Approaching the first anniversary its release, author John A Douglas released his thoughts on Paladin Unbound. The novel is the first published by Jeffrey Speight in a planned series about happenings on the continent of Evelium. Douglas notes that Speight describes himself as an avid player of Dungeons and Dragons, something he feels permeates the novel. From races to classes, Douglas sees the framework of Dungeons and Dragons in a great deal of Evelium.

From the back cover:

The most unlikely of heroes, a lowly itinerant mercenary, Umhra the Peacebreaker is shunned by society for his mongrel half-Orc blood. Desperate to find work for himself and his band of fighters, Umhra agrees to help solve a rash of mysterious disappearances, but uncovers a larger, more insidious plot to overthrow the natural order of Evelium in the process.

Douglas also goes on to emphasize the length of the novel as a feature and possible drawback. Concise and condensed, the central narrative starts earlier and moves faster than he was used to with 'doorstopper' fantasy, Douglas praised Speight's craftmanship. Hopefully the concerns raised about wanting a bit more time with characters, as well as the broader world of Evelium will be alleviated as the series continues.

The second novel in the series, Mystic Reborn, is being edited and is slated for spring 2023. If you want to learn more about Speight's world of Evelium check out his website. In the meantime check out Douglas' full review here and pick up Paladin Unbound if you like what you hear.