mitts's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
[3.3]
pemdas97's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
krgangi's review against another edition
5.0
By far the best book of the series, and possibly most epic, non-stop action packed fantasy I've ever read. John Gwynne brought us the end of the Banished Lands in an epic conclusion, and you won't regret the read.
What I really enjoyed, from the very beginning, was how the story is being told from two seperate sides-the faithful and also the fallen-yet so much is similar. Both are asking the same questions, preparing for the same battle, planning the same war. John Gwynne manages to tell the same story but from two different versions. It's very fun.
On the thoughts of similarity, nothing is clean and easy when it comes to both sides of the wars. Internal struggles happen on both sides, which brings tensions between allies of both the Ben Elim and The Order of the Bright Star, as well as the Kadoshim and Revenants.
I liked reading Jin and Bleda's storyline. There is next to nothing in differences between them, yet they are sworn enemies. Reading how Jin leads her army, comparing to how Bleda leads his, was a fun experience. It was like two chefs cooking the same meal but with different ingredients. Either way, the meal is the same, and so is the outcome.
In the first two books we got to see how both the Kadoshim and Ben Elim rule...which straight up sucks for humans. Nine of the Ben Elim seem heroic. And the Kadoshim plan on infecting the entire world with Revenants if it brings an end to their foe. But this is a fantasy trilogy...where are our heroes?
Damn right. The Order of the Bright Star.
FINALLY! We get to see more of the fighting force, a legacy brought by our favorite hero Corban. We came from a tyrannical rule from the Ben Elim, to a rule of fear from Kadoshim, and now we get to see the truth and courage The Order of the Bright Star live by.
Hands down, these are the true heroes of the story. Not only that, but we get more insight on what happened after the War of Wrath, and what happened with Corban and the rest of our surviving heroes. If I werent drinking coffee the entire time I read A Time of Courage, I would have been happily choking on the nostalgia I was experiencing.
This book is fantastically action-packed. Out of the 670 pages, only around 50 werent involved in some type of battle. The first book introduced characters, the second book showed us how the war was going to be fought, and the final book brought us the war.
Get ready to be dropkicked in your feelings, because you're going to laugh, cry, and get furious with what happens. You'll find yourself saying things like, "Dude, just DIE already!" Or better yet, "oh man, these guys are absolutely screwed."
Great read, great end to the series, and although it was the perfect ending, I wish there was more to read.
Truth and Courage.
What I really enjoyed, from the very beginning, was how the story is being told from two seperate sides-the faithful and also the fallen-yet so much is similar. Both are asking the same questions, preparing for the same battle, planning the same war. John Gwynne manages to tell the same story but from two different versions. It's very fun.
On the thoughts of similarity, nothing is clean and easy when it comes to both sides of the wars. Internal struggles happen on both sides, which brings tensions between allies of both the Ben Elim and The Order of the Bright Star, as well as the Kadoshim and Revenants.
I liked reading Jin and Bleda's storyline. There is next to nothing in differences between them, yet they are sworn enemies. Reading how Jin leads her army, comparing to how Bleda leads his, was a fun experience. It was like two chefs cooking the same meal but with different ingredients. Either way, the meal is the same, and so is the outcome.
In the first two books we got to see how both the Kadoshim and Ben Elim rule...which straight up sucks for humans. Nine of the Ben Elim seem heroic. And the Kadoshim plan on infecting the entire world with Revenants if it brings an end to their foe. But this is a fantasy trilogy...where are our heroes?
Damn right. The Order of the Bright Star.
FINALLY! We get to see more of the fighting force, a legacy brought by our favorite hero Corban. We came from a tyrannical rule from the Ben Elim, to a rule of fear from Kadoshim, and now we get to see the truth and courage The Order of the Bright Star live by.
Hands down, these are the true heroes of the story. Not only that, but we get more insight on what happened after the War of Wrath, and what happened with Corban and the rest of our surviving heroes. If I werent drinking coffee the entire time I read A Time of Courage, I would have been happily choking on the nostalgia I was experiencing.
This book is fantastically action-packed. Out of the 670 pages, only around 50 werent involved in some type of battle. The first book introduced characters, the second book showed us how the war was going to be fought, and the final book brought us the war.
Get ready to be dropkicked in your feelings, because you're going to laugh, cry, and get furious with what happens. You'll find yourself saying things like, "Dude, just DIE already!" Or better yet, "oh man, these guys are absolutely screwed."
Great read, great end to the series, and although it was the perfect ending, I wish there was more to read.
Truth and Courage.
tricky_rikke's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
dominish_books's review against another edition
5.0
What can I say about John Gwynne’s books that I haven’t already said before?
With A Time of Courage, we end our adventure in the Banished Lands, at least for now. This makes me sad, as I have enjoyed my time reading The Faithful and the Fallen and then Of Blood and Bone, and in combination, the two series stand firmly at the top of my list of favourites.
In this third and final book the action is dialled up a notch, which is saying something as action is one of the things John Gwynne is well known for. Here, we have some of the best battles I can remember reading, with true life-or-death moments where you’re not sure if the unthinkable is about to happen to a main character, or if they’ll make It out alive. To say that the action in this book is intense would be an understatement, and at one point, after a battle covering several viewpoints over a number of chapters, I literally had to get up and walk around the house for a few minutes to take a breather (and return with a glass of wine).
I don’t think A Time of Courage gives us anything particularly new, because we’ve seen by now what John Gwynne has to offer, but what we do get is nothing short of exceptional. We have battles, we have heartbreak, betrayal, revenge, stirring speeches and a cast of heroes going once more unto the breach.
There are so many incredible moments in this book and it shows how even in a short space of time, a matter of pages, let alone chapters, the stakes can be raised to such a high level. There aren’t many writers out there who can so readily accomplish this, and John Gwynne does it again and again. I’ve heard plenty of people say they needed a couple of weeks to get over reading A Time of Courage, and I can see why this would be the case. There’s almost no let up from the start of the book to the end, and when it’s over, you’re left feeling mentally and emotionally drained, but in a good way, of course.
Being the final book in the series, we don’t see a cliff-hanger and, a few character deaths aside, we do get a happy ending, however there are definite indications that the saga of the Banished Lands can be continued. Some of it is explicitly discussed by the characters in closing out the book, but other parts are not, with a “fade to black” chapter ending leaving you unsure if a certain request is being carried out or not. My guess is yes, but it could just as easily be a no, you’ll have to make up your own mind when reading the scene.
Ultimately, A Time of Courage is a satisfying end to both Of Blood and Bone and the Banished Lands saga as a whole. There’s definitely room in the Banished Lands for more adventures, and I hope we will one day see further entries into the expanded series, but it’s also good that it’s not oversaturated. Perhaps one day, with another, unrelated series (or two?) under his belt, John Gwynne will return to tell us more tales of the Banished Lands. I’ll be waiting.
With A Time of Courage, we end our adventure in the Banished Lands, at least for now. This makes me sad, as I have enjoyed my time reading The Faithful and the Fallen and then Of Blood and Bone, and in combination, the two series stand firmly at the top of my list of favourites.
In this third and final book the action is dialled up a notch, which is saying something as action is one of the things John Gwynne is well known for. Here, we have some of the best battles I can remember reading, with true life-or-death moments where you’re not sure if the unthinkable is about to happen to a main character, or if they’ll make It out alive. To say that the action in this book is intense would be an understatement, and at one point, after a battle covering several viewpoints over a number of chapters, I literally had to get up and walk around the house for a few minutes to take a breather (and return with a glass of wine).
I don’t think A Time of Courage gives us anything particularly new, because we’ve seen by now what John Gwynne has to offer, but what we do get is nothing short of exceptional. We have battles, we have heartbreak, betrayal, revenge, stirring speeches and a cast of heroes going once more unto the breach.
There are so many incredible moments in this book and it shows how even in a short space of time, a matter of pages, let alone chapters, the stakes can be raised to such a high level. There aren’t many writers out there who can so readily accomplish this, and John Gwynne does it again and again. I’ve heard plenty of people say they needed a couple of weeks to get over reading A Time of Courage, and I can see why this would be the case. There’s almost no let up from the start of the book to the end, and when it’s over, you’re left feeling mentally and emotionally drained, but in a good way, of course.
Being the final book in the series, we don’t see a cliff-hanger and, a few character deaths aside, we do get a happy ending, however there are definite indications that the saga of the Banished Lands can be continued. Some of it is explicitly discussed by the characters in closing out the book, but other parts are not, with a “fade to black” chapter ending leaving you unsure if a certain request is being carried out or not. My guess is yes, but it could just as easily be a no, you’ll have to make up your own mind when reading the scene.
Ultimately, A Time of Courage is a satisfying end to both Of Blood and Bone and the Banished Lands saga as a whole. There’s definitely room in the Banished Lands for more adventures, and I hope we will one day see further entries into the expanded series, but it’s also good that it’s not oversaturated. Perhaps one day, with another, unrelated series (or two?) under his belt, John Gwynne will return to tell us more tales of the Banished Lands. I’ll be waiting.
jan2bratt's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this series! The only reason I don't give it a 5 star is because there was too much battle and bloodshed for me. That being said, he writes battles and bloodshed the best of anyone I have read! I personally prefer a bit more character interaction where they aren't intent on killing each other. Wish I had read the first series first, didn't realize this is the second part of the Banished Lands books. Now I have those earlier books to find and devour!
matzkat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
nina_bloodsworn's review against another edition
5.0
WOW 10/10 what an ending to the trilogy and to all the Banished Lands.
exceptional good - i am so emotional right now, its not even real!
the characters, atmosphere, battles all together an amazing storytelling.
A Time of Courage finishes with a huge bang my favorite series (TFATF and OBAB together) of all time.
Sorry I don't have any more words ... perfection!!!
Can highly recommend!!
exceptional good - i am so emotional right now, its not even real!
the characters, atmosphere, battles all together an amazing storytelling.
A Time of Courage finishes with a huge bang my favorite series (TFATF and OBAB together) of all time.
Sorry I don't have any more words ... perfection!!!
Can highly recommend!!
mhedgescsus's review against another edition
5.0
Check out my YouTube channel where I show my instant reactions to reading fantasy books as soon as I finish the book.
An absolute masterpiece. Once again, John Gwynne has produced one of the greatest fantasy books that have ever been written
As you can probably tell from my name, I read a lot of fantasy books. And without question, A Time of Courage will go down for me as one of the greatest fantasy books that have ever been written. This book was perfection, and I struggle to find anything that I can criticize about what John Gwynne was able to accomplish here. While I still rate Malazan as the greatest fantasy series of all time, I believe wholeheartedly that this book series featuring the Banished Lands is my #2 favorite - and I don't know how that will ever get beaten.
This book had the ridiculously huge burden of having to wrap up not only the Of Blood and Bone series, but also wrapping up all the storylines that started in The Faithful and the Fallen. If you didn't already know, the predecessor series takes place well before this one, but it's a continuation of the same central storyline. Not only did it achieve wrapping up these two series in spectacular fashion, but it wrapped up all the story arcs for the characters in a spectacular way.
The story itself had a wonderful mix of predictable and unpredictable. The ending was so satisfying, and I legitimately felt sad upon reading it knowing that my journey in this world is finally at an end. There were moments in this book where I literally had to put the book down and had to pick my jaw up off the floor, due to how shocking the events were that I had just read.
While I think this book series is wonderful in virtually every way, I thought that John Gwynne's writing skills somehow got better over time culminating in this book. I have lightly criticized him in the past for his frenetic use of shifting POVs between chapters, and leaving the reader with too many cliffhangers, and I am so happy that he didn't do that much in this series. He copied a style that I think Robert Jordan perfected in The Wheel of Time where he spent several chapters dealing with the same event before moving onto a new one after things felt wrapped up. For me as a reader, it was much appreciated.
The major battle in this book was one of the most epic things I have ever read. It was grandiose, but you felt intimately involved in the action to the point where you could visually understand every single little facet of what was going on. It's over-the-top in a good way, spanned for an extremely long time, and it's a writing style that I think all fantasy authors should seek to imitate. Nobody on earth can write a battle scene as well as John Gwynne can, and this book showcased him at his very best.
I am left simply in awe over how John Gwynne was able to write two series back-to-back that are essentially perfection. And not only that, but he knocked it out of the park when it comes to writing a series set in the same world, and using things we are familiar with so that the reader is hooked back in, but also switches things up enough so that it doesn't feel derivative. This is something that is very rarely pulled off, and John Gwynne should be put on a pedestal for how he was able to accomplish this difficult task at such a high level.
If you are a fantasy fan, and you haven't read this book series - please just stop everything you are doing and go buy the 7 books that comprise The Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone. They deserve to be devoured by you.
Series Book Ratings
Malice 5/5
Valor 5/5
Ruin 5/5
Wrath 5/5
A Time of Dread 4.5/5
A Time of Blood 5/5
A Time of Courage 5/5
Series Score 4.92/5
An absolute masterpiece. Once again, John Gwynne has produced one of the greatest fantasy books that have ever been written
As you can probably tell from my name, I read a lot of fantasy books. And without question, A Time of Courage will go down for me as one of the greatest fantasy books that have ever been written. This book was perfection, and I struggle to find anything that I can criticize about what John Gwynne was able to accomplish here. While I still rate Malazan as the greatest fantasy series of all time, I believe wholeheartedly that this book series featuring the Banished Lands is my #2 favorite - and I don't know how that will ever get beaten.
This book had the ridiculously huge burden of having to wrap up not only the Of Blood and Bone series, but also wrapping up all the storylines that started in The Faithful and the Fallen. If you didn't already know, the predecessor series takes place well before this one, but it's a continuation of the same central storyline. Not only did it achieve wrapping up these two series in spectacular fashion, but it wrapped up all the story arcs for the characters in a spectacular way.
The story itself had a wonderful mix of predictable and unpredictable. The ending was so satisfying, and I legitimately felt sad upon reading it knowing that my journey in this world is finally at an end. There were moments in this book where I literally had to put the book down and had to pick my jaw up off the floor, due to how shocking the events were that I had just read.
While I think this book series is wonderful in virtually every way, I thought that John Gwynne's writing skills somehow got better over time culminating in this book. I have lightly criticized him in the past for his frenetic use of shifting POVs between chapters, and leaving the reader with too many cliffhangers, and I am so happy that he didn't do that much in this series. He copied a style that I think Robert Jordan perfected in The Wheel of Time where he spent several chapters dealing with the same event before moving onto a new one after things felt wrapped up. For me as a reader, it was much appreciated.
The major battle in this book was one of the most epic things I have ever read. It was grandiose, but you felt intimately involved in the action to the point where you could visually understand every single little facet of what was going on. It's over-the-top in a good way, spanned for an extremely long time, and it's a writing style that I think all fantasy authors should seek to imitate. Nobody on earth can write a battle scene as well as John Gwynne can, and this book showcased him at his very best.
I am left simply in awe over how John Gwynne was able to write two series back-to-back that are essentially perfection. And not only that, but he knocked it out of the park when it comes to writing a series set in the same world, and using things we are familiar with so that the reader is hooked back in, but also switches things up enough so that it doesn't feel derivative. This is something that is very rarely pulled off, and John Gwynne should be put on a pedestal for how he was able to accomplish this difficult task at such a high level.
If you are a fantasy fan, and you haven't read this book series - please just stop everything you are doing and go buy the 7 books that comprise The Faithful and the Fallen and Of Blood and Bone. They deserve to be devoured by you.
Series Book Ratings
Malice 5/5
Valor 5/5
Ruin 5/5
Wrath 5/5
A Time of Dread 4.5/5
A Time of Blood 5/5
A Time of Courage 5/5
Series Score 4.92/5
truthlessofcanada's review against another edition
fast-paced
4.5
John Gwynne concludes our time in the banished lands with a gripping, heartrending, satisfying, and bittersweet conclusion.
For me book 1 of this trilogy had issues with it's end, and A Time of Blood at issues with it's start. A Time of Courage was straight fire all the way through.
Courage is good, but it must be tempered with wisdom and strategy
I feel like I am just going to save time and give the standard John Gwynne disclaimer.
The writing, pacing, character work, action, and relationships are all great.
The bonds of friendship and honor in this book feel so real. It is a bit jarring to read this after something like Abercrombie, because in grimdark worlds there is essentially no social fabric. Certain factions in the banished lands have a culture that pushes Truth and Courage, and it really comes through in the relationships.
I think one of the central themes of this serious, is that if hatred is your primary motivator you are going to do bad things, even if it is hatred of pure evil. A lot of the grey sides in this series are primarily motivated by hate of someone or something that did terrible things, or even hatred of pure evil. Usually those people do as much bad as the evil they hate.
We of the Order have sworn our oaths and sealed them in our blood, pledged ourselves to truth and courage. But you who have not said the words, I know that you are the same as us, in your hearts. Warriors, brothers and sisters bound to a cause. Otherwise you would not be here now, standing at our side, risking your lives. This is the sharp edge of who we are. We will stand and fight, together. There is no retreat this time. We win or we die.”
One of the main concerns I had for the first 2 books is that Ferals were totally useless, and not intimating at all. Fortunately they are not the main rank and file enemies that are fought, and there replacements are pretty damm intimating. This allowed for the final battle to be super well executed, it had me on the edge of my seat, or as writers would say. When I finished I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.(seriously why does every writer use that sentence)
Also unlike book 1 and 2 I did a horrible job at predicting who would die here, and I was floored a couple times. This was an incredibly well executed finally to the series.
8.9
For me book 1 of this trilogy had issues with it's end, and A Time of Blood at issues with it's start. A Time of Courage was straight fire all the way through.
Courage is good, but it must be tempered with wisdom and strategy
I feel like I am just going to save time and give the standard John Gwynne disclaimer.
The writing, pacing, character work, action, and relationships are all great.
The bonds of friendship and honor in this book feel so real. It is a bit jarring to read this after something like Abercrombie, because in grimdark worlds there is essentially no social fabric. Certain factions in the banished lands have a culture that pushes Truth and Courage, and it really comes through in the relationships.
I think one of the central themes of this serious, is that if hatred is your primary motivator you are going to do bad things, even if it is hatred of pure evil. A lot of the grey sides in this series are primarily motivated by hate of someone or something that did terrible things, or even hatred of pure evil. Usually those people do as much bad as the evil they hate.
We of the Order have sworn our oaths and sealed them in our blood, pledged ourselves to truth and courage. But you who have not said the words, I know that you are the same as us, in your hearts. Warriors, brothers and sisters bound to a cause. Otherwise you would not be here now, standing at our side, risking your lives. This is the sharp edge of who we are. We will stand and fight, together. There is no retreat this time. We win or we die.”
One of the main concerns I had for the first 2 books is that Ferals were totally useless, and not intimating at all. Fortunately they are not the main rank and file enemies that are fought, and there replacements are pretty damm intimating. This allowed for the final battle to be super well executed, it had me on the edge of my seat, or as writers would say. When I finished I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.(seriously why does every writer use that sentence)
Also unlike book 1 and 2 I did a horrible job at predicting who would die here, and I was floored a couple times. This was an incredibly well executed finally to the series.
8.9