I think this deserves about 4.5 stars. Every word is well written. The book is slow going. This adventure has many twists and turns, and we are left on quite a cliffhanger.

The last book ends with betrayal and loss. The loss of the connection with Squid finds Des in a depth unknown to her before and paired with the betrayal felt from Liv, she is near the bottom. The only bright spot for me was the return of Liza.

My only critique is the beginning of the book could be shorter. Nobody enjoys a self-loathing, destructive streak, but it was hard for me to get through and even harder for Des. Persevere through, Des will have brighter days ahead.

I don't want to give much away, but my heart breaks at several points. You don't know what is going on with Squid and others while Des is wallowing in it. Once you find out, your feelings change about certain circumstances.

The ending... you obviously want more. I can't wait for the next one.

I received this book during an ARC campaign.2024 book-funnel6 s K Mart Vet682 28

In the wake of the devastating events in the first book, Des is left adrift after being betrayed yet again and bereft of her blood-bonded dragon Squid. She descends into an honest attempt to numb her loss in a typical self-destructive fashion. She spirals into the depths of guilt, shame, and depression and only barely gets by with help from her friends. Des, determined to rescue her dragon, embarks on a perilous journey into the Emperor's lands, which are prepping for war. She seeks to try to stop his plans to gain immortality by saving her dragon from his clutches.

This is a book that begs to be savored but is so intensely engaging that you cannot help but devour it. This is such a spectacularly unique book for the fantasy genre. I feel I'll never really get an experience this again and I applaud Rycroft for so successfully making me obsessed with this series.

I think most of that is because Des is a normal person who is thrust into extraordinary, world-changing circumstances. She is highly relatable and she is flawed in the best possible way. Having her point of view at the forefront allows her to feel so incredibly vulnerable with the reader. It makes you love her all the more. Honestly, she's not alone as a phenomenal character. Your heart will ache for these characters. There will be moments when you will sigh happily or catch yourself grinning. What sets this novel apart is its exploration of genuine and messy relationships. None of these people are perfect. They make repeated mistakes and try to be better next time. It's beautifully crafted.

Of special note is the world-building that is so intricately tied to the dragons and their time-bending magic. I love this aspect of the novel. Though, there's nothing that I don't love. It's one of my top ten series of all time. "The Timeless Legion" is a spectacularly unique addition to the fantasy genre, offering readers a gripping narrative that combines emotional depth with intricate world-building. I'm so excited for the next book!

One million stars for this beautiful story.

Thank you to the author for the copy to review. All opinions are my own.arcs6 s Lady Stark504 21

5 Stars fo sho!!!

Des, Squid, Liv, Twist and Petrus.

There is no way you’d understand this story without reading book 1. So, read book 1 before venturing into The Timeless Legion. It would also help to read the novella because it would give you more context of a part of Des’s experience as a mercenary.

It feels I’ve been through the wringer emotionally. The author is bloody brilliant when it comes to getting a rise out of their reader. The whole gamut of emotions have been felt while reading this book.

The array of sexualities and different kinds of love is represented one way or another and it is glorious! In addition, the main characters are all imperfect, morally grey women who go through life with a lot mistakes and regrets. Translation: perfect antiheroes! fantasy5 s Heather301 1 follower

Wow what can I say!? So so good! So many emotions, now as I just finished and throughout the story! This author is a master of weaving a stunning tale, the world building is just incredible, the characters are so relatable it’s almost scary. The character growth has gone up and down and all around, especially with Des, and she still remains relatable and badass. Liv is another that has shown so much, well you really need to read. I mean you really do! Squid is just amazing, the best dragon character! So so much happens in this story. After a bit of reaching the bottom with Des, the story takes off and doesn’t stop until the end where there is of course the dreaded and expected cliff hanger. Good grief! I cannot wait for the third book!!
5 s Jamedi506 94

Review originally at JamReads

The Timeless Legion is the second book in the Everlands Cycle series, the queer fantasy proposal written by J.C. Rycroft; after the treason Des experienced at the ending of book 1, separated from Squid, Des is totally broken. She is depth in the spiral of self-destruction that many times accompanies depression, but hopefully for her, some of her old friend are there to help.

But getting out of that pit of despair is not an easy task; but we get to see how she slowly recovers a bit of hope. Rycroft manages to create an accurate depiction of what a depression looks , and one of the most dangerous aspects of it; and honestly, it helps reinforce the figure of Des as a human character, with her own flaws who has been entangled in something bigger due to the circumstances.
With the help of her friends, we will finally see how they try to sneak across the militarized frontiers of other lands in order to rescue Squid and stop the emperor from expanding his influence; but what she's not ready is to confront again with Liz. If I can say something about it, is that there are still ashes where embers were burning.

We have an expansive sequel, adding a bunch of characters that will totally steal your heart, the kind of friends that are ready to go to hell with you; but also we have more Squid, the adorable dragon. Together with him, we will visit the past of the dragons and its relationship with the Everlands; instead of expanding the world geographically, Rycroft takes us to the past, developing that rich mythology that is tied to this world.

The Timeless Legion is a sequel that is totally at the level of the excellent The Blood-Born Dragon; run and don't walk to get your own copy of this series, because if you want sassy dragons, brave mercenaries and tons of actions, you should read it!4 s Leah Rose14

I really loved this book, I can’t wait for the next one! Loved all the main characters and the story is interesting. I never know what’s going to happen next, but I’m happy to be along for the ride. 4 s Nikki15 2

With action filtering in from the very first page, The Timeless Legion carried on seamlessly from The Blood-Born Dragon, soaring past the bar that was set for it. Rycroft has a particular talent for world building, suspense, twists that you don't see coming and writing characters that you adore, even when they're down and out in the gutters in utter despair. This book doesn't shy away from the harder life experiences and doesn't rely on toxic positivity to get the characters through it either. There's fighting, love, hope, despair, betrayal, reunions and losses, and a wee bit of rule breaking in there too. And, of course, Squid, charming, delightful, snarky Squid. Glued from the start, and left open-mouthed by the end, I couldn't put this book down and now I need to wait (im)patiently for the third one!4 s Nicole135 15

After the events of the first book, we find Des in a very dark place mentally. She is struggling with feelings of loss, betrayal, and crippling guilt. This is a slow and difficult journey that we go on with her. It is hard to work through, but our loyal to a fault Twisty keeps us going. Approaching the halfway point, the real adventure begins. It is action-packed, full of suspense, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Some things happened that I didn't anticipate, and those were frustrating and fun. We get our resilient team back together, and they are out to save the world despite their own personal, complex challenges. Pay attention to trigger warnings if you are sensitive to certain things. JC is fantastic at pulling us into complicated interpersonal dynamics, emotional trials, and along an arduous journey through a difficult and beautiful landscape. We learn more dragon lore and the mystery of the Everlands and the Accord. We experience PTSD, love, betrayal, loyalties tested, life-threatening battles, and unexpected events. Cheers for bi-rep and a little spice. I am anxiously awaiting the third and final book in the trilogy to see how our team fares against The Timeless Legion.
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review.all-reads-challenge ebook4 s Aqualoon16 3

Second book of this series and I knew from the first paragraph in book one that I'd be enjoying this story. Finished this and I already want more. Looking forward to more from the author.4 s Bronwyn Blakley25 1 follower

I don’t know if I have ever been thrown so intensely into a character’s inner turmoil as I was in this second instalment of the Everlands Cycle. The way Rycroft embeds us firmly into the intricate web of grief, loss, and betrayal bringing “dark tide” into Des’ every waking moment at the beginning of this book is hard to read, gut wrenching, and infuriating all at once. To be immersed into these dark thoughts as we read about how Des has interpreted what’s happening around her, assuming everything is her guilt to bare, had me wanting to throw my tablet across the room several times.

And yet, even with the intensity of raw emotion, we find ourselves rooting for these incredible characters at every step. I have never had a writer get me so strongly attached to a horse, but Liza may be one of my favourite secondary characters. Although I could never forget Twisty! Once again, the richness of every character draws you in and has you riveted, and the inner dialogue between Squid and Des is both hilarious and heartwarming. Rycroft has a pretty incredible ability to create characters you can’t stop thinking about; you just love them with your whole heart.

And finally, between The Blood Born Dragon and The Timeless Legion, I cannot express enough how shocked I was to find myself rooting for a character I previously thought was bad news. I don’t know if I’ve ever had an author so successfully shift a character for me, but wow. To go from my least favourite to one of my favourites? The way Rycroft addresses the difficulty of trauma, CPTSD, and PTSD is impressive. What a character arc.

All in all, this cycle is worth the read, and I look forward to more!3 s Susie Omundsen1 review

The Timeless Legion

Can a flawed hero(ine) in a depressive spiral drive an unputdownable novel? Yes, in the capable hands of author J. C. Rycroft, she can. So while ‘The Timeless Legion’ (second book of “The Everlands Cycle”) is much darker and grittier than the first (‘The Blood-Born Dragon’) there is balancing light and hope. Humour too. This is go-fast sapphic fantasy that dives deep, pulls you in and doesn’t let go.

And thank the gods, kickass seems to be an indestructible trait because I spent the first chapters of ‘The Timeless Legion’ holding my breath, mourning the loss of the staunch woman I had loved and cheered for in the original book. In these first chapters she is a down and out drunk, wallowing in the gutter more often than not. I wanted to shake her - yes she has lost her love, her dragon, herself- but she is also strong, smart, principled… if she can only get out of the darkness which threatens to swamp her. If only she can throw off the guilt, the hopelessness. Slowly Des hauls herself, hand over hand, out of the abyss and restarts her journey to find her dragon, her love, her faith in humanity and most importantly, her faith in herself. There is plenty of sex, some joyful, some I curled up and thought “oh no, don’t go there!” There’s hand-to-hand fighting (and an unforgettable battle); memorable characters from the first book (Liza is imprinted on my heart!); betrayals and loyal friends; journeys; ruthless enemies; all the schemes, twists and political manoeuvring that threads through the Everlands Cycle.

It will obvious to you from this that the second book in the cycle doesn’t flinch from all the hard life questions and experiences, while it also celebrates the return of the light- and in Des’ case, the return of her sass too. The fantasy setting may well be a timeless land - with wonderful hints of Australian flora and fauna- in a timeless time, but J.C. Rycroft has created a hero(ine) in Des - who in all her pain and doubts and trauma, all her triumphs and wins- is everywoman. (With the enviable addition of formidable fighting and survival skills. And a Dragon.)

I received an ARC copy of The Timeless Legion, and this is an honest review3 s Jade Lilian12 1 follower

Five star queer fantasy with dragons!
To start with, I just want to say that I DEVOURED this book. The Timeless legion was one of those books that once I started, I just could not put down. Des’s struggle with depression, her journey to re-unite with Squid and her reunion with Liv and Petrus was a brilliant blend of adventure, dragons and an exploration of the darker aspects of life such as depression and substance abuse. As Des learns to embrace herself and re-unites with Squid, we get to see her becoming the person she is meant to be. We also get to see more of loyal twisty, who is one of my favourite supporting characters of all time with his unflinching positivity and dedication to his friends. We also get to know the much mentioned Petrus. Liv’s trauma is explored and her deep seated loyalty and love for Des is finally revealed. This book was a worthy sequel to The Blood Born Dragon and kept me captivated all the way through to the cliffhanger. I already cannot wait for the next book in this amazing series. A definite 5 star read.

I received an advanced copy of this book as an ARC, but the opinions expressed above are entirely my own.This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review3 s E. Gonthier99 1 follower

I had been looking forward to this sequel the moment I finished the first book so I was really excited to pick it up. And then wham! From the first page it hit me right in the feelings. I had to put it away and pick it up again a whole week later after I'd recovered and was mentally prepared for it. I fully expected what I'd gotten from this author and this universe already in this book as well, and goodness gracious, it was all that and more!
This is truly a beautifully written story with wonderful, flawed and relatable characters that you cannot help but feel and root for! The writing draws you right in and the depth of the characters and the story had me both melting and at the edge of my seat. This book is simply everything. Everything.3 s Maaike43

Oh Des. If You think she had it bad in book one… somehow it’s worse in this one. She is left without a dragon, betrayed, and very… very drunk…but at least she has Liza.

I don’t want to give too much away, what would be the fun in that. But Des is having a really hard time. But Des wouldn’t be Des if she didn’t have the tenacity to move forward… with a bit of help from her friends. After all, she needs to get her dragon back! I really appreciate the depiction of depression and loss in the books. It doesn’t shy away from the darkness, but it always seems to find that light and hope to keep fighting. The story finds a good balance though, and isn’t all doom and gloom. There is plenty of room for good banter and humor to balance it out perfectly.

I love that Des is a real human being. Just an ordinary person, yes she is trained as a sell sword, but she isn’t the best of the best,, she isn’t elite she isn’t even the “chosen one”. She has flaws, she loses condition if she doesn’t train everyday and is a reluctant participant in her own story.

We find out much more of the dragon lore and history. Which is fantastic and so well thought out. Every time you think you start to piece it together something else will shatter that and puts you on a different path.

Des is a mess, but so relatable, and the host of other characters in this book are rounded and a delight. They all have such a great backstory and depth to them that they jump of the pages! Love that we get a lot more Petrus in this one. And Liv… well Liv steals the show a bit in this one.

But without too many spoilers, go and get yourself a copy (of both books if you haven’t started, also why haven’t you started this series yet! It’s on sale now!) and delve into it!3 s Issy WaldromAuthor 8 books37

Enjoyable, stressful and very interesting continuation to the series. Des is in a really dark place at the beginning of the story, but even with a lot of dark aspects to the story, and this volume finishing in another cliff (as is expected of a trilogy), I felt things got a lot better overall, and this book is stronger than the first.

What can I say - even with all that occurs, I quite d a number of things that did happen in this book, and it leaves me very excited to see what happens in the final volume.

It is a solid, well woven and highly engaging dark-ish fantasy.3 s evareadstoomuch13 2

Oh my GOD this book is amazing.

The Timeless Legion follows Des, the FMC, after being betrayed and losing her blood-bonded dragon in the process, and she's in a very bad place. She is going THROUGH IT in this book. Honestly, the fact that she is such a well fleshed out character, with real flaws and real issues makes it such an easy read. She's an absolute badass and being able to see inside her head and understand her motivations makes you really connect with her, which is something I've loved about each of J.C. Ryfcroft's books so far.

One thing I notice a lot with sequels, is that they'll dip in quality, and I went in worried that I would feel the same about this. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that this book is just as gripping, if not more, than the last. As someone who is never normally a fantasy reader, I find Rycroft's writing so easy to read and this sequel had me SO invested.

It ties so well to the last one, and one character's arc was so perfectly done and so well written that it is one of the most believable character development's I've ever read.

This book will leave you invested from start to finish, and I really think it solidifies J.C. Rycroft as a master of the fantasy genre.3 s Craig Mulhall2

JC Rycroft soars to new heights with the next instalment of their lively saga 'The Everlands Cycle' - touted as 'sapphic fantasy with dragons.' 'The Timeless Legion' promises big things and delivers it all, smuggled atop an overloaded cart.

Doughty heroine Desta Mildue is back ... only she's at rock bottom. Betrayed and broken, pursued by a rising tide of despair and without the endearing dragon Squid, one wonders how she will climb her way out of the darkness.

Yet climb she does, without guarantee or even hope of victory. It makes for a gritty and uncomfortable read, but it's a needful purgatory ... and it makes the coming rewards that much sweeter.

Twisty, Iradine, Eloise and others all have much more to say and do; each one shines in their own moments, bringing light and shade that make the tale less than predictable. Then there's Liv - Liv, Liv, Liv - who steals the show for mine, providing a darkly lustrous Yin to Des' Yang.

Action spills from the page, and one lengthy sequence in the midst of the book, featuring disguises and derring-do, sustains the suspense for chapters on end. When it concludes, I was left with mouth agape, rather than being brought to a place of safety.

Rycroft has crafted a true page-turner. The dragon lore fascinates; the glimpses of the past revelatory. They set up the Cycle with a solid first entry; but with 'The Timeless Legion', the tale gains immensity and digs deep to explore its heroes and villains. A better book in every way. 5/53 s Erin F76 4

Des’ adventures continue in this wonderfully written second book. Broken after losing Squid to the Emperor after Liv’s betrayal (or seeming betrayal) Des starts off in a rough place. This book takes Des through all the emotions- loss, love, anger, grief, desperation, and fear. Des, her dragon, and their companions take quite the journey as they try to stop the Emperor from raising an army that would be unmatched. The main characters continue to be well developed and grow through the story and the supporting characters around Des and Squid are just as complex. The story flows very well and the move between locations are well done with a great balance of description and action.

Once reunited, Des and Squid embark on their journey to gather as much information as they can on the true story between humans and dragons. Breaking rules traversing through the past, saving their dragonet, and (hopefully) preventing the rise of an army from the Everlands, Des and company find trust, lose trust, and prepare for the fight of their lives. Don’t miss this second part of Des, Squid, Liv, Twisty, and Petrus come together to save the world from a power hungry Emperor. I can’t wait for book 3!3 s Dulaine Roode58 1 follower

Wow wow wow. Before reading this ARC I decided to read the hired blade and then Blood Born Dragon again, and then started on this one.

And I must say it kept me riveted through out the whole book. All the ups and downs and doubts and heart ache that Des had to endure to get back to Squid, and the twist in her and Liv's story was some really good reading.

I really feel bad for Des with all the betrayal's and heartbreak she suffered in this book. It just made some things so much harder to get through. And the twist at the end of the book, wow.

Now I can't wait for the next book...

I received this book as an ARC free, and I am voluntarily giving my review.3 s Jemma17

What a great read, from a woman & her horse to new found family, unrequited love, sapphic romance & dragon's!
Amazing fantasy romance well written and it just pulls you in!3 s Lisa428 4

4.5* Twisty

the character… Love this band of heroes. I find Des to be rather annoying. Liv is still my favorite. This is quite the adventure really. So, another cliffhanger? How long must we wait?2 s Sheila738

A nice surprise

What a surprising and entertaining series. A bond between dragon and human. An emotional journey to maturity and strength.
A story of vulnerability and learning to trust letting love find its way to guide and give strength in building your HEA.1 PicoLeo41

(4.50)best-of-24-ff fantasy-ff favorites ...more1 Sara3

Disclaimer I did receive an ARC for an honest review. Also some spoilers ahead.
I want to say up front I loved the book and it is a fantastic read and I'd recommend it to anyone already familiar with The Everlands Cycle novels but you do have to have read at least Blood Born Dragon first and I'd recommend A Hired Blade as well.

This was a tough read at first. Des is frustratingly at rock bottom and wallowing in darkness to the point that she is nearly completely unlikable. She has good reasons for being in that space but it doesn't make it any easier to read. At least in the first book she may have been in a bad place but still had some redeeming qualities but in this first part she really doesn't and is carried by the secondary characters more than anything. It is totally worth getting through that to the meat of the story and beyond. Liv kind of steals the show for a while and I actually don't mind. I left the last book thoroughly hating Liv and wishing lots of ill on her. That said Des's quick forgiveness and understanding of Liv and her actions didn't feel quite right. Considering where Liv's actions had left Des and how broken she was I just can't see her being that quick to trust...again... and forgive. Maybe Des is a better person than I, I don't know.

Once the story gets going though it doesn't stop and the reveals finally answer some questions. It's a fun ride with an amazing amount of character growth, plot twists, triumphs and more betrayal (poor Des). 2 s Jess314 54

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