Veil of the Deserters

Bloodsounder's Arc #2

by Jeff Salyards

History, Family and Memory… these are the seeds of destruction.

Bloodsounder's Arc continues as Captain Braylar Killcoin and his retinue continue to sow chaos amongst the political elite of Alespell. Braylar is still poisoned by the memories of those slain by his unholy flail Bloodsounder, and attempts to counter this sickness have proven ineffectual.

The Syldoonian Emperor Cynead has solidified his power base in unprecedented ways, and demands loyalty from all operatives. Braylar and company are recalled to the capital to swear fealty. Braylar must decide if he can trust his sister, Soffjian, with the secret that is killing him. She has powerful memory magics that might be able to save him from Bloodsounder’s effects, but she has political allegiances that are not his own. Arki and others in the company try to get Soffjian and Braylar to trust one another, but politics in the capital prove to be far more complicated and dangerous than even Killcoin could predict.

Deposed emperor Thumarr plots to remove the repressive Cynead, and Braylar and his sister Soffjian lie at the heart of his plans. The distance between "favored shadow agent of the emperor" and "exiled traitor" is an unsurprisingly short road. But it is a road filled with blind twists and unexpected turns. Before the journey is over, Arki will chronicle the true intentions of Emperor Cynead and Soffjian. And old enemies in Alespell may prove to be surprising allies in a conflict no one could have foreseen.

Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Audiobook, Military Fiction, Magic

464 pages, Hardcover

First published May 19, 2014

About the author

I grew up in a small town north of Chicago. While it wasn't Mayberry, with all the doors unlocked and everyone offering each other slices of pie and quaint homilies, it was pretty quiet and sleepy, so I got started early imagining my way into all kinds of other worlds and universes that were loud, chaotic, and full of irrepressible characters and heaps of danger. Massive explosions. Tentacled aliens. Men with sharp swords and thousand-yard stares and secrets they would die to protect. Clearly, I was a full-bore dork.

Royal Crown bag full of multi-sided dice? Check. Blood-red hooded cloak? Check. Annual pilgrimages to Renaissance Faires? Check. Whacking other (curiously athletic and gifted) dorks with rattan swords in the SCA? Check. Yes, I earned my badges, thank you very much.

My whole life, I've been fascinated by the fantastic, and of course this extended to speculative fiction of all kinds. Countless prepubescent evenings found me reading a worn, dog-eared copy of Thuvia, Maid of Mars (it sounded so much dirtier than it was!) or The Frost Giant's Daughter (high hopes for that one too!) well past lights-out, flashlight in hand, ignoring the repeated calls to turn in. That's as quiet and harmless a rebellion as you can have, and my parents mostly sighed and left me to it.

So, no one has ever been surprised to hear that I was working on (or at least talking about working on) some sci-fi or fantasy story or other. But it took years of flirting with various projects, flitting from one to the next without the hint of complete commitment, before I finally mastered myself enough to finish a novel. And longer still before I finished another one that was worthy of being published.

But wonders never cease. And here we are.

My debut novel, Scourge of the Betrayer, is a hard-boiled fantasy to be published by Night Shade Books in May 2012. It’s the first installment in a series called Bloodsounder’s Arc. I'm so excited I'm beginning to annoy myself. I am represented by Michael Harriot at Folio Literary Management, and couldn't be happier. His savvy, smart advice has been invaluable on this journey. I suspect he has a secret stash of 20-siders somewhere in his desk.

I live with my lovely wife, Kris, and three daughters in a suburb west of Chicago. I am indebted to Kris in countless ways for her steadfast encouragement, support, and thick skin in dealing with a prickly, moody writer. I don't always like living with me, but she has a choice and stays anyway.

And before you are tempted to mention it, I am fully aware that siring three daughters is certainly karmic retribution, particularly when they all transform into teenagers. I cling to the hope of discovering at least one of them reading covertly in the middle of the night. That kind of transgression I can handle.

Reviews

[Mark Lawrence]

After two Jeff Salyards books I think I can safely say what characterizes them is:

i) detailed accounts of small scale melee conflicts, ranging from 5-50 combatants. Note, there are no superheroes in Salyards' world. Even the best fighter will be sorely tested by two decent opponents ... which is probably realistic.

ii) Rather wordy and elaborate dialogue, primarily driven by Captain Braylar Killcoin's input.

iii) Travel.

iv) The rather standoffish observation of our bookish narrator - Arki. This last element being what makes the books unique.

This book, like its predecessor, Scourge of the Betrayer is very readable. It's an odd mix of fast and slow. Fast because there are (as mentioned) plenty of fights. Slow because the plot and revelations unwind at a snail's pace (until the last couple of chapters).

If I had a problem with the first book (which I liked) it would be the same with the second (which I liked), namely that the narrator, our scribe/archivist, is so true to his role. Actually on several levels this book is much better in that regard because Arki actually becomes useful - in fact more than that, for large parts of the book you might consider his role very important (though ultimately he could be replaced by any competent scribe).

I think perhaps I just want Arki to want something. I want him to have ambitions and desires, to plot and maneuver toward them. His goals and wants are rather muted and abstract. He would quite like a quiet life but then again that's what he's left behind and he makes no steps to gain one. He enjoys translating and recording (i.e his job). And, I'm glad to say, he shows an interest in a woman - his awkwardness is amusing/touching but it's certainly not a consuming want, more of a healthy curiosity. So in short, he's a twig in the stream.

Much of the novelty of these books is in the outsider/passive role of the narrator, but it's also a source of irritation for me - I want him to want things. I want some strong emotion from him, some involvement.

I'm being unfair - Arki does shoot a number of people in the face and he is central to the translation effort which in turn is important to the most dynamic/proactive element of the story, namely Captain Braylar.

Really this book is about the Memoridons, the Slydoon Empire's memory witches, and it unravels all manner of world-building and plotting in this regard, tying the captain's magic weapon (Blood Sounder, the flail) into the equation and setting up many and varied possibilities for book 3.

There's a rush of stuff happening in the last 20% of the book - the world-building expands rapidly and we learn a considerable number of things about the empire's capital and the dirty deeds therein, with all sorts of excitement/trouble unfolding.

The last 20% of the book is very different. We move from a slightly claustrophobic focus on the small band of soldiers and their extended melees with various foe, to the innermost circles of the Slydoon empire with quick-fire revelations and world-shaking developments.

Veil certainly felt less self-contained than Scourge - it's a middle book, building on what's been established, setting up conflicts for book 3. If you enjoyed the first book I think you'll enjoy this one - it provides much of the same thrills/experience, compensating the loss of novelty with an expansion of the scale/scope/depth of the setting and plot.

The title may perhaps be misleading as we don't see the Veil and whilst it's mentioned a few times it certainly never seems to be a central pillar of the book.

The cornerstone of the novel though is the band of Slydoon soldiers, their relationships, and the fights they get into. Salyards writes a fine melee.




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[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

No sign of the infamous second book syndrome here, Veil of the Deserters is a great sequel that managed to improve upon almost every foundation laid in its predecessor.

The story picked up immediately after the end of the first book and there is no time gap whatsoever here. The book starts as if it was a simple chapter transition after the last chapter of the first book. Theoretically, Veil of the Deserters is a book that’s superior—and I think the majority of readers will feel this way—compared to the first book. All the foundations laid in the first book, this book built upon them and almost everything exploded here. However, after finishing the book, I can’t seem to decide if I truly loved this one more than the first book or not because although the majority of this book is undoubtedly better, there is one minor gripe I have with this book that the first book simply did better. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a great book but I’ll get into why it didn’t receive a higher rating further down below.

“There would probably be far fewer conflicts in the world if we all made more efforts for clarity of communication.”

Speaking of improvements, the most evident improvements in this book definitely lie within its story line progression, world-building and lore revelations, and great characters’ development. Even though the majority of the book was spent on traveling and skirmish battles, none of them ever felt boring. Believe me, this isn’t like Robin Hobb’s Assassin Quest where the characters traveled excessively long for no good reason. In fact, Salyards brilliantly use the traveling section by implementing compelling dialogues and tons of revelations surrounding the world and story line. It's in these sections where readers will get the most out of the world-building, lore progressions, and character developments; there's no wasted section here. Plus, I also love how behind all the politicking and world-building, the author raised the question of “If your act of kindness backfires on you heavily, resulting in more casualties, will you still do it?”

“There always seems to be an 'until'. That is one of life's harsh lessons.”

Without spoiling anything, the characters’ development was written exceptionally well; the two main character—Arki and Braylar—were ridiculously good. Despite being so deeply involved with the Braylar Killcoin and the Syldoon now, I love how Arki never forgets his nature and capability as a scribe.

“I would never be a man of martial prowess, or wealth or power, or even an important one in most circles. But if I could uncover some treasure in the midst of all those pages, then, for the moment at least, I would be worth, practically invaluable.”

I need to talk a little bit about Braylar because he's such a fascinating anti-hero. His background revelations were easily one of the strongest aspects of this book and it all adds up to bring more complexity to his personality. However, the main highlights of this book will have to be the world-building and the Memoridons, which is the memory witch who’s capable of using memory magic. The inclusion of the new two side characters—Soffjian and Skeelana—were a true delight to read and a seriously badass female characters, especially Soffjian. Unfortunately, can't say more because it would spoil things that readers definitely should find out for their own good.

Lore and the world-building revelations truly explode here. Unlike most second book in a trilogy where authors the book simply as a setup for the last installment, the author took a completely opposite route. There are so many revelations, new pieces of information, and Salyards didn’t forget to prepare more plotline to be resolved in the last book. Religions, Syldoon politics, the Bloodsounder (Braylar’s sentient and cursed flail with the face of the Deserter Gods), everything simply came into play in this great sequel in a very balanced combination and well-paced manner.

Finally, this is a grimdark military fantasy and although not epic in scale, there are a lot of details on the weaponry, armors, and battles ranging from the skirmishes, siege, or the rarely used but fantastic memory magic. Admittedly, as great as the action scenes were, this is where I had a bit of a minor gripe with. In my opinion, the battle scenes in the first half somehow weren’t as captivating as the first book. This is most likely just my own problem. In the first book, I was completely glued to the page every time the actions happened. In this book, I sometimes felt like there were a few moments in the first half where the action sequences happened a bit too frequently that the quality of the battles diminished in impact. This is personally just my opinion though and I imagine the majority of people who loves reading detailed military fantasy will enjoy this part more than me.

Just from having finished the two books in the trilogy, I can already say that this trilogy is just so damn underrated. It baffles me to see how few the amount of readers who have read this trilogy. This situation probably happened because Salyards took a gamble with the storytelling direction of the first book but seriously, I think grimdark readers ought to give this trilogy a try at least up to this book; rather than stopping simply after the first one. The trilogy has been pretty solid so far and Salyards has set up everything for the conclusion greatly. I’m going to continue to the third book—Chains of the Heretic—immediately and find out whether the last book will be able to conclude the trilogy on an even more positive note.

You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest

[Bookwraiths · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

When I finished Veil of the Deserters, I declared loudly on Goodreads "Damn that was good!", going on to describe it as “one of the best fantasy novels I've read in a quite a while.” And after a few weeks to mull over my initial reaction, not only do I stand by those words but confidently anoint this book the best fantasy I’ve read this year. So let me explain why you should get on board this fanboy train and start loving Bloodsounder’s Arc too.

In book one Scourge of the Betrayer, Mr. Salyards introduces his readers to the young, scribe Arki, who accepts a commission to record the exploits of a group of foreign soldiers. He believes it will be a break from his dull life chronicling self-aggrandizing merchants and petty noblemen, but he might not have known everything he was getting into, quickly finding himself neck deep in secret, political intrigue. Plus, his employer, Captain Braylar Killcoin, seems to be possessed by a cursed flail that bombards him with the stolen memories of those he slays in battle. (Not that Arki is complaining out loud about false advertising or anything.)

From this unique “embedded journalist” beginning, Scourge goes on to weave a textured, realistic, and complex tale of Arki trying to survive in this brutal world of war and intrigue. Quickly, he begins to become desensitized to the violence around him (though he isn’t comfortable with it) and is forced to acknowledge the brutal pragmatism of many of the heinous deeds Captain Braylar and his soldiers practice routinely. And through the simple process of not dying and not betraying his wary employers, he gradually is taken into the inner circle of the Syldoon warriors; something that finally allows him (and the readers of Scourge) to start to understand all the things going on in the story.

Now, I realize some readers were put off by book one due to the slow developing story. (Even Mr. Salyards has acknowledged in interviews that he understands this criticism of Scourge.) But where book one laid the foundation for Arki and Captain Killcoin’s tale, Veil of the Deserters unleashes it in its full glory.

The plot and character revelations come fast and furious in book two. We learn more about Captain Braylar and his mysterious flail; more about the personalities and history of the Syldoon warriors surrounding Arki; and more about the immediate schemes and the long term ones that have lead these elite warrior to spend years away from their northern home.

Deeper world building. Where there were merely a few brief glimpses of this interesting fantasy world in Scourge, here there is so much more revelations about its nations, their history, the mysterious Godveil, the world before the Deserter gods abandoned mankind, and Captain Braylar’s cursed flail’s role in it all. Each piece of lore fitting seamlessly with the next until a vibrant, living world slowly begins to grow before a reader’s eyes.

Realist battles continue – only they are bigger and more frequent. And when I say realistic that is what I mean. These are not Hollywood movie fights, where the hero kills twenty people without a scratch and without getting one hair out of place. Nope, Mr. Salyards carefully crafts well-thought-out and organic fights, where armor matters, numbers count, and the realities of brutal men hacking at one another with sharp edge instruments of death are not glossed over. Not to say that Veil of the Deserters is a gorefest, because Mr. Salyards doesn’t overdo the blood and guts, but rather that he shows the realities of war in a medieval-type setting. People die hideous deaths. Those that survive may be horribly wounded or maimed. And those that escape with their life are scarred by the experience of dealing death and find themselves grieving over their own dead.

Creepy magic users. In Scourge the magic was rather sparse throughout and spoken of in whispers by everyone, but in Veil the Memoridon make an early appearance and are major players in the whole book. And somehow, Mr. Salyards is able to reveal enough about the memory witches to make them understandable but not totally stripping them of their mystery and inherent creepiness.

Kickass female character. While this is a testosterone driven series, Captain Killcoin’s sister Soffjian is introduced and holds her own against all of the brutal Syldoon warriors – instilling instant fear in all but the strongest men. Plus, she is a Memoridan, which only makes her that much more interesting.

Syldoon political machinations. Oh, yeah, readers get to go back to the capital city of the Syldoon Empire, experiencing all the brutal scheming of the warrior elite of the world, and through this change of scenery, Mr. Salyards sets up book three of the series, which looks to be a great one.

So after hearing all the great things about Veil of the Deserters and Bloodsounder’s Arc, why are you still reading this review? Go buy book one, sit down for a nice, intense read, get the world and the characters in your mind, then plunge into Veil where the story catches fire. Look forward to talking to all of you after we read book three next year! (Next year, right, Mr. Salyards?)

The publisher and the author provided this book to me for free in return for an honest review. The review above was not paid for or influenced in any way by any person, entity or organization, but is my own personal opinions.

[Mogsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

UPDATED: Interview with the author http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...

I’m what you would call a book juggler, meaning at any given time you’ll find me with multiple books in my currently-reading list. From the moment I started Veil of the Deserters though, I ignored everything else on my plate, reading nothing but this book until I finished all 500ish pages of it in two and a half days. It was the only thing I wanted to read.

As a sequel, this was everything I wanted and more. If Scourge of the Betrayer was the delicious appetizer, then Veil of the Deserters is most definitely the main course. It’s always great to read an amazing book only to discover the second one is even better, because while the first book was the perfect tease, piquing my interest and whetting my appetite for more, here’s where we really get into the meat of it.

In my review of the first book, I talked about an air of mystery surrounding the direction of the plot. The main protagonist and narrator is a bookish scribe named Arkamondos, hired by the formidable Captain Killcoin to accompany his band of Syldoon warriors on their journey to complete a mission. We have very little idea of what the Syldoon are up to, since Arki himself is not made privy to the details of their quest. Why these rough and tough soldiers require a scribe or in what capacity Arki would be employed is also unknown. But in Veil of the Deserters, we get our answers. We get them in spades.

Not only that, the world building is much more substantial. The author fleshes out the world and the characters in this second installment, providing a lot more background information and history. Arki’s hunger for knowledge and his natural curiosity as a scribe is a great means to facilitate this; as he grows more comfortable around his traveling companions, they tell their stories and reveal their lives to him. We find out that the old veteran Hewspear is a grandfather, estranged from his daughter-in-law after the death of his son. We also learn that Killcoin has a sister, the Memoridon witch Soffjian who makes her first appearance in this novel. The relationship between the siblings is complicated, and we’re also in a position to find out why. This book humanizes the Syldoon, showing the reader another side to these men, letting us see that they are more than just brutal warriors.

I continue to enjoy these characters. They fascinated me in the first book, and here they are even more developed. What amazes me is Salyard’s talent for making each and every one of them unique. Not every author can do this. I love reading dark fantasy featuring raw, gritty badass characters – but sometimes a book can end up with a whole bunch of characters with practically indistinguishable personalities on account of how raw, how gritty, how very badass they all equally are. Thankfully, the Bloodsounder’s Arc novels avoid this pitfall. I liked each of the Syldoon for different reasons. Every one of them can stand on their own, displaying their individual quirks and qualities which can even extend to their behaviors and the way they speak, from Killcoin’s emphatic “yes?” to Mulldoos’ penchant for coming up with hilariously obscene insults. Now's also probably a good time to mention just how fantastic I think the dialogue is, well-written and sometimes injected with dark humor.

Arki himself is a delight to have as a narrator. He's come a long way since the beginning of the first book, evolving with every minute he spends with the Syldoon, every violent battle he witnesses. He gradually learns to shed his old life to adapt to the new one with Captain Killcoin and his men, and it’s interesting to see how the emotions war within him even as he grows more loyal to the Syldoon and makes friends among them. He's a stronger person in this book, both in the way he is written and in the manner he carries himself.

Seriously, why aren’t more people reading Jeff Salyards?! He's outdone himself with this one. The book all but throws open the doors to the world of the Bloodsounder’s Arc, giving us better insight into its history, politics, religion and magic. The sights and sounds get more magnificent. The battles are bigger and better. The story is far deeper now that all the cards are on the table, and Salyards isn’t holding back anymore. All around, this is an excellent book, exceeding all my expectations for a sequel.

[Michael Pang · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veil of the Deserters is book #2 of the Bloodsounder's series. If you haven't read book #1, get it so you can immediately read this book right after. If you've read book #1, immediately get this book as the story arc explodes and shines here. (There is little to no-gap between books 1 and 2).

Book 1 was a promise, this second book makes good on that promise (imagine getting a new puppy, luxury sedan, [insert wishlist] and world peace delivered to your doorstep on Christmas morning) and as a bonus we get a promise of more to come -- can't wait.

I am a fan of good military fantasy, plot twists and unique magic systems as contained in this book; but, where this story really shines is the characters. The characters are well-developed and I really enjoyed the interaction between these characters. The dialogue is witty and funny and you really settle into the life of a company of grim soldiers who, despite their profession, shine as people. Hell, I even thought liked the characters that were involved in the betrayals-plot twist [but we won't get into spoilers here ;)] and had myself lamenting, can you trust anyone?

I wholly recommend the Bloodsounder's Arc and liked how this book in particular really set the tone for a great series. Forget "2nd book syndrome", this book builds upon and enhances the storyline nicely.

[seak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Veil of the Deserters is one of those sequels I've been dying to get my hands on. Salyards created this captivating world through the eyes of his protagonist, Arkamandos (Arki), and then made us wait two years to see more! Not only that, Scourge of the Betrayer, book one of Bloodsounder's Arc, was relatively short. It gave us a number of answers, but it left so much untold. I just knew the sequel would take this series to the next level ... or kill it.

Veil of the Deserters killed it ... wait, I mean took it to the next level by killing it in the best way possible.

In Scourge, we only just find out the smallest bit about the Syldoons and their mission. In Veil, things are opened up wide and suddenly the story is completely different. The Syldoon are pulled out to return to the capital, but their mission is nowhere near completion. Facing the undesirable question of losing all their progress or angering the Emperor Cynead is only the beginning of their problems.

Veil is yet again told through the eyes of Arki, who also happens to be curious to a fault. This gives us answers as readers, but also leaves us in his shoes to flounder through mystery after mystery.

One of the best parts of this sequel was that we not only get to see more of the world as the Syldoon head back home, but we get a look into the magics. The Memoridons are a force all their own and independently powerful, with a form of mind magic. It's hard to tell where their loyalties lie and they bring a lot into the story.

In the end, I'm dying to read more of this series.

Jeff, you're work called me and said you're fired. No, don't ask why they called me, they just did. Oh, and so did all employers everywhere, which means there's nothing else for you to look for. There's just no chance, I already heard from them. What's with all the questions? Trust me.

So ... I guess you have to make ends meet solely through writing. Please write more, right now. I can't get enough.

4.5 out of 5 Stars (very highly recommended)

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read about the .... end of January, beginning of February (another better-late-then-never review)

Rating 4.5 (awww, hell, 5 stars)



"Bloodshed comes whether she’s invited or no. Pushy entitled bitch, bloodshed.”

In the "Deserters" we pick up right where we left off in Scourge of the Betrayer, with Arkamondos "Arki" the young scribe, Captain Braylar Killcoin and the rest of the Syldoon warriors, regrouping after the debacle of their last mission. They've suffered losses in their ranks, but there's not a moment spared to mourn. Arki's moment of noble idiocy (concerning a certain young Hornman) comes to bite him (them) in the ass. The Syldoon (and Arki) are forced to make their stay in Alespell a short one. If the angry Hornmen ,the suspicious and psychotic Baron Brune and the loss of Lloi (the only one capable to heal Killcon from the side-effects of wielding Bloodsounder), there's new trouble on the horizon .... two Memoridons, one of them Soffjian, Killcoin's sister (no love lost between the two). They bring with them Emperor Cynead's missive to abort the operation and return home at once ... without delay.

I'll try to be short. Out of the books I've read during my Goodreads hiatus (last five months), Veil of the Deserters was probably the most satisfying (let me check the list of books I've read ..... yep, confirmed). Sure, I've enjoyed Sullivan's Riyria books and Brown's Morning Star .... but this one, especially those last chapters in Sunwrack ... left me at one point...



and again ...



just ....wow (you know what I mean). Have I found another favorite author? It sure seams so.

In Scourge of the Betrayer things were a little vague. Finally in this book we have some answers regarding the origins of the Bloodsounder, and we start to decipher the mystery of the Veil and the Syldoon charismatic leader, Killcoin. We learn more about the tensions between the Syldoon annd the Memoridons (they are at each others throats constantly)...

"Soffjian showed her teeth, though it was clearly vulpine. “And if you were any kind of man, I’d take offense.”
Mulldoos stood, laid his hand on the large pommel of his falchion. “You might be a witch, bitch. But you still bleed, don’t you?”
“With every moon. But seldom else, Syldoon. Seldom else.”
The two of them stared each other down before Hewspear cleared his throat. “Well. That answers that question pretty soundly, I’d say.”

... and we get to see Sunwrack, the heart of the Syldoon Empire.

As for the rest ... the writing style is to my liking...

"I sat in our pocket of woods with Vendurro and the other Syldoon in our group and waited. In my brief experience, that seemed to happen a lot more in soldiering than the songs and tales would have you believe. Rather than brave assaults, stirring duels, colossal clashes of armies, and heroic last stands that everyone so often heard about, it was largely proving to be cramped muscles, stiff backs, long stretches of boredom and inactivity or unremarkable travel, punctuated by brief episodes of horrific bloodshed.”

Arki and Killcoin were a little hard to warm up to in the first book ... but I think I've finally found my footing with them in this one .... and I just love, love, love Vendurro, Hewspear and especially that dirty bastard, Mulldoos (I have a soft spot for this rough sort of character, so it's no surprise hes's my favorite)



I want to thank the author for not killing those guys off (it was a close call a few times .. and I was a nervous wreck). I am curious what awaits them in the next book.

"He stalked off into the darkness, leaving me with my thoughts, my fears, and my remorse. Sparing the Hornman in the grass, sparing the captain’s own life in the village of the dead—each time, I considered them compassionate acts, simply the right thing to do. I never imagined they could lead to tragedy and greater loss, compounded death and devastation.
That was a drastic failure of imagination”

It may not be a perfect book (it was close to perfect for me) ... but what a ride. Recommended.

Next one soon.

[Milda Page Runner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even better than the first one. We get up close and personal with Memoridon witches and learn how their magic works. Another layer of mystery added to Godsveil and I predict we will get to see what’s behind it in the last book. Impressive city of Sunwrack from within, Syldoon towers, manumision and how ‘Black Noose’ structure works – exciting stuff. And then just like in the first book - plenty of skirmishes, travelling adventure, bloody fights; dialogues spiced up with black humour, foul language and soldier’s philosophy; hidden agendas, unexpected twists and betrayal.
Highly recommended for grimdark and military fantasy readers. A must read for people who enjoyed the first book in the series.

==========
He noticed me staring and smiled. “Not expecting a veteran killer to have a light touch, eh, Arki?” “No,” I replied quickly. “That is, I mean, I don’t consider you a veteran killer.” He went back to his fine work, still smiling. “You are as ingenuous as they come, young scribe. And if you aren’t yourself convinced of the lies you spin, you can be sure your audience will be equally skeptical.”

”I wouldn’t presume to tell you what context means to you, or argue the semantics of the thing, all I’ll say is, I have killed men. Less than some, but more than many. On account of my advanced years and crafty nature.” He winked at me, but the good humor seemed to drain away as quickly as it appeared. “But a man who kills is a killer, no matter the cause or circumstance, regardless of whether it is a pitched battle among troops who are aware of the risks, or after too many ales in a tavern. So, a veteran killer is a veteran killer, no matter how you dress it up or embroider it.”

And just like that, the steel and command was back. Or perhaps it was always there, a sword in a soft leather scabbard, and I’d somehow gotten distracted by the delicate tooling on the surface and forgot that a bloodied blade was inside the whole time, just waiting to be drawn and used.

“The command is yours, for the moment, Captain. But I must go on record as—” “Objection duly noted, duly considered, and duly rejected and forgotten. Anything else, Memoridon, or are you done meddling?

“Revealing a cowardly deed is about the bravest thing a man can do. Not saying it’s cowardly, what he done, running like that. Sure I would have done the same, or bawled like a babe before even getting to that deadhouse, had to be dragged there kicking and screaming. But in his eyes it is.

Mulldoos spat in the grass. “Figured as much. You were a man, I’d call you coward instead of just a woman who meddles where she shouldn’t and don’t help out where she should.” Soffjian showed her teeth, though it was clearly vulpine. “And if you were any kind of man, I’d take offense.” (…)
Mulldoos stood, laid his hand on the large pommel of his falchion. “You might be a witch, bitch. But you still bleed, don’t you?” “With every moon. But seldom else, Syldoon. Seldom else.”

“Vendurro has the right of this. The meaning of a thing always matters. Always.” “Oh yeah? How do you figure?” Mulldoos asked. “There would probably be far fewer conflicts in the world if we all made more efforts for clarity of communication.” “Nahh. We’d just understand why the other bastard hated us a little bit better, is all.”

I sat in our pocket of woods with Vendurro and the other Syldoon in our group and waited. In my brief experience, that seemed to happen a lot more in soldiering than the songs and tales would have you believe. Rather than brave assaults, stirring duels, colossal clashes of armies, and heroic last stands that everyone so often heard about, it was largely proving to be cramped muscles, stiff backs, long stretches of boredom and inactivity or unremarkable travel, punctuated by brief episodes of horrific bloodshed.

“Bloodshed comes whether she’s invited or no. Pushy entitled bitch, bloodshed.”

[Mia · Rating 5 out of 5]

AN OPEN LETTER TO MR. JEFF SALYARDS
AUTHOR OF 'VEIL OF THE DESERTERS'

3 July 2014

Dear Mr. Salyards:

I am constrained to write to you because I can no longer countenance your behavior which has decidedly placed me in considerable danger. While I normally espouse the principle --'if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all'-- the gravity of the situation obliges me to register my protest no matter how distasteful I find the task.

I believe forthrightness to be a virtue so I shall not mince words. You, sir, are egregiously cruel.

The world of The Bloodsounder's Arc books is sprawling and often harsh. While set in a different place at a different time, it is not difficult to relate to the plight of the people of the Empire. A reader today would not be unfamiliar with the effects of poverty, a class system, or political struggle particularly to people so far from the fringes of power. In 'Veil of the Deserters', you have expanded the world a bit and then a bit more, only to put all these new places we have learned about in peril, making me fear for the citizens of towns that are mere pawns of those who wish to rule. Even Syldoon, the seat of power –and should rightfully be the most peaceful-- is a pit of vipers, more volatile and incendiary the more powerful and wealthy it becomes.

While there is certainly an abundance of action, you supplied more than ample interaction and dialogue between the characters which revealed the most about their individual personalities. There was an ease to the exchanges-- the mirth was more mirthful, the sarcasm sharper, the affection more touching, the mourning more sorrowful.

In the Memoridons, you have created characters shrouded in fascinating and ambiguous mystery. They could easily be friend or foe but what is certain is that they are anything but innocuous. I have been wracking my brain and considering all angles and I still have not arrived at their probable place in the 'big picture', so to speak. Even those who are more easily classified as our heroic band's foes are not entirely predictable. Moreover, the means by which to vanquish such foes do not guarantee our band's victory. There always seems to be a greater peril hiding just behind a recently conquered one.

You gave me a window to the lives of Arkamondos, Killcoin, Hewspear, Vendurro, Mulldoos. I am James Stewart, prisoner in my seat, with your book as my binoculars to watch how they pass their days. Unbeknownst to them, I observed the inner workings of their lives-- routines, surprises, habits, emotional growth, disappointments, failures, victories. While the Syldoon may be a warrior civilization, these men have proven to be much more than just able warriors. You revealed their souls by their beliefs, choices, actions, non-negotiable moral principles, and failings. Oh, how they failed! Even with the best of intentions, they still occasionally failed, and with such dire consequences.

Your worst transgression? You made me like them, wonder about their fates, hope for their triumph, lament their failure....or loss, whenever appropriate. If that weren't enough, you could not have ended this second installment on a more precarious cliffhanger. I am left dangling without a harness, holding on with my fingertips. Perhaps you should enlist Ms. Courtney Schafer to educate you on the finer points of mountaineering safety.

I fear there is a slight chance I have been a bit vague about the hazards you have created for me. When Ven or Hew or Mulldoos is running from foes from all directions, I am similarly hyperventilating while they're running for their lives in the streets of Anjuria. When Arki is cramping from holding up the crossbow, afraid to put it down lest it be an inopportune moment to do so, I am gripping my tablet so hard my arm is similarly going numb. When Bray is racked by his particular affliction, I am similarly jittery and rendered inutile by the disquiet engendered by concern.

All of the abovementioned circumstances have certainly not benefited my constitution. Oh, my nerves! If your objective was to cause torture and anguish well-- well done, O sadistic sir. If you were unaware of this effect before, you can no longer claim innocence now. You have stolen months, perhaps years, of my precious life already steadily proceeding towards death, but which journey you have now hastened considerably. With great ability comes greater responsibility. It is my fervent hope that this would give you pause and make you more circumspect in your next project. I have consulted a physician and I have been assured that most --if not all-- the adverse effects of the emotional anguish you have thus far caused me is reversible by the administration of the proper treatment; i.e. Book Three.

What do you have to say for yourself, sir?

Sincerely,

Mia

p.s. Perhaps you could suggest to your publisher to give the proofreader/formatter of the ebook a few Syldoonian lashings for numerous misplaced punctuations marks, typographical errors and missing lines when the font size is changed. It is terribly disconcerting when all you want to do is read quickly to the book's conclusion.

[Jenna Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has some of the best fight segments in fantasy writing.

Arki is slightly less useless in this book than the first and as always, he is hilarious whether he is trying to span a crossbow or attempting to hide his acquired knowledge. Or just talk in general.

I loved the two new female characters - they are a great addition to the series. I loved all the worldbuilding added with the Memoridons and I hope there will be more of them showcased in Chains of the Heretic. There was a lot of great set-up for the last book so I'm excited to get to it.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

First and foremost - I want to thank Jeff Salyards for picking me in his contest, sending me this copy of the book before release date, and for following up to ensure I was happy with it. I also want to apologize, because I started reading this forever ago, and my paper book reading has all but skidded to a complete halt over the last few months. Normally I'd read a book a week or more, but I've taken around 2 months just to complete this one - and it was an exciting book.

Moving on - I really enjoyed Scourge Of The Betrayer, Salyards' debut in this series. It was a refreshing change of pace, a quick read with an awesome first person narrative, Arki is a fantastic character, one with a ton of depth and charisma, and the cast of characters around him were diverse, engaging, and downright fascinating. My one criticism of Scourge at the time was the lack of depth - the book painted a small picture of a big and interesting world, but did not elaborate on much of it, did not give backstory or explanations. I was very excited about Veil, especially in getting to know this world and characters that much more.

And Salyards delivered in a big, big way. Veil is rife with the same battles, conflict, character interaction, and drama that Scourge had. However, at the same time, it expands an incredible amount on the world, the backgrounds of the characters, the politics, the guile and deceptions. We learn so much more about the characters, especially Captain Braylar Killcoin, and the results are extremely satisfying. The world Jeff has created is as unique as it is exciting, and packed with intriguing people and places, without feeling over-the-top or fantastical just for the sake of being different. He handles it masterfully, using a deft hand and some wonderful prose to set his book apart, without the need to be wacky or wild.

While still not perfect, the pacing of the book was significantly improved over Scourge - the action and dialogue are well placed, and there is never the fatigue that was present with the sometimes breakneck speed of Scourge. The action is prevalent and common, but not intrusive or obnoxious - it's a good balance between dialogue, action scenes, and history/infodumps. I never once felt tired, bored or overwhelmed. The book was an easy read, yet still full of complexity and depth that I really craved. It was, essentially, exactly what I wanted from the sequel.

The true strong points, to me, were Jeff's prose, and the dialogue. The interplay between the characters is fantastic - funny, witty, deep, impactful. Each character has an extremely distinct voice and dialogue, and do not differ from it or get homogeneous at random times. Many authors struggle with giving each character unique characteristics and sticking with it, but Salyards hits a home run with this aspect. Each character has their own speech patterns, phrasing, cadences and quips. There's never confusion between Muldoos and Vendurro, Arki or Killcoin. I felt, after reading most of the book, that I could identify who was speaking without any assistance the vast majority of the time, just based on their speech patterns and word choices. I can't state how awesome this is sufficiently enough.

As he proved in Scourge, Jeff can really write a battle scene. Each one was intense, full of consequences and drama, and really put you into the scene. It's especially fun when the battles are described through the eyes of a scribe - one who can understand what is going on, but is not martially trained or apt at all. Arki struggles with his own survival constantly, with the approval of the militaristic soldiers he's traveling with, and with the consequences of the battle. His own morals are quite a bit different than those of his comrades, which leads to distinct arguments, with distinct consequences. All of which are explored wonderfully, the thoughts and concerns portrayed without being intrusive.

My only real complaint was a writing style choice - as I mentioned in one of my status updates, it's hard to give good info dumps or history pieces when writing a first person narrative. Often, characters would give infodumps in the form of prose, which to me feels awkward. A character will be having a conversation, then go into infodump mode and is suddenly describing the surroundings in far more detail than they normally would, using adjectives for people and reactions that were unnatural to their speech. It just feels a bit odd and clunky, especially when interjected between the consistency and competence of the rest of the dialogue and prose. I have discussed this with some other readers of late, and it seems that some people enjoy this and some don't. For me, it's one of those things that makes me raise an eyebrow, but does not actually take away from my enjoyment of the book. It takes me out of the immersion for a moment, but with a writer as talented and creative as Jeff, I'm able to jump back in fairly easy.

Final impressions of the book are immensely positive. It's an absolute blast of a book to read, and had everything I look for in a fantasy novel. The plot moved well, developed nicely, and the characters are spectacular. Jeff's prose is wonderful to read and enjoy, and works wonderfully for the story he's telling. I loved the history and worldbuilding that went into this novel, and the political drama (especially at the end) was an awesome aspect. I won't hesitate to recommend this book to almost any fantasy fan, and can safely say that this is turning into one of my favorite fantasy series. I eagerly look forward to the third installment to see where Arki, Braylar and Co. end up.

[Scott Hitchcock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Book 1: 3.5*s
Book 2: 4.5*s

The primer that was book one was fulfilled in this middle installment. Salyards does a great job of keeping the reader on a string as he gives answers that create more questions and a lot of them are surprises.

I look forward to book three.

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some poets spoke of red sunsets as things of sublime beauty, prefacing good fortune or romance, but they always seemed to be foretelling some bloodletting, murder, or tragedy writ large for all the world to see, and never more so than now.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe the mighty good luck I've had reading lately, what with Joe Abercrombie's FIRST LAW trilogy only a last month and now Salyards BLOODSOUNDER'S ARCH. FIRST LAW blew my socks off and became an instant favorite. And this here trilogy is doing the same thing and hitting quite a few of the same notes but with it's own particular flavor.

These first two books have a strong Sword & Sorcery intimacy to them that I love. A more personal story. The cursed weapon and its man and their storyteller. It's a much tighter story than Abercrombie's, fewer characters and perhaps a bit more subtle. Oh, and the characters! How I love them: Captain Killcoin, Arki, Vendurro, Hewspear, Mulldoos and the rest. All so vivid, interesting, full of life and breath.

What I don't get is why this series hasn't yet attracted the massive audience Abercrombie has. It's every bit as good. A very satisfying series so far. I've set aside both Rothfuss and Peter Brett to focus on this series. For my tastes much more captivating than that pair of wonderfully strong novels and very talented authors. Salyards has the magic touch. This is the fantasy series you need to read this year. You'll love it.

[Shae · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Bloodshed comes whether she's invited or no. Pushy entitled bitch, bloodshed."

Really enjoyed this! An easy 4.5/5 stars from me. For a military 'fantasy' the story was crafted in such a way that everything felt completely authentic - fight scenes were brutal but realistic, dialogue was witty but natural and the characters felt like people you might recognise.

I'm actually amazed that this trilogy is not more widely known! Anyway, on to the next one :-)

[Freakout · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bloody excellent fantastic !!! What a ride ...
Even better than the first one. Highly recommended !!!

[David Firmage · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent follow up to Scourge. Enjoying this military fantasy series without large scale battles.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book, Scourge of the Betrayer. It was a strange little tale, fun and smart, and Veil of the Deserters (Bloodsounder's Arc, #2)ended without answering a single question I had about what was really going on. Rather than being annoyed by this I was intrigued; the scribe telling us the story was just as confused as the reader.

Turns out it didn’t matter, almost everything we learned in book one was suspect. Arkamondos, our lovable scribe narrating the tale, was taken in hook line and sinker by false tales and red herring. As everything is being held so close to the vest that all we know in this world is what Arki does, some expectations are going to have to be readjusted as new info comes our way. And come our way it does, the information flies this time around. World history, actual specifics of the mission, and thanks to Arki’s skills of translation, some info on a certain magical weapon on which this story seems to be hinging.

I was a bit worried that the story would lack due to a character missing from the first outing; said character’s death was truly unexpected in a genre that usually telegraphs them for a reader. Not to worry, a couple of new characters pick up the slack and then some. Soffjian, the good captain’s sister, turns up to lead the group back home; despite a bit of reluctance from the company. She quickly takes over the show, the sibling rivalry gone nuclear keeps some tension even during long periods of travel. And while she quickly became my favorite character the cast from the first book continues to delight. A certain insult prone soldier with a bad attitude is in fine form; and when he shows what passes as a soft spot for Arki it actually gives, wait for it, the feels.

The narrative of this series has a pretty cool dynamic that continues to intrigue me as much as the story itself. Arki is the protagonist, and the story is told by him in the first person. Yet for the most part he is an outlier to the action, giving us a first person narrator telling the story from something closer to a third person style. Except, of course, when he is dragged into the action, at which point the whole style changes while staying the same. For some reason this unique style pleases me.

I should note that this book is quite a bit longer than the first book. This wasn’t something I was a huge fan of because a huge chunk of this was backstory presented through conversations as the group traveled. I appreciate that Arki is a scribe and prone to over recording information. But huge amounts of world building are dumped into these conversations, specifically the history of the Syldoon Empire. This is neither a good thing nor a bad thing; it is a well thought out history. But for me it caused the book to drag through the middle. Thankfully once the group hit their destination this drag stopped and I was back to excited for the final quarter of the book.

Like all good middle books Veil of the Deserters gives some conclusion to early story lines while upping the ante for a future outing. Already my mind turns as I try to figure out how the earlier mission will fit into the new reality the company has found itself in. Some very different plot lines Salyards has to tie together; I can’t wait to see how it all fits together.

Plus I really hope giant killer ground based birds come into play again. I really liked those. Just thought you should know.

4 Stars

Review copy provided by publicist.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Salyards impressed the holy hell out of me. There’s no other way to say it. The first book was good, but it didn’t really blow me away. I can tell that Veil of the Deserters was a labor of love. Salyards really pushed himself to be the best that he could be. He used Scourge of the Betrayer as a steppingstone, a good start. He turned that good, solid start into something quite amazing. Honestly, in regards to epic, military fantasy, this is some of the best. Salyards really proves himself with this book. He’s got some incredible talent, and he’s tapping into it, and honing it, and it is an absolute delight to watch.


Read my full review here:

http://www.bookwormblues.net/2014/05/...

[Nickolas · Rating 5 out of 5]

VEIL OF THE DESERTERS is the sequel to SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER by Jeff Salyards, a Sword & Sorcery novel that earned a spot in our Best of 2012 lineup. The first book in Bloodsounder's Arc unexpectedly blew me away (so much so that I read it and reviewed it twice) and I've been waiting for the sequel ever since. In the time that has passed I've read a lot of books but SCOURGE has managed to remain vivid in my imagination.

I've also come to understand (if not completely agree) with some of the criticisms leveled at the first book. This time I've got some criticisms of my own to share, though they hardly kept me from loving, what is shaping up to be, one of my favorite fantasy book series of all time.

Here's the Amazon book description:

Braylar is still poisoned by the memories of those slain by his unholy flail Bloodsounder, and attempts to counter this sickness have proven ineffectual. The Syldoonian Emperor, Cynead, has solidified his power in unprecedented ways, and Braylar and company are recalled to the capital to swear fealty. Braylar must decide if he can trust his sister, Soffjian, with the secret that is killing him. She has powerful memory magics that might be able to save him from Bloodsounder’s effects, but she has political allegiances that are not his own. Arki and others in the company try to get Soffjian and Braylar to trust one another, but politics in the capital prove to be complicated and dangerous. Deposed emperor Thumarr plots to remove the repressive Cynead, and Braylar and Soffjian are at the heart of his plans. The distance between “favored shadow agent of the emperor” and “exiled traitor” is unsurprisingly small. But it is filled with blind twists and unexpected turns. Before the journey is over, Arki will chronicle the true intentions of Emperor Cynead and Soffjian.

So VEIL OF THE DESERTERS picks up immediately after SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER leaves off. VEIL is a much larger book (nearly twice the length) but in a lot of ways it reads like the next installment in a serial. Those who complained about the length and ending of SCOURGE can consider this PART II. Neither of these books should be read as a standalone, nor should they be read out of order. This isn't a condemnation (this is a series after all) so much as it is an observation. With this sequel Salyards further develops the characters and their relationships with the world and with each other.

The characters were my favorite part of the first book. Told from the perspective of Arki, readers learn to love and loathe the Syldoon soldiers. The beautiful prose brings Arki to life. If you're going to tell a story from the perspective of a scribe it's best to make the writing reflect that and Salyards succeeds on this front. He strings vivid sentences together with a mastery I consider unrivaled, even among my favorite authors. The world portrayed in these novels could be called grimdark -- characters bear surnames like Killcoin, inns go by titles such as the Grieving Dog and there's a Forest of Deadmoss, the capital of the Syldoon empire is called Sunwrack, and the gods are deserters -- but there's an undeniable beauty that can be attributed to the prose.

In his short time with Captain Killcoin and the crew Arki has endured personal loss, though he is still an outsider. The Syldoon don't trust him and the arrival of two Memoridons, magicians that manipulate memory, only serves to pique further suspicion. Those who complained about the lack of female characters in SCOURGE (despite the presence of Lloi, a wonderfully realized character) will find much to appreciate in the Memoridons. Both are strong characters with agency, but for different reasons. Soffjian is sister to the prickly Captain Killcoin, and she can match him verbal blow for blow. Then there's Skeelana, a woman out of her element, much like Arki. These two new characters provide new opportunities and dangers for our narrator to navigate through.

Those who survived SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER make a return. Captain Braylar Killcoin continues to be vastly compelling. I've never read a character that better exemplified bipolar disorder. It's impossible to predict Braylar's moods and there's an aura of danger that permeates his every action and word. The presence of his sister throws a wrench into all of his careful scheming and we even get a glimpse of Braylar's back story.

With VEIL OF THE DESERTERS Salyards spends time building on all the delicious bite sized morsels he teased at in the first book. We get to learn more about the Syldoon and their recruiting practices, the Memoridons and their magic, Bloodsounder with its ties to the Deserter Gods, and even the governing practices in the Capital of Coups. All of these details and more create an irresistible and absorbing setting. Reading SCOURGE I suspected that what at times appeared to be the trappings of typical Eurocentric fantasy concealed something much deeper. It's good to see that I was not mistaken. And still I want more. Visiting the Syldoon city of Sunwrack, Capital of Coups, was marvelous but short lived. Such a grand city(the likes of which has not yet been experienced in the series) deserves a larger section of the book for exploration. I get the feeling that we're still only catching a glimpse of what Salyards has in store and I hope the series is long lived so that we can delve into all its nooks and crannies.

There's plenty of action (as to be expected when dealing with the Syldoon) and Salyards treats it with all the weight and authenticity it deserves. Fighting is fast and bloody, tides turn and fortunes reverse, and a slip of footing can mean the difference between life and death. No one is ever safe in the George R.R. Martin fashion, as Salyards made evident in SCOURGE. Previously this series was of the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre but with the exclusion of Bloodsounder it was missing the Sorcery. The addition of the Memoridons brings the heat. The memory magic practiced by Soffjian and Skeelana brings some interesting possibilities to play and I'm excited to see that develop as the series continues.

My biggest complaint about VEIL concerns the dialogue. I cannot deny that Salyards writes flowing dialogue that is sharp. The problem I encountered while reading VEIL is that no matter how well written it is it can at time feel repetitive. There's too much parry and riposte to feel completely natural. It makes for entertaining reading but after a while you can start to predict the general structure of conversation. I believe that SCOURGE balanced this a lot better, though perhaps it became more apparent to me reading VEIL because the sequel is so much longer.

In all other areas VEIL OF THE DESERTERS is bigger and better. There's more action, more character, more world building, more danger, more plot development, more everything really. Salyards is hitting his stride, dodging the sophomore slump and playing the long game. Readers get some answers and pose new questions, all the while rooting for the unlikely hero Arkamondos and his deadly allies within the Jackal Tower of the Syldoon Empire.

Recommended Age: 16+
Language: Heavy and frequent.
Violence: Heavy and bloody.
Sex: None.

Nick Sharps
Elitist Book Reviews

[Timothy Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review at Adventures in SciFi publishing
Podcast with Jeff includes giveaway of both books in the Bloodsounder's Arc. Ends Tuesday 6/10.

Veil of the Deserters has made Jeff Salyards’ Bloodsounder’s Arc one of the best Fantasy series out there. As the story has progressed, I’ve become more impressed with his gifts and convinced that anyone who enjoys Fantasy needs to treat themselves with Jeff’s books.

The story is about an archivist who has nothing and no one but his skills in writing and translation. He is lonely and unsure where he fits in this grim world—a sentiment I share strongly, and enjoyed experiencing with him. A band of gruff soldiers hire him to record their upcoming adventure, which grows more dangerous and interesting in escalating levels of awesome. I’m not going to spoil anything here, but if you haven’t read any of these books, maybe check out my review of the first book, Scourge of the Betrayer. The bonus of reading this review is I get to show you some spoiler free goodies that you’d have to look forward to.

I mentioned Jeff having multiple gifts. Each one makes him stand out among the best writers out there. In a story that is about ninety percent grim, Jeff’s superb talent for humorous dialogue really helps to keep you from feeling fatigued at all the tough things that happen. The characters surprise you with what they say, evoking the need to keep reading for more nuggets of wit and strategic plotting. All of his characters are smart and either worthy adversaries or allies, and with the POV of Arki the archivist, it was nice to see him earning his place among their company, as friend and foe.

On top of the dialogue are his action scenes that are never easily won, and always among the most exciting I’ve read. As Arki grows more comfortable with the band of soldiers through the dialogue they share, he also grows a little more comfortable wielding his crossbow. He is no marksman by the end, but when he does have to use his weapon, it has the effect of strong tension and excitement.

A theme that develops in this book in relation to its illustration of war is that whenever Arki or someone displays mercy, it ends up costing them tenfold. Add to this how well the end conflict wraps together all the development of worldbuilding and characters moving their pieces across the chessboard, and you have a concise, in-depth story. What else can I say about the worldbuilding and characters without spoiling anything? Or how about sharing some samples from the text? I’m going to refrain because they are so good in their context and execution that to share further or to give examples would ruin the experience. I stake my reputation as a reviewer on the solid and often exceptional quality of these books.

When it comes to star ratings for books, I’m afraid this one is not quite a five star for me, as highly as I still recommend it. 4.5 is the most accurate, with the first one being a solid 4. So there is improvement, in pacing, character development, worldbuilding, and a clearer plot, but I’m afraid as a whole it isn’t among my top tier of books. It is setting the stage for the next one to likely land in that category, but this one rang more true to the sense of “very good” than evoking a “wow,” response. There are parts that I wish read a little quicker and I’m hoping for the best plot twists, character empathy moments and worldbuilding revelations to amp up some more. Still, that’s being quite picky. As I said at the beginning, I think this is a must-read for Fantasy fans.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well played Jeff Salyards. For a while there I was thinking the book was a bit slow moving as it seemed to taken forever to get to Sunwrack. However the payoff was worth it. The book was a worthy middle of trilogy book and sets the stage well for the final instalment.

[Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you can read......read these books....as good as any fantasy series anywhere. great characters fantastic story and swearing what more can you ask for. can't wait for more from Jeff.

[Laura Hughes · Rating 5 out of 5]

You'll be pleased to know that I’m not here to bore you with generalised, hyperbolic gushing about how much I’m loving the world of Jeff Salyards’ Bloodsounder’s Arc (I waffled on enough in my review of book one, ‘Scourge of the Betrayer’).

No, what I’m actually here to do is thrill you with *specific*, hyperbolic gushing* about how much I’m bloody loving this series.

(*Disclaimer: fangirlish gushing is an inadvertent and unavoidable side effect of reading this author’s work.)

‘Veil of the Deserters’ picks right up where ‘Scourge’ left off, whirling us off our feet and right back into the story with even less fucking around than a typical episode of 24. Injuries that were inflicted in the first book are still causing problems (broken ribs don’t heal overnight, y’know) as Arki’s tale continues to unfold in ‘real time’ using the same focused PoV and slow-build structure that had such a Marmite effect on many readers of book one. Personally, I think it’s brilliant . . . but there’s no accounting for taste.

Luckily for those who disliked the first book’s narrow approach to worldbuilding, the story’s scope begins to widen dramatically in ‘Veil’; and the writing becomes delightfully evocative to match it. Salyards’ hypnotic prose conjures some truly striking settings and imagery, with vivid and poetic descriptions woven seamlessly into the narrative. The scene that made the biggest impression on me was especially memorable because of its spectacular backdrop; I highlighted certain passages as I was reading, and when I went back to check the notes I’d made I’d annotated these parts with just the words: “fucking gorgeous.”

But since our narrator is accompanying a close-knit group of soldiers on their long, dangerous trek home, it makes sense that a much larger amount of the book is devoted to portraying their interactions with one another. Lucky, then, that Salyards also writes dialogue like a boss. Conversations are witty but natural; there’s biting rejoinders and clever repartee and laugh-out-loud snark and sarcasm a-plenty, but it’s recurring rather than constant and never once does it feel forced.

Dialogue is a vital part of any novel, and more so in one that uses first person. Bloodsounder’s Arc filters our understanding of everything that goes on by showing it to us through the narrow window of Arki’s narrative, which means that the only way we (and Arki) learn about the characters is by observing their interactions. I simply can’t stress enough how skilfully this is accomplished here. Furthermore, each of the more prominent characters speak in ways that are subtly different. Speech tags are a rarity because they are simply not necessary: Mulldoos, Vendurro, Braylar and the rest each have their own voice, and it’s easy to distinguish between them even during group conversations.

When I reviewed ‘Scourge’ I praised Salyards’ skill in creating characters who feel like real people, and he continues to demonstrate that skill throughout ‘Veil’. Familiar faces become both less and more so as the layers obscuring their lives are gradually peeled away; flaws and virtues are laid bare in equal measure as Arki slowly comes to find his own place in the company.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in Arki’s relationship with Braylar, which develops in new and organic - and sometimes surprising – ways. A partnership born of expedience and founded on mutual tolerance begins to grow into something almost approaching friendship, or at the very least grudging respect. One of the more obvious signs of this is that Braylar becomes less vitriolic towards Arki, to the point where his sarcastic mockery sounds almost more affectionate than hostile. In response Arki sheds some of his fearful passivity, and begins to speak and act with initiative and increasing temerity.

Some would argue that dialogue and internal voice dominate the book at the expense of its plot. I would disagree wholeheartedly. Part of this series’ charm is the way it takes its time, draws you in, makes you care without realising, until something happens (preparing an ambush by sunset, perhaps?) and the pages leading up to that moment become unbearably tense, and the blow-by-blow fight scenes even more so.

Combat in Salyards’ world is brutal, exhausting and inglorious. I’ve said before, he writes fight scenes so realistically that they’re almost painful to read. One-handed weapons don’t shear through armour like a hot knife through butter; instead they’re frequently used to bash and pummel a heavily-armoured opponent into submission, which is less gory but far, far more brutal. Arrows are deflected by helms, crossbow bolts do very little damage to those wearing decent armour, and whether or not you manage to shoot your enemy in the face at range is much more dependent on luck than skill.

Most importantly, whenever there is fighting to be had the reader is fully aware that every single character is in danger, regardless of whether or not they’re actively participating. The narrator’s intimate focus on small groups and individual soldiers gives a real sense of immediacy: Salyards basically situates us right there beside Arki, in front-row seats where we can hear the grunts and clashes, feel the blood spray, smell the sweat of the armoured and exhausted combatants as they instinctively struggle to be the last man standing.

It’s not only during combat that we’re immersed in the story right alongside Arki. The first-person perspective ensures that ‘Veil’ remains grounded in realism even during its most fantastical moments; this, for me, is the most defining characteristic of the series. Salyards anchors the reader firmly within his narrator’s world, and in doing so persuades us to share his incredulity, his naivety, his limited experience of what may or may not be possible. And so it is that, when the fantastical does happen, it seems all the more remarkable and real.

It’s so deftly done that we scarcely even notice this subtle process. Right from the start of book one it’s as though our imagination has been slowly lowering its anchor into this world until it finally hit the bottom and lodged there. But it’s not until the events of ‘Veil’, when the narrator’s very definition of the impossible is called into question, that we feel our anchor unexpectedly pulled by these strange tides, and finally realise we’re about as thoroughly embedded in Arki’s world as it’s possible to be.

A fun little offshoot of this is that the author uses his narrator’s ignorance to poke fun at oft-overlooked aspects the genre. For example: at one point Arki reflects on how much maintenance horses require. “I suppose I always imagined you simply rode until you were done riding and then got off,” he muses; and whether or not Salyards intended it this way, there’s no denying that a vast amount of fantasy authors appear to make the same assumption as Arki. I know, I know: the genre’s called ‘fantasy’, it’s not meant to be realistic, etc., etc. Still, the best fantasies are written in such a way that we actually believe in them, even just for a moment. A thoroughly immersive reading experience relies on little touches of credibility, which is why Bloodsounder’s Arc is already one of the most engaging and (dare I say) believable speculative fiction series I’ve encountered.

Even the magic feels real. Wielded only by women, Salyards’ magic is mind-based, clever and unconventional: you’ll find no fireballs or magic missiles here. It’s not flashy in the slightest - which perhaps makes it even more frightening – but it’s still deadly, and it takes its toll on the caster as well as the target. Magic played a relatively small role in ‘Scourge’, and was largely mentioned only in dark muttering and cryptic references. But here we finally get to meet the dread Memoridons, or ‘memory witches’, two of whom accompany our favourite Syldoon and add an intriguing new dynamic to the group.

In fact, one of the Memoridons – Braylar’s sister Soffjian – has already become one of my favourite characters, despite the fact that she doesn’t actually take up a lot of page time. Using the angry, fearful reactions of Braylar and his men, the author makes Soffjian’s presence felt even before the reader meets her, and when she does join the Syldoon her presence in the group affects everything the soldiers say and do. Salyards lets us see just enough of her strength and skill – in interactions both verbal and physical – that we’re left in no doubt about her badass credentials. Salyards also does a rare thing: he manages to write a strong female character ��� who for the most part is clever and cunning, hostile and aloof, and frankly a bit of a bitch – and make her not only someone we sympathise with but also who we admire.

Well. I do, anyway. In fact, Soffjian is my new hero.

That said . . . fetch me my ranseur, and be quick about it. ‘Ranseur’, yes. You know, the big pointy—eugh, forget the ranseur. Just bring me the next book. ‘Chains of the Heretic’, that’s the one. I’ve heard it’s the best of the bunch!

Well, of course I have high expectations of it, fool. What? ‘What if it doesn’t live up to them?’ Of course it will! And if not, then it’s like Braylar himself says: “even if it proves less than gripping or convincing, it is better than a dead horse.”

[Courtney Schafer]

I very much enjoyed the first novel in Jeff Salyards's Bloodsounder's Arc series (Scourge of the Betrayer). So when I was offered the chance to read an ARC of sequel Veil of the Deserters, I jumped right on it - and boy, I'm glad I did. Scourge was a tightly-focused character study with an excellent blend of gritty, brutal action and thoughtful introspection. Veil keeps that same blend but broadens out the story's focus, as through narrator Arki's eyes we get a host of intriguing revelations that give the reader a much deeper picture of the politics, religion, and magic of the world. Speaking of that magic, it's both creepy and cool - my favorite sort. And though the story remains wholly in Arki's POV, we get to see some great new characters, including Braylar's sister Soffjian (who is just as clever as Braylar, even more dangerous, and doesn't like him one bit). I also enjoyed seeing naive scribe Arki evolve further as a character; he's in quite a different emotional place at the end of the book than he was at the start. (A good thing...I must admit I was a bit worried when in the book's early pages, Arki makes a decision so teeth-grindingly, frustratingly idiotic that I wanted to reach through the pages and strangle him. Not that the decision was out of character; far from it. But while I can forgive characters any manner of other flaws, sustained stupidity is my personal bete noir. Thankfully, Arki's stupidity doesn't last - and in this book, he gets to demonstrate talents that his soldier companions do not share. So if you happen to have a similar reaction to him as I did at the start of the book, fear not: keep reading, and all shall be well.)

Veil is a far longer, deeper tale than its predecessor. Salyards does an excellent job of slowly increasing pace and tension throughout, taking the plot from a slow burn to an inferno at the end that left me all too eager for the next installment. If you've any taste for military fantasy, I highly recommend the series.

[Jasper · Rating 5 out of 5]

originally posted at: http://thebookplank.blogspot.com/2014...

Last year I was searching for interesting reads, I didn't have that many book to read yet and by chance I stumbled Jeff Salyards debut, Scourge of the Betrayer. I really liked the premise of the story with a cursed flail and a lot of action, only later to find out that there was a much broader - political - scope to the story. One thing where Jeff Salyards excelled in for me was how the story was told. Via the narration of a young and inexperienced scribe Arkamondos (Arki). This first person narration really made a lot of the elements of the book stand out, as you get to learn just how tough the life of Arki amongst these seasoned warriors and all that they had to go through. Jeff Salyards left his story open and I said that he was building up a certain tension in his story. When I heard the news last year about Night Shade Books I thought that the sequel wouldn't be published anymore but luckily it has arrived and Jeff Salyards really shows that he means business with his Bloodsounder's Arc. Scourge of the Betrayer was a solid start but with Veil of the Deserters Jeff Salyards has really outdone himself!

The first thing that I noticed about Veil of the Deserters was the page count, Scourge of the Betrayer was about 250 pages but the sequel is almost double this. So I was in for quite a read, I actually wanted to spread this book over the weekend but found myself glued to the pages early on. Though it has been a while since I read Scourge of the Betrayer, just a few words in and I was comfortable with the writing style that Jeff Salyards uses in his books and the rich world wherein this story takes place. The writing style really works in the promise of the dark and brutal epic fantasy setting that Jeff Salyards creates. It has it's own definite flourish, in itself it's to the point and fast paced with the "sporadic" curse word thrown in the mix, in a way it's written with the deft strokes of dark fantasy. This really worked wonders for the book as I found myself finishing it within one single setting.

The story of Veil of the Deserters picks up directly after the events of Scourge of the Betrayer. Arki is making his way across a fair and stumbles upon on rather horrific thing, one that he will be employing for their advantage only later on, yes Arki is growing up fast. Captain Braylar Killcoin is bedridden by being plagued by the memories in Bloodsounder. Soon though two old acquaintances from Braylar make an appearance, his sister Soffjian and her companion Skeelana who both are Memoridons. They bring message from the Emperor Cynead that they have been recalled to the capital of the Syldoon empire: Sunwrack. But before this can happen Braylar still has a plan of his own he still wants to capture a certain one. Added to this comes the fact that Braylar and his warband of Syldoon warriors are hostiles in the Anjurian Empire and their threat has to be eliminated... This is only the beginning of the story and later on when Braylar finally makes his way in Sunwrack and Cynead tells his history it goes from bad to worse. With the story of Veil of the Deserters Jeff Salyards neatly build on the world that was introduced in Scourge of the Betrayer but he does open one big flood gate of information, all to the better of the story, even more so is the way that the exposition is done, no information dumps but all in a natural story telling kind off way. I really have to give a big hand to Jeff Salyards and how he managed to take his story those giant leaps further.


Scourge of the Betrayer introduced us to many solid characters, the cast wasn't immensely large, you could count the important ones on one hand. From those, Captain Braylar Killcoin and Arki really stood out as well as some of the other Syldoon warriors. In Veil of the Deserters the story is again being told from Arki's perspective. I already mentioned in the beginning that Arki was growing up with one tactic that he mentions to Braylar early on. Well this was just the beginning. In Scourge of the Betrayer, Arki was the rookie-green scribe never been on an adventure of any kind and now all of a sudden finds himself in the midst of the most barbaric warrior the Syldoon. Arki really undergoes one transformation from the naive young man to one who isn't afraid to speak his mind, well not completely yet, but he is getting their. The best thing here is that Jeff Salyards spreads his development over the whole book and not with a single happening. There are some crucial events where Arki has to choose for himself whats best, I really enjoyed reading these and could directly relate to how he must have felt in those situations. As for Braylar he is just the mean bastard that we got to learn about in the first book. BUT. there are some big revealings around his character. In the first book we had just to accept the mystical air surrounding his character but now finally we learn more and more about his past and how several things came to be, and Jeff Salyards also reveals more about the motives of Braylar.


Now besides Arki and Braylar there are again several secondary characters that really leave a mark. For me they were the new introductions Skeelana and Soffjian. They were send in the name of Emperor Cynead. Both Soffjian and Skeelana are what are called Mermoridons (I will get to this in a sec). Soffjian is the sister of Braylar and it early one comes to show that several traits that run in the family. Though she doesn't tell much, her actions do speak for themselves and what it in the last chapter could mean? Now Skeelana offers a very interesting perspective, she is not the combat hardened one as Soffjian, she, just as Arki doesn't have that much experience at all. Something is happening between Arki and Skeelana, Arki isn't one to not ask questions when he is intriegued and by their talks you learn a lot about the Memoridons, directly to my pleasing as all this information then doesn't feel like a dump but the natural way just as I mentioned above. Next to Soffjian and Skeelana there are also the recurrent Syldoon warriors that greatly add their own mark to the story: Mulldoos, Vendurro and Hewspear. They do gain more foothold into the story, their converstations with Braylar and Arki, explaining several past events, and moreover they do help to embolden the attitude of the Syldoon's. Though they are painted as barbarians, when you get into their inner circle it's one brotherhood something that Arki experiences.

Ok so for the Memoridons. They are one type of wizard able to play with you memory, well how cool is that! One scene of the book that I liked a lot was when the explanation comes that Memoridons don't act in the elemental flashy kind but with the focus of the mind can achieve their magic, silent and subtle and moreover quite deadly. They are able to project thoughts into the mind of another person, but these are far from simple projections. Mermoridons lift layers of the Veil... lifting enough of these allows you to see the truth and can drive the person insane. So as you can imagine this doesn't take away that the magic of the Memoridons is boring at all, no Jeff Salyards manages to inspire a certain awe around them, because they are the most powerful... and are feared by many.

The ending of the story in Veil of the Deserters is exactly what I was hoping for. Political stakes have become clear and it's all running out of control. Even better is that by all the info that Arki has gathered from ancient scroll and shared with us that we have come to learn that there are a more powerful artifacts...

Jeff Salyards has really surpassed himself with Veil of the Deserters. I thoroughly enjoyed his debut, Scourge of the Betrayer but with Veil of the Deserters he goes beyond everything I dared to expect for a sequel. Where Scourge of the Betrayer made us accept a lot of facts on the go, he know explains almost everything how it came to be and when you link events from the first and second book together it all become much more clear. Jeff Salyards further builds on his world by showing many different geographical locations and ofcourse the capital of the Syldoon. Added to this he introduces new characters like the sister of Braylar, Soffjian, and Skeelana her companion, who are both Memoridons, the second kind of magic that we get to see in The Bloodsounder's Arc. The concept of the Memoridons is very cool and comes to show that it is not something to be trifled with! And top it all off the characters. They are very intriguing and every character differs from the other, you can clearly see that Jeff Salyards has invested a lot of time in thinking about his characters and the development they undergo in the story. This all combined make Veil of the Deserters the perfect sequel; building on the existing world and introducing elements to take the story those steps further, but instead of taking steps, Jeff Salyards takes some leaps. I can only talk with praise for Veil of the Deserters, it's perfect. Having read it really made my day. Jeff Salyards shows that he has the skill, let's see where he will take his story next!

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Picks up where the first book left off and built on the promising start made in the opening volume.

The author wastes no time, starting Book 2 immediately after the events of Book 1. Arki, Braylar, and the rest of their company are recalled to the Syldoon capital of Sunwrack by order of the Emperor. In a twist, it is Braylar’s own sister Soffjian, a Memoridon, who delivers the message and is tasked with seeing them back to Sunwrack. Braylar interprets the order loosely, taking time to accomplish his own purposes before returning to the capital. After years in the field, it seems their home has become more dangerous than the enemy lands they returned from.

Everything that made the first book good is back and slightly better. There are new characters, with the Memoridons Soffjian and Skeelana as particular standouts. The world is expanded, as Arki and thereby the reader learns more about the Syldoon Empire and sees their imposing capital. The lore is deepened as Arki continues his search for information about memory magic in the ancient texts collected by the company. Most importantly, the pace of the narrative has increased significantly from the first book.

Don’t get me wrong, this is still a slower read, but that is due more to the writing style than any lack of plot development. It took me a while to put my finger on it, but I finally realized that the reason the read seems a bit slower is that the author doesn’t take any shortcuts, showing the full details of each day. The typical “time jumps” used by many others are seldom and very limited here. Ordinarily that would have bothered me, but Salyards is such a good writer it doesn’t detract from the story at all. The way he writes such real characters and the intelligence of the dialogue is simply phenomenal.

The climax of the book is filled with surprises and drama, and it left me eager to read the final book of this excellent trilogy.

[Stefan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards was one of 2012’s most pleasant surprises in the fantasy field. The novel put a surprising twist on the burgeoning grimdark sub-genre by using an unexpected narrator, the inexperienced, bookish, somewhat timid scribe (Arkamondos) to recount the violent and blood-soaked adventures of a band of foul-mouthed Syldoon soldiers.

What happens when a young man, whose main experience in life consists of transcribing letters and maintaining ledgers for merchants, suddenly finds himself as the embedded reporter for a group of battle-hardened fighters who appear to be bent on causing mayhem in his homeland, for as yet unknown reasons? This is the story Jeff Salyards started in Scourge of the Betrayer (my review) and now, two years later, continues in Veil of the Deserters.

Read the entire review on my site Far Beyond Reality!

[Martha Wells]

I got to read an ARC of this and gave it a blurb: "Veil of the Deserters is a gritty military fantasy with intriguing worldbuilding and grimly dark magic, as well as complex, interesting characters."

[Marielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book even better then the first. All my questions are answered slowly but steadily and more questions arise.
Love the way it's written and growing more fond of the main characters with each chapter.
I will start immediately on the third book!