I typically have not been very fond of epic fantasy. It's not that I don't like the stories or the characters or the fantastic adventures. It's the complex world-building that is involved in most epic adventures. Maybe it's an unknown learning disability or an undiagnosed ADD, but the more complex and foreign-sounding the names of characters and locations, the more challenged I am to read the book. When I struggle to understand the 'who' and the 'where' I generally can't enjoy the story. The very first sentence in the description on Goodreads would typically put me on edge: Inar is Master Builder for the Kingdom of Mishig-Tenh. Knowing this about myself and my reading habits, I will often eschew reading epic fantasy if I recognize that's what it is before I start reading.

I did not know that's what this book would be, which is a good thing, because despite my struggle with some of the people and places, I enjoyed this book.

Inar, the Master Builder mentioned above, comes from a family that has fallen in disgrace. Her brother and father were both found to be traitors and executed. Now the King's chancellor has selected Inar to become a spy for him. There's a huge danger in being a spy, but Inar has no choice.

In another part of the world, Anton is a blade priest who serves the Mountain God. His job has been to perform the human sacrifices to the god. But the 'Custodians' - the keepers of the faith and its path to the god - have put a stop to the sacrifices. This is good news for Anton, but he soon has to go on the run as another faction wants to take control of the region.

Inar, meanwhile, takes on the duty of shepherding a young girl, Duna, to the mountains. Duna seems to have a rare telekinetic power and she needs to be properly trained for her own safety as well as for those around her.

Author W. P. Wiles dumps a lot of the uncomfortable, tongue-twisting language into the book very early. Many of the names are too similar, causing even more confusion in my slow brain (are we talking about the Mishig-Tenh, the Elith-Tenh, or the Tzan-Tenh?). But the characters, particularly Inar and Duna, are so fascinating that I was able to ignore a lot of the busy detail to focus on the characters' needs and wants.

Wiles manages to keep the action moving so that we're not bogged down with a lot of reflection, commentary, and planning - traits that often slow an epic fantasy to a crawl. There was just the right amount of physical action, consistent throughout the book, to create nice rising action, building character and tension.

One of the aspects I really appreciated was that 'common' fantasy characters, particularly elves, weren't like the elves we see in Lord of the Rings or many fantasies. The elves here are evil little monsters, looking to get rid of humans. I loved this 'twist.' Surely this isn't the only book to take this kind of look at 'familiar' creatures, but combined with the rest of the storytelling, it was a nice addition.

Although I've found I don't typically enjoy epic fantasy, this proves to be the exception. This was an enjoyable read and I'm interested in following up on these characters.

Looking for a good book? W. P. Wiles has penned a very interesting and readable epic fantasy in The Last Blade Priest.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This was a interesting and refreshing story. I like the fact there is some magic and the storyline is mysterious throughout. I think the characters are really well written, none of them are perfect and they all have their own faults.

The plot kept me guessing too which is normally hard to do!

Book Review

Title: The Last Blade Priest by W.P. Wiles

Genre: Dark, Fantasy

Rating: 3.5 Stars


The opening to The Last Blade Priest was interesting as we are introduced to Inar who is a Master Builder for the Kingdom of Mishig-Tenh. We learn that there was a war previously between the Kingdom and the League of Free Cities and there is currently an uneasy alliance between the two factions. During the war, Inar’s father and older brother were both executed for treason solidifying his allegiance to the Kingdom but when some League Knights roll through looking to levy Inar his loyalty is questioned and he is ultimately given to the League but also instructed to act as a spy for the Kingdom. We are then introduced to Anton, the Blade Priest for Craithe, the God Mountain. Anton is a Blade Priest meaning he is supposed to take part in human sacrifices but this practice has just been outlawed much to Anton’s relief and we begin to learn about the religion of the God Mountain but not much. We switch back to Inar who has been taken by the League to a fortress where it does look like they are preparing for a second war but he and Lott have no choice but to wait and see what the League want them to do while keeping their eyes and ears open to what is going on around them. They are under the care of Anzola who seems to be a hero in the eyes of the League but her ward, Duna is more interesting right now since she seems to have an air of mystery and power surrounding her.

As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, there seems to be a lot of information missing like we are only getting half of a story since a lot of the politics and religion happening in the present is related to things in the past which we aren’t being shown. From what I can gather there was a war with the Elves at some point and the Elves lost and were driven back into their homeland, this was followed by a war between the Kingdom and the League which the League won. Now the Elves are becoming a problem again and the League is having to gain an alliance with the God-Mountain in order to pass soldiers through there to destroy the Elves homeland but the Kingdom isn’t happy about the amount of power that the League seems to have so all in all no one is currently happy. Inar was brought to the Mountain by the League in order to show them how to get through the second, more dangerous pass and he explains it is impossible but the League aren’t going to believe this until they see it with their own eyes which would explain the fortress and the amount of soldiers present with the League. Through Anton we learn more about the religion which seems a lot like a cult who worship a Mountain, a living God and avian demi-gods which is strange as anything I have ever read but I am excited to see how Inar and Anton’s paths cross at some point. We see the main plot points beginning to emerge as Inar is leading the League through previously forbidden ground to aid in destroying a common enemy while Anton is caught between what he wants and what his religion demands of him even though he doesn’t agree with it and never has from what I can see. I have a feeling they are going to cross paths when the League gets through the Mountain pass. However, most of the action comes from Inar as he knows that his father must have given the information that led to his death to Anzola and he tries to get more information out of Duna. However, when they reach the ice sea a rock comes crashing down opening up a crevasse that swallows Duna, I don’t believe she is dead since she seems important to the story but she isn’t going to come out injured which might delay their journey.

As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, I was really liking Inar’s perspective but I didn’t really see the point in Anton’s just yet other than to give us backstories and politics which didn’t make for interesting reading but that might change soon. It is around here that things begin to get really interesting and really hooked me into the story. First of all Inar learns that Duna seems to have a similar ability to him which is pretty rare which might be why he sensed something different about her and the full extent of her ability is shown and she is called a scourge. Meanwhile, Anton learns that the alliance with the League is going to happen and he and Elecy, the Blade Priests are very important in this since Anton is going to be named the successor of the leader and Elecy is going to become the ambassador for a neighbouring Kingdom which doesn’t follow their religion but he has to keep it secret until the Conclave is finished. However, there is a divide in the religion that is getting wider and when the leader is murdered and Anton is framed I was honestly stunned. As we are getting close to the halfway mark in the novel I couldn’t wait to see what happens with both Anton and Inar as both of their stories are getting very interesting.

As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, the pace is really picking up as Anton is thrown in a cell for murder which is all part of a plot created by Ving to seize control and Elecy is the only one willing to listen to him and she eventually finds proof that he is telling the truth. Ving wants control in order to gain God like powers but the Custodians know they were wrong to grant them in the first place. Elecy helps Anton escape and sends him to find Yisho with the proof of his innocence while she stays behind and since the book is called the Last Blade Priest I assuming that she is going to die at some point leaving on Anton. Meanwhile, Inar is horrified to learn Duna is a scourge since they have the power to break stone with their minds but it is linked to their emotions making the power difficult to control and making scourges very dangerous. However, Anzola explains that Duna has been learning to control and expand her powers since she was a child and that he should stay and see for himself which I think he is going to do. It is around this point that we also begin to get Duna’s perspective a learn more about her life with Anzola and her talent as a scourge which is going to be interesting. By the time they reach the meeting point a rebellion is already going on within the Church and there is no one being sent to meet with the League as Ving wants which means the League have to turn back to the fort and proceed with plan B which is taking the Church by force. Ramnie revealed to Anzola that the Church is far weaker than anyone especially Ving believes and their alliance was the only chance they had but now it is gone. However, Anton is free now and heading to the Gull Gates where he might find help in tracking down Yisho and the League are also heading there as it is the quickest and safest route back although it is out of their way so their paths might cross now. We also learn through Inar that he and Duna have complimentary abilities which is why he was requested by the League and that Duna has been hiding the extent of her power from Anzola but he isn’t sure why yet but I hope we find out soon.

As we cross into the second half of the novel, there are plots within plots right now with little action so I am hoping that changes soon. While I love politic intrigue in high fantasy (it’s the reason I love Sanderson after all) I do need some good action to keep the story moving forward and to increase the stakes. The different people we are following are close to coming together as Inar and Franj end up following behind Anzola’s group but don’t want to get too close yet since they don’t know if they are going to help them or not. However, when Anzola’s group are stopped by zealots who follow Ving, Franj has no choice but to step in and help them revealing themselves to the League although they currently keep their identity a secret. They tell Anzola about the way the church has fallen and they are carrying a message to the loyal zealots of the true leader which is Inar although this is omitted from the conversation. They end up joining together for now but they are confronted with more horrors when they reach the Gull Gates, Inar ends up having a conversation with a Custodian who tells him that Duna is a scourge but she is going to be useful to them in this journey and not to harm her which he relays to Franj but Anzola is suspicious and curious about them and sooner or later Inar might have to reveal himself to the League in order for them not to kill him. As the continue their journey despite their suspicions of each other they end up being set upon by Elves who are the true enemy to both Inar and Anzola so they are going to have to work together. The party is small unlike the Elves so they don’t have much hope of fighting their way out of the situation and even Duna’s abilities don’t work on the Elves. If people don’t die here it will be because the Custodians might help them out since they are still within their reach for now. I personally felt we have waited far too long for some real action to happen but I am interested to see where the author goes with this now.

As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, the “battle” with the Elves if you can call it that was disappointing especially since we have had to wade through over 350 pages to see them for the first time. There is also so much going on right now between the warring factions with the church and the League making everything super confusing. I think that everyone should be focusing on the Elves since they are the biggest problem but the League is now at war with the church so Anton and Duna are both being used as pawns. Meanwhile Inar has switched from Anzola’s group to Ernesto’s which seems against his character since he has been against more war and death from the beginning much like Anton. Anton is growing as a character but not in the right way since he threatens Ernesto with violence and the death of the League supporters when he has been a pacifist for the majority of the novel. With less than 100 pages left in the novel I am not confident that Wiles can wrap up all the plot lines they set up in this novel and I honestly believe this would have been better as a series or at least a duology. I say this because a lot of the contextual knowledge we need is giving in very clunky dialogue and histories when it would have been easier for there to have been a prologue showing us the previous war with the Elves and the resulting war between the League and the Kingdom. We also could have got a lot of information about the Custodian, the Living God and the Blade Priest during this time as well which would have cut out those clunky and unnecessary scenes. I also wasn’t happy with the fact over half of the novel is spent building political intrigue then jumping straight into some action with no build up and very little in the way of resolution. Wiles is going to have to pull off a miracle to wrap with up in a satisfactory way, it has been done before but I am not getting my hopes up.

As we cross into the final section of the novel, things seemed to progress really quickly but there were a few issues I was having that I will discuss more if they aren’t resolved by the end of the novel. The last 100 pages of the novel were strange to say the least, watching the “final” battle with Duna was great as we see her really own her power for the first time but she acted a little out of character. Then there was this whole plot line with Anton and the Custodian and a realisation that he didn’t have before now despite being one of the most intelligent characters in the book. That reveal leads to something more but it doesn’t go anywhere as the ending of the novel really felt like the beginning of a second that didn’t really make much sense at all. The pacing was strange throughout the novel as the first half seemed to drag and the second half seemed really rushed. Certain elements with the history, the religion and the various magics used aren’t given enough depth meaning we don’t fully understand them. The magic was especially confusing since scourge talents like Duna and Inar’s are extremely rare but they aren’t explained very well and the limits of these abilities weren’t shown so they didn’t seem well rounded, also the difference between Inar and Duna’s abilities aren’t really explained as they are lumped together. It seemed like the author was trying to cram a lot of different elements into the novel and many of them ended up falling flat or weren’t developed enough to be great but it certainly had the potential to. I think if this book had been a series or at least a duology it would have flowed better and certain elements like the history, the politics and the magic could have been given more development. Overall, The Last Blade Priest had a lot of potential and if it is expanded into a series the issues I had with this book could be fixed but it fell really flat for me as a lot of the novel wasn’t explained properly which made it really confusing to read which meant I had a hard time getting through the book.

I forgot this book came from NetGalley, I think I read it off an e arc send for the tour!!

My reviews were featured and shared already for the tour but here is the body of it:

I think the “file under” area is what hooked me on reading this one – “nightmare crows, scarred altars…” etc.  I love anything rich in world building and this book 100% did not disappoint.  The first 100 pages ish WAS confusing to me because Wiles threw out all the native terms without taking time to explain, but, I’ve learned to just let these things roll until they make sense.  As long as they make sense by the end of the book – and trust me, they do in this case – I don’t consider this a big deal anymore.

The main points of view are Inar and Anton, one a builder and one a priest trained to sacrifice human lives to the Mountain and it’s Custodian/s. One cool aspect is that as the storylines and characters progress, we learn who else is important, who will be dictating furture events. I didn’t see the twists coming but as the storylines converge (and the book wraps up) I found myself really liking these other people who wormed their way in. The less you know the better but I do like being surprised by side characters.

The world is rich in history, lore, religious lore, magic, and atmosphere.  The settings are well fleshed out too. A lot is added setting wise as the author’s career is somewhere in architecture. To me at least it’s cool when the setting becomes such a big part of the story and lore. It sounds dull as hell to read about but he stated that he created a “Fantasy architecture” for the world and it’s awesome, it makes sense, it fits, and it’s cool.  I just like cold, mountainy settings anyway and these take a huge toll on the characters here.

The other thing that adds a lot to the atmosphere is how the language sets a specific tone – I honestly had to look up quite a few words used but it did add to the world’s feeling of… consistency?  The book overall has a dark feel and while I have read much darker fantasy, this one had it’s moments and a consistent heavier feeling throughout.

So you get through the first hundred pages and the book starts rolling, the quest begins, the priesthood starts making sense, the characters develop, and the magic starts unfurling.  Did I say unfurling? Yes! I liked how the magic wasn’t dumped on us to begin with but revealed as we went along.  The elves are evil too and there’s a lot of backstory that rolls into the plot as the characters journey along.

Overall – I really liked this one. I liked how the story unrolled and that I didn’t mind being along for the ride in the meantime.  I liked a clearly dark fantasy that wasn’t truly horrific.  A lot of my favorite books set a tone and keep it, and this one fell into that category.   For the slow and slightly rough start I docked a star but fully would recommend this one to epic and dark fantasy fans!

The Last Blade is a novel of deception, deceit, and betrayal. This is the novel for you for fans of Joe Ambercrombie and Justin Call. It’s grimdark, it’s got anti-hero tropes, of course, your typical ‘elves’ have an evil trope which is good to see in a fantasy novel. The character’s in this book are easy to follow, and despite some reservations that I had with the novel, not including a glossary or a map, the worldbuilding is quite easy to follow despite the in-numerous amount of names, kingdoms, cities, and places. This is not an easy skill to master even for new or experienced writers. To write your novel and keep on redrafting it until it is understandable, to make the reader immersed in your world takes time and effort. And for a reader like me, I can even remember the most insane details of this world that I will not want to spoil. But suffice to say, Emperor Aurugdine has legendary lore that is worthy of reading.

Because the story’s biggest strength is like that of playing a Skyrim DLC. It’s comparable to that level of worldbuilding. There are details I can remember, like the wars between Stull and the League, the irate lord Cimila, and the Zealots, the Tzanate, and the Custodians. Plus, there’s also the mysterious cult that worships the Mountain. I was expecting to see more Godly moments, maybe some more interventions by divine creatures, etc. These are only suggestions. The blurb says what it does on the tin, for the builder that is Inar has to navigate through a very complicated political situation that puts his life on the line. The priest, Anton has a very peculiar path, drawn to the political machinations of old men that have long been past their due. And the child, who I was unable to figure out until perhaps the end. I’m still not sure.

Overall, this is a great fantasy novel debut, and I really enjoyed the story. Look, if a good story can carry you across the pages, then it’s done its job in my opinion. The characters are not too hard to relate to, and that’s good. This is a solid fantasy novel that I would thoroughly recommend and I really want to read the second novel now! Please include a map and a glossary next time!

Amazon review submitted!

This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.
I read over 100+ pages in before it was archived. I enjoyed the brief world building I got to experience. The plot seemed interesting even though it would still take a few more chapters for it to set up fully.

Anton is a blade priest, one of the last, but with the Custodians no longer wanting to receive the gift, what purpose does he have? But Anton will be blessed, though he will not see it as such, and be forced to escape his home. He travels to find allies but finds that allies are hard to come by when you have very little to bargain with. Inar is a builder with a unique talent to see into stone, one that he must keep hidden. He is requested to travel with a Merite, a leader in the League that is conquering the kingdoms, to show the road to the mountain. They know of his talent and how it can be used to strengthen a deadlier one. The enemy is coming, called the Elves, and the League will do whatever they must to protect the kingdoms; stone will not stand in their way…

This book is really well written, and it makes you want to keep reading, though the story lacks something for me. So why did I keep reading… I could relate to some parts of the story, where promises are used as incentives, but they are never quite fulfilled. I did like how the story is told mainly from the viewpoint of Anton and Inar, who are not in a position to make decisions (though Anton should, but struggles), they follow instructions, and we see the story from that view. I liked Duna, who wants to be a good person and not have her talents used only as weapons. And how people use the excuse of “for the greater good” to justify their actions. So perhaps I kept reading because the characters act so human and I felt so betrayed on their behalf.

I think the pace of the story was a little slow for me. I would have liked to see more of what was happening with Ving and his group. I read in the acknowledgements that the author has other publications, and this is his first fantasy story. Perhaps that is why I find it really well written but lacking something that I can’t really explain (not fair, I know). But the end… I will be reading the next one, to see where this goes...

W. P. Wiles' The Last Blade Priest is a raw, gritty, and visceral fantasy novel that bucks your standard high fantasy tropes and harkens to the best of Burroughs and Howard. Wiles allows his reader to slowly learn about his world; exposition is sparse and light, unfolding as the protagonists discover more and more through their actions. This light-handed exposition extends to the magical systems, the races in the world, the political and socioeconomic systems, and even the backgrounds of the characters, allowing the reader to slowly wade in deeper and deeper as they progress through this first novel (of what looks to be an epic series). Combat unfolds explosively and with weight, as consequences and choices weight on the protagonists, and Wiles isn't afraid to dive into the viscera and violence of his setting. A slower start led to a book that I couldn't wait to pick back up whenever I was interrupted.

If you like your elves noble and beautiful and straight out of LOTR, then this book is not for you. Evil elves are just one of the brilliant creations in The Last Blade Priest. It’s a slow burning epic fantasy and I absolutely loved it. This book has some great world building and the main characters are really satisfying in the way they grow and develop through the story. I loved the politics especially the league who aren’t colonising people at all, merely introducing them to a better way of life. If you like your fantasy thoughtfully written with plenty of detail, then this is the book for you. There’s action too and sometimes it’s quite startling. Nothing in this book is quite what it first appears to be. I can’t wait to read the sequel.
Thank you to Net Galley and Angry Robot for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Destiny is a tricky thing as it is something that you should not be aware of. I want to be surprised if it turns out that I save the world, or perhaps destroy it. Some characters have their destiny thrust upon them from a young age and are told what it will be. Anton is a Blade Priest for Craithe, the God Mountain, and has been trained since childhood. His job? To carry out the human sacrifices, but Anton does not like violence. Sometimes destiny can pick the wrong person for the job, but is there something else in store for the last blade priest?

As the priests of the God Mountain remain recluse, the world around them is changing. The League of Free Cities is expanding via a mixture of diplomacy and war. Worse still are that Elves are returning, a race of turned humans altered by bad magic. Inar is a builder who becomes caught up in world changing events when the League hire him for a job. Eventually, the paths of Inar and Anton will cross. Both will play a role in the very survival or destruction of the world around them.

The Last Blade Priest by W. P. Wiles is a wonderful slice of low fantasy that takes the idea of a Conan the Barbarian like world and gives the mysterious sacrificing priests their own voice. The God Mountain is straight from a gothic tale. A mysterious cult who for years sacrificed humans to their Gods, feared and worshipped across the land. Anton’s tale reveals some of the secrets behind the curtain. Half the book is told from his perspective, and we realise that he is unsure of his actions and does not want to partake in the older traditions. Anton wants change, but this means politics.

Politics is another large element of Priest; the different factions all have varying ways of life, and they all think they are right. The traditional priests are always going to clash against the modernising League. There is a game of thrones going on, but more along the line of ideals and culture, than individuals.

This is epic fantasy and there are quest elements to the book as our heroes find themselves travelling across many leagues. It is the characters that make these journeys worth reading. The other half of the book is told from the perspective of Inar. He would consider himself a nobody and we get to witness the work of armies from the point of view of someone who does not want to be there. Like in any good fantasy novel, there is far more to see than is on the surface and both Inar and Anton have meaty story arcs.

The book also has a sort of fellowship, but one that does not really like each other. The League likes to integrate nations they have captured and not all are happy to play along. We meet a League noble and her ward. Duna is a fragile looking child, but inside there is a power. Her role in the novel expands as the book become increasingly bigger in scale. An intimate story about a few characters opens into one of epic battles and world defining events.

I very much enjoyed my time with Priest. It is a book that takes some of the tropes of fantasy and decides to explore behind the cliché. Perhaps a priest trailed to kill the innocent has more going on than just a thirst for blood? Inar also proves a very amiable character and is perfect for introducing the reader to the world. This is a chunky slice of fantasy at over 500 pages, but it is well paced and fun, so you will not want it to end.

Question, what animal in your life demands sacrifices? Currently mine has an axe to grind with everyone shooting off fireworks.

W. P. Wiles "The Last Blade Priest" (out July 12, 2022) has giant murderbirds with a religious following that dabble with a bit of heart based removal. Now that I have your attention, there is also a really good engineer who is stuck learning spycraft on the fly. Oh yea, and they are doing this under the shadow of a strangely competent conquerer who can at least lay out camps and improve on their design, but also not great folks.

Reasons to read:
-The character in the totally not murder cult is kinda "meh" on the whole human sacrifice thing
-Engineer who is tired of their crew being bad is sort of my entire childhood
-Unlikely antagonists
-Everyone has had a (Redacted character name) in their group projects
-Keeping human sacrifice on the table is part of a religious schism 🤣
-Murderbirds
-Didn't see that coming

Cons:
-It's a bit slow to get the hooks in, but just enjoy the ride and learn the jargon.

Thanks Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for the ARCs.

It took a good 100 pages or so to get into this novel, but once I did it was great! It was quite confusing at start without a glossary or hierarchical structure to follow the terms and names used for people in the religious and military orders but you soon get used to it and figure it out. The world building is great, the two main characters are well developed some of the minor characters lesser so but it sounds like they will have more of a part to come as the story ends as if it's angling for a follow up.
I received a free review copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest unedited feedback.
Thank you to Netgalley, Angry Robot and the author.

Avian demigods who require human sacrifice. A magical mountain around which an entire religious organization (cult?) is structured. Evil Elves. Necromancy. A kingdom on the brink of religious war and further colonization...

Betty Trask award winning author W.P. Wiles is back with a new epic fantasy multi-POV tale, THE LAST BLADE PRIEST is full of adventure, top notch world building and a few unique twists to some of my favorite tropes.

In the spirit of full disclosure, I did request and receive the advance reader copy from the publisher, Angry Robot Books. Now let me explain why I requested this book. There was a line I saw in the press release that said "Whatever you do, beware the elves..." and that was all it took. So many fantasy tales that I read, the elves are a race that thrives in harmony with nature and are good beings. This one line suggested to me that the elves in this world were evil. Frightening. I had to know! (I was NOT disappointed!)

Let's talk characters and world building. One of the POVs we get this story through is Inar, a Master Builder for the Mishig-Tenh (Mishig denotes the family Inar is a member of, and the Tenh are different tribes that live along the chain of mountains that curve throughout the land). Inar lives with a smudge on his family name, as his brother and father were both branded traitors by the King and paid with their lives. Likely this is why the King's chancellor has chosen Inar to go work with the League and spy for him. Inar is our character who moves around the land and allows us to visualize this world.

Before I mention the second POV, I have to give a brief accolade for my favorite tertiary character, Lott. Lott is an apprentice of Inar the Builder and is drafted to accompany Inar to go with the League on his task. Lott has some of the best lines in the novel in my opinion, probably because he had some great comedic responses. Let's just say he was a genius at excising aggravation taxes on the Leaguers.

The second POV is Anton, a blade priest who serves the Mountain God, Craithe, and its Custodians, large birds that I always pictured as really big crows. Anton was chosen as a young orphan to be a blade priest, one who kept separate from the others and responsible for Giving the Gift, which is performing human sacrifices for the Mountain. A shocking command from the Custodians put a stop to this custom, much to Anton's relief. Anton is a stationary character for the most part, he remains in the fortress outside of Craith. He may not provide world building opportunities, but he does allow us to see all of the schemes and machinations of the various "groups" in his religious order. It was unique, full of mystery and intrigue and I absolutely loved it. I'm sitting here smiling in memory of the many unexpected twists and turns that I discovered in these pages.

So, putting all of this together, just what did I think of THE LAST BLADE PRIEST ? Honestly, I didn't get enough of this world with just the one book. When I read the last page, I turned and looked at my husband and said "If this doesn't get a sequel, I'm going on a rampage."

The Last Blade Priest feels like it could end up being one very memorable series if this is its start.

I have received this book in exchange of an honest review, thank you to Angry Robot and the author for the opportunity.

I have my own blog now (www.daysinotherworlds.com), so please do give it a visit if you're interested in my other reviews :)

Release date: 12th of July 2022.

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June of 2022 is shaping up to be the worst reading month I've had in the last couple of years. It's not a new thing, as it usually is the worst one in any reading year of mine, but with books like The Last Blade Priest, it makes the blow of such weak TBR progress easier to handle.

I'm a huge fan of world building and it's usually, the highlight of most books I read if it was excessive. And of course, enjoyable to read about. W. P. Wiles created a fantastic world to go through, and the author also wastes no time of making it the main point of the narrative. It's dense, it's intricate and as always, it spoke volumes of the level of effort the author put into creating it.

There are different magic systems, different cultures, creatures, histories, legends, groups and the different threats as well. One of the main things that truly worked for this book, and hopefully series by extension, was the limitation of it's point of view characters. There are ambitious pieces of writing throughout the fantasy genre, and even though the world is great, the ping ponging between the 10+ characters in different locations, makes it extra challenging.

Not impossible to do, but still extra challenging.

In The Last Blade Priest the main story was told in separate locations yes, but it's mainly told from two point of views. There were some chapters for other characters, but the main two were Anton and Inar. Through them, I got to learn about the main conflict they're trying to work against, the other threats that they personally had to deal with and their moments of doubts as well.

The different characters I ended up meeting ranged from interesting to neutral to forgettable. Some of them were too interesting to me, that I had hoped that they got they're own point of views throughout the book, but given that it's seemingly a series, all hope is not lost. The awesome thing here is that there are a lot of twists and turns to enjoy.

I wouldn't truly call any of them surprising, in the grandest scheme of things, but I do believe that the author managed to nail all of them except one at the very end of the book. That scene was very cool, don't get me wrong, but the events leading up to it made it a little expected for the impact I believe the author was trying to achieve.

That in itself is not an issue whatsoever, my main issue here was interest.

Because it's world building first and foremost, through the characters, the pacing would be slow and that's totally fine. But the interest I had in following said characters, took a much longer while to happen for me and it's the main reason of why I didn't love the book as much as I know I could've. I'm almost certain it's a series rather than just a standalone and that makes me giddy, if this is the start, then I'm hoping it's only going to get even better.

Final rating: 3.5/5

I requested a digital copy in order to sample the prose on my phone (since I don't have a eReader) before requesting a physical copy for review. I will update Netgalley once I read & review a physical copy.

My review will be based on the physical ARC I read.

A gripping read, worth checking by readers interested in intriguing worldbuilding, solid characterization, and clever plots. Recommended.

(I was given an ARC through NetGalley in exhange for a review)

This is a -dense- book. There's a lot going on here and it has no qualms with just throwing you into the deep end to see if you can find your way to shore. It's not bad at all, but it is a challenge, and the whole thing just crashes to an end. I'm interested to see where it goes next, so I'll likely read the sequel. A glossary would have done wonders for this book.

This was interesting with the magic system and the story but the pacing was off. The action was thrust upon us and the descriptions plagued with the inability of the writer.

I have read (I think) previous works by this author (care of wooden floors and plume) and if this is the same author then I can only say what a huge development in writing style and story telling, I enjoyed the other books, they have a unique flavour but being a life long fan of all sci-fi & fantasy books this book was a pleasure to read, i am not going to be a bore like some semi professional reviewers and rehash the synopsis I will just say it’s a book worthy of your money and time

This book is imaginative, rich in detail, with great world building and twists that grab you, because you haven't seen them coming.

W.P. Wiles, creates a fascinating world, where dying gods, cults, and astounding powers help shape the story to a wild climax.

Inar, the master builder turned spy against the legion by his king, and Anton, the bladed priest, who is relieved that for a time, human sacrifice to the mountain is no longer needed find themselves in a life story that will be be out of their cotrol.

a great read, by an author who knows how to create an epic story.

Read it, and read it now.