The Wandering Inn: Book 6 - The General of Izril

The Wandering Inn #6

by Pirateaba, Andrea Parsneau (Narrator)

Clowns, Goblins, and Erin Solstice. Not all in the same place, mind you.

Erin Solstice trusts a lot of people—even some lost Redfangs survivors of Esthelm—but can she handle being friends with Goblins when every hand is turned against them and the tribes are on the rampage?

Liscor is in the path of Goblin Lord's inexorable march north, and the fates of Rags, Garen Redfang, and Tremborag's Goblin tribes are all tied to an impending war. Who will survive?

Tom the [Clown] is facing Demons in Rhir while Zel Shivertail is facing Wall Lord Ilvriss and an uncertain future. Faced with the knowledge of the Necromancer's return, who can the two Drakes turn to?

Contains bonus content, an exclusive account of the 2nd Antinium War by famed [Writer], Krsysl Wordsmith.

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Fiction, Adventure, Magic, Epic Fantasy, Slice Of Life

34 pages, Audiobook

First published March 19, 2019

Reviews

[Matt's Fantasy Book Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watch my video review by clicking here.

A book that meanders for quite a while before finally getting to the best plot developments of the entire series, and makes me absolutely ravenous to read the next one.

[Choko · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am past being objective when it comes to rating this series. I love everything about this world and the characters. Pirateaba manages to tug on all my heartstrings and she broke my heart at the end of this volume. Andrea Parsneau does an amazing job narrating the series and once again, she makes the characters alive! I will strongly recommend this series to all who love Audiobooks and fantastic worlds with very relatable characters. The beginning of the first book drags a bit, but it is worth pushing through, for the rest is magical!!! ❤️🤟👍

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.0 Stars
This is another solid entry in the Wandering Inn series. This one felt heavier in the military action, moving the plot forward. I looked forward to reading the next volume to see where this one goes.

[Andrews WizardlyReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

IM NOT OK!!!!!!! This book is intense. While I wasn’t a huge fan of fan of the first half of the book other than a section with a very creepy clown….the second half was very rewarding and that was a hell of an ending. I need to go have a glass of milk and honey and the a nap.

[QuestBoundReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

My rating 4.5/5
Youtube Review: https://youtu.be/Mp3k9AU7meA
Discord Link: https://discord.gg/snBSMYtv

Welcome back to the Questbound gang!! for all of you who have followed me thus far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Please consider following me on Youtube if you haven't already, as that will help me out tremendously.

Lets dive right into it then!

Story: 5/5
So the story really ramps up here. We start the book with our favorite clown (not pennywise), Tom. Now Tom is literally insane.. he has a skill for it (the irony). His chapters in this book were some of my favorite. His perspective is intriguing and goes to show you what people dealing with insanity may face (in a blown up-fantasy way). We then follow Erin and her never-ending attempt to make friends with every person, creature or object she comes across. This book in my opinion, is an attempt to bridge together what most of the continents are going through, with the rise of the goblin lord and the fights the necromancer caused last book. The conclusion to this book was EPIC. sad but EPIC indeed. I won't spoil it for you ;-) so please, read on!!

Characters: 5/5
As mentioned, I enjoyed all of the different perspectives in this book. I missed not seeing Ryoka or knowing what happened to Ivolethe, however I hope next book makes up for that. We really see many unlikely friendships occurring in this book such as....jk read up and you'll know who I'm talking about.

Flow: 4/5
So this was the first book in the series that bored me a little. Before you get all "gun-ho" let me explain. There were 3 chapters on the Antinium wars. Yes, 3 whole chapters. While I enjoy the history of the Antinium, I didn't really care for that many pages dedicated to it. IMO this could've been reduced to 1 chapter and spent more time on the war with the Goblin lord or just reduced page count regardless. This is the only critique I have for this book.

I hope you guys stick around and continue to be part of the Questbound Gang, our little fantasy family!! Stick around and I'll see you on the next one!!

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wandering Inn Volume 4 is fantastic across the board. We finally have perspective on Tom the Clown since Book 3, more Zel Shivertail, and reading about historical and eyewitness accounts of the Second Antinium War. It’s the most plot progression in the series and the best climax, while featuring some truly wholesome moments. The series before this point could be classified as epic fantasy, but this book reaffirms that assertion. Plotlines that began as far back as Book 2 are getting some needed closure, characters introduced around that time are getting meaningful character development, and finally, the growth of the characters in Liscor.

The majority of this review will be a spoiler, so I will tag it whenever I get to that section, but another reason why it’s my favourite in the series from the first 6 novels is the lack of Ryoka. Is that petty? Absolutely, but the lack of Ryoka makes this book just so much better for me as a reader.

Spoiler

So, the clown is a character who I wanted to read more about since he was first introduced, and Pirate didn’t disappoint. Is it a 40k novella that's not as relevant to the main story? Absolutely, however it's a glorious inclusion. So much we learned, especially the sacrifice the humans made of their own kind to kidnap people from Earth to come into this world. The general principle of the Blighted King empire is scary, forcefully removing 60 people from their world to solve their conflict, but now add human sacrifice of 10,000 unborn babies… That's a terrifying result, and humans being crueller than the demons, a line they wouldn't cross… Which is why this information being relayed by Thomas is perfect, laughing at the world. I should have seen it coming, the Fool being the double-crosser, but yeah, I really loved this whole section. The internal back-and-forth of Thomas's personality was utterly fascinating, and then he had complete control at the end. I really felt so bad for Thomas, feeling like he couldn’t control his body anymore but was just an observer.


I felt very proud of Erin in this book with her helping those Redfang Goblins. I think we can always see Erin’s growth gradually and slowly in every book, but it’s at this point that you truly reflect on Book 1 to Book 6 Erin and how much she has grown. She reads people extremely keenly; she can be pragmatic, she knows the difficulty, but that gives her the resolve to do what no one else would do in this world, which is giving people a chance. Firstly, unintentionally realising Free Antinium's goal of creating individuals by treating the Antinium as people. Sure, people respect Klbkch, but that’s different; he’s the exception, not the rule. There’s an energy about Erin that, no matter what review I’m writing, I can’t articulate, as it just comes across as cheesy. Anyhow, I love Redfang Goblin's inclusion in the inn. Erin talked with the gold-rank party and, in particular, with Mrsha. It’s her sort of making amends for the Rag’s situation and how it cannot occur again. She caved into Ryoka's pressure, and I bet Ryoka probably would have been as frustrating to Erin if she saw what happened, and I’m glad that she left.

Olesm's and Pisces's friendship is something that feels only natural. Both are smart individuals, especially Pisces, and slowly seeing him getting acknowledged as the series progresses gives me a sense of joy. In terms of the Rags plotline, it’s as fantastic as ever. She is the ultimate underdog in this cruel world. While she slightly gives herself a massive ego, in some senses it’s definitely deserved, but genius or not, she does make mistakes, which this clearly portrays. The truth that the old Goblin was actually Greydath is something I sort of expected. I did love his interactions at the end with the New Goblin Lord about being a slave. The Goblin Lord here is given a lot of humanity, where I actually feel bad for him in some sense, given the tough position he is placed in. The pillaging of towns and innocents is disgusting, but the ultimate plan of finding a place where they can live in peace is a noble one.

The Yellow Splatter and Liscor chapters in general are always the highlight, and this is no exception. Yellow Splatter got serious tunnel vision after seeing the deaths of his men; he’s not understanding of his men’s perspective and unintentionally taking for granted being an individual. I loved how Erin solved the conflict. Painted soldiers dancing. Numbtongue gets a guitar, and Twin Stripes is healed by Pawn. Then finally Lyon bonded with Krshia. While this happened prior, it’s now set in stone with giving Krishia the royal class.

The 2nd Antinium War is placed a little awkwardly (plus the chronology of the actual set of chapters is a bit weird), but I think it was a good insertion before the climax. It has a much more interesting structure than the 1st War, being a mix of history and personal eyewitness accounts. My favourite aspects were the discussion of the nature of historiography and fascinating commentary to poke holes and fill gaps from logical assertion to eyewitness perspective. It does remind me of popular history in real life, how the very flawed account of an event will be read by the masses even if a more accurate one exists. The balance of history and being engaging. There's just something so wholesome about Erin being invited to participate in bedtime reading for the Antinium.

Lastly, you can’t discuss the book without mentioning Zel. The culmination of a plotline that realistically began in Book 2 and finally concluded here. There’s so much that can be said, but if there’s one thing, Zel’s death was a glorious one. I knew he would die in the book; it felt pretty expected, and especially at the end, Az'kerash's personal Chosen appeared. I do think Zel realistically should have died a little earlier, but regardless, Zel's complete hatred of the Ants and Goblins and actually accepting them sort of at his final moments, giving the Goblin Lord the name Reiss, the name he would have given to a son of his with his lover Sserys. I do wonder what Reiss will do in the future. I do like the respect they gave Zel at the end, leaving his corpse alone.


In conclusion, Book 6 is the culmination of certain plotlines and is executed gloriously (the ending is amazing!). As I’m writing this review, it’s hard to choose between this book or Book 7 in terms of my favourite, but it’s the best of the first 6 novels at the very least.

9/10

[Mille · Rating 5 out of 5]

fucking stupid necromancer

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It seems like every single installment of The Wandering Inn wants to break my heart into tiny pieces and succeeds every time.

The General of Izril mostly follows the general goings-on of Erin/Liscor, with a few detours to return to the group on Rhir for the first time in three books (literally about 4,700 pages); visit with Laken and his rapidly expanding empire of villages as people flee to his protection under threat of goblin attack; tell us more about the Antinium Wars that define the current geopolitics of Izril; and to follow General Zel and Lady Magnolia's attempt to defeat Az'kerash's Goblin Lord.

Judging by the state of the GoodReads reviews, I was not alone in enjoying the Rhir storyline the least out of everything this volume, though it was there for a reason I don't think most readers caught. Mentioned at the end by the [Fool], as the reason he betrayed the Blighted King, was the possible reason why people have been/are being pulled into this world from Earth: in desperation for prophesied [Heroes], the Blighted King preformed a ritual meant to speed up the arrival of [Heroes] by pulling them to...presumably Rhir, and - to his knowledge - the large group of about sixty ended up in the palace would seem to support that (although many were distinctly less heroic than he probably would have wanted; that's what he gets with a spell that grabs a bunch of random people and then expects to turn the tide of a losing war against demons, which he knows about, and semi-sleeping god, which he doesn't). Unfortunately for the population of Rhir and any other random people grabbed by the ritual, the Blighted King is planning to do the ritual again, sinking more life energy into the spell in hopes of a bigger pool of potential [Heroes] that will have little choice but to fight his war. So that leads to this thought: readers know from the various storylines that there are more Earthers not on Rhir than on Rhir, and until now there wasn't even an inkling of explanation as to how and why this was happening. Now, mentioned in passing, is a potential explanation, a possible limit to how many the magic will grab and forcibly transport, and a potential way to stop another wave of abductions fueled by sacrifices.

In more emotional news,

* SKIP IF YOU DO NOT WANT SPOILERS! *

General Zel Shivertail dies in the last chapters of this volume. *resumes crying* Zel has spent the last several books going in and out of the story and I didn't realize just how attached I'd gotten until this. He survives so much in the concerted battlefield assassination attempt by literally all five of Az'kerash's specially made undead 'children' - including one made specifically to combat Zel's skills/tactics and kill him - and Az'kerash himself, though isn't until the last couple pages that it really becomes clear that no, he's not just in serious trouble; he isn't going to make it out. And the last conversation - if you can really call it that, because Zel was actively dying and only semicoherent - between Zel and the Goblin King, where Zel gave him a name, just shattered my heart into a million pieces. Then Goblin King Reiss's defiance of Az'kerash's direct orders - ordering none of the goblins to touch Zel's body, allowing it to be claimed by Lady Magnolia's army and making it much more difficult for the [Necromancer] to raise Zel as one of his specially made 'children' - out of respect and admiration for Zel... *bawls*

In less emotional terms: I bet Magnolia severely regrets putting off dealing with the [Necromancer] now. Not only has she now lost someone she considered an ally and possibly a friend, but a beloved cultural and military hero of the drakes is now dead...on the human half of the continent, fighting a war that should have been the human's problem, with an entirely human army that should have been at his back and wasn't. That is a massive blow to any potential for ceasefire - let alone cooperation and understanding - between the drake and human species, especially as Zel leading this human army was supposed to be the first of many strides toward forging an interspecies peace pact across Izril. Needless to say, those plans are now trashed. Even worse, with the Shield of the Drakes - the person everyone assumed would take up leadership of a coalition army in the event of another major war - now dead, the Grand Queen of the Antinium speaks covertly with the other hives about potential war. It's Magnolia and Zel's worst nightmare. Zel's death tipped the balance of power in ways that will be felt for books to come. (And possibly not just for his military power or cultural significance, either. Zel gave Reiss a name when all Reiss had was his identity as the Goblin Lord, which he got because of Az'kerash, and his status as sort of apprentice, sort of slave to the [Necromancer]. We know from Erin naming Rags that interspecies naming is...emotionally significant. It's not everything, but it might be enough to tip behavior in unpredictable ways at some point in the future.)

* OKAY NO MORE SPOILERS *

All in all, this was an excellent volume. I always look forward to The Wandering Inn and I highly recommend it as an amazing series.

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5
By far the best of the series thus far mostly due to the lack of the annoying Ryoka Griffin.

[Soo · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024/10/17 Notes: 1st Audiobook Re-read

3 Stars Raised to 4 for Audiobook

As usual, narration by Andrea Parsneau was great!

A lot of characters and settings development and a couple of key Innverse events were in this segment. For me, many of the characters that were given center stage in this part were not fleshed out well. They grow to become characters that I enjoy later in the series.

Fav Bits:
- Bird
- Hobs: Pyrite & Inn Gang
- Reynold
- Silvertail
- Bone Steak
- Grumpy Mage

[Julia Sarene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wandering Inn Book 6 by Pirateaba

Going into Book 6, I thought I understood the rhythm of this series: mostly cosy moments, slice-of-life energy, bursts of danger, and the occasional heartbreak. This book shifts that balance. It’s still recognisably The Wandering Inn, but it’s also the darkest and by far the saddest volume so far. The ending hit me in a way I wasn’t ready for, and I had to sit with it afterwards. It’s the kind of book that makes you realize how fragile everyone is in this world, no matter how much comfort the inn brings.

Erin’s growth continues to be one of the strongest threads in the story. Looking back to Book 1 Erin and comparing her to who she is now feels almost unreal. She’s grown up in quiet, subtle ways: she reads people better, she understands the weight of her choices, and she still chooses kindness even when it costs her. Her relationship with the Antinium remains one of my favourite parts. The way she treats them as people isn’t loud or dramatic, but it changes everything. It’s gentle, and hopeful, and hits in a way that sneaks up on you.

Laken and Durene are another highlight for me. I love how his perspective adds something completely different to the series, and their relationship feels steady and warm in a book that’s otherwise full of loss and uncertainty.

And speaking of loss, this is the book where a new POV tested my patience. Now that I’ve come around on Flos, Tom the Clown has become the one I struggled with. I’ve never liked clowns, so it might be entirely my bias, but his chapters were the ones I kept wanting to skim. The end of his storyline finally grabbed me a little, but it took a long time to get there.

On the opposite side of that, Ryoka barely appears here, and I genuinely missed her. I hope she gets more space again later. She’s a complicated character, but I love her for it, and the story feels different without her around.

Pisces also continues to be one of the most rewarding characters to follow. From someone I disliked early on, he’s become a favourite, and watching him slowly earn genuine respect is deeply satisfying.

But the heart of this book, emotionally, thematically, belongs to the goblins. That storyline has always been powerful, but Book 6 takes it even further. The way Pirateaba writes goblins is unlike anything else in the series: they’re fierce, stubborn, flawed, and far more human than the world allows them to be. Rags remains the ultimate underdog, brilliant and reckless and trying desperately to carve out a future for her people. And the Goblin Lord… this book gives him a depth I didn’t expect. It doesn’t excuse the horrors committed, but it shows the crushing pressure he’s under, and the impossible choices he faces. There’s a tragic dignity in the way the goblins fight for a place to exist, even when every part of the world pushes them toward extinction.

Overall, Book 6 is heavy, sad, and full of emotional weight, but it’s also rich, thoughtful, and filled with small moments of kindness that keep it from collapsing into pure darkness. It feels like a turning point. Not just for the plot, but for the characters and the world itself. I didn’t expect this book to hit so hard, but it ended up being one of the most memorable in the series so far.

[GҽɱɱαSM · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7*
The General of Izril, sisè volum de la saga The Wandering Inn, manté, sens dubte, el nivell al que Pirateaba ens té acostumats. Segueix oferint diferents arcs per als personatges protagonistes a les diferents parts d'aquest món de fantasia. Apareixen interessants personatges nous com Tom the Clown i els herois escollits, Erin Solstice, Lyonette, Zel Shivertail, el Necromancer, el Goblin Lord, Rags, entre molts d'altres. Coneixem com continua la història dels goblins d'Esthelm, que tant es van fer estimar, i es continuen desenvolupant trames i progressió RPG. Hi ha també unes batalles molt bones i una sorpresa espatarrant cap al final del volum. Pel que fa la narració, Parsneau continua magnífica amb una pletora de veus que sonen amb veritable emoció.

[R. A. Strich · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC - oh my god that ending!!

Another one joins my ranks of the greatest fictional leaders/generals...

Matrim Cauthon, Whiskeyjack, Adjunct Tavore, Edward Newgate aka Whitebeard, Field Marshal Tamas, Darrow of Lykos, Gin Mazoti - may I introduce to you: Zel Shivertail.

[Ty MaC · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5

perfect amount of Erin

no Ryoka

highest stakes yet. The world is so big and interesting.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I enjoy the series as a whole and love some of the individual characters (and some of the side stories are brilliant). These later books feel sprawling and unfocused, there are so many named characters and plot threads with new ones popping up in every book. It makes things hard to follow and frankly there are characters I really don't care about and when they get 2-3 consecutive chapters center stage it makes it hard to want to pick up the book and continue on... and these books aren't short. (I listened to the this book and it ran 34 hours).
The battle at the end of the book was tiresome. It was inevitable that Zel was going to die, the Goblin Lord had too much plot armor to be defeated (all the time spent describing his three necessary battles guaranteed he was going to live). The death scene was like something out of a comedy the way you kept thinking the Zel was dead but no, he was just kidding, and he'd perk up and monologue some more before falling quiet again. All the back and forth with the armies and the pointless battles and the characters who seemed to be dead multiple times but weren't (I'm looking at you Snapjaw) it just ran really long and was ultimately boring.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Have kleenex handy, this one starts off the trauma. No one does heart wrenching heroics like Pirateaba, and it's going to get worse from here. The war is just getting started.

There are sections I skim through... like the sections of the book that was being read, the reactions 🤣 of each various groups responding to it was worth it.

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This really is a bit if a game changer to the story, but I really am not fond of hook endings.

[Nico Wendland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ich brauche wohl nicht groß darüber reden, wie sehr ich diese Reihe ins Herz geschlossen habe und dieser Band kommt nach dem bisher besten, was wohl der Grund ist, warum er sich eher mit Konsequenzen und der Zukunft beschäftigt. Wir haben immer noch coole Handlungen, aber viele der Geschichten fühlten sich für mich wie Aufbau an. Und zu sehen, wie groß diese Welt bereits ist und wie alles ineinander fließt ist ein unglaubliches Gefühl.

(+)
- Tom ist wieder da und seine Kapitel waren einfach heftig…
- Es wird immer epischer
- Alle Kapitel um Liscor waren der Hammer, weil wir so interessante Figuren zusammenpacken und sich alles verbindet

(-)
- Die Antinium War Kapitel sind echt nicht meines
- Die Goblin Lord Handlung hat eine Weile gebraucht, bis sie mich interessiert hat

Mein Booktube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWsL...
Mein Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nico_fantas...

[Lu · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️
Probably my least favorite book of the series. I just don't care about the Goblin War plot, I found myself skipping whole paragraphs just to get it over with.
The worst part is that it isn't even finished!!! It's gonna take another book before that whole plot is done!
(And the inn parts with the goblins were also kind of boring)

[Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good way to finish my chalange of reading

[Tee · Rating 3 out of 5]

well that was homophobic of the necromancer 💔💔😭

[Fernando · Rating 5 out of 5]

The thick plottens! Big cogs are moving and things are getting spicy!

[Stanislas Sodonon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well... That's finally done.

I'm once again going to praise Andrea Parsneau's absolutely masterful skills at narration, and her astounding breath of voices. She has managed to give each single character their unique timber (and there are a LOT of them) and keeps them alive and individual with a consistency and flair that is downright eery. when Andrea narrates, you can HEAR every emotion, from anger to contempt, to exhaustion, to despair... you hear it all.
I don't believe I've heard anyone come even close to her performances, and I've been listening to audiobooks only for the past 5 years.

Now to the actual tale.

Pirateaba writes well. They have a flow that's easy to sink into. But by all the gods does the tale meander! It's all over the place.

We're slowly losing sight of our original MCs as they keep getting less and less pagetime, in favour of large scale world events. It's good for world building, but bad for character arcs because we end the book at a standstill.

Story-wise thought I leave this book with a better feeling of general progress than the previous one. Things of import have happened, even if our MCs were not involved. The finale is impactful, even if overplayed (as most things Pirateaba writes).

But I'm in book 6 and I'm still interested. That's strong endorsement from me.

[Jason Adams · Rating 3 out of 5]

wandering writing?

as with most of the lit rpg genre, the idea of the story is much better than the actual storytelling. If it were not for the audio book with the fantastic narrating, I would have abandoned this series long ago.

It seems to me that the more books that pirate aba writes, the worse his writing gets. I have found myself skipping pages of overly verbose droning. I read a massive amount of books and rarely write a review unless I am overly impressed or unimpressed.

Very few surprises. Simplistic characters and plot lines. I just can’t recommend this one.

I really want to like this genre, but the writers are just so bad…..

[Suz · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the comments here you will find a conversation in which I call this series the best LitRPG I've read. That stands.

This offering wasn't really the strongest in the series to date, though. I have no clue what the Insane clown was about but its my least favorite character so far and seemed very random.

This had a LOT of war and fighting and conflict in it. It also ends on an ugly hook thats not unexpected just a bit... trite.

But for all the rest of this 35 hour meander through Pirateaba's world I was completely there.

[Chip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Given that this series started as a web novel and each book is 1000+ pages, I am astounded that it continues to have top quality writing. I do wish that more of each book would be focused on the Wandering Inn itself, but, shrug....everything is well written!

[Aubria L. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This installment was intense toward the end I will miss the General, the tie breaker…

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Top to bottom this was an amazing installment.

First, we got to revisit the Clown. I will say again that the episodic stories we sometimes get shows world-class storytelling. I'm not sure that I've read something so jarring yet engaging as the story around the Clown. I can't say more other than praising just how good a job the author does. Even within the world built, the Clown stands out. Within one book, you can have light-hearted to epic adventures, and everything in-between; drama; romance; really just about everything. The Clown's story is one of those that juts out from the regular plot thread and I cannot get enough.

Conspicuously missing from this book, however, is both Torin and Ryoka. While the latter does not bother me much (despite understanding her character and even enjoying much of her story, she remains a difficult character to like despite her intelligence and often times being right because of the way she goes about being right) the former is one who I really hope makes an appearance again. We left Torin in an odd place. I thought that we needed some screen time to develop his story again. If he does not appear in Book 7, at least in my mind, that would be a major error.

Despite not having a couple of major players appear in this book, the rest of the story is nothing short of excellent. This installment focused primarily on the main plot progression. And it is coupled with more information about the history of prior wars.

Let me take a moment to mention the info dumps in this book. Info dumps are something that is hard to avoid in sprawling fantasy novels. When trying to convey thousands upon thousands of years of history, lore, and tradition, it is fairly impossible to do so in an organic way unless the author plans to introduce it the way others in the books do - i.e., live for years upon years in this world. So to me, info dumps are something that has to happen occasionally. The way some information about the past wars and strife in the world was shared in this book was, again, top notch. Rather than have a single character recite the history of the Antinium wars or other, the author sets the stage through multiple different characters of different races in different stations of life reading the unreliable drake narrator who tells the histories. Let that sink in for a moment. The source material is unreliable because it contains conclusions and not-so-subtle analysis that is clearly biased in favor of drakes. Each character who reads sections puts their own spin and tells from their own perspective, pointing out inconsistencies in the source material, areas where the facts are correct but the narrative is misleading, and everything in-between. Perhaps one of the most powerful moments is when we learn about the human nobility, specifically the women, who step in and make sacrifices to hold the line against the goblin king. Each book I see example after example of some of the best storytelling I have seen in any media in modern history. And I don't say that lightly.

This is probably one of the most complete books in this series since book one. Just like its predecessor, this book again ends on a somber tone. And perhaps even more emotionally devastating is the loses sustained. There is a silver lining trying to shine through, and most readers will understand where the plot thread is likely to lead, but it offers that glimmer of hope we need in the aftermath of a pivotal moment to this world.

Another FIVE star book by Pirateaba in what has quickly become one of my favorite series in recent memory. I am aware of my own recency bias. I have gushed about several other series I have read recently (e.g., Dungeon Crawler Carl, Heretical Fishing). My enjoyment of some of these is on a par, if not exceeding, the Wandering Inn. That does not take anything away from how I feel about this series, the world created by Pirateaba, or, most importantly, the characters. This is one of those rare stories where every (I mean EVERY) character we meet feels like a real person. Whether antagonist, protagonist, or somewhere in-between, these characters feel alive even when alien to us. This book reminds me just why I love reading and how transformative an art storytelling can be.

[Nick Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another chapter closed in the Wandering Inn saga. As usual, my thoughts:

The Good:
- Big fan of the Clown/Tom chapters in Rhir. He's a fun character and the balance between chaotic insanity and heroism is well done.
- The quick chapter on Laiken rescuing Lady Valerund was a nice concise story and clever introduction to the empire's expansion.
- Reynold's quick side story and mowing down goblins with a carriage.
- The introduction of Bethal as a character. Melodramatic and quirky with a few emotional pulls recanting the Sacrifice of Roses.
- Enhancing the fortifications and military strategy for the Liscor hive.
- Erin's party was a nice break and return to slice of life in bringing the Liscor characters together.
- Ilvriss and Erin banter / therapy and coping.
- The alliance and relationship built between Zel and Magnolia
- The (conclusion?) of the Antinium Wars history. Clever narrative imparting the fictional author's bias and bouncing between characters reading the book to contextualize the true series of events.
- Zel Shivertail in every scene.
- That final battle was excellent after such a long tease. Clever counters, interesting magical artifacts / skills and Reynolds mowing down more people in the carriage. Seeing Zel in full General and beast mode was a delight.
- No Ryoka. It was a lovely break.

The Bad:
- Rags. Always Rags. She is annoying and whiney and I refuse to root for her. Same with the attack from Bethal - was rooting for her demise.
- The Fool in the Court of Rhir being the mole was obvious and laid on too thick.
- Yellow Splatters POV. It's the same repetitive whining chapters as Toren and Rags with the constant unsubstantiated victim routine.
- The whole ancient Graybeard goblin character has a weird 180 in personality. I know there will be more to unpack, but at present I find his scenes annoying.
- The weird mind reading of a random drake captive (not even a leader) with Osthea and the Goblin Lord where she somehow is brilliant enough to give him tactical insight.

The Meh:
- The Redfang 5 coming to the Wandering Inn was fine but a bit repetitive of the Don't Kill Goblins storyline of old.
- Holding out on the choice to potentially revive Calruz as a character having survived the dungeon. It could be a good story lead despite feeling like a major retcon, but i will withhold judgement until it fleshes out more in future books.
- The final thunder dome of bone battle with Zel and Az'Kerash's Chosen. I feel like Zel taking down one minor Chosen (who we only recently met) is a slap in the face and would have preferred a higher stakes kill like Venitra or Ijvani. The epic fight and last stand of Zel deserved a higher payoff for the good guys. The final slash at Az'Kerash was a nice twist (audibly groaned at the potential for an undead Zel). Not sure on the humanizing of the Goblin Lord angle, but i know that's where the larger series is trying to go with the goblins as a whole / future nationhood. The naming scene and final death reflection was touching and well done.

On to Book 7 (The Rains of Liscor) and what looks to be an exciting and well-reviewed arc for the series. Ready for Magnolia to lose her shit.

[Neil Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Epic that is The Wandering Inn begins this book with a return to Tom the [Clown] . We first/last met him and his group of friends as they first arrived in the world and were quickly dispatched to fend off the demons. Here, Tom is dealing with the aftermath of his mental breakdown during that time and is trying to not scare his group as they return to the Blighted King's Court. Fortunately, Tom makes friends with the [Fool] who gives him a certain insight into the world. However, an invasion occurs whereby demons are teleported into the Castle and Tom ends up facing off against the [Fool] learning that the King has sacrificed thousands of children to bring heroes to his world and is planning to do the same thing again but at a greater cost.

Erin has taken in a group of 5 Goblins after they defended her and a village from evil goats. These goblins are all that remain from The Dirty Dozen that fought at Esthelm a couple of books ago. They were awesome in that book and it's great to see them again.... and now they're Hobs!

Lord of the Wall Ilvris is stuck in a terrible cycle of mourning and drinking until Erin gives him some ale with fairy flower pollen. He dreams of his lost love.

General Zel Shivertail joins Magnolia Reinhart to combat the Goblin Lord and is killed by the Necromancer at the culmination of a terrible battle. Yes, Zel is dead. Hearts are broken across Izril and for readers here too.

The final battle between Shivertail and the Goblin Lord was awesome. Pirate Aba really knows how to write about battles but having lost Brunkr at the end of the previous book and Shivertail at the end of this one I fear what will happen at the end of the next.

The prose flowed well as usual with very few spelling or grammatical errors. Though this book seemed a lot shorter than the previous book.

Although this book didn't quite grab me as much as the previous book (I reread Book #5 prior to starting this one) it was still exciting and left me wondering what will happen next.

I loved it - 4 stars