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Company of Strangers #1
Company of Strangers
The wizard Sienne hopes to make a name for herself as a scrapper—someone who scours the ruins of the Empty Lands for treasure and lost magical artifacts. But first she must find someone willing to take a chance on a desperate beginner.
When Sienne finally catches a break, she becomes part of a ragtag group of adventurers—a desperate scrapper named Dianthe, her wizard-hating partner Alaric, the drunk priest Perrin, and a young fighter named Kalanath.
But finding the treasure proves only the beginning. They must learn to work together as a team. Their very survival may depend on it.
When Sienne finally catches a break, she becomes part of a ragtag group of adventurers—a desperate scrapper named Dianthe, her wizard-hating partner Alaric, the drunk priest Perrin, and a young fighter named Kalanath.
But finding the treasure proves only the beginning. They must learn to work together as a team. Their very survival may depend on it.
306 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 12, 2018
145 people are currently reading
668 people want to read
About the author
Melissa McShane
94 books860 followersMelissa grew up a nomad, following her family all over the United States, and ended up living in the shadow of the Wasatch Mountains with her husband, four kids, and three very needy cats. Her love of reading was always a constant during those uncertain years, and her love of writing grew out of that. She wrote reviews and critical essays for many years before turning to fiction, and was surprised at how much she liked it. She loves the fantasy genre and how it stretches the imagination.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
February 14, 2019
A motley group of strangers forms a company to go on a quest in search of ancient magical artifacts. Will there be danger along the way? Can the group ever pull together to become a real company rather than a collection of semi-hostile strangers?
It’s a familiar concept, but Melissa McShane handles the details quite well in this Dungeons & Dragons-flavored fantasy, with a solid plot and interesting characters. Most of them seem to be hiding secrets of one type or another, and some of them come out in this first book in a new series. It was a fun journey!
Full review to come. I received a free copy of this book from the author for review. Thanks!
It’s a familiar concept, but Melissa McShane handles the details quite well in this Dungeons & Dragons-flavored fantasy, with a solid plot and interesting characters. Most of them seem to be hiding secrets of one type or another, and some of them come out in this first book in a new series. It was a fun journey!
Full review to come. I received a free copy of this book from the author for review. Thanks!
Read
December 19, 2018I LOVED this fantasy quest adventure.
It's an old trope, and only tired when the writer offers stereotypical characters, and plot point monster fights, etc. But when, as in this novel (which I hope will become a series) McShane takes those stereotypes and has fun with them, and gives everybody a secret that matters to them, and a character arc, and puts them in a fascinating world, this type of quest adventure is fun all over again.
Sienne is our main character. She has a secret right at the outset. She's young, a wizard, and is determined to make her living as a scrapper, that is, someone who finds artifacts of an intriguing civilization of four centuries earlier, and sells what she finds. She meets a woman on the streets of the town she's just entered, who mentions that her team is looking for a wizard. The only problem is that her partner, Alaric, really hates wizards.
Sienne agrees to keep her wizardry on the down-low, which lasts as long as you expect it to from a young and enthusiastic wizard. They are joined by a foreigner who fights well, and by a priest--all recognizable RPG players, which have evolved from fantasy quests that were worn library copies when I was a kid, back in the Cretaceous Era.
Oh, what fun McShane has with these! My favorite moments were when the priest prays to his avatar. I really looked forward to those prayers--and to whatever 'blessings' the irascible avatar might choose to bestow.
There's an overarching story, of course, and all the range of emotions come into play, from trust to loneliness to a truly splendid surprise. Interesting villains you love to hate round things out--and before I knew it, the few chapters I'd wanted to read before bedtime were all done, leaving me wanting more about these characters.
Copy provided by author.
It's an old trope, and only tired when the writer offers stereotypical characters, and plot point monster fights, etc. But when, as in this novel (which I hope will become a series) McShane takes those stereotypes and has fun with them, and gives everybody a secret that matters to them, and a character arc, and puts them in a fascinating world, this type of quest adventure is fun all over again.
Sienne is our main character. She has a secret right at the outset. She's young, a wizard, and is determined to make her living as a scrapper, that is, someone who finds artifacts of an intriguing civilization of four centuries earlier, and sells what she finds. She meets a woman on the streets of the town she's just entered, who mentions that her team is looking for a wizard. The only problem is that her partner, Alaric, really hates wizards.
Sienne agrees to keep her wizardry on the down-low, which lasts as long as you expect it to from a young and enthusiastic wizard. They are joined by a foreigner who fights well, and by a priest--all recognizable RPG players, which have evolved from fantasy quests that were worn library copies when I was a kid, back in the Cretaceous Era.
Oh, what fun McShane has with these! My favorite moments were when the priest prays to his avatar. I really looked forward to those prayers--and to whatever 'blessings' the irascible avatar might choose to bestow.
There's an overarching story, of course, and all the range of emotions come into play, from trust to loneliness to a truly splendid surprise. Interesting villains you love to hate round things out--and before I knew it, the few chapters I'd wanted to read before bedtime were all done, leaving me wanting more about these characters.
Copy provided by author.
December 14, 2018
Non-standard disclaimer: feel free to ignore all the following as probably biased. I strive for honesty, but I love Melissa's books and I'm only pretty sure it isn't because I have a front-row seat in their creation.
I have no idea where to start in this review. There are a lot of elements to this story that I find remarkable and they're all kind of bound up together in this weird ball of awesome that I want to babble about but then feel self-conscious that I'll give the wrong impression and put people off. The thing is, this story more closely resembles some of our D&D RPG sessions in that it involves a "scrapper team" of adventurers who rely on their diverse talents to overcome traps and monsters and loot the ruins of a past, fallen society that fell due to magic wars that devastated civilization. It's easy to identify the cleric, the wizard, the fighter, the rogue and, uh, the spare fighter. And the spells are a twist on those in D&D/Pathfinder, though altered to better fit the setting and story (mostly durations are more malleable and resources are less formulaically prepared and expended and the schools are strongly split along divine/arcane lines).
But it isn't any roleplaying session we ever had, isn't based on characters any of us ever played, and has a very strong storyline that binds not only this, but the five following books together into a cohesive whole. (And yes, I've already read the other five and they. are. awesome! be jealous though I envy you the treat of discovery.) So this isn't anything like some of those books you get from other role players where they're recreating a world and experience they've had. So it isn't one of those and I'd hate it if someone took that description and thought it was something it isn't.
And I love the characters too. Our viewpoint character is Sienne, who is fleeing her family and the life she was heading for and is looking for her path forward. She was trained as a wizard, so she's trying to find work in the last place her family would think to look—as a scrapper based in the capital city far from home. But her spellbook isn't exactly geared towards scrapping and she has no reputation and is struggling to find work. So when she finds a chance to work with Dianthe and Alaric, she snaps it up despite dark hints that Alaric will hate her for being a wizard. And he does . . . kind of. It quickly becomes clear that this "team" are all broken in ways that they don't like to talk about. Dianthe and Alaric are the core as they have been together for many years, but this is the first time for all of the others so they really are a company of strangers. They have a clear contract, though, so they head out. And it shouldn't be a surprise that they find reasons to connect with and trust each other. I love the early bumbles, but I like even better that each understands that the failures arise from not knowing and trusting each other and all commit to doing better.
So contracts are filled, obstacles overcome, and secrets shared. In this story, Alaric's is the biggest reveal. And it's a whopper that forms the basis of the team's cohesion going forward. I have to admit that I fell in passionate infatuation with him almost from the start. I love a strong, capable man who cares about those around him and does his best to help and support them. But the other team members are engaging, too, from Dianthe being appalled that anyone would think she'd commit crimes to Perrin's unique approach to his Avatar (this world has a single god who's worshippers approach through the six Avatars*) to Kalanath's unique insights. And, of course, Sienne's probably unconscious search for family.
Anyway, this book wraps in a satisfying conclusion, even as it leaves the path forward open. I loved coming back to these characters and their beginnings (I always reread the published version when Melissa publishes a new book because a) I forget the details and b) sometimes those change between when last I read and they're published). So it's a, perhaps unsurprising, five star read and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
A note about my romance tags: While there may or may not be romance in the future books, there is none here. So no romance tags because calling this chaste is kind of silly since there's not even any flirting.
* Inside baseball: I hope Melissa doesn't murder me for revealing that the six avatars of God represent the six D&D attributes. Perrin's avatar, Averran, is all about wisdom. Read the book to see how that plays out once Melissa gets her hands on the concept...
I have no idea where to start in this review. There are a lot of elements to this story that I find remarkable and they're all kind of bound up together in this weird ball of awesome that I want to babble about but then feel self-conscious that I'll give the wrong impression and put people off. The thing is, this story more closely resembles some of our D&D RPG sessions in that it involves a "scrapper team" of adventurers who rely on their diverse talents to overcome traps and monsters and loot the ruins of a past, fallen society that fell due to magic wars that devastated civilization. It's easy to identify the cleric, the wizard, the fighter, the rogue and, uh, the spare fighter. And the spells are a twist on those in D&D/Pathfinder, though altered to better fit the setting and story (mostly durations are more malleable and resources are less formulaically prepared and expended and the schools are strongly split along divine/arcane lines).
But it isn't any roleplaying session we ever had, isn't based on characters any of us ever played, and has a very strong storyline that binds not only this, but the five following books together into a cohesive whole. (And yes, I've already read the other five and they. are. awesome! be jealous though I envy you the treat of discovery.) So this isn't anything like some of those books you get from other role players where they're recreating a world and experience they've had. So it isn't one of those and I'd hate it if someone took that description and thought it was something it isn't.
And I love the characters too. Our viewpoint character is Sienne, who is fleeing her family and the life she was heading for and is looking for her path forward. She was trained as a wizard, so she's trying to find work in the last place her family would think to look—as a scrapper based in the capital city far from home. But her spellbook isn't exactly geared towards scrapping and she has no reputation and is struggling to find work. So when she finds a chance to work with Dianthe and Alaric, she snaps it up despite dark hints that Alaric will hate her for being a wizard. And he does . . . kind of. It quickly becomes clear that this "team" are all broken in ways that they don't like to talk about. Dianthe and Alaric are the core as they have been together for many years, but this is the first time for all of the others so they really are a company of strangers. They have a clear contract, though, so they head out. And it shouldn't be a surprise that they find reasons to connect with and trust each other. I love the early bumbles, but I like even better that each understands that the failures arise from not knowing and trusting each other and all commit to doing better.
So contracts are filled, obstacles overcome, and secrets shared. In this story, Alaric's is the biggest reveal. And it's a whopper that forms the basis of the team's cohesion going forward. I have to admit that I fell in passionate infatuation with him almost from the start. I love a strong, capable man who cares about those around him and does his best to help and support them. But the other team members are engaging, too, from Dianthe being appalled that anyone would think she'd commit crimes to Perrin's unique approach to his Avatar (this world has a single god who's worshippers approach through the six Avatars*) to Kalanath's unique insights. And, of course, Sienne's probably unconscious search for family.
Anyway, this book wraps in a satisfying conclusion, even as it leaves the path forward open. I loved coming back to these characters and their beginnings (I always reread the published version when Melissa publishes a new book because a) I forget the details and b) sometimes those change between when last I read and they're published). So it's a, perhaps unsurprising, five star read and I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
A note about my romance tags: While there may or may not be romance in the future books, there is none here. So no romance tags because calling this chaste is kind of silly since there's not even any flirting.
* Inside baseball: I hope Melissa doesn't murder me for revealing that the six avatars of God represent the six D&D attributes. Perrin's avatar, Averran, is all about wisdom. Read the book to see how that plays out once Melissa gets her hands on the concept...
Read
February 26, 2025I have always loved stories about teams. I love it when a bunch of talented people come together to share their various skills and make something stronger than all of them. So this book--this series--is a tribute to that. It's also a tribute to a 30-year history of playing roleplaying games in all genres, but particularly fantasy like Dungeons & Dragons. I wanted a world in which bands of adventurers had reasons to go into the wilds, hunting treasure or monsters, reclaiming the lost lands. And this is what came of that desire.
The characters came out of an afternoon's goofing off with a fantasy character generator called Central Casting. This is a very old book, not a website, and I enjoy coming up with random statistics and attributes for a character and building a background around that. So I had a set of five random characters and no world or plot. Later brainstorming came up with the premise: after their civilization's near-destruction, the people of Rafellin and its neighboring countries began rebuilding. Four hundred years later, civilization has recovered to the point that people can afford to make a living going into the Empty Lands to retrieve magical artifacts and push the boundaries of their countries back. Those people are called scrappers.
In book one, the young wizard Sienne, in hiding from her family, tries to become a scrapper to support herself. She meets Dianthe, whose skill set may be (ahem) extra-legal, and who specifically wants a wizard for a job she and her partner Alaric have been hired to do. They fill out the team with Perrin, a priest of the avatar Averrin, and a mysterious young warrior from distant Omeira named Kalanath. But Alaric hates wizards, Perrin is a drunk, and Kalanath is aloof. Not the best beginning for a team of people who depend on each other for their lives.
But that's the way these stories go; the seeming misfits overcome their differences to work together. That, to me, is the joy of stories like this, that gradual movement toward the point where they realize, as Sienne says, that what they have together is better than anything they have separately. The adventure gets complicated quickly, and added to the problem of completing the job they were hired for is a much larger task involving a secret Alaric has kept hidden for ten years.
It wouldn't be a true adventure if each character didn't have their own arc, and over the course of the six books of the series, Alaric, Sienne, Dianthe, Kalanath, and Perrin grow and change, and find common cause in the quest they pursue that will take them all over their country and beyond. They'll fight monsters, find treasure, solve problems (some of them ones people would prefer not be solved), argue with royalty, destroy the undead, and even find love. I hope people will enjoy these books as much as I enjoyed writing them.
I was going to tell the story of how this series arose from a joking conversation about the Next Hot Thing in YA fantasy, but I realized that would give away one of the reveals in this book, so I'll save it for book 2.
The characters came out of an afternoon's goofing off with a fantasy character generator called Central Casting. This is a very old book, not a website, and I enjoy coming up with random statistics and attributes for a character and building a background around that. So I had a set of five random characters and no world or plot. Later brainstorming came up with the premise: after their civilization's near-destruction, the people of Rafellin and its neighboring countries began rebuilding. Four hundred years later, civilization has recovered to the point that people can afford to make a living going into the Empty Lands to retrieve magical artifacts and push the boundaries of their countries back. Those people are called scrappers.
In book one, the young wizard Sienne, in hiding from her family, tries to become a scrapper to support herself. She meets Dianthe, whose skill set may be (ahem) extra-legal, and who specifically wants a wizard for a job she and her partner Alaric have been hired to do. They fill out the team with Perrin, a priest of the avatar Averrin, and a mysterious young warrior from distant Omeira named Kalanath. But Alaric hates wizards, Perrin is a drunk, and Kalanath is aloof. Not the best beginning for a team of people who depend on each other for their lives.
But that's the way these stories go; the seeming misfits overcome their differences to work together. That, to me, is the joy of stories like this, that gradual movement toward the point where they realize, as Sienne says, that what they have together is better than anything they have separately. The adventure gets complicated quickly, and added to the problem of completing the job they were hired for is a much larger task involving a secret Alaric has kept hidden for ten years.
It wouldn't be a true adventure if each character didn't have their own arc, and over the course of the six books of the series, Alaric, Sienne, Dianthe, Kalanath, and Perrin grow and change, and find common cause in the quest they pursue that will take them all over their country and beyond. They'll fight monsters, find treasure, solve problems (some of them ones people would prefer not be solved), argue with royalty, destroy the undead, and even find love. I hope people will enjoy these books as much as I enjoyed writing them.
I was going to tell the story of how this series arose from a joking conversation about the Next Hot Thing in YA fantasy, but I realized that would give away one of the reveals in this book, so I'll save it for book 2.
December 13, 2018
Why yes this is a new release, and yes I've already read it. That's because I was lucky enough to lay hands on an ARC and I've been chomping at the bit to review this one. So there. :)
Company of Strangers is the first in a six book arc and does a great job of pulling the reader into a high fantasy world of wizards, sword slingers, clerics and theives. If you love classic adventure fantasy or have ever rolled some dice at a DnD game you NEED to read this book. It's so fun and hits on so many classic tropes, but McShane does a fantastic job of putting her own twists on everything so it all felt familiar and brand new all at the same time. She does an excellent job with a magic system which is interesting and consistent and keeps a good line between clerical/holy magic and arcane magic without it being so complex that you need a dictionary. (Though having Sienne's spellbook in the index is a favorite feature of mine.)
While Sienne the young wizard is our POV character I found myself drawn into the stories of all five of the Company very quickly. They were unique individuals and yet you can see how they go together and why this would be such a good grouping, but nothing is a given and everyone has secrets to overcome - many of which are going to span the whole series.
What a fun ride!
Company of Strangers is the first in a six book arc and does a great job of pulling the reader into a high fantasy world of wizards, sword slingers, clerics and theives. If you love classic adventure fantasy or have ever rolled some dice at a DnD game you NEED to read this book. It's so fun and hits on so many classic tropes, but McShane does a fantastic job of putting her own twists on everything so it all felt familiar and brand new all at the same time. She does an excellent job with a magic system which is interesting and consistent and keeps a good line between clerical/holy magic and arcane magic without it being so complex that you need a dictionary. (Though having Sienne's spellbook in the index is a favorite feature of mine.)
While Sienne the young wizard is our POV character I found myself drawn into the stories of all five of the Company very quickly. They were unique individuals and yet you can see how they go together and why this would be such a good grouping, but nothing is a given and everyone has secrets to overcome - many of which are going to span the whole series.
What a fun ride!
April 15, 2020
Book 1 of a series. Does contain a complete story, though setting the seeds for the next.
Sienne, a young wizard, is looking for a job as a scrapper -- that is, someone who goes to the wilderness to find artifacts from a past, destroyed civilization -- ideally magical ones. After revealing someone cheated at dice, the cheaters come after her, and a rescuer, Dianthe, offers to hire her for a spell she knows.
Dianthe's partner Alaric does not like wizards, but they have no choice. They have also hired a priest Perrin and another fighter Kalanath. (Dianthe is a rogue and Alaric is a fighter. The world is, however, distinctly changed from a D&D one. For instance, Perrin prays for blessings and then looks at what he's given.)
It involves coins as salvage, hostage situations, how priests can work against each other (the theology of the world hints it's something humans have to wrestle with), how spell books work, attacks by strange monsters, and more.
Sienne, a young wizard, is looking for a job as a scrapper -- that is, someone who goes to the wilderness to find artifacts from a past, destroyed civilization -- ideally magical ones. After revealing someone cheated at dice, the cheaters come after her, and a rescuer, Dianthe, offers to hire her for a spell she knows.
Dianthe's partner Alaric does not like wizards, but they have no choice. They have also hired a priest Perrin and another fighter Kalanath. (Dianthe is a rogue and Alaric is a fighter. The world is, however, distinctly changed from a D&D one. For instance, Perrin prays for blessings and then looks at what he's given.)
It involves coins as salvage, hostage situations, how priests can work against each other (the theology of the world hints it's something humans have to wrestle with), how spell books work, attacks by strange monsters, and more.
December 13, 2018
I insist this book was written for me, but I also said that McShane's Extraordinaries series. This book takes the trope of an adventuring group in a fantasy world and really runs with it and makes it her own. My favorite part is the magic system, a central focus of the main character (she's a trained but inexperienced wizard). Her meager spellbook is stocked with some less-than-impressive spells, handy for certain types of wizards but certainly not the kind who now finds herself seeking the "scrapper" life. Lacking the powerful offensive magic usually desired in a band of treasure-hunters facing monsters and danger (sometimes in the form of other "scrapper" groups), she has to make do with what she has... very creatively.
Of course, with her limited experience and repertoire, she ends up with a group that is perhaps less-than-stellar, on a quest as much personal as profitable, and has to come to grips with harsh realities and complications. The story is filled with action and adventure, and while it will appeal the most to people who are familiar with Dungeons & Dragons or similar games, it's a great high-fantasy adventure for any reader, entertaining from start to finish. I can't wait to read the next book.
Of course, with her limited experience and repertoire, she ends up with a group that is perhaps less-than-stellar, on a quest as much personal as profitable, and has to come to grips with harsh realities and complications. The story is filled with action and adventure, and while it will appeal the most to people who are familiar with Dungeons & Dragons or similar games, it's a great high-fantasy adventure for any reader, entertaining from start to finish. I can't wait to read the next book.
January 13, 2019
I loved Melissa McShane’s Company of Strangers, the first book in a series of the sane name. Not just because it was a great fantasy novel with great writing and world-building abs superb cast of characters, though I’d have given it five stars on that basis alone. It also had something that appealed to me as a lifelong gamer even though this is 100% fantasy and not at all LitRPG.its just that the way that the magic system works, the spells available to Sienne as a trained but inexperienced wizard, the nature of the band of adventurers she ends up with and the world she’s adventuring in all had the feeling of what the best role-playing games should be. Wonderfully imaginative. But for the fact that I’m literally dictating this review to my husband from my hospital bed I could go on and on with praises. The book definitely deserves it. Since I can’t do that I will simply note that the book is most definitely one to read, and it is easy to highly recommend. I’m definitely looking forward to the next book in this series.
April 30, 2019
A great start to another fun series by McShane! It reads like the best version of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign - let’s see: we have the thief, the cleric, the mage, the warrior...yep! All there. The magic and spell casting surrounding the main character are an interesting take on the system. The development of the characters and the team as a whole are satisfying to watch unfold. The plot is interesting, unpredictable, and just fun to follow. Adventuring at its finest! 😊
I read an ARC, but review is mine!
I read an ARC, but review is mine!
April 30, 2021
An enjoyable book but not a series I may continue to read. It was light. A bit fluffy. Suitable for YA as well. McShane is a good writer so there's nothing irritating about the story itself. I will probably check out some of her other stories. I love her Extraordinary series and have bought the hard covers of them because honestly, those are some of the most beautiful covers that I have ever seen, especially book 1 and 4. I may come back to this series later.
June 28, 2019
Full disclosure. I know the author personally and I like her (and her family). We have been known to do role playing games together and I like those too. Also her sense of humor appears to mirror my own.
OK on with the actual review.
This story is really delightful. I am positive that some of the appeal is that while this is not based on any characters we have played or any stories we have collectively told it feels like a group of good friends getting together to be just a little bit silly and a lot bit creative in how they overcome the challenges before them. That feels a lot like how our game group plays.
In book one we follow from the viewpoint of Sienne, a baby wizard, in her first adventuring group, called "scrappers" in this world. They are tasked with retrieving an artifact from a ruin and returning it safely. Pretty standard fantasy fare for both games and books. But from there the story goes off the rails as unexpected challenges come and have to be overcome. I felt very little tension between the characters although, we were supposed to buy into the fact that Sienne feels like they won't become a team, but to the reader it's obvious that they will.
I can recommend this story for all ages. Adventuring parties are often described as "murder hobos" because of the body count in solving their issues, but I was struck about three fourths of the way through the book that they have gone to great pains to not actually kill any people. The only destruction I remember is someclorofiends...uh... plant monsters that is, and some structures. They are more like assault and battery hobos than anything else and it does give the story an almost cartoon feel.
All in all I enjoyed each of the characters for their unique inputs and the interpersonal interplay between them was refreshing. I'll definitely read more in this series and recommend you do too.
OK on with the actual review.
This story is really delightful. I am positive that some of the appeal is that while this is not based on any characters we have played or any stories we have collectively told it feels like a group of good friends getting together to be just a little bit silly and a lot bit creative in how they overcome the challenges before them. That feels a lot like how our game group plays.
In book one we follow from the viewpoint of Sienne, a baby wizard, in her first adventuring group, called "scrappers" in this world. They are tasked with retrieving an artifact from a ruin and returning it safely. Pretty standard fantasy fare for both games and books. But from there the story goes off the rails as unexpected challenges come and have to be overcome. I felt very little tension between the characters although, we were supposed to buy into the fact that Sienne feels like they won't become a team, but to the reader it's obvious that they will.
I can recommend this story for all ages. Adventuring parties are often described as "murder hobos" because of the body count in solving their issues, but I was struck about three fourths of the way through the book that they have gone to great pains to not actually kill any people. The only destruction I remember is some
All in all I enjoyed each of the characters for their unique inputs and the interpersonal interplay between them was refreshing. I'll definitely read more in this series and recommend you do too.
December 23, 2018
Not strangers
Any characters in any book by Melissa McShane are not strangers at all but people I like very much. I can't wait to find out what their stories are and what their relationships with each other are. Relationships are one of the things that McShane does well as well as create very believable worlds . I can't wait to read other books in this world.
Any characters in any book by Melissa McShane are not strangers at all but people I like very much. I can't wait to find out what their stories are and what their relationships with each other are. Relationships are one of the things that McShane does well as well as create very believable worlds . I can't wait to read other books in this world.
July 6, 2022
We see the action through the eyes of Sienne, who is more than a little naïve, but somehow never quite suffers the expected consequences for it. This makes the book a little less than realistic, but a lot of fun. The book ends with enough of a draw to make the reader wish to continue, but without leaving the reader hanging.
February 28, 2022
an interesting series
Another interesting world by Melissa McShane. This one follows a diverse cast of characters as they temporarily form a scrapping team, to recover treasure from ruins. There’s magic and fighting and creative thinking, and it’s all a fun ride.
Another interesting world by Melissa McShane. This one follows a diverse cast of characters as they temporarily form a scrapping team, to recover treasure from ruins. There’s magic and fighting and creative thinking, and it’s all a fun ride.
November 14, 2021
A fun story, a bit of adventure, coming of age, and just a touch of mystery.
I admit though, I had hoped for a more complex plot. It was very linear, always just "do the next thing." That makes me think it was written for a bit younger audience than the books I typically read.
I am not sure I would recommend the book for them because of the content, however. There was nothing explicit, but still several casual discussions mentioning sex. Violence, but nothing graphic.
I admit though, I had hoped for a more complex plot. It was very linear, always just "do the next thing." That makes me think it was written for a bit younger audience than the books I typically read.
I am not sure I would recommend the book for them because of the content, however. There was nothing explicit, but still several casual discussions mentioning sex. Violence, but nothing graphic.
February 8, 2020
I love a good fictional found family, and Company of Strangers brought together a loveable bunch of misfits in a fascinating world with an unusual magic system. Sienne was a great viewpoint character, I loved how well the story conveyed her firm sense of justice, her loneliness and her longing for friendship and community, all the more understandable when you learn of her past. The rest of her crew were all intriguing and there are lots more stories to learn. And I have high hopes for a love story, please and thank you. Looking forward to reading more.
December 28, 2018
Fun and very readable. The middle drags a bit with some excessive repetition of Sienne’s thoughts about the team and some heavy-handed and repeated hints that other characters have secrets. I’ll still probably pick up the next one.
December 24, 2018
Readable but not my usual cup of tea. It feels like a plot inspired by a DnD game: leader, thief, wizard, fighter, and cleric become a team and have an adventure.
March 1, 2019
Not LitRPG, but clearly grounded in a system very much like D&D.
August 8, 2019
Wow, I really enjoyed this!
I've been meaning to start reading Melissa McShane's work because we're friends here on Goodreads and because all of her books have really creative ideas that sound right up my alley.
Sienne is a young wizard who wants to join a team of scrappers, artifact hunters who travel into abandoned wastes and search for items created by an ancient civilization that they can sell for a profit. Scrapper partners Alaric and Dianthe find themselves in need of a particular spell for their latest job, and Sienne ends up joining them, with a priest and (if my limited Dungeons & Dragons knowledge is correct) a warrior monk rounding out the group.
Anyone who likes the aforementioned tabletop games or high fantasy in general knows the appeal of spending time with an eclectic group of adventurers going on a quest. McShane is clearly familiar with the tropes of the genre, but I never felt like this story was unoriginal or cliche. The way magic works in this book is really interesting and the role priests have in the society is utterly unique and something I'm eager to learn more about. Essentially, there is only one God who acts through six avatars, and the priests petition the avatars for blessings.
I enjoyed every single member of our scrapper team and I liked meeting them while they were all getting to know each other and figuring out how to work together. All of them have their secrets, some of which are revealed during this book but with plenty others still to discover. One reveal in particular made me gasp with delight and grin like a buffoon, but explaining why would spoil it, so I leave it up to you to discover.
As an added bonus, it is so nice to have a clean high fantasy series. So many adult fantasy fare these days are grimdark, a facet of the genre I don't like. It was a breath of fresh air actually having a fun adventure with likeable characters. I can't believe how rare that's become in the genre today.
Overall, highly recommended to fans of classic high fantasy and those who enjoy D&D and other tabletop games, although you don't have to be familiar with the latter to enjoy this book. I just might pick up the sequel right away, and it's unusual for me to want to dive right back into the same world after finishing one book in the series.
Disclaimer: I do know the author, if only through Goodreads, and while that is the reason I was aware of and decided to read this book, it has not influenced my rating. She did not contact me to ask me to read or review this book.
I've been meaning to start reading Melissa McShane's work because we're friends here on Goodreads and because all of her books have really creative ideas that sound right up my alley.
Sienne is a young wizard who wants to join a team of scrappers, artifact hunters who travel into abandoned wastes and search for items created by an ancient civilization that they can sell for a profit. Scrapper partners Alaric and Dianthe find themselves in need of a particular spell for their latest job, and Sienne ends up joining them, with a priest and (if my limited Dungeons & Dragons knowledge is correct) a warrior monk rounding out the group.
Anyone who likes the aforementioned tabletop games or high fantasy in general knows the appeal of spending time with an eclectic group of adventurers going on a quest. McShane is clearly familiar with the tropes of the genre, but I never felt like this story was unoriginal or cliche. The way magic works in this book is really interesting and the role priests have in the society is utterly unique and something I'm eager to learn more about. Essentially, there is only one God who acts through six avatars, and the priests petition the avatars for blessings.
I enjoyed every single member of our scrapper team and I liked meeting them while they were all getting to know each other and figuring out how to work together. All of them have their secrets, some of which are revealed during this book but with plenty others still to discover. One reveal in particular made me gasp with delight and grin like a buffoon, but explaining why would spoil it, so I leave it up to you to discover.
As an added bonus, it is so nice to have a clean high fantasy series. So many adult fantasy fare these days are grimdark, a facet of the genre I don't like. It was a breath of fresh air actually having a fun adventure with likeable characters. I can't believe how rare that's become in the genre today.
Overall, highly recommended to fans of classic high fantasy and those who enjoy D&D and other tabletop games, although you don't have to be familiar with the latter to enjoy this book. I just might pick up the sequel right away, and it's unusual for me to want to dive right back into the same world after finishing one book in the series.
Disclaimer: I do know the author, if only through Goodreads, and while that is the reason I was aware of and decided to read this book, it has not influenced my rating. She did not contact me to ask me to read or review this book.
October 18, 2020
Company of Strangers came upon a 'similar to' Goodreads list one night when I was browsing. I enjoy magical artifact quests, wizards, reluctant companions, and the cover certainly drew me in.
The story is well-crafted with an engaging and lively pace. The action doesn't lag. The party of protagonists, five of them, moves out on their initial journey, which quickly leads to more than they bargained for. The events flow smoothly from one to another, and suddenly what seemed to be a lucky find is the crux of a much bigger mystery.
The five main characters are strong yet individual. Their motivations are clear, which makes them relatable and worthy of our interest. For a first book in a series, I did not find it bogged down in backstory at all. In fact, very few backstory details are given for each character. Melissa McShane did a great job of bringing the reader into the story without having to explain any whys until much further into the book. I thought it was deftly and artfully done.
Company of Strangers is true sword and sorcery fantasy, with several other much-loved tropes, worked in in ways that enhance and strengthen the story. I enjoyed the book and will look for the second book in the series soon. If you are a fantasy lover, you can't go wrong with Company of Strangers, it is a solid, adventurous read.
The story is well-crafted with an engaging and lively pace. The action doesn't lag. The party of protagonists, five of them, moves out on their initial journey, which quickly leads to more than they bargained for. The events flow smoothly from one to another, and suddenly what seemed to be a lucky find is the crux of a much bigger mystery.
The five main characters are strong yet individual. Their motivations are clear, which makes them relatable and worthy of our interest. For a first book in a series, I did not find it bogged down in backstory at all. In fact, very few backstory details are given for each character. Melissa McShane did a great job of bringing the reader into the story without having to explain any whys until much further into the book. I thought it was deftly and artfully done.
Company of Strangers is true sword and sorcery fantasy, with several other much-loved tropes, worked in in ways that enhance and strengthen the story. I enjoyed the book and will look for the second book in the series soon. If you are a fantasy lover, you can't go wrong with Company of Strangers, it is a solid, adventurous read.
January 14, 2019
The cast of characters in this book works really well. Sienne is young and seems a bit naive, wanting to rush into creating a new family after running away from her parents’ home. I suspect in later books she‘ll find that her scrapper crew is not as perfect as she originally thought, which will in turn help her see her family and the world around her with more understanding and acceptance of flaws. Dianthe and Alaric both seem reluctant to form new connections with people—they definitely have unsavory pasts and plenty of secrets. Perrin might be content to go through life alone (as long as there’s a drink in his hand), but begins to see the value in human companionship. I want to see more of Kalanath in upcoming books. He’s young, like Sienne, but seems less inclined to trust people. He comes from what I felt was the most unique culture among them, so some of his hesitancy likely comes from having to reveal aspects of himself that might not be accepted. This was a great book with an exciting quest and an interesting magic system that really brought it to another level. Can’t wait for the next one!
February 16, 2019
I started out thinking of Melissa McShane as "the other Lindsay Buroker," but I've concluded that she writes more varied - yet always good-quality - books, and has slightly better editing. (Buroker's isn't bad, but McShane's is almost impeccable.)
This seems to be the start of a new series, which I will happily follow. It's more D&D-like than her other books, but happily it is not too close to the game; there's no reference to experience, hit points, or leveling up, for example, though people do improve in their abilities (and the kind of spells they can handle) over time.
I thought the way cleric magic works was a nice original touch: the cleric prays for blessings, and they come in the form of symbols burnt onto pre-prepared rice paper squares, which can be used to invoke them as needed.
Here we have a newly trained (female) wizard venturing out on her first adventure with a party, into the wilderness, on a quest to bring back valuable artifacts from an old ruin. They even meet in a series of inns, though by arrangement, not coincidence. As I said, though, it's not all D&D cliche, by any means; it's an enjoyable adventure story with a fresh approach to magic.
If it has a weakness, it's that the wizard-hating person comes to like this specific wizard a bit too easily, and everyone (except the villains, of course) is a bit too nice. I noticed this with the author's urban fantasy series set in the bookstore, as well; everyone seemed nice, friendly, and reasonable, which in some ways is a pleasant contrast to (and, in my experience, more realistic than) the kind of nasty, broken cast you get in so many books these days, but it can tend to suck a bit of tension and conflict out of the story unless carefully handled.
There was plenty of conflict to go round, though, and not everything was rainbows (even if some of it was unicorns). I look forward to the sequel.
This seems to be the start of a new series, which I will happily follow. It's more D&D-like than her other books, but happily it is not too close to the game; there's no reference to experience, hit points, or leveling up, for example, though people do improve in their abilities (and the kind of spells they can handle) over time.
I thought the way cleric magic works was a nice original touch: the cleric prays for blessings, and they come in the form of symbols burnt onto pre-prepared rice paper squares, which can be used to invoke them as needed.
Here we have a newly trained (female) wizard venturing out on her first adventure with a party, into the wilderness, on a quest to bring back valuable artifacts from an old ruin. They even meet in a series of inns, though by arrangement, not coincidence. As I said, though, it's not all D&D cliche, by any means; it's an enjoyable adventure story with a fresh approach to magic.
If it has a weakness, it's that the wizard-hating person comes to like this specific wizard a bit too easily, and everyone (except the villains, of course) is a bit too nice. I noticed this with the author's urban fantasy series set in the bookstore, as well; everyone seemed nice, friendly, and reasonable, which in some ways is a pleasant contrast to (and, in my experience, more realistic than) the kind of nasty, broken cast you get in so many books these days, but it can tend to suck a bit of tension and conflict out of the story unless carefully handled.
There was plenty of conflict to go round, though, and not everything was rainbows (even if some of it was unicorns). I look forward to the sequel.
December 19, 2018
Company of Strangers is the newest fantasy release by Melissa McShane. I loved this magical tale. I loved the adventure and action. I never knew what was going to happen next with Sienne and her team.
Even though, I am not that huge of a fan of fantasy fiction, I was actually intrigued with Company of Strangers. I thought is was a great read and recommend it. I am giving it 5 stars.
I received this book from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
Even though, I am not that huge of a fan of fantasy fiction, I was actually intrigued with Company of Strangers. I thought is was a great read and recommend it. I am giving it 5 stars.
I received this book from the author, but was not required to write a review. This review is 100% my own honest opinion.
February 1, 2019
Interesting start.
Another interesting series opener from McShane! Set in a post-apocalyptic world, at a medievalish technology level, there are magic-users. Sienne, a young wizard is trying to make her living as a scrapper (scavenger). She signs on to a small group who is looking for a particular artifact. Sienne is a little naive but her new companions help her to adjust.
Everyone has some secret in their background and we find out a few in this book. I assume we'll find out more in the next one. Hopefully, it will come out soon!
Another interesting series opener from McShane! Set in a post-apocalyptic world, at a medievalish technology level, there are magic-users. Sienne, a young wizard is trying to make her living as a scrapper (scavenger). She signs on to a small group who is looking for a particular artifact. Sienne is a little naive but her new companions help her to adjust.
Everyone has some secret in their background and we find out a few in this book. I assume we'll find out more in the next one. Hopefully, it will come out soon!
February 6, 2019
Old fashioned quest fantasy done really well. Feels a bit like one of the better TSR Forgotten Realms novels from the 90s - party comes together with balanced classes, different spell memorisation regimes for priests and mages, "find the McGuffin" plot motivation etc. But it feels like that in a very good way. The use of familiar tropes to tell a story about found family (which is NOT what quest fantasy is typically about) was nice, and the cosmology of the world is really interesting (particularly like the always-tipsy priest of a god who is best known for being cranky). More, please!
July 28, 2019
I always adore Melissa McShane’s books and Company of strangers is no different. The world was super interesting, I loved the magic system and the characters, just absolutely delightful! A bunch of ‘strangers’ who have to learn to work together, honestly it’s one of my favourite tropes. It had some twists and turns in the middle that I did not see coming and it was a nice surprise! All and all, it was a really fun read and on to book two.
* I received a copy of this book, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
* I received a copy of this book, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 20, 2020
Trying to hide herself from home and family, wizard Sienne decides to become a scrapper, one who searched the empty lands for artifacts from the before times. To do this she needs to attach herself to a team, but with no experience, she's as much a liability as an asset. She's taken on by Dianthe, her wizard-hating partner Alaric, the drunk priest Perrin, and a young fighter named Kalanath. This is the story of how the team shares secrets, and bonds through some desperate adventuring. Finding treasure is only the first of their problems. This is a pleasant read, and obviously a set-up novel.
July 1, 2025
This was exactly what I was looking for: a novel full of fantasy and adventure, making me feel like I was along for the ride in a D&D campaign with a subtle love story bubbling under the surface. I'll be honest, I wasn't sold on the cover and almost didn't get this book (I thought it looked more like a lady in a body-con style dress and clutch bag, making me think it was about some rich private school or something), but I'm soooo glad I looked into this book and gave it a go because it was perfect. I can't wait to read Stone of Inheritance!
February 18, 2020
Company of Strangers had good moments - I especially liked the "battle" in the last chapters. Overall though it was a bit of a slow read. I did enjoy Perrin's invocations to his avatar and the various magic spells and the system of magic and wizardry. I may or may not check out the rest of the series. Side note: the cover art is very visually appealing but I don't think it really captured the feel of the story.
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