A big thank you to NetGalley and Cobble publishing for giving a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book can be read stand alone. This book was very hard to read, difficult names to pronounce or to remember. I wanted more magic, and explanation for actions done by antagonists, in this case the Sorcerer.There were few characters who had a back story to justify their actions or reactions but it was never provided. The writing style was disjointed

There were few parts that didn’t make logical sense. I wanted to know why the antagonist was behaving like it did, there must be a reason but it wasn’t provided, a back story would made more clarity on the characters and their actions. I didn’t felt connected at all, the names of so many characters were so difficult to pronounce and to remember.

I unfortunately Dnfed this book at about 30% when I first got approved for the arc, however I wanted to wait and see if I'd give it another go.

I didn't dnf because it's a bad book
, therefore my positive rating. I just couldn't connect with the story.

Advanced copy received for review purposes.

What a wonderful surprise this novel was for me! I am a lifelong fan of fantasy and new adult fantasy, but in recent years the market for these genres has become so over-saturated that it has been hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. In fact, I have largely stopped reading new fantasy authors outside of a very strong recommendation from a loved one. But it had been some months since I read a novel of this type when NetGalley offered me an advance copy, so I figured 'what the heck.'

I am very glad I did. The Ban of Irsisri is not perfect by any means. But Mark Lacey manages to pull off a blistering pace while at the same time drawing the reader into a place of high emotional investment in the characters- no small feat of writing. Most fantasy novels, especially of the new adult persuasion, offer one or the other. My main critique of the novel is the somewhat inconsistent manner in which individuals are influenced or directed by their own unique society or culture. This makes it so that sometimes, especially early in the novel, characters are nearly indistinguishable from each other.

That being said, the world-building is solid and the characters are engaging. The scope is unabashedly epic and the good guys are constantly hanging on by a thread, as is the case in all the best fantasy novels. But again, the greatest strength of The Ban of Irsisri is its irresistible, heart-thumping pace. It's a great read and I recommend it to anyone in your life above 12 or 13 years old.