The Legacy of Lord Regret is a strangely enticing and highly original book. Bowring has spun a not-quite-familiar tale, the kind that teases the edges of your mind and is compulsive reading. Years after slaying the mad Lord Regret, who tore a jagged Wound in the sky, the long-gone Wardens return to restore balance to Aorn. The story follows Rostigan, a battle-weary mercenary who wanders the land with his minstrel girlfriend, Tarzi. When the pair encounter the long-dead Warden Stealer one night, Rostigan realises the Wound, the legacy of Lord Regret, is destroying the very fabric of Aorn. Embarking on a dangerous journey with Tarzi in tow, Rostigan sets out to find the other Wardens and gather an army to try and heal the Wound forever. A particularly fond mention has to be made of the terrifyingly endearing torturer, Forger. As much as you want to despise so black a fellow, there is no question that he gains such thorough satisfaction from his existence that one cant help but laugh. It is this dark tongue-in-cheek air that separates Bowring from the rest of the fantasy pack, an almost imperceptible and beguiling sense of humour that is reminiscent of early David Eddings. Bowring deftly mixes expansive world building with unpredictable characters to create a broadly appealing book in The Legacy of Lord Regret. Teens will find this book highly accessible and entertaining, and adults will delight in the subversion of some almost-familiar fantasy themes. The only downside? Youll have to buy the sequel, Lord of Lies, straight away.

Bowring's writing is fresh, witty and highly entertaining. Similar to his Broken Well Trilogy, The Legacy of Lord Regret manages to explore poignant questions on the human condition, whilst staying within the exciting, fast paced adventure world that us fantasy readers know and love. His characters are unique, interesting, unpredictable and some have the intriguing ability to be loved and loathed simultaneously. Although the story is complex and intellectual, the book remains accessible to most reading levels. The content covers intrinsic human morals and values, and probes the reader to question their own stand point on good and evil. No aspect of this book is two dimensional, he doesn't pander to the reader and I would recommend this book to avid fantasy fans and newbies alike. The marvellous and insanely created creatures that inhabit this world delight and frighten me equally and are exquisitely brought to life through the telling of the story. The end of the book leaves you wanting more and eager to read the second in the duology. Five Stars

This is a brilliant beginning to a fantastic duology. There is a good level of detail and history in this tale that unfolds in an engaging and natural way. There are shades of grey in even the wickedest villain and purest heroes as both good and bad are jointly responsible for the bringing the world to the brink of destruction. Its really fascinating once you get a true sense of what's happening and the cast is revealed.



Great read, can't wait to get through the next one.