The Bookwyrm's Review of Paladin Unbound by Jeffrey Speight

 Author: Jeffrey Speight

Length: 334 Pages

Publisher: Literary Wanderlust

Release Date: July 1, 2021

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Amazon Link

Rating: 10/10 Stars

PLOT SYNOPSIS

The last of a dying breed, a holy warrior must rise up against a growing darkness in Evelium.

The most unlikely of heroes, a lowly itinerant mercenary, Umhra the Peacebreaker is shunned by society for his mongrel half-Orc blood. Desperate to find work for himself and his band of fighters, Umhra agrees to help solve a rash of mysterious disappearances, but uncovers a larger, more insidious plot to overthrow the natural order of Evelium in the process.

As Umhra journeys into the depths of Telsidor's Keep to search for the missing people, he confronts an ancient evil and, after suffering a great loss, turns to the god he disavowed for help.

Compelled to save the kingdom he loves, can he defeat the enemy while protecting his true identity, or must he risk everything.

REVIEW

When I first heard of this book from another blogger, I thought it had a solid premise and would make a fun, light fantasy read. Now that I'm finished, it is definitely a fun read, but I'll say this up front: Paladin Unbound is now tied with M.L. Spencer's Dragon Mage as my fantasy book of the year. I was just enthralled throughout the story, and spent a few sleepless nights just transported into this incredible world.

The world building in this story is top rate. We are introduced to the world of Elevium on the first page at the end of a war between its creator gods. The Fire God Naur has been defeated in his efforts to take over the world, and is banished by his sister goddess Vaila to Pragarus, a hell cut off from the world where he should be locked for all eternity. What Vaila didn't know was Naur left an insurance policy behind that had the potential to free him in the future if some truly evil people enact an insane plan.

This foundation leads us to the modern world of Elevium, where Naur is an all but forgotten myth, and the truly great magics are long in the past. It's a world divided into many countries, with their own agendas and peoples. There are humans, and some new fantasy races that are reminiscent of some of the more traditional fantasy races such as dwarves, elves, etc., but with their own twists that make them perfect for this world. There are also some tensions between the races, especially with the Orcs, who are seen as vicious barbarians. This makes life difficult for the orcs that choose to leave their homeland, since no one believes they can act any different. This creates a lot of tension throughout the book, adding another layer of struggle. 

There is a variety of magic in the book. There is divine magic, given to priests and paladins from their gods to help protect the people of Elevium. There are also shape changing druids and other mages, as well as magical creatures such as vampires. A lot of the magic is tied into bonding an element through infusion, such as gold and platinum, which is about as high as modern mages get. The ancient mystics supposedly could bond Rhodium, basically giving them the power of minor gods, but no on has done that in many centuries. Its a very interesting system that isn't dwelled on too much, but just enough to intrigue the reader. It just lays a solid foundation that allows the story to flow without a lot of overcomplicated magical mumbo jumbo. Sometimes a magic fireball is just a magic fireball.

The characters in this book truly shine in a way that just grabs the reader. Umhra the Peacbreaker, the main character, is such a great character. A half orc/human, he is the leader of an Orc mercenary band that takes commissions to clear out monsters and bandits, all while generally being distrusted or even hated by the people around them. Umhra is such an optimist, even though he has led such a life of struggle. Raised by a monk after his village was wiped out by barbarian raiders, he is a brave, honorable man, trying to take care of his men, and when a mission they undertake goes horribly wrong, Umhra takes matters into his own hands to try and stop the world threatening conspiracy they have uncovered. Umhra's own secret could be the only thing that can save the world, although he faces possible death if his secret is revealed. It is his determination in the face of personal danger that really makes him shine.

Umhra's companions are also as good a group of fantasy companions as you could ask for. Laudin the ranger, Gromley the warrior priest, Naivara the druid, Shadow the rogue and Nicholas the mage, as well as Balris the healer priest and Talus the warrior are just a fantastic group, complementing each others abilities and working as a cohesive group. Their backgrounds and abilities are shown throughout the book, without any info dumps that are such a bane to immersing yourself in the story. Their character's grow and struggle throughout, and they have well plotted character arcs that really keep you wanting to read more about them. These are very much traditional heroes, even Shadow, who you can imagine being sketchy at a game of cards or dice, but would follow you through the gates of hell for a good cause. There is no grey morality here, but a wonderful throwback to traditional fantasy, where heroes are heroes, and proudly so.

The villains are an interesting bunch. They are separated throughout the story, and each encounter with one individual or group leads to another page unfolding in the greater conspiracy. There are no easy battles, no flawless victories. These are hardened, evil, and most importantly, powerful villains, who are not just going to be overpowered, and are a threat at all times to the heroes. They are truly evil, for different reasons with each villain, whether it be lust for power, selfishness, or fulfilling a prophesy, they are irredeemable because of their actions, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Again, a throwback to a more traditional fantasy style, and this really keeps the reader engaged all the way through to the final epic confrontation with the final force of evil, Naur himself.

All in all, this is easily one of the best books I have read in the past decade, and tying for my favorite fantasy book of this year with Dragon Mage is no small feat. I just kept getting drawn deeper into the story, finding myself constantly referring to the map as I went along (it's a beautiful map, so it added to the immersion), realizing just how epic this journey was. This is a book that will have appeal to so many fans of fantasy, and is even ok for younger readers, not having any sex or super graphic violence that could scare younger readers. Its just an intensely entertaining story, that I was sorry to see end. I do hope to read more adventures with Umhra and his companions soon, though, and congratulate the author on writing such an amazing adventure.