Series: Rise of the Alliance #1
Author: Sherwood Smith
Publisher: DAW
Released: June 11, 2019
Received: NetGalley

Sherwood Smith is back with a brand new fantasy series, Rise of the Alliance. And it all starts with A Sword Named Truth (I love that name). However, I should mention that this series is set in the same world as Inda and is a bit of a prequel to the Crown Duel series (a true love of mine, please go read!).

Naturally, the second I saw Crown Duel mentioned, I knew I had to read A Sword Named Truth. I loved those books back when they came out (and I really should reread them sometime…). Also, this is a book that fans have literally been waiting YEARS for, as it got stuck in book limbo. Never a fun time, let me tell you that.

“She intuited with a thrill of sorrow that he couldn’t let himself believe [the truth about the attack], because he did not know what to do other than what he had already done … She kissed him again, harder, because he was a man underneath the trappings of kingship, a man enduring as much fear as his subjects.”

Honestly, A Sword Named Truth is one of those books that defies standard reviewing. I’m struggling to find the right words to describe how I felt about it, other than saying that I greatly enjoyed this adventure.

It is always something to cherish, going back to a world that we have fallen in love with. I love revisiting this world and seeing new characters come to life within the pages. It was fun and tense and really did a fantastic job of capturing my imagination.

A Sword Named Truth is an epic fantasy through and through, from the setting and plot to the sheer size of it all (570 pages, for those that are curious). It is a hefty read and should keep even the fastest reader occupied for at least a day or two.

Thanks to DAW and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.