As always this review can also be found on my blog The Tattooed Book Geek: https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress...

A Demon in Silver takes place around 100 years after an event known as The Fall occurred when the gods broke the heartstone and overnight all magic was removed from the world. That is until the magic returns and an innocuous farm girl by the name of Livia Harrow starts to show magical abilities.

The story in A Demon in Silver is told from multiple points of view. You have Josten Cade, an ex-soldier and now mercenary who often finds himself shit outta luck. Silver, an amnesiac who remembers nothing about herself but suffers horrifying nightmares with images of a war-torn landscape and visceral fighting and Livia Harrow, a farm girl who is happy with her lot but unknown to her is harbouring magic not seen in 100 years.

At first, the PoV characters and their respective stories all seem rather separate and you will find yourself wondering how the seemingly random trio of characters will have anything to do with each other. The story mainly revolves around Livia and the magic that she possesses and that everyone wants. She is dragged here and there by those who wish to harness the magic for themselves but it is only when Ford introduces Kaleb, a new fourth PoV character later in the book that all the characters actually converge in the same place. It is his addition to the story that acts as the catalyst and really shows what fate awaits Livia.

By the end of A Demon in Silver Ford has brought all his characters deftly together building throughout the book to what is an epic climax that closes of A Demon in Silver, hints at what is next to come and leaves things open for a bigger and bloodier sequel.

A Demon in Silver is itself fast-paced but Ford still manages to take his time in introducing the four PoV characters. This works well allowing the reader the opportunity to become separately acquainted with each of the characters, their personalities and their stories which often take place over a span of years as we get to witness events that have an impact on them and help to shape who they are by the time that A Demon in Silver takes place.

There’s plenty of in-depth characterisation at play in A Demon in Silver with the PoV, main and many secondary characters all being given the chance to develop. I d all of the PoV characters and found them to be interesting, individual and able to hold your attention. I’m hard picked to choose a favourite from amongst them. I d Josten Cade and really enjoyed the banter between him and his sidekick Mullen Bull. I found myself intrigued by Silver and the mystery surrounding her. The story of Kaleb is fascinating and Livia is full of moxie and gumption with regards to the hand that she has been dealt. Taking the circumstances that she finds herself in on the chin and she also has a profound effect on both Josten and Kaleb helping to show different facets to both their personalities.

There is something effortless in reading Ford’s writing that transports you into his story and leaves you craving more. A Demon in Silver is brimming with grim goodness, will whet the appetite of any fantasy fan and includes action, gore, humour, foul language, shades of grey characters (all the good stuff) and his world includes a variety of different nations, religions and old gods.

I do love some high-quality world-building in a book, particularly in the fantasy genre. I’m the type of reader who s to get a feel for the world that the author has created, that the characters inhabit, its history and immerse myself in it and in that respect, A Demon in Silver doesn’t disappoint, not at all. World-building is at the forefront in A Demon in Silver and Ford has created a book chock full of fascinating history (excerpts of lore strewn throughout add to this) with a world that feels vast, rich in detail and lived in.

You can tell that A Demon in Silver is the first book in the trilogy, acting as the introduction to the characters, the setting and the story as Ford sets up the players and pieces sublimely heightening the anticipation and paving the way for the next book.

A Demon in Silver is an impressive start to the War of the Archons by Ford. Dark but not overly dark, it is very accessible giving you everything that you could possibly want in the first book of a trilogy, it is a thrilling ride and I loved it all.

I was a big fan of Ford’s previous work, the Steelhaven trilogy, he is a talented author and I am pleased to see him return with a stellar new fantasy outing in A Demon in Silver, I hope it does well as I feel it deserves to be a hit.

If you are looking for a fast-paced, bloody and brilliant read then this is the book for you.25 s Mark492 85

An excellent start to a new series, I enjoyed Richard’s last series the Herald of the Storm which I think a lot of people missed due to a lot high quality fantasy coming out in the same year.

Richard does great characters who do evolve as the story goes along.

This has a nice premise and does use the grimdark side of storytelling in a strong no holds bar way.

Looking forward to reading the rest of the series to see where Richard will take this storytelling.21 s Mike (the Paladin)3,147 1,907

I couldn't decide whether to put this on my "Epic Fantasy" shelf or not. I finally did as the story is "epic" in scope.

I have been a member at Audible for some time now. I discovered in college that I'm what is known as an audio learner. That is I retain things I've heard very well. If my profs would cover the material in a lecture and I took notes I seldom had to even go over the notes again. So I read well visually and also audibly. AND as it turns out I really enjoy audio books. I found that out when my late wife became so ill she couldn't read anymore and I began to search out "Books on Tape" for her. Once I got them from the library I usually took them to work when she'd finished them and listened in my vehicle. Thus I became hooked.

Once I got involved in Audible I found I was not only using all my credits but was buying extra credits...that was when I had the "Gold" membership...so I upgraded to the "Platinum" membership. I use all those credits, plus more also. And now, great news, Audible upgraded me (and others) to Platinum plus which includes A LOT of free books.

This was a free book. I don't know how long I'd have gone before I picked it up, but I must thank whoever put this on the Platinum+ list. This is a great read. My only complaint is that now that I have finished the second book also I have to wait until Jan. for the third book.

Here we have a story that takes place in (at least) 2 worlds. The cosmology of the book is a bit muddy but not objectionable. I can recommend this for plot, characters, and simply good story telling. I stumbled on it when I'd been in a reading desert so to speak. Nothing had drawn me in for a while.

If you an well plotted, action packed story of epic scope, I recommend this one.

Enjoy. action epic-fantasy fantasy19 s Luke ScullAuthor 12 books869

I'm a big fan of R. S. Ford's Steelhaven trilogy, which is something of an undiscovered gem lost in the recent glut of grimdark fantasy. It was therefore with some eagerness that I cracked open the pages of this, his latest - a recent twist on grimdark I've recently seen referred to as "highdark," where elements of high fantasy (powerful magic, supernatural beings) combine with the usual tropes of grimdark fantasy (world-weary heroes, moral ambiguity). It's an interesting new direction - but, in the case of "A Demon in Silver," achieves only mixed results.

The overarching plot deals with the return of ancient immortals (archons) to the world. This was an idea rich with potential - and indeed early on, when the titular character hurtles to earth burned beyond recognition and is subsequently discovered by a widower and his two sons, the story promises much. Unfortunately, it then goes off in an odd direction, including a time jump just after the half way point where several chapters are spent on an entirely new character. (Well, technically it's the backstory of a character who's already been introduced, albeit in the vaguest of terms.)

Structurally the novel is very strange and feels as though it was written without a clear idea of what was supposed to happen. None of the many characters gets enough development, and several times it felt the high fantasy elements were used as an excuse to push the story forward in not very convincing ways. The ingredients are all here for something truly excellent - but it feels it was then slapped in the microwave rather than being left to cook.

Which is a shame, as R. S. Ford writes action scenes very well, and his characters - even the immortals - possess a humanity that makes them appealing. Josten and Kaleb (eventually) both hold much promise but simply don't get enough development to make their decisions feel convincing. Despite this, the action-driven nature of the book does make it a quick and easy read and there's satisfaction to be had in the promise of the world-building and some of the gallows humour (though certain of the similes could really have been cut - "his mouth tasted the inside of a tart's chamber pot" was probably the worst offender!).

A stripped-back, more focused story with Silver as the sole central protagonist could have resulted in a much smoother read. As it stands, this novel is an interesting experiment that doesn't quite do anything well enough to be wholly successful, but nonetheless shines in parts.14 s Liis604 124

A Demon in Silver is 459 paperback pages of absolute fantasy goodness! Off to a really strong and exciting start, from ‘Oooh, this is hilarious’ and ‘Aaah, you bleedin’ bastard’ to ‘Noooo, this made me sad!’ A Demon in Silver took me on a wild ride.

Small human lives, in the mix of the old gods coming, and, again, that religious fanatic element that I always enjoy in a book. A 100 years have passed since magic disappeared- but why did it disappear and what happen and who was behind it? I tell you not, and instead leave the discovery of this fantastic world, with its history and present, for you to discover.

The story itself is one that holds within its history and present many changes, twists and turns whilst keeping that steady course towards an ominous culmination. A story, riding on top of the existence of a great and varied cast of characters who all, good or bad, stand tall within their own rights. And before the satisfying conclusion of this first instalment in the new series, there will be loyalty and cheating, death and second chances, perilous journeys and questionable companions aplenty. My favorite- laughs, cursing and emotional turmoil were also present!

I feel this book has so much to it… I mean, it gave me SO much and without being a behemoth tome of gazillion pages. It’s 450-something pages and yet my experience with it left me sated in every possible sense. Every word, every scene, every setting was timely delivered through a prism of expertly chosen words and balanced out need-to-know whilst not discounting the all-important historical glimpse of events that took place a 100 or so years preceding the plot. Simply seamless! With clashes (deadly and otherwise) in between mercenaries, tallymen, a farm girl, a sword of the religious cult and a woman who is more than just a woman sounds ominous and busy, Ford’s crafty writing skill put it all into an order and presentation that never allowed my eyes to glaze over! Plus, let’s admit it, this eclectic mix of characters just made it go-boom, the possibilities, yo?! – in your head. Well, I hope it did anyway, you do not want to miss this fantasy title!

As is clear by my singing praises by now, I was completely engrossed, enjoying all of these characters for who they are and what they’re put through. Some met their deaths undeservedly, some quite deservedly…

Josten and Mullen, the mercenaries- definitely my favorite characters! These two won me over on page 2 and even though their shenanigans often gave me a near cardiac (due to laughter or fright) on pretty much every page, I don’t think I have ever taken a liking to 2 characters that quickly before. Now that I think of it- all of the characters introduced throughout the book had a big impact on me very, very quickly. I don’t know how Ford did it… magic? Mmmh… Or maybe the dialogue and expertly delivered scenes which allowed their personalities to shine from the get-go.

Livia, the farm girl in question, is a bright, level-headed young woman. Having never been further than the farmland boundaries she lives on, Livia abruptly finds herself in a very grim situation, a situation which she does not quite understand herself and as time passes she comes to know her strength… Livia is the loose constant, who left me wondering of her role in the big picture of things and as she found herself constantly facing the potentially last moment of her life, I was compelled by her purpose… But anyway, I found her storyline and development really strong in the sense that she really goes through a helluva lot and the way she deals with situations is nothing shy of admirable!

Silver, a mysterious character who appears to have fallen from the skies. A woman with unnatural physical strength, skills and power who is not to be messed with, yet who nevertheless demonstrates a heart full of love and kindness as slowly but surely her background is revealed. She, also, will be no stranger to new beginnings and difficult losses as she discovers herself and her own purpose in this story.

Kaleb! Blimey, this fella put me through some emotional paces! I do not wish to reveal his exact role in the book, but it is one of certain prominence and honour. I d him, I didn’t him, then I hated him and then I d him again! With a conclusive overview of Kaleb’s life, it was very easy for me to understand him, and all the easier to dis him for his decisions but what mattered to me is that he stood in his own right and I respect a character strong of will and skill. Kaleb is the kind of calm that you fear!

As all of the above-mentioned character and a handful of others come face to face, losses are counted and new alliances formed. It seems Livia is in the very centre of everyone’s attention. Some characters want her as a means to an end, some come to care for her in a way that demands loyalty. But Livia’s fate seems to be written in stone, so the question is can any man stop from happening what has already been set in motion?

The brutal and raw beauty of A Demon in Silver lies in many things…

The element of surprise! You really just don’t know what the next page is going to deliver! An unexpected change in direction, an unexpected alliance, death or loyalty made me change my perspectives and as many as there were chapters, I found myself teetering on the edge of madness- where was this all going to go? And who the feck can I actually trust? I was on the edge of my seat throughout and I LOVE when books do this to me- get me excited, exasperated, angry and anxious! Not to mention slightly horrified… there was a scene or two which made my hair stand but a lunatic, I welcomed it, because this is the kind of fantasy I can get behind!

The consistency! Every one and every thing about this book is a carefully considered, necessary element, expertly transferred from Ford’s imaginative brain to paper for your very reading pleasure! The steady pace and progress of the story, the character development, the opening up of a new world in this new series- I seriously cannot wait for the next book!

The overall package! Characters, the plot, the background of the old gods, the Brotherhood. The clashing of loyalty and betrayal, the blood spilt in the name of gods, women and honour… This is the epitome of fantasy! Peppered with wit and cursing, kindness and common sense as shown through the characters, it was truly marvellous for me to discover this new beginning and the absolute potential of more to come… I sure as hell am going to check out Ford’s other titles while I (im)patiently wait for the next book in War of the Archon’s series because man, I have been living under a rock and Ford is a new discovery of a gem to me!ancient-gods fantasy favorites ...more9 s Liviu2,323 654

Excellent stuff - dark fantasy with an ironical bordering o0n cynical take and reminding me of Kj parker's awesome books where the main characters, not heroes or heroines as they are at best ambivalent, try against the odds, but rather than in the usual fantasy winning, they more often than not fail...

If there is one niggle for this book and its sequel which I just started, is the character transition as here it sometimes feels too abrupt, making the book read a collection of linked vignettes or if you want short stories set in the same milieu, than a novel

Overall though, excellent stuff you your fantasy dark, grimy and without heroes or heroines to magically save the day2018_releases_read genre-fantasy read_2019 ...more9 s Soo2,739 333

Notes:

Currently on Audible Plus

Great narration by Derek Perkins

The Good: Okay plot, mix of cool & cheesy characters, dash of sarcastic humor, and link of active sequences.

The Fugly: Uneven pacing, awkward switch of POV's between multiple characters, and cringe worthy sex scenes. audiobook9 s Doc Opp457 205

I don't blame the author for this travesty of a book. The author can clearly write - the book contains many well written, witty, and immersive scenes. The author is very creative at times, with lots of interesting world building. The author puts a lot of thought into character backstory and development, which leads to very memorable characters. No, I blame the editor for this. I think this might have been a decent book if the editor had been paying attention.

Some of the problems:

1) The book is sloppy. There are tons of minor inconsistencies. E.g. A woman loses her shoes during a forced march, so that her feet are bleeding as they are cut on the rough stones, but 10 pages later her shoes are too tight on her feet. This sort of inconsistency happens several times a chapter. Not for important plot points. Rather, it is as though the author describes scenes and then forgets some of the details that were put there, and contradicts things later. It's the sort of thing a decent editor catches and corrects.

2) The author spends more than 50 pages setting up backstory for each of the main characters, none of which is drawn on later as having any relevance to the actual plot or character actions in the book. The character backstories were actually my favorite part of the book - I enjoyed the first 200 pages quite a bit. But the rest of the book is so unrelated to anything that happens early on, it almost reads a different book. A good editor would have pushed for macro level consistency. If I had a nickel for every plotline that is raised but never goes anywhere (e.g. an antagonist who says "I'll remember you, and this isn't the last you've seen of me" but then never appears again in the book), I'd be able to buy a new book...

3) The ending was a disaster. In the acknowledgements section of the book, Ford thanks his editor for allowing him to rewrite the entire last third of the book only 6 months before the book was scheduled to hit shelves. That basically explains everything you need to know about the last third of this book. It's hard to imagine that the editor did Ford a favor; the ending could not possibly have been worse than this one. It is poorly written, repetitive, poorly paced, full of plot holes, and entirely unsatisfying. If I hadn't been 400 pages in already, I would have just put the book down, but I wanted to know what would happen. What happens is not worth reading about. It entirely lacks the charm and cleverness of the first 2/3rds. A good editor wouldn't have let an author try and make huge structural changes on a tight timeline, and if the author had been unable to do the book justice, would have pushed back the timeline.

The book had a lot of promise, but in the end, it's not worth reading. For folks who aren't convinced and want to read it anyway - and the first half or so is actually enjoyable, so there are worse books to ignore my advice on - a word of warning: this book has gritty realism at its most gritty. Graphic scenes of torture, battle mutilation, sex, violence, etc. So, not for the squeamish, and this is particularly true in the latter half of the book.8 s The Captain1,138 446

Ahoy there mateys! This book leads me to a rather embarrassing situation. Ye see I thought I had reviewed this book. When I realized I didn’t and went to write thoughts for this unintended stowaway, I realized that I didn’t remember the story at all. And yet the emotions still tied to this book were that I couldn’t put it down when readin’ and I loved it. I know that I planned giving this a 4.5 rating. Sigh. This is why I write this Log. To refresh me memories and to capture the thoughts after finishing it. I am telling ye that this is no reflection on the author or this work. It is a poor reflection of what me memory can be . I am soooo so sorry for this sad, sad review that does not do this book justice at all. I find meself disgraceful. I should make meself walk the plank. I did have a ton of fun rereadin’ the crews exceptionally well-written on this one and bringing back all of the forgotten details. So to author, R.S. Ford – yer book deserved so much better than me shoddy review. I be a sorry wretch who ain’t fit to read yer sequel. But I really want to.

Side note: check out those excellent from crew members, Drew @ thetattooedbookgeek and Liz @ covertocover.fantasy8 s RG3,090

This is just what I wanted. Good world building, fun evil but good characters ( very ambivalent). The action was perfect and the level of magic was just enough. This isnt a game changer by any means in the fantasy world, however being a massive fantasy reader this just hits all the old school sweet spots6 s Danielle656 45

Unfortunately, I think A Demon in Silver just wasn't my sort of book. It reads very much the old high fantasy I used to love, along the lines of Feist and Goodkind and Jordan. Unfortunately though I think I have evolved from the plot heavy, violence rich novel I used to enjoy.

Now I'm into character driven books, where people grow and change and learn things. Yeah, it means I a lot more YA, but I think a lot of adults have something to learn from YA. We aren't stagnant, stationary people who will now exist in our current form for the rest of our lives. No, we grow and change just teens do, though maybe at a slower rate, and maybe being less inclined to seek help or even acknowledge that we need it.

So that turned into a weird bit of a tirade; but what I'm getting at is that plot heavy books just don't cut it for me anymore, and that is exactly what A Demon in Silver is. It has an interesting enough plot, and the characters are okay, but I just wasn't drawn in - it didn't have the depth I have come to love. But hey, many people love that sort of thing!

Recommend: If you plot heavy fantasy, with a fair bit of sex and gore thrown in.
Age: Adults for sure! Mature 16 year old could handle it.
Warnings: Again, the sex and the gore. Potential rap, and murder and such as well.5 s Kareem43 15

I feel so ashamed to be writing a review so long after finishing this remarkable book but I shall do my best to do it justice.

A Demon in Silver really is a greatest hits of fantasy. Do you Magic? Swords? Warring Gods? Action? Emotion? Heartbreak? I could go on but you get the point.

This book is written in probably my favourite format, which is multiple pov characters with shortish chapters. The pace really is excellent, with perhaps a slight dip late on where we meet a new character and go back through time to find out what made him... him. We're soon plunged back into the thick of it and the flashback adds some lovely worldbuilding and context to enrich the story further, throwing us into some exciting and diverse culture.

The characters themselves are fantastic, varied, and interesting - with some secondary characters expertly stealing the limelight with witty dialogue and superb action sequences.

The story ends in true grimdark fashion and left me screaming for the sequel!

A balls to the wall romp that you should definitely buy now! 4 s Steve414 89

I enjoyed that. Not perfection to my mind but my sort of fantasy tale. A bit dark, occasional wry humour, solidly defined characters some of whom survive, some don’t.

The standard sword wielding medieval fantasy world which in this case is currently devoid of magic. Regular italicised sections, usually a page or two long, tell us of a previous time when rather bloody, warring immortals held sway in this world. I did find the language to describe this backstory rather an exaggerated grand fantasy style, not quite to my taste, but it did show a contrast with the unexceptional current world of peasants, bandits, petty despots, and religious cultists hankering for that past age of gods.

The story in the main timeline introduces us to several major characters, unknown to each other but with stories that do develop some links eventually. As I said earlier some survive this tale, some don’t. I quite that uncertainty in the life expectancy of major fantasy characters!

I found it an easy story to read, and intriguing. One or two plot twists that I didn’t jumped out at me; just in time arrivals of characters on journeys to meet with others; a pair of hostile protagonists who team up for no good reason I saw.

A new author to me, who’s clearly talented. I had my doubts on small points but an interesting fantasy world and an absorbing story. Solid 4* and I’ll certainly read the next volume soon.fantasy4 s Lesa Divine977 244

Yeah glad I have book 2. I'll start that book right away.

So mysterious. There's no more magic but Silver and Livia has magic.

Silva don't know who she is.
Livia is taken from her uncle after something happens that couldn't be explained.

She finds herself on a journey but end up being kidnapped by Josten that turned into a bad guy and using her for an award but that doesn't goes well and she's kidnapped yet again.

Mystery revolves around some characters. The endinv got me curious to see how these characters stories continues.2020 favorite-list i-own ...more3 s My one thousand lives 67 25

I really enjoyed this book, i was reminded of so many of my favourite novels, it was it R.S. Ford had taken a bit from each book which made a really great story.

The main thing that stands out to me about this book was the writing style. We followed the 4 main charecters Josten, Livia, Silver and Kaleb individually at the start of the book. Each character was in a different part of the world so every 7 or 8 chapters the POV would change from one charecter to another. The charecters didn’t know each other in the beginning but as the book goes on they all became tangled up in each other’s stories. I found it really enjoyable watching them get closer and closer to meeting each other and the bizarre circumstances in which it happened. If you have read the Throne of Glass series, this book will remind you of how we followed the story’s of Manon and Elide, even though neither of them knew Celeana but they eventually all ended up together.

Another aspect I found interesting was the timeline throughout the book. There is a prologue at the start of the novel, where we find out a bit about magic and the people that control it. The event we read about was called the Fall when magic disappeared and every chapter after that has a heading that says 92 years after the fall, 100 years after the fall etc. This was useful because it made it easier to see the years between each event that led the charecters to ending up together 105 years after the fall. I also found the short scripts that are placed throughout the book to be clever, they were written on the page before the POV changed. Each script told stories of magic, God’s, stars and how the fall came about.

I really d the charectars each one had their own personality and qualities that keeps you interested in their journey. I really enjoyed the story in this book, there were so many main charecters whose history and choices we got to see. It was entertaining following each one across their world and seeing them fighting, being captured and escaping as they followed a path that would bring them together. The first book in a series can be really drawn out and information heavy with little else happening however I really enjoyed the world building in this book and I wasn’t bored once while reading it.

Overall, I enjoyed this book because I found it really entertaining and action packed, I adored the writing style and I d the charecters I also think that the story was well thought out and I loved how Josten, Livia, Silver and Kaleb kept finding and losing each other, it was a really fun read I would highly recommend and I really am looking forward to the next book3 s Thomas Dawson22

I absolutely loved this book! The twists, turns, characters, gods, and the world were all wonderful. I cannot think of a bad thing to say about it and can't wait to pick up the next book!3 s Rhiannon MillsAuthor 7 books28

I thought this book was incredible. It lacked very little and the premise is captivating. This is the first in a series, if I've understood correctly. I certainly hope I manage to get the next book on pre-order so that I don't have to wait for it. I dis waiting and this is one story I would to hang with until the very end. 

I don't want to go into too many details of my thoughts, though. I feel in doing so I will be giving my blog readers too many spoilers. I can divulge that there are a few surprises that remain surprising, twists that remain twisty, and turns that lead places incredibly fun to imagine. 3 s Christine SpoorsAuthor 1 book438

The blurb of this book has always intrigued me, and I’m so bloody glad I finally picked it up. Despite being around 460 pages I absolutely flew through this book, I just couldn’t put it down and found the writing really easy despite how full of twists and turns the story was.

It’s been a while since I read such a violent gory adult fantasy, but I found that I really enjoyed it. The stakes were high and so I just couldn’t stop reading. I felt no on was safe! I really enjoyed each POV, though of course Livia was my favourite!

The story went in a direction I didn’t expect at all, which was exciting, and now I can’t wait for book two!read-20193 s ??421 45

dnf…boring and hard to get into…

also I’m sad now, I bought this and the second book
:(dnf-20233 s Adrian Darwin64 31

A Demon in Silver is a bit of a riddle for me to review. It starts strong; interesting world, good character work, engaging plot. R.S. Ford can clearly write.

As it progresses though it becomes rather disappointing. The structure is odd and I feel I would have enjoyed it much more had different character's chapters been incorporated in a more linear, chronological fashion. Huge chunks of the book with a character point of view before moving onto the next felt clunky. Let alone introducing a new main character to follow two thirds of the way into the book.

This is all compounded by very shallow motivations for the characters choices. Towards the end it felt most of the motivations boiled down to, "the plot needs me to do this". Which is disappointing considering the quality of the early character work.

The plot and the world are still compelling and I have high hopes for the sequels. However considering how well this book started it was a bit of a disappointment by the end.

As I stated above, Ford can clearly write and I do hope that the better parts of his writing shine through in the following entries.

3.5 stars.2022-read fantasy-read-and-rated2 s Joebot173 6

Let me start by being honest about what this is: this is 460 pages of large font and plenty of empty margin space. Would this be better at smaller font, less blank space, and an extra 150 pages. Yes. Was all this needed? ....no.

This was fun. Cool world, fun locales. The characters were mostly morally gray and conflicted; and they made some interesting choices. The plot was fast paced and compelling.

I spent the first 3/4 of this thinking "this is the poster child average 3 star book". And then I got to the last 1/4. One of the best first book endings i have read in some time. Saying anything more would mean spoilers.

Were this more fleshed out, 5 stars. For what this is, 4 stars is the highest of praises.2 s Ross Thompson294 7


I had been meaning to read this book for quite some time, there is just something about a plain background with a weapon on it that catches my attention (looking at you Mr Gwynne!), and when i saw it was included in the audible plus selection I knew I had to listen to it (even though I bought it on kindle over 3 years ago).
The book takes place 100 years after all magic left the world and centres around a young girl, Livia, who has started to show signs of special abilities.
We also meet several other POV characters and it takes some time before their part in Livia’s story starts to become clear.
We have a mercenary who struggles to keep his sword in its scabbard (both literally and euphemistically), a morally-torn cultist and a very mysterious female warrior.
Livia’s chosen one-style journey starts when her powers show themselves during a teenage tryst gets too saucy and she is taken by the tallymen. She then gets unkind napped and re-kidnapped by most of the male characters in the book as everyone wants a piece of this new magical person for their own needs.
I loved the gritty dialogue in the book, the solid action scenes and the twists and turns in Livia’s journey, and how it heads towards something bigger than one girl with abilities, especially the epic escalation in the final minutes of the book.
I’m already on to book 2 and am under no doubt on what I’ll spend my next audible credit on (book 3 isn’t in the plus catalogue for some reason).
A solid book, just enough darkness to keep my interest, but a little too much humping for my liking - it’s so much worse when it’s being read to you for some reason.2 s David Firmage219 62

2.5 stars.2 s Martin Rea40 2

Fantastic read again, love this authors work, cant wait till the 2nd part in June.2 s Abbe115 32

The audio version is excellent. Fast-paced and gripping, we couldn't stop listening. beautiful-but-sad grimdark gritty ...more2 s lady h639 178 Shelved as 'dnf'

DNF @ 33%

I thought this started out really, really strong -- the prologue is fantastic and the first few chapters are really fun -- but then it just dragged. The POV switches are oddly done (you get four or five chapters of one character, then four or five chapters of another, with no hint as to how they are related).

Also, what I found most bizarre was that there was hardly any fantasy or worldbuilding elements introduced in the 130 pages that I read! This reads such a standard medieval Europe setting with knights and farm girls and it's just so...basic that I started getting really, really bored because it was almost I was reading historical fiction devoid of any actual historical detail!

Also, was not a fan of the fact that the three female characters we are introduced to are all described as being gorgeous and then proceed to have sex with a man (and weirdly, the sex scenes are all...exactly the same).

It's a shame, because this author clearly can write (the action scenes are great!) and has a good sense of humor, but this is just taking way too long to find its groove. I thought about powering through, but then I read a bunch of that confirmed this does not really improve. Alas. dnf-20212 s Rebekah Taylor27

This book was solid and I was surprised at how easy and quickly it read. There wasn't a single unnecessary scrape of dialogue in the whole book. It was straight to the point. A darkly woven start to what promises to be a really good fantasy series. The only gripe I have, and it's small, is that I could have done without the love scenes. I can see their place in the scheme of things, but hey, it's not a big deal just maybe Ford should lay off the graphic descriptions a bit and just leave at "they had relations". But if you can sort through that awkwardness you'll be well rewarded with a trip on a nitro-fueled action fun bus till the last page. I have started a lot of fantasy in the last year and none of them were as good as this one.

And now I have to face the long wait for Book #2.fantasy2 s Jim Shanahan111

This was a 400 page brutality fest where I expected there to be a different main character, a different focus but it was just kill the carrier and sweep the one female character not used as a sexual object from one male hand to another. And in the end she had no agency. She was forced to become what she did and I don't see any remedy for it in the end. I feel nothing was accomplished in this book, the last page should be the meme of "my goals are beyond your understanding." I don't know when I will read the second book, if I ever will.2 s LJ421 38

My first time reading R.S. Ford, and I am impressed. The writing is sharp, the characters intriguing, able and the world building immersive with smart backgrounds being created around all. R.S. Ford begins this series with immediate action that captured my attention, smoothly introducing the story and then building climatic interactions while deftly blending the beginning of an epic tale. Work well done, Mr. Ford, onto book two, Hangman's Gate. 2 s Konzie Koenig29

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