Where The Sky Burns (Blood of Eith 5) by Gillian Grant-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 7, 2023

To save their world they must find their way back to one another.

The war rages with the underground empire of Serevadia against the entire surface world. Elven warrior Abraxas Kain had once been the champion of the God of Light. Now he’s known as the Serevadian god Catarmon, blazing his path towards a future with the Divines, no matter how many have to die. The only thing in his way are his old friends, the Wandering Sols.

Stranded apart from one another, each of the Wandering Sols faces an arduous journey, but they must survive if they are to save the world, and their old friend. Can Evren Hanali, who sacrificed the love of her life, now kill the man she promised to save so long ago? Enslaved by the man who murdered his family, can Sorin Trinity escape in time to join the battle? Arke saved his people from Abraxas before, but now challenged with a greater task, the answers he seeks could be deadly. Trapped in enemy territory, Solri Amet has lost her home, her honor, and her friends. She falls back on old skills, but something darker lurks just out of sight.

They’ve each sacrificed so much already. How much was free will, and how much is destiny?

It pains Abraxas more than he’ll admit that the Wandering Sols refuse to fight at his side. Sooner than he’s ready for, he’ll have to choose between the family he found and the Divines who abandoned him. As the final battle looms, can he find redemption in the place where the sky burns?

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REVIEW:WHERE THE SKY BURNS is the fifth and (final?) instalment in Gillian Grant’s adult THE BLOOD OF EITH high fantasy, adventure series focusing on twenty-three year old, half-elf, hunter Evren Hanali of Orenlion, and her ragtag team of misfit warriors who call themselves the Wandering Sols. WHERE THE SKY BURNS should not be read as a stand alone. I recommend reading the series in order as several plot lines converge in each instalment. If you have not read the previous instalments, there may be spoilers in my review.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including graphic violence, descriptive blood-gore and death, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from several third person perspectives WHERE THE SKY BURNS follows in the aftermath of Evren Hanali’s attempts to save her family, her friends in the wake of Abraxas Kain’s attacks and rage. Abraxas aka Catarmon, a former member of the Wandering Sols, has turned to the dark side having spent one-hundred years, a century enduring the solitude and deviance of war and hate. In an effort to become a god himself, Abraxas is struggling to locate the Eternity Dagger, and pairing it with a the Sword, Abraxas would become all powerful, omnipotent, and ultimately cruel, keeping the gods, the Divines in perpetual holding but Abraxas has brought his fight for control to the lives of what is left of the Wandering Sols, a family torn apart by dimensions and time. Evren’s attempt to save her friends has scattered her family into the depths of their own h*lls, and each will have to battle the demons and magical beings that are determined to take them down. A final battle for control finds the group reunited, facing down a former member, that no one, not even love, is able to save.

Most of the previous story characters and members of the Wanderings Sols are blessed or ‘cursed’ with their own battle to fight: Sorin Trinity, goblin Arke, dwarf warrior Solri Amet, the love of Evren’s life, and the woman with whom she shares a heart Gyda; Song Mei and Barrion; and Abraxas Kain.

WHERE THE SKY BURNS is another lengthy, complex, comprehensive, exhaustive and graphic story of mythological gods and goddess, the spiritual and religious beliefs of a people who have witnessed far too many atrocities and death. Gillian Grant pulls directives, analogy and correlation to Dungeons and Dragons™, Lord of the Rings ™ and most especially A Game of Thrones™. The similarities are numerous, plentiful and diverse; the non-stop action is thorough and, at times, taxing-the war and fighting never end. The energetic premise is detailed and multi-layered; the characters are numerous, desperate and determined.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Where The Shadow Beckons
Where the Night Consumes
Where The Heart Festers
Where the Light Dies

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

If you haven’t started the series, book one WHERE THE SHADOWS BECKON is currently FREE: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Chapters Indigo / Google Play /

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Gillian Grant was born in Texas and grew up enthralled with fantasy stories of all kinds. As she got older, she often traveled with her family and imagined wild adventures while exploring the mountains of Colorado and the glens of Scotland. Back home in Texas, she took her love of fantasy to the next level and sat a group of friends down to play Dungeons and Dragons. From there, they built the world her first novel, Where The Shadows Beckon was set in. When she’s not writing, Gillian is normally juggling too many D&D campaigns, grooming dogs, and imagining her next adventure. She still lives in Texas with her two cats.