I returned to Jacob Pepper’s Saga of the Known Lands earlier this year with the series’ second installment A Warrior’s Redemption. The novel is a worthy sequel to this grimdark fantasy tale.
So far, these books are not epic stories but more personal journeys focused on the series’ chief protagonist, Cutter. Also known as “Kingslayer,” the “Crimson Prince,” and the exiled Prince Bernard, Cutter is one of the more fascinating antiheroes I’ve encountered since Roland Deschain of Stephen King’s Dark Tower series.
Cutter, whose entire backstory has yet to be told, has a dark past and is the titular warrior needing redemption in the story. However, the one part of his scarred past he does not regret was murdering the Fey king. And, beginning in this novel, the Fey have come for their revenge. On top of that, Cutter must still protect Matt, the young man whom he believes to be his brother’s son. Speaking of that brother, Feledias – the primary antagonist of book one – is still seeking revenge for the affair Cutter had with his wife nearly twenty years ago.
The book begins where A Warrior’s Burden left off, with Cutter leaving to take Matt to the kingdom’s capital, where his royal lineage can be officially proven. With them are the trio of likable characters from the first book: former assassin Maeve, the illusionist Challadius, and the archer called Priest. But early on, that mission takes a dangerous detour when they arrive at the town of Two Rivers. Cutter senses there’s something sinister about the town. And it turns out to be worse than anything he could have imagined.
In addition to Cutter, another major character appears to find redemption in this tale. Meanwhile, the fate of a third major character, through a series of truly bad decisions, takes a very dark turn that promises to be the subject of the third book in the five-novel series. Overall, it’s the characters, more than the plot, that carry this tale. Fans of book one will not be disappointed and will probably be eager to read book three, A Warrior’s Curse, to learn what happens next.