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Review: The Blackest Heart (The Five Warrior Angels Trilogy #2) by Brian Lee Durfee

March 31, 2024 by Alan Behan Leave a Comment

Rating: 9.0/10

Synopsis

Gladiator. Assassin. Thief. Princess. And the Slave. The Five Warrior Angels have been revealed, one by one the mystical weapons they once wielded are being found, and an ancient prophecy is finally being fulfilled.

Or is it? For when it comes to recorded history, much is intended to manipulate and deceive.

Returning to the kingdom of Gul Kana, Princess Jondralyn has suffered a devastating loss, discovering that not all prophecy is to be assumed, not all scripture to be trusted. At the same time, her younger sister, Tala, has found faith within herself while facing off against villains, who are using her for their devices.

Hawkwood, the former Bloodwood Assassin, is captured. And the knight, Gault, betrayed by the Angel Prince, can only wonder of the fate of his daughter who has fallen into terrible hands.

All while Nail embarks upon the deadliest quest the Five Isles has ever known.

Review

Damn, what a bloody fantastic series, but on another note, I don’t think I’ve ever read a series where I want to see at least half the characters die excruciating torturers’ deaths. They are despicable, cruel, violent, and evil, and I know Brian Lee Durfee is gonna deliver something special when it’s time for their comeuppance.

The Blackest Heart is the second book in The Five Warrior Angels trilogy, and let me tell you, the action and violence are relentless. The worldbuilding and setting are absolutely fantastic. There is not much magic yet, so far, but it’s coming when we finally get the Five Warrior Angels, the Gladiator. Assassin. Thief. Princess. And the Slave and their weapons and stones together. There is going to be a massacre.

This book has everything that you are looking for in a fantasy book series, from unbelievable twists and turns, jaw-dropping moments that leave you gobsmacked and glued to your seat with adrenaline.

The lore is brilliant. The characters are written brilliantly. My absolute favourites are Doakie and Liz Hen and their dog Beermug. They make a formidable team, and their camaraderie will have you in stitches with laughter.

In this book, a royal family in chaos, a country under attack, a prophecy of lies. Magic, betrayal, and epic battles. The Angel Prince has brought his five knights archaic and his armies to Gul Kana, bringing slaughter, slavery and death to all who oppose him and worship Saint Laijon.

One of our main protagonists, Nail and the
brethren set out to find the Warrior Angels weapons and stones, there will be trials and retributions along the way that will see our little party either fall or be triumphant facing all manner of obstacles in their way.

If you love dark epic fantasy. A gore ridden action-packed romp, full of battles, bloodwood assassins, dwarfs, Valae (elves), good characters, magical weapons and just some good old storytelling at its finest, then look no further, what are ye waiting for, check it out. Very highly recommended….🗡🪓🛡⚔️🏹🔥

Filed Under: Action & Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Dragons, Epic Fantasy, Grimdark, Heroic Fantasy, Reviews Tagged With: Book Review, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fantasy Books

About Alan Behan

Right a bit about myself, I am married to my wonderful wife Catherine of 18 years, we have three beautiful girls together, 20, 18 and 14 years of age. They are my world as well as my books...😁 I work full time as industrial plumber, I'm 45 years old and my hobbies is spending time with my family and of course reading fantasy every chance I can get. I love supporting indie authors and getting the word out about their new books. My all-time favorite authors are Steven Erikson, Mark Lawrence and Robert Jordan and that's just to name a few.

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