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The Holy Mountain #1
The Last Blade Priest
Inar is Master Builder for the Kingdom of Mishig-Tenh. Life is hard after the Kingdom lost the war against the League of Free Cities. Doubly so since his father betrayed the King and paid the ultimate price. And now the King's terrifying chancellor and torturer in chief has arrived and instructed Inar to go and work for the League. And to spy for him. And any builder knows you don't put yourself between a rock and a hard place.
Far away Anton, Blade Priest for Craithe, the God Mountain, is about to be caught up in a vicious internal war that will tear his religion apart. Chosen from infancy to conduct human sacrifice, he is secretly relieved that the practice has been abruptly stopped. But an ancient enemy has returned, an occult conspiracy is unfolding, and he will struggle to keep his hands clean in a world engulfed by bloodshed.
In a series of constantly surprising twists and turns that take the reader through a vividly imagined and original world full of familiar tensions and surprising perspectives on old tropes, Inar and Anton find that others in their story may have more influence on their lives, on the future of the League and on their whole world than they, or the reader imagined.
File Under: Fantasy [ Nightmare Crows Scarred Altars Broken Stone Unlikely Elves ]
Far away Anton, Blade Priest for Craithe, the God Mountain, is about to be caught up in a vicious internal war that will tear his religion apart. Chosen from infancy to conduct human sacrifice, he is secretly relieved that the practice has been abruptly stopped. But an ancient enemy has returned, an occult conspiracy is unfolding, and he will struggle to keep his hands clean in a world engulfed by bloodshed.
In a series of constantly surprising twists and turns that take the reader through a vividly imagined and original world full of familiar tensions and surprising perspectives on old tropes, Inar and Anton find that others in their story may have more influence on their lives, on the future of the League and on their whole world than they, or the reader imagined.
File Under: Fantasy [ Nightmare Crows Scarred Altars Broken Stone Unlikely Elves ]
508 pages, Paperback
First published July 12, 2022
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1308 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 56 reviews
July 23, 2022
4.0 Stars
This was such a fresh epic fantasy story. I picked up this book knowing nothing about it and was treated to a wonderful surprise.
It was so enjoyable to pick up a story that actually felt new. This book just did not feel tropey, which is so rare. I honestly had no idea where the story was going for most of the book and that was such a great experience.
The best aspect of this story was easily the worldbuilding which was so rich. I was so impressed how much depth we got in a single book. Likewise, the characters felt very well drawn and complex. I strongly hope this gets turned into a series because I desperately want more.
I would highly recommend this one to readers looking to read an epic fantasy story not quite like anything they have read before.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was such a fresh epic fantasy story. I picked up this book knowing nothing about it and was treated to a wonderful surprise.
It was so enjoyable to pick up a story that actually felt new. This book just did not feel tropey, which is so rare. I honestly had no idea where the story was going for most of the book and that was such a great experience.
The best aspect of this story was easily the worldbuilding which was so rich. I was so impressed how much depth we got in a single book. Likewise, the characters felt very well drawn and complex. I strongly hope this gets turned into a series because I desperately want more.
I would highly recommend this one to readers looking to read an epic fantasy story not quite like anything they have read before.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
June 19, 2022
Avian demigods who require human sacrifice. A magical mountain around which an entire religious organization (cult?) is structured. Evil Elves. Necromancy. A kingdom on the brink of religious war and further colonization...
Betty Trask award winning author W.P. Wiles is back with a new epic fantasy multi-POV tale, THE LAST BLADE PRIEST is full of adventure, top notch world building and a few unique twists to some of my favorite tropes.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I did request and receive the advance reader copy from the publisher, Angry Robot Books. Now let me explain why I requested this book. There was a line I saw in the press release that said "Whatever you do, beware the elves..." and that was all it took. So many fantasy tales that I read, the elves are a race that thrives in harmony with nature and are good beings. This one line suggested to me that the elves in this world were evil. Frightening. I had to know! (I was NOT disappointed!)
Let's talk characters and world building. One of the POVs we get this story through is Inar, a Master Builder for the Mishig-Tenh (Mishig denotes the family Inar is a member of, and the Tenh are different tribes that live along the chain of mountains that curve throughout the land). Inar lives with a smudge on his family name, as his brother and father were both branded traitors by the King and paid with their lives. Likely this is why the King's chancellor has chosen Inar to go work with the League and spy for him. Inar is our character who moves around the land and allows us to visualize this world.
Before I mention the second POV, I have to give a brief accolade for my favorite tertiary character, Lott. Lott is an apprentice of Inar the Builder and is drafted to accompany Inar to go with the League on his task. Lott has some of the best lines in the novel in my opinion, probably because he had some great comedic responses. Let's just say he was a genius at excising aggravation taxes on the Leaguers.
The second POV is Anton, a blade priest who serves the Mountain God, Craithe, and its Custodians, large birds that I always pictured as really big crows. Anton was chosen as a young orphan to be a blade priest, one who kept separate from the others and responsible for Giving the Gift, which is performing human sacrifices for the Mountain. A shocking command from the Custodians put a stop to this custom, much to Anton's relief. Anton is a stationary character for the most part, he remains in the fortress outside of Craith. He may not provide world building opportunities, but he does allow us to see all of the schemes and machinations of the various "groups" in his religious order. It was unique, full of mystery and intrigue and I absolutely loved it. I'm sitting here smiling in memory of the many unexpected twists and turns that I discovered in these pages.
So, putting all of this together, just what did I think of THE LAST BLADE PRIEST ? Honestly, I didn't get enough of this world with just the one book. When I read the last page, I turned and looked at my husband and said "If this doesn't get a sequel, I'm going on a rampage."
Betty Trask award winning author W.P. Wiles is back with a new epic fantasy multi-POV tale, THE LAST BLADE PRIEST is full of adventure, top notch world building and a few unique twists to some of my favorite tropes.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I did request and receive the advance reader copy from the publisher, Angry Robot Books. Now let me explain why I requested this book. There was a line I saw in the press release that said "Whatever you do, beware the elves..." and that was all it took. So many fantasy tales that I read, the elves are a race that thrives in harmony with nature and are good beings. This one line suggested to me that the elves in this world were evil. Frightening. I had to know! (I was NOT disappointed!)
Let's talk characters and world building. One of the POVs we get this story through is Inar, a Master Builder for the Mishig-Tenh (Mishig denotes the family Inar is a member of, and the Tenh are different tribes that live along the chain of mountains that curve throughout the land). Inar lives with a smudge on his family name, as his brother and father were both branded traitors by the King and paid with their lives. Likely this is why the King's chancellor has chosen Inar to go work with the League and spy for him. Inar is our character who moves around the land and allows us to visualize this world.
Before I mention the second POV, I have to give a brief accolade for my favorite tertiary character, Lott. Lott is an apprentice of Inar the Builder and is drafted to accompany Inar to go with the League on his task. Lott has some of the best lines in the novel in my opinion, probably because he had some great comedic responses. Let's just say he was a genius at excising aggravation taxes on the Leaguers.
The second POV is Anton, a blade priest who serves the Mountain God, Craithe, and its Custodians, large birds that I always pictured as really big crows. Anton was chosen as a young orphan to be a blade priest, one who kept separate from the others and responsible for Giving the Gift, which is performing human sacrifices for the Mountain. A shocking command from the Custodians put a stop to this custom, much to Anton's relief. Anton is a stationary character for the most part, he remains in the fortress outside of Craith. He may not provide world building opportunities, but he does allow us to see all of the schemes and machinations of the various "groups" in his religious order. It was unique, full of mystery and intrigue and I absolutely loved it. I'm sitting here smiling in memory of the many unexpected twists and turns that I discovered in these pages.
So, putting all of this together, just what did I think of THE LAST BLADE PRIEST ? Honestly, I didn't get enough of this world with just the one book. When I read the last page, I turned and looked at my husband and said "If this doesn't get a sequel, I'm going on a rampage."
December 23, 2023
One of the best fantasy novels I’ve read in recent years. A truly unique story and well-written.
June 15, 2022
The Last Blade Priest feels like it could end up being one very memorable series if this is its start.
I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to Angry Robot and the author for the opportunity.
I have my own blog now, so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)
Release date: 12th of July 2022.
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June of 2022 is shaping up to be the worst reading month I've had in the last couple of years. It's not a new thing, as it usually is the worst one in any reading year of mine, but with books like The Last Blade Priest, it makes the blow of such weak TBR progress easier to handle.
I'm a huge fan of world building and it's usually, the highlight of most books I read if it was excessive. And of course, enjoyable to read about. W. P. Wiles created a fantastic world to go through, and the author also wastes no time of making it the main point of the narrative. It's dense, it's intricate and as always, it spoke volumes of the level of effort the author put into creating it.
There are different magic systems, different cultures, creatures, histories, legends, groups and the different threats as well. One of the main things that truly worked for this book, and hopefully series by extension, was the limitation of it's point of view characters. There are ambitious pieces of writing throughout the fantasy genre, and even though the world is great, the ping ponging between the 10+ characters in different locations, makes it extra challenging.
Not impossible to do, but still extra challenging.
In The Last Blade Priest the main story was told in separate locations yes, but it's mainly told from two point of views. There were some chapters for other characters, but the main two were Anton and Inar. Through them, I got to learn about the main conflict they're trying to work against, the other threats that they personally had to deal with and their moments of doubts as well.
The different characters I ended up meeting ranged from interesting to neutral to forgettable. Some of them were too interesting to me, that I had hoped that they got they're own point of views throughout the book, but given that it's seemingly a series, all hope is not lost. The awesome thing here is that there are a lot of twists and turns to enjoy.
I wouldn't truly call any of them surprising, in the grandest scheme of things, but I do believe that the author managed to nail all of them except one at the very end of the book. That scene was very cool, don't get me wrong, but the events leading up to it made it a little expected for the impact I believe the author was trying to achieve.
That in itself is not an issue whatsoever, my main issue here was interest.
Because it's world building first and foremost, through the characters, the pacing would be slow and that's totally fine. But the interest I had in following said characters, took a much longer while to happen for me and it's the main reason of why I didn't love the book as much as I know I could've. I'm almost certain it's a series rather than just a standalone and that makes me giddy, if this is the start, then I'm hoping it's only going to get even better.
Final rating: 3.5/5
I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to Angry Robot and the author for the opportunity.
I have my own blog now, so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)
Release date: 12th of July 2022.
───────────────────
June of 2022 is shaping up to be the worst reading month I've had in the last couple of years. It's not a new thing, as it usually is the worst one in any reading year of mine, but with books like The Last Blade Priest, it makes the blow of such weak TBR progress easier to handle.
I'm a huge fan of world building and it's usually, the highlight of most books I read if it was excessive. And of course, enjoyable to read about. W. P. Wiles created a fantastic world to go through, and the author also wastes no time of making it the main point of the narrative. It's dense, it's intricate and as always, it spoke volumes of the level of effort the author put into creating it.
There are different magic systems, different cultures, creatures, histories, legends, groups and the different threats as well. One of the main things that truly worked for this book, and hopefully series by extension, was the limitation of it's point of view characters. There are ambitious pieces of writing throughout the fantasy genre, and even though the world is great, the ping ponging between the 10+ characters in different locations, makes it extra challenging.
Not impossible to do, but still extra challenging.
In The Last Blade Priest the main story was told in separate locations yes, but it's mainly told from two point of views. There were some chapters for other characters, but the main two were Anton and Inar. Through them, I got to learn about the main conflict they're trying to work against, the other threats that they personally had to deal with and their moments of doubts as well.
The different characters I ended up meeting ranged from interesting to neutral to forgettable. Some of them were too interesting to me, that I had hoped that they got they're own point of views throughout the book, but given that it's seemingly a series, all hope is not lost. The awesome thing here is that there are a lot of twists and turns to enjoy.
I wouldn't truly call any of them surprising, in the grandest scheme of things, but I do believe that the author managed to nail all of them except one at the very end of the book. That scene was very cool, don't get me wrong, but the events leading up to it made it a little expected for the impact I believe the author was trying to achieve.
That in itself is not an issue whatsoever, my main issue here was interest.
Because it's world building first and foremost, through the characters, the pacing would be slow and that's totally fine. But the interest I had in following said characters, took a much longer while to happen for me and it's the main reason of why I didn't love the book as much as I know I could've. I'm almost certain it's a series rather than just a standalone and that makes me giddy, if this is the start, then I'm hoping it's only going to get even better.
Final rating: 3.5/5
July 2, 2022
Review originally appeared at The British Fantasy Society website.
In a dark and forbidding temple, deep in a high and inaccessible land, the Blade Priests spill blood for the Custodians of the Mountain, just as they have done for centuries. But change is coming to the Mountain – new ways and old sins too…
Will Wiles is better known outside the genre for novels like Care of Wooden Floors (Harper, 2012) and Plume (4th Estate, 2019), but as contributions to the likes of An Unreliable Guide to London (Influx, 2016) demonstrate – alongside Nikesh Shukla and M John Harrison – he’s not averse to working in a more speculative aspect. The Last Blade Priest is a full-blown epic fantasy, the first volume of a longer story, and a fascinatingly-constructed tale from an author who plainly knows what he’s doing.
Told in the main from the alternated perspectives of compromised builder Inar, who has wound up on the losing side of a war against the rising power of the League of Free Cities, and reluctant Blade Priest Anton, who has no desire to spill any blood at all, the story follows the League’s mission to send emissaries to the hidden land of Elith-Tenh, to sign a treaty with the priests of the Mountain against their enemies in Miroline. Inar is enlisted as a guide to the Merite Anzola and her ward, a young girl named Duna, and accompanies them on their dangerous climb into the mountains. Meanwhile, Anton receives an unexpected and wholly unwanted promotion when the leader of his temple is murdered and quickly finds himself on the run as a faction opposed to Anzola’s deal takes control of Elith-Tenh. Now both Inar and Anton must struggle against enemies, the very landscape itself, and old and dangerous magic on each side. To make matters worse, the elves are attacking as well.
Wiles writes with a direct but immersive style, drawing the reader into the problems faced by Inar and Anton, slowly excavating the layers under their skins. Revelations about other characters and their own motivations come as a shock as much to the reader as to Anton and Inar themselves. There’s the kind of straightforward narrative logic that I’ve long admired in Juliet E McKenna’s writing – you can fully believe in the world and the history that Wiles has written. There are enough literary flourishes, as well, to brighten up the prose.
Though Wiles does trip a little on one of fantasy’s biggest bugbears, the problem of made-up place names, it’s certainly not enough to undercut the book’s rock-solid foundations. And leading on from that pun, I can look at one of the main themes behind the book: from the stones and strata of the landscapes, the fragile mountainside paths and the old roads of Elith-Tenh and the walls surrounding Anton’s temple and Inar’s home town of Stull, to the old religion of the Tzanate itself, everything is under pressure and fractured. The magic that Inar and Duna wield can break apart solid stone and pull whole towers apart; the factions within the Tzanate are doing the same to themselves, and there are factions within the League forces as well. Wiles looks for the weak points in everything, applying pressure to see what – and who – will break first.
While the landscape of the world – and the towers and steadfasts on either side of the mountains – is the bedrock of the book, there’s magic too. And The Last Blade Priest doesn’t disappoint there either. Inar and Duna climb into their abilities, and Wiles takes the time to show that progression while still keeping the magic free of “hard magic system” limitations. The magic feels dangerous and unpredictable, all the more so when wielded by Anton’s collaborative Custodian. Birdlike, bestial, very slightly analogous to RJ Barker’s gullaime (if the gullaime was a seven-foot-tall crow with a beak-like a broadsword and a penchant for blood), the presence of the Custodian is matched only by that of Wiles’s elves, who are really vicious little buggers who inspire their followers to cut their ears into points in imitation of them.
Wiles saves a neat twist for the climax of the book, proving at the same time that he’s got the plot well worked out and isn’t afraid to play a few games to misdirect the reader. The Last Blade Priest isn’t “grimdark” per se, though there are enough bloody elements and gruesome deaths for it to stand close to it, but it is a deft and intelligent, immaculately constructed epic fantasy with characters as human as the Mountain is cold. Absolutely recommended.
In a dark and forbidding temple, deep in a high and inaccessible land, the Blade Priests spill blood for the Custodians of the Mountain, just as they have done for centuries. But change is coming to the Mountain – new ways and old sins too…
Will Wiles is better known outside the genre for novels like Care of Wooden Floors (Harper, 2012) and Plume (4th Estate, 2019), but as contributions to the likes of An Unreliable Guide to London (Influx, 2016) demonstrate – alongside Nikesh Shukla and M John Harrison – he’s not averse to working in a more speculative aspect. The Last Blade Priest is a full-blown epic fantasy, the first volume of a longer story, and a fascinatingly-constructed tale from an author who plainly knows what he’s doing.
Told in the main from the alternated perspectives of compromised builder Inar, who has wound up on the losing side of a war against the rising power of the League of Free Cities, and reluctant Blade Priest Anton, who has no desire to spill any blood at all, the story follows the League’s mission to send emissaries to the hidden land of Elith-Tenh, to sign a treaty with the priests of the Mountain against their enemies in Miroline. Inar is enlisted as a guide to the Merite Anzola and her ward, a young girl named Duna, and accompanies them on their dangerous climb into the mountains. Meanwhile, Anton receives an unexpected and wholly unwanted promotion when the leader of his temple is murdered and quickly finds himself on the run as a faction opposed to Anzola’s deal takes control of Elith-Tenh. Now both Inar and Anton must struggle against enemies, the very landscape itself, and old and dangerous magic on each side. To make matters worse, the elves are attacking as well.
Wiles writes with a direct but immersive style, drawing the reader into the problems faced by Inar and Anton, slowly excavating the layers under their skins. Revelations about other characters and their own motivations come as a shock as much to the reader as to Anton and Inar themselves. There’s the kind of straightforward narrative logic that I’ve long admired in Juliet E McKenna’s writing – you can fully believe in the world and the history that Wiles has written. There are enough literary flourishes, as well, to brighten up the prose.
Though Wiles does trip a little on one of fantasy’s biggest bugbears, the problem of made-up place names, it’s certainly not enough to undercut the book’s rock-solid foundations. And leading on from that pun, I can look at one of the main themes behind the book: from the stones and strata of the landscapes, the fragile mountainside paths and the old roads of Elith-Tenh and the walls surrounding Anton’s temple and Inar’s home town of Stull, to the old religion of the Tzanate itself, everything is under pressure and fractured. The magic that Inar and Duna wield can break apart solid stone and pull whole towers apart; the factions within the Tzanate are doing the same to themselves, and there are factions within the League forces as well. Wiles looks for the weak points in everything, applying pressure to see what – and who – will break first.
While the landscape of the world – and the towers and steadfasts on either side of the mountains – is the bedrock of the book, there’s magic too. And The Last Blade Priest doesn’t disappoint there either. Inar and Duna climb into their abilities, and Wiles takes the time to show that progression while still keeping the magic free of “hard magic system” limitations. The magic feels dangerous and unpredictable, all the more so when wielded by Anton’s collaborative Custodian. Birdlike, bestial, very slightly analogous to RJ Barker’s gullaime (if the gullaime was a seven-foot-tall crow with a beak-like a broadsword and a penchant for blood), the presence of the Custodian is matched only by that of Wiles’s elves, who are really vicious little buggers who inspire their followers to cut their ears into points in imitation of them.
Wiles saves a neat twist for the climax of the book, proving at the same time that he’s got the plot well worked out and isn’t afraid to play a few games to misdirect the reader. The Last Blade Priest isn’t “grimdark” per se, though there are enough bloody elements and gruesome deaths for it to stand close to it, but it is a deft and intelligent, immaculately constructed epic fantasy with characters as human as the Mountain is cold. Absolutely recommended.
July 21, 2022
I think the “file under” area is what hooked me on reading this one – “nightmare crows, scarred altars…” etc. I love anything rich in world building and this book 100% did not disappoint. The first 100 pages ish WAS confusing to me because Wiles threw out all the native terms without taking time to explain, but, I’ve learned to just let these things roll until they make sense. As long as they make sense by the end of the book – and trust me, they do in this case – I don’t consider this a big deal anymore.
The main points of view are Inar and Anton, one a builder and one a priest trained to sacrifice human lives to the Mountain and it’s Custodian/s. One cool aspect is that as the storylines and characters progress, we learn who else is important, who will be dictating furture events. I didn’t see the twists coming but as the storylines converge (and the book wraps up) I found myself really liking these other people who wormed their way in. The less you know the better but I do like being surprised by side characters.
The world is rich in history, lore, religious lore, magic, and atmosphere. The settings are well fleshed out too. A lot is added setting wise as the author’s career is somewhere in architecture. To me at least it’s cool when the setting becomes such a big part of the story and lore. It sounds dull as hell to read about but he stated that he created a “Fantasy architecture” for the world and it’s awesome, it makes sense, it fits, and it’s cool. I just like cold, mountainy settings anyway and these take a huge toll on the characters here.
The other thing that adds a lot to the atmosphere is how the language sets a specific tone – I honestly had to look up quite a few words used but it did add to the world’s feeling of… consistency? The book overall has a dark feel and while I have read much darker fantasy, this one had it’s moments and a consistent heavier feeling throughout.
So you get through the first hundred pages and the book starts rolling, the quest begins, the priesthood starts making sense, the characters develop, and the magic starts unfurling. Did I say unfurling? Yes! I liked how the magic wasn’t dumped on us to begin with but revealed as we went along. The elves are evil too and there’s a lot of backstory that rolls into the plot as the characters journey along.
Overall – I really liked this one. I liked how the story unrolled and that I didn’t mind being along for the ride in the meantime. I liked a clearly dark fantasy that wasn’t truly horrific. A lot of my favorite books set a tone and keep it, and this one fell into that category. For the slow and slightly rough start I docked a star but fully would recommend this one to epic and dark fantasy fans!
The main points of view are Inar and Anton, one a builder and one a priest trained to sacrifice human lives to the Mountain and it’s Custodian/s. One cool aspect is that as the storylines and characters progress, we learn who else is important, who will be dictating furture events. I didn’t see the twists coming but as the storylines converge (and the book wraps up) I found myself really liking these other people who wormed their way in. The less you know the better but I do like being surprised by side characters.
The world is rich in history, lore, religious lore, magic, and atmosphere. The settings are well fleshed out too. A lot is added setting wise as the author’s career is somewhere in architecture. To me at least it’s cool when the setting becomes such a big part of the story and lore. It sounds dull as hell to read about but he stated that he created a “Fantasy architecture” for the world and it’s awesome, it makes sense, it fits, and it’s cool. I just like cold, mountainy settings anyway and these take a huge toll on the characters here.
The other thing that adds a lot to the atmosphere is how the language sets a specific tone – I honestly had to look up quite a few words used but it did add to the world’s feeling of… consistency? The book overall has a dark feel and while I have read much darker fantasy, this one had it’s moments and a consistent heavier feeling throughout.
So you get through the first hundred pages and the book starts rolling, the quest begins, the priesthood starts making sense, the characters develop, and the magic starts unfurling. Did I say unfurling? Yes! I liked how the magic wasn’t dumped on us to begin with but revealed as we went along. The elves are evil too and there’s a lot of backstory that rolls into the plot as the characters journey along.
Overall – I really liked this one. I liked how the story unrolled and that I didn’t mind being along for the ride in the meantime. I liked a clearly dark fantasy that wasn’t truly horrific. A lot of my favorite books set a tone and keep it, and this one fell into that category. For the slow and slightly rough start I docked a star but fully would recommend this one to epic and dark fantasy fans!
November 19, 2022
I loved the worldbuilding here with avian god-type creatures who are lords of the mountain, which forms the religion of the world. I like how it was tackled here, it’s not as unusual as it might sound and these are not like the giant birds that you sometimes see in other fantasy stories.
There’s some good magic in here as well and I like how you can really see it grow as the book moves on. In particular there’s one character who you get a real feel for the development of magic with and I appreciated the way that was handled, and how it was about as far from a magic-school setting as you can get for that.
Another of the interesting things in here is the elves, as I like how these are not just the traditional type. I like how they were handled, and it just gave us something a little bit different as well. They were maybe a little underplayed compared to my expectations, but certainly had a big impact on the story.
There’s some good magic in here as well and I like how you can really see it grow as the book moves on. In particular there’s one character who you get a real feel for the development of magic with and I appreciated the way that was handled, and how it was about as far from a magic-school setting as you can get for that.
Another of the interesting things in here is the elves, as I like how these are not just the traditional type. I like how they were handled, and it just gave us something a little bit different as well. They were maybe a little underplayed compared to my expectations, but certainly had a big impact on the story.
July 24, 2022
Book Review
Title: The Last Blade Priest by W.P. Wiles
Genre: Dark, Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 Stars
The opening to The Last Blade Priest was interesting as we are introduced to Inar who is a Master Builder for the Kingdom of Mishig-Tenh. We learn that there was a war previously between the Kingdom and the League of Free Cities and there is currently an uneasy alliance between the two factions. During the war, Inar’s father and older brother were both executed for treason solidifying his allegiance to the Kingdom but when some League Knights roll through looking to levy Inar his loyalty is questioned and he is ultimately given to the League but also instructed to act as a spy for the Kingdom. We are then introduced to Anton, the Blade Priest for Craithe, the God Mountain. Anton is a Blade Priest meaning he is supposed to take part in human sacrifices but this practice has just been outlawed much to Anton’s relief and we begin to learn about the religion of the God Mountain but not much. We switch back to Inar who has been taken by the League to a fortress where it does look like they are preparing for a second war but he and Lott have no choice but to wait and see what the League want them to do while keeping their eyes and ears open to what is going on around them. They are under the care of Anzola who seems to be a hero in the eyes of the League but her ward, Duna is more interesting right now since she seems to have an air of mystery and power surrounding her.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, there seems to be a lot of information missing like we are only getting half of a story since a lot of the politics and religion happening in the present is related to things in the past which we aren’t being shown. From what I can gather there was a war with the Elves at some point and the Elves lost and were driven back into their homeland, this was followed by a war between the Kingdom and the League which the League won. Now the Elves are becoming a problem again and the League is having to gain an alliance with the God-Mountain in order to pass soldiers through there to destroy the Elves homeland but the Kingdom isn’t happy about the amount of power that the League seems to have so all in all no one is currently happy. Inar was brought to the Mountain by the League in order to show them how to get through the second, more dangerous pass and he explains it is impossible but the League aren’t going to believe this until they see it with their own eyes which would explain the fortress and the amount of soldiers present with the League. Through Anton we learn more about the religion which seems a lot like a cult who worship a Mountain, a living God and avian demi-gods which is strange as anything I have ever read but I am excited to see how Inar and Anton’s paths cross at some point. We see the main plot points beginning to emerge as Inar is leading the League through previously forbidden ground to aid in destroying a common enemy while Anton is caught between what he wants and what his religion demands of him even though he doesn’t agree with it and never has from what I can see. I have a feeling they are going to cross paths when the League gets through the Mountain pass. However, most of the action comes from Inar as he knows that his father must have given the information that led to his death to Anzola and he tries to get more information out of Duna. However, when they reach the ice sea a rock comes crashing down opening up a crevasse that swallows Duna, I don’t believe she is dead since she seems important to the story but she isn’t going to come out injured which might delay their journey.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, I was really liking Inar’s perspective but I didn’t really see the point in Anton’s just yet other than to give us backstories and politics which didn’t make for interesting reading but that might change soon. It is around here that things begin to get really interesting and really hooked me into the story. First of all Inar learns that Duna seems to have a similar ability to him which is pretty rare which might be why he sensed something different about her and the full extent of her ability is shown and she is called a scourge. Meanwhile, Anton learns that the alliance with the League is going to happen and he and Elecy, the Blade Priests are very important in this since Anton is going to be named the successor of the leader and Elecy is going to become the ambassador for a neighbouring Kingdom which doesn’t follow their religion but he has to keep it secret until the Conclave is finished. However, there is a divide in the religion that is getting wider and when the leader is murdered and Anton is framed I was honestly stunned. As we are getting close to the halfway mark in the novel I couldn’t wait to see what happens with both Anton and Inar as both of their stories are getting very interesting.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, the pace is really picking up as Anton is thrown in a cell for murder which is all part of a plot created by Ving to seize control and Elecy is the only one willing to listen to him and she eventually finds proof that he is telling the truth. Ving wants control in order to gain God like powers but the Custodians know they were wrong to grant them in the first place. Elecy helps Anton escape and sends him to find Yisho with the proof of his innocence while she stays behind and since the book is called the Last Blade Priest I assuming that she is going to die at some point leaving on Anton. Meanwhile, Inar is horrified to learn Duna is a scourge since they have the power to break stone with their minds but it is linked to their emotions making the power difficult to control and making scourges very dangerous. However, Anzola explains that Duna has been learning to control and expand her powers since she was a child and that he should stay and see for himself which I think he is going to do. It is around this point that we also begin to get Duna’s perspective a learn more about her life with Anzola and her talent as a scourge which is going to be interesting. By the time they reach the meeting point a rebellion is already going on within the Church and there is no one being sent to meet with the League as Ving wants which means the League have to turn back to the fort and proceed with plan B which is taking the Church by force. Ramnie revealed to Anzola that the Church is far weaker than anyone especially Ving believes and their alliance was the only chance they had but now it is gone. However, Anton is free now and heading to the Gull Gates where he might find help in tracking down Yisho and the League are also heading there as it is the quickest and safest route back although it is out of their way so their paths might cross now. We also learn through Inar that he and Duna have complimentary abilities which is why he was requested by the League and that Duna has been hiding the extent of her power from Anzola but he isn’t sure why yet but I hope we find out soon.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, there are plots within plots right now with little action so I am hoping that changes soon. While I love politic intrigue in high fantasy (it’s the reason I love Sanderson after all) I do need some good action to keep the story moving forward and to increase the stakes. The different people we are following are close to coming together as Inar and Franj end up following behind Anzola’s group but don’t want to get too close yet since they don’t know if they are going to help them or not. However, when Anzola’s group are stopped by zealots who follow Ving, Franj has no choice but to step in and help them revealing themselves to the League although they currently keep their identity a secret. They tell Anzola about the way the church has fallen and they are carrying a message to the loyal zealots of the true leader which is Inar although this is omitted from the conversation. They end up joining together for now but they are confronted with more horrors when they reach the Gull Gates, Inar ends up having a conversation with a Custodian who tells him that Duna is a scourge but she is going to be useful to them in this journey and not to harm her which he relays to Franj but Anzola is suspicious and curious about them and sooner or later Inar might have to reveal himself to the League in order for them not to kill him. As the continue their journey despite their suspicions of each other they end up being set upon by Elves who are the true enemy to both Inar and Anzola so they are going to have to work together. The party is small unlike the Elves so they don’t have much hope of fighting their way out of the situation and even Duna’s abilities don’t work on the Elves. If people don’t die here it will be because the Custodians might help them out since they are still within their reach for now. I personally felt we have waited far too long for some real action to happen but I am interested to see where the author goes with this now.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, the “battle” with the Elves if you can call it that was disappointing especially since we have had to wade through over 350 pages to see them for the first time. There is also so much going on right now between the warring factions with the church and the League making everything super confusing. I think that everyone should be focusing on the Elves since they are the biggest problem but the League is now at war with the church so Anton and Duna are both being used as pawns. Meanwhile Inar has switched from Anzola’s group to Ernesto’s which seems against his character since he has been against more war and death from the beginning much like Anton. Anton is growing as a character but not in the right way since he threatens Ernesto with violence and the death of the League supporters when he has been a pacifist for the majority of the novel. With less than 100 pages left in the novel I am not confident that Wiles can wrap up all the plot lines they set up in this novel and I honestly believe this would have been better as a series or at least a duology. I say this because a lot of the contextual knowledge we need is giving in very clunky dialogue and histories when it would have been easier for there to have been a prologue showing us the previous war with the Elves and the resulting war between the League and the Kingdom. We also could have got a lot of information about the Custodian, the Living God and the Blade Priest during this time as well which would have cut out those clunky and unnecessary scenes. I also wasn’t happy with the fact over half of the novel is spent building political intrigue then jumping straight into some action with no build up and very little in the way of resolution. Wiles is going to have to pull off a miracle to wrap with up in a satisfactory way, it has been done before but I am not getting my hopes up.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, things seemed to progress really quickly but there were a few issues I was having that I will discuss more if they aren’t resolved by the end of the novel. The last 100 pages of the novel were strange to say the least, watching the “final” battle with Duna was great as we see her really own her power for the first time but she acted a little out of character. Then there was this whole plot line with Anton and the Custodian and a realisation that he didn’t have before now despite being one of the most intelligent characters in the book. That reveal leads to something more but it doesn’t go anywhere as the ending of the novel really felt like the beginning of a second that didn’t really make much sense at all. The pacing was strange throughout the novel as the first half seemed to drag and the second half seemed really rushed. Certain elements with the history, the religion and the various magics used aren’t given enough depth meaning we don’t fully understand them. The magic was especially confusing since scourge talents like Duna and Inar’s are extremely rare but they aren’t explained very well and the limits of these abilities weren’t shown so they didn’t seem well rounded, also the difference between Inar and Duna’s abilities aren’t really explained as they are lumped together. It seemed like the author was trying to cram a lot of different elements into the novel and many of them ended up falling flat or weren’t developed enough to be great but it certainly had the potential to. I think if this book had been a series or at least a duology it would have flowed better and certain elements like the history, the politics and the magic could have been given more development. Overall, The Last Blade Priest had a lot of potential and if it is expanded into a series the issues I had with this book could be fixed but it fell really flat for me as a lot of the novel wasn��t explained properly which made it really confusing to read which meant I had a hard time getting through the book.
Title: The Last Blade Priest by W.P. Wiles
Genre: Dark, Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 Stars
The opening to The Last Blade Priest was interesting as we are introduced to Inar who is a Master Builder for the Kingdom of Mishig-Tenh. We learn that there was a war previously between the Kingdom and the League of Free Cities and there is currently an uneasy alliance between the two factions. During the war, Inar’s father and older brother were both executed for treason solidifying his allegiance to the Kingdom but when some League Knights roll through looking to levy Inar his loyalty is questioned and he is ultimately given to the League but also instructed to act as a spy for the Kingdom. We are then introduced to Anton, the Blade Priest for Craithe, the God Mountain. Anton is a Blade Priest meaning he is supposed to take part in human sacrifices but this practice has just been outlawed much to Anton’s relief and we begin to learn about the religion of the God Mountain but not much. We switch back to Inar who has been taken by the League to a fortress where it does look like they are preparing for a second war but he and Lott have no choice but to wait and see what the League want them to do while keeping their eyes and ears open to what is going on around them. They are under the care of Anzola who seems to be a hero in the eyes of the League but her ward, Duna is more interesting right now since she seems to have an air of mystery and power surrounding her.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, there seems to be a lot of information missing like we are only getting half of a story since a lot of the politics and religion happening in the present is related to things in the past which we aren’t being shown. From what I can gather there was a war with the Elves at some point and the Elves lost and were driven back into their homeland, this was followed by a war between the Kingdom and the League which the League won. Now the Elves are becoming a problem again and the League is having to gain an alliance with the God-Mountain in order to pass soldiers through there to destroy the Elves homeland but the Kingdom isn’t happy about the amount of power that the League seems to have so all in all no one is currently happy. Inar was brought to the Mountain by the League in order to show them how to get through the second, more dangerous pass and he explains it is impossible but the League aren’t going to believe this until they see it with their own eyes which would explain the fortress and the amount of soldiers present with the League. Through Anton we learn more about the religion which seems a lot like a cult who worship a Mountain, a living God and avian demi-gods which is strange as anything I have ever read but I am excited to see how Inar and Anton’s paths cross at some point. We see the main plot points beginning to emerge as Inar is leading the League through previously forbidden ground to aid in destroying a common enemy while Anton is caught between what he wants and what his religion demands of him even though he doesn’t agree with it and never has from what I can see. I have a feeling they are going to cross paths when the League gets through the Mountain pass. However, most of the action comes from Inar as he knows that his father must have given the information that led to his death to Anzola and he tries to get more information out of Duna. However, when they reach the ice sea a rock comes crashing down opening up a crevasse that swallows Duna, I don’t believe she is dead since she seems important to the story but she isn’t going to come out injured which might delay their journey.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, I was really liking Inar’s perspective but I didn’t really see the point in Anton’s just yet other than to give us backstories and politics which didn’t make for interesting reading but that might change soon. It is around here that things begin to get really interesting and really hooked me into the story. First of all Inar learns that Duna seems to have a similar ability to him which is pretty rare which might be why he sensed something different about her and the full extent of her ability is shown and she is called a scourge. Meanwhile, Anton learns that the alliance with the League is going to happen and he and Elecy, the Blade Priests are very important in this since Anton is going to be named the successor of the leader and Elecy is going to become the ambassador for a neighbouring Kingdom which doesn’t follow their religion but he has to keep it secret until the Conclave is finished. However, there is a divide in the religion that is getting wider and when the leader is murdered and Anton is framed I was honestly stunned. As we are getting close to the halfway mark in the novel I couldn’t wait to see what happens with both Anton and Inar as both of their stories are getting very interesting.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, the pace is really picking up as Anton is thrown in a cell for murder which is all part of a plot created by Ving to seize control and Elecy is the only one willing to listen to him and she eventually finds proof that he is telling the truth. Ving wants control in order to gain God like powers but the Custodians know they were wrong to grant them in the first place. Elecy helps Anton escape and sends him to find Yisho with the proof of his innocence while she stays behind and since the book is called the Last Blade Priest I assuming that she is going to die at some point leaving on Anton. Meanwhile, Inar is horrified to learn Duna is a scourge since they have the power to break stone with their minds but it is linked to their emotions making the power difficult to control and making scourges very dangerous. However, Anzola explains that Duna has been learning to control and expand her powers since she was a child and that he should stay and see for himself which I think he is going to do. It is around this point that we also begin to get Duna’s perspective a learn more about her life with Anzola and her talent as a scourge which is going to be interesting. By the time they reach the meeting point a rebellion is already going on within the Church and there is no one being sent to meet with the League as Ving wants which means the League have to turn back to the fort and proceed with plan B which is taking the Church by force. Ramnie revealed to Anzola that the Church is far weaker than anyone especially Ving believes and their alliance was the only chance they had but now it is gone. However, Anton is free now and heading to the Gull Gates where he might find help in tracking down Yisho and the League are also heading there as it is the quickest and safest route back although it is out of their way so their paths might cross now. We also learn through Inar that he and Duna have complimentary abilities which is why he was requested by the League and that Duna has been hiding the extent of her power from Anzola but he isn’t sure why yet but I hope we find out soon.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, there are plots within plots right now with little action so I am hoping that changes soon. While I love politic intrigue in high fantasy (it’s the reason I love Sanderson after all) I do need some good action to keep the story moving forward and to increase the stakes. The different people we are following are close to coming together as Inar and Franj end up following behind Anzola’s group but don’t want to get too close yet since they don’t know if they are going to help them or not. However, when Anzola’s group are stopped by zealots who follow Ving, Franj has no choice but to step in and help them revealing themselves to the League although they currently keep their identity a secret. They tell Anzola about the way the church has fallen and they are carrying a message to the loyal zealots of the true leader which is Inar although this is omitted from the conversation. They end up joining together for now but they are confronted with more horrors when they reach the Gull Gates, Inar ends up having a conversation with a Custodian who tells him that Duna is a scourge but she is going to be useful to them in this journey and not to harm her which he relays to Franj but Anzola is suspicious and curious about them and sooner or later Inar might have to reveal himself to the League in order for them not to kill him. As the continue their journey despite their suspicions of each other they end up being set upon by Elves who are the true enemy to both Inar and Anzola so they are going to have to work together. The party is small unlike the Elves so they don’t have much hope of fighting their way out of the situation and even Duna’s abilities don’t work on the Elves. If people don’t die here it will be because the Custodians might help them out since they are still within their reach for now. I personally felt we have waited far too long for some real action to happen but I am interested to see where the author goes with this now.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, the “battle” with the Elves if you can call it that was disappointing especially since we have had to wade through over 350 pages to see them for the first time. There is also so much going on right now between the warring factions with the church and the League making everything super confusing. I think that everyone should be focusing on the Elves since they are the biggest problem but the League is now at war with the church so Anton and Duna are both being used as pawns. Meanwhile Inar has switched from Anzola’s group to Ernesto’s which seems against his character since he has been against more war and death from the beginning much like Anton. Anton is growing as a character but not in the right way since he threatens Ernesto with violence and the death of the League supporters when he has been a pacifist for the majority of the novel. With less than 100 pages left in the novel I am not confident that Wiles can wrap up all the plot lines they set up in this novel and I honestly believe this would have been better as a series or at least a duology. I say this because a lot of the contextual knowledge we need is giving in very clunky dialogue and histories when it would have been easier for there to have been a prologue showing us the previous war with the Elves and the resulting war between the League and the Kingdom. We also could have got a lot of information about the Custodian, the Living God and the Blade Priest during this time as well which would have cut out those clunky and unnecessary scenes. I also wasn’t happy with the fact over half of the novel is spent building political intrigue then jumping straight into some action with no build up and very little in the way of resolution. Wiles is going to have to pull off a miracle to wrap with up in a satisfactory way, it has been done before but I am not getting my hopes up.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, things seemed to progress really quickly but there were a few issues I was having that I will discuss more if they aren’t resolved by the end of the novel. The last 100 pages of the novel were strange to say the least, watching the “final” battle with Duna was great as we see her really own her power for the first time but she acted a little out of character. Then there was this whole plot line with Anton and the Custodian and a realisation that he didn’t have before now despite being one of the most intelligent characters in the book. That reveal leads to something more but it doesn’t go anywhere as the ending of the novel really felt like the beginning of a second that didn’t really make much sense at all. The pacing was strange throughout the novel as the first half seemed to drag and the second half seemed really rushed. Certain elements with the history, the religion and the various magics used aren’t given enough depth meaning we don’t fully understand them. The magic was especially confusing since scourge talents like Duna and Inar’s are extremely rare but they aren’t explained very well and the limits of these abilities weren’t shown so they didn’t seem well rounded, also the difference between Inar and Duna’s abilities aren’t really explained as they are lumped together. It seemed like the author was trying to cram a lot of different elements into the novel and many of them ended up falling flat or weren’t developed enough to be great but it certainly had the potential to. I think if this book had been a series or at least a duology it would have flowed better and certain elements like the history, the politics and the magic could have been given more development. Overall, The Last Blade Priest had a lot of potential and if it is expanded into a series the issues I had with this book could be fixed but it fell really flat for me as a lot of the novel wasn��t explained properly which made it really confusing to read which meant I had a hard time getting through the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2024
dude at one point I had sooo many thoughts about this book but when anton dropped “augardine thought he was a god, and his army perished in the Hidden Land. are you a god, little man?" I made a noise I wasn’t even aware I was capable of making and then I forgot all the thoughts I had about this book LMFAO
anyway. actually a super good book and I’m so excited for the second! I think I started reading this book in December and it is now February. so two months of off and on reading this book and let me tell u something. whenever I wasn’t reading about it, I was thinking about it. it was a brain worm. like I would be sitting there and then all of a sudden I would be thinking the word Miroline. girl get it together? additionally, the first month and three weeks I was like normal about reading this book which is why it took me so long. and then I hit like page 390 or something and then literally could not put it down and crushed it.
I really really loved the take on elves being like a horror story that was so fire. my biggest gripe about this book was that I felt like I needed a map to reference of everything….like girl where is Mishig-Tehn in reference to the Brink I literally cannot remember. So imagine my surprise when they mention it can be traversed in several days. Also like where IS Miroline….I wouldn’t be able to tell you. additionally, some of the paragraphs were hard to follow; specifically, Inar’s early chapters when he talks about rocks…sorry I wasn’t a born geologist I don’t think that should be held against me. also. sorry last thing. also. the number of words I had to look up when reading this book was INSANE. I literally didn’t know my vocabulary was that small. that is not a criticism of the writing, but a deeper reflection as to who I am as a human being and my shortcomings.
all that to say that this is a refreshing fantasy book. it took me a while to read (all my own fault) and even when I wasn’t actively reading it, I was thinking about it. it stuck in my mind the same way that Mistborn and A Song of Ice and Fire does. I really hope that this book reaches a wider audience (or I can convince my friends to read it) because I think this is going to push modern fantasy in new exciting directions of storytelling. I think as it stands right now fantasy is in an odd place because of TikTok and stuff, but I honestly think that the holy mountain series is going to kinda start a new chapter (at least in my mind). I cannot wait to see more of what more wiles publishes <3
anyway. actually a super good book and I’m so excited for the second! I think I started reading this book in December and it is now February. so two months of off and on reading this book and let me tell u something. whenever I wasn’t reading about it, I was thinking about it. it was a brain worm. like I would be sitting there and then all of a sudden I would be thinking the word Miroline. girl get it together? additionally, the first month and three weeks I was like normal about reading this book which is why it took me so long. and then I hit like page 390 or something and then literally could not put it down and crushed it.
I really really loved the take on elves being like a horror story that was so fire. my biggest gripe about this book was that I felt like I needed a map to reference of everything….like girl where is Mishig-Tehn in reference to the Brink I literally cannot remember. So imagine my surprise when they mention it can be traversed in several days. Also like where IS Miroline….I wouldn’t be able to tell you. additionally, some of the paragraphs were hard to follow; specifically, Inar’s early chapters when he talks about rocks…sorry I wasn’t a born geologist I don’t think that should be held against me. also. sorry last thing. also. the number of words I had to look up when reading this book was INSANE. I literally didn’t know my vocabulary was that small. that is not a criticism of the writing, but a deeper reflection as to who I am as a human being and my shortcomings.
all that to say that this is a refreshing fantasy book. it took me a while to read (all my own fault) and even when I wasn’t actively reading it, I was thinking about it. it stuck in my mind the same way that Mistborn and A Song of Ice and Fire does. I really hope that this book reaches a wider audience (or I can convince my friends to read it) because I think this is going to push modern fantasy in new exciting directions of storytelling. I think as it stands right now fantasy is in an odd place because of TikTok and stuff, but I honestly think that the holy mountain series is going to kinda start a new chapter (at least in my mind). I cannot wait to see more of what more wiles publishes <3
July 20, 2022
The Last Blade is a novel of deception, deceit, and betrayal. This is the novel for you for fans of Joe Ambercrombie and Justin Call. It’s grimdark, it’s got anti-hero tropes, of course, your typical ‘elves’ have an evil trope which is good to see in a fantasy novel. The character’s in this book are easy to follow, and despite some reservations that I had with the novel, not including a glossary or a map, the worldbuilding is quite easy to follow despite the in-numerous amount of names, kingdoms, cities, and places. This is not an easy skill to master even for new or experienced writers. To write your novel and keep on redrafting it until it is understandable, to make the reader immersed in your world takes time and effort. And for a reader like me, I can even remember the most insane details of this world that I will not want to spoil. But suffice to say, Emperor Aurugdine has legendary lore that is worthy of reading.
Because the story’s biggest strength is like that of playing a Skyrim DLC. It’s comparable to that level of worldbuilding. There are details I can remember, like the wars between Stull and the League, the irate lord Cimila, and the Zealots, the Tzanate, and the Custodians. Plus, there’s also the mysterious cult that worships the Mountain. I was expecting to see more Godly moments, maybe some more interventions by divine creatures, etc. These are only suggestions. The blurb says what it does on the tin, for the builder that is Inar has to navigate through a very complicated political situation that puts his life on the line. The priest, Anton has a very peculiar path, drawn to the political machinations of old men that have long been past their due. And the child, who I was unable to figure out until perhaps the end. I’m still not sure.
Overall, this is a great fantasy novel debut, and I really enjoyed the story. Look, if a good story can carry you across the pages, then it’s done its job in my opinion. The characters are not too hard to relate to, and that’s good. This is a solid fantasy novel that I would thoroughly recommend and I really want to read the second novel now! Please include a map and a glossary next time!
Because the story’s biggest strength is like that of playing a Skyrim DLC. It’s comparable to that level of worldbuilding. There are details I can remember, like the wars between Stull and the League, the irate lord Cimila, and the Zealots, the Tzanate, and the Custodians. Plus, there’s also the mysterious cult that worships the Mountain. I was expecting to see more Godly moments, maybe some more interventions by divine creatures, etc. These are only suggestions. The blurb says what it does on the tin, for the builder that is Inar has to navigate through a very complicated political situation that puts his life on the line. The priest, Anton has a very peculiar path, drawn to the political machinations of old men that have long been past their due. And the child, who I was unable to figure out until perhaps the end. I’m still not sure.
Overall, this is a great fantasy novel debut, and I really enjoyed the story. Look, if a good story can carry you across the pages, then it’s done its job in my opinion. The characters are not too hard to relate to, and that’s good. This is a solid fantasy novel that I would thoroughly recommend and I really want to read the second novel now! Please include a map and a glossary next time!
January 7, 2023
I really wanted to love this book. As other reviewers have said, it is painfully slow until you get around page 100 or 25% in and I am glad I gave this book that chance because the middle 50% was very interesting and a great read. The problem for me was the 2 point of views and how I was only interested in one of them. So when those 2 characters met up, the sections they were together were some of the strongest. But then they separated and the book trudged on for the last 25%. I’m not sure I’ll be seeking out the rest of this series. It was an interesting world and I enjoyed the magic! But the political-fantasy aspects were weak in my opinion.
September 7, 2022
Strong Foundryland vibes. Can’t wait for the follow-up
July 10, 2022
Score: 4,5 out of 5 points
A world with Avian demi-gods, a cult worshipping them, Elfs whose objective is to get rid of humans, and the classic mix of tropes trying to expand human territories. Add to them really charismatic main characters, political intrigues, and excellent worldbuilding, and voilà: The Last Blade Priest has appeared.
I must say that I was really debating myself about which was the accurate score for this novel because I have mixed feelings about the pace. While the worldbuilding in the first half is marvelous, it might make it too slow, which made me think about a 3,5; meanwhile, the second half is probably in my top 3 stories I read this year. I just couldn't stop reading until the end.
About the characters, let's say something: W.P. Wiles knows how to make them interesting. First of all, we have Anton, a blade priest which is discovering how in reality religion works, and how greed drives the people; a person who is overwhelmed by the circumstances and what happens around him. Inar is an engineer in service to the "League of Free Cities", the conquerors of his own land. Both are easy to appreciate, and they are more moved by what happens than being the focus of change.
The plot is brilliant and goes in unexpected ways, which I think it's an important factor in why I liked it so much. I was unable to guess which way it would go next, and it spurred me many times into continuing. And even after the finish, I only want to see the next book in the series, because honestly, I want to be back in the world W.P. Wiles has created.
As I said, I think this is a great book, a great story despite its slow first hundred pages. I would totally recommend it to anybody that enjoys good worldbuilding, subversive plots, and great characters.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I solicited and got a copy of The Last Blade Priest from Angry Robot Books in order for the tour.
A world with Avian demi-gods, a cult worshipping them, Elfs whose objective is to get rid of humans, and the classic mix of tropes trying to expand human territories. Add to them really charismatic main characters, political intrigues, and excellent worldbuilding, and voilà: The Last Blade Priest has appeared.
I must say that I was really debating myself about which was the accurate score for this novel because I have mixed feelings about the pace. While the worldbuilding in the first half is marvelous, it might make it too slow, which made me think about a 3,5; meanwhile, the second half is probably in my top 3 stories I read this year. I just couldn't stop reading until the end.
About the characters, let's say something: W.P. Wiles knows how to make them interesting. First of all, we have Anton, a blade priest which is discovering how in reality religion works, and how greed drives the people; a person who is overwhelmed by the circumstances and what happens around him. Inar is an engineer in service to the "League of Free Cities", the conquerors of his own land. Both are easy to appreciate, and they are more moved by what happens than being the focus of change.
The plot is brilliant and goes in unexpected ways, which I think it's an important factor in why I liked it so much. I was unable to guess which way it would go next, and it spurred me many times into continuing. And even after the finish, I only want to see the next book in the series, because honestly, I want to be back in the world W.P. Wiles has created.
As I said, I think this is a great book, a great story despite its slow first hundred pages. I would totally recommend it to anybody that enjoys good worldbuilding, subversive plots, and great characters.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I solicited and got a copy of The Last Blade Priest from Angry Robot Books in order for the tour.
July 8, 2022
This is a book that takes a little while to get going but also fools you into thinking you know where it’s going.
A lot of interesting world building goes on here with what you think is familiar trope of warrior priests and warring religions, adding a dash of world conquest for fun. But….no.
Our two main protagonists are Inar (a builder who can almost “feel” stone and rock) and Anton who is a blade priest. And a blade priest is not a warrior but someone who is involved in ceremonial sacrifice. Inar is taken on a strange journey by the conquerors of his land, “The League of Free Cities” while Anton is discovering the depth of religious greed and fever that will change his life forever.
The author even gives us the manifestation of a mountain as a God, and then does something different with its guardians which makes you sit up and think, hang on where is he going with this? Even his presentation of Elves as the world threatening bad guys is different.
I liked that neither Inar nor Anton have latent powers that are of enormous potential, rather they get carried along by events and are rarely the main focus.
The story is left with a link into the next book, and I wanted to read it immediately already you can see the author is not going to follow a familiar path, what might appear to be a quest will probably be anything but. I’m looking forward to it already.
This is intelligent and thoughtful fantasy and I enjoyed having my fantasy norms tweaked a little!
I am grateful to the lovely publishers for a review copy.
A lot of interesting world building goes on here with what you think is familiar trope of warrior priests and warring religions, adding a dash of world conquest for fun. But….no.
Our two main protagonists are Inar (a builder who can almost “feel” stone and rock) and Anton who is a blade priest. And a blade priest is not a warrior but someone who is involved in ceremonial sacrifice. Inar is taken on a strange journey by the conquerors of his land, “The League of Free Cities” while Anton is discovering the depth of religious greed and fever that will change his life forever.
The author even gives us the manifestation of a mountain as a God, and then does something different with its guardians which makes you sit up and think, hang on where is he going with this? Even his presentation of Elves as the world threatening bad guys is different.
I liked that neither Inar nor Anton have latent powers that are of enormous potential, rather they get carried along by events and are rarely the main focus.
The story is left with a link into the next book, and I wanted to read it immediately already you can see the author is not going to follow a familiar path, what might appear to be a quest will probably be anything but. I’m looking forward to it already.
This is intelligent and thoughtful fantasy and I enjoyed having my fantasy norms tweaked a little!
I am grateful to the lovely publishers for a review copy.
November 30, 2022
This was a very challenging read due to being dropped into the book expected to know what it all means in the newly created fantasy world, so it took a lot of time to adjust to and understand, many aspects which I still don't understand. It was a good read, that being said.
Read
August 6, 2022DNF
May 4, 2024
Well written, fascinating world and characters, conflict incoming. What's not to like?
April 21, 2022
I enjoyed the world-building of this novel. It's got recognizable elements from a variety of real cultures, but employs them in subtle and respectful ways. The character-building is slow but progressive, and each character has been thoughtfully given good arcs.This is clearly the first book in a series, but even with the quasi-cliffhanger at the end, it was a satisfying read. Folks who like high fantasy will like this novel; I'm looking forward to the sequel.
October 20, 2022
One of the easiest ways to insert conflict into a plot is with religion. In this story there is an ancient religion based on a visible phenomena, The Mountain. Its attending demigods are intelligent, vulture-like beings with magic that are mostly a mystery to the humans that worship them.
The opposing culture, The League; soon to wage war on their holy place, is science-based, industrial and bent on "liberating" the world, by any means necessary. Forbidden magics are included and soon both sides will resurrect horrible destructive forces.
There's also a third party of creatures called Elves (they're not Tolkien's version) that seem to just hate everyone. Their only goal is mindless, mad, drug fueled destruction and they may get their way since the humans are more interested in fighting each other than presenting a united front.
It sounds like a straightforward battle fantasy but there are a lot of convoluted elements in the plot. I particularly like a fantasy with a lot of magic and non-human races.
The characters are well developed with distinct personalities and morals. I found the read exciting with plenty of action and suspense. In addition there are several mystery boxes yet to be opened. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
The opposing culture, The League; soon to wage war on their holy place, is science-based, industrial and bent on "liberating" the world, by any means necessary. Forbidden magics are included and soon both sides will resurrect horrible destructive forces.
There's also a third party of creatures called Elves (they're not Tolkien's version) that seem to just hate everyone. Their only goal is mindless, mad, drug fueled destruction and they may get their way since the humans are more interested in fighting each other than presenting a united front.
It sounds like a straightforward battle fantasy but there are a lot of convoluted elements in the plot. I particularly like a fantasy with a lot of magic and non-human races.
The characters are well developed with distinct personalities and morals. I found the read exciting with plenty of action and suspense. In addition there are several mystery boxes yet to be opened. Looking forward to the rest of the series.
April 22, 2023
I must confess, I skim read the latter half. I just had a really tough time getting into this book. I can tolerate—enjoy, even—dense and complex novels when I am interested in the plot, world, and characters. When it comes to this book, I wasn’t super invested in any of that, which made the density that much harder to swallow. Out of everyone I was probably most interested in Duna, because the themes of strength and utility that make up her character are very interesting to me. In the end, though, I just didn’t care that much about anyone.
August 2, 2022
This was a fantastic fantasy novel, definitely a highlight of my recent reading. Wiles does a great job building the world and introducing us to characters that I really liked to spend time with. One aspect I especially appreciated was that the story starts off on a couple of different strands, but it was clear that they would intersect at some point. What was interesting was that the strands didn't come crashing together, but rather dipped and weaved with each other, meeting at points and then diverging again in a very organic sense. The book also introduced a religion and societies that I'm looking forward to explore more of in future books.
Highly recommended for fans of Anthony Ryan, Brian Staveley, and Robert Jackson Bennett.
Highly recommended for fans of Anthony Ryan, Brian Staveley, and Robert Jackson Bennett.
July 11, 2022
If you like your elves noble and beautiful and straight out of LOTR, then this book is not for you. Evil elves are just one of the brilliant creations in The Last Blade Priest. It’s a slow burning epic fantasy and I absolutely loved it. This book has some great world building and the main characters are really satisfying in the way they grow and develop through the story. I loved the politics especially the league who aren’t colonising people at all, merely introducing them to a better way of life. If you like your fantasy thoughtfully written with plenty of detail, then this is the book for you. There’s action too and sometimes it’s quite startling. Nothing in this book is quite what it first appears to be. I can’t wait to read the sequel.
Thank you to Net Galley and Angry Robot for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Net Galley and Angry Robot for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 4, 2023
It took a good 100 pages or so to get into this novel, but once I did it was great! It was quite confusing at start without a glossary or hierarchical structure to follow the terms and names used for people in the religious and military orders but you soon get used to it and figure it out. The world building is great, the two main characters are well developed some of the minor characters lesser so but it sounds like they will have more of a part to come as the story ends as if it's angling for a follow up.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Thank you to Netgalley, Angry Robot and the author.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Thank you to Netgalley, Angry Robot and the author.
April 30, 2022
I have read (I think) previous works by this author (care of wooden floors and plume) and if this is the same author then I can only say what a huge development in writing style and story telling, I enjoyed the other books, they have a unique flavour but being a life long fan of all sci-fi & fantasy books this book was a pleasure to read, i am not going to be a bore like some semi professional reviewers and rehash the synopsis I will just say it’s a book worthy of your money and time
September 15, 2025
Vaya churro patatero. No sé dónde está esa renovación que dicen otras críticas, o esa mirada "literaria". Como este libro hay 50.000 más
July 20, 2023
This review originally published in Looking For a Good Book. Rated 3.5 of 5
I typically have not been very fond of epic fantasy. It's not that I don't like the stories or the characters or the fantastic adventures. It's the complex world-building that is involved in most epic adventures. Maybe it's an unknown learning disability or an undiagnosed ADD, but the more complex and foreign-sounding the names of characters and locations, the more challenged I am to read the book. When I struggle to understand the 'who' and the 'where' I generally can't enjoy the story. The very first sentence in the description on Goodreads would typically put me on edge: Inar is Master Builder for the Kingdom of Mishig-Tenh. Knowing this about myself and my reading habits, I will often eschew reading epic fantasy if I recognize that's what it is before I start reading.
I did not know that's what this book would be, which is a good thing, because despite my struggle with some of the people and places, I enjoyed this book.
Inar, the Master Builder mentioned above, comes from a family that has fallen in disgrace. Her brother and father were both found to be traitors and executed. Now the King's chancellor has selected Inar to become a spy for him. There's a huge danger in being a spy, but Inar has no choice.
In another part of the world, Anton is a blade priest who serves the Mountain God. His job has been to perform the human sacrifices to the god. But the 'Custodians' - the keepers of the faith and its path to the god - have put a stop to the sacrifices. This is good news for Anton, but he soon has to go on the run as another faction wants to take control of the region.
Inar, meanwhile, takes on the duty of shepherding a young girl, Duna, to the mountains. Duna seems to have a rare telekinetic power and she needs to be properly trained for her own safety as well as for those around her.
Author W. P. Wiles dumps a lot of the uncomfortable, tongue-twisting language into the book very early. Many of the names are too similar, causing even more confusion in my slow brain (are we talking about the Mishig-Tenh, the Elith-Tenh, or the Tzan-Tenh?). But the characters, particularly Inar and Duna, are so fascinating that I was able to ignore a lot of the busy detail to focus on the characters' needs and wants.
Wiles manages to keep the action moving so that we're not bogged down with a lot of reflection, commentary, and planning - traits that often slow an epic fantasy to a crawl. There was just the right amount of physical action, consistent throughout the book, to create nice rising action, building character and tension.
One of the aspects I really appreciated was that 'common' fantasy characters, particularly elves, weren't like the elves we see in Lord of the Rings or many fantasies. The elves here are evil little monsters, looking to get rid of humans. I loved this 'twist.' Surely this isn't the only book to take this kind of look at 'familiar' creatures, but combined with the rest of the storytelling, it was a nice addition.
Although I've found I don't typically enjoy epic fantasy, this proves to be the exception. This was an enjoyable read and I'm interested in following up on these characters.
Looking for a good book? W. P. Wiles has penned a very interesting and readable epic fantasy in The Last Blade Priest.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
I typically have not been very fond of epic fantasy. It's not that I don't like the stories or the characters or the fantastic adventures. It's the complex world-building that is involved in most epic adventures. Maybe it's an unknown learning disability or an undiagnosed ADD, but the more complex and foreign-sounding the names of characters and locations, the more challenged I am to read the book. When I struggle to understand the 'who' and the 'where' I generally can't enjoy the story. The very first sentence in the description on Goodreads would typically put me on edge: Inar is Master Builder for the Kingdom of Mishig-Tenh. Knowing this about myself and my reading habits, I will often eschew reading epic fantasy if I recognize that's what it is before I start reading.
I did not know that's what this book would be, which is a good thing, because despite my struggle with some of the people and places, I enjoyed this book.
Inar, the Master Builder mentioned above, comes from a family that has fallen in disgrace. Her brother and father were both found to be traitors and executed. Now the King's chancellor has selected Inar to become a spy for him. There's a huge danger in being a spy, but Inar has no choice.
In another part of the world, Anton is a blade priest who serves the Mountain God. His job has been to perform the human sacrifices to the god. But the 'Custodians' - the keepers of the faith and its path to the god - have put a stop to the sacrifices. This is good news for Anton, but he soon has to go on the run as another faction wants to take control of the region.
Inar, meanwhile, takes on the duty of shepherding a young girl, Duna, to the mountains. Duna seems to have a rare telekinetic power and she needs to be properly trained for her own safety as well as for those around her.
Author W. P. Wiles dumps a lot of the uncomfortable, tongue-twisting language into the book very early. Many of the names are too similar, causing even more confusion in my slow brain (are we talking about the Mishig-Tenh, the Elith-Tenh, or the Tzan-Tenh?). But the characters, particularly Inar and Duna, are so fascinating that I was able to ignore a lot of the busy detail to focus on the characters' needs and wants.
Wiles manages to keep the action moving so that we're not bogged down with a lot of reflection, commentary, and planning - traits that often slow an epic fantasy to a crawl. There was just the right amount of physical action, consistent throughout the book, to create nice rising action, building character and tension.
One of the aspects I really appreciated was that 'common' fantasy characters, particularly elves, weren't like the elves we see in Lord of the Rings or many fantasies. The elves here are evil little monsters, looking to get rid of humans. I loved this 'twist.' Surely this isn't the only book to take this kind of look at 'familiar' creatures, but combined with the rest of the storytelling, it was a nice addition.
Although I've found I don't typically enjoy epic fantasy, this proves to be the exception. This was an enjoyable read and I'm interested in following up on these characters.
Looking for a good book? W. P. Wiles has penned a very interesting and readable epic fantasy in The Last Blade Priest.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
February 20, 2024
Edit: 3.5 stars
There are many things I want to say about this book, but everything eventually comes down to worldbuilding. While many books often start off with an introduction to the world and its rules, "The Last Blade Priest" takes a completely different approach, where everything is thrown at the reader at once.
"What the HECK is happening?!" is a question I found myself asking far too much for my liking.
There are simply too many little details that feel like the reader is supposed to be familiar with, but quite frankly, isn't. Only as the story progresses do you begin to understand the lore of the world and comprehend what all of the different factions, kingdoms, characters, roles, ranks, and areas are. Nothing is ever explicitly given to the reader, which definitely provides for a well-established and immersive world but can be very confusing at parts. However, as you delve deeper into the book, everything seems to click into place and makes the story truly engaging and a fun read. Before that though, the language can be a real pain in the... you get the point.
Moving on to the characters. The book is written from the POV of three characters: Inar, Anton, and Duna. While Inar and Duna provide their unique insights to the plot, enhancing worldbuilding, I often found myself skipping over Anton's part of the story simply because I was not interested in knowing what he had to say. His character is portrayed as a pacifist forced to live a violent life as a blade priest. While I am completely fine with the concept of a "killer-pacifist," Anton's character takes it to an uncomfortable extreme, where he is completely unable (and REFUSES) to wield any sort of weapon. I do not understand this decision. I completely understand that death is unnecessary in certain situations. However, refusing to kill anything at all, even clearly established enemies, feels to me like a sign of weakness, especially in a dark and twisted world such as the one presented in the book. Anton is also often depicted as ignorant and disconnected from the events happening around him, which really made it difficult for me to keep interested when reading his POV.
The last point I want to make about the characters is that I found myself quite intrigued by the colourful cast of support characters, especially Anzola. Her personality is quite nicely developed, and hints in towards gender roles in the League's society, which quite nicely proposes further worldbuilding.
Nevertheless, if you enjoy fantasy novels infused with religion and politics, you should definitely give this book a read.
There are many things I want to say about this book, but everything eventually comes down to worldbuilding. While many books often start off with an introduction to the world and its rules, "The Last Blade Priest" takes a completely different approach, where everything is thrown at the reader at once.
"What the HECK is happening?!" is a question I found myself asking far too much for my liking.
There are simply too many little details that feel like the reader is supposed to be familiar with, but quite frankly, isn't. Only as the story progresses do you begin to understand the lore of the world and comprehend what all of the different factions, kingdoms, characters, roles, ranks, and areas are. Nothing is ever explicitly given to the reader, which definitely provides for a well-established and immersive world but can be very confusing at parts. However, as you delve deeper into the book, everything seems to click into place and makes the story truly engaging and a fun read. Before that though, the language can be a real pain in the... you get the point.
Moving on to the characters. The book is written from the POV of three characters: Inar, Anton, and Duna. While Inar and Duna provide their unique insights to the plot, enhancing worldbuilding, I often found myself skipping over Anton's part of the story simply because I was not interested in knowing what he had to say. His character is portrayed as a pacifist forced to live a violent life as a blade priest. While I am completely fine with the concept of a "killer-pacifist," Anton's character takes it to an uncomfortable extreme, where he is completely unable (and REFUSES) to wield any sort of weapon. I do not understand this decision. I completely understand that death is unnecessary in certain situations. However, refusing to kill anything at all, even clearly established enemies, feels to me like a sign of weakness, especially in a dark and twisted world such as the one presented in the book. Anton is also often depicted as ignorant and disconnected from the events happening around him, which really made it difficult for me to keep interested when reading his POV.
The last point I want to make about the characters is that I found myself quite intrigued by the colourful cast of support characters, especially Anzola. Her personality is quite nicely developed, and hints in towards gender roles in the League's society, which quite nicely proposes further worldbuilding.
Nevertheless, if you enjoy fantasy novels infused with religion and politics, you should definitely give this book a read.
July 14, 2022
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I was approached by a publicist from Angry Robot and offered a complimentary eARC copy of The Last Blade Priest by W.P. Wiles in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
The Last Blade Priest is a dark epic fantasy that delivers a nice blend of familiar fantasy tropes and unique characters and plotlines. I'm still not entirely sure if the association was intentional or not, but the characters felt inspired by Norse mythology and folklore, which immediately coloured the world for me in a particular way. I'm of Scandinavian descent and I find myself drawn to this sort of storytelling.
This book gets off to a bit of a slow start, but it picks up and blazes past in a flurry by the end that leaves you spinning and wanting more. I can't quite put my finger on what the issue is making the beginning feel so slow, or how I would improve it, but I do think if this book gets a sequel or something else is written to fit into the same world, this book will have done a good amount of the leg work and the next book will be able to dive into the thick of things much faster.
Focal characters Anton and Inar were both fascinating and likable in their own ways. Inar gave me gruff, wise beyond his years reclusive mountain man vibes. Anton, secretly disgusted by the way his world works and the role he's been assigned to, gives me righteous secret anarchist vibes. And somehow it's these two men, not the world's soldiers, leaders, or nobility, who are destined to change the world as they know it.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to call this one a full 4 stars or drop to a 3.5, but the beginning was slow enough that had this been a purely spontaneous read, I might not have finished it. My only other complaint is that this world and these people feel like the sort of high fantasy that borrows from modern interpretations of medieval Europe, yet every now and then the characters would use rather modern words or phrases, and it did pull me out of the world a bit each time. I know a fantasy world and culture can be anything the author wishes and it's not as if this book opens by giving us a timestamp and coordinates for a real Earth setting, but some of the things said just didn't fit the atmosphere of what was otherwise well established.
Overall this is a great epic fantasy for those who like classic high fantasy with high stakes and a dash of dark plot points.
I was approached by a publicist from Angry Robot and offered a complimentary eARC copy of The Last Blade Priest by W.P. Wiles in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the opportunity! My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.
The Last Blade Priest is a dark epic fantasy that delivers a nice blend of familiar fantasy tropes and unique characters and plotlines. I'm still not entirely sure if the association was intentional or not, but the characters felt inspired by Norse mythology and folklore, which immediately coloured the world for me in a particular way. I'm of Scandinavian descent and I find myself drawn to this sort of storytelling.
This book gets off to a bit of a slow start, but it picks up and blazes past in a flurry by the end that leaves you spinning and wanting more. I can't quite put my finger on what the issue is making the beginning feel so slow, or how I would improve it, but I do think if this book gets a sequel or something else is written to fit into the same world, this book will have done a good amount of the leg work and the next book will be able to dive into the thick of things much faster.
Focal characters Anton and Inar were both fascinating and likable in their own ways. Inar gave me gruff, wise beyond his years reclusive mountain man vibes. Anton, secretly disgusted by the way his world works and the role he's been assigned to, gives me righteous secret anarchist vibes. And somehow it's these two men, not the world's soldiers, leaders, or nobility, who are destined to change the world as they know it.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to call this one a full 4 stars or drop to a 3.5, but the beginning was slow enough that had this been a purely spontaneous read, I might not have finished it. My only other complaint is that this world and these people feel like the sort of high fantasy that borrows from modern interpretations of medieval Europe, yet every now and then the characters would use rather modern words or phrases, and it did pull me out of the world a bit each time. I know a fantasy world and culture can be anything the author wishes and it's not as if this book opens by giving us a timestamp and coordinates for a real Earth setting, but some of the things said just didn't fit the atmosphere of what was otherwise well established.
Overall this is a great epic fantasy for those who like classic high fantasy with high stakes and a dash of dark plot points.
July 10, 2022
I tried to classify this book according to usual fantasy subgenres but I wasn’t able to match to any and decided that it belonged to the “Kept me hooked on a very hot summer afternoon”. This means I loved this book because I kept on reading even if my body was sending me messages like “Stop and go nearer to the fan” and I did it even if I kept on reading.
So this unclassified fantasy book is a page turner that starts slowly and introduce you to a complex world on the brink of a catastrophe and epochal changes.
The religion of the God Mountain is split between reformist and conservative, they were told to stop performing human sacrifice and they are divided. Anton is one of the Blade Priest in charge of the sacrifice and he’s very happy because he didn’t want to become the one who performed the sacrifices and gives the Gift. But he would prefer not to be involved in politics even if those playing political games are happy to involve him.
Inari is a builder, he’s enrolled by the League, a nation that just conquered his country.
And there’s the Elves, some very strange elves who are considered the villains.
There’s a lot of players, a lot of world building, and this is one of the few fantasy book I read where a religion is playing a relevant part not only as something part of the background.
The author is an excellent storyteller who delivers a fascinating and complex world building and well-developed characters.
Even if the story is told by Inari and Anton POVs there’s two female characters who plays a relevant role: Anzola and Duna. Anzola is a strong willed and powerful member of the League elite and I liked her since the beginning, Duna is a sort of mystery and we get to know her as the story evolves.
I wish there were some maps because sometimes my mind wasn’t able to imagine the distances and the terrain, trust me it plays a role.
I appreciated how the author took some classic fantasy tropes and made them new and how he was able to develop a story where there’s violence but the gore is never in eccess.
I think this is the first in a series and I hope there will be a follow up soon as I’m still suffering from book hangover and want to travel back to this world.
I had fun, enjoyed it as it’s gripping and highly entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Angry Robots and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
So this unclassified fantasy book is a page turner that starts slowly and introduce you to a complex world on the brink of a catastrophe and epochal changes.
The religion of the God Mountain is split between reformist and conservative, they were told to stop performing human sacrifice and they are divided. Anton is one of the Blade Priest in charge of the sacrifice and he’s very happy because he didn’t want to become the one who performed the sacrifices and gives the Gift. But he would prefer not to be involved in politics even if those playing political games are happy to involve him.
Inari is a builder, he’s enrolled by the League, a nation that just conquered his country.
And there’s the Elves, some very strange elves who are considered the villains.
There’s a lot of players, a lot of world building, and this is one of the few fantasy book I read where a religion is playing a relevant part not only as something part of the background.
The author is an excellent storyteller who delivers a fascinating and complex world building and well-developed characters.
Even if the story is told by Inari and Anton POVs there’s two female characters who plays a relevant role: Anzola and Duna. Anzola is a strong willed and powerful member of the League elite and I liked her since the beginning, Duna is a sort of mystery and we get to know her as the story evolves.
I wish there were some maps because sometimes my mind wasn’t able to imagine the distances and the terrain, trust me it plays a role.
I appreciated how the author took some classic fantasy tropes and made them new and how he was able to develop a story where there’s violence but the gore is never in eccess.
I think this is the first in a series and I hope there will be a follow up soon as I’m still suffering from book hangover and want to travel back to this world.
I had fun, enjoyed it as it’s gripping and highly entertaining.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Angry Robots and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
July 16, 2022
“Defend the Mountain. Defend your living God … And we tell you that your ancient enemy has returned, and still you argue.”
Anton is a blade priest, one of the last, but with the Custodians no longer wanting to receive the gift, what purpose does he have? But Anton will be blessed, though he will not see it as such, and be forced to escape his home. He travels to find allies but finds that allies are hard to come by when you have very little to bargain with. Inar is a builder with a unique talent to see into stone, one that he must keep hidden. He is requested to travel with a Merite, a leader in the League that is conquering the kingdoms, to show the road to the mountain. They know of his talent and how it can be used to strengthen a deadlier one. The enemy is coming, called the Elves, and the League will do whatever they must to protect the kingdoms; stone will not stand in their way…
This book is really well written, and it makes you want to keep reading, though the story lacks something for me. So why did I keep reading… I could relate to some parts of the story, where promises are used as incentives, but they are never quite fulfilled. I did like how the story is told mainly from the viewpoint of Anton and Inar, who are not in a position to make decisions (though Anton should, but struggles), they follow instructions, and we see the story from that view. I liked Duna, who wants to be a good person and not have her talents used only as weapons. And how people use the excuse of “for the greater good” to justify their actions. So perhaps I kept reading because the characters act so human and I felt so betrayed on their behalf.
I think the pace of the story was a little slow for me. I would have liked to see more of what was happening with Ving and his group. I read in the acknowledgements that the author has other publications, and this is his first fantasy story. Perhaps that is why I find it really well written but lacking something that I can’t really explain (not fair, I know).
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