A review by powder_and_page
Wrath, by John Gwynne
5.0
The ending of a book series is always somewhat bittersweet. Reaching the end can be amazing, but at the same time there’s a good chance you won’t get to read about your favorite characters in anything new. Wrath was a good, solid conclusion and it left the reader with an idea of what each character’s path would hold.
The characters continued to really delight, though John Gwynne really started crushing my soul near the end. People just kept dying off-- some of them were like “FINALLY” and a couple others made me tear up just a little. John Gwynne really knows how to write characters that you end up cheering for and that you’ll remember longer after you close the final page. As the series has progressed I found myself warming to some characters more than I had expected to, namely Veradis and Maquin. I was initially annoyed by Veradis’ blind faith in Nathair, but after he came to see the truth he became much less frustrating. I liked Maquin well enough from his very first appearance, but he didn’t really start growing on me until his encounters with Lykos and the Vin Thalun. He seemed to find his true self and he was a hard but useful man. I would love to see him on screen in action.
From the beginning I knew The Faithful and the Fallen was going to be one of the best fantasy series I’ve read (and will read). The classic fantasy element of good and evil was turned into something much more complicated and grey than usual and seeing in depth perspectives from both sides made it a phenomenal story. Wrath was a wonderful conclusion and I don’t say that lightly, as I find many finales just aren’t quite up to par with my expectations. This did not feel rushed and was obviously done with great care and the desire to deliver a worthy conclusion. I loved it and flew through this nearly 700 page beast of a book.
Overall, Wrath was awesome! I highly recommend The Faithful and the Fallen series to any fan of epic fantasy, because it’s a worthy addition to the genre and you won’t regret it. Plus, those crisp white covers and awesome designs look pretty aesthetic on my shelf. I hope Mr. Gwynne continues to write and I can’t wait to see what his future as an author holds.
The characters continued to really delight, though John Gwynne really started crushing my soul near the end. People just kept dying off-- some of them were like “FINALLY” and a couple others made me tear up just a little. John Gwynne really knows how to write characters that you end up cheering for and that you’ll remember longer after you close the final page. As the series has progressed I found myself warming to some characters more than I had expected to, namely Veradis and Maquin. I was initially annoyed by Veradis’ blind faith in Nathair, but after he came to see the truth he became much less frustrating. I liked Maquin well enough from his very first appearance, but he didn’t really start growing on me until his encounters with Lykos and the Vin Thalun. He seemed to find his true self and he was a hard but useful man. I would love to see him on screen in action.
From the beginning I knew The Faithful and the Fallen was going to be one of the best fantasy series I’ve read (and will read). The classic fantasy element of good and evil was turned into something much more complicated and grey than usual and seeing in depth perspectives from both sides made it a phenomenal story. Wrath was a wonderful conclusion and I don’t say that lightly, as I find many finales just aren’t quite up to par with my expectations. This did not feel rushed and was obviously done with great care and the desire to deliver a worthy conclusion. I loved it and flew through this nearly 700 page beast of a book.
Overall, Wrath was awesome! I highly recommend The Faithful and the Fallen series to any fan of epic fantasy, because it’s a worthy addition to the genre and you won’t regret it. Plus, those crisp white covers and awesome designs look pretty aesthetic on my shelf. I hope Mr. Gwynne continues to write and I can’t wait to see what his future as an author holds.