A Dance of Fang and Claw: The Ranger Archives Volume 3
by Philip C. Quaintrell 

RANGERS AREN'T BORN, THEY'RE FORGED.

Never has this been more true for Asher, who must train a new ranger… or be the one to hunt him down. Surviving an encounter with a Werewolf has changed Russell Maybury’s life forever. If he is to salvage anything, he must craft a new life using his abilities to do good. Should he stray, he will answer to Asher.

​Learning to fight monsters is all the more difficult when the monsters are the ones hunting you. In his possession, Russell holds an artifact of great significance, a relic central to a shadow war waged for centuries untold. On the one side, the Werewolves bring their claws. On the other, the Vorska, blood fiends who know only the night, bring their fangs.

​In over his head, Asher must navigate a war of monsters and the machinations of ancient mages if he is to survive. And should he survive, there is still the Assassin that dwells within, a monster of his own making, that fights for supremacy.

​One way or another, the ranger is going to bleed.

What an amazing finish to this trilogy! Mr. Quaintrell has proven himself once again as a master storyteller! Coming late to this and the Echoes Saga, I had the chance to read them all without any breaks in between. Now that it's finished, it's kind of bittersweet. It's that feeling you have after spending time with family and friends that you haven't seen in a long time. You bask in the warmth of those feelings of love, companionship, laughter and even some tears as you catch up. And then, just like that, you're watching them drive away, already feeling a little sad that the time has come to an end. But you smile as you look forward to the next time you're all together again. That's how you know Mr. Quaintrell is an expert in his craft. He draws these emotions out of you over characters that he has brought to life and freely shared with us instead of keeping them to himself.

As much as I love reading about Asher, this book introduces us to another one of my favorite characters: Russell Marbury. Asher takes him under his wing and tries to teach him how to be a ranger after Russell suffers a horrible occurrence. Through trial and error, we watch as Asher learns, with some advice from others, that what worked for him, may not work for others. Eventually, Asher learns that Russell needs to be his own man, and a grand deal is struck between the two.

I loved seeing Russell’s character growth and how he goes from being a tormented man who feels like he has no hope, to a guy who realizes that, with his friends, he can handle most anything. I especially enjoyed seeing his bond with Doran Heavybelly grow. The brotherly relationship that develops over time between them is both heartwarming and hilarious. Personally, I would love to read more stories about the escapades of these two guys.

While this book ends the trilogy, I eagerly look forward to seeing Asher and the rest again someday. But I am also looking forward to meeting the new characters he'll be bring with him in future stories! Again, do yourself a favor and check his work out! You'll be glad you did!

And, as always, please make sure to like this post and follow my blog if you haven't already. I'd greatly appreciate it! Until next time, my friends!

www.philipcquaintrell.com

A Dance of Fang and Claw on Amazon

Sword of the Fallen

(Hearts of Dragons, Book 1)

by G.J. Ogden

A dragon’s heart has the power to forge kingdoms - or shatter them.

Sir Torin Cadwell, Knight-Captain of the Watch and the tyrant king’s illegitimate son, has spent his life torn between loyalty to his father and the pull of destiny. For generations, his bloodline has been cursed by a bitter feud with Kyhrax, the Flame of Zarag-Gul - the most feared dragon in Westskyr.

The city of Dun Morlaig survives only because of the Breath - a magical barrier fueled by the crystallized heart of Astreya, the Great Mother dragon. Once a benevolent guardian, Astreya was slain by Torin’s ancestor, leaving Kyhrax consumed by grief and burning for revenge.

When Astreya’s Lament - the sword that holds the Great Mother’s heart - is stolen, the Breath falters. Chaos erupts as Koblyn monsters and dragon-worshiping cultists lay siege to the city, and Kyhrax prepares to unleash his long-awaited vengeance.

Defying the king’s command, Torin allies with Ruxandra Elyr, a ranger of the Order of the Green Bow, to recover the stolen sword. But Kyhrax’s wrath will not stop at Dun Morlaig. If the Flame of Zarag-Gul is not stopped, his fury will consume all seven realms and usher in the age of dragons.

I'm not going to lie. Sword of the Fallen is an enjoyable tale of knights and dragons, of loss and despair, but also hope and redemption. But it is also the hardest book I've had to review thus far. I really wanted to love this book, but there were a few things that kept me from getting there. 

Torin is a great hero that you can't help but like. He's that guy that most everybody wants to be friends with, but is humble enough that it doesn't go to his head. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about his struggles, his friendships and his history. In fact, most of the characters in this story are well written and bring about genuine feelings for them. And then there's the main villain, Leoric Draven. It's really hard to explain, but the closest I could come would be to say that I just didn't like the way he was written. Was he the villain? Yes. Did he do some horrific things? Also yes. But I never could believe him as a villain. I hope that I'm the only one with this problem, because a character like Torin deserves a great foe.

But none of that kept me from liking the book. It's a fun read and the potential for greatness is there. I'll likely checkout the next book in the series when it comes out. 

I'd like to give a special thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

And, as always, please make sure to like this post and follow my blog if you haven't already. I'd greatly appreciate it! Until next time, my friends!

G.J. Ogden's Website

Sword of the Fallen on Amazon

Once There Were Heroes(A Time of Dragons, Book 1)
by Philip C. Quaintrell

THE GODS ARE DEAD.

IN THEIR ABSENCE, THERE CAN BE ONLY CHAOS. ONLY WAR. AND THEY ARE NOT ALL THAT HAS FADED FROM THE WORLD OF VERDA...

Once there were heroes. Brave men and women who showed their quality to be above the rest. Those whose deeds earned them the heart of a dragon. Those whose courage and strength resonated with the unborn, who, in their eggs, can wait thousands of years for a warrior worthy of them.

These heroes rose up on young battlefields and defended the weak and oppressed across all of Erador. They did so because they were inspired. They had only to look up and see. Dragons Riders!

The last noble warriors in the realm. Only heroes can embolden the ordinary. For centuries, millennia, the Dragon Riders galvanised generation after generation, adding Riders to their ranks, birthing dragons from their eggs.

But there are no more heroes. War with the Andarens is like nothing the Riders, nor the armies of Erador, have ever faced. In the place of heroes there are only soldiers now. Fodder for the machine of war.

This time of twilight is set to be the crowning hour of the dark, when the light is losing its grip. There are those who have been waiting, biding their time in the shadows while the heroes of Verda die out. They worship something ancient. Something forgotten by myth and legend. Something evil.

It falls on a few to keep back that darkness. A few who must rise without inspiration and prove themselves worthy.

Mr. Quaintrell has done it again! This is the start of what promises to be another epic series. We are introduced to an entire new cast of characters as this series takes place in the same world as The Echoes Saga, Verda, but millennia before that series. We get thrown into a world at war and hit the ground running! It can be a little confusing at the start as new characters are presented to us, but world building isn't an easy or quick task. Setting the stage takes some time, but it is worth it. 

One thing I don't normally care for are multiple timelines in a book. Maybe I took one too many hockey pucks to the head in my 20s, but I find it hard to keep track of when things were happening when there is more than on timeline. This book wasn't any different, until it was. Somewhere about a quarter of the way through the book, the dual timelines became clear and I never had any problems after that. Your experience may vary, but that's how it was for me. 

I loved that we got to follow the characters' journeys through years of development, even with some minor time jumps. I really felt like I was invested in their growth and wanted to see them succeed. The new villains felt a little underwhelming in this book. I'm certain they will improve in later installments, but I didn't feel that impending sense of doom that I felt should have been there. Except for one specific villain. He is a despicable, delusional bully and I SO wanted to see him bite the dust. But, good villains are hard to come by, so I'm sure we'll be seeing him again.

Not a lot of new monsters in this book, but the ones there are are on par with the ones from The Echoes Saga. But this series has  giant EAGLES! No, not THOSE eagles(I'm looking at you, Gandalf), but enormous birds of prey. They serve as a foil to the dragons in the book and mounts for some of our heroes. Mr. Quaintrell has captured their predatory viciousness perfectly. There is one scene that is absolutely brutal, but it's integral to the plot and must be witnessed for the story to progress.. 

By book's end, I found myself really liking this new, old world and our intrepid band of heroes(in both timelines). I'm eagerly looking forward to reading Book 2! And, as always, please make sure to like this post and follow my blog if you haven't already. I'd greatly appreciate it! Until next time, my friends!

Philip C. Quaintrell"s website

Once There Were Heroes (A Time of Dragons: Book 1) on Amazon 

Blood and Coin: The Ranger Archives, Volume 2

by Philip C. Quaintrell

 

MONSTERS BREED LEGENDS... AND LEGENDS BREED MONSTERS. THIS IS THE WAY OF THINGS. THIS IS THE WAY OF THE RANGER.

Turned from the path of the assassin, Asher roams the world no better than a nomad, with naught to offer but his sword and grit. But woe betide the monster that believes his sword and grit will not be enough…

​

In a twisted chance of fate, the brash actions of Doran Heavybelly — a dwarven hunter with a lot to say — forces Asher back into the world of man. And so the ranger is brought into the light, into the gaze of Illian’s greatest crime guilds and onto the lawless island of Dragorn.

​

A deal must be made, and with a creature far worse than any of the fiends Asher has put to his sword. To save those who cannot save themselves, the ranger must choose between his life and theirs. Should he make such a deal, 'tis not his life that would be forfeit but the man he has worked so hard to become.

​

In the end, it will all come down to blood and coin…

In this second installment of The Ranger Archives, we find Asher after some time has passed since we last saw him. He spends his days hunting monsters, collecting coin for it and moving from place to place, all in an attempt to stay ahead of himself. You see, Asher is a man that's torn. Torn by visions of who he wants to be and what he's afraid he truly is. It's this dichotomy that drives this story. Can he truly find peace as a ranger or is he destined to always be nothing more than an assassin?

The book is fill with great action sequences and wonderful interplay between the characters. And speaking of characters, in this book we are introduced to Doran Heavybelly, who is one of my favorite characters and certainly my favorite dwarf of this series. Doran brings some antagonism, along with a voice of reason at times, while also bringing some much needed comic relief.

The main villain is a truly despicable character. Without going into detail, he is at the crux of Asher's journey of self discovery in this book. Mr. Quaintrell has created a character that's loathsome and fun to root against.

All in all, this is a great follow up to Court of Assassins that introduces us to some people that come into play in The Echoes Saga as well as these books. And, of course, watching Asher's growth as he struggles to define who he is at his core is always engrossing!  

Next up, the final book in The Ranger Archives, A Dance of Fang and Claw. And, as always, please make sure to like this post and follow my blog if you haven't already. I'd greatly appreciate it! Until next time, my friends!

Kent

Philip C. Quaintrell's Website

Blood and Coin on Amazon

Court of Assassins: The Ranger Archives, Volume 1

by Philip C. Quaintrell

MYTH. LEGEND. NIGHTFALL HAS LONG BEEN RUMOURED TO BE NOTHING THAN WHISPERS ON THE BREEZE. IF ONLY IT WERE SO...

In those halls of darkness, where children are taken from the world and given to shadow and dust, Asher is destined for that same fate. He will become the myth. He will become the legend. He will become the whisper of Death itself.

​That which he was is dead, forgotten. Now he is a blade in the dark, a weapon to be wielded by his masters. A killer.

 Yet, despite all his training and years of spilling blood, there is a crack in Asher’s conditioning. Something within him is broken, unbound even. A sliver of humanity has survived and dreams of freedom. Now, standing on a knife’s edge, his mind threatens to unravel, taking him from the only path he has ever known and away from the clutches of Nightfall.

​It has never been done. Exile is not a choice. It is a death sentence.

​But there is another life that calls to him, a life roaming the wilds and protecting the innocent from the monsters which would prey upon them. Hunting monsters, however, is no easy task, especially when Asher himself is hunted by those who would drag him back to Nightfall. Back to the darkness.

Okay boys and girls, here we go! The first book in the prequel series to The Echoes Saga by Philip C. Quaintrell. We first met Asher in Rise of the Ranger (The Echoes Saga: Book 1) back in 2017. After that amazing nine book series, Mr. Quaintrell has taken us back to that faithful time in Asher's life where he must make a decision that will change his future. 

This is a wonderful start to a prequel series! I was looking forward to learning more of Asher's history and I was not disappointed. The journey Mr. Quaintrell takes us on is a great blend of action, drama and humor. From exploring Asher's tortured psyche, to the first seed of redemption, this book kept me riveted. So much so that it was only about halfway that I realized there was a mystery afoot! When did THAT happen??? I'm not much of a mystery fan, but I have to admit, I enjoyed this one. Well played, Mr. Quaintrell. Well played. 

In my opinion, you really should read The Echoes Saga first. But if you decided to start here, you won't be confused. I think you'll love it either way!

Now on to the second book of this series and to continue this grand adventure!

Kent 

Philip C. Quaintrell's Website

Court of Assassins on Amazon