4/5 stars! This is the second book in the Lands of the Firstborn series by Gareth Hanrahan and cannot be read as a standalone. This books allows the MMC to peak behind the curtain and realize the motivations he pursued in the last book were really just following lies others told him. This definitely felt like a second book, in that it was more side quests and small conflicts to lead us to book 3. But I enjoyed it and will be continuing the series.

I know this review should have been issue long time ago but as a Gareth Hanrahan huge fan couldn't write something just well-done-good-book.
This is an excellent book, the second in this series, a mix of epic and dark fantasy that kept me hooked
and having fun till the the last page
The world building and the plot are as well done as usual, the characters are changing.
Cannot wait to read the next book by this author as I was never disappointed and this a powerful series
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I really enjoyed book 1 but this book was such a let down I should have dnfed.

There wasn’t really a cohesive plot. The characters were very 1 dimensional and it annoyed the hell out of me that we had 1 character who was adamant that said character hadn’t betrayed them without giving any good reasons as it why.
Then we come to the female characters 1 in particular. In book 1 she really came into herself but in this book she was just left. There was no real motivation for her and what she learned in book 1 seemed to just be forgotten. There was a chance for the author to really take her and make her something amazing, learning about all the political ways of a world she’s not used to alongside learning about her power. But it was a last minute decision (to me) to thrust her with this power and then not show us how she is learning to use said power. It was very rushed and left me feeling like I’d missed out on something/ was cheated from the story I was promised especially from the end of book 1

I am sure there are some readers who would love this book but it really wasn’t for me.
It could be a case of “middle book syndrome” but I don’t see myself picking up the next book.

It was such a shame as book 1 was a ball of fun but this book didn’t stick the landing for me.

This is the sequel to the brilliant sword defiant. It's a hefty book, but so very, uniquely engrossing. Alf was one of The Nine, a group of heroes who slew the dark lord and saved the world. But that was 20 years ago and Alf is still wielding Spellbreaker, the blood thirsty sword who likes to talk to Alf. Alf is such a wonderful character; I adore his little double act with the sword! His sister, Olva is trying to hold onto her son and keep him safe. She goes on the most amazing journey and I adored her arc.
The cast of characters in this novel is so engaging and I adored all the different point of views. The worldbuilding is clever and I adored the different settings. I'm hoping we get more of Lath and Derwyn in the next book.
This is turning into a phenomenal series. My only complain, was that the pacing dropped in the middle and it felt like a bit of a slog till we got back into the heart racing action scences.
This is a must for anyone who likes big, bold fantasy. I really adore Gareth's writing style. I'm eagerly looking forward to the final instalment.
Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an arc in return for an honest review.

Reading both books in Gareth Hanrahan's 'Lands of the Firstborn' series it is impossible to not notice the influence of his background in TTRPGs. Hanrahan takes the classic adventuring party and tips it into a future beyond the end of the campaign where 'happily ever after' is far more complicated and out of reach than one might think.
In this sequel, Hanrahan continues the exploration of what happens in a fantasy world after the big bad has been defeated. In The Sword Unbound the focus is even broader, with more perspectives than in book one and a deeper exploration of the themes and ideas opened up in The Sword Defiant. There is still the heart of the book with Alf and Spellbreaker but I appreciated the chance to find out more about some of the other characters and settings in the story.
I would suggest that anyone planning on reading this first squeeze in a reread of book one because I did feel that I had a slow start to the second book where I had to re-immerse myself in this world. I suspect had I jumped in from book one the pace would have felt much smoother. That being said once I was into the latter half of The Sword Unbound I had the same feeling of needing to know what happens next that I had with the first book.
I recommend this series to anyone who wants to explore Fantasy tropes and ideas through an almost meta lense, looking at archetypal characters and story ideas and picking them apart somewhat. But for those who are just looking for an interesting fantasy read I think this would work perfectly well also!
I'm always excited to see what Gareth Hanrahan does next, his books make me think differently about characters and about storytelling and I hope more people read his books if only so I have more people with whom I can have deep conversations about this kind of thing.
I received a free review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.

The Sword Unbound by Gareth Hanrahan is the second in the Lands of the Firstborn trilogy from Orbit Books.

Alf and his companions known as the Nine thought they were saving the world, now twenty years later the surviving members are rebels and hunted by powers that would see them destroyed. Alf and his magic sword Spellbreaker are hunted as he seeks to do what is right and live up to the goals of the Nine all those years ago, only this time he knows just what role those greater powers are playing and his family are now in as much danger as he is.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series and was delighted to get a chance to read the second one and it more than lived up to expectations.

The plot kept me hooked throughout the book as we follow the characters as they learn more about the world and what is happening around them and just how dangerous things have become and how they deal with things.

The characters for me were the best part of this book. I loved Alf in the first book and even more in this one. His sister Olva was another character who went through an incredible journey last time and has more ahead in this book. The other character that is featured in a big way this time is Bor who is the antithesis of Alf and perhaps gives us a glimpse of just who Alf could have become had he not met the Nine. I really enjoy that these characters are older and world-weary and not the fresh-faced heroes we get in so many books.

The worldbuilding was so well done and formed such an integral part of the plot. From the city of Necrad to that of Arden and the differing lands of the humans and Elves. The magic was another part I enjoyed especially seeing more of the earth power.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait for the final book in the trilogy. I recommend it to any who enjoyed the first book or who enjoy grumpy old adventurers doing what they do best.