The Five Warrior Angels Trilogy by Brian Lee Durfee
I have become totally, totally obsessed with The Five Warrior Angels trilogy by Brian Lee Durfee. I will blog about it because it's easiest to do posts at dreamwidth/livejournal but as an initial placeholder, I've done a super old school webpage for it over here
Blurb for book 1: A massive army on the brink of conquest looms large in a world where prophecies are lies, magic is believed in but never seen, and hope is where you least expect to find it. Welcome to the Five Isles, where war has come in the name of the invading army of Sør Sevier, a merciless host driven by the prophetic fervor of the Angel Prince, Aeros, toward the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Yet Gault, one of the elite Knights Archaic of Sør Sevier, is growing disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks on his Lord Aeros’ greatest triumph. While the eldest son of the fallen king of Gul Kana now reigns in ever increasing paranoid isolationism, his two sisters seek their own paths. Jondralyn, the older sister, renowned for her beauty, only desires to prove her worth as a warrior, while Tala, the younger sister, has uncovered a secret that may not only destroy her family but the entire kingdom. Then there’s Hawkwood, the assassin sent to kill Jondralyn who has instead fallen in love with her and trains her in his deadly art. All are led further into dangerous conspiracies within the court. And hidden at the edge of Gul Kana is Nail, the orphan taken by the enigmatic Shawcroft to the remote whaling village of Gallows Haven, a young man who may hold the link to the salvation of the entire Five Isles. You may think you know this story, but everyone is not who they seem, nor do they fit the roles you expect. Durfee has created an epic fantasy full of hope in a world based on lies.
If you like the darkness, complexity and richness of A Song of Ice and Fire you might like this. If you like the immersive story-telling tone of The Stormlight Archive, you might like this. It's very gory, violent and brutal but there's a beautiful and rich world with fascinating characters that are compelling whether you love or hate them - and believe me, there are plenty to hate ... Durfee writes beautiful prose, there are some really thought-provoking and interesting concepts discussed