Blood of an Exile

Dragons of Terra #1

by Brian Naslund

Alternate cover edition of ASIN B07NLDZ5GS

The first book in the Dragons of Terra series, Blood of an Exile features a life-changing mission for a death-defying adventurer . . . If you liked The Witcher, you'll love this - welcome to Brian Naslund's spectacular, action-packed fantasy debut.

Sentenced to die. Impossible to kill.

Bershad was supposed to die. When he was caught attempting to assassinate a fellow noble, he was given the harshest sentence: a command to slay dragons, so his death might serve the kingdom. Yet for some reason he never lost a fight and is now the most successful dragon-slayer in history. However, as a doomed man Bershad is still shunned by his peers and his countrymen. But that could all change.

The king who sentenced Bershad has just given him a way out: kill a foreign monarch and walk free forever. But Bershad couldn’t care less about the fates of kingdoms – until the dragon-slayer discovers he could save an innocent child in the process.

His mission might also save every creature in Terra.

'Dark and adventurous, brazenly cinematic . . . sure to win over dragon-loads of fantasy fans' - Sebastien de Castell, author of Spellslinger

'Fans of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law or Michael Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations will love Brian Naslund’s debut' - Django Wexler, author of the Shadow Campaigns series

Genres: Fantasy, Dragons, Adult, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Fiction, Audiobook

414 pages, ebook

First published August 6, 2019

About the author

Brian is an American fantasy author. Blood of an Exile is his debut novel, and the first in The Dragons of Terra series. The sequel, Sorcery of a Queen, will be published in August, 2020.

Brian grew up in Maryland but hates crab-cakes. He now lives in Colorado.

When he's not writing, he’s usually griping about video games on Twitter, hiking with his dog, Lola, or whitewater kayaking in the mountains. The last activity makes his mother very nervous.

You can connect with him at briannaslund.com.

Reviews

[Petrik · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC provided by the publisher—Pan Macmillan—in exchange for an honest review.

Blood of an Exile has dragons and dragonslayer, if you love a great fantasy debut with dragons, I doubt you’ll be reading the rest of this review.

And yet I will still write one. Blood of an Exile is Brian Naslund’s debut. It’s the first book in the Dragons of Terra trilogy. The story follows the Silas Bershad the Flawless, an exile who was supposed to die after he was caught trying to assassinate a noble. Bershad, the most famous and successful dragonslayer in the world, receive a task from the man who exiled him in the first place. The mission is to kill a king and save an innocent child in captive, only then he’ll be pardoned from his crime. With that kind of nickname, the premise led me to believe that this would be an ultimate Gary-Stu story but what I got was something more in-depth and empathizing. Without giving spoilers, there’s a rule to Bershad’s rumored “immortality” and “strength”; he’s not always immortal and full of strength 24 hours, and I found the mystery behind his power to be one of the main driving force of the narrative.

“Heroes and villains morphing out of the same people based on rumors and reputations and the simple passage of time.

The five perspective characters have a distinctive voice to their narration. Although the majority of the story was told from Bershad’s perspective, Naslund did a great job in making sure that every POV has its own charm and internal struggles. Bershad’s POV involved an A to B travel section by nature. However, as far as travel sections go, Naslun successfully made sure that the section was used to build the characters’ relationship, fleshed out the world-building. Reading how each character’s fate eventually intertwined with each other was enjoyable; the characters and Naslun’s accessible writing style immerse me into the world he has crafted with ease. Honestly, if you love a book filled with a group of outcast banding together and unlikely friendships being formed, Blood of an Exile is full of that.

“Now that it had arrived, Bershad didn’t feel any different. No sudden and warm feelings of relief flooding his conscience. That’s what made life such a bastard—guilt rode on your back heavy and hard and relentless. Redemption was light as a feather. Easy to forget entirely.”

I never felt bogged down by the world-building, which was frankly one of my favorite parts of the book. Blood of an Exile has a world that has dragons—many of them—and I loved how the existence of the creatures itself, in one way or another, affected the lifestyle, biology, and environment of Terra. It gave a refreshing feeling to my reading experience; the dragons were written efficiently and effectively. To make things even better, other creatures and the importance of alchemy made the world-building felt rich. It needs to be noted that Naslund’s action scenes were incredibly vivid and brutal at times. Bershad’s bloodthirst felt palpable and each activation of his rage mode sparked a thrilling sensation to the scenes; making the action sequences gripping.

“Everyone’s a critic of the nobles until they become one and have to actually make decisions.”

As for minor issues, I’m personally not a fan of reading too much literal shit happening; in this book, there were a bit too much shitting and walking through literal shithole for my reading preferences. The word orgy which was used several times, even though I knew it’s supposed to mean ceremonial rites in context, also felt distracting to my immersion. Overall though, these are minor issues and personal pet peeves of mine that didn’t diminish my overall enjoyment of the book.

Blood of an Exile was an exhilarating and action-packed debut that never neglects the crucial characterizations necessary to heighten the character’s struggle. The novel concluded in a stand-alone manner and it seems like the sequel will focus more on the dragons and magic, and I’m all up for it. Overall, this was definitely a commendable debut and an exciting start to a trilogy, one that I’ll recommend to readers who love dragons and in need of a refreshing take on it.

Official release date: August 8th, 2019 (UK) and August 6th, 2019 (US)

You can pre-order the book from: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Book Depository (Free shipping)

The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

You can find this and the rest of my reviews at Novel Notions

[James Tivendale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an uncorrected proof copy of Blood of an Exile in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Brian Naslund and Tor.

Bershad the Flawless is a dragon-slayer. After betraying the King fourteen years ago Bershad was exiled and given a brutal sentence. To spend the rest of his days trying to kill the flying lizard behemoths that roam around Terra. To most, this is a fate worse than a simple execution and very few dragon-slayers ever actually complete the deed even once. Sixty-seven dragons later Bershad's feats have become the tales of legend and he is the most successful dragon-killer of all time. Unfortunately, he is still shunned by the majority of the world's inhabitants due to his tattoos which mark him as an exile. After his most recent mission, disposing of a Needle-Throated Verdun, a surprising proposition is offered to Bershad by the King who sentenced him. If he murders the Emperor of a neighbouring kingdom he will walk away from the task a free man.

Blood of an Exile is a thrilling, action-packed rollercoaster ride of a dark fantasy debut and I devoured the four hundred plus pages in three days. It should not be confused with Mitchell Hogan's equally excellent Shadow of the Exile. Naslund's debut is predominantly set in a medieval-inspired world that features dragons, jaguars, vampires, strange snails that cause terrible diseases, and an adorable pet donkey. There is also a more advanced nation and this area showcases elements of steampunk too. The world building is topnotch and the uniqueness of the environment is presented deftly. Blood of an Exile only follows one timeline and the details of the character's pasts and intricate notions regarding Terra are presented through the characters thoughts and conversations throughout and comes across organically.

There are five point of view perspectives that we follow in Blood of an Exile. The most frequent is that of Bershad's where readers follow him on his numerous missions alongside his only friend Rowan who is a forsaken shield, and his trusted donkey companion Alfonso. We are also welcomed into the minds of an assassin Garret, an alchemist's apprentice Jolan, the daughter of the King who exiled Bershad, Ashelyn, and a mysterious and talented 'widow' Vera. Those familiar with John Gwynne's novels, especially Of Blood and Bone will be used to the type of chapter presentation showcased here. Named chapters, frequent point of view switches, and occasionally more than one character analysing the same event when their paths cross, although often taking into consideration very different views, motives, and agendas.

Blood of an Exile deserves a place on the middle to the higher end of the Grimdark scale. Terra is a horrendously brutal world and there are some truly gruesome moments. As well as Bershad's assassination attempt the narrative features a potential civil war, an assassin assigned to murder very important individuals, duels for honour, and a potential cull of wildlife that could dramatically change the whole world. I became attached to many of the ensemble members even though it is littered with murderers, scumbags, schemers, and thieves. Without going into spoiler territory, some important players might not make it to the second book in the trilogy. One moment in particular nearly made me sling the book across the room! The ending is pretty exceptional and wraps up everything nicely. Blood of an Exile could work as a standalone but there are more than enough teasers and loose ends that mean I'll definitely be continuing Bershad's adventure. If I had to quickly summarise this novel I'd say it's a darkly-tinged mixture of John Gwynne's - Of Blood and Bone and Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher Saga and is recommended for fans of both series.

[Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some shit pissed me off, but it was a great story!



Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

[Sebastien Castell · Rating 5 out of 5]

It takes a lot to get me excited about dragons and dragonslayers. The tendency for authors to drop such classic tropes of fantasy for effect either as "look at this evil monstrosity – however will our hero defeat it?" or "behold this majestic magical beast - let us learn from its wisdom" irks anyone who's ever wondered how such behemoths could possibly fit into a viable ecosystem. Fortunately, Brian Naslund's Blood of an Exile begins with dragons not as a singular species nor a set of "red dragon, blue dragon, copper dragon" archetypes, but as a fully-formed genus with characteristics that vary among the sub-species and, more importantly, a role to play in their environment. He then carries this founding principle through a dark and raucous tale of politics, revenge, and betrayal in which every character has a genuine point of view about the rightful place of humanity within the natural world.

There are heroes and villains aplenty in Blood of an Exile, and magic that isn't afraid to be big and bold in its scope. In some ways there's a blending of traditional fantasy and the modern super hero film at work here, and that's sure to bring Naslund many fans of the two genres. More importantly from my perspective, however, is that the relationships between those characters matter. Friendship and self-interest, loyalty and betrayal, these are what drive the human story that takes place underneath the grand events of wars and conspiracies and the true nature of giant winged beasts.

Naslund doesn't shy away from dealing with ethical questions that haunt our own world, either. The villains aren't motivated by the simple desire to eradicate dragons out of fear or envy, nor even for the tremendous resources that can be derived from their corpses. Rather, it is in pursuit of the greater future of their civilization, of a better, safer, easier lifestyle for their people that the genocidal exploitation of these creatures is envisioned. Expect to squirm in your seat a few times as the book forces you to consider how much of your own modern comforts you'd really be willing to give up in the name of preserving natural wonders.

Stylistically, Blood of an Exile is brazenly cinematic. Reading the book feels very much as if you got a free ticket to see the movie at the same time. That, too, is a trend that's becoming more and more present in the genre, and Naslund uses it to good effect. I'll admit that there were times when I wondered if a particular piece of fighting or action was the most natural choice for the characters or whether it simply made for the best visual, but hey, in fantasy sometimes it's better to go fully bombastic than retreat to the sort of pseudo-historical battles that are the domain of Medieval recreationists rather than readers looking for maximum drama.

By the suitably massive climax of the book, Brian Naslund's Blood of an Exile reminded me that fantasy debuts work best when they're unafraid, unapologetic, and, filled with big, bloody, magical moments.

[Nils | nilsreviewsit · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You can have black deeds and mistakes in your past without being rotten down to the core. You can keep moving through this world, even if there is no redemption for the things you left behind you.”
~
Blood of An Exile is the debut novel by Brian Naslund, and is the first book in the Dragons of Terra trilogy. This novel first caught my eye on Twitter, when the gorgeous UK edition of the cover was revealed, and then when it was recommended for fans of John Gwynne, Andrzej Sapkowski and Joe Abercrombie, who are some of my most favourite authors, I knew I needed to read it... like right now!

The story begins with Silas Bershad the Flawless, a perceived traitor who is exiled by the King. In the world of Terra, exiles are forced into becoming dragonslayers; basically a form of death sentence as many rarely survive the ordeal. However, Bershad is somewhat unique, after 14 years of being a dragonslayer he has managed to survive. Given this infamous status Bershad has acquired, the King calls him back to the castle in Floodhaven and propositions him with the task of killing the emperor, in Burz-al-dun, and helping to rescue the king’s kidnapped daughter, all in exchange for his freedom.

One of the main aspects of the book that charmed me right from the onset was the cast of characters. There are five central points of view, and each perspective is distinct and well fleshed out. Naslund, skilfully, intertwines their narratives with one another as the story progresses, which was brilliant to see.

I have always had a fondness towards books where groups of outcasts are banded together to journey on a quest, and Naslund certainly delivered on this account. There is a fair bit of travelling in this book, the majority of this comes from Bershad’s story arc as he and his shield-man Rowan, a convicted thief, Felgor, and an assassin, Vera, all travel together to Balaria. However, Naslund never allows these scenes to become tedious. We see the band of misfits bicker, then slowly begin to form friendships, to tell each other about their lives, and to begin caring about one another. All this was enriched with a good healthy dose of banter, and of course an adorable donkey named Alfonso, who I cannot forget to mention! They all made me laugh out loud on so many occasions, and I especially loved those campfire conversations which were some of my most favourite scenes.Trust me, you’ll just grow to love these characters so much by the end.
~
“Leave the animal and let’s go!” Yonmar hissed.
Bershad grabbed Yonmar by the front of his shirt and yanked him close.
“Listen to me very carefully, Grealor. Hertzog and your father can’t protect you out here. And I don’t care if you’ve got a flying fucking carpet that’ll spirit us across the Balarian border, I will cut your lungs out of your chest if you threaten my donkey again.”
~
The second element that I found so compelling was the world building. From the poisonous snails, and the Jaguars of the Deepdale jungle, to the clock-work mechanisms and modernism found in Burz-al-dun, Naslund undoubtedly created a vivid land full of culture. However, for me personally, it is the majestic dragons that really steal the show. Not only are they fearsome and deadly, but they also play a key role to the survival of the world of Terra. As the story progresses we learn how the various dragon species are pivotal to the ecosystem in the world, and upsetting this natural order by reducing the dragon population could be dire. I loved this part so much; not only does it mirror much of our own environmental issues present today, but it also makes us question how much more we could and should do to preserve natural inhabitants.

Lastly, I appreciated that the dragons also served the purpose of being the catalyst for the magic system within the realms of Terra. They are the key to unlocking a wealth of power, and judging by the ending of this book, I’m certain this will be explored more thoroughly in the sequel - which already has me filled with anticipation!

Okay, definitely lastly this time, but I must also note how fantastic the action sequences were written. Whether fighting against a dragon, or savages, or trained soldiers, the various characters all had different fighting styles, but they all proved to be just as brutal.This constructed such a lovely cinematic prose.

To conclude, this book is not your typical dragonslayer story. At its heart Blood of An Exile is the story of progression versus nature, it’s a tale of unlikely friendships, and a quest to fight for those you love. I commend Naslund on this debut, because simply put, it’s a magical action packed read.

Arc provided by Tor UK (Pan Macmillan) in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

[James Islington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been meaning to write a review of Blood of an Exile since I read it towards the end of last year, but… life’s been busy. Unfortunately, that means things aren’t quite as fresh in my mind as I’d like, but the fact I’m still motivated to do this a few months on speaks volumes to the quality of the book.

As usual, I’m not going to go into the details of the plot—there are already plenty of reviews that do that—but the bottom line is that if you’re into books about dragons, this one’s definitely worth checking out. It’s an action-packed story with no POVs that felt like they were dragging things down, there are central mysteries that keep you reading and are satisfyingly resolved, and the ending—while certainly setting up for sequels—ties everything off well enough to avoid the wait for the next one feeling frustrating.

The world of Blood of an Exile is very much a grim one, but its fast pace and the banter between characters largely offset that for me. The worldbuilding itself is neatly done, too: it’s thorough, feels distinct, and is always worked into the story rather than tacked on. I especially liked how the existence of dragons was handled—they’re still creatures of magic, but the main characters approach them in quite a scientific manner (analysing their biology, cataloguing different species, observing migratory patterns and so on—which is all relevant to the plot, too, rather than just there for worldbuilding purposes). It’s a different perspective on dragons than I’m used to seeing, and I enjoyed it.

Finally, for those who want to know about content that may put them off: like most grimdark settings there’s plenty of traditional swearing in the book, and it’s definitely written for an adult audience. I don’t specifically remember explicit sexual content, but it’s been a while and the story’s gritty enough that it wouldn’t be out of place, so don’t hold me to that assessment.

All in all, though, this was a pretty great debut—if the blurb sounds like it will be up your alley, Blood of an Exile is definitely worth a look!

[Andrea Belfiori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Una saga (e un autore) da tenere d’occhio. Ci sono tante ingenuità ma nonostante sia un esordio la storia è solida, i personaggi non sono niente male e l’ambientazione è da urlo. Anche se c’è stata troppa cacca per i miei gusti (il libro è parecchio volgare).

Consigliato a chi ama i fantasy brutali, con battaglie e un sacco di parolacce. Fuggite se invece queste cose non fanno per voi. Adesso sono in super hype per il secondo libro!

[Brenda Waworga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woow! that was amazing and so much fun! Naslund's debut book is so not disappointing! i enjoyed my time in the Realm Of Terra more than i expected

Lemme make this thing short... if you love:

- Dragons.. ALOT of Dragons
- cute Donkey
- Outcasts people come together for a mission and became friends
- Smart & badass FEMALE & MALE characters
- Unique wordbuilding
- Epic Battles


Than THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU!

please pick this one up, Naslund definetly deserves so much more love and hype for this story he created

[Mike (the Paladin) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book...try it.

What? You want more?

Okay, but I mean I already told you I recommend it.

In this world if you run afoul of your local monarch...you know, king, emperor...duke, whatever you may not be summarily killed. You may have a couple of blue bars tattooed onto your face and you may be declared an exile. You can no longer sleep in a bed (I know but that's the rule maybe people report you if you sleep in a bed at an inn) you must never come back to the city and whenever a monster needs slaying (mostly that means a dragon) you HAVE to go slay it. If you don't "they" will hunt you down and kill you anyway.

Most dragon slayers don't usually make it for more than a dragon or 2.

By the way the dragons in this world seem to be more animals than in some worlds where they are intelligent. In most or at least many cases they seem to be big dangerous lizards...who eat livestock and people.

Anyway (I say that a lot don't I) our hero Bershad (once Lord Silas Bershad) is a dragon slayer...except he's lasted a bit longer than most. It seems he's up to around 60+ dragons...and no one including him knows why he's so hard to kill.

Good read. The only drawback? The sequel is nowhere in sight.

Enjoy.

[Ron Sami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a curious fantasy with environmental content.

Plot. Rating 3
The plot of the book is quite simple. The main storyline shows the protagonist's quest and I was interested in following his varied adventures. The line is also full of worldbuilding details and fight scenes. I would like to say that there is a significant amount of humor in the book, which is mostly successfully mixed with violent and physiological scenes. One rating point was withdrawn due to a flagrant injustice to one member of the non-human species. I think that this is not the way to deal with a special race, since both modern and ancient writers told us about its heroes.
Two more storylines report on political intrigue, science in fantasy, and the work of an assassin. They are much shorter, although also interesting.
In general, the plot of the book is somewhat predictable, especially in the princess line.

Characters. Rating 4
The characters are varied but lack much depth. I liked that all the important characters had their own backstory. Also, I think it is necessary to take into account the signs of humorous fantasy, which made the characters seem more superficial to me.

Dialogues. Rating 4
The book has good dialogue. They are focused on story and worldbuilding, but also show both conflicts and warm relationships between characters well.

Writing style. Rating 5
The book read easily and quickly. Details about dragons are presented unobtrusively and interestingly.

Worldbuilding. Rating 4
The problems of ecology are perfectly and organically analyzed. The research on dragons and plants, as well as some of the magical powers associated with them, is well elaborated. The book shows several different locations with a lot of distinctive features.
There are scenes that are hardly possible from the point of view of physics and common sense.

Conclusion. Overall rating 4
The entertaining plot of the book is well connected with environmental themes.

[Mirko Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
Il Marchio dei Draghi è stata una lettura che ho amato più di quanto potessi immaginare.
Ho apprezzato parecchio l’ambientazione in cui l’autore fa convergere diverse culture insieme e, sopratutto, la particolare attenzione che rivolge alla flora e alla fauna dei vari luoghi.
L’unica pecca è il finale che ho trovato eccessivamente affrettato e sincopato rispetto all’andamento della narrazione generale.

Nonostante questo è un fantasy da non sottovalutare e che spero possa riservare sorprese con i volumi successivi.

[Booksblabbering || Cait❣️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let this be your new dragon fix!

Ex-Lord, exiled Silas Bershad has killed more dragons than anyone else in Terra. The people refer to him as a demon, staying alive when he should have been killed many times over.
The King promises to lift his banishment if he rescues the Princess and kill the Emperor of Balaria responsible for kidnapping her.

Jolan is a young, inquisitive, and knowledgable apothecary apprentice.
Princess Ashlyn is next in line to the throne, extremely interested about dragons and their wellbeing and abilities, and was once betrothed to Bershad.

”He's just trying to survive, same as us. Keep his belly full and his body warm. To him, we're the vicious monsters showing up with spears and pitchforks."

I loved the worldbuilding in this! How dragons contribute to the environment, welfare, and ecology of the land.
Ashlyn is meticulous and extremely intelligent, studying statistics and analysing dragons to discover how Almira is dependent on them. She is also a woman in a position of power, of mixed blood, and considered a witch as people are extremely superstitious and keen to brand.

She used to believe that anyone could be moved by the greater good once they saw it. Getting people to look was the problem. Now, though, she wasn't so sure.

This had interesting, morally grey characters, thrilling action, humour, and a great world to back it up!
Plus, there’s a loyal donkey called Alfonso!

Bookstagram

[LordTBR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ★★★★☆+

Synopsis

First in the Dragons of Terra series, Brian Naslund’s Blood of an Exile is a fast-paced adventure perfect for comic readers and fans of heroic fantasy

Bershad stands apart from the world, the most legendary dragonslayer in history, both revered and reviled.

Once, he was Lord Silas Bershad, but after a disastrous failure on the battlefield he was stripped of his titles and sentenced to one violent, perilous hunt after another. Now he lives only to stalk dragons, slaughter them, collect their precious oil, and head back into the treacherous wilds once more. For years, death was his only chance to escape. But that is about to change.

The king who sentenced Bershad to his fate has just given him an unprecedented chance at redemption. Kill a foreign emperor and walk free forever.

The journey will take him across dragon-infested mountains, through a seedy criminal underworld, and into a forbidden city guarded by deadly technology.

But the links of fate bind us all.

Review

Thanks to the publisher and author for an advanced reading copy of Blood of an Exile (Dragons of Terra #1) in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC did not influence my thoughts or opinions on the novel.

Blood of an Exile (Dragons of Terra #1) will go down as one of the BEST fantasy debuts of 2019, alongside the likes of The Rage of Dragons (The Burning #1) by Evan Winter and The Gutter Prayer (The Black Iron Legacy #1) by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan. A sprawling epic filled with dragons, dragonslayers, alchemy, and assassins, Blood of an Exile is an exemplary beginning to the series and I cannot wait to see what else Naslund has up his sleeves.

While our main protagonist is Bershad and the story follows his journey, alongside his trustworthy donkey, Alfonso, for a majority of the novel, we are also introduced to a few more POVs and the chapters are broken down as such. We have an assassin named Garret, a “widow” named Vera (who, even after finishing the novel, remains quite peculiar), an alchemy apprentice named Jolan, and Ashleyn, heiress to the throne and daughter of the King who exiled Bershad. These characters and their chapters are enjoyable and add plenty of depth to the novel, all the while serving as fresh vantage points to the overall storyline and intertwining with Bershad’s mission. Having said that, Bershad’s ARC steals the show as far as engagement and intrigue. There are only so many things that can top dragonslaying and calls for Kings to be assassinated.

Naslund has a firm grip on characterization based on Book 1 of the series, but the world-building and fight scenes were top-notch. From the crowded streets to the seedy underbellies, the lowlands to the tops of mountains, you can easily picture the environments in which our characters are perusing. You can feel the dirt under their feet and the water as it hits the sides of boats, but you can also taste the blood as it flows from the slain bodies that lay in Bershad’s wake. It was absolutely stunning.

And trust me, there is plenty of blood.

If you are a fan of heroic/grimdark fantasy stories or just simply need more dragons in your life, give this debut a shot. I expect big things to come from Naslund as we dive deeper into the series and I hope you’ll come along for the ride.

[Sahitya · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of a 4.5 and I really can’t articulate why I’m not giving it a full 5 stars.

As someone who reads adult fantasy very rarely, I usually only pick up books which my friends have already loved and are sure I would too. But this is a book I didn’t see anyone within my small group talk about but since the first time I saw it mentioned in a booktube video, I was totally fascinated and I knew I had to take a chance. And I’m so so happy that I stuck to my instincts because I was completely engrossed from start to finish.

The world building in this book is just perfect. As you can guess from the series title (Dragons of Terra), this is a world which has lots and lots of dragons, all different kinds with their own characteristics and habits and strengths. Almira is the main kingdom we follow which is bogged down by its issues like infighting between the various lords for more power, people who are very superstitious and would rather depend on their totems and prayers than go to an alchemist who can solve their problems, and there are multiple areas in the kingdom which are affected by some sort of plague for which no solution has been found. On the other hand, Balaria is the enemy kingdom which has made a fortune by killing off most of its dragons and using the oil to build a technologically advanced city. I loved this dichotomy of a medieval and steampunk like kingdoms existing in the same world. And the travel between these two kingdoms takes us through various kinds of landscapes and I loved the descriptions of the mountains, rivers, barges, dragon warrens etc.

The best part of the world for me was how the environment and ecology was described. Through discussions between characters ( and not info dumps), we come to realize how important each living creature is to the overall health of the land, including the super predators like the dragons. And while killing dragons for oil can provide for short term prosperity, it’s long term consequences like drought and famine and other devastation to the ecology is never considered except by few people who care but are dismissed. I think this is a great parallel to our world and how we exploit the nature and resources we have in the name of capitalism and development without realizing what we are doing to our future.

I’m always scared when I start an adult fantasy that it might be too complicated, or the language very lyrical/metaphorical for me. I like my books to be straightforward which is what I love the most about YA fantasy novels. Thankfully, this book was exactly how I wanted it to be. The third person multiple POV writing style was very easy to follow, and the author did such a brilliant job of being able to distinguish between the characters’ voices that I never got confused who we were following. It did get gory at times which I’m not used to, and some scenes were just brutal to get through. The feeling of dread when a dragon attacks or the adrenaline pumping action sequences are written excellently as well and I really enjoyed reading them.

Among all these action sequences, we also get a journey and this whole year has been me discovering my love for fictional journeys, and this was no different. The author uses the journey and the conversations that happen during it to develop the relationships between the characters and give us more insight into their motivations, and that was amazing. However, this also leads to the pace of the story being a bit on the slower side, which didn’t affect my enjoyment at all. This is also not a very twists and turns kinda book, but does have a few mysteries and betrayals that the characters are trying to unravel, and I had so much fun figuring them out correctly just before the actual revelation happened. But there was one thing which I didn’t see coming at all and that left me very bereft and in tears. The author also ends the book in such a way that there are enough plotlines resolved to work as a standalone, while also leaving us with so many exciting possibilities in a sequel.

While I keep harping on about the excellent world and writing, it’s still the characters who are the strength of this book. Silas Bershad, the Flawless and the acclaimed dragon slayer of the land is an exile who is just going through his life with lots of regrets, always prepared to die. Fourteen years of slaughtering has changed him a lot and he doesn’t think he deserves any good things, but deep down he is so compassionate and will do anything for the ones he loves (who are very very few). His shield is Rowan who has followed him since the beginning and their loyalty to each other is just beautiful. They may bicker and admonish each other, but ultimately it’s a deep friendship and I was so glad they had each other. But the third entity in their trio is their donkey Alfonso, and I promise you I don’t remember ever seeing a donkey in a book before but I loved him. These three are just awesome and the way Silas and Rowan care for Alfonso is heartwarming.

Felgor the thief, and Vera the bodyguard who lost her charge are the other two people who make up the group which goes on the journey from Almira to Balaria for their task. They are all basically outlaws who have nobody, and there is a lot of friction initially, but as they face dangerous situations and fight them together, they all form a bond and I was thoroughly impressed by the way the author developed these relationships in a believable manner. It’s very hard not to get attached to them all.

Ashelyn is the princess crowned Queen of Almira and I thought it was so refreshing to see a very scientific ruler on the throne, who loves conducting her research into how everything is connected in nature and take steps to ensure that her world is not destroyed due to poor short term decisions. We also have an assassin who is hell bent on creating chaos in her kingdom, an apprentice alchemist who just wants to conduct his experiments and many others who will do anything to harness the power in this world.

To conclude, I just want to say that if you love to read about a world full of dragons, you should totally pick this book up. If you enjoy books with equal parts extensive world building and excellent plotting, this is perfect. And if like me, you are a fan of a very unlikely group of flawed people coming together for a quest and start caring for each other, I highly recommend this book. The author has written a great debut fantasy balancing all the elements perfectly, full of thrilling and emotional moments and characters you can’t help but fall in love; and in the process setup a great sequel which promises to be full of more dragons and definitely a lot more magic. I already can’t wait for Sorcery of a Queen.

[Mili · Rating 5 out of 5]

'That's what made life such a bastard -- guilt rode on your back heavy and hard and relentless. Redemption was light as a feather. Easy to forget entirely.'

Dragonslayers is a neat title, yet in this world they are scum. It is a title given by the King after being stripped of your titles and freedom. A short life, death by dragon. We follow Silas Bershad, a Dragonslayer for many years now, unique to be still alive. The King has a last request for Bershad that might give him his status back. A last quest with nothing to loose and maybe freedom at the end of it? Together with his companion Rowan and their friendly donkey Alfonso they accept. They are accompanied by 3 others. The banter and humor with this gang is brilliant, I love it so much. It gave the plot a lightness next to the darker tones and adventure. There were some ruthless bloody scenes. Was craving this captivating mix.
And I am glad it is relative short, 400pgs, read and not too dense. It didn't follow too many people and had plenty of intrigue and complications along the way to make you keep reading. I like all the voices of the characters. What also stood out for me is the nature, the traveling through it and all the dragons and how it all is connected with each other to keep a balance. And moss, I loooove moss and it plays an interesting role in this book. Excited for the sequel Sorcery of a Queen!

[Michael Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Powerful characters. Immersive world. Intriguing plot. At first I was afraid it would feel like something I'd read before, maybe even a bit unoriginal. I was wrong, this book surprised me in the best way. Brian Naslund has created a dark and immersive fantasy world, full of political intrigue and complex social layers. It's harsh and rude (sometimes a little too rude) but there are also these surprising moments of tenderness and humor balancing the chaos.
Silas Bershad, a disgraced dragon hunter on death row, flawed, gritty... reminded me of a "Ronin" (in the Japanese sense), and I loved that. But the story's not without its flaws. The pacing stumbles a bit in places, and there were moments when the world-building felt like it needed more room to breathe. But these are small nitpicks when the story delivers so much grit and heart. Good, good read.

[Oldman_JE · Rating 5 out of 5]

A guy writes a kick-ass, brutal novel.

Said guy follows it up with two more for the trilogy which I expect to also be kick-ass, brutal novels.

No one reads the books.

Guy gets a job in marketing.

It was about this time last year I read The Grey Bastards and it knocked my socks off. I was about to read the final part of that series as a gift to myself. Then I grabbed this, published in 2019, found it languishing among some of the lowest total ratings — 1,895 — on my list. If I could gift a copy to everyone, I would. I loved it to pieces. I rushed to get the other two. The only other two.

This should not be —

This guy should be dragged forcibly from his cubicle and paid. To write. At least that's my fantasy.

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally posted to I Should Read That

I was sent a copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This review is spoiler-free.

When I first picked up Blood of an Exile, I expected it to be nothing more than a fun fantasy romp. It was indeed a super fun fantasy adventure, but I was delighted to discover that lurking between the pages was a fantastically nuanced, layered story that explores a fantasy world in a fantastic, unique way.

The world building in this book is some of the absolute best I’ve seen in a long time. Naslund doesn’t just present you with the essentials of a fantasy world — the politics, culture, and history — he incorporates the laws of nature and the importance and impact of human actions into his plot and world flawlessly. I was reminded a little of the impact of the mercenary bands on the ecosystem in Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames, but Naslund’s exploration goes even further and I really loved it.

We get several point of view characters in Blood of an Exile — most of which are tied to the immediate plot but others seem a little more separate. My favourite character was, unsurprisingly, Ashlynn — was there any doubt that the butt-kicking, older princess would be my favourite? No, there was not. One of the things I loved most about Ashlynn is the fact that we are told how incredible competent she is and this is backed up by her actions and thought processes. She’s intelligent, shrewd, kind, and puts her role in the royal family above all else. However, she’s also flawed and oh so very human — she makes mistakes and is not perfect. She’s definitely a contender for top female character of the year for me.

Bershand is another great character that is written so incredibly well. Naslund took my expectations of Bershand’s character and flipped them — something I always appreciate, especially with archetypal warrior characters in fantasy. Underneath that grubby, scarred exterior is the heart of a man who still cared despite the horrific things he’s been through. Like Ashlynn, he is complex and flawed, but so very human.

Overall, I really enjoyed Blood of an Exile! It’s a book I expected to like, but I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it. Blood of an Exile is a fantastic fantasy debut that is both action-packed and thoughtful, grim but with a sense of hope — fans of both classic and modern adult fantasy will love this book. I can’t wait to see what Brian Naslund has in store for us next.



CW: violence and some gore, animal death, xenophobia

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started nicely for me. Flawless Bershad is a dragon slayer. This is a job for those who are exiled for their crimes - he was once a lord. The life of dragon slayers is generally either short or very short. Bershad has killed more dragons than anyone else. His survival is seen as remarkable. He is surprised to be called back to the capital by the king who sentenced him. He is even more surprised at the offer the king makes him. Kill a foreign emperor and he will be able to walk free again. Other than the fact he is unsure whether he is interested in the task there is a high probability of death if he does accept. Will anything make him inclined to go?

This tale follows two main threads. Bershad's journey with some very diverse companions and Princess Ashlyn's back in his home country. Not only is she a Princess but she was also once Bershad's lover. These two threads have a very different feel to them for me. A fairly prominent theme in this is the economics and ecology of dragons. I do admire the fact that ecology has been brought into this however I have to say that it did feel a little contrived to me. Overall there is a medieval feel to this story with lords and fairly primitive weaponry in the main.

Coming from a "Lord of the Rings" background many years ago this is a far more modern approach to fantasy writing. While there is some "ancient" and some "quest" involved this feels more contemporary. There is sarcasm, humour and bad language here which brings a lightness to what can be quite a dark read at times.

The main characters were good - Bershad particularly so. In general minor characters stayed just that. However a definitely honourable mention for the Garret and Jolan partnership - I enjoyed that. I did find that Bershad's thread worked far better for me than Ashlyn's one. Bershad is an action character and one I thoroughly enjoyed. Ashlyn's part which had some "politics" in it was less appealing to me.

Overall I found this very readable and was reluctant to put it down. For me it is more contemporary than say Robin Hobb's work but still more traditional than someone like Jay Kristoff's books. I liked the lightness of touch combined with a real bite to the story at times. However I was never really blown away by this book. That said I have a feeling I would like to know what happens next!

Note - I received an advance digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair review
https://viewson.org.uk/fantasy/blood-...

[Yuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 rounded up.

This is one of those books that could also do great on the big screen.
Everything is easy to visualize, but Naslund doesn't bore you with long descriptions.
Nothing about this feels like a debut because it's 'too good' on all fronts.
It's just a great read and I can't wait to read more about Bershad and his companions.

[L.L. MacRae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Copying review over from previous Goodreads account:

Solid four star read!!

Really interesting take on dragons and how they fit in the world. Absolutely loved the different breeds and the variety. Loved the link with alchemy, "magic," and the stark contrast between the progression of different cultures, as well as how far people are willing to go for friends and loved ones.

Brilliantly written action scenes. They were brutal, and incredibly violent - especially in the later parts of the book, because of reasons I won't go into here (spoilers). There are some abhorrent people in this, though, and they do some abhorrent things to one another. Lots of backstabbing, both overt and subtle.

The book answered a few questions along the way, but I feel there were far more unanswered by the end.

Unfortunately I don't have the time right now to write a full review, but definitely recommend this one, particularly for fans of gritty/darker fantasy without being grimdark, epic fantasy without too large a cast of names to forget, and a little politics thrown in for good measure.

There are some absolutely brilliant characters, too. Also if you like protagonist who aren't "heroes" in the traditional sense. This one, by all rights, has given up on a lot of things. (Felgor and Garrett were my favourites, although it did take some time for Felgor to grow on me.)

I shall definitely be picking up the next book in the series :)

[♛ Garima ♛ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating:
4.5 stars

Trigger:
Some gory details - regular fantasy stuff

Short review:
It has been a long time since I've read a Fantasy, and even longer since I've read Fantasy and actually enjoyed it.
An Exile and Dragon Slayer seems like a glamorous job with the right plot to lure readers, but maintaining that interest is difficult, and Naslund does an amazing job keeping it. Generally, I get bored by multiple POVs, because as much as it provides a complete view of the story, it becomes difficult and tiresome to keep track of it. Again I would like to congratulate the author for managing that whilst not compromising the integrity of the story.

Review in image/gif:
Oh, there are so many amazing artworks available but where is the fun in that?



Recommended:
Yes

Aftermath: (possible spoilers)

While it is natural for any fantasy author to kill several people and animals to show the cruelty of the world, it gets me whenever pets are thrown away so callously. I know, I know, that is a needed factor and the author feels compelled to either drop dead weight, no longer needed in the story show the tender side of the protagonist or gain readers' sympathy etc. but somehow I always feel disappointed when that happens. It feels like such a cheap trick, like writing Fantasy 101 class - introduce a pet and kill it later, and you will get the desired effect from the reader. Sigh...I expected better and more...

[Shane Findlay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right. Book #97 this year. And my favourite read of the year so far. It’s also a debut. How the flying fuck can a debut be so damn masterly? Bravo, young man. Bravo! A Chef d’oeuvre indeed.....
*I apologize Mr. Holt. Will a tie suffice??

[Xerxes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sentenced to die. Impossible to kill. The two main sentences illustrate and summarise this book perfectly. What an incredible journey I’ve just been on. I feel like I’ve gone through an fantasy epic. Like the old days. I’ve related to characters, I’ve seen gore and brutal torture that will remind you of Medieval times, I’ve seen spies and networks of a vast web of power and corruption. How the rich nobles of this world try to manipulate people to fight for them. And boy, was this such a good cast of characters.

You know which character I ended up liking the most? Rowan. That old man was a man of foresight, honor and courage. He represented the goodness in all of us humans. I have a feeling he’s lived through an epic life that I wish Brian would make a prequel about him. I wonder if Rowan had a lover. Then it was Felgor, who turned out to be a more mature version of Jolan. The evilness that is depicted in the Lords of Power, from the Emperor of Balaria to the King of Almira himself, just goes to show how good people are taken in, and then twisted to the roots as they are forced to do acts of terror that they would never wish to do in the first place.

More than that, I sympathised with Bershad a lot man. Poor guy’s been through so much, and yet he’s still a badass taking on the biggest dragons in this world. I love how Brian related the effects of climate change and illustrated into it the fantasy context. There’s an empire that has no proper roads, lets say its Almira, and they worship with mud-totems. One of the most incredible things that Brian did was relate the jaguar/jungles to this European foundation that Almira to me resembles. This is actually more historically authenthic, because when the Spanish settled in the New World, they began to adapt a lot of customs from their Aztec neighbours, and thus the infusion of a new Latin culture integrating the Spanish and the Mexica, so to say, was born. The jaguar is a potent symbol in the Aztec culture, and was worshipped often. So I really liked this.

I don’t want to spoil the plot. It took me 2 days to get started, but man, I did enjoy this. Really buy this book now. Go get it!

[L.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid four star read!!

Really interesting take on dragons and how they fit in the world. Absolutely loved the different breeds and the variety. Loved the link with alchemy, "magic," and the stark contrast between the progression of different cultures, as well as how far people are willing to go for friends and loved ones.

Brilliantly written action scenes. They were brutal, and incredibly violent - especially in the later parts of the book, because of reasons I won't go into here (spoilers). There are some abhorrent people in this, though, and they do some abhorrent things to one another. Lots of backstabbing, both overt and subtle.

The book answered a few questions along the way, but I feel there were far more unanswered by the end.

Unfortunately I don't have the time right now to write a full review, but definitely recommend this one, particularly for fans of gritty/darker fantasy without being grimdark, epic fantasy without too large a cast of names to forget, and a little politics thrown in for good measure.

There are some absolutely brilliant characters, too. Also if you like protagonist who aren't "heroes" in the traditional sense. This one, by all rights, has given up on a lot of things. (Felgor and Garrett were my favourites, although it did take some time for Felgor to grow on me.)

I shall definitely be picking up the next book in the series :)

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Silas Bershad is a famous dragonslayer. When he is tasked to kill the Emperor of Balaria and save the Princess, he accepts not knowing that their is a devious plot brewing. Will he succeed or die trying? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good and action packed adult fantasy. If you love stories with dragons and more, be sure to check this book out at your local library and wherever books are sold.

[Dom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this one initially. It had a good bit of worldbuilding but at the same time it was a bit strange. There was a good hook or two in there, with some unknowns that I wanted to find out more about, but there was one random bit with red snails that I thought was just strange. The characters at the start of the story were doing some investigation on these, and that just kind of fell away as the story went on, only to be mentioned again right at the end, which was a bit weird.

I’d also say this was a bit of a book of two halves. I was trundling along quite nicely and then somewhere between halfway and two-thirds of the way through, I felt it kind of lost its way a little. I felt that not too much was happening, but there were also some bits, especially in that last portion of the book, that I didn't really like.

We have a character who is all but indestructible, and I dislike that in a book, especially when we're talking about our main character because there's no sense of intensity, there's no sense of will he be okay, will he get out of this situation, etc. If he's kind of indestructible, and you can do pretty much what you want and he'll just bounce back from it, it takes all of that away and it makes it quite boring for me. I felt here like they could chop off his head and he'd just get up and grow a new one and he'd be all right after a day or two.

So overall, I think this just wasn't quite the book for me, and I decided that I'm not to continue with the series. It was an okay opening book, but I don't feel like there was anything in there that really made me want to read the next one.

[Benedetta Troni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Il marchio dei draghi (parte I)

Io penso che non mi capitasse dai tempi di Twilight, quando la mia prof di inglese mi costrinse a leggerlo al liceo, che non mi capitasse di leggere un libro così brutto. Ma così brutto da farmi dire, a pagina 131 “La vita è troppo breve per leggere ‘sta roba”.
Inutile girarci attorno, lo avevo comprato per i draghi e perché anche altre persone me lo avevano consigliato. Adesso però non so nemmeno se riesco ad andare avanti per quanto è scritto male!
E ci ho pure buttato 23 euro.

I draghi

Avevo sentito veramente tanta fanfara su come i draghi venivano trattati bene in questo libro, soprattutto la loro importanza per l’ecosistema.
Pensavo che la trama dovesse vertere sulla scoperta di questo ruolo chiave giocato dai draghi nell’equilibrio del mondo, però Ashlyn, classica Mary Sue, sa già tutto e provvede a informare noi lettori con degli spiegoni sulle reti trofiche dell’ecosistema. Il che, capite bene, rende tutto molto noioso e scontato.
Sono cose giuste, per carità di Dio, ma vengono trattate con un approccio troppo moderno per l’epoca che dovrebbe essere presa a riferimento, ovvero il Medioevo. La concezione che l’uomo aveva della natura è cambiata molto nel tempo e il sentimento Ecologista che manifestano i personaggi è del tutto fuori contesto.
L’autore avrebbe potuto prendere spunto dagli scritti di Giordano Bruno, da quelli di San Francesco o persino dagli scritti Ermetici per giustificare questo amore per la natura invece ha fatto delle copie sbiadite dei manifestanti per i Fridays For Future.
Però fidatevi, i draghi sono l’ultimo problema di questo libro.

Stile

Questo libro è un compendio degli errori da NON fare quando si esordisce. Ci sono proprio tutti:
- Cascate di aggettivi per la descrizione.
- Verbi percettivi (sentì, guardò…)
- Descrizioni vaghissime da scuola superiore inframmezzate da infodump continui. Tipo: stiamo a conoscere dei nuovi personaggi e a un certo punto si passa a parlare dei metodi di lavorazione della pelle di squalo nell’arco di tre righe, perché un personaggio ce li ha addosso.
- Narratore invadente e spocchioso che non riesce a trattenere l’impulso di commentare qualsiasi cosa facciano o dicano i personaggi e dire quanto è stupido il resto della gente che plasma idoli di fango (per questa cosa Brian ha proprio il pallino. Gli avranno fatto qualcosa da piccolo?).
- Continui verbi di dialogo e quasi nessun beat.
- Spataffiate di Tell già dalla primissima pagina.
- Frasi senza una logica tipo “si ubriacavano alla memoria” oppure “Noi papiriani non adoriamo nessun Dio ma rispettiamo la luna e le stelle”. Su quest’ultima ci torno dopo.
Io voglio davvero capire se c’è stato un editing in questo libro perché così è davvero fastidioso.
Personaggi
Qui inizia la fiera dello stereotipo.
Facciamo un gioco: come vi immaginate il nostro Bershad l’ammazzadraghi? Pensatelo per tre secondi e poi leggete la parte sotto.


Esatto avete indovinato! Un personaggio dall’aspetto e dagli atteggiamenti rudi che però nasconde un cuore puro e amante degli animali. (Non scherzo: dice che gli costa tanto uccidere i draghi, ha un asinello di nome Alfonso di cui parla continuamente e si incazza come una biscia se vede qualcuno indossare una pelle di giaguaro).
Ovviamente riesce ad ammazzare draghi nell’arco di una pagina anche se si è ubriacato la notte prima e la mattina ha vomitato pure l’anima. Praticamente Adrian.
E la nostra principessa Ashlyn?
Anche qui è esattamente come la state immaginando.
Livelli di Girl Power altissimi: è intelligente, paladina della natura, gentile e cara, interessata al suo popolo, ha tre telescopi (Io penso che manco Galileo fosse a questi livelli) nella sua stanza con cui studia le stelle, conosce tutte le specie di draghi esistenti e chi più ne ha più ne metta.
Lei può tutto! Anche insegnare ai piccioni come percorrere in volo 500 leghe (2414 km) senza sosta. Praticamente dall’Italia alla Bielorussia senza fermarsi.
Non è l’eletta ma si è messa in testa di salvare il mondo (poi vi spiego).
Anche gli altri sono delle macchiette.
Le comparse di sfondo invece vengono dipinti a ogni pagina come degli stupidi solo per far risaltare Adrian e la principessa Madre Teresa.

Trama

Adesso si ride.
In pratica la sorella di Ashlyn, la principessa Kira, è stata rapita dal malvagio e perfido re Mercer del regno di Balaria, quindi viene chiamato l’ammazzadraghi per andare in missione a recuperarla. Già che c’è la fondatrice del WWF ante litteram gli chiede di ammazzare anche il re, sennò quello alla prossima stagione riproduttiva stermina i draghi e quindi arrivano le carestie (su questo ci torno dopo).
Lui accetta e lei gli appioppa una compagnia super stereotipata per la missione: una guardia super tamarra (girl power a bestia), un signorotto spocchioso e testa calda, e quello un po’ ambiguo di cui non ci si fiderà mai a pieno ma che poi morirà sacrificandosi per la compagnia.
Bene. In tutto questo, secondo voi, alla versione poraccia di Greta Thumberg sarà mai passato per la testa un pensiero sulla sorella prigioniera? Si sarà mica chiesta come sta?
Macché, a lei frega solo dei draghi!
Dopo aver assoldato Bershad va nella sua cameretta piena di disegnini sui draghi tutta felice perché ora sa come salvarli. E lei dovrebbe essere l’eroina intelligente e caritatevole.

E poi, tra l’altro, sta già preparando un esercito per invadere la Balaria nel caso in cui Bershad fallisca. Tutto per proteggere i draghi. Sarò cattiva, ma come lo spieghi a un soldato che deve andare a farsi ammazzare in un paese straniero per delle lucertole?
Passiamo alla parte che mi ha fatto schizzare su la pressione arteriosa.

Il worldbuilding.

Partiamo dalla religione, anzi dalle religioni. Finora ho avuto poche informazioni sul culto della Balaria (e va anche bene) ma su Almira e Papiria…
Frase di prima “Non adoriamo nessun dio ma rispettiamo la luna e le stelle”. Qualcuno mi spiega che cavolo vuol dire? Che tutte le sere saluti la luna e le chiedi come va?
Ma poi non è possibile che in un contesto pseudo-medievale esistano regni senza un culto privilegiato! Sapete perché? Perché più o meno in tutte le società la religione svolge un ruolo chiave nella legittimazione del potere del sovrano.
Poi veniamo agli idoli di fango di Almira. Io ancora non ho capito che mi rappresentano. Anche qui regna la vaghezza più totale e ci sono frasi tipo: “Gli dei di Almira non avevano nome né seguivano una logica”.
Vuol dire che è un culto animista? Oppure è una sorta di panteismo? Come sono divise le divinità? Non sarebbe più opportuno usare la parola “spirito” per queste entità?
Che poi questo culto non è solo una pratica dei contadini (poteva anche starci come residuo di credenze più primitive) ma è praticato anche dai nobili che ci spendono fior di quattrini! Per delle statuine orrende di fango.
Vi sembra realisticamente possibile che una società feudale abbia un culto così rozzo?
E poi queste informazioni sono usate solo per far vedere quanto sono ignoranti le persone dei villaggi, i comuni mortali, rispetto ai nostri protagonisti che invece sono innamorati della scienza e fanno vedere quanto è bella e come permette di vivere bene. Ci sono degli strafalcioni sull’alchimia (ci ho fatto un corso all’università), si tirano in ballo concetti ottocenteschi come quello di ecosistema e altre cose che hanno richiesto SECOLI di dibattito tra studiosi per essere comprese. Ashlyn invece ci arriva da sola perché è il Cristo in terra.

Scusatemi lo sfogo ma vista tutta la fanfara che avevo sentito per questo libro mi aspettavo che l’autore si fosse informato un po’ di più prima di scrivere questo libro. E invece…
Vabbè.
Non so se andrò avanti, perché già così ne avrei di cose da dire sull’Alchimia e altri argomenti che questo libro tratta ad mentula canis, quindi figuriamoci per quando arrivo in fondo.
Ovviamente questa è un mio parere personale. Se non siete d’accordo va bene, non ho niente contro di voi. Ma secondo me ci sono modi migliori di spendere 23 euro.

[Liquidambar · Rating 1 out of 5]

Questo è un raro esemplare di fantasy minestrone, in cui l'autore non ha praticamente mai deciso che tipo di genere volesse scrivere. Quindi, si trova di tutto un po', con risultati poco entusiasmanti.

Partiamo dai protagonisti: Bershad e Ashlyn sulla carta sembravano molto promettenti, ma la loro bidimensionalità, sostanzialmente, li ha privati di un arco narrativo (come iniziano, finiscono: non cambiano granché) e ha impedito qualsiasi slancio di empatia.
Bershad è un guerriero formidabile, è collerico quando non serve e particolarmente ottuso nei momenti clou: un mix perfetto per renderlo insopportabile, a cui ogni tanto si innesta una vena di umorismo completamente fuori luogo che non fa nemmeno ridere. Insomma, il classico gorilla senza cervello che mena la spada e spazza sotto il tappeto la polvere del suo "passato". L'unico momento in cui scopre di avere delle domande che lo tormentano circa le sue abilità belliche mostruose è il momento in cui si ficca volontariamente sotto i ferri di un guaritore macellaio.

Ashlyn invece doveva essere la controparte ingegnosa, la regina che utilizza tutte le sue risorse intellettuali e accademiche per governare con giustizia e lungimiranza un regno di… barbari, che per tutto il libro vengono presi in giro perché costruiscono idoli di fango e non hanno strade pavimentate.
Tanto ci viene ribadito quanto sia erudita e intelligente, tanto poco ci vuole perché si faccia raggirare da un personaggio che ha scritto "Doppiogioco" sulla fronte. Anche le sue idee "brillanti" sono di una banalità disarmante, e di conseguenza il cosiddetto intrigo politico di palazzo si riduce a un nobile che la accusa di essere poco adatta a fare la regina (e, onestamente, ha ragione!) visto che lei è ossessionata dai draghi, dalla loro anatomia e dalle loro abitudini. Da come la descrive l'autore, sembra proprio di vedere una bambina ossessionata dai dinosauri che si rassegna a dover fare pure i compiti di scuola, al pomeriggio. Non è stato nemmeno chiarito il sistema magico in cui opera, perché viene solo presentato come fatto compiuto che "attraverso studi e tentativi" lei sia riuscita a impadronirsi di un potere assurdo, derivato dai draghi, che non è nemmeno strettamente collegato alle abilità dei draghi. Come se io diventassi capace di sputare fuoco solo perché stringo in mano un osso di seppia.

Il resto dei personaggi è di una piattezza desolante - ci viene ribadito quanto siano affettuosi ed amichevoli, ma sono semplicemente segnaposto che attendono il momento giusto per essere utilizzati nella trama. Entrano in scena in momenti emotivamente irrilevanti e le loro azioni sono particolarmente inutili per l'economia generale del romanzo.
L'intreccio, poi quando è presente, è uhm, esilarante: un gruppo di guerrieri viene spedito ad assassinare un imperatore per salvare l'ecosistema dei draghi. Io apprezzo tantissimo la tematica green e sono veramente felice che il fantasy abbia ritrovato le sue radici ecologiche, però da un punto di vista pragmatico è un movente inconsistente, non è nemmeno inquadrabile in una società del genere.

E qui subentra un altro fattore problematico: lo stile altalenante che alterna momenti splatter (torture, mutilazioni, fluidi corporei che si spargono a terra) a momenti di intrigo politico (sicari, tumulti, tramacci tra nobili) a momenti di puro combattimento (in cui curiosamente non si capisce mai niente, la gente viene infilzata la pagina prima e si scopre se la ferita è o non è mortale due pagine dopo, come se ci fossero problemi di caricamento).

Si configura un impero 'steampunk' moderno e cattivo che vuole sfruttare la natura di Terra fino al midollo, a cui non si sa bene come fa a contrapporsi questo regno piccolo e arretrato, diviso dai conflitti interni. Il gruppo di guerrieri ci mette 3/4 del libro per arrivare al castello dell'imperatore cattivo ma poi in pochi giorni riescono a tornare da Ashlyn (manovrando una barca in due!) proprio al momento perfetto, per dare manforte nella battaglia finale.
Ciliegina sulla torta: il sessismo decontestualizzato. Per dimostrare quanto siano forti e resilienti le donne di questo romanzo, vengono bersagliate continuamente di avances rasenti lo stupro, e quando l'autore si riferisce al sesso occasionale, la donna è sempre "fucked senseless", scopata fino a perdere i sensi. Uhm, va bene la rappresentazione di una società patriarcale, ma qui è stata calcata troppo la mano.

[Karen ⚜Mess⚜ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dragons. Magic. War.

Blood of an Exile has all the desirable contents that I love in an epic fantasy novel. Dragons aren't romantic nor loveable pets. They are just dragons. A part of nature, but an important part of nature (as we learn with this novel). The world building in this novel is insanely good. I loved the storyline and how easily the author's voice flows.

I received a copy of Blood of an Exile from NetGalley. Although the copy said "excerpt" the length appeared to be the full book. I can't imagine a book coming to an abrupt end as my copy did. I wish the author/publisher wouldn't do this and expect a full review on NetGalley.

Now I wait for a complete copy of this novel, because it's really a good book! Just look at that arm porn on the cover.

I was provided with a complimentary copy excerpt of this book, so I could give an honest review.