Thursday, November 30, 2023

Book Review: Paladin Unbound by Jeff Speight (The Archives of Evelium Tale Book 1)


     Uhmbra the Peacebringer is shunned by society for being a half-orc. Plagued by tragedy as a young boy he sought refuge in a monastery whose monk trained him in the ancient, illegal, art of the Paladin. After achieving silver status Uhmbra leaves the church, becoming a mercenary with a band of trusted allies. When they travel to bid for a contract and are granted it Uhmbra's earlier training is called upon. A dark force is encroaching on Evelium and if he does not stop it his friends will not be the only casualty of this trapped god. 

    I received a physical copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This book ties together fantasy and LitRPG well. We start by getting some backstory on the "gods" of this world. Then we fast forward into what is considered present time following a half-orc merc with a secret. This secret ability could have him killed by the king, but he must decide if using these abilities are worth the risk to his life. 

    The main character deals with a lot of loss early on in this book, so try not to get too attached to characters right off the bat. That being said he overcomes it well, while still paying the needed tribute and does not allow this loss to impact additional relationships as the story progresses. 

    I will say that the other characters in the book are oddly understanding of situations. You will see what I mean. I don't know that I would realistically expect most in a position of power to be as understanding as these. I do understand that conflict in this instance would only have drawn out the book. It just didn't seem as realistic because of this. 

    I did enjoy the book and the main characters involved, though. I am sure there will be more exciting adventures to come for this ragtag band of individuals in the future. The setting is amazing and well described, as are the antagonists and battle scenes. 

    This book is available on Kindle Unlimited or buy it on Amazon for $6.99 by clicking here

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