What do you think?
Rate this book
Nathaniel Rane #1
He who Fights
Sometimes it’s the monster within you should fear the most.
Faced with defeat at the hands of a demon army, Nathaniel Rane and his fellow soldiers in the fabled Legion Of Swords use outlawed magic to fuse their souls with their blades. Faster, stronger and all but impossible to kill, they turn the tide of the war and emerge victorious.
But magic demands a terrible price and Rane's battle has only just begun.
Fans of David Gemmell will love HE WHO FIGHTS.
Discover a new legendary hero today.
Faced with defeat at the hands of a demon army, Nathaniel Rane and his fellow soldiers in the fabled Legion Of Swords use outlawed magic to fuse their souls with their blades. Faster, stronger and all but impossible to kill, they turn the tide of the war and emerge victorious.
But magic demands a terrible price and Rane's battle has only just begun.
Fans of David Gemmell will love HE WHO FIGHTS.
Discover a new legendary hero today.
384 pages, ebook
Published October 5, 2017
194 people are currently reading
178 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 13, 2018
This cover, caught my eye when I saw it on the list for SPFBO 2018, with its John Wick vibe and combined with that title and summary, I knew I had to read it!
It may be no secret by now if you have read any of my reviews but, ever since Bruce Lee reruns appeared on our tv screen, back when I was way too young to be watching that sort of thing (my subtle way of saying I’m not that old), I have had a huge love for fight scenes in books, tv, and movies. Especially close contact stuff, hands, body, blades, doesn’t matter- love it all. And if you like the fight genre stuff, then this one is likely going to work for you.
Over the years I’ve come to realize that there is a bit of an art to fight scenes- too much detail and they bog down and don’t feel fast and actiony, not enough detail and they lose their intensity, and so on… these ones were good- they’re fast, direct, and brutal. Also spaced well enough that they didn’t blur together.
In a lot of ways this book shares similarities to films like the Raid, and John Wick. Sometimes the stringing together of the plot in those type of stories can feel simple, and trying to keep a MC connectable to the viewer/reader while showcasing ruthless fight scenes- the blood is spurting, bones are breaking, people are dying, it’s gory and unmerciful- is tough.
The summary tells you everything you need to know so I’m not going to recap it and I really can’t say too much without spoiling things, since a lot of the plot is wrapped up in the character.
But I will just go on to say I loved the idea behind having their souls fused to their weapons and I loved that the price they pay, for being stronger, faster, better, gave an entire other aspect to Rane’s fight for survival. He’s not just trying to stay alive in a fight, the price the magic demands up’s the ante to a whole different level, adding some substance outside of it being just a ‘battle to the death' and keeps the plot from feeling over-simplified.
The Magic Price not only works as the string between the fight scenes but it is also giving us that link to Rane that is needed, especially in a book as fight-heavy and dark as this, where we don’t have many light moments, humor, or other really good characters (as in non-murderers) for him to play off of and show his humanity or lack thereof. Also, the author opted out of that ‘snarky lead character’ to fall back on to endear us to Rane, making for a harder character-sell all around.
So, the balance is shown with three important characters which works for us understanding what is happening to him but unfortunately does not always work for endearing us to him.
His wife Kara, who softens him. Makes him relatable. This is one place where I wished for more of something, I’m not even sure what though. Maybe, more of them together being happy and in love (though the author did have quite a few thoughts about her and him) or perhaps, all I really needed was more of something to do with why the locket was important to her which was being used as a talisman of sorts to help us empathise with Rane (much like the puppy did in John Wick)? Seeing why it had meaning outside of just her wearing it, would possibly have strengthened that emotional tie that I was missing in the ‘remembering them together scenes’ (this is my opinion of course).
Myri- who he travels with and is a fellow Legionnaire. The magic price has affected her more than Rane (great job of showing the decline and struggle due to the price with her too) and so she helps to show how far he hasn’t gone yet, and to show us how close he is to falling over that edge, if he’s not careful. I liked Myri. She’s kind of angry and very jaded, but has these soft moments she shows to Rayne that let you see glimmers of their friendship and people they were before the war.
And finally, there is the teen girl Zee, who gives Rane a reason to try and come back from that edge when all else seems to fail. This was a good character move because she worked as a link to the ‘here and now’ when I was questioning why Rane keeps fighting when he appears to have nothing left.
After thinking about this book for a few days and what worked for me, the little bit that didn’t, and why… I mostly ended up touching on what did work because I like talking about the fun stuff more and I really didn’t have any huge complaints.
So, while I didn’t always like Rayne I did understand the battle with himself- I mean it’s not like his life was a barrel of fun and monkeys, not exactly the easiest pov and liking him, and understanding his struggles, are two different things. I did enjoy the journey and I quite liked a lot of the ideas in this story. And the fights. I really enjoyed the fights, and after my recent binge of fight movies, I felt I knew some of the moves they were pulling off, which is always cool. I will be curious to see where things go in later books, if there are any.
3.5
Other Notes-
Loved the visual of Rane’s blade and Kara’s necklace around his wrist (made me think of Boondock Saints poster with the Rosaries).
I was glad Kara wasn’t the perfect little wife and actually got mad at him for what he did, when he deserved to be called out on it.
Souls fused to weapons seems to be a thing with me lately (a very cool thing). Recently had a small amount of that in Jesse Teller’s Song and Hemlock.
It may be no secret by now if you have read any of my reviews but, ever since Bruce Lee reruns appeared on our tv screen, back when I was way too young to be watching that sort of thing (my subtle way of saying I’m not that old), I have had a huge love for fight scenes in books, tv, and movies. Especially close contact stuff, hands, body, blades, doesn’t matter- love it all. And if you like the fight genre stuff, then this one is likely going to work for you.
Over the years I’ve come to realize that there is a bit of an art to fight scenes- too much detail and they bog down and don’t feel fast and actiony, not enough detail and they lose their intensity, and so on… these ones were good- they’re fast, direct, and brutal. Also spaced well enough that they didn’t blur together.
In a lot of ways this book shares similarities to films like the Raid, and John Wick. Sometimes the stringing together of the plot in those type of stories can feel simple, and trying to keep a MC connectable to the viewer/reader while showcasing ruthless fight scenes- the blood is spurting, bones are breaking, people are dying, it’s gory and unmerciful- is tough.
The summary tells you everything you need to know so I’m not going to recap it and I really can’t say too much without spoiling things, since a lot of the plot is wrapped up in the character.
But I will just go on to say I loved the idea behind having their souls fused to their weapons and I loved that the price they pay, for being stronger, faster, better, gave an entire other aspect to Rane’s fight for survival. He’s not just trying to stay alive in a fight, the price the magic demands up’s the ante to a whole different level, adding some substance outside of it being just a ‘battle to the death' and keeps the plot from feeling over-simplified.
The Magic Price not only works as the string between the fight scenes but it is also giving us that link to Rane that is needed, especially in a book as fight-heavy and dark as this, where we don’t have many light moments, humor, or other really good characters (as in non-murderers) for him to play off of and show his humanity or lack thereof. Also, the author opted out of that ‘snarky lead character’ to fall back on to endear us to Rane, making for a harder character-sell all around.
So, the balance is shown with three important characters which works for us understanding what is happening to him but unfortunately does not always work for endearing us to him.
His wife Kara, who softens him. Makes him relatable. This is one place where I wished for more of something, I’m not even sure what though. Maybe, more of them together being happy and in love (though the author did have quite a few thoughts about her and him) or perhaps, all I really needed was more of something to do with why the locket was important to her which was being used as a talisman of sorts to help us empathise with Rane (much like the puppy did in John Wick)? Seeing why it had meaning outside of just her wearing it, would possibly have strengthened that emotional tie that I was missing in the ‘remembering them together scenes’ (this is my opinion of course).
Myri- who he travels with and is a fellow Legionnaire. The magic price has affected her more than Rane (great job of showing the decline and struggle due to the price with her too) and so she helps to show how far he hasn’t gone yet, and to show us how close he is to falling over that edge, if he’s not careful. I liked Myri. She’s kind of angry and very jaded, but has these soft moments she shows to Rayne that let you see glimmers of their friendship and people they were before the war.
And finally, there is the teen girl Zee, who gives Rane a reason to try and come back from that edge when all else seems to fail. This was a good character move because she worked as a link to the ‘here and now’ when I was questioning why Rane keeps fighting when he appears to have nothing left.
After thinking about this book for a few days and what worked for me, the little bit that didn’t, and why… I mostly ended up touching on what did work because I like talking about the fun stuff more and I really didn’t have any huge complaints.
So, while I didn’t always like Rayne I did understand the battle with himself- I mean it’s not like his life was a barrel of fun and monkeys, not exactly the easiest pov and liking him, and understanding his struggles, are two different things. I did enjoy the journey and I quite liked a lot of the ideas in this story. And the fights. I really enjoyed the fights, and after my recent binge of fight movies, I felt I knew some of the moves they were pulling off, which is always cool. I will be curious to see where things go in later books, if there are any.
3.5
Other Notes-
Loved the visual of Rane’s blade and Kara’s necklace around his wrist (made me think of Boondock Saints poster with the Rosaries).
I was glad Kara wasn’t the perfect little wife and actually got mad at him for what he did, when he deserved to be called out on it.
Souls fused to weapons seems to be a thing with me lately (a very cool thing). Recently had a small amount of that in Jesse Teller’s Song and Hemlock.
March 22, 2022
Gritty and dark with little to absolutely no humor. Not exactly what I expected and I liked the beginning of the book more than I did the rest. Still a good, action packed read.
November 26, 2017
Great
It was a pleasure to read. I can't wait to read the next book. The Havoc book was entertaining as well!
It was a pleasure to read. I can't wait to read the next book. The Havoc book was entertaining as well!
December 17, 2017
3.8* a few parts where slow but all in all an enjoyable book. Gritty and dark with a very interesting magic system. I will be looking out for the second book.
August 11, 2018
Don’t ask me why I picked up this book because I don’t know saying that k enjoyed it.
This is one of those times there was a half star or someway to meet between 3 & 4 stars as it’s worth more than a flat 3 probably would be 3.7 .
This will be a quick spoiler free review .
What I loved about this book a few stand out things starts with the semi magic system in that swords have been welded to souls enhanced the legion ( like the special forces of the world) ln both abilities and a common side effect of war blood lust . Then I must praise the combat scenes they where great very well written not a word wasted.
What I didn’t like there was a feeling of no movement in advancing the story for a good couple of bits and then full throttle near end . The twist bear the end was predictable in that you knew what was happening when they arrived at castle and ending chapter could have been more.
This was my first book for author and it was well worth my time and yes I would look for 2nd installment.
This is one of those times there was a half star or someway to meet between 3 & 4 stars as it’s worth more than a flat 3 probably would be 3.7 .
This will be a quick spoiler free review .
What I loved about this book a few stand out things starts with the semi magic system in that swords have been welded to souls enhanced the legion ( like the special forces of the world) ln both abilities and a common side effect of war blood lust . Then I must praise the combat scenes they where great very well written not a word wasted.
What I didn’t like there was a feeling of no movement in advancing the story for a good couple of bits and then full throttle near end . The twist bear the end was predictable in that you knew what was happening when they arrived at castle and ending chapter could have been more.
This was my first book for author and it was well worth my time and yes I would look for 2nd installment.
August 22, 2018
Evolve or die
What would you do if the very weapon forged to save you was slowly killing you? This book was full of moral quandaries which I loved asking myself. Nathan is stuck in a no win situation only being able to put one foot in front of the other and struggle on if he can figure out which way to go. A good paced story that left me wishing for book two.
What would you do if the very weapon forged to save you was slowly killing you? This book was full of moral quandaries which I loved asking myself. Nathan is stuck in a no win situation only being able to put one foot in front of the other and struggle on if he can figure out which way to go. A good paced story that left me wishing for book two.
November 20, 2017
I loved this book.
This was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I simply couldn't put it down.
This was one of the best books I have read in a long time. I simply couldn't put it down.
December 6, 2017
Good read
Interesting book, but a little repetitious. Constant battle, and not much of an explanation on how Nathaniel didn't turn like the rest of the leagioneers.
Interesting book, but a little repetitious. Constant battle, and not much of an explanation on how Nathaniel didn't turn like the rest of the leagioneers.
October 18, 2017
Fantastic Read!!!
Great book. Enjoyed the character development, particularly the battle within the main character between good and evil. Had a hard time putting the book down. Looking forward to the next one.
Great book. Enjoyed the character development, particularly the battle within the main character between good and evil. Had a hard time putting the book down. Looking forward to the next one.
November 27, 2017
Not a bad story
This was not a bad story., lots of action. It does seem odd that the swords can only be tainted, you would think killing Innocent's would reverse it. I plan to read the next book soon.
This was not a bad story., lots of action. It does seem odd that the swords can only be tainted, you would think killing Innocent's would reverse it. I plan to read the next book soon.
November 17, 2022
When I was watching a Youtube video where Daniel Green was announcing couple of Fantasy Indie Books are coming, he has mentioned Book 2 of Nathaniel Rane (Hunted) and The Trials of Ascension (it's the sequel to this YA fantasy). So I looks up the prequel to them and I has found that they costs a dollar for each for them. I decided to get A Dagger in the Wind (it's prequel to The Trials of Ascension) and He Who Fights (Prequel to Hunted) for only $1.
The story has started with the bang where there was a war that's going on that the military were at war with army of demons and so the military had to made a pack with this wizard to put part of their souls inside each others' swords in order to fought off with the demon. Several years later, it has focused on a ex-soldier that who settles life with his new family,but some bounty hunters had shown up and slaughtered his family. He needs to know why everyone is after him. And then, he has discovered that he and his congrats is cursed. Everytime they cuts every flesh of the living things, they will wind up losing their humanity and slowly becoming demons. He tries to finds a way to contains his humanity and brings down the wizard who cursed him and his congrats.
oh man, He Who Fight is what a good book. This is a good revenge story that should be told in fantasy books. I read couple of books that the revenge story has written poorly in them (Red Rising, for example).
I highly recommend it. XD
The story has started with the bang where there was a war that's going on that the military were at war with army of demons and so the military had to made a pack with this wizard to put part of their souls inside each others' swords in order to fought off with the demon. Several years later, it has focused on a ex-soldier that who settles life with his new family,but some bounty hunters had shown up and slaughtered his family. He needs to know why everyone is after him. And then, he has discovered that he and his congrats is cursed. Everytime they cuts every flesh of the living things, they will wind up losing their humanity and slowly becoming demons. He tries to finds a way to contains his humanity and brings down the wizard who cursed him and his congrats.
oh man, He Who Fight is what a good book. This is a good revenge story that should be told in fantasy books. I read couple of books that the revenge story has written poorly in them (Red Rising, for example).
I highly recommend it. XD
October 23, 2017
Dark intense and interesting
While some of the story line was easy to guess, the author didn’t give out the usual cliche overcoming evil. This is an interesting story.
While some of the story line was easy to guess, the author didn’t give out the usual cliche overcoming evil. This is an interesting story.
August 24, 2018
Mike Morris has given us a highlander-esque story with some interesting twists in He Who Fights, the first of his Nathaniel Rane novels. This is a novel filled with intense fight sequences, and a main character who essentially struggles with madness and the possibility of losing himself to the thirst for blood.
As you might expect from a book titled He Who Fights there are a lot of fight scenes in this book. Each of these scenes are well written and contain a sense of excitement. On occasion they can become a little repetitive, but I didn’t notice this too much. The main character is also well fleshed out and feels believable given the world he lives in and his personal backstory. The world is more than a little grim, but in a way that feels very natural and believable given events of the recent past in the world. There is a fair bit more to explore in this world as well.
As I was reading, I found that while I didn’t have huge criticisms, there also wasn’t much that really grabbed me. The MC ensured that I finished the book, but I never felt truly engaged with the book. The pacing does lag towards the middle and I felt like things could have been tightened up quite a bit. For me the largest issue was that there were a number of inconsistencies in the book that frustrated me. [Mild spoilers follow] For example, early on Nathaniel Rane thinks about how out of shape he is. A chapter later he’s thinking about how he’s in great shape. Less than a week has passed. The implication may be that his sword has helped him stay in shape, but it isn’t like he has recently acquired the sword. He always had it. Later in the book Rane is traveling toward a destination and the destination is said to be five days away. Two chapters later they’ve been traveling for a week and still haven’t reached their destination, with no explanation for why it has taken longer than expected. [Mild spoilers end] These aren’t huge complaints, but when the rest of the book doesn’t grab you…
At the end of the day, I wanted to enjoy this book more than I actually enjoyed it. That’s disappointing to me, but I feel like it might very much be a preference thing and a high annoyance level with inconsistencies. Depending on your own preferences you might find a higher level of enjoyment. 3/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – I liked it, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
As you might expect from a book titled He Who Fights there are a lot of fight scenes in this book. Each of these scenes are well written and contain a sense of excitement. On occasion they can become a little repetitive, but I didn’t notice this too much. The main character is also well fleshed out and feels believable given the world he lives in and his personal backstory. The world is more than a little grim, but in a way that feels very natural and believable given events of the recent past in the world. There is a fair bit more to explore in this world as well.
As I was reading, I found that while I didn’t have huge criticisms, there also wasn’t much that really grabbed me. The MC ensured that I finished the book, but I never felt truly engaged with the book. The pacing does lag towards the middle and I felt like things could have been tightened up quite a bit. For me the largest issue was that there were a number of inconsistencies in the book that frustrated me. [Mild spoilers follow] For example, early on Nathaniel Rane thinks about how out of shape he is. A chapter later he’s thinking about how he’s in great shape. Less than a week has passed. The implication may be that his sword has helped him stay in shape, but it isn’t like he has recently acquired the sword. He always had it. Later in the book Rane is traveling toward a destination and the destination is said to be five days away. Two chapters later they’ve been traveling for a week and still haven’t reached their destination, with no explanation for why it has taken longer than expected. [Mild spoilers end] These aren’t huge complaints, but when the rest of the book doesn’t grab you…
At the end of the day, I wanted to enjoy this book more than I actually enjoyed it. That’s disappointing to me, but I feel like it might very much be a preference thing and a high annoyance level with inconsistencies. Depending on your own preferences you might find a higher level of enjoyment. 3/5 stars.
5 – I loved this, couldn’t put it down, move it to the top of your TBR pile
4 – I really enjoyed this, add it to the TBR pile
3 – I liked it, depending on your preferences it may be worth your time
2 – I didn’t like this book, it has significant flaws and I can’t recommend it
1 – I loathe this book with a most loathsome loathing
March 4, 2019
I really liked most of this book and the concept but I had two big points that threw me off. One the author would describe the MC as super powerful/unstoppable and then someone would completely smash him basically, rinse and repeat. The last point is he was told he just had to kill like 3 people to become transformed/tainted completely. He doesn't kill one of the designated characters but then commences to kill multiple tainted and get huge power rushes.....why don't they taint him more than an average Joe?
December 29, 2017
Too depressing
I made it to 28%; there didn't seem to be the least bit of hope in this story. If I want to read dark and depressing, I just go to the news. I like my books to be entertaining.
I made it to 28%; there didn't seem to be the least bit of hope in this story. If I want to read dark and depressing, I just go to the news. I like my books to be entertaining.
October 23, 2017
It okay
No great but not bad. I enjoyed the author’s other story about vampires more. This story had quite a few errors and they used the wrong word or repeated sentences.
No great but not bad. I enjoyed the author’s other story about vampires more. This story had quite a few errors and they used the wrong word or repeated sentences.
November 8, 2020
Thoroughly enjoyed this book, well written. Looking forward to Nathaniel Ranes next chapter
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews