Review: A Time of Courage by John Gwynne

A Time of Courage by John Gwynne
Orbit

Publication Date: April 7th, 2020

Paperback. 720 pages

About A Time a Courage:

"The demon king Asroth has been freed from his iron prison. Now, alongside his dark bride Fritha, he plans to conquer the whole of the Banished Lands. 

In the shadows of Forn Forest, Riv and the surviving Ben-Elim desperately search for a way to unite those who remain against Asroth's vast army. 

Far in the west, Drem is with the Order of the Bright Star, besieged by a demon horde. Their fragile defenses are on the brink of shattering, but they know that it is better to fight and die than to live without hope. 

And across the Banished Lands, armies are heading south, to settle ancient grudges and decide the fate of humanity."

What a truly phenomenal way to wrap up this trilogy! I've been thoroughly enjoying each installment in the Of Blood and Bone series from John Gwynne over the past few years and the fact that it's over is bittersweet, as it was a perfect conclusion, yet I'm still a little sad that's over. I know that Gwynne is already working on something new, though, so I know I won't have to keep my fingers crossed for too long for more fantasy from him!

A Time of Courage is the final, momentous occasion: Asroth has been released and everyone is readying to prepare for the ultimate battle of good vs. evil. As with A Time of Blood, I'm trying to refrain from mentioning any specific, characters, places, or plot so as to avoid spoilers for the previous two books as well as this one, so the only two characters I'll mention by name are Drem and Riv since they are both mentioned in the synopsis at the top.

Drem is easily one of my favorite fantasy characters and POVs to follow. He has some of the best development over the arc of this trilogy, starting out as a boy with limited knowledge of the world and the evils that exist and turning into a strong leader, fighter, and character with great respect for those around him (and who deserve it, of course). It's truly been a pleasure watching him grow, and his actions in this book were just as exciting and well-written as in the previous ones. The other character I'll mention is Riv, a fiery half-breed warrior who has had to jump through a lot of different hoops during her time training and eventually fighting in battles. Riv has also been fascinating to follow and she has easily gone through some of the most dramatic changes and experiences in these books, which helped to make her such an interesting character.

In addition to Drem and Riv, there are three additional POVs that we follow that I enjoyed just about as much as I enjoyed Drem and Riv's. There are a lot of great things about Gwynne's writing, but one of his strengths is in developing really well-rounded and interesting characters that you cant help but become invested in. Even the characters on the 'villain' side tend to have complex motivations that make them captivating characters to follow and learn more about.

Another element of Gwynne's writing that has impressed me since the start are his battle scenes. I've said in many other reviews that I don't tend to enjoy battle and fight scenes all that much because they are usually difficult to follow and, well, I tend to get to bored and just want to know who gets hurt and/or dies so that I can move on to the next scene. This has never been the case in any of Gwynne's books that I've read and it pleases me so much to get such satisfaction and enjoyment out of his battles. I'm not sure if it's just because of how much research he does or simply his passion for writing these and real-life interest, but the way he writes battle scenes are clear, compelling, and genuinely keep me at the edge of my seat following along with the action.

In a time of fantasy where grimdark is gaining in popularity (and look, I love some good grimdark!) it was refreshing to dive into a world that felt epic, classic, and optimistic despite the tragedy that befalls the characters. There's something so warm and welcoming about this trilogy--it's not that it's some light story or anything because it certainly gets extremely dark, but rather that there's something so classic about this that just reminds me why I love epic fantasy so much. It's authentic and full of big characters and big themes, an epic world with a strong magic system, and plenty of magical beasts and creatures, all of which combine to create a book that feels timeless, both  classic and inventive, all rolled into one.

Overall, I've given A Time of Courage five stars!

*I received a copy of A Time of Courage courtesy of Orbit in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

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Review: A Time of Blood by John Gwynne

A Time of Blood (Of Blood and Bone #2)
by John Gwynne 
Orbit

Publication: April 16th, 2019

Paperback. 512 pages.

About A Time of Blood:

"Defy the darkness. Defend the light. 

Drem and his friends flee the battle at Starstone Lake to warn the Order of the Bright Star. They’ve witnessed horrors they’ll never forget, such as magic warping men into beasts. But worst of all, they’ve seen a demon rise from the dead – making it even more powerful. Now Fritha, the demons’ high priestess, is hunting Drem’s party. 

Concealed in Forn Forest, Riv struggles to understand her half-breed heritage. She represents the warrior angels’ biggest secret, one which could break their society. And when she’s found by the Ben-Elim’s high captain, he swoops in for the kill. 

As demonic forces multiply, they send a mighty war-host to overthrow the angel’s stronghold. This could decimate the fractured Ben-Elim. And their allies in the Order may be too overwhelmed to send aid – with Fritha and her monstrous beasts closing in. Like heroes of old, Drem and the Bright Star’s warriors must battle to save their land. But can the light triumph when the dark is rising?"

A Time of Blood is truly a phenomenal followup to A Time of Dread that only makes this world and storyline more exciting. In much the same way as when I read A Time of Dread, I can't quite put my finger on what it is that makes the Of Blood and Bone books so compelling and stand out so much. Of course I'm aware that the characters are wonderfully crafted and multidimensional, the world-building is effortless yet fully developed, and the plot itself is compelling, but there's still just something special about the way Gwynne writes these things that makes it impossible to put this book down. I read it in just two and a half days because I couldn't manage to stop turning the pages, and for a book of this size, that's pretty good for me.

The story picks up pretty much right where A Time of Dread ended so there's no real struggle with getting reacquainted or determining where things are located. My memory was a little fuzzy on the minor details after the intense end of the first book (although there were certain things I absolutely could not forget), but within the first few pages everything came back to me and I was right back in the world, fully invested in the characters and the conflicts. The world-building also came right back, and I liked that a lot of the settings continued to be explored in this book as well.

When I was getting ready to discuss the characters, it occurred to me that by mentioning or not mentioning characters I could easily give away some spoilers for the first book, so for that reason I think I am going to refrain from being too detailed when it comes to the characters. I will, however, remark upon how much I love Drem and how much I have truly enjoyed watching him grow over these two books. I actually think one of my favorite parts of A Time of Blood is the character development. I love the honor and respect that so many of these characters hold and value, as they really give this story a grounding and very classic feel that I don't see a lot in fantasy lately. The fact that many of these characters and groups of people are not strictly "good" or "bad" is also something that I really appreciated, as I particularly like when characters have a bit more of some grey elements to them. It's not that most of the characters are morally grey, but there's a lot to each person and/or group, such as the Ben-Elim, that really adds some depth and adds a layer of authenticity. Additionally, fantasy that focuses on battles or has a lot of battle/fighting elements can sometimes lack when it comes to the development of characters and their personal stakes, feelings, thoughts, etc. Not so with Gwynne--he dives deep into the minds of his characters and leaves every thought available to the reader. It's nice to read about the struggles of the characters and understand how human and real they are.

The pacing is also remarkably steady, with an even balance of fast-paced fighting scenarios and steadier scenes focusing on characters and plot developments. I believe I mentioned in my review for A Time of Dread how well-written Gwynne's action scenes are, and that hasn't changed a bit in this book. I tire easily of action and battle scenes in books--often times they are drawn out, uninteresting, and I end up either skimming them or wishing I were skimming them. That, however, is not the case with this book! I hardly even realize I'm so engrossed in an action scene until I pull myself out of the story and realize how lost I was in it. The creepy creatures and monsters from the first book are bigger and even worse this time around and added an intense level of darkness and inventiveness to this book.

Overall, I've given A Time of Blood 4.5 stars! If you love a good fantasy with epic stakes and compelling characters, the Of Blood and Bone series is for you. 

*I received a copy of A Time of Blood in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

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