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Boss
A city governed by wizards can still have an underbelly that is governed by crime lords. Out-of-work mercenary, Falchion, arrives in the city of Groft and signs on with the boss of the organized crime outfit. But when Falchion’s distaste for the work angers the Boss, his only move is to become the Boss himself. Even if he succeeds, Falchion will have more trouble in store, trouble that his sword alone may be unable to cut through, for there is a connection between the underground criminal organization and the wizards in their lofty towers, and no one received wizardly permission for a change in leadership.
285 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2020
About the author
Ken Lizzi
37 books13 followersKen Lizzi is an attorney and the author of an assortment of published short stories. His novels include "Reunion", "Under Strange Suns", "Thick As Thieves", the "Semi-Autos and Sorcery" series, and the "Falchion's Company" series. When not traveling - and he'd rather be traveling - he lives in Texas with his lovely wife Isa and energetic daughter V.V. He enjoys reading, homebrewing, exercise, and visiting new places. He loathes writing about himself in the third person.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 12, 2020
Too many smart people
I liked it. The story moves well. There is action, a bit of rough comedy, and the hero is suitably heroic at need.
My difficulty is that there were woo many people who reasoned logically and not enough who followed their passions. Having a few who think practically makes it easier to drive the story, but they need to have more fools as foils. While there were idiots, they weren’t loud about it. Even the crazy character (Mad Hazlet?) acted rationally. It felt too safe. Somebody needed to be more difficult to control than Jonn’s mouth.
I would be interested in a follow up novel. The world is interesting and I do like the MC. I just need him to have a better, more flamboyant supporting character.
I liked it. The story moves well. There is action, a bit of rough comedy, and the hero is suitably heroic at need.
My difficulty is that there were woo many people who reasoned logically and not enough who followed their passions. Having a few who think practically makes it easier to drive the story, but they need to have more fools as foils. While there were idiots, they weren’t loud about it. Even the crazy character (Mad Hazlet?) acted rationally. It felt too safe. Somebody needed to be more difficult to control than Jonn’s mouth.
I would be interested in a follow up novel. The world is interesting and I do like the MC. I just need him to have a better, more flamboyant supporting character.
January 13, 2020
Really enjoyed this one
Solid story, well developed world, interesting characters with lots of possibilities ahead. I really enjoyed this well written and engaging story.
Solid story, well developed world, interesting characters with lots of possibilities ahead. I really enjoyed this well written and engaging story.
January 6, 2020
If you've been yearning for strong heroines and seasoned warriors like Brick in Ken Lizzi's "Thick as Thieves," you're in for a treat: more where that came from! Hello, Boss. Welcome to my reading room. Everyone else in my crowded Kindle, make way for Falchion, aka "Boss."
The Quick Synopsis:
Wizards may rule the city of Groft, but local crime lords create their own rules and enforce them as The Code. A soldier of fortune arrives in town after his latest battle, looking for work. Assaulting merchants--civilians--if they fail to pay extortionary fees to the overlords? That's not Falchion's style. He crosses the Boss, then becomes the Boss. With brains as well as brawn, leadership skills and tactical genius, Falchion raises his own ragtag army, battling organized crime and wizards (aka Phenomators) in their lofty towers. With recruits like Mad Hazlett, Red Hewitt, old Codge, the amputee Trunch, a witch, and a boy who shows promise as a future wizard, Falchion faces the impossible and shows what true grit and teamwork can do. For every obstacle he conquers, another one pops up. Groft has more than enough conflicts to keep Falchion on a trajectory to "Captain" in Book Two (coming soon) and "Overlord" (#loveit!) in Book Three.
Lizzi's characters are gritty and real, decent and honest, even if they're sometimes in need of a social filter, and especially if everyone keeps calling them a^^hole. Falchion, whose name comes from a medieval weapon, lives up to all of a Lizzi fan's expectations. He's flawed, yes, but he has principles. Falchion is resourceful, quick-witted, strong, brave, and able to rally others to fight for justice. When he appears ready to claim the spoils and take over as a debt collector, readers may wonder what the heck this guy is thinking, but rest assured, this Lizzi hero isn't going to the dark side.
"Boss" is an awesome tale of a mercery soldier starting a new job, thinking "This isn't a good way to do business," and expecting a pat on the back for keeping his co-worker from using violence to collect dues owed for services rendered. He gets a kick in the head and a threat, instead, along with an order to do the impossible. Or what would be impossible for anyone else.
The themes are timely and relevant. This may be a medieval fantasy, but how familiar is this?
> This surveillance was some intrusive sh^t. The thought that merely passing by a vendor’s stall could allow someone to track his movements made him feel violated.
The cast of minor characters is rich and memorable, but as with all good fight stories, some of those we love most will fall in battle. This is one reason I rarely read military fiction. Ken Lizzi, however, delivers so much more than action and adventure. His characters are thoughtful and authentic. One of the things I love most about Falchion is the way he remembers his father, who instilled values and ethics in him and didn't want his son to be a mercenary, but Falchion went that route anyway. In between battles, he feels a little lost. Fighting is what he does best. Then again, uniting others to fight for a just cause may be what he does best. Falchion inspires others, earns their trust, and treats them right. Spoiler: he really isn't an a^^hole, however often he's called one.
He has a conscience:
"It doesn’t feel right to me. I don’t think I could do this day after day, year after year... Threatening people who are just trying to make enough slices to put bread on the table.”
Something tells me Falchion would rather slaughter other mercenaries in battle than be a menace to civilians.
His father warned him that soldiering "was a dirty, unpleasant, bloody business," but it's what Falchion does. I hate war, I hate weaponry, and yet I love the way Lizzi writes about it. E.g.,
> He lifted the falchion from the rack, hefting it. He curled his fingers about the grip, laying his thumb along the back of the grip, along the axis of the single-edged, slightly curved blade.
Weapons collectors will find plenty of descriptive action bringing these antiquities to life.
Satire, cynicism, astute observations, and insights are other hallmarks of Ken Lizzi novels. I love Falchion's wry observations and wish they didn't sound so true of our own contemporary politics, e.g.,
> All the Phenomators were inculcated with a belief in public service, that their good offices were essential to the functioning of Groft. What was interesting to Trunch was the individual variations in self-deceit, venality, and corruption among the Phenomators.
Like the demon-fighting hero of Karl Thorson and the Jade Dagger, Lizzi's previous release, Falchion faces some super-humanly powerful adversaries. It may strain credulity to believe a mere mortal could overcome wizards, sorcerers, even Karl Thorson's demon, but seeing the good guy win is so much fun, I don't care if it's possible only in fiction. That's why I read fiction!
Looking forward to the next two books in the series, and hoping to see more of Brick in future sequels to "Thick as Thieves." (Hint, hint!)
The Quick Synopsis:
Wizards may rule the city of Groft, but local crime lords create their own rules and enforce them as The Code. A soldier of fortune arrives in town after his latest battle, looking for work. Assaulting merchants--civilians--if they fail to pay extortionary fees to the overlords? That's not Falchion's style. He crosses the Boss, then becomes the Boss. With brains as well as brawn, leadership skills and tactical genius, Falchion raises his own ragtag army, battling organized crime and wizards (aka Phenomators) in their lofty towers. With recruits like Mad Hazlett, Red Hewitt, old Codge, the amputee Trunch, a witch, and a boy who shows promise as a future wizard, Falchion faces the impossible and shows what true grit and teamwork can do. For every obstacle he conquers, another one pops up. Groft has more than enough conflicts to keep Falchion on a trajectory to "Captain" in Book Two (coming soon) and "Overlord" (#loveit!) in Book Three.
Lizzi's characters are gritty and real, decent and honest, even if they're sometimes in need of a social filter, and especially if everyone keeps calling them a^^hole. Falchion, whose name comes from a medieval weapon, lives up to all of a Lizzi fan's expectations. He's flawed, yes, but he has principles. Falchion is resourceful, quick-witted, strong, brave, and able to rally others to fight for justice. When he appears ready to claim the spoils and take over as a debt collector, readers may wonder what the heck this guy is thinking, but rest assured, this Lizzi hero isn't going to the dark side.
"Boss" is an awesome tale of a mercery soldier starting a new job, thinking "This isn't a good way to do business," and expecting a pat on the back for keeping his co-worker from using violence to collect dues owed for services rendered. He gets a kick in the head and a threat, instead, along with an order to do the impossible. Or what would be impossible for anyone else.
The themes are timely and relevant. This may be a medieval fantasy, but how familiar is this?
> This surveillance was some intrusive sh^t. The thought that merely passing by a vendor’s stall could allow someone to track his movements made him feel violated.
The cast of minor characters is rich and memorable, but as with all good fight stories, some of those we love most will fall in battle. This is one reason I rarely read military fiction. Ken Lizzi, however, delivers so much more than action and adventure. His characters are thoughtful and authentic. One of the things I love most about Falchion is the way he remembers his father, who instilled values and ethics in him and didn't want his son to be a mercenary, but Falchion went that route anyway. In between battles, he feels a little lost. Fighting is what he does best. Then again, uniting others to fight for a just cause may be what he does best. Falchion inspires others, earns their trust, and treats them right. Spoiler: he really isn't an a^^hole, however often he's called one.
He has a conscience:
"It doesn’t feel right to me. I don’t think I could do this day after day, year after year... Threatening people who are just trying to make enough slices to put bread on the table.”
Something tells me Falchion would rather slaughter other mercenaries in battle than be a menace to civilians.
His father warned him that soldiering "was a dirty, unpleasant, bloody business," but it's what Falchion does. I hate war, I hate weaponry, and yet I love the way Lizzi writes about it. E.g.,
> He lifted the falchion from the rack, hefting it. He curled his fingers about the grip, laying his thumb along the back of the grip, along the axis of the single-edged, slightly curved blade.
Weapons collectors will find plenty of descriptive action bringing these antiquities to life.
Satire, cynicism, astute observations, and insights are other hallmarks of Ken Lizzi novels. I love Falchion's wry observations and wish they didn't sound so true of our own contemporary politics, e.g.,
> All the Phenomators were inculcated with a belief in public service, that their good offices were essential to the functioning of Groft. What was interesting to Trunch was the individual variations in self-deceit, venality, and corruption among the Phenomators.
Like the demon-fighting hero of Karl Thorson and the Jade Dagger, Lizzi's previous release, Falchion faces some super-humanly powerful adversaries. It may strain credulity to believe a mere mortal could overcome wizards, sorcerers, even Karl Thorson's demon, but seeing the good guy win is so much fun, I don't care if it's possible only in fiction. That's why I read fiction!
Looking forward to the next two books in the series, and hoping to see more of Brick in future sequels to "Thick as Thieves." (Hint, hint!)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews