Mystic Reborn by Jeffrey Speight

Thank you to the author for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. Mystic Reborn will be available on April 1st.

Mystic Reborn is a sequel to Paladin Unbound so there might be some light spoilers. You really should read Paladin Unbound if you haven’t yet, but I’ll do my best to keep any spoilers to a minimum.

I loved Paladin Unbound and the world Jeffrey Speight had created, so I went into the sequel with ridiculously high expectations. I was not disappointed. Mystic Reborn continues a series that is a masterpiece of epic fantasy. As with Paladin Unbound, I found myself completely drawn in by the story and characters.

The group has been split (I know all TTRPG players are yelling “Never split the party!” at this point), and this decision allowed for both interesting character development and an expansion on both the lore and world itself, without ever becoming an info dump. Seeing the seemingly disparate threads of narrative eventually weave into one was a pleasure.

In this book, Umhra goes where the others can’t follow, in search of the last mystic and knowledge regarding his new powers. As is often the case with heroes, he gets far more than he bargained for. A truth-seeking journey becomes a desperate attempt to save Evelium. I was wondering how on earth he would manage it and if it was even possible, which is always a good place to be in a fantasy novel. The way his character grows and the decisions he makes are both smart and believable. The fact that he’s also encountering some of the most unique (and in some cases, skin-shivering) creatures I’ve come across just makes his parts of the book even more compelling.

While the others deal with far different challenges, they were no less dangerous or engrossing. In fact, they were in just as much danger both physically and morally. One of the characters (I won’t say who for fear of spoiling anything) discovered that someone they trusted had taken deplorable actions. I really felt for this character as he tried to come to terms with his newfound knowledge. Seeing his choices despite (or maybe because) of this letdown was a fascinating experience.

Different characters took center stage throughout the book. Shadow was a favorite in Paladin Unbound, but in Mystic Reborn it was Talus who stole the show for me. The things he dealt with and the way his character developed because of them were astounding. He found himself in several sticky situations (to say the least), but they drove the narrative. In fact, in some ways Umhra’s story arc opened up the world more, while the others served to further the events of this sequel. I guess you could say that Umhra’s storyline is playing the long game.

When the separate storylines became a whole, the book ramped up even more, racing with breathtaking speed into a climax that I couldn’t see coming. There were revelations that shook me and the stakes became ever higher. I have no idea what’s coming in the next book but I know it’s going to be even more epic.

I’ve read a lot of fantasy over the year. I mean a lot. The Archives of Evelium continues to stand above many others. Mystic Reborn floored me with a storyline vast in scope and a world fraught with peril. The characters’ narratives are extremely personal despite the roles they play in a prophecy much bigger than themselves. Every choice has the fate of the world hanging in the balance, yet it’s the small things about these characters- their relationships, faith, and even worries- that brings this series to a higher level. They are the beating heart in a book of monsters and gods.

These books deserve to be mentioned among the greats of the genre. I can’t recommend Mystic Reborn enough.