Review: Of Blood and Fire (The Bound and The Broken) by Ryan Cahill

Rating: 8.5/10

Born in fire. Tempered in blood.

Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the south squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North.

In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving—a test of courage and skill that not all survive.

But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries.

There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold.

He bleeds like any man, and bleed he will.

This was my first step into the work of Ryan Cahill. I have heard so much about his writing and how The Bound and The Broken Series reflects classic fantasy in structure. It is without doubt that Of Blood and Fire is just that – epic in scope and rarely deviating from familiar tropes, character types or the coming-of-age story arc that we have become so familiar with over the years. That Cahill adds a modern feel to that is without question, and the story works so well because you know what is coming next, but the payoff still works. You remain invested in the characters, Caren, Rist and Dann, throughout book one, and therefore, despite knowing there will be a separation of the friends, that one will help ground the others and that the young hero will be hot-headed, yet honourable, does not mean that you won’t care when it happens, nor look forward to how Cahill bring about such events. What the author does particularly well is sweep you along in events, and then when you reach the end of the book you suddenly realise just how quickly the rise of Caren comes about, and yet it never felt unnatural.

So, do I recommend Of Blood and Fire? If you are looking for an epic dragon fantasy that will sit comfortably in your collection, then yes. If you are looking for something groundbreaking, then I would suggest reading the free novella The Fall, which came with the audiobook. There you will find a rich underlying back story, and hints that it may well be in the offing.