Of War and Ruin

The Bound and the Broken, Book 3

De: Ryan Cahill

Narrado por: Derek Perkins

Solian ata’yar. Dauv ata’yar. Nur temen vie’ryn valana.

Live as one. Die as one. For those we’ve lost.

The city of Kingspass burns and Calen Bryer’s world has been shaken to its core. With Valerys at his side, Calen must battle his demons and push forward. There are people who need him, people who need what he must become, and he will not let them stand alone.

In Loria, Ella struggles to understand the ancient power that flows through her veins. The world is changing around her, and she is changing with it. Her journey has only just begun.

Thousands of miles away, beneath the mountains of Lodhar, assassins move in the dark as the kingdoms of the Dwarven Freehold ready themselves for war. Not everything is as it seems. Dahlen Virandr and Belina Louna have no choice but to unravel the mysteries of the mountain before everything crumbles around them.

Meanwhile, in Al’Nasla, Rist Havel learns the true cost of becoming an Imperial Battlemage. He will question every truth he has ever been told. He has never been a fighter, never been the one people look to, but he will fight for those he loves no matter what it takes.

With the Uraks ravaging the towns and villages of the North, Alina and Dayne Ateres prepare their people for war. They have been beneath a Lorian boot for too long. Valtara will be free. The wyvern of House Ateres will fly again, by blade and by blood.

As the continent of Epheria descends into war and chaos, Kallinvar struggles to come to terms with an immense loss. Despite the hole in his heart, he has no choice but to stand and fight. The Shadow is coming, and the Knights of Achyron are the only ones powerful enough to hold back the tide.

Unbeknownst to all, another force is rising—a force long thought tamed. The balance of power is about to shift, and Epheria will never be the same. The Blood Moon is rising.

©2023 Ryan Cahill (P)2023 Podium Audio

More, please!

I love this story. I am fully immersed in the tale, and wish I had book 4 so that I could jump back in!

Whoa!

That was my thought when I finished this book.

Yep. 1483 pages is nothing to sneeze at.

1483 pages! And yet, the journey isn't over yet.

So, in this book we really delve into the world of Epheria and the cast of characters has grown immensely. The first 2 books started to set up the world, introducing us to the core characters and beginning to set the stage for the events yet to come. But, even with all of those words, there was still so much left.

In this book we get to really see the relationship between Calen and Valerys grow. In book 1, Calen was an 18 year old kid who was thrown into a world that he had no idea existed. By this book, he is a 20 year old young man who has the weight of the world on his shoulders and he is beginning to show the depth of his character and the strength of his abilities. And Valerys.....man oh man, what an amazing character/dragon. How do you write a dragon and make him so freaking intelligent and loyal? He doesn't speak any words. We only get to know him from the images that he shares into Calen's mind, and yet, we know him....really KNOW him by the end of this book. And he is a FANTASTIC character.

Then there are the morally gray characters. Do we really know if they are good or bad? One started off with me thinking he was awful, and the other a hero. Well, the funny thing is by the end of this book - I'm not sure what to think of either of them. They both have done things that they feel were necessary, but now realize that their reasoning may have been flawed. Of course, I'm speaking of Aeson Virandr and Farda Kyrana. Actually, now that I think about it, they aren't the only ones - the list of morally gray characters is really too long to list.

We also get to see the children of the Chainbreaker finally reunited (no spoilers if you do not know what that means) and each of them bring so much to the party. Thankfully, we finally get to see Dann reunited with Calen (thank goodness) and we get to see the gang that has decided to give their complete pledge to Calen stronger than ever.

There is really so much going on in this book - no wonder it is so long. There are political machinations all over the place and the scary thing is how easy it is to manipulate whole groups of people into thinking that evil actions are completely acceptable (I'm talking to you Rist).

So - no more going over the plot, there are a million reviews that will do that I'm sure. What I think struck me the most was the relationships that came out of this book. The lengths that people were willing to go to - and the reasoning behind those actions. THAT was the thing that impacted me the most. You have a 20 year old young man who has had to grow in absolutely no time, yet he has decided that he is not going to run. Yes, he and Valerys are probably going to die, but he believes what he has been told. That he is a GUARDIAN, a protector of the people. and He. Will. Not. Run.
I Love that.

Yep, 1483 pages is a lot. But honestly, I am looking forward to the next book. The set up has taken quite a while, but we have finally come to the main event and I'm eager to discover how this is all going to end.

I think though, that I am going to jump into a couple of different genres for the next couple of books because I have devoured this entire series in the last week or so and it is a lot of pages of epic fantasy that have taken up all of my brain space. Time to read something easy, that doesn't require too much thinking...:)

One of the best series I have read!

Awesome series! Great writing and very intense! Great pick for the reader. Does the perfect job. Love it!

This installment was everything I hoped it would be.

I loved the story arc and progression of nearly every character but none more than the parts with the emperor, he was calm intellectual and was able to explain in a way that seemed a justifiable use of blood magic.

I only had 2 small dislikes about the book. The using of the old tongue then translating of it does get somewhat old. And weapons going through armor as if it wasn’t there seems a bit overused it makes me wonder why characters bother wearing any to begin with.
That being said I would strongly advise this book and series to anyone it takes almost everything good about the fantasy genre and combines it with fantastic characters. I’m looking forward to the ice novella and the rest of the series to come.

A great third book

This book definitely delivered and kept me listening. I finished pretty quickly for a 40-hour audiobook. This series does seem a little generic at times, but I think it's nearly impossible not to with fantasy at this point. I will be not so patiently awaiting the next installment.

A whole new level!

The character arcs expand. The world expands. More dragons. Worth every page count and listened to the audiobook, which was great, for a reread.

Wow

Holy crap! That was a long, thrilling journey. When I first started this series with the novella The Fall, I was interested but not committed. By the end of the second book and the novella The Exile, I was hooked.

The author does a wonderful job of juggling multiple threads and characters. The youths from the small village annoyed me constantly, by the end they have gotten less sour. Still better than how I felt following Wheel of Time crew.

The ending felt high stakes and gives you a small breather before the author teases what is yet to come. I’m so glad this jewel popped up on my radar.

2 books in 1 for an awesome epic fantasy ride

Mr. Derek Perkins.... you, sir, give me total voice envy and if I were a voice narrator I would endeavor to mirror your skill - masterful.

This book was a fantastic ride, some coming of age/YA stuff without the romantasy which I appreciate.
Embellishing the dragon connection was fun, some amazing "reveals' in here that make you turn the page.
The pacing of the story lines frustrated me at times, the balance between the major threads felt off. There is a lot of time and energy given to the MC, but Wryst and Dan should have nearly equal parts given to each other, and Dan's character gets ignored, which is a miss when we are supposed to believe that Kalen would go to such lengths to try and rescue one friend. Maybe more will come with Dan, but if so, it would have been wise to see it here. I loved his inner thoughts in book 1 when he had to kill the bear but had empathy - there was just such a great character line to develop and now he feels underdeveloped, just the guy who cracks jokes.

The Ahkaran knight threads also feel short-changed at times and should have more presence in the story or more balanced pacing and content since they are central (starting at the very beginning of the book) understanding the larger narrative against the bloodsworn.

Look, I'm rambling about small potatoes... all in all amazing. I will listen to the series for sure, these are minor issues when you basically get 2 books in 1 credit here - great job Mr. Cahill! I look forward to more.

The vast amount of characters

I believe there could have been more "power" development, more things to give a satisfaction to the reader.

Captivating

Best book of the series. This world, characters and story really develop as we join them in the adventure. Can’t wait for book 4! The narrator does a great job bringing the story to life.