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The Blood and Steel Saga #1
The Fangs of War
After the brutal execution of Provenci's King by the roving forces of Tarraz, a new military government vaults into power with the nefarious Alvarez at the helm. Hell-bent on bloodshed and the glory of an imperial past, he amasses the largest army seen in a generation and plunges the two nations into a bloody war, against the will of the god-like being known as the All-Mother.
Cavara, a general of the army at odds with her superiors over the war, is ground under the heel of the scheming Commander Revek and betrayed by her own people, left for dead on a distant shoreline. Saved by a passing ship and taken to the other end of the world, she is plagued by visions of a white void and a figure known as the Shadow Woman, who begins to unravel the true nature of the war - a conflict not only of men, but also of gods alike.
In a story of hope, power, greed and hatred, all are driven mad by the enemy within - none are safe from the Fangs of War.
Cavara, a general of the army at odds with her superiors over the war, is ground under the heel of the scheming Commander Revek and betrayed by her own people, left for dead on a distant shoreline. Saved by a passing ship and taken to the other end of the world, she is plagued by visions of a white void and a figure known as the Shadow Woman, who begins to unravel the true nature of the war - a conflict not only of men, but also of gods alike.
In a story of hope, power, greed and hatred, all are driven mad by the enemy within - none are safe from the Fangs of War.
575 pages, Hardcover
Published January 30, 2024
40 people are currently reading
1861 people want to read
About the author
E.J. Doble
11 books97 followersE J Doble is 24 years old from Bath, UK. A self-published author of philosophical and Grimdark fantasy, his first novel, THE FANGS OF WAR, was released in January 2022. He works in quality assurance by profession, and also reads broadly in history and politics.
When not writing, he is most often found drinking excess amounts of coffee and tending to a variety of houseplants with odd and entirely pointless names.
When not writing, he is most often found drinking excess amounts of coffee and tending to a variety of houseplants with odd and entirely pointless names.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 55 reviews
March 17, 2024
3.5/5 stars
It is an impressive feat that a young 21-year-old writer wrote and published a grimdark fantasy debut the like of The Fangs of War.
In the science fiction and fantasy landscape, comparatively, 21 years old can be considered a young age to debut in the adult fantasy industry. I haven’t even started reading adult fantasy books seriously at that age. But most importantly, The Fangs of War by E.J. Doble is a good grimdark fantasy novel. I first stumbled upon The Fangs of War on Instagram two years ago. I cannot remember who shared it, but I saw the beautiful cover art illustrated by Diego Spezzoni, and it instantly went into my TBR pile. It was not until I got the Page & Wick special edition of The Fangs of War a few months ago that I decided to read it. I am not too satisfied with the quality of the Page & Wick edition of the novel, but as far as the narrative goes, as I said, it was great.
The Fangs of War is the first book in The Blood and Steel Saga by E.J. Doble. It is the first installment in a planned five-book grimdark fantasy series. After the brutal execution of Provenci's King by the roving forces of Tarraz, a new military government vaults into power with the nefarious Alvarez at the helm. Hell-bent on bloodshed and the glory of an imperial past, he amasses the largest army seen in a generation and plunges the two nations into a bloody war, against the will of the god-like being known as the All-Mother. This story with themes of power, corruption, betrayal, greed, and hatred is told through the perspective of seven main POV characters.
Cavara, Broska, Jinx, Savanta, Markus, Revek, and Alvarez. Remember these seven characters.
Yes, seven main POV characters. The first thing you need to know before you enter The Fangs of War is it might require some patience to get used to the POV characters. This isn’t to say they were not well-written. But the constant change of seven POV characters in consecution does mean, for a while, we don't have enough time spent with a POV character to feel invested quickly. Readers are required to read multiple other POV characters first before we get back to their storyline again. However, once everything started to click, the voices of the main characters sang louder, and I found the narrative more difficult to put down.
A big part of The Fangs of War is about establishing these characters, their background, and motivations. In a way, for better or worse, this is the strength and weakness of the novel. The book is almost 600 pages long, and for half of the cast of characters, it felt like not too many significant events occurred. Fortunately, Doble’s prose is beautiful and visceral at the right moment. Although, in my opinion, the constant exposure to skirmishes and small battles in the first half of The Fangs of War made the pacing a bit sluggish, everything paid off nicely in the latter half. If I am asked to choose a favorite POV character... Well, I cannot choose just one, so I will settle with what I think as my favorite storylines: the duo of Broska and Jinx and Savanta and Markus.
The development of their character relationship felt organic and heartfelt, and I was enthralled by the storytelling direction of their perspectives. Without spoilers, Markus, in particular, really took me by surprise. There were some moments when I was confused why The Fangs of War was marked as a grimdark novel, but after I progressed through it further and further, I think this debut novel deserves to exist in the subgenre. We’re reading from the perspective of the virtuous and the villainous characters. Revek and Alvarez are awful individuals who need to be taken down, but I cannot deny how much color and compulsion they bring to the story. The Fangs of War would be a weaker novel without them.
As proven in the final chapters of The Fangs of War, the potential for the sequel to be superior is immense. Despite the relatively long page count, this book feels like a groundwork novel in order for the rest of the series to shine. The endings were exciting, to say the least. The Fangs of War is truly the start of an ambitious, violent, and well-written grimdark fantasy series. I look forward to reading the next installments in The Blood and Steel Saga series.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Allana, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
It is an impressive feat that a young 21-year-old writer wrote and published a grimdark fantasy debut the like of The Fangs of War.
In the science fiction and fantasy landscape, comparatively, 21 years old can be considered a young age to debut in the adult fantasy industry. I haven’t even started reading adult fantasy books seriously at that age. But most importantly, The Fangs of War by E.J. Doble is a good grimdark fantasy novel. I first stumbled upon The Fangs of War on Instagram two years ago. I cannot remember who shared it, but I saw the beautiful cover art illustrated by Diego Spezzoni, and it instantly went into my TBR pile. It was not until I got the Page & Wick special edition of The Fangs of War a few months ago that I decided to read it. I am not too satisfied with the quality of the Page & Wick edition of the novel, but as far as the narrative goes, as I said, it was great.
“The inevitability of fate shall come for us all in the end.”
The Fangs of War is the first book in The Blood and Steel Saga by E.J. Doble. It is the first installment in a planned five-book grimdark fantasy series. After the brutal execution of Provenci's King by the roving forces of Tarraz, a new military government vaults into power with the nefarious Alvarez at the helm. Hell-bent on bloodshed and the glory of an imperial past, he amasses the largest army seen in a generation and plunges the two nations into a bloody war, against the will of the god-like being known as the All-Mother. This story with themes of power, corruption, betrayal, greed, and hatred is told through the perspective of seven main POV characters.
Cavara, Broska, Jinx, Savanta, Markus, Revek, and Alvarez. Remember these seven characters.
Yes, seven main POV characters. The first thing you need to know before you enter The Fangs of War is it might require some patience to get used to the POV characters. This isn’t to say they were not well-written. But the constant change of seven POV characters in consecution does mean, for a while, we don't have enough time spent with a POV character to feel invested quickly. Readers are required to read multiple other POV characters first before we get back to their storyline again. However, once everything started to click, the voices of the main characters sang louder, and I found the narrative more difficult to put down.
“Bedtime stories and tales of legend often have a terrible habit of exaggerating the truth… If possessing any truth at all, that is.”
A big part of The Fangs of War is about establishing these characters, their background, and motivations. In a way, for better or worse, this is the strength and weakness of the novel. The book is almost 600 pages long, and for half of the cast of characters, it felt like not too many significant events occurred. Fortunately, Doble’s prose is beautiful and visceral at the right moment. Although, in my opinion, the constant exposure to skirmishes and small battles in the first half of The Fangs of War made the pacing a bit sluggish, everything paid off nicely in the latter half. If I am asked to choose a favorite POV character... Well, I cannot choose just one, so I will settle with what I think as my favorite storylines: the duo of Broska and Jinx and Savanta and Markus.
The development of their character relationship felt organic and heartfelt, and I was enthralled by the storytelling direction of their perspectives. Without spoilers, Markus, in particular, really took me by surprise. There were some moments when I was confused why The Fangs of War was marked as a grimdark novel, but after I progressed through it further and further, I think this debut novel deserves to exist in the subgenre. We’re reading from the perspective of the virtuous and the villainous characters. Revek and Alvarez are awful individuals who need to be taken down, but I cannot deny how much color and compulsion they bring to the story. The Fangs of War would be a weaker novel without them.
As proven in the final chapters of The Fangs of War, the potential for the sequel to be superior is immense. Despite the relatively long page count, this book feels like a groundwork novel in order for the rest of the series to shine. The endings were exciting, to say the least. The Fangs of War is truly the start of an ambitious, violent, and well-written grimdark fantasy series. I look forward to reading the next installments in The Blood and Steel Saga series.
You can order this book from: Amazon | Blackwells (Free International shipping)
You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions | I also have a Booktube channel
Special thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for giving me extra support towards my passion for reading and reviewing!
My Patrons: Alfred, Aliysa, Allana, Ambrosius, Andrew, Andrew W, Annabeth, Arliss, Barbara, Bev, Cade, Chris, Christopher, Cullen, Dan, David, Donuts, Dylan, Edward, Elaine, Elias, Feanor, Francesca, Frank, Garrick, Gary, Gregory, Hamad, Helen, Jenn, Jesse, Joie, Jonathan, Katrina, Kristina, Lara, Lourdes, Luis, Melinda, Michael, Michael, Mike, Miracle, Mordie, Nicholas, Norbert, Radiah, RCT, Redmischief, Rue, Samuel, Sarah, Sarah, Scott, Shawn, Steph, Stephanie, Tiffany, Tracy, Trish, TS, Wick, Woodman, Xero, Yuri, Zoe.
September 25, 2023
5 ⭐️
The Fangs of War is an indie, grimdark fantasy set in a world where a perilous war has broken out between the nations of Provenci and Tarraz; after the assassination of the Provenci king - resulting in Provenci falling under martial law as the military seize command of the state.
This book is excellent. Starting off with an incredibly atmospheric and dark scene in which the king is murdered; setting the events for the rest of the story at an unwavering pace. The story of The Fangs of War was utterly captivating, having everything you could want from grimdark fantasy. There are aspects of political scheming in which the players are all vying for positions of power, backstabbing and implicating anyone who gets in their way. There are also destructive and bloody battles wrought with chaos and betrayal as the famine of war engulfs the land in hopeless despair. On top of this, elements of monsters and magic are mixed, adding even more brutality with an air of mystery.
The strongest aspect of The Fangs of War though is it’s magnificent cast of characters. Doble has managed to create such an impressive array of characters, each of them as ambiguous as the next. Whilst there are a number of characters to root for, they each have their demons and questionable moments of morality. However, the stories villainous characters are where Doble truly shines with his character work. Duplicitous, venomous characters reign supreme here, with the character of Supreme Commander Revak in particular being deliciously detestable. Despite how you feel about a character, you are invested in their story and just want to continue reading.
The Fangs of War feels very reminiscent of worlds such as The First Law and The Witcher, yet Doble manages to create his own flair and style with this wonderfully dark and complex story. If you are a fan of grimdark fantasy, then you need to check out this book.
E.J. Doble needs to be on everyone’s radar. This book is just incredibly written. The prose, the characters, it’s all just superb. If this is what this guy can put out at such a young age, then the sky is the limit for him. This is an author to watch.
The Fangs of War is an indie, grimdark fantasy set in a world where a perilous war has broken out between the nations of Provenci and Tarraz; after the assassination of the Provenci king - resulting in Provenci falling under martial law as the military seize command of the state.
This book is excellent. Starting off with an incredibly atmospheric and dark scene in which the king is murdered; setting the events for the rest of the story at an unwavering pace. The story of The Fangs of War was utterly captivating, having everything you could want from grimdark fantasy. There are aspects of political scheming in which the players are all vying for positions of power, backstabbing and implicating anyone who gets in their way. There are also destructive and bloody battles wrought with chaos and betrayal as the famine of war engulfs the land in hopeless despair. On top of this, elements of monsters and magic are mixed, adding even more brutality with an air of mystery.
The strongest aspect of The Fangs of War though is it’s magnificent cast of characters. Doble has managed to create such an impressive array of characters, each of them as ambiguous as the next. Whilst there are a number of characters to root for, they each have their demons and questionable moments of morality. However, the stories villainous characters are where Doble truly shines with his character work. Duplicitous, venomous characters reign supreme here, with the character of Supreme Commander Revak in particular being deliciously detestable. Despite how you feel about a character, you are invested in their story and just want to continue reading.
The Fangs of War feels very reminiscent of worlds such as The First Law and The Witcher, yet Doble manages to create his own flair and style with this wonderfully dark and complex story. If you are a fan of grimdark fantasy, then you need to check out this book.
E.J. Doble needs to be on everyone’s radar. This book is just incredibly written. The prose, the characters, it’s all just superb. If this is what this guy can put out at such a young age, then the sky is the limit for him. This is an author to watch.
October 25, 2023
This review was originally posted on Before We Go Blog
4.5 stars (rounded up)
“On a silent shore, in a distant land, the world was coming to an end.”
Now, if that brilliant opening line doesn’t immediately set the tone and pull you in, then I don’t know what will. The Fangs of War is a high stakes and gritty military fantasy full of dark and broken characters, cutthroat political intrigue, meddling gods, eldritch monsters, and the best type of emotional turmoil!
The roving forces of Tarraz have brutally executed the King of Provenci, paving the way for a new and brutal military government to launch into power. Commander Alvaraz is dead-set on razing Tarraz to the ground and has built up the largest army seen in a generation. The two nations are plunged into a catastrophic war, which is quickly revealed to be a conflict not only of men, but also one of the divine.
Military fantasy has admittedly always been one of my least favourite subgenres in fantasy, but The Fangs of War made me reconsider that notion. We are thrust headfirst into this war-ravaged world, and Doble really doesn’t shy away from showing the true horror of war. In fact, he leans fully into the darkness and brutality, and I honestly think this story is all the better for it.
The start of the book can feel a bit overwhelming with the quick introduction of all the different POV characters in a whirlwind of action, yet I personally immediately latched onto them all. We follow multiple characters from all walks of life and I loved that this story really hones in how this war is physically and mentally affecting them in different ways. Their struggles, emotional trauma, inner conflicts, and strained interpersonal relationships were written in such a realistic and nuanced way that I honestly felt like I was suffering through their hardships right along with them.
I also really appreciated that even though they all hail from Provenci, there was still so much variety in their backstories and personal values and belief systems. This story will offer you some deliciously dark and duplicitous characters that you can love, hate, love to hate, and hate to love. And along the way, you may change your mind a time or two about which characters fall in which category. All of their character arcs were surprising in their own ways, and that only raised the stakes and kept me on my toes the entire way through.
There truly wasn’t a single POV that I didn’t find compelling, but I do want to give a special round of applause to the author for writing three of the most complex and compelling female characters in fantasy. Cavara, Savanta and Jinx absolutely stole the show for me and they have honestly raised the bar for what I look for in strong female characters. Also, while they are absolutely dragged through hell and back again, there isn’t a single point in the story where they are sexually assaulted or abused, and I can’t thank the author enough for that.
The world building was also utterly immersive and I loved how the author managed to maintain an air of mystery and intrigue, while also smoothly opening up the world as the characters progress in their personal journeys.
I do think the enemy forces of Tarraz could have been a bit more fleshed out, but at the same time I can’t complain too much because I was just completely enthralled by all the cutthroat political intrigue within the Provenci nation itself.
I also really liked how the fantastical elements became more apparent the further you get into the story, especially when the gods started to meddle. And even though there’s not really any magic in this world, the story still managed to feel utterly entrancing because of Doble’s utterly mesmerising prose. Some reviewers have called it dense, but I would humbly beg to disagree with that description.
The prose is vivid, evocative, and has a beautiful lyrical and ethereal quality to it that just sings to your soul. Already thrilling scenes only become more exhilarating and all the heightened emotions feel even more intense, which is exactly why this story hit so hard for me.
All I have left to say in the end is that this is the type of book that makes me go: “How in the world is this a debut?!”. And even more so because the author is the same age as I am (being only 21 years old), and I know for certain that I would not have it in me to write such an ambitious and excellent story. I devoured this book in 3 sittings and I am beyond desperate to see how this story continues. Doble is an exceptional storyteller, and I have no doubts that he is going to be an author to watch.
So, if you like the sound of a slow-burn yet action-packed multi-POV grimdark fantasy with complex characters, lyrical writing, emotionally engaging twists and turns, and a dash of (metaphysical) horror thrown in, then please do yourself a favour and check out The Fangs of War. It is perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Richard Nell, Michael Michel, R.J. Barker and Anthony Ryan. I truly can’t recommend it highly enough!
4.5 stars (rounded up)
“On a silent shore, in a distant land, the world was coming to an end.”
Now, if that brilliant opening line doesn’t immediately set the tone and pull you in, then I don’t know what will. The Fangs of War is a high stakes and gritty military fantasy full of dark and broken characters, cutthroat political intrigue, meddling gods, eldritch monsters, and the best type of emotional turmoil!
The roving forces of Tarraz have brutally executed the King of Provenci, paving the way for a new and brutal military government to launch into power. Commander Alvaraz is dead-set on razing Tarraz to the ground and has built up the largest army seen in a generation. The two nations are plunged into a catastrophic war, which is quickly revealed to be a conflict not only of men, but also one of the divine.
Military fantasy has admittedly always been one of my least favourite subgenres in fantasy, but The Fangs of War made me reconsider that notion. We are thrust headfirst into this war-ravaged world, and Doble really doesn’t shy away from showing the true horror of war. In fact, he leans fully into the darkness and brutality, and I honestly think this story is all the better for it.
The start of the book can feel a bit overwhelming with the quick introduction of all the different POV characters in a whirlwind of action, yet I personally immediately latched onto them all. We follow multiple characters from all walks of life and I loved that this story really hones in how this war is physically and mentally affecting them in different ways. Their struggles, emotional trauma, inner conflicts, and strained interpersonal relationships were written in such a realistic and nuanced way that I honestly felt like I was suffering through their hardships right along with them.
I also really appreciated that even though they all hail from Provenci, there was still so much variety in their backstories and personal values and belief systems. This story will offer you some deliciously dark and duplicitous characters that you can love, hate, love to hate, and hate to love. And along the way, you may change your mind a time or two about which characters fall in which category. All of their character arcs were surprising in their own ways, and that only raised the stakes and kept me on my toes the entire way through.
There truly wasn’t a single POV that I didn’t find compelling, but I do want to give a special round of applause to the author for writing three of the most complex and compelling female characters in fantasy. Cavara, Savanta and Jinx absolutely stole the show for me and they have honestly raised the bar for what I look for in strong female characters. Also, while they are absolutely dragged through hell and back again, there isn’t a single point in the story where they are sexually assaulted or abused, and I can’t thank the author enough for that.
The world building was also utterly immersive and I loved how the author managed to maintain an air of mystery and intrigue, while also smoothly opening up the world as the characters progress in their personal journeys.
I do think the enemy forces of Tarraz could have been a bit more fleshed out, but at the same time I can’t complain too much because I was just completely enthralled by all the cutthroat political intrigue within the Provenci nation itself.
I also really liked how the fantastical elements became more apparent the further you get into the story, especially when the gods started to meddle. And even though there’s not really any magic in this world, the story still managed to feel utterly entrancing because of Doble’s utterly mesmerising prose. Some reviewers have called it dense, but I would humbly beg to disagree with that description.
The prose is vivid, evocative, and has a beautiful lyrical and ethereal quality to it that just sings to your soul. Already thrilling scenes only become more exhilarating and all the heightened emotions feel even more intense, which is exactly why this story hit so hard for me.
All I have left to say in the end is that this is the type of book that makes me go: “How in the world is this a debut?!”. And even more so because the author is the same age as I am (being only 21 years old), and I know for certain that I would not have it in me to write such an ambitious and excellent story. I devoured this book in 3 sittings and I am beyond desperate to see how this story continues. Doble is an exceptional storyteller, and I have no doubts that he is going to be an author to watch.
So, if you like the sound of a slow-burn yet action-packed multi-POV grimdark fantasy with complex characters, lyrical writing, emotionally engaging twists and turns, and a dash of (metaphysical) horror thrown in, then please do yourself a favour and check out The Fangs of War. It is perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie, Richard Nell, Michael Michel, R.J. Barker and Anthony Ryan. I truly can’t recommend it highly enough!
February 5, 2022
What an amazing read this was! An absolute pleasure to read from start to finish and an outstanding addition to the fantasy genre.
Our story opens with the assassination of a king and the subsequent succession of a military tyrant, who declares war on neighbouring territories.
It is multiple POV, following different characters within the same region: the maniacal tyrannist; the ambitious and psychotic military leader; the vengeful and morally grey scout; her best friend and comrade journeying with her to keep her sane; a loyal and dutiful general only wanting the best for her people; a kind-hearted general whose only crime was being witness to a brutal murder and cover up; and his criminal underworld sister who would do just about anything to protect him.
After the war breaks out, the story jumps between characters as they begin their journeys through the epic and vivid landscape. I loved this as it meant there wasn't too much info dumping in the early chapters, instead the world expanded alongside the plot.
Instead, these early scenes were used to expertly craft these incredible characters; they danced to life on the page and honestly don't think I've ever felt as connected to characters since a Hobb book. Throughout the story you can understand their motivations, feel their pain, and really route (and hate) for them. Be prepared because this is a novel about war, and Doble is not afraid to hurt your favourite characters. 😭
The plot itself has a lot going on. As the characters traverse through the rich world and we encounter new lands and characters, new plot points unfold.
As the story begins strictly in the capital lands, the plot is heavily focused around political scheming and warfare, however as we reach foreign areas, more elements are thrown in including monsters, gods,criminal heists and even gladiators for good measure! Honestly, I felt there was a bit of everything and I couldn't get enough.
I have knocked off one star as I felt in parts the writing was a little convoluted, and I sometimes lost sight of the main points of what was happening. Also, within fight sequences, the sentence structure changed from descriptive, to short and snappy. I appreciate this is to reflect the fast-paced action but it didn't always work for me. These points however are totally forgivable for such an enjoyable story, especially considering this is a debut!
One of my absolute favourite things about this book was the female characters. It is common to be disappointed in female protagonists in fantasy, but this had 3 lead female protagonists to route for, and I LOVED all of them. I think if I had to pick a favourite it would be a tie between Sav and Jinx. Sav is a good person deep down, but the impact of War has truly damaged her (there were some gorgeous moments with her companion, Markus that I really related to). Jinx is a rag-tag criminal with great banter and whilst she didn't have as many chapters as some other characters, I loved all of them!
That leads me on to my other highlight: the dialogue. Doble really shapes his characters through the interaction with others, with banter and heart felt scenes that really develop their arcs.
For a debut novel I really think this is fantastic, I believe this is the first in a 5-part series and I honestly cannot wait to see how this continues.
Trigger warnings on violence and gore, trust me when I say heads be rollin', throats be slittin' and limbs be choppin' left, right and centre in this, but then it is a war novel!
If you've made it this far in my review and still wondering if you should read it, take this as your cue and go and get it!
And one last point... I'd never base my review of a book on anything related to the author, but it's also worth pointing out he's only 19! It absolutely blew my mind! Definitely an author to watch 👀
Our story opens with the assassination of a king and the subsequent succession of a military tyrant, who declares war on neighbouring territories.
It is multiple POV, following different characters within the same region: the maniacal tyrannist; the ambitious and psychotic military leader; the vengeful and morally grey scout; her best friend and comrade journeying with her to keep her sane; a loyal and dutiful general only wanting the best for her people; a kind-hearted general whose only crime was being witness to a brutal murder and cover up; and his criminal underworld sister who would do just about anything to protect him.
After the war breaks out, the story jumps between characters as they begin their journeys through the epic and vivid landscape. I loved this as it meant there wasn't too much info dumping in the early chapters, instead the world expanded alongside the plot.
Instead, these early scenes were used to expertly craft these incredible characters; they danced to life on the page and honestly don't think I've ever felt as connected to characters since a Hobb book. Throughout the story you can understand their motivations, feel their pain, and really route (and hate) for them. Be prepared because this is a novel about war, and Doble is not afraid to hurt your favourite characters. 😭
The plot itself has a lot going on. As the characters traverse through the rich world and we encounter new lands and characters, new plot points unfold.
As the story begins strictly in the capital lands, the plot is heavily focused around political scheming and warfare, however as we reach foreign areas, more elements are thrown in including monsters, gods,criminal heists and even gladiators for good measure! Honestly, I felt there was a bit of everything and I couldn't get enough.
I have knocked off one star as I felt in parts the writing was a little convoluted, and I sometimes lost sight of the main points of what was happening. Also, within fight sequences, the sentence structure changed from descriptive, to short and snappy. I appreciate this is to reflect the fast-paced action but it didn't always work for me. These points however are totally forgivable for such an enjoyable story, especially considering this is a debut!
One of my absolute favourite things about this book was the female characters. It is common to be disappointed in female protagonists in fantasy, but this had 3 lead female protagonists to route for, and I LOVED all of them. I think if I had to pick a favourite it would be a tie between Sav and Jinx. Sav is a good person deep down, but the impact of War has truly damaged her (there were some gorgeous moments with her companion, Markus that I really related to). Jinx is a rag-tag criminal with great banter and whilst she didn't have as many chapters as some other characters, I loved all of them!
That leads me on to my other highlight: the dialogue. Doble really shapes his characters through the interaction with others, with banter and heart felt scenes that really develop their arcs.
For a debut novel I really think this is fantastic, I believe this is the first in a 5-part series and I honestly cannot wait to see how this continues.
Trigger warnings on violence and gore, trust me when I say heads be rollin', throats be slittin' and limbs be choppin' left, right and centre in this, but then it is a war novel!
If you've made it this far in my review and still wondering if you should read it, take this as your cue and go and get it!
And one last point... I'd never base my review of a book on anything related to the author, but it's also worth pointing out he's only 19! It absolutely blew my mind! Definitely an author to watch 👀
February 28, 2024
A really good, fast paced and gritty grimdark military fantasy from a new young author. I am so glad I discovered EJ Doble and plan on continuing this series to the finish.
I started The Blood and Steel Saga with the prequel novella Crown of Omens, and enjoyed it so much I immediately started book one. I was hooked from the first chapter. As I've stated in some of my updates, the writing style reminds me of Mike Shackle's The Last War trilogy, which is indeed high praise. The action is almost non-stop and has a dark and hopeless tone, which is where the grimdark element comes from.
I did have a few small problems with the book. The characters were rather black and white, you know who is "good" and who is "bad". Also, every person was so much alike that I even had a hard time distinguishing one from the other. I would forget who was who and where they were in the world for the first couple paragraphs of a new point of view. I hope the characters get a bit more fleshed out in book two. Also, the magic has a VERY small part in the book. There are a few teasers here and there that hint of some gods meddling in the background of the plot, but nothing of real note until the end of the book.
All things aside, I did very much enjoy this first full installment, and I have every confidence that E.J. Doble will continue to hone his craft and continue this very addictive story of a war between two rival nations. A solid 4 stars:)
I started The Blood and Steel Saga with the prequel novella Crown of Omens, and enjoyed it so much I immediately started book one. I was hooked from the first chapter. As I've stated in some of my updates, the writing style reminds me of Mike Shackle's The Last War trilogy, which is indeed high praise. The action is almost non-stop and has a dark and hopeless tone, which is where the grimdark element comes from.
I did have a few small problems with the book. The characters were rather black and white, you know who is "good" and who is "bad". Also, every person was so much alike that I even had a hard time distinguishing one from the other. I would forget who was who and where they were in the world for the first couple paragraphs of a new point of view. I hope the characters get a bit more fleshed out in book two. Also, the magic has a VERY small part in the book. There are a few teasers here and there that hint of some gods meddling in the background of the plot, but nothing of real note until the end of the book.
All things aside, I did very much enjoy this first full installment, and I have every confidence that E.J. Doble will continue to hone his craft and continue this very addictive story of a war between two rival nations. A solid 4 stars:)
June 12, 2022
Tarazzi forces have killed Provenci’s King, making way for a new and brutal government to take over. New leader Alverez is hell bent on the destruction of Tarraz, building an army bigger than the world has ever seen and sending them to war against the foul creatures and populations of a feral enemy land.
Believed to be dead for the last 25 years the Iron Queen lies in wait, to take revenge on those who put her in her suspected grave. Striking a deal with the All Mother, a God like entity and force to be feared she dreams of revenge against all those who terrorised her land decades before.
Cavara has been betrayed by her people, left for dead after the discovery of the king far from home, she is rescued by a stranger and taken to a brighter land where she is deemed as an outcast and is suddenly on the run. She must remain hidden while putting together pieces of her past orders and coming to terms with her new life, before she faces the great feared Alberdane.
This book was very, very dense but beautifully written. Each time I picked it up, it would take a little while for my brain to catch up to the writing style but once I did it became an addiction. I would just want more. The imagery portrayed in these pages is nothing short of stunning (and terrifying as we are in a world full of God like beasts which I would NOT want to come up against). It took a little brain power to get through, but this author certainly has potential to create one heck of an epic series.
Rated 3.5 – Rounded up to 4.
Watch for my full review on epicindie.net and over on my YT channel at A Fictional Escapist!
Believed to be dead for the last 25 years the Iron Queen lies in wait, to take revenge on those who put her in her suspected grave. Striking a deal with the All Mother, a God like entity and force to be feared she dreams of revenge against all those who terrorised her land decades before.
Cavara has been betrayed by her people, left for dead after the discovery of the king far from home, she is rescued by a stranger and taken to a brighter land where she is deemed as an outcast and is suddenly on the run. She must remain hidden while putting together pieces of her past orders and coming to terms with her new life, before she faces the great feared Alberdane.
This book was very, very dense but beautifully written. Each time I picked it up, it would take a little while for my brain to catch up to the writing style but once I did it became an addiction. I would just want more. The imagery portrayed in these pages is nothing short of stunning (and terrifying as we are in a world full of God like beasts which I would NOT want to come up against). It took a little brain power to get through, but this author certainly has potential to create one heck of an epic series.
Rated 3.5 – Rounded up to 4.
Watch for my full review on epicindie.net and over on my YT channel at A Fictional Escapist!
April 26, 2022
The Fangs of War
📚Book Review📚
I came into this book knowing nothing. With it being a relatively new release and doing the rounds on bookstagram I decided to dive right in without reading the blurb or any reviews because I liked the cover. This is probably the most grim dark fantasy I have read and I loved every second of it.
The book opens with a strong opening scene which sets the tone of the book and the writing for the rest of its journey. Beautifully descriptive landscapes make you forget quite quickly how war torn this book is, and helps to heavily contrast the darker themes and scenes.
Following four POV’s the pace is kept exciting whilst they each go on a separate character arc with each’s actions never directly effecting another but with breadcrumbs being left for later books. Cavara and Markus are the stand out protagonists with solid motives and in the possession of a moral compass, Alvarez and Revek on the other hand… I’ve never enjoyed reading about such soulless and selfish beings, again adding contrast to the other parts of the story.
With fight scenes littered heavily throughout you are never short of excitement, and with the beautiful writing your never short of a warm fuzzy feeling you know is soon to go. E.J. Doble takes you on a journey and tugs at every part of your heart. A solid 4.5⭐️ and an incredible debut.
📚Book Review📚
I came into this book knowing nothing. With it being a relatively new release and doing the rounds on bookstagram I decided to dive right in without reading the blurb or any reviews because I liked the cover. This is probably the most grim dark fantasy I have read and I loved every second of it.
The book opens with a strong opening scene which sets the tone of the book and the writing for the rest of its journey. Beautifully descriptive landscapes make you forget quite quickly how war torn this book is, and helps to heavily contrast the darker themes and scenes.
Following four POV’s the pace is kept exciting whilst they each go on a separate character arc with each’s actions never directly effecting another but with breadcrumbs being left for later books. Cavara and Markus are the stand out protagonists with solid motives and in the possession of a moral compass, Alvarez and Revek on the other hand… I’ve never enjoyed reading about such soulless and selfish beings, again adding contrast to the other parts of the story.
With fight scenes littered heavily throughout you are never short of excitement, and with the beautiful writing your never short of a warm fuzzy feeling you know is soon to go. E.J. Doble takes you on a journey and tugs at every part of your heart. A solid 4.5⭐️ and an incredible debut.
April 3, 2022
Delicious dark fantasy with duplicitous, deprived characters who feel fully fleshed out and well defined. Doble has created a world of complexity and depth which goes far beyond what you would expect for a debut writer, a serious, impressive achievement. More impressive still is the dialogue, which is well constructed and true to life, and yes, thank you for the female characters, which are well written and not there solely for the male gaze!
February 28, 2023
“Fear walked the streets and sharpened the blades; fear was the great redeemer.”
This was a grimdark fantasy novel with multi-POVs, a cast of morally grey and villain characters, full of wars and battles in a dark and brutal world.
My favorite thing about this book was the writing. It was beautiful, descriptive but not too overdone, almost lyrical and it was easy to be immersed and transported into this brutal world.
“It’s the beauty of history, really… how the most unlikely things can form before your very eyes.”
The pace was pretty fast, with an intriguing plot and chapters alternating between each POV that allowed the reader to get a glimpse of the world, but I felt that there wasn't enough world-building. There were too many mysterious elements about the world, about the politics, about the history and by the end of the book, I still wanted more of it and had too many questions unanswered. The intrigue was one of the best parts of the book though because so much happened, from big battles against monsters and armies, to adventures in fascinating places with friendships, betrayals and even some Gladiator vibes that I really enjoyed.
“What is life without brushing shoulders with imminent death?”
The characters were very distinct from each other so it was easy to follow them without getting confused but one thing that prevented me from fully loving the book was that I couldn't get attached to them. It wasn't character-driven at all, some of the characters were just one-dimensional, and there wasn't enough development for me to fully understand their behavior.
So overall, not everything worked for me in this novel but it had really good ideas with a beautiful prose and a brutal world that I know readers, who prefer fast-paced plots, will enjoy very much.
Thank you to the author for sending me a copy of this book.
December 20, 2022
One of the best indie debuts I’ve read.
Wow this young writer can skilfully write, I was immediately impressed by his expressive prose, it’s like a melody to the soul, this author has created a flawless grim dark military fantasy. It is a book that needs your full attentiveness but instantly has you absorbed into this epic world and complex characters. There’s multiple POV’s, each unique and double edged, all the characters are so well defined and the true to life dialogue is seriously admirable!! A definite highlight for me was how the author writes the female characters. The plot is full of corruption and chaos, absolute cut throat savagery!! I am loving this deliciously dark adventure and can’t wait for the next book!!
Wow this young writer can skilfully write, I was immediately impressed by his expressive prose, it’s like a melody to the soul, this author has created a flawless grim dark military fantasy. It is a book that needs your full attentiveness but instantly has you absorbed into this epic world and complex characters. There’s multiple POV’s, each unique and double edged, all the characters are so well defined and the true to life dialogue is seriously admirable!! A definite highlight for me was how the author writes the female characters. The plot is full of corruption and chaos, absolute cut throat savagery!! I am loving this deliciously dark adventure and can’t wait for the next book!!
June 29, 2022
The death of a King leads to the birth of a tyrant. A commander betrayed as a land is plunged into war. In the shadows one long thought dead returns. It is the time for revenge. This was so fantastic! So many great characters. One of my top reads this year!
July 28, 2025
This was gritty and dark and filled with despicable characters who were given such great (dreadful) motivations and ambitions.
The black coats from the north had unravelled the corruption, and the country had erupted into revolution right on their doorstep overnight. Then they had manned the oars, attacked Casantri by sea, infiltrated the palace and kidnapped their dying king as revenge.
We have a few perspectives as we follow the fall out of such an attack and as the army takes control in this power gap.
”My father used to say that bad men were like dogs on leashes… it ain’t about trusting the dog, it’s about how strong the leash is.”
“Bad people will always be bad?”
We have characters seeking revenge, those in power seeking former glories, those questioning the new regime.
We have betrayals and battles and a touch of something supernatural, maybe magic. Oh, and fearsome fantastical creatures.
What I must applaud the author on - using the language of aggressors such as savages and showing how even the ‘good’ characters explain away their behaviour and their attitude in their minds. Language and propaganda go hand in hand.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
The black coats from the north had unravelled the corruption, and the country had erupted into revolution right on their doorstep overnight. Then they had manned the oars, attacked Casantri by sea, infiltrated the palace and kidnapped their dying king as revenge.
We have a few perspectives as we follow the fall out of such an attack and as the army takes control in this power gap.
”My father used to say that bad men were like dogs on leashes… it ain’t about trusting the dog, it’s about how strong the leash is.”
“Bad people will always be bad?”
We have characters seeking revenge, those in power seeking former glories, those questioning the new regime.
We have betrayals and battles and a touch of something supernatural, maybe magic. Oh, and fearsome fantastical creatures.
What I must applaud the author on - using the language of aggressors such as savages and showing how even the ‘good’ characters explain away their behaviour and their attitude in their minds. Language and propaganda go hand in hand.
Bookstagram
Tiktok
December 18, 2024
This is an excellent debut novel of a grimdark mastermind in progress. Vengeance, shadow creatures, war, and all the gore you could have wanted. It is a slowburn and takes a while for the story to get going but it ends with a bang.
December 19, 2022
Dark and bloody, and full of intrigue. The writing is solid. It's a little over done for the most part to start the book - very descriptive, but tones down somewhat by the end. I think the pacing was a little off as the middle 1/3 of the book seemed to drag and not move plot wise, but the book starts and ends with a great amount of intrigue. One other aspect I enjoyed was the character interactions and developments that took place, particularly by the end of the book. There are definitely some characters you'll learn to hate by the end. Overall, very solid debut IMO. I'd recommend for fans of Grim dark.
July 14, 2022
The Fangs of War starts of with the execution of a king, and it takes off running from there. Between the multiple POVs, short and quick chapters, and the overall blistering pace of this book, I struggled to put it down.
We follow a varied bunch of characters, though they all originate from the same region in this world. We have Alvarez, Revek, Cavara, Savanta, Markus, Broska, and Jinx. All of these characters were unique in their own ways. Some characters will be easy to root against, others are easy to root for, but I never felt the author was trying to force the reader to like or dislike a certain character. Take Sav, a character who is damaged by the impacts of war. While I was rooting for her, I struggled to actually like her, as she was selfish and headstrong throughout the entirety of the novel.
One aspect of Doble's characterization that I loved was that he challenged often static roles. The dynamic between Markus and Savanta is brilliant, and simply based on genders, it is usually the other way around in novels. Doble writes tough, strong women, and not in a cliche way. This was a breath of fresh air in a genre like fantasy. He also does not shy away, and a lot of his character choices are ballsy. You will end up loving a character, only to have those emotions ripped away.
Another aspect of the story that I found expertly done is how Doble chose to build the world. It unfolded alongside the plot, which is what I like to see. When reading fantasy, I find that I much prefer to be shown the world instead of being told about the world. The author was able to carefully craft this world, enough so to paing a clear and vivid picture, without bogging the reader down with massive amounts of information. This story contains various cities, landscapes, and the countryside is riddled with terrifying creatures that I would not want to cross paths with.
While I would consider this book to be mostly character driven, the plot is still a huge part of this book. War is a huge theme in this book, as is evident with the title. There is blood. A lot of blood. Doble plants little seeds for us readers where we can start to envision where story lines come together, and while I had favorites, I truly enjoyed following each of these characters. This story moves fast, and I found there were little to no dull spots. Every time I picked this book up, I ended up putting serious dents into the page count. I finished the 551 pages in just 3 days.
I was also quite surprised by the writing, as the author is only 20 years old. While the prose may not be for everyone, I found it to be quite refined. For me, it read easy, but was still layered with detail, which helped me get immersed in the story. I really look forward to seeing what is next from Doble.
My only complaints are minor. Like with most indie novels I have read, a more stringent editing process would have benefitted this book as I did find some spelling and phrasing errors. Without getting into spoilers, there is a twist between two of our main characters that I unfortunately saw coming from a mile away. It was well done, but because I foresaw the outcome, the tension building just didn't work for me. I also found that fight scenes could become repetitive at times, as the author uses beheading and body dismemberment fairly often. Limbs be flying and heads be rolling tons in this one.
Overall, The Fangs of War is the best Indie book I have read to date, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to read a good fantasy story.
We follow a varied bunch of characters, though they all originate from the same region in this world. We have Alvarez, Revek, Cavara, Savanta, Markus, Broska, and Jinx. All of these characters were unique in their own ways. Some characters will be easy to root against, others are easy to root for, but I never felt the author was trying to force the reader to like or dislike a certain character. Take Sav, a character who is damaged by the impacts of war. While I was rooting for her, I struggled to actually like her, as she was selfish and headstrong throughout the entirety of the novel.
One aspect of Doble's characterization that I loved was that he challenged often static roles. The dynamic between Markus and Savanta is brilliant, and simply based on genders, it is usually the other way around in novels. Doble writes tough, strong women, and not in a cliche way. This was a breath of fresh air in a genre like fantasy. He also does not shy away, and a lot of his character choices are ballsy. You will end up loving a character, only to have those emotions ripped away.
Another aspect of the story that I found expertly done is how Doble chose to build the world. It unfolded alongside the plot, which is what I like to see. When reading fantasy, I find that I much prefer to be shown the world instead of being told about the world. The author was able to carefully craft this world, enough so to paing a clear and vivid picture, without bogging the reader down with massive amounts of information. This story contains various cities, landscapes, and the countryside is riddled with terrifying creatures that I would not want to cross paths with.
While I would consider this book to be mostly character driven, the plot is still a huge part of this book. War is a huge theme in this book, as is evident with the title. There is blood. A lot of blood. Doble plants little seeds for us readers where we can start to envision where story lines come together, and while I had favorites, I truly enjoyed following each of these characters. This story moves fast, and I found there were little to no dull spots. Every time I picked this book up, I ended up putting serious dents into the page count. I finished the 551 pages in just 3 days.
I was also quite surprised by the writing, as the author is only 20 years old. While the prose may not be for everyone, I found it to be quite refined. For me, it read easy, but was still layered with detail, which helped me get immersed in the story. I really look forward to seeing what is next from Doble.
My only complaints are minor. Like with most indie novels I have read, a more stringent editing process would have benefitted this book as I did find some spelling and phrasing errors. Without getting into spoilers, there is a twist between two of our main characters that I unfortunately saw coming from a mile away. It was well done, but because I foresaw the outcome, the tension building just didn't work for me. I also found that fight scenes could become repetitive at times, as the author uses beheading and body dismemberment fairly often. Limbs be flying and heads be rolling tons in this one.
Overall, The Fangs of War is the best Indie book I have read to date, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to read a good fantasy story.
April 26, 2022
4.25 rounded up!
The Fangs of War is an indie published book by E.J Doble, which I picked up through a recommendation and a fantastic sounding premise that drew me in.
I will start by saying this is about as grimdark as it can get – think Anna Smith Spark levels. I’m a huge fan of grimdark, so I can safely say this more than satisfied that need. So, if you like your stories bloody then read on.
The Fangs of War is set in a world hanging on the balance of an uneasy rivalry between two nations which last ended in bloodshed, and by the looks is on its way to returning to those roots. The book begins with the death of the King of Provenci, brutally murdered, instigating a bloody war. The story follows a path of visceral destruction, betrayal and brutality as the two nations (Provenci and Tarraz) duke it out. Elements of magic and monsters are thrown into the mix, making for an interesting and at times edge of the seat read, like some kind of bloody adventure through the unknown and alien. On top of the focus on war, there is definitely a political aspect going on, with characters vying for positions of power and control, ready to step over or even kill anyone in their way of it.
There was quite a lot of world-building and scene setting involved at the beginning, meaning the start was on the slower side. I will say, despite this, it picks up hugely half way through and ends with a bang and a cliff-hanger, ready for book two. I need answers Mr Doble!
In terms of characters I felt like there was a real mix, some completely unlikeable, yet enjoyable to read and others that showed there was some hope left in this world. Firstly we have Revek who is the brutal commander of the Provencian forces. He is a despicable character who is in no way likeable, yet made for some unique reading. I really did want to find out what would happen to the dirtbag! Next up was Cavara a general within Revek’s army, who doesn’t quite agree with his methods. What follows is a series of betrayals after which Cavara finds herself face to face with some…interesting beings. Markus was probably my favourite character, probably as he seemed the most human, and because his character development and motivations really drove the plot forward. He works beside Savanta and the two of them make quite a pair…There are of course other characters, but I’ll let everyone discover those!
I would say the characters in this story really made the story, as each was extremely well written. I imagine some of them were made unlikeable for a reason, however some redeeming qualities might have made them more rounded. Also, a POV from the Tarraz side would have added some intrigue in terms of seeing what the “other” sides motivations are.
Doble’s writing is excellent, being highly imaginative and even vivid in detail. It did take me a while to get into the prose of the story, especially due to it being very descriptive and even complex at times. However, it did fit the narrative of the story and made The Fangs of War feel like a satisfying read.
If you’re a fan of Anna Smith Spark or even looking to quench that grimdark thirst, then this is most definitely the read for you. Strap in and get comfortable, because you’re in for a wild blood filled ride.
The Fangs of War is an indie published book by E.J Doble, which I picked up through a recommendation and a fantastic sounding premise that drew me in.
I will start by saying this is about as grimdark as it can get – think Anna Smith Spark levels. I’m a huge fan of grimdark, so I can safely say this more than satisfied that need. So, if you like your stories bloody then read on.
The Fangs of War is set in a world hanging on the balance of an uneasy rivalry between two nations which last ended in bloodshed, and by the looks is on its way to returning to those roots. The book begins with the death of the King of Provenci, brutally murdered, instigating a bloody war. The story follows a path of visceral destruction, betrayal and brutality as the two nations (Provenci and Tarraz) duke it out. Elements of magic and monsters are thrown into the mix, making for an interesting and at times edge of the seat read, like some kind of bloody adventure through the unknown and alien. On top of the focus on war, there is definitely a political aspect going on, with characters vying for positions of power and control, ready to step over or even kill anyone in their way of it.
There was quite a lot of world-building and scene setting involved at the beginning, meaning the start was on the slower side. I will say, despite this, it picks up hugely half way through and ends with a bang and a cliff-hanger, ready for book two. I need answers Mr Doble!
In terms of characters I felt like there was a real mix, some completely unlikeable, yet enjoyable to read and others that showed there was some hope left in this world. Firstly we have Revek who is the brutal commander of the Provencian forces. He is a despicable character who is in no way likeable, yet made for some unique reading. I really did want to find out what would happen to the dirtbag! Next up was Cavara a general within Revek’s army, who doesn’t quite agree with his methods. What follows is a series of betrayals after which Cavara finds herself face to face with some…interesting beings. Markus was probably my favourite character, probably as he seemed the most human, and because his character development and motivations really drove the plot forward. He works beside Savanta and the two of them make quite a pair…There are of course other characters, but I’ll let everyone discover those!
I would say the characters in this story really made the story, as each was extremely well written. I imagine some of them were made unlikeable for a reason, however some redeeming qualities might have made them more rounded. Also, a POV from the Tarraz side would have added some intrigue in terms of seeing what the “other” sides motivations are.
Doble’s writing is excellent, being highly imaginative and even vivid in detail. It did take me a while to get into the prose of the story, especially due to it being very descriptive and even complex at times. However, it did fit the narrative of the story and made The Fangs of War feel like a satisfying read.
If you’re a fan of Anna Smith Spark or even looking to quench that grimdark thirst, then this is most definitely the read for you. Strap in and get comfortable, because you’re in for a wild blood filled ride.
September 16, 2022
This book has been on my list to read for a long time, and I was excited to read it. As Lemony Snicket would say, "The book you are holding in your hands doesn't have a happy ending." If you picked up this book expecting some happiness, this is not that book. It's not a knock on this book but I would describe it as reading something from the Dark Souls universe. Doble excels at writing grim, uncomfortable, grisly imagery and settings. The amount of violence in this book puts GRRM to shame. There was a lot of cool lore and many great lines and imagery that I really enjoyed. Don't get attached to anyone because they probably will die. The author does a good job of making the antagonists very unlikeable.
What knocked my rating down was I had trouble following the plot and characters. I didn't fully understand the war and thought calling the opposing nation savages so often without any of that being shown was overdone. I wanted to know more about the conflict leading up to the war and about the different countries in general. It was hard to determine what kind of world setting I was being dropped into. The City of the Sun was by far the coolest, but I wanted more about it's setting and culture. Doble has some very terrifying monsters which would fit in any Dark Souls game but I wanted more about the Mothers, the creatures, and how humans in this world react and related to them. What I struggled with the most were most of the opening chapters where characters weren't established immediately and I would read for a page or so before I knew who's chapter POV I was in. The amount of ellipse and random italics made it difficult to read at times, but that is more of a formatting issue. I wanted a bit more out of most of the characters, especially Cavara, Markus, and Savaka, who kind of got lost in the mix in the middle. I didn't fully understand their motivations (Markus' made more sense in the end) to really connect with them.
Overall this book is very atmospheric and the epitome of grimdark, no doubt about that.
I give this 3.5/4 out of 5
What knocked my rating down was I had trouble following the plot and characters. I didn't fully understand the war and thought calling the opposing nation savages so often without any of that being shown was overdone. I wanted to know more about the conflict leading up to the war and about the different countries in general. It was hard to determine what kind of world setting I was being dropped into. The City of the Sun was by far the coolest, but I wanted more about it's setting and culture. Doble has some very terrifying monsters which would fit in any Dark Souls game but I wanted more about the Mothers, the creatures, and how humans in this world react and related to them. What I struggled with the most were most of the opening chapters where characters weren't established immediately and I would read for a page or so before I knew who's chapter POV I was in. The amount of ellipse and random italics made it difficult to read at times, but that is more of a formatting issue. I wanted a bit more out of most of the characters, especially Cavara, Markus, and Savaka, who kind of got lost in the mix in the middle. I didn't fully understand their motivations (Markus' made more sense in the end) to really connect with them.
Overall this book is very atmospheric and the epitome of grimdark, no doubt about that.
I give this 3.5/4 out of 5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 16, 2022
I'm not sure what they're feeding these Indie authors nowadays, but holy smokes, they should give that cook a raise! I was immediately immersed with every aspect of this story such as epic battles, formidable creatures (even formidable creatures in epic battles!), and complex political scheming. Each page was vividly detailed with descriptions of emotional turmoil, strife, questionable and unquestionable loyalty, and friendships and enemies alike. I definitely felt a Game-of-Thrones-y vibe with the detailed battles and unexpected deaths. Even the occasional plot twist and cliffhanger!
A couple of characters I want to point out -
Cavara - I loved getting to know her from the very beginning... even more so after a certain *insert spoiler here* event. Her time in The City of the Sun was such an adventure. I do wish we could have seen more interaction with her and the family she stayed with.
Revek and Darius-Darius is a good man. A good man, you hear me?! Revek is a sadistic creep and I think I hate him about as much as I hate Pink Voldemort (I know you know who I'm talking about) However, I will say that both these men were written with astounding dramatics and even with as much as I hated Revek-hated, as in a character who needed to be used as a punching bag by a balrog for being so well developed - I found myself engrossed in his scenes.
Markus-what the heck, man?! What. The. Heck. You take that back, now!
The only dilemma I faced was at the beginning of a few of the chapters it took me too long (sometimes a few paragraphs, sometimes a page or two) to realize whose POV I was reading because a character wouldn't be named or identified outright in the narrative or in the dialogue and even then, it was only more so in the first 1/4 of the book. As I got to recognize each scene better, it was easier to pick up on.
All that to be said that yes, I do recommend this book. To everyone who likes pain... and everyone who doesn't.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5
A couple of characters I want to point out -
Cavara - I loved getting to know her from the very beginning... even more so after a certain *insert spoiler here* event. Her time in The City of the Sun was such an adventure. I do wish we could have seen more interaction with her and the family she stayed with.
Revek and Darius-Darius is a good man. A good man, you hear me?! Revek is a sadistic creep and I think I hate him about as much as I hate Pink Voldemort (I know you know who I'm talking about) However, I will say that both these men were written with astounding dramatics and even with as much as I hated Revek-hated, as in a character who needed to be used as a punching bag by a balrog for being so well developed - I found myself engrossed in his scenes.
Markus-what the heck, man?! What. The. Heck. You take that back, now!
The only dilemma I faced was at the beginning of a few of the chapters it took me too long (sometimes a few paragraphs, sometimes a page or two) to realize whose POV I was reading because a character wouldn't be named or identified outright in the narrative or in the dialogue and even then, it was only more so in the first 1/4 of the book. As I got to recognize each scene better, it was easier to pick up on.
All that to be said that yes, I do recommend this book. To everyone who likes pain... and everyone who doesn't.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5/5
October 11, 2022
The Fangs of War
By E.J.Doble
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
--- Spoiler free ---
To start, I was kindly sent this book by E.J.Doble as part of a giveaway they run. Thank you very much!
As soon as I looked at the front cover of this book, I had a feeling that I was going to love it... and it did not disappoint. I can see The Fangs of War being one of my favourite reads of the year, if not my favourite.
I would describe this story as a mix of A Song of Ice and Fire, and Malazan Book of the Fallen. The vastness of the world and the range of characters makes me think of GoT, and the way in which it is written of MBotF; where scenes are told from more than one PoV and we get to see how different characters experience events.
TFoW is an epic fantasy story filled with politics and violence. Adventure and magic. The story begins with the assassination of the King, and straight away we are dropped into the chaos.
The story is told from multiple PoV's, with an expansive cast of evil generals looking for political gain; a scout set on revenge and her second hand man who is trying to keep her out of trouble; two kind hearted generals who are for the people, and a sister who has walked a darker path.
From a few chapters in, I really felt connected to most of the characters; they felt real. They weren't heroes, or heroes with powers, they were just slightly more than average people trying to get through life. Trying to do what they felt was best. It was a breath of fresh air to read characters that didn't feel as if they were created but instead as if they could've been real people.
The book had me hooked throughout and I finished it within a few days, and now all I can think about is where the story is going to go and what is going to happen to some of the characters. 🥲
I cannot recommend The Fangs of War enough to anyone that likes a morally dark epic fantasy story. Just make sure you've got enough time to take in all of the content, and get ready for some tears. 😅
By E.J.Doble
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
--- Spoiler free ---
To start, I was kindly sent this book by E.J.Doble as part of a giveaway they run. Thank you very much!
As soon as I looked at the front cover of this book, I had a feeling that I was going to love it... and it did not disappoint. I can see The Fangs of War being one of my favourite reads of the year, if not my favourite.
I would describe this story as a mix of A Song of Ice and Fire, and Malazan Book of the Fallen. The vastness of the world and the range of characters makes me think of GoT, and the way in which it is written of MBotF; where scenes are told from more than one PoV and we get to see how different characters experience events.
TFoW is an epic fantasy story filled with politics and violence. Adventure and magic. The story begins with the assassination of the King, and straight away we are dropped into the chaos.
The story is told from multiple PoV's, with an expansive cast of evil generals looking for political gain; a scout set on revenge and her second hand man who is trying to keep her out of trouble; two kind hearted generals who are for the people, and a sister who has walked a darker path.
From a few chapters in, I really felt connected to most of the characters; they felt real. They weren't heroes, or heroes with powers, they were just slightly more than average people trying to get through life. Trying to do what they felt was best. It was a breath of fresh air to read characters that didn't feel as if they were created but instead as if they could've been real people.
The book had me hooked throughout and I finished it within a few days, and now all I can think about is where the story is going to go and what is going to happen to some of the characters. 🥲
I cannot recommend The Fangs of War enough to anyone that likes a morally dark epic fantasy story. Just make sure you've got enough time to take in all of the content, and get ready for some tears. 😅
May 3, 2024
Rounded to 4 🌟
August 20, 2024
Un libro che aveva tutto il potenziale per essere eccezionale! Ma che per me non lo è stato..
È un military low fantasy, o per lo meno in questo primo volume il lato fantasy è poco presente quasi fino alla fine, nei prossimi potrebbe diventare più consistente..
O nel Worldbuilding, o nella trama, o nello stile o nel ritmo, in qualcosa deve brillare un romanzo.. Ecco, qui poteva esserci tutto, e invece secondo me non c'è molto..
Il mondo creato è un normale mondo medievaleggiante, solido, coerente e ben costruito.. ma che tranne rari casi non brilla per originalità.. non ha sense of wonder, se non in alcuni animali piuttosto originali..
A livello di trama al momento non c'è nulla di particolare.. una nazione inizia una guerra verso un altra, in modo neanche troppo spettacolare.. un po' di intrighi politici, un po' di sotterfugi, un po' di tradimenti e un po' di avventura ma tutte cose già viste mille volte.. se non per il finale interessante..
Nello stile non ho trovato una né vocativa, né passionale.. uno stile un po' piatto a cui avrebbe fatto bene un po' più di frizzantezza.. e ci sono molte pagine in cui si ripetono un po' le stesse cose..
Il ritmo pure secondo me pecca molto.. inizia bene, anche se si deve prendere il tempo per presentare i tanti personaggi.. li posiziona in vari modi e poi... poi succede poco!! Non è difficile tenere le fila dei molti personaggi, anche se forse avrebbe facilitato un po' indicare all'inizio del capitolo di chi si parla, perché ci si mette sempre un po' a capire a chi quel capitolo è rivolto.. solo, che a parte un paio di scontri, succede un po' pochino, molte chiacchiere e almeno un 150 pagine di troppo, che un po' annoiano.. e tutto il lato oscuro e brutale vantato in molte recensioni, tranne in un paio di punti, io non l'ho proprio visto..
È tutto da buttare? Affatto!!!
La parte fantasy che si intuisce più che vedere, intriga molto e fa venire voglia di capire di più.. Potrebbe nascondere cose davvero interessante.. anche perché nel finale si fa molto interessante la cosa..
E anche il futuro dei personaggi potrebbe nascondere fatti interessanti per come sono andate le cose in questo primo capitolo..
Inoltre le poche battaglie e scontri per ora presentati, sono stati eccezionali.. Mi piace il modo in cui sono stati descritti.. da un military Fantasy però me ne sarei aspettati un po' di più.. avendo letto la novella prequel (scritta però dopo questo) spero che il secondo volume sia più movimentato, perché la novella è fantastica e frenetica.. se la serie continuerà in quel modo allora questo primo volume avrà un suo senso.. Se anche il secondo volume dovesse rivelarsi così lento e dispersivo allora purtroppo abbandonerò la serie.. mi spiace, ma ci sono troppi autori che stanno facendo cose più dark, più fantasiose e più originali di così..
È un military low fantasy, o per lo meno in questo primo volume il lato fantasy è poco presente quasi fino alla fine, nei prossimi potrebbe diventare più consistente..
O nel Worldbuilding, o nella trama, o nello stile o nel ritmo, in qualcosa deve brillare un romanzo.. Ecco, qui poteva esserci tutto, e invece secondo me non c'è molto..
Il mondo creato è un normale mondo medievaleggiante, solido, coerente e ben costruito.. ma che tranne rari casi non brilla per originalità.. non ha sense of wonder, se non in alcuni animali piuttosto originali..
A livello di trama al momento non c'è nulla di particolare.. una nazione inizia una guerra verso un altra, in modo neanche troppo spettacolare.. un po' di intrighi politici, un po' di sotterfugi, un po' di tradimenti e un po' di avventura ma tutte cose già viste mille volte.. se non per il finale interessante..
Nello stile non ho trovato una né vocativa, né passionale.. uno stile un po' piatto a cui avrebbe fatto bene un po' più di frizzantezza.. e ci sono molte pagine in cui si ripetono un po' le stesse cose..
Il ritmo pure secondo me pecca molto.. inizia bene, anche se si deve prendere il tempo per presentare i tanti personaggi.. li posiziona in vari modi e poi... poi succede poco!! Non è difficile tenere le fila dei molti personaggi, anche se forse avrebbe facilitato un po' indicare all'inizio del capitolo di chi si parla, perché ci si mette sempre un po' a capire a chi quel capitolo è rivolto.. solo, che a parte un paio di scontri, succede un po' pochino, molte chiacchiere e almeno un 150 pagine di troppo, che un po' annoiano.. e tutto il lato oscuro e brutale vantato in molte recensioni, tranne in un paio di punti, io non l'ho proprio visto..
È tutto da buttare? Affatto!!!
La parte fantasy che si intuisce più che vedere, intriga molto e fa venire voglia di capire di più.. Potrebbe nascondere cose davvero interessante.. anche perché nel finale si fa molto interessante la cosa..
E anche il futuro dei personaggi potrebbe nascondere fatti interessanti per come sono andate le cose in questo primo capitolo..
Inoltre le poche battaglie e scontri per ora presentati, sono stati eccezionali.. Mi piace il modo in cui sono stati descritti.. da un military Fantasy però me ne sarei aspettati un po' di più.. avendo letto la novella prequel (scritta però dopo questo) spero che il secondo volume sia più movimentato, perché la novella è fantastica e frenetica.. se la serie continuerà in quel modo allora questo primo volume avrà un suo senso.. Se anche il secondo volume dovesse rivelarsi così lento e dispersivo allora purtroppo abbandonerò la serie.. mi spiace, ma ci sono troppi autori che stanno facendo cose più dark, più fantasiose e più originali di così..
July 16, 2024
If you're looking for a gritty military fantasy with complex characters, intriguing magic, a tight plot, and bloody violence, look no further!
Doble weaves a storyline that follows multiple characters through campaigns and double-crossings. We follow commanders, generals, and captains through the crumbling battlefront of Provenci...and our only certainty is that times have changed. The King has died, a military government has assumed power, and you never know which orders to trust.
This is an interesting premise because from the novel's onset, you're not sure who to support. Characters you think you like are backstabbed while those who betrayed them are explored in unexpected detail. The human vices of greed, ambition, and pride pull many strings while ancient magic weaves the rest. The machinations of the battlefield ultimately hint at a much larger conflict on the magical/spiritual plane, and Doble has set the stage for an epic series.
There's a lot to love about this book. The only thing I wanted more of was a deeper exploration of the Tarraz army. We're obviously meant to side with Provenci, but the Tarraz forces appear to be the underdogs in multiple scenes...and I can't help but root for underdogs. Also, several of the Provenci leaders are truly despicable, and I found myself craving similar nuance within their opponents. We were given many reasons to hate Tarraz, but I also wanted to learn some of their perspective.
All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new military fantasy. The story only promises more complexity, and based off Doble's initial work, I'm happy to trust him with the responsibility!
Doble weaves a storyline that follows multiple characters through campaigns and double-crossings. We follow commanders, generals, and captains through the crumbling battlefront of Provenci...and our only certainty is that times have changed. The King has died, a military government has assumed power, and you never know which orders to trust.
This is an interesting premise because from the novel's onset, you're not sure who to support. Characters you think you like are backstabbed while those who betrayed them are explored in unexpected detail. The human vices of greed, ambition, and pride pull many strings while ancient magic weaves the rest. The machinations of the battlefield ultimately hint at a much larger conflict on the magical/spiritual plane, and Doble has set the stage for an epic series.
There's a lot to love about this book. The only thing I wanted more of was a deeper exploration of the Tarraz army. We're obviously meant to side with Provenci, but the Tarraz forces appear to be the underdogs in multiple scenes...and I can't help but root for underdogs. Also, several of the Provenci leaders are truly despicable, and I found myself craving similar nuance within their opponents. We were given many reasons to hate Tarraz, but I also wanted to learn some of their perspective.
All in all, I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new military fantasy. The story only promises more complexity, and based off Doble's initial work, I'm happy to trust him with the responsibility!
February 17, 2024
What an impressive debut novel. Really did enjoy this grimdark novel. No one is safe in this world. Men, women, children and even favorite characters could be killed off. Definitely giving this one 4.5 ⭐ out of 5. Give this one a read if you enjoy the grimdark genre.
February 8, 2022
One of my favourite reads of the past year!
E.J. Doble has created a dark and gritty world with incredible morally grey characters. The character development was great, along with strong female leads who are not one-dimensional. It was easy to root for these characters and I felt connected to each of the characters and their motives.
Overall, this was an excellent debut novel and I cannot wait for what comes next!
E.J. Doble has created a dark and gritty world with incredible morally grey characters. The character development was great, along with strong female leads who are not one-dimensional. It was easy to root for these characters and I felt connected to each of the characters and their motives.
Overall, this was an excellent debut novel and I cannot wait for what comes next!
August 3, 2022
2.5/5
“The cattle may despise the savage…but the savage does not care. Why? Because the savage does not think the cattle have the capacity to suffer in the same way. I’m sorry, truly, that for so long your people have enjoyed being the butcher.”
First, I’d like to thank E.J. Doble for sending me his book to read. With a title like The Fangs of War and an ominous cover that features a striking snake, I knew I’d be in for a brutal ride.
The Fangs of War is a self-published novel by E.J. Doble telling the bloody tale of a brutal war following the death of Provenci’s king. Alvarez, against the wishes of the All-Mother, a God-like being, leads the charge of a new military government hell-bent on taking the fight to the Tarrazi, believed to be responsible for the king’s death. Pride and greed reign over the kingdom, making it hard to tell for Cavara, a general at odds with the war, which side is the right one. Revek, a Commander, will make sure she knows her place. In this multi-perspective grimdark novel, blood is shed, and backs are stabbed, driven to the point of madness, by the figures that move in the shadows.
This is a book that can definitely be categorized in the grimdark genre. There is a healthy amount of brutality and bloodshed, making the plot of an ongoing war that much more prevalent. There is a lot of attention to detail underlining the prejudices and consequences of war. An example being when Savanta, a former military leader in the Provenci army, consistently refers to the enemy as it. I greatly enjoyed this small detail that shined a light on the callousness that lives in those scarred by warfare. The world itself is not one I would care to enter into. There are beasts that burrow into the chests of those who cross their path and tyrants who hold no qualms about murdering men, women, and children alike.
I found some characters to be well rounded while others left me struggling to understand their motivations. The two characters I was most interested in were Savanta and Markus. They start out as old friends serving in the military together, and when catastrophe hits Markus follows Savanta on her path for revenge. The journey of their friendship leads them to the new people they’ve become, and their duo became the most fascinating relationship to read about. What I struggled with were characters like Revek and Alvarez. Their motivations as antagonists fell flat for me. Revek’s constant reminders that he was the one in charge made a lot of his actions feel like he was overcompensating. There were a few times that he had taken up the mantel and gone through with his threats, but I found him to be mostly bark and no bite. There are many villains in this novel, and all have the habit of monologuing their dark deeds to the heroes, giving the reader info through dialogue which didn’t sit very well with me. In some instances the protagonists were told what they needed to know by the very people they’re fighting against instead of finding it out for themselves. However, when threats were followed through… they were followed through.
The first half of this book was interesting and had some great ideas! For example, some chapters were dedicated to nameless soldiers fighting in the war. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first because I kept searching for a name to better connect with the characters. Once I realized these were soldiers, one of hundreds to be forgotten in the coming battles, I appreciated what Doble was trying to accomplish. During these scenes we get a ground look at what the opposite side of the conflict looked like, and I was excited to dive deeper into that. However, this only happened a few times in the beginning of the book, transitioning into the nameless perspectives of random people in the later half to eventually become nonexistent.
This book is beautifully written. There is a wonderful prose etching the horrors of loss, grief, and pain. There is no disputing that this novel was written with a careful and detailed hand, diligent in the craft of storytelling. There are some truly beautiful poetic lines and thought-provoking exchanges. I enjoyed the highly evolved prose, but there were moments where I just wanted to get to the crux of the matter. I would sometimes start a chapter and not know whose point of view I was reading until a page and a half later. Occasionally I would believe I was in one person’s perspective, only to discover a few paragraphs later I was wrong and needed to reread the entire section again. This would be especially frustrating when I was in a chapter with a nameless character. I felt that some of the scenes were repetitive, reminding me of thoughts/feelings/events that I already knew. Descriptions are a major pillar when writing and I love being able to see in detail where I am in a book, but The Fangs of War was too poetic in its prose for me. It was overtly descriptive, where it could’ve been condensed into a few sentences with the same effect.
The ending was a crescendo of unexpected deaths and world-building expansion. I applaud Doble for a job well done on some unforeseen outcomes and emotionally charged confrontations. Ultimately, this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an audience for it! I am of the firm belief that there is a reader for every book, but not necessarily a book for every reader. Just because I didn’t quite enjoy this book as much as I wished to doesn’t mean you can’t. If you’re in the market for a dark story with elevated prose, unique shifting perspectives, and harrowing circumstances, then this is a good one to pick up. Despite my criticisms this book is very well written! I wish Doble the best of luck with the sequel, which, as I understand is in its final stages of editing for those of you who will want to jump right into the second book!
“The cattle may despise the savage…but the savage does not care. Why? Because the savage does not think the cattle have the capacity to suffer in the same way. I’m sorry, truly, that for so long your people have enjoyed being the butcher.”
First, I’d like to thank E.J. Doble for sending me his book to read. With a title like The Fangs of War and an ominous cover that features a striking snake, I knew I’d be in for a brutal ride.
The Fangs of War is a self-published novel by E.J. Doble telling the bloody tale of a brutal war following the death of Provenci’s king. Alvarez, against the wishes of the All-Mother, a God-like being, leads the charge of a new military government hell-bent on taking the fight to the Tarrazi, believed to be responsible for the king’s death. Pride and greed reign over the kingdom, making it hard to tell for Cavara, a general at odds with the war, which side is the right one. Revek, a Commander, will make sure she knows her place. In this multi-perspective grimdark novel, blood is shed, and backs are stabbed, driven to the point of madness, by the figures that move in the shadows.
This is a book that can definitely be categorized in the grimdark genre. There is a healthy amount of brutality and bloodshed, making the plot of an ongoing war that much more prevalent. There is a lot of attention to detail underlining the prejudices and consequences of war. An example being when Savanta, a former military leader in the Provenci army, consistently refers to the enemy as it. I greatly enjoyed this small detail that shined a light on the callousness that lives in those scarred by warfare. The world itself is not one I would care to enter into. There are beasts that burrow into the chests of those who cross their path and tyrants who hold no qualms about murdering men, women, and children alike.
I found some characters to be well rounded while others left me struggling to understand their motivations. The two characters I was most interested in were Savanta and Markus. They start out as old friends serving in the military together, and when catastrophe hits Markus follows Savanta on her path for revenge. The journey of their friendship leads them to the new people they’ve become, and their duo became the most fascinating relationship to read about. What I struggled with were characters like Revek and Alvarez. Their motivations as antagonists fell flat for me. Revek’s constant reminders that he was the one in charge made a lot of his actions feel like he was overcompensating. There were a few times that he had taken up the mantel and gone through with his threats, but I found him to be mostly bark and no bite. There are many villains in this novel, and all have the habit of monologuing their dark deeds to the heroes, giving the reader info through dialogue which didn’t sit very well with me. In some instances the protagonists were told what they needed to know by the very people they’re fighting against instead of finding it out for themselves. However, when threats were followed through… they were followed through.
The first half of this book was interesting and had some great ideas! For example, some chapters were dedicated to nameless soldiers fighting in the war. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it at first because I kept searching for a name to better connect with the characters. Once I realized these were soldiers, one of hundreds to be forgotten in the coming battles, I appreciated what Doble was trying to accomplish. During these scenes we get a ground look at what the opposite side of the conflict looked like, and I was excited to dive deeper into that. However, this only happened a few times in the beginning of the book, transitioning into the nameless perspectives of random people in the later half to eventually become nonexistent.
This book is beautifully written. There is a wonderful prose etching the horrors of loss, grief, and pain. There is no disputing that this novel was written with a careful and detailed hand, diligent in the craft of storytelling. There are some truly beautiful poetic lines and thought-provoking exchanges. I enjoyed the highly evolved prose, but there were moments where I just wanted to get to the crux of the matter. I would sometimes start a chapter and not know whose point of view I was reading until a page and a half later. Occasionally I would believe I was in one person’s perspective, only to discover a few paragraphs later I was wrong and needed to reread the entire section again. This would be especially frustrating when I was in a chapter with a nameless character. I felt that some of the scenes were repetitive, reminding me of thoughts/feelings/events that I already knew. Descriptions are a major pillar when writing and I love being able to see in detail where I am in a book, but The Fangs of War was too poetic in its prose for me. It was overtly descriptive, where it could’ve been condensed into a few sentences with the same effect.
The ending was a crescendo of unexpected deaths and world-building expansion. I applaud Doble for a job well done on some unforeseen outcomes and emotionally charged confrontations. Ultimately, this book didn’t quite hit the mark for me, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an audience for it! I am of the firm belief that there is a reader for every book, but not necessarily a book for every reader. Just because I didn’t quite enjoy this book as much as I wished to doesn’t mean you can’t. If you’re in the market for a dark story with elevated prose, unique shifting perspectives, and harrowing circumstances, then this is a good one to pick up. Despite my criticisms this book is very well written! I wish Doble the best of luck with the sequel, which, as I understand is in its final stages of editing for those of you who will want to jump right into the second book!
Read
February 25, 2024YALL‼️ This was such a GREAT read, I was actually quite surprised by how much I enjoyed it 🤯 It’s such an awesome action packed story! ⚔️ The world building 🌎 characters 💗 and plot were just fantastic! 😱 Highly recommend yall 🥰
December 16, 2022
This booked kicked ass. I was pleasantly surprised by this authors debut. Great world building, pace, and characters. I’m looking forward to reading what comes next.
February 12, 2023
The Fangs of War is a grimdark fantasy debut from E.J. Doble, and what a debut this is. At the time of writing this review the release of book two is imminent and I could not be more excited to get my hands on it.
The biggest positive I had reading this was the world building but it was also my biggest issue. The world building here is absolutely phenomenal, the prose almost poetic and I feel like it shouldn’t work yet it does. It works incredibly well! When reading this I felt fully immersed into the world, the pictures that Doble paints are truly stunning.
However this does lead onto my one of my two issues I found, it does cause the writing to be a bit denser than I would have preferred. It put me in mind of Wheel of Time, I was having a great time with the book but it was a struggle at points to read large chunks of the book in one sitting particularly in the early stages where the plot was still developing.
My only other issue with the book came in the form of the characters, I wouldn’t say these characters are poorly written, far from it. I just wish that there was more from them and some of them had a little more depth. There were a few characters that I really connected with because we got a better insight into them or events happened in the book that forged that connection, but others I think I’d have just liked a little depth to understand why they are the way they are.
But back into the positives once we get past the introductory stages towards the end of part two, the plot comes into its own here and you get a real idea of where Doble is planing to take this series. In the stages we have a lot that needs to be set up, the aforementioned world need to be built, a cast of characters and political systems all need to be introduced. Once we get past this and everyone is in there places the plot shines with some unexpected twists, great fight scenes and a big revel that has me craving book 2 already.
It’s clear from The Fangs of War and The Crescent Moon, that Doble has a very bright future ahead of him and I’m so excited to follow his career and see where he takes both of these series. An extremely talented author who’s world building is some of the best I’ve read, especially from self-published authors, his writing is only going get better which is evident in both The Crescent Moon and the re-writes he did for Fangs of War.
The biggest positive I had reading this was the world building but it was also my biggest issue. The world building here is absolutely phenomenal, the prose almost poetic and I feel like it shouldn’t work yet it does. It works incredibly well! When reading this I felt fully immersed into the world, the pictures that Doble paints are truly stunning.
However this does lead onto my one of my two issues I found, it does cause the writing to be a bit denser than I would have preferred. It put me in mind of Wheel of Time, I was having a great time with the book but it was a struggle at points to read large chunks of the book in one sitting particularly in the early stages where the plot was still developing.
My only other issue with the book came in the form of the characters, I wouldn’t say these characters are poorly written, far from it. I just wish that there was more from them and some of them had a little more depth. There were a few characters that I really connected with because we got a better insight into them or events happened in the book that forged that connection, but others I think I’d have just liked a little depth to understand why they are the way they are.
But back into the positives once we get past the introductory stages towards the end of part two, the plot comes into its own here and you get a real idea of where Doble is planing to take this series. In the stages we have a lot that needs to be set up, the aforementioned world need to be built, a cast of characters and political systems all need to be introduced. Once we get past this and everyone is in there places the plot shines with some unexpected twists, great fight scenes and a big revel that has me craving book 2 already.
It’s clear from The Fangs of War and The Crescent Moon, that Doble has a very bright future ahead of him and I’m so excited to follow his career and see where he takes both of these series. An extremely talented author who’s world building is some of the best I’ve read, especially from self-published authors, his writing is only going get better which is evident in both The Crescent Moon and the re-writes he did for Fangs of War.
November 20, 2023
The Fangs of War is ABSOLUTE GRIMDARK AWESOMENESS!
4.5 ⭐s
This story transported my mind into the brutal world of Icebreaker Sea with incredible descriptive imagery, a diverse and compelling set of characters, and action scenes that got my blood pumping.
I had such a fun time reading this story coming straight from The Crown of Omens, the prequel novella to this series, where it felt completely fresh and new in the dark/grimdark fantasy genre with a format that I have never seen before.
I enjoyed the novella and Fangs of War so much I had to speak with EJ Doble on my YouTube chanel to learn more about Icebreaker Sea and the other projects he is working on.
I personally believe that if you were to hand this story to any fantasy fan, they would be left fully satisfied and would have no idea that this story was SELF PUBLISHED with the quality and compelling story found within.
I am excited to continue to dive head first into the next installment in the series being The Horns of Grief.
HAIL REVEK!
**************************************
The commander spat into the wind. "Everything about this effing place speaks of misery... even the weather cries murder”
4.5 ⭐s
This story transported my mind into the brutal world of Icebreaker Sea with incredible descriptive imagery, a diverse and compelling set of characters, and action scenes that got my blood pumping.
I had such a fun time reading this story coming straight from The Crown of Omens, the prequel novella to this series, where it felt completely fresh and new in the dark/grimdark fantasy genre with a format that I have never seen before.
I enjoyed the novella and Fangs of War so much I had to speak with EJ Doble on my YouTube chanel to learn more about Icebreaker Sea and the other projects he is working on.
I personally believe that if you were to hand this story to any fantasy fan, they would be left fully satisfied and would have no idea that this story was SELF PUBLISHED with the quality and compelling story found within.
I am excited to continue to dive head first into the next installment in the series being The Horns of Grief.
HAIL REVEK!
**************************************
The commander spat into the wind. "Everything about this effing place speaks of misery... even the weather cries murder”
November 20, 2022
This was a really enjoyable book with some great characters, not all of them likeable. It was a nice change to get some povs from villains to understand their thought process and reasonings for their actions. This is definitely a book that keeps you guessing and the last ten percent had a chokehold over me. The world is very unique and im hoping in the second book that we get to explore Tarazz more and maybe even get some povs from there.
The prologue of the book hooked me, but then it slowed down a bit while we set up the world and introduced all the povs. With all the switching, it did take a bit to become grounded in the story but that became easier as I continued to read.
The prologue of the book hooked me, but then it slowed down a bit while we set up the world and introduced all the povs. With all the switching, it did take a bit to become grounded in the story but that became easier as I continued to read.
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