Ryan Cahill

I grew up on Tolkien, moved to L.E. Modesitt, recluse of course and from there found G.R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss. Like everyone, I am stuck waiting on G.R.R. and Rothfuss so have to look elsewhere for satisfaction. This is where it gets interesting. I found Ryan Cahill and the world of The Bound and the Broken, and everything is once again right in the world! Mr. Cahill is an extraordinary writer. His characters come alive. I felt like I was living as a character in his novels. I was lucky enough to obtain a ARC of his upcoming short novella, Ice and am so very happy that I did. If you have read Mr. Cahill, this book takes you back to an earlier time when a main character of his novels searched for a Dragon egg. This is a definite read for all who have traveled in The Bound and the Broken to date, but if you have not experienced Mr. Cahill yet, this is a good starting point for the rest of the series. My only regret is that now I have to wait for his next novel, (unless I am lucky enough to score another ARC).… (meer)

What a story. I could not believe that this is just a debut. Twist after twist - Ryan does not let you be bored with this story. I can even say that, at a certain point, I was tired with another plot twist, wishing to get a few pages of rest (for me and those poor characters). But seriously speaking I found this book a great and solid addition to my fantasy library. I cannot imagine that somebody, who loves fantasy stories, should be disappointed with this book. I’m off to the second one immediately!… (meer)

Next chapter in this captivating and amazing story does not disappoint at all. The book delivers everything which you wanted after finishing “Of Blood And Fire” and much, much more.
We continue our journey through Epheria following our beloved characters starting from a deep underground of Dwarves Kingdom, through some lands and countries filled with enemies, adversity but also unexpected meetings and some friends from before finishing on an ocean, sealing into the direction of next adventure. This journey is full of plot twists and some rapid changes which are never boring nor annoying.
What is more, we get to know some new, very interesting, characters and some more history of Epheria is presented to us, explaining some details which are necessary to understand.
I was not bored nor disappointed for a second going through this second instalment of “The Bound And The Broken” series, and not would anyone who liked the first book. I’d love to say “I’m off to the next one” but, unfortunately, there are still some months to wait (as of April 2022).… (meer)

I have only heard great things about the author’s debut novel and this prequel novella and while they don’t feel like the exact kind of books I enjoy, I still felt compelled to give this one a try first. And I’m glad my attempt wasn’t in vain.

Sitting at less than 100 pages, this novella is pretty small but it’s very surprising how much of the story the author is able to tell in such few pages, without losing the essence of this series - which is very traditional epic fantasy with dragons and Mages. I’m not someone who gravitate towards these books despite loving fantasy with all my heart, mostly because I prefer more emotionally engaging fantasies written by women and/or queer authors. However, I found this very action packed right from page one style of storytelling a bit refreshing, because I haven’t read something like this for a long while now. The action, the tension, the sense of loss and despair and betrayal - none of these let up right from the beginning of the story, just making us feel one thing after another, letting us sink into this very gritty world on the day it’s whole foundation crumbles - it’s the end of an era and the beginning of a new empire, but we are left to wonder who is on the right and was it all worth it.

I throughly enjoyed this short tale giving us the devastating truth behind the origins of this world, and I can’t wait to see what the author has in store for us in the first book of the series, which is set a few centuries later. I’m definitely excited for more action and ofcourse, dragons.… (meer)