The Dark Defiles (A Land Fit for Heroes Series Book 3)

The writing is good for the most part, but this conclusion to the trilogy is definitely not put as well together. As for the writing, one thing that I really didn't like was the frequent inner monologue interjections (e.g., "Come on Archidi!", Archeth talking to herself) which didn't really do much for characterization but was simply distracting.The most fatal flaws however are with the plot line(s)... Ringil's and Archeth's (and Egar's) two story threads diverge and never really reconverge. It's almost like the book became two separate, but related, novellas, with the chapters simply interleaved. Their two stories end up not really affecting each other except in a very indirect way. So I found myself wondering why I should have been invested in Archeth's story line at all (since the central plot line revolves around Ringil).Explanation for the major causations of the conflict that drives the story happens very late, like in the last 5 to 10% of the novel, and the complications come fast and furious, and barely comprehensible, leaving little time for the characters (or the reader) to internalize what all the strife is about... consequently, one gets to the end of the book with very little sense of "meaning" or conclusion.Possibly, Morgan was trying to bring some dark post-modern or existential theme to the fantasy genre, but if so, it wasn't executed well. Or maybe I just missed the "point". Having enjoyed the first two novels (with the exception of the raunchy sex scenes), I started this book with higher hopes. I feel like a book series can only be as strong as the weakest book in it - or certainly, as strong as its conclusion - and unfortunately this weak third book kind of makes the whole trilogy disappointing.

Well here’s a unigue protaginst: a sharp-witted and formidable soldier who is also gay. Being gay in this world is a capital offense, but everyone looks the other way since he’s now a war hero. Book One builds this character, wealthy scion Ringil Eskiath, who is forced to watch his young lover tortured and publicly executed. Ringil believes this boy was killed in his place. He spends his youth in crime and rampant sexuality but also honing his swordsmanship. He then turns his anger into fighting a truly terrifying existential alien threat. All this time Morgan is creating a dense and dirty world with, as you might expect, intrigue, cruelty, and betrayal. The nations come together, mostly, to fight the aliens, then after victory devolve into the old nation-states. Ringil has had enough and retreats to the countryside to make a living showing off his swordsmanship.The next two books reprise the battle with the aliens and the new threat from another dimension. Riskiath and two other heroes are called back to fight this even more terrifying demon. Battle scenes are realistic and bloody. Throughout all these books, Morgan has created a consistent and detailed world just a few degrees from ours, and if we see some familiar things, we are immediately thrown into the otherworldly where reality is just a breath away--or is this reality? Things get a little fuzzy in parts, and I found myself re-reading passages. When you start manipulating time, bookmarks are in order.Morgan has created an exceptional fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed Ringil’s snarkiness and intensity, but also his great devotion to his war buddies. These three are deeply flawed but accept each other and do what needs to be done. There is no hint of sentimentality nor is it necessary. All of the heroes have their own side stories and their characters fully formed within their own rich story lines. With the exception of the too-often misty mystical scenes and confusing time-twisting, these three books are the best fantasy there is.

The final and long-awaited volume of a series carries so much expectation that it more often than not ends up disappointing [me]. The Dark Defiles somewhat reluctantly falls within this category… This book is the third instalment of Richard K. Morgan’s fantasy series, A Land Fit for Heroes. Of which I liked mostly the first volume, The Steel Remains. When considering that this first book came out in January 2009, about six years ago, this may explains for the somewhat desultory tone of The Dark Defiles. As well as the overwhelming amount of info-dump needed to close the many open threads about the nature of the Land Fit for Heroes.[Warning: some spoilers in the following!] The most striking imbalance in the story is the rather mundane pursuits of the three major heroes, from finding an old sword to avenging fallen friends here and there, against the threat of an unravelling of the entire Universe and of the disappearance of the current cosmology. In addition, the absolute separation maintained by Morgan between Archeth and Ringil kills some of the alchemy of the previous books and increases the tendency to boring inner monologues. The volume is much, much more borderline science-fiction than the previous ones, which obviously kills some of the magic, given that the highest powers that be sound like a sort of meta computer code that eventually gives Ringil the ultimate decision. As most often, this mix between fantasy and science-fiction is not much to my taste, since it gives too much power to the foreign machines, the Helmsmen, which sound like they are driving the main human players for very long term goals. And which play too often deus ex machina to save the “heroes” from unsolvable situations. Overall a wee bit of a lengthy book, with a story coming to an unexpected end in the very final pages, leaving some threads unexplained and some feeling that style prevailed over story. But nonetheless a page turner in its second half.

I read all three books in the trilogy back to back in a week and half, when i came to a land fit for heroes i could barely put the book down. There are three main characters in the book, Egar the barbarian, Archeth who is the last of her kind in the world and has access to technology verging on the magical, Ringil the mage/swordsman who is the real star. Whilst the other two characters have a significant part to play, and the story bounces between characters, the trilogy is really the tale of Ringil. The story has a consistent overarching plot that is consistent throughout, something many other authors fail to achieve. Indeed the transition from sci fi to fantasy is one that Richard Morgan has achieved without issue, though to be fair there's a fair bit of sci fi in the series. Once i finishe the series i skipped back and re-read a few sections and realised there's parts of the plot that make more sense once you've finished the whole series. The ending was good with story threads tied up, though there's the options open for future books or another trilogy. There's dragons, sci fi, magic, sword fights, bars and drinking, aliens and monsters, if you've read morgans books before you know the quality and intensity of his writing, whilst i wish i could say more i'll stop there to avoid spoilers. A great series, the books were all page turners, recommended.

If you enjoyed the Altered Carbon books or the Netflix series for that matter, and you are also into fantasy fiction then this could be for you, There is some pretty graphic violence, so not for the squeamish. There are heroes, anti-heroes, strong female and ethnic leads. There are dragons - well a couple - but it isn’t a dragon story really.The arc of the story has a rather similar structure to Altered Carbon - hero with chequered past grapples with hostile powers to uncover a mystery, kill quite a lot of people, save a few. In the end like in Altered Carbon the tale boils down to just two main characters each leading a group of others and the to tales intertwining but not always touching.I liked - twists and turns, strong characters, good world building.I dint like - fairly gratuitous violence, but admittedly nothing in the “unreal” sense like Altered Carbon - just standard if very graphic inquisition and mediaeval stuff.I have read all three so this review goes for the three books in the land for heroes trilogy.

He is one of my favourite writers. I think I read all of his books. The worlds his stories play in are not all that different from other writers' of fantasy and science fiction, but he writes engaging stories with characters you care for. I especially like that his characters are not black and white. They can agonise over what to do, right and wrong, feel sorry or embarrassed over what they did in the past. Like real people. This book is very much a sequel, I don't know how well it would work not having read the previous books. Maybe this is only because I was waiting eagerly for it, having liked the story and the characters a lot. The heroes of the story are on no account goodies, but they can fight, and they are loyal to their friends. When one is in trouble, the others help out. They all set out on an expedition and soon things start to go wrong. War is declared in their absence and they are on the wrong side of the ocean in enemy territory. Then there are indications of a big threat to the world by an alien species. Dark forces helping the aliens to come through, and even some gods are concerned. What is called for is a lot of cunning, fighting experience, magic, diplomacy, and sometimes, brute force. What makes Richard Morgan's books different from a lot of similar stories? He writes intelligently, sensitively, and his characters show that. Oh, and a rare thing in the genre: a main character is gay.

A gripping storyline and at last a fantasy writer who dares to write about sexual norms in a way which is not orthodox or boringly conventional. Most sci fi and fantasy writers seem to loose all ability to fantasise about sex when it comes to relationships in their books. Here Richard Morgan treats all sexual relationships as normal and this makes for a more interesting story.

The last volume (?) in the series is a fantastic achievement by Richard Morgan. You will laugh, not breathe and breathe again as Gil, Archeth and Egar continue their quest for the Illwrack Changeling as a war further south complicates things no end. A fitting conclusion to a fine series of books. Things appear to end but there's enough plot threads dangling to hope for further stories down the road.