One of the most original fantasy sagas to come along in years; like Tolkien on a bender.
The rip-roaring, shelf-bending conclusion to French’s Lot Lands trilogy—following The Grey Bastards (2018) and The True Bastards (2019)—follows a group of badass, war pig–riding half-orcs as they attempt to end a bloody war with humans (known as "frails") and finally liberate themselves and their lands. It's nothing short of an adventure fantasy masterwork.
With the giant thrice-blood Oats (born of an orc and a half-orc) as the focal character, the story leaves virtual burn marks on the narrative pavement from the action-packed, adrenaline-fueled opening sequence, in which Oats is involved in an audacious mission to free some hoofmates from a frail prison and a subsequent battle in which they're surrounded by enemies atop a mountain of skulls. The action and intensity only increase from there as Oats, Fetching (the hoof’s legendary female chief), Jackal, Polecat, Sluggard, Anvil, and the rest of the band of mongrel orcs maneuver through a gauntlet of adversaries, including invading frail armies, scheming wizards, and god-touched warriors. French’s expert worldbuilding creates a virtual wonderland for fantasy fans, inhabited by half-orcs riding massive war hogs across a sprawling wasteland, giants, cyclopes, monstrous birds of prey, and marauding centaurs. But the real power here is in the author’s ability to bring these fantastical beings to life, with character development so deep and insightful that readers will find themselves emotionally connected not only to the main characters, but to a host of supporting players as well, including Muro, an orphan boy Oats befriends, and even Oats’ giant war pig, Ugfuck. Oats’ poignant journey of self-discovery, in particular, will have more than a few readers weeping by novel’s end.
One of the most original fantasy sagas to come along in years; like Tolkien on a bender.Pub Date: Sept. 21, 2021
ISBN: 978-0-593-15668-1
Page Count: 560
Publisher: Del Rey
Review Posted Online: July 13, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.
On the orders of her mother, a woman goes to dragon-riding school.
Even though her mother is a general in Navarre’s army, 20-year-old Violet Sorrengail was raised by her father to follow his path as a scribe. After his death, though, Violet's mother shocks her by forcing her to enter the elite and deadly dragon rider academy at Basgiath War College. Most students die at the War College: during training sessions, at the hands of their classmates, or by the very dragons they hope to one day be paired with. From Day One, Violet is targeted by her classmates, some because they hate her mother, others because they think she’s too physically frail to succeed. She must survive a daily gauntlet of physical challenges and the deadly attacks of classmates, which she does with the help of secret knowledge handed down by her two older siblings, who'd been students there before her. Violet is at the mercy of the plot rather than being in charge of it, hurtling through one obstacle after another. As a result, the story is action-packed and fast-paced, but Violet is a strange mix of pure competence and total passivity, always managing to come out on the winning side. The book is categorized as romantasy, with Violet pulled between the comforting love she feels from her childhood best friend, Dain Aetos, and the incendiary attraction she feels for family enemy Xaden Riorson. However, the way Dain constantly undermines Violet's abilities and his lack of character development make this an unconvincing storyline. The plots and subplots aren’t well-integrated, with the first half purely focused on Violet’s training, followed by a brief detour for romance, and then a final focus on outside threats.
Read this for the action-packed plot, not character development or worldbuilding.Pub Date: May 2, 2023
ISBN: 9781649374042
Page Count: 528
Publisher: Red Tower
Review Posted Online: Jan. 12, 2024
SEEN & HEARD
BOOK TO SCREEN
Devoted series fans will appreciate the added pieces to this expansive narrative puzzle.
After 500 years, the Grief of Ages is a distant memory—until dragons hellbent on destruction begin to wake again.
In this relatively brief prequel to the epic The Priory of the Orange Tree (2019), the kingdoms of Virtudom have experienced centuries of relative peace. Marosa Vetalda, the Princess of Yscalin, spends her days behind castle walls under the gaze of her overprotective father, awaiting the date when she’ll be wed to Aubrecht of Mentendon, her ticket to freedom. While the book’s main focus is initially on the political threads weaving the Western kingdoms together, the frailty of best-laid plans is exposed when evidence of the reemergence of draconic beings reaches castle ears. These tales often come from the cullers who make their living slaying these creatures, and who are often blamed for intentionally waking them for profit. No one alive remembers the Grief of Ages, so no one’s prepared when Fýredel, the great High Western dragon, surfaces from the volcanic mountain that towers ominously over Yscalin’s capital city of Cárscaro. What follows is the backstory of how the devoted Yscali kingdom comes to shift allegiance to Fýredel and his master, the Nameless One, a main catalyst to events in The Priory. Overall, this book reads more like history lesson than fantasy adventure, but the sheer terror that befalls the Yscali people as they face Fýredel’s pure evil is both powerful and relevant. Marosa’s plight further solidifies her as a hero worth remembering; her strength and defiance shine through as hope for the future she’s dreamed of slowly flickers out.
Devoted series fans will appreciate the added pieces to this expansive narrative puzzle.Pub Date: Sept. 16, 2025
ISBN: 9781639736010
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Review Posted Online: July 4, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2025
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