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The Arbalester Trilogy #2.1-2.5
The Bloody Quarrel: The Complete Edition
The prince is dead.Fooled by the treacherous King Aidan, Fallon has shot down the one man he trusted to save his beloved nation of Gaelland. And yet, when the King could grind Fallon underfoot, he draws the simple farmer and fighter closer, making a hero of him.Embroiled in plots beyond his comprehension and weighted with the guilt of the prince's murder, Fallon must tread carefully if he is to accomplish the task that first brought him to the cursed rescue his wife, Bridgit, and the rest of his village from Kottermani slavery. If he and his hopelessly ensnared men can survive, they may yet find redemption.Meanwhile, across the ocean, Bridgit is rallying those around her to spring an escape. But who can be trusted? The ever-present danger of traitors and liars among the slaves, and even among her fellow Gaelish, is poison to her plans.With an ocean between them and fouler nightmares looming, Fallon and Bridgit will be driven to their very limits to escape their prisons, find each other, and bring justice to Gaelland.This epic fantasy is perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie.
614 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 11, 2016
10 people want to read
About the author
Duncan Lay
32 books47 followersDuncan Lay is a layout designer and headline writer at the Sunday Telegraph (Australia). He has always worked in journalism and has worked for a number of different newspapers and media outlets. He lives on the Central Coast of NSW with his wife and two young children.
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 21, 2016
The Bloody Quarrel is the second installment in The Arbalester Trilogy by Duncan Lay. It begins where the first book left off: Fallon, after being tricked into killing Prince Cavan by King Aiden, is now training an army to fight the Kottermanis and Brigit is in Kotterman with others of her village doing her best to protect them while making escape plans. The narrative is divided between Fallon and Brigit as well as Prince Kemal, Crown Prince of the Kottermani Empire who is in Gaelland to make it part of the Empire by peaceful means if possible, by force if necessary.
Perhaps because I knew that this was one in a series and not a complete standalone, I enjoyed this second book in the trilogy even more than the first. There is plenty of action and lots of twists and turns. Lay has done some interesting work here expanding the world-building as well as the portrait of the characters, especially the main protagonists. Fallon is a very likable character, a decent man who has the skills and talent to lead without any desire for power but who is constantly being manipulated by others for their own ends. Prince Kemal’s role is expanded and we get a portrait of a man who could do the right thing if he didn’t let his pride get in the way. Brigit is the one character I found somewhat unbelievable. She is discovering huge resources of strength in adversity but her rise from a constantly worried housewife to a woman capable of leading the villagers not only to survive but to escape and even physically subduing men much larger than herself all while being pregnant seems a bit hard to swallow. Still, it is nice to see strong capable women characters in fantasy so it didn’t have too much of a negative impact on my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, I quite enjoyed The Bloody Quarrel. The action kept the story moving at a nice clip especially the battle scene near the end. I am definitely looking forward to the next book to see how it all turns out.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Momentum (Pan Macmillan) for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review
Perhaps because I knew that this was one in a series and not a complete standalone, I enjoyed this second book in the trilogy even more than the first. There is plenty of action and lots of twists and turns. Lay has done some interesting work here expanding the world-building as well as the portrait of the characters, especially the main protagonists. Fallon is a very likable character, a decent man who has the skills and talent to lead without any desire for power but who is constantly being manipulated by others for their own ends. Prince Kemal’s role is expanded and we get a portrait of a man who could do the right thing if he didn’t let his pride get in the way. Brigit is the one character I found somewhat unbelievable. She is discovering huge resources of strength in adversity but her rise from a constantly worried housewife to a woman capable of leading the villagers not only to survive but to escape and even physically subduing men much larger than herself all while being pregnant seems a bit hard to swallow. Still, it is nice to see strong capable women characters in fantasy so it didn’t have too much of a negative impact on my enjoyment of the story.
Overall, I quite enjoyed The Bloody Quarrel. The action kept the story moving at a nice clip especially the battle scene near the end. I am definitely looking forward to the next book to see how it all turns out.
Many thanks to Netgalley and Momentum (Pan Macmillan) for the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review
December 18, 2017
After realizing that I still had the rest of the series on my Netgalley to do list I went back and skimmed through the first book and while I still stand by the original review this one is better; it has been professionally edited and that helped.
This picks up immediately after the ending of the first book. After tricking into killing the wrong son Fallon and his men are held by King Aidan, Ryan and Swaine and forced to do unspeakable things to save their lives and get their families back. Their families were taken by Prince Kemal, Heir to the Elephant Throne of the Kotterman Empire. The empire is so vast that there's a constant demand for slaves and Aidan has been letting them attack outlying villages and taking its inhabitants.
Prince Kemal is a more reasonable man than his father and brothers due to the influence of his wife whom he loves but he is still a product of the society he was raised in and doesn't believe Bridgit when she tells him that their families will come for them.
It was nice to see Bridgit finally develop some spunk and stop living in constant fear, being torn from her husband and child lets her develop the strength that was always there it just became lost as she lost the children she carried. Unfortunately, the changes in the men are harder to swallow. I can see them changing somewhat but to move completely away from what they were before is too far a stretch.
3.5/5 STARS: **I received a free digital ARC in exchange for a honest, unbiased review. I sincerely thank the author and/or publisher for providing an ARC through NetGalley,.* *
This picks up immediately after the ending of the first book. After tricking into killing the wrong son Fallon and his men are held by King Aidan, Ryan and Swaine and forced to do unspeakable things to save their lives and get their families back. Their families were taken by Prince Kemal, Heir to the Elephant Throne of the Kotterman Empire. The empire is so vast that there's a constant demand for slaves and Aidan has been letting them attack outlying villages and taking its inhabitants.
Prince Kemal is a more reasonable man than his father and brothers due to the influence of his wife whom he loves but he is still a product of the society he was raised in and doesn't believe Bridgit when she tells him that their families will come for them.
It was nice to see Bridgit finally develop some spunk and stop living in constant fear, being torn from her husband and child lets her develop the strength that was always there it just became lost as she lost the children she carried. Unfortunately, the changes in the men are harder to swallow. I can see them changing somewhat but to move completely away from what they were before is too far a stretch.
3.5/5 STARS: **I received a free digital ARC in exchange for a honest, unbiased review. I sincerely thank the author and/or publisher for providing an ARC through NetGalley,.* *
August 24, 2016
The Bloody Quarrel by Duncan Lay is the second book in the Alabaster Trilogy, following on from The Last Quarrel which I read and reviewed last year. The first line of the blurb is a major spoiler for book 1, and my review will also contain other spoilers for the first book. A lot of significant things happened in the latter part of book 1, so if you want to be surprised and unspoiled, don't read this review. Really. Leave now.
Somewhat unusually for my recent reading habits, I took a long time to read this book. (Goodreads tells me it was just under seven weeks, wow.) This is mainly because of other things going on in my life at the time, and also because, well, the book is kinda long. I didn't put it down because I was bored or annoyed at it, more because I needed something else — mostly something happier — in my life at the time. The Poisoned Quarrel is not a cheerful book, by and large. That's not to say that nothing good happens, but the overwhelming theme of the story is betrayal.
I'm sure I've said before that one of the themes Lay tackles well and consistently in his book is father-child relationships. This was true in the first book of this trilogy as well, but seems to be a bit less prominent in the second book. Fallon still has a relationship with his son who is around for a lot of the book, but that relationship is a bit less central that it was in the previous book. Mostly, I'd say, because the father and son settled into a rhythm and roles that weren't overly disrupted by the plot. I suspect there will be some more disruptions in book three.
The Poisoned Quarrel was also fairly gory, not that that's new for Lay. But right from where it picked up after the cliffhanger at the end of book one, there was a lot of opportunity for violence and descriptions of said violence. It was all relevant to the plot but if you don't want to read about people's head's being caved in (to give a mild example), well, you've been warned. (Minimal sexual violence, though.)
I especially enjoyed watching Bridgit develop as a person while enslaved by the Kottermanis. Since the characters around Fallon were mostly male, with only a few relevant exceptions, it was nice to have the second storyline following a set of characters that were mostly female. That they kicked arse was also a bonus.
I am definitely going to read the last book in this trilogy (The Poisoned Quarrel, already out), but after a short break from epic fantasy. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who's read the first book. And how could you not want to read it after the cliffhanger book 1 left us on? On the other hand, if you hate cliffhangers, this didn't actually have one (I'm as shocked as you are). Most plot elements are left unresolved, but no one is in the middle of being shot of hearing a deeply significant reveal, to pick two examples at random. If you haven't read any Duncan Lay before, then a) I recommend his books if you like epic fantasy, father-child relationships and apparently grimdark (although I wouldn't've called his other books that) and b) definitely start with book one.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
Somewhat unusually for my recent reading habits, I took a long time to read this book. (Goodreads tells me it was just under seven weeks, wow.) This is mainly because of other things going on in my life at the time, and also because, well, the book is kinda long. I didn't put it down because I was bored or annoyed at it, more because I needed something else — mostly something happier — in my life at the time. The Poisoned Quarrel is not a cheerful book, by and large. That's not to say that nothing good happens, but the overwhelming theme of the story is betrayal.
I'm sure I've said before that one of the themes Lay tackles well and consistently in his book is father-child relationships. This was true in the first book of this trilogy as well, but seems to be a bit less prominent in the second book. Fallon still has a relationship with his son who is around for a lot of the book, but that relationship is a bit less central that it was in the previous book. Mostly, I'd say, because the father and son settled into a rhythm and roles that weren't overly disrupted by the plot. I suspect there will be some more disruptions in book three.
The Poisoned Quarrel was also fairly gory, not that that's new for Lay. But right from where it picked up after the cliffhanger at the end of book one, there was a lot of opportunity for violence and descriptions of said violence. It was all relevant to the plot but if you don't want to read about people's head's being caved in (to give a mild example), well, you've been warned. (Minimal sexual violence, though.)
I especially enjoyed watching Bridgit develop as a person while enslaved by the Kottermanis. Since the characters around Fallon were mostly male, with only a few relevant exceptions, it was nice to have the second storyline following a set of characters that were mostly female. That they kicked arse was also a bonus.
I am definitely going to read the last book in this trilogy (The Poisoned Quarrel, already out), but after a short break from epic fantasy. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who's read the first book. And how could you not want to read it after the cliffhanger book 1 left us on? On the other hand, if you hate cliffhangers, this didn't actually have one (I'm as shocked as you are). Most plot elements are left unresolved, but no one is in the middle of being shot of hearing a deeply significant reveal, to pick two examples at random. If you haven't read any Duncan Lay before, then a) I recommend his books if you like epic fantasy, father-child relationships and apparently grimdark (although I wouldn't've called his other books that) and b) definitely start with book one.
4 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
December 7, 2015
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Publisher: Momentum
Publishing Date: February 2016
ISBN: 9781760301644
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.6/5
Publishers Description: Fooled by the treacherous King Aidan, Fallon has shot down the one man he trusted to save his beloved nation of Gaelland. And yet, when the King could grind Fallon underfoot, he draws the simple farmer and fighter closer, making a hero of him.
Review: I had a great time reading this novel, the latest in the Arbelester triology by Duncan Lay. Fallon makes for a great reluctant hero as he wends his way through palace intrigue with a malignant evil that seeks to annihilate humankind.
The world building sweeps you up along with a directed story line with the characters developing along with the movement. For me Bridgit, Fallon’s wife, was/is a little too good to be true and suffers from self-inflicted righteousness. She plans and leads a slave revolt, stands up to slave masters, beats the crap out of ruffians more than twice her size and cares for all the little slave children while being pregnant. While not believable, the setting in the Kottermani desert is fantastic. Duchess Dina is a great character that builds her innocence into an orchestrated bid for the throne and complete control of Berry by manipulating events and those around her. Fallon’s supporting cast is a great group of individuals that stand out with their disparate personalities.
There were some grammatical hiccups and the dreaded “said softly” used 47 times to expedite the dialogue and scene progression but very minor in the overall scheme. Get this if you enjoy a long read with events transpiring quickly under a veil of intrigue.
Publisher: Momentum
Publishing Date: February 2016
ISBN: 9781760301644
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3.6/5
Publishers Description: Fooled by the treacherous King Aidan, Fallon has shot down the one man he trusted to save his beloved nation of Gaelland. And yet, when the King could grind Fallon underfoot, he draws the simple farmer and fighter closer, making a hero of him.
Review: I had a great time reading this novel, the latest in the Arbelester triology by Duncan Lay. Fallon makes for a great reluctant hero as he wends his way through palace intrigue with a malignant evil that seeks to annihilate humankind.
The world building sweeps you up along with a directed story line with the characters developing along with the movement. For me Bridgit, Fallon’s wife, was/is a little too good to be true and suffers from self-inflicted righteousness. She plans and leads a slave revolt, stands up to slave masters, beats the crap out of ruffians more than twice her size and cares for all the little slave children while being pregnant. While not believable, the setting in the Kottermani desert is fantastic. Duchess Dina is a great character that builds her innocence into an orchestrated bid for the throne and complete control of Berry by manipulating events and those around her. Fallon’s supporting cast is a great group of individuals that stand out with their disparate personalities.
There were some grammatical hiccups and the dreaded “said softly” used 47 times to expedite the dialogue and scene progression but very minor in the overall scheme. Get this if you enjoy a long read with events transpiring quickly under a veil of intrigue.
January 8, 2016
3.5/5 stars
This is the second part of the trilogy. The story meanders back and forth between Fallon, the reluctant village sergeant tricked and betrayed by King Aidan; Brigit, his wife who is taken hostage by the evil Kottermani empire; and its heir to the Elephant Throne, Prince Kemal. The author does a good job of letting the reader inside Fallon's mind as he's being tricked to do unspeakable things, and betrayed by those he thought he could trust. He's basically a good simple man who is thrust into a world of political intrigue and manipulations. He can only do what he thinks is good and just and that's what causes a myriad of problems for him.
While I liked Brigit, I thought her character was a little too good to be true especially going from a simple country wife to the leader of the slave rebellion. I can't say more on this because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I have to say the interactions between Brigit and Prince Kemal were quite good.
Overall, this was a good read and moves the story forward to hopefully an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Some parts of the story dragged especially the battle scenes which I skipped over especially at the end to get back to the characters. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in this creative and engaging trilogy.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
This is the second part of the trilogy. The story meanders back and forth between Fallon, the reluctant village sergeant tricked and betrayed by King Aidan; Brigit, his wife who is taken hostage by the evil Kottermani empire; and its heir to the Elephant Throne, Prince Kemal. The author does a good job of letting the reader inside Fallon's mind as he's being tricked to do unspeakable things, and betrayed by those he thought he could trust. He's basically a good simple man who is thrust into a world of political intrigue and manipulations. He can only do what he thinks is good and just and that's what causes a myriad of problems for him.
While I liked Brigit, I thought her character was a little too good to be true especially going from a simple country wife to the leader of the slave rebellion. I can't say more on this because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I have to say the interactions between Brigit and Prince Kemal were quite good.
Overall, this was a good read and moves the story forward to hopefully an exciting and satisfying conclusion. Some parts of the story dragged especially the battle scenes which I skipped over especially at the end to get back to the characters. I'm looking forward to reading the final book in this creative and engaging trilogy.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher for a fair and honest review.
April 13, 2016
Fallon has made what may be his most fatal of errors; he has shot down the one man who he trusted to save his country. But the King sees him as a hero, rather than the murderer that he is. He is drawn into the inner circle of the King’s court where he becomes mixed up in all the court plots and intrigue. This is taking him away from the task that he came there for, rescuing him wife and the families of his men from the cruel Kottermani where they are held as slaves. But first he has to survive.
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January 13, 2016
Jaw dropping fantasy! Loved Lay's second book The Bloody Quarrel in the Alabaster trilogy. The characters are well developed and above all memorable. How many times do you read a book and forget it the next day? Not this one! The descriptive detail is engaging and puts the reader right in the middle of the war. Looking forward to book 3. Special thanks to Momentum Books and Net Galley for giving me an complete advanced copy of the Bloody Quarrel.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews