April 7, 2014
The third volume of Irvine’s Tainted Realm trilogy (after Vengeance and Rebellion) opens with a massive earthquake just as the characters are about to enter into a major battle. For readers of the earlier books in the series, this provides a continuation of the action, while newer readers are introduced to Rix and his allies and enemies in rapid succession, though not always in ways that make clear who stands with whom. Despite the title of the novel, the various characters—including former slaves, immortal heroes, and kings—are more interested in revenge than justice, nursing past slights into reasons for laying waste to the world. Pettiness rules the actions of even the greatest of warriors. The Five Heroes, joined together by ancient oath, work well in this narrative context, in part because their internal disagreements reflect all the characters’ flawed natures.