‘STRIKINGLY INTENSE. . . IMMERSIVE AND THOROUGHLY COMPELLING’ SFX
The war is over but peace can be hell.
Demons continue to burn farmlands, violent mercenaries roam the wilds and a plague is spreading. The country of Eidyn is on its knees.
In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first mage to be named king’s envoy. And his latest task is to restore and exiled foreign queen to her throne.
The band of allies he assembles each have their own unique skills. But they are strangers to one another, and at every step across the ravaged land, a new threat emerges, lies are revealed and distrust could destroy everything they are working for. Somehow, Aranok must bring his companions together and uncover the conspiracy that threatens the kingdom – before war returns to the realms again.
A fast-paced epic fantasy, filled with swashbuckling action and expansive worldbuilding, The Lost War is perfect for fans of Nicholas Eames’ Kings of the Wyld and RJ Barker.
Praise for The Lost War:
‘An exciting, action-packed fantasy’ Mark Lawrence
‘Justin’s book reads like you’ve been dropped in the middle of a classic fantasy adventure, full of familiar elements twisted to be terrifying. . . Exquisite‘ Gareth Hanrahan, author of The Sword Defiant
‘Excellent – full of great characters, tense action scenes and truly surprising twists. A highly recommended read’ James Islington, author of The Shadow of What was Lost
‘Rich in action and intrigue, this fantasy adventure with a Scottish flavour is sure to please fans of David Gemmell‘ Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author
‘A fantastic read. . . It’s an exceptional book and I can’t recommend it enough’ Steve McHugh, author of The Last Raven
‘Compelling and entertaining. . . inventive and fun.’ SciFiNow
‘Genuinely surprised and delighted me‘ Anna Stephens, author of Godblind
‘Highly entertaining fantasy. . .extremely readable’ Tom Lloyd, author of Twilight Reign
‘A blistering tale packed with action and adventure‘ Evening News
‘This book has a perfect blend of everything‘ Spells and Spaceships
‘Outstanding. . . The Lost War is easily one of the biggest surprises of the year’ Novel Notions
Review
Imagine Time and Memory were but a distant memory. Where you weren’t able to recall your own life, and you now live in the shadows of murky distances and half-truths. The truth itself is a powerful tool, but the lie is greater. The lie is the very object of what is a human’s fantasy. A lie deceives and deceives someone. It deceives us all. The title of the novel itself illustrates exactly what a paradoxical tale the Lost War is. It is a war of time and memory. A war of elegant histories and magic, of showing prejudice and the horrors of it. Of curses and such.
So many emotions occurred when I was reading this novel. It has a great set up of characters, and Aranok and Allanandria are the two stars of the novel. I really liked their chemistry. I must say that the use of time and travel itself is a very nicely elaborated concept within the novel itself. The writing is solid, and the worldbuilding feels unique enough though it may contain traces of the typical medieval world. I would, however, compare this novel to Matthew Ward’s The Legacy trilogy. Very comparable in terms of worldbuilding, prose, and carrying similar elements. Also, the Sword Undefiant is very similar to this as well.
All in all, this is a great novel that you will definitely enjoy. I am enjoying the worldbuilding so much that I just find it amazing. Justin, you’ve done a fantastic job. A 9/10 from me!
Filed Under: Action Fantasy, Adventure Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fantasy, Fantasy Horror, Fantasy Romance, High Fantasy, Historical Fantasys, Military Fantasy, Romantic FantasyTagged With: Book Revirw, Fantasy, Orbit Books, Self Published, The Lost War
Al-Alhambra Book Reviews 