A Review: Weremage by Garrett Robinson

The first four books of the Nightblade Saga by Garrett Robinson were a study in how to continuously raise the stakes of a story until what appeared to be a large turning point in the series—a midpoint from where we can now see some of the story’s endgame. Weremage is the first step towards an epic finale. 

After the events on the High Seat, the King has officially assigned Loren as the Nightblade to the King, an unprecedented appointment that Loren must herself define. Though the exact extent of what Loren can do on the King’s behalf is unclear to those around her, one thing is certainly clear to Loren: Demaris, her arch-enemy, must be brought to justice. When strange dreams begin to plague Loren with clues to how to accomplish her aims, Loren and her party embark on what might be their most dangerous endeavor to date.

In the previous novel, Loren really steps into her role as the Nightblade. In this novel, she takes another step within that journey, functioning as an arm of the King in order to bring justice to the realm. Watching her function as a leader was interesting. I enjoyed how she seemed to genuinely listen to her companions, even if she didn’t agree with them, and did her best to maintain civility between the party even when there was an interpersonal conflict within their ranks.

I also appreciated that Annis and Gem have become more functional parts of the party than before. This is especially true in the case of Annis. Her expertise in political strategy and her understanding of their enemy made her absolutely invaluable to the party. Gem also had more utility than a mere loyal tagalong, but I’m still waiting for him to become fully useful in their journeys.

What stands out most in this novel is the big twist at its end. Not only did I not see it coming, but it was also much darker than anything I’ve seen before in a Robinson novel. I don’t think it would at all be a stretch to say that the twist and conclusion of the novel will be divisive. Personally, I enjoyed it. It changed the dynamics and future path of the story in a way that can’t easily be brushed away. I only hope that it’s handled with expert care in the following tale.

There was something that bothered me throughout the novel. I call it “the Chet problem.” I personally found him increasingly insufferable as the story went on. Not just because he was often the dissenting voice within the party, but because he appeared to offer even less value to the party than Gem and with none of the charms that the young hero wields. And because Chet is a big part of the dark twist at the story’s end, I felt I wasn’t as impacted by the consequences of the story as much as I would have been were he handled differently. And perhaps that’s a good thing, because wow… that twist is a lot.

Save for “the Chet problem,” Weremage is an ambitious entry into the Nightblade saga. Robinson takes on an incredibly difficult-to-execute plot twist while simultaneously delivering many of the conventions I have come to expect from the series. 

*Full Disclosure — I work for the publisher, but I wasn't paid to review this book. While this is an honest review, I was involved in the production of the audiobooks of other books in this series, and I receive a small royalty for purchases of those audiobook versions.*