The Ninth Rain
Ratings59
Average rating4.1
15
Ratings59
Average rating4.1
Jen Williams, acclaimed author of The Copper Cat trilogy, featuring THE COPPER PROMISE, THE IRON GHOST and THE SILVER TIDE, returns with the first in a blistering new trilogy. 'An original new voice in heroic fantasy' Adrian Tchaikovsky The great city of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now its streets are stalked by wolves. Tormalin the Oathless has no taste for sitting around waiting to die while the realm of his storied ancestors falls to pieces - talk about a guilt trip. Better to be amongst the living, where there are taverns full of women and wine. When eccentric explorer, Lady Vincenza 'Vintage' de Grazon, offers him employment, he sees an easy way out. Even when they are joined by a fugitive witch with a tendency to set things on fire, the prospect of facing down monsters and retrieving ancient artefacts is preferable to the abomination he left behind. But not everyone is willing to let the Eboran empire collapse, and the adventurers are quickly drawn into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war. For the Jure'lia are coming, and the Ninth Rain must fall...
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Series
2 primary booksThe Winnowing Flame Trilogy is a 2-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2017 with contributions by Jen Williams.
Reviews with the most likes.
The first book in the Winnowing Flame trilogy. A world where Elves and Humans live separately after a terrible war. Now a tree god is dead and the Eboran elves are slowly dying, the world of Sarn facing its own demise.
This is a fun and enjoyable journey, although there are moments of dark times and horror scenes, all formulating into a brilliant epic fantasy ride, which we are only 1 book into!
You follow the 3 main characters; Vintage - the rich and fantastic captain of the group. Tor - the serious Eboran elf with a passion for wine and human blood. Finally, Noon - the escaped witch with a tendency to set things on fire.
All 3 characters had their own views and beliefs, each with their own reason to trek on this journey. I honestly could not pick a favourite.
I thoroughly enjoyed this one. Superb story telling from a great author. I'm going to read this series alongside Foundryside, just to keep things fresh.
Overall 4/5 - recommend for anyone who enjoys witty characters and great characterisation, some horror elements and a nice slicing of epic fantasy.
An excellent start to a new trilogy. Interesting characters, a fascinating new world, and some powerful opponents.
Liked: atmosphere, exploration, mystery
Didn`t like: unoriginal romance (two characters of oposite sexes and straight orientation can`t travel together without falling in love. Again). Characters felt shallow.
A very different fantastical setting. Taking some interesting tropes but twisting them in unique ways this was a highly impressive read. Clever world building and really interesting character development lead to a highly accomplished and unique feeling fantasy.
The world is one of decay, quite a common fantasy trope, but taken in quite a clever and unique way. The race and civilization that has protected the world (Ebora) is in terminal decline. Its sustaining god has died and with it the protections granted. They have turned into an almost vampiric people, finding that human blood helps sustain them, but at the cost of eventual terminal illness.
Meanwhile, Fell Witches, women who can use other creatures life force to generate ‘winnow flame', are kept in a kind of prison, looked over by some malevolent religious cult. They are kept as almost slaves.
The alien Jure'lia invader that has left the world in its decayed state have relics dotted around the landscape, which cause all sorts of weird and strange effects in their vicinity.
The story has a strong found family bent. We follow Vintage, a strangely wealthy researcher into the relics dotted around the world, an escaped Fell Witch, and one of the Eboran vampiric type creatures. They are on a quest to understand the Jure'lian relics with implications for the future of the world.
Meanwhile, there is politics afoot as the leader of Ebora tries to heal her falling civilization.
This is all epic fantasy at its best. Plus it has giant pet bats.
