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The Red Company Reformed #1
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell
Artorin Damara is the Last Emperor of Astandalas and present Lord Magus of Zunidh. He is respected as a great mage, revered as a living god, regarded as the embodiment of power and wealth and majesty. Few have seen him in anything but the most resplendent garments; fewer still have ever looked him in the eyes.
He is possibly the last person you would expect to find breaking into the tomb of the first Emperor of Astandalas. He could, after all, have entered it legitimately.
But Artorin Damara has a great secret, which he has kept hidden since before he ascended to the throne, and part of it is that he knows perfectly well how to set about on an adventure.
Another part of it is that his true name is not actually the one that everyone knows him by...
He is possibly the last person you would expect to find breaking into the tomb of the first Emperor of Astandalas. He could, after all, have entered it legitimately.
But Artorin Damara has a great secret, which he has kept hidden since before he ascended to the throne, and part of it is that he knows perfectly well how to set about on an adventure.
Another part of it is that his true name is not actually the one that everyone knows him by...
370 pages, Paperback
First published December 22, 2020
134 people are currently reading
982 people want to read
About the author
Victoria Goddard
43 books792 followersI walked across England in 2013, fulfilling a long-held dream. I'm currently the sexton of an Anglican church in Nova Scotia, which means I am keeper of the keys and opener of doors (and shutter-off of alarms). I have a PhD in medieval studies from the University of Toronto, looking at poetry and philosophy in the works of Dante and Boethius -- both the poetry and the philosophy come into my stories a great deal (and occasionally the Dante and the Boethius).
I like writing about the ordinary lives of magical people on the other side of the looking glass ... and the extraordinary deeds of ordinary folk, too. Three of my favourite authors are Patricia McKillip (especially 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' trilogy and 'The Bell at Sealy Head'), Connie Willis ('Bellwether' and 'To Say Nothing of the Dog,' which latter would make my top-ten books on a desert island), and Lois McMaster Bujold ('The Curse of Chalion' and its sequels).
I like writing about the ordinary lives of magical people on the other side of the looking glass ... and the extraordinary deeds of ordinary folk, too. Three of my favourite authors are Patricia McKillip (especially 'The Riddle-Master of Hed' trilogy and 'The Bell at Sealy Head'), Connie Willis ('Bellwether' and 'To Say Nothing of the Dog,' which latter would make my top-ten books on a desert island), and Lois McMaster Bujold ('The Curse of Chalion' and its sequels).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 157 reviews
August 3, 2023
Oh, lovely. One of my favourite characters from the Nine Worlds books finally regains some freedom and can go on an adventure.
I love Fitzroy as a character. And really, who else would get asked *this* in the very first chapter?
“Are you planning on breaking into any more tombs?”
I love Fitzroy as a narrator, too. He warms my heart. With all that sarcasm, he is hiding his griefs from the reader. Yet, what a joyful adventurer he is, despite everything. And the real quest is about finding missing pieces of himself, of course. In the meantime, there are ancient wonders to meet; people to help; lots of mischief to accomplish; hidden cities to find; great feats of magic to do.
Meetings with old friends had me reeling - in a joyful and delightful way. Masseo is wonderful, I want to see so much more of him. I love Jullanar too, come and drink tea with us, Jullanar! I don’t quite love Pali yet (she was mean to Fitzroy! No one gets to be mean to Fitzroy!), but she seems cool, anyway. I loved how this book filled in some of the blanks of the larger story. Give me more, please.
Can you imagine how refreshing it is to read a fantasy novel with middle-aged characters? They are slightly out of practice when it comes to adventuring, though. How about that tent? Nope, we didn’t pack a tent, oh dear.
“You watched me do all my packing!”
“I don’t think you should sound so superior. You had a spare anvil ready to go, but not a tent?”
…….
“And you had all those pillows!…”
They did bring firewood…
Is this a cozy book? Not if you want tea and scones. But if you want good people being good, then yes. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t any hurt feelings, tragedies in the background, emotional conversations or confessions.
Would I have loved this book as much if this was my very first Victoria Goddard? No, I would have shrugged and wondered. So, this is not an ideal entry point for the Nine Worlds stories. But I still would have loved this:
“…for I am a wild mage and my heart sings when the deed is right and the time is now.”
My only complaint is that the book was too short ;)
I love Fitzroy as a character. And really, who else would get asked *this* in the very first chapter?
“Are you planning on breaking into any more tombs?”
I love Fitzroy as a narrator, too. He warms my heart. With all that sarcasm, he is hiding his griefs from the reader. Yet, what a joyful adventurer he is, despite everything. And the real quest is about finding missing pieces of himself, of course. In the meantime, there are ancient wonders to meet; people to help; lots of mischief to accomplish; hidden cities to find; great feats of magic to do.
Meetings with old friends had me reeling - in a joyful and delightful way. Masseo is wonderful, I want to see so much more of him. I love Jullanar too, come and drink tea with us, Jullanar! I don’t quite love Pali yet (she was mean to Fitzroy! No one gets to be mean to Fitzroy!), but she seems cool, anyway. I loved how this book filled in some of the blanks of the larger story. Give me more, please.
Can you imagine how refreshing it is to read a fantasy novel with middle-aged characters? They are slightly out of practice when it comes to adventuring, though. How about that tent? Nope, we didn’t pack a tent, oh dear.
“You watched me do all my packing!”
“I don’t think you should sound so superior. You had a spare anvil ready to go, but not a tent?”
…….
“And you had all those pillows!…”
They did bring firewood…
Is this a cozy book? Not if you want tea and scones. But if you want good people being good, then yes. It doesn’t mean that there aren’t any hurt feelings, tragedies in the background, emotional conversations or confessions.
Would I have loved this book as much if this was my very first Victoria Goddard? No, I would have shrugged and wondered. So, this is not an ideal entry point for the Nine Worlds stories. But I still would have loved this:
“…for I am a wild mage and my heart sings when the deed is right and the time is now.”
My only complaint is that the book was too short ;)
January 12, 2022
Hilarious, and once again kind, Victoria Goddard managed to write a charming follow-up to the events in The Hands of the Emperor covering the start of His Radiancy's quest to find an heir, albeit in a very different style. (If you've read The Hands of the Emperor the continual references to Kip will bring a smile to your face.)
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell does continue the theme of what it means to be truly known from The Hands of the Emperor, and covers the trials of finding your footing in once again interacting with the world instead of simply acting on the world. I'm still not sure if Fitzroy/Artorin is a character that things happen to or if he is a character that happens to things. His adventures contain a highly impressive amount of chaos and happenstance.
Friendship, hilarious misunderstandings, adventures, and some tantalizing hints at prior adventures round up this book. I am definitely looking forward to more as it breaks off at a decent stopping point but without answering many of the questions that pop-up and before the old gang is all back together.
There are grammatical errors, rambling sentences, and some interesting pacing choices (starts off a bit like shooting out of a canon before slowing to a ramble), but I am glad to have my hands on this story - reading it was a blast.
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell does continue the theme of what it means to be truly known from The Hands of the Emperor, and covers the trials of finding your footing in once again interacting with the world instead of simply acting on the world. I'm still not sure if Fitzroy/Artorin is a character that things happen to or if he is a character that happens to things. His adventures contain a highly impressive amount of chaos and happenstance.
Friendship, hilarious misunderstandings, adventures, and some tantalizing hints at prior adventures round up this book. I am definitely looking forward to more as it breaks off at a decent stopping point but without answering many of the questions that pop-up and before the old gang is all back together.
There are grammatical errors, rambling sentences, and some interesting pacing choices (starts off a bit like shooting out of a canon before slowing to a ramble), but I am glad to have my hands on this story - reading it was a blast.
May 17, 2022
I don't want to spoil anything, as this book follows the further adventures of a fairly prominent character in The Hands of the Emperor, but believe me when I say that this book SLAPPED. It had everything I could have wanted. Great displays of magic! Flying ships! Rediscovering an ancient city! Heart-to-heart conversations with your best friends! I can't wait to read all the other existing stories about the Red Company's adventures. (As if I wasn't already going to read everything by this author.)
June 17, 2021
The Hands of the Emperor was a delight, even though it was as if I was reading a fic for a canon I was not at all familiar with; but The Return of Fitzroy Angursell felt unfinished - barely started, even. As the book felt like 1/3rd of a story, so is my rating 1/3rd of 5 stars it would otherwise get.
July 16, 2021
I found myself vaguely discontented with this read and - to be honest - I'd recommend that readers like me, who have come off the high of The Hands of the Emperor didn't bother with this book. (The author's note refers to another book in the series, focussing on Kip, being forthcoming and perhaps it would be better to wait til it's published, race through this one and then onto the next.)
I think my issues stem from this feeling like two separate books. One is about a trickster storyteller with an Adventerous Youth reuniting with his old friends in his middle-age. That's actually an awesome story! I want to read it! (Maybe without it becoming clear that it actually links heavily into the author's other series.) The other story is about a man who has been sequestered away as an all-powerful emperor striking out on his own, learning independence and also learning to take pride in the man and the past he thinks he needs to run away from. Also an awesome story!
Alas, I don't think they should have been the same story. The idea of Artorin also being Fitzroy is fun, and certainly lends itself to a few of the identity porn moments I love, but it also served to confuse the emotional arc I thought the emperor was going through. If he had lived independently for ~ten years as a young man, and had such confidence and joy in meeting people, then it sort of takes away from the fish-out-of-water trope I was expecting. I did love in THOTE when he clearly loved meeting everyone, and so those moments translated well; I also liked the scenes where he got to see and experience viscerally and close-up the impact of his (and Kip's) work. I loved at the end of the book where he introduced himself by his real name.
But the Fitzroy stuff kind of muddied the waters a bit. And the crow thing (?!?).
Also detracting from what I think are the 'good bits' was the excessive travel descriptions. The strength of THOTE was in the connections and conversations about people, and so the bits where Tor is just travelling alone and describing the landscape get a bit boring. It's far more interesting when he meets people (not his old friends - his subjects, I suppose) and gets stuck into some good problem solving. His satisfaction and joy in being able to sweep in (like the divinity he half-way pretended to be) and help people actually gave me slight Vorkosigan vibes, and I would have loved more of the book along those lines.
I wish this had been a novel more purely focussed on Tor's quest for his heir, and had ended more satisfactorily. As it stands it seemed to end in medias res (he's collected three of his eight friends? I think? It's a bit confusing) and without a clear resolution. And, to be honest, after getting us to care so much about Kip and their other friends in the first book, I wanted to see THEIR reactions to the return of Fitzroy Angursell.
I think my issues stem from this feeling like two separate books. One is about a trickster storyteller with an Adventerous Youth reuniting with his old friends in his middle-age. That's actually an awesome story! I want to read it! (Maybe without it becoming clear that it actually links heavily into the author's other series.) The other story is about a man who has been sequestered away as an all-powerful emperor striking out on his own, learning independence and also learning to take pride in the man and the past he thinks he needs to run away from. Also an awesome story!
Alas, I don't think they should have been the same story. The idea of Artorin also being Fitzroy is fun, and certainly lends itself to a few of the identity porn moments I love, but it also served to confuse the emotional arc I thought the emperor was going through. If he had lived independently for ~ten years as a young man, and had such confidence and joy in meeting people, then it sort of takes away from the fish-out-of-water trope I was expecting. I did love in THOTE when he clearly loved meeting everyone, and so those moments translated well; I also liked the scenes where he got to see and experience viscerally and close-up the impact of his (and Kip's) work. I loved at the end of the book where he introduced himself by his real name.
But the Fitzroy stuff kind of muddied the waters a bit. And the crow thing (?!?).
Also detracting from what I think are the 'good bits' was the excessive travel descriptions. The strength of THOTE was in the connections and conversations about people, and so the bits where Tor is just travelling alone and describing the landscape get a bit boring. It's far more interesting when he meets people (not his old friends - his subjects, I suppose) and gets stuck into some good problem solving. His satisfaction and joy in being able to sweep in (like the divinity he half-way pretended to be) and help people actually gave me slight Vorkosigan vibes, and I would have loved more of the book along those lines.
I wish this had been a novel more purely focussed on Tor's quest for his heir, and had ended more satisfactorily. As it stands it seemed to end in medias res (he's collected three of his eight friends? I think? It's a bit confusing) and without a clear resolution. And, to be honest, after getting us to care so much about Kip and their other friends in the first book, I wanted to see THEIR reactions to the return of Fitzroy Angursell.
January 19, 2022
This book is odd because on its own, it's... fine. It might even be good. If it were a standalone novel, I might give it four stars. Fitzroy is a fun character and the way that he sees the world is refreshing.
But it's not a standalone and Fitzroy is not a fun character--
Separately, for the Red Company,
But it's not a standalone and Fitzroy is not a fun character--
Separately, for the Red Company,
September 21, 2022
Unfortunately, unlike the other books in this world that I've read, this one leaves a lot to be desired.
The first issue is that the first-person Fitzroy Angursell is hard to be believed as a famous poet. His narrative is so self-conscious, overwrought, and full of adverbs and unnecessary details (who cares if he uses his left hand to brush the hair out of someone's face or about his obsession with clothing?) that it's hard to see any poetics in this self-interested dandy and his uptight language.
The second is that we cannot reconcile the character of the Emperor -- especially the aged Emperor who has benefited from character development -- with this juvenile half-wit. It's a completely different character from what we see in either The Hands of the Emperor or Petty Treasons. It's unbelievable that the Emperor either would have devolved into his pre-Emperor persona or completely changed. If you want to write this character, write the character, but don't try to force one character to be two totally different people. It doesn't do the series justice.
The third is as if the Emperor in whatever his form, has not learned anything from his time with Kip. He uses words like "uncivilized." Really? Really? After Kip's ceremony and demonstration about how his people are not savages? And the mentions of a woman having a child "out of wedlock," or the mention of "hysteria." Fitzroy takes these words for granted without objection. It isn't as if he's just accepting a different culture -- the words are not examined. I would have expected better from him.
Finally, we do not see the character development we should expect. This book is entirely a vessel for a throwaway story that has a lot of color but no substance. Fitzroy's development is entirely superficial rather than psychological. This book is one not of relationships or internal growth but of antics. I do not read this series for antics.
The first issue is that the first-person Fitzroy Angursell is hard to be believed as a famous poet. His narrative is so self-conscious, overwrought, and full of adverbs and unnecessary details (who cares if he uses his left hand to brush the hair out of someone's face or about his obsession with clothing?) that it's hard to see any poetics in this self-interested dandy and his uptight language.
The second is that we cannot reconcile the character of the Emperor -- especially the aged Emperor who has benefited from character development -- with this juvenile half-wit. It's a completely different character from what we see in either The Hands of the Emperor or Petty Treasons. It's unbelievable that the Emperor either would have devolved into his pre-Emperor persona or completely changed. If you want to write this character, write the character, but don't try to force one character to be two totally different people. It doesn't do the series justice.
The third is as if the Emperor in whatever his form, has not learned anything from his time with Kip. He uses words like "uncivilized." Really? Really? After Kip's ceremony and demonstration about how his people are not savages? And the mentions of a woman having a child "out of wedlock," or the mention of "hysteria." Fitzroy takes these words for granted without objection. It isn't as if he's just accepting a different culture -- the words are not examined. I would have expected better from him.
Finally, we do not see the character development we should expect. This book is entirely a vessel for a throwaway story that has a lot of color but no substance. Fitzroy's development is entirely superficial rather than psychological. This book is one not of relationships or internal growth but of antics. I do not read this series for antics.
June 16, 2021
A ridiculously wholesome story in which a group of middle-aged people leave their orderly lives behind to get back into the adventuring of their youth. I loved it!
December 3, 2025
I'm not sure whether this is good or not, and frankly I don't care. It's comfy, it's nice, it grabbed me and kept me wrapped in a warm embrace for 600 pages.
These feel so much cozier than the usual tea/books/Regency cozy fantasy fare. This one is probably not as good as Hands of the Emperor, but it still gets 5 stars from me.
These feel so much cozier than the usual tea/books/Regency cozy fantasy fare. This one is probably not as good as Hands of the Emperor, but it still gets 5 stars from me.
November 13, 2022
this book is structurally very strange, thematically very different from its immediate predecessor (hands of the emperor), and sort of all over the place tonally. it's an adventure novel in the sense that it's a series of improbable coincidences, brief episodes of action linked by rambling accounts of travel, and joyous meetings and reunions. i don't know that i would have liked it as much if i didn't have so much affection for this series & world as a whole, but i do and i did. it's chaotic and improbable and beautiful, about old friendships and middle-aged people adventuring and recovery from long, hard years of pain and difficulty.
i would NOT recommend touching it without having first read the hands of the emperor, and possibly not until the series is a little more complete: i'm starting to learn that victoria goddard tends toward either (a) unimaginably long books, as in the hands of the emperor, or (b) much shorter adventure stories that are so episodic i think they should properly be structured as longer books themselves. i think the book is also much improved with the additional context of the greenwing and dart series, at least the first few installments of it.
i like this fictional universe because no matter where you enter it it feels as if you're being thrown headlong midway into a long and complicated canon full of legends and cross-references and folk heroes and epic tales of its own, and i think part of the fun is the puzzle of untangling all the people and worlds and the ways that they all fit together. so it's an immense amount of fun here to begin to meet the fabled red company and understand the way they work, and it's even more fun if you know all the other people of the nine worlds swimming in and out of it. this is a series that rewards attention and multiple readings — goddard's project really is huge and impressive — even (or maybe because) it's a little complicated and a little rough around the edges in places.
it (and by 'it' i mean either the series or this individual book equally) is also deeply committed to coincidence and folkloric adventure and joy, which makes it read as a little unfashionable in the current landscape of contemporary fantasy but which i think is refreshing and lovely to read. i've seen the nine worlds series compared to pratchett with its sprawling scale, but i don't think that's at all accurate tonally: goddard is not nearly as funny as pratchett, and when she is funny she doesn't have quite his dryness or his sarcasm or his propensity to parody; she's too earnest for him. she's also not nearly as angry (though she touches on some of his fire in the hands of the emperor most of all her books). instead, this series reminds me of t. kingfisher's books, if they were all hopelessly intertwined and impossible to read without each other: exceptionally earnest, very kind, a little silly and often startlingly beautiful.
i would NOT recommend touching it without having first read the hands of the emperor, and possibly not until the series is a little more complete: i'm starting to learn that victoria goddard tends toward either (a) unimaginably long books, as in the hands of the emperor, or (b) much shorter adventure stories that are so episodic i think they should properly be structured as longer books themselves. i think the book is also much improved with the additional context of the greenwing and dart series, at least the first few installments of it.
i like this fictional universe because no matter where you enter it it feels as if you're being thrown headlong midway into a long and complicated canon full of legends and cross-references and folk heroes and epic tales of its own, and i think part of the fun is the puzzle of untangling all the people and worlds and the ways that they all fit together. so it's an immense amount of fun here to begin to meet the fabled red company and understand the way they work, and it's even more fun if you know all the other people of the nine worlds swimming in and out of it. this is a series that rewards attention and multiple readings — goddard's project really is huge and impressive — even (or maybe because) it's a little complicated and a little rough around the edges in places.
it (and by 'it' i mean either the series or this individual book equally) is also deeply committed to coincidence and folkloric adventure and joy, which makes it read as a little unfashionable in the current landscape of contemporary fantasy but which i think is refreshing and lovely to read. i've seen the nine worlds series compared to pratchett with its sprawling scale, but i don't think that's at all accurate tonally: goddard is not nearly as funny as pratchett, and when she is funny she doesn't have quite his dryness or his sarcasm or his propensity to parody; she's too earnest for him. she's also not nearly as angry (though she touches on some of his fire in the hands of the emperor most of all her books). instead, this series reminds me of t. kingfisher's books, if they were all hopelessly intertwined and impossible to read without each other: exceptionally earnest, very kind, a little silly and often startlingly beautiful.
January 30, 2023
I'm just here to do my prerequisite reading before At the Feet of the Sun. This book is great! Charming and whimsical and it feels lighter than Hands of the Emperor. Loved the first person POV, would have loved a little more leaning into the feelings of it, though, you know?
Missed my guy Kip even though he's mentioned every other page.
Missed my guy Kip even though he's mentioned every other page.
February 25, 2024
This is an interesting backstory to At the Feet of the Sun
. More in between circumstances of the longer "Feet of the Sun." Nonetheless, "The Return" stands on its own and once again shows Victoria Goddard to be an excellent story teller. Goddard weaves myth and magic into a tapestry of human nature. Kindness, misunderstanding and reconciliation. The creatures Goddard conjures up, as well as happenchance characters, all provide insight and sage advice to troubled souls.
Our hero Emperor is off on a quest to find his heir. "The Red Company Reformed," fills a gap between his leaving and reuniting with his esteemed Councilor. Fun stuff.
. More in between circumstances of the longer "Feet of the Sun." Nonetheless, "The Return" stands on its own and once again shows Victoria Goddard to be an excellent story teller. Goddard weaves myth and magic into a tapestry of human nature. Kindness, misunderstanding and reconciliation. The creatures Goddard conjures up, as well as happenchance characters, all provide insight and sage advice to troubled souls.Our hero Emperor is off on a quest to find his heir. "The Red Company Reformed," fills a gap between his leaving and reuniting with his esteemed Councilor. Fun stuff.
September 28, 2021
A picaresque lurch from what is in some ways the book immediately preceding this in Goddard's Nine World's Chronology (Hands of the Emperor) and in others feels like a completely different series. A meandering, quasi-comic, emotional travelogue as semi-accidentally gets the band back together.
As with much of Goddard's work, a more unforgiving editorial hand would have been beneficial, but it's still great fun. Odd crossover with the until now seemingly only very loosely linked Greenwing & Dart series, which is fun if you've read that, but the plot is a bit loose and the conclusion feels more like a stopping point than an end. Clearly the first book in this particular story, and it may read better once the whole is released, but for now feels rather distinctly like only a fragment of the story.
As with much of Goddard's work, a more unforgiving editorial hand would have been beneficial, but it's still great fun. Odd crossover with the until now seemingly only very loosely linked Greenwing & Dart series, which is fun if you've read that, but the plot is a bit loose and the conclusion feels more like a stopping point than an end. Clearly the first book in this particular story, and it may read better once the whole is released, but for now feels rather distinctly like only a fragment of the story.
May 21, 2025
Possibly my favorite of Goddard's books in my reading marathon of the Lays of the Hearth-Fire, but not without its criticisms. The Return of Fitzroy Angursell reads much more like a classic high fantasy novel in many ways compared to the other books I've read in the series; there is a greater focus on describing the various locations (their natural qualities, particular legends and histories, etc.) Fitzroy adventures through and more fantastical feats of magic.
What I loved most about this book was getting to know Fitzroy himself, for all of the contradictory character he is. He is a man clearly shaped by the three "lives" he has lived: exile, revolutionary poet, and Emperor. Each of these aspects of himself are revealed in his attention to the beauty of his surroundings (the descriptions of which I loved reading) and the various people he meets with their various problems he helps to solve. The compartmentalization of these episodes reminds me of the structure a Greek epic—a fitting way to tell a story about a man who is clearly meant to fit this model of an "epic hero" in the Classical sense. There is also something quite beautiful and reassuring about the fact that Fitzroy is undertaking this adventure at his age (presumably his 60s)—it is never too late to "wake up" and seek to live an authentic life.
What is most frustrating is that Fitzroy, a literal descendant of the Sun and possibly the most powerful magician alive, is more relatable and sympathetic as a character than Cliopher, a non-magical bureaucrat, in The Hands of the Emperor! Fitzroy is in many ways a flawed and contradictory character; he is proud and arrogant, and while he is aware of his flaws to some degree, that does not prevent him from making mistakes. Similar to The Hands of the Emperor, I am annoyed that his primary contradiction lies in how he understands his place as the Emperor/Lord Magus. As a member of the Red Company, his impulse is to reject the Empire's authority; as the Last Emperor, he still holds responsibility for the Empire. For all his disdain for the Empire's monarchy and his role within it (or is it now a post-Fall oligarchy?), he has no qualms about using that power for his own ends. How much are we expected to gloss over just because he earnestly wishes to make the world a better place?
Even so, I am intrigued by Fitzroy and the journey he will take. I truly believe that Goddard wants to share a world where injustices are addressed and where true friendship is at the heart of authentic goodness. I will not judge Goddard's vision prematurely until I have finished At the Feet of the Sun.
What I loved most about this book was getting to know Fitzroy himself, for all of the contradictory character he is. He is a man clearly shaped by the three "lives" he has lived: exile, revolutionary poet, and Emperor. Each of these aspects of himself are revealed in his attention to the beauty of his surroundings (the descriptions of which I loved reading) and the various people he meets with their various problems he helps to solve. The compartmentalization of these episodes reminds me of the structure a Greek epic—a fitting way to tell a story about a man who is clearly meant to fit this model of an "epic hero" in the Classical sense. There is also something quite beautiful and reassuring about the fact that Fitzroy is undertaking this adventure at his age (presumably his 60s)—it is never too late to "wake up" and seek to live an authentic life.
What is most frustrating is that Fitzroy, a literal descendant of the Sun and possibly the most powerful magician alive, is more relatable and sympathetic as a character than Cliopher, a non-magical bureaucrat, in The Hands of the Emperor! Fitzroy is in many ways a flawed and contradictory character; he is proud and arrogant, and while he is aware of his flaws to some degree, that does not prevent him from making mistakes. Similar to The Hands of the Emperor, I am annoyed that his primary contradiction lies in how he understands his place as the Emperor/Lord Magus. As a member of the Red Company, his impulse is to reject the Empire's authority; as the Last Emperor, he still holds responsibility for the Empire. For all his disdain for the Empire's monarchy and his role within it (or is it now a post-Fall oligarchy?), he has no qualms about using that power for his own ends. How much are we expected to gloss over just because he earnestly wishes to make the world a better place?
Even so, I am intrigued by Fitzroy and the journey he will take. I truly believe that Goddard wants to share a world where injustices are addressed and where true friendship is at the heart of authentic goodness. I will not judge Goddard's vision prematurely until I have finished At the Feet of the Sun.
July 26, 2023
4.75 Another relatively undramatic fantasy novel, but compared to Hands of the Emperor this one reads much more easily (and I'm not only talking about the physical weight). Starting out as a picaresque the story quickly goes more into the territory of self-discovery and relationships. Don't expect much action, but there are some very emotionally charged scenes (that are all very well done). There is still quite a large amount things working out all right, but the conflicts are more pronounced. All in all a very promising beginning to the Emperor's adventure. And how many fantasy novels do you know that feature a universal basic income as a major plot point?
Bonus: The only story I've read that has a white dude playing the role of the magical negro for a black person.
Bonus: The only story I've read that has a white dude playing the role of the magical negro for a black person.
February 27, 2022
I thought maybe since this is so much shorter than The Hands of the Emperor, that it would be more tightly written, but mostly it just...ends sooner because the story isn't done yet. Tonally this is a big shift from THotE, which which as far as I can tell means it's more in line with the various earlier stories set in this world. I read a couple of them first, and they were fun, and fine. It really feels to me like Goddard built her world around this sort of larger-than-life adventure story, then decided she wanted to try something different in THotE, and now she's trying to bring that all together in a way that is more self-indulgent than coherent. One minute it's one kind of story, and then a scene later it's the other, without apparent narrative awareness. Plus some stuff that I think is meant to be easter eggs for fans of earlier stories takes up too much room. I think I saw a different reviewer describe THotE as feeling like fanfiction of a canon they weren't familiar with, and I totally see it. This one is now kind of like that mixed with fan service for people who like the earlier stories.
And I still have such mixed feelings about it because there's still this heart of the story where Artorin trying to re-learn how to be a person after some extremely indeterminate amount of time as emperor/not-quite-emperor (I am trying not to let the time weirdness put me off but like, there's a way to handle "everything is confusing and weird!" in a way that doesn't just feel like lazy cheating and this is not it, IMO), and now it's colliding with the story of how the only other time he had a chance to just be a person in the world, he was still mostly performing a role laid out for him. A vastly different kind of role, and obviously one he enjoyed more, but still more about performance than anything else. And that's a super interesting idea to me and I want to explore that tension, and yet I am almost as frustrated as I am entertained because Goddard just really needs a more ruthless editor. The typos and small grammar weirdnesses don't bother me much, but the many long-winded speeches and general plot meandering that have nothing to do with what I actually want out of the story, do.
I'm sure I'll keep reading, but also probably keep complaining.
And I still have such mixed feelings about it because there's still this heart of the story where Artorin trying to re-learn how to be a person after some extremely indeterminate amount of time as emperor/not-quite-emperor (I am trying not to let the time weirdness put me off but like, there's a way to handle "everything is confusing and weird!" in a way that doesn't just feel like lazy cheating and this is not it, IMO), and now it's colliding with the story of how the only other time he had a chance to just be a person in the world, he was still mostly performing a role laid out for him. A vastly different kind of role, and obviously one he enjoyed more, but still more about performance than anything else. And that's a super interesting idea to me and I want to explore that tension, and yet I am almost as frustrated as I am entertained because Goddard just really needs a more ruthless editor. The typos and small grammar weirdnesses don't bother me much, but the many long-winded speeches and general plot meandering that have nothing to do with what I actually want out of the story, do.
I'm sure I'll keep reading, but also probably keep complaining.
January 11, 2022
Rich & Strange
Goddard writes some of the most singlarly character-driven books I have read, in which traditional action and danger, though they sometimes amble onto the scene, are of minor importance.
Instead, deeper questions concern our merry travellers—and the ways in which those questions are answered feel sublime.
If you need a battle scene every ten pages or to lie awake every night wondering if your favorite character is going to make it, The Return of Fitzroy Angursell (and likewise The Hands of the Emperor) might not be for you (then again, they're so vivid and beautifully written, so who knows?).
If you need to escape into a world in which people you will come to love undertake journeys of great significance, or undertake the rebuilding of worlds, or (greatest feat of all) learn how to talk to each-other like adults, these books are for you.
As for me, I love them, and I'm glad to see that Goddard has many more titles available, may her inkwell never run dry.
Goddard writes some of the most singlarly character-driven books I have read, in which traditional action and danger, though they sometimes amble onto the scene, are of minor importance.
Instead, deeper questions concern our merry travellers—and the ways in which those questions are answered feel sublime.
If you need a battle scene every ten pages or to lie awake every night wondering if your favorite character is going to make it, The Return of Fitzroy Angursell (and likewise The Hands of the Emperor) might not be for you (then again, they're so vivid and beautifully written, so who knows?).
If you need to escape into a world in which people you will come to love undertake journeys of great significance, or undertake the rebuilding of worlds, or (greatest feat of all) learn how to talk to each-other like adults, these books are for you.
As for me, I love them, and I'm glad to see that Goddard has many more titles available, may her inkwell never run dry.
February 28, 2023
hoooo boy, i am not built for high fantasy, but this captured me anyways. love and understanding and friendship is the core of all of these wonderful books, with a nice unique fantasy setting, which i’ll be the first to admit i ignored at points in favor of skimming to the meaty character stuff. nobody can outshine Kip for me, but Masseo and Jules and Fitz all together sure came close. lovely!
July 17, 2025
There's not really a wrong order in which to read author Victoria Goddard's sprawling Nine Worlds fantasy saga, but I would say that this particular volume is probably best picked up sometime after The Hands of the Emperor, to which it functions as an immediate spinoff sequel. At the end of that novel, which follows the bureaucrat Kip Mdang in a third-person limited fashion, his liege the former Emperor embarks on a solitary quest to magically locate his one true heir. This story picks up directly afterwards, with that individual narrating his subsequent misadventures in a rollicking first-person tone. In the process, it neatly punctures the occasional self-seriousness of the former tale, much like the change in narrators for The Vampire Lestat does to Interview with the Vampire.
It also matter-of-factly reveals a certain coy secret at the heart of the series in its first few pages, which is why I'd personally recommend reading the prequel novella The Tower at the Edge of the World in advance of this title, for maximum dramatic impact. (You may wish to at least sample the Greenwing & Dart sequence at this point as well, since the final section of this story crosses over into that world Dark Tower-style and features a few of its recurring characters.) But if you don't already know how the vanished folk hero and outlaw poet Fitzroy Angursell is connected to the protagonist of this installment, you'll learn soon enough when you start here.
That aspect aside, this is a propulsively fun if meandering read, as the main character careens wildly from one unlikely scrape to the next. (I am reminded, not at all unpleasantly, of the tall-tale texture of Walter Moers's The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear.) Though his imperial handlers would never have expected it, their sovereign's staid role was masking the soul of a happy wanderer who seems intractably drawn into larger-than-life situations and loves mingling with the common people, out-of-practice though he is at it. He's well past middle age now too, which further provides us with the rare delight of an older and dark-skinned fantasy hero traveling the realms on basically just his wits and his charms, affably agreeing whenever his subjects exclaim how the incognito gentleman bears a striking resemblance to His Radiancy.
The legend of the title figure is woven throughout these pages too, especially once the remaining members of his notorious Red Company begin joining up with the wandering lord. This is in part a getting-the-gang-back-together-again plot, full of mature adults reuniting and reminiscing with the companions of their youth. I will note that that element might land more meaningfully had we seen more of those fabled adventures firsthand; as it is, even completionists like me will have gotten that material largely as piecemeal allusions in other works, although the writer does apparently have plans to go back and flesh out the bygone era at some later date. But even without readers knowing the characters' full histories, there's a definite poignancy in seeing them come together again after so long apart and finally start addressing some lingering hurts.
The closing arc of the book slows down for those conversations, which firmly situate the narrator as a classic Goddard protagonist. In the same model as Kip in The Hands of the Emperor, Jemis in the early Greenwing & Dart novels, or Rafael in Till Human Voices Wake Us, this is a man who privately aches to be recognized for his accomplishments by his loved ones but doesn't know quite how to tell them everything he's done without it seeming like a brag or a jest. Or to quote my own review of that last volume I mentioned, "the soul suffering its traumas in lonely silence, yearning for the catharsis that estranged relations could provide but unable to muster the courage to ask them for it." It's a type that the author plainly adores and pulls off rather well on this occasion.
As usual for the Nine Worlds, the storytelling is cozy with some sporadic darkness on the edges: mention of a distant tribe that exiles its gay and lesbian population, acknowledgment of abusive marriages, and so forth. But the major stakes involve simply how much trouble the hero will have to get into before using his trump card of revealing his royal identity, along with his slow rediscovery and settling back into the kind of person he used to be, before the duties of state fell upon him. The result is generally lighter in tone than The Hands of the Emperor but no less wholesome, and for those missing Kip, you can rest assured that his friend Tor is thinking about him all the time and sending him plenty of headache-inducing reports to sort out back at the palace.
Not all of the Red Company gets reassembled here -- nor is the next ruler of Zunidh ultimately discovered -- but as this is only book 1 of its subseries, I assume such further excitement lies ahead. I'm thrilled to read on and see.
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It also matter-of-factly reveals a certain coy secret at the heart of the series in its first few pages, which is why I'd personally recommend reading the prequel novella The Tower at the Edge of the World in advance of this title, for maximum dramatic impact. (You may wish to at least sample the Greenwing & Dart sequence at this point as well, since the final section of this story crosses over into that world Dark Tower-style and features a few of its recurring characters.) But if you don't already know how the vanished folk hero and outlaw poet Fitzroy Angursell is connected to the protagonist of this installment, you'll learn soon enough when you start here.
That aspect aside, this is a propulsively fun if meandering read, as the main character careens wildly from one unlikely scrape to the next. (I am reminded, not at all unpleasantly, of the tall-tale texture of Walter Moers's The 13½ Lives of Captain Bluebear.) Though his imperial handlers would never have expected it, their sovereign's staid role was masking the soul of a happy wanderer who seems intractably drawn into larger-than-life situations and loves mingling with the common people, out-of-practice though he is at it. He's well past middle age now too, which further provides us with the rare delight of an older and dark-skinned fantasy hero traveling the realms on basically just his wits and his charms, affably agreeing whenever his subjects exclaim how the incognito gentleman bears a striking resemblance to His Radiancy.
The legend of the title figure is woven throughout these pages too, especially once the remaining members of his notorious Red Company begin joining up with the wandering lord. This is in part a getting-the-gang-back-together-again plot, full of mature adults reuniting and reminiscing with the companions of their youth. I will note that that element might land more meaningfully had we seen more of those fabled adventures firsthand; as it is, even completionists like me will have gotten that material largely as piecemeal allusions in other works, although the writer does apparently have plans to go back and flesh out the bygone era at some later date. But even without readers knowing the characters' full histories, there's a definite poignancy in seeing them come together again after so long apart and finally start addressing some lingering hurts.
The closing arc of the book slows down for those conversations, which firmly situate the narrator as a classic Goddard protagonist. In the same model as Kip in The Hands of the Emperor, Jemis in the early Greenwing & Dart novels, or Rafael in Till Human Voices Wake Us, this is a man who privately aches to be recognized for his accomplishments by his loved ones but doesn't know quite how to tell them everything he's done without it seeming like a brag or a jest. Or to quote my own review of that last volume I mentioned, "the soul suffering its traumas in lonely silence, yearning for the catharsis that estranged relations could provide but unable to muster the courage to ask them for it." It's a type that the author plainly adores and pulls off rather well on this occasion.
As usual for the Nine Worlds, the storytelling is cozy with some sporadic darkness on the edges: mention of a distant tribe that exiles its gay and lesbian population, acknowledgment of abusive marriages, and so forth. But the major stakes involve simply how much trouble the hero will have to get into before using his trump card of revealing his royal identity, along with his slow rediscovery and settling back into the kind of person he used to be, before the duties of state fell upon him. The result is generally lighter in tone than The Hands of the Emperor but no less wholesome, and for those missing Kip, you can rest assured that his friend Tor is thinking about him all the time and sending him plenty of headache-inducing reports to sort out back at the palace.
Not all of the Red Company gets reassembled here -- nor is the next ruler of Zunidh ultimately discovered -- but as this is only book 1 of its subseries, I assume such further excitement lies ahead. I'm thrilled to read on and see.
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/lesserjoke
--Or click here to browse through all my reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
August 5, 2024
Why yes, I do love watching middle-aged people going on outrageous adventures and (re)discovering the power of friendship. If The Hands of the Emperor was full of quiet, deep kindness, this is just pure joy of being alive.
May 4, 2023
fitzroy angursell eu te amo!!
entendo completamente as pessoas que falaram que esse livro parece incompleto, mas eu achei perfeito, é só uma parte de uma história muito maior, e que privilégio ter a permissão de ver o começo dessa aventura, achei perfeito
a narrativa foi ótima, o fitzroy tem tanta personalidade que faz completo sentido ser em primeira pessoa, e é tão bom ler os pensamentos deles após conhecermos ele no pov do kip
quero mais da red company (e conhecer os outros membros que não apareceram nesse livro)
"It was my first experience of anything resembling flight, tumbling down several hundred feet out of thin air towards a river. It was exhilarating, though I couldn’t really do anything besides hold onto my bag and the cloak and fall head over heels in love with existence."
entendo completamente as pessoas que falaram que esse livro parece incompleto, mas eu achei perfeito, é só uma parte de uma história muito maior, e que privilégio ter a permissão de ver o começo dessa aventura, achei perfeito
a narrativa foi ótima, o fitzroy tem tanta personalidade que faz completo sentido ser em primeira pessoa, e é tão bom ler os pensamentos deles após conhecermos ele no pov do kip
quero mais da red company (e conhecer os outros membros que não apareceram nesse livro)
"It was my first experience of anything resembling flight, tumbling down several hundred feet out of thin air towards a river. It was exhilarating, though I couldn’t really do anything besides hold onto my bag and the cloak and fall head over heels in love with existence."
February 9, 2025
4,5 ⭐
Victoria Goddard's books all have this dreamlike feel to them. Imagine yourself sitting by a fire, a cup of tea in your hand, listening to tales of legendary proportions, surrounded by the people you love.
It took me a long time to get to this because Fitzroy is one of those characters that I feel should not be a pov character. I am so unbelievably fond of him, I love him to bits, yet, I feel that separation between him and the reader should have remained.
Still, this was so sweet and I very much want to pick up The Hands of the Emperor again... I miss everyone
Victoria Goddard's books all have this dreamlike feel to them. Imagine yourself sitting by a fire, a cup of tea in your hand, listening to tales of legendary proportions, surrounded by the people you love.
It took me a long time to get to this because Fitzroy is one of those characters that I feel should not be a pov character. I am so unbelievably fond of him, I love him to bits, yet, I feel that separation between him and the reader should have remained.
Still, this was so sweet and I very much want to pick up The Hands of the Emperor again... I miss everyone
June 27, 2021
Not as absolutely out of this world captivating as the last book, but lovely and sweet and meandering in a really enjoyable way in its mythology.
November 10, 2023
Cute and even lovely in parts, but doesn't hold a candle to HOTE for depth and emotional resonance.
June 17, 2023
3.5 rounded up
fourth time im trying to write a review
found out if i try to hold the space button on my phone keyboard it will just yeet me to the explore page on the goodreads app so why do i even keep trying to do this
long story short:
overal i like this book, mainly because i love the parts where fitzroy struggles with his identity, reconnecting with his old friends and slowly getting more and more frustrated with not being taken serious
however i'm less fond of all the references he and everyone else makes to all the previous adventures
they're made in a way that feels more whimsy than grounded, and in general fitzroy's narration is quite whimsy and dramatic and i'm not the biggest fan of whimsy myself in this way
you don't know the context and how those adventures went (aside for a few that do take place in other books if you've read them) so it doesn't hold the weight it's supposed to have it feels like
at least not when they're referenced in that ofhand way, they do hit a little when they're properly expanded upon or when used during the heart to hearts
even so, fitzroy working through his feelings throughout the book more than make up for it, i just wish there was more of that tone and a bit less of the whimsy
also, and this is definite spoilers, but i did think the part in which he undoes a pretty grand curse was really good as well and very interesting
i like this series' worldbuilding and i wish there was a map to look at or a timeline sometimes
fourth time im trying to write a review
found out if i try to hold the space button on my phone keyboard it will just yeet me to the explore page on the goodreads app so why do i even keep trying to do this
long story short:
overal i like this book, mainly because i love the parts where fitzroy struggles with his identity, reconnecting with his old friends and slowly getting more and more frustrated with not being taken serious
however i'm less fond of all the references he and everyone else makes to all the previous adventures
they're made in a way that feels more whimsy than grounded, and in general fitzroy's narration is quite whimsy and dramatic and i'm not the biggest fan of whimsy myself in this way
you don't know the context and how those adventures went (aside for a few that do take place in other books if you've read them) so it doesn't hold the weight it's supposed to have it feels like
at least not when they're referenced in that ofhand way, they do hit a little when they're properly expanded upon or when used during the heart to hearts
even so, fitzroy working through his feelings throughout the book more than make up for it, i just wish there was more of that tone and a bit less of the whimsy
also, and this is definite spoilers, but i did think the part in which he undoes a pretty grand curse was really good as well and very interesting
i like this series' worldbuilding and i wish there was a map to look at or a timeline sometimes
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 2, 2022
This was a pretty fun book. While not as impactful as The Hands of the Emperor it was still enjoyable. Fitzroy is a particularly chaotic character, in sharp contrast with the meticulous and orderly Kip. It was clear even to me that Fitzroy has changed a lot, compared to all the legends alluded to in this book and the prior. The reconciliation of his past, present, and future is a bit of a theme and plays out with his interactions with old and new friends. Goddard's knack for powerful emotional encounters is a key driver to the plot. I look forward to her upcoming book, At the Feet of the Sun, for even more adventures!
For a full review, check out my blog: https://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/05/...
For a full review, check out my blog: https://strakul.blogspot.com/2022/05/...
November 6, 2024
this was such a lovely book and perfectly timed for when i read it. i will say, i wish i had read it before reading ATFOS LOL (bc that’s how they go chronologically) but it was still really nice to read afterwards. now i just have to reread ATFOS obvs. anyways, lovely questing stuff, love all of the characters, very typical goddard climax moment (in which the main character is being hurt by other characters and finally stands up for themselves) which i wasn’t always obsessed with in HOTE but it felt quite satisfying in this book. such a cool world too!!! i Cannot wait for the book after ATFOS it’s gonna be so fucking good
August 16, 2024
This was such a harsh departure from the vibes of the incredibly powerful Hands of the Emperor that it took me a long time to get past that shock to discover the falseness of that departure.
A messy way to say that vibes are gonna vibe and the truth of this story can’t help but shine through. These books are about healing and naming and moving on from trauma, and they’re hopeful and human and fantastical and fun while they do it.
All the stars I can give.
A messy way to say that vibes are gonna vibe and the truth of this story can’t help but shine through. These books are about healing and naming and moving on from trauma, and they’re hopeful and human and fantastical and fun while they do it.
All the stars I can give.
August 19, 2025
who is this diva!!?? born to be a flamboyant bard going on adventure quests with his best friends, forced to be the god-emperor of the nine worlds constrained from forming genuine relationships. fitzroy's inner voice is so fun! who knew behind the serene front there is this chaos man falling into every adventure possible. also a heartwarming story of a man relearning how to be a person after a millennia of being the institutional symbol of the empire
February 10, 2024
The Hands of the Emperor was mostly about Kip's family finding out who Kip actually is, and this book is the same, just for the emperor and his (long lost) friends. It was funny and over the top at times (which I expected) and incredibly sad and painful at others (which I didn't; but without it it wouldn't be a five star book).
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