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The Long War #1
The Black Guard
The launch of an heroic fantasy saga set in the lands of Ro, an epic landscape of mountain fortresses, vast grasslands, roiling ocean and slumbering gods.
The Black Guard is the first in a major new fantasy series, The Long War, set in an invented world somewhat similar to medieval Europe in terms of technology, heraldry and ethics. Magic features in the world, but is rare and mostly confined to the various priesthoods. The city of Ro Canarn has been assaulted by Knights of the Red. Amongst them is a Karesian Enchantress of the Seven Sisters, intent on manipulating the men of Ro to her ends. Her Sisters intend the assault to be the first move in a longer game, a war intended to destroy worship of the Gods of men and bring back the malevolent Forest Giant of pleasure and blood.
The young Lord of Canarn, and one of his closest friends, plan a desperate gambit to take back the city, whilst his sister journeys north and confronts more of the Sisters' schemes as they try to conquer the rest of the lands of men.
Divided by geography and surrounded by enemies, a disparate group of Clerics, Priests, Knights, criminals and warriors must defeat overwhelming odds to seize back the lands of men from those unknowingly under the sway of the Dead God and his Enchantresses.
The Duke of Canarn is dead, executed by the King's decree. The city lies in chaos, its people starving, sickening, and tyrannized by the ongoing presence of the King's mercenary army. But still hope remains: the Duke's children, the Lord Bromvy and Lady Bronwyn, have escaped their father's fate.
Separated by enemy territory, hunted by the warrior clerics of the One God, Bromvy undertakes to win back the city with the help of the secretive outcasts of the Darkwald forest, the Dokkalfar. The Lady Bronwyn makes for the sanctuary of the Grass Sea and the warriors of Ranen with the mass of the King's forces at her heels. And in the mountainous region of Fjorlan, the High Thain Algenon Teardrop launches his Dragon Fleet against the Red Army. Brother wars against brother in this, the epic first volume of the long war.
The Black Guard is the first in a major new fantasy series, The Long War, set in an invented world somewhat similar to medieval Europe in terms of technology, heraldry and ethics. Magic features in the world, but is rare and mostly confined to the various priesthoods. The city of Ro Canarn has been assaulted by Knights of the Red. Amongst them is a Karesian Enchantress of the Seven Sisters, intent on manipulating the men of Ro to her ends. Her Sisters intend the assault to be the first move in a longer game, a war intended to destroy worship of the Gods of men and bring back the malevolent Forest Giant of pleasure and blood.
The young Lord of Canarn, and one of his closest friends, plan a desperate gambit to take back the city, whilst his sister journeys north and confronts more of the Sisters' schemes as they try to conquer the rest of the lands of men.
Divided by geography and surrounded by enemies, a disparate group of Clerics, Priests, Knights, criminals and warriors must defeat overwhelming odds to seize back the lands of men from those unknowingly under the sway of the Dead God and his Enchantresses.
The Duke of Canarn is dead, executed by the King's decree. The city lies in chaos, its people starving, sickening, and tyrannized by the ongoing presence of the King's mercenary army. But still hope remains: the Duke's children, the Lord Bromvy and Lady Bronwyn, have escaped their father's fate.
Separated by enemy territory, hunted by the warrior clerics of the One God, Bromvy undertakes to win back the city with the help of the secretive outcasts of the Darkwald forest, the Dokkalfar. The Lady Bronwyn makes for the sanctuary of the Grass Sea and the warriors of Ranen with the mass of the King's forces at her heels. And in the mountainous region of Fjorlan, the High Thain Algenon Teardrop launches his Dragon Fleet against the Red Army. Brother wars against brother in this, the epic first volume of the long war.
640 pages, Hardcover
First published July 1, 2013
124 people are currently reading
5968 people want to read
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A.J. Smith
8 books312 followersWriting is the only thing I do that doesn't make me feel like I should be doing something else.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 178 reviews
December 12, 2014
The reviewer gazed through the large cavern. In front of him towered the Book Giant on his throne made up of book shelves. As the Giant leaned down to him the reviewer could see the mighty chain around his neck crafted of the ten tomes of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
On his left arm the creature had a tatoo of the One Ring, on his right turned the Wheel of Time. Further down the giant wore a Pandora bracelet consisting of 5 A Song of Ice and Fire books leaving two spots on the bracelet painfully empty. His voice sounded like a librarian scolding a kid for running around in a library, if said librarian would have been twelve feet tall that was.
"Is today the day I'm finally going to eat you, manling?", asked the giant.
"I hope not, cause I know there's something you crave even more than human flesh," answered the reviewer.
"So you found me another story?" The giant's eyes lit up for a moment.
"Indeed, I did. It's a giant tome," said the reviewer.
"I hope it's better than your puny attempt at humor," rebuked the giant, but the reviewer thought to glimpse a faint smile on the corner of his captor's mouth.
"It's a story on a large scale with a huge cast of characters and points of view, as you like it," began the reviewer.
"Promising, nobody likes self-important first person narrators going on for 1000 pages. A wise man would fear bringing such a book to me!" grumbled the giant.
"Of course not. I wouldn't dare. This story is more about the plot. The author manages to pass the story torch from character to character and although each character has only 2-3 chapters within the book the telling moves on smoothly," continued the reviewer.
"But are there cool characters in it?" inquired the book loving beast.
"Some, there is an albino cleric of death, who is really cool or a one-eyed kickass viking warrior woman," explained the grader of novels.
"Sounds interesting, but I'm still not convinced. What does this story have for me to devourer it rather than you?" asked the giant.
"Oh," the reviewer smiled, "it has old tentacled gods lurking in the deep to return. And all those gods were once...giants."
"Giant gods! Now that sounds like a story for me. Give me that book, now. You bought yourself more time," said the giant while grabbing for the novel.
The reviewer was relieved. He already had book 2 on hand, so he was sure to stall the giant once again. But he hoped that the Head of Zeus would release more books of the series more quickly. And maybe in later books there would even be some advice of how to slay a giant.
On his left arm the creature had a tatoo of the One Ring, on his right turned the Wheel of Time. Further down the giant wore a Pandora bracelet consisting of 5 A Song of Ice and Fire books leaving two spots on the bracelet painfully empty. His voice sounded like a librarian scolding a kid for running around in a library, if said librarian would have been twelve feet tall that was.
"Is today the day I'm finally going to eat you, manling?", asked the giant.
"I hope not, cause I know there's something you crave even more than human flesh," answered the reviewer.
"So you found me another story?" The giant's eyes lit up for a moment.
"Indeed, I did. It's a giant tome," said the reviewer.
"I hope it's better than your puny attempt at humor," rebuked the giant, but the reviewer thought to glimpse a faint smile on the corner of his captor's mouth.
"It's a story on a large scale with a huge cast of characters and points of view, as you like it," began the reviewer.
"Promising, nobody likes self-important first person narrators going on for 1000 pages. A wise man would fear bringing such a book to me!" grumbled the giant.
"Of course not. I wouldn't dare. This story is more about the plot. The author manages to pass the story torch from character to character and although each character has only 2-3 chapters within the book the telling moves on smoothly," continued the reviewer.
"But are there cool characters in it?" inquired the book loving beast.
"Some, there is an albino cleric of death, who is really cool or a one-eyed kickass viking warrior woman," explained the grader of novels.
"Sounds interesting, but I'm still not convinced. What does this story have for me to devourer it rather than you?" asked the giant.
"Oh," the reviewer smiled, "it has old tentacled gods lurking in the deep to return. And all those gods were once...giants."
"Giant gods! Now that sounds like a story for me. Give me that book, now. You bought yourself more time," said the giant while grabbing for the novel.
The reviewer was relieved. He already had book 2 on hand, so he was sure to stall the giant once again. But he hoped that the Head of Zeus would release more books of the series more quickly. And maybe in later books there would even be some advice of how to slay a giant.
February 7, 2017
To give it to you short and sweet? I freaking loved The Black Guard.
Now, on to the ramblings...
Characters:
What a set we have here… we have the Clerics of various colors (Red, Purple, Black, Gold, Brown, Blue)- each with their own set of rules. Some live a life of abstinence, other drink and shag their way through life as much as they want. Gives for some entertaining dialogue in parts!
We have the assassins (Al Hasim, Rham Jas Rami) who are a joy, truly! Then there are the Seven Sisters (powerful witches with a huge agenda and I can’t wait to read the next book to find out more about them). The Wraiths, the Dokkalfar (forest-dwellers), the Giants (of Fire, Ice, Water and Earth. They’re not really characters but they are important). Oh!… I’ve probably missed someone but you get my gist. The character set is huge and wonderful.
The most interesting aspect of reading The Black Guard was the way Smith executes on characters. Chapters are delivered through various POVs and every time I started reading a new POV I was like- Ooh, I like! They could be my favorite character. Only to be given a snippet of information in the next chapter which made me question whether I had put my ‘faith’ in the right man, you know? Essentially, what I’m trying to say is- it’s like the line in between the villains and heroes is really muddy for a while because you don’t know what to expect from them and it added a great element of apprehension and foreboding. There is show of respect and decency, even in between enemies, and I enjoyed that, hero or villain, there were certain lines either would not cross even if the end game was to kill.
None of the characters in this book are wimps. There are a few men that are despicable, but they’re no wimps. Men and women alike are ambitious and pull their own weight so expect big personalities with impactful presence.
My favorite character? I have a few. Utha the Ghost who is a Black Cleric and Father Magnus. Both larger than life, scary as hell and men of their words. What’s not to like. I also developed a huge… HUGE… liking to Dokkalfar, the forest-dwellers, and I was very excited to find out that their language was inspired by Finnish. I could actually understand the few sentences they spoke in their language! Totally relatable to me on a personal level.
The World:
Quite honestly, this book was brain food for me in terms of keeping up with who and how was connected but it wasn’t confusing. Never confusing.
The world Smith has created is simple in terms of what it looks like, but the structure of hierarchies and the people and different cultures are diverse. I mentioned I really took a liking to Dokkalfar, so when I read about what their world look like, I was blown away. I’m a forest-freak anyway myself, so this was like a fantasy land I want to someday travel to.
There is plenty of bloody and brutal in this book where each scene is laced with loyalty, honor and companionship. I enjoyed the elements of prejudice, hypocrisy, ambition and fear being used to their full potential in the dymanics, as well as loyalty, honor and friendship. All the things that we counter and feel in our everyday lives were present and this made the relationships (good or bad) in this book enthralling.
Pace
Lads, this book is long. It’s like a 100 mile journey with a whole lot of fingers in the pie. Actually, the book is 600+ pages and I don’t often read ‘hefty tomes’ but it was totally worth it.
The Black Guard starts off really strong by giving a sense of the overall feel of the story straight away thus creating the ‘stickiness’. ‘Stickiness’ is very important with books… the beginnings always help set the tone for the reader. And in the case of The Black Guard, I was hooked because the beginning delivered a real sense of what kind of world I was about to delve into.
I don’t know how other readers would define pacing issues (it would be interesting to find out though, so let me know), but for me, when the pace is not great I start to feel bored with the story and wish something happened: a culmination, a twist, a reveal, just something to naturally move the story on-wards. So, I noticed some reviewers mention that they felt the start was strong, the mid point a bit slower and the ending a bit rushed.
All valid points and personally, I was afraid that the pace issue was going to happen to me, too. I’m happy to report- it didn’t. Sometimes the first book in a series is used as a full length novel worth of a prologue (yep, it has happened to me) but in this case, I didn’t feel like I needed more progression, there was plenty to keep my bookworm occupied. There was elements to set up the full series but there was also plenty to keep the current events progressing.
As for the ending being rushed- for some reason I also don’t agree with this. And here’s why, from my humble POV- from, say, mid-point on-wards there is a lot of different scenarios our varying groups of characters are finding themselves in. They’re all, more or less, pulling towards the same goal, the same endgame, so it felt natural to me that the ending tied a knot on all those journeys with some epic scenes filled with gains and losses.
Writing/Storytelling
A debut? I wouldn’t have guessed. OK- I’m having my fangirl goggles on. So, maybe there were some small niggles. I can think of one specifically where a repetition appeared which is my, say, pet peeve (the mention and description of the Dokkalfar blades to be precise) but as for anything else- nothing stood out as annoying as I was engrossed reading the book. And I’m really just saying this to show you that I did pay attention! The the easy flow of writing and storytelling pulled me in. This book is a work of art: it’s truly many-faceted with one huge overarching destination.
With various character sets, I am fully impressed at how *easy* everything came across. The writing didn’t confuse me, and surprisingly enough I was amazed at how effortless it was for me to remember everything that was happening. Sometimes, the writing overloads the reader with details of totally unrelated things to the moment just to set something up as the story progresses thus sometimes setting the reader up to forget important points in the storyline and this can be a downfall of the whole reading experience. The Black Guard was one of those quality reads for me that I could really just sit back and relax with, because each page that passed I just knew with confidence that I wasn’t missing something huge while being able to lose myself in fight scenes or a fresh POV or simple banter.
And here’s my absolute favorite: I loved the variations of insults the characters used. My favorite has to be ‘troll fucker’ and I will be sure to use this one proudly IRL, thank you very much.
The descriptions (characters, environment, scenes) are truly detailed but not in a way that makes reading laborious but was rather executed in a way that helped me create a superb visual in my head.
The dialogue in between friends and foes varies from insult to seriousness to proper (at times black) humor and it didn’t feel clunky nor forced.
Apologies for the (too?) long review... I had a lot to say :)
Now, on to the ramblings...
Characters:
What a set we have here… we have the Clerics of various colors (Red, Purple, Black, Gold, Brown, Blue)- each with their own set of rules. Some live a life of abstinence, other drink and shag their way through life as much as they want. Gives for some entertaining dialogue in parts!
We have the assassins (Al Hasim, Rham Jas Rami) who are a joy, truly! Then there are the Seven Sisters (powerful witches with a huge agenda and I can’t wait to read the next book to find out more about them). The Wraiths, the Dokkalfar (forest-dwellers), the Giants (of Fire, Ice, Water and Earth. They’re not really characters but they are important). Oh!… I’ve probably missed someone but you get my gist. The character set is huge and wonderful.
The most interesting aspect of reading The Black Guard was the way Smith executes on characters. Chapters are delivered through various POVs and every time I started reading a new POV I was like- Ooh, I like! They could be my favorite character. Only to be given a snippet of information in the next chapter which made me question whether I had put my ‘faith’ in the right man, you know? Essentially, what I’m trying to say is- it’s like the line in between the villains and heroes is really muddy for a while because you don’t know what to expect from them and it added a great element of apprehension and foreboding. There is show of respect and decency, even in between enemies, and I enjoyed that, hero or villain, there were certain lines either would not cross even if the end game was to kill.
None of the characters in this book are wimps. There are a few men that are despicable, but they’re no wimps. Men and women alike are ambitious and pull their own weight so expect big personalities with impactful presence.
My favorite character? I have a few. Utha the Ghost who is a Black Cleric and Father Magnus. Both larger than life, scary as hell and men of their words. What’s not to like. I also developed a huge… HUGE… liking to Dokkalfar, the forest-dwellers, and I was very excited to find out that their language was inspired by Finnish. I could actually understand the few sentences they spoke in their language! Totally relatable to me on a personal level.
The World:
Quite honestly, this book was brain food for me in terms of keeping up with who and how was connected but it wasn’t confusing. Never confusing.
The world Smith has created is simple in terms of what it looks like, but the structure of hierarchies and the people and different cultures are diverse. I mentioned I really took a liking to Dokkalfar, so when I read about what their world look like, I was blown away. I’m a forest-freak anyway myself, so this was like a fantasy land I want to someday travel to.
There is plenty of bloody and brutal in this book where each scene is laced with loyalty, honor and companionship. I enjoyed the elements of prejudice, hypocrisy, ambition and fear being used to their full potential in the dymanics, as well as loyalty, honor and friendship. All the things that we counter and feel in our everyday lives were present and this made the relationships (good or bad) in this book enthralling.
Pace
Lads, this book is long. It’s like a 100 mile journey with a whole lot of fingers in the pie. Actually, the book is 600+ pages and I don’t often read ‘hefty tomes’ but it was totally worth it.
The Black Guard starts off really strong by giving a sense of the overall feel of the story straight away thus creating the ‘stickiness’. ‘Stickiness’ is very important with books… the beginnings always help set the tone for the reader. And in the case of The Black Guard, I was hooked because the beginning delivered a real sense of what kind of world I was about to delve into.
I don’t know how other readers would define pacing issues (it would be interesting to find out though, so let me know), but for me, when the pace is not great I start to feel bored with the story and wish something happened: a culmination, a twist, a reveal, just something to naturally move the story on-wards. So, I noticed some reviewers mention that they felt the start was strong, the mid point a bit slower and the ending a bit rushed.
All valid points and personally, I was afraid that the pace issue was going to happen to me, too. I’m happy to report- it didn’t. Sometimes the first book in a series is used as a full length novel worth of a prologue (yep, it has happened to me) but in this case, I didn’t feel like I needed more progression, there was plenty to keep my bookworm occupied. There was elements to set up the full series but there was also plenty to keep the current events progressing.
As for the ending being rushed- for some reason I also don’t agree with this. And here’s why, from my humble POV- from, say, mid-point on-wards there is a lot of different scenarios our varying groups of characters are finding themselves in. They’re all, more or less, pulling towards the same goal, the same endgame, so it felt natural to me that the ending tied a knot on all those journeys with some epic scenes filled with gains and losses.
Writing/Storytelling
A debut? I wouldn’t have guessed. OK- I’m having my fangirl goggles on. So, maybe there were some small niggles. I can think of one specifically where a repetition appeared which is my, say, pet peeve (the mention and description of the Dokkalfar blades to be precise) but as for anything else- nothing stood out as annoying as I was engrossed reading the book. And I’m really just saying this to show you that I did pay attention! The the easy flow of writing and storytelling pulled me in. This book is a work of art: it’s truly many-faceted with one huge overarching destination.
With various character sets, I am fully impressed at how *easy* everything came across. The writing didn’t confuse me, and surprisingly enough I was amazed at how effortless it was for me to remember everything that was happening. Sometimes, the writing overloads the reader with details of totally unrelated things to the moment just to set something up as the story progresses thus sometimes setting the reader up to forget important points in the storyline and this can be a downfall of the whole reading experience. The Black Guard was one of those quality reads for me that I could really just sit back and relax with, because each page that passed I just knew with confidence that I wasn’t missing something huge while being able to lose myself in fight scenes or a fresh POV or simple banter.
And here’s my absolute favorite: I loved the variations of insults the characters used. My favorite has to be ‘troll fucker’ and I will be sure to use this one proudly IRL, thank you very much.
The descriptions (characters, environment, scenes) are truly detailed but not in a way that makes reading laborious but was rather executed in a way that helped me create a superb visual in my head.
The dialogue in between friends and foes varies from insult to seriousness to proper (at times black) humor and it didn’t feel clunky nor forced.
Apologies for the (too?) long review... I had a lot to say :)
July 25, 2013
The Black Guard is one of those books you pick up and know by the weight of it that it is a fantasy book, a proper one that you could kill a noisy redneck on the train with, and carry on quietly reading.
It is basically a clever, twisted tale of weak minded people in positions of power (a King for example) being manipulated by unsavory factions, that are not quite what they may appear to be. It’s a tale of how that will affect the lives of various people, and how they may react; perhaps causing them to become renegades and heroes or to join forces with unlikely allies because of the common enemy. There’s some intelligent world building and some interesting use of Giant ‘Gods’ that care for (each in their own ways) their various factions. The factions are basically the peoples of different areas on the map that have their own ‘historical’ influences and identities, their own beliefs and customs. But one is trying to govern them all with a heavy hand.
It’s a great read, and a great start to a new series by a new author, that has rich characters and a deep and intriguing story.
Style wise it’s a bit more substantial than Grim Dark, A cross between Abercrombie and Sanderson, and definitely worth a look.
It is basically a clever, twisted tale of weak minded people in positions of power (a King for example) being manipulated by unsavory factions, that are not quite what they may appear to be. It’s a tale of how that will affect the lives of various people, and how they may react; perhaps causing them to become renegades and heroes or to join forces with unlikely allies because of the common enemy. There’s some intelligent world building and some interesting use of Giant ‘Gods’ that care for (each in their own ways) their various factions. The factions are basically the peoples of different areas on the map that have their own ‘historical’ influences and identities, their own beliefs and customs. But one is trying to govern them all with a heavy hand.
It’s a great read, and a great start to a new series by a new author, that has rich characters and a deep and intriguing story.
Style wise it’s a bit more substantial than Grim Dark, A cross between Abercrombie and Sanderson, and definitely worth a look.
February 15, 2020
This was an exceptional fantasy read and given that this was his debut novel, Mr AJ Smith should be given a standing ovation!
The story flowed perfectly and there was not a single moment in this book that felt slow, boring or bogged down with dialogue. The characters were interesting and there was a nice interrelation between many of the POVs.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series and I would recommend it to all fantasy fans.
Forget GRRM and his lovechild Rothefuss, who cant seem to put down the cheeseburgers and thickshakes for long enough to produce novels these days, AJ Smith is where fantasy is at!
The story flowed perfectly and there was not a single moment in this book that felt slow, boring or bogged down with dialogue. The characters were interesting and there was a nice interrelation between many of the POVs.
I can't wait to read the next book in this series and I would recommend it to all fantasy fans.
Forget GRRM and his lovechild Rothefuss, who cant seem to put down the cheeseburgers and thickshakes for long enough to produce novels these days, AJ Smith is where fantasy is at!
October 7, 2013
Ah this has potential, but is a bit of a way off being a bona fide fantasy classic. Still for 99p I cant complain too much. Its sold as a grimdark novel but is actually pretty much a classic Fantasy novel with groups of disparate people coming together to fight a greater foe. The start doesn't show that but at the end, its what pretty much happens.
Its a bit rough round the edges. The language is a bit terse and functional in places. Short sentences that explain things as an aside in almost a tell-not-show way. Also some of the characters are far too powerful or overpowered. The author also doesn't have the same passion for killing or screwing up his main characters like Martin or Abercrombie. Though a number of them do die, they are not the MAIN characters and with maybe one exception you as a reader knows it. The ending like a lot of Modern Fantasy feels rushed to conclusion, rather than being allowed to breathe. This wouldn't be a complaint if the rest of the book was so set out, but a lot of the chapters are long and flowing, describing places and people in depth. Even combat. The final chapters are positively rushed in comparison.
The good stuff on the whole is excellent. The characters feel and act real. Most are likeable, some are a little deus ex machina. Their motivations and descriptions are good. The war of the gods or giants is well thought out, the priests their powers and their orders are really well done. The cultures, whilst clichéd in places (northern Vikings southern assassins) are built in a good and logical way.
Overall, though this sets up a series that has some promise. If it can iron out a little of the inconsistencies and some of its rougher edges, the author could be on to a winner with it. Id say after reading this that its an old style Fantasy novel with some modern tones thrown in, if you want to pidgeon hole such novels.
Its a bit rough round the edges. The language is a bit terse and functional in places. Short sentences that explain things as an aside in almost a tell-not-show way. Also some of the characters are far too powerful or overpowered. The author also doesn't have the same passion for killing or screwing up his main characters like Martin or Abercrombie. Though a number of them do die, they are not the MAIN characters and with maybe one exception you as a reader knows it. The ending like a lot of Modern Fantasy feels rushed to conclusion, rather than being allowed to breathe. This wouldn't be a complaint if the rest of the book was so set out, but a lot of the chapters are long and flowing, describing places and people in depth. Even combat. The final chapters are positively rushed in comparison.
The good stuff on the whole is excellent. The characters feel and act real. Most are likeable, some are a little deus ex machina. Their motivations and descriptions are good. The war of the gods or giants is well thought out, the priests their powers and their orders are really well done. The cultures, whilst clichéd in places (northern Vikings southern assassins) are built in a good and logical way.
Overall, though this sets up a series that has some promise. If it can iron out a little of the inconsistencies and some of its rougher edges, the author could be on to a winner with it. Id say after reading this that its an old style Fantasy novel with some modern tones thrown in, if you want to pidgeon hole such novels.
December 12, 2023
A return to upend all.
Manipulation brings conquest, death & despair.
It however is not absolute.
A mistake that will begin to haunt them.
Part Martin, Abercrombie & Gwynne. Full of amazing battles & gritty characters. One of the best grimdark I’ve read period.
I think I’ll head straight into book two….
Manipulation brings conquest, death & despair.
It however is not absolute.
A mistake that will begin to haunt them.
Part Martin, Abercrombie & Gwynne. Full of amazing battles & gritty characters. One of the best grimdark I’ve read period.
I think I’ll head straight into book two….
April 12, 2019
Read the full review at Fantasy Faction
The Long War series is an epic fantasy/dark fantasy quadrilogy which deals with courtroom intrigue, politics, magic and gods in a world similar to ours but set during the medieval period. It consists of the following books: The Black Guard, The Dark Blood, The Red Prince and The World Raven. These four books have a complexity and style that is a mix of George R.R. Martin and Steven Eriksson with a dash of H. P. Lovecraft.
Read the full review at Fantasy Faction
The Long War series is an epic fantasy/dark fantasy quadrilogy which deals with courtroom intrigue, politics, magic and gods in a world similar to ours but set during the medieval period. It consists of the following books: The Black Guard, The Dark Blood, The Red Prince and The World Raven. These four books have a complexity and style that is a mix of George R.R. Martin and Steven Eriksson with a dash of H. P. Lovecraft.
Read the full review at Fantasy Faction
September 16, 2013
The Black Guard by A. J. Smith is a debut that is perhaps the author's tribute to J.R.R. Tolkein & other paragons of world-building. That's the cornerstone of this wonderful debut, the world that's lushly described within: with gorgeous maps, glossaries & much more. The Black Guard doesn't just stop at world-building with a large POV cast & a story format that is very reminiscent of Tolkien's trilogy.
The characterization while focussing on most of the good guys also a bit characteristically similar to Tolkien is something that will divide readers as to how competent it is. Overall this is another winner from A. J. Smith & a debut that needs to be read if you have any love for great world-building.
More to come in full FBC review....
May 20, 2019
4.5*. Hard to believe this is a debut! And a remarkable one at that! How did I not know the story had a Viking influence? Really enjoyed this. And to think this was one of my DNFs. Go figure...
Read
July 7, 2017Another DNF...I really don't have any luck recently in picking up new books...
What's wrong with this book? Well, the writing style is bad. There is also plenty of swearing...while I am not really very sensitive about it usually, it just got on my nerves in this book, since it was bad writing plus swearing...oh, and for the first 15% of the book or so, the only characters I got to meet were male...again, normally that's not an issue with me too, I can wait...but it was just male characters talking....almost all the time. Not a lot of action and boring...
Also, there are quite a lot of POVs in this book...again, it can be really cool when it's done right, but in this case, it felt annoying and I didn't care about characters much, and the switching POVs didn't help them...
Maybe it's just me these days...I am not very patient, and I read too many good books to waste my time on the books like Black Guard...so I decided to DNF at about 25%...
What's wrong with this book? Well, the writing style is bad. There is also plenty of swearing...while I am not really very sensitive about it usually, it just got on my nerves in this book, since it was bad writing plus swearing...oh, and for the first 15% of the book or so, the only characters I got to meet were male...again, normally that's not an issue with me too, I can wait...but it was just male characters talking....almost all the time. Not a lot of action and boring...
Also, there are quite a lot of POVs in this book...again, it can be really cool when it's done right, but in this case, it felt annoying and I didn't care about characters much, and the switching POVs didn't help them...
Maybe it's just me these days...I am not very patient, and I read too many good books to waste my time on the books like Black Guard...so I decided to DNF at about 25%...
September 10, 2018
Did not finish at 90 pages. Horrible writing combined with bad pacing and bad characters
June 19, 2017
An abrupt ending kept this from five stars, yet I highly recommend book #1 of this series by A.J. Smith. I'm looking forward to staying in his world and imagination some more. His characters are multi-faceted, especially Bronwyn, and I have a feeling this is just the beginning, as the Seven Sisters are only now starting to unfold their diabolical plans. Comparisons to Tolkien are not spot-on as those to Steve Erikson, Joe Abercrombie, and Gemmell-Award winner, John Gwynne (That Faithful and the Fallen). Bring on book two, The Dark Blood.
January 16, 2020
A brilliant start to what looks like it's going to turn out to be an amazing series. Already started the next one.
August 18, 2013
The Black Guard is an excellent novel and a riveting first installment in The Long War fantasy series created by debut author AJ Smith. The book is set in the fatastical lands of Ro, Karesia and Ranen. I was plunged headlong into a believable, highly detailed world of thriving cities, sprawling landscapes, wars, politics, multi-ordered warrior priests, Kings, enchantresses, squires, knights, giants and gods.
The Black Guard starts off confidently and moves forward with real purpose. Smith cleverly and intriguingly turns the slow cogs of the epic overarching story whilst always providing enough immediate action to keep me enthusiastically turning the pages. The huge cast of characters are well-defined and complex. Many are memorable: Rham Jas Rhami the deadly assassin friend to the eponymous "Black Guard" Lord Bromvy of Canarn; Halla the fearsome axe-maiden Ranen warrior; Brother Utha "The Ghost", skilled swordsman and enigmatic cleric of the Black order of priests, to name just a few.
The writing style feels effortlessly engaging. The plot is impressively ambitious and although there is a darkness to a fair degree of the action, there is often an edge of humour in the dialogue. As with all good fantasy writing, there are echoes of the real world, with themes of power, friendship, race, religion, loyalty, honour and morality running throughout.
More than anything, it is a superb story that left me wanting more. Fortunately for me, although I will have to wait, there is more in the pipeline and I am really excited to find out what happens in part two.
The Black Guard starts off confidently and moves forward with real purpose. Smith cleverly and intriguingly turns the slow cogs of the epic overarching story whilst always providing enough immediate action to keep me enthusiastically turning the pages. The huge cast of characters are well-defined and complex. Many are memorable: Rham Jas Rhami the deadly assassin friend to the eponymous "Black Guard" Lord Bromvy of Canarn; Halla the fearsome axe-maiden Ranen warrior; Brother Utha "The Ghost", skilled swordsman and enigmatic cleric of the Black order of priests, to name just a few.
The writing style feels effortlessly engaging. The plot is impressively ambitious and although there is a darkness to a fair degree of the action, there is often an edge of humour in the dialogue. As with all good fantasy writing, there are echoes of the real world, with themes of power, friendship, race, religion, loyalty, honour and morality running throughout.
More than anything, it is a superb story that left me wanting more. Fortunately for me, although I will have to wait, there is more in the pipeline and I am really excited to find out what happens in part two.
February 26, 2017
So the cover blurb touted this book as a cross between GRR Martin and Lovecraft which I kind of snorted at when I read it, but hey I picked it up so you could say it worked. And if I had to pick a description of the book the blurb would be very apt.
Varying races of men/creatures, political machinations, some horror elements, plenty of action and adventure. While the Lovecraft angle isn't developed fully yet the method used to integrate the mythos into the story is interesting and the author didn't have to go completely off the deep end to make it believable. In retrospect the Lovecraft perspective should have been obvious to me. Oh and just like GRRM, don't get emotionally wedded to characters 'cause they are dropping like flies...and not just secondary characters either.
I picked up this first book from the library but when they didn't have the second volume available (one of my library pet peeves.... the first book but not the rest or the fourth installment of a series but not the earlier volumes, c'mon who's making these decisions at the library?) I did buy the second volume. That says something about my enjoyment of the story since I'm kind of a cheap bastard.
Varying races of men/creatures, political machinations, some horror elements, plenty of action and adventure. While the Lovecraft angle isn't developed fully yet the method used to integrate the mythos into the story is interesting and the author didn't have to go completely off the deep end to make it believable. In retrospect the Lovecraft perspective should have been obvious to me. Oh and just like GRRM, don't get emotionally wedded to characters 'cause they are dropping like flies...and not just secondary characters either.
I picked up this first book from the library but when they didn't have the second volume available (one of my library pet peeves.... the first book but not the rest or the fourth installment of a series but not the earlier volumes, c'mon who's making these decisions at the library?) I did buy the second volume. That says something about my enjoyment of the story since I'm kind of a cheap bastard.
December 28, 2016
Unbelievably good .debut novel. Hopefully the next novel "The Dark Blood" continues at this high level. An amazingly crafted world
April 1, 2018
#Wow
So ive finished this bundle of well interconnected words after weeks of hacking away at its pages.This was due not to a lack of interest but from having to be interrupted from the in depth journey i was clearly sharing by mundane task of everyday life.
As an aspiring writer, i must comment that this book should be used as a fine example of how third person limited should be utilized. It is flaunted about with skill akin to the assassin Rhas Jam who ive come to depend on about as much as the characters themselves.
Because of the head bouncing, i wasnt able to identify who the main characters were till about mid book. Now this isnt a bad thing in my opinion because what actually happened was that with each viewpoint, i fell in love with the character on screen at the time. From Randaal to Halla to the Black Cleric himself, my list of favorites have stuck close to my heart.
Now it isnt a case of simply bouncing heads, each POV switch served to develop stories happening leagues from each other whilst developing the overall plot. i am in awe as to how well this is executed, it serves to show the level of work that the author put in.
The visuals are stunning and i dont know if you are like me, but by mid book, i could see everything unfolding before my eyes; id like to use this point as another excuse as to why it took so long to get through #SavourTheTaste.
But ye I recommend this book to any fan of the epic fantasy genre or those that love fantasy in general. I for one was tired of my streak of YA novels that left me asking if that was it for each enemy encounter.
Im off to read the other books in the series and everything AJ Smith has done thus far 🤓
5/5 - Legendary
So ive finished this bundle of well interconnected words after weeks of hacking away at its pages.This was due not to a lack of interest but from having to be interrupted from the in depth journey i was clearly sharing by mundane task of everyday life.
As an aspiring writer, i must comment that this book should be used as a fine example of how third person limited should be utilized. It is flaunted about with skill akin to the assassin Rhas Jam who ive come to depend on about as much as the characters themselves.
Because of the head bouncing, i wasnt able to identify who the main characters were till about mid book. Now this isnt a bad thing in my opinion because what actually happened was that with each viewpoint, i fell in love with the character on screen at the time. From Randaal to Halla to the Black Cleric himself, my list of favorites have stuck close to my heart.
Now it isnt a case of simply bouncing heads, each POV switch served to develop stories happening leagues from each other whilst developing the overall plot. i am in awe as to how well this is executed, it serves to show the level of work that the author put in.
The visuals are stunning and i dont know if you are like me, but by mid book, i could see everything unfolding before my eyes; id like to use this point as another excuse as to why it took so long to get through #SavourTheTaste.
But ye I recommend this book to any fan of the epic fantasy genre or those that love fantasy in general. I for one was tired of my streak of YA novels that left me asking if that was it for each enemy encounter.
Im off to read the other books in the series and everything AJ Smith has done thus far 🤓
5/5 - Legendary
July 14, 2019
“They’ll just assume we’ll go into the wilds and lie low. The idea of us going to Tiris is so stupid it won’t occur to them.” “So, our stupidity is what’s going to keep us alive?” “Precisely … I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Engaging epic fantasy. Good world building. Touted for being Lovecraftian, but I didn’t feel it. In fact, Smith’s supernatural dimension felt more organic to his world. Prose was easy to read. A little humor.
Numerous non sequiturs: “He was flabby, with little muscle, though still immensely strong.” (Huh?) “… carefully placed a bolt, and pulled back on the drawstring.” (Wrong order.) “She’d fed him some of the baled of straw.” (She picked up bales of straw as she fled? Why didn’t she get something nutritional?) “… as the horses barreled into the ornate gates …” (Horses are smarter than that.) “They rode, Brom sitting behind Rhan Jas, on the only horse they had left.” (which horse they then rode for weeks. Don’t you love fantasy horses?) Most weren’t that bad, but they destroyed verisimilitude knocking the reader out of the spell of the story.
“Not trying to instil a sense of loyalty in your troops then, brother?” “Loyalty is overrated; I prefer fear.”
Needed a world or at least area map. The three maps given were fine, but the relationship between them wasn’t always obvious.
“I wish I could turn it off … just for a while, but I can’t see beyond the rage.”
Despite being a series opener, story had a climax. Well done.
“So much death for so little gain.”
Engaging epic fantasy. Good world building. Touted for being Lovecraftian, but I didn’t feel it. In fact, Smith’s supernatural dimension felt more organic to his world. Prose was easy to read. A little humor.
Numerous non sequiturs: “He was flabby, with little muscle, though still immensely strong.” (Huh?) “… carefully placed a bolt, and pulled back on the drawstring.” (Wrong order.) “She’d fed him some of the baled of straw.” (She picked up bales of straw as she fled? Why didn’t she get something nutritional?) “… as the horses barreled into the ornate gates …” (Horses are smarter than that.) “They rode, Brom sitting behind Rhan Jas, on the only horse they had left.” (which horse they then rode for weeks. Don’t you love fantasy horses?) Most weren’t that bad, but they destroyed verisimilitude knocking the reader out of the spell of the story.
“Not trying to instil a sense of loyalty in your troops then, brother?” “Loyalty is overrated; I prefer fear.”
Needed a world or at least area map. The three maps given were fine, but the relationship between them wasn’t always obvious.
“I wish I could turn it off … just for a while, but I can’t see beyond the rage.”
Despite being a series opener, story had a climax. Well done.
“So much death for so little gain.”
October 27, 2023
Took some time to get into, but well worth the read. The writer has put a lot of effort into this sometimes maybe too much.
The characters are realistic and relatable you feel their challenges along the way, the progression takes a bit of getting into and jumps around a little bit with our different characters however this is made up at the end where it all starts coming together.
There is that tug of wanting to know more at the end that drives you to the next book but it definitely has no cliff hanger, you are more invested in the characters themselves and what they are to face next kinda of like the middle of a DnD or Baldur's gate Campaign.
Some characters could have their own books and it would be amazing -The author has put a lot of information into the first book and now I can't wait for the second to see it all truly come together.
The Black Guard
The characters are realistic and relatable you feel their challenges along the way, the progression takes a bit of getting into and jumps around a little bit with our different characters however this is made up at the end where it all starts coming together.
There is that tug of wanting to know more at the end that drives you to the next book but it definitely has no cliff hanger, you are more invested in the characters themselves and what they are to face next kinda of like the middle of a DnD or Baldur's gate Campaign.
Some characters could have their own books and it would be amazing -The author has put a lot of information into the first book and now I can't wait for the second to see it all truly come together.
The Black Guard
August 1, 2020
The Black Guard by A.J. Smith is a book one finds if he digs through Goodreads hours on end, searching for more fantasy books to be devoured. However, it is no hidden treasure.
The book constantly hovers between being a good one and a bad one, leaning more towards the latter than the former. Despite it's flaws however, it was still interesting enough to read till the end.
Plot: The story is about the long war of the Giants. Gods in their own right who have lived thousands of years and now have retreated from the World, choosing champions among mortals to fight in their stead. The concept is interesting and the story is the best feature of this book. While not entirely original, it maintains enough interest for the reader to read till the end.
Worldbuilding: The author has created a world which borrows heavily from real life. The followers of The Ice Giants, men called Ranen are clearly based on Vikings while the Men of Ro, followers of the Stone Giant are based on mediaeval Europe. The followers of the Fire giant are based on African/middle eastern civilizations of desert dwelling people. The world building though ambitious in it's attempt, fumbles and really does not appear as smooth as it could have been. Many things get mixed up and present a convoluted image of the world. For eg. Rham Jas Rami, the archer who is a deadly assassin also carries a Katana with him. Not really sure why he would considering the story doesn't indicate Japanese culture or civilization to be present anywhere in this world. Things like these make it look like wish fulfilment and disrupts whatever he is trying to build. The different orders of clerics seemed interesting at first but due bad narration choices fail to make an impact. There are also multiple cliches that come along with the setting, the men of Ranen are honourable, use axes, are free and simple folk. The knights are haughty etc etc.
Magic: There is little magic in the book and none of it particularly interesting.
Characters: Due to the poor narration, most of the characters come out as bland and never live up to their potential. The reader never really gets attached to any of the characters enough to be curious about their journey. Given that this is a plot driven book, there is hardly an arc for any of the character as the story progresses.
Utha the black priest was an interesting character but his plotline feels abruptly abandoned in the middle and the author chooses to move to other PoV.
Other characters such as Brom, Rham jas, Saara none of them really leave an impact on the reader.
The only decent character who shines above the rest is Halla Summer Wolf, the one eyed battle mistress.
Narration: The one thing that the book suffers extremely from is bad writing. Now I've read multiple reviews which indicated that the editors are responsible here and they should have caught the issues and fixed it. However it's true that collectively they should have seen this coming.
The writing is very average throughout and really fails to touch the reader on an emotional level. Despite multiple chances of creating epic or memorable scenes, the author fails to capture the moment. The dialogues are bland and the banter feels forced. Constantly referring to people as huge or true fighting men soon becomes tiresome.
Narrative choices also hamper the book and PoV shifts constantly and never focuses enough on a character for the readers to get attached. Few plotlines are abandoned abruptly and other fissle out and never deliver on the promises made. Early chapters focus much on the Order of clerics and how different they are from each other but that's abandoned in the second half of the book as focus shifts to the Ranen.
Overall, a very average read.
The book constantly hovers between being a good one and a bad one, leaning more towards the latter than the former. Despite it's flaws however, it was still interesting enough to read till the end.
Plot: The story is about the long war of the Giants. Gods in their own right who have lived thousands of years and now have retreated from the World, choosing champions among mortals to fight in their stead. The concept is interesting and the story is the best feature of this book. While not entirely original, it maintains enough interest for the reader to read till the end.
Worldbuilding: The author has created a world which borrows heavily from real life. The followers of The Ice Giants, men called Ranen are clearly based on Vikings while the Men of Ro, followers of the Stone Giant are based on mediaeval Europe. The followers of the Fire giant are based on African/middle eastern civilizations of desert dwelling people. The world building though ambitious in it's attempt, fumbles and really does not appear as smooth as it could have been. Many things get mixed up and present a convoluted image of the world. For eg. Rham Jas Rami, the archer who is a deadly assassin also carries a Katana with him. Not really sure why he would considering the story doesn't indicate Japanese culture or civilization to be present anywhere in this world. Things like these make it look like wish fulfilment and disrupts whatever he is trying to build. The different orders of clerics seemed interesting at first but due bad narration choices fail to make an impact. There are also multiple cliches that come along with the setting, the men of Ranen are honourable, use axes, are free and simple folk. The knights are haughty etc etc.
Magic: There is little magic in the book and none of it particularly interesting.
Characters: Due to the poor narration, most of the characters come out as bland and never live up to their potential. The reader never really gets attached to any of the characters enough to be curious about their journey. Given that this is a plot driven book, there is hardly an arc for any of the character as the story progresses.
Utha the black priest was an interesting character but his plotline feels abruptly abandoned in the middle and the author chooses to move to other PoV.
Other characters such as Brom, Rham jas, Saara none of them really leave an impact on the reader.
The only decent character who shines above the rest is Halla Summer Wolf, the one eyed battle mistress.
Narration: The one thing that the book suffers extremely from is bad writing. Now I've read multiple reviews which indicated that the editors are responsible here and they should have caught the issues and fixed it. However it's true that collectively they should have seen this coming.
The writing is very average throughout and really fails to touch the reader on an emotional level. Despite multiple chances of creating epic or memorable scenes, the author fails to capture the moment. The dialogues are bland and the banter feels forced. Constantly referring to people as huge or true fighting men soon becomes tiresome.
Narrative choices also hamper the book and PoV shifts constantly and never focuses enough on a character for the readers to get attached. Few plotlines are abandoned abruptly and other fissle out and never deliver on the promises made. Early chapters focus much on the Order of clerics and how different they are from each other but that's abandoned in the second half of the book as focus shifts to the Ranen.
Overall, a very average read.
August 3, 2013
2013 seems to be a year for Debut fantasy novels for me, and they have all been fantastic books so far (Luke Scull, Stella Gemmell, Nathan Hawke), so how does the Black Guard stand up against those other debuts?
Like The City by Stella Gemmell it took me a little while to get into this book, maybe its the risk of a debut author landing such a hefty tome in my lap, at 640 pages its a serious expression of trust from the publisher Head of Zeus, and an announcement that they think they have a real winner on their hands, and for me a big time commitment with so many great books out there.
So how did it shape up? For me, I felt the style was on the epic fantasy scale, Brandon Sanderson, Tolkien style. Where my personal preference is more Gemmellesque. But at the same time the characters are very much to my liking, they are realistic, likeable and natural rather than the average OTT fantasy drone. So has AJ Smith hit his own niche part Gemmell part Sanderson? I'm not 100% sure, I don't think I read enough fantasy these days to be totally sure, I need more maybe when I see book 2?
The story however is very clever even though it takes a bit of time to get there, but when it does get going it keeps you turning the pages at a rapid pace, so much so that you will hardly realise the size of the book, and when the book ends it leaves you slightly bereft, needing more and knowing while there will be, its not going to be for at least a year.
There are clear signs in the book and writing of a true fantasy geek (not an insult) a man who has spent time becoming passionate with his genre and then building a world in his mind. Its that passion and desire to get his world down on paper I think that slows down the first third of the book, but it really is called for, that description pays off, that world building is key and I feel we will reap more rewards from it as this series continues.
In Summary read this book, you will find a book of subtle writing skill, with deep, careful world building and colourful real characters, written in a style all of his own.
I for one recommend this book and look forward to the next book in the series.
(Parm)
Like The City by Stella Gemmell it took me a little while to get into this book, maybe its the risk of a debut author landing such a hefty tome in my lap, at 640 pages its a serious expression of trust from the publisher Head of Zeus, and an announcement that they think they have a real winner on their hands, and for me a big time commitment with so many great books out there.
So how did it shape up? For me, I felt the style was on the epic fantasy scale, Brandon Sanderson, Tolkien style. Where my personal preference is more Gemmellesque. But at the same time the characters are very much to my liking, they are realistic, likeable and natural rather than the average OTT fantasy drone. So has AJ Smith hit his own niche part Gemmell part Sanderson? I'm not 100% sure, I don't think I read enough fantasy these days to be totally sure, I need more maybe when I see book 2?
The story however is very clever even though it takes a bit of time to get there, but when it does get going it keeps you turning the pages at a rapid pace, so much so that you will hardly realise the size of the book, and when the book ends it leaves you slightly bereft, needing more and knowing while there will be, its not going to be for at least a year.
There are clear signs in the book and writing of a true fantasy geek (not an insult) a man who has spent time becoming passionate with his genre and then building a world in his mind. Its that passion and desire to get his world down on paper I think that slows down the first third of the book, but it really is called for, that description pays off, that world building is key and I feel we will reap more rewards from it as this series continues.
In Summary read this book, you will find a book of subtle writing skill, with deep, careful world building and colourful real characters, written in a style all of his own.
I for one recommend this book and look forward to the next book in the series.
(Parm)
June 25, 2013
When a friend at HoZ sent me a review copy of this particular book; I was sceptical. Fantasy was rapidly becoming something that I had grown weary of and the allure of Dan Abnett's work in the thirty-first millennium of a certain other universe was pulling me hard into science-fiction again after the SW EU derailed. But what the hell, right? They were nice enough to send it to me so the least I could do was give it a whirl.
I won't copy and paste the preface of the book. You can turn it up with a Google search or read it on this site; I want to review the book.
I was hooked from start to finish. That is something I don't say lightly either. As an avid war-gamer and role-player (a pastime of the author ironically) I an have anything up to three books to read at once and for a fantasy novel to grab me and have me reading it start to finish in one week is a first.
Believable heroes. Simple as that. I have no idea when it became standard practice for all protagonists to be dark, brooding, troubled anti-heroes but it grows tiresome for me. The Black Guard presents an array of main characters who are plain spoken, driven by (mostly) noble goals and most importantly: likeable. I genuinely found myself routing for the characters I perceived as the good guys.
The world itself is beautifully illustrated by the details of it's peoples, the monsters and even the Gods. A very real product of years of thought and refinement; it feels like a real world should with crime, drugs, sex, war and dark humour in ample amounts. The plot is a dark mirror of our own world where the lives of many are lost in war because of the machinations of a few.
I would strongly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good old fashioned tale of good versus evil with heroes and villains, monsters and Gods. Likeable and real characters living in a well realised world not mired in the, in my opinion, over-complicated political nonsense of some other books in this genre.
I won't copy and paste the preface of the book. You can turn it up with a Google search or read it on this site; I want to review the book.
I was hooked from start to finish. That is something I don't say lightly either. As an avid war-gamer and role-player (a pastime of the author ironically) I an have anything up to three books to read at once and for a fantasy novel to grab me and have me reading it start to finish in one week is a first.
Believable heroes. Simple as that. I have no idea when it became standard practice for all protagonists to be dark, brooding, troubled anti-heroes but it grows tiresome for me. The Black Guard presents an array of main characters who are plain spoken, driven by (mostly) noble goals and most importantly: likeable. I genuinely found myself routing for the characters I perceived as the good guys.
The world itself is beautifully illustrated by the details of it's peoples, the monsters and even the Gods. A very real product of years of thought and refinement; it feels like a real world should with crime, drugs, sex, war and dark humour in ample amounts. The plot is a dark mirror of our own world where the lives of many are lost in war because of the machinations of a few.
I would strongly recommend this book for anyone looking for a good old fashioned tale of good versus evil with heroes and villains, monsters and Gods. Likeable and real characters living in a well realised world not mired in the, in my opinion, over-complicated political nonsense of some other books in this genre.
September 29, 2013
Pleasantly surprised by how good this book was. It isn't from a major publisher, and I've never heard of it outside of a list on this site, but I have to say that I really liked it. It's actually the first book in a while where I was disappointed when I was within 25% of finishing it because I wanted more to read. I think that the viewpoint changes were well done, as the author tended not to switch to someone unless they had already been introduced, so it was easy to keep track of who they were and what their role was in the plot. I wasn't ever completely on the edge of my seat, which is the only thing that stops this from being a five star book. Okay, that and there were moments where it's obvious that this is a newer writer, like blatantly telling vs. showing, and a few instances of awkward phrasing.
Awesomely written characters. I ended up caring about several of them, And finally, finally, well-written female characters. I usually hate female characters, but Halla was rather awesome, and Bronwyn wasn't too bad: she wasn't super awesome, but she was realistic for her situation. I don't think a part ever came up where I was disappointed that I was forced to read that viewpoint. Well, slightly, when it was one of the Sisters, just because I don't see them as interesting antagonists. I guess that might be another slight complaint, the black as night antagonists.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed reading this book and sort of wished I had put it off so I wouldn't wait so long for a sequel.
Awesomely written characters. I ended up caring about several of them, And finally, finally, well-written female characters. I usually hate female characters, but Halla was rather awesome, and Bronwyn wasn't too bad: she wasn't super awesome, but she was realistic for her situation. I don't think a part ever came up where I was disappointed that I was forced to read that viewpoint. Well, slightly, when it was one of the Sisters, just because I don't see them as interesting antagonists. I guess that might be another slight complaint, the black as night antagonists.
Overall, though, I really enjoyed reading this book and sort of wished I had put it off so I wouldn't wait so long for a sequel.
December 11, 2016
I'm being very honest when I say this book puts Smith in the same league as George R.R. Martin and Patrick Rothfuss, with one exception...Smith has finished his series. After reading book one of four, I am completely hooked and I am so glad I already have book two, because waiting is not something I do.
July 24, 2013
Really disappointing.
October 1, 2019
This could have been a whole lot better if it had fewer points of view. The first seven chapters introduce seven (main) characters, some we don’t really get to know at all until they disappear from view (mostly because they are, in some cases thankfully, killed). And it doesn’t end there. Chapter eight brings you back to a character you already know, but (much) later on in the novel you are introduced to more pov’s. This is such a shame, because not many characters get enough “screen time” for me to get to know them, see them developing, and start to care about them. If I had spent more pages with some characters, I think I would have cared a lot more for their fates. Now I was just wondering what the significance of the short pov’s and the events they go through had on the story. Sure, I understand that it is nice if a big cast of characters at some point get together and the whole story starts to fall into place, but I just really needed less pov’s and more in-depth character development.
The treatment that women receive in this novel is rather deplorable. If it hadn’t been for Bronwyn and Halla, I would have thrown this book into the mud, stamped on it a dozen times and then set it on fire. My god, how many times do we have to read about your fantastic genitals and the fact that you could totally get “paid women” (also, well done; any idiot with money could do that, but sure let’s emphasise the fact that you totally could about a thousand times....sigh). But that wasn’t the worst. The almost light-hearted way in which the (rape of) women as a war trophy is described and treated pisses me off. Some characters are obviously against it and say something like “well, that’s bad”. Well, that’s an understatement. One character even stops a band of mercenaries raping and decapitating women, because he frowns on it, because it isn’t “honorable behaviour”. Really? How about the honour of those women? They probably felt they had some before you assholes invaded. The same person also stops a few mercenaries preparing to rape a man, which in the words of the almost-victim brings a man “to the point of suicide”. I can imagine that in a society where same sex relationships are non-existent, not thought of or maybe even condemned, this instant of rape may seem more traumatising and horrible than rape of women. However, I think they are equally horrible. Apparantly, the characters in this book do not agree. I really wish the author had put a little more effort into addressing these issues that he seems to just glance over in this book. If you mention it (or in this case, if you mention it very often), address it. Otherwise it serves no purpose other than establish that the bad guys in this book are just really super bad, honestly. Also, it makes the antagonists extremely one-dimensional and not very interesting. I did hate them, though. Thankfully, this occurred predominantly in the first half of the story (seriously, after about a 100 pages, I was ready to give up on this novel) so I could enjoy the second half a bit more.
Aside from that, this story has a lot of interesting things, like some of the characters. The worldbuilding was really well done, with different peoples, religious orders, deities, different superstitions and prejudices of the different peoples towards the others, some fearsome monters, a bit of magic and a nice foundation story that lead to current events. The best thing, however, is that it doesn’t explain these things right off the bat, but you discover this throughout the story, which is as it should be, in my opinion.
The treatment that women receive in this novel is rather deplorable. If it hadn’t been for Bronwyn and Halla, I would have thrown this book into the mud, stamped on it a dozen times and then set it on fire. My god, how many times do we have to read about your fantastic genitals and the fact that you could totally get “paid women” (also, well done; any idiot with money could do that, but sure let’s emphasise the fact that you totally could about a thousand times....sigh). But that wasn’t the worst. The almost light-hearted way in which the (rape of) women as a war trophy is described and treated pisses me off. Some characters are obviously against it and say something like “well, that’s bad”. Well, that’s an understatement. One character even stops a band of mercenaries raping and decapitating women, because he frowns on it, because it isn’t “honorable behaviour”. Really? How about the honour of those women? They probably felt they had some before you assholes invaded. The same person also stops a few mercenaries preparing to rape a man, which in the words of the almost-victim brings a man “to the point of suicide”. I can imagine that in a society where same sex relationships are non-existent, not thought of or maybe even condemned, this instant of rape may seem more traumatising and horrible than rape of women. However, I think they are equally horrible. Apparantly, the characters in this book do not agree. I really wish the author had put a little more effort into addressing these issues that he seems to just glance over in this book. If you mention it (or in this case, if you mention it very often), address it. Otherwise it serves no purpose other than establish that the bad guys in this book are just really super bad, honestly. Also, it makes the antagonists extremely one-dimensional and not very interesting. I did hate them, though. Thankfully, this occurred predominantly in the first half of the story (seriously, after about a 100 pages, I was ready to give up on this novel) so I could enjoy the second half a bit more.
Aside from that, this story has a lot of interesting things, like some of the characters. The worldbuilding was really well done, with different peoples, religious orders, deities, different superstitions and prejudices of the different peoples towards the others, some fearsome monters, a bit of magic and a nice foundation story that lead to current events. The best thing, however, is that it doesn’t explain these things right off the bat, but you discover this throughout the story, which is as it should be, in my opinion.
March 17, 2018
The Black Guard by A.J. Smith, is a book I picked up while browsing through John Gwynne’s social media. A fantasy novel that is possibly a tribute to J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin. In this novel, the city of Ro Canarn has been invaded by the Knights of the Red. Influenced by the Karesian Witches of the Seven Sisters for The Long War designed to destroy worship of the Gods of Men.
The execution of the Duke of Canarn, commanded by the King, brought death, chaos and tyranny to its people. It’s up to the Duke’s children, Brom and Bronwyn to reclaim the city. Together and their closest friends will embark on a long journey to battle the Influence of the Seven Sisters. I enjoyed this fantasy read and accumulated a number of favorite characters along the way. Al Hassim, Ram Jas Rami (now he’s an interesting character), Father Magnus, Algenon Teardrop, Utha the Ghost of the Black Cleric, Lord Bomvy and Lady Bronwyn to name a few. I am looking forward to Halla Summer Wolf, axe-maiden of Tiergarten’s characterizations. She sounds so promising as a badass female warrior. And definitely anticipating the deaths of the Seven Sisters!
The execution of the Duke of Canarn, commanded by the King, brought death, chaos and tyranny to its people. It’s up to the Duke’s children, Brom and Bronwyn to reclaim the city. Together and their closest friends will embark on a long journey to battle the Influence of the Seven Sisters. I enjoyed this fantasy read and accumulated a number of favorite characters along the way. Al Hassim, Ram Jas Rami (now he’s an interesting character), Father Magnus, Algenon Teardrop, Utha the Ghost of the Black Cleric, Lord Bomvy and Lady Bronwyn to name a few. I am looking forward to Halla Summer Wolf, axe-maiden of Tiergarten’s characterizations. She sounds so promising as a badass female warrior. And definitely anticipating the deaths of the Seven Sisters!
October 21, 2023
I was very intrigued about what this book would entail after reading the blurb of the book. And I was very glad that I picked up this book to read. The overall plot and story line of this book was very intriguing and well written book. I was intrigued with the characters within the book, as they all seemed to have something about them that made them very intriguing. With what the characters had to go through in this book, the challenges it allowed the characters to develop which made them more intriguing as characters and the story to flow nicely. I am definitely intrigued to see where the story will go in the next book.
December 14, 2023
Great setting, great characters, and a story that compels but doesn't feel hopeless like GoT.
August 8, 2013
As I type this, we’re past the midpoint of 2013, which is shaping up to be a great year for Epic Fantasy. When I started at the beginning of the year, like 2012, I had great hopes for the genre. There were some debut writers who I hoped would set a standard, but was generally disappointed by what I read.
I’m pleased to type that The Black Guard is an entertaining debut from an author I want to read more from. From the publicity blurb:
The Duke of Canarn is dead, executed by the King's decree. The city lies in chaos, its people starving, sickening, and tyrannized by the ongoing presence of the King's mercenary army. But still hope remains: the Duke's children, the Lord Bromvy and Lady Bronwyn, have escaped their father's fate.
Separated by enemy territory, hunted by the warrior clerics of the One God, Bromvy undertakes to win back the city with the help of the secretive outcasts of the Darkwald forest, the Dokkalfar. The Lady Bronwyn makes for the sanctuary of the Grass Sea and the warriors of Ranen with the mass of the King's forces at her heels. And in the mountainous region of Fjorlan, the High Thain Algenon Teardrop launches his Dragon Fleet against the Red Army. Brother wars against brother in this, the epic first volume of the long war.
So, from that plot description, we could resort to archetypes. Readers of Fantasy may recognise much of what is here. There’s an attempt at a coup, the return of an old God (or its descendants) in a medieval-esque world. We have sieges, catapults, battles on a large and small scale, longswords and beheadings a-plenty.
The author clearly knows his audience and fans of the genre will lap this up.
It must be said that are many similar debuts out there at the moment. In my opinion, The Black Guard is one of the better ones. What works here for me more than other recent debuts I’ve read is the characterisation. Generally the characters are recognisable and yet different enough to be entertaining. The reader will identify with the good guys and hiss mightily at the bad, though there’s a nice touch of greyness in there too. In particular, their dialogue is appropriate to the setting and worked for me, a problem I’ve had with many recent debuts. One warning: there is profanity and rather bloody mayhem here (it’s not really a Young Adult tale) but it was refreshing to find that, unlike some ‘Grimdark’ books of late, it doesn’t reduce the overall impact by overdoing the violence or the expletives.
It also helps the suspension of disbelief that the world-building seems logical as well. There’s a nice range of different groups here and whilst aspects are familiar, they are pleasingly different. The pantheon of otherworldly beings is quite striking too, and I liked the use of magic and Krakens in this novel. There’s a Lovecraftian touch too in that a blood sacrifice is made to the Dead God, which is part of a plan to rebirth Shub-Nillurath and so create more Gods and a new age of pain and chaos.
Some of the battle scenes are terrific and are surprisingly well written for a debut novel. Whilst they’re not always epic in scale, they’re crafted well enough to maintain pace without losing track of the characters or the plot. The battle at the end in particular is very well done.
Before I get too carried away, it must be said that the book isn’t entirely perfect. We could quibble about the huge dollops of set-up dialogue in conversations at the beginning of the novel, a slight lag in pace in the middle of the novel and the occasional over-the-top Conan-esque moment, but generally what happens works well and keeps the reader’s attention over a 600+ page book.
Perhaps the biggest complaint may be that there’s a lot of exposition here and by the end of the novel there are some major plot points that are unresolved, clearly to be continued in another book. Any reader expecting everything to be neatly solved by the end of this book will be disappointed.
Quite a few other reviewers have mentioned other authors as being ‘the debut of the year’. For me, The Black Guard is up there too as one of my favourites. Well done Head of Zeus for introducing me to another series I can’t wait to continue. Brilliant stuff. I await the next book, eagerly.
I’m pleased to type that The Black Guard is an entertaining debut from an author I want to read more from. From the publicity blurb:
The Duke of Canarn is dead, executed by the King's decree. The city lies in chaos, its people starving, sickening, and tyrannized by the ongoing presence of the King's mercenary army. But still hope remains: the Duke's children, the Lord Bromvy and Lady Bronwyn, have escaped their father's fate.
Separated by enemy territory, hunted by the warrior clerics of the One God, Bromvy undertakes to win back the city with the help of the secretive outcasts of the Darkwald forest, the Dokkalfar. The Lady Bronwyn makes for the sanctuary of the Grass Sea and the warriors of Ranen with the mass of the King's forces at her heels. And in the mountainous region of Fjorlan, the High Thain Algenon Teardrop launches his Dragon Fleet against the Red Army. Brother wars against brother in this, the epic first volume of the long war.
So, from that plot description, we could resort to archetypes. Readers of Fantasy may recognise much of what is here. There’s an attempt at a coup, the return of an old God (or its descendants) in a medieval-esque world. We have sieges, catapults, battles on a large and small scale, longswords and beheadings a-plenty.
The author clearly knows his audience and fans of the genre will lap this up.
It must be said that are many similar debuts out there at the moment. In my opinion, The Black Guard is one of the better ones. What works here for me more than other recent debuts I’ve read is the characterisation. Generally the characters are recognisable and yet different enough to be entertaining. The reader will identify with the good guys and hiss mightily at the bad, though there’s a nice touch of greyness in there too. In particular, their dialogue is appropriate to the setting and worked for me, a problem I’ve had with many recent debuts. One warning: there is profanity and rather bloody mayhem here (it’s not really a Young Adult tale) but it was refreshing to find that, unlike some ‘Grimdark’ books of late, it doesn’t reduce the overall impact by overdoing the violence or the expletives.
It also helps the suspension of disbelief that the world-building seems logical as well. There’s a nice range of different groups here and whilst aspects are familiar, they are pleasingly different. The pantheon of otherworldly beings is quite striking too, and I liked the use of magic and Krakens in this novel. There’s a Lovecraftian touch too in that a blood sacrifice is made to the Dead God, which is part of a plan to rebirth Shub-Nillurath and so create more Gods and a new age of pain and chaos.
Some of the battle scenes are terrific and are surprisingly well written for a debut novel. Whilst they’re not always epic in scale, they’re crafted well enough to maintain pace without losing track of the characters or the plot. The battle at the end in particular is very well done.
Before I get too carried away, it must be said that the book isn’t entirely perfect. We could quibble about the huge dollops of set-up dialogue in conversations at the beginning of the novel, a slight lag in pace in the middle of the novel and the occasional over-the-top Conan-esque moment, but generally what happens works well and keeps the reader’s attention over a 600+ page book.
Perhaps the biggest complaint may be that there’s a lot of exposition here and by the end of the novel there are some major plot points that are unresolved, clearly to be continued in another book. Any reader expecting everything to be neatly solved by the end of this book will be disappointed.
Quite a few other reviewers have mentioned other authors as being ‘the debut of the year’. For me, The Black Guard is up there too as one of my favourites. Well done Head of Zeus for introducing me to another series I can’t wait to continue. Brilliant stuff. I await the next book, eagerly.
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