“You must always look closer. The twists and turns of a life lived are written on men and women like script on parchment. In scars, in bearing, in the lines on the brow, the look in the eyes.”

They say that Sargent Holt Hawley is cursed. They say that the old order of True Vigilants, along with their magical abilities, are gone. Yet when several children, including the son of General Tarasq of Sylvervain, disappear, Archduke Leoric of Scarfell tasks Hawley to take his men and find a True Vigilant to aid them in their search. It is a mission believed to fail but when fleeing the dark and haunted forest of Elderwood, Hawley stumbles upon Enelda Drake, a woman claiming to be a True Vigilant. Together Hawley and Enelda must reach Scarfell, uncover some dark plots and find those children before a war breaks out. 

The Last Vigilant by Mark A. Latham is a dark and twisty tale that contains so much of what I love to find in a book—characters to care for, an epic world with intricate magic and mysteries aplenty. 

Like a lot of readers, I’m drawn to a stunning cover and the cover of this book, done by Mélanie Delon and Stephanie Hess, immediately caught my eye because I was reminded of The Wheel of Time covers, which happens to be a series I love. The cover brings back all the old school fantasy vibes in such an exciting way and I was relieved to discover that those epic fantasy vibes continued within the worldbuilding. Latham presents us with a mediaeval setting, a Kingdom with a dark forest, a castle full of secrets and the threat of monsters almost breaking through the Veil from where they were banished to. The threat of Riftborn demons is felt within the first few chapters, despite history being rewritten, many of the legends of the war the Vigilants once fought being lost and those seeking knowledge of the past being called superstitious, heretics and treasonous, Riftborn are still feared, if only in whispers behind closed doors. As the story unfolds another malevolent force comes to light along with other classic epic fantasy elements such as a brewing war between the Sylvervain army and Scarfell, corrupt politics and corrupt men, and religion striving for the forefront on all matters. Yet this isn’t just another epic fantasy, much to my delight Latham ambitiously also gives us a mystery. 

At the heart of this story are two compelling characters investigating the disappearances of these children—Enelda and Hawley. Immediately the pair reminded me of Ana and Dinios from Robert Jackson Bennett’s The Tainted Cup, another series I adore! Enelda, being the last of the old order of Vigilants who held much authority and respect in her time, finds this new world quite different. She first appears as an eccentric, weakened old crone, having spent decades shut away in her tower but it’s soon made clear how intelligent, perceptive and capable she still is, she still holds many of the abilities a Vigilant should possess. Yet now her position is disregarded by many, her powers seen as necromancy or witchcraft and as she is not indestructible, the world has become a more threatening place. Which is where Hawley steps in. Though he’s often rash with decisions, let’s his temper get the better of him and doubts himself often, not surprising given the way he has been treated and the bad hand he was dealt from early on, he’s still loyal and dutiful. He is a High Company Sargent but not of ‘the blood’ and therefore deemed as cursed by others and secrets of his past overwhelmingly haunt him, but Enelda sees his true self and as she takes him under her wing he learns to become more perceptive, learns more of the old ways. The dynamic between these two is fantastically portrayed, despite their differences and conflicts, there is a deep connection and bond between them. As their friendship grows Hawley goes from just being Enelda’s protector to becoming someone she trusts and feels completely comfortable with. 

“The gods care little for the follies of men. But I care, for without exposing such folly, superstition and prejudice make a mockery of justice. Let the gods judge me all they will; let me be the judge of other mortals.”

The mystery itself is well played throughout with plenty of characters to be suspicious of and much to puzzle out. The majority of the investigation takes place within the castle of Scarfell and who better than Lady Iveta, being Archduke Leoric’s niece, and having a panache for spying, to know the ins and outs of the castle like no other. By the decree of the King of Aelderland women were no longer allowed to hold positions of power, they could not rule or become soldiers as Lady Aenya, the Warrior Maid Iveta so admires, had once done. Iveta’s life feels like an imprisonment and so she gains great knowledge of all the secret tunnels within the castle and is often in places where she should not be and so overhears much. Latham does a superb job of making the disappearance of these children integral to the political worldbuilding and to the characters—from Iveta we learn how the kingdom is starving, how unjust the new order of Vigilants are and how corruption is found in every corner, making her character just as compelling as Enelda and Hawley, to follow. The mystery really did keep me guessing, I was bursting with theories throughout, and some even proved right, but the sinister turning ending surprised me and left me curious for what is to come next. 

The Last Vigilant is a tale where classic fantasy meets a puzzling mystery and delivers an unputdownable read. This book was a true hidden gem. 

“It is a terrible thing, to have your spirit broken. A more terrible thing to break the spirit of those dear to you.”

ARC Provided by Nazia at Orbit Books in exchange for an honest review—Thank you for the copy!

The Last Vigilant is out now – you can order your copy on Bookshop.org