valour the faithful and the fallen 2 john gwynne

Appearing at first glance to be little more than another ‘Medieval Europe’, the Banished Lands are infused with nostalgia and a gentle Germanic ambience that enfolds the reader in a pastoral utopia.īut it’s not long before dark, haunting Celtic overtones start to bleed into the Tolkien-esque quaintness. Godless, but green: Gwynne’s settings are, in many ways, unapologetically familiar.

Dragons, elves, wizards and dwarves are nowhere to be seen nope, instead, the Banished Lands are populated with giants, draigs, fallen angels and – yes! – wyrms. The Faithful and the Fallen respectfully eschews elements of ‘high’ fantasy in favour of more unusual, folklore-inspired creatures. I mean Proper Wyrms, the kind that show up in Germanic myths without wings or even legs and looking like pants-shittingly gigantic– well, worms. And no, I’m not talking about bog-standard dragons who’ve changed their name by deed poll to make themselves sound more interesting. I don’t know about you, but I often reflect on the fact that there just aren’t enough ‘wyrms’ (with a ‘y’) in fiction these days. The Banished Lands are Eerie, Atmospheric and Beautiful Still not convinced? Here’s five more reasons why you might just love it.ġ. It’s bloody but not bleak traditional, but by no means tropey. This gorgeously-jacketed quartet – featuring Malice, Valour, Ruin and Wrath – is epic, but not in that sprawling, distant, ‘wait-where-the-hell-am-I-and-who’s-this-character-again?’ sort of way. Search no longer, my darlings! I present to you: The Faithful and the Fallen by British fantasy author John Gwynne.īeginning with Gemmell Award-winning Malice (Best Debut, 2013), Gwynne’s series is perfect for readers who prefer their fantasy with a touch of grit and darkness (a la the Drenai saga or the Warlord Chronicles) as opposed to the nihilism that the genre is finding particularly fashionable of late. Have you ever found yourself ambling around your local bookstore, mumbling as you search the shelves for something – anything – that will fulfil your need for fictional giants mounted on giant bears?

Valour the faithful and the fallen 2 john gwynne