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The Sagas of Vaelora: The Burrow and the Blade
Fifteen centuries have passed since Merris Brightpaw drove her blade through the heart of darkness beneath the Burrowlands. Her deeds echo in tavern songs, her sword rests in sacred stone-yet something stirs in the deep places where light fears to tread.
Babax Merrifur seeks nothing more than answers when he volunteers for his family's westward expedition. Five years have passed since his brilliant older brother Stumper vanished on what should have been a simple trading route to Hollowbrook. The council called it misfortune-raiders, storms, deals gone wrong. But Babax never believed them.
What begins as a merchant's quest for truth becomes something far more perilous. The realm comes apart at its seams around him-caravans vanishing without trace, mercenary companies turning feral, and whispers of a hunger that devoured civilizations before the first kingdoms drew breath. When bloodline secrets claw their way from his family's buried past and powers long dormant crack the world's foundation, Babax faces a choice that will echo through ages yet unborn.
Merris herself haunts his dreams now, her ghostly warnings sharp as the blade she once wielded. Around him gathers a fellowship marked by shadow and flame-warriors bearing scars from forgotten battles, wanderers who speak with the voices of the dead, and allies whose very souls burn with otherworldly fire. Together they walk a path that leads beyond family loyalty and into the realm where prophecies take flesh and legends bleed.
The blade rose once to save the world. But can a merchant's son wield what a hero forged when the truth he seeks may destroy everything he holds dear?
Babax Merrifur seeks nothing more than answers when he volunteers for his family's westward expedition. Five years have passed since his brilliant older brother Stumper vanished on what should have been a simple trading route to Hollowbrook. The council called it misfortune-raiders, storms, deals gone wrong. But Babax never believed them.
What begins as a merchant's quest for truth becomes something far more perilous. The realm comes apart at its seams around him-caravans vanishing without trace, mercenary companies turning feral, and whispers of a hunger that devoured civilizations before the first kingdoms drew breath. When bloodline secrets claw their way from his family's buried past and powers long dormant crack the world's foundation, Babax faces a choice that will echo through ages yet unborn.
Merris herself haunts his dreams now, her ghostly warnings sharp as the blade she once wielded. Around him gathers a fellowship marked by shadow and flame-warriors bearing scars from forgotten battles, wanderers who speak with the voices of the dead, and allies whose very souls burn with otherworldly fire. Together they walk a path that leads beyond family loyalty and into the realm where prophecies take flesh and legends bleed.
The blade rose once to save the world. But can a merchant's son wield what a hero forged when the truth he seeks may destroy everything he holds dear?
748 pages, Paperback
Published March 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 7, 2026
The Burrow and the Blade was perhaps my most anticipated debut of this years challenge and it didn't disappoint. This gave me Redwall vibes in it's epic fantasy filled with anthropomorphic small creatures on a quest larger than any of them, but it's also far more adult orientated. Darkly satisfying and full of complex character development; it's unusual, but caught and kept my attention from the get go.
Babax Merrifur, son of a merchant family, finds himself on a mission as a family representative is called to account for themselves. Something isn't right, but the family can't ignore the call. And Babax is also on his own quest for answers as he follows the clues of his brother's disappearance five years ago. It's a potentially perilous journey at the best of times, but Babax soon finds that there is far more going on behind the scenes than anyone could have thought and the stakes are world-ending. With his dreams haunted by ancient hero Merris Brightpaw, her forewarnings may be the difference between life and death, hope and disaster.
I'm used to anthropomorphic tales being aimed at children. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy them, but I'm normally not the target audience. It was an absolute pleasure to read such an adult centred novel centred around the rabbits. The use of lore and mythology built throughout reminded me of Watership Down, the stake and the action of Redwall; but for big people. This is truly epic sword and sorcery, full of magic and darkness, of tense battles sitting alongside personal and family drama and a world made up of a wonderful assortment of creatures, all with societal norms and traits.
I also loved the characterisations on display here. The lead characters are all full of life and interest and you can't but help root for them. There is a complexity in both the good and the bad on display and the author doesn't shy away from themes of prejudice and subjugation. The narrative slides between the epic scale evil and the more individual evil that can hide in every person's heart, fed by bitterness, jealousy, guilt or fear. There's a huge cast of characters and it's remarkable that so many of them are drawn well enough to leap off the page, and even smaller side characters who make a handful of appearances can make an impression.
My only niggle with the novel is the length. Parts of this could absolutely have been slimmed down to keep the pacing tighter and a stricter edit would almost certainly have made this a full five star novel. The pacing worked by and large, but there were definitely sections that got bogged down in detail. A seven hundred plus page debut is ambitious though and it's a testament to the author that it worked as well as it did throughout.
All in all, another excellently done debut for this challenge. All the debuts I've read to this point have knocked it out of the park and this is no exception.
Babax Merrifur, son of a merchant family, finds himself on a mission as a family representative is called to account for themselves. Something isn't right, but the family can't ignore the call. And Babax is also on his own quest for answers as he follows the clues of his brother's disappearance five years ago. It's a potentially perilous journey at the best of times, but Babax soon finds that there is far more going on behind the scenes than anyone could have thought and the stakes are world-ending. With his dreams haunted by ancient hero Merris Brightpaw, her forewarnings may be the difference between life and death, hope and disaster.
I'm used to anthropomorphic tales being aimed at children. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy them, but I'm normally not the target audience. It was an absolute pleasure to read such an adult centred novel centred around the rabbits. The use of lore and mythology built throughout reminded me of Watership Down, the stake and the action of Redwall; but for big people. This is truly epic sword and sorcery, full of magic and darkness, of tense battles sitting alongside personal and family drama and a world made up of a wonderful assortment of creatures, all with societal norms and traits.
I also loved the characterisations on display here. The lead characters are all full of life and interest and you can't but help root for them. There is a complexity in both the good and the bad on display and the author doesn't shy away from themes of prejudice and subjugation. The narrative slides between the epic scale evil and the more individual evil that can hide in every person's heart, fed by bitterness, jealousy, guilt or fear. There's a huge cast of characters and it's remarkable that so many of them are drawn well enough to leap off the page, and even smaller side characters who make a handful of appearances can make an impression.
My only niggle with the novel is the length. Parts of this could absolutely have been slimmed down to keep the pacing tighter and a stricter edit would almost certainly have made this a full five star novel. The pacing worked by and large, but there were definitely sections that got bogged down in detail. A seven hundred plus page debut is ambitious though and it's a testament to the author that it worked as well as it did throughout.
All in all, another excellently done debut for this challenge. All the debuts I've read to this point have knocked it out of the park and this is no exception.
January 1, 2026
This was an adventurous book. The best way I can quantify this book is if you like some of the creatures from the Chronicles of Narnia with a lot of of the Warren themes from Watership Down and then the adventure fantasy feeling from the Lord of the rings that is exactly what this book is. I loved all the different creatures and the intricacies of the abyssal magic and the magical system and calling on ancestoral magic and being a well-rounded characters. There are lots of turns and twists and enough mystery to keep you hooked onto the book. This is a very thick book and not for the faint of heart, but I do highly recommend this book. This book is definitely for those that love world building that love learning new world lore, characters, and storylines. This is an excellent first book.
March 29, 2026
This scratches an itch I thought would never be scratched again after the passing of Brian Jacques. It's a bit darker, it's t h i c c, but it's magnificent. If you want adventurers so compelling you get nervous when they're involved in a battle, because "what if someone dies?!?" ... This is a great book for you. It was a great book for me. Enjoy the journey, friends! What're you doing still reading this review?!? Use this reading time to read The Burrow and the Blade, instead!!! Go on! Shoo!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews