The Shadow Saint

The Black Iron Legacy, Book 2

By: Gareth Hanrahan

Narrated by: John Banks

Length: 19 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's Summary

Thieves, dangerous magic, and a weapon built with the power to destroy a god clash in this second novel of Gareth Hanrahan's acclaimed epic fantasy series, The Black Iron Legacy. 

"This is genre-defying fantasy at its very best.... Insanely inventive and deeply twisted." (Michael R. Fletcher)

Enter a city of spires and shadows.... The Gutter Miracle changed the landscape of Guerdon forever. Six months after it was conjured into being, the labyrinthine New City has become a haven for criminals and refugees. Rumors have spread of a devastating new weapon buried beneath the streets - a weapon with the power to destroy a god. As Guerdon strives to remain neutral, two of the most powerful factions in the godswar send agents into the city to find it. As tensions escalate and armies gather at the borders, how long will Guerdon be able to keep its enemies at bay?

"A groundbreaking and extraordinary novel.... Hanrahan has an astonishing imagination." (Peter McLean)

The Shadow Saint continues the gripping tale of dark gods and dangerous magic that began with Hanrahan's acclaimed debut The Gutter Prayer.

©2020 Gareth Hanrahan (P)2020 Orbit

Critic Reviews

"Mixes diplomacy, espionage, and religion to excellent effect... Series fans and new readers alike will delight entering this strange, immersive universe." (Publishers Weekly)

The god war!

loved it. The city, gods, saints, ghouls, vigilants, intrigue and alchemy. Awesome. highly recommended 5/5

Strange Character Mix

Author Gareth Hanrahan makes a curious character decision for the second book ion his series. In the first book in this series, Gutter Prayer, there is a featured character and 4 main characters. At the end of the book two main characters die and another is transformed into something else. As The Shadow Saint, already down two main character, the author decided to leave out the featured character and the transformed character. He instead opts to continue on with new main characters, and elevated the final main character into the featured role. This change of roles makes the beginning of the book seem off kilter as you spend much of your time listening wondering where the characters you grew fond of in the first book have gone. I can’t remember another book in a series that has taken this approach. Despite the odd changes of POVs, by the end of the book I found that I had enjoyed it. The missing characters do eventually make an appearance, albeit more as side characters than starring roles. The original setting, creatures, and mad gods that made the first book so interesting are all still here. The character who jumps from fringe main character to a starring role grows abundantly from vane school girl to likable heroin. It will be interesting to see if the author continues his strange shuffling of characters in the next book, or if the originals make a return. I’m looking forward to finding out.

Riveting....yet again

A very different flow from the first book, The Shadow Saint begins slowly, draggingly at first, wandering in a way that feels aimless between new and old characters, themselves afflicted with a sense of disconnect that you will doubt the author has skill to overcome. But none of this is in vain. With skill beyond his years the author weaves these characters and their sundry stories together, reeling them in like the sun pulling on his planetary charges, and fitting them so neatly together that finding a seam between any of them would prove impossible. And the story that unravels from there is a game force wind of demonic fury, bent on carrying the reader into a land of breathless adventure. A perfect second book, a most excellent bridge, and a brave excursion into high fantasy writing, that doesn't spoon feed the storyline, The Shadow Saint, when you finish it, will not disappoint.

Big Ole Pile Of Crap

Had this title been listed as the start of an alternate series, it might have worked for me. What started out as a simple story in book 1. Jumped into your version of " Dungeons and Dragons."