Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

W.D. Kilpack III’s Rilari, New Blood Saga book four, follows Natharr, the Guardian of Maarihk, a warrior gifted with Sight who once protected Nathan, the hidden prince destined to reclaim Maarihk’s throne. After escaping an otherworld of endless white, Natharr returns with the Rilari, a revived order descended from the legendary Knights of Ril whose years of imprisonment have left them with strange abilities. Natharr’s visions now show destruction spreading across the world, with an unknown bald man appearing repeatedly at the heart of what is coming. With no reliable news from Maarihk, Natharr leads the Rilari across the grasslands of Qaan toward the Gulf of Braag, hoping to learn what happened during his absence. Meanwhile, Nathan remains inside Maarihk, where the throne awaiting him places the prince close to forces Natharr cannot yet identify.

W.D. Kilpack III’s Rilari is an incredible fantasy, and the author has fleshed out a world as enormous as it is imaginative. Natharr is a great lead, protective and devoted, like when he is faced with a dragon, or carrying the fallen from battle. The fleshing out extends beyond the main characters. The standout is Talika, a lion-woman who helps others escape from the ancient wood, and treats those she is looking after like a cub of her own, kissing each eye before sleep. The author’s world building is extensive, much of it through Osyriaansa social status. For example, longer houses show wealth, with more wives indicating political standing. All that said, the book’s descriptions of landscapes are among the story's finest aspects, whether it's grassy ridges across Osyraa and Braagesi Bridge arcing over the vast river on massive timbers, or across Braag, where marshy floodlands meet the coast and the Gulf burns beneath the rising sun. Readers who enjoy warrior orders caught inside kingdoms are in for a real treat. Very highly recommended.