Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

"Battle is terror. The wait is worse."

The Pantheon Games are the world’s biggest underground events. Bankrolled by the elite, they are watched by millions online as the chosen competitors embark on life or death battles armed with only ancient weapons.
Tyler and Lana - now known as Punnr and Calder - are new recruits to Edinburgh’s Valhalla Horde and are gearing up for their first blood season. It begins with the blood nights and culminates in the Grand Battle, a brutal war between Scotland's two warring factions that is the most dangerous of Pantheon’s year. Can the pair survive to fight another year? Or will they fall.

In the second of C.F. Barrington’s Pantheon trilogy he again merges fantasy and reality to create a world that is believable and addictive. The book opens with the stats of both Hordes and then succinctly catches you up on the events of book one with a section titled ‘What has come before’. This was a brilliant idea to include as this is a complex and layered world filled with an array of characters. I still found myself getting a little confused at times due to the huge amount of detail that is needed to explain Pantheon’s rules but it didn’t last long and I was soon back on tenterhooks as the riveting action occurred.
In the background of the games is the ongoing search for Morgan, Tyler’s sister, who was part of Valahlla’s rival Horde. This parallel storyline provides added tension and mystery to the story as well as increased risk to Tyler and the others who are trying to track Morgan down. Some of those high up in Pantheon risk losing their position should she be found and reveal what she knows meaning Tyler and the others are fighting against not only their sworn enemies but those in their own ranks who will do anything to silence those who pose a threat to their position.

There are a multitude of great characters from heroes you can root for to villains you love to hate. I enjoyed being back with them, particularly the ones familiar from book one, and enjoyed seeing how they and their relationships developed in this instalment. Tyler/Punnr is a great protagonist and I loved his friendship with Brante, his blossoming relationship with Lana/Calder, and the brotherly bond he shares with Oliver. I was completely invested and worrying about Tyler would be affected should he lose any of these people just added to the tension. I thought there was a good balance of character study and action, allowing the reader to feel a real connection with the many characters while also being full of suspense.

The Blood Isles is an addictive and entertaining read that you will enjoy even if, like me, this isn’t your usual genre. And that ending! I thought my heart would beat out of my chest and am going to be counting down to book three after that climatic cliffhanger!

The annual Pantheon Games, the biggest underground event in the world is in full swing, and fortunes are about to be made or lost on a whole new phase of bloodletting, by the anonymous figures that control the action from their luxurious penthouses and extensive estates across the globe. 

New recruits to the Horde, Tyler and Lana are about to face their first Blood Season on the streets of Edinburgh, against their sworn enemies the Titans - the season that will culminate in a full on Grand Battle in an unknown location. Tyler is coming down from the dubious honour of being the Horde's White Warrior, having been able to gain them the advantage of all four Assets to use in the battle to come, but his status has just hit rock bottom once more, and his search for his lost sister Morgan is not going well. The rules have changed again in a way that leaves him with a whopping big target on his back, in a contrived whittling down of numbers on both sides through cat and mouse skirmishes before the big event, and he now needs to make his first kill to show himself battle-worthy.

It's hard enough to keep yourself from being gutted in this shadowy world ruled by those who have little regard for the value of life when the rules are being followed, and this time even more dangerous enemies are opting to break them for their own advantage - and to keep their secrets. Tyler, and his friends are in greater peril than ever, both within and outside the Games...

Following on in close order from the cracking first part of this series, The Wolf Mile, this book not only keeps up the pace and excitement of book one, but exceeds every expectation on the action, adventure and intrigue stakes. Tyler begins this story on a bit of a high from his success as White Warrior for the Horde, despite it being a poisoned chalice. His wits have protected him and Lana, and given him a name as someone not afraid to use lateral thinking to gain an edge in the new world he has willingly embraced, but it is impossible to avoid the fact that he is now even more of a target for those who would like to see him fail. The Blood Season finds him right back where he started for reasons he had not foreseen, and it's time for him to confront exactly what being a player in the Pantheon Games means, which allows C.F. Barrington to take us on more bloody escapades through the streets of Edinburgh - this time with murderous intent on a whole new level. Tyler is also forced to accept how much Lana means to him, and learns that she shares his feelings, but quite how they can ever hope to be together as things stand is difficult to imagine.

As the Blood Season plays out Barrington brings in some tasty little twists and turns with a change of scene that heightens the historical perspective of the notion behind the Games, as preparation for the Grand Battle gets underway. Shenanigans at all levels of the hierarchy and on both sides of the fence take us back and forth between time-honoured battle preparations with Tyler, and the desperate cut and thrust on the streets of Edinburgh with Lana, keeping things very interesting indeed. The bad guys are forced into making moves they would rather not make, some of which have very disturbing consequences, especially for Lana. Barrington tops it all off with a glorious battle scene that is good enough to grace the pages of any epic work of historical fiction... and if that wasn't enough, he then drops in a jaw-dropping cliffhanger to hook you into the final instalment to come....

I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of this little genre-busting gem, just as awed by the brilliance of the concept behind the books as I was when absorbing The Wolf Mile. This is wonderful stuff and I cannot wait for the final book in the series, The Hastening Storm!

Do you like a bit of fantasy fiction mixed in with the present? Then look no further, this is book 2 of a trilogy, I would highly recommend you read book 1 first (The Wolf Mile) mainly because of the world building as well as character development. However the author does put a refresher at the beginning of the book so it would be possible to read that and then pick up the story. I read book one last year and having read quite a few books in between I had to remind myself what had happened in the first book.

But as this one picks up where the last one ended I soon remembered what had happened. Tyler Maitland had been a very quiet young man with a limp when he first looked at joining The Horde of Valhalla, he was actually looking for his sister Morgan who he believed had joined this order. It’s only later he finds out she may have joined The Titan Sky-Gods which are the enemies that the members of Valhalla fight against.

The Pantheon Games are set in the streets of Edinburgh, when the majority of people are tucked up in bed, the two sides dress up and use weapons that would only have been used when vikings were around. The challenges that are fought are recorded and are streamed live to very wealthy people who put bets on who is going to win. For these people it’s nothing but a sport watching people kill each other. But it is all around the world that the bets are placed and the games are watched live.

It’s a new season for the Pantheon Games, Season nineteen. This book is divided into three parts, part one The Cull, part two The Field and part three The Battle. The first two parts are the build up to The Battle at the end.

Tyler is still looking for his sister, but now he is in danger because others also want to find Tyler’s sister. Lana/Calder had also joint the order for different reasons to Tyler but she too is in danger in this book. Will be interesting to see if Tyler and Lana actually get together if they can stay alive.

This is a brilliantly plotted read, the world building makes you actually believe you are in Edinburgh. With characters you want to succeed, along with some characters who are evil and can’t be trusted. There’s quite a build of tension as you get closer to the battle, which makes you want to read on. This is definitely a book I would recommend.

Thank you to #netgalley and #HeadofZeusBooks for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest, fair unbiased review.

The second in an action-packed adventure thriller series, where modern-day recruits compete in an ancient fight to the death in the streets of Edinburgh.
New Season. New Rules. Same deadly game. was hooked from the first page. The writing is superb and enthralling and overall, I just loved this book.

Please note The Blood Isles is a direct sequel to The Wolf Mile. If you haven’t read book one in the Pantheon series then what follows may contain some minor spoilers.

New Season. New Rules. Same deadly game…

The Pantheon Games are the biggest underground event in the world, followed by millions online. New recruits must leave behind their twenty-first century lives and vie for dominance in a gruelling battle to the death armed only with ancient weapons – and their wits.

Last season’s new recruits Tyler and Lana have lived to fight another day, but now they face a series of even more lethal clashes before the Grand Battle that will end the Season.

It’s survival of the fittest, in the most brutal fashion imaginable. Lana must face the demons of her past, and Tyler has the mother of all targets on his back.

To my never-ending shame, I was late to the party when it came to the first novel in the Pantheon series. Though it has been around for a while, I only read The Wolf Mile by C F Barrington back in August this year. No such tardiness when it comes to the sequel, however. I had the book loaded up on my trusty Kindle* as soon as a review copy became available. The Blood Isles promises more breakneck high concept action. Across the lanes and rooftops of night-time Edinburgh, modern-day Vikings and Greek armies continue to wage a bloody war.

Tyler Maitland is no longer quite as naive as he was before. His violent baptism into the world of the Pantheon is over. He is finding his feet as part of the Viking forces. There are still rules to learn, but Tyler is a quick study. Driven by intensely personal motivations, the sense of tenacity he exhibits feels palpable. Meanwhile, Lana’s journey is quite different. She has come to the Pantheon from a different place in her life. I love how both characters’ reasons for choosing new lives are so grounded. There are revelations aplenty and by the end of the novel, Lana, in particular, is forced to revisit some of the darkest moments in her life.

I love when I pick up a novel with no preconceived notions of what to expect only to discover a story I can really connect with. That’s what happened with The Wolf Hour. By the time I had read the blurb on the back of the book, I was sold on the idea. The Blood Isles has achieved exactly what I hoped it would do. In many respects, it’s the perfect sequel. The Pantheon universe has been expanded upon, the characters have all moved forward and the experience left me wanting more. Once again fast-paced fight scenes collide with some wonderfully executed world-building to create something that captured and held this reader’s attention. The Blood Isles is the ideal antidote to some of the denser fiction I’ve been reading recently. It has a kinetic soul that guarantees twists and turns, good guys and bad guys, traitors and double-crosses.

You would be wrong however to think events are all just mindless blood-letting. There are also some dastardly power plays going on behind the scenes. The Pantheon is a vast machine and the people at the top will stop at nothing to retain power. Ultimately, Tyler and Lana are just pawns in a much larger game. Evidence of that is starting to creep into the already thrilling narrative. This extra layer of complexity suggests future novels are going to be even more exciting**.

One of the things I was excited about when I read The Wolf Mile was the tantalising titbits regarding how the Pantheon works on a global scale. Edinburgh is a fantastic place, but across the world there are other armies who also fight in the Pantheon. There are more mentions in this second book and I have high hopes that eventually all will be revealed. I will certainly be sticking around to find out. To say I am curious is a significant understatement.

If you’ve read The Wolf Mile and enjoyed it then I can confidently predict that The Blood Isles is not going to disappoint. Trust me, the final battle is worth waiting for.

The Blood Isles is published by Head of Zeus and is available today. I will stress again how much sense it makes to read book one first. Seriously people, if you haven’t already, buy both and prepare for some intensely enjoyable bloody mayhem.

I felt my musical recommendation had to be something suitably stirring with a very definite Viking vibe so I went with Domadagr by Danheim. If Nordic folk music isn’t the music of choice for the Valhalla Horde, I don’t know what is. The internet reliably informs me Domadagr roughly translates as Judgement Day. Based on the climatic action at the end of The Blood Isles this feels like an entirely appropriate choice.

*For the curious amongst you, my Kindle is called Tardis as it is bigger on the inside. In a more literary nod, it is also emblazoned with the words Don’t Panic. I find them terribly reassuring for some reason.

**I’m unsure if this is even possible, there is already quite a high bar been set, but kudos to C F Barrington for rising to this challenge

The story carries on seamlessly from where it left off in book one of this series. You do need to read these in order. So if you like Vikings and Romans, you will be in your element as the two constantly clash in battle. The setting as there are others all over the world takes place primarily through the streets of Edinburgh. Money doesn’t only talk money makes the authorities turn a blind eye as life and death skirmishers and battles play out.

In their own time, these soldiers lead ordinary lives, go to work each day, have families and go out with friends but, when the call comes, they are picked up and whisked away to secret locations to prepare for battle. For this, they are paid large sums of money and trained brutally to fight with authentic weapons in hand to hand combat. Huge bets are placed on who will be the victors.

The story follows Tyler and Lana, who met on their first day of training after they had both been abducted and offered the chance to become part of the Pantheon, if they had said no, they could have walked away, but they both had reasons to stay. Tyler had been sure that his sister had been recruited a while ago, and had not seen her since, but it was forbidden for family members to join as it would affect their performance in battles. No one knew about his sister. I liked the new character in Tyler’s day to day life, a bit of a whizz kid and hero worshiper.

Tyler has more brains than brawn and had not only survived through the first book but had got himself into a dangerous position for the start of this. He may as well have put an aim here target on his chest. In the first book, there had been a lot of training and survival tactics. But wow, this book has superbly detailed battles, defence strategies and relationships. The key players are like superheroes to the ones that watch online.

Lana plays a leading role in this story as her past is about to catch up with her. This new character made my skin crawl as I curled into a much smaller form on my sofa. This person is terrifying. I don’t want to go too much into the battles, which blew me away as it builds to the finale for the year. I need the final book in this, as it does leave you with a thirst for more.

I wish to thank the author for an e-copy of this book, which I have reviewed honestly.

Are you ready for battle on The Blood Isles?

Edinburgh’s youth volunteer to risk their lives in battle in exchange for money and fame. The rich sit back in comfort and bet on the battle’s outcome. The book is clearly a merging of The Vikings/Game of Thrones with Squid Game. However, it is still great fun to read.

The Horde of Valhalla is fighting the Titans. Tyler joined the Horde is search of his missing sister, Morgan in the first book of this series. Unfortunately, Morgan is fighting for the Titans. But there are also betrayals and politics in play on both sides.

“Things are wrong in the Horde.”

The Blood Isles is a surprisingly accurate depiction of how ancient battles were held. This lends authenticity to a fictional tale. Fans of movies about such ancient wars like The 300 will enjoy this book. The rich fans and politics are sidelined here but appear to be more of the focus of book three of the series. Overall, an intriguing look into a possible future. 4 stars!

Thanks to Head of Zeus, Aries Books, and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

The blood Isles by C.F. Barrington.
The Pantheon Series Book 2.
The Pantheon Games are the biggest underground event in the world, followed by millions online. New recruits must leave behind their twenty-first century lives and vie for dominance in a gruelling battle to the death armed only with ancient weapons – and their wits.
Last season's new recruits Tyler and Lana have lived to fight another day, but now they face a series of even more lethal clashes before the Grand Battle that will end the Season.
It's survival of the fittest, in the most brutal fashion imaginable. Lana must face the demons of her past, and Tyler has the mother of all targets on his back.
A good read. I didn't read book 1 so I think that's why I didn't understand it. 3*.

This is the second book in the pantheon series, ideally it helps to have read the first, although you are given a brief ‘last time on Pantheon’ précis of book 1

We are thrown straight back in where The Wolf Mile finished. I love this series, yes - it is complex, yes - it it thrilling and yes - it is gripping and is crying out for TV or film adaptation!

Tensions are ramped up to the max in this one! I love this world, part reality, part fantasy - the boundaries blurred, the thought that this could be happening without us knowing just adds to the excitement.
I was on tenterhooks reading this one as with the first book and this this is fast becoming a new fave of mine.

Tyler has to earn his stripes, Lana is badly injured and has to confront her past. We find out more about the Pantheon’s dark, murky underbelly where money and power reign supreme. The shadowy people pulling the strings are calling the shots, someone returns from a dark place that they shouldn’t and leaves Tyler, Lana, Brante and Halvar to make some tough decisions and take some huge risks. Soon they are once again fighting for their lives and the enemy within.

I literally shouted ‘Aargh how can you do this!! ‘ at the end….The Hastening Storm beckons.

✩✩✩✩✩

This is a great read and i would recommend you read this! This was a really fun read which I read so so quickly. I was kindly gifted an e-book in return a honest review.