Book Review- Pillars of Peace Trilogy by Tom Dumbrell

The Pillars of Peace trilogy has been one of my favourite series experiences to date. The entire series comes in at under 1000 pages and packs a punch. Full of twists and turns, characters you can’t help rooting for and a romance that even warmed my cold romance opposed heart, I was captivated.

Book 1 - The Look of a King:

Following Augustus, a young prince forced into the king’s seat after an unfortunate event and Cyrus, a storyteller dreaming of the day he finally finds adventure. When their paths cross the political landscape will change forever. Both boys have something to prove. Will they be able to navigate a new world where a decade of peace is seemingly crumbling around them.

The Look of a King takes the reader through extreme circumstances, making the best of mistaken identity and learning to adapt to change without giving up hope. Dumbrell’s debut was one of the fastest paced books I have read to date. Every chapter demanded that the reader continue. Never a dull moment and full of twists and turns that hit you right in the gut, this was a page turner until the very end. I really cannot give too much away due to the pacing; we get into spoiler territory very quickly. Just know if you like historical fiction/fantasy you are going to want to pick this one up.

Book 2 - No Place for Peace:

No Place for Peace picks up just weeks after the events in book one “The Look of a King”, with our main protagonist Cyrus venturing to King Simeon’s keep expecting to be thrown into his dungeons. Instead, Cyrus is shown compassion and given a task, to find Simeon’s long-lost son. In the name of keeping the peace Cyrus accepts this quest. He eventually returns home, only to find the princes of Verdera on his doorstep, threatening his new life and his new family. It seems like, there is no place for peace after all.

Once again Dumbrell’s fast paced plot draws the reader in to his world, but the stakes are heightened with one party wanting peace, and the others fighting for the Auldhaven throne.

While book one did describe the nations at war (or peace) with one another, book two takes it to a whole new level. The four nations of the Quadripartite all play a bigger role here. The relationships and political standing of each city and its leaders are further explored giving the world a much bigger feel.

Our characters also develop quite a lot in this second instalment as new responsibilities and a shift of lifestyle comes into play. We experience new acquaintances, friendships, shifting alliances, treachery, and ambitions through the eyes of our POV’s.

Book 3 - Where Heroes Were Born:

Taking place 10 years after the events of book two, our characters have grown up and are well established in their roles within this world.

Changing pace, a little from the first two books, we are following Francine, chosen shield to Queen Mathilde. She longs for more, wanting to see the world but is also fiercely loyal to her queen. When it comes time to find the queen a husband to secure an heir to the realm, Francine jumps at the chance to sail the seas and fetch the lad in question, perhaps finding a romance of her own along the way.

We also follow Locke, once a Prince now a prison master struggling to find his own identity and purpose away from his unpleasant father. When he is tasked with something that will put the political standing of the whole world at risk, he needs to determine the man he really wants to be after all.

It was a fascinating creative choice to follow two characters which had previously been side characters (enjoyable sure but not main protagonists) in the earlier books. But somehow this worked exceptionally well in building the feel and heart of the world.

So many elements of this book hit the mark for me starting with the characters. From book one I was invested in this cast, through every twist and turn. The foreshadowing for book three was excellent and the creative choice to bring two characters who were previously side characters to the forefront worked so well.

As a series, the Pillars of Peace was extremely fast paced, but not to the point where you felt like you were missing things as a reader.

The one thing I will say is although this is marketed as a fantasy series, I would argue that this feels much more like a historical fiction in its entirety with very few fantastical elements coming into play. So fair warning if you are going in expecting a dragon.

I had a great time with the series. It is very clearly a passion project. One that has paid off. I encourage anyone who likes historical fiction or historical fantasy to give this one a go.