An age of myth. A bitter feud. A storm of legend.
It is the closing days of the Enkindled King’s wars for Earthblood, when a cycle of violence and hatred sparks a bitter feud in his shadow.
Náith, the Warrior. Luw, the Hunter. Cast aside and burned by their lover’s betrayal, the two find themselves trapped in a bloody struggle for the affections of Síle, the Maid of Mael Tulla.
Cherished as a healer and bringer of verdant life to barren lands, Síle stands as a mystery unto all – even those who would claim her heart. For one so gentle and kind, secrets and bloodshed swarm about her like flies upon a corpse.
Consumed by hatred and heartache, both Náith and Luw will take the darkest of trials and challenge death itself, unaware of the true game being played.
A storm beyond imagining waits for the Warrior and the Hunter. One that will decide the fate of Luah Fáil.
The Review
I was lucky enough to nab an Arc and it was massively enjoyable and probably the darkest book I’ve read this year. A solid 4.5* from me and the tidiest ARC I’ve read in some time. Neat, tidy prose that is punchy, pacy and as effective as a knife in the balls.
Naith, built like a tank, and comes across as an utter arsehole. I particularly enjoy his transformation through to the end as he begins to use his ears and brain cells to try preventing what he unleashed.
Luw seems the romantic, and his quest for revenge on Naith is a nice twist, in love and war folks to do whatever it takes.
I probably enjoyed Sile the most. She had the vibe of The Lady in subverting both men, leading Luw astray, and twisting them both into ignoring any warning about their actions. I’d have enjoyed seeing more of her on page, even if just to see what else she manipulated.
Dark, grim, pacy. Clever in keeping events local, yet with cataclysmic consequences, when everything spirals beyond anyone’s control without giving too much away.
One to entertain, and well worth anyone’s notes and groats. I’m massively looking forward to the release edition.
About the Reviewer
S.D. Howarth is a British fantasy author, living in East Yorkshire with his wife, two children and two ungrateful cats with an endless yearning for food. By day, he works as an IT Manager. By night he writes (and edits) in the attic, finally getting some use out of his degree from UCNW Bangor.
This is his debut fantasy novel, set within ‘The World of Sanctuary’ with a further two books planned in this series.
A previous short story, ‘Halidom’ from ‘Crater’, can be found in The Blackest Spells Anthology published by Mystique Press.
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About The Tryphon Odyssey (The Voyage #1)
The world of Sanctuary is not a kind place. Many races have fled there across the ages. Fewer still have survived and flourished—or survived. Humankind is the most recent to seek refuge, and the most cataclysmic. Since their arrival within the city-state of Atlantis, the embassies and tribes of man have formed new nations across several continents. Their misuse of magic in a prior age turned the seas acidic and drove their ancient Gods mad. The great contradiction of the current age is that it is only with magic that sailing ships like warship Tryphon criss-cross the oceans to protect trade routes.
Navigator Edouard Van Reiver departs from shipboard routine and petty politics when he stops Tryphon against age-old superstitions to rescue two survivors, inviting aboard blood, fire and death.
Sunjammer Gabriel Dagmar squanders his precocious talents through daily tedium to hide from the more terrifying depths of magic.
Lady Carla’s escort mission is in tatters, and needing rescue from the acidic sea is the least of several concerns.
Coxswain Grimm will need every one of his decades of experience to keep the Tryphon men alive, the officers on course, and quell the threat within spilling over.
No good deed goes unpunished. Events require they assume new roles to fight an unknown assailant, as their anti-pirate patrol mission veers into the unknown. They will need skill, luck, or a hint that the Gods of Sanctuary still exist to rebalance the scales of a power play that could tear asunder the fragile balance the World of Sanctuary teeters upon. Can they hold the line and do their duty, or fail and doom their Spires Kingdom?
