A Beginner’s Guide to The Bound and the Broken by Ryan Cahill

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Spoiler-Free Beginner’s Guide to The Bound and The Broken

In a community filled with unique fantasy and constant releases, it can be hard to find new stories that truly resonate with you. With Ryan Cahill’s The Bound and the Broken series, we are treated to a mixture of classic fantasy that makes us feel right at home with your most nostalgic reads. Ryan’s books are available on Kindle Unlimited however I do recommend the physical books. These are gorgeous copies that feel so good to hold in your hands.

In this guide I will explain how Ryan Cahill’s series is ready to become your next favourite read, and where to start this journey. This is currently planned as a five-book series, filled with novellas and short stories, but the more time we spend in Epheria the better.

Beginner’s Guide to The Bound and The Broken

Premise

Born in fire. Tempered in blood.

Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the south squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North.

In the remote villages of southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving—a test of courage and skill that not all survive.

But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him, and he is thrust headfirst into a war that has been raging for centuries.

There is no prophecy. His coming was not foretold.

He bleeds like any man and bleed he will.

What To Expect

This is a story about friends journeying into realms unknown on an adventure of a lifetime. We are drawn into a magical world full of different races. A world of elves, dwarves, long-lost dragons, and other creatures. Ryan uses these to build on the fantasy setting he looks to explore throughout the foundations of this series, but with his own unique twist that he weaves throughout the story. The characters are a familiar concept, and you may think you know this story but keep an open mind – the idea of good vs evil is subjective and there will be pain and suffering in between all that hope and heroism.

This series has many comparisons ranging from an adult Eragon meets The Wheel of Time to Earthsea and The Lord of the Rings. That’s the beauty of this series – it’s modern fantasy with a nostalgic feel.

Books in Series

There are currently three novels and three novellas in The Bound and the Broken.

Novels

Of Blood and Fire

Of Darkness and Light

Of War and Ruin

Novellas

The Fall

The Exile

The Ice

The Fall – the prequel novella – can be grabbed at Ryan’s website for free by signing up for his mailing list: https://www.ryancahillauthor.com/signup/

Reading Order

The reading order is a well-contested discussion amongst fans, so Ryan has two suggested reading orders. Both are named after sword movements within the series. Of Blood and Fire and The Fall are both great starting points.

Svidarya

If you want to dive right into the world focussing on action, then this is the path for you.

The Fall

Of Blood and Fire

Of Darkness and Light

The Exile

Of War and Ruin

The Ice

Fellensír

If you want a more immersive read learning as you go, then this is the path for you.

Of Blood and Fire

The Fall

Of Darkness and Light

The Exile

Of War and Ruin

The Ice

Upcoming Books

Of War and Ruin, Ryan’s latest novel, was released on January 19^th 2023. Whilst Ryan is currently writing, the next novel has yet to be announced. On February 19^th 2023, Ryan announced The Ice, the next novella set in world of The Bound and the Broken.

Of Blood and Fire has become the first book to be produced by The Broken Binding Press – The Broken Binding will release a special edition for Of Blood and Fire marking Ryan as the first author to have a book produced by them.