The Wulver’s Library‘s Review of Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill
I received a free ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Myia nithir til diar. My soul to yours.
Of War and Ruin by Ryan Cahill is the third instalment of The Bound and the Broken series and there are no words that I can say that will even begin to understand how excited I was to return to the world of Epheria.
Book 1 – Of Blood and Fire is a book I recommend to new and veteran fantasy readers alike and book 3 – Of War and Ruin is the perfect middle entry that continues my everlasting faith in this series to be tremendous. Ryan is no stranger to writing conflict and battle in an immersive and animate way. He’s written friendships that are loveable and decisive whilst being brutally honest. His plots are page-turners and masterful that expand on world-building. Of War and Ruin dials this up above the limit and soars in expectations and hitting the right mark.
I’ve described this series previously as a fresh take on nostalgic fantasy but Ryan has become his own name in this genre and it’s unfair to compare his work to others when Ryan now sits on the pedestal for modern classics. The resonation with these characters, even those we are supposed to hate, is profound and Ryan exhumes the work of a true author – having you care for every last letter on the page by transporting you into a world that made me feel like I was a part of it. This is one of the largest books I’ve read but I could have devoured more and more with each turn of the page. Always wanting to read, never wanting to finish.
Of War and Ruin lives up to its name, and not only in plot. The amount of work that Ryan has sweated into this book and the proudness of each chapter is evident. Everything is larger than before and we really feel for every branch that is hit and every cloud that is passed. Ryan has a distinct way of making you feel and that is something that can never be ignored. The ever-evolving masterclass of characters that Ryan is writing is expanding upon divinely. The conveyance of each emotion is exerted beautifully and you’re really drawn into a sense of belonging in this world. We see more battles, more agony and more story and this is an amazing example of expanding upon the world you have created and elevating the series to its highest point whilst also leaving your readers yearning for more.
How can I really describe something that I found to be epic? I cannot but I can tell you that if you’re not reading The Bound and The Broken then you are losing out on a journey that transcends ages, both within the pages and our imagination, and will never be forgotten. Thank you to Ryan for always being the conversationalist, and for creating a series that continues to feel like the start of a journey for himself, the readers, and everything in between. The future is yours.
This world chews us up and spits us out. It doesn’t care if we live or die. It doesn’t care who we love or who we hate. It is filled with misery, death, and loss. It cares little for us. But that is precisely why we must care with all our hearts, fight for the ones we love, and stand for what we believe in. Because in a world where nothing matters, what matters to us means everything. If we forget about the ones we love, everything loses meaning.
