The Martyr by Anthony Ryan

 

The Martyr by Anthony Ryan continues the excellent series that began with The Pariah. Alwyn Scribe has risen from lowly outlaw to spymaster for Lady Evadine Courlain, aka, the Risen Martyr for seeming to have died and come back to life. Lady Evadine is a warrior for the Covenant but is at the center of a power struggle between King Algathinet and Covenant leadership. They fear both her military might and her ability to sway the masses. The King orders her to hold Walvern Castle. A castle so poorly located and constructed it is nearly impossible to hold. If Evadine fails or is killed, one of their problems is removed.

Alwyn sees his job as protector of Lady Evadine. That means he must outstrategize everyone. Evadine has visions of a Second Scourge which she is trying to prevent. Alwyn has visions of the future himself, all of them bloody. Unlike Evadine, Alwyn's faith is a thing of convenience as he states, I have often observed that a surfeit of faith will walk hand in hand with a dearth of common sense."

Alwyn must navigate the complicated politics of the kingdom, demons from his past, and new enemies he has made. The fate of thousands and the kingdom's future rests on the decisions he makes.

Anthony Ryan does a masterful job with this story. The characters are so well drawn that you are immediately drawn to and intrigued by them. The world is richly described. New people and places are introduced to the story and they fit in seamlessly. The characters are all sorts of shades of grey which helps set the overall mood of the story. The action sequences are thrilling both in their buildup and execution. Ryan manages to overlay the entire story with a sense of foreboding. He builds excitement and keeps the stakes high in this book, while still hinting at higher stakes yet to come. There have been some great epic fantasy books to come out this year but The Martyr is right up there at the top of the list. What a great book and what a great series! I can't wait for the next entry.

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