A Time of Blood by John Gwynne

Publication Info

A Time of Blood is a high fantasy novel written by John Gwynne and is the second book in Gwynne's Of Blood and Bone series. It was published by Orbit (UK) and Macmillan (US) on April 16th, 2019. While the book has not won any awards to speak of, it did find success allowing Gwynne to write and publish the third and final book in the series.

Brief Summary

Of Blood and Bone follows Drem, Riv, Bleda, and Fritha immediately following the final events of the first book. Drem and his friends are haunted by the horrors they witnessed at the battle of Starstone Lake—the agonized screams of men twisted into beasts and the terrifying sight of a demon rising from the grave. Yet more terrifying than any memory is Fritha, the deadly high priestess of the demons. And she is hunting them.

Deep within Forn Forest, Riv hides, knowing that her very existence threatens the Ben-Elim (the angels of this world). She embodies their most dangerous secret, and if the warrior angels discover her, they will not hesitate to silence her.

As the demonic legions grow, they unleash a formidable army to crush the angels’ stronghold. Now, like the heroes of legend, Drem, Riv, and the Bright Star’s warriors must stand against the darkness to protect their land and their lives. But when the shadows rise, can the light still prevail?

Review

This book, like many fantasy books, is the classic story of good vs. evil. As mentioned above this book is the second in this series. However, the Of Blood and Bone series is a sequel series to the Faithful and Fallen series. I absolutely loved the first series, and was excited when I found out that the story was not finished. While I am thankful that I am able to continue on in the world that Gwynne has built, I have to admit that I am not as into this series as the first. It actually took me several starts to get back into this book after reading book one.

Now that is not to say that this book is not great. For me, it is solely a matter of expectations. Almost all of the characters that I fell in love with from the first series are dead or gone in this series as it takes place over 130 years later. This has led to me feeling lackluster about reading this book. Again, I did not regret reading this book, and am currently reading the final book in the series at the time of writing. But, I have had to really convince myself to push through and finish.

I know by this point I have not done a great job of selling this book. But I promise that Gwynne is a phenomenal writer and storyteller. This book almost feels like one long battle, which is great because Gwynne knows how to portray a battle. This is fantasy at it's peak, and will leave you asking questions and wanting more. Even though I had a harder time making my way through this book, I am excited to finish out the series and story as a whole.

Recommendations

I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys reading fantasy. Keep in mind this book, and series, is a more "realistic" take on fantasy. Characters die, and the good guys do not always win, at least not in the way that you want. If you are a fan of in depth and detailed battle sequences and political storytelling then you will like this book.

Rating - 4/5

Currently Reading

• A Time of Courage by John Gwynne