Bound by Sword and Spirit
Bound by Sword and Spirit
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Publisher's Hardcover ©2023--
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Penguin
Just the Series: Loresmith Vol. 3   

Series and Publisher: Loresmith   

Annotation: Game of Thrones meets Shadow and Bone in the final book in this action-packed fantasy from Andrea Robertson, the interna... more
 
Reviews: 1
Catalog Number: #352758
Format: Publisher's Hardcover
Publisher: Penguin
Copyright Date: 2023
Edition Date: 2023 Release Date: 05/16/23
Pages: 308 pages
ISBN: 0-525-95413-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-525-95413-2
Dewey: Fic
LCCN: 2023936818
Dimensions: 24 cm.
Language: English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews

Loresmith Ara and her allies have their final showdown with evil in this trilogy conclusion.Following Cast in Secrets and Shadow (2021), the heroes standing against Zenar and the evil Vokkan Empire's conquest are all separated. Ara's love interest, thief-turned-Loreknight Teth, has been taken prisoner by the empire, where he comes face to face with ArchWizard Zenar and also with the Saetlund prince–turned-traitor, Eamon. Their perspectives, along with that of Zenar's brother, an empire commander–turned–double agent (code name Dove), reveal what evil Zenar will bring upon the world if he's not stopped. Meanwhile, Princess Nimhea and Ioth have gone to the Resistance, knowing the time to strike back is coming. Ara's accompanied by summoner Lahvja and Loreknight Joar as she continues her repetitive storyline of visiting sites from her pantheon of gods to get blessings and forge more weapons for more knights (with no surprises about who the final knights will be). In general, the cascade of revelations is made less effective by this predictability and the lengthy passages of exposition. These infodumps stall an already sluggish pace-only occasionally interrupted by action until a final lengthy battle-and what forward momentum develops is squandered by the constant jumps between storylines. The ending leans heavily on convenience and romantic happily-ever-afters. Racial diversity is linked to fantasy-world geographical areas; characters have a range of skin tones from light to dark. Eamon has a chronic illness.Banal. (map) (Fantasy. 14-18)

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Kirkus Reviews
Reading Level: 6.0
Interest Level: 9-12
Fifteen years earlier 
The Hawk watched the Loreknights fall, one by one. Though he'd expected the war would end like this, the sight of it still speared his soul. The king's ten chosenwarriors had ridden to meet the Vokkan army without fear. Armor of silver and gold, ornamented elaborately, threw brightrays back at the sun like coins carelessly tossed from a treasure chest. By contrast, the Vokkan imperial troops were an endless sea of black-and-red tabards, highlighted by glints of silver that crested like waves when the light struck their blades.
Imgar marveled at the way they charged toward the oncoming force. Somehow, the Loreknights still believed they were the invincible heroes of legend. That they were chosen by Saetlund's gods instead of agents of a corrupt king. They had embraced the lie and rode eagerly toward death.
The Hawk--as Imgar's followers had taken to calling him--had long known otherwise, as all those who still honored the gods did. Those who pledged themselves to fight at Imgar's side followed the old ways.
And yet, though he despised King Dentroth and all who toadied to him, in his heart of hearts he'd hoped for a miracle. That the Loreknights might somehow wield the power of the gods and drive away the enemy as they had in battles long ago, and serve the very purpose for which they were created.
But Imgar knew the history that made victory this day impossible. Decades of corrupt monarchies had transformed the Loreknights from legendary warriors to courtiers.
Emperor Fauld had a special fate awaiting Dentroth's favorites.Champions picked from his own forces to meet them. The gargantuan warriors--the famed giants of Morvadin, one of the empire's earliestconquests--wielded weapons taller than the average man. The firstLoreknight to reach them was swept from his saddle by a Morvadin's halberd, then literally pounded into the dirt by another's war hammer. The second Loreknight to fall was caught by two other Morvadins and ripped to pieces.
To their credit, the eight remaining Loreknights didn't balk. They entered the fray, a fury of shouts and steel. A third Loreknight fell. Afourth. Saetlund's champions managed to take down one Morvadin before they finally floundered, fear overtaking any bluster or bloodlust. The fifth Loreknight went down. The sixth. The seventh.
Imgar shook his head, gazing at the bodies broken like toy soldiers on a child's play battlefield.
He watched as the three survivors attempted to flee. The Morvadins let them run. Imgar could hear the Loreknights shrieking as the Vokkan infantry engulfed them. A long groan of horror spread through the lines of Saetlund's small remaining army. Most stood their ground as the Vokkans marched on them; others broke ranks and fled.
Some would call those who ran cowards, but Imgar didn't condemn them so. They'd been led into this war with lies. Why should they be expected to throw themselves on Vokkan swords and spears?
Of course, there were those who would likewise call Imgar a coward--a traitor, even--for what he was about to do.
The Hawk didn't care. History would judge him with its long gaze, but in the present he cared only for the lives and futures of his followers.
Imgar had never thought of himself as a warrior, much less a leaderof warriors, but he had also never let a weapon nor a piece of armorleave his shop without thoroughly testing it himself. Over the years, he'd become proficient in the use of daggers, swords, and shields, and more than proficient with war axes.
His smithy sat at the center of town and had become a gathering point of friends and neighbors. Imgar had gained a reputation forshrewd and fair judgment. Disputes were brought to him. In the beginning, they were petitioners from his own village or nearby homesteads. Over time, his reputation drew visitors from across the Fjeri Highlands and even the Lowlands, too. When the call came from King Dentroth to form a militia in Fjeri, Imgar was named their commander. He acceptedthe position humbly, but not reluctantly, because he went to warexpecting the fall of the kingdom. He trusted no one else to do what was necessary to prevent the slaughter of his people.
At a signal from Imgar, his gathered warriors melted back down the hillside. This open plain would be a sea of slaughter. The only place to meet the Vokkans and survive would be rugged terrain, where numbers couldn't overwhelm with sheer force. Even there, the Hawk knew victory wasn't possible. Only resistance. Only survival.
But that was enough. For now.

Excerpted from Bound by Sword and Spirit by Andrea Robertson
All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.

Game of Thrones meets Shadow and Bone in the final book in this action-packed fantasy from Andrea Robertson, the internationally bestselling author of the Nightshade series.

THE FINAL BATTLE

Ara and her companions are separated, and the world is in danger. The evil Vokkans are continuing their conquest of Saetlund and the world Ara is meant to protect. The only thing that can stop the wizards and the destroyer, Vokk, is Ara and her Loreknights. But she still has many to find.

Teth is captured—thrown into prison with none other than their betrayer, Prince Eamon. While he struggles with a shocking secret from his past, he must determine whether he can trust his former friend to help turn the tables on the dark wizards. Meanwhile, Eamon has to gather all his courage and wit to enact a secret plan to help his sister and redeem himself—no matter what.

As a battle to save their world approaches, Ara and her friends must rally their forces—some more mysterious than they ever could have imagined—and take back their kingdom, once and for all. Ultimately, they will change the future of Saetlund forever.

From internationally bestselling author Andrea Roberston comes the final book in a gorgeously written new fantasy series perfect for readers of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone or Sabaa Tahir's An Ember in the Ashes series.


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