Harry Connolly set out to write an epic fantasy with no dull parts. In The Way into Chaos he over delivers.
Harry Connolly’s 20 Palaces series, as well as his great short stories, are among some the favorite stuff I’ve reviewed. I waited until he finished publishing his three novel series “The Great Way,” before starting. I feel like he makes me wait so long for 20 Palaces stories that I wanted to be able to read this epic without too much delay.
I was eager to try Harry’s gritty, urban realism in a fantasy genre. This first novel does not disappoint. Harry gives you all the scope and majesty of an epic without all the boring set-ups, flashbacks and history lessons. You figure it all out on the go with lots of fantastic, imaginative action. Our two protagonists, a seasoned military man and a young female magician, seek to protect the prince, survive the fall of the empire, and stop The Blessing. Characters are well defined and the challenges obviously not as insurmountable as they seem.
I’ve already started the next in the series, The Way into Magic. Earlier this week Connolly released the third installment, The Way into Darkness.
The Way Into Chaos: Book One of the Great Way
The Way Into Magic: Book Two of The Great Way
The Way Into Darkness: Book Three of The Great Way