A Time of Dread Book Review

​​Title: A Time of Dread
Author: John Gwynne
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2017
Pages: 458
Goodreads Rating: 4.30
Rating: 8/10

“‘The slumbering beast stirs,’ Sig said ominously. ‘Something dread is afoot.’”

It’s been over 100 years since Corban and his allies’ heroic victory over the dreaded Kadoshim. The Ben Elim are effectively enforcing a peace among the realms while hunting down any remaining Kadoshim that threaten this tenuous order. But the Banished Lands have a malignant tumor festering in the shadows. The dawn of a new age of heroes is upon us. Who will rise to the occasion? 

Pros
Multi POV
I love books that have multiple POVs from characters in very different settings and situations. Gwynne beautifully unfolds his story featuring Bleda, Drem, Riv, and Sig. As the story progresses, the author effectively ties the storylines together to amplify the plot progression. 

Throwbacks to The Faithful and the Fallen
Throughout the book, there are multiple references to The Faithful and the Fallen series. We have the offspring of Storm and Buddai, the Order of the Bright Star, explanations as to how the realms have combined into the Land of the Faithful, and so much more.   

Worldbuilding and plot
A Time of Dread expertly continues our story in the Banished Lands world. It’s been about 130 years and in that time, we’ve seen realm alliances and political changes that fuel the worldbuilding in this story. On top of that, the Kadoshim have been plotting and planning through grimdark acts that revitalize their movement.

Cons
Poor communication 
As we follow Drem and his father, Olin, we experience Olin’s reluctance to share answers with his son. It turns into one of my least favorite tropes… intentional poor communication. Olin’s annoyance with any and all questions quickly and unnecessarily adds conflict and friction. 

Slower start
This is often the case with the first book in a series. The author has to introduce and provide context for our main characters and we have four POVs in this book. Because of the multiple POVs, it takes some time for Gwynne to effectively develop the foundation for the book. 

Overall…
A Time of Dread is a wonderful start to what I expect will be an epic series. Truth and courage.