The Sword Unbound

The front runner for my book of the year . . . The Sword Defiant is a love letter to roleplaying games, to Tolkien, to what epic fantasy has been about for me through my whole life. I adored this book from the first page to the last. Hanrahan has taken the best of the old, the best of the last two decades, and then brought it screaming into the modern era. Fans of Gemmell and Abercrombie need this on their shelves

Hanrahan is one of the best in the business at creating fantasy worlds that feel alive . . . It's a world that takes familiar fantasy archetypes, and turns them into cool characters with big personalities . . . I'll say it again - I'll read any book that Gareth Hanrahan writes

"This grim and gritty tale is a solid sequel to The Sword Defiant that raises the stakes and propels the story in cataclysmic fashion . . . a tale of grief and triumph, where the monsters aren't always obvious and people easily turn on those who save the world. It's clever how the book comes full circle towards the end, and the myths of the Erlking add a mystical tone to the intrigue . . . Hanrahan's sword-and-sorcery series is perfect for fans of The Witcher

In the tradition of Tolkien and Eddings, with a richly detailed narrative, well-drawn characters, epic battles, and political and religious intrigues, Hanrahan's outstanding first outing in the Lands of the Firstborn series will thrill fantasy readers - who will anxiously await the next book

A gloriously gritty adventure through Hanrahan's astonishing imagination

This is everything you could ever want in an engrossing fantasy novel that hits you with one mind-blowing scene after another. Come for the cranky sentient talking sword and legendary heroes of old, stay for the next level worldbuilding, dark magic, and intense scheming/treachery. A one of a kind fantasy and another stunning achievement from Gareth Hanrahan

Both a love letter and evolution of the epic fantasy novel . . . The Sword Defiant is an epic tale of how no world stands still forever . . . Highly recommended!