Rating – 9/10
Synopsis:
The intense conclusion to the post-apocalyptic fantasy series inspired by The Witcher, The Last of Us, and Arthurian Legend.
Unable to set the past behind him, Galahad plots to bring justice to the Unholy King. But when his fury draws the attention of an ancient danger, he must set aside revenge if he’s to save New London from destruction.
It’s time for Galahad to take up his cask-aged blade one last time, and stand as protector of the realm.
Review:
From the start of the series, this has been such a unique story and set of characters that I have thoroughly enjoyed spending time with. So, I approached A Cask-Aged Blade with a great deal of expectation given that it’s the last book in the current series.
Without giving away any spoilers, I am pleased to say that (for me at least) those expectations were well and truly met. And Benjamin has firmly cemented his position as an author for whom I will drop everything to read their latest work.
The opening scene brutally sets out the political upheaval that was touched on at the end of Secret Of The Thistle (book 2) and sets the tone for the bloody tale ahead. We find our trusty crew attempting to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of those events. These are individuals who have well and truly been through the wringer, both physically and psychologically. This aspect of the story is one that really adds a layer of realism for me, these aren’t your vanilla fantasy characters who lick their wounds and roll onto the next quest or fight. They are rightly traumatised by what they have experienced and struggle to find their future paths.
We encounter a number of plots throughout the book both human in nature and of course featuring creatures leaving the realms of myth and crashing into reality (it wouldn’t be a Rainfallen book without them). Naturally we see the fearsome Rainwrights and whilst we do learn more about them there are still so many unanswered questions! But it’s the human complexities and power struggles that really becomes a central theme in this book and in my opinion really adds both depth and emotional impact to the story. It’s these battles that really seem to push our protagonists in new directions as they come to terms with what they have been through and the new threats they are facing.
As with the previous books, Benjamin continues to weave historic & modern UK places names and myths throughout the story, which I feel helps to give the world a veneer of familiarity. Yet the post-apocalyptic landscape and creatures ensure that we encounter truly transports the reader into a unique place, once familiar yet utterly different at the same time.
I also want to shout out the fantastic covers, which have been consistently awesome across all of the books, they really capture the essence of each book perfectly. The cover artist is Houssame Khairane (X/Twitter: @houssodheim / Instagram: @houss.odheim)
So, it’s the end of series and we leave our beloved characters in a very different position in which we first met them but you suspect that their days of adventure aren’t over yet. I certainly hope that we will get further stories from this world (hint more of Kade aka Blackcap please). And whilst I’m tinged with a hint of sadness to say goodbye to Galahad, Elaine, Faye et al. There is also a part me that is satisfied that their story has reached a satisfactory conclusion and I’m happy to leave them to their adventures whilst we explore what else this world has to offer. Perhaps we will come across them in the future who knows….
A Cask-Aged Blade is due for publication on 5th June 2024.
Thanks to Benjamin for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review
About the Author:
Benjamin Aeveryn is an author of SFF from Cambridge, UK, where he lives with his beautiful fiancé and a grumpy old cat. People have described his Rainfallen series as a dystopian fantasy, but for a vision of England where it’s always raining, infrastructure is crumbling, and nobody trusts their neighbours, he only has to look out of his window
For my information on Benjamin’s books and his newsletter go to
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