7.5 / 10 ✪

https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/05/12/the-slain-divine-by-david-dalglish-review/

The Vagrant Gods continues, albeit in a somewhat darker and more bloody direction. And—if you’ve come this far, you know—it’s been bloody enough as it is. Still, with the amount of soldiers brought to protect/serve the God-Incarnate, there’s more than enough blood to go around.

And yet, the realism just wasn’t there for me. It seems too easy to escape in what really isn’t the biggest city, and our heroes always seem to kill an impressive amount of endlessly respawning soldiers before fading into the background, while their pursuers get bored and stop searching. It’s a bit like a bad video game. Not to mention the end, where something impossible happens, nearly ruining the entire thing.

Still, the characters remain well-written and interesting. My favorites remain the Vagrant/Cyrus and Sinshei, with an honorable mention to Soma, whose own story just got so much more interesting with the bomb dropped at the end of the Sapphire Altar. Keles wasn’t nearly as bad as she was in the previous book, joining Stasia and Arn in that category. Mari took her place as shallow and unbelievable (at least for me), while both Dario and a mystery guest arrive to steal the story until they, too, fade into the background.

The Slain Divine is one of the most epic, satisfying, and emotionally resonant finish to a series I've ever read. It builds off the massive improvement of The Sapphire Altar and cements this series as one of my favorite epic fantasy stories. Daglish nailed the landing after a shaky start back in the first book; after this you must be hard-pressed to say that epic fantasy is dead.

A lot of epic fantasies promise the "epic". Gods, empires, magic, and more - but rarely do they actually follow through. It is quite rare that I am awed by the power of the gods, the scale of the worldbuilding, and or emotionally overwhelmed by the climax. While The Slain Divine keeps the relatively narrow focus of the earlier books in the series (all of the characters are in the same place and working toward similar aims), this book feels EPIC. The gods are powerful and freaking cool. The history of this world feels deep, textured, and colorful. The characters feel like real, and their connections are powerful and emotional.

The Slain Divine proves that epic doesn't have to mean having 8 POV characters all in different parts of the world doing their own things and only meeting one another after 4 chonky books. Epic is a feeling. It is that awe you get as you get absobed into a fantasy world that comes alive in your mind. It is the cinematic wonder and cast of characters that never leave you. The Slain Divine is that book, it has that epic scale while still connecting to its characters - all while wrapping all of the storylines that Dalglish has set into motions.

The Slain Divine keeps up the action-packed pacing of the first two books, especially in its second half. While Dalglish's action scenes previously felt like window-dressing and only there for the "cool factor", the action scenes here are much stronger in how they are (1) still cool and (2) embedded in the character arcs of those fighting. The Slain Divine continues the story of colonial conflicts and invading empires, but most of the action sequences are one-on-one fights. The action scenes are full of swords, magic, and gore, but they are more about the emotions of the people fighting. By this point in the saga (the third of three quite chonky books) we've seen these characters all bounce off another, colliding and separating and colliding again, and it is so rewarding to finally see these emotions come erupting to the surface in this very visceral way.

Once Dalglish really figured out his characters in The Sapphire Altar, their individual arcs have become so well-drawn and complicated in all of the best ways. Dalglish can throw literally any two of his characters in a room toghether and create a scene crackling with energy - whether sexual tension, political friction, or familial drama. This was probably my favorite part of The Slain Divine - we get so many different character interactions that we've been building up to for this entire series. The reward is definitely worth the journey.

I think nothing better illustrates my investiment in these characters than the fact that they all came rushing back to me immediately upon cracking open The Slain Divine. I read enough and have crammed so many stories in my head that it usually takes me a couple of chapters to warm back up to an author's world, but it took no time for their faces, emotions, and journeys to come bursting to the surface of my mind. These were my friends and enemies - and so many people who sit uneasily in the middle. Whether it is Cyrus' uneasy position after the revelations of The Sapphire Altar, Sinshei's personal lust for power in a misogynistic world, or Soma's quest for vengeance, each character feels so real and complex.

If anything, one of my few critiques of this book is that there are perhaps too many characters that Dalglish needs to juggle. As Soma takes on a bigger role, and the God-Incarnate Lucavi gets added to the POV cast, Dalglish took on a BIG order for balancing of these disparate plot and character arcs. Some of the characters, most notably Cyrus and Keles, get a bit side-lined until they become more plot-relevant in the book's final act. One or two fewer major POV characters would have allowed Dalglish to delve more deeply into the emotional core of these characters, and the ending would have hit even harder for it.

But even as it stands the ending absolutely works. It is exciting, nail-biting, and oh so satisfying. By the end, this series has a lot of different factions all competing for different things, and yet the book doesn't feel like a sequence of villains to be squashed (so unlike the Game of Thrones TV show). Everything feels cohesive and tied together. The ending definitely leaves the door open for more, but if Dalglish never returns to this world I am happy and satisfied.

In the end, this series is a fantastic exploration of colonialism, religion, and personal sacrifice. It examines the role of power - who gets it? What are they willing to do to get it? Who manipulates who in the quest for power? How is religion used and abused? How are histories erased and forgotten to justfiy the status quo? While maintaining a kick-ass epic fantasy feel, this series has tackled some BIG questions. The story doesn't always have an answer, and some of the characters are left in the end feeling dissatisfied (and of course several of them don't make it out at all!), but I think this disastifcation, or coming to terms with being satisfied with much less than they set out to gain, is part of the point of the series. The quest for power is never easy, and the ethical/right choice is not always the one you may selfishly want.

By the end of the Slain Divine I have cheered, cried, and laughed with these characters. I have seen them fall in love, make bad choices, and have to confront all of the atrocities they have faced (or even themselves committed) in the face of insurmountable odds. I have hated villains, vacillated on the more morally dubious or grey characters, and gasped when Dalgish zigged when I thought he would zag.

Was this ending the most shocking ending? Not at all. But there are a lot of suprising developments as we get to the end, and Dalglish still has some tricks up his sleeve in this final installment.

I am so very glad I stuck with this series after feeling very "meh" after The Bladed Faith. The second two books in this series are a real treat for epic fantasy fans everywhere, and this series deserves to be talked about along with the very best of epic fantasy.

I finished this book a few weeks ago, but I felt that a proper review would only come after sitting on it for a bit. I think that this is a strong ending to the Vagrant Gods trilogy. The arcs of most of the main crew really feel satisfying as they meet their conclusion and the almost 100 pages of straight actions was gripping and a fitting way to end this series. While it was a very good ending, it was not without its problems. I do feel that there were too many questions that needed resolving in this book resulting in portions of the book dragging more than I feel it should for a finale. I also feel that Soma should have had a much larger role in this book given the big reveal of book 2. HIs part in the finale felt more like an afterthought than anything. I think that our main crew came out better than expected. With this being a pretty dark and brutal tale, I would assume that more of the main cast would meet their end before the war was won. I feel we were presented with several fake outs in this book where a character we love seems to have met their demise, for them to show up a few scenes later. With our heroes at a severe disadvantage in the war, it would only make sense that we lose more than we expect to. The final issue I have, which really brought the rating down, is that the edginess is turned up to 12. While the previous two books always had some edge to them, this one feels a bit over the top with both Cyrus (The Vagrant) and Soma.
Because there were both good and not so good portions of the book, and with it being the finale, I really needed to take some time to think about its impact on the overall story. I do think that the good outweighs the not so good here and it wraps up the story in a way that is not cliche for Cyrus' character, but also makes sense. With that, this earns 4 stars for me.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for an honest review.

I really enjoyed the first book, the second I thought lost its way a little and this book......is OK. Just OK. I wasn't really captivated in the same way as the first book and the story seemed to lack the same energy.

The writing was still good, and it wasn't dull, but it just didn't come to a conclusion that made the series great. So, worth a read if you're already invested.

I loved this book. It's a great conclusion to the story. The place we start at in The Bladed Faith seems so small in comparison to the scope of the plot and world at the end of the trilogy. Our characters grow exponentially throughout the trilogy as well. This book brings everything together, but in ways I didn't expect. It doesn't shy away from the brutalities of war and conquest. The end of this trilogy is BRUTAL, but unfortunately realistic. I was so satisfied with this book because it made sense. Plot threads came together and characters acted in ways that made sense for their characters. Not everything is happily ever after, and I don't think it ever could have been in this series. However, it is satisfying and hopeful. Please read this series if you haven't!

This is the finale to this epic fantasy trilogy. I was a huge fan of the first book that captured my attention with a strong emotional start. The book introduced likable characters with a compelling emotional hook. It worked. I was in for the full ride.

Moving onto book two, and now book three, I have now experienced the full scope of the story. I will admit I am a touch underwhelmed. These later installments were objectively fine, but failed to elicit the emotional response.

Don't get me wrong this was a solidly good fantasy trilogy. I'm only so hard on it because I thought it was something more fresh than it ended up being in the end.

Anyone interested in this trilogy should start back at the beginning with The Bladed Faith.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

The Vagrant Gods trilogy comes to an exciting conclusion in The Slain Divine by David Dalglish. The island nation of Thanet has been conquered by the Everlorn Empire and with the arrival of the God-Incarnate on the island, its people are being prepared for a brutal sacrifice in his name.
Thanet's rebellion, led by a group of fallen heroes, gods, and princes has been slowed not only by the powerful Everlorn armies and paragons but by treachery from within. Cyrus has grown from the young prince forced to watch the slaughter of his parents and the gods that protected his island into a skilled fighter and masked "Vagrant", a master of shadows and an instrument of vengeance. The rebels must devise a plan to stop the God-Incarnate or Thanet will disappear forever.

Dalglish has created a series that builds from book to book and from beginning to end in each book. The Slain Divine is the fastest-paced and most action-filled of the three. The action is fun, but the characters and themes really stand out. The Everlorn Empire's stated goal is to prevent hundreds of nations with different gods and beliefs from warring with each other and unite them under one church and one rule. But their methods have left slain gods and people behind them and destroyed the things that made their conquered nations unique. Dalglish shines further light on Everlorn's history and how the God-Incarnate came to be, as well as on Thanet's history involving invading and exiled gods. The fact that there are any shades of grey in this story of invasion and rebellion is a testament to the writing.

Some of the battles in the first part of the book felt less in doubt than battles in the previous books, given the heroes' growth in skill and strength. This didn't lessen the tension over the final battles, with the fate of the island and all its people hanging in the balance. The individual storylines were all wrapped up nicely. Some happy, some more wistful or melancholic. Arn's story will stick with me the longest of all the individual stories. His poignant interaction with the fox god and the profound ways she affected his life resonate deeply.

Dalglish does a great job in all facets, creating a world rich in history and culture, filled with great battles, a large cast of characters that you will grow to care about, and a thoughtful narrative that will stick with you for a long time.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

Get in loser, we fighting god!

Another finale, this time it's The Vagrant Gods series by David Dalglish with "The Slain Divine." Things actually seemed to be in a pretty good spot after the last one. At least until the fleet with the god of the Everlorn empire was spotted off the coast. And he might be a tiny bit upset over the murder of his son and heir... But he is on the island for one goal, sacrifice the entire population to pass on his divinity to the next person. Not a great outcome for the people living there. What lines will the rebels cross and which allies will they keep to avoid certain death? How tight a grip is the Vagrant's mask on Cyrus?

Thank you Orbit and Netgalley for the ARC, was a pleasure to help with the trilogy. But y'all went feral in that last quarter, I'm still catching up.

Reasons to read:
-A good ending
-The rules were established early for the gods in this series and we are seeing that carried through the finale, appreciate that
-Characters who are true to themselves
-Waking up to throw hands with god
-Getting back at your toxic ex

Cons:
-Can we throw down an oppressive church that bogarts resources and is not chill at all in reality?

In the final installment of this trilogy, the God-Incarnate has arrived on Thanet and the day of his reincarnation ritual is approaching. The rebellion's time to act is running out and they need to rise up together if they are going to take back their home. At war against the Empire, there are plenty of battles throughout this book. The stakes are higher than ever, the are enemies stronger, but so are most of our main characters.

I loved the characters in this book. From their individual character arcs to their relationships and interactions with one another, they all felt fully fleshed out and unique. A lot of times with this many point-of-view characters, I find myself enjoying certain ones much more than others. That was not the case with this series. I enjoyed seeing what was happening with every character equally. No matter whose chapter it was, I was invested in what was going on with them and seeing their personal journey and how it fit in with the story as a whole.

This is a fantasy setting that, while we're confined to one island, felt like a complete world. The relations between nations, the history behind Thanet that becomes important to the plot, and the many cultures and religions all added to the worldbuilding. I loved the magic system and how it is a part of the religions in this world. Seeing how the power of gods can change with faith and how mortals can be granted powers was a cool cycle of magic to see. There were so many wonderful elements within this world that all worked together to create an engaging story.

Overall, I very much enjoyed this series and definitely recommend it.

With the recent discovery of the Everlorn Empire's grim plans for the island of Thanet, time is running out for its struggling rebellion. The God-Incarnate himself has arrived to oversee a deadly ceremony, one that will lay waste to the island's population while furthering his own immortality. As secrets are revealed amongst allies and new powerful beings enter the playing field, everyone must decide on who to support and how far they're willing to go to thwart the Empire in these final days. For Cyrus, the former prince of Thanet, that means deciding if he's willing to risk losing his soul completely by fully embracing the "Vagrant," the violent shadow entity within him - but if he does so, will he just be replacing the tyrannical rule of the empire with his own tyranny?

The Slain Divine is a solid action-packed finale, albeit one that occasionally feels a bit pulled in too many directions. It is most successful when diving into the central theme of the series: gods and how mythology creates, sustains, and molds them. And not just them, but colonizers and conquerors as well. What people believe in, or who they believe in, is what grants power. The ways those stories and beliefs were engaged with and manipulated in order to find loopholes in power structures on the scale of the divine were the parts of the story that really intrigued me.

As always, the author delivered on action as well, with one fantastic set piece after another. With many characters reaching their final height of power, everything from shapeshifting to divinely summoned spectral swords are on hand. In many ways, the descriptions of these battles invoked visions in my head of video game boss battle fights, where everything is at 11 and nobody questions it.

Where I struggled with a little bit was the sense of pacing and, on a more personal level, tone. With regards to pacing, there was a bit of back and forth in the plotting that I wish had been streamlined. The good guys would be on top, then the bad guys would take the lead, then the good guys would undercut them, each victory being undone in relatively short order. While it did allow for character development, it also felt a bit like treading water while waiting for the finale. And with a growing cast of POV characters, there were a lot of storylines to juggle in this final book, especially as some characters try to make final plays in the last battle. The result was that some resolutions felt incredibly rushed as the author tried to address all of them.

As for the tone, this has always been a bit of a grimdark series, albeit one with hopeful notes throughout. But there's no denying that things look incredibly bleak and hopeless for a good chunk of the story. If you're here for that "darkest before the dawn" material, you'll eat this up, but I think I just wasn't in the right headspace for it at the time of reading the book.

The Slain Divine wraps up an intense, brutal saga. It's played with how gods are created and powered in some fascinating ways, and delivered breathtaking action. While I do think in the end the story was hampered by trying to serve too many characters, I overall had a fun time in this world and enjoyed the way divine magic expressed itself.

I like to keep David Daglish on his toes but I’ve delayed this review long enough.

The Slain Divine. The finale to the Vagrant Gods trilogy. Clearly, I can’t talk much at all about this plot wise so I’m going to discuss my general feelings but this was phenomenal and if there was one word to describe this final book, it would be bittersweet. As a final book, it succeeds in doing what it was designed to do and what Daglish does best, tie up loose ends and leave readers with satisfying (but very bittersweet in this case) closure. If you are looking for a new series to binge that is one crazy roller coaster ride filled with video game inspo, honestly book 2 and 3 of this series reminded me of Elden Ring a little bit because of the massive scale of certain scenes and battles. Easiest 5 out of 5 stars of my life.

It’s tough reviewing the conclusion of a trilogy without any spoilers so I will try not to give anything away.

This book is a solid conclusion to a great series, it did however have some issues that were mostly due to pacing. Some things that were built up throughout the series concluded rather quickly or seemed to be kind of brushed off completely and towards the very end of the book, it felt like the same plot line was used 3 times within a short amount of pages.

I’ve said it in my previous reviews for the other books in the series but my favourite aspect of this series are the characters. There’s a big cast of characters and they are all very interesting and have their own plot lines and the author gives them their own time to develop. I felt a slight disconnect to them in the first book, but really started to connect to them in the second and am very sad to leave them after finishing this third book. They feel like real people who have their own struggles. Some are trying to fight for a better future, some are haunted by the horrors of their past, and some seem to be trying to figure out what they want and who they truly are after being influenced by others their entire lives. They’re all strong in their own unique way and honestly I just find a lot of them cool.

Most of the series is set in the same location but we do get to see other parts of the world as the characters reflect on their past. I really hope the author writes more books set in this world as it seems huge and we’ve only seen a fraction of it.

The magic system is also really interesting. It’s based around belief and gods. It’s more of a softer magic system where the types of abilities any given god has will be related to their aspects. For example, a seaside village would be more likely to have a god of fishing, a fish god or a god of storms and their magic/abilities would be related to those aspects. These gods can also pass on some of their magic to their devoted followers. Throughout the series we see many different magic systems but the possibilities could be endless depending on the worshippers’ needs and where they live.

Although parts of the conclusion were a bit disappointing, it was still a great book and I’m so happy to have read this series. I will definitely keep an eye out for the other works of this author.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

This was a decent finish to a fantasy series. I've really enjoyed all of the books in this series, but I did have a few small issues with the final installment.

Mostly that there was so much to wrap up at the end. It does make for a compelling ending because we're sitting at the edge of our seat, waiting to see how things are going to shake down, but at the same time, I think it could have been paced a little differently.

And because it was a little more plot heavy at the end, the character development that happened near the end, fell a little flat for me. But that usually happens with me and plot heavy books.

The fight scenes were beautifully written and the exploration of faith in this series is so extensive. It's definitely worth your time, and I would read something by David Dalglish again, without issue.

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit for an e-copy.

There was a lot to like about this series, and The Slain Divine was a fitting conclusion to the story of Thanet and the Vagrant. It had plenty of exciting fights and battles, which is definitely one of Dalglish's strengths as a writer, and the themes were fascinating and thought-provoking. The end of each character arc made sense, and the way the story wrapped up left the door open for further adventures in this world while also feeling like a whole story had been told. All in all, I was satisfied.

Unfortunately, there were some things that didn't really work for me in The Slain Divine. The repetitiveness of the plot was the primary factor that kept me from completely loving this book. It just jumped from one fight to the next. The first half of the story was the characters hunting down the God-Incarnate's children, which seemed redundant given that none of them were as strong as the heir from the previous book. Despite the fights being intense, I never believed the protagonists would lose because they were overpowered compared to their foes. It took me forever to get through the first half of the story because I just didn't find any of it gripping.

There was also just too much being wrapped up in The Slain Divine, including the final execution of Lucavi's plan, the return of Dagon, the end of Sinshei's scheming, and the resolution of each of the protagonists' arcs. It didn't help that most of it was crammed into the back half of the book. The end reminded me of The Return of the King with several distinct places that should've been an end. This ultimately diluted each climax for me because they were squeezed together one after the other. Dagon's story, in particular, felt sidelined for most of the book, and his ending felt rushed as it was sandwiched between two other climactic moments that held more weight for me.

All that being said, the latter half of The Slain Divine had me in a choke-hold. It was intense, and I was on the edge of my seat to see how everything would come together in the end. I finally felt scared for the characters and really enjoyed how it all played out.

I also loved how the theme of faith was explored in The Slain Divine and the entire series. It brilliantly illustrated that faith can be used for both good and evil and provide the impetus for growth and destruction depending on how it is wielded. The climax of the book, or one of them at least, was brilliant in the way it showed how forcing one's faith on others has a tendency to create a residual resentment, or counter-faith, that will come back to bite you eventually. The story also explored the influence of power and its tendency to corrupt even those with noble goals. It tackled the age-old question of whether the end justifies the means in fascinating ways.

I was pleasantly surprised by the characterization of the God-Incarnate Lucavi in The Slain Divine. I wasn't expecting something so human given how the heir, Galvanis, was portrayed in the previous book. Lucavi's character provided a fascinating window into the mind of someone raised into godhood and shaped into something awful by the expectations of his ancestors and the world. I honestly wish he'd been explored even more because his story expanded on the history of Everlorn's faith in such interesting ways. I also really loved Arn and his blossoming relationship with Mari. Arn was such a lovable oaf, and I found myself smiling anytime the two were together on the page.

Overall, The Slain Divine was a good conclusion to the story of the Vagrant Gods. If the second half of the story had been expanded into the entire book, this probably would have been a five star read for me. I struggled so much with the first half, though, which means I rate this one 3.75 out of 5 stars.

What a great finale to an awesome trilogy!

I loved the characters in this series, and somehow they all got better in this final installment. It was a pleasure watching them grow and adapt. The romances in this (and the series as a whole) where also fantastic. They never overshadowed the main story/plot, but still remained interesting and real. One of my favorite things Dalglish did in this series was give point of views from "side" characters and antagonists. It allowed me to see the full extent of the situations the characters were facing. This book was no different. He even made me feel for a character we are set to hate throughout the entire trilogy.

My only complaints are 1) that things got a little repetitive with the internal turmoil some of the characters went through. It felt like a lot of rehashing of things from the second book and 2) that the big climax felt fast. It was great and action-packed, but it was over too soon. Oh, and there was not nearly enough Soma thoughout.

5 Stars.

The Vagrant Gods trilogy has been one of my favorite recent fantasy series. It has all the tropes I want in my trope salad including my favorite of them all....Gods among us. And boy are there GODS EVERYWHERE. The journey our poor boy Cyrus has been on....I feel for the kid. This conclusion is everything I could have hoped for, and ended in such a bittersweet but satisfying way...you are not ready for this. If you have not yet tried the Vagrant Gods because you were waiting to hear if the ending sticks the landing I am here to tell you IT SURE DOES. You need to read this series STAT if your tastes at all align with mine.

This was probably the best of the series for me and proved a very satisfying and enjoyable read. There are course a few surprises that came about that I did not see coming. I thought the way the story was ended was ok for the most part and didn't think to see so many survive I suppose. Not that I am mad that they lived but thought they might lose a few as this was a war against someone that was supposed to be a god. The God Incarnate was sort of disappointing after hearing so much about him and his supposed power. Cyrus and the Vagrant was sort of strange and was not expecting that at all. The Vagrant and Stasia become so strong that even the Paragons were not that of a match for them. Also expected something different to happen between Cyrus and Keles. The Soma/Dagon was also sort of a letdown in a way but didn't really like him that much anyway. I will enjoy thinking about how everything eventually turned out for sure though. Loved the journey that Cyrus, Keles, Mari, Stasia took me on. This will be a series so many enjoy as I know some people wait until a trilogy is finished before they try reading them. This is four and half for me but overall, this series is five stars. Thanks to the author who continues to write great books and the publishers for the chance to read this book.

This is a satisfying conclusion to The Vagrant Gods series.

Overall, this series is best for people who are focused on world building over character development, with an interest in religion based magic systems. The world that Dalglish has built here is well though out and grown and I really liked the way that the Gods could be tangible entities within the world, not just worshipped from a far. He's also very good at battle scenes, immersing the reader in, and when everything starts ramping up at the end, it just GOS.

I wish that this book had focused a bit more on our main characters (or the previous books had been a bit wider in the characters they focused on) because I kept wanting to flip back to Cyrus or Mari. Overall, my complaints stem back to the first book where a lot of character development was skimmed over and then it was too late to recover what I wanted it to include into the series.

3.75 out of 5

The cover is so pretty and works in this novel, it was a great conclusion to this series. It had everything that I wanted from the concept and the other books. The characters were everything that I was looking for and were written perfectly for the world. David Dalglish does a great job in writing this and I can’t wait to read more from him.

The first two books in David Dalglish's Vagrant Gods trilogy absolutely blew me away and cemented Dalglish as one of my favorite fantasy authors writing today. With every book it just seems like he continues to top himself and so I honestly could not wait to crack open this final entry and hopefully get the fabulous ending that I suspected was about to unfold. Turns out the climax of this series was even better than I could have hoped for and it more than fulfilled the promise of the previous books, as the breakneck events leading up to the grand finale simply blew me away.

As this is the conclusion of the series I will try to steer away from anything that could be viewed as spoilery, so I will mostly stick to my general feelings about the series and this book in particular. The story picks up pretty much immediately following the tumultuous events of the second book. Suffice to say The Sapphire Altar not only forwarded the plot considerably but also avoided the usual "middle book syndrome" by throwing a lot of unexpected curveballs into the mix. That book in particular really upped the ante with regard to the pacing and in my opinion did a lot to successfully lay the groundwork for a truly epic finish. Will the pocket groups of resistance organizing themselves within Thanet be able to overthrow the occupying force of The Everlorn Empire once and for all? Or will they be resigned to their fate as ineffectual slaves to their new leader's strict and unforgiving religious beliefs?

The mark of a really great series is how sad you are to see it all end and I was utterly beside myself as I passed the midway point of THE SLAIN DIVINE. I began to read just a little slower, reread certain passages, and just really soak the entire book in. There are very few books that affect me that way but when you are immersed in a fantastic story like this one and feel like you have lived in this world with these characters for three years, it's both a little bittersweet and wholly rewarding/satisfying at the same time. Ultimately though I know that David Dalglish will have another banger of a series brewing hot on the heels of this one so I take solace in the fact that I have that to look forward to.

THE SLAIN DIVINE checks off every box that you could want for the conclusion of a fantasy series. The characters get put through about the toughest situations imaginable, the action sequences are vivid and hit you viscerally, and the engaging plot keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time up to the breathtaking final pages. This series should be a must read for anyone who loves in-depth fantasy that delivers bigtime on the magic and mayhem. Do yourself a favor and check this trilogy out if you haven't yet. You just might discover a brand new favorite fantasy series. Author David Dalglish seems to have that effect on readers and the great news is he seems to write these highly entertaining tomes almost faster than we can read them.