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Bloodsounder's Arc #1
Scourge of the Betrayer
Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies–or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself.
Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe . . . and Arki might be next.
Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!
A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.
Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe . . . and Arki might be next.
Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!
A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.
269 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
109 people are currently reading
8989 people want to read
About the author
Jeff Salyards
11 books484 followersI grew up in a small town north of Chicago. While it wasn't Mayberry, with all the doors unlocked and everyone offering each other slices of pie and quaint homilies, it was pretty quiet and sleepy, so I got started early imagining my way into all kinds of other worlds and universes that were loud, chaotic, and full of irrepressible characters and heaps of danger. Massive explosions. Tentacled aliens. Men with sharp swords and thousand-yard stares and secrets they would die to protect. Clearly, I was a full-bore dork.
Royal Crown bag full of multi-sided dice? Check. Blood-red hooded cloak? Check. Annual pilgrimages to Renaissance Faires? Check. Whacking other (curiously athletic and gifted) dorks with rattan swords in the SCA? Check. Yes, I earned my badges, thank you very much.
My whole life, I've been fascinated by the fantastic, and of course this extended to speculative fiction of all kinds. Countless prepubescent evenings found me reading a worn, dog-eared copy of Thuvia, Maid of Mars (it sounded so much dirtier than it was!) or The Frost Giant's Daughter (high hopes for that one too!) well past lights-out, flashlight in hand, ignoring the repeated calls to turn in. That's as quiet and harmless a rebellion as you can have, and my parents mostly sighed and left me to it.
So, no one has ever been surprised to hear that I was working on (or at least talking about working on) some sci-fi or fantasy story or other. But it took years of flirting with various projects, flitting from one to the next without the hint of complete commitment, before I finally mastered myself enough to finish a novel. And longer still before I finished another one that was worthy of being published.
But wonders never cease. And here we are.
My debut novel, Scourge of the Betrayer, is a hard-boiled fantasy to be published by Night Shade Books in May 2012. It’s the first installment in a series called Bloodsounder’s Arc. I'm so excited I'm beginning to annoy myself. I am represented by Michael Harriot at Folio Literary Management, and couldn't be happier. His savvy, smart advice has been invaluable on this journey. I suspect he has a secret stash of 20-siders somewhere in his desk.
I live with my lovely wife, Kris, and three daughters in a suburb west of Chicago. I am indebted to Kris in countless ways for her steadfast encouragement, support, and thick skin in dealing with a prickly, moody writer. I don't always like living with me, but she has a choice and stays anyway.
And before you are tempted to mention it, I am fully aware that siring three daughters is certainly karmic retribution, particularly when they all transform into teenagers. I cling to the hope of discovering at least one of them reading covertly in the middle of the night. That kind of transgression I can handle.
Royal Crown bag full of multi-sided dice? Check. Blood-red hooded cloak? Check. Annual pilgrimages to Renaissance Faires? Check. Whacking other (curiously athletic and gifted) dorks with rattan swords in the SCA? Check. Yes, I earned my badges, thank you very much.
My whole life, I've been fascinated by the fantastic, and of course this extended to speculative fiction of all kinds. Countless prepubescent evenings found me reading a worn, dog-eared copy of Thuvia, Maid of Mars (it sounded so much dirtier than it was!) or The Frost Giant's Daughter (high hopes for that one too!) well past lights-out, flashlight in hand, ignoring the repeated calls to turn in. That's as quiet and harmless a rebellion as you can have, and my parents mostly sighed and left me to it.
So, no one has ever been surprised to hear that I was working on (or at least talking about working on) some sci-fi or fantasy story or other. But it took years of flirting with various projects, flitting from one to the next without the hint of complete commitment, before I finally mastered myself enough to finish a novel. And longer still before I finished another one that was worthy of being published.
But wonders never cease. And here we are.
My debut novel, Scourge of the Betrayer, is a hard-boiled fantasy to be published by Night Shade Books in May 2012. It’s the first installment in a series called Bloodsounder’s Arc. I'm so excited I'm beginning to annoy myself. I am represented by Michael Harriot at Folio Literary Management, and couldn't be happier. His savvy, smart advice has been invaluable on this journey. I suspect he has a secret stash of 20-siders somewhere in his desk.
I live with my lovely wife, Kris, and three daughters in a suburb west of Chicago. I am indebted to Kris in countless ways for her steadfast encouragement, support, and thick skin in dealing with a prickly, moody writer. I don't always like living with me, but she has a choice and stays anyway.
And before you are tempted to mention it, I am fully aware that siring three daughters is certainly karmic retribution, particularly when they all transform into teenagers. I cling to the hope of discovering at least one of them reading covertly in the middle of the night. That kind of transgression I can handle.
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March 9, 2025So, I liked this book a lot. Jeff Salyards is a good story teller and the book leads you on easily - it's never a chore & that's an achievement right there. Most novels have dull spots, Scourge went down smooth and swift.
It's a book with plenty of violence, small scale frays take up a fair portion of the narrative - people aren't simply cut down and forgotten, the combats are detailed and protracted, there are no supermen here.
Scourge of the Betrayer's really novel aspect happens to be one that I encountered for the first time in the book I read immediately before it. The tale is told in the first person but that person isn't the hero of the piece or a key protagonist. Salyards takes it a step further and has the view point be a scribe whose job is to observe and not get involved.
The main protagonist - the person whose eyes we'd sit behind in a traditional treatment, is Captain Braylar Killcoin, wielder of the enchanted weapon, leader of his troop, the most able man on the team and charged with a complex mission.
The book feels very much a part one, which is OK since part 2 - Veil of the Deserters is approaching rapidly. Our scribe doesn't know what's going on at the start of the book and 75% of the way through that's still largely true. This is something the use of a non-central point of view affords us - we are allowed to keep learning the Captain's plans rather than having them dumped in our lap at the start. Moreover the scribe gives us another filter on events - he isn't used to violence, he doesn't necessarily approve of the mission, he is learning the dynamics of this established team... and, despite orders, he does get to act from time to time.
At the end matters are far from resolved ... we're not even that sure which way we want them resolved, but it feels as though we've reached a fit resting point as our scribe finally has the big picture (or so it seems).
I can't tell you what aspect of the book I liked most - I think that it's a work that's more than the sum of its parts. Those parts are good on their own and, acting together, make a very readable book that has me interested to see where book 2 takes the story.
EDIT: I've now finished the third book and it was really good. Gave it 5*.
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...
It's a book with plenty of violence, small scale frays take up a fair portion of the narrative - people aren't simply cut down and forgotten, the combats are detailed and protracted, there are no supermen here.
Scourge of the Betrayer's really novel aspect happens to be one that I encountered for the first time in the book I read immediately before it. The tale is told in the first person but that person isn't the hero of the piece or a key protagonist. Salyards takes it a step further and has the view point be a scribe whose job is to observe and not get involved.
The main protagonist - the person whose eyes we'd sit behind in a traditional treatment, is Captain Braylar Killcoin, wielder of the enchanted weapon, leader of his troop, the most able man on the team and charged with a complex mission.
The book feels very much a part one, which is OK since part 2 - Veil of the Deserters is approaching rapidly. Our scribe doesn't know what's going on at the start of the book and 75% of the way through that's still largely true. This is something the use of a non-central point of view affords us - we are allowed to keep learning the Captain's plans rather than having them dumped in our lap at the start. Moreover the scribe gives us another filter on events - he isn't used to violence, he doesn't necessarily approve of the mission, he is learning the dynamics of this established team... and, despite orders, he does get to act from time to time.
At the end matters are far from resolved ... we're not even that sure which way we want them resolved, but it feels as though we've reached a fit resting point as our scribe finally has the big picture (or so it seems).
I can't tell you what aspect of the book I liked most - I think that it's a work that's more than the sum of its parts. Those parts are good on their own and, acting together, make a very readable book that has me interested to see where book 2 takes the story.
EDIT: I've now finished the third book and it was really good. Gave it 5*.
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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes
...
March 22, 2018
Oh man, that was compelling and original. I have a good feeling about this trilogy.
I came to the realization when I started this book that it’s been seven months since I read any full-length grimdark novel. I don’t even know why because grimdark is one of my favorite genres, but somehow I’ve been drowning in other genres for more than half a year. Let’s just say that this book was a damn great choice for me to mark my return to the genre. I first stumbled upon Jeff Salyards’s work in Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists and from there, I thought his writing was really intriguing. I knew after reading his short story that eventually I would have to read his main trilogy, which started with this book.
Scourge of the Betrayer is the first book in Jeff Salyards’s Bloodsounder’s Arc trilogy and it is a gritty, compelling, and unconventional start which I highly enjoyed reading. Some of you may wonder why this book is received mixed reviews on Goodreads. The reason is simple: there is almost nothing conventional about this book. The author really took a gamble with his storytelling style by using this book in a way I envision as only a setup for the rest of the trilogy.
There are three main things that made Scourge of the Betrayer unique. First of all, this book contained only four chapters: two long ones and two short ones. Second, the main character’s weapon of choice was unique, which I’ll get into later. Lastly, as I said before, the storytelling style is very different.
Salyards’s unique storytelling style came mostly from his keeping the reader in the dark regarding the events taking place through the use of the first person perspective of the main character, Arkamondos (or Arki). Although technically Arki is the main protagonist of the book and we see the story unfold solely through his perspective, he’s not actually the main focus of the book; that role is reserved for the charismatic and infamous warrior from the Syldoon Empire, Captain Braylar Killcoin. Arki is a bookish scribe who's looking for fame and fortune; to achieve this, he has decided to accept the job of chronicling the journeys and exploits of Braylar Killcoin.
To be honest, I’m not surprised by the average rating on Goodreads. This is an unconventional book, as the world-building and pretty much everything other than characterizations and actions was scarce. Don’t get me wrong, we do get to see some world-building, the dark magic that’s happening, the true direction of the storyline, but they were all done bit by bit making this book more like a setup. We (the readers) are more or less put in the same situation as Arki; we have no idea what’s going on except that we need to record and follow Braylar Killcoin.
Usually, I would mind this a LOT and I think a lot of readers would probably be put off by this storytelling direction. But somehow it worked well for me. This book is not an epic fantasy, but instead felt intimate due to the engaging first-person prose, great characterizations, and close quarter action scenes. Also, some of the dialogues can be crudely humorous and it reminds me a bit of the banter in the Gentleman Bastards series, which is something I’ll never get tired of.
Almost the entirety of this book was driven by dialogues and action scenes. Remember that this is a short book; it’s less than 300 pages long and it took me more or less five hours to finish. However, within that length, the quality of the action scenes in this book somehow managed to already surpass a lot of fantasy books I’ve read. I need to talk a bit about the weapon of choices here. A lot of main characters tend to use a sword/spear/axe as their main weapon of choices. Salyards threw away all these choices and instead gives the two main characters a flail and a crossbow. These together were a very unconventional choice of weapons and something I truly appreciated. The author’s action scenes reminded me of Joe Abercrombie’s: bloody, brutal, vivid, and intricate. Plus, huge bonus points for the author on showing the importance of armor. What makes all this even better? It seems like all the great action scenes here are just a little taste of what is to come in the sequels.
Picture: Scourge of the Betrayer by Marc Simonetti
The only minor con I had on the book was it took quite a while for me to remember who the side characters and what their roles were. This is probably the author’s intention for it to happen that way but I always prefer getting to know the characters sooner rather than later. Also, this didn’t affect my enjoyment but there were some typos I found within the book.
Overall, Scourge of the Betrayer is a highly engaging, gritty, and intimate read. It was a fine choice for me to return to the grimdark genre. It’s most likely just a setup book for the rest of the trilogy but it was still a bloody refreshing read and I can’t wait to find out what will happen next. Wherever Braylar Killcoin takes Arki next in the story, I’ll be there to observe their journey.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
I came to the realization when I started this book that it’s been seven months since I read any full-length grimdark novel. I don’t even know why because grimdark is one of my favorite genres, but somehow I’ve been drowning in other genres for more than half a year. Let’s just say that this book was a damn great choice for me to mark my return to the genre. I first stumbled upon Jeff Salyards’s work in Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists and from there, I thought his writing was really intriguing. I knew after reading his short story that eventually I would have to read his main trilogy, which started with this book.
Scourge of the Betrayer is the first book in Jeff Salyards’s Bloodsounder’s Arc trilogy and it is a gritty, compelling, and unconventional start which I highly enjoyed reading. Some of you may wonder why this book is received mixed reviews on Goodreads. The reason is simple: there is almost nothing conventional about this book. The author really took a gamble with his storytelling style by using this book in a way I envision as only a setup for the rest of the trilogy.
There are three main things that made Scourge of the Betrayer unique. First of all, this book contained only four chapters: two long ones and two short ones. Second, the main character’s weapon of choice was unique, which I’ll get into later. Lastly, as I said before, the storytelling style is very different.
Salyards’s unique storytelling style came mostly from his keeping the reader in the dark regarding the events taking place through the use of the first person perspective of the main character, Arkamondos (or Arki). Although technically Arki is the main protagonist of the book and we see the story unfold solely through his perspective, he’s not actually the main focus of the book; that role is reserved for the charismatic and infamous warrior from the Syldoon Empire, Captain Braylar Killcoin. Arki is a bookish scribe who's looking for fame and fortune; to achieve this, he has decided to accept the job of chronicling the journeys and exploits of Braylar Killcoin.
“And if that only inflames your curiosity, I say to you, a writer without curiosity is a bird without feathers.”
To be honest, I’m not surprised by the average rating on Goodreads. This is an unconventional book, as the world-building and pretty much everything other than characterizations and actions was scarce. Don’t get me wrong, we do get to see some world-building, the dark magic that’s happening, the true direction of the storyline, but they were all done bit by bit making this book more like a setup. We (the readers) are more or less put in the same situation as Arki; we have no idea what’s going on except that we need to record and follow Braylar Killcoin.
Usually, I would mind this a LOT and I think a lot of readers would probably be put off by this storytelling direction. But somehow it worked well for me. This book is not an epic fantasy, but instead felt intimate due to the engaging first-person prose, great characterizations, and close quarter action scenes. Also, some of the dialogues can be crudely humorous and it reminds me a bit of the banter in the Gentleman Bastards series, which is something I’ll never get tired of.
“Gurdinn ignored him, still speaking to the baron. “I would sooner soak my cock in honey and ask a bear not to bite than trust a Black Noose, my lord.”
Braylar clapped and said, “I wouldn’t have suspected you of such colorful wit, Captain Honeycock. You’re a man of surprising gifts.”
Almost the entirety of this book was driven by dialogues and action scenes. Remember that this is a short book; it’s less than 300 pages long and it took me more or less five hours to finish. However, within that length, the quality of the action scenes in this book somehow managed to already surpass a lot of fantasy books I’ve read. I need to talk a bit about the weapon of choices here. A lot of main characters tend to use a sword/spear/axe as their main weapon of choices. Salyards threw away all these choices and instead gives the two main characters a flail and a crossbow. These together were a very unconventional choice of weapons and something I truly appreciated. The author’s action scenes reminded me of Joe Abercrombie’s: bloody, brutal, vivid, and intricate. Plus, huge bonus points for the author on showing the importance of armor. What makes all this even better? It seems like all the great action scenes here are just a little taste of what is to come in the sequels.
Picture: Scourge of the Betrayer by Marc Simonetti
The only minor con I had on the book was it took quite a while for me to remember who the side characters and what their roles were. This is probably the author’s intention for it to happen that way but I always prefer getting to know the characters sooner rather than later. Also, this didn’t affect my enjoyment but there were some typos I found within the book.
Overall, Scourge of the Betrayer is a highly engaging, gritty, and intimate read. It was a fine choice for me to return to the grimdark genre. It’s most likely just a setup book for the rest of the trilogy but it was still a bloody refreshing read and I can’t wait to find out what will happen next. Wherever Braylar Killcoin takes Arki next in the story, I’ll be there to observe their journey.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
February 26, 2016
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
Scourge of the Betrayer is one of those rare books. A novel that takes the familiar tropes of a particular genre, tweaks them ever so slightly until you (a long time reader) find that your expectations of that genre have been suddenly raised to a new level.
And how did Jeff Salyards do that, you ask?
Well, mainly, he did it by refusing to be confined by the familiar, formulaic pattern of grimdark fantasy. Where most “grims” cover their pages with equal parts gore-coated combat, cynical characters, sexual situations, harsh language, and gritty worlds, Scourge embraces those elements but does not stop with them, adding a layer of realism and attention to detail that elevates this standard “grim” story into a realistic, tour-de-force of fantasy. Indeed, Mr. Salyards creates a world where armor actually does protect you in combat. Where there are no “Chosen Ones” or godlike heroes or all-powerful villains. Where magic is present but not scattered around like motes of dust. Where your favorite character might appear as a “good guy” one moment only to seem a “bad guy” the next. And where anyone, ANYONE can die if plans do not work out or a blow is mistimed or too many foes appear. All things that might sound like normal grim but are so much more in this story.
Mr. Salyards throws readers into his realistic grimdark world from the first page; the first person narrator of the tale being a young man named Arkamandos (or Arki for short.) This youth has just been hired by Captain Braylar Killcoin, leader of a band of Syldoon soldiers, to be their company’s scribe. And while Arki is very wary of his new employers (They are the fiercest, most vicious soldiers in the world), he explains his reason for joining up with them as:
I had no family, or none that had claimed me as such for years, and no friendships of any lasting duration. The promise of being part of something larger than my life—which admittedly, up to this point hadn’t exactly been consequential or noteworthy—was exciting, even if my involvement was restricted to observing and recording. At least it would presumably be something worth setting to parchment for once. And there was no denying the draw to that.
This desire to be part of a grand, epic adventure is exactly why Arki is the perfect narrator for the story that follows, for he is in the exact same shoes as his audience: a spectator completely in the dark as to what is actually going on. For there doesn’t seem to be any dark lord to defeat here or epic war to wage or apocalyptic event to stop – well, not that Arki knows about anyway. Instead, Captain Braylar and his men have their own secret agenda; a plan that they have no intention of willingly sharing with anyone. And so, Arki is left to listen to the conversation of his employers, gather clues as to their intentions, and piece together theories about their motives, goals, and true aims. All the while never knowing if his guesses are anywhere close to accurate.
And as Arki leads readers along on this grand adventure to discover the why of it all, Mr. Salyards carefully uses the interactions between the young scribe and the other characters to slowly sculp vibrant people, not grimdark caricatures of humanity, but real, living, breathing people who gradually come into focus. Don’t be surprised when there are not any long soliloquies where the characters intentionally reveal their inner demons or hidden desires or troubled past to you, because Mr. Salyard does not spoon feed anyone. Instead, he forces you to live day to day along with Arki, reading his interpretations of his traveling companions, his beliefs about their personalities, and his assessment of their actions, making you use the youth’s observations to form your own opinions about these three-dimensional people who surround him.
While this gradual development of plot and characters could have ruined the pacing of the story, it did not do so. For even though the beginning is slow and a tad confusing, Mr. Salyards deftly places clues throughout the narrative, stringing a reader along. Each suspected insight into Braylar’s plans building a little more excitement, each small revelation about his history adding a touch more drama to the tale until you can’t wait to turn the page, hoping to find the next part of the puzzle that Mr. Salyards has so expertly hidden from view.
But this is a grimdark, so where is the bloody combat, you ask?
Oh, it is here. Braylar is a man of action, willing to trade a few humorous slurs with his opponent before wielding his exotic flail to crush their skulls, and his Syldoon are constantly in the thick of the action. Blood and gore coat the pages, especially after the halfway point of the book, with the fighting coming fast and furious (though Arki presents it more from the point of view of a witness than a participant), and always Mr. Salyards deftly crafts these fights with utmost realism. No overpowered godlike warriors here. Even the most experienced fighter only one step away from getting struck down in battle. A fact that makes the fights even more gripping, as you wonder if anyone is safe from the grim reaper in this world.
As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and there are lots of further things I’d like to say about the story, but I can’t – to do so would reveal too many spoilers and ruin the fun for you. Perhaps it will suffice for me to write that Scourge of the Betrayer took everything that I love about grimdark, added in a touch of realism, and coupled those things with a slow-developing, character-driven story that made me constantly strive to figure out what was going on. It is quite simply a great fantasy read.
So, with all that being said, I highly recommend this one to grimdark fans, lovers of character-driven stories, fantasy fans, and all those that just adore tales that make you think. Have fun reading!
Scourge of the Betrayer is one of those rare books. A novel that takes the familiar tropes of a particular genre, tweaks them ever so slightly until you (a long time reader) find that your expectations of that genre have been suddenly raised to a new level.
And how did Jeff Salyards do that, you ask?
Well, mainly, he did it by refusing to be confined by the familiar, formulaic pattern of grimdark fantasy. Where most “grims” cover their pages with equal parts gore-coated combat, cynical characters, sexual situations, harsh language, and gritty worlds, Scourge embraces those elements but does not stop with them, adding a layer of realism and attention to detail that elevates this standard “grim” story into a realistic, tour-de-force of fantasy. Indeed, Mr. Salyards creates a world where armor actually does protect you in combat. Where there are no “Chosen Ones” or godlike heroes or all-powerful villains. Where magic is present but not scattered around like motes of dust. Where your favorite character might appear as a “good guy” one moment only to seem a “bad guy” the next. And where anyone, ANYONE can die if plans do not work out or a blow is mistimed or too many foes appear. All things that might sound like normal grim but are so much more in this story.
Mr. Salyards throws readers into his realistic grimdark world from the first page; the first person narrator of the tale being a young man named Arkamandos (or Arki for short.) This youth has just been hired by Captain Braylar Killcoin, leader of a band of Syldoon soldiers, to be their company’s scribe. And while Arki is very wary of his new employers (They are the fiercest, most vicious soldiers in the world), he explains his reason for joining up with them as:
I had no family, or none that had claimed me as such for years, and no friendships of any lasting duration. The promise of being part of something larger than my life—which admittedly, up to this point hadn’t exactly been consequential or noteworthy—was exciting, even if my involvement was restricted to observing and recording. At least it would presumably be something worth setting to parchment for once. And there was no denying the draw to that.
This desire to be part of a grand, epic adventure is exactly why Arki is the perfect narrator for the story that follows, for he is in the exact same shoes as his audience: a spectator completely in the dark as to what is actually going on. For there doesn’t seem to be any dark lord to defeat here or epic war to wage or apocalyptic event to stop – well, not that Arki knows about anyway. Instead, Captain Braylar and his men have their own secret agenda; a plan that they have no intention of willingly sharing with anyone. And so, Arki is left to listen to the conversation of his employers, gather clues as to their intentions, and piece together theories about their motives, goals, and true aims. All the while never knowing if his guesses are anywhere close to accurate.
And as Arki leads readers along on this grand adventure to discover the why of it all, Mr. Salyards carefully uses the interactions between the young scribe and the other characters to slowly sculp vibrant people, not grimdark caricatures of humanity, but real, living, breathing people who gradually come into focus. Don’t be surprised when there are not any long soliloquies where the characters intentionally reveal their inner demons or hidden desires or troubled past to you, because Mr. Salyard does not spoon feed anyone. Instead, he forces you to live day to day along with Arki, reading his interpretations of his traveling companions, his beliefs about their personalities, and his assessment of their actions, making you use the youth’s observations to form your own opinions about these three-dimensional people who surround him.
While this gradual development of plot and characters could have ruined the pacing of the story, it did not do so. For even though the beginning is slow and a tad confusing, Mr. Salyards deftly places clues throughout the narrative, stringing a reader along. Each suspected insight into Braylar’s plans building a little more excitement, each small revelation about his history adding a touch more drama to the tale until you can’t wait to turn the page, hoping to find the next part of the puzzle that Mr. Salyards has so expertly hidden from view.
But this is a grimdark, so where is the bloody combat, you ask?
Oh, it is here. Braylar is a man of action, willing to trade a few humorous slurs with his opponent before wielding his exotic flail to crush their skulls, and his Syldoon are constantly in the thick of the action. Blood and gore coat the pages, especially after the halfway point of the book, with the fighting coming fast and furious (though Arki presents it more from the point of view of a witness than a participant), and always Mr. Salyards deftly crafts these fights with utmost realism. No overpowered godlike warriors here. Even the most experienced fighter only one step away from getting struck down in battle. A fact that makes the fights even more gripping, as you wonder if anyone is safe from the grim reaper in this world.
As you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, and there are lots of further things I’d like to say about the story, but I can’t – to do so would reveal too many spoilers and ruin the fun for you. Perhaps it will suffice for me to write that Scourge of the Betrayer took everything that I love about grimdark, added in a touch of realism, and coupled those things with a slow-developing, character-driven story that made me constantly strive to figure out what was going on. It is quite simply a great fantasy read.
So, with all that being said, I highly recommend this one to grimdark fans, lovers of character-driven stories, fantasy fans, and all those that just adore tales that make you think. Have fun reading!
Read
March 21, 2014This is the best book Salyards has written to date. No joke. In the interest of transparency, I have to confess I have a mad man-crush on the guy. In fact, some might accuse me of stalking him. Which is stupid to admit, I know--if someone ever took Salyards out, I'm sure I'd be a serious person of interest.
Anyway, the book is pretty good. Give it a look.
Anyway, the book is pretty good. Give it a look.
May 27, 2014
4.5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
UPDATED: Interview with the author http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
If you want to see a cool way to tackle dark fantasy, look no further than this novel. It'd been sitting on my shelf for a while, and earlier this month I finally picked it up. It didn't take more than a few pages for me to realize I was looking at a very special book.
Jeff Salyards' approach to storytelling gave me a very unique experience. For one thing, I thought I had a pretty good bead on what I like in my fantasy -- you know, the things I enjoy and don't enjoy about the genre, etc. Well, that was before this book came along and turned everything upside down, making me rethink my own preferences.
Example the first: I'd always thought I preferred answers to any mysteries, but Scourge of the Betrayer was a book that provided scant detail about its story right from the start, leaving many questions open even once we were well past the midway point. But guess what? I found myself totally okay with this. More on this in a sec.
Example the second: Precious little words were wasted in the telling of this story, which didn't come as a surprise to me after taking in account the relatively modest page count. I usually assume this means the author won't be going into too much detail about the world or its characters. Of course, I was wrong with this one. What struck me was the fact that even though Jeff Salyards ever only gave just enough information for the reader to follow along, the world-building never suffered.
There was a good balance, plain and simple. What should have been a frustrating experience instead had me completely riveted. Not unexpectedly, the characters had a lot to do with drawing me in; after all, dark tales such as these tend to feature gritty, nasty personalities that nonetheless exude a certain charm. We have Arkamondos, a young scribe hired on to chronicle the exploits of a rough band of Syldoon warriors led by the formidable Captain Braylar Killcoin. Why Arki is there among this crew, or what the Syldoon are up to in the first place are questions that remain a mystery for quite a while, but the winning characters and the promise that I was going to get better acquainted with this crazy lot were reasons enough to stick around to find out more.
In a way, the players are more important than the plot. The story works well told from Arki's perspective in the first person, especially since Salyards doesn't hold anything back with his bold and unflinching style. We are privy to his protagonist's every thought and emotion, riding along in Arki's head as he experiences everything from his most awkwardly humiliating moments to the terror and disgust he feels towards the brutal violence of his Syldoon companions. The more ugliness this meek and bookish scribe gets exposed to, the more compelling his character becomes. Arki's personal growth takes center stage, and his relationships with Braylar and the inscrutible scout woman Lloi go a long way in also enhancing that journey.
The author took a huge gamble when he chose to approach the story this way, but it certainly paid off. The book is a refreshing change from the usual dark fantasy; it's fast-paced and energetic without sacrificing world building or character development. A lot of reviewers have compared it to The Black Company, and in truth I'd do the same except I honestly felt that Scourge of the Betrayer was a much better book. I liked Glen Cook's series, but didn't get into his characters or take to his writing the same way I took to Jeff Salyards'. Scourge hooked me right away, and even though the ending was somewhat abrupt, my overall feelings for the book are extremely positive. I'm glad the release of book two is just around the corner, because I can't wait to continue Arki's story.
UPDATED: Interview with the author http://bibliosanctum.blogspot.com/201...
If you want to see a cool way to tackle dark fantasy, look no further than this novel. It'd been sitting on my shelf for a while, and earlier this month I finally picked it up. It didn't take more than a few pages for me to realize I was looking at a very special book.
Jeff Salyards' approach to storytelling gave me a very unique experience. For one thing, I thought I had a pretty good bead on what I like in my fantasy -- you know, the things I enjoy and don't enjoy about the genre, etc. Well, that was before this book came along and turned everything upside down, making me rethink my own preferences.
Example the first: I'd always thought I preferred answers to any mysteries, but Scourge of the Betrayer was a book that provided scant detail about its story right from the start, leaving many questions open even once we were well past the midway point. But guess what? I found myself totally okay with this. More on this in a sec.
Example the second: Precious little words were wasted in the telling of this story, which didn't come as a surprise to me after taking in account the relatively modest page count. I usually assume this means the author won't be going into too much detail about the world or its characters. Of course, I was wrong with this one. What struck me was the fact that even though Jeff Salyards ever only gave just enough information for the reader to follow along, the world-building never suffered.
There was a good balance, plain and simple. What should have been a frustrating experience instead had me completely riveted. Not unexpectedly, the characters had a lot to do with drawing me in; after all, dark tales such as these tend to feature gritty, nasty personalities that nonetheless exude a certain charm. We have Arkamondos, a young scribe hired on to chronicle the exploits of a rough band of Syldoon warriors led by the formidable Captain Braylar Killcoin. Why Arki is there among this crew, or what the Syldoon are up to in the first place are questions that remain a mystery for quite a while, but the winning characters and the promise that I was going to get better acquainted with this crazy lot were reasons enough to stick around to find out more.
In a way, the players are more important than the plot. The story works well told from Arki's perspective in the first person, especially since Salyards doesn't hold anything back with his bold and unflinching style. We are privy to his protagonist's every thought and emotion, riding along in Arki's head as he experiences everything from his most awkwardly humiliating moments to the terror and disgust he feels towards the brutal violence of his Syldoon companions. The more ugliness this meek and bookish scribe gets exposed to, the more compelling his character becomes. Arki's personal growth takes center stage, and his relationships with Braylar and the inscrutible scout woman Lloi go a long way in also enhancing that journey.
The author took a huge gamble when he chose to approach the story this way, but it certainly paid off. The book is a refreshing change from the usual dark fantasy; it's fast-paced and energetic without sacrificing world building or character development. A lot of reviewers have compared it to The Black Company, and in truth I'd do the same except I honestly felt that Scourge of the Betrayer was a much better book. I liked Glen Cook's series, but didn't get into his characters or take to his writing the same way I took to Jeff Salyards'. Scourge hooked me right away, and even though the ending was somewhat abrupt, my overall feelings for the book are extremely positive. I'm glad the release of book two is just around the corner, because I can't wait to continue Arki's story.
August 5, 2019
The blurb says: “A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook.”
I says: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. And also: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Because: a meh and a bleh and a zzzz, oh my + I don't give a bloody shrimping fish about bloody shrimping anything + not a single engaging character in a 153,458 mile radius + Glen Cook myass exoskeleton + the title is very mucho a lot better than its book + stuff.
Ergo:
I says: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. And also: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Because: a meh and a bleh and a zzzz, oh my + I don't give a bloody shrimping fish about bloody shrimping anything + not a single engaging character in a 153,458 mile radius + Glen Cook my
Ergo:
October 29, 2021
Hey, I have a booktube channel (youtube for book reviews, etc.), and I include Scourge of the Betrayer/Jeff Salyards in my Top 10 Underrated Books list here. Please subscribe if I earned it!
Arki, short for Arkamandos, has been hired on as a scribe by a band of Syldoon, the most feared and treacherous soldiers in the world. Why did he accept this work? Well, it seemed a good idea at the time - he just wanted to get out and maybe see a little more adventure.
This may have also been the worst decision of his life.
As mentioned, the Syldoon aren't the kindest of people, nor are they even that pleasant to have a drink with (as we learn early on). They have some sort of plan, of which nothing is told to their scribe.
And that's part of the genius of this book. It's told in first person from the point of view of Arki. Therefore, as he knows absolutely nothing, neither do we...and yet you still can't help but read on to find out more.
This book's been making the rounds in the blogosphere and for good reason. Somehow Salyards, a debut author by the way, comes up with this idea to just throw his readers into this situation with no heads up, no idea what's going on and you still can't put the book down.
Arki is a great character too. He really has no clue what's going on and on top of that he definitely doesn't belong amidst a band this bruised and blackened and well, scary.
He doesn't even know how to hold a knife let alone a sword/crossbow/other implement of death. He just kind of bumbles along and luckily has some help along the way.
Probably my favorite character, Braylar is the leader of this whole shindig. He's easily the knarliest of the bunch and he's got a nice set of flails to make it so. In the scale of cubicle-dweller to biker-bar, you have to lean on the side of the biker if you carry flails as a weapon.
Braylar also comes up with some good lines along the way:
[says Arki:] "We're not returning to the road."
[Braylar] "Very astute. And I'll preempt a few more observations to save you the trouble: the sky is still above us; the sun continues trekking west; our wagon is pulled by horses, not unicorns."
And also: (since I just finished taking the bar)
"Clerics and lawyers are a pestilence on this world, but they do have their uses. A wise man would avoid their company altogether, it's true,..."
Overall, count me impressed. This is a great story that would only be ruined if I gave you too much. The slow build in both plot development and simply details is worth the go. The brutality of the action and this crew definitely fit this story right alongside the likes of Joe Abercrombie for starters and I've heard Glen Cook as well although I've yet to read him.
I honestly thought I would rate this lower, but there really isn't anything to complain about. The writing's great, great characters, great ending that really ramps things up. The only failing is that I wanted more...which I've been told is contained in the next volume. That's by far the best negative thing a book can have in my opinion. I am now highly anticipating book two in the Bloodsounder's Arc.
4 out of 5 Stars (Highly Recommended!)
Arki, short for Arkamandos, has been hired on as a scribe by a band of Syldoon, the most feared and treacherous soldiers in the world. Why did he accept this work? Well, it seemed a good idea at the time - he just wanted to get out and maybe see a little more adventure.
This may have also been the worst decision of his life.
As mentioned, the Syldoon aren't the kindest of people, nor are they even that pleasant to have a drink with (as we learn early on). They have some sort of plan, of which nothing is told to their scribe.
And that's part of the genius of this book. It's told in first person from the point of view of Arki. Therefore, as he knows absolutely nothing, neither do we...and yet you still can't help but read on to find out more.
This book's been making the rounds in the blogosphere and for good reason. Somehow Salyards, a debut author by the way, comes up with this idea to just throw his readers into this situation with no heads up, no idea what's going on and you still can't put the book down.
Arki is a great character too. He really has no clue what's going on and on top of that he definitely doesn't belong amidst a band this bruised and blackened and well, scary.
He doesn't even know how to hold a knife let alone a sword/crossbow/other implement of death. He just kind of bumbles along and luckily has some help along the way.
Probably my favorite character, Braylar is the leader of this whole shindig. He's easily the knarliest of the bunch and he's got a nice set of flails to make it so. In the scale of cubicle-dweller to biker-bar, you have to lean on the side of the biker if you carry flails as a weapon.
Braylar also comes up with some good lines along the way:
[says Arki:] "We're not returning to the road."
[Braylar] "Very astute. And I'll preempt a few more observations to save you the trouble: the sky is still above us; the sun continues trekking west; our wagon is pulled by horses, not unicorns."
And also: (since I just finished taking the bar)
"Clerics and lawyers are a pestilence on this world, but they do have their uses. A wise man would avoid their company altogether, it's true,..."
Overall, count me impressed. This is a great story that would only be ruined if I gave you too much. The slow build in both plot development and simply details is worth the go. The brutality of the action and this crew definitely fit this story right alongside the likes of Joe Abercrombie for starters and I've heard Glen Cook as well although I've yet to read him.
I honestly thought I would rate this lower, but there really isn't anything to complain about. The writing's great, great characters, great ending that really ramps things up. The only failing is that I wanted more...which I've been told is contained in the next volume. That's by far the best negative thing a book can have in my opinion. I am now highly anticipating book two in the Bloodsounder's Arc.
4 out of 5 Stars (Highly Recommended!)
October 11, 2018
3.5*
A good opening book to this trilogy. I really liked the writing which flowed as did the story. This book feels like a Michael J Sullivan series where there's lots of things set in motion where the author is playing the long game. Thus I expect the series to get even better as it goes along.
Grimdark at its core there's really no heroes or anybody to root for. Just a lot of people with their own agenda. Our naive scribe might be the one as he tries to figure out the secrets of his companions though the lies and manipulations.
I definitely look forward to continuing the series.
A good opening book to this trilogy. I really liked the writing which flowed as did the story. This book feels like a Michael J Sullivan series where there's lots of things set in motion where the author is playing the long game. Thus I expect the series to get even better as it goes along.
Grimdark at its core there's really no heroes or anybody to root for. Just a lot of people with their own agenda. Our naive scribe might be the one as he tries to figure out the secrets of his companions though the lies and manipulations.
I definitely look forward to continuing the series.
December 3, 2016
So I had a hard time with this book. On the one hand, the writing is excellent, it's grimdark, and I always love some snarky characters. On the other, I just couldn't seem to get into the story. I will say I'm always scared to read books where I've read a lot of great reviews beforehand. Sometimes i think my expectations are just too high going in.
I don't have a problem being thrown straight into a book and taking time to have the story and the world revealed to me. I have read Malazan after all. =) In Scourge, however, I really felt like it took almost until the last 15% of the book to get any sense of the story at all, but I think that's the fault of the narration style. The book is told from the viewpoint of Arki, a scribe hired by Captain Braylar to chronicle the actions of him and his men. Since Arki is kept in the dark about the master plan as a new recruit, so are we. This seemed to work for a lot of other people, but I guess I just wish that we'd gotten more pieces of the puzzle before the end. There are certainly moments where you know all is not as it seems, but they didn't seem connected enough to me to hint about where we're going. I will say this slow burn definitely picks up and I read the second half of the book much faster even if it was only the last 15% or so where I was excited to finally see the point of everything coming to fruition. I just didn't like having to think "Oh so that's what we're doing here" at the end of the book rather than "AH-HA! I guessed it!" or "OH SHIT! That makes sense."
Even if I didn't connect with the story, there were lots of of good things in this book. The combat is fantastic and I really appreciated the realism. Warhorses are trained to fight too and they can do a lot of damage. It's always refreshing to me when an author actually has soldiers get hurt in battle and act accordingly. Not every shot or stab can be a kill shot.
The characters are also great. Arki is a great narrator and we're privy to his awkward beginning interactions with the group and continual disbelief that he signed up for this ride. Captain Braylar and his men are typical grimdark characters - crude and blunt yet charismatic. We don't get a ton of time with the whole group and I really liked Lloi, the lone woman amongst the men. She is one of the characters we get to see the most so I don't know how much that affected her being my favorite character.
I would recommend this book just with a caveat that it definitely takes some time to get to the meat. I just really wish I had fallen more for the slow burn than I did. I will say, however, that I'm going to pick up Book 2 and 3. Partly because so many people love this series so I have hope and partly because I did start to enjoy it more especially at the end. I think if Scourge had maybe been a little longer I might have even been willing to give it 3.5 or 4 stars.
I don't have a problem being thrown straight into a book and taking time to have the story and the world revealed to me. I have read Malazan after all. =) In Scourge, however, I really felt like it took almost until the last 15% of the book to get any sense of the story at all, but I think that's the fault of the narration style. The book is told from the viewpoint of Arki, a scribe hired by Captain Braylar to chronicle the actions of him and his men. Since Arki is kept in the dark about the master plan as a new recruit, so are we. This seemed to work for a lot of other people, but I guess I just wish that we'd gotten more pieces of the puzzle before the end. There are certainly moments where you know all is not as it seems, but they didn't seem connected enough to me to hint about where we're going. I will say this slow burn definitely picks up and I read the second half of the book much faster even if it was only the last 15% or so where I was excited to finally see the point of everything coming to fruition. I just didn't like having to think "Oh so that's what we're doing here" at the end of the book rather than "AH-HA! I guessed it!" or "OH SHIT! That makes sense."
Even if I didn't connect with the story, there were lots of of good things in this book. The combat is fantastic and I really appreciated the realism. Warhorses are trained to fight too and they can do a lot of damage. It's always refreshing to me when an author actually has soldiers get hurt in battle and act accordingly. Not every shot or stab can be a kill shot.
The characters are also great. Arki is a great narrator and we're privy to his awkward beginning interactions with the group and continual disbelief that he signed up for this ride. Captain Braylar and his men are typical grimdark characters - crude and blunt yet charismatic. We don't get a ton of time with the whole group and I really liked Lloi, the lone woman amongst the men. She is one of the characters we get to see the most so I don't know how much that affected her being my favorite character.
I would recommend this book just with a caveat that it definitely takes some time to get to the meat. I just really wish I had fallen more for the slow burn than I did. I will say, however, that I'm going to pick up Book 2 and 3. Partly because so many people love this series so I have hope and partly because I did start to enjoy it more especially at the end. I think if Scourge had maybe been a little longer I might have even been willing to give it 3.5 or 4 stars.
March 6, 2016
Very enjoyable grim-dark fantasy read. Awesome action/fight scenes, savoury cynical characters, plenty of foul language and black humour. Recommended for epic and grim-dark fantasy readers, especially Abercombie and G.Cook fans.
==========
I could’ve chosen any scribe to record this, but I chose you. Among many. And you’ll have the rarest of opportunities to record something exceptional firsthand. For now, I’ll tell you this much. All empires crumble. All borders change. All kingdoms die. Where I’m taking you, you’ll witness the death of a body politic, the expiration of a way of life, the redrawing of a map. Something singular and priceless.
==========
You haven’t lived until you’ve grieved. Death, life, together, the same. And if you’ve only experienced life you’re only half-alive.
==========
Braylar rolled his eyes. “If by some miracle visited upon me by a jestful spirit, I come to understand the half-reasoning and action of women, you’ll still be a murky mystery to me, Lloi of Redsoil.” Lloi looked at me and said, “And if you can ever figure out a way of divining whether Captain Noose is paying compliment or insult, you tell me straight away, because most times, he’s talking about a foot above my head.”
==========
Fires run their course and eventually burn out, and lightning flashes once and is gone. But our grandfather’s grandfathers have seen the Godveil, and their grandfather’s grandfathers besides. A thousand years, maybe more, shifting, but never changing. Calling to any who would travel close, drawing them closer. A beautiful seductress who kills. You don’t find that strange?”
==========
The rest of you can do what you like with your hours. Drink, dice, what have you. Only don’t tussle with the city watch, don’t draw attention to yourself, and don’t spill any blood.” Vendurro shook his head, “So, lock ourselves in our rooms is what you’re saying?”
==========
Before meeting Braylar, I never imagined I’d witness such a scene of carnage, let alone somehow be a part of it. I wasn’t really a scholar anymore, having walked off that path now forever. Regardless what else occurred, I knew I’d never return to that life the same—though what I’d become or was becoming, I didn’t know.
==========
==========
I could’ve chosen any scribe to record this, but I chose you. Among many. And you’ll have the rarest of opportunities to record something exceptional firsthand. For now, I’ll tell you this much. All empires crumble. All borders change. All kingdoms die. Where I’m taking you, you’ll witness the death of a body politic, the expiration of a way of life, the redrawing of a map. Something singular and priceless.
==========
You haven’t lived until you’ve grieved. Death, life, together, the same. And if you’ve only experienced life you’re only half-alive.
==========
Braylar rolled his eyes. “If by some miracle visited upon me by a jestful spirit, I come to understand the half-reasoning and action of women, you’ll still be a murky mystery to me, Lloi of Redsoil.” Lloi looked at me and said, “And if you can ever figure out a way of divining whether Captain Noose is paying compliment or insult, you tell me straight away, because most times, he’s talking about a foot above my head.”
==========
Fires run their course and eventually burn out, and lightning flashes once and is gone. But our grandfather’s grandfathers have seen the Godveil, and their grandfather’s grandfathers besides. A thousand years, maybe more, shifting, but never changing. Calling to any who would travel close, drawing them closer. A beautiful seductress who kills. You don’t find that strange?”
==========
The rest of you can do what you like with your hours. Drink, dice, what have you. Only don’t tussle with the city watch, don’t draw attention to yourself, and don’t spill any blood.” Vendurro shook his head, “So, lock ourselves in our rooms is what you’re saying?”
==========
Before meeting Braylar, I never imagined I’d witness such a scene of carnage, let alone somehow be a part of it. I wasn’t really a scholar anymore, having walked off that path now forever. Regardless what else occurred, I knew I’d never return to that life the same—though what I’d become or was becoming, I didn’t know.
==========
April 4, 2017
Reminiscent of The Black Company, only better.
Arki's POV is unique in that he is not truly the protagonist; he is only recording what the main character, Captain Braylar Killcoin, is doing. Most of the time, Arki doesn't know what is happening, and therefore, the reader also doesn't know. Looking at the story through Arki's eyes is such great fun to try to guess what the motivations behind decisions are, and trying to discern when Braylar and the Syldoons are lying to him.
When reading darker fantasy, readers are often desensitized to violence because the characters are desensitized to it (or at least it affects them in different ways than one who has not experienced war), but seeing events unfold through Arki's eyes shines a different light on military fantasy with his shock at the mannerisms and actions of the company. Very well done and refreshing experience in "grimdark" fantasy.
Arki's POV is unique in that he is not truly the protagonist; he is only recording what the main character, Captain Braylar Killcoin, is doing. Most of the time, Arki doesn't know what is happening, and therefore, the reader also doesn't know. Looking at the story through Arki's eyes is such great fun to try to guess what the motivations behind decisions are, and trying to discern when Braylar and the Syldoons are lying to him.
When reading darker fantasy, readers are often desensitized to violence because the characters are desensitized to it (or at least it affects them in different ways than one who has not experienced war), but seeing events unfold through Arki's eyes shines a different light on military fantasy with his shock at the mannerisms and actions of the company. Very well done and refreshing experience in "grimdark" fantasy.
May 8, 2016
Review from Tenacious Reader: http://www.tenaciousreader.com/2016/0...
The final book in the Bloodsounder’s Arc recently released, and the number of trusted sources that not just recommend, but highly recommend the series just could not be ignored any more. What I have heard is this first book is really good, but the next two are amazing. So, I went into this with solid expectations of a good read, and hopes of getting started in a fantastic series.
So far, my friends have not led me astray. The story is told by a scribe, Arkamandos (aka Arki) who has recently joined a small group of soldiers. I really enjoyed getting the story from his perspective and being from his perspective really influenced the story for the reader. Arki can only tell the reader what he himself knows as he learns it. That means anything Arki doesn’t know, the reader will not know either. It’s an interesting aspect that makes Arki an unintentional unreliable narrator. This is a story the reader must just go with the flow and piece together as information is revealed. Personally, I really think it made the story a bit more enjoyable as it saves some twists for the reader (and for Arki). Arki being a scribe also brought fresh eyes into the lives of soldiers.
The other two characters we get to know the best are Braylar and Lloi. Braylar is great fun and a ruthless soldier. The book can be brutal, but Braylar’s wit keeps it all in check and amusing. Braylar also has a bit of mystery surrounding him as far as Arki is concerned. It quickly becomes obvious that Braylar has some sort of magic ability or unexplainable power, but the root and depth of it is not really known. Lloi is honestly more of a mystery. A woman who is missing the fingers on one hand makes appearances through the story. She is nice and intriguing, but since Arki wasn’t certain what her role was, neither was the reader.
But it does all come together. Much like The Black Company by Glenn Cook you just have to keep reading, take the story as it comes and enjoy it along the way. I found this first book to be quite engaging with interesting character, great wit and plenty of reasons to come back for more. I’m looking forward to reading the next one which I hear is even better.
The final book in the Bloodsounder’s Arc recently released, and the number of trusted sources that not just recommend, but highly recommend the series just could not be ignored any more. What I have heard is this first book is really good, but the next two are amazing. So, I went into this with solid expectations of a good read, and hopes of getting started in a fantastic series.
So far, my friends have not led me astray. The story is told by a scribe, Arkamandos (aka Arki) who has recently joined a small group of soldiers. I really enjoyed getting the story from his perspective and being from his perspective really influenced the story for the reader. Arki can only tell the reader what he himself knows as he learns it. That means anything Arki doesn’t know, the reader will not know either. It’s an interesting aspect that makes Arki an unintentional unreliable narrator. This is a story the reader must just go with the flow and piece together as information is revealed. Personally, I really think it made the story a bit more enjoyable as it saves some twists for the reader (and for Arki). Arki being a scribe also brought fresh eyes into the lives of soldiers.
The other two characters we get to know the best are Braylar and Lloi. Braylar is great fun and a ruthless soldier. The book can be brutal, but Braylar’s wit keeps it all in check and amusing. Braylar also has a bit of mystery surrounding him as far as Arki is concerned. It quickly becomes obvious that Braylar has some sort of magic ability or unexplainable power, but the root and depth of it is not really known. Lloi is honestly more of a mystery. A woman who is missing the fingers on one hand makes appearances through the story. She is nice and intriguing, but since Arki wasn’t certain what her role was, neither was the reader.
But it does all come together. Much like The Black Company by Glenn Cook you just have to keep reading, take the story as it comes and enjoy it along the way. I found this first book to be quite engaging with interesting character, great wit and plenty of reasons to come back for more. I’m looking forward to reading the next one which I hear is even better.
May 11, 2020
4.5 stars
‘All empires crumble. All borders change. All kingdoms die. Where I’m taking you, you’ll witness the death of a body politic, the expiration of a way of life, the redrawing of a map. Something singular and priceless.’
Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards is the first instalment in the Bloodsounder’s Arc trilogy. This is a book which I’d actually heard very little about, that is until both Laura Hughes and Petrik Leo recommended it to me. It actually took very little to convince me that I would need to buy a copy; the words ‘grimdark’, ‘humorous’, and ‘a character who uses the phrase horsec*nt’ was literally all it took!
It just goes to prove that recommending books, shouting about your favourites, spreading the word so to speak, has the potential to really benefit another reader. After finishing Scourge of the Betrayer I feel like I’ve truly read a hidden gem.
Right from the opening I found Salyards writing to be simultaneously sophisticated but also gritty when needed. This initial aspect drew me into the book, held my curiosity, and I immediately felt compelled to read on. The story is told through the eyes of a young scribe - Arki. His first-person narration drives the narrative along as we follow this anxious and painfully naive protagonist. You see, our poor Arki is thrust into a situation which lands him clearly far out of his depth.
Enter Captain Braylar Killcoin; leader of a ruthless mercenary warband, hailed from the infamous Syldoon empire. Killcoin hires Arki to chronicle every detail of the warband’s journey - of which largely remains a mystery to both Arki and to us. Sheltered and inexperienced, Arki jumps at the chance of leaving his relatively boring and stiflingly safe home, in exchange for an adventure and for the prospects of earning fame. Yet Arki doesn’t quite realise what he’s let himself in for, as I said, our Arki is oh so naive. So when he begins to realise, when he discovers just how perilous this journey is, well reader, settle down, get yourself comfortable, because you’re in for one immensely entertaining ride.
I must say that although Scourge of the Betrayer is classed as grimdark, Salyards brings a wholly welcomed refreshing take on the genre. He breaks through the bounds of what one would traditionally expect of a main grimdark protagonist - morally grey, somewhat unpleasant. Instead, Salyard opts to craft Arki’s character to be charming, refined, almost aristocratic, and notably virtuous. Then to set him in a world where savage men and creatures roam, at every turn violence ensues, to have him be amongst the likes of Killcoin and his grizzled, foul-tempered and foul-mouthed warriors, provided so much fun and comedic effect. Arki spends a lot of his time horrified by the violent deeds he is obliged to see and record - at every step I couldn’t help either laughing out loud at the contrast of characters, or pitying Arki. It was a pleasure to be immersed in this world.
‘You haven’t lived until you’ve grieved. Death, life, together, the same. And if you’ve only experienced life you’re only half-alive.’
However at times, the pace could often waver into being slow and lacking in action. Salyards does have a few sections where our main focus lies upon the mundane day-to-day aspects of life, and for a large portion of the novel we are left unclear as to where the narrative is heading. Whilst this may be an issue for some, for myself this was not necessarily a negative point. Sure there were paragraphs which I felt could have been cut, I also wished the chapters had been shortened, but overall I feel Salyards does a fantastic job of using these details to give the book an ultra-realistic quality. Arki is a scribe after all, and so part of his recordings would include details such as caring for horses, mending armour, journeying in silence or even small talk; inevitably there would be a sense of routine emerging. As for not knowing where the narrative was heading, I was happy with that too, because Arki’s voice is so endearing, I was satisfied with being carried along. As a reader, we feel as anxious, shocked, confused, and we long for answers, just as Arki does.
I’ve talked much about the main protagonist, so now I shall highlight a few of my other favourites. Firstly Braylar Killcoin - a man who on the surface appears brutish, and callous, but actually is well skilled in the art of manipulation and politics. His unique choice of weaponry was something that attracted my attention; you see, he uses a Flail called a Bloodsounder. I was awed by this weapon and the power it entailed, none of which I will divulge here, but know that the Flail is deadly but causes dire consequences for the wielder as a result of its use. It is not the ultimate weapon that can destroy all either, but it is certainly powerful nonetheless.
Lastly my two particular favourites from Killcoin’s mercenary band were; Mulldoos & Lloi. Both of which were crude and quick to anger, but both having a caring complex hidden underneath. I believe Salyards really shines through with creating these juxtaposing traits in all his characters, because they feel all the more real, which in turn made me feel much for them without even realising it. I was not aware how much I would miss them, until I felt their loss.
‘All empires crumble. All borders change. All kingdoms die. Where I’m taking you, you’ll witness the death of a body politic, the expiration of a way of life, the redrawing of a map. Something singular and priceless.’
Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards is the first instalment in the Bloodsounder’s Arc trilogy. This is a book which I’d actually heard very little about, that is until both Laura Hughes and Petrik Leo recommended it to me. It actually took very little to convince me that I would need to buy a copy; the words ‘grimdark’, ‘humorous’, and ‘a character who uses the phrase horsec*nt’ was literally all it took!
It just goes to prove that recommending books, shouting about your favourites, spreading the word so to speak, has the potential to really benefit another reader. After finishing Scourge of the Betrayer I feel like I’ve truly read a hidden gem.
Right from the opening I found Salyards writing to be simultaneously sophisticated but also gritty when needed. This initial aspect drew me into the book, held my curiosity, and I immediately felt compelled to read on. The story is told through the eyes of a young scribe - Arki. His first-person narration drives the narrative along as we follow this anxious and painfully naive protagonist. You see, our poor Arki is thrust into a situation which lands him clearly far out of his depth.
Enter Captain Braylar Killcoin; leader of a ruthless mercenary warband, hailed from the infamous Syldoon empire. Killcoin hires Arki to chronicle every detail of the warband’s journey - of which largely remains a mystery to both Arki and to us. Sheltered and inexperienced, Arki jumps at the chance of leaving his relatively boring and stiflingly safe home, in exchange for an adventure and for the prospects of earning fame. Yet Arki doesn’t quite realise what he’s let himself in for, as I said, our Arki is oh so naive. So when he begins to realise, when he discovers just how perilous this journey is, well reader, settle down, get yourself comfortable, because you’re in for one immensely entertaining ride.
I must say that although Scourge of the Betrayer is classed as grimdark, Salyards brings a wholly welcomed refreshing take on the genre. He breaks through the bounds of what one would traditionally expect of a main grimdark protagonist - morally grey, somewhat unpleasant. Instead, Salyard opts to craft Arki’s character to be charming, refined, almost aristocratic, and notably virtuous. Then to set him in a world where savage men and creatures roam, at every turn violence ensues, to have him be amongst the likes of Killcoin and his grizzled, foul-tempered and foul-mouthed warriors, provided so much fun and comedic effect. Arki spends a lot of his time horrified by the violent deeds he is obliged to see and record - at every step I couldn’t help either laughing out loud at the contrast of characters, or pitying Arki. It was a pleasure to be immersed in this world.
‘You haven’t lived until you’ve grieved. Death, life, together, the same. And if you’ve only experienced life you’re only half-alive.’
However at times, the pace could often waver into being slow and lacking in action. Salyards does have a few sections where our main focus lies upon the mundane day-to-day aspects of life, and for a large portion of the novel we are left unclear as to where the narrative is heading. Whilst this may be an issue for some, for myself this was not necessarily a negative point. Sure there were paragraphs which I felt could have been cut, I also wished the chapters had been shortened, but overall I feel Salyards does a fantastic job of using these details to give the book an ultra-realistic quality. Arki is a scribe after all, and so part of his recordings would include details such as caring for horses, mending armour, journeying in silence or even small talk; inevitably there would be a sense of routine emerging. As for not knowing where the narrative was heading, I was happy with that too, because Arki’s voice is so endearing, I was satisfied with being carried along. As a reader, we feel as anxious, shocked, confused, and we long for answers, just as Arki does.
I’ve talked much about the main protagonist, so now I shall highlight a few of my other favourites. Firstly Braylar Killcoin - a man who on the surface appears brutish, and callous, but actually is well skilled in the art of manipulation and politics. His unique choice of weaponry was something that attracted my attention; you see, he uses a Flail called a Bloodsounder. I was awed by this weapon and the power it entailed, none of which I will divulge here, but know that the Flail is deadly but causes dire consequences for the wielder as a result of its use. It is not the ultimate weapon that can destroy all either, but it is certainly powerful nonetheless.
Lastly my two particular favourites from Killcoin’s mercenary band were; Mulldoos & Lloi. Both of which were crude and quick to anger, but both having a caring complex hidden underneath. I believe Salyards really shines through with creating these juxtaposing traits in all his characters, because they feel all the more real, which in turn made me feel much for them without even realising it. I was not aware how much I would miss them, until I felt their loss.
June 18, 2016
Updated summer 2016... bit of a review for this book and a bit for the series as a whole.
Really loved this book on a second reading. A superior Fantasy novel. Somewhat Grimdark. Kinda Sword & Sorcery. A wee tad like Joe Abercrombie. Mostly it's own singular thing. Character heavy with some terrific action sequences. Masterful world-building, slowly revealed without dense exposition or infodumps. Gracefully told. The opening book might appear a bit slight at first glance. It's not at all. Go ahead and check out book two and you'll be so damned hooked. There is a subtletyto it, and worth a second reading.
BLOODSOUNDER'S ARC is Fantasy at its very best. This is it!! This is the real thing! Adult fiction handled by a master craftsman. Abercrombie-ish but even better, which I didn't even know was possible. I guarantee you won't find anything better to read all year long nor next year. And perhaps even the year after that.
BLOODSOUNDER'S ARC is a magnificent work of fiction. Sure to be a modern Classic like THE BLADE ITSELF, THE NAME OF THE WIND, THE LIES OF LOCK LAMORA, THE PRINCE OF THORNS. Get in on the ground floor. Forget all other books and read this now. You'll be happy you listened to this wise old man.
Really loved this book on a second reading. A superior Fantasy novel. Somewhat Grimdark. Kinda Sword & Sorcery. A wee tad like Joe Abercrombie. Mostly it's own singular thing. Character heavy with some terrific action sequences. Masterful world-building, slowly revealed without dense exposition or infodumps. Gracefully told. The opening book might appear a bit slight at first glance. It's not at all. Go ahead and check out book two and you'll be so damned hooked. There is a subtletyto it, and worth a second reading.
BLOODSOUNDER'S ARC is Fantasy at its very best. This is it!! This is the real thing! Adult fiction handled by a master craftsman. Abercrombie-ish but even better, which I didn't even know was possible. I guarantee you won't find anything better to read all year long nor next year. And perhaps even the year after that.
BLOODSOUNDER'S ARC is a magnificent work of fiction. Sure to be a modern Classic like THE BLADE ITSELF, THE NAME OF THE WIND, THE LIES OF LOCK LAMORA, THE PRINCE OF THORNS. Get in on the ground floor. Forget all other books and read this now. You'll be happy you listened to this wise old man.
May 11, 2017
Not bad, not bad at all.
Rating, 4.5
Despite the pretty low GR rating of 3.54, it was a fairly great first book. Not perfect ... but also without a dull moment.
Review to come ....
Rating, 4.5
Despite the pretty low GR rating of 3.54, it was a fairly great first book. Not perfect ... but also without a dull moment.
Review to come ....
September 3, 2016
Edit: Original review I tilted to 2 stars. Decreasing to 1 star to offset the authors own rating of 5 stars. Don't be a douchebag author and rate your own book 5 stars.
Scourge of the Betrayer... what to say?
To start with, I may be able to save you some time and money by revising the description of this story to 'Captain Killcoin orders somebody (usually, but not limited to, his own men under his command) to do something, they question his authority, and then we get 10 pages of Killcoin putting on his Hamlet hat and berating said person with 'The lady doth protest too much, methinks'. Rinse. Repeat in three pages.
Killcoin, mongering brute and tactical mastermind that he is, (or so we're told) apparently commands no respect from anyone, least of all those under his command, and unfortunately, the author uses these insubordination scenes (nearly as frequent as paragraphs are in the story) to most uncreatively divulge the plot elements. What's in the box? Well, he can't tell you until you question his authority (again).
Killcoin's diatribes after said instances are also painfully redundant; hitting and restating the same point, over and over and over and over...
Here's an example late in the book... these are rife throughout, this is just the one that is freshest in my mind:
<<"Dispose of [person] as you will." When no one responded immediately, he looked up and glanced from face to face... >>
[Warning.. incoming over the top Hamlet scene #3,490]... and here we go!
<<<"Do you think me a callous beast, that I don't spare more thought for [person]? Should I have thrown myself across [person's] body in grief, and railed at the tragedy of it, while my own men looked on, spiteful that I'd done no such thing for the fallen [others]? Should I have stripped off my shirt and lashed myself for failing to protect [person], to see [person] to a better end?">>>
Yeah yeah Cap.. we GET THE POINT... no need to try to drown us in a rhetorical golden shower. You did what you could. You only needed to say it ONCE (and not even once really, since you're the guy supposedly in charge, and having to explain yourself to your subordinates is a bit odd). But it doesn't end there. We know this person is dead, but Cap wants to reiterate the point SOME MORE.. here we go again, in the very same paragraph:
<<<"No.[Person]'s gone. Dead. But unlike the others, [person] has nowhere to go now. No one waits for [person], hopes for [person's] return, pines. No children. No spouse. No one. And now [person's] no one......"A body. Only a body.">>>
Holy "horsecunt" (a term you'll become intimately familiar with in this book). How many times do we need to be injected and then bashed repeatedly over the head with the idea that this person is dead, and not coming back? Note that this scene happens after we've already been subjected to several pages of grieving, and yet we're still going to talk about it AGAIN! This happens throughout the book, as if the author isn't quite sure you grabbed the point from the previous sentence in which he mentioned it three times, so he throws another 2-3 instances of it in the following sentence just for good measure. Killcoin's character doesn't say much in many scenes in this book, only to have diarrhea of the "horsecunt" every time his authority is being questioned (which happens at the frequency of making the reader want to facepalm). He also manages to transform from a say-nothing brute to a tragic, melancholy, woe-is-me, Shakespearean scholar in the drop of the hat and no one can state and then rephrase (again and again.. did I mention the redundancy yet?) a rhetorical question like Killcoin can.
This book is also weirdly paced and will sometimes leave the story entirely to focus on irrelevant material. Examples of this include (but are certainly not limited to) a scene in the first half of the book where Arki overhears Killcoin having sex with an innkeeper's daughter. The premise of the scene itself is fine, but considering we get page after page of description of this, and that it ultimately serves no purpose, why do we need anything more than a paragraph or two? A second example of this is in the last 5% of the book where we get several longwinded pages of description of a walk to a barons house.... this is when you choose to do your world building?? At (what should be) the climax of your book?? The burial of a friend also comes to mind, where Hamlet...errr Killcoin... once again soapboxes his opinion laced with rhetorical questions to arrive at the conclusion of 'it doesn't really matter to the reader, so why are you spending so much time on it'.
You just can't trust the slew of 5-star reviews that come out with a book's release anymore. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a terrible book by any means, but it's not a good one either. It's certainly not 'Fantasy Debut of the Year', and to say such is to say there's no other new fantasy author out there worth reading. It's a pretty cover and a great premise smothered in mediocre execution.
And character development... what to say here? All these five star reviews keep raving about character development, but this is a first person narrative so the only development we see is in interaction where Arki is present. Given his scenes with the other mercs in the band are few and far between, and the dual personality disorder of Killcoin, there's virtually no development to be had. Other than Lloi, Killcoin and Arki, no characters stand out. Actually, I might even venture to say other than Lloi, no characters stand out. In fact, I just finished the book and can make virtually no distinction between any of the Captain's other men. There is virtually no development there.
I keep reading in other reviews that 'if you like your fantasy gritty, if you like to read GRRM, Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, you might like this book'. I couldn't disagree more. That list, with exception to the omission of Robert E. Howard, reads as a 'Who's Who' among my favorite authors, and I see no resemblance between Scourge and anything the other authors have written.
Rating:
Story: 1 Star - Again, great premise wrapped up and heavily diluted in a solution of "Who cares?". There's nothing substantial here. It's like a homeopathic version of fantasy. This is a 75 page story that has been expanded to 250+ for no good reason. The reader is kept away from the main story for approximately 60-75% of the book, and once it's finally out there, you'll find yourself saying, 'This is what they're doing? THIS is what I've waited for?'
Characters: 2 Stars - Other than Lloi, I didn't find myself liking or disliking (in a good, I want to read more about this evil guy, kind of way) anyone. The main selling point of the story, that being a first person account of an embedded reporter in a mercenary group, also ends up being a huge problem in that the author doesn't give the main character enough interaction with secondary characters other than Lloi or Killcoin and so they are all underdeveloped.
Reviewers Tilt: 2 Stars - I'll tilt this review to 2 stars since I'm aware this is the author's first book. I loved the premise, and disliked the execution. The characters, with exception to Lloi, I couldn't give a lick about. It was a chore to finish given I didn't really care if the characters lived or died.
Good gritty fantasy isn't just about "horsecunts" and bloody battles. It's also about pacing, character development, giving the reader a vested interest in the story, all of which this story is woefully lacking in.
Normally I would recommend reading a sample first for this book, except that the first 20-30 pages are by far the strongest this book has to offer. That's when we find out the gist of what gets the group together, and we actually have some character development as the whole group is together (albeit it's only a few pages, but it's the best the book has to offer). Ultimately, a sample of the first few pages will not be indicative of the quality of the story overall.
Scourge of the Betrayer... what to say?
To start with, I may be able to save you some time and money by revising the description of this story to 'Captain Killcoin orders somebody (usually, but not limited to, his own men under his command) to do something, they question his authority, and then we get 10 pages of Killcoin putting on his Hamlet hat and berating said person with 'The lady doth protest too much, methinks'. Rinse. Repeat in three pages.
Killcoin, mongering brute and tactical mastermind that he is, (or so we're told) apparently commands no respect from anyone, least of all those under his command, and unfortunately, the author uses these insubordination scenes (nearly as frequent as paragraphs are in the story) to most uncreatively divulge the plot elements. What's in the box? Well, he can't tell you until you question his authority (again).
Killcoin's diatribes after said instances are also painfully redundant; hitting and restating the same point, over and over and over and over...
Here's an example late in the book... these are rife throughout, this is just the one that is freshest in my mind:
<<"Dispose of [person] as you will." When no one responded immediately, he looked up and glanced from face to face... >>
[Warning.. incoming over the top Hamlet scene #3,490]... and here we go!
<<<"Do you think me a callous beast, that I don't spare more thought for [person]? Should I have thrown myself across [person's] body in grief, and railed at the tragedy of it, while my own men looked on, spiteful that I'd done no such thing for the fallen [others]? Should I have stripped off my shirt and lashed myself for failing to protect [person], to see [person] to a better end?">>>
Yeah yeah Cap.. we GET THE POINT... no need to try to drown us in a rhetorical golden shower. You did what you could. You only needed to say it ONCE (and not even once really, since you're the guy supposedly in charge, and having to explain yourself to your subordinates is a bit odd). But it doesn't end there. We know this person is dead, but Cap wants to reiterate the point SOME MORE.. here we go again, in the very same paragraph:
<<<"No.[Person]'s gone. Dead. But unlike the others, [person] has nowhere to go now. No one waits for [person], hopes for [person's] return, pines. No children. No spouse. No one. And now [person's] no one......"A body. Only a body.">>>
Holy "horsecunt" (a term you'll become intimately familiar with in this book). How many times do we need to be injected and then bashed repeatedly over the head with the idea that this person is dead, and not coming back? Note that this scene happens after we've already been subjected to several pages of grieving, and yet we're still going to talk about it AGAIN! This happens throughout the book, as if the author isn't quite sure you grabbed the point from the previous sentence in which he mentioned it three times, so he throws another 2-3 instances of it in the following sentence just for good measure. Killcoin's character doesn't say much in many scenes in this book, only to have diarrhea of the "horsecunt" every time his authority is being questioned (which happens at the frequency of making the reader want to facepalm). He also manages to transform from a say-nothing brute to a tragic, melancholy, woe-is-me, Shakespearean scholar in the drop of the hat and no one can state and then rephrase (again and again.. did I mention the redundancy yet?) a rhetorical question like Killcoin can.
This book is also weirdly paced and will sometimes leave the story entirely to focus on irrelevant material. Examples of this include (but are certainly not limited to) a scene in the first half of the book where Arki overhears Killcoin having sex with an innkeeper's daughter. The premise of the scene itself is fine, but considering we get page after page of description of this, and that it ultimately serves no purpose, why do we need anything more than a paragraph or two? A second example of this is in the last 5% of the book where we get several longwinded pages of description of a walk to a barons house.... this is when you choose to do your world building?? At (what should be) the climax of your book?? The burial of a friend also comes to mind, where Hamlet...errr Killcoin... once again soapboxes his opinion laced with rhetorical questions to arrive at the conclusion of 'it doesn't really matter to the reader, so why are you spending so much time on it'.
You just can't trust the slew of 5-star reviews that come out with a book's release anymore. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a terrible book by any means, but it's not a good one either. It's certainly not 'Fantasy Debut of the Year', and to say such is to say there's no other new fantasy author out there worth reading. It's a pretty cover and a great premise smothered in mediocre execution.
And character development... what to say here? All these five star reviews keep raving about character development, but this is a first person narrative so the only development we see is in interaction where Arki is present. Given his scenes with the other mercs in the band are few and far between, and the dual personality disorder of Killcoin, there's virtually no development to be had. Other than Lloi, Killcoin and Arki, no characters stand out. Actually, I might even venture to say other than Lloi, no characters stand out. In fact, I just finished the book and can make virtually no distinction between any of the Captain's other men. There is virtually no development there.
I keep reading in other reviews that 'if you like your fantasy gritty, if you like to read GRRM, Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, you might like this book'. I couldn't disagree more. That list, with exception to the omission of Robert E. Howard, reads as a 'Who's Who' among my favorite authors, and I see no resemblance between Scourge and anything the other authors have written.
Rating:
Story: 1 Star - Again, great premise wrapped up and heavily diluted in a solution of "Who cares?". There's nothing substantial here. It's like a homeopathic version of fantasy. This is a 75 page story that has been expanded to 250+ for no good reason. The reader is kept away from the main story for approximately 60-75% of the book, and once it's finally out there, you'll find yourself saying, 'This is what they're doing? THIS is what I've waited for?'
Characters: 2 Stars - Other than Lloi, I didn't find myself liking or disliking (in a good, I want to read more about this evil guy, kind of way) anyone. The main selling point of the story, that being a first person account of an embedded reporter in a mercenary group, also ends up being a huge problem in that the author doesn't give the main character enough interaction with secondary characters other than Lloi or Killcoin and so they are all underdeveloped.
Reviewers Tilt: 2 Stars - I'll tilt this review to 2 stars since I'm aware this is the author's first book. I loved the premise, and disliked the execution. The characters, with exception to Lloi, I couldn't give a lick about. It was a chore to finish given I didn't really care if the characters lived or died.
Good gritty fantasy isn't just about "horsecunts" and bloody battles. It's also about pacing, character development, giving the reader a vested interest in the story, all of which this story is woefully lacking in.
Normally I would recommend reading a sample first for this book, except that the first 20-30 pages are by far the strongest this book has to offer. That's when we find out the gist of what gets the group together, and we actually have some character development as the whole group is together (albeit it's only a few pages, but it's the best the book has to offer). Ultimately, a sample of the first few pages will not be indicative of the quality of the story overall.
September 1, 2016
A decent enough book. Faced paced with plenty of fight scenes, and information about the world is slowly revealed as the book progresses. The lack of chapters was frustrating, but this is just a personal gripe. The ending sets p the next book, which I am now starting on. I am hoping the characters are built on and progress well.
November 15, 2025
As new generation fantasy author, Jeff Salyards did a good job.When you read this book you could see a lot of military strategy operations. I enjoy how a fantasy writer describe precisely military actions in military fantasy book. Not every one could experince A soldier`s life by reading a good military fantasy book.
April 2, 2016
4.5 stars
very good debut
very good debut
Read
February 15, 2016I enjoyed this book, which is huge, not being a rabid fan of the grit and the grim. What made it outstanding was the choice of protagonists. Picture a young, naive (somewhat), scribe - educated but wet behind the ears - being hired by what amounts to The Black Company. His plunge into adventure is severe culture shock. But it made the book an edge of the seat read for two reasons:
The witty, black humor dialogue among the company cohorts. The very strange mystery behind their smooth talking captain - who is devious, down and dirty up to something big, and close mouthed about it -with that Tyrion style Jeckyll and Hyde nature where you think, one moment, this guy has a soft heart, and the next, maybe you think he doesn't.
Enter a creepy twist, some hi jinks adventure with plenty of blow by blow action, and the slow shift in the character's perspective as he falls deeper and deeper into the captain's business, and there seems no bottom to the double dealing in sight.
The orchestration of action vs dialogue, and the relationships (often complex) between the characters, and the depth of the unknown layers of this company's past, and its current objectives - and you get a very fast, very engaging read with an astonishingly deft touch of detail, and a backdrop of ordinary people and a thoroughly fleshed out setting. There is a major female character right up there, with splendid opinions and real agency, in high form alongside the raunch language and humor. No stereotypes here.
The witty, black humor dialogue among the company cohorts. The very strange mystery behind their smooth talking captain - who is devious, down and dirty up to something big, and close mouthed about it -with that Tyrion style Jeckyll and Hyde nature where you think, one moment, this guy has a soft heart, and the next, maybe you think he doesn't.
Enter a creepy twist, some hi jinks adventure with plenty of blow by blow action, and the slow shift in the character's perspective as he falls deeper and deeper into the captain's business, and there seems no bottom to the double dealing in sight.
The orchestration of action vs dialogue, and the relationships (often complex) between the characters, and the depth of the unknown layers of this company's past, and its current objectives - and you get a very fast, very engaging read with an astonishingly deft touch of detail, and a backdrop of ordinary people and a thoroughly fleshed out setting. There is a major female character right up there, with splendid opinions and real agency, in high form alongside the raunch language and humor. No stereotypes here.
April 30, 2016
I was struggling in the beginning to know who was who and what was going on. But halfway through I really started to enjoy this story. It got better and better and I am now really looking forward to reading book 2.
January 9, 2016
Book Info: Genre: Fantasy – Quest fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of quest fantasy, those who enjoy watching someone naïve grow and learn
My Thoughts: This book is told from Arki’s point of view, and as an observant young man and scribe, we’re treated to a much different view of the world than we would have if we were to watch these same events through any of the captain’s team. Watching the events as an outsider was quite fascinating, and I have to give the author props for maintaining that sort of outsider vibe.
It’s probably my weird sense of humor, but I found Captain Killcoin absolutely hilarious. His dryly violent ways, the sorts of statements and comparisons he would come up with – I spent a great deal of time laughing. Admittedly those with a slightly less... jaded and black sense of humor probably wouldn’t find it nearly as funny, but I certainly did.
I believe this is what is considered to be “quest” fantasy, in that a naïve, less-than-experienced “questor” (in this case, Arki) joins up with a more experienced group (the Syldonians), who then teach him how to survive and live more fully, essentially. While this first quest is more or less wrapped up by the end of this book, Scourge of the Betrayer is only the first book in a series, so there is plenty of growth yet to come for Arki. Recommended!
Disclosure: I received this book by accident – it was a file I received from NetGalley that was supposed to be The Croning, but had the wrong text. I’m not under any obligation from anyone, but am, as always, happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies – or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself.
Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe ... and Arki might be next.
Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!
A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire – and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of quest fantasy, those who enjoy watching someone naïve grow and learn
My Thoughts: This book is told from Arki’s point of view, and as an observant young man and scribe, we’re treated to a much different view of the world than we would have if we were to watch these same events through any of the captain’s team. Watching the events as an outsider was quite fascinating, and I have to give the author props for maintaining that sort of outsider vibe.
It’s probably my weird sense of humor, but I found Captain Killcoin absolutely hilarious. His dryly violent ways, the sorts of statements and comparisons he would come up with – I spent a great deal of time laughing. Admittedly those with a slightly less... jaded and black sense of humor probably wouldn’t find it nearly as funny, but I certainly did.
I believe this is what is considered to be “quest” fantasy, in that a naïve, less-than-experienced “questor” (in this case, Arki) joins up with a more experienced group (the Syldonians), who then teach him how to survive and live more fully, essentially. While this first quest is more or less wrapped up by the end of this book, Scourge of the Betrayer is only the first book in a series, so there is plenty of growth yet to come for Arki. Recommended!
Disclosure: I received this book by accident – it was a file I received from NetGalley that was supposed to be The Croning, but had the wrong text. I’m not under any obligation from anyone, but am, as always, happy to provide an honest review.
Synopsis: Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies – or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself.
Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe ... and Arki might be next.
Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!
A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire – and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.
October 28, 2015
Solid start to a very intruiging story. I particularly loved the first person POV. Often its quite easy to become de-sensitised to the violence and death in books, but this was refreshing in a sense that the main protaganist is just a lowly scribe completely unused to the soldiering life. A different take on military fantasy, and excicuted very well. I think I will like this series very much!
May 29, 2014
Fantasy Review Barn
If I were a scribe who had spent my life dealing with stories from the dullest people in the world would I have taken the opportunity? Would I have dropped what I was doing and taken commission from a band of warriors? Syldoon warriors, men rumored to be the nastiest of nasty; would I have willingly gone with them with no direction and no assurances of what was to come?
Damn right I would.
This is a book that deals with the smaller scale by design. There is no epic war going on, no big bad end of the world foreseen, hell there isn’t even an army. Just a band of soldiers and their newly hired scribe. We walk into the story at about the same point their new scribe Arkamandos does. The soldiers are hiding something, have a destination in mind, and are content to bicker among themselves until their captain tells them to head out. Arki can only listen in, record, and wonder what it is he is making a transcript of.
What makes this book click is the character interactions. A story with a tight cast will live and die by this and here we have a story that thrived. We get a great look into each character early on as they bicker and taunt each other within the bar. W learn about them naturally, through Arki’s eyes and ears, as they drift in and out of the picture. Never do we gain a complete picture because we have no omniscient narrator to help us cheat. The captain shows quite a bit of kindness early on to his new scribe; do we trust it? He also is hiding quite a bit; starting with his mysterious flail that he stops others from talking about. Lloi is another enigma for Arki to discover. She is plenty kind to him, so why are even the toughest of the group fearful of her?
The writing is more intimate that fantasy readers are probably used to. Each and every one of Arki’s thoughts are vivid; especially his humiliations. An early scene where he tries to control his lust and fight his shame while pretending sleep during another’s sexual encounter is as intimate and awkward as could be expected; and provided so much insight into the man we were dealing with in such a short scene. More than any other it showed us how over his head the scribe may be, without having anything to do with the actual task.
The plotting of this book will either work for a reader or not. The early going seems like aimless traveling, not even a hint at a larger purpose is given. The group is often split and the story relies on small conversations about nothing to move along. But it all builds our knowledge of the land and the company. There is action, again fairly unique with its small scale battles where numbers top out in the twenties, at most. And slowly but surely we, like our new favorite scribe, start to put the pieces together. So by the time the captain seems to reveal his plan a smart reader will see that there is more coming and finally have the details needed to search for relevant clues.
Of course this book gets compared to The Black Company, and it should be. But while Cook’s awesome books had some pretty high stakes (with the company right in the middle of everything), Salyards’ story is different. The high stakes in his story is all character based; we naturally feel what Arki feels for each character (and yes, he starts to feel for some of his new companions). I will say this book hit me with a surprise death that mattered, something very few books have been able to do since I first read GRRM.
Hey Jeff, thanks for reminding me that I still had not read your book! Especially as we seem to be right in time for the next one to come out. I really enjoyed it.
4 Stars
Copy for review provided by author’s publicist.
If I were a scribe who had spent my life dealing with stories from the dullest people in the world would I have taken the opportunity? Would I have dropped what I was doing and taken commission from a band of warriors? Syldoon warriors, men rumored to be the nastiest of nasty; would I have willingly gone with them with no direction and no assurances of what was to come?
Damn right I would.
This is a book that deals with the smaller scale by design. There is no epic war going on, no big bad end of the world foreseen, hell there isn’t even an army. Just a band of soldiers and their newly hired scribe. We walk into the story at about the same point their new scribe Arkamandos does. The soldiers are hiding something, have a destination in mind, and are content to bicker among themselves until their captain tells them to head out. Arki can only listen in, record, and wonder what it is he is making a transcript of.
What makes this book click is the character interactions. A story with a tight cast will live and die by this and here we have a story that thrived. We get a great look into each character early on as they bicker and taunt each other within the bar. W learn about them naturally, through Arki’s eyes and ears, as they drift in and out of the picture. Never do we gain a complete picture because we have no omniscient narrator to help us cheat. The captain shows quite a bit of kindness early on to his new scribe; do we trust it? He also is hiding quite a bit; starting with his mysterious flail that he stops others from talking about. Lloi is another enigma for Arki to discover. She is plenty kind to him, so why are even the toughest of the group fearful of her?
The writing is more intimate that fantasy readers are probably used to. Each and every one of Arki’s thoughts are vivid; especially his humiliations. An early scene where he tries to control his lust and fight his shame while pretending sleep during another’s sexual encounter is as intimate and awkward as could be expected; and provided so much insight into the man we were dealing with in such a short scene. More than any other it showed us how over his head the scribe may be, without having anything to do with the actual task.
The plotting of this book will either work for a reader or not. The early going seems like aimless traveling, not even a hint at a larger purpose is given. The group is often split and the story relies on small conversations about nothing to move along. But it all builds our knowledge of the land and the company. There is action, again fairly unique with its small scale battles where numbers top out in the twenties, at most. And slowly but surely we, like our new favorite scribe, start to put the pieces together. So by the time the captain seems to reveal his plan a smart reader will see that there is more coming and finally have the details needed to search for relevant clues.
Of course this book gets compared to The Black Company, and it should be. But while Cook’s awesome books had some pretty high stakes (with the company right in the middle of everything), Salyards’ story is different. The high stakes in his story is all character based; we naturally feel what Arki feels for each character (and yes, he starts to feel for some of his new companions). I will say this book hit me with a surprise death that mattered, something very few books have been able to do since I first read GRRM.
Hey Jeff, thanks for reminding me that I still had not read your book! Especially as we seem to be right in time for the next one to come out. I really enjoyed it.
4 Stars
Copy for review provided by author’s publicist.
January 23, 2019
Well, that was a pretty great first book to kick off the Bloodsounder's Arc series - and GR friends tell me that each subsequent book only gets better!
July 21, 2016
How refreshing to read a fantasy book that's just over 250 pages. The book was concise, entertaining and intriguing. I'm dying to know more about Captain Killcoin. What is the secret with that flail he carries around? The story is told from the point of view of Killcoin's scribe Arki. Arki may not have realised just how dangerous this new job was going to be. Killcoin and his troop are on a mission and they are revealing very little to Arki. Luckily Arki loves to ask questions and that might help him unravel what is really going on. Looking forward to reading the next book.
March 9, 2017
Very good novel. I particularly liked the intimate writing, rich of details; the realistic approach to how a scribe perceives and experiences the life of soldiers and their skirmishes and battles; and last but not least the that we only get to know the bigger story in a very slow and fragmented way together with Arki. A lot of questions remain unanswered though, so bring on the second book!
4 stars
4 stars
March 5, 2016
The rest of you can do what you like with your hours. Drink, dice, what have you. Only don’t tussle with the city watch, don’t draw attention to yourself, and don’t spill any blood.”
Vendurro shook his head, “So, lock ourselves in our rooms is what you’re saying?”
Vendurro shook his head, “So, lock ourselves in our rooms is what you’re saying?”
April 15, 2018
Actual rating 3.5 Stars
This is such an odd book to review because the parts that I perceived as having some flaws make sense to, and work well within the scope and vibe of the book. Weird huh?
I'll start off saying that this is a debut novel but it did not read like one, the writing is excellent, it's worth mentioning twice the writing was that good. Descriptive, atmospheric, with a really well realized sense of setting and tension. That being said, this book unfolds both its plot and its revelations very very slowly. It isn't until more than halfway through before anything of note actually happens, but it wasn't a bad thing. The characters and plot are doled out slowly yet it works really well; I was so intrigued that it made me want to go on reading.
I haven't read much grimdark though I intend to further explore the genre. While I did enjoy the story, I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point for new readers. Grimdark enthusiasts jump right in cause you'll get what you expect and then some!
The crew of Syldoon soldiers you follow are intriguing, brutal and well developed. The battle and action scenes are intense and very impactful; the main character wields a weapon one rarely sees in fantasy lit and whenever they came into play it was visceral and exhilarating.
The plot develops through the eyes of Arki, a scribe who's hired to chronicle a mission of the aforementioned soldiers. This is where the unique structure of the book comes into play; because you only see things from the scribe's perspective you are essentially as much in the dark as he is. What he knows you know, what he doesnt you don't. This is a story in which the reader is expected to be patient and let the story develop.
I am very intrigued to continue this series because it stands tall due to its excellent writing but mostly because starting it felt like walking into an episode 20 minutes late and it ended feeling like you stopped watching 20 minutes earlier and I want to see how the whole thing plays out.
This is such an odd book to review because the parts that I perceived as having some flaws make sense to, and work well within the scope and vibe of the book. Weird huh?
I'll start off saying that this is a debut novel but it did not read like one, the writing is excellent, it's worth mentioning twice the writing was that good. Descriptive, atmospheric, with a really well realized sense of setting and tension. That being said, this book unfolds both its plot and its revelations very very slowly. It isn't until more than halfway through before anything of note actually happens, but it wasn't a bad thing. The characters and plot are doled out slowly yet it works really well; I was so intrigued that it made me want to go on reading.
I haven't read much grimdark though I intend to further explore the genre. While I did enjoy the story, I wouldn't recommend this as a starting point for new readers. Grimdark enthusiasts jump right in cause you'll get what you expect and then some!
The crew of Syldoon soldiers you follow are intriguing, brutal and well developed. The battle and action scenes are intense and very impactful; the main character wields a weapon one rarely sees in fantasy lit and whenever they came into play it was visceral and exhilarating.
The plot develops through the eyes of Arki, a scribe who's hired to chronicle a mission of the aforementioned soldiers. This is where the unique structure of the book comes into play; because you only see things from the scribe's perspective you are essentially as much in the dark as he is. What he knows you know, what he doesnt you don't. This is a story in which the reader is expected to be patient and let the story develop.
I am very intrigued to continue this series because it stands tall due to its excellent writing but mostly because starting it felt like walking into an episode 20 minutes late and it ended feeling like you stopped watching 20 minutes earlier and I want to see how the whole thing plays out.
May 2, 2014
Reviewed at Adventures in SciFi Publishing
Not only are there a lot of Fantasy books out there to choose from, Grimdark no less, but in the next three months I have a large stack of books coming out that are all competing for this genre’s attention. I’m not going to list those other books because Jeff Salyards' book, Scourge of the Betrayer, deserves to be cracked open. You can even enjoy the fact that the sequel, Veil of Deserters, comes out mid-May and picks up right where Scourge left off.
Scourge of the Betrayer is told through the first person account of a chronicler, Arki, hired to follow a small group of the Emperor’s soldiers, led by a new favorite character of mine, Captain Braylar Killcoin. I wasn’t sure what I’d think about reading a story that could have ended up being through the POV of someone less interesting than the main character, but Salyards pulled it off. I read this decent sized book in one week and had very little time where I wasn’t really engaged.
Here are the ways that Scourge kept me engaged:
The introductory period to our main cast is easy enough to get into, and if the dialogue is not too indecent for your taste, will prove hilarious countless times. Salyards kept me hooked, in part, because I was looking forward to what his characters would say next. In this non-Earth setting, he excels at creating crisp phrases and insults that are not only unique, but hilarious and illuminatingly descriptive. While all the dialogue is crisp and character building, Killcoin’s truly stands out:
Braylar snapped his fingers to reclaim the boy’s attention. “Do you know horses, boy? Or were you hired solely for your sh-t-shovelling prowess?”
“None better.”
“With horses or sh-t?”
Elsewhere:
Gurdinn ignored him, still speaking to the baron. “I would sooner soak my cock in honey and ask a bear not to bite than trust a Black Noose, my lord.”
Braylar clapped and said, “I wouldn’t have suspected you of such colorful wit, Captain Honeycock. You’re a man of surprising gifts.”
Gurdinn wheeled on him, hand on his sword. “Shut your mouth, right quick.”
This is all a small sample, but I think it shows his quick wit and ability to move the story with active dialogue. In a more elegant moment, Killcoin says,
"I never supsected I was surrounded by such insipid sentimentalists. With honeyed tongues, no less. Truly, a revelation."
I like this piece where Arki characterizes the main cast and the striking magic system that Salyards has unmasked in them:
I wasn’t sure which was the greater oddity—a Syldoon whose Deserter-inspired weapon allegedly stole memories from the dead, or a disfigured Grass Dog who resumably drew those memories out of him like poison. Or an archivist who believed either one.
The Bloodsounder, Killcoin’s magical flail, is one of the most interesting Fantasy weapons I’ve read about. Wizards are normally the kinds of characters who have costs to their powers, but in this flail that Killcoin can’t abandon, but which helps save his life, he is burdened with emotional memories of those he has killed. As I progress to praising Salyard’s gift for action, what I really enjoyed was how he mixes in aspects like this that make me care about his cast of characters surviving their battles. Killcoin comes off as ruthless at times, but is more of a softy than his hard dialogue and killing ability suggests. He is troubled, but truly has won my heart to want to read on.
To step back a little, I knew early on that I liked our narrator, Arki. Here’s how he describes himself:
I had no family, or none that had claimed me as such for years, and no friendships of any lasting duration. The promise of being part of something larger than my life—which admittedly, up to this point hadn’t exactly been consequential or noteworthy—was exciting, even if my involvement was restricted to observing and recording. At least it would presumably be something worth setting to parchment for once. And there was no denying the draw to that. If I had to scribble down another ledger report or the history of one more self-satisfied grain merchant, I might jab a quill in my eye.
Arki gets some action, learning how to wield a crossbow, but is still very much a novice fighter by the end of the book. What we see of him in Scourge is a young man developing friendships through more action and death than he’s ever seen. He learns to grieve. He learns to fight. I am very excited to see how he continues to develop in Veil of the Deserters. With all the books I have to read, I jumped right into the sequel and have already had a strong payoff in the first few pages.
This review has become a little long, so I’ll spare the quotes of sections of action and worldbuilding I enjoyed and let you discover them for yourself. Salyards matches his gift of dialogue with fight scenes that make you feel the arrows thunk inches from your face, and which are never easily won. The world he’s built has a god class called the Deserters, who have fled, but which left what’s called the Godsveil, a place where people are drawn in by curiosity and killed. I can’t wait to find out more about this magical relic and see if the Deserters return.
If you are looking for an easily accessible, well-written Fantasy I think you’ll be very pleased with the story Salyards has to offer. His characters, dialogue and action scenes are now among my favorite.
*As part of our recent podcast with Fantasy author, Elizabeth Bear, we are running a giveaway of her Eternal Sky Trilogy for newsletter subscribers. Giveaway ends 5/5/14 at 11:59 PM CDT.
Not only are there a lot of Fantasy books out there to choose from, Grimdark no less, but in the next three months I have a large stack of books coming out that are all competing for this genre’s attention. I’m not going to list those other books because Jeff Salyards' book, Scourge of the Betrayer, deserves to be cracked open. You can even enjoy the fact that the sequel, Veil of Deserters, comes out mid-May and picks up right where Scourge left off.
Scourge of the Betrayer is told through the first person account of a chronicler, Arki, hired to follow a small group of the Emperor’s soldiers, led by a new favorite character of mine, Captain Braylar Killcoin. I wasn’t sure what I’d think about reading a story that could have ended up being through the POV of someone less interesting than the main character, but Salyards pulled it off. I read this decent sized book in one week and had very little time where I wasn’t really engaged.
Here are the ways that Scourge kept me engaged:
The introductory period to our main cast is easy enough to get into, and if the dialogue is not too indecent for your taste, will prove hilarious countless times. Salyards kept me hooked, in part, because I was looking forward to what his characters would say next. In this non-Earth setting, he excels at creating crisp phrases and insults that are not only unique, but hilarious and illuminatingly descriptive. While all the dialogue is crisp and character building, Killcoin’s truly stands out:
Braylar snapped his fingers to reclaim the boy’s attention. “Do you know horses, boy? Or were you hired solely for your sh-t-shovelling prowess?”
“None better.”
“With horses or sh-t?”
Elsewhere:
Gurdinn ignored him, still speaking to the baron. “I would sooner soak my cock in honey and ask a bear not to bite than trust a Black Noose, my lord.”
Braylar clapped and said, “I wouldn’t have suspected you of such colorful wit, Captain Honeycock. You’re a man of surprising gifts.”
Gurdinn wheeled on him, hand on his sword. “Shut your mouth, right quick.”
This is all a small sample, but I think it shows his quick wit and ability to move the story with active dialogue. In a more elegant moment, Killcoin says,
"I never supsected I was surrounded by such insipid sentimentalists. With honeyed tongues, no less. Truly, a revelation."
I like this piece where Arki characterizes the main cast and the striking magic system that Salyards has unmasked in them:
I wasn’t sure which was the greater oddity—a Syldoon whose Deserter-inspired weapon allegedly stole memories from the dead, or a disfigured Grass Dog who resumably drew those memories out of him like poison. Or an archivist who believed either one.
The Bloodsounder, Killcoin’s magical flail, is one of the most interesting Fantasy weapons I’ve read about. Wizards are normally the kinds of characters who have costs to their powers, but in this flail that Killcoin can’t abandon, but which helps save his life, he is burdened with emotional memories of those he has killed. As I progress to praising Salyard’s gift for action, what I really enjoyed was how he mixes in aspects like this that make me care about his cast of characters surviving their battles. Killcoin comes off as ruthless at times, but is more of a softy than his hard dialogue and killing ability suggests. He is troubled, but truly has won my heart to want to read on.
To step back a little, I knew early on that I liked our narrator, Arki. Here’s how he describes himself:
I had no family, or none that had claimed me as such for years, and no friendships of any lasting duration. The promise of being part of something larger than my life—which admittedly, up to this point hadn’t exactly been consequential or noteworthy—was exciting, even if my involvement was restricted to observing and recording. At least it would presumably be something worth setting to parchment for once. And there was no denying the draw to that. If I had to scribble down another ledger report or the history of one more self-satisfied grain merchant, I might jab a quill in my eye.
Arki gets some action, learning how to wield a crossbow, but is still very much a novice fighter by the end of the book. What we see of him in Scourge is a young man developing friendships through more action and death than he’s ever seen. He learns to grieve. He learns to fight. I am very excited to see how he continues to develop in Veil of the Deserters. With all the books I have to read, I jumped right into the sequel and have already had a strong payoff in the first few pages.
This review has become a little long, so I’ll spare the quotes of sections of action and worldbuilding I enjoyed and let you discover them for yourself. Salyards matches his gift of dialogue with fight scenes that make you feel the arrows thunk inches from your face, and which are never easily won. The world he’s built has a god class called the Deserters, who have fled, but which left what’s called the Godsveil, a place where people are drawn in by curiosity and killed. I can’t wait to find out more about this magical relic and see if the Deserters return.
If you are looking for an easily accessible, well-written Fantasy I think you’ll be very pleased with the story Salyards has to offer. His characters, dialogue and action scenes are now among my favorite.
*As part of our recent podcast with Fantasy author, Elizabeth Bear, we are running a giveaway of her Eternal Sky Trilogy for newsletter subscribers. Giveaway ends 5/5/14 at 11:59 PM CDT.
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