Rating: 10/10
Synopsis
The Order have watched over the continent of Epheria for thousands of years. But there are those who believe The Order has had its day. That it is corrupt, indulgent, and deceitful – that it is ready to fall.
The City of Ilnaen is on fire.
Dragons fill the skies.
Traitors fill the streets.
The Fall is a prequel novella that takes place four hundred years before the events in Of Blood and Fire – book one in The Bound and The Broken series.
You can grab your FREE copy of the fall by signing up to Ryan Cahill’s mailing list at his website linked below the cover and here.
Review
“Vengeance. It was as good a reason as any. Vengeance could stir a rebellion, push people to do things beyond what they ever thought they could. But could it support an empire?”
I’ll get right down to it. This book was an action packed thrill ride. Intense and brutal, this story of dragons, their riders, murder, loss, and betrayal had me enthralled from the first page until the very last.
I had forgotten how much I loved the trope of a dragon being bonded to it’s rider. It is not only an epic concept in and of itself, but when done well it creates a deeply personal and intimate relationship that goes beyond a normal “animal companion” relationship. These riders and dragons feel every single instance of pain, triumph, grief, love, and loss that their bonded one feels. It is beautiful and sad all at the same time as Cahill is merciless with his characters in this relatively short novella.
This story goes at a breakneck pace. We are dropped right in the middle of the action to start the story and the plot does not let up from there. I loved how Cahill split the story up into 4 parts with 4 different POVs. It was such a fantastic way to introduce the reader to the world, its various races (including Elves!!!), and to keep the momentum of the story. Each character had an important role to play and I was invested in each one of their stories.
I was impressed by the character work that Cahill was able to produce in such a short time. The villain of the story was complex and though I definitely did not sympathize with him, I could nonetheless understand his motivations. The protagonists were pretty straightforward “good” people, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the story. I was rooting for them and worried for them throughout, expecting betrayal and ambush at every turn.
I loved this book! After randomly deciding to start it today I finished it within 2 hours and wrote the review immediately. If you like classic fantasy tropes with some twists and turns mixed in then you will love this book as well. Cahill not only did a phenomenal job of giving me a quick story in order to get me invested in the rest of the series, but had me invested in this little story in its own right. I cannot wait to read book 1, Of Blood and Fire. In fact, I may just start today!
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