Of War and Ruin
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- Create Date：2023-01-21 04:20:00
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Ryan Cahill
- ISBN：B09NVZ45TW
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Summary
Solian ata’yar。 Dauv ata’yar。 Nur temen vie’ryn valana。
Live as one。 Die as one。 For those we’ve lost。
The city of Kingspass burns， and Calen Bryer’s world has been shaken to its core。 With Valerys at his side， Calen must battle his demons and push forward。 There are people who need him， people who need what he must become， and he will not let them stand alone。
In Loria， Ella struggles to understand the ancient power that flows through her veins。 The world is changing around her and she is changing with it。 Her journey has only just begun。
Thousands of miles away， beneath the mountains of Lodhar， assassins move in the dark as the kingdoms of the Dwarven Freehold ready themselves for war。 Not everything is as it seems。 Dahlen Virandr and Belina Louna have no choice but to unravel the mysteries of the mountain before everything crumbles around them。
Meanwhile， in Al’Nasla， Rist Havel learns the true cost of becoming an Imperial Battlemage。 He will question every truth he has ever been told。 He has never been a fighter， never been the one people look to， but he will fight for those he loves no matter what it takes。
With the Uraks ravaging the towns and villages of the North， Alina and Dayne Ateres prepare their people for war。 They have been beneath a Lorian boot for too long。 Valtara will be free。 The wyvern of House Ateres will fly again， by blade and by blood。
As the continent of Epheria descends into war and chaos， Kallinvar struggles to come to terms with an immense loss。 Despite the hole in his heart， he has no choice but to stand and fight。 The Shadow is coming， and the Knights of Achyron are the only ones powerful enough to hold back the tide。
Unbeknownst to all， another force is rising – a force long thought tamed。
The Blood Moon is rising。
The balance of power is about to shift， and Epheria will never be the same。
Live as one。 Die as one。 For those we’ve lost。
The city of Kingspass burns， and Calen Bryer’s world has been shaken to its core。 With Valerys at his side， Calen must battle his demons and push forward。 There are people who need him， people who need what he must become， and he will not let them stand alone。
In Loria， Ella struggles to understand the ancient power that flows through her veins。 The world is changing around her and she is changing with it。 Her journey has only just begun。
Thousands of miles away， beneath the mountains of Lodhar， assassins move in the dark as the kingdoms of the Dwarven Freehold ready themselves for war。 Not everything is as it seems。 Dahlen Virandr and Belina Louna have no choice but to unravel the mysteries of the mountain before everything crumbles around them。
Meanwhile， in Al’Nasla， Rist Havel learns the true cost of becoming an Imperial Battlemage。 He will question every truth he has ever been told。 He has never been a fighter， never been the one people look to， but he will fight for those he loves no matter what it takes。
With the Uraks ravaging the towns and villages of the North， Alina and Dayne Ateres prepare their people for war。 They have been beneath a Lorian boot for too long。 Valtara will be free。 The wyvern of House Ateres will fly again， by blade and by blood。
As the continent of Epheria descends into war and chaos， Kallinvar struggles to come to terms with an immense loss。 Despite the hole in his heart， he has no choice but to stand and fight。 The Shadow is coming， and the Knights of Achyron are the only ones powerful enough to hold back the tide。
Unbeknownst to all， another force is rising – a force long thought tamed。
The Blood Moon is rising。
The balance of power is about to shift， and Epheria will never be the same。
Reviews
Ej
，
An absolute great read。 Ryan Cahill had improved his craft over the course of this series。 I love the development of the relationships between Calen and everyone else。 You really feel the wins and the losses。 I can't wait to continue the journey。 An absolute great read。 Ryan Cahill had improved his craft over the course of this series。 I love the development of the relationships between Calen and everyone else。 You really feel the wins and the losses。 I can't wait to continue the journey。 。。。more
David James
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Brilliant third InstallmentPhew ！！！ After the last few chapters I had to just sit and calm down。I haven't been so caught up in a book like this for a long time。Absolute Masterful story telling。 5 stars is not enough for this book， I would give another 5 plus 10。While I wait for book 4 I will read all 3 books again （ and the novellas）。 Once The Bound and The Broken book series is finished it just has to be turned into a film （ probably several）。I enjoyed reading this book very much 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Brilliant third InstallmentPhew ！！！ After the last few chapters I had to just sit and calm down。I haven't been so caught up in a book like this for a long time。Absolute Masterful story telling。 5 stars is not enough for this book， I would give another 5 plus 10。While I wait for book 4 I will read all 3 books again （ and the novellas）。 Once The Bound and The Broken book series is finished it just has to be turned into a film （ probably several）。I enjoyed reading this book very much 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 。。。more
Joe Gagnon
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What a great story！ I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 In stories that have parallel main character arcs I often find myself impatient to get to the next section that continues the one or two story lines that I find the most engaging。 That was not the case in this book。 Several characters that had minor arcs in the prior books grew to become some of my favorite such as with Dayne and Ella。 Ryan has a way of layering subtle nuances and details throughout the story adding depth and enriching even the What a great story！ I thoroughly enjoyed this book。 In stories that have parallel main character arcs I often find myself impatient to get to the next section that continues the one or two story lines that I find the most engaging。 That was not the case in this book。 Several characters that had minor arcs in the prior books grew to become some of my favorite such as with Dayne and Ella。 Ryan has a way of layering subtle nuances and details throughout the story adding depth and enriching even the most established characters。 I found that it was important to pay attention to the details in this story as they will become unexpectedly relevant further in。 As long as this book was I found that I just didn't want the story to end。 And it doesn't！ Ryan's talent as a writer and a storyteller is apparent。 I have placed his books on the shelf next to some of my most favorite fantasy authors and I would not be surprised in seeing his works compared to some of the most treasured of fantasy authors。 。。。more
Tom Owens
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What an epic， there is so much detail into each characters story and feelings in the this book。 It is amazing how the story is progressed。I would recommend this series to anyone interested in fantasy the details and the world's created just get better with each passing book What an epic， there is so much detail into each characters story and feelings in the this book。 It is amazing how the story is progressed。I would recommend this series to anyone interested in fantasy the details and the world's created just get better with each passing book 。。。more
Pat Sava
，
It took me 12 days， but I finally finished reading Ryan Cahill's latest installment in The Bound and The Broken series called Of War and Ruin。 This epic behemoth is just what the doctor ordered。 It has one of the most amazing casts of characters ever in a novel。 I absolutely loved following along with Calen， Valerys， Dann， Vaeril， Ella， Arden， Dayne， Alina， Belina， Rist， and so， so， so many others。 This cast gets bigger and better with each novel and I'm here for it。What makes Of War and Ruin so It took me 12 days， but I finally finished reading Ryan Cahill's latest installment in The Bound and The Broken series called Of War and Ruin。 This epic behemoth is just what the doctor ordered。 It has one of the most amazing casts of characters ever in a novel。 I absolutely loved following along with Calen， Valerys， Dann， Vaeril， Ella， Arden， Dayne， Alina， Belina， Rist， and so， so， so many others。 This cast gets bigger and better with each novel and I'm here for it。What makes Of War and Ruin so special？ Besides the fact that I'm completely in sync with Cahill's writing style， I love how his writing makes me feel。 Reading this story made me feel more alive！ One minute I'm furious because of some evil deed performed by a villainous character。 And then the next minute I have tears pouring out of my eyes because of a sad moment， a heroic action， or some combination of the two。And let's not forget about the speeches。 Holy hell are his character speeches amazing！ Sometimes they were so good that I wanted to stand up and cheer！ I may have even done so once or twice lol。 Hey， don't judge me！ This huge story is as epic as it gets。 Cahill's close to putting Sanderson to shame with the scope and size of this world， the world of the bound and the broken。 I can't sing this novel's praises highly enough。 It really is this good！ So， why are you still here reading my stupid review？ Go on now！ Buy it and read it and experience the gamut of emotions and lifechanging moments with this epic cast of wonderful characters。 You won't regret it。 。。。more
Marc
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Another great addition to the ever expanding bound and broken world。 This book continues to add to the magic of the fantasy book world。 The series only continues to get better。 If you are looking for well fleshed out characters， action， grief， and a long story that hasn't ended， this is the book for you。 Another great addition to the ever expanding bound and broken world。 This book continues to add to the magic of the fantasy book world。 The series only continues to get better。 If you are looking for well fleshed out characters， action， grief， and a long story that hasn't ended， this is the book for you。 。。。more
Alisha Peterson
，
This series is one of the best examples of modern truly epic fantasy。 This is the longest book in the Bound & Broken series， & Ryan Cahill maintained the ridiculously high standard he set with the first book。 Multiple POV give us insight into the motivation of all opposing forces。 These characters are all so well sketched and developed that I am fully invested in each person。 Characters face major challenges， and with clever dialogue both in speech & inner thoughts， Cahill gives us the gift of a This series is one of the best examples of modern truly epic fantasy。 This is the longest book in the Bound & Broken series， & Ryan Cahill maintained the ridiculously high standard he set with the first book。 Multiple POV give us insight into the motivation of all opposing forces。 These characters are all so well sketched and developed that I am fully invested in each person。 Characters face major challenges， and with clever dialogue both in speech & inner thoughts， Cahill gives us the gift of absorbing the personality distinct to each。 No one is entirely evil or good。 One character does despicable things while he holds a rock in his pocket， lovingly remembering his young daughter giving it to him that morning for 'good luck。' Another seeks his friend with only love and concern - certainly honorable， but we also know he's endangering so many others and the entirety of the 'good' side in the main battle between good and total evil。Ryan Cahill takes the coming-of-age trope & gives us a masterpiece。 I think it's because he is using characters to drive the plot， rather than using plot to template characters。 He explores all the usual elements of the epic fantasy with believable motives and responses。 This author creates some of my favorite fight scenes。 As with everything in the series， I think the expert use of POV from engaging characters is what makes them stand out。 Gruesome & shocking visuals make real emotional impact。 While characters do struggle with the weight of killing or other violent responses， we are not given a bunch of moral hemming & hawing that can make some fiction annoying。 When a true life or death situation arises， there is realistic reaction & the real consequences are shown。I love recommending books & take pride in personalizwd lists for individual tastes。 This is one of the rare series I'd recommend universally， even to readers who do not normally read fantasy。 I fully believe this series will be the new Wheel of Time in the world of fantasy literature。 。。。more
Timothy Bradley
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Book of the Year If I could give this 6 stars I’d do it in a heartbeat。 I was blessed with the honor of getting a early copy to review and I hope can do it justice。 This is my 1st really in depth review of any novel。 Most books I’ll give stars or a small review occasionally。 This one is worth more then just that。The 3rd book in Ryan Cahill’s series， fantasy series， Bound and Broken continues to cement its place as a modern fantasy that will stand the test of time。 Fans of series’s such as Lord o Book of the Year If I could give this 6 stars I’d do it in a heartbeat。 I was blessed with the honor of getting a early copy to review and I hope can do it justice。 This is my 1st really in depth review of any novel。 Most books I’ll give stars or a small review occasionally。 This one is worth more then just that。The 3rd book in Ryan Cahill’s series， fantasy series， Bound and Broken continues to cement its place as a modern fantasy that will stand the test of time。 Fans of series’s such as Lord of the Rings， The Inheritance Cycle and A Song of Ice and Fire will find themselves a must read with this series。 And anyone who loves fantasy I would implore them to give this series and book a try。With a diverse cast of characters， each with their own journey and motives， Of War and Ruin arguably greatest feat imo is it’s ability to make us feel and grow to care for all those this tale touches。 From the growth of Calen and his bond with Valerys and his companions， to the pov of Rist and those of his comrades in the Lorian Empire， Ryan’s ability to create complex characters that drag you along for the ride is awe inspiring。 Your heart will bleed as theirs bleed。 Their anger will cause your own to boil。 When overwhelming odds are overcome you will celebrate with them。 I can not recall a novel that invoked so many emotions during my read through。 Outside of the previous two books in this series。 Battles are bigger and more fierce than ever before。 The chaos and lost of war is front and center。 The title， Of War and Ruin is aptly named。 Alliances will be forged。 Factions， both new and old will rise and fall。 For those looking for action， and well written action at that， you will not be disappointed here。Plot points from the previous two books will either be resolved or expanded upon。 New ones will pop up。 For every question answered， more will take its place。 The motives of the Uraks and why they bring death with them was especially eye opening。 Speaking of motives， we learn far more about all the motives of each faction。 Sometimes it’s black and white but more often it’s grey。 This book deeply covers some of the characters in the Lorian Empire。 What was at the very beginning of the series not much more then your typical evil empire bent on domination becomes something more。 I enjoyed getting a more in depth look on the Empire and the characters within it and the motives/desires of each one。I can not state enough how much I have grown to love this series。 It has moved into top 5 all time favorite for me。 And not just as a novel series。 This includes all sources of media。 TV series， video games， etc。 I haven’t followed a series this close in years。 The wait for the next book will be hard but if Ryan has shown me anything it’s that the wait will be more then worth it。Until next we meet Epheria。 。。。more
Max
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- I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review - Of War and Ruin is， wow。I have been sat at my desk all afternoon trying to come up with one word to go there to do it justice and honestly cannot express my feelings strongly enough。Of War and Ruin is the best of high fantasy， strung together in a way that feels fresh and exhilarating。Ryan said “This book almost broke me， but I truly believe it is the best work I've produced。” And I gotta tell you， he’s 100% right， as - I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review - Of War and Ruin is， wow。I have been sat at my desk all afternoon trying to come up with one word to go there to do it justice and honestly cannot express my feelings strongly enough。Of War and Ruin is the best of high fantasy， strung together in a way that feels fresh and exhilarating。Ryan said “This book almost broke me， but I truly believe it is the best work I've produced。” And I gotta tell you， he’s 100% right， as with this book Ryan has made his series into an epic of gargantuan proportions！I cannot wait to see the physical copy of this book and hold it in my hands because it is going to be a magnificent chonk of a think coming in at 1300+ pages！But you know what？ Every。 Single。 One。 Was。 Necessary。Nothing in this book felt like padding， there was no plot point or side story that I thought it could do with losing。 But what really is a testament to Ryan’s skill as a writer， is that I didn’t even notice the time nor the pages fly by。 Let us get down to the nitty gritty。This book picks up after of Darkness and Light， and straight away you are immersed back into the world of Epheria， as Calen and co face off against bigger and tougher threats。 I will try and keep this review spoiler free as I couldn’t forgive myself for ruining any part of this masterpiece for someone。The writing quality in this book was top tier。 The POVs are from both sides， good and evil， and it really is a display of skill that we are left feeling for the bad guys at times。 I hope readers are strapped in and ready for a rollercoaster of emotions during this book。 You will feel such feels for these characters， the emotional exploration behind their mindsets and personalities let you know them so intimately。 Thanks to the size of the story you have plenty of time for the characters to each shine in their own way and to understand everything about them。 And also it means there is plenty of space for a LOT of battles？ Oh boy， bloody and harrowing， and if you are not left sweating from the adrenaline reading them then I think we are reading different books。Oh but you know what more pages really means？ MORE DRAGON SCENES！！ And really that’s what any fantasy lover wants。Ryan started this series as a debut indie author and of Blood and Fire was a phenomenal book that blew me away completely， it was a little rough in places。 But this is a shining diamond of a book， forged in the pressure that also broke the author。You might compare his writing to other authors， dragons and world-building like JRR Tolkien or George RR Martin， a close central trio of characters who spark off each other SO WELL like Robert Jordan， emotional tension and turmoil like Robin Hobb…but I think with this book Ryan has come into his own。 We are less than 3 weeks into 2023 and I have just possibly read the best thing I will read all year。When people look back at modern high fantasy in the next few decades， Ryan Cahill will be up among the top names that are discussed。If you have never read the Bound and the Broken series， do yourself a favour。 The prologue “the Fall” is available for free on his website， you will be hooked within seconds。 Get these books for every fantasy lover in your life because if we aren’t seeing these stories on every entertainment medium by the end of this series I will be shocked。This book is the perfect middle book for the series。 Questions have been answered and a satisfactory pause point has been reached but we are left with so so many more questions now and are thirsty for the next part！！ 。。。more
Wolfmantula
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Follow me on Twitter: Twitter。com/wolfmantulaFor more reviews， go to www。wolfmantula。com/book-reviewsMY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5FORMAT: Advanced Reader Copy 🚨 I received an advanced reader copy， provided by the author for an honest review。 🚨 This did not impact my rating in any way。Cahill is a shining star who’s light is only getting brighter。 I have given some high praises in Cahill’s previous works， but my god， he has gone above and beyond my expectations of what this novel would be since my expectation Follow me on Twitter: Twitter。com/wolfmantulaFor more reviews， go to www。wolfmantula。com/book-reviewsMY ⭐️ RATING: 5/5FORMAT: Advanced Reader Copy 🚨 I received an advanced reader copy， provided by the author for an honest review。 🚨 This did not impact my rating in any way。Cahill is a shining star who’s light is only getting brighter。 I have given some high praises in Cahill’s previous works， but my god， he has gone above and beyond my expectations of what this novel would be since my expectations were already through the roof。 I mean， Ryan sent me through an entire range of emotional damage。 I cried… I LITERALLY CRIED。 Not just a tear drop， but a full blown ugly face cry。 I cried for several reasons， for sadness， for pride， for happiness and for anger。 I went on a rollercoaster of emotions through this as I was left jaw-dropped one moment， filled with pride the next， followed by heart-break， and then giving me the giggles。 Yeah， I even laugh cried！ I laughed on so many occasions because the banter between the characters， it’s just off the charts good。 And not just one character， but a slew of characters throughout。Cahill’s story-telling is like a game of chess， a master of his craft， and we’re all pawns in this game of the bound and the broken。 The sprawling world of Epheria that he has created is complex， immersive， and intricately detailed along with extensive character work。 The characters are wonderful and Cahill does a great job of giving everyone of them enough time to flesh them out and even make you feel feelings for the enemy！ Not only are his characters wonderful， but he has an innate ability to create some of the best， scary creatures that lurk in the dark， that’ll get your heart racing！ There are so many tie-ins to previous books as well as working in some fun pop culture Easter eggs。 Remember， EVERYTHING MATTERS， so you must pay attention to the details。 Like a game of chess， even a pawn can be a powerful tool。 “The only thing within our control is what we choose to do with the short time we have-the things we fight for， the people we love， the things we hold dear。” Cahill just continues to improve as a writer， this is grimheart at its finest， it’s just dark enough with hate and suffering along with some good ol blood， death and mayhem， but at the same time there is passion， courage and above all else， hope， and the sheer scope of it all will suck you in。 432，000 words… that’s almost 1500 pages， according to Amazon， which is more than Of Blood and Fire and Of Darkness and Light combined。 Don’t expect some kind of slow-burn， because this is far from it。 Multiple POV’s， massive battles， WYVERN BATTLES and yes， MORE DRAGON BATTLES！ There was one scene in particular where I could hear Iron Man by Black Sabbath playing in my head as the scene played out， might be my favorite scene in the entire book， and that’s saying something， because there are a ton of amazing scenes。 Part of me is a little empty now that this book is over， a bit of a Rakina， a broken one， because I have to wait until around May to hear the audio， and even longer for the next book to come out， which I’m at a loss for words by how he is going to exceed my expectations once again。Honestly， this had to be one of the best books I’ve ever read， and what I love most is that this is more than just a book or series， it’s an experience… it’s an experience that every reader should be a part of。 I have an incredible lineup for this year of some classics I’ve never read， but I may have already found the #1 read of the year and it’s only January。 If he wasn’t already， Of War and Ruin， has solidified Cahill as one of THE top authors in all of fantasy。 With that being said: Du vyin alura anis， myia yíar。 “You can rest now， my friend。” 。。。more
Vignesh S
，
A huge thanks to the author for the e-Arc and it goes without saying that this review is my unbiased opinion。Of War and Ruin feel like the Mid-season finale of The Bound and the Broken series。 It Provided answers for questions raised in the previous books but made me ask more which i am sure will be answered on the next 2 entries。This book expanded the world much much more。 Along the way the characters are also expanded and analysed throughly。 Perspective plays an important part in this story。 E A huge thanks to the author for the e-Arc and it goes without saying that this review is my unbiased opinion。Of War and Ruin feel like the Mid-season finale of The Bound and the Broken series。 It Provided answers for questions raised in the previous books but made me ask more which i am sure will be answered on the next 2 entries。This book expanded the world much much more。 Along the way the characters are also expanded and analysed throughly。 Perspective plays an important part in this story。 Even the bad guys has a good side and their perspective explores why they think that this is good and necessary。This book has some of the best and Epic action scenes。 when i say Epic， believe me it is Epic and at many times throughout reading this， i had fear for the characters and how much the scale of the battle changes in an instant。 Some deaths felt like anvils on my chest and some felt like celebrations。All in all， this book makes you feel pain， sorrow and happiness for all the characters and still there are much much more to come is a comfort。 。。。more
Isabelle
，
Of War and Ruin had me utterly absorbed。 What a breathtaking continuation to an already amazing series。 Ryan’s writing just gets better with every book。 It’s ambitious， engrossing， and evocative in the best possible way。What I love most about this book are the characters。 No two feel alike for me。 They each have such distinct personalities and it has been an absolute delight to follow along on their journeys。 You can feel the love they have for each other （or in some cases hate） and their growth Of War and Ruin had me utterly absorbed。 What a breathtaking continuation to an already amazing series。 Ryan’s writing just gets better with every book。 It’s ambitious， engrossing， and evocative in the best possible way。What I love most about this book are the characters。 No two feel alike for me。 They each have such distinct personalities and it has been an absolute delight to follow along on their journeys。 You can feel the love they have for each other （or in some cases hate） and their growth has such a natural feel to it。 There is also some great comic relief not just from one token character but multiple that still also have plenty of personality and really add to the found family feeling of this book。 The lines some of them have are absolutely hilarious and often come on the heels of very serious chapters that have kept you on the edge of the seat。 They provide great breathers in between the emotionally ravaging moments of the book。And by “emotionally ravaging” I mean that this book had me close to tears multiple times。 I’m not usually a crier with fictional books but some of these moments really got to me。 And yes， eventually I did actually cry some tears。 Funnily enough， it was during a happy moment though。I hear her laugh in the wind when I’m alone。 It’s not all bad。 It only hurts when I breathe。OF WAR AND RUINRyan knows how to make both the expected and the unexpected interesting。 It’s fun to be able to predict some things and yet he still managed to reveal those moments in such a satisfying way， especially when there were still some twists and turns included as well。Ryan is also excellent at answering the big as well as the small questions a reader might ask while reading his books。 There were countless times where I would post a question in the read along channels and just moments later， the book would answer those already。 Even for those that couldn’t be answered right away without breaking the flow of the story， he was masterful at including that knowledge somewhere else， which just added so much satisfaction to my reading experience。 This is also how I feel about his world-building in general。 Nothing seems coincidental。 I love the small details in this book as well as the previous ones that come together so smoothly to paint a beautiful backdrop to this story。Those of us who know how much work Ryan has put into writing this book like to ask jokingly when the next one will be out。 He more than deserves a break after this absolute marathon year。 But seriously， I cannot wait to see how this story continues。 Thankfully， I won’t mind rereading this series yet again in preparation for book 4 when we do get it because it’s just such a delight。 。。。more
Craig Bookwyrm
，
Of War and Ruin is a book of epic proportions – larger in scale and complexity than the previous books in this prodigious fantasy series。Ryan Cahill’s writing just gets better and better with each book。 His plotting， pacing， worldbuilding， and character development is taken to yet another level in this instalment。 Filled with action， suspense， emotion， and humour， it's a wonderfully crafted saga， with one of the largest casts of characters I think I’ve experienced。 Did I mention， it's huge！ Ever Of War and Ruin is a book of epic proportions – larger in scale and complexity than the previous books in this prodigious fantasy series。Ryan Cahill’s writing just gets better and better with each book。 His plotting， pacing， worldbuilding， and character development is taken to yet another level in this instalment。 Filled with action， suspense， emotion， and humour， it's a wonderfully crafted saga， with one of the largest casts of characters I think I’ve experienced。 Did I mention， it's huge！ Everything about this book is epic。 I’m not exaggerating。 I’m in awe of the scope and the way Ryan masterfully keeps everything relevant - there’s absolutely no filler or unnecessary digression。 The way the author threads everything back to the previous books in the series is superb。 Events and lore are expanded upon and developed， woven into the narrative through dialogue and other clever means， so you never feel overwhelmed with info dumps。 We see parts of Epheria we haven't been exposed to before。 The author uses place， time and distance perfectly， giving a true sense of the size of this world as we see it from the many POVs in this book。The best thing about this series and Ryan’s writing， for me， is the characters。 The way they are all developing - even the lesser ones - their relationships are complex and beautiful。 Everyone has a part to play， they all add something to the whole。 These disparate groups of characters are the crowning glory of this book and series。 There is no clear good and bad either – ok， maybe one or two who are definitely evil。 Nearly all characters have a dark side and redeeming qualities。 I found myself liking and having fun with some of ‘bad guys’ on this journey。 This is a big reason why Ryan is one of the best around – he writes believable characters。 What I appreciated from this book is the development of the strong male relationships that have already been established in this series。 It’s so great to see strong， healthy male friendships and relationships – and of course， the banter and fun is so brilliant。In this book， I also noticed that mental health is touched upon on a number of occasions， particularly through its male characters。 Written with great empathy， the author is able to convey the struggle of the individual and the importance of talking and being listened to – grief， trauma， depression， suicidal thoughts， all touched upon – I really appreciated this aspect of the writing， which added more depth and sincerity to the characters。Inclusivity， I feel， is an important aspect of this book/series， and how people live through loss， including physical injuries and disabilities。 Characters are introduced who are living with disabilities and overcoming them。 This is so wonderfully refreshing to see。This is not a book you just sit down and read。 It's a book you experience with your heart， body and soul。 I cried， I laughed， I had goosebumps – I held my breath for longer than is advisable at times。 Of War and Ruin has confirmed this series as a new modern fantasy classic for me。 Ryan Cahill has mastered the ability to draw you in and keep you within his world long after you’ve finished reading。 Like Rist when he'd reached that point in his book， where he spent every moment he wasn’t reading thinking about reading， that was me reading this brilliant book。 If you haven't picked this series up yet， now is the time。 With three books and two novellas， and more to come， this is one of my all-time favourites。 I can't recommend it enough。Thank you for taking the time to read my review。 I was provided with an ARC for an honest and voluntary review。 。。。more
Jann Olsen
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The saga continues and the intensity ramps up。 Cahill weaves the multiple storylines beautifully with characters evolving in surprising twists and vivid imagery。 The battles are spectacular， but so are some of the conversations。 I find myself wondering how such a young author can be so wise… The ending will blow you away。
Debbie
，
When Calen and some of his companions decide to go after his friend Risk， they encounter a lot of trials and obstacles。 Calen knowing who he is and what is expected of him， will be a heavy burden at times but with his dragon （Valery） anything can happen。 Ella finding out what she is and what she can do is amazing。 With her friend the （Faenir） the wolfpine anything can be overcome。 Haem （Ardon） which is one of The Knights which Calen thought he was dead was hard for Calen to except， but finding o When Calen and some of his companions decide to go after his friend Risk， they encounter a lot of trials and obstacles。 Calen knowing who he is and what is expected of him， will be a heavy burden at times but with his dragon （Valery） anything can happen。 Ella finding out what she is and what she can do is amazing。 With her friend the （Faenir） the wolfpine anything can be overcome。 Haem （Ardon） which is one of The Knights which Calen thought he was dead was hard for Calen to except， but finding out he was still alive was harder。 These are just a few of the highlights that take place in the book。 Lots a great character and a great and outstanding adventure。 Was hard to put down。 Lots of betrayal and twist and turns。 Never know who can be trusted。 。。。more
The Wulver's Library
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I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review。 Myia nithir til diar。 My soul to yours。Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill is the third instalment of The Bound and the Broken series and there are no words that I can say that will even begin to understand how excited I was to return to the world of Epheria。Book 1 - Of Blood and Fire is a book I recommend to new and veteran fantasy readers alike and book 3 - Of War and Ruin is the perfect middle entry that continues my everlasti I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review。 Myia nithir til diar。 My soul to yours。Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill is the third instalment of The Bound and the Broken series and there are no words that I can say that will even begin to understand how excited I was to return to the world of Epheria。Book 1 - Of Blood and Fire is a book I recommend to new and veteran fantasy readers alike and book 3 - Of War and Ruin is the perfect middle entry that continues my everlasting faith in this series to be tremendous。 Ryan is no stranger to writing conflict and battle in an immersive and animate way。 He’s written friendships that are loveable and decisive whilst being brutally honest。 His plots are page-turners and masterful that expand on world-building。 Of War and Ruin dials this up above the limit and soars in expectations and hitting the right mark。I’ve described this series previously as a fresh take on nostalgic fantasy but Ryan has become his own name in this genre and it’s unfair to compare his work to others when Ryan now sits on the pedestal for modern classics。 The resonation with these characters， even those we are supposed to hate， is profound and Ryan exhumes the work of a true author - having you care for every last letter on the page by transporting you into a world that made me feel like I was a part of it。 This is one of the largest books I’ve read but I could have devoured more and more with each turn of the page。 Always wanting to read， never wanting to finish。Of War and Ruin lives up to its name， and not only in plot。 The amount of work that Ryan has sweated into this book and the proudness of each chapter is evident。 Everything is larger than before and we really feel for every branch that is hit and every cloud that is passed。 Ryan has a distinct way of making you feel and that is something that can never be ignored。 The ever-evolving masterclass of characters that Ryan is writing is expanding upon divinely。 The conveyance of each emotion is exerted beautifully and you’re really drawn into a sense of belonging in this world。 We see more battles， more agony and more story and this is an amazing example of expanding upon the world you have created and elevating the series to its highest point whilst also leaving your readers yearning for more。How can I really describe something that I found to be epic？ I cannot but I can tell you that if you’re not reading The Bound and The Broken then you are losing out on a journey that transcends ages， both within the pages and our imagination， and will never be forgotten。 Thank you to Ryan for always being the conversationalist， and for creating a series that continues to feel like the start of a journey for himself， the readers， and everything in between。 The future is yours。This world chews us up and spits us out。 It doesn’t care if we live or die。 It doesn’t care who we love or who we hate。 It is filled with misery， death， and loss。 It cares little for us。 But that is precisely why we must care with all our hearts， fight for the ones we love， and stand for what we believe in。 Because in a world where nothing matters， what matters to us means everything。 If we forget about the ones we love， everything loses meaning。 。。。more
Omar Mohammed
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"What is a good man？ What defines 'good'？ What I've noticed is those who describe themselves as good men are often far from it。 And those whom others describe as good men tend to have a nasty habit of dying young。"Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions in this review are my own。Two important things about 'Of War and Ruin' （OWAR）:1） it's an absolute big chunky boi of a book at 1，477 pages on Kindle; and 2） if Belina isn't the woman you wan "What is a good man？ What defines 'good'？ What I've noticed is those who describe themselves as good men are often far from it。 And those whom others describe as good men tend to have a nasty habit of dying young。"Disclaimer: I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review。 All opinions in this review are my own。Two important things about 'Of War and Ruin' （OWAR）:1） it's an absolute big chunky boi of a book at 1，477 pages on Kindle; and 2） if Belina isn't the woman you want to knock back 10 gin and tonics with。。。I don't know what to tell you。The Bound and the Broken series is set in the world of Epheria， where humans are the late arrivals， bringing their new gods to meet a world of elves， Uraks and many more。 OH and DRAGONS - now much rarer than they once were （or are they？）。 After the Fall， the humans have held sway through a perverted use of the 'Spark' - the source of magic in Epheria and the sway of the emperor over the remaining Dragon riders。 Until the emergence of three young friends and a band of allies that grow around them。 Enough with the blah blah blah: This book is possibly a perfect middle entry into a series。 As a connecting story， it amplifies the overall conflict and arcs of the interwoven main and subplots， while masterfully concluding some of them （？）， while ending some right as the roller coaster reaches its apex。 It does exactly what Ryan Cahill wants to do， which is to charge roaring in the demand of the next book， with purple light streaming from our eyes - don't worry， you'll get it once you read the books。 However， what Ryan does so well - maybe the best out of all new fantasy authors that I've read at least over the past 5 years - is writing relationships。 I have sent the link to 'Of Blood and Fire' （Book 1） to several friends who are up and coming writers， as a tutorial on how to make your reader care。 Care about your protagonist， care about their friends， care about their family。 Within the first few chapters of Book 1， I was fully committed to the central trio at the heart of the story， and this hasn't changed 3 books in。 OWAR leans even more into this。 Ryan builds relationships between and among people in ways that are so organic， you will be able to see your own friendships in your reading of these characters。 You'll say "I know an Erik，" or "X is definitely a Magnus。" It's these relationships that make every decision that characters make， or that are made for them， resonate deeply with - on both sides of the perceived conflict。 This， to me， is the hallmark of Ryan's writing。Of course， like I said， a big chunky boi of a book isn't just stuffed with good and realistic characters。 The world building in OWAR is incredible。 From the introduction of lore central to the plot and the future of the story， to the rich description of a swathe of new locations to which we get introduced。 The chonkiness （TM？） of the book does， at some rare points， lead to some lagging in the story， but those points are few and far between - and mostly， for me， in the first third of the book。 After the mid-point of the story， there's no space for lagging or page flipping。 In my quick tweet on completion， I said that OWAR had one of the best final acts I've ever read。 This hasn't changed in the 24 hours since I've finished。 Everything a fan of fantasy fiction， nay - storytelling， could want in a final act。。。OWAR has it。 Action， consequences， call-backs。。。if you're reading on a Kindle， you will not be able to put it down from about 70-95%。 Take the day off after - you'll deserve it。 For me， however， the heart of the story is the relationship among the central trio - Calen， Dann and Rist。 Maybe it's because I have my own trio of two best friends and myself that have lasted over 20 years， where we see each others as brothers rather than friends。 Ryan's control and command over his crafting of those relationships is just *chef's kiss*。 It doesn't feel cliched or contrived。 It feels as if each one is caught in a situation that they can't control and they need the people （their found family） that they can depend on。 It's fantastic。 Final thoughts: Ryan Cahill is one of the top voices in modern fantasy fiction。 If you don't agree with me， go talk to Valerys。 Of War and Ruin is an incredible feat of storytelling that does exactly what it's meant to do in the middle of what is sure to be a classic of modern fantasy fiction。 。。。more
A Wilson
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Firstly， a massive thank you to Ryan Cahill for allowing me to access an ARC Copy of this book。 Secondly - if you are about to read this book， stop what you are doing， and reread 'The Fall' and 'The Exile' if you have not already - trust me， you will thank me for it。With secrets and revelations that had their foundations laid back in 'Of Blood and Fire' and 'The Fall' answered， and a hundred other questions to be posed among it's pages， 'Of War and Ruin' will take you on an emotional rollercoast Firstly， a massive thank you to Ryan Cahill for allowing me to access an ARC Copy of this book。 Secondly - if you are about to read this book， stop what you are doing， and reread 'The Fall' and 'The Exile' if you have not already - trust me， you will thank me for it。With secrets and revelations that had their foundations laid back in 'Of Blood and Fire' and 'The Fall' answered， and a hundred other questions to be posed among it's pages， 'Of War and Ruin' will take you on an emotional rollercoaster you will not expect， and I challenge you to finish this book without shedding a tear， laughing out loud， or taking a moment to think "oh。。。my。。。god。。。"This novel is a masterpiece in terms of character development （and exposition） and it is incredible seeing how Cahill has grown as an author， his developing craft evident in every page。 Now， we cannot ignore the length of this chunky tome - it is over 430k words （page length， as Cahill has stated， is subjective on a nmber of factor， preferring a word count over page count）， putting it firmly into Stormlight Archive territory。 Yet there is not a single word that is wasted or there to fill a page， and you will be left firmly craving Book 4， 'Of Empires and Dust'， almost immediately。 。。。more
spencer wright
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*Special thank you to Ryan Cahill for the ARC copy*Wow！ What an exciting， moving， and emotional continuation to a series that seems to keep growing larger and larger。 The book， despite being the longest yet， still feels far too short in the best way possible。 I can't wait to see the future short stories， main stories， and smallest glimpses of this world that Cahill gives us。 Keep on writing and I'll keep on reading！ *Special thank you to Ryan Cahill for the ARC copy*Wow！ What an exciting， moving， and emotional continuation to a series that seems to keep growing larger and larger。 The book， despite being the longest yet， still feels far too short in the best way possible。 I can't wait to see the future short stories， main stories， and smallest glimpses of this world that Cahill gives us。 Keep on writing and I'll keep on reading！ 。。。more
Alicia
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This is the third novel in Ryan Cahill's epic The Bound and the Broken series。 I absolutely love this series， so I was thrilled to get an early copy of this epic book thanks to the author。As a huge fan of the series， I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book， and it did not disappoint。 I knew going in that it was going to be massive， and much longer than the previous two novels， but despite the length， it was a real page turner—I was riveted。 There was epic action， humor and heartbreak。 At ti This is the third novel in Ryan Cahill's epic The Bound and the Broken series。 I absolutely love this series， so I was thrilled to get an early copy of this epic book thanks to the author。As a huge fan of the series， I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book， and it did not disappoint。 I knew going in that it was going to be massive， and much longer than the previous two novels， but despite the length， it was a real page turner—I was riveted。 There was epic action， humor and heartbreak。 At times I felt like cheering and at other times it made me laugh out loud or brought tears to my eyes: it was the most exciting and emotional novel yet in the series。 This book is absolutely a must read for fans of the series and it gets an enthusiastic 5/5 stars from this fan。 Ryan is just getting better & better at writing these books so I can't wait to read what he comes out with next。 。。。more
Andy Davis
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Absolutely fantastic！！！ Couldn’t put it down。 The first 2 books were great。。 this book steps it up again。 Can’t wait for the next instalment！ Superb story telling
Dr Rashmi
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Incredible Words will fall short to describe how amazing this book is。 The world building and characters development is outstanding。 You get to experience various emotions of characters not just good behaviour or hero image but also their vulnerabilities which makes you connect with series to extent of obsession。 Vivid battle details to quench your thirst for adventure。Twists unseen for thriller chasers， dragons for dragon lovers and many more which just adds on to list whatever you’re are searc Incredible Words will fall short to describe how amazing this book is。 The world building and characters development is outstanding。 You get to experience various emotions of characters not just good behaviour or hero image but also their vulnerabilities which makes you connect with series to extent of obsession。 Vivid battle details to quench your thirst for adventure。Twists unseen for thriller chasers， dragons for dragon lovers and many more which just adds on to list whatever you’re are searching for and making it best。 Each novel is best as Ryan keeps challenging himself and exceeds all expectations beyond imagination。 If one is worried by book length and number of pages， fear not because book is so good and pacing is fast you wouldn’t believe yourself how you finished so quickly for which myself is a great example。 This is the longest book I have ever read till now but in shortest time， all credit goes to Ryan’s superb writing。If you haven’t yet started this series， do it right away。Thanks to Ryan for eARC copy and giving opportunity to read before other eager fans。This is my honest review。 。。。more
Linda J。
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Ryan Cahill is a master storyteller。 In this third major book of”The Bound and The Broken” series， Ryan Cahill draws threads from the earlier books and weaves them into an incredible tapestry of events that keeps the reader enthralled to the end and longing for more。 The characters are so well developed， they feel like friends （or enemies，） whether humans， elves， dwarves， druids， or dragons。 Descriptions are just enough to paint the imagination without weighing it down， and the action keeps the Ryan Cahill is a master storyteller。 In this third major book of”The Bound and The Broken” series， Ryan Cahill draws threads from the earlier books and weaves them into an incredible tapestry of events that keeps the reader enthralled to the end and longing for more。 The characters are so well developed， they feel like friends （or enemies，） whether humans， elves， dwarves， druids， or dragons。 Descriptions are just enough to paint the imagination without weighing it down， and the action keeps the story flowing freely。 This is one of those books （as are the rest of the series） where chores don’t get done and sleep is postponed because you can’t put the book down！ 。。。more
Sean McDermott
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ARC COPY REVIEWI wanted to start off this review by mentioning a few things that might shed some light on how I’ve rated it。 First of all， this is my first ARC I’ve ever received and I could not be more excited to open the part of my brain that pays closer attention to allow me to enjoy the story AND contribute to providing constructive feedback to an author of books I look forward to。 Secondly， I discovered this series from the Broken Binding; when I saw that all of his books were sale for sign ARC COPY REVIEWI wanted to start off this review by mentioning a few things that might shed some light on how I’ve rated it。 First of all， this is my first ARC I’ve ever received and I could not be more excited to open the part of my brain that pays closer attention to allow me to enjoy the story AND contribute to providing constructive feedback to an author of books I look forward to。 Secondly， I discovered this series from the Broken Binding; when I saw that all of his books were sale for signed copies AND a special edition was being released。 I’m not a sponsor of the Broken Binding but man， if you’re in to collecting special editions of books or signed copies， I’d highly recommend checking them out。 Thirdly， I wanted to say that I am going to try and be as fair as I can and （attempt） not to skew my feelings and enjoyment of the book。Of Blood and Fire – 4 StarsOf Darkness and Light – 4。5 starsOf War and Ruin – 5 StarsAs someone who read the books back-to-back at the end of 2022， I am able to see the steady improvement in writing， excitement， and character development from book to book。 December reads: The Fall， Of Blood and Fire， Of Darkness and Light， and ending it with Sword of Kaigen – talk about a great way to end the year。 From sad moments， exciting battles， and villains I can’t help but root for， this newest installment is a solid continuation of the series。 Solid pacing， complex characters， and thrust into chaos and power。 My one flaw as a reader is that world-building always ends up in the back-burner of my interests （which is unfortunate considering how much of it is used for fantasy…） but the political turmoil， rich history， and a developing kingdom keep my attention and able to deep-dive into the fantastical world。My favorite types of fantasy hands-down is grimdark。 Joe Abercrombie， being one of my favorite authors， it’s not always easy to find someone on the same level as him – at least to my preferences。 While I might not consider this to be complete grim-dark， it’s able to satisfy the pieces of the genre that I enjoy。 The debut novel may introduce several tropes but the writing， especially towards the middle and end， really shine and I feel this is where the author really finds his footing and he continues to as the series moves along。 The 2nd book makes a huge jump in quality and the 3rd follows by reaching the top of 5 stars。 I highly recommend the series！ 。。。more
Steve Filson
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OMG。。。 I am elated to be back in Epheria。 This Series has all the Epic Fantasy mix of LOTR， WOT ， and GOT all combined。 A huge fan who rarely gives out Five star ratings as an Honest ARC reviewer so believe me when I say You will love this book。 the Characters are the Heart of the book， the World Building is awesome。 The Magic system is built with detail that seems believable。I just slipped into the World through the writing of this Ryan Cahill，Immersed would be a more adequate description of th OMG。。。 I am elated to be back in Epheria。 This Series has all the Epic Fantasy mix of LOTR， WOT ， and GOT all combined。 A huge fan who rarely gives out Five star ratings as an Honest ARC reviewer so believe me when I say You will love this book。 the Characters are the Heart of the book， the World Building is awesome。 The Magic system is built with detail that seems believable。I just slipped into the World through the writing of this Ryan Cahill，Immersed would be a more adequate description of the 2 days spent within 。 Loved it 。 。。。more
Melissa
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“Pain is the path to strength”And boy oh boy did this third installment of The Bound and the Broken bring me great pain。 But in a good way？ This was my highest anticipated read for the year and I don’t see how anyone can top this。 Exponential growth in character development and the plot expansion is just so yummy， it was hard to not ravenously devour this book。 The action alone was aggrandized to the point where each chapter was ingrained with such visceral turmoil， I lost count on how many time “Pain is the path to strength”And boy oh boy did this third installment of The Bound and the Broken bring me great pain。 But in a good way？ This was my highest anticipated read for the year and I don’t see how anyone can top this。 Exponential growth in character development and the plot expansion is just so yummy， it was hard to not ravenously devour this book。 The action alone was aggrandized to the point where each chapter was ingrained with such visceral turmoil， I lost count on how many times my jaw literally dropped at every twist and turn。 The agility with which Cahill writes is evident with every scene。 Of War and Ruin could very well be my favorite in the series so far （The Fall currently ties for first）。 Appreciation for the pickup on history from The Fall and giving us more scenes with characters from that time as well as some new ones I’ve come to love cannot be expressed enough。 Each plot felt so complete even though there’s still a hundred questions raging through my head。There’s a lot of really good dragon books out there but very few great ones。 This is a great one。 How one person can keep so much story in their head and then write it all down is a mystery to me， but this is a fine example of pure talent。 It will come as a shock to absolutely no one that this is yet another 5-star read from Cahill for me。This ARC was provided to me by the author in exchange for my honest review。 These thoughts are my own。 。。。more
Kate Griggs
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As a Fantasy fan of many years I was interested in reading Ryan Cahill’s epic and I was not disappointed。 In fact I absolutely love it。 The characters， the intricate plot and the battle scenes are just three of the things that keep you turning the pages。 He adds humour which is important in enriching the experience and the characters。 He his very skilled at weaving all the stories together as it gathers pace。 Give yourself a treat and get involved in this epic， you will soon be hooked。
NikNakJoReads
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I can honestly say I don’t think I’ll read anything better。 This was it， my reading for 2023 has peaked in January。 There are multiple POVs spread out all across Epheria， but it is written in such a way that the pacing， trajectory and character development are never bogged down by it。 There is plenty of action and even when we aren’t in the thick of hacking through Uraks or battling from the backs of Wyverns and Dragons there are some truly wonderful moments。 From the sad tug on my heartstrings I can honestly say I don’t think I’ll read anything better。 This was it， my reading for 2023 has peaked in January。 There are multiple POVs spread out all across Epheria， but it is written in such a way that the pacing， trajectory and character development are never bogged down by it。 There is plenty of action and even when we aren’t in the thick of hacking through Uraks or battling from the backs of Wyverns and Dragons there are some truly wonderful moments。 From the sad tug on my heartstrings moments to the sweet taste of revenge， finding what you thought was lost and exactly what does or doesn’t break you。 The characters have so much depth and feeling that you end up rooting for the ‘villain’s’ redemption arc。 （One of them anyway 🤣） I’d give this book and the entire series a hundred stars if I could。 。。。more
Michael Bogush
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I got the experience of getting to read this book before it releases ， and all I can say is I cannot wait for the next book。 Could not put the book down ， from start to finish it is action packed you jump all over the world ryan has made with battles and action。 The book is full of humor and he writes in a way that the characters become your family you feel their pain and excitement throughout。 The depth and detail which he put into this book is nothing short of amazing。 You must read this book。
Chuck Tindall
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Of War and RuinI have read a lot of books in my lifetime。 Waiting for this book to come out created the greatest anticipation！ If you like great story telling， action， the full gambit of emotions。。。。this is the book and series for you！！！！ A must read！
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Of War and Ruin
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Of War and Ruin&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Of War and Ruin&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0