Fantasy

The Martyr

The Martyr

  • Downloads：4631
  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-07-01 08:51:45
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Anthony Ryan
  • ISBN：0316430803
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
  • Download

Summary

"A gritty， heart-pounding tale of betrayal and bloody vengeance。 I loved every single word。" —John Gwynne on The Pariah

The Martyr is the second novel in The Covenant of Steel， a new epic fantasy series of action， intrigue and magic from Anthony Ryan， a master storyteller who has taken the fantasy world by storm。

Times have changed for Alwyn Scribe。 Once an outlaw， he’s now a spymaster and sworn protector of Lady Evadine Courlain， whose visions of a demonic apocalypse have earned her the fanatical devotion of the faithful。 

Yet Evadine’s growing fame has put her at odds with both Crown and Covenant。 As trouble brews in the kingdom， both seek to exploit her position for their own ends。 

Sent to the Duchy of Alundia to put down a rebellion， Alwyn must rely on old instincts to fight for his new cause。 Deadly feuds and ancient secrets are laid bare as war erupts， a war that will decide the fate of the Kingdom of Albermaine and， perhaps， prevent the coming of the prophesied Second Scourge。

"This makes a rich treat for George R。R。 Martin fans。" —Publishers Weekly （starred review） on The Pariah


For more from Anthony Ryan， check out:

The Covenant of Steel
The Pariah
The Martyr
 
Raven's Shadow Trilogy
Blood SongTower LordQueen of Fire Raven's Blade DuologyThe Wolf's CallThe Black Song The Draconis Memoria TrilogyThe Waking FireThe Legion of FlameThe Empire of Ashes

Download

Reviews

William Gwynne ，

The Martyr is released today！ Looking forward to diving into this second instalment of The Covenant of Steel。

Mike Larson ，

ARC provided by Barnes & Noble， who graciously decided to have it out for sale last week。4。4

Mackenzie Schley ，

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。The Martyr brings us back to the world of Alwyn Scribe， now firmly ensconced as a confidante to a religious icon， a far cry from his youth growing up as an outlaw。 Ryan always creates characters with rich backstory and layers， giving them real depth that I look for in a fantasy novel。 Alwyn holds true to this as he navigates his new life balancing loyalty to the woman who taught him so much and t Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review。The Martyr brings us back to the world of Alwyn Scribe， now firmly ensconced as a confidante to a religious icon， a far cry from his youth growing up as an outlaw。 Ryan always creates characters with rich backstory and layers， giving them real depth that I look for in a fantasy novel。 Alwyn holds true to this as he navigates his new life balancing loyalty to the woman who taught him so much and the woman he is now following into the fray。 There’s action， intrigue， and an ancient fallen civilization haunting Alwyn’s steps。 Where those steps lead will be another interesting journey。 。。。more

Shauna Lawless ，

Full review to come - but for now - let's just say - this is a masterpiece。 Full review to come - but for now - let's just say - this is a masterpiece。 。。。more

Rachel （TheShadesofOrange） ，

3。5 StarsThis is a solid sequel that will please anyone who loved the Pariah。 Once again， the characters and prose were strong。 I tend to enjoy revenge stories， but it's a very classic fantasy trope。 I like this series but it's too classic and tropey in order for me to truly love it。If you enjoy a very familiar fantasy narrative then this will likely be one you'll really enjoy。Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author。 3。5 StarsThis is a solid sequel that will please anyone who loved the Pariah。 Once again， the characters and prose were strong。 I tend to enjoy revenge stories， but it's a very classic fantasy trope。 I like this series but it's too classic and tropey in order for me to truly love it。If you enjoy a very familiar fantasy narrative then this will likely be one you'll really enjoy。Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the author。 。。。more

Glynn Shrosbree ，

It's Anthony Ryan。 You're going to read it and you're going to have a good time。 It's Anthony Ryan。 You're going to read it and you're going to have a good time。 。。。more

Lorraine ，

4 1/2 StarsThe Martyr is the second book in Anthony Ryan’s brilliant Covenant of Steel series。 It picks up not long after the events of The Pariah and it is a non-stop thrill ride from start to finish as we continue to follow the life of Alwyn Scribe。 With a few exceptions， we follow him as a full Supplicant Blade in Evadine Courlain’s Covenant Company， as they battle to fight the Imposter King Tomas from taking the throne。 There are many battle scenes in The Martyr and I continue to be impresse 4 1/2 StarsThe Martyr is the second book in Anthony Ryan’s brilliant Covenant of Steel series。 It picks up not long after the events of The Pariah and it is a non-stop thrill ride from start to finish as we continue to follow the life of Alwyn Scribe。 With a few exceptions， we follow him as a full Supplicant Blade in Evadine Courlain’s Covenant Company， as they battle to fight the Imposter King Tomas from taking the throne。 There are many battle scenes in The Martyr and I continue to be impressed by how Mr。 Ryan composes these scenes。 Each is different， having its own obstacles， so it never becomes monotonous。 He holds nothing back in terms of the violence and horrors of war， which makes them even more realistic， not only for the reader， but the characters as well。 It is engrossing， exciting， and masterful writing。 I could not stop reading as the Covenant Company often battled against odds that always seemed inevitably stacked against them。 Mr。 Ryan excels here as well， as he puts obstacles in their way， but uses the character’s ingenuity and cunning。 By not always having “full on” battles， this becomes so much more interesting and intriguing to read。 The characters have grown and developed from The Pariah， and new characters are introduced。 They are always fully fleshed out， each with a distinct personality and background。 Alwyn rises up through the ranks in the Covenant Company， becoming Evadine’s main confidant， and there is a clear attraction growing between the two。 She is quite an interesting character， and seeing so much more of her in this book， my opinion of her certainly wavers about who she really is。 Rife with political intrigue， excellent character building， and a compelling story full of twists and turns， The Martyr is just as gripping and exciting as The Pariah。Having risen from “death”， Evadine has become the Risen Martyr of Seraphile， preaching her words and gaining followers。 What she doesn’t know is that to save her life， Alwyn and Wilhum sought out the Sack Witch， the Carieth Doenlisch， to heal her， and doing so， took a some of Alwyn’s life to heal her。 This has created a unique bond between the two。 This was laid out in The Pariah， thus making Evadine a false martyr。 Evadine， not knowing， is steadfast in her belief she is the Risen Martyr。 As we learn more about her in this book， I found Evadine to be more and more of a morally gray character。 As the word spreads of the Risen Martyr， she gains followers。 Evadine appears calm， even when going to battle， believing Seraphile watches over her。 She is also a very skilled fighter and leader。 I felt fanaticism in her new status as the book progressed， and she did many things that， to me， is what made her morally gray。 Evadine is great character in the way she has developed， and her calm demeanor belies what is underneath。 Lilat is a new character that Alwyn meets as he is forced to stay with Caerith to recover from being wounded。 She is sharp with a bow， and each learn from each other the ways of their people。 When it is time for Alwyn to leave， Lilat accompanies him。 Although her time in the book is short compared to other characters， I think she is an excellent addition to the story， and I loved her character。 I look forward to hopefully seeing more of her in the next book。 The other character of note is Juhlina。 She suffered the trauma of losing her family and joined the Covenant Company。 Juhlina， or The Widow， is in many ways， just as fanatical as Evadine。 However， hers is laser focused revenge。 She becomes skilled in battle simply because she knows no fear， she doesn’t care about her safety。 Juhlina shows little emotion， and will wade into the thick of the fighting， driven by rage and revenge。 Like The Pariah， The Martyr is told in the first-person narrative of Alwyn。 He still often addresses “dear reader” as this is a memoir of his life。 What is very interesting about Alwyn is that he makes no excuses for what he does。 He knows at times his moral compass is compromised。 Alwyn will lie for Evadine， and he does so she as her witness to be have been brought back from death， thus is formally named the Risen Martyr。 We see everything through the eyes of Alwyn as he writes the story of his life。 Is his opinions skewed？ Of course， they would be， and that’s what makes this series so brilliant。 Alwyn knows exactly who he is and what he has done。 He has done good things， but he also knows his that crimes， as he states， are many。 Having lied about her being the Risen Martyr， he may very well have set in motion a scourge he cannot control。 Once again， Mr。 Ryan’s prose is pure beauty， evoking a clear representation of Alwyn in the reader’s mind。 Mr。 Ryan’s prose is sharp and The Martyr is a beautifully written novel。 All of the elements， the battles， the marches， the political intrigue， and Alwyn’s time with Caerith seamlessly and effortlessly flows throughout the book。 His descriptions of characters and events are amazingly detailed， especially the battle scenes。 They are so realistic; we can feel the angst and fear of the characters as they fight the odds stacked against them。 There is very little magic in this series， apart from a few characters， most notably the Doenlisch。 Weaving all the elements of fantasy together so that nothing feels forced is what makes for excellent writing。 The pacing was superb。 There was non-stop action， but it was interspersed with character interaction and development。 It was a great balance that moved the story forward。 There was no time in my reading of The Martyr that I felt nothing was happening or anything was repetitive。 Overall Thoughts The Martyr， the second book in the Covenant of Steel series， is as excellent at the first book。 The characters have further developed and new characters have been introduced。 It continues the tale of Alwyn’s life as only he can tell it to the reader。 As we see his character develop more， he is honest about who he is and the things he has done。 While he is a morally gray character， I like Alwyn because he makes no excuses for himself。 As we see more of Evadine and she embraces status as the Risen Martyr， her actions can be questionable。 The characters are very well developed， even the newly introduced ones also have their own complexity and story arc。 While there are many battles， gore， and torture in this book， it is an essential part of the story。 This is the world that Alwyn lives in and he cannot describe it any other way。 Characters rely on ingenuity and strategy to beat overwhelming odds。 When the story is told in the first-person narrative， it makes sense to see everything and hard choices that Alwyn must make in this book。 His actions are often not the right course of action， and he knows it， but he is tied to Evadine and he protects her at all costs。 What the consequences will be， we do not know yet。 Alwyn’s narrative often speaks directly to the reader， which I found very interesting and it makes truly us feel Alwyn’s experiences and how he sees others。 The Martyr is excellent and is certainly setting up a thrilling continuation of Alwyn Scribe’s life。 I highly recommend this series， and eagerly await the next book。My thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an eBook in exchange for an honest review。My thanks to Orbit Books for approving the ARC 。。。more

Raj ，

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily。It has been a while since I read the first book; I couldn't remember much of book 1。 Luckily there is a handy refresher at the start of the book。Our hero， Alywn， awakens just after the end of book one。 The story continues without a break， though I can't say the same for Alywns injuries。 Fighting a Knight has changed Alywn; pain from the battle haunts his journeys。 In some ways， Alywn is a darker anti-hero than befo I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily。It has been a while since I read the first book; I couldn't remember much of book 1。 Luckily there is a handy refresher at the start of the book。Our hero， Alywn， awakens just after the end of book one。 The story continues without a break， though I can't say the same for Alywns injuries。 Fighting a Knight has changed Alywn; pain from the battle haunts his journeys。 In some ways， Alywn is a darker anti-hero than before。The fallout and consequences of book one determine the path of book 2。 The royal family plot Lady Evadine's destruction。 Covenant company travels to the Duchy of Alundia， ordered on a suicide mission。 The Royals mean to get rid of the company， their deaths justifying a war。 What follows during the first half of the book is siege warfare。 Excellent writing and vivid battles captivated and enchanted me。 I'll stop there to avoid spoilers。Book two is different。 I think many of us love his first books because of the hero's journey。 In the Pariah， we saw Alywns journey。 A child grows from humble origins into a warrior。 There was constant growth。Much like the empire strikes back， Book 2 has a different purpose， growing the world and seeding the story with roots of new plots。 Although I like the book， the first half has little character growth。 It's mainly an extended battle sequence。 Great for me since I enjoy action sequences。 I like the Martyr。 It's as good as book 1， and I'm looking forwards to the final part of the trilogy。 Recommended and worth buying。 。。。more

Ray Curto ，

I was given a free e-copy of Martyr by Anthony Ryan （author）， Orbit （publisher） and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review。 Martyr is the second novel in The Covenant of Steel series。I read and reviewed Pariah， the first novel in The Covenant of Steel series， and rated it five stars。This review will be spoiler free。I would characterize Martyr as epic fantasy story that is light on magic and heavy on religious themes。The world building appears to be of medieval Europe。Magic System – Magic is I was given a free e-copy of Martyr by Anthony Ryan （author）， Orbit （publisher） and Net Galley in exchange for an honest review。 Martyr is the second novel in The Covenant of Steel series。I read and reviewed Pariah， the first novel in The Covenant of Steel series， and rated it five stars。This review will be spoiler free。I would characterize Martyr as epic fantasy story that is light on magic and heavy on religious themes。The world building appears to be of medieval Europe。Magic System – Magic is a result of religious acts and prophecy。 The main character is engaging， interesting， and well-rounded。 He describes himself as a scribe for the significant minor character who is identified as a martyr。 The story is told in first person， and I found it to be very immersive as I read the story。The minor characters that encounter the major character are unique， and each of them do something to add the story and propel the story forward。 Each of the minor characters is interesting and compelling。The story flowed from the beginning to end and maintained a stead pace。 I think the story unfurled organically and I captivated from the start。I really enjoyed Martyr。I am really looking forward to reading the third novel in The Covenant of Steel series。I rate Martyr 5 stars。I would like to thank Mr。 Ryan， Orbit， and Net Galley for the free ARC。 。。。more

John Mccormick ，

My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review。Master at work。Asolute quality entertainment， the writing is everything you have come to expect from this brilliant Author。 Atmospheric clever descriptive imaginative intelligent totally engaging from first to last page。 Terrific action scenes with palpable tension that makes the reader feel part of the plot。 Brilliant characters throughout how does he keep track of t My thanks to the Author publisher's and NetGalley for providing me with a Kindle version of this book to read and honestly review。Master at work。Asolute quality entertainment， the writing is everything you have come to expect from this brilliant Author。 Atmospheric clever descriptive imaginative intelligent totally engaging from first to last page。 Terrific action scenes with palpable tension that makes the reader feel part of the plot。 Brilliant characters throughout how does he keep track of them all。 This is the second book of this superb series， but includes a brief catch up at the start， but would work as a standalone story anyway， and the ending suggests there is more of Alwyn the Scribe to come I for one would certainly hope so， the sooner the better。Completely and totally recommended。 。。。more

LIsa Noell "Rocking the Chutzpah！" ，

My thanks to Orbit books， Anthony Ryan and Netgalley。When I first started this series， I absolutely hated it！ I'm not sure if I've reflected that in my first review， but？ There it is！ The hate didn't last long。I loved the first book！ This second book？Yeah， I loved it too！There is no middle book syndrome here。 Matter of fact， it was just as good as the first。I have no idea where Alwyn goes from here， but I'm so ready for it。 My thanks to Orbit books， Anthony Ryan and Netgalley。When I first started this series， I absolutely hated it！ I'm not sure if I've reflected that in my first review， but？ There it is！ The hate didn't last long。I loved the first book！ This second book？Yeah， I loved it too！There is no middle book syndrome here。 Matter of fact， it was just as good as the first。I have no idea where Alwyn goes from here， but I'm so ready for it。 。。。more

Jasmine ，

The Martyr by Anthony Ryan， Book Two of The Covenant of Steel， picks up where Book One ended。 Alwyn Scribe is still at Lady Evadine’s side as protector and adviser。 Aside from her cult-like following， most， including the Crown， believe Lady Evadine and her prophetical visions of the coming of the Second Scourge to be a fraud。 So， in a bid to get rid of her， King Tomas sends Lady Evadine and her company on what he believes is a hopeless mission of putting down a rebellion in the Duchy of Alundia。 The Martyr by Anthony Ryan， Book Two of The Covenant of Steel， picks up where Book One ended。 Alwyn Scribe is still at Lady Evadine’s side as protector and adviser。 Aside from her cult-like following， most， including the Crown， believe Lady Evadine and her prophetical visions of the coming of the Second Scourge to be a fraud。 So， in a bid to get rid of her， King Tomas sends Lady Evadine and her company on what he believes is a hopeless mission of putting down a rebellion in the Duchy of Alundia。 As war threatens to erupt， Alwyn will have to harness his skills as a soldier and， once again， don his outlaw hat。 There’s a handy summary of the events from the first book， plus a character list to help refresh the reader’s memory。 This second instalment solely follows Alwyn’s perspective。 I enjoyed the second half much more than the first。Anthony Ryan excels at crafting fully fleshed characters， whether they are likeable or villainous， or somewhere in between。 I missed one particular character from the first book， but maybe she’ll make a reappearance in the final instalment。 Besides Alwyn， Lilat might be my second favourite character。 Evadine is not a likeable character per se， but it is intriguing to read how different people react to her。 Although this is a fantasy series， magic does not really take centre stage。 In the first book， there was a mere glimpse of magic， but it begins to play a slightly larger part in this second book。 I am very curious to know what the next book has in store for these characters。 I’d recommend this series if you enjoy complex historical fantasy full of gritty battle scenes and religious and political maneuverings。 Thank you to Orbit Books for providing me with a copy to review。 https://booksandwheels。com 。。。more

Mark Redman ，

Martyr by Anthony Ryan The Martyr is the second book in Anthony Ryan’s brilliant Covenant of Steel series。 It is told in the first person， which gives an immersive reading experience。 The story is narrated by Alwyn Scribe as he rises up from an outlaw in book one The Pariah。 In Martyr， Alwyn is now a spymaster and the sworn protector of Lady Evadine Courlain。 Lady Evadine， whose visions of a demonic apocalypse have earned her the fanatical devotion of the faithful。 Yet times have changed and Eva Martyr by Anthony Ryan The Martyr is the second book in Anthony Ryan’s brilliant Covenant of Steel series。 It is told in the first person， which gives an immersive reading experience。 The story is narrated by Alwyn Scribe as he rises up from an outlaw in book one The Pariah。 In Martyr， Alwyn is now a spymaster and the sworn protector of Lady Evadine Courlain。 Lady Evadine， whose visions of a demonic apocalypse have earned her the fanatical devotion of the faithful。 Yet times have changed and Evadine's growing fame puts her at odds with both Crown and Covenant。 Alwyn is sent to Alundia to put down a rebellion， Alwyn relies on his old outlaw instincts to fight for his cause。 In a world where religion and politics are constantly at war with each other。 The story is riveting and flows from start to finish， maintaining a steady pace。 The writing is well balanced and exciting， and the characters emerge in all their complexity。 The narrative is wholly absorbing and although this is a long novel， it is so immersive the pages just fly by！ The world-building is fantastic and what you would expect from Ryan based on his previous fantasy stories。 Alwyn's flaws are many and Ryan doesn't shy away from exposing us to his flaws， yet for all Alwyn's moral shades of grey， he is such a likeable character。 There is also a huge cast of secondary characters that are engaging and help to move the story along。 The Martyr is dark， brutal， entertaining， and a fantastic reading experience。 The set-up for the final book is going to be explosive， I can't wait！ I would like to thank both NetGalley and Orbit Books for providing me with a free e-book for an honest review。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more

Dawn ，

Did you read my review of "The Pariah"？ Take everything I said there， and triple it！ Lordy gosh， but I loved "The Martyr"！！ There is a huge， major， massive twist that I truly couldn't have imagined。。。 and it's sent this series in a direction that is absolutely brilliant。 The plot， characters， writing are all superb （of course！）。 I desperately need more Alwyn， more Albermaine， and more of Anthony Ryan's writing！My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily Did you read my review of "The Pariah"？ Take everything I said there， and triple it！ Lordy gosh， but I loved "The Martyr"！！ There is a huge， major， massive twist that I truly couldn't have imagined。。。 and it's sent this series in a direction that is absolutely brilliant。 The plot， characters， writing are all superb （of course！）。 I desperately need more Alwyn， more Albermaine， and more of Anthony Ryan's writing！My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley。 This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own， unbiased， opinion。 。。。more

Connie ，

Aww man that was so good。。。。The second instalment in the Covenant of Steel series， where Alwyn Scribe continues to narrate his story。 I found this a very satisfying read and Alwyn is a great character， the story flows well， and there's a couple twists that you don't see coming。Essential reading for fans of Historical fantasy - this will be going on my recommends shelf。 Fabulous！Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC。 Aww man that was so good。。。。The second instalment in the Covenant of Steel series， where Alwyn Scribe continues to narrate his story。 I found this a very satisfying read and Alwyn is a great character， the story flows well， and there's a couple twists that you don't see coming。Essential reading for fans of Historical fantasy - this will be going on my recommends shelf。 Fabulous！Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC。 。。。more

Brendan Morphett ，

Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the advanced digital review copy of this bookA fantastic tale that takes the intrigue and action of the Pariah and multiplies it to great effect。 The first 200 pages involves a lot of battles and goes into great detail about siege warfare before an interlude of about 100 pages where we begin to learn answers to some big questions about Alwyn scribe。 The final section again involves lots of action and sets us up for the next book in the series with an en Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the advanced digital review copy of this bookA fantastic tale that takes the intrigue and action of the Pariah and multiplies it to great effect。 The first 200 pages involves a lot of battles and goes into great detail about siege warfare before an interlude of about 100 pages where we begin to learn answers to some big questions about Alwyn scribe。 The final section again involves lots of action and sets us up for the next book in the series with an ending that shocks you。 。。。more

Pile By the Bed ，

Anthony Ryan delivers another bloody， engaging volume in the second book of his Covenant of Steel series in The Martyr。 It has been a couple of years since The Pariah so Ryan gives not only a character list but a short precis of the preceding book （although from a point of view not particularly enamoured of its protagonist）。 And after a short reintroduction to the characters he is right back into the intense medieval fantasy action。Alwyn Scribe， narrator and key figure in the narrative he is wri Anthony Ryan delivers another bloody， engaging volume in the second book of his Covenant of Steel series in The Martyr。 It has been a couple of years since The Pariah so Ryan gives not only a character list but a short precis of the preceding book （although from a point of view not particularly enamoured of its protagonist）。 And after a short reintroduction to the characters he is right back into the intense medieval fantasy action。Alwyn Scribe， narrator and key figure in the narrative he is writing， is now one of the key advisors to the Risen Martyr Evadine。 Only he and one other know that Evadine was not spared by the grace of the gods （known as the Seraphile） but due to Alwyn’s intervention and the intervention of a foreign magic user， the mysterious Sack Witch。 Evadine is now on a mission but does not have a large enough power base so makes a deal with the king to go to a neighbouring vassal state and deal with those who have broken away from the Covenant。 While this is supposed to be a trap that is likely to see her killed， Alwyn once again uses his guile to fashion Evadine a victory。 The narrative follows not only Evadine’s rise， but also Alwyn’s on her coat tails although along the way he learns more about the mysteries surrounding both Evadine and himself， knowledge that just gives rise to more questions。The Martyr is a perfect second book。 While The Pariah was a coming of age story， The Martyr sees Alwyn fully in control of his powers and influence。 He is much less a pawn of fate （for the most part， a middle section throws him back into this role） and knows when he is doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and does them anyway。 Ryan answers some questions but actually spends most of his time setting up bigger questions about the world in which Alwyn lives and the mystical world to which it seems to be connected。 It does this while also delivering the things that make this series so strong – a post-Game of Thrones bloody， muddy and often desperate view of medieval politics， conflict and warfare。The Covenant of Steel series is perfect for fans of horse and sword filled medieval fantasy with a touch of magic。 Ryan has shown not only in this series but in his steampunk dragon-filled Draconis Memoria series and others his ability to deliver engaging and page turning fantasy narratives full of grey characters and plenty of cliffhangers。 And The Martyr is no exception with a propulsive set up and last sentence cliffhanger setting things up for the third and final volume of this series where there is plenty to be resolved。 。。。more

Chris ，

i received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review。This was a great read。 There are twists and turns aplenty， with enough curveballs to keep you from guessing the destination。 The characters are well rounded， but no-one is perfect in this world， and there are enough moral ambiguities to keep things interesting。 a good continuation of the story and plenty more to reveal。

Amy ，

3。75 rounded up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group/Orbit and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book。Wow， can I just say anyone who read the first book and thought it wasn’t worth continuing-please do！ This book is 100% better。The prose is more coherent， the characters more engaging and the story better paced。 It was almost like reading a book from a different author。In this instalment we delve more into the mythology of the world， and we start to get some answers about who， how， w 3。75 rounded up ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Thank you so much to Little Brown Book Group/Orbit and NetGalley for an e-arc of this book。Wow， can I just say anyone who read the first book and thought it wasn’t worth continuing-please do！ This book is 100% better。The prose is more coherent， the characters more engaging and the story better paced。 It was almost like reading a book from a different author。In this instalment we delve more into the mythology of the world， and we start to get some answers about who， how， when，what and why。 Alwyn is eminently more engaging as a narrator。I will say for me， I still have some issues with the prose。 I often find a scene has changed but with no indication it has changed for a page which can be quite confusing and takes me out of the world as I have to go back and re-read to figure out what has happened。 But as I say this book is a massive improvement on book one in this regard。Looking forward to book three！ 。。。more

Donna ，

Book Review - The Martyr by Anthony Ryan⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I only recently read The Pariah and LOVED it so was really excited to get this arc - I had high expectations and it did not disappoint。 We continue directly where book one finished， with Alwyn Scribe continuing to impart his tale on us， his 'dear readers'。 There are battles galore， which as we know from Pariah， Ryan does exceptionally well， but my favourite parts were actually the intervals - the mundane， everyday conversations， Alwyn's sword pra Book Review - The Martyr by Anthony Ryan⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️I only recently read The Pariah and LOVED it so was really excited to get this arc - I had high expectations and it did not disappoint。 We continue directly where book one finished， with Alwyn Scribe continuing to impart his tale on us， his 'dear readers'。 There are battles galore， which as we know from Pariah， Ryan does exceptionally well， but my favourite parts were actually the intervals - the mundane， everyday conversations， Alwyn's sword practice， his reflections on decisions he made。 The character development of Alwyn is outstanding; he is as flawed as anyone and with the benefit of hindsight， he can see that。 We're also introduced to some new side characters as well - The Widow and Lilet are fantastic new additions who I hope to see more of in the next book。 The world building and lore are further built upon in Martyr， and I loved learning more about the Caerith。 Aside from all the above， The Pariah and The Martyr really do a deep dive into the impact of religious fanaticism - belief in one's self， belief in others - and both the personal and wide reaching consequences it can havoc。 Damn - the ending though - the last four words changes everything and I cannot wait for the next instalment！！ Anthony Ryan is quick becoming one of my favourite authors。 。。。more

Sarah ，

Another well told tale， picking up Alwyn's story right where it left off in The Pariah， but it's just a bit pale in comparison to the first。。 The first half of the book is like a guide to siege warfare， first as defenders and then as attackers。 In neither scenario did anything feel dire， from the lofty perspective of confidant and advisor to the Anointed Lady， Evadine， though plenty of death was had by the foot soldiers。 I would have said that the religious crusade aspect felt unbelievable， with Another well told tale， picking up Alwyn's story right where it left off in The Pariah， but it's just a bit pale in comparison to the first。。 The first half of the book is like a guide to siege warfare， first as defenders and then as attackers。 In neither scenario did anything feel dire， from the lofty perspective of confidant and advisor to the Anointed Lady， Evadine， though plenty of death was had by the foot soldiers。 I would have said that the religious crusade aspect felt unbelievable， with tens of thousands of poor peasants abandoning their homes and farms to join Evadine's army， even having no skills or weapons。 But then I recall the US 2016 presidential election， and am reminded that I fully fail to comprehend the psychology of at least 50% of people。 After the sieges， Alwyn and the story fall off a cliff， into a land populated with a tribal people descending from a more advanced civilization， who have magic。 Alwyn convalesces， learns the language， befriends a hunter， and ups his sword fighting to mastery level with instruction from one of the primary foes from the sieges。 This seems like a peaceful interlude， and eventually leads to uncovering a bit more of the mystery of the sack witch's book that tells the tale of Alwyn's life。。 Finally， back to Evadine， who seems increasingly power hungry， and the full out civil war they were trying to avoid all along。 The expert storytelling carries the book， and I did find it engaging， if not quite as emotionally compelling as the first， which was more about the prevailing of an unlikely but likable underdog。 I'll be watching for the third， I'm interested to see where this goes。 。。。more

Brandon ，

Anthony Ryan consistently delivers a fantastic story， and this is no exception。The Martyr begins to fill in some of the promise of a larger story line that we saw glimpses of in The Pariah。 The stakes are continuously getting raised as the series moves along and with the hints of the future that Alwyn is receiving combined with the hints delivered through his narrative style I can not wait for the big pay off at the end of the series。 Alwyn is just a fun character。 Morally gray at best， regularl Anthony Ryan consistently delivers a fantastic story， and this is no exception。The Martyr begins to fill in some of the promise of a larger story line that we saw glimpses of in The Pariah。 The stakes are continuously getting raised as the series moves along and with the hints of the future that Alwyn is receiving combined with the hints delivered through his narrative style I can not wait for the big pay off at the end of the series。 Alwyn is just a fun character。 Morally gray at best， regularly does "the right thing" because it's the right thing but at the same time does not hesitate to cross the line。 Watching all of this develop as his own concept of who he is， as related by his future self， has been enjoyable so far。The world isn't super fleshed out， but I believe this is because the story is a pure narrative so we only get what our character sees/knows。 The characters aren't necessarily relatable， but they are captivating。 The story fits in around the world and characters to leave you satisfied but wanting more。Overall this falls into a category of books I will certainly recommend to friends and eagerly anticipate future installments in the series。 。。。more

Vader ，

5 star - Perfect4 star - i would recommend3 star - good2 star - struggled to complete1 star - could not complete it。

Ralph Blackburn ，

The Martyr by Anthony Ryan- Following events in The Pariah， Comes the second installment in Anthony Ryan's Covenant of Steel series。 I've read the first book（Excellent！） and the Seven Swords books recently（Also Great！） and was looking forward to this release。 I wasn't disappointed！ Lots of action， intrigue and twists make this a welcome addition to any fantasy library。 Thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC！ The Martyr by Anthony Ryan- Following events in The Pariah， Comes the second installment in Anthony Ryan's Covenant of Steel series。 I've read the first book（Excellent！） and the Seven Swords books recently（Also Great！） and was looking forward to this release。 I wasn't disappointed！ Lots of action， intrigue and twists make this a welcome addition to any fantasy library。 Thanks to Orbit Books and NetGalley for the ARC！ 。。。more

S。 Bavey ，

I would like to thank NetGalley and Orbit Books for granting me access to a digital advance review copy of The Martyr by Anthony Ryan。 My review is honest and my opinions are my own。A continuation from the point we left off with The Pariah， this sequel is once more told by Alwyn Scribe now among the trusted advisors of the Risen Martyr， as the Anointed Lady Evadine Couravel is now known。 The followers are heading to war and most of this book is set during the battles and sieges that constitute t I would like to thank NetGalley and Orbit Books for granting me access to a digital advance review copy of The Martyr by Anthony Ryan。 My review is honest and my opinions are my own。A continuation from the point we left off with The Pariah， this sequel is once more told by Alwyn Scribe now among the trusted advisors of the Risen Martyr， as the Anointed Lady Evadine Couravel is now known。 The followers are heading to war and most of this book is set during the battles and sieges that constitute the war。“We live for the Lady！ We fight for the Lady！ We die for the Lady！”Alwyn loyally follows her， gradually rising through the ranks as his loyalty is rewarded。 He keeps to himself the secret of her having being brought back to life in the first book by the Caerith Sack Witch。 It wasn’t a miracle after all and his dreams are now haunted by the vile Erchel:“Erchel’s eyes slid towards me， a knowing smile playing over his lips。 “The chainsman was not the only one cursed to hear the voices of the dead。” Seeing the fearful bafflement on my face， his smile blossomed to a laugh。 “Do you really think you’re merely dreaming me， Alwyn？””The Martyr is an epic tale set in a many layered medieval world of religion and politics with multiple weird and wonderful characters - some of whom are truly horrible。 There is plenty of bloodthirsty action and the level of detail during the siege shows just how much research has gone into this series。 Anthony Ryan is a wonderful storyteller and his narrator， Alwyn Scribe keeps the narrative flowing masterfully。 There is barely any magic in this series， it being an attribute of the mysterious Caerith people alone。 I would have liked less war and more of the Caerith and in particular the mysterious Sack Witch， so called for the sack she wears over her head。 My favourite part of the book was Alwyn’s time amongst the Caerith and his friendship with Lilat the huntress， who went some way to replace Toria from The Pariah - but Toria’s attitude and feistiness were still sorely missed。 The Martyr is a worthy sequel to The Pariah and I recommend it for anyone who enjoyed that first book in the Covenant of Steel series。 。。。more

Mark ，

What a read， spectacular from the first page till the last。 Highly recommended to all my good read friends who read fantasy。

Dima ，

First of all， I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of the novel in return for an honest review。 This the continuation of the story of Master Scribe， a former outlaw and now soldier in the Martyr's army， the Martyr， a mentally unstable heroine with complex motivations， and a medieval world at war with itself and its religious status quo。 We discover （a bit） more about the Caerith and the magic that still exists in the world， we learn more about the First of all， I would like to thank the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with an early copy of the novel in return for an honest review。 This the continuation of the story of Master Scribe， a former outlaw and now soldier in the Martyr's army， the Martyr， a mentally unstable heroine with complex motivations， and a medieval world at war with itself and its religious status quo。 We discover （a bit） more about the Caerith and the magic that still exists in the world， we learn more about the relationship between our two protagonists， and we get even further mired in the moral ambiguity of their actions。It's a terrific sequel， perhaps even outdoing the first。 Its pacing is riveting， the writing is well balanced and exciting， and the characters emerge in all their complexity。 This latter bit is what I loved most。 In some ways， this exploration of ends and means， morality， role of religion， what is worth fighting and dying for， nature of truth， the terror stemming from devotion， is what I loved most。 The author does this via a nuanced narrative， where the ambiguity in characters actions doesn't just avoid diminishing their credibility， but rather reinforces their humanity。 In this world intentions are not lofty， and when they are - they lead to havoc and death。 There are no heroes， but rather， as Alwyn says at some point， just people that react to each situation as it comes， sometimes with fear and sometimes with courage。 This exploration is what also makes this sequel stand out vs the first novel in the series。 This is what makes it interesting and fun， and adds to it alure and differentiation in the broader scene of modern grimdark fantasy fiction。 。。。more

Sarah Rice gallego ，

This is the second novel in The Covenant of Steel series from Ryan and like the first， it's a wonderful and compelling piece of storytelling。Alwyn Scribe continues to narrate his tale as he rises up from an outlaw， in a world where religion and politics are constantly at war with each other。 The narrative is completely absorbing and although this is a long novel， it certainly doesn't feel like it！ The worldbuilding is fantastic， you genuinely feel as though you are there along with Alwyn as he s This is the second novel in The Covenant of Steel series from Ryan and like the first， it's a wonderful and compelling piece of storytelling。Alwyn Scribe continues to narrate his tale as he rises up from an outlaw， in a world where religion and politics are constantly at war with each other。 The narrative is completely absorbing and although this is a long novel， it certainly doesn't feel like it！ The worldbuilding is fantastic， you genuinely feel as though you are there along with Alwyn as he schemes to bring about the better world he so hopes to see。 His flaws are many， yet he's such a likable character。 Scribe is joined by a huge cast of engaging and disturbing characters。I really enjoyed this novel and look forward to continuing the journey with Alwyn。Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for an ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more

Jennifer ，

I liked The Pariah when I read it last year and The Martyr was just as enjoyable。 Ryan continues the story he started and builds on it， so it becomes a multi-layered and very interesting book。I continue to like Alwyn as the main POV character and it’s great to see him develop more throughout the novel。 I like his interactions with the other characters and his narration is always entertaining。One of the things Ryan does very well is seamlessly weave the politics and religion of the world into the I liked The Pariah when I read it last year and The Martyr was just as enjoyable。 Ryan continues the story he started and builds on it， so it becomes a multi-layered and very interesting book。I continue to like Alwyn as the main POV character and it’s great to see him develop more throughout the novel。 I like his interactions with the other characters and his narration is always entertaining。One of the things Ryan does very well is seamlessly weave the politics and religion of the world into the narrative。 Sometimes， this can bring a book down and make it a lot less enjoyable to read but Ryan not only makes it readable， he makes it interesting。 The world created in this series is fascinating and the dominance of religion just adds to that。The Martyr was a very enjoyable read。 Ryan is very good at writing entertaining and sympathetic characters even when they’re not doing particularly likeable things and I love the world he has created。 The book just sucks you in and you don’t want to put it down until you have found out what has happened。 It’s dark， brutal and funny like The Pariah。 It was a very entertaining novel which furthers the story of Alwyn and makes you want to know what happens next。 。。。more

Howard ，

what a great start to another 5 star series （Raven's Shadow series） by Anthony Ryan， i can't wait for The Martyr book 2。 what a great start to another 5 star series （Raven's Shadow series） by Anthony Ryan， i can't wait for The Martyr book 2。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=The Martyr

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=The Martyr&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,The Martyr&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0