Violence in fantasy can often feel a bit senseless and white-washed, but Gwynne uses it well as a device for action and character development. Their house in the Desolation, in Kergard, has been their home for longer than any other place, but unfortunately that doesn’t remain true. The first thing to know is that this is a spin-off series of John Gwynne’s “The Faithful and the Fallen” series and therefore takes place in the same world. The plot twists and turns in unpredictable ways, and yet each time it pulled me along, never once making me want to put the book down. He has had such a big impact of the stories, character, and world I want to read that I feel very few authors can even come close.

I feel like Riv’s story was told so well, and I was able to get a really clear idea of her life from the beginning until where we are now and that just wasn’t the case for Drem – ultimately because Drem didn’t really know that much about his own history so we were learning with him. Excited was not the word; Wrath ended perfectly, and whilst I knew I would miss the characters I’d come to know and love, I also knew that to spend too much time with them after such an epic conclusion would put the relationship at risk of growing stale. A Time of Dread contains amazing action scenes, shocking betrayals, intense battles, and a huge death count. I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, excellent world building, great characters and excellent storytelling.Time changes everything, and it was very interesting to hear different views on how events from tFatF are believed to or said to have unfolded. A Time of Dread reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place' – Robin Hobb, author of Assassin's Apprentice. A Time of Dread reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place' – Robin Hobb, author of Assassin's Apprentice . Great plot, thrilling actions, and good prose are all almost pointless if I can’t bring myself to care about the fate of the characters in the book.

Do know however that it’s not only the new characters that stole the spotlight in the book; some characters from Gwynne’s previous series do make an appearance here. However, the four characters in A Time of Dread are each compelling in their own way, and the transitions between one POV to another is fluid and well-timed. A Time Of Dread brings together all of the promise in John Gwynne's debut, Malice, and delivers a truly excellent read!

With likeable characters, it hits so much harder should bad things happen to them but unfortunately, they do.