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Half Sword
“It is said that men must worship the gods of this earth, but none know whom the gods themselves must worship.”
The crone’s breath stank of septic wounds and open graves. She leered at him.
“I will tell you a secret—the gods worship fools such as yourself.”
Simon is that fool. Reviled as a halfwit, he is pursued across medieval Europe by a sinister league of conjurers, the Apostles of Light. Having erased his past, they will stop at nothing to steal his future as well. On the way, he joins the Knights of Palermo, a dubious band of wandering rogues, and attracts a mysterious young woman whose fate is somehow interwoven with his own.
Simon finds himself caught in a struggle for power between the shadowy Apostles, his adopted Knights, and a cabal of powerful women known to a select few as the Weavers. With only a broken sword and his own shattered memories, Simon must thread this maze of warring factions to discover who he was and why he is inexorably drawn to the haunted ruins of twelfth century Rome.
The crone’s breath stank of septic wounds and open graves. She leered at him.
“I will tell you a secret—the gods worship fools such as yourself.”
Simon is that fool. Reviled as a halfwit, he is pursued across medieval Europe by a sinister league of conjurers, the Apostles of Light. Having erased his past, they will stop at nothing to steal his future as well. On the way, he joins the Knights of Palermo, a dubious band of wandering rogues, and attracts a mysterious young woman whose fate is somehow interwoven with his own.
Simon finds himself caught in a struggle for power between the shadowy Apostles, his adopted Knights, and a cabal of powerful women known to a select few as the Weavers. With only a broken sword and his own shattered memories, Simon must thread this maze of warring factions to discover who he was and why he is inexorably drawn to the haunted ruins of twelfth century Rome.
- GenresHistorical Fantasy
380 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 21, 2021
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
spfbo7
September 20, 2021Read this as a guest judge (With FanFiAddict) for SPFBO 7.
May 8, 2021
Great introduction to the characters and their abilities. Didn’t always care for the foreign words or phrases , because sometimes interrupted the the flow of the story. Looking forward to the next book, hope there will be one.
June 11, 2021
If you're looking for an overwhelmingly-magical tale of wizards and dragons, move along. But if you're intrigued by the folklore and superstition of the late Roman Empire and its outlying regions, this is the book for you.
The setting is very detailed and from what I can tell, quite accurate, historically. I researched some of the scenes that I came across in this book, and the author appears to have been faithful to the historical accounts.
His skill with description is slightly lacking, however, and a few of the travel scenes drag on longer than they should. But the revelatory moments, discovering the secrets behind the curse, will keep the reader's eyes locked on the page.
The setting is very detailed and from what I can tell, quite accurate, historically. I researched some of the scenes that I came across in this book, and the author appears to have been faithful to the historical accounts.
His skill with description is slightly lacking, however, and a few of the travel scenes drag on longer than they should. But the revelatory moments, discovering the secrets behind the curse, will keep the reader's eyes locked on the page.
July 15, 2021
Good book and really liked the character development. Simon is a relatable character as he travels and learns his identity. Character arch’s were weaved together well.
August 4, 2023
Cross of Da Vinci’s Code and Fellowship of the Ring in historical medieval setting
17yo Simon’s memory is gone but a kind fur trader takes him under his wing and along the route from Tver to Krakow. Or so it seems. When their cart is attacked and Simon’s benefactor is killed he meets the men who slew the robbers - a band of the Knights of Palermo. They discover he has a devil serpent’s sign on his chest that marks him as an Apostle of the Light but he’s still Simple Simon. After his initiation into the Knights, his memory returns and secrets of his past start unraveling, attracting unwanted violent attention to their band of travelers.
I loved the detailed world building and research, secrets unraveling like onions and various languages used (the swearing in Italian is contagious, I warn you). It was an interesting take on the myths and legends of Apostles of the Light, Knights of Palermo and medieval witches. Very DaVinci Code. The female movers&shakers - Weavers Travellers and Dwellers - are very much like Moirae, the Greek fates - an invisible society unto themselves that entangle themselves into workings of men to build or destroy empires. Weaver ways reminded me of fae who cannot lie and goddesses sticking their nose in everything. Ruslana was very much the Lady Winter from the Three Musketeers. Baba Jezinka was very much you quintessential Baba Yaga, the wise woman from fairytales. And Amala - sweet but tricksy. A page-turner for sure. I’m tempted to pick up book 2 from this fun new author I found - to see what becomes of Simon after the blows fate dealt him.
There are hints at MM relationships in travelling mercenary teams and sapphic relations in Venetian secret Venus houses for the rich women, but that was about the extent of the diverse theme, nothing on page and not between MCs.
Recommended for lovers of historic medieval and epic fantasy.
17yo Simon’s memory is gone but a kind fur trader takes him under his wing and along the route from Tver to Krakow. Or so it seems. When their cart is attacked and Simon’s benefactor is killed he meets the men who slew the robbers - a band of the Knights of Palermo. They discover he has a devil serpent’s sign on his chest that marks him as an Apostle of the Light but he’s still Simple Simon. After his initiation into the Knights, his memory returns and secrets of his past start unraveling, attracting unwanted violent attention to their band of travelers.
I loved the detailed world building and research, secrets unraveling like onions and various languages used (the swearing in Italian is contagious, I warn you). It was an interesting take on the myths and legends of Apostles of the Light, Knights of Palermo and medieval witches. Very DaVinci Code. The female movers&shakers - Weavers Travellers and Dwellers - are very much like Moirae, the Greek fates - an invisible society unto themselves that entangle themselves into workings of men to build or destroy empires. Weaver ways reminded me of fae who cannot lie and goddesses sticking their nose in everything. Ruslana was very much the Lady Winter from the Three Musketeers. Baba Jezinka was very much you quintessential Baba Yaga, the wise woman from fairytales. And Amala - sweet but tricksy. A page-turner for sure. I’m tempted to pick up book 2 from this fun new author I found - to see what becomes of Simon after the blows fate dealt him.
There are hints at MM relationships in travelling mercenary teams and sapphic relations in Venetian secret Venus houses for the rich women, but that was about the extent of the diverse theme, nothing on page and not between MCs.
Recommended for lovers of historic medieval and epic fantasy.
June 23, 2022
Pleasantly surprised and glad I tried this new to me author. Let’s start with this storyline. A supposed simpleton is accompanying his master on a trade run and they get attacked by marauders. Seems simple enough, until you slowly realize there is more to these characters than what you think.
The simpleton, Simon, has lost his memory but gets snippets returning here and there. His master us brutally killed, and he is then sort of adopted by a group of men who stumble upon him.
This whole tale is set during ancient times, long after the fall of the Roman Empire yet still during the period of warring religious factions. Picture the knights of Templar complete with not knowing who is truly fighting a holy war and who just wants power. This authors attention to detail is exemplary! Now, imagine amidst all this, we also have mystical groups also trying to affect the outcomes, magical talismans that give the user powers that most of the time get used fir nefarious deeds.
This tale has all the elements needed to keep me glued. Tons of action, tons of mysteries, allegiances that can turn to betrayals faster than I can read, and just as many ulterior motives as there are good ones. Definitely wasn’t sure if I should have been rooting for or against the MC. There were a very heart breaking moments as well. All in all, an easy recommend for me. All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
The simpleton, Simon, has lost his memory but gets snippets returning here and there. His master us brutally killed, and he is then sort of adopted by a group of men who stumble upon him.
This whole tale is set during ancient times, long after the fall of the Roman Empire yet still during the period of warring religious factions. Picture the knights of Templar complete with not knowing who is truly fighting a holy war and who just wants power. This authors attention to detail is exemplary! Now, imagine amidst all this, we also have mystical groups also trying to affect the outcomes, magical talismans that give the user powers that most of the time get used fir nefarious deeds.
This tale has all the elements needed to keep me glued. Tons of action, tons of mysteries, allegiances that can turn to betrayals faster than I can read, and just as many ulterior motives as there are good ones. Definitely wasn’t sure if I should have been rooting for or against the MC. There were a very heart breaking moments as well. All in all, an easy recommend for me. All my reviews are always voluntarily written.
August 23, 2023
I really enjoyed this book! The fantastical elements, including an intriguing curse, were very well woven into the historical setting to create a very believable stage for the story. Simon, called “simpleton “ by some has been cursed to forget everything. He travels with a fur trader and as the story unfolds, he begins to remember.
The characters were so much fun, and abrasive Luca, the Sicilian bladesmaster was a real treat. The flare with which the characters speak and the flow of the dialogue definitely kept me immersed throughout.
This author has truly mastered the skill of revealing the elements of the story piece by piece and bringing it all together in the last few pages to transform what felt like a jumble of incoherent bits into a powerfully cohesive tapestry. Matson is definitely an author I’ll be keeping an eye on for future releases.
My one difficulty was with Simon's age. I have absolutely no idea how old this character is, and that was made particularly difficult because of his introduction to the story as a simpleton, but even bey the end of the book there's no real indication of his age. He could be anywhere from 13 to 23 for all I know and that omission did make it a little hard to connect with him.
Although the style is a little dry, I think this novel could be a real hit for readers who enjoy strong world building, historically fantasy and believable scenarios with little magic.
The characters were so much fun, and abrasive Luca, the Sicilian bladesmaster was a real treat. The flare with which the characters speak and the flow of the dialogue definitely kept me immersed throughout.
This author has truly mastered the skill of revealing the elements of the story piece by piece and bringing it all together in the last few pages to transform what felt like a jumble of incoherent bits into a powerfully cohesive tapestry. Matson is definitely an author I’ll be keeping an eye on for future releases.
My one difficulty was with Simon's age. I have absolutely no idea how old this character is, and that was made particularly difficult because of his introduction to the story as a simpleton, but even bey the end of the book there's no real indication of his age. He could be anywhere from 13 to 23 for all I know and that omission did make it a little hard to connect with him.
Although the style is a little dry, I think this novel could be a real hit for readers who enjoy strong world building, historically fantasy and believable scenarios with little magic.
April 15, 2024
Simon appears to be a simple minded servant to Master Jacob. As they are driving their cart filled with furs to trade Master Jacob is killed in an ambush. Now on his own he stumbles across the Knights of Palermo. When they ask about who he is and where he is from, he finds that he cannot answer them. For he doesn't know himself and seems to suffer when he tries to remember. Deciding he has no where else to go he starts his initiation into the knighthood and starts to remember. He realizes his memories are locked away but doesn't know by who or why. Hoping to find direction and a place to call home he stays with the Knights. However, trouble follows Simon forcing to him hunt for the truth about what happened to him.
I love a good historical fiction and how an author combines fantasy and history. The idea behind this story had my interest. However, I did find myself having issues staying focused and that may have more to deal with me than the story itself. I found parts did drag in the descriptions and wished a few things happened sooner. Luca had to be my favorite character. He was colorful and the language was fun. I also enjoy a book with an appendix. I like cross referencing things and bits of history is always fun.
I love a good historical fiction and how an author combines fantasy and history. The idea behind this story had my interest. However, I did find myself having issues staying focused and that may have more to deal with me than the story itself. I found parts did drag in the descriptions and wished a few things happened sooner. Luca had to be my favorite character. He was colorful and the language was fun. I also enjoy a book with an appendix. I like cross referencing things and bits of history is always fun.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews