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Wardens of Issalia #4

A Kingdom Under Siege

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An enemy threatens the kingdoms of Issalia, bent on conquest with the desire to vanquish Chaos magic forever.

The Empire has returned. Assassinations, subterfuge, and betrayal have fueled a rapid rise to power – a rise backed by fire-powered weapons. This enemy army swells with superior numbers and threatens the western kingdoms of Issalia.

With King Brock gone, the domination of Issalia is merely a matter of time.

The wardens, agents from a clandestine organization known as ICON, work in secret to stop this radical enemy. Trained as spies, warriors, rangers, inventors, and magic-users, the wardens have successfully reduced the enemy threat, but by doing so, they leave the Empire no choice.

War is certain. The attack is coming soon.

The kingdoms must stand against the Imperial Army’s advanced weapons and superior numbers. The wardens and Chaos magic offer slim hope, but a leader is required to achieve victory – a legend whom many believe is dead.

Join the battle. The fate of Issalia hangs in the balance.

284 pages, Paperback

Published April 2, 2019

56 people are currently reading
86 people want to read

About the author

Jeffrey L. Kohanek

79 books537 followers
I love fantasy, adventure, and magic. More than that, I adore my readers.

My books are written to entertain -- fantasy adventures filled with compelling characters, spectacular magic, thrilling action, constant intrigue, and a sense of discovery. I equate them to the "Marvel Movie" version of fiction, intended to be a fun escape.

I would love to have you join me and my quirky characters for one outrageous adventure after another. With over a million published words, my author journey has just begun.

Best wishes,
Jeff

_________________________________

Jeffrey L. Kohanek grew up in rural Minnesota where comic books sparked his young imagination, inspiring fantasies of heroes with super-powers saving the day. His tastes later evolved to fantasy epics featuring unlikely heroes overcoming impossible odds to save worlds born from the writer's imagination.

Now residing in Las Vegas, Nevada, Jeff uses that imagination to weave tales of engaging characters caught in fantastic plots to inspire young adults and the child within us all.
_________________________________

"Would you like FREE books and access to exclusive content? Join my author newsletter, which frequently includes special offers and inside info on my books.
Join at www.JeffreyLKohanek.com and download a free eBook today." -Jeff

"I LOVE to hear from readers and fans. Connect with me through email or social media."

Email - author@JeffreyLKohanek.com
Facebook - /JeffreyLKohanek

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5 stars
115 (54%)
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69 (32%)
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22 (10%)
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Profile Image for Jennifer (bunnyreads).
525 reviews84 followers
April 11, 2019
The final book in the Wardens of Issalia series, jumps right back into the action following An Imperial Gambit, where unfortunately, not everyone will make it to the end but don’t worry the author isn’t cruel enough to take our favorites out of the running (depending on who your favorites were that is).

This installment is just as action-packed and fun as the previous books. We have sieges, ship battles and even giant killer bunnies (which btw made me laugh because my husband has been telling me for years that my bunnies are going to turn on me) also expect more neat uses for the Runes, and some cool discoveries in some of the character’s magical abilities.

While I did like the more focused smaller feel to the last book the best, this series has grown from school recruitment to in-field missions and threats of war over the last four books. That scale of story required that this book needed to widen the focus back out and let us get caught up with the different groups and find out how they’re contributing to what has become full out war between the Empire, and Issallia and her supporters.

The cast has grown too large to cover everyone so I will just mention my two favorites- Quinn and Iko.
While I loved Everson’s genius inventions and seeing what he would come up with next, it was his sister Quinn’s part of the story that I’ve come to enjoy the most. I like her braveness, her willingness to do anything even if it was scary, and especially that she still felt like a girl while being all kick-ass and because she was out in the field, her parts of the story were full of action, intrigue, and danger, so it’s really no wonder that I looked forward to her sections!


Iko- I’ve had a soft spot for the whole series. He fought for the wrong side and up until we had some back story from him in the last couple of books, I sometimes even wondered why he kept on when he obviously had doubts about what he was doing and huge regrets over the loss of friendships and people that were incurred because of his loyalty to his mother and the Empire. The doubts, regrets and loyalty, were the biggest thing I liked about his character and it was hard not to root for him to come out ahead at times, especially after we got more of his story and some understanding to his choices.



This series has grown a lot over the last four books, from the scale of the story to the quality of the writing and ends with strong finish to a series that was a lot of fun all the way through.


4.5

Thank you to the author Jeffrey L Kohanek, for generously providing a copy through tbrinder matchmaking reviewer/author service.
Profile Image for Megan.
42 reviews51 followers
June 5, 2019
The final book in the Wardens series starts off right where The Imperial Gambit ended. War is coming and all the wardens are preparing for it. I like spending time with Ev and Quinn and the rest of the wardens. This story goes into far less about the wardens and the inventions and focuses much more on war and strategy. The writing and pace were very good. It was a great ending to the series.
Profile Image for Crystal.
1,266 reviews8 followers
May 14, 2019
This picks up after book 3 and there is so much going on. I loved the way this wrapped up the series. You get to see what everyone is doing and how everything all comes together.
Profile Image for Janeandjerry.
639 reviews22 followers
June 14, 2019
A KINGDOM UNDER SIEGE

I don't believe it's over 😢 but it was a great ride all the way through ❤🤗❤... This is the fourth and final book in this series and this wraps everything up just the way it should be. I can't wait to read more from this author loved every book I've read of his so far and I know I'm going to love the ones ahead I read...
Profile Image for Jerilynn J. Adams.
7 reviews
May 18, 2019
Exciting Series

Excellent storyline. I found all 4 books exciting, well written and riveting. I will read more books by this author.
Profile Image for LooseBoots.
900 reviews6 followers
April 29, 2019
My goodness. How do I describe this last book on the present series. Intense, solid characters, awesome storyline. My words don’t do it justice. It took me longer to read than I would have liked, but then , in my humble opinion, all the best ones do. Awful lot yo take in but so, so worth it.
The relationship between characters was beautiful at times and intense at others. Battles and magic raging constantly. You feel do drawn into the tale .
Brilliant penmanship. So recommended 🏆
Profile Image for John Piper.
1,055 reviews18 followers
April 11, 2019
I love the world of Issalia! Jeffrey is an incredibly talented author, who created multiple brilliant series in this wonderful world! Great characters, writing, dialog, storyline and action! The books just suck you in! I highly recommend checking this book out!
391 reviews4 followers
May 27, 2019
Adventure, war & magic!

So rewarding to have read this great book, A Kingdom Under Siege! All of the main characters from the previous books are reunited for an all out war! Hopefully this is not the last we hear from these well loved characters & their amazing adventures!
127 reviews3 followers
November 20, 2019
Brilliant trilogy

More of these please, thoroughly enjoyed each section. The thought of each discovery was exciting. I am still not going to go into details, plot excellent. Characters well defined. Battle scenes realistic. Buy the trilogy well worth the money. More please.
17 reviews
September 25, 2019
Compelling

I had to read the entire series!
Nail biting situations, battles on land and sea, young romance...I’m looking forward to more.
49 reviews
July 11, 2019
Excellent conclusion to the Warden series. Seemed a little rushed on the final book but still a fantastic series from the author.
Profile Image for Natasha Clark-French.
211 reviews3 followers
April 1, 2019
It's all led up to this
Finally we get the conclusion to this series and it was everything I hoped it would be. So fast paced and lots of action mixed with a little romance and a heaping dose of brilliance. And like always we get some bada•• women changing the course of kingdoms.
I did lower my rating a tiny bit because each chapter changes character perspective and we have to read through a bit before we can figure out who's perspective we're reading from. This could be fixed easily by simply putting the name of that particular character underneath the chapter number... hopefully that can be updated at some point.
With that being said I still absolutely love this series and I definitely recommend it!
Profile Image for Michelle L. Reeve.
135 reviews2 followers
January 21, 2021
Fabulous read!

Great characters, lots of action and nail biting scenes. Love the whole series! Very original story line that makes me want to read more.
Profile Image for Jas.
1,032 reviews
August 28, 2022
The Kingdom is at war at the start of this book, the Empire and the Kingdoms under Chaos are fully at war.
At the start of this book, we are moved through several of the stories, we get to see Parker and Dalwin still locked up and awaiting their outcome. We also get to see Rena and those Wardens still in the village, fighting the demonic rabbits (yes, demon bunnies… Maybe they need a holy hand grenade?). We get to see Iko with his Mother, the Archon, General Kardan, all plotting against the Kingdoms. We also move through although parts of the Kingdom to find Brock and his son, alive, and plotting their moves against the Empire.
It is then we move to the various children, Everson, Cassie, Ivy, and then Quinn and Brandt.
The start of this story is like a very clever game of chess, as all of the pieces are slowly being moved around the board. The last part of book 3 was the opening moves of the game, and the initial pieces have fallen, but now the players are rethinking their moves, based on reassessing their opponents, and pieces are being moved into place for the next round.
And the next round is part 2, leading into part 3 of this book. I don’t want to give anything away for those parts of the book, as they are both thrilling and just exceptional.
Everything has led up to this book, and everyone is in this book as well, all of the characters from every book makes an appearance in this final book. I should point out, that you should not get too attached to anyone though, as a lot of main characters do not come out of this book alive. This is a brutal final story, there is a lot of combat, as the two sides continuously dash themselves against each other like 2 waves crashing against a rock.
Brock brings a lot of his forces to Waypoint, after he removes the traitorous Duke and Duchess from their positions there. It is here that significant conflict takes place, and we get to see the full might of not just the Chaos powers, but also the new Flash Powder guns that have been invented, from the ‘muskets’ to the larger and more powerful siege engines. However, it is not just the Empire that has been inventing, and we get to see some amazing things that Everson, Ivy and their team have been putting together.
There are so many character stories in this book, that it is impossible to capture them all in a review – but we get to see so much growth in so many characters, as well as see so many amazing aspects to so many characters, Quinn, Everson, Cassie, Brandt, Ivy, Chuli, Curan, Thiron, Kwai-Lan, all of the Wardens, the Empire side, Iko, Varius, Kardan, even Percy who is just so evil, you hate him, but the fact you hate him so much, speaks to Kohanek’s writing ability!
And of course there are the originals, Brock, Ashland, Cam, and the Masters. And just so many more stories!!!
This is such a powerful character driven story, with such exceptional characters that you get so attached to. I was actually sad when I finished this last book, as I wasn’t going to be reading about these characters anymore.
The other wonderful aspect to this story, is the world-building. There is so much incredible depth and detail. Every city and person are described with such intricate detail, you really feel like you are there. The magic is so beautifully described as well, it comes alive on the page, you cam feel it.
The other feature is the combat, which is powerful and gritty, but not over the top so that it is a bloody gore fest. Kohanek provides us with a good amount of detail so that we can understand how the combat sequences have played out, not to blow by blow intensive so it gets overwhelming, and not too graphic so the book can’t be read by a YA audience, but gritty enough that you start to hold the page so you can turn it faster as you have to know what is going to happen!!
Overall, this is an extraordinary book, a stunning end to what has been an exceptional series, with such brilliant and captivating characters. It is a series that I will happily be reading (listening as I own the audiobooks as well), again.
If you love Fantasy, and Fantasy from a range of genres, Epic, Sword and Sorcery, Mil, Dark, Action & Adventure, then you will love it. It is an absolute must read, especially if you have read the ‘Runes of Issalia’ series!!
Profile Image for Melinda Cater.
226 reviews9 followers
August 14, 2022
The epic conclusion to The Wardens of Issalia series, is exactly that, EPIC! Complete with impressive magic, amazing technological creations, heroism, loyalty, love and most importantly, Hope.

I can honesty say that there were so many surprises in this final book and I didn’t see any of them coming. The Empire and The Kingdoms finally come together for an ultimate battle and it is one crazy, entrancing event. And I don’t want to spoil any of the excitement and intrigue so I am just going to leave it at that.

In this book, I particularly enjoyed Cassilyn and Broland. Their parts in the other books were smaller, more limited, but I felt that A Kingdom Under Seige allowed them to really be appreciated in the story. I also, very much, enjoyed Delvin, Quinn and Brandt’s Espion master and all his cleverness and snark. Delvin provided some humor and comic relief to the story, which I always appreciate.

All in all, A Kingdom Under Siege is the perfect conclusion to a fabulous series. Hopefully we will get to find out what happens next in this wonderfully created world someday.
Profile Image for Alan Behan.
737 reviews19 followers
December 2, 2021
Damn that was just fantastic, an epic conclusion to The Warden’s Of Issalia series. In world where chaos magic needs to be cleansed and eradicate from the land of Issalia, the empire will stop at nothing to wipe out those who use it. In this book Jeffrey L.Kohanek once again gives us epic battles, awesome magic and absolute great characters. He pulls you in and doesn't let you go until the very last page. If your looking for a good oul adventure and just some good fun reading then look no further. The Empire has returned. Assassinations, subterfuge, and betrayal and deceit have fueled a rapid rise to power, a rise backed by fire-powered weapons, can the old and new heroes stop them before its to late. A great read for all ages, I really hope the author revisits this world, because I have feeling there is still alot more to be told and more to come. Tim Cambell has given an excellent narration through out the whole series, highly recommend....😁🔥💥
Profile Image for Rally Russell.
187 reviews
August 7, 2024
A Kingdom Under Siege is the fouth and final book of the Wardens of Issalia series, and it finishes in a bang!

All the great characters from the entire series, even from the previous one - Runes of Issalia - makes an appearance, all fighting for their right to exist and for peace in their kingdom. What a wonderful adventure, from start to finish. And as always, the action is on point, I love the banter between some of these characters, not in the least the budding love couples (won't spoil who they are), and the intrigue is amped up to the max. You don't know who to trust, and there are some twists you won't see coming. Absolutely superb wrap-up of a series. A must read!

Note: I listened to the audiobook and it is fabulously narrated, which brings the characters to life and adds another layer of suspense to this fantastic series!
Profile Image for Ola Adamska.
2,881 reviews27 followers
May 14, 2019
The Last book in Wardens of Issala series.
It was a nice end to the stores. It was just too much concentrated on war and strategy than on characters. I felt somehow disconnected from characters and their relationships.
I felt overwhelmed by the war and everything that was going on.
It was a good read just not entirely for me.
Profile Image for Rosemary Hughes.
4,192 reviews23 followers
August 20, 2024
I have submitted this review after listening to the audiobook of this title within the series set box. (Audible Membership)

So, the various spies have done their best to find out the other sides plans and then to foil them.
The Wardens play a big part in faulting the enemy's efforts.
No matter what the little people want it, it seems war death and destruction is inevitable.
Profile Image for Shaun Wilkes.
48 reviews
November 26, 2019
Peace

After a long battle over differences the kingdom of Issalia can finally experience peace as they rebuild and grow. I liked the fact that the side i considered to be right won, allowing order and chaos to live together in harmony.
2,315 reviews8 followers
May 18, 2023
Very good read

I enjoyed reading this book very much and I recommend this book to anyone who like magic and type of books with intriguing concepts.
138 reviews1 follower
March 27, 2024
Thoroughly enjoyed this series.

Exciting, thrilling, fast paced, & engrossing! No wonder Kohanek has such a great reputation as an incredible writer.....says another new fan!
89 reviews
October 1, 2024
As a series well worth reading don't be put off by one book not being as good as the rest
1 review
October 1, 2025
Sue Bate

I have it this score because I think it was a great read and the series is well worth reading I would greatly recommend it
Profile Image for Kimberly Gordon-Bercich.
1,941 reviews6 followers
June 1, 2024
Peace

What would you do for peace and freedom? Would you die for freedom? Does there really need to be separate countries for different beliefs? Would you die for your beliefs? Quinn and Everson both contribute to the war. While they each find success there are many others who contribute to the fight. Yet, the end result is a bit convoluted. There is no clear winner. All parties loose.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews

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