Cry, Voidbringer is an epic fantasy that showcases the brutality of war, the helplessness of not being able to change the system, and the importance of family, whether blood or found.

I loved this book. We are thrown in the deep end at the start, and the story immediately grabbed me. The world-building is excellent with enough detail for things to make sense and to feel immersed in the world without the problem of the info-dump. The characters were intricate, each one flawed but understandable.

Hammer (Elera) and Rafeis both endured the trauma of being raised as Faceless warriors, but while Hammer walls herself off and hides behind sarcasm and bitterness, Rafeis reaches out, using humour and companionship. My heart hurt for Viri as she was dragged from one nightmare to another, and her reactions to her situations as a 12-year-old make sense.

The balance between action and politics was very well done. You need the politics to understand why the action is happening and showing it from Naias’s point of view was an excellent way to do this. Although Naias isn’t one of ‘the good guys’, it is very easy to understand her actions and why she is doing it. Ultimately, she wants to change things for her people, but in doing so she loses herself and makes things worse.

I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a multi-layered fantasy that doesn’t gloss over the harshness of a continent at war but also shows the small moments of love on an individual level.

I can’t wait for the next one!

Thank you to NetGalley and Solaris Books for the digital ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

An incredible imagination has created a world seemingly full of mistrust and anger, and yet acts of kindness and love continue to provide hope for the amazing set of characters forming the heart of the story.

This read will never be predictable, a rare thing to find in contemporary writing. Sometimes confusing, frustrating and even heartbreaking but a compelling style. When fully immersed in the book it is difficult to leave but for some I think the intensity will demand a break.

Finally, the acknowledgement section, in just a few initial sentences, explains a reason for the depth of feeling felt throughout. An incredible piece of writing.

Cry, Voidbringer is:
Epic
Evocative
Emotional
High Stakes
Breathtaking

It is full of political intrigue and high stakes moments. Cry, Voidbringer is character driven and incredible descriptive writing.
I almost don’t know what to say about this book except that I loved it and I really think you should read it!

A story about found family, love in the darkest of places and how easily it can all fall apart.

Hammer is one of the Faceless, an army built on stolen children, branded and assigned names based on their speciality in fighting. Hammer does have a name, a real name, but she tells no one, as it is forbidden. One evening, she was sent with Crescent to attack an Empire's convoy, and what they found was a child, half beaten and starved. A God Child, a child born with a small amount of power from a specific god. Sometimes that power can be immense, and sometimes it can be pitiful. Bringing the child back to their Queen, Hammer is ordered to look after the child, Viri, and protect her. Until the day Viri's power is unleashed, and Hammer is now in the way of letting others abuse it.

This is a heartbreaking book of love, betrayal and stealing children to use them in a war for power. Beautifully written.