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Nightblade Epic #5
Weremage
TREACHERY DEMANDS JUSTICE
Woe be to traitors, for now the High King has an agent of retribution: Loren of the family Nelda is now the Nightblade.
Ever since Loren first left the Birchwood Forest, the merchant Damaris has hounded her steps. Now Damaris has committed high treason and begun a civil war, and Loren has been sent to bring her before the King’s law.
At Loren’s side is a party of Mystics, capable warriors all. For the first time she finds herself an agent of the realm rather than a criminal within it. But that brings no promise of safety, for all the nine lands are now a danger to any traveler.
In the far western reaches of the kingdom of Feldemar, battle lines will be drawn. And an unseen presence that has dogged Loren’s steps for countless leagues will be revealed.
Woe be to traitors, for now the High King has an agent of retribution: Loren of the family Nelda is now the Nightblade.
Ever since Loren first left the Birchwood Forest, the merchant Damaris has hounded her steps. Now Damaris has committed high treason and begun a civil war, and Loren has been sent to bring her before the King’s law.
At Loren’s side is a party of Mystics, capable warriors all. For the first time she finds herself an agent of the realm rather than a criminal within it. But that brings no promise of safety, for all the nine lands are now a danger to any traveler.
In the far western reaches of the kingdom of Feldemar, battle lines will be drawn. And an unseen presence that has dogged Loren’s steps for countless leagues will be revealed.
464 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2016
153 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
October 19, 2017
This series weakens as it goes along. Character development (except for the exploration of their homosexual tendencies) seems to languish and it seems Garrett is working hard to stretch his story across as many books as possible. I loved this series to start, but he's lost me. Many would disagree, but it's just off the rails. I'm done. Very disappointed.
May 9, 2019
I can't begin to describe how angry this book made me feel. A major let down after the previous book, which was in my opinion the best in the series. Any character development or plot is just thrown out of the window here and leaves us with bland characters with zero personality, an extremely problematic lgbt representation, and basically no plot.
These books were never a masterpiece. At best they were mildly entertaining with an interesting potential for good world building and conflicts. But with little to no character development and abandoning actually interesting plots for what I can only call side quests I have little hope for this series. Like I've said before, there was no reason for the first three books to be separated, and there is no reason for the second three to be. Cut them in half and stick them together and they might make a much better story. This book is just so disappointing. I'll read the last one in the Nightblade series just because it's in the volume I bought, but I won't read any more from this world. It's just not worth my time at this point.
**Major spoilers ahead**
There is barely a plot in this book. Loren becomes the High King's Nightblade, whatever that means neither of them actually knows nor anybody else for that matter. She is sent to Kal to train under him only to reach him and do absolutely nothing. Not training to fight, not training to be a sneaky, not even learning to read - an amazingly idiotic trait of a SPY. She just sits there and waits until certain circumstances force them to actually start thinking about what to do and they decide to find Damaris and bring her to a trial so the world could see her punished. Loren is supposed to just find her and not engage but of course she does whatever she wants because she's Loren. And the rest of the book is just them trying to find her.I could have lived with this very thin plot if it were a part of a bigger story, but considering that they actually fail their mission, there is no excuse for an entire book to be devoted to such a plot.
But the worst thing about this book is that its actual plot is about Loren wanting to have sex with a woman called Niya while being in a relationship with Chet. That's it. That's the entire book. I'm just so furious about this entire plot line for so many reasons. First of all, love triangles are almost always garbage, that's a given. But having the character in the middle of the triangle being bi and constantly talking about whether they'll cheat on their partner or not is playing so hard on awful prejudices that bi people actually have to deal with and that's just bad.
Even if we put this issue to the side, Niya is an absolutely horrifying character with at best no personality and at worst just being a shitty human being. I doubt you can call smirking a character trait but that is basically all she does. To Loren, that is. To anyone else she's just incredibly mean. I actually had mental conversations trying to understand if seeing this sort of "sexy bad boy" trope being portrayed by a woman just showed me how awful and toxic and borderline rape-y it actually is, or if I'm dealing with some latent homophobia in me. It's all the more wonderful to find out in the end that - yes, Niya actually is an insane cruel rapist. What a great way to portrait a wlw.
And for us to actually give a damn about Niya and whether or not she'll end up with Loren during this ordeal, Chet is reduced to a sniveling jealous boyfriend who wants to ruin Loren's dreams for his own selfishness. Eventually he has a truly great and important conversation about this issue with Loren which really did clear most of the air about this triangle, but that only made the characterization before it all the more ridiculous and more importantly pointless.
All of this horror almost made me miss Loren's self righteousness speeches about not killing. Almost.
These books were never a masterpiece. At best they were mildly entertaining with an interesting potential for good world building and conflicts. But with little to no character development and abandoning actually interesting plots for what I can only call side quests I have little hope for this series. Like I've said before, there was no reason for the first three books to be separated, and there is no reason for the second three to be. Cut them in half and stick them together and they might make a much better story. This book is just so disappointing. I'll read the last one in the Nightblade series just because it's in the volume I bought, but I won't read any more from this world. It's just not worth my time at this point.
**Major spoilers ahead**
There is barely a plot in this book. Loren becomes the High King's Nightblade, whatever that means neither of them actually knows nor anybody else for that matter. She is sent to Kal to train under him only to reach him and do absolutely nothing. Not training to fight, not training to be a sneaky, not even learning to read - an amazingly idiotic trait of a SPY. She just sits there and waits until certain circumstances force them to actually start thinking about what to do and they decide to find Damaris and bring her to a trial so the world could see her punished. Loren is supposed to just find her and not engage but of course she does whatever she wants because she's Loren. And the rest of the book is just them trying to find her.I could have lived with this very thin plot if it were a part of a bigger story, but considering that they actually fail their mission, there is no excuse for an entire book to be devoted to such a plot.
But the worst thing about this book is that its actual plot is about Loren wanting to have sex with a woman called Niya while being in a relationship with Chet. That's it. That's the entire book. I'm just so furious about this entire plot line for so many reasons. First of all, love triangles are almost always garbage, that's a given. But having the character in the middle of the triangle being bi and constantly talking about whether they'll cheat on their partner or not is playing so hard on awful prejudices that bi people actually have to deal with and that's just bad.
Even if we put this issue to the side, Niya is an absolutely horrifying character with at best no personality and at worst just being a shitty human being. I doubt you can call smirking a character trait but that is basically all she does. To Loren, that is. To anyone else she's just incredibly mean. I actually had mental conversations trying to understand if seeing this sort of "sexy bad boy" trope being portrayed by a woman just showed me how awful and toxic and borderline rape-y it actually is, or if I'm dealing with some latent homophobia in me. It's all the more wonderful to find out in the end that - yes, Niya actually is an insane cruel rapist. What a great way to portrait a wlw.
And for us to actually give a damn about Niya and whether or not she'll end up with Loren during this ordeal, Chet is reduced to a sniveling jealous boyfriend who wants to ruin Loren's dreams for his own selfishness. Eventually he has a truly great and important conversation about this issue with Loren which really did clear most of the air about this triangle, but that only made the characterization before it all the more ridiculous and more importantly pointless.
All of this horror almost made me miss Loren's self righteousness speeches about not killing. Almost.
December 28, 2020
Quinto libro de la serie y todavia no se si me gusta. Este tuvo algunos plot twist que no veia venir. Loren no me parece una gran protagonista principal pero sí me gusta el universo del escritor. Voy a leer el sexto y espero que tenga un buen cierre porque no creo que compre los demas libros.
February 7, 2017
Needs a better editor or proof reader
The lack of a decent editor for the book left way to many mistakes and really negatively impacts the flow of the story. I have enjoyed the other books in the series and they did not seem to have as many mistakes.
The lack of a decent editor for the book left way to many mistakes and really negatively impacts the flow of the story. I have enjoyed the other books in the series and they did not seem to have as many mistakes.
March 17, 2017
Like this series but...
Obviously I enjoy these stories if I have made it to the 5th book and plan to read the 6th. That being said this particular book is riddled with typos. Sometimes more than one on a single page. Very distracting and disappointing.
Obviously I enjoy these stories if I have made it to the 5th book and plan to read the 6th. That being said this particular book is riddled with typos. Sometimes more than one on a single page. Very distracting and disappointing.
February 5, 2017
Too predictable and the protagonist is, in my opinion, a foolish bitch and this book is more of a filler than a canon among the books of the underrealm.
May 7, 2022
The first four books of the Nightblade Saga by Garret Robinson were a study in how to continuously raise the stakes of a story until what appeared to be a large turning point in the series—a midpoint from where we can now see some of the story’s endgame. Weremage is the first step towards an epic finale.
After the events on the High Seat, the King has officially assigned Loren as the Nightblade to the King, an unprecedented appointment that Loren must herself define. Though the exact extent of what Loren can do on the King’s behalf is unclear to those around her, one thing is certainly clear to Loren: Demaris, her arch-enemy, must be brought to justice. When strange dreams begin to plague Loren with clues to how to accomplish her aims, Loren and her party embark on what might be their most dangerous endeavor to date.
In the previous novel, Loren really steps into her role as the Nightblade. In this novel, she takes another step within that journey, functioning as an arm of the King in order to bring justice to the realm. Watching her function as a leader was interesting. I enjoyed how she seemed to genuinely listen to her companions, even if she didn’t agree with them and did her best to maintain civility between the party even when there was an interpersonal conflict within their ranks.
I also appreciated that Annis and Gem have become more functional parts of the party than before. This is especially true in the case of Annis. Her expertise in political strategy and her enemy made her absolutely invaluable to the party. Gem also had more utility than a mere loyal tagalong, but I’m still waiting for him to become fully useful in their journeys.
What stands out most in this novel is the big twist at its end. Not only did I not see it coming, it was much darker than anything I’ve seen before in a Robinson novel. I don’t think it would at all be a stretch to say that the twist and conclusion of the novel will be divisive. Personally, I enjoyed it. It changed the dynamics and future path of the story in a way that can’t easily be brushed away. I only hope that it’s handled with expert care in the following tale.
There was something that bothered me throughout the novel. I call it “the Chet problem.” I personally found him increasingly insufferable as the story went on. Not just because he was often the dissenting voice within the party, but because he appeared to offer even less value to the party than Gem and with none of the charms that the young hero wields. And because Chet is a big part of the dark twist at the story’s end, I felt I wasn’t as impacted by the consequences of the story as much as I would have been were he handled differently. And perhaps that’s a good thing, because wow… that twist is a lot.
Save for “the Chet problem,” Weremage is an ambitious entry into the Nightblade saga. Robinson takes on an incredibly difficult to execute plot twist while simultaneously delivering on many of the conventions I have come to expect from the series.
*Full Disclosure — I work for the publisher, but I wasn't paid to review this book. While this is an honest review, I was involved in the production of the audiobooks of other books in this series, and I receive a small royalty for purchases of those audiobook versions.*
After the events on the High Seat, the King has officially assigned Loren as the Nightblade to the King, an unprecedented appointment that Loren must herself define. Though the exact extent of what Loren can do on the King’s behalf is unclear to those around her, one thing is certainly clear to Loren: Demaris, her arch-enemy, must be brought to justice. When strange dreams begin to plague Loren with clues to how to accomplish her aims, Loren and her party embark on what might be their most dangerous endeavor to date.
In the previous novel, Loren really steps into her role as the Nightblade. In this novel, she takes another step within that journey, functioning as an arm of the King in order to bring justice to the realm. Watching her function as a leader was interesting. I enjoyed how she seemed to genuinely listen to her companions, even if she didn’t agree with them and did her best to maintain civility between the party even when there was an interpersonal conflict within their ranks.
I also appreciated that Annis and Gem have become more functional parts of the party than before. This is especially true in the case of Annis. Her expertise in political strategy and her enemy made her absolutely invaluable to the party. Gem also had more utility than a mere loyal tagalong, but I’m still waiting for him to become fully useful in their journeys.
What stands out most in this novel is the big twist at its end. Not only did I not see it coming, it was much darker than anything I’ve seen before in a Robinson novel. I don’t think it would at all be a stretch to say that the twist and conclusion of the novel will be divisive. Personally, I enjoyed it. It changed the dynamics and future path of the story in a way that can’t easily be brushed away. I only hope that it’s handled with expert care in the following tale.
There was something that bothered me throughout the novel. I call it “the Chet problem.” I personally found him increasingly insufferable as the story went on. Not just because he was often the dissenting voice within the party, but because he appeared to offer even less value to the party than Gem and with none of the charms that the young hero wields. And because Chet is a big part of the dark twist at the story’s end, I felt I wasn’t as impacted by the consequences of the story as much as I would have been were he handled differently. And perhaps that’s a good thing, because wow… that twist is a lot.
Save for “the Chet problem,” Weremage is an ambitious entry into the Nightblade saga. Robinson takes on an incredibly difficult to execute plot twist while simultaneously delivering on many of the conventions I have come to expect from the series.
*Full Disclosure — I work for the publisher, but I wasn't paid to review this book. While this is an honest review, I was involved in the production of the audiobooks of other books in this series, and I receive a small royalty for purchases of those audiobook versions.*
October 3, 2017
My eighth read from author Garrett Robinson. Weremage: A Book of Underrealm (The Nightblade Epic 5), the fifth entry in The Nightblade Epic, was well-written with ever growing, captivating characters and an ongoing story line that continues to grow as the story goes. If Nightblade can be compared to Tolkien's The Hobbit, then Robinson's subsequent books compare favorably to The Lord of the Rings, each better than the last. No spoilers here though, I highly recommend you to buy the book and prepare yourself for a journey into the author’s well woven world!
April 11, 2018
Darker than usual, but no less enthralling. This book developed the characters even further than any book before. I like Loren and Annie more, I was getting annoyed with Chet, and Gem was confusing me. I really enjoyed the development of the depth of characters that was put forth in this book. I love this series and the Underrealm.
January 17, 2020
I was a little concerned when it seemed like the author had just discovered sex IRL in the previous book. This one tried to turn what had been a good fantasy adventure into a PC romance novel. It was just painful. I thought I had found a new author, but I’m done after books 4 and 5 and seeing that the trends continue in subsequent book.s
September 30, 2017
Weremages Hidden Within The Ranks of Allies
I gave this book a rating of 5 because I loved it. I loved the twist and turns throughout the book including the unexpected dark elements. I recommend this book to anyone that loves magic and adventure.
I gave this book a rating of 5 because I loved it. I loved the twist and turns throughout the book including the unexpected dark elements. I recommend this book to anyone that loves magic and adventure.
August 7, 2019
Some warning for sensitive themes in this one, but it's handled better than many other books and shows I've seen.
A continuation of Loren's adventure, and a worthwhile one. You can see Loren growing and the worldbuilding is a lot of fun. I recommend if you're a fan of lgbt high fantasy
A continuation of Loren's adventure, and a worthwhile one. You can see Loren growing and the worldbuilding is a lot of fun. I recommend if you're a fan of lgbt high fantasy
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2019
Good over all, but the forced insertion of homosexuality felt cringy and highly propogandistic. What really lost me is the authors note at the end. I will likely finish this saga just to wrap up the story, but it's such a shame I cannot resonate with or support this author ideologically.
June 28, 2025
I really enjoyed the previous books in the series, but Weremage is a disappointment. The character development becomes monotonous and Loren and Chet seem to be always whining about their problems. Then the homosexual relationships just ruined it.
May 19, 2017
Continuance of darkness
Wow....an ending that almost leaves one a gaped. Who would have ever thought of the twists and turns and betrayals abound.
Wow....an ending that almost leaves one a gaped. Who would have ever thought of the twists and turns and betrayals abound.
May 2, 2018
This is book #5 of the Underrealm series and any author that can make you cry, feel anger, shock and happiness all in one book is worth reading.
October 26, 2019
Could really have used a content warning going in, but *shrugs* a good read nonetheless.
August 22, 2020
I am a little breathless after finishing this book. Things were escalating fast! Really enjoyed the story and am wondering where things will end up with this unlikely group of heros.
October 7, 2016
Robinson takes one of the classic tropes of fantasy, the peasant who rises to defend a kingdom, and asks what might happen next? Once the immediacy of the threat passes, how would someone with no experience of national politics or the mundane issues of leadership handle the responsibility that comes with having become a hero. And does it without losing the pace and personality of the trope that spawned it.
This novel continues the Nightblade saga, and runs parallel to some of the events of the Academy Chronicles. As such, it is likely to contain at least partial spoilers.
In recognition of Loren’s part in the battle for the King’s Seat, the High King has named her Nightblade. But gaining in truth the title she has dreamed of since she was young brings Loren a new problem: with neither predecessors nor terms of service, what does it actually mean to be the Nightblade? And what might she have to give up in return?
As with Robinson’s previous Underrealm books, this novel consists of two intertwined stories: the personal development of the protagonist, and the wider politics of the nation.
However – unlike the previous volumes – this book deals with the burden of power and authority rather than weakness and constraint. As the bearer of a direct, yet nebulous, commission from the monarch, Loren clearly outranks many people; but does she outrank everyone? And what of the chain of command? Making full use of the scenario so hated by the military mind – that of an apparent civilian given unspecified command over a unit of soldiers – Robinson grants Loren both a mission and forces to assist her, then mires her in issues of whether the forces must take her orders or merely assist within the bounds of their existing role.
Not content with the travails of formal politics, Robinson adds several companions-of-choice to the group. Even when Loren achieves a possible answer to questions of military rank, she is left with the delicate task of heeding (and herding) people who are with her from friendship, but do not share her exact interests.
Paralleling this personal balancing act between demanding compliance and lacking authority, Robinson reveals the fragility of the alliance between the kingdoms: the King’s Seat has been saved from attackers, but the High King’s position is not so clearly unassailable that the other kingdoms will do more than not actively oppose her; and a single kingdom joining the other side might be enough to lose even that stability.
Where the Loren of Nightblade and the two following volumes was a child-seeking-to-be-adult, the Loren of this novel is conscious of the downside of being an adult: duty tugs at her, the place in society that grants her authority also takes her freedom to act utterly as she wishes, and she must find a way to achieve her aims within the law rather than despite of it.
The recurring cast have similarly matured in their interests and abilities: both Gem and Annis, while still callow, have discovered both attraction and a new seriousness; and Chet has found an inner iron that makes him more than Loren’s first love.
To these existing characters, Robinson adds a diverse group of Mystics. United by their common duty, but each having specialist skills and personal interests, they provide a professional counterpoint to the casual approach of Loren’s original companions without merely being a monolithic military force.
Overall, I enjoyed this book greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking a fast-paced fantasy that does not ignore the emotional cost of suddenly becoming a hero.
I received a free copy from the publisher with a request for a fair review.
This novel continues the Nightblade saga, and runs parallel to some of the events of the Academy Chronicles. As such, it is likely to contain at least partial spoilers.
In recognition of Loren’s part in the battle for the King’s Seat, the High King has named her Nightblade. But gaining in truth the title she has dreamed of since she was young brings Loren a new problem: with neither predecessors nor terms of service, what does it actually mean to be the Nightblade? And what might she have to give up in return?
As with Robinson’s previous Underrealm books, this novel consists of two intertwined stories: the personal development of the protagonist, and the wider politics of the nation.
However – unlike the previous volumes – this book deals with the burden of power and authority rather than weakness and constraint. As the bearer of a direct, yet nebulous, commission from the monarch, Loren clearly outranks many people; but does she outrank everyone? And what of the chain of command? Making full use of the scenario so hated by the military mind – that of an apparent civilian given unspecified command over a unit of soldiers – Robinson grants Loren both a mission and forces to assist her, then mires her in issues of whether the forces must take her orders or merely assist within the bounds of their existing role.
Not content with the travails of formal politics, Robinson adds several companions-of-choice to the group. Even when Loren achieves a possible answer to questions of military rank, she is left with the delicate task of heeding (and herding) people who are with her from friendship, but do not share her exact interests.
Paralleling this personal balancing act between demanding compliance and lacking authority, Robinson reveals the fragility of the alliance between the kingdoms: the King’s Seat has been saved from attackers, but the High King’s position is not so clearly unassailable that the other kingdoms will do more than not actively oppose her; and a single kingdom joining the other side might be enough to lose even that stability.
Where the Loren of Nightblade and the two following volumes was a child-seeking-to-be-adult, the Loren of this novel is conscious of the downside of being an adult: duty tugs at her, the place in society that grants her authority also takes her freedom to act utterly as she wishes, and she must find a way to achieve her aims within the law rather than despite of it.
The recurring cast have similarly matured in their interests and abilities: both Gem and Annis, while still callow, have discovered both attraction and a new seriousness; and Chet has found an inner iron that makes him more than Loren’s first love.
To these existing characters, Robinson adds a diverse group of Mystics. United by their common duty, but each having specialist skills and personal interests, they provide a professional counterpoint to the casual approach of Loren’s original companions without merely being a monolithic military force.
Overall, I enjoyed this book greatly. I recommend it to readers seeking a fast-paced fantasy that does not ignore the emotional cost of suddenly becoming a hero.
I received a free copy from the publisher with a request for a fair review.
March 2, 2017
Just when you think it's going to be alright Garrett Robinson pulls you back into the adventure with a twist or a turn makes it hard not to put the book down. Great book, keeps you entertained!
February 5, 2017
Another book full of surprises
This book was full of twists and turns like the previous books. It was nice to see Annis rejoin the group and play a major role. I also liked learning more about some of the mystics that have joined Loren in her journey. The book ends with a major surprise.
Unfortunately, Chet is still a constant figure. I did not like him becoming a permanent member of the group in the last book. He is whiny, sullen, brings nothing beneficial to the group, and really serves as not much more than Loren's love interest. I keep hoping he will leave, but that is not to be.
This book was full of twists and turns like the previous books. It was nice to see Annis rejoin the group and play a major role. I also liked learning more about some of the mystics that have joined Loren in her journey. The book ends with a major surprise.
Unfortunately, Chet is still a constant figure. I did not like him becoming a permanent member of the group in the last book. He is whiny, sullen, brings nothing beneficial to the group, and really serves as not much more than Loren's love interest. I keep hoping he will leave, but that is not to be.
February 9, 2017
Wonderful read! My love for these characters only continues to grow.
October 15, 2016
Garrett has done it again. Weremage continues the story of Loren the nightblade. no longer the simple girl who fled the forest. It is incredible to see the growth in a character as she transitions from girl following the flow of events and making waves wherever she is, to where we find her in this book. Charting her own course and no longer simply bound by the plans of others to guide her life.
This story sees Loren leading her own group as they seek those who are responsible for the war that is on the edge of taking over all of the Underrealm.
This story sees Loren leading her own group as they seek those who are responsible for the war that is on the edge of taking over all of the Underrealm.
September 30, 2016
I wish it were longer
Robinson's books are so cleverly written, the characters wonderfully developed, I loathe reaching the end of any of his books. I appreciate that he continues the character development in each of the books, they grow in a wonderful reflection true to life. I can't wait for the next one.
Robinson's books are so cleverly written, the characters wonderfully developed, I loathe reaching the end of any of his books. I appreciate that he continues the character development in each of the books, they grow in a wonderful reflection true to life. I can't wait for the next one.
September 29, 2016
Another great addition to the series
Another great one! The character development was nice and the storyline was awesome! Highly recommended! Definitely a page turner and good read.
Another great one! The character development was nice and the storyline was awesome! Highly recommended! Definitely a page turner and good read.
October 31, 2016
Each book seems to get better and better. he handle the relationship with Nyia, Loren and Chet just fine.
December 20, 2016
Wow
More secrets are revealed and more to come I think. Auntie appears again when you least expect it. The journey continues but to where?
More secrets are revealed and more to come I think. Auntie appears again when you least expect it. The journey continues but to where?
April 2, 2017
I am working on reading this series in order. Each one surpasses the last. Each book twists where you would not expect it to,
and this book had more surprises that really twisted. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC at no cost from the author.
and this book had more surprises that really twisted. I look forward to reading the next book in this series.
*Disclaimer: I received an ARC at no cost from the author.
April 24, 2017
Great series
I love how this series makes you want to keep reading. The only problem now is that I have to wait for the next one.
I love how this series makes you want to keep reading. The only problem now is that I have to wait for the next one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews