Tower of Silence

Saga of the Forgotten Warrior #4

by Larry Correia

The assassination of the Chief Judge has pushed the Capitol to the edge. The Great Extermination has spread to all the land. The casteless must be annihilated. Their only hope is the fallen Protector Ashok Vadal.
But Vadal is being held prisoner on the island of Fortress. In order to save those who need him most, he must escape and find his way across the demon-infested sea and return to Thera, the prophet of an illegal and forgotten god. It is she who has sent the Sons of the Black Sword to war against the warrior caste, hoping to buy time until Vadal’s return.
But as the chaos swirls, Grand Inquisitor Omand Vokkan launches a coup to install Lord Protector Devedas as his puppet king. Devedas has no intention of being anyone’s puppet, but it may not matter. For Vokkan has struck a secret bargain with a demon. Vokkan will destroy the casteless for this ancient being; in exchange, he will be granted the power of the ancient gods.

Ashok Vadal, Thera, and the Sons of the Black Sword face foes both human and supernatural, Byzantine political intrigue and bloody hand-to-hand combat, gods and demons alike. But Vadal is a warrior with a warrior’s heart, and woe to those who would stand in his way—man, god, demon, or otherwise! At the publisher's request, this title is sold without DRM (Digital Rights Management).

Genres: Fantasy, Audiobook, Epic Fantasy, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Action

391 pages, Hardcover

First published April 4, 2023

About the author

Larry Correia (born 1977) is the New York Times bestselling author of the Monster Hunter International series, the Grimnoir Chronicles, and the thriller Dead Six.

Reviews

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

This series is ridiculously underrated. Such an amazing fantasy series.

[Brent · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this book is my favorite in the series. There's probably not much I can say without spoilers, but this book takes everything the previous books do well and adds to it. The combat and action are absolutely top tier. I think this volume improved on the character work as well. But what I really loved is how he added to the worldbuilding and magical elements in the story. I can't go in to specifics, but this book does something that I absolutely love in books that mixes and mashes up genres in a way that kind of blew my mind. Also I loved Ashok's journey here even though he is separated from the rest of the main cast for most of the book. It opened up the overall world in a satisfying way.

Bottom line I think everything improved here, and as it goes towards the conclusion this series is moving in all the directions that I wanted. I'm a big fan and this series is wildly under read in the fantasy community.

[THATGUY501 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Correia has done it again! I devoured this book in less than a week! I want more answers! Read this series!

[John Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another phenomenal story in this series!!

[Robert Oberlender · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to re-read the three previous books prior to reading this latest one. Re-reading them was like enjoying appetizers prior to a good meal. And such a fine main course it was!

Ashok is still becoming what he is meant to be. The Lord Inquisitor has his biggest secret revealed. Rada becomes something she never expected to be. A desperate gamble is launched. An old friend comes to to the rescue. Jagdesh is approached by the unexpected.

It was worth waiting for! Larry has done it again.

[Darren McGowan · Rating 4 out of 5]

New life

Besides the first book, I felt this was the best one to date. The whole story took on a new life for me. No longer was Ashok the go to guy chapter after chapter. Storylines greatly expanded, minor characters were brought to the front and even more geography was described. We even get a little taste of the unknown with gods and such. Sorry I finished this so quick, it'll be a long wait till the next installment.

[Henrik · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a page turner, Larry Correia manages to have an epic fantasy series that is fast-paced.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

**** 4.3 STARS ****

Word Count 131,681

Another great addition to this fantastic series.

Some of my predictions from as way back as book 1, as to what's going on behind the scenes, are starting to come to fruition.

I'm very excited to see where we go next!

[Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Probably the best book of the series so far. I don't know where I got the idea that this was the finale, it's not.
Ashok disappeared at the end of the previous book. Thera and the rebels still have a job to do. Meanwhile Ashok has difficulties of his own to deal with.
Many great scenes and character growth, including an awesome swordfight between Ashok and a black blade bearer

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rats. Now I have to wait again. Epic story.

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

5⭐
Avis Lecture 🧐 📖 "Tower of Silence" Larry Correia, The Forgotten Warrior tome 4 🗡️🇮🇳

Gros coup de foudre ❤️ Que dire...? De toute façon je n'ai plus les mots avec cette série 😅
On est, je le rappelle, dans un Post Apo de Fantasy aux inspirations indiennes. Il est dit que dans les temps anciens, les démons ont été vaincus par les dieux et sont tombés sur terre, provoquant l'apocalypse. Les dieux ont envoyé Ramrowam, leur héros pour protéger l'humanité et repousser les démons.
De nos jours, l'Ordre de la Loi maintient l'unité et la justice pour toutes les castes sociales et Les Protecteurs, porteurs d'épées aux pouvoirs fabuleux combattent les démons.
Et si l'Histoire avait été réécrite par les plus forts ? Au delà des conflits humains, les démons sont enfin prêt pour l'invasion finale...

Sans aucun doute, une de mes meilleures lecture de Fantasy de l'année !
J'ai trouvé le rythme de ce tome 4 très bon, plus lent que le tome 3 oui, mais ça reste totalement cohérent vis à vis des événements passés et de ce qui se trame dans l'ombre, attendant d'exploser.
C'est un excellent, superbe, tome de transition et Correia nous montre qu'à la veille d'un final, un tome plus "lent" ne veut pas dire mauvais, bien au contraire !❤️
Entre les complots ourdis depuis des siècles, les nombreuses révélations et les conflits en cours, ce tome reste trépidant ! 😱
Depuis le tome 1 j'ai 10.000 theories sur ce monde, ou au fil des épisodes on découvre un peu plus les vestiges de l'ère ancienne avant la chute des démons...
Alors Fantasy ou Science Fantasy, je vous laisserai le découvrir 😇.
En tout cas, ce tome 4 est un de mes préférés de la série 😍
Vous pouvez retrouver toutes mes chroniques de la série dans mes "guides" et franchement si vous lisez en VO je vous la sur conseille 😱✨. Lutte des classes, manipulation des foules, complots politiques et mythes inspirés de l'inde. Voilà une série dont les thématiques font réfléchir et j'adore ça ! 🤩
Que demander de plus ?

[Brett Remesch · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite chapters of any book I’ve ever read or listened to occurs in this book and it was absolutely terrifying in the best sort of way. I absolutely loved this book and it was very well read, I went on to buy the rest of this series and read them as I loved this whole series. I will go back and read this book again.

[Jason Waltz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Giving this one 4 stars but it's probably 3.5. Lots of cool action and some very heroic deeds from some very cool people. A very glaring silence from a major character however, and a very underwhelming Fortress were downers. Story is really getting cra-cra with all the technological stuff intruding, so the fulfillment of all the hints better be good enough to answer all the promises, winks, and weirdness. Plot was fun, especially the Vadal, Rada, Jagdish side of things. Mother Dawn is something special...that I hope does not fall apart in the end. Largest struggle is that this book overall felt much more relayed then storytold though, like things were sort of rote, checked off a list, information given. Lots revealed here, but books 2 and 3 were the best thus far.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

March 20, 2024
It's been SO long since I read this series that I had to go back and see what my thoughts were....and O.M.G....I'm so EXCITED...so freaking ready to dive right back, in......
(this is where things left off for me..... p.s. I needed the reminders....)

https://www.goodreads.com/review/edit...

And OFF WE GO!!!!!!
_____________________________________________
March 24, 2024

Well, dang it....another cliffhanger.
Now I have to go back to waiting, but boy oh boy was this a fantastic book.

After reading so many books, it really is hard to clarify when a book goes above and beyond, especially if it is the series as a whole that is one of the so very rare. It makes you want to scream it from the mountain tops.....

THIS IS ONE OF THOSE.

By now, during this series, we have followed the main protagonist Ashok Vadal for years as he has struggled to understand his place in life. From HERO to OUTCAST. The things that he was told and believed for most of his life ended up being completely untrue and we have watched him try to deal with the consequences of his actions, and his attempts to try to do the right thing.

During this journey, we have also had the great opportunity to meet an enormous but amazing group of secondary characters who have helped to make this series so rich and so riveting. This book is no different.

Without going into spoilers, let me just say that in this book - Ashok is separated from his group for most of the book. Part of me was VERY sad about this, but there were things that had to happen.

The crazy thing about this series is that there are events happening all over the place - all over the country, and in different groups. We are getting POV's from so many different views as we are following the various schemes and plans that both the good guys AND the bad guys are putting in motion. I will say one thing, this book is full of non-stop action. I think possibly, and just possibly, the beginning might have been the only section that started off a bit slow, but once things got started...OH. MY. GOSH.... Things are getting crazy!

I can't even remember right now if there was a foreword, or afterword where the author told us if the next book is going to be the last. I was so caught up with WHERE things were when the book ended that my brain was still thinking about the ramifications......

So, I guess it is back to waiting. Dang it. I truly hate waiting, but then again, I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Honestly though, if you have not started this series...stop reading this and go find book 1. Do not start in the middle, or at any other book than the first one. You will be going on a grand adventure that will make you cry, break your heart and yet make you so unbelievably proud......

[Scott Appleton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book so far in the series! This author knows how to satisfy the reader with great characters, and good plot resolutions.

[Zach Reads Fantasy · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️║By this fourth book, I know what I’m getting with this series—and I’m still having a great time. The action’s brutal, the pacing doesn’t let up, and Correia knows how to juggle a fractured cast without needlessly dragging things out, losing momentum or letting focus stray. It’s not trying to be deep, but it is trying to be awesome—and mostly succeeds.

Tower of Silence spreads the characters far and wide, with Ashok off on a bit of a side quest while the narrative focus shifts to others. Some arcs hit harder than others—Keta and Rada’s were standouts for me—but the frequent POV changes keep the pace fast and the story wide in scope. Correia continues to weave in themes of resistance and power through things like fortress magic and firearms, but he never lets the tone stray too far from fun, pulpy action-adventure.

The writing is punchy, the duels and battles are great, and one sequence involving a swarm of demonic spider monsters will stick with me for a while. I didn’t fully buy the direction Javed’s arc takes in this book, and Omand is full-on mustache-twirling diabolical villain at this point, but it works for the series’ tone. The book ends strong with multiple threads converging, setting the stage nicely for the finale. Still metal. Still fun.

Saga of the Forgotten Warrior by Larry Correia
Book 1: Son of the Black Sword 4/5
Book 2: House of Assassins 4/5
Book 3: Destroyer of Worlds 4/5
Book 4: Tower of Silence 4/5

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoy this series. There were aspects of the series I didn't like on my first read through that I came to appreciate this time around. Mainly that I would always compare the main character to RoboCop and say he was boring, but now I see he is more like Judge Dredd. It may seem like an arbitrary distinction but I think it actually says a lot. They have similar relationships with the law and both characters perform a similar service to their own versions of the law. One might argue that the character in this series evolves from a RoboCop into Judge Dredd but that's getting a little lost in the weeds. The point being there is more nuance in there then I gave the story credit for the first time around, and it definitely takes time to play out. Ashok is also one of the most stone cold bad ass mother fuckers there is. Hes like the Terminator or Doom Guy, no matter what he's up against he just keeps going. Despite getting his ass absolutely beat time after time, through sheer will and skill he cuts his way through anything and everything. I won't say anymore to avoid spoilers but in summary I like this series more than I did before and I am excited for the next book.

[Per Gunnar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not surprisingly this is another great book in the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series. As usual Larry Correia’s writing is excellent.

This book continues the story of Ashok Vandal in this intricate world of sword wielders, magic, mystery and maybe some science? Ashok Vadal is back in play after escaping. I did not really like him being imprisoned but the story Correia weaved together after his escape, that I really liked.

Not only was it a nice adventure in itself but it really advanced the story in terms of how the world came to be as it is now in the book, the mystery of the black metal and so on and so forth. I quite like the direction the story is taking here.

Of course there is the usual action parts and, again as usual, Correia excels when writing those.

There are, unfortunately, also quite a lot of parts with dialogues involving the conspiracies and machinations which I felt was less enjoyable. Sure, they are excellently written but they were just not my favorite parts. There were times, when reading, that I felt there was too much of this and not enough of Ashok Vandal.

Still, Larry Correia is a excellent author and his books are not really comparable to a lot of the books, the majority really, that I have read. So when I say there was too much of this and not enough of that, it is really me being greedy and saying there was too much four star material and not enough five star material in the book.

So although, for me personally, this book fell half a star short of five stars, mostly for the reason I outlined in the previous paragraphs, which is more due to personal taste really than any fault of the author, I am really looking forward to the next book. I am dying to see where the story goes and really hope that we will get more revelations about the black metal and the ancestors.

[Lucas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book, easily the best of the series so far. So much payoff from everything from the world building, plot, and character development. Even when you think there can't possibly be more it keeps delivering and delivering. All gas from beginning to end but somehow never got fatigued reading it because it changes up perspectives at good times. Really excited to read the last two books.

[Yahya Alshetairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

بنقصها درجة عشان الابطال تفرقوا واللي يعجبوني ماكان الضوء مسلط عليهم الأكثر.

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eagerly awaiting the next installment!

[Sara Potter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series! The last three books are my favorite!

[Toby Neighbors · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another Excellent Adventure

Larry Correia has woven an epic that is on par with the great myths of old. This is storytelling at its best.

[Tom Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been an excellent series, but Tower of Silence is without a doubt the best book in the series thus far. So many things happening, so many secrets revealed. Grabs your attention from cover to cover.

[Felipe Macia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best of the lot so far, hands down. Finally bringing together all the sci-fi elements he's been hinting at for a few books. Very cool to see what goes down.

~~~
Summary for my future reviewing

Ashok wakes in a Fortress dungeon where he's been tortured and in had been in a coma like state for almost a year, thanks to the shard of Angruvadal that's lodged in his heart and keeping him alive. He survives Fortress and heals up with the help of some monks who seem to have a connection and relationship with Mother Dawn (a celestial supreme being that is either an AI construct living in the space facilities above the world, or a type of immortal probabilistic future predictor trying to keep hte demons/aliens at bay).
Ashok buddys up with someone from the collectors guild, who search for treasures in an undersea tunnel that connects Fortress to the mainland. Underneath, there is tons of old Ramnowaran tech, ancient cities, and stuff meant to be of use to future humans to fight the demons. Ashok defeats a guardian and gives Fortress access to the secret Ramnorawan city, asking them to help him fight off the Capitol, and they go discuss it while he goes back to save Thera and the Son of hte Black Sword. He arrives at teh Cove just in time as a black steel bearer and his men are killing everyone. Ashok defeats him and takes the sword as his own, after Mother Dawn appears to him and he calls her out. She tells him all black steel is angruvadal with different names so he takes the sword and rides out to find Thera. As he does, the sword transforms from the curved blade the prior bearer preferred to the classic style Ashok uses (some sort of smart steel/nanotechnology).
We learn Javed, The keeper's right hand man in the Cove, is actually a witchhunter who is reporting evrything back to Omand (head of the inquisition). He starts to have a crisis of conscious as he starts to "believe in something" for hte first time ever. In the end, he sells out Thera and the Sons as they attack teh water aqueduct (after he killed to cove children when turning in to a tiger). He doesn't seem to exactly want to be a bad person anymore, but as his caravan with Thera kidnapped is moving along, Mother Dawn appears to him, let's him know the Keeper is dead, and that he must return and be the new Keeper of Names and lead the Sons against the new threat (which will be the demons/aliens and not so much the Capitol whcih is slaughtering all the casteless). He agrees to take on the mantle, but then Thera's ex husband finds them and takes her back (how it ends).
Thera has an episode from teh Forgotten that all see in the Cove, she says that "without water they will fall" but the meaning is distorting for whoever hears it, as they blow up one of three water aqueducts to the Capitol, the raiders drain the Cove's reservoir to break in, and they consider hte demon implications.
Omand ends up is a master sorceror and can use demon bone to not only blow things up, communicate with his people, but also step in and out of reality (like side stepping the dimension then back in - appearingly what Mother Dawn does too). He's in cahoots with a demon he trapped a long time ago and keeps in the Inquisition Dome in a tank of water where he communicates and learns its secrets and harvests its magic. The Demon had been listening to all his comms (bc theyd been using its bones) and tricks Omand in to unleashing a demon swarm in Vadal countryside. the swarm kills tons of soldiers, but Thera uses the black steel mirror to call a weapons strike from one of hte moons (ends up the moons are actually space installations/ships the ancients used to have a mega space battle with the demons and are now remnants left to ensure the demons dont take over). They send the last massive missile/fire strike that the whole world see and it annihilates 200 sq miles of forest and kills everyone except Thera and those in the black steel's protective bubble.
Jagdish is with her (same guy who had been in prison with Ashok and then took off with him)., and is loved by his men and everyone. Ends up by seemingly accepting a wedding proposal from a interesting woman with big ambitions.
Book ends with Ashok taking off with his new black sword to find Thera and rescue her and with some farmers looking to drink water from their well, only to find its now salt water, even though are way inland. That's bc before hte trapped demon was killed by Omand, it sent a magic message to all its demon ppl that "its time" essentially to attack the mainland and kill everyone since they had convinced Omand to kill all of Ramnorwan's descendents (the casteless) and why Omand was killing eveyone. the trade they made was to give Omand access to some ancient tech that will make him immortal and all powerful.
So next up, Omand is out searching for his new ancient relics, demons are attacking the mainland, Thera is kidnapped, Ashok is even stronger and has a new sword and has Fortress behind him.

[Ad Reuijl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lekker boekie

[Nick Cristea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strongest entry in the series, by far.

[Kyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series

I really do. I don't really even need 17 more words to convey it.

It's a great series. If you're one book 4, congrats, it's maybe the best one.

[Joseph Huston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great series that is getting better

This latest novel in this Saga is probably the best since the first book started it off with a bang. It has a lot of unexpected plotlines and character development. I'm ready for the next one as soon as Larry is ready to publish it!

[Eman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's one of my favorite series.
I couldn't stop reading it the minute I started.