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Ironstone Saga #2
Warlord
As the invading army of a mad king ravages the land, Vyder seeks help from the one force that can stop them: the fierce Highland warriors of his home province. But Vyder finds he has enemies in the Highlands now -- can he stay alive long enough to raise an army, and even if he succeeds will it be too late?
- GenresFantasy
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 3, 2019
8 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
About the author
Keith McArdle
15 books119 followersKeith was born in a hospital, somewhere in Australia, when he was very little. He owns every David Gemmell book ever written (and two versions of some books), including the graphic novels. To maintain some semblance of sanity, Keith likes writing fast-paced stories ranging from Fantasy and sci-fi, to modern military thrillers. He now lives somewhere else in Australia.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 2, 2019
Truly astounding battles. Warlord puts 'epic' and 'fantastic' back in epic fantasy.
Though it's all damn good, there are a few things that really stood out for me. I found the deep forest, grassland, and highland locations unique and incredibly well described. And the cavalry battles were amazing. I don't think I've ever read them quite like McArdle does it. And if you like castle sieges, oh boy. Really great stuff. The characters are also a great strength of the book, and their actions, interactions, and inner thoughts great fun to witness. Oh, and nature spirits!
All in all, I'd say this is a must read for fans of epic fantasy with brilliant characters and amazing battles.
Though it's all damn good, there are a few things that really stood out for me. I found the deep forest, grassland, and highland locations unique and incredibly well described. And the cavalry battles were amazing. I don't think I've ever read them quite like McArdle does it. And if you like castle sieges, oh boy. Really great stuff. The characters are also a great strength of the book, and their actions, interactions, and inner thoughts great fun to witness. Oh, and nature spirits!
All in all, I'd say this is a must read for fans of epic fantasy with brilliant characters and amazing battles.
January 21, 2020
Review to come.
August 26, 2019
This book has some of the most incredible battle scenes I have ever read!
Primarily I was looking forward to reading more about Vyder and his adventures, turns out while he did have quite an adventure throughout this story I found his to be the least interesting to me. I really had a great time getting to know some of the others better. My favorites were Rone, his adventure behind enemy lines was fantastic, and Graff and his time spent defending Lisport. Their experiences were proof of Mr. McArdle's fantastic storytelling abilities.
There was of course more to the book than amazing characters, Vyder's adventure did expand the world building quite a bit, and it is always nice to see new parts of the world. Their way of life varies greatly from those that we experience in book one. We also meet some more nature spirits along the way.
There was a lot I really liked about this book but the highlight for me was the way the battles are written. The cavalry fighting is told in a way that makes it so easy to visualize, sometimes with large battles things can get jumbled. This is definitely not the case here. I was able to have a clear visual in my head of everything that was happening. This of course applies to the story as a whole and not just the battles but it was particularly impressive in those scenes.
Overall it was a fast fun adventure and I am looking forward to the next installment. I anticipate the scale to get much bigger going forward. I think there are secrets in this world that we are yet to learn of and I can't wait until I learn them all.
Primarily I was looking forward to reading more about Vyder and his adventures, turns out while he did have quite an adventure throughout this story I found his to be the least interesting to me. I really had a great time getting to know some of the others better. My favorites were Rone, his adventure behind enemy lines was fantastic, and Graff and his time spent defending Lisport. Their experiences were proof of Mr. McArdle's fantastic storytelling abilities.
There was of course more to the book than amazing characters, Vyder's adventure did expand the world building quite a bit, and it is always nice to see new parts of the world. Their way of life varies greatly from those that we experience in book one. We also meet some more nature spirits along the way.
There was a lot I really liked about this book but the highlight for me was the way the battles are written. The cavalry fighting is told in a way that makes it so easy to visualize, sometimes with large battles things can get jumbled. This is definitely not the case here. I was able to have a clear visual in my head of everything that was happening. This of course applies to the story as a whole and not just the battles but it was particularly impressive in those scenes.
Overall it was a fast fun adventure and I am looking forward to the next installment. I anticipate the scale to get much bigger going forward. I think there are secrets in this world that we are yet to learn of and I can't wait until I learn them all.
June 12, 2019
In book two of the Ironstone Saga, our reincarnated and demonically possessed hero Vyder returns home after many years, and you can guarantee it’s not going to be an entirely happy or uneventful homecoming. Terrific to see a departure into a part of this fantasy world that feels fresh, and the world building is great.
To some extent, Warlord has the classic middle sequel issue that while a lot of cool stuff is happening it doesn’t move on the overarching story a great deal. Vyder needs to raise an army, the kingdom needs to hold out, and intrigues happen behind enemy lines but you know a lot is being held back until Book Three. In saying that though, I enjoyed reading the second book even more than the first! There’s a lot of great character work and the action is terrific, and something about the pacing just drew me right into the story.
To some extent, Warlord has the classic middle sequel issue that while a lot of cool stuff is happening it doesn’t move on the overarching story a great deal. Vyder needs to raise an army, the kingdom needs to hold out, and intrigues happen behind enemy lines but you know a lot is being held back until Book Three. In saying that though, I enjoyed reading the second book even more than the first! There’s a lot of great character work and the action is terrific, and something about the pacing just drew me right into the story.
June 4, 2019
You can definitely judge this book by it's cover!
This was worth the wait! I really fell in love with the characters and the world in book one and the sequel was everything I was hoping for and more.
The characters and the world were so well developed and thought out that I just couldn't put it down.
The action once again managed to walk that fine line between too much information which can make the reader skip parts, and too lottle that you don't always know what is where. This was perfectly crafted, which is a hard balance to get right.
My only complaint is that it had to end where it did (no spoilers). Now I have to grit my teeth while I await the next one.
This was worth the wait! I really fell in love with the characters and the world in book one and the sequel was everything I was hoping for and more.
The characters and the world were so well developed and thought out that I just couldn't put it down.
The action once again managed to walk that fine line between too much information which can make the reader skip parts, and too lottle that you don't always know what is where. This was perfectly crafted, which is a hard balance to get right.
My only complaint is that it had to end where it did (no spoilers). Now I have to grit my teeth while I await the next one.
June 4, 2019
Loved the first book, Fallen Empire and just finished reading the follow on, Warlord. It didn't disappoint! It was even better. I read it in one whole day as I couldn't put it down. It didn't bog down with being unnecessarily descriptive yet was descriptive enough to easily picture the scenes.
If you liked Game of Thrones, check this author's Ironstone series out! Both guys and girls should enjoy it if you like dark fantasy/medieval books. There is one kickass warrior woman in the series, so cool! I'd love to see this series made into a movie or series.
If you liked Game of Thrones, check this author's Ironstone series out! Both guys and girls should enjoy it if you like dark fantasy/medieval books. There is one kickass warrior woman in the series, so cool! I'd love to see this series made into a movie or series.
June 5, 2019
Great follow up to Fallen Empire. The story flows brilliantly with some unexpected twists. The relationship between Vyder and Gorgoroth keeps getting stronger, with some humour mixed in between main characters. Great action scenes that ends with a real cliffhanger, bring on book 3!
August 4, 2019
Flashing blades, bloody combat, booming blunderbusses, charging cavalry, dangerous sea voyages, desperate quests and mortal vengeance, plus a little bit of magic and even some romance. An assured slice of battle-oriented fantasy with an unusual setting.
June 4, 2019
Amazing book. Can't wait for the next one.
June 8, 2019
Great read. Just look at the cover ! Vyder and Gorgoroth are great characters. Story line keeps you interested and I just wanted to keep on reading. Can not wait for more !
June 21, 2019
Cracking read. Well written grand scale story. Fans of Feist will enjoy this also. Be prepared to read it in one sitting.
February 26, 2020
A great read filled with epic battles and some really cool horses. Gods and demons and destriers!
added-it
May 6, 2022🎁Books 1 & 2 in the Series are FREE on Amazon today (5/6/2022)! 🎁
June 8, 2019
Like all of Keith's books this is a great read. Lots of twists and turns, and very hard to put down once you start. If you like something a bit different when you've finished this, get his first two books "The Reckoning" and "Aftermath" about the fictional invasion of Australia, that's so close to the truth that it's scary.
June 17, 2019
McArdle has done it again. As with the Unforseen series, this book connects to the first one in the series seamlessly with just enough reference to the first one that you can easily follow the plot. The characters are strong and the imagery very real. Can't wait for the final outcome in this series.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews