EMBRACE THE NIGHT. WIELD THE BLADE. From #1 Amazon Bestseller Garrett Robinson Loren pursues Damaris of the family Yerrin. But Damaris has fled south into Dorsea, and she knows she is being hunted. The power of the High King’s hand is still at Loren’s back, but that has not helped her bring her arch-nemesis to bay. Damaris eludes her at every turn, and the best trackers at Loren's disposal cannot close the gap in her pursuit. And then disaster strikes in Underrealm's great civil war, as an entire kingdom turns traitor. Her mission has never been more urgent, and yet despite her best efforts, Loren cannot gain the upper hand. As the danger to her friends grows ever greater, Loren must decide just how far she is willing to go to deliver the High King’s justice. The fantasy novels of the Nightblade Epic have topped the bestseller charts again and again, and are hailed as one of the best new sword and sorcery series in years. TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN THE EPIC ADVENTURE.
Another amazing book in this series. When you think it can’t get better, it does. A fast paced fantasy that keeps your interest until the very end. Impossible to miss this story. Received an ARC.
The Story is getting better and I can't wait to see where it goes! Loren is struggling to understand, and that let's doubt creep in. Hopefully she stays strong, to see it through to the end!
Robinson continues to blend fast-paced low fantasy with a mature perspective on what becoming a hero actually entails in the long term.
This novel is the sixth volume in the Nightblade Epic. Ware Spoilers!
When Damaris, rogue member of the family Yerrin and servant of the Necromancer, flees south to Dorsea, Loren is only a few steps behind. But that is where she remains. And Loren’s attempt to bring her nemesis to the King’s Justice only becomes harder when what seemed like Damaris fleeing from the hunter turns out to be yet another step in the plan to throw the kingdoms of Underrealm into a brutal civil war.
As with the previous volume, a major theme is the difference between authority and ability: Loren bears the High King’s Writ so is formal commander of the mission, but her experiences are those of a peasant and thief most of whose companions were friends before they were subordinates. So, the pursuit is hampered both by her failure to act as leaders are expected to act and her lack of strategic and tactical knowledge when she does.
This difficulty is compounded by the second of Robinson’s pervasive threads: a world with complex and nuanced politics. Chasing someone through the countryside is a matter of tracking and speed; but neither of these help in the heart of civilisation where both authority and power take a back seat to influence, deceit, and negotiation.
In addition, the prophetic dreams that Loren experiences radically increase in frequency, but also become harder to interpret and even potentially misleading. Ignoring a dream led to disaster, so heeding them feels attractive – more so when she lacks the experience to plan a more orthodox strategy – but trying to follow messages that might not be what they seem poses an equal risk of denying her the benefit of what mundane savvy she does have.
Torn between relying on what she’s good at and being what people might need of her, Loren continues to be a sympathetic protagonist. The almost self-righteous naïve of the first book is far gone, leaving someone who at times seems almost embarrassed by the suggestion she’s the skilled yet principled thief she dreamed of being as a child. Yet the sense that good people don’t do bad things remains, keeping her at odds with those who put defeating evil ahead of remaining good.
The continuing cast display this same mix of change and endurance. Both Gem and Annis have grown beyond the precocious children they were, yet have not fully taken on the full weight of adulthood – either in their own minds or the eyes of others. Perhaps the most tragic of these advancements however is Chet’s, who develops a greater understanding that he might not change into a nation-crossing hero as they others do.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel. I recommend it to readers seeking low fantasy that focuses on what happens after one becomes the hero of the hour.
I received an advance review copy from the publisher with a request for a fair review.
This is it! Yerrin. The dramatic conclusion to the Nightblade Saga!
The journey has been long and difficult, but Loren has refused to give up on tracking Damaris. With her mysterious dreams as the only aid to her search, she enters Dorsea where she encounters a people unsettled by a recent change in leadership. Loren must choose how to much danger she’s willing to put her party into in order to accomplish her goal.
We have full Nightblade! Loren comes to terms with who she is in this novel as her growing reputation as a living legend now proceeds her wherever she goes. Even Annis and Gem have continued to be ever more crucial parts of the story. And I really loved that.
While this novel doesn’t have as big a twist at the end as the previous one, Yerrin doesn’t hesitate to take you on an emotional, winding path. Every decision could lead to suffering or death, and Loren must make each, knowing the full weight of the consequences of failure.
I loved how Robinson dealt with the big twist at the end of Weremage. Though I trust the author, I couldn’t help but worry that it wouldn’t be dealt with realistically, but oh man, it was. And it was painful to read. But even so, I appreciated that it was handled with care and thoughtfulness.
Though this is the conclusion of the Nightblade Epic as we know it, the world of Underrealm is not complete. There are larger, overarching plot threads that have yet to be resolved, and I look forward to seeing how the author handles it, drawing his grand universe to a dramatic close.
*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 books in this series, and I receive a small royalty for purchases of those audiobook versions.*
This was an absolute joy. After my disappointment from Weremage I had little expectations from the sixth book and wanted to simply skim it since I already had it, but almost everything bad from the last book was gone within the first few chapters. The story is more interesting, the characters for the most part far more engaging and a lot of the great world-building that was previously thrown out the window is brought to the front.
**Slight spoilers ahead** Though there was very little new information about Loren's knife, her dreams, how the Elves are connected to all this and anything at all about the Necromancer/Lifemage story-line (which is a shame), Loren did get some moments to shine and develop and we also get some clues surrounding the war that is to come, though mostly from the addendum (which is, again, a shame). I was quite disappointed by Loren's relationship with Kal. I was especially disappointed by the comparison between him and Loren's abusing father, which felt jarring and uncalled for considering the situation. It was also the weakest point in the book for Loren in my opinion. Till that point she seemed to grow more and understand her part and place in this world better than ever before, and it felt like a childish regression that unfortunately seem to be supported by the narrative as the right thing to do. And Chet... well, there was so little left of his character in the fifth book that it was simply easier to ignore his presence for the most part. I was touched by his ending, though, again, I just didn't care about him that much at that point.
But over all, this was a thoroughly enjoying read. This might actually be one of my favorite entries in the series, as it sparked my interest in this world all over again.
The cover on this book does a very good job of visualising some of the gore that happens in this tale.
Our little band of friends again make some very powerful friends and try and assist a king to get his throne back and in the process learn some more lessons about themselves and have to make some not so innocent as before decisions - but not much to do with the necromancer appears in this book.
There are some heartbreaking scenes I really didn't think I'd be reading so be prepared if you've been reading the rest of the series.
This wouldn't make sense if you read it as a standalone and I do recommend you read the rest of the series before.
Garrett continues to draw me in with compelling characters and intrigue on a both a small scale and events in the greater world of underrealm! Yerrin is the 6th book following the character Loren. In this book we join Loren and her friends as they continue to track down and bring justice to the traitor Damaris. Loren is still settling into the role of leader, the girl from the forest is still learning her role in the world. This story leads Loren into dangerous and dark territory. The Underrealm may never be the same once Loren finishes her task.
My ninth read from author Garrett Robinson. Yerrin, the sixth 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. I like how he’s integrated aspects from The Academy Series into The Nightblade Epic. 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!
OMG.. Thats all I can say for this one.. It kept me going. I read most of the book in 1 sitting I could not put it down. New characters intro'd and other stuff I can not talk about.. Not with out major spoilers for the story line.
If you liked this series you will love this book.. Ah with out a spoiler things are tying into the other books . I am already in book hangover. And sadness reigns cuz now I have to wait for the next one...
I received a free copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review it.
I have really enjoyed all of the Underrealm books, and this one continues Loren's adventures. What I really liked in this book is that we see Loren come to truely embrace BEING the Nightblade and what that means. She starts becoming a true leader, and what hunting her archenemy Damarius entails. I was hoping that this was going to be the book that was going to join The Nightblade and Academy series together but hopefully Garrett has that in store for us in a later book.
I gave this book a rating of 5 because I loved it. I loved the suspense and sense of mystery through the book. There was some really sad parts but also some shocking parts that made your blood pump. I recommend this book to anyone that loves magic, adventure and fantasy.
The Nightblade story continues in this great tale, granting you a further look into kingdom of underealm keeps you wanting more. Love the book great characters and awesome story line. Would recommend this to anyone seeking a great fantasy novel
This was a totally unexpected turn to the story. I was not expecting any of it. I snickered. I sat on the edge of my seat gripping my iPad tightly, holding my breath with fear and anticipation. I cried. I cheered. This book brought out all my emotions and I loved every moment of it. Thank you.
Loren and her friends weren't able to return the king to the throne but they were able to put his son back on the throne. Even though she has vowed never to take another's life she took Gregors life. After all, Damarius did in fact kill her childhood friend for which she loved Bu Damarius has escaped once again and they are off chasing after her.
Now the thing that disappoints me about this series is the fact that it's been 3 years since this book has come out and there has been nothing since. And the author has left us hanging with Allot of unanswered questions. I.e. What happened with the war, where did Damarius get off to? What happened to Annis? and the others. in other words so many questions with no answers; its enough to make a person wonder if it will ever be finished
Fantastic next chapter in the nightblade saga. Garrett has a way of growing his characters, making you want to be a part of the adventure........ Continue writing