The Warrior

Quest for Heroes, Book 2

By: Stephen Aryan

Narrated by: Matt Wycliffe

Length: 13 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

The story of Kell Kressia continues in book two of the gripping fantasy duology. Kell, two-time savior of the Five Kingdoms, is now the king of Algany. He has fame, power, respect, and has never been more miserable....

Bound by duty and responsibility, Kell is king only in name. Trapped in a loveless marriage, he leaves affairs of state to his wife, Sigrid. When his old friend Willow turns up asking him to go on a journey to her homeland, he can’t wait to leave.

The Malice, a malevolent poison that alters everything it infects, runs rampant across Willow’s homeland. Desperate to find a cure her cousin, Ravvi, Willow is willing to try a dark ritual that could damn her people forever. Journeying to a distant land, Kell and his companions must stop Ravvi before it’s too late. While Kell is away, Reverend Mother Britak’s plans come to a head. Queen Sigrid must find a way to protect her family and her nation, but against such a ruthless opponent, something has to give....

©2022 Stephen Aryan (P)2022 Angry Robot

The only thing better was book 1.

I Loved it and was very excited to read it to the end, only to realize there wouldn't be a book 3! Great Job 👍🏻

Pretty good

Overall, this was a good and exciting story, but the ending felt rushed and I personally dislike the use of time dilation.

A fantastic sequel

When I finished The Coward, I longed for a follow up novel, but didn't feel that it would be likely since there was no cliffhanger that begged for a sequel. The Warrior was a pleasant surprise with a story that naturally follows and builds off the events of the first novel!

Mixed emotions

Overall, I really enjoyed this sequel, the two storylines were both intriguing. However, I do have to mention that they seemed disjointed when placed together. The series seemed as though it would have been better as a trilogy because each storyline could have been more expanded into its own novel. Kell, the main protagonist from book one, ultimately took a backseat when resolving the main storyline built from the first book. Which was really disappointing, luckily the secondary plot was just as interesting.

Great

Most sequels fail to hit the spot but this one was great. I’d have liked a bit more of a synopsis of the previous book as it has been so long and I forgot everything. I’ve taken off a star for this. Every author should think of that!

SURPRISED

comparing the books is the wrong way to read this you must think of them as separate stories rather than a build up to the end otherwise you'll be disappointed. The ending may feel rushed for the series but it is a perfect ending for just the 2nd book

Great storytelling, but sped up end

I loved the first book for its more dark emotional fantasy and deep characters. This book continues this trend with more characters and just as much depth to each of them. The pacing and story were amazing until about 3/4 of the way through, then stuff started to feel rushed. At one point, I saw 30 minutes left on the audio book and was sure that a third book would be needed to finish the plot just to have everything speed to an end in about 25 min. Overall, I was glad I listened to it despite the ending, and I would still recommend it to anyone who likes dark fantasy.

Disappointment

I've been reluctant to review this book, as I'm sure others have. I've decided to be honest. I was very impressed by "The Coward." I really enjoyed the interaction among the characters. But the characters aren't enjoyable in this book. I'm certain the author can write a much better book than this one, which was a big disappointment.

Disappointed

Story started off very promising, but definitely should have been split into 2 books. The story just felt rushed, the whole second half came across like a detailed plot outline not a completed story