The Fall by Ryan Cahill — Fantasy Novella Review

Art by René Aigner

The Fall by Ryan Cahill is what sold me on The Bound and the Broken. I started with Of Blood and Fire, and I will admit, it was a struggle to get through by the end of it. I love a good fantasy classic with tropes galore, but because it followed the structure of Eragon so closely, I found myself predicting what would come next. However, I had been so impressed with Ryan Cahill as an author, I wanted to take a second glance at him as a writer. I am so glad I did.

The Fall was a very engaging read with strong characters, solid plot, and a really interesting structure that kept me curious throughout the whole experience. It covers the downfall of an order and the end of an era through multiple, diverse POVs. Cahill throws the reader right into the action, but you still feel the loss for what was once in the world of Epheria.

Simply put, The Fall is like Revenge of the Sith with Dragons. "Okay, H, you literally just said your issue with the first book is that it was derivative." Which is fair! However, it isn't that it borrows story beats or characters, but captures a feel that watching that movie did when I was a kid. And that is such high praise.

Ryan Cahill's journey as a writer is so impressive and inspirational. I really wished I'd started with this novella, but it actually gave me a much greater appreciation for his first book, Of Blood and Fire, and even inspired me to read his second book (review coming soon. It's amazing). If you are curious about the fantasy phenomenon of The Bound and the Broken, this is a great example of how deep the world of Epheria can be.