Queen of the Night

Revanche Cycle #4

by Craig Schaefer

It all ends here.

It ends as Livia Serafini returns to her homeland with an army at her back, an exiled refugee turned ruthless conqueror, bringing war and witchcraft to any who dare stand in her way. It ends as Renata Nicchi and her ragged band of hunters and outlaws infiltrate a city under siege, making a last, desperate bid to save her lover from the jaws of the criminal underworld and be reunited at last.

And as the Owl and her coven work to unravel the mystery of Wisdom's Grave, a doom from the past threatens to consume them all. It ends here, in the final chapter of the Revanche Cycle, under the spreading shadow of darkness. In a land where poison is king, only one can become the queen of the night.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Magic, Dark Fantasy, High Fantasy, Action, Politics

426 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 26, 2016

About the author

Craig Schaefer's books have taken readers to the seamy edge of a criminal underworld drenched in shadow (the Daniel Faust series), to a world torn by war, poison and witchcraft (the Revanche Cycle), and across a modern America mired in occult mysteries and a conspiracy of lies (the Harmony Black series).

Despite this, people say he's strangely normal. Suspiciously normal, in fact. His home on the Web is www.craigschaeferbooks.com.

Reviews

[✘✘ Sarah ✘✘ (former Nefarious Breeder of Murderous Crustaceans) · Rating 5 out of 5]

➽ And the moral of this reread is: Wow. I might have said it before somewhere down there↓↓↓, but WOW! That sure was some premium quality bloodbath.



👋 See you next time.



😈 Machiavellian Shenanigans For the Win Buddy Reread (MSFtWBR™) with the MacHalos Hoopla Kitty and stuff 😈

“The fairy tale is over,” she said. “Welcome to the real world. This is where the dashing prince dies and the evil queen lives happily ever after. How do you like that ending?”

(I personally love it more than a shrimp loves not being used as paella topping but I have a feeling that said dashing prince doesn't quite agree with me on that one.)

➽ And the moral of this reread is: that body count! 😳😳 There was a moment there I wasn't sure I'd make it out of the book alive.



(Pretty much, yes.)

P.S. one day Renata Nicchi will rule the world. Just so you know.



[February 2017]

Friendly Warning: Craig Schaefer makes me feel like dancing. Always. Just so you know.

Four 5-star ratings in a row for this series, and yet you people still aren't reading it. Two possibilities here:

➊ You are even more clueless than I thought. And that is saying a lot.
➋ My reviews are even more pointless than I thought. And that is saying a LOT.

So here I am, seriously wondering why the bloody fish I am even bothering with this. And the answer to this captivating, life-changing question is: Craig Schaefer. Duh. Because, you know, Craig Schaefer. Duh. The man is slightly awesome, the man is slightly amazing, I slightly like the man. But hey, no need to worry, people, for this will not be one of those never-ending, Unleash the 13-year-old Fangirl in Me You 101 reviews. You are obviously immune to them, so there is no shrimping way I am going to waste spend 3 shrimping hours writing one. So minimalistic reviewing shall be me and stuff. Now would be a good time for you to be glad and rejoice and stuff. You're welcome.

The crap shall therefore be cut like never before here you know better than to believe this, don't you? Oh, good. . You should read every book Craig Schaefer ever wrote this series because:

① Craig Schaefer writes the most complex, realistic female characters in the history of complex, realistic female characters. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I've said it before but you obviously didn't get it the first 200 hundred times so a little rehashing is clearly in order here.

② Said female characters, aka the Splendidly Awesome Schaefer Chicks (SASC™), are just as ruthless, cunning, murderous, devious, merciless, iron-willed and bloodthirsty as any ruthless, cunning, murderous, devious, merciless, iron-willed and bloodthirsty male character out there. Now tell me again, whom does the expression "the weaker sex" refer to? Ha!



Told ya.

③ This series should be subtitled "The Scheming, Double-Crossing, Conspiring, Vengeful Wannabe Manipulator's Handbook."

④ Craig Schaefer is beautifully evil and has no mercy on this poor characters readers. It's a little orgasmic.

⑤ This series offers the most deliciously eclectic cast ever: a vindictive merry ragtag band of would-be invaders, a bunch of slightly unhinged religious freaks, amoral church officials, a F/F relationship yay, formerly good people who do bad things for good reasons and formerly bad people who do bad things for bad reasons, a queen bitch witch, a queen witch bitch, savagely heinous doting husbands and wives, sheep in wolves' clothing and wolves in sheep's clothing, somewhat unbalanced assassins, a female pope hell yeah, reluctant generals, a reformed knight in gory armor, liars and assholes everywhere, fierce blood-shedding lovers, venal bounty hunters and a bloody shrimping Queen of the Night. Obviously.





⑥ This series should also be subtitled "No Good Deed Goes Unpunished: My Life as a Cunning Bastard" by Dante MINE MINE MINE Ucello."

⑦ Even though Craig Schaefer is evil and brutally spoiler spoiler spoiler in the most barbarous way here, there is a slight possibility that this installment might not possibly be the last possible one in this series. Which is kinda sorta exciting. Not much, mind you, just a little bit

.

➽ And the moral of this Clueless Barnacles Who Won't Give this Slightly Glorious Series a Try Deserve to be Relentlessly Assaulted by Disgusting Historical Romance Novels for the Rest of their Clueless Little Lives Crappy Non Review (CBWWGtSGSaTDtbRAbDHRNftRotCLLCNR™) is:



DUH, people. DUH.



· Book 1: Winter's Reach ★★★★★
· Book 2: The Instruments of Control ★★★★★
· Book 3: Terms of Surrender ★★★★★



[Pre-review nonsense]

Craig Schaefer, you only have yourself to blame.

Craig Schaefer, you leave me no choice.

Because you, Craig Schaefer, do so much for the Feminist Movement one book at a time that you just got yourself a Honorary Pussy Hat (HPH™). And it looks pretty damn hot on you, too.



Meow and stuff.

► Full I Still Don't Get Why Craig Schaefer Isn't POTUS #45 He Should Be Sitting In The Oval Office Right Now What Were You Clueless Barnacles Thinking When You Voted For You-Know-Who Bloody Hell Might As Well Have Elected Me Crappy Non Review (ISDGWCSIP#45HSBSITOORNWWYCBTWYVFYKWBHMASHEMCNR™) to come.

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

*** 4.65 ***

I believe Craig Schaefer is Machiavelli reborn... Or at least a very good student of his. This is the series where he channels his previous incarnation and gives us a glimpse into his devious, manipulative, murderous, merciless, double-crossing, brilliant soulless mind. Yes, there is some humanity mixed in there, with just enough love and warmth to make you able to get through the politicking and scamming, worthlessness of regular lives and only counting the people of "importance" as worth minding or living at all... No character is black or white - they are all toward the darker shades of gray and even when you know their evil inclinations, the reader is steel compelled to root for them and their ingenious villainy. Base all that on 15th century Florence and add religion to it, you come up with the Revanche Cycle, one of the most under-appreciated series in contemporary Fantasy.

Why are more people not reading this author??? He is easy to read, his prose is not overwhelming or complex, he is a great storyteller and his world building is rich without being overly-descriptive. His characters are relatable and he has a gift to make them come to life with minimal angst or emotional and descriptive baggage. His books even make it to Audiobooks, if this is a preferred method for taking in books all together. So far, this is his only Fantasy series, with "Daniel Faust" and "Harmony Black" his Urban Fantasies with mystery elements and some heavy Pulp Noir influences. If you are a fan of anything in the neighborhood of those genres, I would strongly recommend any and all of those works, you will not be disappointed! I know I never am:):):)

Livia Serafini, Renata Nicchi, Aita, The Owl and several other ladies are so bad-ass and kicking it, that they give just as good as they got to the group of male characters, who are also strong, smart, powerful and devious! As you might guess, I am feeling the girl-power more here, but I think it is more my chosen perception than an actual imbalance. The plot is so convoluted and changing, that you can't help it but be on your toes at all times keep your adrenaline pumping. It is fun!!! What are you waiting for, go get it and read!!!

I wish you all Happy Reading and may you always find what you Need in the pages of a Good Book!!!

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Queen of the Night was the fantastic and compelling finale to Craig Schaefer's excellent Revanche Cycle. It is dark fantasy packed full of intrigue, action, betrayal, and games of high stakes. The plot is always fun but the real things that make this series such a great read are the characters and Schaefer's engaging writing style. I'm always fully sucked into Schaefer's worlds!

This was the big finale so we got all the loose ends tied up and all the stories of our crazy cast of characters coming to a variety of dramatic conclusions. I'll share some thoughts on the happenings for the main batch of characters so a few potential spoilers might lurk ahead!!!

So what happened in this final instalment?

Felix: Felix continued his battle against his enemies, mainly his evil wife!

His story was a good one. I was worried about his negative character growth in the first first instalment of the series but by this one I was quite happy with him again. He might have had to grow a bit ruthless to stay alive but he avoided becoming twisted and bitter so was still super easy to love. His story was fun as he sought to take down both his wife and Ludivico. No easy task considering they kept killing the poor guys allies.

Renata: Done with running from bounty hunters and hardened by her earlier encounters with bandits and Crusader troops Renata decided it was time to stop waiting around for Felix to come to her. She gathered up the small group of friends she had acquired and set out to help Felix. It proved complicated as the Empire closed on Merenzie and Felix's enemies closed on him!

I was actually super satisfied by how things played out in both Felix and Renata's story arcs. There was plenty of exciting and dramatic moments as well as a few surprise twists and turns along the way.

Ludivico: Poor Ludivico's schemes and dreams are taking a turn for the worse as the Empire finally figures out that he is the puppet master that has been pulling the strings that have wreaked so much havoc. With enemies mounting up Ludivio uses all his tricks to see his dreams become a reality!

The scheming villains in Merenzie were my favourite of the lot. Schaefer books always have the best villains and, for me, the Marchettis' and Grimaldis' were the stand-outs with all their scheming and plotting. I was satisfied with how things played out for Ludivico. Guy was a nutcase but he was smart and his story was always interesting.

Nessa & Marie: The duo might have taken control of the Coven but Nessa still has to worry about the secrets her dead mother shared with her in the last book. Secrets which hinted that she was little more than a toy in someone else's game. That is NOT a fate Nessa can tolerate!

I was actually really satisfied by how the story played out for this pair. Nessa was a strange character because I found myself rooting for her, at times, despite the fact that she was really quite wicked. I liked Marie less and less as the series progressed but at least I did like her loyalty to Nessa. I always enjoyed their bits of the story even if I was often a little bit horrified by what they were getting up to. My hope is that in Sworn to the Night we will get a slightly less crazy Nessa and a slightly less hypocritical and doormat-ish Marie. A few tweaks in the next life and I could probably get more behind them!

Livia: It was Livia's big moment as she swept into seize her brothers papal throne. She had an army and witches on her side but still encountered more problems than she could have expected.

I enjoyed Livia's story arc. Livia was always just a tiny bit too ruthless and fanatical for me to truly love but I was always rooting for her as she had good intentions. I loved how Schaefer wrapped up her story arc up. It was perfect:)

Outside of that we also got to spend a bit of time with a few minor characters. The stars were probably Amedao, Sofia, General Balm, the Artist of Merenzie, and Hedy. Also old Gallows! All had fun stories and I feel like they really helped enhance the story and add depth to the overall feel of the world Schaefer created.

All in all I found this a compelling and exciting read. It ended with a mix of satisfying, horrifying, and bittersweet moments that left me feeling like Schaefer got the balance spot on when it counted the most: the end:)

On the whole I'd rate this as a great fantasy series and I definitely consider it a bit of a hidden gem in the fantasy genre. My biggest complaint is that on the whole I found the tone of the series just a tiny bit more dark and grim than I'd have preferred. The balance was perfect by the end but had it been so perfect all the way though I'd probably consider this a series to rival my absolute favourites!

Rating: 5 stars. There was a few of the flaws of the previous instalments present in this one but not as much and I just feel like at least one book in this series deserves a full 5 star rating from me as it has been fantastic reading!

Audio Note: Susannah Jones did a great job with all four books in this series.

[Zitong Ren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finishing the month with another series under my belt. Hooray! I think overall that this series was certainly a success for me and is actually probably the first self-published fantasy series that I’ve actually finished(though I have read some standalones before). I did enjoy this as a whole and would probably rate the series 3.5 stars. Queen of the Night is the final entry and it served quite well as an ending. There are quite a fair number of POV’s in this book, with them all having some sort of correlation between them. For what it is, they were all resolved well, with enough story to come after it that will lead to reader to still wonder about certain things, though all of the major plot points were resolved.

I found that this series didn’t necessarily do anything brilliantly, but rather had everything be really good, whether it was the character work to the worldbuilding. While nothing blew me, per say, it was still really satisfying to read nonetheless with everything complimenting each other really well.

Looking back at things, the characters have changed A LOT since the start of book 1, and the character’s own reflections into the past show this. I feel that they have all grown up from these more naïve people into much more mature people who have a better understanding of how things worked in their world and at how brutal and sad reality can be. Everyone ended up having really solid, if not slightly predictable endings. In fact, I found that since there was quite a fair bit of foreshadowing, you could see what was going to happen to the characters beforehand, as much as I might not want these things to occur to my beloved characters, the actual shock of when these events happened didn’t hit as hard(though it still hurt, don’t get me wrong) and everything was slightly duller.

The worldbuilding is fairly normal for fantasy I found, with a good amount of politics added as well, that I think for many people, would be just right, as I’ve seen people complain when there are too much politics at play. I think that people wanting some politics but also a good amount of plot progression will be very happy with this series.

For a series that has this many POV’s and considering the books aren’t overly long at all, a whole lot of stuff happens in it. Unlike many fantasy series that do admittedly drag, these four books are filled with constant action and hardly slows down for a second. There’s always so much going on with really, quite minimal travel and the characters really just go from location to location, event to event. Due to that, the plot does progress very quickly in general, even if it seems tampered down slightly due to the amount of characters involved, I think that this would be a series that may appeal a fair bit to people who aren’t used to reading your usual 700 page monster where half the book is about travelling from point A to B.

This was a series that managed to keep me engaged throughout the entire thing, and while it isn’t as dark as some other series, it is still Grimdark I would say, and the author does not shy away from gruesome details. 7.5/10

[Robin (Bridge Four) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series is over and man what a ride. I really loved so many things about this completely underrated series. I’m so surprised to find that not more of my fantasy reading friends have heard of or read this. Craig Schaefer did a fantastic job wrapping up this four books series.

“Everything,” Rose said, “is a reaction. Every choice grows from the consequences of another choice. An ocean of ripples from countless pebbles thrown.”
Weiss struck one last match. He held it up between them, casting a flickering orange glow across Rose’s gray veil.
“It feels like somebody lit a long, slow fuse,” he said. “All these years it’s been quietly sizzling down. And it’s almost at the end.”

To remain spoiler free, I won’t say much, but I will say that after following these characters through some unexpected turns. I thought I was ready to see how each story played out. Some people made it to the end that I didn’t think would, some I was sure would die didn’t and while not everyone gets their just deserts, I’m really good with Schaefer’s vision for this world.

I’ll miss all the characters in the series, even the ones I loved hating. I’ll look forward to the next turning of the wheel as there is one story that seems like it might get another chance for things to turn out differently next time in a new place.

My only worlds of advice are if you like fantasy, then give this series a try as it was interesting, fascinating, back-stabby with characters that are not all good or all evil but diverse and full of flaws. I like books where no one is guiltless or completely good or evil.

Another great tale by Schaefer.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I’ve read a series of books as I did here: one immediately after the other. I burned through them in just a week. Crazy. On the other hand, they were awesome, so, why would I want to put off reading them?

The world of the Revanche Cycle is a delicate net of power, a dance between the banks and the masters of commerce, the keepers of a vast and unified church, and an expansionist empire with dreams of a grand crusade. And, as the story begins, it's all falling apart. The banks are collapsing, a beloved pope is on his deathbed, and the empire is on the verge of spending itself into bankruptcy.

For some, it's a time of great peril. For the power-hungry, it's a time of opportunity. Conspiracies and strange alliances are in motion, aimed at taking advantage of the coming chaos - and for one man, to enact an apocalyptic plan of revenge twenty years in the making.

And there is magic, in the shadows, though you'd be wise not to go looking for it. Walk through the wilds alone and you might stumble upon the reveling witches of the Pallid Masque, or the swampy haunts of the Sisterhood of the Noose.

In the Queen of the Night the story comes to almost apocalyptic conclusion. All loose ends connect and characters meet for the final battle in Mirenze. No one is safe. No one. Characters I finished loving die. Characters I used to like should burn in hell. Damn you Dante. Damn you.

Civilizations rise and fall, but people don't change so much. Games of power continue throughout history and Craig Schaefer portrayed them very well. Some characters continue to play games inside games while others try to change the world or just survive. Evil princesses don’t die. They thrive. The plot is intelligent, characters complex and believable. The author is a cruel man who’s not hesitant to hurt you. He does it in spectacular way, though. But damn. Just damn.

The end of the series was strong. Characters I cared most for were destroyed, characters I didn’t much care about got sort of happy ending. Life. You can’t always get what you want.

What makes this series so strong are characters. They are the key. They can be heroes, villains...sometimes just figuring out their place in life, like people do. But they’re real people, fleshed-out and complex. Also, female characters in this series are simply amazing.

This is an engaging, multi-faceted, impactful series of books that tell a story that readers of fantasy should easily find themselves entertained by. As I mentioned I read the books one after the other. I think you should too. Get them now. Read them. Let’s speak about them.

[Ashley Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t imagine a better, more satisfying ending.

And if you think I’m not utterly RABID for the rest of the Schaeferverse, think again.

BR with the Crustily Crustaceous One in the Schaefer Cult Closet of the MacHalo Mansion

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10

A great ending to what has been a great series and I was happy to see many of my predictions didn’t come to fruition as I like to be surprised. There were a number of people who got there comeuppance, which was inevitable going on the previous books, but everything felt tied up in a satisfactory way.

There isn’t masses I can say about the plot without giving previous books away other than I was happy with everything come the end. The characters from this series have changed so much from the first book and it was interesting to see my opinion of each character change with it. From loving some characters and their plot lines in book one to not being bothered about them in book two to then needing to find out how it was going to end in book four or vice versa. One thing that was consistent in the series was that every single one of them was going to shove a knife in the back of someone else at some point.

Just glancing at some of the reviews for this book there is a common theme and one which I’ve mentioned in each of my previous reviews. Why hasn’t this series been read by more people?! It’s fun and written in a way that makes it quick to read with plenty of colourful characters in a fantastic setting. I’m glad I read the series quickly to make sure things were fresh throughout and a big thanks to Robin for the buddy read of these.

[kartik narayanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the full review at my site https://wp.me/p89tYT-fU

“A man who scorns weeping,” she said, “is a man who knows that no one will weep for him”.

The “Revanche Cycle”, written by Craig Schaefer, is a low fantasy quadrilogy. It consists of the following books – “Winter’s Reach”, “The Instruments of Control”, “Terms of Surrender” and “Queen of the Night”. The series weaves a complex tapestry of magic, politics, religion, intrigue and action ranging across multiple characters and lands. I will be reviewing the entire series instead of each book since that gives a more complete perspective on whether you ought to read this series.

I have not seen such brilliant low fantasy since A Song of Ice and Fire (or Game of Thrones for you heathens out there). There have been many high fantasy series which are good like Shadows of the Apt or The Malazan Book of the Fallen, but not so much on the low fantasy side. The Revanche Cycle blows everything else I have read out of the water, in its coming together of various elements of low fantasy, story, plot, writing and character development. I will explore these elements one by one.

Read the full review at my site https://wp.me/p89tYT-fU

[Bart · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rating: 4.50

[Toeni · Rating 4 out of 5]

As soon I found this book was available, I purchased and downloaded it. After having read the previous books, I was anxious to know what happened next. Was Felix going to be reunited with his ladylove? What was to become of Livia? Were the prophecies about Owl and her coven going to be fulfilled or would they be able to somehow prevent it?
By the end of the book, all of the loose ends were tied up. However, the ending did not give the feeling of absolute completion. It's hard to explain, but it felt like there was more to it. Still, it was a nice finish to an intriguing series.

[Logan · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Series, rounded up because I've been giving them 4's.
Awesome plot with lots of twists and fantastic pacing. Characters were all solid and interesting. It reads almost as a thriller, which is an interesting style to use in an epic fantasy series. I wish I could have seen the bigger picture and events impacting people more clearly, that is my only complaint. Awesome series!

[Fiona Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here we are at the end... and all I want to do is go straight back to the start. This is another absolutely brilliant book from the marvelous Craig Schaefer, and the (possible?) end to the saga of twists and turns and betrayal and unexpected allies that made up the Revanche Cycle.

[༶ Laura ༶ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ein absolut würdiger Abschluss einer genialen Reihe. Die Charaktere waren bis zum Schluss interessant. Genial.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This installment was on par with all the rest of the series. And everything deserves a solid three stars. This series was a decent contribution to the world of fantasy with its just off-kilter, almost realistic (minus the witches, of course) historical Holy Roman Empire-ish setting. However, given the fact that I finished all four books of the series, I was never really that invested in it. I am glad at how the author tied up all the story lines. They merged together quite nicely, even in the epilogue, and none of it was terribly surprising or upsetting. This was a satisfying end to an interesting journey. Thanks, Craig Schaefer, for the ride.

[Melissa Hayden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Craig does an amazing job of taking us through the end of the book and more. All the threads are tied up. I am going to take a few days to digest all the amazing I just heard in this book...

****FULL REVIEW****
*I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Once again what grips me at the beginning of this fantasy story is the descriptions. Wow. I know fantasy books are detailed, but Craig's ability to make these descriptions lifelike and unique is breathtaking. Craig does NOT linger on things, he describes them and moves on as they relate to what's in the moment and scene. The first description we open with is awe striking, the vision of the city and the crystal tear. The crystal tear is what gripped me.

Susannah. I want to applaud you. This is one amazing narration. Susannah has amazed me through out this series. Susannah may use subtle differences but they speak loudly. Each character has their own heart and drive and it comes through in Susannah's voice. One thing I find amazing in a narrator is when I don't hear them. That sounds wrong to say, but in the essence it's that their narration IS the story and the characters. Susannah does this. The story speaks loudly through her and she lets it. Amazing job.

The story is told from numerous POV's. BUT! Hold on. Don't let that discourage you. The story follows a straight line, giving you all the information that fits together even though it's from different view points. It's easy to follow and it's great to see all sides of a working plan. To see who's planning what and how it's affected by another's plan. We know the spokes of that plan wheel and see how it all pans out for all involved. And who wins and why. So awesome! Of the POV's he have, we get to spend lots of time with our favorites from the series - Amadeo, Livia, Cardinal Marchello Accorsi, Felix, Renata, Mari, Owl, and many more.

I was so excited to get back into this world and everyone's corrupted stories. I had to know who would fall the hardest, and to witness it all happen. I found I wanted to yell at the characters, telling the ones I love that it's a trap, he lied! But it wouldn't help.

For me, this book feels a lot like Renata's book. Dang that woman has grown. She's brilliant and full of ideas to sneak around. She's really learned quick and changed. Felix has really grown as well. We saw him start down his dark path in the last book, and he continues there. But there could be one light that keeps him from fully drowning in the dark, Renata.

We follow the characters through their lives. For many these are their darkest days. We lose a few along the way, but in the paths they follow it's the only ending they could have.

This book is...just... wow. Craig does an amazing job of taking us through the end of the book and then some, tying up all threads. I had to take a few days to digest all I experienced in this book. Wow.

[Melissa Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

This entire series is so amazing! It's everything I wanted.

[Nguyễn Hồng Hải · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything begins and ends at Kettle Sands, finally Mr Schafer's master plan comes to its conclusion.
For Lodovico Marchetti, you reap what you sow but holy Gardener what a waste.
To our man Felix (who is in no ways or shapes related to a certain dude in white cloak arming with hidden blades and other gadget), the best revenge is to ignore them, your life matters, theirs don't.
The coven story: blood really begets blood, also obviously setting up the settings for next book, karma really hates this folk.
Our (beloved) Pope: oh how far has the girl gone, the cycle is really vicious here, if only Mouse can warn her. I really like how Mr Schaefer delves into her psych, her slow descent into the world of darkness, intrigue, lies and murders and the sad part is she really sees no better way. At least the she finds some peace in the end.
One cycle has completed but this is not over, still a lot of mysteries to be solved (the Itrescans, the Sister of the Noose, Misery...). After watching the shitstorm that is named The Winds of Winter, now I can have something to fill my fantasy hunger.

[B.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Decent capstone to what worked out to be an overall decent fantasy series. Nothing too standout, Schaefer manages to hit the right notes one would expect from a Sanderson-lite adventure. His fast-paced writing style is refreshing in comparison to some other fantasy series, and he wastes no time in spilling the first blood and letting the reader make up their minds as to each moral compass at play. Like the Faust and Harmony Black novels, the Revanche Cycle makes for great airplane/rainy day reading. Easy to pick up and jump right in, easy to put down and go about your day.

[Isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an ending!

Craig first came to my attention as an Amazon kindle first author with the first harmony black novel. I picked up the revanche cycle because I'd already read all of his other works. He's that good. And this series was that good. Characters you can see and hear, plot that tears into you as you tear through it. An excellent story for an exercise in working on a different genre. Bravo Sir!

[Teresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost all characters were broken in this book, with no allies and nothing left but to finish each of their revenges in a suicidal kind of way. It was clearly the end of the series, but I'd've liked a less desperate ending for them. It was satisfying that the series had an epilogue, though, so you know which characters had, finally, a happy(-ish) ending.

[Sylvain Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually endings suck, big time. This is one of the best ending, I've read in a long time. I don't mean it, it's sweet and all gooey and everyone lived happily ever after. It brings an end greater than the storyline. I'd like to thank the author for an ending well done and probably the last (great ending) I'll ever read even if I don't consider myself that old.

[Donraj · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great ending to the series. Really should have tried this series sooner, and as with the Daniel Faust books I took the time to try the first one because Kindle Unlimited made it free. And now I've read every single book in Craig Schaefer's catalog. Hope he writes more soon.

[Val Moss · Rating 5 out of 5]

So good

I loved all of Revanche Cycle books. What a story. So good. From the first chapter of the first book you get sucked in and have to quickly get to the next!

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Jeremiah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is going to serve as my review for all four books in the series.

On Craig Schaefer's website, he recommends reading the four books in the Revanche Cycle before the Daniel Faust book The Castle Doctrine. Sooo, again because these books are free on Kindle Unlimited, I went ahead and plowed through all four of them over a weekend.

Pluses: We learn some deep backstory about the meta-plot unfolding in the Faust-verse (which includes the Harmony Black series and soon the Wisdom's Grave series).

Minuses: There isn't really a fully likable character anywhere to be found. Villains and Heroes switch roles constantly depending on the needs of the story, and sometimes these shifts seem to happen for no reason other than to further the plot along or add another 50 pages of side quest to the main narrative. If you start to like a character they will almost certainly do something completely evil in short order.

I was tempted to give it only 1 star because Schaefer took 4 books worth of horrible people just so I'd get a few references in the rest of the series. Authorial intervention is rampant here, with the author's own obsessions (which are clear from his website posts) creeping in.

Honestly I hope the rest of the Faust series isn't like this.

[Lady · Rating 5 out of 5]

Homecoming

•••NOT for the homophobic, transphobic, closedminded or faint of heart!•••


This series must be read in order. The first book is "Winter's Reach". The second book is "The Instruments Of Control". The third book is "Terms Of Surrender". This is the fourth and final book. Some of the characters are reborn into The Daniel Faust series, the Harmony Black series and the Wisdom's Grave series as far as I can tell.


Olivia is going back home to take the Papal Throne and Ring from her half brother. The fight this far has not been easy and will probably get even harder. Amadeo is still by her side as well as her Brown Cloaks and the soldiers given to her Rhys and of course Dante. Will they succeed in their mission? Can she get Carlo to surrender or will be right her? Will she be able to reunite the Church? How long before her illness totally corrupts her? Will she be able to get everyone behind her Papal rule?

[Mardee Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hear me, hear me, this series is brilliant! Once I got into it, and it was fairly early on, I could not put it down. I was drawn to that world and fell in love with the characters. I can’t wait to come back in a few years and read it again. Craig Schafer is an incredible writer. I’ve read the entire Daniel Faust series, which I love. It’s probably one of my favorite urban fantasy series. I’m now going to find some of his other books and grab those. Because I can’t put his books down. They are that good.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book except for Nessa and Marie, who taint any story arc they touch. Schaefer obviously knows how to write villains with understandable motivations. He did that with Ludovico. Which makes it baffling why he would make these two so flat, unsympathetic, and uncompelling, especially considering that he keeps bringing their sorry asses back in his other series. Please, no more.

[WiseStitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

So we are at the end of The Revanche Cycle. This has been such a ride. Quick paced. Plot heavy fantasy That was a hell of a lot of fun to read. All the endings for the characters we’ve been following felt apt to me. I’m sad to have reached the end but happy that some of the threads of this story will be picked up on in other works by this author.