Wrath (The Faithful and the Fallen, 4)

I grew up a bookworm. No, you don't understand. When I got into trouble as a kid, my parents didn't ground me from friends or TV....They grounded me from books. But unfortunately, college murdered that love of reading by throwing so many atrociously boring books in my face and assigning neverending, 30 paged papers on said boring books. I haven't been able to read a book sense. Not until this series, anyways. Now, "Malice" took me a year to read. Not that it was a bad book--quite the contrary, in fact--but I just couldn't muster the will to read period. In fact, it was only because my students have to read a book for 20 minutes every day in a certain class period that I would pick up "Malice" just to set a good example. Immediately after finishing "Malice," I picked up "Valor" and DEVOURED it in a month. Same for "Ruin." Because of the craziness of teaching in COVID-19, it took about two months to read "Wrath," and I finished it last night! This was such an intimidatingly large series, but they were so excellent that, at long last, I found my love of reading again!! Bravo, Mr. Gwynne!! The series, overall, is 5 stars, no questions asked. The character growth, the character's journies, the plot twists, the fact that even important characters die (I mean, he did warn us that "Even the brave will fall"), the humorous bits (Craf is just amazing), the superb action sequences, I mean, I can go on--but I have places to be, and I bet you do too. However, there were a few elements in "Wrath" that knocked it down to 4.5 stars for me. ****SPOILERS BELOW*** (This kind of goes for book 3 too, but it just got too much on my nerves in book 4.) I was just so disapointed in the character of Coralen. I LOVED her in her first two chapters, and...that's it. She got on my last nerve from then on. She was so promising! But ultimately she was by far the flattest main character in the series. (No, Dath, Farrell, Gar, Kulla, etc., are side characters. Side characters don't get full characterization, I get that. But Coralen was a main character with her own point of view.) It was like she was just brought in to be a love interest for our guy Corban, and just reduced to arm candy. All her thoughts ever seemed to be was that Corban was an idiot, Corban was handsome and strong, she liked Corban despite the fact that she rolls her eyes at such emotion, Corban is in danger, she has to save Coraban, and Corban is, once again, an idiot. But an honorable idiot and she loves him. And so on. Other character's descriptions of her were even all the same: she was pretty, she was always scowling and hot-headed, her red hair was always in the sun and it looked pretty. All her character's purpose seemed to be was to be your cliche, hot-tempered and pretty ginger, to save Corban when he needed it, and take up the spot of a female warrior who is as strong as any male warrior (and she'll tell you as such). Don't get me wrong, as a woman, I love seeing strong females! Especially women who can kick butt! And what I loved about John Gwynne's female characters was that they were all so strong in their own unique way, without losing their femininity, and they were all so entirely different! They were by no means weak. This man knows how to craft awesome, strong female characters. Cywen, Edana, Brina, Rhin, Fidele, Nemain, Ethlinn, and even Roisin were just joys to read about! And that's why I'm so puzzled that Coralen was just so static and flat--an empty shell for Corban to claim as a simple love interest. He could have done much better by her. If you've been hardcore shipping Veradis and Cywen like I have, you'll be very disappointed in this book. John Gwynne has been such a TEASE with these characters! And finally, when they're on the same side and safe at Corban's camp, they don't even have a conversation. No, correction: they don't even have a conversation in the entire book. Oh, Corban and Coralen can make out and you'll be stuck with mushy, teenage-ish thoughts from both of them. Maquin and Fidele have a whole dramatic love story happening. Cywen and Veradis don't even have a single conversation. They blush, they quietly acknowledge the other's presence and are very glad that they see each other. But that's it. I totally understand that this book series does not have a place in the romance genre--it's about war and the end of the world! I don't want a romance book. But having to deal with Corban/Coralen for so long, and of Maquin and Fidele's obsession with one another (but in their defense, that romance definitely moves the plot along with their storylines), the couple that has been hinted at happening since book 2, the couple that wouldn't have been overly mushy, dramatically obsessive over one another, the couple that would have been so darn COOL (the Dark Sun's loyal, right hand guy having a thing for the Bright Star's sister!), never even got a moment to have a verbal conversation. I kept waiting and waiting and waiting. I got to smile a little at the last few pages, but it was a half smile. So between these two disappointments, I'm giving this terrific book 4.5 stars. These things are minor in the big picture of such a grand series, but they really irked me as a reader.

This series gets a whole 10/10 for me! I enjoyed this series so much and I am actually sad it is over, but I am more sad that it has taken me this long to read this series! I should have started this years ago! Everything is finally getting wrapped up. The main battle is finally coming and good v. evil is finally going to have its epic fight. All odds appear to be against Corban and his warband, but they are willing to fight to the end. Calidus is doing all he can to bring Asroth through from the Otherworld and Corban is trying to gather his allies. I do have some minimal complaints from the series, and my main one is that I wish the bad guys would not have mostly all been saved for the end of the series. There were too many scenes where some of them should have died, but they kept evading death or running away. But I will say, the evil characters were done right, they are the epitome of evil. (especially Lykos, Calidus, Rhin, Morcant, and a few others) Another thing that bothered me, and this is so minor, is the repetitive use of the word “belly” during fight scenes. I do not know why but this word just did not work for me. Say stomach or gut, but belly just felt like an odd choice of words. Finally, do we get the endings of characters we have been wanting (good and bad characters) but we also get some endings of characters, that I did not want. There are some deaths that I still have not recovered from. This series was such a joy to read. It is exactly what I enjoy in epic fantasy. Amazing characters, good v. evil, animal companions, different fantasy races and creatures, epic fights, and some amazing character relationships are formed. I loved all the bonds formed between the multiple characters. There were a few romantic relationships, but it is so minimal to the story, the bonds formed are mainly ones where they are willing to die for each other. Again, I am so sad this series is over, I am going to miss Corban and Storm and his band of amazing friends. I loved this journey and I am so glad I finally picked up this series.

🔥 Epic Fantasy 🔥 Gripping, High-Stakes Action 🔥 Complex Characters & Intrigue 🔥 Betrayal, Loyalty, and Revenge 🔥 Unpredictable Plot Twists SUMMARY: In Wrath (Book 4 of The Faithful and the Fallen series), the stakes have never been higher. The epic conflict between gods, mortals, and everything in between reaches a boiling point as war, betrayal, and bloodshed consume the land. The characters we’ve followed through this series are pushed to their limits — each one grappling with their own motivations, loyalties, and the harsh realities of their world. As alliances shift and secrets come to light, the final battles loom on the horizon, setting the stage for an explosive conclusion. REVIEW: Wrath is everything I wanted and more! The culmination of everything that’s been building up in The Faithful and the Fallen series, this book doesn’t hold back. The world-building has been phenomenal throughout the series, and here it shines as the brutal, immersive world becomes even more complicated and dire. Every corner of this world feels rich with history, and the gods, politics, and warring factions are so intricately woven together that you can't help but get completely lost in it. The character development is on point in this book. Some of the characters I’ve loved for so long are pushed to their absolute limits, and it’s incredible to see how far they’ve come (and how far they still have to go). There are moments of great sacrifice, and some truly unexpected twists that had me reeling. Every character is tested in new ways, and the moral dilemmas they face are gut-wrenching. The way loyalty and betrayal play into the story makes for some truly heartbreaking and suspenseful moments. The action sequences are intense and jaw-dropping. The battles are epic, but the emotional stakes are just as high — it’s not just about the fighting, it’s about the choices and consequences. There are some real gut punches in this book as the consequences of past actions hit characters in unexpected ways. The pacing is relentless, with each chapter leaving me wanting more, and the ending… WOW. I honestly wasn’t prepared for the gut-wrenching cliffhanger that leaves you desperate for the final book. One of the things I love most about this series is how unpredictable it is. You never really know who will come out on top, and every twist feels earned. No one is safe, and that constant uncertainty keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. If you’re a fan of epic fantasy with rich world-building, deeply flawed characters, and tons of action, Wrath is an absolute must-read. It’s a fitting and explosive continuation of The Faithful and the Fallen series, and now I’m absolutely dying to see how it all ends in the final book. Don’t miss it!

I am so sad that I finished this series. It made me gasp, cry, and gave me a world to escape to, away from the troubles of the day. I stayed up many nights reading, having to know what happens next. So exciting. Thank goodness the author is living and writing more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series by John Gwynne. From the opening page of the first book it had me hooked. Truly one of the best openings of any book I've ever read. Each book in the series built upon the epic story and kept me thoroughly engaged, hungry for the next book. I highly recommend getting the audiobook and the Kindle or paper versions. Both versions added wonderfully to the experience. The narrator for the audiobook does an incredible job wirh giving characters various accents to help keep them all separated in your mind. Many of the names I would never have pronounced correctly without the audiobook. There were many other nuances that the narrator picked up on that would have been lost on me. The Kindle/Paperback versions are needed to sort out who is talking sometimes. There also big time leaps that happen mid-page with a small sapce on the page. The narrator continues on reading from one paragraph to another with barely a pause and if you are on audiobook you'll be scratching your head wondering how the story jumped weeks ahead with no indication of time passing. Also some nicknames would be hard to grasp if not for the Kindle version. Cywen/Cy was a big one for me as the audio pronounces it CO-WEN and CUR and I would have never thought it was the same person with those pronunciations. This series has everything you could want in a medieval fantasy: heroes and villains, angels and demons, friendship, love, loss, betrayal, revenge, trickery, and of course 4 books filled to overflowing with epic combat and warfare. It could be a bit too graphic and bloody for some but it didn't bother me. I highly recommend this entire series.

Good and evil, angels and demons, right and wrong...tale as old as time. This has to be one of my top 5 series, so beautifully told, weaving together so many characters in to one final epic battle full of loss and love and most importantly: hope. Well done indeed! 👏

First off, although I am going to try my best to avoid spoilers, do be aware that this is book 4 in a series, and I may inadvertently let something slip from one of the previous books. If you are thinking about reading this series, though, you really need to start with book 1. There are some important character transformations in this series (Veradis, the leader of a group of soldiers and a nobleman's younger son, being prime among them) and you won't be able to fully appreciate those unless you start from the beginning. The characters in this book are archetypes in a lot of respects -- the old witch/healer (Brina), the young boy from a small village with a DESTINY (Corban), the skilled fighter who teaches the young boy (Gar), the grizzled fighter bent on revenge (Maquin), the young queen trying to establish her reign (Edana), the skilled woodsman (Camlin), the manipulative otherworldly beings (Meical and Calidus), etc. (and plenty more where those came from). You have probably seen these characters before if you have read much fantasy at all. That being said, I was kind of looking for something familiar when I picked this up, so I don't mind the character types. But, if you are looking for something new and different, this may not be for you. This is a book where there aren't many gray characters, so when there is some moral ambiguity, it stands out. Something Meical says at the end of book 3 puts him in the gray character camp, I think. Lykos, leader of the Vin Thalun (think pirates/Viking raiders and you'll be close enough), is a nasty guy but has some interesting internal monologue that puts a different spin on things -- he does care about men he loses in battle and takes to drink rather than dealing with things (but then, you're never really in doubt that he's a bad guy). Nathair, a young king and friend of Veradis, also kind of fits this role, although he makes a conscious decision that keeps him on the darker side. A minor character, Trigg, makes a bad decision in a previous book and has to deal with the consequences. But by the time I get to Trigg, I am reaching. No, most characters are either good or bad, without much in between. I think it is still possible to like a book with non-gray characters. You do find yourself rooting for Corban, Gar, Cywen (Corban's sister), and crew. You're sad when they lose allies. They're easy to like and their struggles are easy to understand, to sympathize with. I spend so much time on the characters because that seems to me to be the primary focus of the book. The setting is generic medieval. What's nice for a change is that there aren't a lot of big towns. There are small towns near castles and there are holds and fortresses. But mostly people are traveling in small groups through the woods, or as big armies. I'm kind of grateful for the lack of taverns, inns, minstrels/bards, jousting, and the like. Although the overarching plot is a battle of good versus evil, there are a lot of side plots that are more character-focused. These can be repetitive. I kind of lost count of the number of times Camlin and Rafe encountered one another (Rafe is a kid who grew up near Corban but who chose the opposite side in the war). And similarly, Maquin's storyline got a bit old. He has two people against whom he wants revenge. He is successful with one of those quests midway through the book and then his storyline devolves into a series of encounters with his other target that also gets a bit repetitive. I suppose it is possible to argue that Camlin and Rafe hadn't been established as a rivalry through multiple previous books, but Maquin and his two rivals most definitely had been, pretty much since the beginning. The writing style has its quirks. There are lots of battle cries in ALL CAPS. A person will refer to his or her "old mam" every so often. Perhaps this is how people talk where the author is from? Or he perceives it to be how people would have talked. It kind of stands out to me. But then again, it is one of the only phrases that stuck with me in this way, so that's not too bad. Mostly the writing just sits back and does its job of telling the story. I do have to applaud the author for how he writes battle scenes -- I thought these were well done. I understood what was going on. Considering the state of medicine at the time, perhaps a few too many people survive wounds that ought to have killed them. But there are quite a lot of deaths in the book as well (most saved for the final battle; none are particularly shocking. though you will likely find some of them sad). There are a lot of daring rescue attempts (sometimes of people, sometimes of objects) and as I sit back and think about them, they are all a little different. And some of them are not successful, or someone is lost in the attempt, etc. So this was mostly well done, also. Anyway, overall I was entertained. There were a few things (discussed above) that kept this from being perfect for me, but I do think it was a good overall conclusion to this series and if you like rather traditional hero's journey stories with lots of fighting woven into the narrative, you will probably enjoy this series overall.

WOW. This book left me lying in bed, staring at the ceiling in awe. There truly couldn't have been a more fitting conclusion to this phenomenal series. The Faithful and the Fallen has undeniably cemented itself as my favorite series of all time, and it’s going to take something extraordinary to dethrone it. While the ending of Wrath may have carried a sense of inevitability, the journey to get there was nothing short of flawless. Gwynne masterfully weaved together plot lines that had been building since Malice, and the way everything came together was both heart-wrenching and deeply satisfying. The action in Wrath was relentless, especially in those final 180 pages. It was like riding a storm—pure, unbridled chaos. Petrik's term, 'Gwynnado,' perfectly captures the whirlwind of emotions and battles that had me on the edge of my seat. I was fully immersed in the epic confrontations and the raw intensity of each clash, feeling the weight of every sword swing and the pain of every loss. What I'll miss most, though, are the characters. Gwynne crafted a cast that felt like family, each with their own flaws, strengths, and humanity. Saying goodbye to them is bittersweet; they’ve left an indelible mark on my heart. Their growth, struggles, and triumphs have been a privilege to witness, and it’s hard to imagine my reading life without them. I couldn’t be more grateful that I chose to embark on this journey through TFATF. Thank you, John Gwynne, for sharing your incredible work with the world. This series is a masterpiece that will linger in my thoughts for a long, long time.

It was an excellent finale to a great series. Each novel is packed with so much tension that it isn't easy to put it down at all. Finished the four book series in a month and it was time well spent. Thanks Book Cob.

Consegna puntuale come sempre. Ottimo questo libro che conclude degnamente la saga. Non vedo l'ora di leggere altre opere di questo autore,

This will not be a very long review since I literally just now turned the last page of Wrath, there are only a few things I would like to share... This series has easily become one of my all time favorites and I loved every book in it. Wrath... just wow...!! It completely lived up to my (very) high expectations. The ending, with tears and a smile, for me, is perfect. I need a few moments now to completely come back from the Banished Lands, but I'm certain I will return!

As this is the final book in a four book series I'll keep it short and sweet. This was a great series. It is not the most original thing I have ever read, but everything it does that you might have seen before it does extremely well. It has heroes, proper heroes, and villains. For a series that started out slow the last book is basically non stop action. People die, lots and lots of people, people you've known from the first pages of the first book. I'll be honest, I felt people cutting onions around me a few times at the end there. I think all the characters have been done so brilliantly, people are not the same as they were at the start, a natural progression done seamlessly. Everything you want for an epic conclusion is here; battles, individual fights, revelations, twists, betrayals, character arcs and resolutions. I could not have asked for more. Honestly looking back at the first book now, I feel like the characters, wondering how it got to the end, things were so different. I can't wait to re-read this series in a few years time, looking at things knowing how they are going to end, taking more in that I may have missed. Even better, the author has a new series set in the same world and the first book is already out. I won't be delving into that immediately but it's already bought and I probably won't be able to resist for long.

Wrath by John Gwynne is exactly how a great fantasy series should end—epic in scale, emotionally charged, and deeply satisfying. From start to finish, this book delivers nonstop intensity. The stakes are at their highest, and you can feel it in every chapter. Gwynne doesn’t hold back—there are moments of triumph, heartbreak, and shocking twists that genuinely keep you on edge. What really stood out is how well everything comes together. Character arcs that have been building across the series reach meaningful and often unexpected conclusions. You feel the weight of every decision, and the emotional payoff is huge. Some moments hit hard—in the best way. The battle scenes are outstanding—fast-paced, vivid, and easy to follow, even when multiple storylines are colliding. It all feels cinematic without ever losing clarity. Highlights: A truly satisfying and well-earned conclusion Strong emotional impact—both uplifting and devastating Memorable character payoffs and growth Epic, well-written battles that keep you hooked It’s rare for a long fantasy series to stick the landing this well, but Wrath absolutely does. If you’ve made it this far in the series, you won’t be disappointed. An incredible finale and a must-read for any epic fantasy fan.