Synopsis:
Cross the wrong men and meet their blades!
In a rugged frontier town, two broken men wander aimlessly–Grimlock, a tormented soul despised by the townspeople he protects, searches for a brother he may never find, while Vigilanton, a disgraced knight bound by shame, serves a vicious crime lord.
The Vragoths’ arrival–brutal conquerors seeking an ancient scepter to shift the balance of power–thrusts these disillusioned men into a deadly game they never asked to play. Redemption is the prize, but only if they can overcome spilled blood, betrayal, and their own inner demons.
Neither sought to be allies, let alone heroes, but vengeance forces them into a fate they cannot escape. Old grudges and past failures threaten to tear their fragile alliance apart. In this battle, there are no second chances. Victory means survival. Defeat means death. And time is running out.
Relentless Blades is a fast-paced epic fantasy that hits hard! If you love heroic battles, deep character struggles, and edge-of-your-seat adventure, this one’s for you! The fight for Zarune begins-are you ready?
Review:
Relentless Blades. It says it in the title. This is not a book trying to shout any views from the top of the tallest tower or the deepest dragon’s lair. This book wants to entertain, and that it does in spades.
You’ll take from other reviews that immersing yourself in the world Carroll has built can be take a few chapters. First off, stick with it. Secondly, once Caroll enters the first fight, you can almost hear the page sigh in response. The writing relaxes, the author’s clear love for Dungeons & Dragons takes centre stage, and off we go on a rollicking, battle-ladened adventure that from that moment does not let up. Entertainment. See. That’s the point.
We have two main characters to focus on. Grimlock, a half-breed with all the baggage that goes along with it, and a sense of honour and duty that shines through. The other is Vig, a supposedly bad apple in his family and a disgraced knight, whose life is turned upside down by the early events in the book. These two POVs are well-written and give diverse and meaningful viewpoints as the story rumbles along at a fast pace.
There is a death-scene that will live with me. Not a common thing, but if you remember the death of Artax from NeverEnding Story, then you know why me and Caroll need to have words. Enough said.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this D&D homage, and recommend it wholeheartedly.
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