Review: The Pariah by Anthony Ryan

Synopsis
Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path – one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier’s life in the king’s army.

Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance. But as dark forces, both human and arcane, gather to oppose Evadine’s rise, Alwyn faces a choice: can he be a warrior, or will he always be an outlaw?

What I thought
Thank you Orbit Books and Netgalley for giving me an ARC copy of this book for an honest review. All thoughts and feelings expressed are my own.

This is the first book in The Covenant of Steel series. I had only read one book by this author before and so I was not sure what I was going to get. I really liked it. I have to say I am a fan of Anthony Ryan’s writing style and I foresee myself reading many more of his books in the future.

I have to say that I think that this book has the best opening ever:

“Before killing a man, I always found it calming to regard the trees. Lying on my back in the long grass fringing the King’s Road and gazing at the green and brown matrix above, branches creaking and leaves whispering in the last morning breeze, brought a welcome serenity.”

This book starts off really slow. Is it worth it…Yes… however, if you go into this book looking for an action-packed hugely magical fantasy novel you will be disappointed. This book is a slow-burn medieval-style story that has a focus on religion. To be honest, this book feels more like a historical novel, but that might be due to the fact that this story is written as if you reading someone’s journal. To the point that he actually states “dear reader” a few times. This story is told from the sole perspective of Alwyn Scribe. Alwyn was taken in by a band of outlaws when he was young and they have trained him to be an assassin. Alwyn finds religion and dives in deep. It was interesting watching him combine where his life is at the time and his religious beliefs.

After the ending of this first installment, I can not wait for the next book to come out. If you enjoy character-driven stories then this one is definitely for you.

My Rating: /5

Have you read this book? If so what did you think? Tell me in the comments below.