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MY ⭐️ RATING: 4.75/5
Format: Kindle Whispersync
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Rangers aren’t born, they’re forged
Never has this been more true for Asher, who must train a new ranger… or be the one to hunt him down. Surviving an encounter with a Werewolf has changed Russell Maybury’s life forever. If he is to salvage anything, he must craft a new life using his abilities to do good. Should he stray, he will answer to Asher.
Learning to fight monsters is all the more difficult when the monsters are the ones hunting you. In his possession, Russell holds an artefact of great significance, a relic central to a shadow war waged for centuries untold. On the one side, the Werewolves bring their claws. On the other, the Vorska, blood fiends who know only the night, bring their fangs.
In over his head, Asher must navigate a war of monsters and the machinations of ancient mages if he is to survive. And should he survive, there is still the Assassin that dwells within, a monster of his own making, that fights for supremacy.
One way or another, the ranger is going to bleed…
MY REVIEW
A Dance of Fang and Claw is a howling success, concluding The Ranger Archives trilogy with a Tolkien-like adventure laced with a darker, horror-infused edge. It deepens Asher’s complex journey from assassin to ranger, weaving a tale of redemption, friendship, and monstrous warfare. As Asher mentors Russell Maybury, a man grappling with his new life as a werewolf, they face a centuries-old war between werewolves and vorska over a mysterious artifact that unlocks a secret.
The strength of this series has been in its exploration of Asher’s internal and external battles, and that continues to shine while he’s training Russell to control his inner beast, a mirror of Asher’s own struggle to tame the assassin within. This parallel underscores themes of atonement and self-discovery. Hadavad’s introduction was perfect, coming in like a shadow as if he were Van Helsing himself, but with a more Gandalf-like gravitas as a mage, adding rich depth to the lore and guiding Asher toward his destiny in The Echoes Saga.
Quaintrell masterfully balances the horror elements of werewolves and vorska lurking with predatory menace with heartfelt moments of camaraderie and fun banter between Asher, Doran, Russell, and Hadavad. I did wish that Salim had a bigger role to play after how much he contributed in Blood and Coin, though Hadavad’s mentor-like presence helps fill the emotional gap left by his absence. The tension runs high as Asher and his Rangers hurl themselves into a maelstrom of snarling beasts and lurking dread, where the action is suspenseful and visceral, with moments of waiting in the dark for monsters to strike that evoke a chilling, horror-like atmosphere.
“Every month-three nights of full moons,” he began. “Three nights of fright, my grandmother called it. Three nights of fang and claw.”
The evolving bond between Asher and Doran is one of my favorites, though Doran has a smaller role as this book focuses more on Asher’s interactions with Russell and Hadavad as they join the Rangers crew. Still, Asher and Doran stand out the most because of their lovable banter that keeps me entertained and creates a sense of found family that resonates deeply. The series as a whole has done a great job of filling in gaps or questions, making this such an exceptional prequel series. While the additions of Russell, Hadavad, Creed, and Merith help add extra layers of intrigue and moral complexity.
The saddest part is the bittersweet ending that pushes the timeline just days before Rise of the Ranger takes place, making me want to relive the events of The Echoes Saga all over again. Since this is a prequel series, it can be read before The Echoes Saga, but I would highly suggest reading this series after to get the full brunt of the story and introduction to the characters. And of course, I have to mention the narration of Steven Brand, which continues to make this world even more immersive. Though I still have to critique that his voices don’t blend enough to distinguish characters as well as they could, his phenomenal classic storyteller delivery style brings the saga to life.
I highly recommend this series as well as the Echoes saga to anyone that loves a good adventurous fantasy tale with a classical-vibe. Now on to his next series set 12,000 years before The Echoes Saga in A Time of Dragons!
Wolfmantula.com 