Review: The Warrior Prophet (The Prince of Nothing 2)

The Warrior Prophet (The Prince of Nothing 2)

by R. Scott Bakker

Reviewed by JMD Reid

The Warrior Prophet picks up where the Darkness that Comes Before ended. Bakker expands on the world of his story as the Holy War marches south towards Fanim lands with Cnaiür urs Skiötha advising the Great Lords on how to prosecute the war. And with Cnaiür marches Kellhus, the Prince of Nothing, a man on a mission to kill his father. To accomplish that he must seize the Holy War as his instrument, defeat the Fanim, and wipe out the Cisharuim whom Kellhus deduces his father must be a member of.

With Kellhus travels Achamian who falls into his favorite role as teacher. Still reeling from discovering the Consult’s skinspies, abominations who can take a person’s appearance and pose as them, Achamian is unsure what to do about Kellhus. He is the harbinger of the Second Apocalypse. The world is at stake and yet Achamian cannot bring himself to tell his fellow Mandate wizards. He knows they would seize Kellhus.

And Achamian, like almost all who meet Kellhus, has grown fond of him. He cannot betray his genius pupil. He has been seduced into believing exactly what Kellhus wants. For Kellhus is Dunyain, bred to an intellect beyond normal men. To him, emotions are merely the yoke he enslaves those around him.

To possess the Holy War, Kellhus must become a prophet. Through lies, truths, and manipulation, Kellhus sets about manufacturing the circumstances of his new role. But the powerful take note from the Consult to Conphas, and intrigue and danger swirls about Kellhus and his companions.

The Warrior Prophet continues the level of intrigue, politics, complex characters, and philosophy of the first book, adding to it the brutalities of war. The Holy War is holy in name only as its fighters commit atrocities on their long-hated enemies. Bakker captures the full swath of human nature, the good, the bad, and the ugly, exposing it with an unflinching eye.

You can buy The Warrior Prophet from Amazon!

Review: The Traitor’s Fate

The Traitor’s Fate (A Queen of Thieves Novel)

by Andy Peloquin

Reviewed by JMD Reid

A decade has passed since Illanna became head of the Night Guild and their war with the Bloody Hand, a rival gang from the city of Voramis, approaches its end. She wants to stop them smuggling drugs and prostitutes into her city once and for all.

When she gets a lead on the agent behind their current plots, she decides to travel to Voramis with her most trusted agents. She’s walking right into the Bloody Hand’s territory. If she’s not careful, she could bring down the entire Night’s Guild.

The Traitor’s Fate is a bridge between Andy Peloquin’s two book series an epilogue to one and a prologue to the other. If you’ve read any of his Hunter of Voramis series, then you will recognize where this story ends, leading right to the start of that story (soon to be republished under a new title). It also adds as a nice resolution to Illanna’s story, showing how she, her lover, and her son are doing a decade into her rule of the Night Guild.

This story was a delight to read, stepping one last time into Peloquin’s world, adventuring with Illanna once more before handing off the story baton to his other protagonist and the bittersweet knowledge of where that story is heading.

Fans of Peloquin will love this series, and if you enjoy Grimdark Fantasy then you need to take a look at his catalog. The Night Guild Trilogy and his upcoming series about the Hunter of Voramis are indie treats worth reading!

You can buy Queen of the Night Guild form Amazon!

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Review: Queen of the Night Guild

Queen of the Night Guild (Queen of Thieves 3)

by Andy Peloquin

Reviewed by JMD Reid

Fire has stolen everything Illanna has left to live for. The thief of the Night Guild, a brutal criminal organization, thought her freedom was at hand only to have the hungry flames destroy everything. Now all she wants is revenge.

She wants to find who in the Night Guild betrayed her to their rivals, the Bloody Hand. She will do anything to stop them, even if it means saving what she hates. Illanna has been driven to her limits. A woman with nothing to lose is a very dangerous thing.

Peloquin brings to a close his trilogy with an explosion. The pace never lets up from beginning to end as Illanna reels from one catastrophe to another as she struggles to piece together what is going on, trying to save what friends remain to her, and to get revenge upon those who have destroyed what she cares most for. The brutal world Peloquin created does not let up here in this final stage.

If you’re a fan of fantasy with great world building and mature themes, then you need to read Pelonquin’s writing. He delves into the dark reaches of the human soul to illuminate what glitter can be found shrouded by shadows of greed, depravity, and despair.

If you read the first books in this series, then you will not be disappointed by the ending. And if you haven’t read Pelonquin’s books, then you need to delve into this amazing Indie fantasy author!

You can buy Queen of the Night Guild form Amazon!

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