The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish (reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)

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AUTHOR INFORMATION: David Dalglish is the author of the popular Half Orc fantasy series and the Paladin series. He was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He graduated from Missouri Southern State University in 2006 with a degree in Mathematics and used to work with Special Education students. He lives with his family on the east coast; A Dance Of Cloaks was his traditional publication debut.

OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: A usurped prince prepares to take up the mantel of a deadly assassin and reclaim his kingdom, his people, and his slain gods in this epic fantasy from a USA Today bestselling author.

Cyrus was only twelve years old when his gods were slain, his country invaded, and his parents—the king and queen—beheaded in front of him. Held prisoner in the invader's court for years, Cyrus is suddenly given a chance to escape and claim his revenge when a mysterious group of revolutionaries comes looking for a figurehead. They need a hero to strike fear into the hearts of the imperial and to inspire and unite the people. They need someone to take up the skull mask and swords and to become the legendary "Vagrant"—an unparalleled hero and assassin of otherworldly skill. 

But all is not as it seems. Creating the illusion of a hero is the work of many, and Cyrus will soon discover the true price of his vengeance. 

FORMAT/INFO: The Bladed Faith is 470 pages long divided over forty-eight character titled chapters with an epilogue. Narration is in third person via Cyrus Lathan, Mari Ahlai, Stassia Ahlai, Paragon Rayan. Sinshei Vin Lucavi. Soma Ordiae, Arn, Magus and Vagrant. This is the first volume in The Vagrant Gods trilogy.

April 5, 2022  marks the e-book and trade paperback publication of The Bladed Faith  and it will be published by Orbit books. Cover art is by Chase Stone and design by Lauren Panepinto.  
 
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I have read a preliminary draft of the story and then I got to read the finished version. I must confess foremost, I’m a David Dalglish fan so my opinion is a bit subjective. I’ll do my best to be objective as well. Now that disclaimer is out of the way.  I can safely proclaim that this book definitely has all the highlights of David Dalglish's beloved works:
-      Insane action
-      Magic and magically infused weapons
-      Gods and a lot more going on in the background
-      Characters who are three dimensional, going through a lot internally and externally
-      Tightly plotted stories that will have big reveals down the line

 So there we go, now if you want my first impressions, I will tell you this book is possibly one of the best ones to be released in 2022. If you think that’s hyperbole, allow me to explain why I think so. Firstly I want to give kudos to Orbit books, they always have been knocking it out of the park with their covers. Finally we have a US publisher whose cover rival the UK ones and arguably can be considered the better with many of their products. David has always been blessed by Orbit with stupendous covers and here with The Bladed Faith, we get possibly one of my favourite covers of all time. I mean look at this full cover spread by ChaseStone.

So let’s talk about the story, which begins with an invasion that soon turns into a bloodbath of divine proportions. The small island Of Thanet has been invaded by the continental empire of Gadir. However Thanet has been blessed with two gods: Endarius the Lion & Lycaena the Butterfly who have blessed and kept the island populace safe. Things go sideways and crown prince Cyrus sees his gods and family slaughtered brutally before being taken as a hostage. Next we are introduced to Mari and Stasia, sisters from a foreign country who have come to Thanet to help against the Gadir invasion. Mari and Stassia hate the empire, having seen its insidious spread. They will do everything to resist and they do that with the axe and claw....That’s all I can say without any major spoilers about the plot.

The story is mainly focused around these three characters Cyrus, Mari and Stassia amidst other POV and non-POV characters. Each of them are unique and have different facets as they strike to lift the Gadir imperial yoke. But things are never easy and especially not when the Gadir empire is fueled by its immortal emperor and his near god-like progeny. This book deals with colonialism, and displays it rather brutally (as was the case with history). David Dalglish makes no apologies for showing such brutalities but handles it deftly and without making it a spectacle.

The story is dark and violent as Cyrus is slowly and surely transformed into a symbol  of resistance with the help of the sisters and their reclusive father Thorda Ahlai. The readers are given a front row seat to the making of a legend and the guile & deception that goes behind in making it.

You will be a phantom killer. A merciless shadow. A god among mortal men.

Cyrus’ ascent into becoming the Vagrant will not be slowed down by anyone including Cyrus himself. David Dalglish is playing the long game with this series and for those who are a world filled with Gods, magic, paladins, action involving magical weapons will find this intriguing. For those who are looking for a little something deeper will also find it and more. The action sequences while being similar to his previous books are more subdued. Yes there's still fights showcased but nothing like what we have come to expect from books set in the world of Dezrel (but that's only for now). It's the silence in between the action sequences, that really makes this book a much stronger book IMHO than his previous works. 

Lastly while I’ve been gushing about this book, I have to point out that this book is just the first. While it has a very satisfying climax and a stunner of an epilogue including the very last line. There’s a lot (and I mean A LOT) that is left lingering and unanswered. I would point out again that this is not a simple straightforward story of revenge and gods. Tis’ that and so much more, I’ve have gotten to read the next book and can only say that this is just the opening stunner of a story that will outshine what comes before. 

Also to in the interest of objectivity, I must also pinpoint that for me while this book didn't have any drawbacks. For many readers, this book might be quite dark, and considering where we are with the pandemic. This might be a book to read with a happier state of mind. There's also some really gruesome scenes and colonial after effects which again might be too much for many readers. 

CONCLUSION: The Bladed Faith is gripping, violent and action-packed. It is also about colonialism, PTSD, fighting the good fight & what it truly means to put your life on the line for what’s right. This is David Dalglish at his finest and the Vagrant Gods trilogy promises to be his best story that he’s published so far.

O