The Shattered Lands

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Jones writes well, his strong prose giving a good sense of setting and able to stir emotions without ever getting itself noticed. . . . but the real strength of the book is simply that it is fun to read." —Mark Lawrence, author of the Book of the Ancestor series I have to admit I loved this book, and whilst it reminded me of classic sword and sorcery authors like Howard and Lieber, the book has a a modern contemporaryness to it. The book is very episodic, made up of individual contained stories that are split into sub chapters, but it reads like a modern television series with an overall thematic arc. I was less sold on the romance at the centre of this story, however. It was very obvious, which I did not dislike, and very sweet, which warmed by heart, but it sometimes felt a little surface-level. I never felt I truly knew where their hearts lay as they kept their true emotions secret from each other and the reader. I wanted to see them soften even more towards each other and reveal even more of their loveable characters. This wonderful work put me in mind of the stories I read when I was editing Baen’s Robert E. Howard library.” ― David Drake, author of Hammer’s Slammers A huge thank you to Brenna Nation, Penguin Random House Childrens UK, and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion. The Shattered Lands comes out March 16, 2023

I just had the privilege to read this extraordinary book. The Shattered Lands by Brenna Nation has been a book I have been patiently waiting for since I first saw her tiktok several several months ago. I can say with absolute certainty that this book is 5/5 stars. As for Ashes, where does one start? there’s a tension between the two main characters straight away, but after the initial meeting it takes a while before we see Ashes again. But once her character gets going, wow. It’s hard to talk about her without spoiling the book. But the way she’s written is incredibly. her motivations and her inner workings are phenomenal, and by the time you reach the last chapter your jaw will drop and you will be so overcome with so many conflicting emotions. i cannot wait to talk about Ashes and that ending with people once this book is out. also, i would have killed for an Ashes POV but the fact that this book is only told from one perspective does not detract from how good the book is at all. At the stroke of midnight on her eighteenth Birthday, Sapphire is transported away from her orphanage home to a kingdom she has never before ventured to and parents she never knew she had. They sit upon the throne and promise her all the love and lavish lifestyle she has ever longed for. But can their intentions be believed? She begins to doubt it when the magical powers and opposing forces also abundant in these lands begin to reveal themselves to her, too. A VAST EMPIRE'S GREATEST FOE. A CONQUERED PEOPLE'S LAST HOPE. HIS NAME IS HANUVAR, AND HE WILL SET HIS PEOPLE FREE!

She’s strong willed, impulsive, curious and loyal. What I loved about Sapphire are her questions and anxieties match the readers as the story unfolds, I didn’t find her naïveté annoying or frustrating like I often do with FMC’s blind to their situation. She’s anxious but there is depth and realness to her emotions that felt believable to me. Appropriately so, Sapphire doesn’t trust everything she’s told and there are lots of twists and turns in Eriobis.

Sapphire has spent 18 years in Witrotean, a waste land that was ravaged by beasts and famine, and expects to spend the rest of her maybe short life there. That is until one night during what she thinks is a dream she is transported to Eriobis, a land full of magic and secrets. Not only was she born in this new lands, but she is the lost princess they have been looking for. While searching for answers to the history of Eriobis and the war that split the kingdom 1000 years ago, she meets Ashes, a Shadow Witch. Shadow witches are rumored to be monsters that control the shadow beasts, they were the side of the war that lost those many years ago. Though they are enemies, Sapphire and Ashes cannot ignore the buring attraction between themselves. They will have to question wiether or not the truth that is revealed will start the end of a kingdom. There is still very little in the way of Sword & Sorcery sitting on the bookshelf of Barnes & Noble. A crying shame, of course.

characters whining that they do not want mystery. Yes, that's a thing readers probably said of the previous book. No. It should not come out of the mouths of the actual characters in the story every five minutes. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review! History, real or feigned’ was Tolkien’s recipe for a good story. Howard Jones’ new novel has deep roots in history, real and imaginary. It’s a heroic fantasy set in a deeply imagined, fantastical world, but its hero has a strong resemblance to Hannibal, especially in his tragic post-war years. The book is a riveting portrait of a hero trying to keep his civilization alive in the wake of a devastating military defeat; it’s a series of ripping yarns that collectively add up to a greater story with a deeper impact than any of its parts; it’s another triumph for Howard Andrew Jones, premier wielder of the new edge in sword-and-sorcery.”— James Enge, World Fantasy Award nominated author of Blood of Ambrose Listen. I'm always ready to read a sapphic enemies-to-lovers fantasy story, but this just... wasn't for me.