It’s no coincidence that my top five in fantasy have plenty of animal counterparts between them. Any book that expertly weaves a love for animals into the plot line only wins my favor more. The raw emotion exchanged between these characters and the animals tugs at my heartstrings. I loved his dry remarks and commentary before, but he proves that he’s essential to the success of his friends. Craf, comedic and grumpy, becomes a real player in this book. We already know Storm and her brood are more than capable. The animals in this story are more than companions, they’re vital. “It’s the Old Wolf,” a Vin Thalun shouted the cry was taken up, rippling around the room. At the same time, Maquin stays strong and true, always fighting for his heart’s home, whether it is Fidele or Kastell. It was satisfying to see the likes of Jael and Lykos humbled by that panic whenever he was mentioned. He went from an exceptional fighter to a complete fear-inducing savage, striking panic in the heart of the hardest men. The terror that men feel when they see Maquin gets more hilarious and grin-inducing as the story goes.
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Gwynne manages to take these characters that we’ve already been with for three books and teach us more about them.
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Doing nothing puts you firmly on Asroth’s side and makes you a coward, as well, for not having the stones to admit it.” Doing nothing does not absolve you of choice. “If you choose not to fight against Asroth, then you have already chosen him. “This is the God-War it does not work like that. Also, wonderfully, subtly, it addresses how doing nothing is as detrimental to the greater good of humanity as actively fighting against it is. TRUTH AND COURAGE, as Ban would remind us. Though in modern day, we might fight our battles a bit differently, it’s always good to have a reminder that underneath the evil or power hungry raging the loudest, there is good that persists, true and comforting. And yet, though they might not be the loudest, or the strongest, there are always people that fight for what is right for the majority, not just the few. He shows that morality often takes a backseat to the lure of supremacy. That even the idealistic figures that we’ve always looked to, might let us down. Gwynne explores how the best of intentions can be laid bare to the reveal the fault in them. We see the devastation that greed and power can bring, simply for the sake of it. “Because you are wrong,” his friend said simply. “My friend, why are you stood against me?”
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There’s still tendrils of devastation waiting to clutch at your tender, primed heart. Oh ho ho, did you think that meant we were getting off easy? No, my friend. A lot of good happens, redemption that makes all the heartbreak we endured worth it. He tore down our defenses and stabbed us in the heart. He lovingly built up characters just to snatch them away from us. John Gwynne PUT US (and them) THROUGH IT. We have come to a point where, after literally and figuratively getting the shit kicked out of them, our *Bright Star* and his allies have a fighting chance. The line is drawn in the sand: do you fight for good or do you fight for evil? No longer are our characters able to hide behind oaths made in ignorance, they must stand for something.
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It will be a dark day, a bloody day, a proud day, for this is the day of our wrath.” “WRATH,” the cry went up, ringing and echoing through the branches. “This day,” he cried, shouting now, “we will live or die, but whatever the outcome, this will still be the day we avenge ourselves for those we’ve lost, the day we right the wrongs done to us, or die in the trying.