Review: Scion by James Islington

 

Scion by James Islington
S&S/Saga Press
Publication Date: September 1st, 2026
Hardcover. 240 pages.

About Scion:

"John Wick meets Ghost in the Shell in this fast-paced cyberpunk thriller by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Will of the Many and The Strength of the Few.

My job, when you think about it, isn’t so different from a lot of people’s.

The more old-fashioned crowd do still get hung up on the "killing people" part of it, I guess, but that’s a them problem: it’s been perfectly legal to take out lifers for ages. Besides, once ultrawealthy morons realised they had a way to live forever—limited resources be damned—there was only ever going to be one genuinely practical deterrent.

So, sure, I have to deal with a ton of boring planning. Inconvenient hours. Some pretty awkward face-to-face interactions. And like most of us, I’m really only clocking in to try to crawl out from beneath my debts. But someone’s got to do it.

Luckily, my genetic compatibilities make me really, really good at doing it.

Still. This next job...I don’t know. It’s something I haven’t had to deal with in years. Kind of the opposite of my regular duties. Strange, that it got thrown my way.

I’m sure it’ll all go totally fine though.'"

I was really curious to see how Islington would tackle sci-fi, let alone a much more compact, thriller-style story. His previous fantasy series are sprawling, complex fantasy stories that aren't exactly what I would call fast-paced and are generally pretty different overall in structure with layers upon layers of plot. In contrast, Scion is a mere 240-ish page cyberpunk sci-fi thriller that takes a big step away from that style while retaining Islington's knack for intricate worldbuilding, creative ideas, and twisty plotting. I’m sure that because of that there will be a lot of mixed feelings on this one, but personally I can report that I loved this one!

In Scion, we follow Azure, who is essentially a professional hitman who tends to be deployed on missions to take out "lifers,” the ultra wealthy who aren't really dying anymore. Occasionally, however, he's employed to protect people (usually lifers), and that's where we find him in Scion. Azure is sent to protect a mysterious elderly woman for two weeks, only to quickly discover that quite a few people are trying very hard to kill her, making his job a bit more difficult than anticipated. It also leaves Azure wondering exactly who this woman is, despite his best efforts to maintain the professional distance he usually keeps between himself and his work.

To aid Azure in his work, he has undergone extensive modifications to his body known as "revs," which enhance his abilities both physically and mentally and make him pretty difficult to beat in a fight. He also heavily relies on his AI assistant, Atti, to help carry out his daily tasks. Atti has an endearing, sarcastic personality that added some great color to Azure's own personality whenever she appeared on the page.

I really liked seeing Islington craft a character like Azure. In his other series, his protagonists tend to be younger, still learning about the world, and generally quite thoughtful and respectful toward those around them. Azure is definitely a departure from that, and it made for the perfect personality for this particular story. He's sarcastic, flippant, emotionally detached, and has a dark sense of humor that I really enjoyed. At the same time, it's easy to see how much of his personality has developed as a result of his professional lifestyle, some traumatic experiences, and what he's been trained to do. He felt very lifelike, and I appreciated seeing him struggle at times with his emotional detachment through many frustrations that occur along the  way, along with his warring feelings about things when he tries so very hard not to care.

The plot is constantly twisting, and while I found some of those twists fairly predictable, it never bothered me because there was also always something new and captivating waiting around the corner. The pacing is fast, which works perfectly for this type of story, and the ending has left me feel quite impatient for more of this story! There's also plenty of action in this book, which can definitely be hit or miss for me, but I actually enjoyed pretty much every scene in this book and followed along easily. 

I also loved the worldbuilding. There was somehow so much to explore in this book, and although we learn an impressive amount in such a short time--and without it ever feeling like an infodump!--I still feel like there’s so much more to this world to learn, and that’s one of my favorite things an author can do because it makes the world feel real and authentic, something that is lived-in and has a history. I also just had a great time learning about all the technology, mods, and other sci-fi elements Islington created for this world.

And in addition to the tech and action and world-building, Scion also plays with some fascinating ideas. There’s obviously an exploration of wealth inequality and how extreme wealth can fundamentally change the way people experience life--which, in this case, is quite literal, since they can literally have more life than everyone else. Azure’s modifications also pose some interesting questions about what exactly makes people who they are (and there are a few later plot points that also expand on this topic, but I will refrain from mentioning those due to spoilers!). There’s almost a bit of a Ship of Theseus element to some capacity, where it made me wonder about at what point replacing or altering pieces of yourself fundamentally changes who you are as a person--or does it? THat’s not entirely what this book is about, but just an example of some of the more thought-provoking concepts that made me think even more about it.

If you love Islington’s fantasy and are going into this wanting more of exactly that, then I’m going to gently stop you there and let you know that that’s not what you’re getting. Scion is what I’d call a “bingeable" novel, which is certainly not how I’d describe his other books, and I think that difference is going to surprise some readers. I, for one, loved seeing Islington explore a new genre and style while retaining so many of the qualities that make his other work so compelling and favorites of mine. I truly had a blast with this one and can’t wait for more.

*I received a copy of Scion courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating or enjoyment.*

Buy the book: Bookshop.org | Amazon 

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Nudge by Joseph Fink, Scion by James Islington, & Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm

   

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released!

The Nudge by Joseph Fink

Publication: September 1st, 2026

Podium Publishing

Hardcover. 144 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"On the open road, evil doesn't chase you. It waits . . . 

Late one night, a wounded man checks into a remote roadside hotel. He's running from something he can't explain or escape. And over the course of a night, he'll tell the hotel's proprietor how his life fell apart.  

It started with his wife. Subtle changes. Smiles that didn't belong to her. Then violence—sudden, intimate, almost casual. Therapy offered hope. Recovery seemed possible. Until it wasn't. He believes a hidden influence has attached itself to him, one that never forces, never commands. It whispers. It suggests. Nudges people toward their worst impulses.  

Now the man wanders the country as a fugitive, hoping to break free from the evil that's wormed its way into him. But as our narrator's story unfolds, he begins to question whether he's fled far enough . . .  

Tense, atmospheric, and chilling, The Nudge is a slow-burn tale of suspense that will linger like a whisper in the dark, long after the story is over."

This sounds like the perfect little horror novella to welcome in the beginnings of the fall season!

Scion by James Islington

Publication: September 1st, 2026

S&S/Saga Press

Hardcover. 240 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"John Wick meets Blade Runner in this fast-paced cyberpunk thriller by the #1 NYT bestselling author of The Will of the Many.  

My job, when you think about it, isn’t so different from a lot of people’s. I have to deal with a ton of boring planning. Inconvenient hours. Some pretty awkward face-to-face interactions. And like most of us, I’m really only clocking in to try and crawl out from beneath my debts.  

The more old-fashioned crowd do still get hung up on the ‘killing people’ part, I guess, but that’s a them problem: it’s been perfectly legal to take out lifers for ages. Besides, once ultrawealthy morons realised they had a way to live forever—limited resources be damned—there was only ever going to be one genuinely practical deterrent. So someone’s got to do it.  

And luckily, my genetic compatibilities make me really, really good at it.  

Still. This next job… I don’t know. It’s something I haven’t had to deal with in years. Kind of the opposite of my regular duties. Strange, that it got thrown my way.  

I’m sure it’ll all go totally fine though."

I've already finished an ARC of this one and my review will be up soon for it, but I'm still really excited for it to be released to the public and see what everyone thinks about! If you like sci-fi thrillers, this is pretty much the perfect read. 

Our Cut of Salt by Deena Helm

Publication: September 22nd, 2026

Tor Nightfire

Hardcover. 128 pages.

Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:

"In this lyrical debut, three generations of Palestinian women must put the haunting of their ancestral home to rest, before the secrets of the past drown them all. Our Cut of Salt is a powerful and intimate look at what it means to make a home, to lose it, and to return, only to find it irrevocably changed.  

There is something haunting Nuhad’s childhood home in Haifa. Cats avoid its perimeter, strange noises come from within, and residents have mysteriously vanished without a trace. Although Nuhad has not returned to her home since the Nakba in 1948, she always held a place for the house in her heart.  

And, in return, the house did the same for her.  

After Nuhad passes away, her granddaughter, Marina, is determined to visit her grandmother’s home after a lifetime of being kept in the dark about her culture and family history. Marina's mother, Haifa - named for the city that was lost to their family - reluctantly agrees to her trip, though she knows firsthand that some secrets are better left buried.  

But the house is no longer a home. It is a painful, festering wound that infects everything it touches. The more Marina digs into her family’s past, the sicker she becomes. Despite Nuhad’s ghostly warnings, Haifa rushes to help her daughter.  

As the three women converge in their ancestral home, they must put the haunting to rest before the secrets of the past drown them all."

This sounds like the type of haunting story that will stick with you, and I can't wait to have a chance to check it out!

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Strength of the Few by James Islington & Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen

    

 Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! 

The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy #2) by James Islington
Publication: November 11th, 2025
S&S/Saga Press
Hardcover. 736 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"This highly anticipated follow-up to The Will of the Many—one of 2023’s most lauded and bestselling fantasy novels—follows Vis as he grapples with a dangerous secret that could change the course of history across alternate dimensions.

OMNE TRIUM PERFECTUM.

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can."

This is probably my most highly anticipated release of 2025 and I am genuinely so excited to finally read this one! I can't recommend the first book, The Will of the Many, enough.

Beasts of the Sea by Iida Turpeinen
Publication: November 18h, 2025
Little, Brown and Company
Hardcover. 288 pages.
Pre-order: Bookshop.org | Amazon

From Goodreads:
"In the spirit of Richard Powers and Daniel Mason, a novel spanning three centuries and tied together by the tale of Steller’s sea cow—a long-extinct denizen of the northern oceans—at once intimate and sweeping about the tragic clash between man and nature.

In 1741, thirty-two-year-old naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller joins Captain Bering's Great Northern Expedition to scout out a sea route from Asia to America. Plagued with hardships, captain and crew never reach their goal, but they do make a unique discovery, a gentle giant that will be named for the young explorer who described Steller’s sea cow.

In 1859, the governor of the Russian territory of Alaska sends his men to seek the skeleton of the massive marine mammal rumored to have vanished a hundred years before, while his sister curates the settlement’s peculiar natural science collection. Two years later, a revered Helsinki professor hires a talented illustrator—a woman!—to make precise drawings of a set of bones sent from afar. The ill-fated beast will help introduce to a skeptical public the concept of human-caused extinction.

Finally, in 1952, the Museum of Zoology assigns its most talented restorer the task of refurbishing the antique skeleton, a testimony to the sea cow's fate that will fire the imaginations of future generations.

Beasts of the Sea is a breathtaking literary achievement and an adventure that crosses continents and centuries. Told through the stories of the men and women touched by the long-ago discovery of a curious and placid creature, it is a tale of grand human ambition, the quest for knowledge, and the urge to resurrect what humankind has, in its ignorance, destroyed."

I am absolutely loving the sound of everything about this! Although, I'm always a bit hesitant when I see something less than 300 pages but described as "spanning three centuries," but I have faith and can't wait to check this one out. 

Review: The Will of the Many by James Islington

The Will of the Many (Hierarchy #1) by James Islington

Gallery/Saga Press
Publication Date: May 23rd, 2023

Hardcover. 630 pages.

About The Will of the Many:

"IAUDI. VIDE. TACE.

The Catenan Republic – the Hierarchy – may rule the world now, but they do not know everything.

I tell them my name is Vis Telimus.

I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilised society in allowing my strength, my drive and my focus – what they call Will – to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do. I tell them that I belong, and they believe me.

But the truth is that I have been sent to the Academy to find answers. To solve a murder. To search for an ancient weapon. To uncover secrets that may tear the Republic apart.

And that I will never, ever cede my Will to the empire that executed my family.

To survive, though, I will still have to rise through the Academy’s ranks. I will have to smile, and make friends, and pretend to be one of them and win. Because if I cannot, then those who want to control me, who know my real name, will no longer have any use for me.

And if the Hierarchy finds out who I truly am, they will kill me."

The Licanius Trilogy is one of my favorite trilogies, and I'd been anxiously awaiting something new from James Islington ever since finishing the The Light of All that Falls that could fill that void of having finished one of the best series. And fortunately, The Will of the Many more than delivered. This book blew my mind in all of the best possible ways, and I still can't believe some of the things that happened. I genuinely still think about this book almost daily and have the worst book hangover ever trying to find something else to read after. 

The Will of the Many follows Vis Telimus, an orphaned young man who is currently working at a prison when we first meet him, regularly fights in tournaments on the side for extra money, and vows to never let the empire take his Will from him to power their Hierarchy (don't worry, I'll explain what this is later in the review!). Vis' entire family was killed by the Hierarchy and now he is set upon a path to uncover truths of the Catenan Republic, and along the way he is forced into a variety of different paths to undertake and additional mysteries to uncover, all of which make for a story that has something new to discover on nearly every page. 

Vis has to be one of my new favorite protagonists. I feel like so many fantasy stories that follow young adults portray them as reckless, naïve, or otherwise just not quite as mature as they are implied to be and I end up very frustrated with them. Not so in The Will of the Many! Vis is my dream come true. Vis is angry, determined, and ridiculously sharp. He knows that there is no room for mistakes at just about any step of the way towards his goals. He is not shy and is not afraid to put himself out there when necessary to make a mark or achieve what he knows is needed. Even when Vis does make mistakes, there is a calculated coolness to him that is so captivating and admirable to watch. While reading The Will of the Many, I quite literally kept remarking to my husband at various intervals how much I loved Vis. He's almost ruthless in a way that I love, but still very much has strong convictions and a moral compass that I found admirable in how he did his best to never step over the boundaries he set up for himself. 

There are a lot of moral quandaries and issues that pop up in this book, from the rebels to his own struggles at school, and I appreciated the way Islington shared his inner monologue and the frustrations he went through in his thought process to decide what was the next best step in his journey. I could see where Vis maybe seems "too good" at times at everything he does, but I think I would disagree only because it's very clear he has trained and worked hard to be as good as he is. From his youth until this point, he has constantly pushed himself and studied to be where he is, which makes things fit for me--not to mention that he does make some costly mistakes at times. Vis is a wonderfully complex and multidimensional character that I cannot wait to meet up with again in the sequel.

There are also a variety of supporting characters that were just as multi-faceted and well-developed, such as Ulcisor, a mysterious man who completely derails Vis' plans and subsequently sets Vis on a new path; and Callidus and Eidhin, two friends Vis acquires along the way. I loved Callidus and Eidhin about as much as I loved Vis, and I thought the two brought so much balance to Vis' own personality, as well as added much-needed color and interest to his journey. Both Callidus and Eidhin come from very unique backgrounds compared to each other and to Vis, and I really appreciated getting to learn about their own experiences and how they have been shaped into who they are today, and how those experiences also influence their current actions. Also, they were both hilarious in their own ways with their personalities and how they all interacted with one another and it brought so much joy to my reading of this book. Ulcisor is much more enigmatic and I still genuinely cannot decide if I trust him or not, but I appreciate his consistency and ability to really focus on getting done what he needs to get done. 

The magic system is both very simple and a little bit confusing, but I'll do my best to explain it as accurately and succinctly as possible. The Catenan Republic is ruled and ordered by the Hierarchy, a powerful group who control the Republic via pyramidal systems of power. People have what is known as Will, which is essentially like a life force consisting of your energy and abilities, and Will can be ceded to more powerful figures in society to in turn make them more powerful. There is an entire system based on this that starts with the lowest ranking, Octavus, which is where most civilians stand. An Octavus cedes half of their Will to a Septimus, who receives will from eight people at Octavus ranking, and so on and so forth all the way up to the Princeps, who receives will from a total of over forty thousand people and is considered the most powerful. It's still taking my brain a little bit of work to really ground myself in how this all works, but I have no doubt that future books will play with this system much more and we as readers will really have a chance to dive deeper into this magic system to learn more about it and all of its implications for how it works. There are a lot of aspects of the Will and the magic system to explore and that I could talk about in more depth, but for the sake of brevity in this review (brevity which I'm sure has already been surpassed, sorry!), I'll hold off an let you explore it for yourself when you read this book. 

The setting of the Will of the Many is fascinating. It takes place in a post-Cataclysm world where the people seem to still somewhat be picking up the pieces form the previous age and have yet to attain the levels of advancement and technology that previously existed. As you can probably tell from many of the terms in this book, this is a very Roman-inspired setting that shares many similarities, and just as many dissimilarities. There are so many details provided for this world, many of which probably have meaning we don't even understand yet, and others that serve to cement the world-building in order to successful create a grounded, fully-realized world. We get a lot of hints of other influences as well, such as with Eidhin and Vis' ethnicities and cultures hinted at being less common at the Academy compared to the rest, and I'm very curious to find out more about how all of that will continue to be interwoven into future installments.

We don't travel to too many different locations in this book, but of the places that we do get to travel to with Vis I found there to be a lot of variety and potential for future books to explore more. Every time the story did take a turn into a different location, I found myself craving to learn more about that location or what it's history was and it's current status within the Hierarchy. I am assuming the future installments will explore much more of this world and I can't wait for that because of how rich the world feels, as well as the fact that I feel like there are so many secrets and mysteries to uncover. And that's truly one of the most exciting things about this book–I know there are endless ancient mysteries lurking and the foreshadowing and hints of things to come that we get in this first book having me dying to keep uncovering more. 

Although a good amount of time is spent in locations other than the Catenan Academy, the majority of the time is spent at this Academy on the isolated island of Solivagus, and I really enjoyed our time spent there. As much as I've loved school settings in the past, I have admittedly found myself get a little fatigued of them and the consistent tropes (the bully, the gruff teacher who ends up aiding the student, the mean teacher, etc.), and I was so thrilled when I found that this book didn't really follow those tropes in the ways I'm used to! Sure, there are always school elements that are going to be present, but this school has such a unique setup for the levels of students within it that nothing really felt like any other book I'd read, and I loved that so much.

The pacing of this book is genuinely, in my opinion, as close to perfect as you can get. There's a near-perfect balance of action, character development, world-building, and dialogue sprinkled throughout. I had a hard time putting this book down when I had to do other things in my life, and I was almost constantly counting down until when I got to pick it up again. That being said, it was also one of those books that I think I inadvertently read extra slowly because I wanted it to last as long as possible, and even doing that I never felt that the book moved too slowly or rushed in any place. I really think there's a little something for everyone: a magic systems that has a lot of different ideas and concepts to unpack, strong, careful characterization and development, world-building that tied into the narrative effortlessly and did not feel like excessive info-dumping, and high-intensity moments that included both action-packed events and moments that weren't necessarily high action, but still very intense. All of these together created such a consistent flow of movement along the narrative that it felt like a truly distinctive read that I was utterly engrossed in. 

Lastly, I just have to say that this does end on a bit of a cliffhanger. It's not like literally hanging off a cliff style, but it's enough that I'm chomping at the bit to get more. It's absolutely worth it though because the way it leaves us is one of those places where it'll lend itself to so much fun discussion and theorizing in the interim period between now and getting our hands on the sequel. 

The Will of the Many is a resounding success in the fantasy genre and is sure to become a classic. I would love to rave about this book more, but rather than continuing to read my words about it, I would highly suggest you go pick up a copy of The Will of the Many and read those words about it instead! Overall, it's an easy five stars from me!

*I received a copy of The Will of the Many courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Buy the book: Amazon | Bookshop.org

The Friday Face-Off: A Series That You Love

   

Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme at Books by Proxy. Join us every Friday as we pit cover against cover, and publisher against publisher, to find the best artwork in our literary universe.  You can find a list of upcoming topics at Lynn's Books.

This week's topic is:
A Series That You Love

 

I opted to skip this week's topic (cover changes) and instead go with the topic from last week (a series that you love) because I actually made a cover change post last year that pretty much covers most of the major cover changes from series I've read, and my opinions about them haven't changed much since then. So let's talk about a favorite series and look at some covers!

There are a lot of series that I love, so I decided to pick one of my all-time favorite series that I don't think gets enough love: The Licanius Trilogy by James Islington!

Aren't they all beautiful together!? These three are all from the Orbit publications of this series, and I've shared some international covers (of the ones available!) for all three books below.

More covers of book one, The Shadow of What Was Lost:

2014 Kindle | 2018 Czech | 2017 German

2017 German #2 | 2019 Russian

More covers of book two, An Echo of Things to Come:

2018 German | 2020 Czech | 2021 Italian

More covers of The Light of All that Falls:

2021 German

My choice(s):

I love the covers for the original trilogy. They have a nice mix of simplistic elements with some detail, and I like that each one has a strong pop of color. They're all so similar that they feel super thematic, but they aren't too similar to be boring, if that makes sense?

What cover(s) do you like the most?

Review: The Light of All that Falls (Licanius Trilogy #3) by James Islington

The Light of All That Falls (The Licanius Trilogy #3) by James Islington
Orbit

Publication Date: December 12th, 2019

Hardcover. 864 pages

**Note: This review will not contain any spoilers for The Light of All That Falls, but it will probably contain inadvertent spoiler-y events from the first two books. If you plan on reading the first two books and do not want to know anything, then you may want to skim this review. I don't go into details on anything, but just a head's up.

About The Light of All That Falls:

"The Light of All that Falls concludes the epic adventure that began in The Shadow of What Was Lost, the acclaimed fantasy blockbuster from James Islington.

The Boundary is whole once again, but it may be too late. Banes now stalk Andarra, while in Ilin Illan, the political machinations of a generation come to a head as Wirr's newfound ability forces his family's old enemies into action. Imprisoned and alone in a strange land, Davian is pitted against the remaining Venerate as they work tirelessly to undo Asha's sacrifice - even as he struggles with what he has learned about the friend he chose to set free. Finally, Caeden is confronted with the reality of the plan he laid centuries ago - heartbroken at how it began, and devastated by how it must end."

The Light of All That Falls was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2019. My excitement level for this book has been nearly off the charts because of how invested I am in not only the plot of the story, but also because of how much I love all of the main characters (and, frankly, everyone else as well). This trilogy is easily one of the most stunning and breathtaking epic fantasy trilogies that I've read in quite some time. I know I tend to have a lot of favorites when it comes to fantasy, but the Licanius Trilogy truly is one that I will always hold close to my heart and that I will never stop recommending to everyone.

One of my favorite things that Islington does is provide a comprehensive "the story so far" style recap in the beginning of all of his sequels. Islington takes care to note that he doesn't cover everything that happens int he books, but rather highlight this main points and although that's true, this one was still over twenty pages long and I found it to be invaluable in refreshing my memory. This is a series that I have actively thought about ever since finishing the first and second books, but it still has so many intricate details and storylines that are easy to overlook.

Jumping into the story itself, The Light of All That Falls picks up about a year after the events of the second book, which I found to be a perfect amount of time to sort of get into the groove of the new routine and life for all of our characters after the intense and astonishing ending of the second book. I found this to be the perfect balance in kick-starting the events of the final book while showcasing what the "new normal" is like for all of our characters.

One of my favorite things about this series and what draws me to it so strongly is how much I genuinely love and care about the main characters, as well as the way in which Islington crafts both main and secondary characters in such fulfilling and incredible well-developed and multi-dimensional ways. Davian has been through such a whirlwind of events since the start of the first book and I have been so hooked on seeing how he works through all of the chaos that is almost constantly thrown at him. The way he hones with skills and always works to put doing what's right before what he or someone else might want or find easier is so admirable and is part of what makes him so compelling. Wirr also really embodies the idea of doing what is morally right over what is more convenient or what others want him to do. As a leader, Wirr struggles with his new role and I really like how Islington continued to show his struggles with earning acceptance from those around him, as well as with earning how to be a good leader. He's incredibly loyal and always puts the safety and well-being of the people in Ilin Ilan first, something that shines through and makes him so endearing. Then there's Asha, a incredibly powerful and resolute woman who makes an incredible sacrifice a the end of the previous book. Her adaptation to her role is one done with maturity and no matter how undesirable her current situation might be, she always makes the best of it to be as useful as she can possibly be. I love Asha's role in these books and I'm so pleased by her character arc throughout this series.

Lastly, I'd like to mention Caeden. Caeden is easily one of the most interesting and complex characters I've ever read. Without being too detailed so as to not spoil anything, the sheer transformation of his character over time is unbelievably fascinating and so well-written. What Islington tackled with Caeden's character is something that I don't think many people could pull off and Islington did it so well. The inner conflicts that Caeden deals with are so intense and authentic and I believed everything about his struggles. There's also his difficulties with trust and getting others to trust him when even he doesn't think people should always trust him. I can't really say more without spoilers, but suffice to say that Caeden is one of the most intriguing fantasy characters and has one of the most incredible character arcs that I've read in years, possibly ever. My hat's off to Islington for that alone, if not everything else.

This book has a huge cast of characters in addition to the main characters (seriously, I made use of the character glossary in the back of the book so often to make sure I remember who was who) and no matter how small or large a character's role in the story is, Islington still makes them real, authentic characters with distinct personalities, motivations, and incredibly development.

This book is full of some of the best twists and developments. There was one huge moment at the end that I sort of guessed early in a "gee, maybe this will happen, but probably not," and I let out the biggest whoop of satisfaction when it actually came to fruition. That's not to say that this book is predictable, though, because it most definitely isn't and I was mindblown over and over at how deep and utterly clever Islington is with his plot and sheer scope of exploration in this book. There is a bit of exploration with time travel-type elements that I loved, and that's coming from someone who typically doesn't like anything to do with time travel. As before, I can't go into details about all of that, but trust me when I say that it's so well done and utterly original and well-written.

I could say a lot more about the world, the creatures in the world, the magic system, and so many other things, but I fear this review is already too long (looks to be more than a thousand words already, which is way too many) so I'm just going to cut myself off here and implore you to check this series out!

Overall, it's an obvious five stars. I'd honestly give this series and this book all the stars that are out there--they deserve them. I already want to start re-reading the series, and I honestly might just go ahead and pick up the first book again later this year to start this incredible adventure all over again.

*I received a copy of The Light of All That Falls in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

Amazon | Book Depository | Indiebound

Can't-Wait Wednesday: The Light of All That Falls by James Islington & Labyrinth of Ice by Buddy Levy

Can't-Wait is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings that spotlights exciting upcoming releases that we can't wait to be released! This meme is based off of Jill @ Breaking the Spine's Waiting on Wednesday meme.

This week's upcoming book spotlights are: 

The Light of All That Falls (The Licanius Trilogy #3) by James Islington
Publication: December 10th, 2019

Orbit

Hardcover. 608 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"The Light of All That Falls concludes the epic adventure that began in The Shadow of What Was Lost, the acclaimed fantasy blockbuster from James Islington. 

The Boundary is whole once again, but it may be too late. 

Banes now stalk Andarra, while in Ilin Illan, the political machinations of a generation come to a head as Wirr's newfound ability forces his family's old enemies into action. 

Imprisoned and alone in a strange land, Davian is pitted against the remaining Venerate as they work tirelessly to undo Asha's sacrifice - even as he struggles with what he has learned about the friend he chose to set free. 

And Caeden, now facing the consequences of his centuries-old plan, must finally confront its reality - heartbroken at how it began, and devastated by how it must end."

The Licanius Trilogy has easily become one of my favorite fantasy series and I am truly beyond words with my excitement for this final book. I have no idea what's going to happen and I can't wait to see how Islington handles everything.

and...

Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition by Buddy Levy

Publication: December 3rd, 2019

St. Martin's Press

Hardcover. 400 pages.

Pre-order: Amazon | Book Depository | IndieBound

From Goodreads:

"In July 1881, Lt. A.W. Greely and his crew of 24 scientists and explorers were bound for the last region unmarked on global maps. Their goal: Farthest North. What would follow was one of the most extraordinary and terrible voyages ever made. 

Greely and his men confronted every possible challenge—vicious wolves, sub-zero temperatures, and months of total darkness—as they set about exploring one of the most remote, unrelenting environments on the planet. In May 1882, they broke the 300-year-old record, and returned to camp to eagerly await the resupply ship scheduled to return at the end of the year. Only nothing came. 

250 miles south, a wall of ice prevented any rescue from reaching them. Provisions thinned and a second winter descended. Back home, Greely’s wife worked tirelessly against government resistance to rally a rescue mission. 

Months passed, and Greely made a drastic choice: he and his men loaded the remaining provisions and tools onto their five small boats, and pushed off into the treacherous waters. After just two weeks, dangerous floes surrounded them. Now new dangers awaited: insanity, threats of mutiny, and cannibalism. As food dwindled and the men weakened, Greely's expedition clung desperately to life.

Labyrinth of Ice tells the true story of the heroic lives and deaths of these voyagers hell-bent on fame and fortune—at any cost—and how their journey changed the world"

I love anything related to survival in polar/arctic/etc. climates, so this was sort of a no-question 'must-have' when I saw it. This sounds intense and fascinating and I hope to be able to check it out in December!

What do you think about these upcoming releases? What are your anticipated upcoming releases?

Review: The Shadow of What was Lost by James Islington

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

Orbit, 2017. 

Paperback. 736 pages. 

About The Shadow of What Was Lost:

"As destiny calls, a journey begins. 

It has been twenty years since the god-like Augurs were overthrown and killed. Now, those who once served them - the Gifted - are spared only because they have accepted the rebellion's Four Tenets, vastly limiting their powers. 

As a Gifted, Davian suffers the consequences of a war lost before he was even born. He and others like him are despised. But when Davian discovers he wields the forbidden power of the Augurs, he sets into motion a chain of events that will change everything. 

To the west, a young man whose fate is intertwined with Davian's wakes up in the forest, covered in blood and with no memory of who he is... 

And in the far north, an ancient enemy long thought defeated begins to stir."

The Shadow of What Was Lost had been sitting on my shelf for about before I finally plucked up the courage to read it. I'd been wanting to check it out for quite some time, but it's quite a chunker and it was a bit intimidating to start yet another series (I don't even know how many series I've started over the years), especially with a book of that size. But every time I heard something about it (which wasn't all that often, this one is a bit underrated), it was constantly raves. I finally decided to pick it up and now I'm having those 'why didn't I pick this up sooner?' thoughts. With all that being said, let's dive into the review!

The story starts off in a school setting, but it doesn't stay there for long and instead picks up rather quickly into an entirely unexpected storyline. I was fascinated by this story and how it evolved throughout the book. I'd also like to address the reviews that say this is a "rip-off Wheel of Time series," because although I can understand where they get that, it's clearly not. You can absolutely see inspiration between this book and other popular fantasy books, but Islington makes this entirely his own and incorporates his own unique storyline and world that sets it apart from others. There were so many twists and turns that left me feeling that this was a truly unpredictable novel, something that I really appreciated.

The world-building is really strong in this book. It felt expansive, but also manageable and not overly complex. I could follow along fairly easily with places and events that were described, something that certainly cannot be said for all fantasy books. One of my favorite locations in this book was a city called Deilannis that is semi-briefly visited, and it is locations like that that really added to my excitement and overall engagement in this book. In addition, the magic system was particularly interesting and I genuinely enjoyed learning how it worked. People in this world are separated into three main groups: the Gifted, the Augurs, and those with no magic. Augurs are the rarest and are considered to be essentially eradicated after they became unreliable and seen as a danger to the population. As a result of this, the Gifted were also 'bound' to the Four Tenets, which basically means that, at the core, they are unable to use their powers on any non-Gifted people--not even for self-defense--and are closely watched by the Administration. They are also, for the most part, completely hated and feared by all non-Gifted people. I thought that this setup made for an interesting story as it examined the various power constructs among these groups. For instance, the Gifted are technically more physically powerful, but the non-Gifted have them bound and unable to defend themselves, so therefore they are actually weaker. It seems like a basic setup, but it provided for a strong story and I liked seeing the differences between Augurs and the Gifted become more apparent.

I also loved our three main protagonists. I have seen a few complaints that the characters weren't developed well, but again I have to disagree. I thought all three of our main protagonists, Wirr, Davian, and Asha, were really well-written characters. Davian is what I would consider out main protagonist, though the POV shifts between him, Asha, Wirr, a man we meet named Caeden, and a few others along the way. I was never confused about whose POV we were in or what was going on, so I give props to Islington for using multiple POVs so successfully. It's not overdone and it's easy to follow along with what is going on--something I always appreciate in a complex fantasy series.

Davian appears to be your average young man, not overly outgoing, but also not exceptionally shy. His character begins to develop as the story moves along and we are able to learn more about him. His rather 'generic' initial impression changes immensely and he becomes a much more interesting character to follow as the story progresses. Wirr is a physically stronger person than Davian and has a more charismatic nature allows him to more easily journey in secrecy. He's an exceptionally loyal and trustworthy person and I loved watching his journey throughout the story as well. The final character I want to mention is Asha, who I would say is one of the more intriguing characters of the lot. Her journey through this story was so interesting and I love her relationship dynamics with various characters, as well as her own difficult journey that allowed her to grow and develop into a strong, fascinating character.

My favorite aspect of this book is simply how 'classic epic fantasy' it felt. Of course, I don't mean it's another Lord of the Rings or anything, but there was something very old school about the storytelling, the narrative, and the events of the story. It's very unique and highly engaging, and it also has an overwhelming epic quality that made me feel so at home and I desperately wanted to read it at any moment when I set it down. I wanted to race through this story, but I let myself read at a leisurely pace because I was enjoying it so much.

Overall, I've given The Shadow of What Was Lost five stars! If you like epic fantasy with compelling protagonists, strong magic systems, and and exciting plot, then you will love this one.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

You might also like:
A Plague of Giants by Kevin Hearne
Kings of Paradise by Richard Nell
A Time of Dread by John Gwynne
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

First Chapter Tuesday: The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington & Hild by Nicola Griffi

First Chapter Tuesday is hosted every Tuesday by Vicki @ I'd Rather Be at the Beach. This is meme in which bloggers share the first chapter of a book that they are currently reading or thinking about reading soon. Join the fun by making your own post and linking up over at Vicki's blog, or simply check it out to find more new books to read!

As excited as I was about this week's Top Ten Tuesday topic, I just didn't have the time to sort through TV shows and set up that post, so I opted to share a bit about one book I'm currently reading and one that I plan to read soon!

The Shadow of What Was Lost by James Islington

Excerpt:

"Davian's eyes snapped open. The young man sat there for some time, heart pounding, breathing deeply to calm himself. Eventually he stirred from where he'd dozed off at his desk and rubbed at his face, absently tracing the raised scar that ran from the corner of his left eye down to his chin. It was pinkish white now, had healed years earlier. It still ached whenever the old memories threatened to surface, though. 

He stood, stretching muscles stiff from disuse and grimacing as he looked outside. His small room in the North Tower overlooked most of the school, and the windows below had al fallen dark. The courtyard torches flared and sputtered in their sockets, too, only barely clinging to life. 

Another evening gone, then. He was running out of those much faster than he would like."

Goodreads

This intro is interesting, but it doesn't stand out all that much to me, personally. I've actually just started The Shadow of What Was Lost, though, and I'm ~100 pages in and loving it! This has so much classic fantasy feel to it and I'm already interested in the plot and the characters.

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

Hild by Nicola Griffith

Excerpt:

"THE CHILD'S WORLD CHANGED late one afternoon, though she didn't know it. She lay at the edge of the hazel coppice, one cheek pressed to the moss that smelt of worm cast and the last of the sun, listening: to the wind in the elms, rushing away from the day, to the jackdaws changing their calls from "Outward! Outward!" to "Home now! Home!," to the rustle of the last frightened shrews scuttling under the layers of leaf fall before the owls began their hunt. From far away came the indignant honking of geese as the goosegirl herded them back inside the wattle fence, and the child knew, in the wordless way that three-year-olds reckon time, that soon Onnen would come and find her and Cian and hurry them back.

Onnen, some leftwise cousin of Ceredig king, always hurried, but the child, Hild, did not. She liked the rhythm of her days: time alone (Cian didn't count) and time by the fire listening to the murmur of British and Anglisc and even Irish. She liked time at the edges of things—the edge of the crowd, the edge of the pool, the edge of the wood—where all must pass but none quite belonged."

Goodreads

I just picked this one up from my library and I can't wait to read it! I don't see Hild mentioned around all that much, but it seems like it's going to be a fantastic book. It's set during Medieval England and tells the story of St. Hilda of Whitby, so I'm in!

Buy the book: Amazon | Book Depository

What do you think? Would you keep reading these books? (And feel free to join in and make your own post!) 

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*Excerpts are taken from the novel itself; I do not claim to own any part of the excerpt.