Chivalry

by Gavin G. Smith

When Sir Thornto Jeness follows his chivalric hero, Lord Philippe Duranton, to war, he soon discovers that heroes are often better worshipped from afar. Betrayed, badly injured, left for dead, Sir Thornto is nursed back to half-life by Gritcham, a ghoul necromancer. Joining forces with Cross, a taciturn professional murderess, he returns to the war, determined to set the record straight.

Chivalry is a grim and gritty tale of revenge, with a cast of scheming nobles, brutal mercenaries, violent criminals and wielders of inhuman dark magic.

Genres: Fantasy

111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 24, 2019

About the author

Gavin Smith was born in Dundee in the same year that Iron Butterfly recorded Inna-Gadda-da-Vida. He has also lived in Camberley, Hayling Island, Portsmouth, Hull, Leamington Spa and is currently living a near feral existence in Leicester (if you see him in the streets he will write science fiction for sweeties). Anyone who has been to any of these places will understand why his fiction is like it is.

He has a degree in writing for film and a Masters in medieval history. Veteran is his first novel but he is patiently waiting for one of the 2.5 scripts that have been optioned to be turned into films.

He likes to travel and dive when he can afford it and in his free time he enjoys getting the s**t kicked out of him whilst practicing Silat. He is hoping that his books do well so he can buy a motorbike.

Reviews

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of a new set of Newcon novellas I picked up recently to read. I was not sure what to expect since this series appears to be high fantasy but I need not have worried as the first one I picked up (which ironically is the last in the set although they are not related and so can be read in any order) was a hard hitting and visceral exploration of the assumptions made in the name of chivalry and how far they are when compared to reality.

The story (and no I am giving away no spoilers that are not gleaned from the cover) is one of betrayal and revenge and so as you can imagine it does not pull many - okay any - punches.

The story travels at a pace which is what you need in a book of this size however even with this it is non-stop. The story is tight and even with all the action and blood shed it can still make you stop and think - there are some interesting questions posed at the end of the book.

[Cameron Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

A naive and idealistic young knight with a head full of chivalric deeds and glory heads off to battle and discovers the true nature of war, and confronts the sickening acts of his own side. Betrayed and left for dead, he is resurrected (in a fashion) by a ghoul necromancer and sets out to punish the wicked members of his own army.

I have been a fan of Gavin Smith's criminally underrated military scifi books for a while now, and this is the first epic fantasy of his I have read. Hot damn is it dark and brutal and compelling - somebody offer this man a big fat fantasy trilogy book deal right now!! Seriously, I would read the hell out of that.

I found the depiction of war brutal and uncomfortable to read - exactly as it should be, and the under-kingdom of the ghouls was somewhere I'd love to explore more given half a chance.

[Ceri Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very excited to read some fantasy from Gavin Smith, having read some of his sci-fi in the past. Chivalry does not disappoint, encompassing Smith's fast-paced action writing and showcasing his obvious passion for the genre and for weaponry in particular.

I was immediately drawn to the main character in chapter one, which makes the horrors he encounters from chapter two onward all the more upsetting (in a good way). Thornto is likeable and relatable, but the story's novella format restricts it from properly exploring the character's evolving motivation, which makes his actions and decisions seem a little rushed.

The story comes together in an ending that is very satisfying while simultaneously leaving you hungry for a full-length sequel. (Sadly the Kindle version has a few copy-editing issues which also detract from the overall enjoyment!)

[Batjutsu · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent story, no wasted pages. Solid characters, concept and implementation. The value of Life, the costs of revenge?

[Shane Kiely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gavin G Smith departing from his usual action heavy sci fi into the world of grimdark (but still action heavy) fantasy. Reads more like medieval historical fiction than fantasy for the most part (the Hundred Years War was definitely a point of reference) though the fantasy component actually blends in well. The knightly melees are just as well crafted as the usual futuristic combat Smith specializes in. For a relatively short run time there’s also a good level of character development. Definitely a good way to spend about 90 minutes.

[Anders Haywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gritty, grimdark adventure.

I should say first off that I haven't read any of the other books in this universe, so I was a fresh reader.
The story itself was a great grimdark novel about a knight who finds that war isn't quite as clean and chivalrous as he'd imagined.
I won't spoil the rest, but this was well written and vivid.
All in all, very enjoyable.

[Christian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only negative I can think of, is that the book is too short.