Although I finished this fourth and final installment in The Faithful and the Fallen well in time for the #FaithFallAlong liveshow hosted by Becca’s Catch-up Bookclub, I already knew I wouldn’t be able to join the live discussion because I was travelling at the time. Maybe that’s why I ended up postponing writing this review for so long—something I’m now mildly annoyed with myself about, haha.

Because every time I tried to start, all I could think was: sooo good! Not exactly the most insightful review 😅. Luckily, I’m in the habit of jotting down notes as I read, so let’s see if I can convert that enthusiastic chaos into something a bit more coherent!

John Gwynne – Wrath (The Faithful and the Fallen #4) ★★★★★

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Events are coming to a climax in the Banished Lands, as the war reaches new heights. King Nathair has taken control of the fortress at Drassil and three of the Seven Treasures are in his possession. And together with Calidus and his ally Queen Rhin, Nathair will do anything to obtain the remaining Treasures. With all seven under his command, he can open a portal to the Otherworld. Then Asroth and his demon-horde will finally break into the Banished Lands and become flesh.

Meanwhile Corban has been taken prisoner by the Jotun, warrior giants who ride their enormous bears into battle. His warband scattered, Corban must make new allies if he hopes to survive. But can he bond with competing factions of warlike giants? Somehow he must, if he’s to counter the threat Nathair represents.

His life hangs in the balance – and with it, the fate of the Banished Lands.

The perfect finale to a series that stole… and broke my heart.

What an ending! Wrath faced the difficult task of weaving together a vast, complex story with countless plotlines in a logical and satisfying way — and in my opinion, Gwynne absolutely nailed it. This finale to The Faithful and the Fallen is grand, intense, gripping, and heartbreakingly beautiful. From the very first page, tension surged through my body, as threat is immediate and ever-present. The battles are raw, vivid, and so immersive that sometimes I could only manage one or two chapters before needing a moment to catch my breath.

“Blood in the sunlight, men and horses toppling, screaming, death throes churning the turf. ”

Though the story revolves around a prophecy of an epic struggle between good and evil, filled with mystery and lost knowledge and magic, it’s ultimately the characters who form its true core. Their choices, the love or hate that drives them, the grief they carry. Gwynne once again demonstrates how well-crafted his characters are. They live and breathe, and will stay with me for a long time.

The cast in this series is immense, and I admit some of the less prominent characters were occasionally forgotten, but luckily Gwynne helps the reader each time with a subtle reintroduction, making even this large cast manageable. And despite the epic scale, the emotional impact remains personal and tangible.

“He couldn’t breathe; his sorrow was a physical thing that crushed the air from his lungs.”

I cried a lot while reading this book — tears of sorrow, relief, and anger. But I also smiled, chuckled, and laughed. Humor persists even in the darkest moments. It’s all very bittersweet. Every character gets their moment, and Gwynne grants both sides their victories and losses, creating a fair and layered finale.

Because of this focus on characters, and the fact that we see the story through their often-unaware perspectives, much of the world and its magic remains vague. Not every mystery is unraveled. Not every bit of magic is explained. Normally, I’d find that frustrating, but because the emotional arc is so powerful and the main storyline ends beautifully, it didn’t bother me at all. Maybe it also helps that I know there’s a trilogy coming next in this world — hopefully more will be revealed there. The world feels rich, layered, and full of potential.

“In such dark times as these it was heartwarming to see such love.”

For me, this series has firmly cemented itself on my favorites list with Wrath. Grand without excess, painful and beautiful all at once. And above all: human.

Looking back on this four-book series, I feel nothing but awe and deep admiration. The Faithful and the Fallen swept me away from start to finish: from the slower, more measured build-up in Malice, to the raw intensity of Wrath. John Gwynne has succeeded in creating a world that feels vast and threatening, yet deeply intimate because it always comes down to the characters. Corban, Veradis, Maquin, Cywen, Camlin, Brina, Fidele… they feel like flesh-and-blood people, with doubts, pain, courage, and love. (And I haven’t even mentioned the animals — I want a raven like Craf!) I have lived with them, felt with them, cursed with them. Rarely has a fantasy series touched me so deeply.

What makes this series so special for me is how emotions always take center stage. Epic battles, divine intrigues, and moral shades of gray form the backdrop, but it’s the small moments between characters that stay with me the most. It’s a story about hope, sacrifice, and truth — but above all, about courage. And that echoes long after the book is closed, like the battle cry that sums it all up:

“Truth and Courage!”