I really enjoyed The Penitent Part I. Matter of fact, I flew through the book. It is hard to describe as it felt like a mix of fantasy and history with some spirituality. The characters were fantastic, Savage and Pall being my favorites, but other really cool ones popped in along the way. The setting was wild and at times, it had me questioning if what was happening was a mirage or a dream. The writing is top-notch and makes for a story that is impossible to put down. I look forward to reading what happens next as it does end on a cliffhanger of sorts.

In this first installment of the trilogy, Pall Warren, the member of an elite unit whose vanguard was sent against a coalition of raiders invading the country, wakes up after a head wound and realizes he is the sole survivor after the bloody combat. Unable to recall anything about his past, he forms an uneasy bond with an enigmatic bowman, John Savage, and the two set on a journey to unravel the evil breaking out around them.
After a slow start, the story becomes more fast pace and interesting. Then, I was drawn into the pages, imagining the characters and the surroundings.
Carreiro’s prose is crisp, his narrative was fluid, and he devotes special attention to sketching his characters, showing how they are affected by the events unfolding around them.
As a whole, it was full of suspense, twist and turns!

This was a great start to a fantasy novel, it has what I was looking for in this type of book and was glad I was able to read this. The story worked perfectly and was what I enjoyed about the genre, it had a unique world and I'm glad I read this. The characters felt like they belonged in this world and were interesting. I hope there is more in this series as I enjoyed this a lot.

"The creature that Savage saw was familiar to him by reputation only. Rumors of it had reached him. He also had come across evidence of its ravaging people and animals several times before in his assignments."