*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Blurb: The ancients call all debts due. Evanne won’t settle a tab with those long dead.
Evanne, a half-Vhemin bard with a gods-promised destiny as complex as her heritage, faces her greatest challenge yet. Known for her enchanting melodies and courageous heart, she’s a firebrand of hope in dark times.
But darkness has a name: Wild Sur, the enigmatic master of the Vide, an unstoppable order of assassins with a perfect record of death. This time, their target is Evanne. Armed with ancient secrets and commanding a Vhemin fortress with a portal to the demon realm, Wild Sur’s ambition is nothing less than apocalyptic.
Evanne isn’t alone in this perilous quest. Myryntir, a resurrected wild blue dragon, soars by her side, along with Tarragon, her heart’s love and a formidable swordswoman. And in the shadows, the newly empowered Raven Queen weaves her own brand of magic.
But hope wanes. The demons are endless in number. The key to their salvation might rest with the lost warrior, Geneve, Saviour of Ravenswall, rumoured to be trapped beyond the demonic portal. Evanne’s ancient armour might shield her body, but can it protect her from the despair of an impossible mission: to save one lost for all time?
As Evanne and her allies prepare to face an entire city built for destruction and the demon and human army it protects, they must unravel the fortress’s secrets and stop Wild Sur. Failure isn’t just personal; it’s the end of everything they know and love. This isn’t just a battle—it’s the final stand against the tide of darkness, where the melody of a bard might be the last sound in a world on the edge of oblivion.
I’m back in Richard Parry’s Splintered Lands for the glorious finale to this hexalogy (and the Copper Bard trilogy) and what has been a long hard slog for the characters has made for an exciting and immersive read for me – I’m sad it’s over!
You will definitely have need to read the other books in the series first, as this novel represents the culmination of both the main story threads – Geneve’s and Evanne’s. Old friends finally return (hooray!) and unite with the new to face the ultimate battle: ragtag remains of the various races (human, Feybrind, Vhemin, fairy, dragon) vs. literal demons from hell.
The gods meddle a little along the way, but manfully (divinely?) resist deus-ex-machining up the ending, leaving it to our self-deprecating, self-doubting, self-made heroes to figure it all out. And then the final chapters wrap it all up with an immensely satisfying ‘where are they now’ tour and hopefully a few (if not all) happy ever afters. After a climactic battle that had me white-knuckled and I’m pretty sure contributed to some new ulcers, I was able to put the book down beaming happily at the possibility of a fresh, older and wiser, more united start for the characters and world I have grown to love.
If you’re looking for a swords-and-sorcery fantasy series that is super immersive, with loads of action and lots of lovely, bantery camaraderie, then this is the one. A fittingly great end to a great series.
It’s not my fault, but it’s my responsibility. It’s all our responsibility. This world is broken because we keep kicking it in the teeth, and if no one reaches out a hand, who will help it back into the fight?
– Richard Parry, The Hymn of All
Check out Richard Parry’s website, or follow him on Goodreads.
The Hymn of All is available on Amazon right now, and you can check out my reviews of other stories by the author here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here. Or pop here to find Richard’s thoughts on writing continuity and here for an interview with the man himself!
Bookshine And Readbows 