Wrath by John Gwynne | Book Review

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Wrath by John Gwynne
Series: The Faithful & The Fallen #4
Published by Orbit on December 6, 2016
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Pages: 715
Format: Paperback
Source: Purchased

Content Warnings: Death, Blood, Violence, Self Harm
Rating:

Events are coming to a climax in the Banished Lands, as the war reaches new heights. King Nathair has taken control of the fortress at Drassil and three of the Seven Treasures are in his possession. And together with Calidus and his ally Queen Rhin, Nathair will do anything to obtain the remaining Treasures. With all seven under his command, he can open a portal to the Otherworld. Then Asroth and his demon-horde will finally break into the Banished Lands and become flesh. Meanwhile Corban has been taken prisoner by the Jotun, warrior giants who ride their enormous bears into battle. His warband scattered, Corban must make new allies if he hopes to survive. But can he bond with competing factions of warlike giants? Somehow he must, if he's to counter the threat Nathair represents. His life hangs in the balance -- and with it, the fate of the Banished Lands.

Wrath is the final installment of The Faithful & The Fallen series by John Gwynne. When I first started diving into Booktok, I stumbled upon a video about epic fantasy books, and this series was on the list. What stuck out to me was the reviewer mentioned there was zero spice, just action. As someone who prefers very little to no romance, let alone spice, I knew I had to pick up the series. Viking-inspired epic fantasy with tons of action, mythical creatures, and a chosen-one storyline with no spice and multiple points of view?! Yes, please! I am so thankful to whatever Booktoker turned me onto John Gwynne because you saved me during a reading slump. This series helped me fall back in love with reading.

Being the final installment, there isn't too terribly much I can say without giving the entire series away, but I'll do my best to express my thoughts without ruining it for others. Wrath is incredibly fast-paced and 715 pages seriously felt like 200 pages. I flew through the chapters at lightning speed, my heart racing, and my anxiety peaked as I couldn't read the words fast enough. I kept saying I didn't know how Gwynne would wrap everything up, but boy, he did! It was an emotional roller-coaster as good and evil battled to control the Banished Lands. As with the other books in the series, no character is safe, including those with their own chapters, and some of the deaths hit like a ton of bricks, leaving me curled up in a ball on the floor sobbing. I wish I was exaggerating here, but my partner found me one evening and couldn't understand why I was so upset over a fictional character. Other deaths had me cheering and punching my fist into the air.

Gwynne presents multiple epic fantasy tropes in a unique and engaging way, that kept my attention until the very end. While it personally took me a year to read the entire series (I have a lot going on outside of reading) many others devoured it in a month. The world-building is incredible, the character development deep, and the story-telling enticing and alluring. I absolutely adored the series overall, and while this is not my favorite book in the series, it's definitely up there. Some elements were predictable, while others left me reeling, especially one involving dung, an egg, and a bairn (child). 

I highly encourage you to check out the series if you are interested in epic fantasy. You won't be disappointed by this action-packed series about family, friendships, and doing what's right, even when it's hard. Truth and Courage!