Review: The Fall of the Giants by Gregory Kontaxis
Blurb:
Elliot is now alone. He’s left Elmor and his friends behind as he heads for the Mountains of the Forgotten World on a mission, which is almost impossible to accomplish.
The Elder Races, the creatures that according to legend are haunted by an ancient curse, are his only hope of defeating Walter. Nobody knows if Elliot has the power to break the curse, and Queen Sophie and the people of Elmor depend on him. Walter may have been defeated in the last battle, but he’ll soon return more determined than ever to destroy his remaining enemies once and for all.
Elliot needs new allies, but the creatures he wants to get on his side have suffered at the hands of humans. Will he manage to convince the Elder Races that he is different?
The second book in the series, The Dance of Light, will engage you in a compelling journey full of unexpected twists and thrills until the very last page.
Review:
As I said in my last review, I initially picked up this series because Gregory reached out. But I continued onto The Fall of the Giants because The Return of the Knights was good (and still a little because Gregory reached out and I said I would. But mostly because it was good!) So, we’re back in Knightdorn and everyone is everywhere…including not in Knightdorn but on the Ice Islands.
The first thing I noticed when I started The Fall of the Giants was how the writing improved. I think Gregory found his flow and rhythm earlier in this book, which allowed for the character development and world expansion we saw. My tiny little caveat to this is: because the writing was overall stronger, it meant the areas that weren’t as strong stood out more. It wasn't anything major but some phrasing or the speed of things felt less natural than they could have.
The Return of the Knights (I’m calling it RotK after this.I don’t want to keep typing it.) focused mainly on Elliot, Sophie, Syrella and Walter and we started to grow the cast of characters around them. This time, we get to spend more time with some of the supporting characters from RotK: Velhisya, Eleanor, Selwyn (kinda), and, my favourite, the Elder Races. Yes, we still see some of Sophie and Syrella and, of course, Walter, but we get a chance for the other characters to come through and with them build the wider world. “Do we not see Elliot?” We do. He’s generally with the Elder Races but I found him pretty whiny so he is in my mental box of shame for the purposes of this review.
After RotK, I said to Gregory I was most interested in Velhisya. He promised me she has a bigger role in this book. I was not lied to and I appreciate that. Velhisya is ready to fight, whether Syrella wants her to or not. Actually I’m going to pause here on that note.
One thing I am finding and loving is the strength and skill of Gregory’s female characters but also they know their strengths and they aren’t trying to hide them. Syrella and her daughters are undeniably fierce fighters, they know it and those around them know it. Velhisya is not sword strong, something that is mentioned a few times, but she is skilled in other areas and it’s acknowledged and applauded. Eleanor is a mix of both, skilled as a soldier, compassionate, clever and impressive such that Elliot believes she can lead a leaderless state in Knightdorn. Sophie and Syrella’s relationship is one that develops and their conflicts are political, not personal. They actually find a very strong relationship in this book and that was really nice to see. Gregory’s female characters are fully realised and developed but also have room for growth. This is something I think is lost on many authors, especially where their books have aspects of bodily assault mentioned (if you’re triggered by those kinds of mentions, please be cautious with this series. There is nothing overly graphic so far but words and threats are thrown around). Massive ticks in the strong, well developed and considered female characters of the world! Gold star for the books so far and hopefully more praise to come!
Onto my overall favourites: the Elder Races. Elliot is with the Elder Races this time. I’ve already said I found Elliot whiny and I’m standing by that. But I loved, loved, loved seeing the Elder Races. The elwyns, elves, giants and their stories. The curse they live with is fierce and painful. So many of their scenes broke my heart completely. I cannot wait for more from Alaric and Alysia. But the mermaids! I cannot wait for whatever is going to happen there. I am excited, I am ready for it and I am hoping for carnage. These are not your Disney mermaids. These are ‘ruin your day and maybe kill you’ mermaids.
While we focused on the supporting characters from the last book and we continued growing the world, I didn’t think we lost anything that made the first book captivating. The notes of ‘Oh that was good’ and *chef’s kiss* continue. Especially where I thought one confrontation was underwhelming but then all the pieces came together and oooooooooh, that was good. I’m going to be squinting and suspicious about so many things now. There is no little detail that is unimportant, even if it seems like it at the time.
Sequels/follow on books are kind of difficult to review without spoilers so the best round up I can offer to you all is this: On its own, I thought The Fall of Giants was a good read and following from RofK it complimented it well. I’m enjoying the series, I’m looking forward to the next book and I hope more people will join me in finding out if Sophie and her allies will triumph or are we headed for a proper Greek tragedy.
