I received a copy from Netgalley.
Unfortunately this book had me bored, too much talking, not a lot of action, too long, to slow.
I think the best parts of the book was Olva and her journey to find her son.
The writing was good but it was the story that did not do for me.
I would have preferred, the book was fast paced and shorter, seems there was too much filling in this story.
Still gave it a 3 stars because I do not think it was bad, it was just too slow. I still probably be reading the sequel when it comes out.

Nine heroes came together and defeated the dark lord of Necrad twenty-two years ago, losing one of their own in the process, and now have been doing their best without him trying to lead the city to mixed results. On the surface, The Sword Defiant is a story of one warrior realizing the good old times are old times for a reason, while a mother overcomes the traumatic events of her past to save her son and discover the broader world at large. Underneath the surface is a tale of what happens when the war is won, and your comrades have grown older and changed, changed in a way that you may no longer trust them or approve of how they view the world.

After two years away, Aelfric the Lammergeir returns to the city of Necrad after being given a prophecy of dark tidings, but one of the other Nine Heroes, Jan, only to find things aren’t not going all that well. Gareth Hanrahan plays with trust throughout the story, especially with the remaining eight heroes. Early on, it’s revealed the grave containing the remains of their friend and the dark lord who were entangled together in death can only be opened by one of the eight, and Aelfric soon discovers it not only opened but the remains missing. It serves as a great hook as we meet the remaining nine, all steeped in morally grey areas that ask who Aelfric can trust.


Alf trusts too quickly, especially regarding the Nine, but the demon sword, Spellbreaker, does not, which made me wonder if the sword may have a point. Whether it was doing so for its purposes or not, the advice it gave Aelfric was quite reasonable for an evil sword. Except for the encouragement of killing of innocence, of course, it’s a sword; what does it know of good and evil? It’s made for killing. The relationship between sword and wielder was a standout part of the book, with them both needing something from one another while the other isn’t willing to give it up so easily.

Setting the book twenty-two years after the defeat of Lord Bones gives the author the tools to write Aelfric with a unique perspective. Fantasy often favors younger people for the chosen heroes, usually at a period when searching for the purpose of their life doesn’t weigh on their minds. The author writes Aelfric’s age from his point-of-view so well. You can feel it in how he swings his sword with either reluctance or indifference, like a man clocking into the same job he’s had for twenty-two years. He has only known the quest for so long, so when Jan, one of the Nine, tells him of a prophetic darkness coming, Alf latches on to it. The rest of the Nine have meaning to their lives, responsibilities, and a purpose, whether homeland, comrades, family, wealth, or power. Aelfric has none of those, and this weighs heavily on him at his age. He was the farm boy who became a hero, finished the quest, and became a knight with glory and treasure. Now, all that is in the past, and he doesn’t know what to do with his life. Until the events of The Sword Defiant go wrong, Aelfric needs the quest more than the quest needs doing. That inner turmoil makes for a great read.

While Aelfric is lost for a purpose without the quest, his sister Olva, is unlucky enough to have the quest thrust upon her. When her son Derwyn goes chasing after the long shadow of his legendary uncle in the far-off city of Necrad, Olva is forced to head on her own adventure to retrieve him. Side by side with Aelfric’s point-of-view chapters, Olva has a much more traditional fantasy quest; the farmer from a small village leaves on a quest to save their loved one, gaining allies along the way and learning of a wider world. In this regard, Olva is the hero, and Derwyn is the damsel-in-distress. As opposed to Aelfric’s tired indifference, Olva’s point-of-view gives us a mother determined at all costs to save her son. Through her, we see the world of The Sword Defiant and the city of Necrad in a much less cynical light, even though Olva has lived through her own traumatic events.

If you’ve read Hanrahan’s The Black Iron Legacy series, you know the author writes cities so well and alive, like that old cliche of the city is a character in itself. Each section of the city takes on a life of its own, from the sectors that house the refugee Witch Elves to The Wailing Tower, where the wizard Blaise studies the spells of the former dark lord. Necrad means so many different things to the many people either living there or having an active investment in what goes on there, and none of them gel quite well with one another ideally. What will happen to Necrad is the story Gareth is telling under the surface of what’s become of the Nine. It’s as if the author is playing a sleight of hand trick on his reader, showing a card displaying Aelfric trying to bring the remaining Nine Heroes together against whatever darkness Jan has prophesied while slipping into your pocket a card showing what’s happening in Necrad to delight much.

Creating a world of sword and sorcery with humans, elves, and dwarves, with wizards, rogues, barbarians, monsters, and magic swords in 2023, is difficult, especially to do so without treading the same ground. Approaching The Sword Defiant after the dark lord has been defeated. The heroes have had twenty years to figure out what happens next makes it feel like you’re picking up the sword and sorcery book of your youth when you’ve become an adult with more mature problems and consequences of a fantasy world without having to shed what was fun about that kind of books when you were younger.

QUICK SUMMARY
This is the first in a new fantasy series by the author. The story mostly focuses on Sir Aelfric, a veteran warrior who was instrumental in defeating the Dark Lord with his band of warrior friends.

The band… disbanded. They all went their separate ways, defending different evil spoils from their entanglement with the Dark Lord dude. Aelfric got stuck with an evil smart-ass sword called Spellbreaker.

When the story begins, Aelfric is heavily reminiscing on days gone by and wondering what his old friends are up to. He’s “called” somewhere by one of his friends and learns that some new threat may be on the rise, and it may be coming from one of his former band mates.

MY THOUGHTS
I really wanted to like this one. I was eager to try it because I’m two books into the author’s previous series, Black Iron Legacy, and am loving it, so I requested and was granted access to an ARC on NetGalley. Plus, since reading The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold, I realized that I love the veteran-warrior protagonist who’s battle-weary and doesn’t feel the need to prove himself, in that way.

But man, I couldn’t get into Sword Defiant. It starts out interestingly, focusing on Aelfric, a hero who doesn’t care for the fame that comes with such notoriety, and his smart-talking, evil sword. But, ugh! It soon became a chore to read. I gave up after reading 37% of the story, according to my Kindle app.

I just didn’t care for the protagonist. I was more interested in what the smart-ass sword had to say, but Aelfric kept telling it to shut up. Actually, much of Aelfric’s parts are spent reminiscing on how much better things were between his friends back in the day, and it made me want to read a story about the young warriors adventuring than being stuck in Aelfric’s thoughts now. We also read from his sister’s POV, but I wasn’t interested in her story either. I was also annoyed that parts of the story seemed too heavily inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, which is weird because I usually like that. I was even annoyed that some things were too familiar to Hanrahan’s other series, Black Iron Legacy — I’m talking about the “vatgrown” entities in Necrad here. I guess I was just expecting something totally different, but also, I just didn’t get on with this book at all. I wasn’t feeling it. I just wish Aelfric was more present and less obsessed with the past and paid more attention to his sword.

Despite reading a good bit, I didn’t rate it. My rating is based on enjoyment and… this left me feeling all jumbled inside. I certainly don’t like it, but I don’t dislike it either. It’s just that reading it didn’t feel like something worth doing.

DO I RECOMMEND IT?
Yes or No

Sure, but it’s not a strong recommendation. I was bored by it, which is why I gave up, but if it sounds great to you, try it out. I’d more so recommend Hanrahan’s Black Iron Legacy books.

The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan offers an interesting spin on classic epic fantasy, following what happens to a hero after their big quest.

Its main character is Aelfric—an aging, duty-bound knight—who once sealed away a powerful necromancer alongside his eight companions. However, when the necromancer appears to be freed once more, he tries to get the crew back together once more, but many of them have moved on from their adventuring days and a traitor may be in their midst …

While a lot of the tropes and world feels familiar (complete with paladins, dwarves, and elves), the author does throw some of his own unique ideas into the mix. For instance, I really adored the vatlings—Frankensteinian, leftover creations of the witch elves which were originally intended as food.

Also, one of the highlights of the book for me had to be the dynamics between Alf and Spellbreaker, a snarky demon sword that he swore to safeguard. It teeters the line between friend and foe (constantly leaving readers questioning whether or not it can be trusted) and helps Alf because it wishes to be wielded, yet it may have sinister motives of its own.

Overall, at its core, this is a wistfully nostalgic high fantasy that explores memory, trauma, and the inevitable passage of time, and I feel like if you loved the themes of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, you’ll have a good time with this one as well.

Thank you, Netgalley and Orbit, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

5/5
A gritty “Fellowship” feel - shadow of evil rising again, The Nine champions, elves, ogres, shape shifters, Vat-grown creatures, wizards, vampires, magic, war, and a bastard of a talking demon sword forged by the vanquished, evil Lord Bone. This book follows a haggard hero, Sir Aelfric the Lammergeier, as he tries to gather the remains of The Nine-who had saved the world two decades ago.

Everything I wanted from a floppy paperback fantasy book! Exceptional characters and prose, battle scenes that had me holding my breath, mockery from a demonic sword, found family feels, magic, bravery, loyalty, sacrifice and world lore that has left me eager for the next book in Lands of the Firstborn series.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC e-book. I was hooked after reading only the character list. And immediately purchased the floppy paperback on pub day.


I received an ARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Sword Defiant was an absolute joy for me to read! And I hope that what I am about to say will not detract in any way from GRH’s extraordinary imagination, skillful characterization and fantastic storytelling, but I think a few gamers will be able to relate to where I’m going with this sentiment!

Not only was this story filled with brilliant, fully realized and unique characters, as well as a loyal doggo I adored, I absolutely loved the world-building! It was so atmospheric and toothy, specifically Necrad and its unearthly green miasma, and so because of this hazy, sickly green coloured lens I was essentially reading from, I was thrown waaaay back to my World of Warcraft days!

WoW was my intro to mmorpgs and I only have the fondest of memories from that time, so reading while cloaked in this fuzzy feeling of nostalgia meant this book was most assuredly a slam dunk for me! 🥰

Things I loved:

🖤I loved the way the backstory was revealed through snippets of memory, flashbacks, introspection.
🖤The epic as fk Nine.
🖤I loved loved Alf and Olva and Torun...ok and Gundan and Blaise and Thurn and Lath and Spellbreaker of course!
🖤 The ending omg I am addicted to rereading the end of Chapter 42 and then all of Chapter 43, breaking out in goosebumps and then sobbing and then exhaling in relief, happy again. rinse and repeat. It's manic but I'm here for it because at least I'm wild about this story!

💚🖤This was wonderful work and I am excited for the rest of the series to come, and also for my reread of this book before the second installment comes out! I may have leveled up from my WoW days, but I am really happy to have Lands of the Firstborn for a quest-y nostalgic hug when I need it 💚🖤

Always fantastic to read new to you authors, who was the last one you tried?

I initially requested this arc (Thank you Orbit and Netgalley) because the cover reminded me of Jetstream Sam. If you get that reference you are awesome.

"The Sword Defiant" by Gareth Hanrahan follows Alf, one of the Nine heroes who slew Lord Bone in the city of Necrad. Twenty years have passed since then. Alf is tired, the talking demonic sword that urges violence probably doesn't help. But he is given a message of impending doom by another member of the Nine and has to return to the mess that is Necrad. Oh and then his estranged sister gets involved.

Reasons to read:
-The characters are as tired as I am
-Oh look a really cool take on the dynamics of many fantasy settings, it's not going to be what you think
-Shows the suddenness of violence well
-Forgiveness in some moments
-Didn't see that end coming

Cons:
-Crap now I have to wait for a sequel

Years ago, Alf and the rest of The Nine defeated Lord Bone. The Nine are heroes. If not for them, Lord Bone would've spread his evil across the land.
After killing Lord Bone, the Nine took over his city of Necrad and vowed to clear all the evil from it, and remain there to protect the city. Most of them stayed, but some did not.

Years later, a new threat is brewing and the Nine must reunite to fight against it.

This book is fantastic! I have never read anything by this author, but I plan to buy all his works after reading this. The writing is amazing. The cast of characters is top-notch! I loved this world so much. I could just picture the necromiasma hanging over the city. I can't say enough great things about this book. I loved it!

Thank you netgalley for letting me read this. Overall the book was good, great characters and setting.

I loved Alf as our main character. He’s the capable, loyal hero from the legends, but when we meet him he’s an older, jaded man without a clear purpose in the world. He has ties to a lot of important people, each of whom he’s quite fond of. But when he returns to them after some time away, he finds that the world he loves in isn’t as black and white as it once seemed. His friends are on opposite sides of many issues and he isn’t as up-to-date on local politics or even personal matters to have the confidence to step up as the leader he’s supposed to be but never really wanted to be. Gone are the days when the Nine were united. Now, the good guys are doing some shady things, and the bad guys now include some really good people. Alf is stuck in the middle, doing his best to navigate this murky situation and make the right decisions without betraying his conflicting feelings and loyalties.

The world is large, with a rich history. Although the story centers around the city of Necrad, we get to see a number of other places and uncover the complicated and often strained relations between the regions and races. The story starts out strong, with plenty of adventure and intrigue. Once things are in motion and the conflict isn’t as clear as expected, nor are the leaders as united, the pace slows for a while to give us more world-building and lore. Although I do wish there was more action within these parts, all the stories we hear within this section of the book become important later on when the pacing picks up again. It starts out like a standard quest, but develops into so much more.

Each piece of the adventure introduces new characters and layers new information on top of we already know. There is a lot going on, but it’s delivered in an easily digestible way that I think would also work well for people newer to epic fantasy who are maybe intimidated by the amount of information that often comes with this genre. Having a very limited number of point-of-view characters also kept the story from running in too many directions while keeping a lot of the mystery alive regarding who’s behind everything happening.

Overall, I really enjoyed this. There is adventuring and politics, lots of characters, history, and magic. I love stories with complex character relations and conflicts that don’t always have a clear side. This book gave me both of those things while using a lot of fantasy elements that I like in a way that felt unique and engaging. I would recommend this whether you’re new or old to the genre.

7.5 / 10

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2023/05/09/the-sword-defiant-by-gareth-hanrahan-review/

<i>From his city of Necrad, Lord Bone sent forth an evil host to despoil the land. Doom was at hand.</i>

<i>Nine arose in answer. Elf and Dwarf, Men of Summerswell and the Northern Wild, heroes all. Know them now, for their names shall never be forgotten.</i>

<i>Thurn the Wilder, Lath the Beast,</i>

<i>Gundan of the Dwarfholt, Laerlyn of the Everwood,</i>

<i>Blaise the Scholar, Jan the Pious,</i>

<i>Aelfric Bonebreaker, ever faithful.</i>

<i>First among them, Peir the Paladin, Peir the Peerless.</i>

<i>It was Peir who gathered them and Peir who led them.</i>

<i>And at the last, it was Peir who died for them.</i>

—

I’ve been trying to think of a good description for the genre of the Sword Defiant and mostly been coming up empty. It’s like the traditional high fantasy of Tolkien, with elves and men and dwarves and such, but with the grittiness of dark fantasy thrown in. It’s also what I’d call D&D inspired, with its adventure and monsters and battles. It’s certainly not a new genre, but enough of a mashup of different ones that I have trouble classing it.

This is my first book by the author and I have to admit I’m a little impressed. I mean, it wasn’t a perfect book by any means, but writing is hard. Writing a good, coherent book is hard. While this is far from the author’s first attempt (let alone his first published book), it’s still good to know that there’s a lot out there to explore in case you fancy a trip outside your comfort zone.

I was a big fan of the setting and world-building. The world is well-thought out and executed, deep in its history and lore, and a perfect backdrop for the plot. A fair few years prior, a group of heroes set out to save the world. Though “save” is a matter of debate depending on which side one was on. While the shadow (as it were) doesn’t get a POV in this story, they do have a voice—their troubles and hardships and, to an extent, point-of-view is related through the progression of the tale, to the extent that we are confronted with the difficult question of whether or not the world was actually saved at all.

The characters are… well, a mixed bag. Initially I found Aelfric and Olva a bit shallow and generic. But after quite a bit of journeying and adventure (and since they’re really the only two POVs we have), I did warm up a bit …to Alf. Olva I found to be little more than a mother on a quest to find her son. Which is fine, but that’s it. No other motivations or thoughts. Just a little one-sided. I understand the impulse and the marketability of this. I mean, how many Taken films were there? That being said, at the conclusion of the story that’s all I thought of Olva. As a grieving mother—full stop. Alf showed a bit more depth throughout, but really didn’t come across well. The reluctant hero thing usually comes across pretty well, but it kinda fell flat here. Yes, he puts his trust fully in his friends, which is admirable. But then he hasn’t seen many of them for years—and people change. Plus he knew from the outset that at least one of them was responsible for the looming darkness but it doesn’t change his actions AT ALL. The rest of the heroes are a similar mixed bag. Some show depth and change, others… not so much.

The story itself was interesting, conclusion good, writing itself pretty solid throughout. All in all the Sword Defiant was a good read, but never blew me away. I liked the premise of sentient weapons—a bit like the Seven Swords, by Anthony Ryan—but I wasn’t wowed by the execution of this premise. Alf spends most of the book refusing to converse with his blade, ruining the possible back-and-forth that Guyime and his demon have going for them. Not a bad first effort, though, and I’m definitely interested in where the series will go from here.

Imagine that, after the Fellowship defeats the Dark Lord, they decide to (mostly) stay in the magical city said evil called home and spend the next 20 years trying to purge it of rot in their own ways. Imagine that evil is once again rearing its head, but these famous heroes are now too tired, too old, and their relationships with one another too frayed to combat it with the same vigor with which they saved the world in their youth. Throw a sentient, mostly evil weapon into the mix and you have the premise of The Sword Defiant, the first installment in Gareth Hanrahan’s Lands of the Firstborn trilogy.

I love the idea behind this story. I love the examination of classic fantasy tropes from slightly different angles, and that’s exactly what this book was. It would make an excellent starter book for readers just starting to get more invested in fantasy as a genre, who have maybe only had experience with titans like The Lord of the Rings and other classics. There were a couple of little twists that were fun reveals, and the battle scenes were pretty well done. I was definitely invested enough in the story to want to pick up the second installment whenever it becomes available, because I have less of an idea where the plot is heading from here.

However, I did have some issues with this book. It felt either overly long, and could have been a stronger story if shortened by a hundred or so pages, or it could have been tightened and lengthened into a more solid standalone instead of drawn out into a trilogy. I also found myself having a difficult time forming much of any kind of emotional connection to a single character, much less to all those about whom I could tell I was meant to care. I didn’t feel that there was much if any significant character development, and that made me care less about the twists and turns of the plot.

For me, this was a fun, if borderline forgettable, foundational beginning to what I hope will be a series that develops greater depth and demands greater emotional investment in further installments. I enjoyed it enough to continue the series, but I’m not totally sold as of yet. However, I can see the idea of this story enchanting less jaded readers.

Published: May 2, 2023

Publisher: Orbit Books

Series: Lands of the Firstborn #1

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 608 (Paperback)

My Rating: 4.25 Stars

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:
Many years ago, Sir Aelfric and his nine companions saved the world, seizing the Dark Lord's cursed weapons, along with his dread city of Necrad. That was the easy part.

Now, when Aelfric - keeper of the cursed sword Spellbreaker - learns of a new and terrifying threat, he seeks the nine heroes once again. But they are wandering adventurers no longer. Yesterday's eager heroes are today's weary leaders - and some have turned to the darkness, becoming monsters themselves.

If there's one thing Aelfric knows, it's slaying monsters. Even if they used to be his friends.

After finishing Gareth Hanrahan’s Black Iron Legacy trilogy I knew I would pick up just about anything else he wrote afterwards. His latest novel, The Sword Defiant is an epic tale of the events after a great evil is defeated. I love that this type of plot is becoming a little more readily available now because I can’t get enough of it and The Sword Defiant is a fine addition to my collection.

Sir Aelfric Lammergeier was one of the Nine who slew the necromancer Lord Bone, routed the forces of darkness, and took the dread city of Necrad and claimed it as their own. Now, twenty years later, he’s haunted by old wounds and lost friends and after receiving a warning from Jan the priestess he returns to Necrad. A new evil is rising and the Lammergeier is determined to meet it before it can threaten the world. On the flip side, we have Olva, Aelfric’s younger sister and only remaining sibling who has just received a message and money from her long estranged brother. Olva’s son Derwyn, just learning of his uncle’s existence and fame, is determined to go to Necrad and runs off into danger. Cue Olva, her dog Cu, and Bor the message bringer setting off to rescue Derwyn from his own stupidity. 

Aelfric and Olva make an interesting counterpoint to one another and it gives the reader two points of view on both current and past events. For instance, Olva was quite young when Aelfric and the rest of the Nine were battling Lord Bone and all she remembers is them hiding out in her barn one night and then eventually witch elves murdering her husband. She holds thoughts of her brother at a distance and predictably, feels resentment toward him. Aelfric however, is crushed by haunting memories and almost hates the reverence people show toward him. He sees himself as nothing more than a swordsman and frequently laments the loss of Peir the paladin, who he saw as the true hero and the best among the Nine. While his physical wounds may have healed, the spiritual ones have not and that’s only exacerbated by Spellbreaker, the sentient sword beholden to Lord Bone that Aelfric now wields. 

This book is full of fantastical creatures, complicated relationships, and unknown quantities. By that I mean you never know who’s good or bad or possibly playing both sides. Aelfric and Olva both had interesting journeys overall, though both also had some slower paced segments that felt a bit tedious. Olva’s time with the elves in particular was a little boring, but provided valuable insight into how the wood elves live and introduced Prince Maedos. The ending had a great set up for the sequel because it introduced the next foe that must be brought down. Overall, this was a great start to a new series and seems like it would be perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons and Kings of the Wyld (though this is less humorous).

Really enjoyed the world building and magical system. Most of the fantasy I read and enjoy focus on THE ADVENTURE, so this was very unique and refreshing story that explores what happens after the villain has been defeated and the world has been saved. Really enjoyed the character of Aelfric who is a very gritty, realistic and relatable. I will certainly read book 2 when it is published.

This was just enjoyable a read as the first book in his first series that started with The Gutter Prayer and hopefully will only improve from here. Not as weird and wonderfully bizarre in some ways but with aspects of reality that I can recognize, and some will relate to for sure if you have served in the military or suffered trauma. It is also a book of book of friendship that is tried and true but maybe coming to an end with time and being attacked by forces they can't defeat. The story is well written and the pacing is good throughout for most part. I like Alf most of all but then we will have to see how other characters are fleshed out in other in the series. The enemy they face is supposedly known but is the enemy they all think or there other forces that have been in play for centuries if not thousands of years. There are twists and turns that I was not expecting but I never look to hard at a story to find those as I like the surprise that comes along as I read a book. This was a book I will need to read again as I think I missed some things but that's ok. I will eagerly await that time and the next book in the series. This is a solid beginning to a new series and one that many will chose to take a journey on. Thanks to the author for another good book, thanks to the publishers, and netgalley for the opportunity for the chance to read this book. Four stars for sure bordering on four and a half for me.

I stopped reading this book after I finished the first chapter. No, not because I wasn’t enjoying. I most definitely was, in fact I was loving it. No, I stopped reading because the opening chapter made numerous references to Aelfric (Alf) and his companion’s (The Nine) quest to defeat an evil necromancer…a quest that sounded so supremely epic that I had to stop reading and immediately check Gareth Hanrahan’s back catalog to see if one of his previous books told the story of The Nine because if there was I was going to put this book aside and immediately start reading about Alf’s earlier adventures. Unfortunately The Nine’s early adventure isn’t detailed directly in of his other books, only told through references/memories in this book…which is fine though I would read the heck out of a direct retelling if Gareth ever decides to write it.

I don’t won’t to go deep into the story of The Sword Defiant, it takes place well after the epic adventure of The Nine that is referenced through out. And while evil seems to be on the rise once again, The Nine are no longer the young idealistic heroes they once were and attempting to get them back together is no easy task. As I said, I loved the flashbacks to the early adventure, but the present day story is no less fascinating. After all what becomes of heroes once the glory fades and time begins to pass them by? I absolutely loved the world building, the complex characters, and how can you not love a sentient talking sword? I can’t wait to return to this world in future volumes. And I’ll definitely be checking out more of Hanrahan’s other books. I’d like to thank Orbit Books and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an eARC of The Sword Defiant.

https://www.amazon.com/review/R1U3PCKBQ22GUU/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv

I really liked this one. I’m maybe old that the aging warrior with an apparent addiction to healing potions to deal with how much everything hurts was a sympathetic character….
I’d recommend to anyone that likes a doorstop fantasy with fate of the world level stakes. I found this one a page turner and plowed through it in 2 days despite the length.

Read via NetGalley; book publishes May 2, 2023

Have you ever wondered what happens to the heroes of your D&D game after the campaign is over? If they don’t die along the way, what does life look like in the aftermath? “The Sword Defiant” is a pretty good guess.

It’s been 15 years since Alf and the other members of the Nine stormed Necrad and overthrew the evil Lord Bone. Those who survived have gone on to live their lives in all manners, but Alf has been left feeling like there’s unfinished business.

This book felt incredibly heavy. Now, normally I don’t mind heavy content as long as there’s something along the way to make the burden bearable. This story had no such assistance. Is it (probably) an incredibly realistic look at what a warrior’s life might look like after the big battle, when everyone is ‘supposed’ to be living happily ever after? Yes. But did I also have to drag myself through the story like I weighed 87 tons and had a soul made out of a lead block? Also yes.

To be fair, Alf (our MC) is also dealing with a similar feeling. He’s spent the last decade and a half mired in a pit of “well, now what?” The poor guy’s got almost no purpose left in his life, and he really doesn’t know what to do with himself. When our story starts, he’s just been wandering around the world for 2 years trying to find a calling (it was an unsuccessful trip). The talking demon sword he carries around probably wasn’t helping the matter.

There were several moments of humor sprinkled in (if you like dry, sarcastic humor you’ll probably get a few chuckles in during your read), but overall the whole story was just…hefty. The imposter syndrome and severely repressed PTSD that Alf’s dealing with were positively stifling at times, and when you add to that the lack of background we’re given on the Nine’s origin story, it made it hard for me to really become invested in the story. It felt like the reader’s been dropped in in the middle of something with very little warning. Which, again, is probably kind of the point. But this just wasn’t my cup of tea, overall.

The actual world building and writing, and the details and descriptions we’re given throughout the book, are amazing. I’d love to read about the Nine’s initial journey to save the world, and I think Hanrahan is a highly talented author who could make it an incredibly entertaining story. The aftermath of what should have been a joyful ending, however, just isn’t my cup of tea, no matter how well written.

I picked this story up due to the fact that one of the main protagonists is an aging hero (more realistic in my opinion- how are teens supposed to manage hormones and saving the world ALL THE TIME?!). Plus this dude has a magical talking sword!

In truth, the characters weren’t a highlight of the story for me. Alf & his sister were kind of boring actually.

The world building was fairly well done, but I would’ve loved to see more detail and history. Flashback scenes would’ve really benefited the story and character development.

The ending- not a fan. I didn’t like the abruptness of how things left off. I know there’s a second book coming out, but it still annoyed me big time. To the point I don’t think I’ll be continuing this series.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and Orbit Books for a copy!

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. My review will be based on the physical ARC I read (if I qualify)