plenty of Ryan Cahill's strengths in full force. This novella instills faith that Of Gods and Ashes will be an heart-rending and extraordinary conclusion to this epic saga.
The Truth continues Ryan Cahill's standard of excellence, excelling in the areas that he has meticulously mastered throughout the years he has been writing this series.
The heart of Cahill's writing lies in his characters and their emotional turmoil as they reconcile the world around them with who they are as people. In The Truth, the challenges that the characters face are central to the main narrative. Every POV character is used to highlight their emotional over the course of the 92 years this novella takes place in. Eltoar and Farda's journeys in particular are done particularly well, showing a natural evolution and who they are and who they will become as time marches forth.
While called The Truth, this novella is less about an objective truth, and more about the internal truths governing each character's mentality as the character slowly march towards inevitability of The Fall. The motivations, and how each character arrived those motivations, are explored in depth, giving a multi-faceted depth to what "The Truth" could ultimately refer to. It is in those small moments which character stew upon that eventually blossom to an end of an era. There are as many sides to a story, and as many truths existent in the world, as there are people in the world, and Ryan Cahill displays to this great effect by how the same event can have a different distortion on each individual present.
Ryan Cahill's use of language to convey these emotionally poignant moments is particularly striking, and shows his evolution as an author in how he is able to convey all of the complex emotions in a resonant way without feeling heavy-handed. His evocative language was done wonderfully in Of Empires And Dust, and continues here to masterful effect, through imparting emotional weight to scenes, concepts, and themes with less of a runtime compared to his longer works.
The length of The Truth is one of the main things holding it back from true greatest. Evidently enough, being an novella, The Truth will necessarily be a shorter length story, and in that, some of progression can feel somewhat sudden or jerky. While converting this into a full-length novel is undoubtedly a tad unrealistic, given everything, what is present feels a bit barebones compared to the scope and scale what 92 years truly means. Nevertheless, that does not diminish what is present, but simply that what is there does not capture the full picture to the best of its abilities.
Ultimately, The Truth is an excellent continuation of The Bound and the Broken and demonstrates plenty of Ryan Cahill's strengths in full force. This novella instills faith that Of Gods and Ashes will be an heart-rending and extraordinary conclusion to this epic saga.
Review of advance copy received from Author
“The road to hell is paved with good intentions”
Throughout fiction and reality there are times that good people commit horrific deeds to try and right what they perceive to be injustices. And too often they lose themselves and become the very thing they fought against.
We see this through the POV’s of Fane, Eltoar and Farda(never thought I would feel much sympathy for Farda). All of those characters have complex reasoning for the actions they ended up taking, but have been done for reasons they tell themselves are necessary to fix a broken system. Ryan peels back the cover on their motivations throughout The Truth, and share the same desire to build a better world. Unfortunately, for those who have followed the series, we know that the methods they used ended up bringing about a world worse than the one they wanted the change. And through it all, that behind the scenes, something else works in the dark to further its own plans.
Complex characters that you can’t help but grow to care for have always been a staple in this series, just as much as the lore and awesome world building Ryan weaves into his stories. I loved peering more into Fanes personality and perspective. This story opened my eyes to him even more, and he’s a far more complex character than I had initially believed. And Farda became a far more tragic character as the story went on and you compare him to what he became. His fall to darkness is by far the most tragic of the POV’s in my opinion.
This is the story on how and why it all happened. Why the old world was torn asunder, what made the powers that took its place grow desperate enough to take the action they did..as well as how those disastrous deeds could have been avoided if a couple of events happened differently. You know the events, but as the moment approaches, you can feel the inevitable end and still hope that some other action would be taken. That darkness would be resisted. There is no happy ending in this part of the tale, but we all know it is the darkest before dawn.
I’ve been truly privileged and grateful to be a e-ARC reader and reviewer throughout the majority of this series. Than you Ryan for giving me this opportunity. I love this series so much and every time Ryan brings us back into the world of Epheria I drop everything I’m doing as soon as given the opportunity and delve back into a world that can stand up against any of the other amazing authors out there. This world is right up there with Lord of the Rings for me. Part of me is sad to see us near the end, but can’t wait to see how this tale ends and know that Ryan plans to write more stories for this world at some point after this series is finished.
Once again, well done Ryan, this is best novella in the series.
Can’t wait till Gods and Ash.
Your faithful reader,
Tim
Throughout fiction and reality there are times that good people commit horrific deeds to try and right what they perceive to be injustices. And too often they lose themselves and become the very thing they fought against.
We see this through the POV’s of Fane, Eltoar and Farda(never thought I would feel much sympathy for Farda). All of those characters have complex reasoning for the actions they ended up taking, but have been done for reasons they tell themselves are necessary to fix a broken system. Ryan peels back the cover on their motivations throughout The Truth, and share the same desire to build a better world. Unfortunately, for those who have followed the series, we know that the methods they used ended up bringing about a world worse than the one they wanted the change. And through it all, that behind the scenes, something else works in the dark to further its own plans.
Complex characters that you can’t help but grow to care for have always been a staple in this series, just as much as the lore and awesome world building Ryan weaves into his stories. I loved peering more into Fanes personality and perspective. This story opened my eyes to him even more, and he’s a far more complex character than I had initially believed. And Farda became a far more tragic character as the story went on and you compare him to what he became. His fall to darkness is by far the most tragic of the POV’s in my opinion.
This is the story on how and why it all happened. Why the old world was torn asunder, what made the powers that took its place grow desperate enough to take the action they did..as well as how those disastrous deeds could have been avoided if a couple of events happened differently. You know the events, but as the moment approaches, you can feel the inevitable end and still hope that some other action would be taken. That darkness would be resisted. There is no happy ending in this part of the tale, but we all know it is the darkest before dawn.
I’ve been truly privileged and grateful to be a e-ARC reader and reviewer throughout the majority of this series. Than you Ryan for giving me this opportunity. I love this series so much and every time Ryan brings us back into the world of Epheria I drop everything I’m doing as soon as given the opportunity and delve back into a world that can stand up against any of the other amazing authors out there. This world is right up there with Lord of the Rings for me. Part of me is sad to see us near the end, but can’t wait to see how this tale ends and know that Ryan plans to write more stories for this world at some point after this series is finished.
Once again, well done Ryan, this is best novella in the series.
Can’t wait till Gods and Ash.
Your faithful reader,
Tim
Review of advance copy received from Author
History becomes heartbreak in Ryan Cahill’s most emotionally devastating novella yet.
There are stories that surprise you with their ending, and then there are stories like The Truth, where you know exactly where everything is heading and yet spend the entire journey wishing it wasn’t.
From the very first pages, a sense of inevitability hangs over this novella. The Fall looms over every conversation, every decision, and every fleeting moment of hope. Ryan Cahill takes that foreknowledge and turns it into one of the novella’s greatest strengths, crafting a story that feels less like uncovering a mystery and more like witnessing history unfold before your eyes.
What struck me most was how carefully Cahill builds the road to tragedy. There is no single turning point, and no simple answer to how events spiral towards disaster. Instead, The Truth shows how history is shaped by people: by loyalties, fears, ambitions, misunderstandings, and choices made with the best of intentions. Time and again I found myself thinking about how differently things might have unfolded if certain conversations had happened sooner, or if trust had been placed in different hands.
That is what makes this novella so heartbreaking. We are watching people struggle to do what they believe is right while knowing that the outcome they desperately want to avoid is drawing ever closer.
What surprised me most was just how emotional this novella made me. Despite knowing where the story was heading, there were several moments that genuinely stopped me in my tracks. There were scenes that lingered with me long after I finished reading, because of the emotional weight they carried.
More importantly, this novella changes how I view the wider story. Rather than simply filling in gaps, it reshapes the context surrounding major events and revelations. Moments that once seemed straightforward become layered with new meaning, and the emotional weight of what follows becomes even heavier.
The novellas have always been excellent companions to the main series, but The Truth feels different. This is not merely additional lore or an interesting side story. It feels like a crucial piece of the larger narrative, one that enriches everything that came before while laying the emotional groundwork for what comes next.
For anyone caught up with The Bound and the Broken, I would consider this essential reading. It is thoughtful, tragic, revealing, and incredibly rewarding for readers invested in the history of this world and the people who inhabit it.
There are stories that surprise you with their ending, and then there are stories like The Truth, where you know exactly where everything is heading and yet spend the entire journey wishing it wasn’t.
From the very first pages, a sense of inevitability hangs over this novella. The Fall looms over every conversation, every decision, and every fleeting moment of hope. Ryan Cahill takes that foreknowledge and turns it into one of the novella’s greatest strengths, crafting a story that feels less like uncovering a mystery and more like witnessing history unfold before your eyes.
What struck me most was how carefully Cahill builds the road to tragedy. There is no single turning point, and no simple answer to how events spiral towards disaster. Instead, The Truth shows how history is shaped by people: by loyalties, fears, ambitions, misunderstandings, and choices made with the best of intentions. Time and again I found myself thinking about how differently things might have unfolded if certain conversations had happened sooner, or if trust had been placed in different hands.
That is what makes this novella so heartbreaking. We are watching people struggle to do what they believe is right while knowing that the outcome they desperately want to avoid is drawing ever closer.
What surprised me most was just how emotional this novella made me. Despite knowing where the story was heading, there were several moments that genuinely stopped me in my tracks. There were scenes that lingered with me long after I finished reading, because of the emotional weight they carried.
More importantly, this novella changes how I view the wider story. Rather than simply filling in gaps, it reshapes the context surrounding major events and revelations. Moments that once seemed straightforward become layered with new meaning, and the emotional weight of what follows becomes even heavier.
The novellas have always been excellent companions to the main series, but The Truth feels different. This is not merely additional lore or an interesting side story. It feels like a crucial piece of the larger narrative, one that enriches everything that came before while laying the emotional groundwork for what comes next.
For anyone caught up with The Bound and the Broken, I would consider this essential reading. It is thoughtful, tragic, revealing, and incredibly rewarding for readers invested in the history of this world and the people who inhabit it.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This is my 5* review of "The Truth" - thank you to Ryan Cahill for the ARC of this most anticipated novella.
Readers of the series will understand my excitement when I got this copy of the book. "The Truth" is a promise in itself - a promise of deep secrets revealed, a promise to finally give readers access to the very soul of mysterious characters and what made them what they are in the series, what events and decisions led to The Fall. This novella closes a loop of centuries and connects everything back to the very beginning of the series, giving an emotional punch through an exercise of masterful writing and heartbreaking revelations.
*Light Spoilers*
"The Truth" had me filled with anticipation and it definitely delivers. Cahill presents us with a Shakespearean drama with what we initially expect to be the villain classic villain planting the seeds of his master plan, whispering in the ear of heroes being consumed by doubt and an unwavering sense of honor that eventually will become their tragic flaw. And this is delivered in a carefully crafted progression through time as events add weight to the characters' hearts - the tragic relationship between Eltoar and Alvira, the dramatic experiences of Farda that caused his heart to break forever, and the loss of so many among the Draleid and their soulkin.
However, this story is more than just evil manipulating behind the scenes, as everyone's actions come from the conviction that they are doing the right thing, and human weaknesses and thirst for power and control are to be blamed for the final outcome as much as Efialtír's influence in the shadows. Everything in this novella is written with extreme care, making sure that each conversation, each decision, carries the right amount of emotional weight to eventually be the most impactful when events reach their breaking point leading to the fall of the Order.
The wait has paid off, and I can't wait to learn how the whole story wraps up in what I'm sure will be an epic final installment (surely a big chonker of a book!) I can't recommend this series enough - it is written with heart and with love for the genre, and I hope that many more people will discover it to surely make of it one of their top series in epic fantasy.
Readers of the series will understand my excitement when I got this copy of the book. "The Truth" is a promise in itself - a promise of deep secrets revealed, a promise to finally give readers access to the very soul of mysterious characters and what made them what they are in the series, what events and decisions led to The Fall. This novella closes a loop of centuries and connects everything back to the very beginning of the series, giving an emotional punch through an exercise of masterful writing and heartbreaking revelations.
*Light Spoilers*
"The Truth" had me filled with anticipation and it definitely delivers. Cahill presents us with a Shakespearean drama with what we initially expect to be the villain classic villain planting the seeds of his master plan, whispering in the ear of heroes being consumed by doubt and an unwavering sense of honor that eventually will become their tragic flaw. And this is delivered in a carefully crafted progression through time as events add weight to the characters' hearts - the tragic relationship between Eltoar and Alvira, the dramatic experiences of Farda that caused his heart to break forever, and the loss of so many among the Draleid and their soulkin.
However, this story is more than just evil manipulating behind the scenes, as everyone's actions come from the conviction that they are doing the right thing, and human weaknesses and thirst for power and control are to be blamed for the final outcome as much as Efialtír's influence in the shadows. Everything in this novella is written with extreme care, making sure that each conversation, each decision, carries the right amount of emotional weight to eventually be the most impactful when events reach their breaking point leading to the fall of the Order.
The wait has paid off, and I can't wait to learn how the whole story wraps up in what I'm sure will be an epic final installment (surely a big chonker of a book!) I can't recommend this series enough - it is written with heart and with love for the genre, and I hope that many more people will discover it to surely make of it one of their top series in epic fantasy.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Disclaimer: I received this book directly from the author, it is an ARC, all I'm doing is now providing an unbiased review. As usual.
When a book provides wisdom and devastation of the soul in equal measure, you know you've found something special.
Because being a hero is not about the size of your deeds, but about the heart of them.
This line is but one of many you'll find within this gem of a book.
Of course, if you've got to this point in the series, I don't really need to tell you neither the book, nor the series, you know really well what you're in for.
But one truth needs to be emphasized, that Cahill levels up once again in his writing, driving home all of the importance of events across one hundred years. Events that lead to The Fall. That even where everything starts to unfold and cause everything we've come to witness so far in the series.
You'll learn why Eltoar deserves every bit of bad will from readers and characters alike. Why Alvira did what she had to do. to protect The Order. Why Fane IS the villain of the series (really important, considering how many people out there wanted him to be right, doing stuff because of some secret he unveiled, ultimately making him the real savior/hero/whatever).
Above it all, this book cements, in my mind, the fact that Aeson and Farda's character arcs are the best in the entire series.
Save your "Calen is the best" nonsense for someone who'd listen to you. Not me.
“How do I know if I’ve made the right choice?”
“You never know. Not truly. As you will never know what path we would be walking down given a different choice. All we can do is trust that we have done what is best and hold strength with the choices we make because they cannot be changed. We can learn from them, in time, but we cannot linger within them.”
No lesson will ever be more important for us, as readers, as people, as this one. Making peace with our choices and understanding the past is what it is and you can only affect what's in front of you, in the now, and in the future.
4.7 ⭐️
When a book provides wisdom and devastation of the soul in equal measure, you know you've found something special.
Because being a hero is not about the size of your deeds, but about the heart of them.
This line is but one of many you'll find within this gem of a book.
Of course, if you've got to this point in the series, I don't really need to tell you neither the book, nor the series, you know really well what you're in for.
But one truth needs to be emphasized, that Cahill levels up once again in his writing, driving home all of the importance of events across one hundred years. Events that lead to The Fall. That even where everything starts to unfold and cause everything we've come to witness so far in the series.
You'll learn why Eltoar deserves every bit of bad will from readers and characters alike. Why Alvira did what she had to do. to protect The Order. Why Fane IS the villain of the series (really important, considering how many people out there wanted him to be right, doing stuff because of some secret he unveiled, ultimately making him the real savior/hero/whatever).
Above it all, this book cements, in my mind, the fact that Aeson and Farda's character arcs are the best in the entire series.
Save your "Calen is the best" nonsense for someone who'd listen to you. Not me.
“How do I know if I’ve made the right choice?”
“You never know. Not truly. As you will never know what path we would be walking down given a different choice. All we can do is trust that we have done what is best and hold strength with the choices we make because they cannot be changed. We can learn from them, in time, but we cannot linger within them.”
No lesson will ever be more important for us, as readers, as people, as this one. Making peace with our choices and understanding the past is what it is and you can only affect what's in front of you, in the now, and in the future.
4.7 ⭐️
Review of advance copy received from Author
eARC received for honest review
Ryan Cahill has done it once again...
Another absolute home run of a book that means I will be autobuying every edition of this superb work
I was hyped for this book, a peek at what comes even before the Fall in the Bound and the Broken universe and to learn the Truth of what drove characters to their actions in that moment...
I was worried there was no way it would live up to my expectations but oh man, the Truth?
It was everything I wanted and more. This novella was possibly better than the full books of this series it blew me away that much. Though you do need to read at least Of Blood and Fire and the Fall before this, preferably all the series really.
But the payoff for doing so...oh boy. I never thought I would actually sympathise with Farda. Yes sure, especially in Of Empires and Dust I felt a little bad for him once of twice, but nah, fuck that guy. HOW DARE YOU RYAN!! How dare you play our emotions like a fiddle and justify Farda like you you sick sick man you...
There was just so much good about the character development in this novella. Eltoar has been a very stoney character for me for a lot of the series and absolutely bloomed into this fully fleshed out man of flaws who was so tragically corrupted before our eyes in this.
And Alvira...oh Alvire how I wanted to smack her for a lot of this...for me she dropped from the predestal that characters had her on in the main series, and she just became this tragic figure broken by the weight of conflicting demands by different groups.
This novella has tied up so many loose ends and answered so many questions that the series has raised, and perfectly sets the scene for Of Gods and Ashes...
“And believe me when I tell you, the truth will set you free. Or it will kill you.”
Ryan Cahill has done it once again...
Another absolute home run of a book that means I will be autobuying every edition of this superb work
I was hyped for this book, a peek at what comes even before the Fall in the Bound and the Broken universe and to learn the Truth of what drove characters to their actions in that moment...
I was worried there was no way it would live up to my expectations but oh man, the Truth?
It was everything I wanted and more. This novella was possibly better than the full books of this series it blew me away that much. Though you do need to read at least Of Blood and Fire and the Fall before this, preferably all the series really.
But the payoff for doing so...oh boy. I never thought I would actually sympathise with Farda. Yes sure, especially in Of Empires and Dust I felt a little bad for him once of twice, but nah, fuck that guy. HOW DARE YOU RYAN!! How dare you play our emotions like a fiddle and justify Farda like you you sick sick man you...
There was just so much good about the character development in this novella. Eltoar has been a very stoney character for me for a lot of the series and absolutely bloomed into this fully fleshed out man of flaws who was so tragically corrupted before our eyes in this.
And Alvira...oh Alvire how I wanted to smack her for a lot of this...for me she dropped from the predestal that characters had her on in the main series, and she just became this tragic figure broken by the weight of conflicting demands by different groups.
This novella has tied up so many loose ends and answered so many questions that the series has raised, and perfectly sets the scene for Of Gods and Ashes...
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC provided by Ryan Cahill.
Every time Ryan, EVERY FREAKING TIME!!! 😯😭
This man just knows how to tear at your emotions and make you feel things for characters that make you stare into space and say "WHAT IS HAPPENING??!!!??
"A hero stands for those who cannot. They stand no matter the cost, no matter the enemy. Their blade is the blade of the voiceless, of those who have already given everything."
The Truth is the final novella in the series, and it takes us back to the beginning, to see the events that led up to The Fall, the first novella in the series. One of the things I have been most impressed about with this entire series is Ryan's ability to make you see all sides of a character, whether you think that character is the hero or the villain. They all have such wonderful shades of gray, and I have always found myself drawn to darker characters and finding out what their experiences have been and what it is that drives them to do what they do. I love how as the series has progressed, I have continually been forced to question "just who is the bad guy here??"
"Tell me, what is the difference when you ask us to stand on this hill and watch tens of thousands burn, watch dragons be eaten alive. Tell me where I am to draw the fucking line because I cannot see it."
I absolutely loved spending this time with Eltoar, Farda and Fane. The battles, the political conflicts and the intense personal losses that are so devastating and it all makes you rethink and reconsider so much of what has happened in the series. I immediately reread The Fall and need to read all the rest again......DAMN YOU RYAN!!! 😂
But seriously, Ryan continues to deliver outstanding writing and character development, and I cannot wait to see how everything plays out in the finale, Of Gods and Ashes. WE ARE NOT PREPARED. The Truth delivers gut punch after gut punch and is a phenomenal addition to the series!!!
Every time Ryan, EVERY FREAKING TIME!!! 😯😭
This man just knows how to tear at your emotions and make you feel things for characters that make you stare into space and say "WHAT IS HAPPENING??!!!??
"A hero stands for those who cannot. They stand no matter the cost, no matter the enemy. Their blade is the blade of the voiceless, of those who have already given everything."
The Truth is the final novella in the series, and it takes us back to the beginning, to see the events that led up to The Fall, the first novella in the series. One of the things I have been most impressed about with this entire series is Ryan's ability to make you see all sides of a character, whether you think that character is the hero or the villain. They all have such wonderful shades of gray, and I have always found myself drawn to darker characters and finding out what their experiences have been and what it is that drives them to do what they do. I love how as the series has progressed, I have continually been forced to question "just who is the bad guy here??"
"Tell me, what is the difference when you ask us to stand on this hill and watch tens of thousands burn, watch dragons be eaten alive. Tell me where I am to draw the fucking line because I cannot see it."
I absolutely loved spending this time with Eltoar, Farda and Fane. The battles, the political conflicts and the intense personal losses that are so devastating and it all makes you rethink and reconsider so much of what has happened in the series. I immediately reread The Fall and need to read all the rest again......DAMN YOU RYAN!!! 😂
But seriously, Ryan continues to deliver outstanding writing and character development, and I cannot wait to see how everything plays out in the finale, Of Gods and Ashes. WE ARE NOT PREPARED. The Truth delivers gut punch after gut punch and is a phenomenal addition to the series!!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you once again to Ryan Cahill for continuing to provide me with Advanced Reader Copies of his works. I am a big fan of The Bound & the Broken, and The Fall is the much-anticipated prequel novella to the prequel novella that launched this great series. If The Fall was the Revenge of the Sith of this series, then The Fall is definitely the Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. This book is primarily politicking and explaining how the Order fell, as was depicted in The Fall. It primarily focuses on Elotar, Farda, and Fane, the three men largely responsible for the Fall, as well as the opposing perspective of Alvira.
Cahill does a fantastic job of showing why and how things fall apart. There is so much brutality in this book, made even more brutal because of how often it seems like there will be some hope for resolution. The conflict is very believable and well established. I was especially happy with the Farda sections. They make a complex character even more complex. Every revelation felt earned and important.
I am giving a fair and balanced review as a fan of the series. The Truth has some faults that are shared with Of Empire & Dust. Cahill loves to write, and bless him for it. There are some moments here where characters go into a long speech that is written as a huge uninterrupted paragraph, oftentimes taking up an entire page of my Kobo. It can be a bit exhausting to get through, especially as I often read at night while I am tired. I'm not asking necessarily for it to be trimmed, as Cahill knows what he wants to write, but simply breaking the visual up would help me feel less exhausted. This is especially important since the book is fairly short. Speaking to the shortness, the pace accelerates towards the end as we naturally build to this great climax, but I wish it was longer!
There's more to be said, but you will have to wait for the official release. The Truth will hurt, but it will set you free. A must read for fans.
Cahill does a fantastic job of showing why and how things fall apart. There is so much brutality in this book, made even more brutal because of how often it seems like there will be some hope for resolution. The conflict is very believable and well established. I was especially happy with the Farda sections. They make a complex character even more complex. Every revelation felt earned and important.
I am giving a fair and balanced review as a fan of the series. The Truth has some faults that are shared with Of Empire & Dust. Cahill loves to write, and bless him for it. There are some moments here where characters go into a long speech that is written as a huge uninterrupted paragraph, oftentimes taking up an entire page of my Kobo. It can be a bit exhausting to get through, especially as I often read at night while I am tired. I'm not asking necessarily for it to be trimmed, as Cahill knows what he wants to write, but simply breaking the visual up would help me feel less exhausted. This is especially important since the book is fairly short. Speaking to the shortness, the pace accelerates towards the end as we naturally build to this great climax, but I wish it was longer!
There's more to be said, but you will have to wait for the official release. The Truth will hurt, but it will set you free. A must read for fans.
Review of advance copy received from Autorin bzw. Autor
Ryan Cahill has a talent for taking hope, wrapping it in beautiful moments of friendship, loyalty, and courage, and then shattering your heart with it.
The Truth tells the story up until the night everything changed. Knowing where the future leads did not make this story any less impactful. If anything, it made every choice, every warning, and every act of loyalty hit even harder.
What stood out most to me was the cast. Alvira was a character I admired from beginning to end. Her determination to do what was right, even when it would have been easier to look away, made her impossible not to root for. The bond between the riders and their dragons was beautifully written, and several scenes left me genuinely emotional.
The tragedy of Eltoar's fall was another highlight. Watching someone who truly believed he was doing the right thing slowly lose himself was heartbreaking. The corruption did not happen all at once. It was subtle, insidious, and made all the more painful because you could still see glimpses of the man he once was beneath it.
Salara's storyline absolutely destroyed me. The trust, love, and loyalty she had for her mentor made the events of the final act even more devastating. Some scenes were incredibly difficult to read, not because they were poorly written, but because they were written so well.
And then there was Farda. His grief, regret, and final farewell to Alvira were among the most emotional moments in the entire book. Long after I finished reading, those scenes stayed with me.
This is a story filled with sacrifice, betrayal, friendship, loss, and impossible choices. It answers long-standing questions while raising new ones, and the ending left me equal parts satisfied and desperate for more.
Heartbreaking, powerful, and unforgettable.
The truth may set you free... or it may break your heart.
The Truth tells the story up until the night everything changed. Knowing where the future leads did not make this story any less impactful. If anything, it made every choice, every warning, and every act of loyalty hit even harder.
What stood out most to me was the cast. Alvira was a character I admired from beginning to end. Her determination to do what was right, even when it would have been easier to look away, made her impossible not to root for. The bond between the riders and their dragons was beautifully written, and several scenes left me genuinely emotional.
The tragedy of Eltoar's fall was another highlight. Watching someone who truly believed he was doing the right thing slowly lose himself was heartbreaking. The corruption did not happen all at once. It was subtle, insidious, and made all the more painful because you could still see glimpses of the man he once was beneath it.
Salara's storyline absolutely destroyed me. The trust, love, and loyalty she had for her mentor made the events of the final act even more devastating. Some scenes were incredibly difficult to read, not because they were poorly written, but because they were written so well.
And then there was Farda. His grief, regret, and final farewell to Alvira were among the most emotional moments in the entire book. Long after I finished reading, those scenes stayed with me.
This is a story filled with sacrifice, betrayal, friendship, loss, and impossible choices. It answers long-standing questions while raising new ones, and the ending left me equal parts satisfied and desperate for more.
Heartbreaking, powerful, and unforgettable.
The truth may set you free... or it may break your heart.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I love to read stories where you get to see the antagonist pov, versus just the "good" guys pov. It's fascinating to see how people with the best of intentions can go horribly wrong. I received an ARC of this story, but that in no way influenced my rating or review. Normally, I do not do spoilers, but if you are reading this review I assume (which I probably should not do, but will anyway) that you have at least read The Fall and Of Blood and Fire. If you have not, please stop and read no further and go read those books. I believe you can get a copy of The Fall at Ryan Cahill's website. Anyways, back to my synopsis, this was the story I didn't know I wanted, but so desperately needed. It was truly interesting to read about Fane, Eltoar, and Alvira and even Aeson as a young man. How truly good intentions and trying to balance all things can lead to discord and mistrust, which then allows people to be easily manipulated (sounds like real life right now, but it is what it is.) When people don't try to see the truth, or only see the truth they choose to see, but fail to see how their actions can have a negative impact is fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. Yes, there were parts of this story where I was smiling and crying. I know dragons are not real, but my heart still breaks when they are killed. Of course, I will now need to add the hardback of this to my collection, as it cannot be incomplete, but trust me when I say, it well worth the read. It was interesting to see how the Order became as corrupted as it did and how the greed of a few resulted in the downfall of the Draelid. Happy reading!
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