This enchanting story of sacrifice and forbidden love completely blew me away. With little over a month until its release, I'm already craving a sequel. I just had the privilege to read this extraordinary book. The Shattered Lands by Brenna Nation has been a book I have been patiently waiting for since I first saw her tiktok several several months ago. I can say with absolute certainty that this book is 5/5 stars. I loved her friendships with Evers and Kaian. They balanced out each other and helped the MC with some of her impulsivity.

Hanuvar, last and greatest general of Volanus, still lives. He now travels the length of the Dervan Empire that conquered his homeland, driven by a singular purpose—to find what remains of his people who were carried into slavery across the empire, and free them from subjugation by any means necessary. Variations of "like a child" to describe how Sapphire feels she's reacting to something came up at least 14 times. Sometimes it was used twice in a chapter. I get that maybe it's meant to show that she's barely not a child but the author could've done that in a way that shows us such. Lots of describing of what voices sound like. In the first 2 chapters there are at least 10 examples of that. Even as the Two Nation theory leads to the formation of Pakistan as the homeland of all Muslims across the subcontinent, will Bengalis get justice in East Pakistan? Will they be able to live in solidarity with fellow Muslims? Or will they just be replacing one colonial master with another? What identity do the people seek ... one based on land, faith, or language? The drought of 1934 experienced by the British crown colony of Ceylon went from bad to worse as the drought was followed by floods in October and an outbreak of malaria. A severe shortage of rice further aggravated the situation, with the population now facing widespread malnutrition. The tone-deaf collection of funds for British war veterans by colonial authorities may not go down well.A few minor criticisms. The discussion about who is the narrator of the book and who is writing the notes in the margins and who is writing the afterward is a little confusing. Jones should have limited it to 1 writer, or perhaps 2 at the most, but certainly not 3. (But this was a minor issue). Also some of the stories in the book are weaker than others, and there are 1 or 2 I think could have been removed, but the overall experience is still fantastic! As I mentioned before, Howard has a distinctive writing style that feels more modern than classic examples of Sword & Sorcery. It is brisk and trim. I have heard it described as YA adjacent in conversation, which I don't necessarily think is a bad thing. It is worth noting that I believe this particular style, alongside Hanuvar's personality, makes his novel feel more PG-13 than almost any other S&S fair. There is definitely violence within the narrative, but it is not as graphic or detailed as one might encounter in other fiction. It is also light on the horror element that thrives within the link between Conan and Cthulhu. The tales of Hanuvar feel more like reading an authors interpretation of a Greek myth than the adventures of a barbarian thief, pirate, or king. Again, that is not to say there isn't a multitude of weird monsters and interesting creatures, or that magic doesn't have its consequences. That is all true. But you won't find as much of the mind-blasting bizarre that exists throughout the genre. As a caveat, I will readily admit these things might be colored by my own reading history, so mileage may vary. ll start with grammar and wording then move on to problematic content (racism & kink content) and likenesses to existing works.✖️ Additionally, the stories have a variety of flavors to them. Some are straight sword and sorcery, some feel more like contemporary court drama, one of them felt like a classic whodunit with a magical twist, and one story even felt like what if Jeeves and Wooster took place in ancient Rome. This really reinforces that feeling of watching a classic episodic TV show. You never know quite what you're in for. History, real or feigned’ was Tolkien’s recipe for a good story. Howard Jones’ new novel has deep roots in history, real and imaginary. It’s a heroic fantasy set in a deeply imagined, fantastical world, but its hero has a strong resemblance to Hannibal, especially in his tragic post-war years. The book is a riveting portrait of a hero trying to keep his civilization alive in the wake of a devastating military defeat; it’s a series of ripping yarns that collectively add up to a greater story with a deeper impact than any of its parts; it’s another triumph for Howard Andrew Jones, premier wielder of the new edge in sword-and-sorcery.”— James Enge, World Fantasy Award nominated author of Blood of Ambrose

On her eighteenth birthday Sapphire is transported to a different world where they tell her that she is the lost princess, who disappeared eighteen years prior. Sapphire is thrown right into the kingdom that seems to be full of secrets that nobody is talking about. While trying to discover more about the kingdom that she will one day inherit, Sapphire keeps running into the alluringly beautiful but dangerous witch Ashes. Sapphire and Ashes are at the centre of a history of secrets, political intrigue and a teetering power balance between the dark witches and elementals. Grammar aside, the characters were basic, there wasn’t a lot of depth to their personalities nor their actions in the book. The world building … might have gone a long way if it was taken into consideration. And the plot of the book – wasn’t anything new. It’s been done before. A VAST EMPIRE'S GREATEST FOE. A CONQUERED PEOPLE'S LAST HOPE. HIS NAME IS HANUVAR, AND HE WILL SET HIS PEOPLE FREE! Wowww! This book is everything I want in a YA romantasy. Sorry for the ramblings but I need to squeal. And while what he's written before has been very good, Lord of a Shattered Land is the best book of his that I've read, and the start of what I hope will be a long-running series. (The second book, The City of Marble and Blood is already scheduled for an October release.)Ashes, a young, redheaded Shadow Witch, finds the new princess constantly in her shadows. While being unable to reveal the answers to Sapphire’s questions, she tries to guide the young princess in any way she can. The ultimate question reminds, did she do it for her own gain or does she really have feelings for the long lost princess. A vast empire's greatest foe. A conquered people's last hope. His name is Hanuvar, and he will set his people free! Ugh I reallyyyyyyy wanted to love this... but I just couldn't. The writing was not well finished and felt very repetitive, from the words used to scenes - there were SO many scenes of the main character swimming to the forest. The plot was pretty confusing too - there's almost no buildup to her being transported to the kingdom, and it feels incredibly jarring to read. It all just felt very sloppy and needed some serious finetuning. The Shattered Lands is beautifully written and fast-paced. Ashes is a dangerously seductive character that I look forward to learning more about while Saphire is fiercely determined and strong willed. I adored both characters and the romance that develops between them is alluring and simply magical.

But I think that is about to change. Whether it be but a fleeting moment or lasting impression, only time will tell. As i listen to stuff while driving (and i do a lot of driving) i would not be able to listen to the whole book. Yes i'm still one of those people that like better to actually read a book when available. I recommend the books to people who enjoy sapphic fantasy wlw books that feature witches and royals. This book does a couple of things very well. One, the titular character of Hanuvar is wonderful. He's deeply heroic, earnest, and a nice antidote to modern fiction overladen with anti-heroes. He is not your typical S&S protagonist. He's a bit older, he has no lust for vengeance, and he's very wise. Think king Conan but the temperance of a Marcus Arillius. That description hardly does him justice, but will point you in the right direction.

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Also, the romance. Okay, yeah, I love sapphics, but the romance wasn't worked on. The MC falls for the love interest the second they meet, and the LI doesn't have a personality beyond "mysterious shady sexy witch". I understand there's an important part of the plot that resolves on LI being mysterious, so her character can't be too open or reveals a lot about herself, but the way she was written felt very bland and boring. The banter between the two girls never really hit, I didn't particularly ship them. If you liked Alina's arc in Shadow and Bone and the end of Tangled, this book has lots of elements you'll enjoy. Hanuvar himself is a strikingly good modern day hero, in that whilst he is good at everything he does, brilliant tactician, exceptional general, brilliant warrior etc , he is not in any way big headed about his his skills. The other to like about him is that he is a man of older years beset by the aches and pains of a man of his years.