The Pariah

• Author: Anthony Ryan
• Genre: Fantasy
• Publication Date: August 24, 2021
• Publisher: Orbit
• Series: Covenant of Steel #1

Thank you to Orbit and Angela Man for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

CONTENT WARNING: violence, blood, gore, murder, child neglect, child abandonment, torture, drug use, mention of animal torture

Born into the troubled kingdom of Albermaine, Alwyn Scribe is raised as an outlaw. Quick of wit and deft with a blade, Alwyn is content with the freedom of the woods and the comradeship of his fellow thieves. But an act of betrayal sets him on a new path—one of blood and vengeance, which eventually leads him to a soldier’s life in the king’s army.

Fighting under the command of Lady Evadine Courlain, a noblewoman beset by visions of a demonic apocalypse, Alwyn must survive war and the deadly intrigues of the nobility if he hopes to claim his vengeance.

I was gripped me from the opening scenes of a raid by Alwyn and his fellow outlaws, and had me hooked for the entirety of the book. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a brick of a book and I was lucky to get all three books before I started reading the first one (don’t judge me, life got hectic), but I can’t wait to jump into the next one right away.

This epic fantasy is told through the eyes of Alwyn Scribe, a simple guy who just kind of goes with the flow. He was picked up pretty quickly by a band of outlaws and he made his home with them. It feels very much like a found family, even to the point where you have a one or two family members that rub you the wrong way, but sometimes you just have to work with them.

Throughout the story, Alwyn has to adjust to changing situations, and he does so with grace. He’s had very little control over the direction of his life at any point, and that doesn’t really change in this book—he’s just kind of thrust from one situation to another, but he handles it relatively well. And don’t get me wrong, he’s an outlaw and a criminal, but I found it almost impossible to not like him. He’s level-headed and reasonable, able to see through the lies and illusion that others don’t, and above all, street smart. I’m eager to see what’s in store for the rest of this series, so stay tuned to see my thoughts of the other two books!

People who have sat around with me while I’m reading, especially when there’s a surprising reveal, a shocking plot twist, or an unexpected event often look up in alarm when I gasp audibly. The gasp factor is directly related to the number of times I audibly gasp during a reading, and there isn’t an upper limit.

Gasp Factor: 10