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With His Father's Sword
I am Harald Fairhair, illegitimate son of a dead land. I am Harald Lionheart, breaker of chains and champion of the arena.
I am Harald the bastard, and I have destroyed the world.
Hear Harald’s own words as he tells his story for the first time. From the murder of his family and the moment he took up his father’s sword in revenge, all the way to the gates of the Golden City where the Beast in chains called his name. Hear how he lived, and fell. Hear how he loved, and lost.
Man or monster? Hero or villain?
With His Father's Sword is revenge driven epic fantasy on hard mode. Fallen heroes, monstrous enemies, hopeless crusades and a whispering beast wearing seven crowns.
This book is for you if you like:
Revenge, served red-hot
A bastard with a chip on his shoulder
Lost love
Trying (and failing) to be a hero
Wretched hives of scum and villainy
Battles of every size
Fantasy that gets bigger each book
I am Harald the bastard, and I have destroyed the world.
Hear Harald’s own words as he tells his story for the first time. From the murder of his family and the moment he took up his father’s sword in revenge, all the way to the gates of the Golden City where the Beast in chains called his name. Hear how he lived, and fell. Hear how he loved, and lost.
Man or monster? Hero or villain?
With His Father's Sword is revenge driven epic fantasy on hard mode. Fallen heroes, monstrous enemies, hopeless crusades and a whispering beast wearing seven crowns.
This book is for you if you like:
Revenge, served red-hot
A bastard with a chip on his shoulder
Lost love
Trying (and failing) to be a hero
Wretched hives of scum and villainy
Battles of every size
Fantasy that gets bigger each book
- GenresFantasy
463 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 23, 2025
61 people are currently reading
109 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
December 24, 2024
This book is excellent! This fantasy novel follows Harald in a gritty coming of age novel, with a natural character arc- I felt like I could connect with him as a character as he feels very human.
Thanks to TM Carruthers and NetGalley for the ARC.
Thanks to TM Carruthers and NetGalley for the ARC.
December 18, 2024
Many thanks to BookSirens and the author for the ARC on which this review is based
T M Carruthers tells the entertaining story of a man swept up in the center of momentous events in his debut novel, With His Father’s Sword.
Harald is a nobleman’s bastard who narrates his eventful life - his family gets massacred by a monster called the Draugr, he murders nobility, gets exiled to fight crusades on foreign shores, becomes a slave, rises to become the greatest gladiator, gets chosen by a fallen god to lead a rebellion - you know, the usual… and he is still probably only in his early thirties by this time.
The pacing of the book is uneven, zipping onwards where a steady, slow walkthrough is required and slowing down to highlight mundane events.
The world building is a mishmash of cultures - much like our real world, and that is a strength and weakness of the book simultaneously. Harald is born in a Viking adjacent world, embarks on a crusade with Catholic adjacent army to invade and conquer a polytheistic Moorish/Maghrebi country.
Its shows the breadth and variety of the world, its mythos, society and religion.
At the same time all of this feels shallow and confused, as if the author was unsure which setting is best. We get treated to superficial immersion into all the settings and overall it feels unbalanced.
Similarly, the story cycles through multiple tropes in this relatively short book - grimdark, political, milfic, training school montage, high fantasy and even university and coming of age. In isolation, some of them work, some dont. But overall, tonally its a bit of a mess, as they dont necessarily blend well into each other.
The character work is similarly uneven - Harald is almost a Gary Stu - steadfast and unbending in his beliefs, his legend only grows as the book progresses, escapes with his life and limb intact by the skin of his teeth and constantly falls upwards.
The supporting characters feel shallow and cardboard cutouts as well and none standout really.
One thing I did love about the book is that it has a very kinetic quality. There is something happening on every page that compels you to turn to the next one, even if it induces an occasional eye-roll.
I’m hoping that the author gradually irons out the above inconsistencies and finds his tone and setting, as this has the makings of an interesting story.
Overall, With His Father’s Sword is an uneven and chaotic, but a fairly entertaining debut.
T M Carruthers tells the entertaining story of a man swept up in the center of momentous events in his debut novel, With His Father’s Sword.
Harald is a nobleman’s bastard who narrates his eventful life - his family gets massacred by a monster called the Draugr, he murders nobility, gets exiled to fight crusades on foreign shores, becomes a slave, rises to become the greatest gladiator, gets chosen by a fallen god to lead a rebellion - you know, the usual… and he is still probably only in his early thirties by this time.
The pacing of the book is uneven, zipping onwards where a steady, slow walkthrough is required and slowing down to highlight mundane events.
The world building is a mishmash of cultures - much like our real world, and that is a strength and weakness of the book simultaneously. Harald is born in a Viking adjacent world, embarks on a crusade with Catholic adjacent army to invade and conquer a polytheistic Moorish/Maghrebi country.
Its shows the breadth and variety of the world, its mythos, society and religion.
At the same time all of this feels shallow and confused, as if the author was unsure which setting is best. We get treated to superficial immersion into all the settings and overall it feels unbalanced.
Similarly, the story cycles through multiple tropes in this relatively short book - grimdark, political, milfic, training school montage, high fantasy and even university and coming of age. In isolation, some of them work, some dont. But overall, tonally its a bit of a mess, as they dont necessarily blend well into each other.
The character work is similarly uneven - Harald is almost a Gary Stu - steadfast and unbending in his beliefs, his legend only grows as the book progresses, escapes with his life and limb intact by the skin of his teeth and constantly falls upwards.
The supporting characters feel shallow and cardboard cutouts as well and none standout really.
One thing I did love about the book is that it has a very kinetic quality. There is something happening on every page that compels you to turn to the next one, even if it induces an occasional eye-roll.
I’m hoping that the author gradually irons out the above inconsistencies and finds his tone and setting, as this has the makings of an interesting story.
Overall, With His Father’s Sword is an uneven and chaotic, but a fairly entertaining debut.
October 25, 2024
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley and it was my first delve into a fantasy novel.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. Parts of it reminded me of GofT and I am left wanting to know more of what follows in the story.
Overall, I enjoyed the book. Parts of it reminded me of GofT and I am left wanting to know more of what follows in the story.
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January 7, 2025I received an E-Arc of this book via Netgalley in exchange for a review. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher, for this opportunity.
As this was a DNF, I have chosen not to give this book an official rating as I did not fully finish it. However, it was on track to get a 1-2/5 star rating.
I have tried not to include spoilers in this review, given that this was an early-access copy. However, to fully express my thoughts and feelings on this book, I did talk about specific events and topics that came up in the 50% of the book that I did read. Take this as a warning not to read this review if you want to avoid spoilers.
With His Father's Sword is the opening instalment in an epic fantasy series that follows a young noble bastard, Harald, who, after the gruesome murder of his family by a draugr, swears to avenge them and fight against other evils that plague the world he lives in.
While this story has a lot of potential, the author struggles immensely from the beginning to capitalize on any intriguing parts of the story's setup. From the first chapter, I could tell that the author struggles a lot with pacing, but I was hopeful it would improve. Carruthers offers an interesting setup in the opening chapter but miserably misses the mark by having the main character be completely absent from the action while also delivering a lacklustre response to the carnage of his family's gruelly murder, where the most vivid description is of his vomit. The second chapter does not improve on much and features a fast-paced romance between Harald and Lot, the quintessential pastoral maiden with next to no personality who exists solely to be an object of Harald's affection, all while he simultaneously cushes on her sister, Tava. Only to have his decision between the two of them made for him when Tava is brutally murdered—because what other purpose does a woman have other than to be bed or dead? Carruthers continues with this breakneck speed through the third chapter by having literal months pass in mere sentences, in which Harald and Lot's relationship develops without the reader getting any glimpse into how or why this happens. Chapter Four features the same, with months passing since Harald and Lot's arrival at Calforth (his uncle's castle), and offers little insight into how their lives have changed. Chapter Six also has five months pass in a simple sentence and continues the previous scene with little more than a paragraph break. Similarly, Chapter Eight sets up what could be an epic duel between Harald and another character; there is little to no excitement because of how quick the duel is. In addition to the inconsistent pacing, Carruthers' writing style is inconsistent as well as he often, at the end of the chapters will include Harald 'reflecting' on his journey in a past tense narrative style a la the style of Jay Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire of Patrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind, which is highly jarring as the main narrative is in the present tense. The pacing does not improve at any point, with nearly half of the narrative being lost to time skips and little to no explanation as to why or what happened during those time skips.
Recall how I mentioned that women have no purpose other than to be bed or dead in this book? Well, the sexism doesn't stop there. Instead, Lot and other female characters are repetitively called sluts and whores with little to no explanation as to why sexism is so pervasive in this world while also providing no instance of Lot or any other woman pushing back against this treatment. Even just in the background, there are next to no side characters that are women, no servants woman in the castles or random village women or god-forbid a solider or political leader (until we meet a character who is set up to be an antagonist and who, like Lot is also sexualized from the first time we meet her). Personally, I don't mind authors exploring complex societal issues in their worlds, but I personally believe that there has to be a reason to include these themes that need to be contextualized in the lore of the world rather than just put into the story with little to no consideration for the real world ideologies that empower that discrimination. Carruthers' inclusion of sexism in the world seems more like an attempt to make the world 'edgy' without having to give any thought or nuance as to why sexism exists and how it affects people, especially women's lives.
Similarly to the issues around sexism, religion begins to play a more prominent role in the story around the 30% mark; however, at no point in the 50% of the story I read does Carruthers explain anything about this religion just looking at our own world, each and every religion has its own rules and regulations that influence the lifestyles and choices of their followers, to different extents. Still, we get no insight into these aspects of the religion in this world. Even as Harald participates in a 'Holy War' and is mentioned by numerous characters to be blessed by God Himself, there is no explanation for why people believe this or what they hope to achieve through their 'Crusade.' While one may think the term 'Crusade' or 'Holy War' is enough to indicate a reason, as someone who likes history, there is always more to the story. For example, regarding the actual Crusades, the rationale was to 'reclaim' Jerusalem from Muslim rule as it was the birthplace of Jesus and considered Holy by scripture. Carruthers offers no similar reasoning behind the alluded to several Holy Wars that have taken place in this world's history. While there is some mention of a 'Golden City,' which may serve a similar role as Jerusalem does for the Crusades, Carruthers provides no evidence that this is the case. All of this combined makes the newfound importance of the theme of religion in this story incredibly jarring, as the reader is given little to no explanation or world-building to justify this theme.
While I can see that Carruthers' tried to discuss complex topics such as vengeance, abuse of power, corruption of religious belief and sexual discrimination, he fails to handle these topics with the care, nuance and detail needed to provide any insight for commentary. Coupled with poor pacing, lifeless stereotypical characters and inconsistent narration, With His Father's Sword is a very disappointing book where the negatives far outweigh the positives, making it a chore to read despite its short length and ultimately made it a book that I had no choice but to DNF.
As this was a DNF, I have chosen not to give this book an official rating as I did not fully finish it. However, it was on track to get a 1-2/5 star rating.
I have tried not to include spoilers in this review, given that this was an early-access copy. However, to fully express my thoughts and feelings on this book, I did talk about specific events and topics that came up in the 50% of the book that I did read. Take this as a warning not to read this review if you want to avoid spoilers.
With His Father's Sword is the opening instalment in an epic fantasy series that follows a young noble bastard, Harald, who, after the gruesome murder of his family by a draugr, swears to avenge them and fight against other evils that plague the world he lives in.
While this story has a lot of potential, the author struggles immensely from the beginning to capitalize on any intriguing parts of the story's setup. From the first chapter, I could tell that the author struggles a lot with pacing, but I was hopeful it would improve. Carruthers offers an interesting setup in the opening chapter but miserably misses the mark by having the main character be completely absent from the action while also delivering a lacklustre response to the carnage of his family's gruelly murder, where the most vivid description is of his vomit. The second chapter does not improve on much and features a fast-paced romance between Harald and Lot, the quintessential pastoral maiden with next to no personality who exists solely to be an object of Harald's affection, all while he simultaneously cushes on her sister, Tava. Only to have his decision between the two of them made for him when Tava is brutally murdered—because what other purpose does a woman have other than to be bed or dead? Carruthers continues with this breakneck speed through the third chapter by having literal months pass in mere sentences, in which Harald and Lot's relationship develops without the reader getting any glimpse into how or why this happens. Chapter Four features the same, with months passing since Harald and Lot's arrival at Calforth (his uncle's castle), and offers little insight into how their lives have changed. Chapter Six also has five months pass in a simple sentence and continues the previous scene with little more than a paragraph break. Similarly, Chapter Eight sets up what could be an epic duel between Harald and another character; there is little to no excitement because of how quick the duel is. In addition to the inconsistent pacing, Carruthers' writing style is inconsistent as well as he often, at the end of the chapters will include Harald 'reflecting' on his journey in a past tense narrative style a la the style of Jay Kristoff's Empire of the Vampire of Patrick Rothfuss' Name of the Wind, which is highly jarring as the main narrative is in the present tense. The pacing does not improve at any point, with nearly half of the narrative being lost to time skips and little to no explanation as to why or what happened during those time skips.
Recall how I mentioned that women have no purpose other than to be bed or dead in this book? Well, the sexism doesn't stop there. Instead, Lot and other female characters are repetitively called sluts and whores with little to no explanation as to why sexism is so pervasive in this world while also providing no instance of Lot or any other woman pushing back against this treatment. Even just in the background, there are next to no side characters that are women, no servants woman in the castles or random village women or god-forbid a solider or political leader (until we meet a character who is set up to be an antagonist and who, like Lot is also sexualized from the first time we meet her). Personally, I don't mind authors exploring complex societal issues in their worlds, but I personally believe that there has to be a reason to include these themes that need to be contextualized in the lore of the world rather than just put into the story with little to no consideration for the real world ideologies that empower that discrimination. Carruthers' inclusion of sexism in the world seems more like an attempt to make the world 'edgy' without having to give any thought or nuance as to why sexism exists and how it affects people, especially women's lives.
Similarly to the issues around sexism, religion begins to play a more prominent role in the story around the 30% mark; however, at no point in the 50% of the story I read does Carruthers explain anything about this religion just looking at our own world, each and every religion has its own rules and regulations that influence the lifestyles and choices of their followers, to different extents. Still, we get no insight into these aspects of the religion in this world. Even as Harald participates in a 'Holy War' and is mentioned by numerous characters to be blessed by God Himself, there is no explanation for why people believe this or what they hope to achieve through their 'Crusade.' While one may think the term 'Crusade' or 'Holy War' is enough to indicate a reason, as someone who likes history, there is always more to the story. For example, regarding the actual Crusades, the rationale was to 'reclaim' Jerusalem from Muslim rule as it was the birthplace of Jesus and considered Holy by scripture. Carruthers offers no similar reasoning behind the alluded to several Holy Wars that have taken place in this world's history. While there is some mention of a 'Golden City,' which may serve a similar role as Jerusalem does for the Crusades, Carruthers provides no evidence that this is the case. All of this combined makes the newfound importance of the theme of religion in this story incredibly jarring, as the reader is given little to no explanation or world-building to justify this theme.
While I can see that Carruthers' tried to discuss complex topics such as vengeance, abuse of power, corruption of religious belief and sexual discrimination, he fails to handle these topics with the care, nuance and detail needed to provide any insight for commentary. Coupled with poor pacing, lifeless stereotypical characters and inconsistent narration, With His Father's Sword is a very disappointing book where the negatives far outweigh the positives, making it a chore to read despite its short length and ultimately made it a book that I had no choice but to DNF.
November 26, 2024
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to T M Carruthers and NetGalley.
Score: 1.5/5 (rounded to 2/5)
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Read this review and more on my Medium Blog: Distorted Visions
he debut novel of T M Carruthers is a dark fantasy tale of vengeance against human and mystical forces. It kicks off his trilogy, Empire of the Beast.
With His Father’s Sword sets the stage for a tale of Harald Fairhair’s vengeance after his family is slaughtered by a mysterious creature, the Draugr. His thirst for revenge sets him on a path of wanton violence, and political deceit, into the trenches of warfare, to the slave pits, in far-off lands in external conflict and internal conflict.
From the starting gun, Harald is pushed through the “conga line of torture” as he goes from set-piece to set-piece, inevitably escaping terrible circumstances of violence and ill omen by the skin of his teeth, racing him through the first third of the book. The pacing of the book is haphazard at best, racing through sections that need to breathe to develop heft, and slows down for mundane introspections that don't further the plot nor sufficiently increase the emotional connection Harald or flesh out his motivations beyond “this world is a dark place, and vengeance will bring righteousness”.
Carruthers cannot decide the magic/fantasy level in his story, between the nearly no-magic setting of grimdark, to the bombastic dark magicks of dark fantasy, his world languishes in the vague middle ground. The worldbuilding lacked any coherence or anchor, with Fantasy tropes being lobbed at us with names of places, people, mythos, etc. which were lackluster enough to gloss over with no reason to delve any deeper into. As an example, with a name like Harald and the opening location, I expected a Norse-themed premise to his character, yet the characters he encounters and locations he explores, the setting turned into more of an Anglo-Saxon/English-esque vibe, which was initially jarring but ultimately was set in the “meh” pile. His foray into the Golden City arc again conjured a Middle-Eastern desert aesthetic, but I was baited again, and the setting felt vaguely Greco-Roman, with a smattering of other dissonant elements that led to an aesthetic mess.
What grew from an initial annoyance to an irritation as the story plodded through, was Carruthers narrative choices. Told as a hodgepodge mix of a single-POV first-person style, Carruthers distracts the reader by adding snippets of a memoir-style remembrance, with “if only I knew…” foreshadowing which fell completely flat. The few cases where this memoir-style has word have been in the fantastic grim-noir trilogy Empire of the Wolf (Richard Swan) and the utterly immense grimdark space-fantasy sage Sun Eater (Christopher Ruocchio), both of which have narrator characters with oodles of charisma. This partial stream-of-consciousness style with the jagged pacing causes the narrative buildup to lose any weight or emotional investment from the reader. At no point, did I feel genuinely worried about the fate of any of the characters, least of all the frankly just plain annoying, Harald.
As with the worldbuilding and the narrative style, the character sketch of the protagonist, Harald Fairhair is a confusing mess. His continuous contradiction of action, intent, motivation, worth, and self-image is jarring at every juncture. Again, unsure of what kind of protagonist Carruthers wanted to create with Harald, he samples all the hot favorites, leaving us with an internally inconsistent, externally conflicting (not conflicted, which would be better) character. A genuine Gary Stu at most places, his own lionization could be another case of meta-commentary about the quintessential grimdark protagonist, but trips at every attempt to make this a solid claim. Dragged from one location to another, Harald lacks any agency which is an annoying counterpoint to his own claimed worth and effect on the world and people around him. If this was intentional satire, it was lost upon me at first read.
Along his journey of ill-advised revenge, Harald MehHair runs headlong into several side characters that range from moustache-twirling baddies to thinly veiled antagonists, to doe-eyed romantic inserts. Even the trilogy titular Beast is so laughably mundane and tropey that causing an immediate eye-roll by this grizzled veteran reader/reviewer. None of these characters or checkpoints service the plot except by being tentpoles which Harald drags himself through the story, accruing woes and reasons to inflict his own brand of violence, in the name of revenge, of course.
A of boyhood vengeance is not unknown in the dark fantasy and grimdark spaces, but With His Father’s Sword lacks the artistic deft to handle vengeance as a topic with any kind of experience hand. There is much to be said about how vengeance is a double-edged blade that hurts the wielder (usually) more than the world. While I do believe that Carruthers attempts to get this point across, Harald is a clumsy vehicle to deliver that message.
Overall, With His Father’s Sword is an uneven and chaotic, yet anemic and mundane debut, set in a world that lacks any breadth or much depth, characters without nuance or emotional heft for the reader, following a plot that has no direction other than mindlessly pushing forward, heralded by a protagonist that encompasses all the flaws mentioned, a pale imposter of other better dark fantasy and grimdark antiheroes.
Score: 1.5/5 (rounded to 2/5)
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Read this review and more on my Medium Blog: Distorted Visions
he debut novel of T M Carruthers is a dark fantasy tale of vengeance against human and mystical forces. It kicks off his trilogy, Empire of the Beast.
With His Father’s Sword sets the stage for a tale of Harald Fairhair’s vengeance after his family is slaughtered by a mysterious creature, the Draugr. His thirst for revenge sets him on a path of wanton violence, and political deceit, into the trenches of warfare, to the slave pits, in far-off lands in external conflict and internal conflict.
From the starting gun, Harald is pushed through the “conga line of torture” as he goes from set-piece to set-piece, inevitably escaping terrible circumstances of violence and ill omen by the skin of his teeth, racing him through the first third of the book. The pacing of the book is haphazard at best, racing through sections that need to breathe to develop heft, and slows down for mundane introspections that don't further the plot nor sufficiently increase the emotional connection Harald or flesh out his motivations beyond “this world is a dark place, and vengeance will bring righteousness”.
Carruthers cannot decide the magic/fantasy level in his story, between the nearly no-magic setting of grimdark, to the bombastic dark magicks of dark fantasy, his world languishes in the vague middle ground. The worldbuilding lacked any coherence or anchor, with Fantasy tropes being lobbed at us with names of places, people, mythos, etc. which were lackluster enough to gloss over with no reason to delve any deeper into. As an example, with a name like Harald and the opening location, I expected a Norse-themed premise to his character, yet the characters he encounters and locations he explores, the setting turned into more of an Anglo-Saxon/English-esque vibe, which was initially jarring but ultimately was set in the “meh” pile. His foray into the Golden City arc again conjured a Middle-Eastern desert aesthetic, but I was baited again, and the setting felt vaguely Greco-Roman, with a smattering of other dissonant elements that led to an aesthetic mess.
What grew from an initial annoyance to an irritation as the story plodded through, was Carruthers narrative choices. Told as a hodgepodge mix of a single-POV first-person style, Carruthers distracts the reader by adding snippets of a memoir-style remembrance, with “if only I knew…” foreshadowing which fell completely flat. The few cases where this memoir-style has word have been in the fantastic grim-noir trilogy Empire of the Wolf (Richard Swan) and the utterly immense grimdark space-fantasy sage Sun Eater (Christopher Ruocchio), both of which have narrator characters with oodles of charisma. This partial stream-of-consciousness style with the jagged pacing causes the narrative buildup to lose any weight or emotional investment from the reader. At no point, did I feel genuinely worried about the fate of any of the characters, least of all the frankly just plain annoying, Harald.
As with the worldbuilding and the narrative style, the character sketch of the protagonist, Harald Fairhair is a confusing mess. His continuous contradiction of action, intent, motivation, worth, and self-image is jarring at every juncture. Again, unsure of what kind of protagonist Carruthers wanted to create with Harald, he samples all the hot favorites, leaving us with an internally inconsistent, externally conflicting (not conflicted, which would be better) character. A genuine Gary Stu at most places, his own lionization could be another case of meta-commentary about the quintessential grimdark protagonist, but trips at every attempt to make this a solid claim. Dragged from one location to another, Harald lacks any agency which is an annoying counterpoint to his own claimed worth and effect on the world and people around him. If this was intentional satire, it was lost upon me at first read.
Along his journey of ill-advised revenge, Harald MehHair runs headlong into several side characters that range from moustache-twirling baddies to thinly veiled antagonists, to doe-eyed romantic inserts. Even the trilogy titular Beast is so laughably mundane and tropey that causing an immediate eye-roll by this grizzled veteran reader/reviewer. None of these characters or checkpoints service the plot except by being tentpoles which Harald drags himself through the story, accruing woes and reasons to inflict his own brand of violence, in the name of revenge, of course.
A of boyhood vengeance is not unknown in the dark fantasy and grimdark spaces, but With His Father’s Sword lacks the artistic deft to handle vengeance as a topic with any kind of experience hand. There is much to be said about how vengeance is a double-edged blade that hurts the wielder (usually) more than the world. While I do believe that Carruthers attempts to get this point across, Harald is a clumsy vehicle to deliver that message.
Overall, With His Father’s Sword is an uneven and chaotic, yet anemic and mundane debut, set in a world that lacks any breadth or much depth, characters without nuance or emotional heft for the reader, following a plot that has no direction other than mindlessly pushing forward, heralded by a protagonist that encompasses all the flaws mentioned, a pale imposter of other better dark fantasy and grimdark antiheroes.
December 1, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"We were all victims of power, enemies of peace."
I love a good coming of age story with a healthy dose of main character rage and revenge on the brain.
This was an interesting and different read! I enjoyed it overall and will happily read the next book by this author. For a debut, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
"Tell me of better days, I said. When God watched over us wielding a bright sceptre, when the rain fell and the sun shone in balance, when mothers and fathers raised their own children."
Man, this kid just kept getting knocked down. I enjoyed seeing him come into his own and I'm interested to experience more of his growth.
At first, it felt a little rocky, mostly because the initial buildup was rushed, but I ended up not minding because it was just a very small hint of the trials ahead, and it didn't end up needing more time spent on those parts. I was kind of thrown into things, but I caught up and once I got to about 20%, I was pretty hooked.
It did take me a minute to connect with the character. As it went on, I started to get a feel for who he was, and I think that the character development was actually done well—slow and steady without leaving me wondering how he got from here to there. He started out young, which showed, and even when he got on my nerves a couple of times, I could see it through the lens of his age, as well as the horrible things he'd gone through.
There's a lot of time inbetween some events, but the author does a good job of weaving information in so that you're not confused, and it didn't drag, which is always a plus. A lot of things happened, which opens it up for pacing issues. While I wish more time was spent on some things, I wasn't left wanting. There are characters and plot points that need to be explored, but since this isn't the only book, I'm leaving my judgment of tying these things up until I'm given more. I believe I was left with just the right amount of questions, and the author has set up little events that I hope will all come together for a satisfying—and probably painful for Harald—rest of the journey.
The writing was easy to follow and it was concise. There were some grammar and punctuation issues but nothing incredibly distracting. The author didn't spend too much time on descriptors, which I don't mind for this story. I was given enough to be satisfied and to imagine the rest for myself, but if you require more detail to picture things, you might find it somewhat lacking.
I do hope we get more worldbuilding. The magic and non human creatures aren't gone into too much and I hope they're not glossed over later. Labeled as epic fantasy, I did expect more immersion into the bigger picture and the workings of the world, but I expect to see more of that as it goes on.
The narration was a little different for me. It had the feel of someone verbally telling a story, stopping to make a comment about it and reflect, then continuing. I enjoyed it once I figured out the authors voice, and the style remained consistent.
"We were all victims of power, enemies of peace."
I love a good coming of age story with a healthy dose of main character rage and revenge on the brain.
This was an interesting and different read! I enjoyed it overall and will happily read the next book by this author. For a debut, I was pleasantly surprised by this book.
"Tell me of better days, I said. When God watched over us wielding a bright sceptre, when the rain fell and the sun shone in balance, when mothers and fathers raised their own children."
Man, this kid just kept getting knocked down. I enjoyed seeing him come into his own and I'm interested to experience more of his growth.
At first, it felt a little rocky, mostly because the initial buildup was rushed, but I ended up not minding because it was just a very small hint of the trials ahead, and it didn't end up needing more time spent on those parts. I was kind of thrown into things, but I caught up and once I got to about 20%, I was pretty hooked.
It did take me a minute to connect with the character. As it went on, I started to get a feel for who he was, and I think that the character development was actually done well—slow and steady without leaving me wondering how he got from here to there. He started out young, which showed, and even when he got on my nerves a couple of times, I could see it through the lens of his age, as well as the horrible things he'd gone through.
There's a lot of time inbetween some events, but the author does a good job of weaving information in so that you're not confused, and it didn't drag, which is always a plus. A lot of things happened, which opens it up for pacing issues. While I wish more time was spent on some things, I wasn't left wanting. There are characters and plot points that need to be explored, but since this isn't the only book, I'm leaving my judgment of tying these things up until I'm given more. I believe I was left with just the right amount of questions, and the author has set up little events that I hope will all come together for a satisfying—and probably painful for Harald—rest of the journey.
The writing was easy to follow and it was concise. There were some grammar and punctuation issues but nothing incredibly distracting. The author didn't spend too much time on descriptors, which I don't mind for this story. I was given enough to be satisfied and to imagine the rest for myself, but if you require more detail to picture things, you might find it somewhat lacking.
I do hope we get more worldbuilding. The magic and non human creatures aren't gone into too much and I hope they're not glossed over later. Labeled as epic fantasy, I did expect more immersion into the bigger picture and the workings of the world, but I expect to see more of that as it goes on.
The narration was a little different for me. It had the feel of someone verbally telling a story, stopping to make a comment about it and reflect, then continuing. I enjoyed it once I figured out the authors voice, and the style remained consistent.
January 2, 2025
TL;DR Review: The Count of Monte Cristo meets Kingdom of Heaven by way of Gladiator.
Full Review:
This book was a wild ride!
From the beginning, the tone is set as beautifully dark when our protagonist comes home to find his father, brothers, and everyone else slaughtered by an undead draugr. Swearing vengeance, he sets off to report the deaths to the King, only to find himself lost in the woods, feverish, and chilled. After collapsing, he awakens to find himself being tended to by a kindly grandmother and her two friendly daughters. Sounds like things are going to take a turn for the happier, right? Yeah…no. Things just get bloodier, darker, and more messed up from here.
This is a PITCH BLACK fantasy story. Anytime we think there’s a moment of brightness or goodness that might turn things around for our hero, we’re dragged right down into the muck and blood and filth of this grimdark fantasy world.
From the betrayal of a nobleman he trusts to his being thrown in chains and sent across the ocean to fight in a “Holy War” to the years he spends fighting in the gladiator pits, this story just keeps going darker and darker in new and unexpected ways. And I was here for EVERY PART OF IT!
The story draws heavily on the revenge-driven flavor of Count of Monte Cristo, with our hero swearing revenge against one enemy after another. He keeps stacking up the list of people he’s going to kill, and we’re right there along for the ride because we’ve seen how he’s been betrayed and mistreated time and again, so we want him to succeed and take his bloody toll.
The crusades part reminded me heavily of Kingdom of Heaven, with the chaos, big battles, moments of heroism and nobility, backbiting between men vying for power, and the “Holy War” aspect.
Of course, the story has to have its Gladiator moment when everything goes wrong and our hero ends up fighting for his life in the slave pits. It does an amazing job of keeping the gritty and dark tone, sweeping us along on his story with a pace that feels inexorable and unstoppable.
That’s something I absolutely enjoyed about With His Father’s Sword. The story never lingers on any plot point or reveal but just keeps driving forward relentlessly, drawing us deeper into the misery, the bloodshed, and the hardships he has to face, building him up and breaking him down time and again.
The pacing is addictive because you just have to find out what comes next. I kept saying “Just one more chapter” about a dozen times when reading this book, and had a very hard time putting it down.
While it may not be the “perfect” book, it was definitely a damned good one—a fast-paced, hard-hitting, insanely dark story I will absolutely recommend to anyone and everyone.
Full Review:
This book was a wild ride!
From the beginning, the tone is set as beautifully dark when our protagonist comes home to find his father, brothers, and everyone else slaughtered by an undead draugr. Swearing vengeance, he sets off to report the deaths to the King, only to find himself lost in the woods, feverish, and chilled. After collapsing, he awakens to find himself being tended to by a kindly grandmother and her two friendly daughters. Sounds like things are going to take a turn for the happier, right? Yeah…no. Things just get bloodier, darker, and more messed up from here.
This is a PITCH BLACK fantasy story. Anytime we think there’s a moment of brightness or goodness that might turn things around for our hero, we’re dragged right down into the muck and blood and filth of this grimdark fantasy world.
From the betrayal of a nobleman he trusts to his being thrown in chains and sent across the ocean to fight in a “Holy War” to the years he spends fighting in the gladiator pits, this story just keeps going darker and darker in new and unexpected ways. And I was here for EVERY PART OF IT!
The story draws heavily on the revenge-driven flavor of Count of Monte Cristo, with our hero swearing revenge against one enemy after another. He keeps stacking up the list of people he’s going to kill, and we’re right there along for the ride because we’ve seen how he’s been betrayed and mistreated time and again, so we want him to succeed and take his bloody toll.
The crusades part reminded me heavily of Kingdom of Heaven, with the chaos, big battles, moments of heroism and nobility, backbiting between men vying for power, and the “Holy War” aspect.
Of course, the story has to have its Gladiator moment when everything goes wrong and our hero ends up fighting for his life in the slave pits. It does an amazing job of keeping the gritty and dark tone, sweeping us along on his story with a pace that feels inexorable and unstoppable.
That’s something I absolutely enjoyed about With His Father’s Sword. The story never lingers on any plot point or reveal but just keeps driving forward relentlessly, drawing us deeper into the misery, the bloodshed, and the hardships he has to face, building him up and breaking him down time and again.
The pacing is addictive because you just have to find out what comes next. I kept saying “Just one more chapter” about a dozen times when reading this book, and had a very hard time putting it down.
While it may not be the “perfect” book, it was definitely a damned good one—a fast-paced, hard-hitting, insanely dark story I will absolutely recommend to anyone and everyone.
November 9, 2024
This book is stunning. Fast paced and action packed from start to finish with an ending that blows your socks off, although it is hard to keep your socks on throughout!
Fascinating, well-paced and believable character development of the main character, Harald, ties you to the story from the start. We all want to find out what comes next for Harald and the answer is usually a lot and often it’s not good, although the moments of rest he gets are perfectly placed and hugely enjoyable. There is, also, a brilliantly well-rounded and diverse host of female characters Harald meets along the way which is something that can be lacking in the fantasy genre and I commend the writer for.
The societal structures, politics, religiosity and decisions of those in power are reflective of our world, both today and throughout history and, as a reader that hasn’t read fantasy for about a decade (not sure how I managed that), this really expands the enjoyment of the novel beyond the genre of fantasy. The realism of the battles and fight scenes, of which there are plenty, was a particular highlight for me as they accurately portrayed the chaos and thoughts those in the mele are having while placing technical detail of strategy, technique and equipment expertly amongst the action and dialogue. Thus, trusting that the reader has a prior understanding of the culture, detail and situation which is much more engaging (for someone who is a history nerd, like myself) than when a writer assumes the reader knows nothing. As a writer, myself, I am taking notes!
If you like A Song of Ice and Fire for its gritty realism and gripping plot twists; El Cid and Uhtred for their fighting skill, complexity, high morals and endearing traumatized souls, you should enjoy With His Fathers Sword and Harald Fairhair immensely.
I can’t wait for the next instalment as Harald (I assume) struggles with the fall out of that ending.
Fascinating, well-paced and believable character development of the main character, Harald, ties you to the story from the start. We all want to find out what comes next for Harald and the answer is usually a lot and often it’s not good, although the moments of rest he gets are perfectly placed and hugely enjoyable. There is, also, a brilliantly well-rounded and diverse host of female characters Harald meets along the way which is something that can be lacking in the fantasy genre and I commend the writer for.
The societal structures, politics, religiosity and decisions of those in power are reflective of our world, both today and throughout history and, as a reader that hasn’t read fantasy for about a decade (not sure how I managed that), this really expands the enjoyment of the novel beyond the genre of fantasy. The realism of the battles and fight scenes, of which there are plenty, was a particular highlight for me as they accurately portrayed the chaos and thoughts those in the mele are having while placing technical detail of strategy, technique and equipment expertly amongst the action and dialogue. Thus, trusting that the reader has a prior understanding of the culture, detail and situation which is much more engaging (for someone who is a history nerd, like myself) than when a writer assumes the reader knows nothing. As a writer, myself, I am taking notes!
If you like A Song of Ice and Fire for its gritty realism and gripping plot twists; El Cid and Uhtred for their fighting skill, complexity, high morals and endearing traumatized souls, you should enjoy With His Fathers Sword and Harald Fairhair immensely.
I can’t wait for the next instalment as Harald (I assume) struggles with the fall out of that ending.
January 20, 2025
With His Father's Sword is a fantasy novel by T.M. Carruthers about a bastard noble who goes on a quest for revenge and faces many trials and tribulations.
It has the feel of an epic at times, and I think that was what Carruthers was going for. The world building is decent and the prose is passable. The central premise of a heroic individual going on an epic quest of revenge can work in some situations.
I just feel like this one was heavy handed.
The core issue that With His Father's Sword faces is that its main character, Lord Harald Fairhair, doesn't really have any flaws. He is good at everything; A real power character that exudes badassery at every turn. He also seems to find fans wherever he goes. It's almost like the world is designed to help him succeed. He has a brooding sense of injustice that he nurses constantly. For most of the book, the only people to suffer are those around him. While there is some development nearer the end of the book, it comes too late to have any real impact. Nothing is hard won by Harald. Despite the trials he faces at every turn, he seems to push through them with only minor effort. For most of the novel it didn't feel like there were any stakes.
The plot races by at a breakneck speed and by the end I felt like I'd read a full trilogy. Harald goes from place to place but there isn't enough time to get settled before he moves on again. Without that time to breathe, the book feels rushed, as though the author was trying to skip the boring bits. Ultimately, With His Father's Sword has an issue with scope. It's trying to say and do too much in a single story. Simplification would have helped this book feel less rushed and more cohesive.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
It has the feel of an epic at times, and I think that was what Carruthers was going for. The world building is decent and the prose is passable. The central premise of a heroic individual going on an epic quest of revenge can work in some situations.
I just feel like this one was heavy handed.
The core issue that With His Father's Sword faces is that its main character, Lord Harald Fairhair, doesn't really have any flaws. He is good at everything; A real power character that exudes badassery at every turn. He also seems to find fans wherever he goes. It's almost like the world is designed to help him succeed. He has a brooding sense of injustice that he nurses constantly. For most of the book, the only people to suffer are those around him. While there is some development nearer the end of the book, it comes too late to have any real impact. Nothing is hard won by Harald. Despite the trials he faces at every turn, he seems to push through them with only minor effort. For most of the novel it didn't feel like there were any stakes.
The plot races by at a breakneck speed and by the end I felt like I'd read a full trilogy. Harald goes from place to place but there isn't enough time to get settled before he moves on again. Without that time to breathe, the book feels rushed, as though the author was trying to skip the boring bits. Ultimately, With His Father's Sword has an issue with scope. It's trying to say and do too much in a single story. Simplification would have helped this book feel less rushed and more cohesive.
I received an advanced reader copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 26, 2025
My ARC review of His Father’s Sword:
This Grimdark tale is set in a brutal world of petty cruelty, backstabbing politics, unending Crusades against the ‘heathens’, and a main character so badass that I think he would give Tau from Rage of Dragons a run for his money.
The main character Harald is the bastard son of a noble family who has the single worst night of his life when he returns home to find his entire family has been slaughtered.
I could go on for days about how much I love this character, and all that from a relatively small page size. He is a bastard in every sense of the word, but he does what he believes is right and follows his heart. His relationship with a certain character at the beginning was beautifully done and I found myself genuinely caring for them both… which made me scared that bad things were destined for them.
I had no idea. If you like characters that simply do not get a break and suffer relentless consequences for their choices, seeing someone be broken down to nothing and build themselves back stronger… you are going to love this book.
The world building was fantastic, the characters felt real, and the plot was a relentless sprint spanning years and countless tragedies.
I can’t recommend this book enough, though I feel it ended too soon. If there is a book 2, I would love to see some specific characters that didn’t appear in the latter half again.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your story! It was a banger and got me hooked very quickly.
This Grimdark tale is set in a brutal world of petty cruelty, backstabbing politics, unending Crusades against the ‘heathens’, and a main character so badass that I think he would give Tau from Rage of Dragons a run for his money.
The main character Harald is the bastard son of a noble family who has the single worst night of his life when he returns home to find his entire family has been slaughtered.
I could go on for days about how much I love this character, and all that from a relatively small page size. He is a bastard in every sense of the word, but he does what he believes is right and follows his heart. His relationship with a certain character at the beginning was beautifully done and I found myself genuinely caring for them both… which made me scared that bad things were destined for them.
I had no idea. If you like characters that simply do not get a break and suffer relentless consequences for their choices, seeing someone be broken down to nothing and build themselves back stronger… you are going to love this book.
The world building was fantastic, the characters felt real, and the plot was a relentless sprint spanning years and countless tragedies.
I can’t recommend this book enough, though I feel it ended too soon. If there is a book 2, I would love to see some specific characters that didn’t appear in the latter half again.
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review your story! It was a banger and got me hooked very quickly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 6, 2024
I can't tell if this book is a work of genius, or coherent craziness. But it was an enjoyable read, regardless!
We follow Harald, who befalls multiple calamities in the first half of the book. It seems that everything he touches, or looks at, or interacts with ends up turning to complete custard, sometimes via his own actions, sometimes not; and the speed at which these events happen is breakneck. In fact, the entire first half of the book seems so over the top that the suspension of disbelief required seems far too much.
Then, with the single line "I have rushed through this story, breathlessly" the story solidifies and slows a touch; and you realise that while this is told in a first-person point of view, it's also narrated as a retrospective: that of an older person looking back on their life; and that perhaps the first half is being remembered as a flurry of youthful stream-of-consciousness, rather than an accurate 'historical' rendering.
From this point on the pacing feels much more bearable. It's still somewhat speedy, but there is a coherency and rhythm that feels much more believable as the plot moves forward and comes to resolution.
Action sequences shine in this book, particularly the arena pit fights between the main character and his various opponents.
Many thanks to the author and BookSirens for arranging an advance copy on which this review is based.
We follow Harald, who befalls multiple calamities in the first half of the book. It seems that everything he touches, or looks at, or interacts with ends up turning to complete custard, sometimes via his own actions, sometimes not; and the speed at which these events happen is breakneck. In fact, the entire first half of the book seems so over the top that the suspension of disbelief required seems far too much.
Then, with the single line "I have rushed through this story, breathlessly" the story solidifies and slows a touch; and you realise that while this is told in a first-person point of view, it's also narrated as a retrospective: that of an older person looking back on their life; and that perhaps the first half is being remembered as a flurry of youthful stream-of-consciousness, rather than an accurate 'historical' rendering.
From this point on the pacing feels much more bearable. It's still somewhat speedy, but there is a coherency and rhythm that feels much more believable as the plot moves forward and comes to resolution.
Action sequences shine in this book, particularly the arena pit fights between the main character and his various opponents.
Many thanks to the author and BookSirens for arranging an advance copy on which this review is based.
October 27, 2024
I must say, I'm often skeptical of new fantasy authors. Oftentimes they are fairly decent, but still have quite far to go before they reach the level of the big writers. Also quite often, they are immensely disappointing. This novel, however, is on a much higher level.
I don't think I've ever read anything with better pacing. Everything is incredibly concise, yet it never feels like information being is crammed into your hippocampus; always a danger in contemplative fantasy. If you want something entertaining, easy-to-read that still asks you the big questions, this is the perfect book.
I was quite surprised by the different presentations of the main character throughout the novel, and how realistic and relatable he felt despite his far-off fantasy setting. Partial responsibility may be owed to the fact that you really can't trust anything said in the novel. Whatsoever. Carruthers is like an evil Patrick Rothfuss.
There is a grittiness that I am unused to seeing in fantasy; if Tarantino wrote big, fat fantasy novels they would look a lot like this. At the same time, there are also moments for happy vibes with a wonderful cast of characters.
In short, it's nothing like I've ever read, and I am very, very, very interested in seeing where this tale goes, though I myself already have certain speculations.
I don't think I've ever read anything with better pacing. Everything is incredibly concise, yet it never feels like information being is crammed into your hippocampus; always a danger in contemplative fantasy. If you want something entertaining, easy-to-read that still asks you the big questions, this is the perfect book.
I was quite surprised by the different presentations of the main character throughout the novel, and how realistic and relatable he felt despite his far-off fantasy setting. Partial responsibility may be owed to the fact that you really can't trust anything said in the novel. Whatsoever. Carruthers is like an evil Patrick Rothfuss.
There is a grittiness that I am unused to seeing in fantasy; if Tarantino wrote big, fat fantasy novels they would look a lot like this. At the same time, there are also moments for happy vibes with a wonderful cast of characters.
In short, it's nothing like I've ever read, and I am very, very, very interested in seeing where this tale goes, though I myself already have certain speculations.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 26, 2024
I've received this book as an eArc through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the premise of this book, reading the synopsis and the beginning of this book was a good hook, and drew me in initially. I love the concept of the bastard son and reclaiming what is his, and I think this had the potential to do that, but just not for me.
I unfortunately DNF'd this book. I gave it until about 25% until coming to this conclusion so that it would give the book some time to draw me in.
For me personally, I just couldn't get into it. I can see how this could be appealing for some people, but it just wasn't for me.
I thought that the story just kind of jumped around, without any real rhyme or reason. I didn't really care for the main character, nor the side characters. Everything that happened, even the twist in the beginning just didn't have any weight behind it, so it wasn't impactful for me.
I'd be willing to give this author another try to see if this was just a one off for me, but unfortunately, it just didn't deliver.
I liked the premise of this book, reading the synopsis and the beginning of this book was a good hook, and drew me in initially. I love the concept of the bastard son and reclaiming what is his, and I think this had the potential to do that, but just not for me.
I unfortunately DNF'd this book. I gave it until about 25% until coming to this conclusion so that it would give the book some time to draw me in.
For me personally, I just couldn't get into it. I can see how this could be appealing for some people, but it just wasn't for me.
I thought that the story just kind of jumped around, without any real rhyme or reason. I didn't really care for the main character, nor the side characters. Everything that happened, even the twist in the beginning just didn't have any weight behind it, so it wasn't impactful for me.
I'd be willing to give this author another try to see if this was just a one off for me, but unfortunately, it just didn't deliver.
November 4, 2024
This book moves at a blistering pace. Harald's anger and desire for revenge seats itself within the reader early in the book, compelling you to stay along for the ride.
The setting and worldbuilding is excellent. The epic sense of distance and scale portrayed, makes the events that unfold that much more impactful to the surrounding world and to the reader. It follows the feudal west and venetian city state-like east world framework that is commonly found in fantasy, but successfully keeps the world morally grey and authentic in a way other fantasy settings struggle. Although I do wish that we could've stayed in certain settings longer and been shown even more of the world Harald travels through.
Few books I've read have had a protagonist as powerful as Harald, the author keeps him grounded in a very human way but it's also very satisfying that he's able match the reader's expectations regularly.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Fantasy genre and eagerly await the next instalment!
The setting and worldbuilding is excellent. The epic sense of distance and scale portrayed, makes the events that unfold that much more impactful to the surrounding world and to the reader. It follows the feudal west and venetian city state-like east world framework that is commonly found in fantasy, but successfully keeps the world morally grey and authentic in a way other fantasy settings struggle. Although I do wish that we could've stayed in certain settings longer and been shown even more of the world Harald travels through.
Few books I've read have had a protagonist as powerful as Harald, the author keeps him grounded in a very human way but it's also very satisfying that he's able match the reader's expectations regularly.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Fantasy genre and eagerly await the next instalment!
January 2, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a tricky one to review. The first half of the book feels very rushed, with a lot of bad things happening to the MC (Harald) in quick succession, making it hard for these events to have a lasting impact. The plot begins to slow down a bit by the 60% mark, allowing the story to breath a bit and it felt like the quality in the writing went up at this point. I feel like if the rest of the book had been given this treatment then i would of found it a more of a enjoyable experience. It appears a lot of the ground work has been set up in this book, so hopefully the 2nd book might have better pacing and allow more development of the cast.
This was a tricky one to review. The first half of the book feels very rushed, with a lot of bad things happening to the MC (Harald) in quick succession, making it hard for these events to have a lasting impact. The plot begins to slow down a bit by the 60% mark, allowing the story to breath a bit and it felt like the quality in the writing went up at this point. I feel like if the rest of the book had been given this treatment then i would of found it a more of a enjoyable experience. It appears a lot of the ground work has been set up in this book, so hopefully the 2nd book might have better pacing and allow more development of the cast.
October 28, 2024
This is a really complex story about how Harold experiences the world after the brutal murder of his father and brothers. This was a story that I had to take breaks reading from - not because it was bad but because I needed time to process the horror that this character goes through. Harold experiences trauma and abuse throughout his story. The centralness of the sword to the story is a really interesting motif - the representation of how poorly his father treated him in life, yet the sword is what he uses to carry out his work.
A really interesting read that I look forward to seeing where it goes.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC
A really interesting read that I look forward to seeing where it goes.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC
November 11, 2024
This book grabbed me early and held on to me all the way through. At blistering speed it took me on adventures, calamities and triumphs with a main character I grew to love.
The author’s great strength is the way they move us through time and space, in a stream of consciousness that feels fleshed out and real. The stakes are always high, and we get a supporting cast of characters who are easy to care about and pages are turned incessantly to find out their fates.
There are highs and lows, there is redemption and there is glory.
If you are unsure whether to give this one a shot, go for it! A truly epic read and an easy 5 stars.
The author’s great strength is the way they move us through time and space, in a stream of consciousness that feels fleshed out and real. The stakes are always high, and we get a supporting cast of characters who are easy to care about and pages are turned incessantly to find out their fates.
There are highs and lows, there is redemption and there is glory.
If you are unsure whether to give this one a shot, go for it! A truly epic read and an easy 5 stars.
January 5, 2025
This story stood out as truly original and unlike anything I’ve read before, offering a refreshing perspective. The narrator, who is also the protagonist, shares his tale from a future-present viewpoint, adding depth and intrigue to the narrative. The rhythm and pacing of the book complement this unique storytelling style, seamlessly shifting between moments of intensity and quieter, more reflective scenes. It genuinely feels like someone recounting their own experiences, which lends authenticity to the richly imagined fantasy world Carruthers has created. I was completely captivated by this tale and am eager to see where Harald’s journey takes him next.
October 26, 2024
will happily read about Harald all day, this book was engaging well written and paced beautifully. I look forward to more twists from this well written fantasy world. Especially is the characters continue to be as well fleshed out as this book .
All in all a well written book with strong characterisation beautifully descriptive text and a tale that's still relatable despite its fantasy base
All in all a well written book with strong characterisation beautifully descriptive text and a tale that's still relatable despite its fantasy base
December 23, 2024
This book was brilliant! The plot really did take you to surprising places- I thought it was going to be one type of fantasy book, and ended up being an epic with a subtle twist… I can’t wait to see how Harald develops further- will he be a hero’s hero, or fall from grace. Thanks to the author and netgalley for the ARC.
September 26, 2025
The beginning hooked me at first page. this is how all books should start... captivating and intriguing and you wanna root for the main character...but then it gets confusing...I was thinking more grimdark...but then the author tries making it magical and I couldn't keep up with where the MC was going...to have it all be wrapped up nicely...im confused. blah
December 8, 2024
I received an ARC of this book via NetGally. I really enjoyed With His Father's Sword, enjoying how the story of Harald spanned over numerous years but never felt slow paced. I hope to read the story on Frisia mentioned at the end of the book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 23, 2024
Absolutely beautiful fantasy! This story is told from the point of view of the main character. The story is fast-paced and full of wonderful action that pulls you into a beautiful fantasy world. It is a bit gory but reminds me of old-fashioned fairytales.
December 28, 2024
I really enjoyed the book, it took a me little while to get used to the writing but it was a nice little story
I got it as an ARC and I am very grateful and it hasn’t influenced my opinion on the book.
It had adventures and actions with some downtime but fast paced I really appreciate it!
I got it as an ARC and I am very grateful and it hasn’t influenced my opinion on the book.
It had adventures and actions with some downtime but fast paced I really appreciate it!
December 5, 2024
Great book. A really enjoyable read for anyone who likes fantasy.
December 29, 2025
Ummm...
Not really my cup of tea. I felt no hope thru the entire book and actively disliked the main character. For all though it seemed well written and no typos.
Not really my cup of tea. I felt no hope thru the entire book and actively disliked the main character. For all though it seemed well written and no typos.
December 28, 2024
With His Fathers Sword is a whirlwind of a book, that immediately grabs your attention and expertly holds it from shocking opening until the dramatic ending. Its fair to say I have never read another book with the same unrelenting pace, and unique take on fantasy. Although the book is filled with dramatic moments and epic worlds, the structure itself looks inwardly at Harald, our main character. As cities burn, wars are won and lost, seismic changes echo across the expertly crafted world, the author brings us back into Haralds mind, to see the consequences written out on one mans mind, body and soul. This is how the pace of the book captures you, a traumatic chaotic whirlwind event for Harald is exactly that for us too. But a moment of slowness, peace and calm grounds both the reader and Harald for a respite. Harald is the ultimate grey area character, starting out with his simple moralistic principles that are slowly eroded through complex ethical dilemmas and impossible situations. It is like Breaking Bad meets the Last Kingdom.
The novel is solidly based in the fantasy genre but manages to push against it in all the right ways, falling into familiar patterns and then twisting out of them. The world building is incredibly vivid, creating a world with diverse morals and cultures. Though Harald’s world is ever changing, each place he passes through is etched in the readers memory, and the author subtlety calls back to places and moments that are all adding up to create the character before our eyes. The ending was so powerful and horrifying that I caught myself going back and reading three times, looking for clues for the next book and letting the weight of the action sink in.
The novel is solidly based in the fantasy genre but manages to push against it in all the right ways, falling into familiar patterns and then twisting out of them. The world building is incredibly vivid, creating a world with diverse morals and cultures. Though Harald’s world is ever changing, each place he passes through is etched in the readers memory, and the author subtlety calls back to places and moments that are all adding up to create the character before our eyes. The ending was so powerful and horrifying that I caught myself going back and reading three times, looking for clues for the next book and letting the weight of the action sink in.
December 5, 2024
I was so fortunate to read an ARC from NetGalley, and I am in awe of this rising star author.
"With His Father's Sword" is an extraordinary journey into a richly imagined fantasy world that grabs your attention from the first page and never lets go.
The protagonist, Harald, is captivating in a deeply human and complex way. His internal dialogue and struggles with recent events are written in a way that makes you share his feelings. The relationships between Harald and Lot, Linial and others is another standout, evolving in a wonderfully genuine way that grounds the story and makes the emotions even more emphatic and the twist full of tension.
It’s a story that feels both epic and intimate, and I couldn’t put it down. I eagerly anticipate more stories from this world.
"With His Father's Sword" is an extraordinary journey into a richly imagined fantasy world that grabs your attention from the first page and never lets go.
The protagonist, Harald, is captivating in a deeply human and complex way. His internal dialogue and struggles with recent events are written in a way that makes you share his feelings. The relationships between Harald and Lot, Linial and others is another standout, evolving in a wonderfully genuine way that grounds the story and makes the emotions even more emphatic and the twist full of tension.
It’s a story that feels both epic and intimate, and I couldn’t put it down. I eagerly anticipate more stories from this world.
January 22, 2025
I can't tell you how much I enjoyed this. I was lucky to be able to read an ARC of this on NetGalley in advance of the book's release and I would thoroughly recommend any fantasy fans - and honestly anyone who enjoys epic stories of any genre - to give this a read.
It took me a couple of chapters to settle into a writing style which was quite different from what I'm used to, but it was WELL WORTH reading on - the shift in the tone throughout the book just serves to reflect the immense journey which Harald undertakes.
This is a carefully crafted gem, and I can't wait to read the next installment.
It took me a couple of chapters to settle into a writing style which was quite different from what I'm used to, but it was WELL WORTH reading on - the shift in the tone throughout the book just serves to reflect the immense journey which Harald undertakes.
This is a carefully crafted gem, and I can't wait to read the next installment.
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