Ranger’s Oath by Blake Arthur Peel || Demons and Mages and Rangers, Oh My!

Ranger's Oath (Fall of Radiance, #1)

The barrier between worlds is broken. Only he knows the truth...

Magic has protected Tarsynium for a thousand years, shielding its people from being ravaged by bloodthirsty demons. When a young ranger's apprentice named Owyn Lund discovers that the Arc of Radiance has been breached, he tries to warn anybody who will listen.

But legends aren't supposed to be real.

When a village is mysteriously destroyed, rangers, mages, and rebels all point the finger, blaming each other for the demons' brutality. However, Zara Dennel, a mage's ward, has heard Owyn's tale—and she's inclined to believe him.

Together, they must prove that friendship is greater than intolerance, unity is more important than division, and that even the most powerful magic can sometimes not be enough.

Failure means the end of all things. A second—and lasting—Doom.

Rating:

Content Tags:

Perfect for readers who want:

• Magic and mages and demons.
• A world complicated by factions and politics.
• A variety of characters that need to come together.
• War filled with battles and fighting.
• A budding slow-burn romance between companions.

I learned about this book while taking part in the Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award last year, where it was a finalist. As part of the competition, I read the first 2,000 words or so, I think, and that was it, but I enjoyed the beginning so much that I was excited to have the chance to read the rest!

Ranger’s Oath is a dark fantasy where demons exist, there’s unrest among the different factions, and the young will lead them. Reluctantly. It’s filled with magic, action, and camaraderie.

While I really wanted a little more world-building to truly understand parts of this world, I still had a heck of a good time reading this. I’ll be continuing the series for sure when I get a chance! There were lots of things to love about this book, and I’m really curious about where it’s going from here.

Ranger’s Oath placed in fifth place in the BBNYA competition in 2020. BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors. 

If you are an author and wish to learn more about the 2021 BBNYA competition, you can visit the official website (https://www.bbnya.com/) or our Twitter account, @BBNYA_Official. If you would like to sign-up and enter your book, you can find the BBNYA 2021 AUTHOR SIGN UP FORM HERE. Please make sure to carefully read our terms and conditions before entering. 

If you are a book blogger or reviewer, you can apply to be part of BBNYA 2021 by filling out this form (also remember to read the terms and conditions before signing up)!  BBNYA is brought to you in association with the Folio Society (If you love beautiful books you NEED to check out their website!) And the book blogger support group TheWriteReads.

The two main characters are Owyn, a Ranger, and Zara, a mage, and they couldn’t be more different.

In a good way, of course, because how boring would it be if all the characters were the same?

Owyn is a Ranger, which is exactly what it sounds. Ranger’s become attuned to nature and serve the kingdom by perpetually wandering, protecting the citizens, and living the sort of nomadic life that takes them wherever they’re needed.

Zara is in training to be a mage, top of her class, used to following the rules. Mages are cityfolk that use magic and tend to look down on … well, everyone else, I suppose. Yet, Zara is smart and knows when to trust her instincts.

As one might expect, these two groups don’t exactly get on well together, not to mention the other various factions that exist in this world, like the rebel Nightingales. So the main characters have their work cut out for them.

Ranger’s Oath is full of demons, and they are every bit as terrifying as you might imagine.

Peel does not shy away from the ugly reality that the threat of demons poses. It’s bloody and gory and not for the faint of heart. There are plenty of scenes that might turn a weak stomach. For someone who loves dark fantasy, though, there’s a lot to love. Since dark fantasy is my jam, I was thrilled that Peel makes the reader viscerally feel the threat with his vivid descriptions.

Demons also come in all different shapes and sizes and types, which was interesting to see what would pop up next. While there are some introduced in this first book, I have a feeling that readers might get to meet other types of demons in subsequent books, which I look forward to! Why have one type of baddie when you can have many? Makes it all the more fun.

The book isn’t all darkness, of course, and there are some wonderful side characters that really lift the story.

My favorite was definitely Owyn’s mentor, Elias, who is obviously my type. Quiet, thoughtful, graceful, stoic, and fiercely protective of his ward, Elias is the epitome of what one might imagine a Ranger being.

While I can’t say that I connected with a bunch of the minor characters, they did present some much needed warmth and levity in an otherwise dark world. There are also many not-so-subtle reminders to keep hope and that things can work out, which I appreciated.

There are plenty of secrets in this book and even a hint of romance, so a little bit of something for everyone.

For readers who enjoy a good conspiracy, there’s plenty of that in Ranger’s Oath! Trust no one! I wasn’t quite sure what to believe or what was happening at times, but in a good way, because the main characters were equally confused. It was fun getting to discover things with them, especially in the case of betrayals and surprising twists. With so many different factions in this world, is there any wonder that there are dangerous secrets kept from them?!

There’s even a little whiff of a romance, which doesn’t come to fruition in this book, but I’ll be interested to see where it goes. The banter between the pair, though, is *chef’s kiss*. I love slow burn romances, so I appreciate that the characters haven’t just thrown themselves at each other (though that can be fun, too), but that it’s evolving very naturally through a sort of companionship instead.

About Blake Arthur Peel

Blake Arthur Peel has been coming up with stories ever since he was a kid.
He inflicted his scribblings on family members and friends throughout his
youth, always drawing maps in the back of notebooks and daydreaming
when he probably should have been paying attention. It wasn’t until he
was out of college that he finally decided to get serious about pursuing his
career as a fantasy author.

His favorite stories have always been about good conquering evil, about
fantastic worlds and wondrous magic systems. The works that have most
inspired him are The Lord of the Rings, The Dragonlance Chronicles, The
Riftwar Saga, The Stormlight Archive, and The Wheel of Time, among
many others. Blake was born and raised in Hemet, California. Nowadays,
he lives in Tennessee with his wife and two sons.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Other Reviews:

• Becky’s Book Blog
• Feed the Crime
• Read to Ramble