The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson – book review

The blurb

The war is over but peace can be hell.

Demons continue to burn farmlands, violent mercenaries roam the wilds and a plague is spreading. The country of Eidyn is on its knees.

In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first mage to be named king’s envoy. And his latest task is to restore and exiled foreign queen to her throne.

The band of allies he assembles each have their own unique skills. But they are strangers to one another, and at every step across the ravaged land, a new threat emerges, lies are revealed and distrust could destroy everything they are working for. Somehow, Aranok must bring his companions together and uncover the conspiracy that threatens the kingdom – before war returns to the realms again.

The review

The Lost War is an epic fantasy by Justin Lee Anderson. Winner of SPFBO, it has since been traditionally published by Orbit.

I can certainly see why it won SPFBO – and why it was subsequently picked up by a traditional publisher.

When I first started it, I did say on social media that it was like a more serious version of Kings of the Wyld. I still sort of stand by that – in that in this series we have a band of people who have come together to fight evil. I only mention that comparison because I really enjoyed the group dynamics in both these books and fans of the found family trope will really enjoy The Lost War.

Aside from that, we have a very different story. In the land of Eidyn, druids are reviled and treated with suspicion – and yet they are very much needed in a savage world like this. It is a land with a cursed army, of monsters, and war.

But what actually is the truth? This is an interesting concept… and now I’m writing this review, perhaps even more significant given the use of social media to report on current conflicts. Misinformation is an issue in this world too.

The world building is excellent, the themes compelling – but it is the characters who really make the novel sing. They all feel very distinct and you will absolutely feel for each of them, all coming from quite different backgrounds. Aranok was my favourite character as he really propelled the story forward for me.

I cannot talk about the plot. I feel to reveal too much will only detract from the reading experience. You really should go into this knowing nothing. Revelations come thick and fast once the story gets going and I don’t want to ruin a single one of them.

That sounds very cryptic – so I’ll simply add – this is a great epic fantasy. It has vibes of The Witcher about it, but is also very much it’s own thing too. I’m very much looking forward to reading book 2 – which I believe is coming out soon.

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