The Coward

Quest for Heroes #1

by Stephen Aryan

A “knock-out” fantasy adventure about how “even the most vicious monster battles are less harrowing than the struggles within men’s souls”—for fans of D&D and Joe Abercrombie (Publishers Weekly). With evil rising in the Frozen North, Kell Kressia is called upon to save his people once again—but what if he’s more coward than hero? Kell Kressia is a legend, a celebrity, a hero. At 17, he set out on an epic quest with a band of wizened fighters to slay the Ice Lich and save the world—but only he returned victorious. The Lich was dead, the ice receded, and the Five Kingdoms were safe. Ten years later, Kell lives a quiet farmer’s life, while stories about his heroism are told in every tavern across the land. But now a new terror has arisen in the north. Beyond the frozen circle, north of the Frostrunner clans, something has taken up residence in the Lich’s abandoned castle. And the ice is beginning to creep south once more. For the second time, Kell is called upon to take up his famous sword, Slayer, and battle the forces of darkness. But he has a terrible secret that nobody knows. He's not a hero—he was just lucky. Everyone puts their faith in Kell the Legend, but he’s a coward who has no intention of risking his life for anyone . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Adult, High Fantasy, Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

483 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2021

About the author

I’m a lifelong fan of fantasy and science fiction. It started with The Hobbit, The Belgariad, the Earthsea books, the Shannara books, DragonLance and then David Gemmell, who was a huge influence on my writing.

My novels include:-

The Nightingale and the Falcon trilogy

The Judas Blossom (July 2023)
The Blood Dimmed Tide (9 July 2024)
The Judas Blossom 3 (July 2025)

The Quest for Heroes duology

-The Coward (June 2021)
- The Warrior (August 2022)


Age of Darkness (first trilogy)
- Battlemage
- Bloodmage
- Chaosmage

Age of Dread (second trilogy)

-Mageborn
-Magefall
-Magebane

A prequel novella to everything, Of Gods and Men, was published in February 2018.


I am represented by Juliet Mushens of Mushens Entertainment.

Reviews

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

The premise of this book sounded interesting. A "coward" hero forced to go on a mission to defeat this dangerous evil. The execution, though? Not so much. I'm not a fast reader but this book took me weeks to finish (and even 1000+ pages books never take me that long). I wasn't even remotely interested in the events going on and I found myself pushing through reading this book only because it's an arc. This resulted in a lot of wasted time. You see, I was very busy at the time and only had a few precious reading moments each day, which I mostly ended up wasting away on social media because I wasn't invested in my current read.

The main character, who was supposed to be a coward, turns out to be only a reluctant hero (and that was kinda a relief since I discovered no, I don't like coward heroes). The characters were one-dimensional and lacked any true color. We also had a secondary character who had several chapters (and I can't for the life of me remember his name, I read this book months ago. He's the young boy) that were completely useless and didn't add anything to the story in my opinion. Willow was more interesting than most because of the "mystery" surrounding her. As for Brytak, you can think of her as head of the local religion, I was intrigued but sadly she didn't live up to her full potential and again, didn't see the need for her chapters. She'll probably play a bigger role in the next book and the Coward was more of an introduction, I still think however that her story could've played out differently.

The plot played out to be your very typical (and hence, predictable) fantasy and didn't offer anything new to the genre. While I don’t mind simplistic plots from time to time, Aryan didn’t add anything to grab me to the story. As I already mentioned, this book was a snore (sorry but I could've read 4 books at least during the time I wasted trying to read this novel) and I wouldn't recommend it (unless you tried the author's other books and liked them, this is my first book by Aryan but probably my last, for now at least). But check other reviews, this book might be your cup of tea after all.

Due to the linear plotline, I believe this book could've been shorter but also a standalone. I don't see the need for a sequel but I'll guess it'll be more political where Reverand Mother Brytak will be more important since her part wasn't wrapped up nor fully explored (nor smoothly developed, mind you). Briefly said, while the premise was interesting, the story itself was underwhelming and boring. Since I'm writing this not very comprehensible review months after finishing the book, I can't remember for the life of me any positives I might have to say about this novel, sadly. All I know is that if you're looking for a fully engaging and entertaining read with relatable characters and world-building, this book isn't for you.


Thanks to publisher and Netgalley for sending me an e-arc of this book

[Holly Hearts Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a rich world that creates a great sense of grand scale, and piles and piles of heart, Stephen Aryan writes more beautiful terrain and fame thirsty warriors. It makes the adventure a blast and is buoyed by some fantastic enemy creature designs, though these successes are married to a fairly basic and repetitive first half as a story that seems to regularly overstate its own substance.
Personal rating: 3.75
Full review to come on my YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/hollyheartsbooks

[Edward Gwynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! Some serious Kings of the Wyld meets David Gemmel vibes here. I love the idea of real discovering who the heroes actually are, and the whole 'meet strangers and become a team' trope. Loved it and what's even better is that it sets up the idea of a sequel!

The writing style here is easily accessible and told in a very chatty way, with great humour and dialogue, short and sharp chapters and some beautiful descriptions.

The characters are excellent. Each was different, quirky and had their own individual arcs and moments, and the ending of The Coward was top notch. I love how each characters has mystery and moments to shine, and how humour is interweaved throughout the story.

I cannot wait to dive into Aryan's backlog, now!

All in all, a fun and personal tale, that adds a new and modern twist on the 'heroes' trope. 'Kings of the Wyld' meets Gemmell's 'Legend'. We need more books like this in fantasy!

Thanks to Stephen for sending me a review copy. THE COWARD is out June 8th!

[Dannii Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first instalment to the Quest for Heroes series.

Kell Kressida is a renowned hero of his kingdom. Wherever he ventures, stories of his conquests and insights to the heroes he adventured alongside are requested. Kell reluctantly shares his secrets. Or, at least some of them. The truth about what these heroes were truly like or the part he played in these much shared stories he keeps to himself. But now an old threat has returned and this secret coward must decide if he can finally face all of his fears, or be outed for his past mistakes instead.

This proved a fun fantasy adventure with a mostly lovable cast and high political stakes. I loved learning about Kell's character and his past battles, but I was mostly invested in the two other perspectives that were also included here.

One of these revealed insights to those ruling this kingdom and the truth about the threats Kell was continually facing. The other provided a better understanding for Kell's character as he was placed alongside and yet remained disenchanted with this legendary hero's status. The combination of all three ensured this a thrilling and immersive read, despite it being a little more of a straightforward tale than the one I was anticipating. I definitely had fun and will be returning for the sequel.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Stephen Aryan, and the publisher, Angry Robot, for this opportunity.

[Andrews WizardlyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

HERE is the link to my GUSH review of The Coward

The Coward is such a criminally underrated story! This book is some of the best Heroic Fantasy I have read. The Coward is a modern Sword and Sorcery tale similar to the works of David Gemmell. I would go as far as to say that Aryan is the true successor to Gemmell. If that wasn’t enough he also spiced up the story with just a hint of Abercrombie's flair. To make in my opinion an absolute masterpiece.

The characters and themes deal with survivor's guilt, trauma, and the power of a good story. I CAN'T EVEN WITH HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS.

To be honest I was expecting something entirely different from Kell’s character. I expected him to be an actual coward. Throw that thought right out. What Kell believes in is survival. He is a realist to his core. As we progress through the story and learn about his history and what he went through before the start of the story it all makes sense.

I love how the author explored coming of age and lost innocence through Gerren’s characterization. On top of that Gerren is utilized to full effect because Kell sees himself in this boy. Who is determined to make the same mistakes he did.

I can see the complaint that most of the combat feels a bit encounter-heavy like from Final Fantasy and if that bothers you I understand. I loved it though. It felt like the heroes were hammered and forged into a found family unit.

I am a bit sad it’s over. But I can look forward to the Warrior which comes out soon.

5/5 a must-read

[Virginja ↢ 99% imp · Rating 2 out of 5]

2🌟

I received an ARC (advanced reader copy) from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quotes reported are susceptible to changes upon publication

The Coward is the first book in a new duology by Stephen Aryan, this name might right a bell: he is also the author of Battle Mage, a book that has been in my radar for some time now. The Coward is my first experience with this author, but I’m still willing to read other books by him, this time with lower expectations though. Even if I was not impressed with this book, I really like Aryan’s writing style, and I think his opera might work for me if I don’t l know what the book is about, since this author is apparently very fond of tropes.

“The quest had broken Kell. He’d become fragile in a way that Lukas recognised. Warriors who’d spent too long fighting on the front lines had the same look.”

The Coward is a structured like a well worn classic, a quest to a faraway land to destroy a supernatural menace. Ten years ago, a party of heroes went to the Frozen North to slay a creature known as the Ice Lich. A seventeen year old boy, Kell Kressia, followed them in the journey, and ended up being the sole survivor of their quest. Now it seems the Ice Lich has returned, so Kell is forced to journey to the North once again. It’s unfortunate to say so, but this book failed in both tracing a compelling old school fantasy and being original. I’m really baffled by how plain the story was despite all the fantastic premises. First off, we should follow a coward as he is forced to go on a quest, the problem is Kell is not a coward. Upon reading the book, I assumed Kell was a coward in the sense he had lied about everything. I expected him to be a fake hero that killed everyone in his party and then headed back home with the work unfinished. The story even teases that what the public knows of Kell’s first quest is partial and heavily romanticized, but when the whole story is revealed it only confirms Kell to be brave and noble soul. Kell sins of cowardice only in the sense he is a reluctant hero and would happily live in his small farm for te rest of his life.

“No one understood. The only people who might have understood were dead.”

Even if the initial premise is not completely fulfilled, this book had still many chances to be a compelling redaction of the quest trope. Aryan however decided to fill the plot with useless scenes, where the reader was supposed to fear for the characters’ safety, but they all fell short and only provided a noisy diversion from the plot.
The problem is that it is established early in the narrative that the only dangerous place in this world in the Frozen North, but characters reach it only at the 60% mark. Before that point we follow them as they travel through the civilized world, where nothing feels threatening apart from the occasional pack of wolves. There are no wars, no clan feuds or otherwise interesting dynamics that could make this part of the travel difficult. Aryan tried very hard to make the journey high stakes, but the lack of impending antagonists made it all the more predictable and boring. Instead of using the journey to make us care for the characters, with their past stories, their true motivations, the growing complicity between them, Aryan made their quest boring and endless.

“Ten years ago I was afraid of everything. It’s taken me a long time to recover. Now, I’m just afraid of dying.”

The characters, as much I liked what Aryan was trying to do, fell flat for me. The most part of the story is told from Kell’s point of view; still he felt like a very generic reluctant hero, with little depth to his true motives. Kell’s companion were just representative of character types. I would be surprised if, when doing a DnD alignment chart, all these people could perfectly fit info a square. The only one with whom Aryan did something interesting was Willow, a non-human character. We never know what she is thinking, she never talks unless asked specific questions, and when she answers it only make sense to her. I think Aryan did a great job in rendering this mysterious character, I could see there was more to her, but the choice to keep her a secret worked really well.
The only other character of notice is Revered Mother Brytak. She was in absolutely the most interesting part of the narrative. If Aryan has just given her a solid plot line, her story could have been the saving grace of The Coward.However, I think Aryan introduced her show the readers that not everyone was positive about Kell’s quest. I was very excited to read about her, but about halfway through the book she never appears anymore, probably because Aryan didn’t know what to do with her.

As a final not, I don’t think The Coward needed to have a sequel. With an Epilogue set some years after, this book would work perfectly as a stand-alone. All the important plot lines (in reality, the only important one) were perfectly tied up in this book. We are left with only some very minor loose threads, I don’t think that’s enough to justify a sequel since there is no foreshadowing of future conflicts.

[Library of a Viking · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heartwarming, engaging and fun fantasy adventure!

The Coward is the first book in the Quest of Heroes series, and is the first book I have read by Stephen Aryan. After seeing the beautiful cover and reading the synopsis, I knew I had to read it.
The Coward follows Kell Kressia, who is a legend and a celebrity. Kell gained his status after going on a quest, when he was only 17 years old and killed the Ice Lich. Kell thereby secured peace in the Five Kingdoms. However, 10 years after this epic quest, a new terror is threatening, and the King wants to send Kell to defeat this evil, but Kell Kressia is not planning on going. He has already done his part.

The Coward uses the ‘quest trope’, which I typically do not enjoy reading. However, Aryan sets up the plot incredibly well, making the reader engaged in Kell’s story from the first page. Kell is such a relatable, stubborn and funny character that I thoroughly enjoyed following. Furthermore, the reader is given hints that there is more to Kell’s story than meets the eyes.

Moreover, The Coward has some truly memorable characters, which will pull at the reader’s heartstring. My favourite characters were definitely Kell and Gerren!
The Coward also focuses on the harsh reality of being depicted as a ‘hero’. Aryan masterfully displays that even heroes have weaknesses and imperfections, and society’s unrealistic expectations of these ‘heroes’ can lead to disastrous consequences.

The Coward reads and feels much like a standalone, although there are some plotlines that are not properly concluded. If you do not want to commit to the whole series, you can absolutely just read The Coward.

My main criticism is that the section from 50% - 85% focuses a bit too much on action/battles for my taste. While the first half of the book focuses a lot on setting up the plot, building character relationships, and world-building, the second half is much more action-focused. Although I do not mind a bit of action, some of the scenes just felt a bit random or forced. There are at least three battle scenes that our cast are just suddenly thrown into (it makes sense in the story), which made the plot feel a bit repetitive. However, The Coward has a satisfying conclusion, which I appreciate.

In conclusion, The Coward is an enjoyable read with a memorable protagonist, great characters and an interesting world. The Coward takes an honest look at, what it means to be a hero and how all humans have imperfections. If you do not enjoy the ‘quest trope’ you might not enjoy this book, but I would still recommend giving this book a try.

4 / 5 stars
 

[Nils | nilsreviewsit · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Coward is the first instalment in The Quest for Heroes duology by Stephen Aryan. Although Aryan has published two previous series, this is actually my first taste of the authors’ work and it must be said, I was by no means disappointed. The Coward is a fantastic thought-provoking exploration of what it truly means to be a hero when legends and myths are stripped away and truths are revealed.

The story follows Kell Kressier, once a legendary hero who at just seventeen years of age went on a quest with a band of infamous warriors to the frozen North to slay the Ice Lich, who was causing an unnaturally long and harsh winter throughout the Five Kingdoms. Unfortunately Kell was the only warrior to live to tell the tale from that journey, and the memories have haunted him ever since. Where our story begins, ten years have passed and once again a deep cold is creeping from the North and spreading its way through the Kingdoms. Kell is called upon to take the journey to the North for a second time, and slay whatever new or old evil that dwells there now. The problem is Kell is not the hero the legends have portrayed him to be, and he has no intention of reliving his nightmares and risking his life ever again.

From the very beginning of the book Aryan clearly illustrates the differences between myth and ‘men’. A majority of the opening chapters consist of stories within stories, where we hear tales of the former heroes Kell journeyed with, most told through rose-tinted glasses, until Kell debunks those myths and gives us the truth. He shows us how stories can be twisted to paint a prettier scene, whereas in reality all the heroes had flaws, they were violent brutal men, whose deeds were often cruel, their journey had been harrowing, and their deaths had been far from peaceful, they all tasted fear.

“ Somewhere along the way the youth who’d set off on the journey had died. A broken man had ridden home in his place. Kell had tried to put the pieces back together but they never fit right. There was no going back. The past was immutable.”

Aryan vividly paints a picture of the horrors Kell and the other heroes faced on their first journey and the realities of the toll it had cost Kell. He is a character left with PTSD and anxiety, seeking only solitude, he can never quite leave behind all the dread he had faced, much as a soldier never leaves behind the aftermaths of war. It was never a tale with a happy ending as the bards sing of, it was a tale filled with blood and gore. Kell may seem a reluctant hero, but when you look beneath the surface, you can completely understand why.

As the story progresses, and Kell comes to a decision, he prepares to gather a team to take to the North with him to better their chances of success or even just survival, and we begin to see these horrors in an even starker light as a new set of ‘heroes’ emerge. However, as much as Kell was a somewhat austere character, I appreciated that many of Aryan’s other characters brought much humour and light-hearted scenes throughout. Gerren, our youngest member, Vahli the mysterious bard, feisty Bronwyn of Kinnan, boastful Malormir, and Willow the Alfar, formed quite the entertaining ragtag crew, who made me laugh on several occasions. Yes their journey and the terrain they travel through is ruthless, and each of them have their limits tested, but their story is not without moments of joy and companionship either.

I particularly enjoyed the great coming-of-age story arc from Gerren. His progression throughout the book felt realistic as he goes from being an idealistic hero, with notions of valiant deeds, to quite sullen and petulant, and finally to being a man who truly appreciated what it means to be alive, what it means to have comradeship, to be a part of history.

I also absolutely loved Willow, our non-human character. I felt the significance of the Alfar was to show us that even though they’re different, deemed as savage allusive beasts, and even though people show them much prejudice, Willow is still willing to go where most men won't. She is still willing to risk her life and help her friends, when most men turned their backs. Aryan admirably reflects that at the end of the day it is people’s deeds which count, not where they come from, what race, gender or even what species they are. Out of the characters, I believe she was the true hero.

Outside of this band of characters was Revenant Mother Britak. An aging woman who was a devout believer of The Shepherd. Actually, devout is putting it mildly, she was more of a fanatic. Through her character we see a bigger picture of a looming threat amongst the Five Kingdoms, for Britak seeked to eradicate those who she deemed as heretical. I’m not entirely sure if I was supposed to find this character rather darkly humorous, but nevertheless I did. Britak is a fascinating character, who through her own ignorance becomes more monstrous than the actual monsters of the North.

“Saving people from themselves was never easy. Progress was always an uphill struggle but she was strong enough to shoulder the burden, alone, if necessary.”

I did find some of Kell’s initial journeying a touch repetitive as he visited tavern upon tavern searching for warriors to join in his quest. However, during part three the narrative certainly picks up the pace, and hits us with such heart-pounding battles against an array of monsters from The North. I kid you not, Aryan fantastically delivered an action-packed, unputdownable ending.

Lastly, I have to say how much I loved the gorgeous map by Tom Parker. It really enhanced my enjoyment as I kept searching where the characters were on the map and how much further they had to travel. Aryan also mentioned there were Easter eggs within the map, I did find one, but I’m going to have to study it harder to find more! Or just cheat and ask Stephen Aryan for the answers!

[Alex Nieves · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great introduction to Stephen Aryans novels and I really enjoyed it! There was a ton of fun to be had with this band of misfits that became the main cast of this story and while this book uses a lot of fantasy tropes that I'm sure we've all seen, it ultimately all comes down to execution. I thought the story being told here of a renowned hero having to reluctantly pick up his sword once again was done very well. I enjoyed Kell's growth as a character throughout and there's definitely enough meat left on this bone to lead into the second novel. I'm excited to see where book 2 goes.

[Holly (The GrimDragon) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Coward is the first book in the Quest of Heroes duology by Stephen Aryan & it releases this Tuesday!

From the first page, hell, the first sentence, I knew I was going to dig the shit out of this!

A book that I had read recently was one of my most anticipated of the year that ended up being quite a letdown, whereas The Coward was definitely on my radar, but it turned out to be so much more than I was honestly expecting!

A reluctant hero & his ragtag group of misfit warriors go on a quest to save the Five Kingdoms. There's banter! Battles! Beasts! Friendship! Political intrigue! A sprinkling of romance! Brutal terrain! Dark humor! And an Alfár named Willow!

The Coward was a wickedly entertaining read & there are just.. so many possibilities of what will happen in the second installment after that wild ending!

Many thanks to Angry Robot Books for the copy!

[Athena (OneReadingNurse) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Angry Robot for hooking me up with a finished copy of The Coward by Stephen Aryan! The sequel, The Warrior, comes out August 9th and I’m excited to jump on the hype train for this duology before it ends!

That said, The Coward is a fast paced book with lower fantasy elements, good characters, decent world building, intricate plot, and a blessedly readable font size!

Oh Kell, aren’t you just a bucket of joy.  Let’s talk about him first. I appreciated the anxiety/PTSD element of the character and how the author showed that Kell wasn’t ok after his first trip to the North.  Many books throw heroes into quests and horrible situations without ever following up on the aftermath – so it was interesting to see that as a main plot point.  Despite ten years to rest and recover, the experience haunts Kell.  Would anyone ever want to be faced with that again? I enjoyed his redemption arc!

I liked the other characters too. Everyone in Kell’s party more or less volunteered for the mission. Each had their own mental and physical barriers to overcome and I enjoyed meeting the questing crew.  It might have been nice to go a little deeper into each character, although I predict that only one of them is going to end up in the next book.  The group worked and fought together well though, and there was enjoyable dialogue. Banter, not so much. 

One thing I noticed was that the characters tended to pair off to talk and even to fight, more than interacting as a group, and I would have liked to see a little more of that bigger group aspect.

The overall pace was fairly quick. Aryan didn’t spend a lot of time bogging us down with details.  The political plotting, religion, and lore were well described within reverend mother Britak’s chapters and that added a lot of depth to the world.  I liked her chapters, she was a crafty old bat! The old folks were pretty ruthless in this book,  between Britak and the old king that sent Kell on the quest – those two should have gotten right along. 

The book had fairly good worldbuilding too.  The religious lore ties into the plotline in more ways than one.  There’s also weather, terrain, food, local customs, and descriptions of buildings among other things that add to the setting. 

While parts of the book stayed pretty light, there was quite a bit of violence and darkness thrown in too.  The fact that Aryan skirted along without spending too much time on any one topic kept it from becoming too heavy.

 Where he really lost me was with his consistency at times – for example – in one chapter, a character’s leg becomes mangled.  Shortly after the character was up and running along full speed.  There is no way the characters could have accomplished so much with their injuries over such a short period of time.  I’m also a reader who reads out loud in my head as I go so that typos really throw me out of my reading rhythm.  For a third printing there were still a *lot*.  It’s not a huge issue overall but tended to throw me out of immersion.   Lastly, that slang! Some slang was like old English (Arse, cock, etc), although right at the start he was rife with the modern (fuck, shit) words

I won't lie that the first few pages was rough for me. Thankfully it smoothed out quickly!

Overall – I enjoyed this book as an epic quest fantasy that isn’t as dense as others in the genre.  I would definitely recommend for fans of books with lower fantasy elements who aren’t counting on a super involved world build and magic system.  I think Kell become a real hero by the end of this book and I can’t wait to see how he handles the storm coming in the next installment.

[Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Check out my Booktube channel at: The Obsessive Bookseller

[3.5/5 stars] This was a massively enjoyable light fantasy read.

I forget that not everything I pick up has to be complex. Sometimes a straightforward companion-gathering adventure fantasy is just what the doctor ordered. I immediately latched on to Aryan’s writing style – there’s some sort of x-factor to it that just oozed “readability” off the pages. It’s rare I can comment on the writing style itself being such a fun element to a book and the accessibility of it would make it much easier to recommend to casual fantasy readers. I also like how he plunked the reader into a timeline AFTER some major things had gone down so we could get right into dealing with the aftermath. It was creative.

My favorite thing about the story was the subtle exploration of what a “coward” is and what truly constitutes as bravery. It gave me something meaningful to latch onto while reading. And while I don’t think the story ultimately landed at a profound finale, I still feel like I got enough out of it to warrant the effort.

The characters were great profiles. I particularly enjoyed Willow – a nonhuman protagonist who remains an enigma. Deciding to read on was based in no small part on my desire to learn more about her and her culture. I liked everyone else as well, but she’s the one I’ll be remembering long after I finish the series.

Recommendations: pick this up for a light and fun fantasy with great pacing and good bits of creativity.

Thank you to my Patrons: Filipe, Dave, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Katrin, Melissa, Derek, Tonya, Betsy, Mike, and Jen! <3

Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com

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[Rachel Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dunno, maybe this one was lost on me, but I really did not enjoy it. The biggest let down was that the premise of the book sounded so good. I was expecting some sort of epic quest, and instead a large majority of the book was Kell running around with his group to find more people to go with them. Blah. Boring. On top of that, the characters were really flat. I just felt like I needed way more from them in order for me to actually feel invested in what was happening. Hard pass on this series for me. I’m going to put my copy in the Little Library down the road from my house and hope someone else enjoys it.

[Elle]

I seem to have purchased a special edition of this set from The Broken Binding so I guess I will be reading it

[LordTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 8.75/10

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advance reading copy of The Coward for review consideration. This did not influence my thoughts or opinions.

The Coward is a gratifying romp from beginning to end. Equal parts character study, comedy, and adventure story, it has the makings of a perfect summer fantasy read. It is a little bit Kings of the Wyld, a smidge Fate of the Fallen, and a helluva ton of fun. It was a book I could not put down and now I eagerly await the sequel.

This is my first novel by Aryan (and no, this is NOT A DEBUT). I have his past two (2) series, The Age of Darkness and Age of Dread, both of which came out from Orbit Books and have now climbed Mt. TBR to get their just due. If either are as engaging as Kell Kressia’s ARC, I feel like I will be in good hands.

Let’s start with the story: Kressia isn’t a hero. Far from it. He was just lucky, which to be honest, is my favorite type of hero to read about. I don’t know about you, but reading about a hero that is near invincible or has this amazing unknown power can start to become stale. Something about a character who shouldn’t have been there in the first place ultimately becoming the “hero” and reaping praise just sound entertaining, especially when their secret is found out.

As Kressia begins his “crusade”, he gathers a ragtag bunch of, we will call them “mercs”, to help aid him in his fight against whatever evil resides in the north. This grouping, though decidedly pro-killing whatever needs killing to bring back the sun shiny goodness of Spring, isn’t what you would call “savior-y”, but is at least made up of a couple of sword-swinging folks who can hack off some heads. There is plenty of banter betwixt them all, also some punches and accusations thrown, but when danger strikes, they are always there to lend a hand, a foot, or a stab.

The world-building, while fairly decent in size, isn’t fleshed out on a large-scale, but it is enough to sink your teeth into. You feel the warmth of a tavern fire, the brisk chill of the icy wind, and the harsh tundra the gang has to cross to get to the castle. I did enjoy that Aryan didn’t allow the group to just traipse easily from one place to another. There was always an obstacle (or obstacles) at every turn, each requiring a different sort of skill, always keeping them on their toes.

All in all, this was a very entertaining read (or shall I say listen). I absolutely loved the audiobook with narration by Matt Wycliff and I hope to hear more from him in the future. If you want a light fantasy read filled with humor, adventure, and a solid character study, The Coward is the one for you.

[Esmay Rosalyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this is how I like my quest stories. High stakes, a compelling and diverse cast of characters, emotional gut punches and a lot of great action.

The Coward tells the story of Kell Kressia, who was only 17 years old when he returned as the only survivor from a group of famous heroes who had set out to defeat a threat in the Frozen North.
Ten years have passed and a new threat seems to be looming in the North, so who better to send than the legendary hero Kell Kressia himself?

What starts out as a fairly surface-level quest adventure quickly turns into a nuanced story about heroism, fame and the toll that these quests can take on one's mental health.
The characters are the highlight of the book for me. Not only was Kell an incredibly complex and compelling character to follow, but all the side characters got their own time to shine as well.
I’ve found that a lot of quest stories follow a cast of characters that can feel a bit stereotypical, but that’s absolutely not the case here. The author definitely turned some well-known tropes on its head and I absolutely loved that.

Despite the fact that this is a fairly adventure driven story, the pacing is relatively slow and that allowed for some amazing character work. We really get to know these characters intimately throughout the story, which I really enjoyed. They all have their own personal struggles that they are facing and that made them feel so real and relatable. Also, the character development was simply outstanding, these characters really went through it and you feel that they have changed by the end.
We also get some additional POVs from characters outside of Kell’s band and it was super intriguing to see what they were up to and how they influenced Kell’s story.

This is definitely one of the more nuanced and thematically rich quest stories that I have read so far, but at the same time it was also just a lot of fun. The character dynamics are great and there is some entertaining banter and action.
I am really glad I picked this one up and the ending has me very excited to see where things will go next.

[Goblin Reaper · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You can hide from other people, but you can't hide from yourself. I'm proof of that."

Thank you, NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for providing me with an e-arc of this book, and I swear that this review is my honest opinion of the book and not at all biased.

This is my first time reading a Stephen Aryan book, and I am all ready to jump into his backlog, cause this book was fantastic. I already added all his books to my Mt. TBR, which I hope to climb to the top of one day.
The Coward is the first book of the Quest for Heroes duology and it follows Kell Kressia, a hero. He's hardly a hero, though. Last time, he was lucky enough to survive the Ice Leech, uh, sorry, Ice Lich, and other heroes' sacrifices spared his neck and soul. Kell was enjoying a calm life in the countryside, working on a farm, after his first experience with a fatal quest ten years ago. However, the weather is changing, and it is becoming chilly, bringing back the farmer's biggest dread. Bad weather, a bad year, bad harvest, famine, starvation, and death.
Kell receives a notice from the king, directing him to prepare for yet another journey to the Frozen North. Kell, however, is no longer the naive and enthusiastic 17-year-old boy; this Kell has had enough, and ill-luck and a curse hang over his head. Only a fool will risk his life again, and Kell is no fool. But even a hero can't always refuse the King, so Kell started off on his journey with the intention of moving north and eventually escaping someplace to start a new life, under a new name, and finally taste freedom from his bloody past. But things don't always go as planned, as you can't always run away from fear, especially when the horror is an emotion buried deep inside your soul, and now he's accompanied by a few others.
A group of misfits embarked on a journey to the north, unaware of the dangers they would encounter along the route, which would also result in the loss of their beating hearts.
All of the characters were intriguing and unique. Reading about each and every character was a lot of pleasure for me.
The book is written in the second person, and the POVs switch from one character to the next, mostly between Kell and Gerren, but others (except Willow) had a share of their POVs as well. There was no mention of the narrator, which was a little confusing at first, but soon became oddly familiar as we read deeper into the book.
Our rumored, yet experienced hero, Kell, the lone survivor and executioner of the monster residing on Ice, is the first figure we'd bring up while discussing characters. He thought that his survival was largely due to the sacrifices of others and his exceptional luck. He joined the heroes since his mother was sick and their harvest had been harmed by the weather. To live a conventional life and keep his only family secure and happy, he needed money and fame. He was 17 when he accompanied the heroes to the Frozen North; tenacious and determined, he refused to give up even when the heroes pushed him to the limit, making it difficult for a young man. He was afraid, but he kept it hidden from the other heroes and did whatever was required of him. Ten years later, guilt has taken hold of him, but unlike the last time, he is no longer afraid to confront the horrors he had to through years before.
The next, we meet Gerren. A 16-year-old boy, naive and full of pride. He only wanted to become rich and famous since he didn't have anybody to call a friend. He gets determined in proving the bards about Kell wrong and disregarding him after learning about his intention to flee. Even when Kell offered him opportunities to escape, he persevered, and the only reason he wanted to continue on the quest was selfishness. He irritated me at first throughout the novel, but he and Kell quickly became my favorite characters. Even when death was dancing above his head, I admired how he stood with the others. He has a special place in my heart.
Willow, the alfar, with a long lengthy name was mysterious and self kept. (introverted maybe?) She was a mysterious figure who continued peering and examining the surroundings, trying to stomach everything, yet she was constantly on high alert and spoke very little. There's a lot more to her than what's in this book. I'd like to know more about her. She arrived with a certain goal in mind. (You'll figure it out...)
Vahli, the bard, wanted to experience the adventures for himself so he could compose a bad on his own about the legit journey and the struggles and he wanted to escape the casted shadow of Madina. Or was that all about him? I mean, I wouldn't put my life on the line simply to create a saga, right?
Bronwyn, a well-built lady who resembled a warrior, was frustrated that no one could ever be a true challenge for her; no matter what, she always got the better deal. As a result, she struggled to mix with other people, but she always remained out. Again, that was all for her?
Malomir, the king of Summer Isles and the islander with so many underrated stories, joined the group to get away from his loneliness, and yeah, well sure, he was good with using swords.
Britak, the Reverend Mother, and my least favorite character in the entire novel is deserving of all the scorn. She's dumb, dumb, dumb and dumb and disgusting, filled with dumb dead cells. whatever she thinks, and talks and does and aims for is dumb and stupid and ridiculous.
I recently had a lot of church belief-based trope on my plate that I had enough of. The Nun, oh no, sorry, the Reverend Mother, was getting n my nerves and I seriously wanted to knock her down and smack her head. Her beliefs in the church and Shepherd had me shaking my head out of sympathy for that sociopath. I wanted to hurl the book (here; phone) out the window every time I read about her punishing herself for her wrongdoings. (But I won't do that, obviously.) Her punishment was her lifting a stone off the ground but the others had to carry a mountain on their head because of her beliefs. Because of her, it took me a long time to finish this book; her points of view sickened me to the point where I had to put the book down for a few days every time.
Up until part three, there was a bard before each chapter, which was both intriguing and stimulating. I enjoyed the way Aryan weaved the tale together; the language was plain and consistent, and all of my predictions for the ending and twists were completely wrong, which amused me.
I won't say the world-building was intriguing because there weren't many narrations about it, but the journey was simple to picture, as at every step they were forced to confront a hurdle after another. Once they arrived at the Frozen North, everything seemed bizarre and odd, including the weird behavior of the animals and beasts. This was a fantasy and thriller with plenty of action and supernatural elements.
The ending was fabulous but grieve stricken, I never expected this book to be this good when I started to read it. The Coward, I felt, can also stand as a standalone, because it accomplished what it set out to achieve flawlessly. But there are a few unsolved questions: a new life awaiting, a few mysteries to be revealed; which we will hopefully learn about in the next book, and I'd want to learn more about the Chaote. ;p
From Vorans to Maglau, Bears to Garrows, Qalamieren and wraiths, vicious beasts and Ice lich, this tale was fantastic, and I can't wait to read the next book.

[Jimmy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

One of my favorite opening sentences to a book. Had a lot of plot points and themes I love. I thought the intrigue, landscape and action was all really great. Characters were fun and very charming and the ending has me ready for a book two. Two things that stood out to me was the middle portion feeling slightly repetitive, and the romance in the book didn't work for me. Other than those things it was a good first experience with Aryan's work and will likely read book two when it releases.

[P.L. Stuart · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Everyone puts their faith in Kell, the Legend, but he's just a coward who has no intention of risking his life for anyone..."

Such is the premise of Stephen Aryan's action-packed and thought-provoking heroic fantasy, "The Coward", Book One of "The Quest for Heroes" series. I'd been eyeing this book for quite some time, based on great reviews and the outstanding social media presence of the author, who puts together some phenomenal videos, providing advice for authors. https://www.youtube.com/c/StephenAryan44

Aryan takes a comfortable and beloved fantasy trope - the sage veteran, reluctant hero of many sagas who is signed up for one last impossible quest - and does something very interesting and unique with it. Our protagonist Kell is heralded as a great saviour, because, at seventeen, he accompanied a group of legends to the remote northernmost parts of the continent, on a desperate quest to save mankind. 

All the legends perished, however Kell not only managed to survive but also slay the dreaded Ice Lich, a horrible monster responsible for trying to turn the continent into permafrost. But in actuality Kell just was plain fortunate to live, not because of otherworldly fighting skills and unshakeable courage. 

Following the quest, Kell has PTSD, haunted by the quest, and is somewhat of a recluse. He tries to subsist, in quiet and somewhat ineffectual fashion, as a farmer, in the ten years that have elapsed since his famous journey. Kell certainly did not get riches from his supposed heroism but he certainly got fame, which greatly displeases him. He generally just wants to be left alone. 

Moreover he feels he's cursed since his adventure. His relationships and prospects seem to always fail, and the real truth of what happened on the quest is a weight on his shoulders. But all anybody in the kingdom of Algany wants to know is about the heroes Kell travelled with north, and revel in tales of the great deeds. 

Kell resents his celebrity status, but it's that status that gets him summoned back to the King of Algany's court, when the weather pattern takes a turn for the worse, and it seems like Kell's old nemesis, the Ice Lich has returned.

Kell is requested once more to put his life on the line in the service of the Five Kingdoms, but he's learned his lesson. Older and wiser now he's all about self-preservation. Since this time he's getting paid handsomely to be a hero, he plans instead to take the money and run, bail on the quest completely, and start a new life elsewhere. Hence, of course, the book title, "The Coward".

This book checks all the boxes for a sword and sorcery narrative, with terrifying fantastic beasts, unique races and cultures, plotting and scheming, and life-and-death conflicts. But let's chat about the characters. Kell is a gruff, damaged, bitter lead, with lots of heart underneath the grim exterior. I loved his humour and pragmatism,

"Diarrhea can kill the same as a sword."   

His surrounding cast are really fun, from the obstinate and naive Gerren who thinks he's the new version of old (young) Kell, the redoubtable warrior Bronwyn, mysterious bard Vahli, madman king Malomir, and the ambiguous creature Willow. Aryan's characters were for me the strongest part of the novel - well fleshed-out, and very interesting.  

My favourite character in the book by far though was Britak, the Reverend Mother, leader of the Shepherd faith, who is the other main POV to contrast with Kell. This papal-like figure is no benevolent ruler of her religion. She oversees with an iron fist, a hand ready to cut out any and all opposition to her church decisively, like a gangrenous wound. She will not rest until the Shepherd faith dominates the Five Kingdoms, though she knows she's running out of time to see her vision to fruition, as she battles age and senility. She hides her decline by enforcing even more extreme measures against those who stand in the way of her dream. 

The Reverend Mother has the right amount of sanctimonious piety, fanaticism (including self-flagellation), self-righteousness, bigotry, religious intolerance for non-worshipers and other faiths, cruelty, Machiavellian brilliance and utter ruthlessness, to be just the type of character that fascinates me. An antagonist who thinks they are a protagonist, and is justified to do complete evil in order to do good. 

She is a puppet-mistress who is pulling the strings on a lot of plots, and is part of the real influence behind some of the Five Kingdom thrones. She wants Kell dead, for her own reasons, and she's been trying periodically to have him offed for a while. Now that he's returning to the north, she's determined to finish the job.

Aryan did an amazing job with this villain and I am looking forward to reading more of her dastardliness done in the name of the Shepherd. This kind of memorable character will always seal the deal for me in terms of how much I like the book, and the Reverend Mother was standout, taking this read easily into five-star territory.

Aryan's prose is succinct, clear, witty, and sharp. He doesn't waste words, yet conveys a great sense of the scene in his economy of dialogue and exposition. I believe Aryan has a military background. Accordingly, his combat scenes are excellent: blistering, quick, and bloody. He's wonderful at creeping the reader out during the build up to these fights, as more dire circumstances and scarier monsters emerge from the gloom of the bitingly frozen wastes, with each mile deeper into the North towards the Lich's ice castle. 

The world building is equally business-like, but definitely descriptive enough for the reader to maintain a keen sense of setting and pace along with the characters as they move north and into increasingly greater danger.

I did enjoy the excerpts at the beginning of each chapter from the saga of the bard who told the tale of the original heroes, that sort of thing is a nice worldbuilding touch that for me always lends authenticity to made-up places.  

Verdict: this was an engaging, fast-paced and very well done first installment that nicely sets up the rest of the series! Gimme another, bring on "The Warrior"!

[L'encre de la magie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avis Lecture 🧐 📖 "The Coward" / Quest for Heroes tome 1, de Stephen Aryan 🗡️

Héros?
Chanceux ?
Ou couard ?

🗡️Il m'aura fallu 24h pour dévorer ce roman de Stephen Aryan, que vous connaissez très probablement pour sa Trilogie de "L'Âge des Ténèbres" chez @bragelonnefr
Si vous êtes familiers de l'auteur, vous retrouverez dans ce tome sa plume aiguisée, ses dialogues piquants, son récit bien rythmé et ses personnages que l'on se surprend à aimer rapidement.

🗡️The Coward est l'histoire de Kell. Il y a 10ans, alors qu'un grand froid s'est abbatu sur les 5 royaumes, un groupe de héros fut envoyer combattre au nord du cercle polaire, une liche responsable de ce chaos de glace. Kell fut le seul survivant...
C'est la légende qui le raconte et lorsque la menace ressurgit, le roi Bledsoe fait mander notre héros, pour le renvoyer sur le front.
Oui mais voilà... Si les rois ont un avantage à envoyer Kell combattre une prétendue menace, ce n'est pas le cas de la Reverende Mère Britak, qui ne voit qu'ici que superstition et paganisme, des récits, des racontars détournant le peuple de la religion de La Voie du Berger.
Kell devient alors le pion et la pièce maîtresse de deux camps : La Couronne et la Foi.

🗡️Qu'il est facile d'aimer ce plot et qu'il est facile d'aimer le personnage de Kell. Humain, débrouillard se laissant un peu vivre... Kell ne souhaite qu'une chose : avoir une vie tranquille à la ferme.
Tout au long du roman, nous allons en apprendre plus sur la 1ere expédition et ce qu'il s'est réellement passé sur place.
🗡️A chaque chapitre, nous avons droit à un passage de La Balade de Kell narrant la légende, ou bien des passages de la foi tirés du livre sacré du Berger.
Ces deux ajouts sont particulièrement bien amenés. On en apprend finalement sur l'ordre religieux d'une manière détournée par son Grand Livre, ou bien sur la soit disant légende de Kell ; légende reposant sur la seule parole du survivant...

🗡️J'ai adoré également que tout au long du récit, on se demande si Kell nous livre la vérité ou bien encore une autre version de l'histoire.
J'ai adoré les passages sur la réalité de la vie au delà du cercle polaire...
J'ai adoré les personnages gravitants autour de Kell et qui, comme lui a l'époque, sont en quête de gloire. Mais ce que j'ai encore plus aimé, c'est que chacun ait sa propre motivation.
En cela j'ai adoré le personnage de Gerren et justement le parallèle qui existe entre lui et le jeune Kell à sa 1ere expédition. Leurs motivations, leurs peurs mais aussi la découverte pour Gerren de la nature de son héros.
Certains passages sont drôles tellement qu'ils sont absurdes (nb : slayer 😂). C'est très bien pensé de la part de Aryan car on se surprend à rire de scènes incongrues.

🗡️Si le roman est bien rythmé, c'est cette envie première de savoir la vérité qui m'a poussé à dévorer le livre.
La fin est pleine de surprises pouvant ébranler l'ordre établi et j'ai adoré la finesse jouée par Aryan et ses personnages sur cette fin.
🗡️Obligé de poursuivre l'aventure et merci @angryrobotbooks de nous avoir laissé le premier chapitre du tome 2 intitulé "The Warrior" 😱❤️

Niveau d'anglais très abordable
Possibilité d'une traduction ? C'est possible Stephen Aryan ayant déjà été publié en France 🇫🇷

[Terry Rudge · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve seen a few people compare Aryan to David Gemmell, and with this book I can absolutely see why. It’s got that same blend of big, bold storytelling and blistering action, but with a real focus on character that gives everything an emotional heft.

The title is deliciously misleading. We open with the legend of a great heroic feat and then meet the hero himself, who seems on the surface to be a reluctant, broken man, who is maybe even a "coward", maybe even a fraud. But in true Aryan fashion, there’s so much more going on beneath the surface. As the story unfolds and we learn what really happened in the past, the layers peel back beautifully, and what we get is a far more complex and compelling protagonist than expected.

The pacing is rapid. Though a big chunk of the novel involves travelling (which usually doesn’t always work for me), I genuinely loved it. The found family vibes hit perfectly; I felt like I was marching right alongside the war band, sharing in the danger and the weight of what was to come.

The world, the characters, the action, I loved it all. Honestly, I wouldn’t have minded if the book had been longer, just so we could have explored some of the other corners and threats that were hinted at along the way. But as a self-contained adventure that sets up what’s to come, it does the job brilliantly.

Roll on book two. I’m absolutely ready for it.

[Kevin · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝘒𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘒𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢, 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘤𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮𝘴, 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵.”

And so begins this brilliant new fantasy series by Stephen Aryan. Kell Kressia saved the world at just 17 after embarking on a perilous journey with a band of 11 legendary heroes. He was the lone survivor and returned a hero. But now 10 years later, the cycle is repeating and he is once again called upon to defeat the new enemy. However, Kell has a secret—he is no hero and has no plans of risking his life ever again.

I absolutely loved The Coward. I’ve always loved a reluctant hero, and this spin on a coming-of-age story with a tired and established hero adds a bit of fresh air. Kell is a fantastic and well written protagonist. He is a survivor suffering from PTSD who you can’t help but root for. Avoiding spoilers, the book also gives is a cast of supporting characters of whom Gerren is a standout. He is the wide eyed, naive boy Kell was at 17, and this relationship and dynamic between them really shines through.

The Coward is a funny fantasy adventure about how heroes are people too. It delivers the wit, charm and a lot heart. I cannot wait for a sequel.

“𝘈𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘥, 𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘯𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵.”

[Julia Sarene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved the concept of The Coward by Stephen Aryan.

Young boy decided to go on the one big quest with the "heroes", is the only survivor and comes back with severe PTSD and a loathing for the glorification of war and fighting.

10 years of trying to live a boring normal life, and then they you up again? Again? Na, thanks, someone else can do it this time!

I loved how realistic and relatable the main character was. People celebrating his victory, and the fallen heroes, when it all was far from glamorous in real life.

Over the course of the story the cast grows as we assemble a new team of heroes, and again I really enjoyed their different personalities and how they sometimes were exactly what you expected, while surprising you at the next turn. They were all a bit weird and different, but for me it fit them perfectly, and made them even better characters.

The story is a good mix of action, fight scenes and adventure, but also has some introspection and little moments that show the depth behind it all.

My one gripe was the pacing that was a bit off at times, and one of the POVs that didn't really click with me as much, though I think that was more either a backdrop to make the world more three dimensional, or a set up for a later book on the series. Despite a whole new chapter opening in the last chapter, this does work really well as a stand alone, but could easily be extended as well.

[SurDiablo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it, better than what I expected and don't really have any major complaints. The prose is very accessible ( perhaps a bit too accessible for my taste ). The characters are alright, world-building is good and most of the story is wrapped up quite nicely, considering it's part of a duology and there's more to come. There's a lot of 'tell, don't show' which seemed rather glaring at times and distracted me but besides that, I can't really think of something that truly bothered me. The story itself is interesting and there's several moments, especially politicking in the background that made this one feel more than just a generic quest. However, I can't say I really liked this book. Don't get me wrong, I was never bored at any point and it was a fun read for the most part, but nothing really wowed or left a lasting impression on me. Everything was just.. fine. Will read the sequel anyway as I am intrigued enough to see what the future holds for Kell and Willow. I would recommend this book to anyone who just wants a fun adventure read as palette cleanser.

P.S. That First Law reference outta nowhere made me chuckle.

[Trevor Bunce · Rating 2 out of 5]

The initial concept was so strong, and therefore I was shocked when it was abandoned so quickly.
The writing has more errors than I've ever seen in a published work, but I can genuinely let that slide. However, even if the errors weren't present, the writing is weak. It hits you over the head with everything, no subtlety. Also, there are virtually no commas anywhere there should be. Except sometimes in the middle, of a sentence (I'm serious). Again, can't exaggerate how poorly edited this bad boy was.
Aside from THAT, there was nothing in here to write home about. Everything in the plot was not only what I thought, but what the characters thought too. No surprises. Everything they said "gee, hope this doesn't happen" happens.
Characters killed off with a sentence (which is fine, death is shocking and quick) but then no one thinks or talks about them at all?
It just needed another draft and some more critical beta readers.

[Dom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook for The Coward and had a really good time with it. It was a good story and a good narration. I like the idea here—it’s not the typical hero story (the clue is kind of in the name of the book).

Kell is the hero of a past adventure, the saviour of the land, although that’s not how it actually went. He gets called on to save the land again and he doesn’t want to do it as he’s essentially a coward. I like how that’s framed in the story and how it allows some good development for the character even though he’s not young anymore.

He’s definitely a flawed character, but it’s about what he has done and what he’s seen, and what happened to the people he knew and cared for, and how all that is affecting him and the choices he makes. For me, this was a bit of a breath of fresh air in that respect, and I thought it was really well handled throughout the book.

[G.R. Matthews · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Kell's story and the world it is set in -- looking forward to the next!

Great pacing throughout and the action rarely lets up. The main story appears to be a simple quest with a "hero" sent back to the place to the place of his greatest triumph, and greatest fear - gathering a group as he progresses.

However, alongside it are all sorts of political machinations and betrayal which gives scope to the wider world and sets up the future books.

[David Miles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some grammatical errors. A lot of very basic sentence structure… and an apparent reluctance to use commas. A plot that’s just a little too simplistic for my tastes.

But I did enjoy Kell’s evolution. A part of me also enjoyed the simplicity of the overall story.

[takeeveryshot · Rating 3 out of 5]

would’ve been a solid four stars without the random tosses of homophobia about any man that was slightly feminine and also killing my fave lmao

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5.00 Stars

I haven't read any of Stephan Aryan's other books, so this was an interesting starting point. It was a very black and white, run of the mill fantasy book. There was your typical sword and sorcery fan fare, political warfare, and religious tyranny, yet it never felt like there was any depth to these elements.

Kell was a strong leading character, who was more of a reluctant hero than a coward, which was a positive for me, as cowardly leads in books tend to piss me off. He was resolute in his beliefs about right and wrong and a strong leader for his group, as he evened out their rough edges. However, there was little to pad out his character, he was very one dimensional and if it wasn't for the talent Aryan has with his writing, he would have been a boring lead.

The others in the group were better than Kell in terms of their depths. Bronwyn and Malomir were characters I would have loved to explore more. They obviously had long and devastating back stories, that while touched on, were never delved in to. I thought that the ending for their story line was quite pitiful as well. For characters as powerful and as interesting as they were, I felt that Aryan wanted to soften them out and wrap up their plot lines quickly, and it just ended up as a downfall in the story.

Gerren had such potential to his story as well. As readers we were able to watch him move from a stubborn young man to a tortured, broken person. It was fascinating to watch the changes happen to him, while also being so incredibly sad. He was a good character, and I felt for him so much. I think Aryan's end to his plot line was well done, not over worked, and had the right amount of emotion to stay with you throughout the rest of the book.

Vahli and Willow were both fascinating characters, that, like with all the others, should have been explored more. I'm hoping in the second book we get to see more of Willow's character developed as she very clearly has a lot of potential to become a powerful character. Vahli was a pleasure to read about, and I found it incredibly sad that we didn't get to delve into his past. He could have been developed so much more, but I really believe that Aryan's talents lie in his scenic and fighting descriptions.

Aryan obviously is a very talented writer as could be seen through his previously mentioned descriptions. The world was beautifully described, and the creatures that the group faced were terrifying. Absolute props to Aryan for that. However, it took nearly 80 per cent of the book to reach the Ice Lich's castle, as this was mostly a travelling book. The trip to the North was padded out with fights, which were excellent to read about. We got to see the crew fight other warriors, animals, supernatural beings, and dead heroes. I especially loved the fight scene with the garrows, out of all the other run in's we as readers experienced, this one stood out to me the most and kept me on the edge of my seat. I wish that there was a few more scenes like this to pad out the novel but unfortunately not. Hopefully the next book will have a few more.

On to the political side of the story. The religious aspects of the novel were excellent, and I loved reading about the Reverent Mother. A few more scenes from her would have been exceptional. I loved seeing her crusade, and her plans for the future.

We only got to read about a couple of the Five Kings, and I would have loved to explore this aspect more as it seems very interesting. I would say that I hope the next book would delve into it further, but I suspect it will have more travelling, as the blurb states that Kell and Willow are heading in to her homeland. I did think that the ending of the book, with finding out about Kell's father and what will happen to Kell over the coming months was a cheap shot at opening the story up for a second novel. A lot of this story felt like foundation laying, but the novel was tied up too well and was too lacking in a proper political story line (outside of the religious aspect) for me to properly look forward to what will happen in book two.

All in all it was a very well written story, with excellent scenic descriptions and fantastic fight scenes. My hope is that the second novel explores the politics and characters more, however I'm not holding out hope.