A Time of Dread

A Time of Dread reminds me of why I became a fantasy enthusiast in the first place. Fantasy can be an escape from reality, but some stories carry the reader to an enhanced reality, a place where the world seems to have brighter colors and sharper contrasts – Robin Hobb, author of Assassin’s ApprenticeA truly excellent read … Exciting, well-written swords and sorcery. Try it on for size – Mark Lawrence, author of The Broken Empire trilogyJohn Gwynne is one of the modern masters of heroic fantasy – Adrian Tchaikovsky, author of Children of TimeA Time of Dread is marvellous. Gwynne’s writing is superb, delivering not only twists and turns but also nuance and complexity – Sebastien de Castell, author of The Greatcoats seriesGreat evils, conflicted heroes, bloody battles, betrayal and giants riding battle bears! What’s not to love? – Peter Newman, author of The VagrantI loved A Time of Dread and read it from cover to cover in two days. I couldn’t put it down – Miles Cameron, author of The Red KnightA brilliantly compelling heroic fantasy – likeable characters with nuance, a story that builds at a perfect pace and a thrilling, climactic ending that kept me reading late into the night – James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was LostAn accomplished and rousing tale of heroes and dark deeds that fans of epic fantasy will devour – Tom Lloyd, author of The Twilight Reign seriesA fierce, gripping tale, and one I found hugely enjoyable – Anna Smith Spark, author of The Court of Broken KnivesA brilliant and bold journey into an unpredictable world, A Time of Dread is an exciting tale of rivalry, politics and a power struggle of epic proportions – Lucy Holland, author of SistersongGwynne does an excellent job of weaving a classic light vs dark tale while keeping it interesting … a sense of foreboding builds along with the pace, balanced by the overall sense of hope * SFX *The stakes are high, the characters are engaging and relatable, and the action is thrilling … you will storm through A Time of Dread * SciFiNow *

John Gwynne studied and lectured at Brighton University. He has played double bass in a rock ‘n’ roll band, packed soap in a soap factory and dug ditches for a landscaping crew. He is the author of the epic fantasy series The Faithful and the Fallen, consisting of Malice, Valour, Ruin and Wrath, the Of Blood and Bone trilogy and the Bloodsworn Saga. He is married with four children, seven goats, five sheep, three dogs, three horses and three ducks, and lives in East Sussex, where he is part of a Viking re-enactment group. When not writing or running around after his wife and her ever-growing collection of animals, he can occasionally be found standing in a shield wall with his three sons about him.