SPFBO 10 Champions’ League: The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson – Review

The war is over, but something is rotten in the state of Eidyn.

With a ragged peace in place, demons burn farmlands, violent Reivers roam the wilds, and plague has spread beyond the Black Meadows. The country is on its knees.

In a society that fears and shuns him, Aranok is the first magically-skilled draoidh to be named King’s Envoy.

Now, charged with restoring an exiled foreign queen to her throne, he leads a group of strangers across the ravaged country. But at every step, a new mystery complicates their mission.

As bodies drop around them, new threats emerge and lies are revealed, can Aranok bring his companions together and uncover the conspiracy that threatens the kingdom?

Our Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO) Champions’ League re-read series continues with The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson, winner of SPFBO 5 and the first book in the epic Eidyn series. With three books now released and the fourth expected in 2026, it felt like the perfect time to revisit where it all began.

For some of our reviewers, this was a reread; for others, it was their first venture into Anderson’s world. Together they explored how the story holds up today, from its blend of classic quest fantasy and grimdark tension to its twists, magic, and deeply human characters.

Here’s what Kerry, Julia, Patrick, and Adawia thought as they journeyed once more through Eidyn and The Lost War.

Kerry

This had me from the first expletive on the first page. It was also refreshing to have the story set after the conclusion of a war, but despite being victorious, it certainly doesn’t seem like it as there are still demons and plague induced zombies running about the countryside. There is also economic hardship, orphan children fending for themselves, and mistrust of the very people who fought the hardest in the war and without whom the State of Eidyn would have lost.

Though we see the story through different characters I never once was left thinking ‘who was that person again?’, nor did it focus too long on certain characters so one never tired of each character’s arc. I loved how the majority of our main POVs are in the older age bracket, and each of them had distinct personalities that either grated or were endearing. The fact that they were all flawed and/or scarred in some way made them relatable in one way or another.

Anderson has played a beautiful game with this book; it starts off with a familiar epic fantasy feel but even as we travel along with characters and start dealing with odd twists, misinformation, mixed messages, assassinations, confusing things found on roadside, bodies or people not who they’re meant to be, one still feels like they know where the plot is going, but Anderson also pulls off the magically unexpected. It was a fun reread revisiting all the clues and discovering a couple I missed when I first read it.

I also liked the different types of magic and mages within the world, and though a magic user may be powerful it takes it out of the mage, it is not always the quick fix or the best choice on offer.

My only real issue was the world and the cities and the towns in Eidyn itself. Even being provided with a map, I felt like I was flung from one spot to another without actually being able to pinpoint exactly where I’d been or where I was going.

I must read my copy of book two, The Bitter Crown, because I REALLY need to know what happens to the character Dargin Argyll. He only has a few chapters, the last one being the epilogue, a bit of a horrific cliffhanger on top of the jaw-dropping ending.

Julia

This was good fun! It felt like the kind of classic quest fantasy that sweeps you up and carries you along, the sort of story where you fall in step with a band of companions and just want to keep travelling with them. I haven’t read much of that style lately, so this book was a refreshing change of pace, a return to something familiar but told with heart and energy.

I really enjoyed the magic system, with its talents for air, fire, illusions, and more. It’s not a new idea, but I haven’t seen it used much in newer fantasy, so it felt fresh again rather than worn out. The Draoidh were especially fascinating, a great mix of mystery, power, and danger that gave the world a sense of history and weight. The way magic seeps into daily life makes the world feel lived in, and I liked how it was both a gift and a burden.

The characters were exactly my cup of tea. Their humour worked for me, and I liked how both male and female characters could be strong or uncertain, brave or flawed. The loyalty between them gives the story real heart. They feel like people you’d want on your side in a fight, or sitting with you around a campfire. There’s a warmth in their friendship that pulls you in and makes you care about their journey. At times they can be a bit too good or straightforward, but never in a way that broke the spell.

On my reread, I enjoyed The Lost War even more. Maybe it’s because I already had a connection to the characters, or maybe I was simply in the right mood, but this time the story felt deeper and less tropey. Once I settled into it, the book read like a long, winding road through mist and secrets, filled with danger, laughter, and small moments of trust that slowly turn into something stronger.

The big twist at the end is still brilliant, even though it couldn’t surprise me again. What I loved most this time were some of the smaller turns earlier in the story, which still landed beautifully. They show how carefully the book is put together and how much attention there is to detail and pacing.

The Lost War is a wonderful mix of mystery, adventure and heart. It captures the spirit of old-school fantasy while keeping a modern warmth that makes it easy to love. A story of friendship, courage, and the cost of hope, told with humour and sincerity. It feels like coming home to an adventure worth taking.

Patrick

I should start with the disclaimer that Justin’s book was the SPFBO winner in the same year I was a finalist. Whether that means you think I am being kinder due to our friendship, or harsher because the bastard beat me, is up to you! To avoid as much bias as possible, I am basing my review on my original reading of The Lost War, which I undertook before I knew Justin and before I was a finalist.

The Lost War is, on first reading, a straightforward epic or grimdark fantasy, distinguished by a heavy Scottish influence and the presence of zombies (kind of). The characters are nuanced, the action intense, and the plot tight. It is, all in all, a perfectly solid fantasy. Except there’s something off about it. Some things are not quite right. And as the book goes on, the feeling that there is something weird going on beneath the surface grows. Until we reach the end, and the twist hits you, and you realise everything you thought was happening was wrong. It’s actually a remarkable achievement, to build a story, to work in clues, and to completely surprise the reader at the end, leaving them having to reassess everything they’ve read. It’s this twist that elevates this from a solid but not particularly remarkable fantasy to something exceptional, and something deserving to be that year’s champion.

I don’t think it’s a spoiler to highlight that there is a twist at the end, because you will figure out something is coming, but even knowing that, you won’t guess what the twist is. You just won’t.

For fans of epic fantasy and grimdark who want something more in their stories than most books provide.

Adawia

This is my second reading of The Lost War, and I’m not at all mad that I’d forgotten so many brilliant, gasp-inducing moments, because I got to relive them, gloriously, and I love that for me. This book is truly spectacular. I’ve tweaked and extended my original review here.

There is definitely something dodgy going on in this world, and while I often found myself looking at this book squinty-eyed, trying to figure it all out, I mostly went along with the wonderful flow, collecting all the little clues. I was able to partially guess at the truth (yeah okay, I had more than one theory going at any given time), but the sheer scope of the revelation was just awesome. It’s not a total blindside kind of revelation, but even with all the breadcrumbs and foreshadowing it does smack you in the face, which makes all the confusion and suspenseful, but exciting, frustration absolutely worth it.

This is basically a quest story, where the questers are constantly diverting from their main quest as they encounter hellish creatures, demonic beasts, and really sneaky humans. All the while largely under an inexplicable kind of brain-fog wreaking havoc on their hearts and minds. This story has a lot of heart. It tackles social issues like prejudice and class struggles as well as the morality of war. Anderson applies a deft hand depicting seemingly hopeless situations, delivering a very human, emotional story that captivates and has plenty of action.

The magic is excellent. I love how it works and that it can take different forms for different wielders. I also really enjoyed seeing aspects of it discovered by me, the reader, and characters at the same time—really cool.

I’ve not yet read the series further, but plan to as soon as I can. There’s so much more to be discovered and I absolutely can’t wait.

Oh, and just FYI, if you’re anything like me, you’ll want to have a pronunciation or translation app or guide handy. You won’t actually need it to understand the story, I personally just prefer knowing how certain words ‘should’ be pronounced (rather than spending too much time guessing at the pronunciations, which I would inevitably get wrong) and knowing their literal meaning even though the context gives away the intention.

Our ranking now stands at:

1. The Thief Who Pulled On Trouble’s Braids by Michael McClung (champions’ review/original review)
2. The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson (original review)
3. By Blood, by Salt by J. L. Odom (champions’ review/original review)
4. Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang (champions’ review/original review)
5. Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater (champions’ review/original review)
6. The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French (champions’ review/original review)
7. Where Loyalties Lie by Rob J. Hayes (champions’ review/original review)

You can see the full score sheet for all the other blogs judging the contest here.

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