Book Review: Once There Were Heroes (A Time of Dragons, #1) by Philip C. Quaintrell
Cover art by Chris McGrath
Once There Were Heroes by Philip C. Quaintrell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Series: A Time of Dragons (Book #1 of 5)
Genre: Fantasy, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy
Pages: 750 pages (Hardcover Edition)
Published: 4 September 2023 by Quaintrell Publishings
Once There Were Heroes ignites the epic and slow-burning genesis of an unexplored saga in the world of Verda.
This is not the first time I have read a book by Philip C. Quaintrell. Far from the truth. This is the tenth book by Quaintrell that I have read. It feels surreal to see how far Quaintrell has come. I read A Clash of Fates, the last book in The Echoes Saga by Philip C. Quaintrell, in the year 2022. It’s been more than three years since I’ve read anything by Quaintrell. And since then, his popularity and success have gradually escalated. Deservedly. I thought I was done with the world of Verda. I thought I had read everything I needed from this world. When I heard A Time of Dragons will take place 12,000 years before the start of Rise of the Ranger, I was slightly apprehensive about the necessity of the series. It is one of the main reasons why it took this long to dive into this book. But the readers and fans have spoken. The FOMO can’t be sealed further. I will elaborate upon this more later, but Quaintrell has successfully walked that dangerous tightrope balance of satisfying both new readers and old-time readers in the world of Verda with Once There Were Heroes.
“Honour cannot be forced upon one… It must be taken.”
First of all, I need to emphasize this. I do not know about the rest of the series yet, but if we’re putting only Once There Were Heroes into the equation, it is NOT necessary to read The Echoes Saga first before reading Once There Were Heroes. Believe me. I am a sucker for reading everything in the same world in the publication order. But in this case, you can definitely start your journey in Verda from reading Once There Were Heroes. Quaintrell has also improved his writing craft since the completion of The Echoes Saga. Right from the epic prologue with the Helm of Ahnir and the visions it bestowed, you can tell. The story in Once There Were Heroes is told from two time frames. The present timeline and the one that begins 80 years before the first chapter. Both timelines move steadily, with the one from the past jumping several years ahead several times. By the end of the book, the past timeline reached 40 years before the start of the first chapter. We still have many things to explore in the next book, and I’m excited about it.
“Power… is attained through practice and discipline. Freedom, however, is considerably harder to come by.”
One of the clear signs of Quaintrell’s improvement is how he tackles and introduces the multiple POV characters and cast in this epic fantasy story. Now, the new story and set of characters here might take some time to warm up to. At least, for me, I did not warm up to them as quickly as Asher and his gang in The Echoes Saga. However, the way Quaintrell introduces and dissects their personality here felt organic and gradual. In Rise of the Ranger, it was quite challenging to memorize who’s who and which factions they belong to. That is no longer the case in Once There Were Heroes. Daijen Saeth, the main POV character for the past timeline, was hands down my favorite of them all. His story and training to become a Vahlken, essentially like a Witcher in The Witcher series, gel with me so well. I will also point this out. High fantasy books need a despicable character like Slait in his POV chapters. I won’t spoil you. The quality of Daijen’s story started off well, and the quality stayed consistent throughout the first part of the novel. It was, fortunately, elevated to something amazing after a specific chapter filled with Slait’s chaotic and unhinged actions. It was intense, consequential, and it ramped up the danger of the narrative. Let’s leave it at that. Those who have read it will know what I am talking about. Those who have not, you have to read and find out for yourself. This isn’t to say that Daijen’s story was the only POV character to look forward to. In this one book alone, we followed the tale of more than eight POV characters. Daijen the Vahlken, Androma the blind dragon rider, Gallien Drakalis the smuggler, Kitrana the Merman, Yamnomora and Grarfath the Dwarves, and Joran. It is not possible to explain what I like about them all in this review without making this review turn into a short story. But rest assured. All of their tale coalesced to begin another grand story in the world of Verda.
“In the blink of an eye, the world about you can become a storm. It will try to move you to its will. When your time inside these walls is at an end, you will see the truth of it. That you are the storm.”
WithA Time of Dragons as the series name, it is safe and expected to read Once There Were Heroes with the brimming hope of encountering dragons’ flights and their majestic entrance. You will certainly get them here. However, do not expect to see many of them yet. Be patient. I haven’t read the sequel, but I’m sure Quaintrell will reward us in the later books. In return, Quaintrell prepared the Aegres, the Vahlken’s armored gryphons, to amaze us. And oh, I was amazed. Additionally, in Once There Were Heroes, readers get to explore Erador and Andaren. These weren’t done in The Echoes Saga, and for me, this made a refreshing reading experience to explore a new side of Verda. It’s not only about the location, per se. There were still some cool Easter Eggs for us who have been in this world before. Fantastical creatures like dragons and the Leviathan were awesome to witness again. And then, Yamnomora and Grarfath were names that should be familiar to readers of The Echoes Saga, and the reality of their beginning is humbling, to say the least. From my perspective, I find it funny to see this is how their legend begins. And that, although not mandatory, is something that can be appreciated by both new and old time readers of Verda.
“Unless the rest of us, you actually have something to live for. You’re meant for something greater than dying on some forgotten rock. Become everything they say you will. Then you can end all this death once and for all.”
Similar to The Echoes Saga, I can safely recommend Once There Were Heroes to readers who love classic epic fantasy and a story of light versus darkness done right. Be patient throughout the slow-burning narrative. There’s a lot to like in this. And when it explodes, it blazes. From prophecy, multiple POV characters to follow, dragons, armored gryhons, and exhilarating action sequences, Once There Were Heroes has them all. In my opinion, as a reader who has read the entirety of The Echoes Saga, too, Quaintrell has successfully written some of his best action sequences in Once There Were Heroes. My top three standout chapters in this book were The Fall, Dragon vs Aegre, and A Red Dawn. Truly incredible. And speaking of The Fall, there may be a chapter or two dedicated to The Bound and The Broken by Ryan Cahill. I do believe this book will click well with fans of The Bound and the Broken. And, obviously, The Echoes Saga. I look forward to reading In the Shadow of Kings as soon as possible.
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