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Spellblade
STEP BACK INTO PENTHARA ...
Spellblade, Book Two follows all new characters in the territories of Az'Dayne and Goldgarden, in a parallel story happening simultaneously to the characters of Kingfall, Book One. Prepare for the actions of one character to greatly affect the fate of another halfway across the realm.
The youngest daughter of Khomo'Jhuvonus, aliased as Scarless, has forgone any duties aligned with her father's brutal machinations in the north. She navigates through her own political complications, having elevated to become the guild queen of the Stormtrees, the Goldgarden city-nation's most notorious crime syndicate.
All the while, Symbelle, a mentally conflicted introvert with a volatile split personality, is inadvertently injected into the Oathemic Cabal. With her unique abilities from being born a hyperi, she is schemed to reunite with her long-lost past to infiltrate the Stormtrees guild as a double agent to eliminate several high-profile targets, including Scarless.
In the southern Az'Dayne Dominadom, the disgraced house of lon'Chandoss, once held in the country's highest esteem as a bloodline of famous spellblades, comes under its own issues arising among its newest generation when the triplet sisters have all just come of age.
Valaythea has managed to captivate the attention of Izayus, the prince of Az'Dayne himself. Adyssaira, born with the potential to become a mage, is having difficulty hiding her plight in a nation that harshly condemns such prodigies. And Odysserae, both mute and near-deaf, estranged and shunned, is not without dark secrets of her own. Finally, Athaniel, the eldest, is an assassin caught amidst a great conflict of interest between protecting his family and aspired legacy, or following his organization's unbending demands.
Lastly, Sundorion, the cosmopolitan elvan explorer seeking out his missing brother at the Chandoss estates has his life put in jeopardy when he begins to dig too deep into what mysteries lie beneath the corrupt house of power.
Spellblade, Book Two follows all new characters in the territories of Az'Dayne and Goldgarden, in a parallel story happening simultaneously to the characters of Kingfall, Book One. Prepare for the actions of one character to greatly affect the fate of another halfway across the realm.
The youngest daughter of Khomo'Jhuvonus, aliased as Scarless, has forgone any duties aligned with her father's brutal machinations in the north. She navigates through her own political complications, having elevated to become the guild queen of the Stormtrees, the Goldgarden city-nation's most notorious crime syndicate.
All the while, Symbelle, a mentally conflicted introvert with a volatile split personality, is inadvertently injected into the Oathemic Cabal. With her unique abilities from being born a hyperi, she is schemed to reunite with her long-lost past to infiltrate the Stormtrees guild as a double agent to eliminate several high-profile targets, including Scarless.
In the southern Az'Dayne Dominadom, the disgraced house of lon'Chandoss, once held in the country's highest esteem as a bloodline of famous spellblades, comes under its own issues arising among its newest generation when the triplet sisters have all just come of age.
Valaythea has managed to captivate the attention of Izayus, the prince of Az'Dayne himself. Adyssaira, born with the potential to become a mage, is having difficulty hiding her plight in a nation that harshly condemns such prodigies. And Odysserae, both mute and near-deaf, estranged and shunned, is not without dark secrets of her own. Finally, Athaniel, the eldest, is an assassin caught amidst a great conflict of interest between protecting his family and aspired legacy, or following his organization's unbending demands.
Lastly, Sundorion, the cosmopolitan elvan explorer seeking out his missing brother at the Chandoss estates has his life put in jeopardy when he begins to dig too deep into what mysteries lie beneath the corrupt house of power.
618 pages, Hardcover
Published May 22, 2022
About the author
Ezekiel Eversand
4 books11 followersEzekiel Eversand was born in Southeast Texas, where he again resides after the global pandemic fatefully brought him back home from his exploits living in Las Vegas where he first published Kingfall. He is happily married to his beautiful wife Stephanie, his biggest supporter and best friend. He has been an avid lover of the fantasy and science fiction genre since he was a child. Telling the saga of the Neverborne Series and sharing the world of Penthara are his greatest passions in life.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 15, 2026
Spellblade is Mr. EE's second entry in his Neverborne series, and it follows a parallel timeline as the first book, just with an entirely new cast of characters and setting, being in the south rather than the north. Like the first book, in my humble opinion, this is another excellent example of epic fantasy at its near* best. Like the first, book, EE wastes no time immersing you in the deep lore of the world, the characters, and the setting, exploring through several POVs to keep things interesting and fresh. This story follows the complicated political maneuvering and criminal underworlding of an assassin guild, a crime guild, a mercenary guild, and an unfortunate family of charming girls that just happens to be tied up in all the worst places at the worst times.
So, how's the book?
PROS:
- DEEP world-building. Much like the first book, you can tell that EE has thought everything through and has spent SO MUCH time planning before ever putting a word to the page. The world is real, alive, immersive, and everything a fellow DM could dream of having their D&D group play through, only to have the players derail everything and miss all the hard work and world building anyway. The local nature of the story helps it not feel overwhelming while still being full of detail, and the connections to moments and characters and references to Kingfall had me going: "AH, I remember that! Awesome!". I can't wait to see how it all ties together in the next entry of the series.
- MORE great characters. The characters are all unique and enticing, leaving someone for everyone to fall in love with (rock on Symbelle and Scarless). As is trademark from EE's first book, there is no real "good" or "bad" side (although there are certainly "bad" people that I am hoping to watch me killed off in the sequels), which leaves tensions high and intrigue deep.
- Speaking of, HIGH tension! The buildup from beginning to end is quite remarkable, and I can only imagine the ludicrous amounts of notes that EE must have scattered around his office to try to keep everything sorted and straight as it unravels in the story. I really enjoyed the more convert-op-esque route this story took, instead of it being about large battles and traditional fantasy fights. Maybe I just have a soft spot for assassins and their shenanigans, but it's done very well here. By the time the ball really gets rolling down the hill, it had me glued to the pages waiting to see what was going to happen next. The story ends with a bang (literally, spoiler warning) that leaves me wanting more (and once again, he pays off his "no plot armor" premise).
- COOL magic! This book delves much more intimately with the magic of the world, exploring the systems and seasons and wisps and hunders and yadda yadda that make the mages magical. It's unique and it's interesting! As the title of the book suggests, there are Spellblades (shocker, I know), and they are just as awesome as they sound. I think all fantasy authors have a strange attraction to including sentient murder weapons in their books, and EE pulls it off wonderfully.
CONS:
- SLOW build up with exposition. Much like the first book, I do think EE gets a little carried away with all of the world building, and the first half of the book is especially slow for it, which can turn away more casual readers that don't want to actively take notes during their expedition. Exposition is a double-edged sword, and while it makes the story feel very immersive and real (PRO), it cuts both ways, and it can actually pull the reader out of the story when it is hammered too hard. Notably, in the second half, when everything was going haywire, it was distracting to suddenly hit a block of exposition (some of which had already been explained before multiple times).
-Rapey. This book follows many female characters, and through them, there is a lot of sexual exploitation and other such instances with them. I know that this is very common for epic and dark fantasy series when it comes to female characters, and quite honestly, it is a turn-off for me. It's yucky to read, and in the grand bookscape of fantasy books, overdone, in my opinion. I feel that there are SO many more interesting ways to have dark and shocking moments than to have it be related to a dick going somewhere it isn't welcome (for example, what happened with Honorah at the end of Kingfall, which was my favorite moment in that book, or what happened between two certain sisters in this book, which was one of my favorite moments, or even what happened at the end of this book with the involvement of fire, which was also one of my favorite moments). I am all for mutilation and torture and psychological torment and manipulation and you name it, as I feel it is both more interesting to read and more creative than just simple: "ooga booga man rapes woman because that's what mean men do".
OTHER:
- Not very action heavy, so if you want to just mindlessly read about some dude running around and killing this with a sword, then this book (and honestly, this entire series) isn't for you. EE expects his readers to think, and the stories he weaves demand it. I love this aspect of the books, but some may not, so this is your warning.
Overall, awesome book, and I will be waiting with eyes wide open and heart beating for the next book in the series! Osh osh, oshah! (oh wait, that was from Kingfall).
So, how's the book?
PROS:
- DEEP world-building. Much like the first book, you can tell that EE has thought everything through and has spent SO MUCH time planning before ever putting a word to the page. The world is real, alive, immersive, and everything a fellow DM could dream of having their D&D group play through, only to have the players derail everything and miss all the hard work and world building anyway. The local nature of the story helps it not feel overwhelming while still being full of detail, and the connections to moments and characters and references to Kingfall had me going: "AH, I remember that! Awesome!". I can't wait to see how it all ties together in the next entry of the series.
- MORE great characters. The characters are all unique and enticing, leaving someone for everyone to fall in love with (rock on Symbelle and Scarless). As is trademark from EE's first book, there is no real "good" or "bad" side (although there are certainly "bad" people that I am hoping to watch me killed off in the sequels), which leaves tensions high and intrigue deep.
- Speaking of, HIGH tension! The buildup from beginning to end is quite remarkable, and I can only imagine the ludicrous amounts of notes that EE must have scattered around his office to try to keep everything sorted and straight as it unravels in the story. I really enjoyed the more convert-op-esque route this story took, instead of it being about large battles and traditional fantasy fights. Maybe I just have a soft spot for assassins and their shenanigans, but it's done very well here. By the time the ball really gets rolling down the hill, it had me glued to the pages waiting to see what was going to happen next. The story ends with a bang (literally, spoiler warning) that leaves me wanting more (and once again, he pays off his "no plot armor" premise).
- COOL magic! This book delves much more intimately with the magic of the world, exploring the systems and seasons and wisps and hunders and yadda yadda that make the mages magical. It's unique and it's interesting! As the title of the book suggests, there are Spellblades (shocker, I know), and they are just as awesome as they sound. I think all fantasy authors have a strange attraction to including sentient murder weapons in their books, and EE pulls it off wonderfully.
CONS:
- SLOW build up with exposition. Much like the first book, I do think EE gets a little carried away with all of the world building, and the first half of the book is especially slow for it, which can turn away more casual readers that don't want to actively take notes during their expedition. Exposition is a double-edged sword, and while it makes the story feel very immersive and real (PRO), it cuts both ways, and it can actually pull the reader out of the story when it is hammered too hard. Notably, in the second half, when everything was going haywire, it was distracting to suddenly hit a block of exposition (some of which had already been explained before multiple times).
-
OTHER:
- Not very action heavy, so if you want to just mindlessly read about some dude running around and killing this with a sword, then this book (and honestly, this entire series) isn't for you. EE expects his readers to think, and the stories he weaves demand it. I love this aspect of the books, but some may not, so this is your warning.
Overall, awesome book, and I will be waiting with eyes wide open and heart beating for the next book in the series! Osh osh, oshah! (oh wait, that was from Kingfall).
October 6, 2022
When I read Mr. Eversand’s first installment of The Neverborne Series, Kingfall, I said “There are fantasy writers; there are Epic Fantasy writers, and then there's the stellar few, like Tolkien and Steven Erikson, who build an entire universe in spectacular detail just to share a side story that has little or nothing whatsoever to do with the main story, but you cannot imagine reading the story and not knowing the side story because of the skill with which it's relayed. Mr. Eversand's spectacular tale is right up there in the stratosphere of extraordinary story telling alongside such masters.”
I hold to this statement. Not only is Spellblade and extraordinary continuation of the series, it surpassed my expectations. No simple sequel, this. Oh No! In fact, it isn’t a sequel at all. Spellblade is a hypnotic new story that immerses the mesmerized reader into new and different realms and races that enchant, transfix, charm and enrage. Like it’s predecessor, Kingfall, the tale comes alive through world-building on an unrivaled scale, including exquisitely details maps to explore, appendices bursting with tantalizing particulars that include games, methods for measurement, a history of powerful organizations, and a system of magic unlike anything previously depicted in the fantasy genre.
When I say you will be swept away by Spellblade, I don’t just mean you will be utterly captivated by each page in this lush, expansive 500+ page journey into intrigue, dichotomy, enigma and magic. What I’m saying is, you will never want to leave. You will lose yourself in the masterfully related narrative; the characters that speak to you, insult you, tantalize and torment you; the landscapes that draw you in and leave you gazing around in awe and wonder; and the subtleties of lore so beguiling you cannot imagine they aren’t absolutely true.
The Neverborne Series is fantasy on a scale you will revel in and revisit again and again and again for a lifetime.
I hold to this statement. Not only is Spellblade and extraordinary continuation of the series, it surpassed my expectations. No simple sequel, this. Oh No! In fact, it isn’t a sequel at all. Spellblade is a hypnotic new story that immerses the mesmerized reader into new and different realms and races that enchant, transfix, charm and enrage. Like it’s predecessor, Kingfall, the tale comes alive through world-building on an unrivaled scale, including exquisitely details maps to explore, appendices bursting with tantalizing particulars that include games, methods for measurement, a history of powerful organizations, and a system of magic unlike anything previously depicted in the fantasy genre.
When I say you will be swept away by Spellblade, I don’t just mean you will be utterly captivated by each page in this lush, expansive 500+ page journey into intrigue, dichotomy, enigma and magic. What I’m saying is, you will never want to leave. You will lose yourself in the masterfully related narrative; the characters that speak to you, insult you, tantalize and torment you; the landscapes that draw you in and leave you gazing around in awe and wonder; and the subtleties of lore so beguiling you cannot imagine they aren’t absolutely true.
The Neverborne Series is fantasy on a scale you will revel in and revisit again and again and again for a lifetime.
April 28, 2026
Spellblade by Ezekiel Eversand
This is the second book in the Neverborne Series. The author states in the introduction that this is not a direct continuation of Kingfall, but rather a parallel story that takes place during the events of the first book. Once again, we start with maps, pronunciations, and character guides. These help give you a better understanding of what you are about to immerse yourself in. For those who enjoy deep lore, the appendix goes even further, covering Human Elemental Descendancies, Elvan Elemental Descendancies, Elvan Impowers, Qindrid and Umbran Impowers, geography, the Pentharam System, powers and organizations, and ending with a word glossary. All of this helps assist the reader in fully understanding the world and its mechanics.
The prologue introduces you to different factions or gangs within the undercity of Goldgarden, and once again Ezekiel Eversand pulls you right back into the world of Penthara. As the chapters progress, he stays true to his stylistic choice of multiple points of view. The story ranges from the Chandoss Estates to the political power struggles within the hierarchy of the gang cartels, creating a layered and complex narrative.
As mentioned earlier, this book runs parallel to the events in Kingfall, focusing on the southern part of Penthara, while Kingfall took place in the north. This gives the story a unique perspective. As a reader, you already have some idea of what is happening in the world, so when characters and clans are mentioned that have spread far and wide, it begins to click more naturally. You come into the story with a solid foundation, while still being introduced to new information. Ezekiel does a great job clarifying questions readers may have had, explaining things in detail without losing momentum.
The stage is set early, and the tone remains consistent throughout the story. Each character in this book is thoroughly explored, from their past to their present, and in some cases even aspects of their future are foretold and followed through in an impressive way. The continuity between chapters once again works extremely well, with each point of view flowing naturally into the next. The ending delivers another strong twist that genuinely gave me chills and was completely unexpected, once again providing a memorable and rewarding conclusion after a long buildup.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars, but am eager to read the third installment when it’s published.
This is the second book in the Neverborne Series. The author states in the introduction that this is not a direct continuation of Kingfall, but rather a parallel story that takes place during the events of the first book. Once again, we start with maps, pronunciations, and character guides. These help give you a better understanding of what you are about to immerse yourself in. For those who enjoy deep lore, the appendix goes even further, covering Human Elemental Descendancies, Elvan Elemental Descendancies, Elvan Impowers, Qindrid and Umbran Impowers, geography, the Pentharam System, powers and organizations, and ending with a word glossary. All of this helps assist the reader in fully understanding the world and its mechanics.
The prologue introduces you to different factions or gangs within the undercity of Goldgarden, and once again Ezekiel Eversand pulls you right back into the world of Penthara. As the chapters progress, he stays true to his stylistic choice of multiple points of view. The story ranges from the Chandoss Estates to the political power struggles within the hierarchy of the gang cartels, creating a layered and complex narrative.
As mentioned earlier, this book runs parallel to the events in Kingfall, focusing on the southern part of Penthara, while Kingfall took place in the north. This gives the story a unique perspective. As a reader, you already have some idea of what is happening in the world, so when characters and clans are mentioned that have spread far and wide, it begins to click more naturally. You come into the story with a solid foundation, while still being introduced to new information. Ezekiel does a great job clarifying questions readers may have had, explaining things in detail without losing momentum.
The stage is set early, and the tone remains consistent throughout the story. Each character in this book is thoroughly explored, from their past to their present, and in some cases even aspects of their future are foretold and followed through in an impressive way. The continuity between chapters once again works extremely well, with each point of view flowing naturally into the next. The ending delivers another strong twist that genuinely gave me chills and was completely unexpected, once again providing a memorable and rewarding conclusion after a long buildup.
I give it 4 out of 5 stars, but am eager to read the third installment when it’s published.
January 9, 2026
This is epic, high fantasy at its best. It truly is. The amount of lore here is astounding and the way Eversand effortlessly weaves it into the story just makes the entire world come to life. Each character is full of life and is fully realized in this truly sprawling fantasy landscape. While this is a book two in the series, it follows a completely different geographic location than book one: Kingfall and happens simultaneously with those events. However, it is a true book two, as several things are mentioned in this book that are revealed in Kingfall. This story moves quickly but it never feels rushed. It is definitely more complex political intrigue than wall to wall action, but the build up continues to grow and grow for later books. This multi-pov book handles itself well, with each character getting moments to shine throughout the story, and I truly enjoyed how you could see each story interconnect with the others. The POV’s cover a wide range of characters, with different motives, different personalities and different perspectives and Eversand handles them all wonderfully, as they never feel repetitive or stepping over one another. And there is not a single character I wanted to skim or move quickly past, and that is truly something impressive given the amount of characters we get to meet. This book is also insanely tragic, and while some moments may have you whoop in excitement, it is definitely a story that leans towards the pain and realism of what this sort of grand scheming would look like. Eversand is not scared to make huge decisions that are shocking, but very fitting, within the story. He effortlessly gives us just enough conclusions to feel satisfied while our Spellblade characters begin their move toward the characters we came to love (and hate) in Kingfall, so the next book will most certainly be epic.
If you are a fan of Game of Thrones and all of its multi character political maneuvering or even Brandon Sanderson’s insanely detailed world building (though this is much darker than Sanderson fare), this is a series I highly recommend. Absolutely full of intrigue, darkness, plot twists, tight and bloody action, and great characters, Spellblade is a wonderful addition the Neverborne series and I’m very excited to check out the next offering.
If you are a fan of Game of Thrones and all of its multi character political maneuvering or even Brandon Sanderson’s insanely detailed world building (though this is much darker than Sanderson fare), this is a series I highly recommend. Absolutely full of intrigue, darkness, plot twists, tight and bloody action, and great characters, Spellblade is a wonderful addition the Neverborne series and I’m very excited to check out the next offering.
April 27, 2026
If you love:
• dark fantasy with complex world-building
• multiple POVs that actually HIT
• political intrigue + crime syndicates
• morally gray characters
• assassins, mages, and hidden identities
• chaos, betrayal, and power plays
THIS BOOK IS PURE FANTASY MADNESS 😮💨🔥
From the VERY beginning, you’re thrown into a world full of power, corruption, and dangerous legacies—and it does NOT hold your hand. But once it clicks?? You’re LOCKED IN.
Scarless??? A literal force. Crime queen, powerful, calculated, and walking that fine line between ruthless and iconic 👑
Symbelle??? Oh this girl stressed me OUT (in the best way). The split personality, the manipulation, the double agent storyline??? UNHINGED energy 🩸
And don’t even get me started on the Chandoss siblings…
Each one carrying their own secrets, trauma, and ambition—it’s messy, dramatic, and so addictive.
The political tension across regions, the hidden agendas, the betrayals… EVERYONE has something to lose and something to hide.
This is not a “light read”—you need to PAY ATTENTION—but the payoff??? So worth it. The layers, the depth, the chaos unfolding piece by piece?? I was eating it UP.
If you love fantasy that’s gritty, character-driven, and full of dark twists with zero mercy… yeah, this one’s for you
• dark fantasy with complex world-building
• multiple POVs that actually HIT
• political intrigue + crime syndicates
• morally gray characters
• assassins, mages, and hidden identities
• chaos, betrayal, and power plays
THIS BOOK IS PURE FANTASY MADNESS 😮💨🔥
From the VERY beginning, you’re thrown into a world full of power, corruption, and dangerous legacies—and it does NOT hold your hand. But once it clicks?? You’re LOCKED IN.
Scarless??? A literal force. Crime queen, powerful, calculated, and walking that fine line between ruthless and iconic 👑
Symbelle??? Oh this girl stressed me OUT (in the best way). The split personality, the manipulation, the double agent storyline??? UNHINGED energy 🩸
And don’t even get me started on the Chandoss siblings…
Each one carrying their own secrets, trauma, and ambition—it’s messy, dramatic, and so addictive.
The political tension across regions, the hidden agendas, the betrayals… EVERYONE has something to lose and something to hide.
This is not a “light read”—you need to PAY ATTENTION—but the payoff??? So worth it. The layers, the depth, the chaos unfolding piece by piece?? I was eating it UP.
If you love fantasy that’s gritty, character-driven, and full of dark twists with zero mercy… yeah, this one’s for you
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews