A Time of Dread - By John Gwynne

 Overview of A Time of Dread - By John Gwynne

"A Time of Dread" is 2018 publication and is the first book in John Gwynne's series ",Of Blood and Bone." Taking place in the fabled the realm of the "Banished Lands," 120 years after the events of the final book of The Faithful and The Fallen quartet, or "The Day of Wrath" in canonical terminology. This book is best enjoyed having already read The Faithful and The Fallen series, with subtle and not-so subtle nods throughout the book paying homage to certain events and characters we first met in "Malice," through to "Wrath." This novel does contain indirect spoilers about the previous series, but it can be read as a standalone text.  Much like the earlier work of John Gwynne, this book utilises short and quick chapters, through the perspectives of the characters in the world. In AToD, Gwynne reduces the number of POV characters down to just four; Riv, Bleda, Sig and Drem. We are first introduced to Bleda, a Sirak prince in Arcona, gawking at the waging battle between his people and the Cheren, their ancestral enemies. The battle is prematurely ended upon the intercession of the pious "White Wings" and their commanders, the angelic "Ben-Elim", a race of winged creatures that rule over "The Land of The Faithful", or what was once a large mass of the Banished Lands. The battle ends with both Sirak and Cheren laying down their arms, but not before Bleda's brother and sister are killed and he is taken as a ward, as an assurance of his people's peace. The story progresses five years, where upon we meet Drem and his father, animal trappers in the north of the realm, outside of the jurisdiction of the Ben-Elim, in the harsh environment of "The Desolation." After digging a hole, Drem and his father are attacked by a large bear, causing them to flee. After surviving the ordeal, they travel back to the hole, hoping to find their belongings. In the pit, Drem inadvertently unearths a piece of starstone metal, a mystical metal said to be the remnants of "Elyon's" wrath. They travel back to their homestead, unsure what to do next. Another new character we meet is Riv, a "White Wing" in training, in Drassil, the fort built by giants millennia before, now base to the Ben-Elim and their mortal cohorts. The final POV character is Sig, a giantess, whom appears in "Wrath" and fights for the "Order of The Bright Star," an organisation started by Corban and his friends over a century previous, after defeating Caldius and encapsulating Asroth in starstone metal. The story is slow before reaching a a sudden crescendo, with warring factions on the side of good, and growing power on the side of evil. An overarching theme that can be said for all the new characters introduced is the idea of change and challenging established thoughts. Drem learns more about his father and his true lineage, Riv's faith in the Ben-Elim begins to falter as she sees they are not the infallible creatures they proport to be, Bleda finds companionship in the heart of his enemy and Sig reunites with people she'd believed dead.

The cover of A Time of Dread by John Gwynne

Plot of A Time of Dread, from Of Blood and Bone series

Review of A Time of Dread 

Positives

• The book, much like its predecessor, is able to articulate and describe action sequences in a way that is specific to John Gwynne's writing. His own real world experience in re-enactment is plain to see, with combat in the books easy to visualise from the page
• The reduced number of POV characters makes the story feel more concise, helping Gwynne to focus upon character development and description of the few main characters on the page
• It's very difficult for an author to show that we are still in the same world, with recognisable elements, but that things have clearly changed and evolved in the realm to the point it feels that over a century has passed. However, Gywnne does this expertly, with the reader getting the sense of muddled nostalgia, if they had read the previous series
• The novel brings forward an interesting question of peace over freedom. The Ben-Elim are the arbitrators of the people and the land, with a forceful truce at the threat of death being implemented, creating deserters, seeking life away from Ben-Elim jurisdiction
• This series in much more akin to the grimdark genre, as opposed to classic fantasy, with no grand prophecy in place. You get a real dystopian sense in the realm, with main characters, again, being killed off in the first book of this series, leaving you unsure who will survive throughout

Negatives

• Although the book can be enjoyed as a separate entity from The Faithful and The Fallen, it really adds a level of gratification if you have read the original series. Too many call backs, homages and nostalgia-based arcs are in the book, making emotional connections for returning readers, but writing that may be insignificant to people who are picking up this book alone
• The pacing in the book is unusual, possibly because it is part of a trilogy, rather than a quartet, like TFaTF. The first two thirds of the novel are slow paced, setting the groundwork for the rest of the series, then the final third of it is fast paced, reaching a bloody crescendo at the end

Overall

Overall the book is a fantastic read for someone returning to the series, with the reader getting a real sense of continuance from the prior events in the Banished Lands, but that things are drastically changed. The story introduces elements not seen in TFaTF, where the Ben-Elim are this separate, mystical species. The Ben-Elim in this story first appear to be closer to their God in both teachings and discipline, however, as the fiction progresses you see that for a proportion of the angel-like creatures, their own law is nothing more than trite platitudes that are there to keep the humans, under their rule, servile and subservient, whilst they indulge in hypocritical pleasures of the flesh. The main issue I can see with the novel is that for new readers, they do not get the same experience as returning readers, creating a disparity in enjoyment and involvement. Having said that, the overall work is immensely enjoyable, and is a must read for any fan of grimdark. The follow up to this book is the 2019 novel, "A Time of Blood," which takes place directly after the events of "A Time of Dread." 

 

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Review of "A Time of Dread"

Link to "The Final Empire" Review