"'It gets faster and more fascinating by the page' - Conn Iggulden, author of Empire
An epic coming-of-age fantasy inspired by mythology and the Iron Age, Malice by John Gwynne is the first in The Faithful and the Fallen series.
Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king's realm. But that day will come all too soon.
The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land.
But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars.
Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield.
Then there will be a war to end all wars.
Continue the epic fantasy series with Valour.
Praise for John Gwynne:
'Reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place' - Robin Hobb, author of Assassin's Apprentice
'One of the modern masters of heroic fantasy' - Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Memory
'Exciting, well-written swords and sorcery. Try it on for size' - Mark Lawrence, author of The Broken Empire"
"The second epic fantasy in The Faithful and the Fallen series, Valour by John Gwynne carries all of the excitement of the first.
The Banished Lands are torn by war as the army of High King Nathair sweeps the realm challenging all who oppose his holy crusade. Allied with the manipulative Queen Rhin of Cambren, there are few who can stand against him. But Rhin is playing her own games and has her eyes on a far greater prize . . .
Left for dead – her kin have fled and her country is overrun with enemies – Cywen fights to survive. But any chance of escape is futile once Nathair and his disquieting advisor Calidus realize who she is. They have no intention of letting such a prize slip from their grasp. For she may be their one chance at killing the biggest threat to their power.
Meanwhile, the young warrior Corban flees from his conquered homeland with his exiled companions, heading for the only place that may offer them sanctuary. But to get there they must travel through Cambren, avoiding warbands, giants and the vicious wolven of the mountains. And all the while Corban struggles to become the man that everyone believes him to be – the Bright Star and saviour of the Banished Lands.
Embroiled in struggles for power and survival, the mortal world is unaware of the greatest threat of all. In the Otherworld, dark forces scheme to bring a host of the Fallen into the world of flesh to end the war with the Faithful, once and for all.
Continue the fantasy series with Ruin and Wrath, start the series with Malice."
"The fourth in The Faithful and the Fallen series, Wrath by John Gwynne is the breathtaking, pulse-pounding conclusion to an epic series.
It’s time to brave the final battle . . .
Events are coming to a climax in the Banished Lands, as the war reaches new heights. King Nathair has seized the fortress at Drassil, and now possesses three of the Seven Treasures. And with Calidus and Queen Rhin, Nathair will do anything to obtain the rest. They will allow him to open a portal to the Otherworld – so Asroth and his demon-horde can break into the Banished Lands and finally become flesh.
Meanwhile Corban has been captured by the Jotun, warrior giants who ride enormous bears into battle. His warband scattered, Corban must make new allies to survive. But can he bond with competing factions of warlike giants? Somehow he must, to counter the threat Nathair represents.
His life hangs in the balance – and with it, the fate of the Banished Lands. Truth, courage and loyalty will be tested as never before."
"Shortlisted for the 2016 David Gemmell Legend Award for Best Novel.
The third in The Faithful and the Fallen series, Ruin by John Gwynne continues the gripping battle of good vs evil.
The Banished Lands are engulfed in war and chaos. The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make; choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands.
Elsewhere the flame of resistance is growing – Queen Edana finds allies in the swamps of Ardan. Maquin is loose in Tenebral, hunted by Lykos and his corsairs. Here he will witness the birth of a rebellion in Nathair's own realm.
Corban has been swept along by the tide of war. He has suffered, lost loved ones, sought only safety from the darkness. But he will run no more. He has seen the face of evil and he has set his will to fight it. The question is, how? With a disparate band gathered about him – his family, friends, giants, fanatical warriors, an angel and a talking crow – he begins the journey to Drassil, the fabled fortress hidden deep in the heart of Forn Forest. For in Drassil lies the spear of Skald, one of the seven treasures, and here it is prophesied that the Bright Star will stand against the Black Sun.
Continue the epic fantasy series with Wrath."
"In A Time of Courage, angels, demons and heroes face the ultimate fight for the Banished Lands. This is the epic conclusion to John Gwynne's mighty trilogy: Of Blood and Bone.
Battle the dark.
Reclaim the world . . .
The King of the Otherworld is finally free. Armed with fearsome new starstone weapons, Asroth prepares to lead his demonic war-host south. And with the help of his bride, Fritha, he plans to crush the warrior-angels and their allies for good.
In the shadows of Forn Forest, Riv and the surviving Ben-Elim hold a war council – desperate to unite those who would stand against Asroth and his army. They decide to fly west, to join the Order of the Bright Star. But Drem and the Order are already under siege by a demon horde and their fragile defenses may soon shatter.
Across the Banished Lands, armies are gathering to settle ancient grudges and decide the fate of humanity. Drem, Riv and the Bright Star’s warriors will need to call on all their courage as they face the final battle. But will it be enough, as their darkest hour draws near?
'Reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place' - Robin Hobb on A Time of Dread
'This book is so damned good . . . John Gwynne writes fantasy with the heart of a hero and the inventiveness of a master mage' - Sebastien de Castell on A Time of Blood"
"A Time of Blood, the second book in the Of Blood and Bone series, is the spectacular follow-up to A Time of Dread by John Gwynne.
Defy the darkness. Defend the light . . .
At the battle of Starstone Lake, Drem and his friends witnessed horrors they’ll never forget. They saw magic warping men into beasts and a demon rise from the dead, creating something new and terrifying. So they flee to warn the Order of the Bright Star. But the demons’ high priestess, Fritha, is determined to hunt them down.
Concealed in Forn Forest, Riv struggles to understand her half-breed lineage. It represents the warrior angels’ most dangerous secret, so when their high captain tracks her down, he aims to kill.
Meanwhile, demonic forces are gathering a mighty war-host, to crush their enemies and rule the world of man. And the angels are already fractured and facing betrayal. Like heroes of old, Riv, Drem and the Bright Star’s warriors must battle to save their land. But can the light triumph when the dark is rising?
Continue the heroic fantasy series with A Time of Courage.
'A great read that accelerates the pace and goes one up on its excellent predecessor . . . Exciting, action-packed fantasy'
Mark Lawrence
'This is extraordinarily good, an epic feat of the imagination. In this series Gwynne is setting a new benchmark in fantasy. I’d love to see it on screen'
Giles Kristian
'Reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place' – Robin Hobb on A Time of Dread"
"'A Time of Dread reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place' – Robin Hobb, author of Assassin's Apprentice.
Set in the same world as the Faithful and the Fallen quartet, the first novel in John Gwynne's Of Blood and Bone series, A Time of Dread, takes place one hundred years after the end of Wrath.
The Ben-Elim, a race of warrior angels, once vanquished a mighty demon horde. Now they rule the Banished lands. But their dominion is brutally enforced and their ancient enemy may not be as crushed as they thought.
In the snowbound north, Drem, a trapper, finds mutilated corpses in the forests – a sign of demonic black magic. In the south, Riv, a young, tempestuous soldier, discovers a deadly rift within the Ben-Elim themselves.
Two individuals with two world-changing secrets. But where will they lead? And what role will Drem and Riv play in the Banished Land's fate? Difficult choices need to be made. Because in the shadows, demons are gathering, waiting for their time to rise. . .
Continue the heroic fantasy series with A Time of Blood.
'A truly excellent read . . . Exciting, well-written swords and sorcery. Try it on for size' – Mark Lawrence, author of The Broken Empire.
'John Gwynne is one of the modern masters of heroic fantasy' – Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of Ruin."
