Road Brothers

Broken Empire #[10 short stories]

by Mark Lawrence

10 short stories from the lives of Jorg and his Road Brothers. Contains spoilers for the Broken Empire trilogy. 5 of the stories have previously been published in anthologies, Contains the short story 'Sleeping Beauty' that is also sold separately. A total of 43.000 words or just over half the length of Prince of Thorns.

Cover by Pen Astridge.

Index:
A Rescue
Sleeping Beauty
Bad Seed
The Nature of the Beast
Select Mode
Mercy
A Good Name
Choices
The Secret
Know Thyself

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Ebooks

276 pages, Paperback

First published December 14, 2015

About the author

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Mark Lawrence is married with four children, one of whom is severely disabled. Before becoming a fulltime writer in 2015 day job was as a research scientist focused on various rather intractable problems in the field of artificial intelligence. He has held secret level clearance with both US and UK governments. At one point he was qualified to say 'this isn't rocket science ... oh wait, it actually is'.

Mark used to have a list of hobbies back when he did science by day. Now his time is really just divided between writing and caring for his disabled daughter. There are occasional forays into computer games too.

Reviews

[Mark Lawrence]

So this is the old, shorter Road Brothers with ten stories. You can no longer buy this edition.

The new, 50% longer Road Brothers with fourteen stories can be found here:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

& can be bought in kindle on Amazon.com and in kindle & hardcover on Amazon.co.uk or bookdepository.com

AND on Amazon.com there is also a kindle catch up, Road Brothers - Catch Up, that contains just the additional 4 stories!

Vote on which of the ten stories you liked best here:

http://www.easypolls.net/poll.html?p=...



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Join my 3-emails-a-year newsletter #prizes


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[Bookwraiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.

By now, most fantasy fans have either read or heard all about Mark Lawrence’s seminal work Prince of Thorns and The Broken Empire trilogy it launched. Some love Jorg Ancrath and his world; others hate him and/or the place; but everyone has strong feelings about the story. Yet Jorg’s tale is not a solitary one. In fact, throughout his journeys, the young Ancrath prince is accompanied by many companions, the most important of which are his road brothers. These individuals filled with passions, tragedies, and vile acts all their own; their personal stories demanding some of the spotlight which Jorg so greedily dominated.

Well, in this collection, Mr. Lawrence gives fans exactly what they have been craving: a closer look at Jorg’s “road brothers.” Here the curtain is pulled back on Makin, Red Kent, Rike, The Nuban, Gorgoth, and even Father Gomst. Each individual getting to air, at least, some of their hidden secrets for everyone’s reading pleasure.

It all starts with “A Rescue,” where Makin takes center stage. The tragic lose of his family at the hands of marauding knights is touched upon, used to explain why the jovial, beloved Makin of the past no longer exists, replaced by a bitter, vengeful man whose presence makes everyone uncomfortable. And when he becomes a soldier to King Olidan and helps avert a fiery end to young Jorg, the future seems set, especially as he foresees his own role in helping the young prince grow to manhood.

“Sleeping Beauty” is a Jorg centered tale, which I have previously enjoyed and reviewed.

“Bad Seed” chronicles the poignant yet grievous tale of Alann Oak. This youth committing a horrible crime at a tender age; the act haunting him his whole life, even as he tries to forgive himself for it, deny his baser nature and live a peaceful life as a farmer, husband, and father. Something he seems to be successful in doing until fickle fate destroys it, turning him into Red Kent.

“The Nature of the Beast” takes a closer look at Sabitha the witch and her interactions with and observations of Rike, as he and his road brothers pillage her village. Naturally, a witches curse is involved.

“Select Mode” finds Jorg and the Nuban as prisoners of brigands. Their captors driving them toward “the arc” where they will be judged worthy or unworthy to join this band of “Select.” Broken remnants of the Builders technology play a major role here, as an ancient message is mistaken for something much more divine.

“Mercy” sees Mr. Lawrence returning to Makin. Now, his quest for vengeance upon his family’s murderers takes center stage. A woman named Ellen is his co-conspirator, while the terrified Gorlan is the cowed youth, who attempts to negotiate his own survival. And during the three’s conversations, Makin’s desire for justice through vengeance becomes very clear.

In “A Good Name,” readers finally get a glimpse at the Nuban’s mysterious past. The how and why of his presence in the Broken Empire is suggested, even as a special guest star (the father of Snorri from The Red Queen’s War) plays a major role in the Nuban’s growth into a man. All of it offering a logical reason why this warrior would go on to become somewhat of a mentor to the young Jorg.

“Choices” centers on the choices of Gorgoth. This enigmatic monster of a man risking all to save his family from the dangerous, toxic depths of their mountain home. The whole story somewhat of a morality play, as Gorgoth wishes to be a good person in a harsh world — even if he might be selling his soul to the devil to accomplish what he believes is right.

With “The Secret,” Mr. Lawrence takes his storytelling to new heights. This tale within a tale mesmerizing in its pacing and progression; the narrator slowly weaving his story of betrayal and assassination to a bedazzled princess, who never sees the truth until it is too late.

“Know Thyself” ends this collection on a high note, as Father Gomst and his interaction with King Olidan’s two young sons is highlighted. Naturally, Jorg and his brother William steal the spotlight with their youthful viciousness, but Gomst’s feelings toward his old student is certainly put into a new light.

For me, short story collections work best if there is a narrative focus; a common thread which holds the separate pieces together, molding them into a coherent whole. And Road Brothers has exactly that quality. Each of these diverse tales highlighting the hidden past of these characters, exposing their personal travails, and grounding their actions in The Broken Empire into a realistic whole. All of which means that if you love Jorg and his story, then you will love this collection of tales, but if you hate the Ancrath prince and his road brothers, then these stories won’t change your mind about them at all.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant collection of short stories, which give background to some of the characters in the Broken Empire series. The stories are the kind I really love - short, to the point, but full of nuance and story elements. I miss this series and love getting to delve back into it a little bit.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Odlična kolekcija priča smeštenih u svet Slomljenog Kraljevstva. Jeste da ne dodaju previše informacija ali opet fino popunjavaju poneku rupicu i daju malo više detalja o nekim likovima. Ako ste ljubitelji ovog serijala rekao bih obavezno štivo.

Rescue: Priča koja nam malo pojašnjava jednog od likova iz Jorgove bande. Dovoljno kratko i po meni moglo je da bude bez problema u nekoj od glavnih knjiga.

Sleeping Beauty: Prepričavanje poznate bajke na Lawrencov način.

Bad Seed: Sada znamo zašto Red Kennt ima ime koje ima :)

The Nature of the Beast: Po meni jedna od slabijih pričica pošto baš ništa ne doprinosi sve ukupnom prči i ne upoznaje nas ništa bliže sa likovima. Mada sama scena jeste interesantna.

Select Mode: Uvek je interesantno kada se na leti na tehnologiju koja je preživela sve te godine i kolko drugačije ljudi reaguju na nju, odnosno kolko drugačije interpretiraju njene poruke.

Mercy: E ova je bila odlična. Većim delom samo razkovor ali tolko drži pažnju da ne mogu da se žalim.

A Good Name: Još jedna odlična priča. Upoznamo drugi deo sveta i dobijamo početke od jednog od naj tajnovitijih članova Jorgove družine. Me like. Plus je priča povezana ia sa trilogijom Crvene Kraljice.

Choices: Lepa priča o postojanju ili ne postojanju izbora smeštena u pećine ghoulova (Fallout fan pa su mi najjača asocijacija za to :P )

The Secret: Za ovu mogu reći da je dosta interesantno prikazana i uhvatite skroz ne spremnog.

Know Thyself: I za kraj fina priča o braći koja izgleda nikada nisu bila cute and innocent (Žarač sakriven u plišanoj lutki :) )

[Tracey the Lizard Queen · Rating 5 out of 5]

More brilliance from Mr Lawrence. How I have missed the Broken Empire and its memorable inhabitants!

[Ant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite being a fan of Mark Lawrence, I didn't buy this book straight away as it's a series of short stories - not my favourite format. I was wrong to not to believe in him. I strongly recommend reading the Broken Empire series first, but if you do, this is a fantastic addition.
I really liked the author's footnotes for each story, giving additional information on the background of each tale.
Highly recommended for those who fondly remember the likes of Rike and Red Kent and would like to know more about their lives.

[Archie Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of short stories to flesh out the world of the Broken Empire a little bit more.

Some thought provoking stories in this collection which give you a bit more insight in to the Road Brothers and their histories which allows you to relate to some of them on a human level.

And there is plenty of good old fashioned cold blooded murder too!

[Nerine Dorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't read this collection of short stories unless you've read Mark Lawrence's The Broken Empire. Here be spoilers. Road Brothers does exactly what it says – short stories sketching in back story for Jorg's band of brothers, offering tasty little snippets of history, to colour in the details.

So I'm assuming that if you've read Mark's other books, you'll be no stranger his style, which offers astute observations on the darker side of human nature set in a world that's still picking up the pieces of a cataclysm that destroyed civilisation as we know it, throwing it back into a dark age that marries up ancient, malfunctioning technology with dark magic. This uneasy blend is not quite fantasy, nor is it SF, and I love that ambiguousness of the setting.

Perhaps my favourite story out of the lot is the Nubian's origin, giving readers a tantalising glimpse into a post-apocalyptic Africa. Okay, so I'm biased because I love stories set in my stomping ground, and the Nubian was one of my favourites from the trilogy. (He stood out the most for me out of all Jorg's companions.) In my mind, some stories were more vignettes than a structured short story, but because I'm invested in setting, this didn't bother me so much and I appreciated the filling-in of gaps.

Essentially, this is an exploration of brotherhood, and the bonds between the brothers brought to life in the trilogy. It is about found family, notions of loyalty and honour, and also the complicated relationships between blood-relatives. Mark's writing isn't for everyone, but this selection will be valuable to those of us who're already immersed in his world.

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Rescue - a story about Makin in different moments of his life at the Tall Castle - 3★

Sleeping Beauty - a mix between the famous Perrault/Grimm's fairytale and SFF - 3.5★

Bad Seed - a story about Red Kent - 4★

The Nature of the Beast - a story about Rike and Chella's sister, wonderful in its implications - 4.5★

Select Mode - a story of Jorg and the Nuban - 3★

Mercy - a second story about Makin, this one about a most common theme in this series: revenge - 4★

A Good Name - the most interesting and touching story in this collection (in my subjective opinion, of course), about the Nuban's adolescence - 5★

“No man's an island. Not even the ones that think they are. Especially not them.”

Choices - a story of Gorgoth and Jane and what else but... choices - 4.5★

The Secret - a story about Sim - 4★

Know Thyself - the second best in my opinion, about Father Gomst and a very young Jorg and an even younger William, with some very interesting psychological elements - 5★

[Mitriel Faywood · Rating 5 out of 5]

***update: a little info here on the upcoming print edition: https://thatthornguy.com/2017/06/02/o... ***

I read some of these tales as far back as the summer of 2014 and after all this time they still resonate with me. To me Mark Lawrence is and has always been an artist unmatched in talent and skill. His stories beat with a heart that makes them both powerful and unique.
I would also like to take this opportunity to applaud Pen Astridge for her once-again brilliant cover, it is fantastic!

[J.M. (Joe) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A killer (hah) collection casting limelight on Prince Jorg’s boon companions. The stories are action-packed and thought-provoking at the same time with many a familiar face.

Mark Lawrence writes some of the most well-rounded characters in genre fiction. Good can be bad, weak can be strong, down might, in fact, be up. With this author, expect nothing, expect everything.

Parallelism!

—The only thing I did wrong, seeing this is #3.5, was read this out of order. What’s also neat is to see his Sim story, which also appeared in the Blackguards anthology I edited, in the pages of Road Bros.

[T.O. Munro · Rating 5 out of 5]

My goodreads target of 42 books to be read (and reviewed) in 2015 continues to mock me, supremely confident in its inevitable victory as - even now - I just crawl over the halfway line. However, I am determined to go down fighting and Mark Lawrence's latest publication - an anthology of short stories about Jorg and his "brothers"- is an easily digested morsel which nonetheless packs quite a punch.


Jorg bestrode the Broken Empire trilogy dominating his stage as completely and charmingly as Shakespeare's Richard III. With a central character of captivating brilliance, I found that the brothers sometimes struggled to illuminate and define themselves. It is like the search for planets orbiting distant stars (exo-planet) where the planet's characteristics must either inferred from the effect they have on the central star, or can be observed directly only when the central star is obscurred.


This collection of short stories offers plenty of opportunity for individual brothers to showcase the subtle nuances of their own pasts, free from Jorg's dazzling light. We see Makin (twice), Red Kent, Brother Sim, the Nuban and of course Rike operating alone, driven (mostly) by their own motivations. It is interesting to see, in Makin and Kent's stories particularly, how slim is the line between the bandits and those that they prey on. Jorg's rampaging band of brothers, after all, was not a single abherration in the midst of a perfect civilisation (it's not called the broken Empire for nothing). They were one band amongst many in an era reminiscent of the 12th century turbulence of King Stephen and the Empress Matilda - a time when it was said that God and his Saints slept.


There are also two stories specifically about Jorg - "Select Mode" and "Sleeping Beauty" - which I have a particular fondness for having read both when they were previously published. As a result of one of Mark's many competitions, I got to do a sound recording of Select Mode while the author Richard Ford did a recording of Sleeping Beauty - both were saved on soundcloud.com


I liked the economy of Select Mode - an insight into a young man still near the start of his road career. Sleeping Beauty, a longer piece, has all of Mark's inventiveness, more of Jorg's cussed refusal to lose, and an entertaining take on some familiar fairy tales.


Right up until the end of this collection of short stories, I was unsure which would be my favourite. I had always liked Sir Makin and the Nuban so their tales - filling in back stories in a way which made sense of their behaviours in the main trilogy - had a head start insecuring my affections.


But then I read the last story that of Father Gomst, and here perhaps I return to my initial observation for - intriguing as Father Gomst is - this is a story of the Ancraths - dazzlingly dark as they outshine all others. Gomst appears in their lives with all the hope but none of the power of a Mary Poppins figure put in charge of a murderously rebellious nursery of two young brothers. In this story we see Olidan - instinctively cruel. We see Jorg aged six and you may, like me, be reminded of the Jesuit saying, "Give me the child until he is seven and I will show you the man." We also see William aged four and see how even the very young can manipulate and control adults, snaring them in a mesh of their own threats and promises. It is this story too, where lines of Lawrence's prose most readily leapt out of the page at me.



"Clergy, no matter their station, do not bow to crowns, but Gomst felt the pressure on his shoulders even so."


"Gomst had told bigger lies for worse reasons. One could hardly rise in Roma's church these days without a crooked tongue."


"Lies are soft and accomodating. The truth is hard, full of uncomforatble angles. It rarely helps anyone."


In this venture Mark Lawrence joins the ranks of the self-published authors - or at least hybrid authors - ably assisted by Pen Astridge's wonderfully professional cover.


Within all the stories and their footnotes, there are massive spoilers for the Broken Empire trilogy, fateful forecasts and promises - enough to make those of us who have read to the end of Emperor of Thorns, smile at a circle completed, while others new to Jorg would find the trilogy denuded of some of its biggest twists.


But then, although these stories mostly precede the trilogy's bifurcated chronologies, they were not intended as an introduction to Jorg's tale, so much as an opportunity for those of us who loved it to revist some old acquaintances an ambition it fulfils splendidly

[lee d woolsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Illuminating

Really liked the insight into the supporting characters, and the very interesting character of the landscape. His style is an attractive blend of economy and lyricism. More more more!

[DeAnna Knippling · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of short stories from the Broken Empire.

I stretched this out as long as possible, but alas, I have finally come to the end. I enjoyed it, although none of the stories knocked my socks off the way the novels do, which I suspect comes from the length more than anything else.

Recommended if you're a fan of the world; otherwise, there's not enough information to put things in context.

[Lynn Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent 4.5 of 5 stars
http://lynns-books.com/2015/12/29/roa...
Road Brothers is a fantastic little book of treats which, if you love The Broken Empire, I feel you simply have to read. Coming in at approximately 120 pages it contains 10 separate stories that take us back in time and shares with us some of the histories and motivations behind the characters of Jorg and his brothers.

This anthology was something of a revelation to me. I’ve always protested that I don’t really enjoy short stories and I still maintain that stance – although now with provisos. I do prefer something I can really explore and let my mind wander around and with short stories it always feels that just as I’m getting comfortable they up and finish. The difference with this particular anthology is that whilst it is 10 individual stories they’re all from a world that I’ve already become fully immersed in and they’re extra snippets of information about characters that I’m already familiar with and want to know more about. I read each story eagerly, desperate to know what I’d discover next and frankly I could, even now, happily read some more – I’m greedy like that.

Seriously, this is the perfect companion to the Broken Empire. It’s a quick read, or maybe that’s because I simply couldn’t put it down and not only do we gain these little nuggets of information about the characters but we get to spend some more time in this world which frankly is a win win if you ask me.

The one thing I must point out however is that this book contains spoilers for the Broken Empire trilogy so please be aware of that before you pick a copy up.

For me the stories here were perfect little lightbulb moments. They contain pieces of information not previously included in the trilogy and whilst you could get along reading the series without their knowledge they’re wonderful to discover after completion. They feel like an insight into what the author had in mind for each of his characters and the substance behind their personality that helps to keep them all distinct. Also some wonderful pieces that provide closure on some of the storylines – pieces of information that you didn’t know you needed to know but now you do know, well, they feel invaluable!

I’m not going to elaborate on the stories as that would be to spoil them and I confess I find it difficult to choose a favourite because each one was my favourite when I was reading it. I can say though that I was totally gobsmacked reading Rike’s story! Kent’s – fascinating to learn how he received his name. Gomst – scary. Basically, we take a look at all the main characters from the series and in fact revisit Jorg twice in two completely different settings and all of them were fascinating to read. But, even more intriguing than all of that – we get a glimpse into the character of Jorg’s younger brother which I thought was very revealing. And we have a surprise – I know it’s a bit of a tease to say so and then not expand upon it at all – but it wouldn’t be a surprise then would it!

I found this anthology thoroughly enjoyable, in fact I loved it. Mark Lawrence has his own style of writing and it’s one that I enjoy reading very much. He is undoubtedly a master of words and also has a gift for the element of surprise that usually leaves me speechless!

If you love The Broken Empire I think you will love this book of short stories too. It feels a little like watching the extended version of Lord of the Rings or the Director’s cut of one of your favourite films. Let’s just be honest here – when you love something this much you never feel like you’ve had enough and this definitely fills a little gap whilst we wait for The Wheel of Osheim. What more could you possibly ask for – other than more books of course (no pressure there then Mr Lawrence).

Definitely recommended to fans of the Broken Empire.

I received a copy for review for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

[Lanko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. Amusing return to the Broken Empire, but more specifically, to parts of Jorg's story. Can't have enough of that. And now through other characters, like Sir Makin, Kent, Rike, Gorgoth and others.
The fact that I read The Broken Empire in October of last year and I still remember who these characters were and their nuances despite Jorg's extremely dominant voice is proof of how the author wrote an amazing work back then.

I did wish a story with William, specially when he became the Dead King, how he simply forced his way to king of the dead, or a POV of someone on the Isles while they were being conquered by him.

This part is my favorite:

*Gomst is lecturing Jorg about the boy's intentions to kill his father*:

"And what do you think will happen if you succeed? You'll be a murderer! Do you know what they do to murderers? Do you know what happens to them in Hell?"

"I'll be king," Jorg replied, still calm, focused on the distant windows above the stable stalls. "I will pardon myself."

"God won't pardon you, Jorg!"

"Kings rule by divine right. I read that. If it is my right to sit on the throne then God has to approve how I got there."

Not enough! Need more! Mooore!

[Karolina Kat]

This collection of short stories is a great companion to the Broken Empire Trilogy. It gives a much appreciated insight into the characters' pasts and minds. Surprisingly, though, the best stories, at least in my opinion, are those revolving around secondary characters, like Red Kent, Gorgoth, or Sim.

I particularly enjoyed the following stories:

* Bad Seed (Kent's origin story)
* The Nature of the Beast (Rike's side story)
* Mercy (Makin's revenge story)
* The Secret (Sim's story)

In the collection there are also subtle tie-ins between Broken Empire and Red Queen's War offered by Choices and Sleeping Beauty. The last short story should be put in it's own category. Know Thyself gives the reader a first good look at Jorg's younger brother - William.

Footnote:
A particularly nice addition to the stories themselves are footnotes at the end, where Mark Lawrence shares his thoughts on each character or plot. I enjoyed them as much as the stories themselves.

[Liviu Szoke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very interesting collection of short stories about Jorg Ancrath's Road Brothers and their stories. We have Gorgoth (yess! Gorgoth), Sim, Makin, the Nuban (a very young and reckless Nuban) or big Rike and the witch and even Jorg, characters we long to read more about, and these collection it's the perfect choice (and the only one) to read more, to find more about them. Stories about honour, about justice, about Jorg and his brother, William, about their father, King Olidan, about loyalty, about faith, about the coming of age, about transformation, about humans and about becoming human or how a human being comes to become a monster. Or a Road Brother.

[M.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth splashing out some pennies for this little gem. I've not read any of the short stories before, even though some of them available individually, and my favourite is Know Thyself. A fascinating insight into the lives of some of the brothers, and somewhat lighter in tone than the main series itself (which is good, because sometimes the darkness of the characters and the situations they find themselves in, can be a little overwhelming for those who prefer light and fluffy most of the time).

[Leo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a superb collection of short stories, if you are a fan of The Broken Empire this will be a great treat. My review is on my blog:

https://leonahenry.wordpress.com/2016...

[AnneS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one. So much I read it in one night. And made me want to read more about the Broken Empire again. Oh Jorg, I did follow you, and you broke my heart indeed.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining if you're a fan of the various Broken Empire books (which I am). Only real complaint is that it's so short.

[Sara Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute must read if you've read the Broken Empire books.

Great extra background on the Road Brothers

Beautifully written short stories

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Every additional story with Jorg is a little gift! That last story: "Know thyself", is my favorite one, closely followed by "Select Mode". A sidestory with Katherine would've been nice too.

[The Nerd Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm going to preface this by saying that I normally hate short stories. I feel like they only give me the smallest taste of what I really want. I absolutely loved Road Brothers. I am a huge fan of the Broken Empire books but one thing that I felt was lacking, especially in Prince of Thorns, was any real backstory on any of Jorg's murderous little band. Road Brothers remedies that shortcoming. If this had been the Interlude between chapters Prince of Thorns would have been one of my favorite books of all time instead of my least favorite of Lawrence's 7 full length novels out as of the writing of this review. This is a collection that furthered my understanding of the minor characters who still play a role in the direction that the empire will go.
My personal favorite stories were Sleeping Beauty and Bad Seed. Sleeping Beauty isn't quite what you would assume by its name but it does involve a twisted play on a familiar fairy tale, it doesn't really tell a backstory on one of the Brother but tells of the blank period after Jorg loses time during the main story line. Bad Seed introduces us to Red Kent and how he earned his name. It is one hell of a good little tale and left me thoroughly satisfied at its conclusion.

[Ints · Rating 5 out of 5]

Šajā stāstu krājumā ir apkopoti desmit stāsti, kas saistīti ar Salauzto impēriju. Jorgs savu mērķi nesasniedza viens pats, viņam bija palīgi ceļa brāļi. Tieši pateicoties šīm brāļiem Jorgs daļēji kļuva par to, kas viņš ir. Taču ko mēs zinām par šiem brāļiem? Par viņu gaitām saistībā ar Jorgu mēs zinām praktiski visu, bet kas viņi bija, pirms kļuva par lielceļa laupītājiem, kas bija tas, kas viņus noveda līdz lielceļam, vai kādēļ viņi to izvēlējās kā savu dzīvesveidu, par to nemaz tik daudz lasītājs nav informēts. Tādēļ talkā nāks šis stāstu krājums, kas parādīs dažus no Jorga brāļiem ne tikai triloģijas galvenā varoņa kontekstā.

Šie stāsti ir kā jauks triloģijas papildinājums, kas bez Jorga brāļu personību izpētes pievēršas arī pasaules padziļinātai izpētei. Šeit ir sastopami daudzi aizgājušo laiku artefakti, daži nekaitīgi, daži nāvējoši. Par dažiem kā stāstā “Select mode” autors ir pasmējies, parādot civilizācijas pagrimumu un tumsonību. Par citiem kā “Sleeping Beauty” mēģina paanalizēt nomaļā bunkurā izolēta mākslīgā intelekta rīcību.

Ja man būtu jāizvēlas labākie stāsti šajā krājumā, tie būtu “Sleeping Beauty” par kādu Jorga ne tik zināmu piedzīvojumu un “The Nature of the Beast” par brāli Rike, ne par to, kādēļ viņš ir tāds, kāds viņš ir, bet par to kā tika izlemts viņa liktenis. Taču tas nenozīmē, ka pārējie stāsti ir zemē metami, katrs no viņiem izgaismo kāda Jorga brāļa pagātnes aspektu. Piemēram, Makins, kas cilvēkam ar visnotaļ labu statusu sabiedrībā lika nolaisties līdz lielceļam, un kas viņš bija pagātnē. Visam pie vainas ir atriebība, lai ar bija par ko. Vai, piemēram, brālis Kents ar savu stāstu “Bad seed”, par to, kā viņš izrāvās no ieraduma valgiem un pievērsās savam dzīves aicinājumam. Netiek aizmirsts pat Jorga mazais brālis, un ja šo stāstu izlasītu pirms triloģijas, viss lasītprieks būtu samaitāts. Pietiks vien ar to, ja zināsi, ka pat Jorgs baidījās no sava mazā brāļa, kurš nekad nevienam nepiedeva, un kuram jau bērnībā bija skaidra nākotne.

Grāmatas galvenais mīnuss ir, ka to nevar iešķiebt lasīšanai cilvēkiem, kas nav lasījuši princim Jorgam veltīto triloģiju. Visi stāsti satur nopietnus maitekļus, kas pastāstīs to, kā viss beidzās. Ja lasītājs neko nezina par Salauzto impēriju, tad viņam var rasties grūtības novērtēt pasauli, kurā noris darbība. Nav jau tā, ka galīgi nav vērts lasīt, tomēr tad ir jāizšķiras par pirmās triloģijas samaitekļošanu un palaidīsi lielāko daļu no stāsta jēgas gar ausīm.

Lieku 9 no 10 ballēm, ja jau esi izlasījis gan Jorga triloģiju, gan Džalana triloģijas pirmās divas grāmatas un ļoti vēlies atkal uz mirkli iemest aci Salauztās impērijas pasaulē, tad droši ņem ciet un lasi, nenožēlosi! Man personīgi šī grāmata ļaus ar cieņu sagaidīt The Wheel of Osheim iznākšanu.

[Chris Boulton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh I do love the Broken Empire series and now we get a brief glimpse of the characters that we don't get to hear much about. Usually in anthologies, I'd make a list of the ones I particularly enjoyed and jot them down here for you all to mull over and tell me how clever I am to chose those stories but it's impossible to do that with this one because they're all so good. Though I have to say that I think I preferred the second Makin story rather than the first, just so I can have a touch of negativity just to balance it out a bit, but saying that.. the first one was pretty good.

If I had to choose two favourites.. hmm.. Sleeping Beauty and Bad Seed.

Hoping this will take some of the edge off while we wait for Osheim!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Road Brothers is basically ten more reasons why you owe it to yourself to read Mark Lawrence and get yourself inducted into his Broken Empire series. His writing is just as beautiful in short form as it is long, and I loved getting the chance to get some further insight into some of my favoirite characters tied to Jorg's tale. I was sad to see the series end, but any extra time to spend in this world is the icing on the cake.

[JL Lucaban · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the Broken Empire Trilogy ever since the first book, where I met Jorg and his road brothers. After the Emperor of Thorns, I've felt the need to reread it again every once in a while, and every time I feel it, I succumb to it without any fight.

To read this, to read Jorg's and his road brother's individual story, was like reacquainting myself to a very long time friend. The memories of those three books while I read them came back as I read every story in here.

I love it.

[Kinga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, Mr. Lawrence, for bringing us back to Jorg's world! I missed him more than I thought..

Szóval igen, hihetetlen boldog voltam, mikor megláttam a könyvet a helyi könyvtárban, mert már nagyon régóta el akartam olvasni. Mark Lawrence stílusa még mindig megragadó, a történetek kerekek voltak, tele a kedvenc szereplőimmel - vagy az azokra tett utalásokkal. És az az utolsó novella... wow....

5/5 as always for a Mark Lawrence book