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The Serpent Knight Saga #3
The Definition of Vengeance
The small village of Untheim has a big problem. Folk go missing with alarming frequency. Even more alarming? They turn up dead. And a young girl’s just disappeared.
Sir Luther Slythe Krait also has a big problem. He’s stuck in Untheim. Penniless and poor and on his last legs, Sir Luther shoulders the task of tracking down the missing girl. The good news? He finds her. The bad? She’s heading home in a box.
And that’s just the start.
Bound by oath to hunt down the girl’s killer, Sir Luther treks through town and wilderness, hounding the populace, ferreting leads, and drawing back the shroud of a decades-old secret privy to a select few. It’s a dark secret, and those few want it kept that way.
Will Sir Luther find the killer? Will he exact justice? An eye for an eye? A head for a head? Or will the head lost be his own?
Sir Luther Slythe Krait also has a big problem. He’s stuck in Untheim. Penniless and poor and on his last legs, Sir Luther shoulders the task of tracking down the missing girl. The good news? He finds her. The bad? She’s heading home in a box.
And that’s just the start.
Bound by oath to hunt down the girl’s killer, Sir Luther treks through town and wilderness, hounding the populace, ferreting leads, and drawing back the shroud of a decades-old secret privy to a select few. It’s a dark secret, and those few want it kept that way.
Will Sir Luther find the killer? Will he exact justice? An eye for an eye? A head for a head? Or will the head lost be his own?
- GenresFantasy
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 2, 2021
About the author
Kevin Wright
27 books68 followersKevin Wright studied writing at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell and fully utilized his bachelor’s degree by seeking and attaining employment first as a produce clerk and later as an emergency medical technician and firefighter. His parents are thrilled.
For decades now he has studied a variety of martial arts but steadfastly remains not-tough in any way shape or form. He just likes to pay money to get beat up, apparently.
Kevin Wright peaked intellectually in the seventh grade.
Kevin Wright wrote this bio, and this is how he actually refers to himself while speaking to people, in the third person like some steroid-addled NFL wide receiver.
He enjoys reading a little bit of everything and writing sci fi, fantasy, and horror. He does none of it well. Revelations, his debut novel, is his second venture into the realm of novel writing. His first was nigh-unreadable. Kevin continues to write in his spare time and is currently working on another full length novel.
For decades now he has studied a variety of martial arts but steadfastly remains not-tough in any way shape or form. He just likes to pay money to get beat up, apparently.
Kevin Wright peaked intellectually in the seventh grade.
Kevin Wright wrote this bio, and this is how he actually refers to himself while speaking to people, in the third person like some steroid-addled NFL wide receiver.
He enjoys reading a little bit of everything and writing sci fi, fantasy, and horror. He does none of it well. Revelations, his debut novel, is his second venture into the realm of novel writing. His first was nigh-unreadable. Kevin continues to write in his spare time and is currently working on another full length novel.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 27, 2022
THE DEFINITION OF VENGEANCE by Kevin Wright is the third installment of the Serpent Knight Saga. A particularly excellent example of grimdark, it is a continuing series of supernatural adventures during the Black Death starring a corrupt Medieval Knight and his unusual band of companions. It's a little bit of Dark Souls, a little bit of A Plague Tale, and some Kingdom Come Deliverance thrown in. If you're wondering why I chose video games to represent the writing style, there's not really a deeper meaning there, they just reminded me of the story.
Sir Luther Slythe Krait finds himself once more in a new location riddled with corruption, superstition, and evil happenings. This time we are doing a murder mystery with our antihero protagonist tracking down the murderer of a young girl, Hilda. This is the smallest stakes of the three books so far and we get a more intimate story versus the larger epics of the previous two volumes. This benefits the tale as we get more focus on the protagonist versus his supporting cast and to be honest this is a good choice since his dark cynical worldview is the strongest of the narratives.
If you aren't familiar with the Serpent Knight Saga, Luther is closest probably to Westeros' Hound but with a much more sardonic cynical humor. He's a corrupt man who is well aware the world he inhabits is utterly absurd and vile, so he's largely abandoned himself to being a hedonistic corrupt officer. However, like so many noir protagonists, there remains those one or two lines he refuses to cross and compels him to try to do something against the corruption he finds.
Kevin Wright has an exaggerated but not unbelievable style to is worldbuilding. His is the kind of rainy, muddy, perpetually overcast, and dark Medieval world where everyone is one particular shade of scumbag after another. It is evocative and jumps off the page in a way that not many other authors can match. In a very real way, his mythologized version of Eastern Europe is as much a star as Luther himself.
I appreciated the more tightly focused and character-specific storytelling this time around but some fans may be annoyed that instead of the stakes raising or a larger view of the setting opening up, it has instead become smaller. I don't have this problem because I don't believe that would be fitting with the themes established.
Sir Luther is something of a noir hero. He can't change the systemic and cultural evils of the Dark Ages nor meaningfully make improvements even on a personal level. He's also, despite how entertaining he may be, a genuinely terrible person with a few redeeming qualities. You enjoy him for telling off the Prioress of the Abbey of Saint Helenas for how ridiculous her pretensions are not his personal virtue.
One interesting element of the story is Sir Luther's dealings between the local village and the Romani people in the area (called consistently the dreaded "G" word). The villagers treat them like crap and they're less than pleased at the locals in return. The death of the young girl becomes a potential flashpoint between them and only Luther is even mildly interested in finding the actual culprit versus an easy scapegoat.
Basically, if you're looking for properly dark grimdark fantasy with a bit of crude humor as well as scathing satire of social institutions of the Middle Ages then this is certainly the book for you. I've enjoyed the entirety of the Serpent Knight Saga and think it is one of the better independent grimdark works out there.
Sir Luther Slythe Krait finds himself once more in a new location riddled with corruption, superstition, and evil happenings. This time we are doing a murder mystery with our antihero protagonist tracking down the murderer of a young girl, Hilda. This is the smallest stakes of the three books so far and we get a more intimate story versus the larger epics of the previous two volumes. This benefits the tale as we get more focus on the protagonist versus his supporting cast and to be honest this is a good choice since his dark cynical worldview is the strongest of the narratives.
If you aren't familiar with the Serpent Knight Saga, Luther is closest probably to Westeros' Hound but with a much more sardonic cynical humor. He's a corrupt man who is well aware the world he inhabits is utterly absurd and vile, so he's largely abandoned himself to being a hedonistic corrupt officer. However, like so many noir protagonists, there remains those one or two lines he refuses to cross and compels him to try to do something against the corruption he finds.
Kevin Wright has an exaggerated but not unbelievable style to is worldbuilding. His is the kind of rainy, muddy, perpetually overcast, and dark Medieval world where everyone is one particular shade of scumbag after another. It is evocative and jumps off the page in a way that not many other authors can match. In a very real way, his mythologized version of Eastern Europe is as much a star as Luther himself.
I appreciated the more tightly focused and character-specific storytelling this time around but some fans may be annoyed that instead of the stakes raising or a larger view of the setting opening up, it has instead become smaller. I don't have this problem because I don't believe that would be fitting with the themes established.
Sir Luther is something of a noir hero. He can't change the systemic and cultural evils of the Dark Ages nor meaningfully make improvements even on a personal level. He's also, despite how entertaining he may be, a genuinely terrible person with a few redeeming qualities. You enjoy him for telling off the Prioress of the Abbey of Saint Helenas for how ridiculous her pretensions are not his personal virtue.
One interesting element of the story is Sir Luther's dealings between the local village and the Romani people in the area (called consistently the dreaded "G" word). The villagers treat them like crap and they're less than pleased at the locals in return. The death of the young girl becomes a potential flashpoint between them and only Luther is even mildly interested in finding the actual culprit versus an easy scapegoat.
Basically, if you're looking for properly dark grimdark fantasy with a bit of crude humor as well as scathing satire of social institutions of the Middle Ages then this is certainly the book for you. I've enjoyed the entirety of the Serpent Knight Saga and think it is one of the better independent grimdark works out there.
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July 2, 2021Did you know if you were to search for this book in a web browser you'll be taken to the dictionary?
October 4, 2022
This is the story of Sir Luther Slythe Krait, a knight who is more or less a mercenary for hire. In this story, he’s stuck in the village of Untheim, which has a problem: people have been disappearing and then turning up dead, and a young girl just disappeared. It’s his job to figure out what happened to her.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot! I read all of it in one sitting, in one night, as it’s pretty short and it’s paced well enough that it’s quite a fast read. It was full of action and mystery, and although I did pretty much guess at what the ‘big problem’ was, more or less, it still figured out ways to reveal the mystery in an engaging way.
This book is technically the third in a trilogy, however it never felt necessary to have read the books before it. I’ve read the first, but not the second, and I never felt that there was detail or backstory missing for Krait or his companion Karl. It just so happened to be the third story about the same character, set in a different time and place than the two before it.
Krait is still snarky AF and I am still here for it. This book uses language and vernacular that definitely would not have been used at the time that this book takes place (like… 1300s Europe, I think?) but the snark it allows the MC to come up with makes this super not a problem for me, though I know it will cause problems for some.
All told, I liked this one quite a lot. Enough to want to circle on back to book two and see what other shenanigans this dude’s gotten into that I’ve missed out on. I’d give The Definition of Vengeance 8/10 stars!
superstardrifter.com
I enjoyed this book quite a lot! I read all of it in one sitting, in one night, as it’s pretty short and it’s paced well enough that it’s quite a fast read. It was full of action and mystery, and although I did pretty much guess at what the ‘big problem’ was, more or less, it still figured out ways to reveal the mystery in an engaging way.
This book is technically the third in a trilogy, however it never felt necessary to have read the books before it. I’ve read the first, but not the second, and I never felt that there was detail or backstory missing for Krait or his companion Karl. It just so happened to be the third story about the same character, set in a different time and place than the two before it.
Krait is still snarky AF and I am still here for it. This book uses language and vernacular that definitely would not have been used at the time that this book takes place (like… 1300s Europe, I think?) but the snark it allows the MC to come up with makes this super not a problem for me, though I know it will cause problems for some.
All told, I liked this one quite a lot. Enough to want to circle on back to book two and see what other shenanigans this dude’s gotten into that I’ve missed out on. I’d give The Definition of Vengeance 8/10 stars!
superstardrifter.com
August 19, 2023
Boom, Sir Luther Slythe Krait is back with a bang in this dark humoured medieval fantasy mystery sensation. A fantastically told story that is enthralling from the very first page to the last. What I love about this series is the dark setting, detail, and the erie feeling you get when reading these books.
The Definition Of Vengeance is the third book in The Serpent Knight Saga, and this series just gets better with each book. Kevin Wright has created an engrossing read that is part horror, part fantasy, and detective story that brings our main protagonist through the hells of medieval Europe.
The Main protagonist Sir Luther Slythe Krait is a justiciar, a judge, jury and executioner, whose sense of justice, honed by long training and hunting outlaws, have forged him into a peerless warrior and merciless hunter and the biggest sarcastic bastard you will ever meet.
Kevin Wright's worldbuilding and storytelling are excellent, full of witty dialogue throughout that will keep you very entertained. If you love your fantasy to be Grimdark with lots of twists and turns, then look no further.
Sir Luther Slythe Krait finds himself in the back arse hole of Untheim. Penniless and poor and on his last legs, when approached by a father, he asks Sir Luther to help track down his missing daughter. Good news? He finds her. The bad? She’s heading home in a box.
But there is something afoot in Untheim. People have been going missing for the last few years at an alarming rate. What's even more alarming? They turn up dead, ripped and shredded, and the young girl’s just the latest victim of whatever is prowling the small village.
Can Sir Luther work his detective magic and uncover the culprit or end up the coroners slab, read it, and find out, and you will be in for a dark and gruesome treat.
Kevin Wright nails it again. If you liked the first two books you won’t be disappointed. I can't highly recommend this series enough. I'm looking forward to book four Terminus Rex....😁🔥🖤💀🐺
The Definition Of Vengeance is the third book in The Serpent Knight Saga, and this series just gets better with each book. Kevin Wright has created an engrossing read that is part horror, part fantasy, and detective story that brings our main protagonist through the hells of medieval Europe.
The Main protagonist Sir Luther Slythe Krait is a justiciar, a judge, jury and executioner, whose sense of justice, honed by long training and hunting outlaws, have forged him into a peerless warrior and merciless hunter and the biggest sarcastic bastard you will ever meet.
Kevin Wright's worldbuilding and storytelling are excellent, full of witty dialogue throughout that will keep you very entertained. If you love your fantasy to be Grimdark with lots of twists and turns, then look no further.
Sir Luther Slythe Krait finds himself in the back arse hole of Untheim. Penniless and poor and on his last legs, when approached by a father, he asks Sir Luther to help track down his missing daughter. Good news? He finds her. The bad? She’s heading home in a box.
But there is something afoot in Untheim. People have been going missing for the last few years at an alarming rate. What's even more alarming? They turn up dead, ripped and shredded, and the young girl’s just the latest victim of whatever is prowling the small village.
Can Sir Luther work his detective magic and uncover the culprit or end up the coroners slab, read it, and find out, and you will be in for a dark and gruesome treat.
Kevin Wright nails it again. If you liked the first two books you won’t be disappointed. I can't highly recommend this series enough. I'm looking forward to book four Terminus Rex....😁🔥🖤💀🐺
July 10, 2021
(PSA: I received a digital ARC in exchange for a review)
In terms of scale, the third book in the Serpent Knight saga is the smallest of the three- focusing almost exclusively on a single village and a singular problem. It's definitely a different tone from the second book which involved multiple threats, a larger mystery, and more for the supporting cast to do where here this is, undoubtedly, Luther's story. Which isn't a bad thing (let's face it, if you've made it this far in the series you appreciate Luther's crude humor as much as I do) but it does feel a bit limited by comparison to its predecessors.
I grew up watching things like Brotherhood of the Wolf and reading Witcher novels so the idea of tracking down a bloodthirsty peasant murdering monster will always be appealing to me. Mr. Wright does the concept justice and the fight scenes are tense, the atmosphere spooky in the right places, and the reveal suitably satisfying. Layered over with some black humor, dirty jokes (the one about fending off the wolf got me good), and some snarky introspection and it's a fun, murderous romp. For the most part- there are some characters in here that are tragic and I appreciate Mr. Wright's ability to swing so effortlessly between irreverent and introspective.
My only blanket criticism here would be that I expected the world and the character's journey to open up a little following book 2. I expected the stakes to get a little higher, the plot to deepen out, and the series to continue with some of the loose ends from the previous novels. Instead we go the other direction, into a very focused but episodic entry that really does remind me of the weekly entry of a one-and done mystery show like Law and Order or CSI (not in content so much as in the fact that they all have self-contained plots wrapped up at the end without much bearing on future installments.) In that sense it feels a bit like filler but it's enjoyable as hell filler and this isn't a complaint so much as an observation. Can't wait to continue on with future volumes!
In terms of scale, the third book in the Serpent Knight saga is the smallest of the three- focusing almost exclusively on a single village and a singular problem. It's definitely a different tone from the second book which involved multiple threats, a larger mystery, and more for the supporting cast to do where here this is, undoubtedly, Luther's story. Which isn't a bad thing (let's face it, if you've made it this far in the series you appreciate Luther's crude humor as much as I do) but it does feel a bit limited by comparison to its predecessors.
I grew up watching things like Brotherhood of the Wolf and reading Witcher novels so the idea of tracking down a bloodthirsty peasant murdering monster will always be appealing to me. Mr. Wright does the concept justice and the fight scenes are tense, the atmosphere spooky in the right places, and the reveal suitably satisfying. Layered over with some black humor, dirty jokes (the one about fending off the wolf got me good), and some snarky introspection and it's a fun, murderous romp. For the most part- there are some characters in here that are tragic and I appreciate Mr. Wright's ability to swing so effortlessly between irreverent and introspective.
My only blanket criticism here would be that I expected the world and the character's journey to open up a little following book 2. I expected the stakes to get a little higher, the plot to deepen out, and the series to continue with some of the loose ends from the previous novels. Instead we go the other direction, into a very focused but episodic entry that really does remind me of the weekly entry of a one-and done mystery show like Law and Order or CSI (not in content so much as in the fact that they all have self-contained plots wrapped up at the end without much bearing on future installments.) In that sense it feels a bit like filler but it's enjoyable as hell filler and this isn't a complaint so much as an observation. Can't wait to continue on with future volumes!
November 18, 2024
4 stelle abbondanti..
Questo terzo capitolo ha una dimensione più ridotta rispetto ai precedenti due che contenevano avventura di più ampia portata..
Qua, Sir Luther di passaggio in un paesino isolato si trova invischiato in un omicidio strano e inquietante..
Mi piace molto il misto di Low fantasy, mistery e noir che Wright usa.. Così come adoro la sua capacità di pennellare con pochi tratti un mondo fosco, cattivo e dannato.. un medioevo Nord europeo che mischia realtà con fantasia.. i personaggi poi, con il loro misto di ironia, imperfezione e colpe, spesso scorretti e cinici sono davvero ben riusciti.. il ritmo è stato ottimo, senza momenti morti, sempre interessante e avvincente..
La cosa che qui mi è piaciuto un po' meno è stato il mistero della trama generale perché era un po' facilmente intuibile fin dall'inizio, complice anche la splendida cover, e aveva una struttura un po' simile al precedente capitolo, mancando però sia del lato più orrorifico che di sense of wonder.. Ecco, mi piacerebbe trovare un questi libri un po' più di originalità sul lato fantasy.. ma restano indubbiamente romanzi appassionanti e con un senso di tetraggine davvero appagante.. e comunque il finale, ha riservato un ottimo plot twist imprevisto, ed è stato rocambolesco e pieno di azione, per niente banale.. Sicché adesso via verso il quarto capitolo!!
Questo terzo capitolo ha una dimensione più ridotta rispetto ai precedenti due che contenevano avventura di più ampia portata..
Qua, Sir Luther di passaggio in un paesino isolato si trova invischiato in un omicidio strano e inquietante..
Mi piace molto il misto di Low fantasy, mistery e noir che Wright usa.. Così come adoro la sua capacità di pennellare con pochi tratti un mondo fosco, cattivo e dannato.. un medioevo Nord europeo che mischia realtà con fantasia.. i personaggi poi, con il loro misto di ironia, imperfezione e colpe, spesso scorretti e cinici sono davvero ben riusciti.. il ritmo è stato ottimo, senza momenti morti, sempre interessante e avvincente..
La cosa che qui mi è piaciuto un po' meno è stato il mistero della trama generale perché era un po' facilmente intuibile fin dall'inizio, complice anche la splendida cover, e aveva una struttura un po' simile al precedente capitolo, mancando però sia del lato più orrorifico che di sense of wonder.. Ecco, mi piacerebbe trovare un questi libri un po' più di originalità sul lato fantasy.. ma restano indubbiamente romanzi appassionanti e con un senso di tetraggine davvero appagante.. e comunque il finale, ha riservato un ottimo plot twist imprevisto, ed è stato rocambolesco e pieno di azione, per niente banale.. Sicché adesso via verso il quarto capitolo!!
January 9, 2022
Another adventure with the hedge knight Luther Krait, Karl and Yolanda on the supernatural fringes of a dark mirror of darkest Europe. This tale is a tighter one than the previous two novels, and almost for the better as it further hones the characterizations of Krait and his close circle from The Last Benediction in Steel. Gallows wit, biting and realistic action sequences, with Wright feeding the reader just enough of the paranormal and macabre that they'll want to know what other shadows lie obscured across this bleak Central European landscape. An unsung gem of a series just rearing to tear forth from the grimdark underground.
November 1, 2022
Kevin Wright nails it again. If you liked the first two you won’t be disappointed.
The story picks up a few months after the last one and plunges us back into a brutal world full of mystery, violence, and (dark) fantasy. It checks every box a grimdark fan could want, but is juxtaposed with a witty dialogue throughout that somehow alleviates the cold, bleak world without ever breaking character. The pacing is great and the book is easy to read, though never lacks depth, either. The action scenes are brutal and vivid.
Highly recommend, as I do with the first two books in this series. Read this book!
The story picks up a few months after the last one and plunges us back into a brutal world full of mystery, violence, and (dark) fantasy. It checks every box a grimdark fan could want, but is juxtaposed with a witty dialogue throughout that somehow alleviates the cold, bleak world without ever breaking character. The pacing is great and the book is easy to read, though never lacks depth, either. The action scenes are brutal and vivid.
Highly recommend, as I do with the first two books in this series. Read this book!
April 16, 2023
What can I say? Kevin Wright has made me a fan of Grimdark. And I think I do like this Luther fella. I like that with each novel I've learned more about him. It's not all right out there in the first book. The only thing I considered was that, while these stories are in Luther's point of view, why it seemed some information is withheld from the reader like a secret until this book and not revealed earlier. Perhaps some of this was hinted at in the prior books and I hadn't caught it, but hints seem odd from the main character's (first person) point of view. Maybe when I read through them again, I'll see if I missed any foreshadowing (which I just might've). That being said, it's still damn good story and a damn good series. And one I'd recommend to people considering Grimdark/dark fiction or already enjoying the genre.
The Definition of Vengeance brings in a whole new group of people for Luther to piss off. And it certainly gets very interesting. I was drawn into the story and events, fight scenes, lies and secrets, and everything (until something too modern was said, then I'd shake it off and get back into the story).
Mr. Wright created a fantastically dark world. And as much as I'd hate to live in it, I've loved reading about it. As much as I hated and liked Luther, I loved the guy. His quips bring a chuckle (he's such a smart ass!). He's clever though. He knows what he's doing. And I like this about him as well. He's a guy with a past, who makes mistakes, who carries a weight, and who just doesn't give a damn. Until he's forced to.
And now knowing that book 4 is out... well I'm gonna have to go get that one.
The Definition of Vengeance brings in a whole new group of people for Luther to piss off. And it certainly gets very interesting. I was drawn into the story and events, fight scenes, lies and secrets, and everything (until something too modern was said, then I'd shake it off and get back into the story).
Mr. Wright created a fantastically dark world. And as much as I'd hate to live in it, I've loved reading about it. As much as I hated and liked Luther, I loved the guy. His quips bring a chuckle (he's such a smart ass!). He's clever though. He knows what he's doing. And I like this about him as well. He's a guy with a past, who makes mistakes, who carries a weight, and who just doesn't give a damn. Until he's forced to.
And now knowing that book 4 is out... well I'm gonna have to go get that one.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews