Of Blood and Bone 1: A Time of Dread

Set in the same world as the Faithful and the Fallen quartet, the first novel in John Gwynne's Of Blood and Bone series, A Time of Dread, takes place one hundred years after the end of Wrath.

The Ben-Elim, a race of warrior angels, once vanquished a mighty demon horde. Now they rule the Banished lands. But their dominion is brutally enforced and their ancient enemy may not be as crushed as they thought.

In the snowbound north, Drem, a trapper, finds mutilated corpses in the forests - a sign of demonic black magic. In the south, Riv, a young, tempestuous soldier, discovers a deadly rift within the Ben-Elim themselves.

Two individuals with two world-changing secrets. But where will they lead? And what role will Drem and Riv play in the Banished Land's fate? Difficult choices need to be made. Because in the shadows, demons are gathering, waiting for their time to rise. . .


A truly excellent read . . . Exciting, well-written swords and sorcery. Try it on for size (Mark Lawrence)

John Gwynne is of the modern masters of heroic fantasy (Adrian Tchaikovsky)

Fans of epic fantasy have something to cheer about: A Time of Dread is marvellous. Gwynne's writing is superb, delivering not only twists and turns but also nuance and complexity (Sebastien de Castell)

Great evils, conflicted heroes, bloody battles, betrayal, and giants riding battle bears! What's not to love? (Peter Newman)

I loved A Time of Dread and read it from cover to cover in two days. I couldn't put it down (Miles Cameron)

A brilliantly compelling heroic fantasy - likeable characters with nuance, a story that builds at a perfect pace, and a thrilling, climactic ending that kept me reading late into the night (James Islington)

An accomplished and rousing tale of heroes and dark deeds that fans of epic fantasy will devour (Tom Lloyd)

A fierce, gripping tale, and one I found hugely enjoyable (Anna Smith Spark)

A brilliant and bold journey into an unpredictable world, A Time of Dread is an exciting tale of rivalry, politics and a power struggle of epic proportions (Lucy Hounsom)

Gwynne does an excellent job of weaving a classic light vs dark tale while keeping it interesting . . . a sense of foreboding builds along with the pace, balanced by the overall sense of hope (SFX)