I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

It has been a while since I read the first book; I couldn't remember much of book 1. Luckily there is a handy refresher at the start of the book.

Our hero, Alywn, awakens just after the end of book one. The story continues without a break, though I can't say the same for Alywns injuries. Fighting a Knight has changed Alywn; pain from the battle haunts his journeys. In some ways, Alywn is a darker anti-hero than before.

The fallout and consequences of book one determine the path of book 2. The royal family plot Lady Evadine's destruction. Covenant company travels to the Duchy of Alundia, ordered on a suicide mission. The Royals mean to get rid of the company, their deaths justifying a war. What follows during the first half of the book is siege warfare. Excellent writing and vivid battles captivated and enchanted me. I'll stop there to avoid spoilers.

Book two is different. I think many of us love his first books because of the hero's journey. In the Pariah, we saw Alywns journey. A child grows from humble origins into a warrior. There was constant growth.

Much like the empire strikes back, Book 2 has a different purpose, growing the world and seeding the story with roots of new plots. Although I like the book, the first half has little character growth. It's mainly an extended battle sequence. Great for me since I enjoy action sequences. I like the Martyr. It's as good as book 1, and I'm looking forwards to the final part of the trilogy. Recommended and worth buying.

I really enjoyed their book. Not as much as the first one mind you. The last battle involving the duke of althiene was one too much for me… but still a great read

This book is even better than the first. It's an epic tale of obsession, betrayal, and war! Heroic fantasy at its finest

Pace and characters always believable with unseen twist and turns looking forward to the next chapter as soon as possible

A brilliant sequel to the Pariah that stands equal to the first book in every way.

Anthony Ryan always has a way with creating characters that you may not always agree with, but you still root for them. Alwyn Scribe is not a good man, but he always tries to do his best. It's still admirable that he's hoping that he'll be able to help the realm, even as his every action seems to go against that.

The battles were well written as usual, and seeing a bit more of the wider world was welcome. The more fantasy elements helped setup some interesting future events, and I'm interested to see where they go.

I'll definitely be buying the next book in the series.

Not as good as previous books personal opinion only!

I loved The Pariah and love this sequel just as much if not more. Alwyn and Evadine’s story continues with amazing twists and turns galore. On to The Traitor!

A ripping great read.

Dam… that was a good book!!

Mr. Ryan is a master in storytelling.

His books are always full of insights and morsels of wisdom that are infused into his stories effortlessly.

This series is very different from the other series that he's written and that fact makes the characters and stories feel fresh. You don't get that sense of repetitiveness that often hobbled the writings of other authors.

I hope many more readers discover Mr. Ryan's works and be entertained by them. Thank you Mr. Ryan for your wonderful works so far. I'm eagerly waiting for your next.

Sehr spannend und gut geschriebene Geschichte

The second leg of this vibrant, inventive, wonderfully written fantasy saga deserves all the praise it has already received and much more. I can’t wait for the third and final book….

La serie di libri migliore scritta da Anthony Ryan fino ad adesso