When I first started reading Sword in the Stars, I thought I might find it somewhat familiar because of how many books I read in this genre, but after Wayne Thomas Batson found his path, it surprised me fairly often. It took me about thirty pages to really find myself interested in the story, but once it got going, I couldn’t put it down. Batson tried things that other authors in the genre rarely even attempt.For example, how many fantasy epic writers introduce a baby to the story 70 pages in? And for those who do, how many of them have the skill to write them and the womenfolk properly? I’m just gonna tell you, not very many that I’ve read. I found that Batson did a fairly good job of writing his female characters as real people, in both Maren’s case as well as Abbagael’s.
Centuries have passed since the Silence, and the few remaining faithful cling to the ancient prophecies of the First One. They wait for the Caller and watch the skies for the Sword in the Stars, even as the world they've always known unravels around them.
Murderous Gorracks have secretly penetrated the kingdom's borders. Their attacks grow more brazen...more horrific, threatening to touch off a war on a scale that hasn't been seen in seven ages.
In the capital city of Anglinore, noble King Aravel ponders the advice of this twin brother Morlan: declare all out war on the Gorrack nation. While Anglinore's High Shepherd, the wise Sebastian Grenlaff urges caution and listens to troubling voices on the wind.
Queen Maren, due to deliver a child any day, suspects the unthinkable about her husband's brother Morlan. She sets off alone to Morlan's castle in Dunharrow, hoping against hope that she can keep old wounds from erupting in war.
Alastair Coldharrow, tortured by an addiction to the outlawed Witchdrale and haunted by a violent past, wagers his life on the hope that the foretold Halfainin, the Pathwalker, would come. When at last, the Sword appears in the Stars, Alastair begins a fruitless search for the Halfainin that leaves him disillusioned, broken, and lost. Used to caring only for himself, Alastair will enter a maelstrom of conflict as loyalties are tested, dark schemes are hatched, and the many realms of Myriad brace themselves for war.
Will Alastair realize what he has before its too late...for everyone?



I also wasn’t sure that I was going to like Alastair at all, from what I saw of him in the beginning. But throughout the novel, he grew on me, which was really nice. His struggles – with witchdrale, with forgiving himself, with love – throughout the book really made me find myself attached to him, despite his horrific past.
One character that I particularly liked from introduction to the last page was Queen Maren. I kind of wanted to know more about her past, particularly where it involved Morlan. There’s something about a woman who’s in love with her husband/wife/partner and would do anything to protect them as well as her country.
Another character that I wanted more about was King Ealden. He was so harsh with Alistair about the witchdrale, but then he prayed that he hadn’t pushed him away like he had the person who was introduced to us as taking to him like an older brother.
I think you might have noticed that I always wanted more information about my favorite characters, if you read my reviews on a regular basis. Thankfully, it’s a series, so perhaps I will get more of Ealden and Maren’s respective backstories as well as their futures.
The cover for this book is actually brilliant. I didn’t realize it until after I’d finished the book that it was Araval and Morlan on the card. I was going to say it was incredibly misleading, because there’s nothing to do with cards in the book, but then I realized it was the two Kings on the card that were the point of the cover, not the card itself.
I’m going to rate this book with four out of five stars, because it was really well written, and very enjoyable, but it didn’t entirely capture my heart. I definitely look forward to reading the rest of the series!