I would like to thank Netgalley and Talos Press for my ARC copy of this book for my honest and unbiased opinion.

MY REVIEW: 4*

This is a classic good versus evil, light verses dark book.  The Red Gods had been exiled to the cold bitter Gilgoras Mountains nearly a thousand years ago. They dwell behind a veil, a shield. Their strength is gained through their followers and through blood sacrifices.

The Gods of Light, Dancer and her son The Fox live in the warmer lush lands below the mountains.  Through the priestess and calestar , or seer,  these Gods guide rather than command as the Red Gods do.  Only a small select few can hear the words of their Gods.

The Dark Lady of the Red Gods sends her command via Lanta, a priestess.  She wants to set in motion a war that will bring down the veil and allow them to once again enter the world.

This is a well laid out story and well written.  It has lots of memorable and unique characters.  There is a lot of bloodshed, gore action, treachery treason, conspiracy and sacrifice.  Each chapter is titled with the character most prominently featured, these chapters are quick, and helps keep the story moving.  There are a lot of subplots and back histories for the main characters.  There are surprises along the way, and it is not always obvious who is good or evil, which side they are on or if they are out for their own gain.

This is a book I would recommend to Dark Fantasyreaders. It ends on a cliff hanger and left me wanting more, cannot wait to read more in this series.

THE BLURB:

For fans of Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch, and Mark Lawrence comes a brutal grimdark fantasy debut of dark gods and violent warriors.

The Mireces worship the bloodthirsty Red Gods. Exiled from Rilpor a thousand years ago, and left to suffer a harsh life in the cold mountains, a new Mireces king now plots an invasion of Rilpor’s thriving cities and fertile earth.

Dom Templeson is a Watcher, a civilian warrior guarding Rilpor’s border. He is also the most powerful seer in generations, plagued with visions and prophecies. His people are devoted followers of the god of light and life, but Dom harbors deep secrets, which threaten to be exposed when Rillirin, an escaped Mireces slave, stumbles broken and bleeding into his village.

Meanwhile, more and more of Rilpor’s most powerful figures are turning to the dark rituals and bloody sacrifices of the Red Gods, including the prince, who plots to wrest the throne from his dying father in the heart of the kingdom. Can Rillirin, with her inside knowledge of the Red Gods and her shocking ties to the Mireces King, help Rilpor win the coming war?

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