The Sword Defiant by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan offers an interesting spin on classic epic fantasy, following what happens to a hero after their big quest. Its main character is Aelfric—an aging, duty-bound knight—who once sealed away a powerful necromancer alongside his eight companions. However, when the necromancer appears to be freed once more, he tries to get the crew back together once more, but many of them have moved on from their adventuring days and a traitor may be in their midst … While a lot of the tropes and world feels familiar (complete with paladins, dwarves, and elves), the author does throw some of his own unique ideas into the mix. For instance, I really adored the vatlings—Frankensteinian, leftover creations of the witch elves which were originally intended as food. Also, one of the highlights of the book for me had to be the dynamics between Alf and Spellbreaker, a snarky demon sword that he swore to safeguard. It teeters the line between friend and foe (constantly le...