Defiance of the Fall

What happens if you stick a man in the woods with an axe and fill it with demons? You get Defiance of the Fall.

I really tried with this book, but God damn, it’s very grim (not on the level of grimdark though (looking at you, Joe Abercrombie (is it bad to go 3 levels deep with brackets?))). There are some really strong characters and writing, with some really complex systems and ideas. Given that this series has 15+ books, I can really see how it would grow as a world. It is very impressive from that standpoint.

My main problem was the MC. I understand his choices and why he makes them. I’m just not a fan of him personally. Which I guess is a big plus for the writing. I was mostly bored during this one.

If you like darker-themed MCs who are willing to cross the line while balancing complex world building, system design, and cultivation systems, then this might be for you.

I’ll give it a 3/5. It’s fine, I guess.