Blood Lust: A Book of Underrealm

Tales of the Wanderer, Book 1

By: Garrett Robinson

Narrated by: Garrett Robinson

Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

An unstoppable warrior. A fatal quest for revenge.

From number one Amazon best seller Garrett Robinson.

In an unknown tavern in the kingdom of Dorsea, a young noble girl named Sun meets an old man: Albern, of the family Telfer, once the dearest friend of Mag.

Mag. The uncut lady. The wanderer. Stories of her skill are known throughout all the nine kingdoms. But few know how her tale ended - and even fewer know how it began.

Albern begins his tale.

Stripped of everything she loved - her town, her home, and her husband - Mag sets off into the Greatrock mountains seeking revenge. Albern accompanies her, his only hope to keep her alive as long as he can.

But the Shades are not the only things lurking in the mountains. An ancient creature of unspeakable evil awaits them - and even the strength of The Wanderer may not be enough.

The fantasy novels of Underrealm have topped the best seller charts again and again and are hailed as one of the best new sword and sorcery series in years.

Take your first step in a new epic adventure. Download it now!

©2018 Garrett Robinson (P)2019 Legacy Books

Snark and Lore

A great addition to the Underrealm novels.

Sun's voice is interesting and works as a grounding for the reader, and it's great to see Albern and Mag again. What really sells it though is the author's voice, the way he breathes life into the characters is lovely. Reading the book was fun, but listening to it was a blessing. Despite knowing what was coming, I still laughed aloud at certain scenes and cringed at others.

Also, there's a really good dog in this story. And some very interesting lore, I'm excited to discover more of the world.

Blood Lust, the way it was meant to be told

Amongst all the books of Underrealm, Blood Lust and the Tales of the Wanderer series are uniquely suited to be consumed in audio format. The bulk of the story is in fact, an oral tale, told by an older Albern Telfer to Sun, a young woman of Dulmun, decades after the War of the Necromancer. In that respect, much of the narration is conversational, and Garrett's talented voice acting brings it to life in a way that mere words never could.

Where this story really shines, is in the characterization of Mag and Albern. I don't think it's hyperbole to say that this is the single most genuine friendship in all of the Underrealm books so far. They really feel like life-long friends, complete with inside jokes, and an easy camaraderie that feels as natural as breathing. As enjoyable as the book as a whole is, Mag and Albern really make the story, and under Garrett's care, both characters are brought to life in an entirely new way. Hearing the shift in Mag's voice when she enters her battle trance is truly a treat, and at times, old Albern's words are tinged with bitterness and regret, truly selling the reality that this tale he spins is no mere story, but rather him sharing an account of his youth, to the best of his ability.

Albern and Mag aside, perhaps my favorite aspect of this book is how Garrett takes the time to comment on story-telling as whole. Through the voices of Albern and Dryleaf, both master story-tellers, Garrett ponders the truth of any tale, the deeper meaning of a story, and much more besides.

While this book can technically be read as a stand-alone novel, it does contain major spoilers for the first three books of the Nightblade Epic, that spawned the birth of Underrealm, and is certainly much more enjoyable with that rich tapestry to fall back on. For those who don't mind spoilers for another series set in the same world, Garrett does an impeccable job of filling in the background details in an organic way. Where there is exposition, it feels natural, and indeed, would feel awkward without it.