Stillbright

Starred review from March 6, 2017
The gripping second installment of Ford’s smart, swashbuckling Paladin heroic fantasy trilogy (after Ordination) raises the stakes as five determined people continue their fight to bring peace to their region by reestablishing an ancient goddess’s worship in a dangerous land of warring baronies and complicit religions. Paladin Allystaire Coldbourne and his fellow Ordained have established a temple to the Goddess and a town for her new followers, but putting a stop to the endless fighting among barons will not be easy. The Goddess’s final Ordained is a young sorcerer whose powers are frighteningly strong, drawing the attention of enemies. With winter moving in, an army headed their way, treachery from rival religions, and an old enemy of Allystaire’s who will do anything to defeat him, the Ordained find their link to the Goddess weakening just as they need her the most. With a brisk plot, believable characters who balance wit with grit, and a complex world rife with intrigue and moral quandaries, Ford completely banishes all thoughts of middle-book sag. This is heroic fantasy far above the usual hack-and-slash, raising compelling questions about morality and belief in a tale full of excitement and high-stakes action.