Review: Epic Fantastic
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 06 2, 2014
Sam Hunt should be famous, reaping the rewards of two bestsellers for The Whirlwind and the Thorn Tree, as well as this book, the second in the Outlaw King Series. These two books can easily match if not exceed best-selling authors in the genre including King, Abercrombie, and others.Destin, the world that Hunt has built for these books is so fascinating and so credible at the same time, it is just a sheer pleasure to read. It is a completely different world than Earth, and yet at times there are small similarities. His worldbuilding techniques are masterclass as he shows us how the world works and the differences in the species of people, flora and fauna. I love the landscapes. With just a few of the right words, Hunt paints gorgeous pictures of the lands the characters travel through. He makes me want to physically see some of the places he describes, and I can imagine them in my head populated by the characters as if the novel were a movie. Very cinematic!You must read the books in order, so if you haven't read Whirlwind, Read that first, or you won't get as much meaning out of this book. Law of the Wolf starts directly after Whirlwind ends, and we follow the intriguing characters through one battle after another. Don't start reading late at night unless you plan on staying up for many hours, because you will be glued to these pages, unable to stop reading until the book is done.Many of the unanswered questions of book one are revealed in book two. Sawyer is a primary character in this book, and he really comes up to the challenge. Ross finds a new talent and reconnects with a friend. Noreen is out of control because of deep sadness, we see Sardis a bit more, and a lot more of Ardelia and her swordwives. kSet plays a big role in this book along with the wilders, the God Obelus and Lucas has come back from the dead to wreak havoc on Ain and the multiverse in cahoots with Sardis. The King, Normandy Kaliburn straps his six shooters back on and goes to war, alongside the Kingsman Walter. The group is on a quest to save the multiverse and Sawyer at the same time. Seymour, a former Kingsman, who people thought was crazy, has joined them. He actually may be extremely helpful as well as full time comic relief.I have only one tiny complaint, the ending seemed a bit rushed. One minute I was reading and the next it was over. I like a bit of a softer landing, especially when I was so keyed up after what happened to Sawyer, and Ardelia, and then the fight with Ross. It wasn't a cliffhanger, it was simply a cliff. Now I have to calm down, as there is no book three to read yet.Please Mr. Hunt, if there is anything I can do to make your next book come out faster just comment on this review, and I will do what it takes to help get the book to market and promote it.Bottom Line: If you don't know who S.A. Hunt is, and you read fantasy, it's like you missed the Wheel of Time, or the Lord of the Rings. Hunt is the real deal. I accidentally happened upon his work, and I am so glad I did.