Raging Swords

Durlindrath #1

by Robert Ryan

Against the raging swords of the enemy . . . they sent one man.

Brand protects the king, but every bodyguard before him is dead. A horde of mankind’s ancient enemies lays siege to Cardoroth city. During the day, the clang of blades, the mad shrieks of the foe and the hiss of swift-flighted arrows cuts the air. At night, the sorcerous chanting begins.

Brand ignores it all. His duty is to shield one man from death. But fate forces him to leave that man in deadly peril, for the king he swore to guard sends him on a last-chance quest to save the realm.

Enemies track him across strange lands. Beasts of foul magic stalk him. A beautiful but deadly girl aids him - for reasons of her own. She reveals that more is at play than the fate of kings and realms. Ancient forces, drenched in long-forgotten blood, seek to plunge the world into the dark. The odds pile against him. But he is Brand, and not for nothing did he earn the king’s trust.

Genres: Fantasy

215 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 12, 2015

About the author

I am a man born in the wrong era. My heart yearns for faraway places and even further afield times. Tolkien had me at the beginning of The Hobbit when he said, ". . . one morning long ago in the quiet of the world . . ."

I love to read high fantasy and epic fantasy novels, and I have a passion to write, to weave a story with words that draws the reader into another world.

Reviews

[BobA707 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Summary: This book and series had all the elements of a classic epic fantasy: A good plot, a great premise, well written and a satisfactory ending ... but somehow it didn't quite click for me and I found it quite hard work to get through. I think part of the problem is that their is good on one side, evil on the other and absolutely no shades of grey between.

Plotline: Fairly simple but well worked out plot

Premise: Interesting premise, not fully explained, but ok

Writing: Good descriptions, simple.

Ending: Oh yes

Pace: Never a dull moment!

[Lara R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced and easy to read. Packed with action, magic and fights.
A solid, quick read (just over 200 pages) with a gripping story.

[Alex Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend this book!
Robert Ryan has an unusual writing style I really like. Things are often short and to the point, which is how he can pack a 350 page book into 200 pages. It's marvellously distilled. And utterly refreshing

[Laurie Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sorry to be very late with any comments on Books by Robert Ryan as back before 2023 I wasn't receiving emails from Goodreads asking for reviews but I would totally recommend readers start reading Books by Robert Ryan Laurie Stuart