The Sword Defiant

By: Gareth Hanrahan

Narrated by: George Weightman

Set in a world of dark myth and dangerous prophecy, this thrilling fantasy launches an epic tale of daring warriors, living weapons, and bloodthirsty vengeance.​

Many years ago, Sir Aelfric and his nine companions saved the world, seizing the Dark Lord's cursed weapons, along with his dread city of Necrad. That was the easy part.

Now, when Aelfric - keeper of the cursed sword Spellbreaker - learns of a new and terrifying threat, he seeks the nine heroes once again. But they are wandering adventurers no longer. Yesterday's eager heroes are today's weary leaders - and some have turned to the darkness, becoming monsters themselves.

If there's one thing Aelfric knows, it's slaying monsters. Even if they used to be his friends.

"I will buy any novel that Gareth Hanrahan ever writes." - The Fantasy Inn

"Hanrahan has an astonishing imagination." - Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones

Critic reviews

"Employing an enviable skill with both plotting and prose, Gareth Hanrahan has in The Gutter Prayer woven an intricate and finely crafted web of compelling characters navigating a city rich in dark and original wonders. I await the sequel with the keenest anticipation."—Anthony Ryan on The Gutter Prayer

"A gripping tale that meshes beautifully with its fascinating, darkly inventive setting."—James Islington on The Gutter Prayer

"The Gutter Prayer is captivating and complex. Guerdon is a city that seethes with history, horror, and hidden secrets, and Hanrahan's assured style is reminiscent of China Mievelle in the best way possible."—Nicholas Eames on The Gutter Prayer

"A groundbreaking and extraordinary novel . . . Hanrahan has an astonishing imagination."—Peter McLean on The Gutter Prayer

"Readers who enjoy the intricate worldbuilding of Patrick Rothfuss, Mark Lawrence, Max Gladstone, and Steven Erikson should start with the first volume before tackling this satisfying sequel."—Library Journal on The Shadow Saint

"Beautifully written. Gripping. Guerdon is the city of my dreams."—Anna Smith Spark on The Gutter Prayer

"This is genre-defying fantasy at its very best. An absolutely stunning debut. Insanely inventive and deeply twisted. I loved it! Highly recommended."—Michael R. Fletcher on The Gutter Prayer

"With living candles, ancient ghouls, broken gods, and more, The Gutter Prayer brims with cool and often twisted ideas."—Peter Newman on The Gutter Prayer

"Laced with the blackest of humor and packed with magic and mayhem, this is fantasy turned up to 11."—Anna Stephens on The Gutter Prayer

"Hanrahan brings the sights, sounds, and smells of Guerdon to life with crisp, lyrical prose that moves swiftly between thrilling action sequences and imaginative worldbuilding."—Publishers Weekly on The Gutter Prayer

"I will buy any novel that Gareth Hanrahan ever writes. ... The Shadow Saint is a brilliant book."—Fantasy Inn on The Shadow Saint

“Hanrahan’s RPG roots are clear, but it’s the incredible depth of his imagination that make his world and story unique. He takes traditional characters and settings, throws in his own unique and monstrous creations and builds something completely fresh. Simultaneously familiar and completely original, The Sword Defiant is a treat for all fantasy fans, and especially for RPG players. It’s an absolute blast.”—Justin Lee Anderson, author of The Lost War

Below average

If your like me and have read and listened through the vast majority of classic and modern “well done” dark fantasy and are scraping the bottom of the barrel for something new then maybe this book is worth it. It’s hard to image the same author who wrote “gutter prayer” wrote this book. There are 2 POV characters 1 is the MC who embodies all the most annoying traits of the “past his prime hero” and none of the charm. The second is we’ll probably the most empty,pointless character I’ve ever read in all of fiction. Go read something else unless you’ve already read everything else worth reading

it's not bad but painfully slow

majority of the story is old warriors trying to get a grasp on the glory days struggling with getting older and talking about the old days when they were in there prime. there are a few parts when it seemed like it was going to pick up but then due neck down immediately. very slow and pacing isn't consistent

The gray between good and evil

I enjoyed the slow discovery between the characters the world is not black and white. Where one sees righteousness another may see evil. The story of Olva was the most compelling. The love of a mother as she fights for her son drew me in. I was a little disappointed with the final entry of “Death”, but not enough to hate the book. Great monsters. Great heroes. A true Epic Fantasy. Well read. Well written.

A fantastic first

What happens after the quest is won? This was the first time I have seen an author go down this road, and seeing the great heroes years after their fabled victory was so cool to read. As an aging mortal myself I loved that the story followed an older hero coming to grips with his mortality and age, absolutely felt some sympathy pain in the knees a few times. This is an instant classic for me- absolutely perfect I’m every sense I was so happy reading this. The world building, character development, twists and turns absolutely kept me on the edge of my seat. I can’t wait to read more from this author!

Excellent Narrator!

Decent plot and semi-developed characters, but gratuitous use of the F word!
Why is it that every author seems to think that is the only word that an enraged person can use? I have read every volume in Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series—classic fantasy!— and I don’t remember him ever using that word. (Even when Brian Sanderson finished the series, I don’t think he added the use of that word.)
A truly talented author can manipulate language in such a way that a string of “obscenities” from an irate or evil person can a sound a truly disgustingly vicious, without using any truly obscene language.