The secret machinations of the evil (?) Ten are underway again in this great book from Maresca. Elections for Parliament are underway and Dayne the Tarian is dropped right into a plot to subvert the election.

Full of action, great characters and a fast moving plot, this is another fantastic entry in the Maradaine series. Furthermore, although this was published last year, it seems quite prescient about the chaos currently going on in our elections. A fun read.

This is book 8 in the Maradaine sequence, https://www.goodreads.com/series/146658-maradaine-sequence , although it's book 10 in the overall publishing scheme. It can be read independently, but to really appreciate Maresca's overall amazing worldbuilding, the reader is best served to start at the beginning of the series with The Thorn of Dentonhill.

A bit of an emotional roller coaster. I'm not sure that the storyline kept me fully engaged but it was interesting and well written. Lots of set up so future installments may be faster paced.

3.5 stars. These intertwined series are fantastic. I truly enjoyed this book and the discussions Dayne had with Bishop Ret Issendel about governing. Jerinne is a stubborn delight and her difficulties in training--and the reasons for them--were fascinating. And, as always, the secret society behind nearly everything--and who they are--is a powder keg waiting to blow. I can't wait to read what's next.

[I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.]

SHIELD OF THE PEOPLE begins shortly after the events of THE WAY OF THE SHIELD, where Taurian Candidates Dayne Heldrin and Jerinne Fendall helped capture the culprits behind a deadly attack. Both are devoted to the Taurian Order and want to reach the level of Adept. Unfortunately, being willing to take up the sword and shield to protect the people, the Parliament, and the nation isn’t enough- and may very well spell their personal downfalls. Dayne now finds himself as a liaison housed outside of the Order household, while Jerinne remains at the bottom of her class despite her best efforts. Meanwhile, a celebration is occurring in Maradaine and voting is underway. What conspiracies lurk beneath the surface as Dayne and Jerinne once again find their very lives at risk?

Dayne is the obvious hero, with his strength and size. However, I can’t help but love Jerinne even more so for her grit and determination, particularly when her Candidate rankings keep her dead last. Jerinne doesn’t give up when the odds are clearly against her and I love watching her learn to respect her own skills no matter how she is ranked.

The conspiracies in Maradaine take a very dark and devious turn in SHIELD OF THE PEOPLE. Marshall Ryan Maresca cleverly builds the suspense while dropping hints along the way as to the vastness of the conspiracy. We gain a lot of insight into the political machinations ruling Maradaine and none of it is encouraging or for the people. It will be interesting to see how Dayne and Jerinne react when the identity of the conspirators is revealed.

SHIELD OF THE PEOPLE is the second book in the <i>Maradaine Elite</i> series and loosely connected to the other three series featuring the world of Maradaine. I love the complexity of Marshall Ryan Maresca’s worldbuilding as the vast conspiracy underlying all the inner workings of Maradaine is emerging through the intertwining pieces coming together. It’s nothing short of brilliant! If you love the fantasy genre then Marshall Ryan Maresca’s Maradaine books and SHIELD OF THE PEOPLE should be on your list to read!

*review is in the editing queue at Fresh Fiction*

Shield of the People, by author Marshall Ryan Maresca, is the second installment in the authors Maradaine Elite series. The author is calling this story Maradaine Sequence # 8. The story takes place approximately 5 weeks after the events of The Way of the Shield, a few days after Lady Henterman's Wardrobe, and two months before the events of The Imposters of Aventil and A Parliament of Bodies. The point I am trying to make is that all of Maresca's series will soon come together as one in order to solve the mystery of the members of the Grand Ten.

The Grand Ten is a group from the upper echelon of Maradaine society, including the military, who have decided that they do not accept the King's rule. Therefore, they have plans to disrupt and take the country from him, and install their own form of government. As with the authors other series, this story is set in the fictional country of Maradaine. This series in particular focuses on Dayne Heldin, a Third Year Candidate of the Tarian Order who has already stood up and saved members of Parliament, only to be undermined by those who want to see him gone.

Dayne could be called Captain America since he wields not only a sword, but also a shield. Dayne is in a relationship with a Lady Mirianne Henson. Truly be told, I hope that the author uses Dayne to get to the bottom of her secrets and the threads that she seems to hold over his head. I love the relationship/partnership that Jerinne and Dayne seem to have. Her banter back and forth with Dane is a delight, and worth picking up this series and reading it. Dayne has enough insecurities to fill an entire novel.

His struggle to be the best he can be has been hindered by some glaring mistakes. He feels as though he isn't good enough, why else would he be given the job as liaison? Everyone now knows who Dayne is. It's only a matter of time before more trouble comes for Dayne. Dayne, however, doesn't bear the full focus of the story.

Jerinne Fendall, third year initiate of the Tarian order, as well as Hemmit Eyairin, a journalist with the Veracity Press, and Amaya Tyrell, Adept with the Tarian order, all have their parts to play in the story as well. Of the once proud twelve Elite Orders of Druthal, only the Spatians and Tarians remained. Others have been folded into the military or disbanded entirely. Magic, adventure, and political machinations mix together in this story that focuses on an election, and those who are trying to disrupt it because they believe the process is corrupt.

While Dayne has been demoted to liaison between the Order, Parliament, and the Marshals, Jerinne is preparing for the most difficult year of her life. Jerinne suffered a really horrible injury while trying to help Dayne save the Parliament. She is being watched, degraded, put down, and pretty much told that she won't amount to a can of beans, let alone a proud Tarian Warrior. She also has to hide any possible relationship that might embarrass the Order. That doesn't stop her. With a little help from Amaya and Dayne and a character named Fredelle, Jerinne has the courage to stand and deliver when danger once again threatens the peace.

Hemmit and Amaya are pieces of a larger puzzle. Hemmit went undercover to try to gain access to a group of people who wanted to bring down the Parliament. But, he still has bills to pay. He and his partners Maresh Niol, and Lin Shartien, find themselves becoming part of the story again, not just covering it. Amaya is a character who has a connection to Dayne. She got the job he wanted thanks to Dayne's past. Amaya doesn't really care for Dayne's current love interest, but she no longer holds any anger towards Dayne. Thankfully, Amaya also knows that something is really wrong at the Order and has some plans which I can't wait to uncover.

I highly recommend this series to anyone who loves high fantasy, political intrigue, magic, fantastic world building, and characters who you can root for.

When it comes to Marshall Ryan Maresca's books, it’s no secret that I’m a big fan of the Rynax boys (Streets of Maradaine). And a fan of those crazy constables (The Maradaine Constabulary). But the truth of the matter is that really I am a fan of this wonderfully, detailed world that Marshall Ryan Maresca has developed. This fully fleshed out fantasy world, despite having magic and mages and a grand conspiracy, is grounded in reality. It feels true. It feels real. It hits close to home with the politics and the news media and today’s times in America where we have entertainment labeled as news and news labeled as "fake news."

Maresca's latest, the Shield of the People, brings us one step closer to unraveling the ultimate conspiracy in Maradaine. Sadly, it doesn't have any crossover with the other Maradaine characters. But, there's so much action that I don't mind at all. Dayne, Jerinne, the gang from The Veracity, and a bunch of others are put to the test, over and over again. And we get more glimpses into The Grand Ten.

Shield of the People provides an entertaining story that has a satisfying conclusion while also teasing more of what is to come. It's also fairly self-contained. While there are references to prior events, Shield of the People can stand on its own. But once you read it, you'll want to read the other Maradaine novels, so do yourself a favor a start there then come back to Shield of the People. Or not. Your choice. But you should read Shield of the People. It's good to be reminded of ideals and a pure moral compass. Especially lately.

Marshall Ryan Maresca has brought us back to Maradaine with Shield Of The People. The city is the focal point for the various sub-series in his Maradaine saga, and each new entry has put a little more flesh onto the bones of the city, whist also being an absolutely cracking adventure. I’m happy to report that this is still the case. Shield of the People couples the deep, immersive worldbuilding I’ve come to expect from Maradaine books, with some whip-smart characterisation, and the sort of fast-paced action and snappy dialogue that’ll keep you turning pages long after nightfall.

This time we follow Dane, one of the leading lights of Maradaine’s Tarian order. The Tarians are a historical remnant, chivalric knights in a city coming to terms with an urban police force and standing armies. But they hold to chivalric virtues; loyalty, honour, protection of the weak. Dane is an unabashed narrative hero, a nice guy who kicks arse in the name of good causes and is always trying his best not to have to hurt anyone. I’ve got a lot of time for Dane, a character whose heroism is obvious to the reader (and indeed, everyone who isn’t Dane), but to which Dane himself is oblivious. His insecurities help define Dane as much as his exceptional actions; his struggle for perfection is wrapped in a fear of failure, a fear of not being good enough, and the costs being borne by others. Dane is also, to my reading, a man uncomfortable in the spotlight, especially as it’s been thrust upon him. We get to see more of that here, as he struggles to define a role for himself, in a city which wants him (and indeed the other Tarians) as a symbol, but isn’t entirely sure what to do with him otherwise. This search for purpose, wrapped in calls to action and in demanding success of himself, helps drive Dane toward feats of heroism. He is, as I say, a nice guy, and a genuine pleasure to read as he struggles with both abject villainy and, er, crowds.

In this he’s ably assisted by a marvellous supporting cast. Maresca has always had a knack of bringing even minor characters to life, and the magic is very much present here. Jerinne, for example. Jerinne is Dane’s right hand, a junior Tarian, and one with rather more of a tendency to make quick decisions and sort out any regrets later. She’s no less driven to succeed than Dane, a smart, successful young woman trying to put her mark on the world (and do the right thing). Her banter back and forth with Dane is a delight, and her clarity and sense of purpose combine with intelligent, well-thought out dialogue in a unique voice to make her moments in the narrative thoroughly enjoyable. I’m only skimming the surface here – the story is full of interesting people. They always seem like people, not one-note characters, and that helps keep Maradaine feeling alive.

Which it does. This time the focus is on upcoming elections, so we can see a city whose mood is becoming increasingly febrile as it waits to see who will be in charge and why. The neighbourhoods that the Tarians take us through all have their distinct flavours, and the struggles within them – for political recognition, for equal rights for women, or even for secession – carry the grounded weight of reality. These are living, breathing places with real problems and genuine conflict, not just backdrops for our heroes to strut upon. The neighbourhoods of Maradaine are all the better for their depth and the context they provide to the characters – each reinforcing the strenghth of the other.

As usual, I won’t delve into the story here. But there’s some wonderfully byzantine plotting, with crosses and double-crosses that elicited more than one gasp of surprise. It’s backed by some wonderfully drawn villains, some of whom are cloaked in more than a little mystery. And, of course, there’s more than a little running, jumping, swordfights, last-minute rescues, desperate chases, and so on.

If you’ve not read anything in the series before, it might be wise to go back to at least the start of this series for context – but overall I think this book still works as a standalone. That said if you’re a returning reader, this trip to Maradaine really is a fantastic adventure. It has the top-notch characterisation and complex, believable world we’ve come to know and love, backed up by a strongly realised and compelling narrative. Go get it – you won’t regret it.

Shield of the People by Marshall Ryan Maresca, a great book that furthers the series without bogging down as so many sequels do. Dayne is there to stand for the people to be the shield between them and trouble as a Tarian should but the Order is not behind him...

A great second installment to the series. Dayne once again rises to the occasion when his nation needs him most. The book followed much more political intrigue than the first and focused a lot more on the social aspect of the characters. It also seemed to get bogged down in a lot of exposition, where different radical groups where introduced and then dismissed.