I love everything about this series. The world is vast with a rich history, and we get even more lore in this installment. The cast of characters is large, but they all feel unique and fleshed out with their own motivations and loyalties. The lines between good and evil are blurred with our main character caught between the two. And the stakes are high, with the fate of the world uncertain and no one ever really being safe.

I am having so much fun with this series. Engaging, well-paced, with characters that are easy to get attached to, as unnerving as that is when you never know who's actually going to make it to the end. Lots of twists and action keep our characters on their toes as the politics and magic continue to evolve. A compelling story.

Highly recommend, and I'm looking forward to the conclusion.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

We devoted a whole week to this book. You can read about that here and here and then we did related articles here and here. Ed and I loved this book. I loved it so much that I instantly bought all of Gareth Hanrahan's other books and have been slowly reading them as well. It continued the story of Alf and his friends with a plot that surprised me at every turn. I read a lot of books and it takes a pretty cunning book to completely circumvent all my expectations but Sword Unbound did at every step of the way. I've been thinking about the ending ever since I put it down and I have no idea where Hanrahan is going to go with these characters next. I'm definitely going to preorder it the moment it's available though. And that sequel will definitely be getting another week of its own.

What a great epic fantasy - I can't wait to see what comes next and was very pleased with this one.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC copy gifted in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Orbit Books and Angela Man for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Sword Unbound is available now.

The Sword Unbound builds on the events and themes from The Sword Defiant, book one in the series. Things continue to grow more desperate, with a disillusioned Alf realizing that perhaps blind obedience isn’t the best way to make decisions, especially when those decisions often have final consequences. My heart broke for him a little bit as he began to really see his fellow members of the Nine as flawed, possibly even villainous, people.

The author’s brilliant use of a twisted epic from a bard expands on this in a way that reminds the reader that heroism is based on who tells the tale afterwards. In the book, this shift in how Alf is portrayed is taken with mixed reactions, with a rebellion beginning to stir. This is where things get a little confusing for me. You see, technically a lot is going on. There are plots aplenty, the day-to-day running of an evil kingdom conquered by the “good” side, and questions of loyalty. However, not much seems to actually happen. The pace is much slower in The Sword Unbound. I don’t mind, as I found the added developments interesting, but it you’re looking for nonstop action, this won’t be the book for you.

The characters continue to grow and shift like sand, with trustworthiness being a sliding scale. As with real people, the characters in the book are flawed. I love seeing morally gray characters and watching them all try to justify their actions. No one ever sees themself as the villain, after all.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Spellbreaker. Like a certain Ring, the sword Spellbreaker whispers in its owner’s mind, creating doubt and making increasingly bloodthirsty offers. I really loved that it is a character in its own right. The way Alf interacts with Spellbreaker and how it capitalizes and vocalizes Alf’s own insecurities is fantastic. In fact, their interactions almost stole the show.

The Sword Unbound continues an epic that takes the common ideas of good triumphing over evil and twists things until you wonder how someone defines “good” and how many bad decisions it takes to wash away that classification. Highly recommended.

Well written with great world building. Perfect follow up to Sword Defiant Gareth Hanrahan is on my auto buy list!

To say I was WAITING for this book would be an understatement. I absolutely loved the first and instalment and loved this one too. So much happened in this installment that the ending has me nervous about what will happen in the next book. Alf and Spellbreaker as always are my favorites. If I were Alf I'd have given into Spellvreaker immediately lol It's the one of two flaws I see in Alf. The other being how trusting he is with his fellow 9.

The book picks up pretty much where we left off in The Sword Defiant. I love one of the main themes of this book is what happens after the heroes win. The Nine are all flawed and those flaws have all been exasperated by the trauma of the war. Each member of the Nine is trying to find there place in the world after defeating Lord Bone but I think Lath and Alf are the two that struggle the most with this. Lath because he practically gets abandoned by everyone and Alf doesn't really understand how to be there for him. Alf struggles with accepting that they have all changed and are no longer the same people. As well as his denial of him being more than just a good strong guy.

The other theme I see that I like is that sometimes heroes can do bad or evil things. In my opinion we see this with several things that Blaze, Laerlyn, and Berys do. They all have good intentions and their hearts are in the right place but the ways they go about are anything but good. They all start up a chain of events that are the climax of the book. From the ending of the book things seem to have settled but if we've learned anything from this world that's probably far from true.

I was happy to see the return of some of my favorite side characters. In particular Bor and Cu. Obviously the dog in any book will always be a favorite of mine. Both of their story lines did not disappoint and was happy to see some chapters from Bor's pov.

I definitely recommend this book and series if you're a fan of epic fantasies that are on the grittier side with great banter. I can't wait to see what happens to all of my favorites and I hope the third book comes out soon!

It has been long enough that some of the details from the first book were starting to fade, so I checked out an audiobook to refresh my memory before starting this one (it came back quickly). The performance was fantastic, so add a star if you are considering the audible version (I have already added this to my wishlist). At just over 600 pages each, there is quite a lot of story in each to be enjoyed … and the length provides an opportunity to engage in fantastic character and world-building with a wonderfully complex plot … except most of the former happened in the first book … making the sequel drag a bit for the first half of this book. That is not to say that there is nothing new in the world, just that the story has moved to refining what is already known instead … with a few welcome surprise revelations to keep it interesting (not all of which were welcomed … with one nearly enough to abandon the book … although it was eventually resolved to my satisfaction). As for the characters, we return with to the reluctant hero Alf and his black sword (spell-breaker) and his sister and nephew (which provide the two primary PoV) trying to thread the needle between former allies who were only united when Lord Bone was the big bad (proving the unity of “The Nine” more a convenience than functional) despite Alf’s efforts to preserve that particular illusion … in that respect, we see a chaotic and very believable (and extremely frustrating) political environment that starts out interesting but quickly becomes tedious. In fact … there is more than enough navel gazing and generally questionable decisions by the main characters to be very distracting (with little to no character growth for the MC). This includes a side bar with the merc/bandit Bor that I didn’t really care for, but eventually realized that it had its place with all the other moving pieces setting up the strong climax. We do see a lot more of Olva (and her “son” Derwyn) and that left me wishing this was more of the story. While not quite as good as the first in the series … by the end it was all worth it and I am looking forward to the conclusion.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a review copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. I honestly loved it.

The Sword Defiant was one of my favorite books of 2023. So, I was a bit concerned that The Sword Unbound wouldn't live up to its predecessor. I needn't have worried. I was sucked back into this world from the very first page.

In this series, Gareth Hanrahan raises the question, "What happens to the band of heroes twenty years after they defeat the evil dark lord?" The Sword Defiant gave us that answer and it was, "Nothing good."

The Sword Unbound continues the tale of Sir Aelfric The Lammergeier and the black sword, Spellbreaker, and it picks up pretty much where the previous book left off. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't what I read in this book. It really kept me on the edge of my seat. It has a few genuinely jaw dropping, "WTF just happened??" moments.

Some other reviewers have complained about the lack of action in the first part of the book, but I thought it was great. In the first part of the book, we get to know Bor, the mercenary who has a very interesting journey of his own. But, the highlight of this book was, just like book 1, the evil talking sword, Spellbreaker.

The pacing was great with stories within the story that helped build up the tension leading into the action-packed finale. I loved this book just as much as the first one: it was very hard to put down. Highly recommended for fans of adventure fantasy with a D&D vibe.

5 Stars.

I am always here for a sentient sword, especially one with an understandable thirst for blood. But I wanted more.

There was potential for so much more here, and it went a little more traditional than I would have liked. Nothing wrong with traditional high fantasy, but I think with the pieces that we had here: evil sentient sword, battered and reluctant wielder, a sister who is in over her head, a vatling admin, a random group of nine people who did something a while back all with their own agendas, that we would have gotten something a little less stuffy than we did.

And thats not to say that this wasn't well written or action packed, because it was. But again, (sing it with me now) it would have loved something a little less traditional.

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

Alf and his friends saved the world from the dark lord 25 years ago. That means all the bad things are done and over with, right? Not exactly. As seen in the last book, there have been invisible hands pulling strings that are working directly against our crew. Those hands helped build up the 9 twenty-five years ago, now it seeks to bring them down. We follow Alf, Olva, and Bor as they go through this world and fight against these invisible strings pulling them – some more so than others. Not only are they dealing with that, each has also been elevated to a new status: Olva is Queen and mother to the uncrowned king, whose going, whose going through some strange things of his own as his is not the only soul held within his body. Af is once again The Lammergeier, a title he has never held comfortably. He still has Spellbreaker and is bidden to protect his family and Necrad with it. Bor is just going with the motions, which has led to him facing how he has been pulled in numerous ways by invisible hands. Poor guy is struggling with his actions within the last book, but doing nothing to actually change as a better person. It's a lot of fun.

The Sword Unbound is the second book in Gareth Hanrahan's Lands of the Firstborn series. The first book, The Sword Defiant, introduced us to the legend of the Nine and asked "What happens to the fellowship twenty years after they win?" It was an interesting idea, and Hanrahan hooked me with his tale. Now, with the second book, the tale of Aelfric Lammergeier and the dark sword Spellbreaker continues. We catch up with Alf, his sister Olav, his nephew Derwyn (who may or may not have the soul of Peir the Paladin in him), Berys the thief, the wizard Blaise, and the cursed city of Necrad. I don't want to summarize too much because this book is full of twists and turns, including a few things that were very unexpected.

The heart of The Sword Unbound is Alf, a good-hearted man who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders. His relationships with his family and friends drive this story and ultimately play a major part in its resolution.

The only drawback to this book was the slow start. The first 100 or so pages are spent away from the main characters (Bor, a minor character from the first book, if the point of view here), and I found myself anxious to reconnect with Alf. However, eventually the two branches of the story connect, and the reason for the seeming side story becomes clear.

I really enjoyed The Sword Unbound by Gareth Hanrahan. I highly recommend it to all fantasy readers, particularly fans of Joe Abercrombie or readers looking for a little darker take on Tolkein. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next in this series.

I received a preview copy of this book from Netgalley and Orbit in exchange for an honest review.

Well that took some unexpected turns. With Gareth Hanrahan's "The Sword Unbound" we see more machinations and the world, count my expectations as subverted.

Alf and the Nine saved the world 20 years ago. Turns out the world just doesn't stay saved. Now humanity is split, some rally against the king of the elves, who has secretly been controlling everything. Meanwhile Necrad is still bubbling along, with the literal creatures from pits still coming out and flooding the streets with magic, threats, and profit to be found. Oh and the kingdom allied with the elves are targeting Alf and making his legend, they he isn't a fan of, something a bit more sinister.

Reasons to read:
-OK that dude is messed up and needs to meet the business end of something sharp. Possibly repeatedly
-We see the bones of the world in this one
-Alf and Spellbreaker conversations
-We find out wtf is up with that dog
-Didn't see that coming

Cons:
-Folks really leaving loot laying around like it's nothing?

I would like to thank NetGalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

First off, I loved Spellbreaker in this installment -probably even more than I did in Book 1- and suddenly OP magical talking swords might be my favourite thing to read right now, js! It's such a supreme rpg vibe and I stan!

Truthfully though, this was a bit of a slog...Alf spent the majority of this book hunting down old teammates embroiled in this, that and the other, and trying to convince them to not be a♥♥holes because of their shared glory days. And while he was one of the few I cared about, I pretty much hated everyone who wasn't him, Lath, Olva, Derwyn, Cu or Bor! That sounds like a lot, but no. There wasn't enough of them for me.

Alf's journey through disillusion wasn't a surprise, nor was the dimming shine of the Nine, fading with every two-faced stabbing or arrow to the almost death. But it was frustrating to read nonetheless, and after the many futile pages of Berys and Lae...my gawd if I could shake some sense into a giant man I would...

Also, Lath is my baby boy and should be protected at all costs.

But wasn't.

Would love it if someone (GH) gave a fk, and would send a big oaf to bring my boy home, yeah. Lath's aloneness is still choking me up, and trust that the stories/characters I personally found most compelling in this installment, were the ones that had real emotional substance behind them.

Moving on.

I absolutely loved Olva's arc, and I wished GH gave us a more empowered Derwyn. Kiddo could potentially be a b♥d♥ss, so I hope Book 3 has something immense brewing on the horizon!

Despite my feelings about most of this book's focus, the last quarter was still pretty rad and I'm alright with the way Book 2 ended. Very much hoping that Lands of the Firstborn will deliver a bit more of an emotionally impactful story, because the pieces are there to elevate this series to another level, but I guess it will depend on what Book 3 has in store for the surviving Nine, and the people left who (to) love them!

Great follow up. Story kept growing, keeping you interested and turning pages, with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing. Great characters, that you thought you knew. Hard to put down, cannot wait until the next book.

“And the thing about saving the world was, the world didn’t stay saved.”

3.5 out of 5 stars (3.5 / 5) Alf and his friends thought they were saving the world (book one, The Sword Defiant), and yet the world is still broken, maybe even more than before.

Alf struggles to find his place. Is he still the hero or is he a traitor? The questions he faces are weighing heavily. Olga and Derwyn have found their way and because of experiences in book one, the townspeople believe him to be a beloved leader, even at his young age. Both struggle to lead this town and find the best path for a war that is on the horizon.

As the story continued, I found myself not as invested as before. I felt connected with the characters in the first book but struggled connecting this time around. Derwyn and Olga were the most interesting because of the treacherous path ahead of them. Olga’s journey then took a turn I was not expecting and the vibe felt different with this twist.

But Alf seemed to have no direction. His confidence plummeted and the strong, courageous Alf was nowhere to be found. And the sword!! Where was his spunk? He was hilarious before so I really hope he finds that fire on this unexpected path he started on.

Thank you to Orbit for the copy!

The book releases May 7, 2024

For me The Sword Defiant was the perfect book, so I was ecstatic when I got to read the sequel and see what would happen next to Alf and Olva in cursed Necrad. Would dangling plot threads be resolved? Would mystery boxes be opened? Would the good guys actually win?
Well, yes… and no. It’s the middle book, after all, and Hanrahan’s got to Empire Strikes Back this hard. And boy does he ever. He answers just enough questions to make you realize he’s got a plan, but drops off a few more mysteries to make you want to see what happens next. And just like Empire, don’t expect the happiest of endings.
This book is broken up into separate parts, which is pretty customary now for epic fantasy. Nothing new there. Except the parts aren’t in chronological order. Instead the first part, told from the perspective of a minor side character from book one, spans the entire length of time the book takes place. Then part two fills in the gaps that we the readers missed because the POV character wasn’t there for certain events. Then it jumps again to another view point to reveal that what you thought was happening didn’t and the character you thought you were reading about wasn’t and oh no I’ve gone cross-eyed.
Because of that trick with chronology and POV the “Holy !@#$” quotient really gets amped up in this one. I can remember at least four separate times I found myself yelling “WHAT’S GOING ON?!” Especially the end of part one, because that “Holy !@#$” moment isn’t resolved till about three hundred pages later.
Yeah, this book is cruel like that.
Don't think this book is just a series of gimmicky “dun dun DUN”s, though. The characters are still well written and well rounded. Alf and Olva continue on their character arcs in this one (and those arcs are still a driving through line of the narrative). Side characters are given more depth and time to breathe.
In the last book I made a great deal about how at its core it's all about a guy simply wanting to get his friend group back together. While that dream of Alf is still alive, it’s been tarnished after the events of The Sword Defiant. Now the driving dilemma is “When can someone quit?”
That’s not a question we often ponder in our fantasy media. We love our heroes to persevere through hardships and achieve greatness. This is fantasy, after all, and why not let our heroes overcome impossible odds through the power of hard work, friendship, magic, and a giant sword?
Yet, here every character questions when it is okay to just give up. The best examples are Alf and his sword, Spellbreaker. Alf has been carrying the duty of protecting Necrad alone for a long time and it’s wearing him down. He’s not the spry adventurer he once was and he’s not sure if he’s up for it anymore. Maybe he should step aside and let others carry the burden for a time? Then there’s Spellbreaker who longs to do what it was created for. It will never give up its mission no matter who it hurts in the process or how terrible an idea it is.
The philosophy of the book can seem to be best summed up as, “A burden picked up is a burden that can be put down.” Seeing that philosophy be discussed and played out in the book was fascinating. It was like a therapy session in novel form. As someone who often takes on too much, and refuses to ask for help, seeing Alf and Olva struggle with the same was cathartic.
I should stop gushing and just say, “go read this.” So… Go read this book.

I've found a new favourite fantasy author in Gareth Hanrahan. I fell in love with his writing style the moment I cracked open The Sword Defiant and have only grown in loving his work more with this sequel.

I love the way his narrative voice feels so classic fantasy, it's easy to fall into and be swept away in. The characters all have distinct voice and personality, and I loved how the sequel started so differently from the first book. I was initially wary of HOW different it was, but I quickly fell in love and ended up loving this book more than the first.

It’s a solid epic fantasy. A touch dark, magic failing and mostly of the eat you alive while you scream in terror and pain sort of magic. There’s a book three and I’m interested to read it to see if things are darkest before the dawn for this book.

The Sword Unbound
by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan
Lands of the Firstborn #2
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: May 7, 2024
Orbit Books
Ages: 18+

In his attempt at saving the world, again, Alf is labeled a traitor. His sister and nephew are back from (spoiler), and something came with him, also they are 'ruling' the city.


The first fifty pages of this story were interesting, but that ended because there were so many extra paragraphs that didn't want to end. It was like being beaten with words.

I pushed myself, but at 70% I started skimming. I couldn't take the rambling as the characters went through their 'day' because nothing felt real. It felt like a school teacher giving a monotone lecture about what was happening, and then repeating things a few pages/chapters.

The 'glimpses' into the past, present, and future, didn't add to the 'magic', because the way it was told, not shown, took the magic and interest away.

There was no action; the characters only seemed to go from here to there, and then talked to each other about what had just happened and what they wanted to do about it. The 'creatures' were mostly only mentioned and most not honorably.

This book was telling me a story, not showing, and I got so bored that I didn't care anymore. I ended up jumping to the last chapter and even though there's a book three, I will not be reading it!

1 Star