Redemption's Blade by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Redemption’s Blade is the story of what happens after. After the climactic battle between good and evil. After the long war that upends the world as gods and demons and humans and all the many races go to war and lay waste to the world. After the fight is over and there is nothing left but to pick up the pieces and attempt to restore a world that can never really be restored.

Redemption’s Blade takes place ten years after the return of the Kinslayer. He returned from his underground prison with an army of brutal Yorughan and laid siege to the world. He marched across the world relentlessly, until he died. Killed by a handful of heroes, including Celestaine. Now Celestaine has tasked herself with trying to correct some of the worst things that the Kinslayer inflicted on the world. With her two Yorughan companions she sets out to figure out first what she can fix, and second, how she can fix it. Along the way, she encounters criminals, fanatics, and opportunists. Celestaine is not sure if her task is attainable, and even if it is, will it make a difference?

Tchaikovsky approaches the epic fantasy from an angle that isn’t often encountered and seldom even contemplated. What happens after a war involving gods and creatures from beyond your world? How do you pick up the pieces? And what happens to the attacking army once it is left rudderless and has nowhere to return to? These are weighty questions and Tchaikovsky makes you feel the weight of them. Celestaine feels their weight. Rather than be broken by it, she chooses to do something. Fix something. Or at least try.

Tchaikovsky doesn’t skimp on the action. Celestaine’s goal is not achieved without cost. There are exciting battle scenes, puzzles to solve and fragile alliances to navigate. The horror of battling an angry god and his army is one thing at the moment of the fight. In some ways, the horror of his actions is even greater when you don’t have a battle to distract you from them.

Tchaikovsky has created a cast of characters that are complex and sympathetic. He shows you the regret that accompanies both the actions they took and the actions they did not take. It would be easy to make a story like this dark or mournful, but Tchaikovsky infuses it with hope. It doesn’t hurt that Dr. Catt and Fisher are delightful characters that are around to lighten the mood, even if they are morally flexible.

I love a good epic fantasy. Tchaikovsky has demonstrated that there is a story after the story. And that story is also worth telling.

Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher.

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