Skip to main content

Serpent Sword (Battle for the Wastelands #2) by Matthew W. Quinn

 

Title: Serpent Sword

Series: Battle for the Wastelands #2

Author: Matthew W. Quinn

Genre: Steampunk Military Fantasy

Published: self published on March 8, 2023

I want to thank Matthew W. Quinn for providing an eBook for review.

This is book 2 in a series, but this review will be as spoiler free as possible. 

The rebel army lead by Alonzo Merrill are fighting against Grendel and his massive army. Despite insurmountable odds Alonzo's army will not give up the fight for their homeland and the return of Alonzo's sister Catalina from the clutches of Grendel.

This is a fantastic series featuring unforgettable characters, world building that really catches the imagination, and amazing military strategy as well as intrigue. The story is told from several different perspectives that give insight into all sides of this war. The perspectives include Alonzo Merrill the leader of the rebel army, Andrew who is a young officer proving his merit in battle, Catalina who is trying to do what she can for her brother from behind enemy lines, and from the big bad Grendel himself. Andrew was such a likeable character in the first book, and it is a lot of fun to follow his growth and progression through this installment. Catalina's perspective was especially interesting as she tows a dangerous line between staying loyal to her brother while protecting her son. It is also so interesting getting the enemy prospective as well. 

The world building in this series is fantastic. This land is a wasteland with very little technology except that salvaged from the old world or stolen from the enemy. This war is fought on horseback, in the air with dirigibles, and in the water with steamboats. The steampunk elements add a lot of atmosphere, and there are some creatures to capture the imagination as well. After finishing Serpent Sword I am waiting eagerly for the next book.

I would highly recommend this series for fans of military fantasy. 

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Pick up a copy here: Serpent Sword-Amazon US

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Alt Vegas: Nuclear Dreams by Wren Cavanagh Book Review

   Title: Alt Vegas: Nuclear Dreams Author: Wren Cavanagh Genre: Horror Published: September 28, 2024 I received a copy for review from the author.    Kyle and Mandy have dreams making a profit by developing when they purchase land in Esperville, Oregon. Soon they find out the land is home to a portal to another dimension stuck in 1950s Las Vegas. It is a hard place with unforgiving desert and fiendish creatures. This a fantastic creature feature horror novel with an alternate dimension flair. The characters, Kyle and Mandy, did not seem sympathetic at first as foolhardy newlyweds taking on more than they can chew. However, throughout the story they become more and more endearing. They are great underdog characters to root for. The portal to Alt Vegas allows for such contrasting settings. The lush and overgrown Oregon with the desert landscape outside 1950s Vegas. The last fourth of the book could have used another round of line editing, but overall this was a fantas...
Post a Comment
Read more

Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs by Rebecca Gransden Book Review

  Title: Happy Bunny and Other Mischiefs Author: Rebecca Gransden Genre: Weird Fiction/ Horror Published: 10/30/24 by the author I received a copy for review from the author.  This collection of 14 short stories that are full of imaginative scenarios. The ideas are truly unique which helps to draw you in.  Imagine taking a friend's pigeon to the vet leads to an underground cult. Imagine a sentient turducken escaping its packaging to explore the world. These are just of a couple of the outrageously weird concepts explored in this collection. A couple of the stories are written a very fever dream kind of way that makes following the plot difficult. I don't fault the experimental writing, but I personally do not enjoy the confusion they left me feeling. The rest of the stories I enjoyed. The standout stories for me were SparrowEyes, with its creepy setting and creature, and Happy Bunny, with a person in a bunny costume getting teleported to various television and movie s...
Post a Comment
Read more

Swarm: Replugged Book Review by James Flynn

  Title: Swarm: Replugged Author: James Flynn Genre: Science Fiction Published Originally 2/1/2021 by the author, now with an new revised edition. Thank you to the author for providing a copy for review. In the second edition of Swarm, the city of Rachton is riddled with crime. A victim of crime, Eric Trammel, has turned to a life in the GLC to help fight against the criminals ruining his city. The answer the GLC comes up with is a new prison where prisoners can by connected to a hive mind to harvest their consciences to create answers to their hardest questions.  Swarm: Replugged is a great science fiction thought experiment of the possibilities of the human mind as well as the consequences of harvesting it. I read both editions of this book at the same time to compare. There are a lot of revisions that make the prose tighter though I really enjoyed both versions. Eric Trammel is a great sympathetic character to follow the story of best intentions gone wrong. I really enjoyed...
Post a Comment
Read more