REVIEW: Chains of the Heretic by Jeff Salyards

Chains of the Heretic by Jeff Salyards
Publishing information: Kindle
Publisher: Nightshade Books; 16 Feb 2016
ISBN: 978-1597808132
ASIN: B014TOVQ4Q
Series: The Bloodsounder's Arc #3
Copy: Provided by Author
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "Men are more easily broken than myths.

Emperor Cynead has usurped command of the Memoridons—Tower-controlled memory witches—and consolidated his reign over the Syldoonian Empire. After escaping the capital city of Sunwrack, Captain Braylar Killcoin and his Jackal company evade pursuit across Urglovia, tasked with reaching deposed emperor Thumarr and helping him recapture the throne. Braylar’s sister, Soffjian, rejoins the Jackals and reveals that Commander Darzaak promised her freedom if she agreed to aid them in breaking Cynead’s grip on the other Memoridons and ousting him.

Imperial forces attempt to intercept Braylar’s company before they can reach Thumarr. The Jackals fight through Cynead’s battalions but find themselves trapped along the Godveil. Outmaneuvered and outnumbered, Braylar gambles on some obscure passages that Arki has translated and uses his cursed flail, Bloodsounder, to part the Godveil, leading the Jackals to the other side. There, they encounter the ruins of human civilization, but they also learn that the Deserters who abandoned humanity a millennium ago and created the Veil in their wake are still very much alive. But are they gods? Demons? Monsters?

What Braylar, Soffjian, Arki, and the Jackals discover beyond the Godveil will shake an empire, reshape a map, and irrevocably alter the course of history."

It is a sad thing when you have to say goodbye to old friends. With the third book in the Bloodsounder's Arc, The Chains of the Heretic, we reach the end of the series (Review of Scourge of the Betrayer here and Veil of the Deserters here). I enjoyed reading about this motley band of soldiers as they attempt to do things right and uncover the secret of Killcoin's strange flail.

Chains of the Heretic starts off right where book two, Veil of the Deserters, leaves off with the Jackals being chased from the city. Having no choice they enter the Godveil. A strange land that seems to hold even more danger than the one the left behind. There were a few changes that I noticed in this book, or perhaps just didn't notice it in the first two. The first change I noticed is there seems to be a lot more profanities in book three. While I am not one to shy away from a few curse words, this book attempted set a record for the amount of times a character could utter something obscene. The other change I noticed was that the book started off a little slower than the the others as the group works their way to the Godveil. About a third of the book is just build up before entering the new world and finally picks up the pace. In all honesty, I wasn't expecting such a build up as Salyards usually gets right down to the nitty gritty and leaves you breathless. However, the payoff, one that we have been waiting for for two books, finally arrives and doesn't disappoint.

Salyards does combat really well and as the books have progressed he continues to grow as an author as a lot of the dialogue is just as sharp and fast as his fighting scenes. He does a great job of explaining what is going on and the implications of things without beating you over the head with it. The infodumps are expertly woven into the story. There is a lot I want to say about the plot and the outcome of the book but I feel as if I might spoil something that fans of the series will want to discover for themselves so I will just say that what the Jackals find on the other side of the veil was not what I was expecting and the implications that their discovery has was not the way I expected the story to go.

I have really enjoyed the Bloodsounder's Arc and I am sad to see it all end. When I was writing this review I contacted Jeff Salyards to confirm that this is the last in the series and he said he wants to step away from the world he has created but may one day return. that is great news for fans but I also look forward to seeing what he comes up with next as the series truly was outstanding. Chains of the Heretic hits bookshelves next Tuesday.

8/10