The Shadow Saint by Gareth Hanrahan

The Shadow Saint:

Enter a city of spires and shadows . . .

The Gutter Miracle changed the landscape of Guerdon forever. Six months after it was conjured into being, the labyrinthine New City has become a haven for criminals and refugees.

Rumors have spread of a devastating new weapon buried beneath the streets – a weapon with the power to destroy a god. As Guerdon strives to remain neutral, two of the most powerful factions in the godswar send agents into the city to find it.

As tensions escalate and armies gather at the borders, how long will Guerdon be able to keep its enemies at bay?

Alright. It’s decided. I will buy any novel that Gareth Hanrahan ever writes.

Listen, I loved The Gutter Prayer. Loved it. Didn’t shut up about it for months. It was exciting, it was unique, and it was… well, it was completely fucking mental. In the best possible way.

Y’know when you read a book that totally matches your tastes? When you love the bones of it? When you can’t stop yelling at everyone you know to read it, whilst secretly being terrified that they might not love it as much as you do?

Yup. That was me with The Gutter Prayer.

So as is the way of these things, I was a little bit nervous to pick up The Shadow Saint. What if I didn’t like it as much as the first? What if it didn’t quite match my tastes as perfectly?

I loved it. I shouldn’t have worried. But I feel like it’s important to recognise that it’s quite a different book from the first.

A lot of that comes down to the POV characters. Hanrahan’s narration is pretty “close” to the characters, so a lot of the atmosphere and feel of the story is influenced by their personality. In The Gutter Prayer, this means we have a bit more of a youthful, impulsive journey. (In fairness, it would be impossible to have anything else with Cari as a main character.) The Shadow Saint, however, is a bit more thoughtful.

We have three new POV characters this time round, one of these being a side-character in the previous book — Eladora, Cari’s cousin, who had studied under Professor Ongent. There is also Terevant, a nobleman and army veteran from the necromantic lands of Old Haith. Then there is the Spy. A man with many names, many personalities, and many mysterious motivations.

That last one? He was really interesting. I have a thing for characters that can adopt one of multiple personas at a moments notice, and his arc in this book is incredible.

Admittedly though, wholesale changes to POV casts like this are always a little hit-and-miss with me. I get attached to the characters I read about, and I was very attached to the characters from The Gutter Prayer. As a result, it took me a little while to warm to the new cast. When I got past that self-imposed hurdle, though, I had a hell of a time. My enjoyment only increased as more of the older characters started to pop up as the book went on.

Like I’ve said, the new cast of characters is a lot more thoughtful. They’re more suited to the plot of this book, which centers around a political election in the aftermath of the events which have become known as the Crisis. The resultant political machinations therefore require a more careful, considering touch. Especially since the Godswar, which has until now never breached the walls of Guerdon, is approaching.

It might feel like it takes a while for the action to kick off, which some less patient readers might be wary of, but for me the anticipation made the eventual action all the sweeter. It was like lighting the fuse on a cascade of dynamite. There’s a little bit of a wait, full of tension… and then there are a bunch of explosions, the sky is on fire, and you’re wearing someone else’s body parts as a hat.

I’ve no idea how many books are planned in this series, but I want it to go on forever. If you like the sound of a crazy epic fantasy series with a bunch of psychopathic and narcissistic gods, a whole slew of original ideas, and a city which seems allergic to peace and quiet… The Black Iron Legacy series might be for you.

The Shadow Saint is a brilliant book, and I can’t wait for the next one.

The Shadow Saint will release on 7th January 2020 in ebook, and on 9th January 2020 in paperback.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. Thank you to Orbit Books for the review copy!