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Corax Trilogy #1
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead
There's no formal training for battlefield salvage. You just have to pick things up as you go along. Swords, armor, arrows – and the bodies, of course.
Over the years, Saevus Corax has picked up a lot of things. Some of them have made him decent money, others have brought nothing but trouble. But it's a living, and somebody has to deal with the dead.
Something else that Saevus has buried is his past. Unfortunately, he didn't quite succeed.
Over the years, Saevus Corax has picked up a lot of things. Some of them have made him decent money, others have brought nothing but trouble. But it's a living, and somebody has to deal with the dead.
Something else that Saevus has buried is his past. Unfortunately, he didn't quite succeed.
359 pages, Trade Paperback
First published October 3, 2023
252 people are currently reading
6576 people want to read
About the author
K.J. Parker
134 books1,684 followersK.J. Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt.
According to the biographical notes in some of Parker's books, Parker has previously worked in law, journalism, and numismatics, and now writes and makes things out of wood and metal. It is also claimed that Parker is married to a solicitor and now lives in southern England. According to an autobiographical note, Parker was raised in rural Vermont, a lifestyle which influenced Parker's work.
According to the biographical notes in some of Parker's books, Parker has previously worked in law, journalism, and numismatics, and now writes and makes things out of wood and metal. It is also claimed that Parker is married to a solicitor and now lives in southern England. According to an autobiographical note, Parker was raised in rural Vermont, a lifestyle which influenced Parker's work.
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May 21, 2024This was fun. Feels a bit like KJ Parker and Tom Holt finding an accommodation between their two personalities: it's got some quite bleak stuff as Saevus is a professional battlefield scavenger and on the face of it quite a shitty person, but he's kind of better than he realises and there's lots of dark humour but also a touch of lightness to it that really gave it a lift. Bought the next one immediately.
August 15, 2023
3.5 stars
K.J. Parker has a tremendous reputation in fantasy writing circles. I'm embarrassed to admit that SAEVUS CORAX DEALS WITH THE DEAD is my first experience with the author. Based on his reputation I was eager to check this one out and see if I would be as enamored with his books as most readers seem to be. And so with that I embarked on the opening entry in Parker's Corax Trilogy.
The first thing I noticed as I started reading is that this story is written in first person. That's not a deal-breaker by any means but I will say that I don't read many books told in this way so there was a bit of an adjustment period. It's not that I don't appreciate first-person narratives either. If the story is good, it's good no matter the style of voice. And once I settled into it in earnest this was not a factor at all with regard to my opinion of the book.
I was immediately hooked by the main character's occupation, as that's how we are introduced to him in the first chapter. You see Saevus Corax and his "team", so to speak, comb over the dead bodies of fallen soldiers after battles to gather up whatever valuables and weapons they can recover. Saevus though refuses to admit that what he does is in any way objectionable or callous, preferring to call himself a Battlefield Salvage Contractor. And this is how the story begins. You are either going to be completely turned off by it or like me, desire to delve further into Saevus' life and history.
As the story progresses we do get a glimpse (although murky at best) of Saevus' previous life via the dialogue of other characters that he encounters who seem to recognize him from that time period. He continually tells them that they are mistaken, he is Saevus Corax after all! But it's obvious that he is hiding a dubious background and his new lifestyle and job are a convenient cover. It's that mystery of who Saevus Corax was and really is that makes this book such an entertaining read. And along the way we get treated to some pretty shady encounters of swashbuckling adventure.
There were some things that I didn't enjoy as much as at times the pace slows down quite a bit and it was admittedly more frequently than I would have preferred. During those times my mind kind of wandered until I was eventually pulled back in by an interesting exchange of dialogue or threatening encounter with an enemy. And speaking of dialogue, it is of the extremely snarky variety and reminded me a lot of the type that you would see in a Joe Abercrombie or Clayton W. Snyder book. So that part of it was fun and I did enjoy some of the back and forth between the characters.
In the end I enjoyed SAEVUS CORAX DEALS WITH THE DEAD and am also delighted to see that the next two books in the trilogy will be released in November and December of this year, following the October release of SCDWTD. So the entire trilogy will be published in only a three month span! How often do you see that these days? Pick this one up if you enjoy fantasy with a morally gray main character that leans toward the dark/gloomy but with a slight dose of biting humor as well. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where this series goes from here.
K.J. Parker has a tremendous reputation in fantasy writing circles. I'm embarrassed to admit that SAEVUS CORAX DEALS WITH THE DEAD is my first experience with the author. Based on his reputation I was eager to check this one out and see if I would be as enamored with his books as most readers seem to be. And so with that I embarked on the opening entry in Parker's Corax Trilogy.
The first thing I noticed as I started reading is that this story is written in first person. That's not a deal-breaker by any means but I will say that I don't read many books told in this way so there was a bit of an adjustment period. It's not that I don't appreciate first-person narratives either. If the story is good, it's good no matter the style of voice. And once I settled into it in earnest this was not a factor at all with regard to my opinion of the book.
I was immediately hooked by the main character's occupation, as that's how we are introduced to him in the first chapter. You see Saevus Corax and his "team", so to speak, comb over the dead bodies of fallen soldiers after battles to gather up whatever valuables and weapons they can recover. Saevus though refuses to admit that what he does is in any way objectionable or callous, preferring to call himself a Battlefield Salvage Contractor. And this is how the story begins. You are either going to be completely turned off by it or like me, desire to delve further into Saevus' life and history.
As the story progresses we do get a glimpse (although murky at best) of Saevus' previous life via the dialogue of other characters that he encounters who seem to recognize him from that time period. He continually tells them that they are mistaken, he is Saevus Corax after all! But it's obvious that he is hiding a dubious background and his new lifestyle and job are a convenient cover. It's that mystery of who Saevus Corax was and really is that makes this book such an entertaining read. And along the way we get treated to some pretty shady encounters of swashbuckling adventure.
There were some things that I didn't enjoy as much as at times the pace slows down quite a bit and it was admittedly more frequently than I would have preferred. During those times my mind kind of wandered until I was eventually pulled back in by an interesting exchange of dialogue or threatening encounter with an enemy. And speaking of dialogue, it is of the extremely snarky variety and reminded me a lot of the type that you would see in a Joe Abercrombie or Clayton W. Snyder book. So that part of it was fun and I did enjoy some of the back and forth between the characters.
In the end I enjoyed SAEVUS CORAX DEALS WITH THE DEAD and am also delighted to see that the next two books in the trilogy will be released in November and December of this year, following the October release of SCDWTD. So the entire trilogy will be published in only a three month span! How often do you see that these days? Pick this one up if you enjoy fantasy with a morally gray main character that leans toward the dark/gloomy but with a slight dose of biting humor as well. I'm definitely looking forward to seeing where this series goes from here.
October 22, 2023
Saevus Corax and his crew scavenge battlefields, and it seems that there are plenty of battles. In this picaresque story, Saevus winds up getting in the middle of an impending war.
I enjoyed the first 2 books of The Siege trilogy by this author. This new trilogy follows the same pattern as the previous books. An unlikely protagonist winds up getting involved in a war and has to act out of character. In fact, the two trilogies are too similar for me in structure, plot and tone. I don’t like to keep reading the same thing over and over. I already have the next 2 books in this trilogy, but I’m not really looking forward to them. The scavenger part of the book was a little gross, but at least it was different. There is some humor to this book, and Saevus is an interesting character. I listened to the audiobook, and Ben Onwukwe did a wonderful job with the narration. Nevertheless, I was never fully engaged with this book. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I enjoyed the first 2 books of The Siege trilogy by this author. This new trilogy follows the same pattern as the previous books. An unlikely protagonist winds up getting involved in a war and has to act out of character. In fact, the two trilogies are too similar for me in structure, plot and tone. I don’t like to keep reading the same thing over and over. I already have the next 2 books in this trilogy, but I’m not really looking forward to them. The scavenger part of the book was a little gross, but at least it was different. There is some humor to this book, and Saevus is an interesting character. I listened to the audiobook, and Ben Onwukwe did a wonderful job with the narration. Nevertheless, I was never fully engaged with this book. 3.5 stars
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
August 25, 2024
... where there’s livestock, sooner or later there’s dead stock, and you just have to deal with it.
K J Parker has a thing for crows.
You can be sure to find some in probably every fantasy novel Tom Holt wrote under this pen name. They’re smart, they’re opportunistic, they’re adaptable, they’re pragmatic. They survive where stronger species falter. Often they feed on the misfortunes of those other species. Corax is Latin for raven or crow. Saevus also has Latin roots and a quick search online comes up with: Furious, ferocious, fierce, violent, barbarous, cruel, savage. , all of these attributes found in Parker’s writing and world-building in general.
Combine the two words and you get the narrator of this latest instalment in the sprawling fictional universe where all his fantasy novels take place, a canvas rich in cultures, history and conflicts that doesn’t show any sign of running out of ideas. *
* most of these novels are intended to be read as stand-alone adventures, even those labelled as trilogies. The recurring characters, place names and nations are of interest to the fans of the author, but not really relevant to individual story arcs.
Saevus Corax deals with dead stock that used to walk on two legs and march into war. He runs a company of salvage for armour, weapons and other reusable gear from recent battlefields. Somebody will always loot these fields of slaughter, so why not make a profit from it?
Look, about this business of war. And it is my business, I readily confess. I don’t start wars, I don’t fight them, I just clear up the mess, but even so I’m implicated. Abolish wars and I’d starve, and so would the honest, hard-working, harmless men who depend on me. So I know where I stand as regards this war business. I’m for it. Give war a chance, I say.
Saevus is in a cutthroat business, with rival traders always trying to outbid for the most promising campaigns or undercut him with his patrons. He must outsmart them if he wants to keep his company afloat, but he has a sort of personal Nemesis of the feminine persuasion named Stauracia who always seems to be one step ahead of Saevus in terms of deviousness and ruthlessness.
She smiled at me. “Fundamental rule of business,” she said. “You can’t expect to get paid after you’ve delivered the goods. If you don’t get cash in advance, basically you’re giving someone a present.”
“That’s not very nice.”
Both Saevus and Stauracia are proficient liars and grandmasters of chess, or whatever variant of the strategy game is played in this secondary universe. They are well matched, and if this was written by any other writer, I would suspect from the start of the novel that it would develop into some kinky, deviant rom-com black comedy.
She’s evil and treacherous and as sharp as a rusty nail in a plank of wood, but she’s fun. She makes me try.
But this is the K J Parker that I have been reading on publishing time ever since his Engineer trilogy back in 2005. Behind his sarcastic wit and his black comedy routines there is always a strong undercurrent of critical commentary on the folly of Man, in particular linked to violence at individual and state level.
War is everything that’s wrong with a species that allows itself to be led and ordered about by leaders and governments, and the natural, inevitable results of leaders and governments is war. So, a moment ago, I lied to you. I’m not in favour of war. I’m against it.
>>><<<>>><<<
Lying is like farming, or draining marshland, or terracing a hillside or planting a grove of peach trees. It’s an attempt to control your environment and make it better.
Somebody saved the complete quote on Goodreads, and you should check it out because it comes on the very first page of the novel and it really helps to set to mood for the rest of the journey, with Saevus Corax as a sort of stand-up comedian who laughs to keep away from despair at the cards Fate has dealt him but who also uses his platform to launch some barbed arrows of truth at the powers that be.
You’d laugh yourself sick if it wasn’t so deadly serious.
Saevus Corax is one of the best characters in a long list of memorable scoundrels, actors, engineering wizards, craftsmen, mercenaries, generals and other unreliable narrators whose struggles to control their environments lead to more and more complications that end up in continent wide conflicts, pitting nation against nation in all-out war.
People tend not to like me very much, and I can see why. They say I’m arrogant, callous, selfish and utterly devoid of any redeeming qualities; all, I’m sorry to say, perfectly true. I’m leaving out devious, because I happen to believe it’s a virtue.
He’s also leaving out terribly smart, but this is something Saevus tries to hide from his peers as much as he can because he really doesn’t want to be noticed by the leaders and governments of his world. Maybe this is a good moment to write down some details about the plot, otherwise the actions of Saevus, Stauracia and others will make little sense.
You see, Saevus Corax is not his real name and his past is something he has been trying very hard to run away from for a very long time. He is connected at the highest level with a couple of kings, with the leaders of two rival religious orders [the Sisters and the Knights] and there’s a very high price put on his head, dead or alive, if his real identity is discovered.
Something Stauracia apparently finds out, as she kidnaps him and delivers Saevus bound and gagged to the little island kingdom of Sirupat, a strategic point on the dividing line between two warring empires. Sirupat owes its independence to the gold bullion it exports to both sides and to the danger to world balance its conquest will pose.
What a lot of trouble I make for people by insisting on staying alive. Simply by being who I am – there’s some goddess in some religion down south who leaves a trail of roses growing wherever her feet touch. Me too, only not roses.
More dead stock will be available soon to the scavengers who roam in the trails of armies, but Saevus is separated from his companions and forced to dance to the tunes of the people he has tried for years to steer clear of.
There is a strong sense of deja-vu here for long-term fans of the author, like he is recycling themes that he explored in each and every novel he wrote, but K J Parker does it with such subversive and bleak humour that I suspect I am nowhere near saturation point.
I don’t yearn to rule the world; I’d be very bad at it and I’d hate it, and I can’t see why anybody would want to. But I need, on a very fundamental level, to be master of my fate and captain of my soul. If someone’s the boss of me, I feel like a worm stuck through with a pin. I’d rather die and get it over with than spend the rest of my life as somebody’s puppet, whether the confinement takes place in a jail cell or a throne room.
The plight of Parker's clever and devious narrators always seems beyond the power of a regular person to overcome. These novels are particular in the field of speculative-fiction by the complete lack of magic in the world-building. Saevus and his peers never have fire bolts or invisibility cloaks in their arsenal. They must rely on technology, on personal skills, on brains and on virtue, or deviousness as Saevus already mentioned.
“It was the last thing I wanted, and this is my worst possible scenario. But I’m here now and I’m going to do the best job I can.
Saevus Corax undesired presence on the island of Sirupat is about to start a devastating war between the most powerful factions in his part of the world. He didn’t plan it, he doesn’t want to be a part of it, but he must deal with the cards he has in his hand, not with the ones he wished he had instead.
I’m not going to explain in more detail how the plot tangles itself in one betrayal after another, more or less according to the secret plan devised by Seavus: the surprising twists are as much a part of the joy of the lecture as the pretend self-effacing first person delivery and the outrageous real or imagined back story episodes Saevus reluctantly offers in his journal.
What I found particular attractive about this first book in the trilogy are editorial commentaries about the art of writing and about the need for an unreliable narrator. Here are a couple of examples:
If there’s anything in this story of mine apart from a few rather sloppy adventures in which nobody can be said to have distinguished themselves particularly, it’s a study in the operation of time. *
* again, the full passage is better, but it runs for several pages and wouldn’t fit in this online review.
... consider me through the rest of the story, passive, the object and the prisoner of time, time’s cargo, the livestock it propels unwillingly to market. Nothing in the least heroic about that, though I’m guessing you can empathise much more with the passive, bound-hand-and-foot me, because that’s what life is like, especially when you’re not the one writing the play.
>>><<<>>><<<
I could have given this first Saevus Corax five stars if this was my first book from K J Parker. I really enjoyed being treated as a clever reader who likes puzzles and morally ambiguous characters, not just along for the ride in yet another grim dark epic of magic and dragons and warring kingdoms.
“And I did that,” I said. “Just me and some paper and ink. Though I say it myself, that’s smart.”
Yes it is! Mr. Parker . Keep them coming!
I look forward to the next two books in the series, and I hope it’s not a major spoiler to say that Saevus and Stauracia manage to extricate themselves from the Sirupat debacle with their lives, if not with anything else of value [and no, they're not an item yet, so don’t buy any gift for their wedding until the last book in the series]. We already know they are resourceful and savage scavengers who will lose little time in concocting another scheme :
everybody wants the big score; what else is there to want?
K J Parker has a thing for crows.
You can be sure to find some in probably every fantasy novel Tom Holt wrote under this pen name. They’re smart, they’re opportunistic, they’re adaptable, they’re pragmatic. They survive where stronger species falter. Often they feed on the misfortunes of those other species. Corax is Latin for raven or crow. Saevus also has Latin roots and a quick search online comes up with: Furious, ferocious, fierce, violent, barbarous, cruel, savage. , all of these attributes found in Parker’s writing and world-building in general.
Combine the two words and you get the narrator of this latest instalment in the sprawling fictional universe where all his fantasy novels take place, a canvas rich in cultures, history and conflicts that doesn’t show any sign of running out of ideas. *
* most of these novels are intended to be read as stand-alone adventures, even those labelled as trilogies. The recurring characters, place names and nations are of interest to the fans of the author, but not really relevant to individual story arcs.
Saevus Corax deals with dead stock that used to walk on two legs and march into war. He runs a company of salvage for armour, weapons and other reusable gear from recent battlefields. Somebody will always loot these fields of slaughter, so why not make a profit from it?
Look, about this business of war. And it is my business, I readily confess. I don’t start wars, I don’t fight them, I just clear up the mess, but even so I’m implicated. Abolish wars and I’d starve, and so would the honest, hard-working, harmless men who depend on me. So I know where I stand as regards this war business. I’m for it. Give war a chance, I say.
Saevus is in a cutthroat business, with rival traders always trying to outbid for the most promising campaigns or undercut him with his patrons. He must outsmart them if he wants to keep his company afloat, but he has a sort of personal Nemesis of the feminine persuasion named Stauracia who always seems to be one step ahead of Saevus in terms of deviousness and ruthlessness.
She smiled at me. “Fundamental rule of business,” she said. “You can’t expect to get paid after you’ve delivered the goods. If you don’t get cash in advance, basically you’re giving someone a present.”
“That’s not very nice.”
Both Saevus and Stauracia are proficient liars and grandmasters of chess, or whatever variant of the strategy game is played in this secondary universe. They are well matched, and if this was written by any other writer, I would suspect from the start of the novel that it would develop into some kinky, deviant rom-com black comedy.
She’s evil and treacherous and as sharp as a rusty nail in a plank of wood, but she’s fun. She makes me try.
But this is the K J Parker that I have been reading on publishing time ever since his Engineer trilogy back in 2005. Behind his sarcastic wit and his black comedy routines there is always a strong undercurrent of critical commentary on the folly of Man, in particular linked to violence at individual and state level.
War is everything that’s wrong with a species that allows itself to be led and ordered about by leaders and governments, and the natural, inevitable results of leaders and governments is war. So, a moment ago, I lied to you. I’m not in favour of war. I’m against it.
>>><<<>>><<<
Lying is like farming, or draining marshland, or terracing a hillside or planting a grove of peach trees. It’s an attempt to control your environment and make it better.
Somebody saved the complete quote on Goodreads, and you should check it out because it comes on the very first page of the novel and it really helps to set to mood for the rest of the journey, with Saevus Corax as a sort of stand-up comedian who laughs to keep away from despair at the cards Fate has dealt him but who also uses his platform to launch some barbed arrows of truth at the powers that be.
You’d laugh yourself sick if it wasn’t so deadly serious.
Saevus Corax is one of the best characters in a long list of memorable scoundrels, actors, engineering wizards, craftsmen, mercenaries, generals and other unreliable narrators whose struggles to control their environments lead to more and more complications that end up in continent wide conflicts, pitting nation against nation in all-out war.
People tend not to like me very much, and I can see why. They say I’m arrogant, callous, selfish and utterly devoid of any redeeming qualities; all, I’m sorry to say, perfectly true. I’m leaving out devious, because I happen to believe it’s a virtue.
He’s also leaving out terribly smart, but this is something Saevus tries to hide from his peers as much as he can because he really doesn’t want to be noticed by the leaders and governments of his world. Maybe this is a good moment to write down some details about the plot, otherwise the actions of Saevus, Stauracia and others will make little sense.
You see, Saevus Corax is not his real name and his past is something he has been trying very hard to run away from for a very long time. He is connected at the highest level with a couple of kings, with the leaders of two rival religious orders [the Sisters and the Knights] and there’s a very high price put on his head, dead or alive, if his real identity is discovered.
Something Stauracia apparently finds out, as she kidnaps him and delivers Saevus bound and gagged to the little island kingdom of Sirupat, a strategic point on the dividing line between two warring empires. Sirupat owes its independence to the gold bullion it exports to both sides and to the danger to world balance its conquest will pose.
What a lot of trouble I make for people by insisting on staying alive. Simply by being who I am – there’s some goddess in some religion down south who leaves a trail of roses growing wherever her feet touch. Me too, only not roses.
More dead stock will be available soon to the scavengers who roam in the trails of armies, but Saevus is separated from his companions and forced to dance to the tunes of the people he has tried for years to steer clear of.
There is a strong sense of deja-vu here for long-term fans of the author, like he is recycling themes that he explored in each and every novel he wrote, but K J Parker does it with such subversive and bleak humour that I suspect I am nowhere near saturation point.
I don’t yearn to rule the world; I’d be very bad at it and I’d hate it, and I can’t see why anybody would want to. But I need, on a very fundamental level, to be master of my fate and captain of my soul. If someone’s the boss of me, I feel like a worm stuck through with a pin. I’d rather die and get it over with than spend the rest of my life as somebody’s puppet, whether the confinement takes place in a jail cell or a throne room.
The plight of Parker's clever and devious narrators always seems beyond the power of a regular person to overcome. These novels are particular in the field of speculative-fiction by the complete lack of magic in the world-building. Saevus and his peers never have fire bolts or invisibility cloaks in their arsenal. They must rely on technology, on personal skills, on brains and on virtue, or deviousness as Saevus already mentioned.
“It was the last thing I wanted, and this is my worst possible scenario. But I’m here now and I’m going to do the best job I can.
Saevus Corax undesired presence on the island of Sirupat is about to start a devastating war between the most powerful factions in his part of the world. He didn’t plan it, he doesn’t want to be a part of it, but he must deal with the cards he has in his hand, not with the ones he wished he had instead.
I’m not going to explain in more detail how the plot tangles itself in one betrayal after another, more or less according to the secret plan devised by Seavus: the surprising twists are as much a part of the joy of the lecture as the pretend self-effacing first person delivery and the outrageous real or imagined back story episodes Saevus reluctantly offers in his journal.
What I found particular attractive about this first book in the trilogy are editorial commentaries about the art of writing and about the need for an unreliable narrator. Here are a couple of examples:
If there’s anything in this story of mine apart from a few rather sloppy adventures in which nobody can be said to have distinguished themselves particularly, it’s a study in the operation of time. *
* again, the full passage is better, but it runs for several pages and wouldn’t fit in this online review.
... consider me through the rest of the story, passive, the object and the prisoner of time, time’s cargo, the livestock it propels unwillingly to market. Nothing in the least heroic about that, though I’m guessing you can empathise much more with the passive, bound-hand-and-foot me, because that’s what life is like, especially when you’re not the one writing the play.
>>><<<>>><<<
I could have given this first Saevus Corax five stars if this was my first book from K J Parker. I really enjoyed being treated as a clever reader who likes puzzles and morally ambiguous characters, not just along for the ride in yet another grim dark epic of magic and dragons and warring kingdoms.
“And I did that,” I said. “Just me and some paper and ink. Though I say it myself, that’s smart.”
Yes it is! Mr. Parker . Keep them coming!
I look forward to the next two books in the series, and I hope it’s not a major spoiler to say that Saevus and Stauracia manage to extricate themselves from the Sirupat debacle with their lives, if not with anything else of value [and no, they're not an item yet, so don’t buy any gift for their wedding until the last book in the series]. We already know they are resourceful and savage scavengers who will lose little time in concocting another scheme :
everybody wants the big score; what else is there to want?
December 18, 2023
A new author for me
A snarky start through the narrator who in turn we find out is Seavus Corax a leader of a group of mercenaries who follows armies & “takes care” of clearing up the battlefields which involves building funeral pyres, collecting weaponry which is then repaired & resold, healing the wounded again for a profit & many other such like things, aptly named as a “Battlefield salvage contractor” we find a few chapters in.
He of course has rival contractors to deal with, who all try to outwit each other.
Its very comical to say the least despite the subject matter, Seavus is very matter of fact & practical, I very much likes him.
That is the status quo of the early story but there are a lot of twists & surprises along the way as our narrator has an eventful journey to say the least & I’ll leave it at that rather than give away spoilers as I think the surprises in this contribute to the intrigue & charm of the tale.
I must admit I don’t normally do well with narrator heavy stories but found this the exception to the rule as the author got the balance between narration (which sometimes can be self-indulgent I have found with other books) & character interaction spot-on. Many of the players shine through in this, its not just a constant inner monologue that other books of this style sometimes are.
Well worth adding to yer, I suspect already huge, Trl’s
4.5 stars rounded to a……… ah wtf it’s nearly Xmas……. five
A snarky start through the narrator who in turn we find out is Seavus Corax a leader of a group of mercenaries who follows armies & “takes care” of clearing up the battlefields which involves building funeral pyres, collecting weaponry which is then repaired & resold, healing the wounded again for a profit & many other such like things, aptly named as a “Battlefield salvage contractor” we find a few chapters in.
He of course has rival contractors to deal with, who all try to outwit each other.
Its very comical to say the least despite the subject matter, Seavus is very matter of fact & practical, I very much likes him.
That is the status quo of the early story but there are a lot of twists & surprises along the way as our narrator has an eventful journey to say the least & I’ll leave it at that rather than give away spoilers as I think the surprises in this contribute to the intrigue & charm of the tale.
I must admit I don’t normally do well with narrator heavy stories but found this the exception to the rule as the author got the balance between narration (which sometimes can be self-indulgent I have found with other books) & character interaction spot-on. Many of the players shine through in this, its not just a constant inner monologue that other books of this style sometimes are.
Well worth adding to yer, I suspect already huge, Trl’s
4.5 stars rounded to a……… ah wtf it’s nearly Xmas……. five
October 26, 2023
So, so good. Classic Parker.
I’m surprised when I read the reviews of books where the reader says they don’t like the lead character(s) and that meant they then dismissed the whole story. It happens. This book could fall into that category for that sort of reader. Saevus Corax is the first person narrator and describes himself very clearly as being thoroughly unlikable and devious but he’s going to be honest with us. He’s cynical and out to survive at all costs, though that’s understandable given the number of enemies he has. I like to think I have an upbeat view of the world, or at least of many of the people in it, although maybe now is not the time to say that, but I often enjoy darker lead characters, anti-heroes - as long as they’re interesting and I think Saevus is. And Saevus tells it in Parker’s commonly used conversational style, as though you were sharing stories, one on one, across a pint in a pub.
He starts the story mysteriously as someone ‘with a background’ he hides from us, who now acts as a battlefield scrap dealer, a rather morbid profession, an undertaker in the items of war. It’s rather useful in this psuedo-Byzantium fantasy world where so many states are in frequent conflict. Recycling of armour, swords and spears is much in demand. But Saevus’ background starts to catch up with him and we end up with quite a twisty, fascinating plot where sometimes he seems always smarter than and one step ahead of his many adversaries, but then sometimes he’s not.
As I said, classic KJ Parker, with self-reflection and the cynical streak seen in a lot of his lead characters (Orhan in Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City) but also with flashes of conscience. I saw an interview where the author suggested that many of his lead characters are based on his own outlook. I hope that’s not entirely true given Saevus’ highly cynical, downbeat view of the world. Fascinating nonetheless.
I thought this book a slightly darker saga compared with the previous Siege trilogy but it’s still got some wry humour and is very quote rich (if only my Kindle highlight link with GR worked). The story seems to tie up just about every thread by the end, no cliffhangers, but it’s shown as volume 1 in a trilogy all apparently starring Saevus.
As this made me chuckle, and kept me reading while undergoing my first knowing CoVid infection, then it’s an easy 5*.
I’m surprised when I read the reviews of books where the reader says they don’t like the lead character(s) and that meant they then dismissed the whole story. It happens. This book could fall into that category for that sort of reader. Saevus Corax is the first person narrator and describes himself very clearly as being thoroughly unlikable and devious but he’s going to be honest with us. He’s cynical and out to survive at all costs, though that’s understandable given the number of enemies he has. I like to think I have an upbeat view of the world, or at least of many of the people in it, although maybe now is not the time to say that, but I often enjoy darker lead characters, anti-heroes - as long as they’re interesting and I think Saevus is. And Saevus tells it in Parker’s commonly used conversational style, as though you were sharing stories, one on one, across a pint in a pub.
He starts the story mysteriously as someone ‘with a background’ he hides from us, who now acts as a battlefield scrap dealer, a rather morbid profession, an undertaker in the items of war. It’s rather useful in this psuedo-Byzantium fantasy world where so many states are in frequent conflict. Recycling of armour, swords and spears is much in demand. But Saevus’ background starts to catch up with him and we end up with quite a twisty, fascinating plot where sometimes he seems always smarter than and one step ahead of his many adversaries, but then sometimes he’s not.
As I said, classic KJ Parker, with self-reflection and the cynical streak seen in a lot of his lead characters (Orhan in Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City) but also with flashes of conscience. I saw an interview where the author suggested that many of his lead characters are based on his own outlook. I hope that’s not entirely true given Saevus’ highly cynical, downbeat view of the world. Fascinating nonetheless.
I thought this book a slightly darker saga compared with the previous Siege trilogy but it’s still got some wry humour and is very quote rich (if only my Kindle highlight link with GR worked). The story seems to tie up just about every thread by the end, no cliffhangers, but it’s shown as volume 1 in a trilogy all apparently starring Saevus.
As this made me chuckle, and kept me reading while undergoing my first knowing CoVid infection, then it’s an easy 5*.
December 3, 2023
Very similar in voice to the other Parker book I read, with similar concerns (logistics, selfish people lying for their own gain, snarky politics). More about playwriting this time around, and the theater. Lots of twists. The snarky voice made me feel really distant from what was going on in the story, even as I felt close to our unlikable narrator. But I thought it was fun, and the narrator did a really good job bringing this delightfully awful character's voice to life.
November 24, 2023
An entertaining book but my issue is that the main character feels like any of the main characters from the previous first person trilogy from KJ parker I've read. Zany and sardonic and arrogant. If you had told me this was the same person form 16 Ways to Defend a Walled City I would believe you.
And unfortunately, it's just not a character type I like that much. This voice was maybe a bit better than that trilogy, but I still struggled with it.
Although, I did audio for this one and I think the narrator, while technically good, is mismatched for this book. So I will try the second one physically and see if that helps.
And unfortunately, it's just not a character type I like that much. This voice was maybe a bit better than that trilogy, but I still struggled with it.
Although, I did audio for this one and I think the narrator, while technically good, is mismatched for this book. So I will try the second one physically and see if that helps.
September 26, 2023
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead
by K.J. Parker
Action/Adventure Fiction
NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: October 3, 2023
Orbit Books
Ages 18+
Saevus Corax and his crew salvage battlefields, collecting weapons and clothes, and burn the dead, but there is something in his past that has caught up with him.
Yeah, it sounded good, but probably because I was expecting something evil like zombies because you know dead bodies, but there was not a 'creature' in sight, and at 24% I didn't care about the MC or his plight. I couldn't connect with him because he was 'telling' the story instead of showing, and I was hoping that him being a 'jerk' would add depth to his character, but I was wrong.
Skimmed to the end and nothing grabbed me enough on the way.
1 Star
by K.J. Parker
Action/Adventure Fiction
NetGalley ARC
Publication Date: October 3, 2023
Orbit Books
Ages 18+
Saevus Corax and his crew salvage battlefields, collecting weapons and clothes, and burn the dead, but there is something in his past that has caught up with him.
Yeah, it sounded good, but probably because I was expecting something evil like zombies because you know dead bodies, but there was not a 'creature' in sight, and at 24% I didn't care about the MC or his plight. I couldn't connect with him because he was 'telling' the story instead of showing, and I was hoping that him being a 'jerk' would add depth to his character, but I was wrong.
Skimmed to the end and nothing grabbed me enough on the way.
1 Star
October 9, 2023
Disclaimer. I have a very real soft spot for K.J. Parker. I claim no objectivity.
This was fun! In retrospect, I should have read it instead of listening to an audiobook. Narrator's voice was not my cup of tea (although some of his growling was charming), and I missed out on text highlights. Parker had a wonderful way with words. You can always savour them.
And if you are tempted to follow my steps, here is another advice. Wear a neck brace. The plot twists and turns so sharply it can hurt you.
I pre-ordered the next book in the series: Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.
This new series is much closer to my personal favourite, The Two of Swords. See here:
- The Two of Swords, Volume One
- The Two of Swords, Volume Two
- The Two of Swords, Volume Three
I always recommend his anthologies as well:
- Academic Exercises
- The Father of Lies
- Under My Skin
This was fun! In retrospect, I should have read it instead of listening to an audiobook. Narrator's voice was not my cup of tea (although some of his growling was charming), and I missed out on text highlights. Parker had a wonderful way with words. You can always savour them.
And if you are tempted to follow my steps, here is another advice. Wear a neck brace. The plot twists and turns so sharply it can hurt you.
I pre-ordered the next book in the series: Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.
This new series is much closer to my personal favourite, The Two of Swords. See here:
- The Two of Swords, Volume One
- The Two of Swords, Volume Two
- The Two of Swords, Volume Three
I always recommend his anthologies as well:
- Academic Exercises
- The Father of Lies
- Under My Skin
October 1, 2023
I loved K J Parker’s siege trilogy and believed I would love this too. The humour was just as good as I’d expect but unfortunately the premise of the book, the scavenging of the dead and body disposal just sat wrongly with me and prevented me from enjoying the book. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
December 26, 2024
Fun book kind of the usual dark funny by Parker. Saevus Corax is an unreliable narrator on the run from his past, which of course immediately catches up with him. Looking forward to book two.
December 15, 2023
Review originally on
JamReads
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead is the initial book of a new trilogy written by the World Fantasy Award Winner K.J. Parker, published by Orbit Books. A story told from the voice of the unlikely main character, Saevus Corax, often breaking the fourth wall and with an excellent dose of sarcastic humor, which makes reading it really enjoyable.
At the start, we are shown the particularities of Saevus' work: scavenging battlefields in order to recover any object that can be sold for money; all told with the particular and dark humour of Saevus. However, soon we start getting hints about how this new occupation is just a convenient cover for Saevus' past, which is slowly introduced by retails of conversations with other characters; they seem to recognize him, but all is negated with vehemency.
But nobody can run forever from his past, and Saevus proves to not be an exception; in what seems to be a cruel joke of destiny, he ends in the position that he was avoiding for all his life, leading to hilarious and strange situations that will be the conductive thread of the book.
In the particular style of Parker, we don't have a conventional style of narration, as it feels closer to a Saevus' conversation with the reader, a dear friend having thoughts about his life and even sharing some bits of his philosophy and ideas on how the world works. While this kind of style might not be the best in terms of pacing, as a result, it creates a story that hooks you as soon as you connect with Corax.
Despite world-building not being the main focus of this book, I have to recognise the ability of Parker to create an interesting world, immense at some points, that contrasts with the size of our story, centered around the sole desventures of a man.
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead is a fun and refreshing story, marking the start of a trilogy that I really want to continue. If you are into a different kind of fantasy, give K.J. Parker a try, because you won't be wrong.
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead is the initial book of a new trilogy written by the World Fantasy Award Winner K.J. Parker, published by Orbit Books. A story told from the voice of the unlikely main character, Saevus Corax, often breaking the fourth wall and with an excellent dose of sarcastic humor, which makes reading it really enjoyable.
At the start, we are shown the particularities of Saevus' work: scavenging battlefields in order to recover any object that can be sold for money; all told with the particular and dark humour of Saevus. However, soon we start getting hints about how this new occupation is just a convenient cover for Saevus' past, which is slowly introduced by retails of conversations with other characters; they seem to recognize him, but all is negated with vehemency.
But nobody can run forever from his past, and Saevus proves to not be an exception; in what seems to be a cruel joke of destiny, he ends in the position that he was avoiding for all his life, leading to hilarious and strange situations that will be the conductive thread of the book.
In the particular style of Parker, we don't have a conventional style of narration, as it feels closer to a Saevus' conversation with the reader, a dear friend having thoughts about his life and even sharing some bits of his philosophy and ideas on how the world works. While this kind of style might not be the best in terms of pacing, as a result, it creates a story that hooks you as soon as you connect with Corax.
Despite world-building not being the main focus of this book, I have to recognise the ability of Parker to create an interesting world, immense at some points, that contrasts with the size of our story, centered around the sole desventures of a man.
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead is a fun and refreshing story, marking the start of a trilogy that I really want to continue. If you are into a different kind of fantasy, give K.J. Parker a try, because you won't be wrong.
August 22, 2025
After some recent lackluster trials of new-to-me fantasy authors, this one hit the sweet spot. From page one we are presented with a fascinating fellow: Saevus Corax, a liar, "battlefield reclamation expert", self-proclaimed piece of shit, and our story's self-interested narrator. This is the character lens I needed, with an established author who could pull it off. Parker is best recognized today for 2019's Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, but he has over 40 novels published since the 1980s, most as Tom Holt. By all means, support debut authors, but you can't beat the products of experience when it comes to humorous literary fantasy.
Is this fantasy, though? With no magic or strange beasts, it's low fantasy at best. It's not Earth, but other than geography it may as well be; the laws of physics, the challenges of history, and human nature are altered not a whiff. Fortunately, genre labels don't matter when quality is king. It's a secondary world. Roll with it.
The storyline is unexpected, as the narrator's secrets are dropped as we find him entangled in multi-national conflict driven by capitalism, with philosophical self-reflection, a.k.a. lies of the grandest sort, all the while. The book is constructed as the narrator writing it himself, a fourth-wall-adjacent format done with a deft hand. I was drawn in right away; it's the kind of book of obvious quality that, by page 14, convinces me to read the entire trilogy. This is readily done; it was published in rapid release during three late months of 2023.
Parker, as Holt, is also a published poet, and I'm finding that my favourite recent fantasy novels are written by those who are or at least narrowly averted such a designation: Christopher Buehlman and Josiah Bancroft spring to mind. Even before I knew the poet connection, this book most reminded me of Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief, a strong cross-recommendation.
So, yeah, a good book. It offers a strong character lens, sticks with it, and delivers a satisfying journey, packed with dark humour, with strong literary bones. I could hardly ask for more.
Is this fantasy, though? With no magic or strange beasts, it's low fantasy at best. It's not Earth, but other than geography it may as well be; the laws of physics, the challenges of history, and human nature are altered not a whiff. Fortunately, genre labels don't matter when quality is king. It's a secondary world. Roll with it.
The storyline is unexpected, as the narrator's secrets are dropped as we find him entangled in multi-national conflict driven by capitalism, with philosophical self-reflection, a.k.a. lies of the grandest sort, all the while. The book is constructed as the narrator writing it himself, a fourth-wall-adjacent format done with a deft hand. I was drawn in right away; it's the kind of book of obvious quality that, by page 14, convinces me to read the entire trilogy. This is readily done; it was published in rapid release during three late months of 2023.
Parker, as Holt, is also a published poet, and I'm finding that my favourite recent fantasy novels are written by those who are or at least narrowly averted such a designation: Christopher Buehlman and Josiah Bancroft spring to mind. Even before I knew the poet connection, this book most reminded me of Buehlman's The Blacktongue Thief, a strong cross-recommendation.
So, yeah, a good book. It offers a strong character lens, sticks with it, and delivers a satisfying journey, packed with dark humour, with strong literary bones. I could hardly ask for more.
July 11, 2023
Saevus Corax (his current name) runs a for profit business cleaning up battlefields. He pays a fee so that he has the right to whatever armor, weapons, clothing, etc. is left behind. He also disposes of the bodies left behind. But when he visits a monastery where he stores surplus items until market time, he finds it mysteriously empty except for a person he know in a previous life. And he is on the run again trying his darnedest to escape his fate. Of course, fate had the last laugh, but he still managed to wiggle around and stop the worst from happening but at the cost of friends and maybe more. An interesting journey led by a man who really is trying to do the best he can with a very, very bad hand. Great fun in the Parker universe! If you have read other of K. J. Parker's series, you will likely enjoy this title too!
Thanks Netgalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read this title!
Thanks Netgalley and Orbit for the opportunity to read this title!
July 5, 2024
This gave big Gideon the ninth vibes if it was fantasy rather than Sci-Fi purely from the MC, I enjoyed it a lot!
This was different, interesting and had so many plot lines of political intrigue and I just liked the way it was told, as if you already knew things but they explained just in case (that gives me jay kristoff energy so 10/10 from me).
Giving it a 4 bc it was really solid and I had a good time! Will be looking out for books 2 and 3
This was different, interesting and had so many plot lines of political intrigue and I just liked the way it was told, as if you already knew things but they explained just in case (that gives me jay kristoff energy so 10/10 from me).
Giving it a 4 bc it was really solid and I had a good time! Will be looking out for books 2 and 3
June 30, 2024
Всегда приятно найти автора, у которого чувство юмора (читай: сарказма) совпадает с твоим.
December 6, 2023
Saevus Corax is a battlefield salvager. Meaning, he and his team strip the dead bodies soldiers of weapons, armour, jewellery, and anything else of value, then repair the items and sell them to suppliers of battlefield gear. They also burn the dead.
Saevus and his men have been doing this for years, securing salvage contracts from various powers, and competing against other salvagers for the rights to a particular battlefield. And if it hadn’t been for a wounded man recognizing him, requiring Corax to deal with the man, any number of violent, terrible and humorous things would not have occurred subsequently.
You see, Saevus Corax is a liar, and has been on the run for years . Who he is isn’t revealed till partway through the book, but we do see that he’s smart, a smart aleck, a fast, analytical thinker, and always looking out for number one. Which means finding ways to thwart numerous people who either want to use him for their own ends and/or kill him.
The story is framed as Saevus writing his memoirs, of a sort. He freely admits that he's a terrible person; he's reluctant to deepen his relationships beyond the transactional, reticent about his past, the reason for which becomes more obvious as he slowly reveals that he has prices on his head, or his former identity does.
I love K.J. Parker's logistics-heavy, military or military-adjacent, snarky stories. full of byzantine-level complicated schemes and plots created by the main character. If that's not your thing, this book won't be for you. However, I loved it. I fully appreciate the humour, as well as the frequently misanthropic, possibly criminal, self-centred main characters I've encountered in the works I've read by this author, including his "The Siege" series. How Corax uses his years of knowledge about the nations in the world, as well as a little fast-thinking, to repeatedly escape from those after him, and when that doesn't work, pitting various factions against each other, initiating war in the process, all to save his sorry hide, was frankly totally enjoyable. I am eager to continue with this reprobate's adventures.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Saevus and his men have been doing this for years, securing salvage contracts from various powers, and competing against other salvagers for the rights to a particular battlefield. And if it hadn’t been for a wounded man recognizing him, requiring Corax to deal with the man, any number of violent, terrible and humorous things would not have occurred subsequently.
You see, Saevus Corax is a liar, and has been on the run for years . Who he is isn’t revealed till partway through the book, but we do see that he’s smart, a smart aleck, a fast, analytical thinker, and always looking out for number one. Which means finding ways to thwart numerous people who either want to use him for their own ends and/or kill him.
The story is framed as Saevus writing his memoirs, of a sort. He freely admits that he's a terrible person; he's reluctant to deepen his relationships beyond the transactional, reticent about his past, the reason for which becomes more obvious as he slowly reveals that he has prices on his head, or his former identity does.
I love K.J. Parker's logistics-heavy, military or military-adjacent, snarky stories. full of byzantine-level complicated schemes and plots created by the main character. If that's not your thing, this book won't be for you. However, I loved it. I fully appreciate the humour, as well as the frequently misanthropic, possibly criminal, self-centred main characters I've encountered in the works I've read by this author, including his "The Siege" series. How Corax uses his years of knowledge about the nations in the world, as well as a little fast-thinking, to repeatedly escape from those after him, and when that doesn't work, pitting various factions against each other, initiating war in the process, all to save his sorry hide, was frankly totally enjoyable. I am eager to continue with this reprobate's adventures.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Books for this ARC in exchange for my review.
October 18, 2023
Normally I like KJ Parker and consider him at least a 3.5 of a good time. But I honestly hated every single second of this and can point out no redeemable features. I can't even say that if you normally like KJ Parker you'd be okay with this, because then I'd be in the same boat.
This is boring. It is a lot of talking between mostly gruff men who all think that they're smarter than everyone else but never actually prove any cleverness. I like in other books by KJP where he gets really nerdy and nitty gritty into the details of some little engineering or supply chain or something else mundane but builds it into useful knowledge for this plot. The best the characters in this can muster is 'hey, that's a lot of money just lying around in a place that was recently robbed. this sure does feel like a trap.'
There's also not enough plot. Every conversation flits constantly or circles back to repeat the same core concepts over and over again (mostly about "I bet you think you're clever" or "you asshole" or "I pretended I knew all along") and I couldn't form a coherent storyline in my head, but I really just think it's cause it's lacking here rather than my focus. Could be a bit of both, though, I'll give him that.
I found the writing to lack the normal background wit and levity that Parker's writing usually has. All the characters lacked any interest and were mostly just insufferable. The female character is as flat as his women characters ever are, and I didn't think it was great that he tried to lampshade it by having characters talk about how hard it is to write a believable woman. Plenty of people can succeed at this very simple task and I'm tired of the low bar.
Hello, Worst Books of 2023! You just got a new entrant.
This is boring. It is a lot of talking between mostly gruff men who all think that they're smarter than everyone else but never actually prove any cleverness. I like in other books by KJP where he gets really nerdy and nitty gritty into the details of some little engineering or supply chain or something else mundane but builds it into useful knowledge for this plot. The best the characters in this can muster is 'hey, that's a lot of money just lying around in a place that was recently robbed. this sure does feel like a trap.'
There's also not enough plot. Every conversation flits constantly or circles back to repeat the same core concepts over and over again (mostly about "I bet you think you're clever" or "you asshole" or "I pretended I knew all along") and I couldn't form a coherent storyline in my head, but I really just think it's cause it's lacking here rather than my focus. Could be a bit of both, though, I'll give him that.
I found the writing to lack the normal background wit and levity that Parker's writing usually has. All the characters lacked any interest and were mostly just insufferable. The female character is as flat as his women characters ever are, and I didn't think it was great that he tried to lampshade it by having characters talk about how hard it is to write a believable woman. Plenty of people can succeed at this very simple task and I'm tired of the low bar.
Hello, Worst Books of 2023! You just got a new entrant.
December 6, 2023
This is a fast paced book with a first person narrator who can be summed up by saying he is basically a big P.O.S I didn't really enjoy the humour Parker was going for here.
Some of the book was highly forgettable, but I will say once you get in a reading groove the pages fly by and can be quite the page turner @ times.
I don't think I will continue the series, however all 3 books are releasing by the end of the year which is unusual so if you are looking for a new series that is complete it's definitely an option
Some of the book was highly forgettable, but I will say once you get in a reading groove the pages fly by and can be quite the page turner @ times.
I don't think I will continue the series, however all 3 books are releasing by the end of the year which is unusual so if you are looking for a new series that is complete it's definitely an option
July 21, 2024
I love these K J Parker stories. They're kind of all the same, with the same character archetypes in the same world. But they're kind of all different as well. Perfectly laced, very enjoyable, highly recommended.
January 22, 2025
I starting reading this book for cover. It's such a unique design!
Book is in First POV. We follow Saevus Corax, who tell us readers at start that he is not a hero, he lies, is not a heroic character.
Saevus is SMART knows every move of opponent even at a times it's seems like he is full of himself 😅
Book is interesting not only because of character but the political world that author created. (If you have bit of interest in international politics, you will like this book)
Even though Saevus journey fill of major ups and down, the ending was not what I expected. It's like book ended abruptly. There is part #2 and #3 of this series, so there's that.
Some parts are funny, high chance that I will read book two.
Quotes from book
People say the world would be a better place without me and I think on balance they’re right, but it’s stuck with me for a little while, as are you if you want to hear the truly thrilling story. And you do, I promise you, but unfortunately I come with it, like your spouse's relatives.
It may strike you as curious that two institutions devoted to the noblest of all possible ideals – education and feeding the poor – should between them be responsible for the deaths of millions. If so, I suggest you get out more and keep your eyes and ears open. It doesn’t surprise me at all, not one little bit.
You wouldn't know honour if it crawled up your arse and ate your brain
But I need, on a very fundamental level, to be master of my fate and captain of my soul. if someone's the boss of me, I feel like a worm stuck through with a pin. I'd rather die and get it over with than spend the rest of my like as somebody's puppet, whether the confinement takes place in a jail cell or a throne room.
I had wonderful dreams when I was a kid, she ground on. "There was this great big wonderful world out there, just calling to me. Here I am, it said, ready and waiting, and you can be anything you want to be, so long as you truly follow your heart. If you genuinely want to find your dream and make a difference, there's no power on earth that can stop you.
The surest you to make yourself into an atheist is to read the scriptures, and daily contact with religion and those who practise it does tend to put an intolerable strain on even the most deeply held beliefs.
He'd told me it wasn't my fault, that I was a victim of circumstances. We truly believe we have to do dreadful things, because we have no choice; that was where he'd lost me, because there's always a choice.
Love puts you through the mincer just to ensure the propagation of the species, and hope keeps you hanging around when you're hurting, just in case you might come in useful for something, like the carefully saved balls of string in mad old woman's attic.
Book is in First POV. We follow Saevus Corax, who tell us readers at start that he is not a hero, he lies, is not a heroic character.
Saevus is SMART knows every move of opponent even at a times it's seems like he is full of himself 😅
Book is interesting not only because of character but the political world that author created. (If you have bit of interest in international politics, you will like this book)
Even though Saevus journey fill of major ups and down, the ending was not what I expected. It's like book ended abruptly. There is part #2 and #3 of this series, so there's that.
Some parts are funny, high chance that I will read book two.
Quotes from book
People say the world would be a better place without me and I think on balance they’re right, but it’s stuck with me for a little while, as are you if you want to hear the truly thrilling story. And you do, I promise you, but unfortunately I come with it, like your spouse's relatives.
It may strike you as curious that two institutions devoted to the noblest of all possible ideals – education and feeding the poor – should between them be responsible for the deaths of millions. If so, I suggest you get out more and keep your eyes and ears open. It doesn’t surprise me at all, not one little bit.
You wouldn't know honour if it crawled up your arse and ate your brain
But I need, on a very fundamental level, to be master of my fate and captain of my soul. if someone's the boss of me, I feel like a worm stuck through with a pin. I'd rather die and get it over with than spend the rest of my like as somebody's puppet, whether the confinement takes place in a jail cell or a throne room.
I had wonderful dreams when I was a kid, she ground on. "There was this great big wonderful world out there, just calling to me. Here I am, it said, ready and waiting, and you can be anything you want to be, so long as you truly follow your heart. If you genuinely want to find your dream and make a difference, there's no power on earth that can stop you.
The surest you to make yourself into an atheist is to read the scriptures, and daily contact with religion and those who practise it does tend to put an intolerable strain on even the most deeply held beliefs.
He'd told me it wasn't my fault, that I was a victim of circumstances. We truly believe we have to do dreadful things, because we have no choice; that was where he'd lost me, because there's always a choice.
Love puts you through the mincer just to ensure the propagation of the species, and hope keeps you hanging around when you're hurting, just in case you might come in useful for something, like the carefully saved balls of string in mad old woman's attic.
July 25, 2025
Making it up as we go along
The hero of this novel calls himself Saevus Corax. (Google translate tells me that is "fierce heart" in Latin, though I'm pretty sure nuance is being lost.) Saevus himself would object to the word "hero", but he is. He makes his living by profiting from war and the suffering of others. He's a liar and, as he himself says
K.J. Parker's Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead reminds me of the beginning of Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber. As Nine Princes begins, we meet our hero Corwin (although he doesn't yet know that is his name) in a state of profound amnesia. Corwin bluffs his way into the confidence of his brother Random and his sister Florimel until he discovers who and what he is. I mention this because Zelazny tells us that when he began writing, he was just as much in the dark as Corwin. He wrote, let things happen to Corwin, let Corwin discover his world, and at the same time Zelazny himself discovered it. This obviously worked for him -- Nine Princes in Amber is the first novel in Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber.
I mention this because Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead feels to me as if it was written the same way. Of course, I don't know how Parker wrote it -- it is possible that he started with a 50-page plot outline detailing every twist. But if so, he disguises it REALLY well. Saevus, while not literally suffering from amnesia, has a dark past that he doesn't like to think about or tell his readers about, a kind of voluntary amnesia. What's more, he is repeatedly surprised by events. In fact, the words "I wasn’t expecting that. The worst thing a general can possibly say," are a running joke. As a result, through virtually the entire book he improvises.
In my opinion, this doesn't work quite as well for Parker as it did for Zelazny. I enjoyed Saevus as a character. But the novel ends up feeling just the way you might expect such a story to feel -- somewhat random and directionless. At times I lost track of the various plots and counterplots going on. (Which is fine -- that's par for the course in modern Fantasy and Science Fiction.) And in the end we didn't arrive anywhere I really wanted to go.
I took up Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead because I saw that two succeeding books of the Corax trilogy were available for request on NetGalley. I thought I would read this, the first book, then decide whether to request the next two. I have decided I will not.
Blog review.
The hero of this novel calls himself Saevus Corax. (Google translate tells me that is "fierce heart" in Latin, though I'm pretty sure nuance is being lost.) Saevus himself would object to the word "hero", but he is. He makes his living by profiting from war and the suffering of others. He's a liar and, as he himself says
...arrogant, callous, selfish and utterly devoid of any redeeming qualities; all, I’m sorry to say, perfectly true. I’m leaving out devious, because I happen to believe it’s a virtue.This is mostly true, except the "utterly devoid of any redeeming qualities" part. I will leave it to you to discover what those might be. Except for this one: he's clever and often funny.
K.J. Parker's Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead reminds me of the beginning of Roger Zelazny's Nine Princes in Amber. As Nine Princes begins, we meet our hero Corwin (although he doesn't yet know that is his name) in a state of profound amnesia. Corwin bluffs his way into the confidence of his brother Random and his sister Florimel until he discovers who and what he is. I mention this because Zelazny tells us that when he began writing, he was just as much in the dark as Corwin. He wrote, let things happen to Corwin, let Corwin discover his world, and at the same time Zelazny himself discovered it. This obviously worked for him -- Nine Princes in Amber is the first novel in Zelazny's Chronicles of Amber.
I mention this because Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead feels to me as if it was written the same way. Of course, I don't know how Parker wrote it -- it is possible that he started with a 50-page plot outline detailing every twist. But if so, he disguises it REALLY well. Saevus, while not literally suffering from amnesia, has a dark past that he doesn't like to think about or tell his readers about, a kind of voluntary amnesia. What's more, he is repeatedly surprised by events. In fact, the words "I wasn’t expecting that. The worst thing a general can possibly say," are a running joke. As a result, through virtually the entire book he improvises.
In my opinion, this doesn't work quite as well for Parker as it did for Zelazny. I enjoyed Saevus as a character. But the novel ends up feeling just the way you might expect such a story to feel -- somewhat random and directionless. At times I lost track of the various plots and counterplots going on. (Which is fine -- that's par for the course in modern Fantasy and Science Fiction.) And in the end we didn't arrive anywhere I really wanted to go.
I took up Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead because I saw that two succeeding books of the Corax trilogy were available for request on NetGalley. I thought I would read this, the first book, then decide whether to request the next two. I have decided I will not.
Blog review.
October 1, 2023
KJ Parker writes another solid, humorous, mediaeval military fiction tale set in Parkerland. Saevus is a lot like the personality and intellect of Tyrion Lannister stuck in a world which verges on being a medieval Monty Python set.
Saevus Corax is a fun, first-person retrospective tale about a man who is looking out for himself. And if it happens that looking out for himself also helps his friends and those around him, so be it. Throughout this story, Saevus recollects his times and troubles as a battlefield recovery specialist. But his troubles don't stop there. For each obstacle, Saevus has a plan.
I enjoyed a lot about this book... the witty humor. The clever schemes and maneuvering. And the solid medieval military fantasy writing. I do enjoy how the logistics of battles really shine in Parker's writing. I look forward to seeing what other tales Saevus has yet to tell us about.
There is no magic or dragons. No wand waving saves the day, just knowledge of people and history along with self-deprecating, dry humor. Parker's protagonists can seem somewhat interchangeable, so if you have read The Siege trilogy, you'll feel right at home. There can be a bit of telling and not showing. But that can come with a fictional setting in a made-up world.
Overall, I enjoy KJ Parker's writing and storytelling abilities. Saevus Corax is a fun book with plenty of twists and turns, which reads like a Monty Python story, but the protagonist is actually clever.
Saevus Corax is a fun, first-person retrospective tale about a man who is looking out for himself. And if it happens that looking out for himself also helps his friends and those around him, so be it. Throughout this story, Saevus recollects his times and troubles as a battlefield recovery specialist. But his troubles don't stop there. For each obstacle, Saevus has a plan.
I enjoyed a lot about this book... the witty humor. The clever schemes and maneuvering. And the solid medieval military fantasy writing. I do enjoy how the logistics of battles really shine in Parker's writing. I look forward to seeing what other tales Saevus has yet to tell us about.
There is no magic or dragons. No wand waving saves the day, just knowledge of people and history along with self-deprecating, dry humor. Parker's protagonists can seem somewhat interchangeable, so if you have read The Siege trilogy, you'll feel right at home. There can be a bit of telling and not showing. But that can come with a fictional setting in a made-up world.
Overall, I enjoy KJ Parker's writing and storytelling abilities. Saevus Corax is a fun book with plenty of twists and turns, which reads like a Monty Python story, but the protagonist is actually clever.
October 7, 2023
4.5 Stars
This is my fourth novel by KJ Parker after The Folding Knife, The Company and The Hammer. Those three standalones are fairly contained where as we travel to many places along with our protagonist in this one. Though, other places and wars were discussed in those books, focus was mostly on protagonist's ambitions and motivations.
But we got to know many details about the world in this book. From different religions to institutions which control the economy of the world. I had a fantastic time getting to know those details. Pacing was little off in the second half but Parker's humour and character work was as usual, brilliant. I cannot wait to continue the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for proving an e-ARC.
This is my fourth novel by KJ Parker after The Folding Knife, The Company and The Hammer. Those three standalones are fairly contained where as we travel to many places along with our protagonist in this one. Though, other places and wars were discussed in those books, focus was mostly on protagonist's ambitions and motivations.
But we got to know many details about the world in this book. From different religions to institutions which control the economy of the world. I had a fantastic time getting to know those details. Pacing was little off in the second half but Parker's humour and character work was as usual, brilliant. I cannot wait to continue the series.
Thanks to Netgalley and Orbit for proving an e-ARC.
April 22, 2024
Really loved Prosper’s Demon and his other novellas, but I feel like I’ve read this story three times before in those books with more interesting characters. He really does a great job with world building though so that’s where the stars go
2.5 stars
2.5 stars
February 6, 2024
Laughed out loud a few times. Top stuff.
Read
October 22, 2023Thank you to Orbit Books and Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead is available now.
For those of you who have read books by K.J. Parker before, you know that he has a very specific style. You might not know exactly how the book will go, but you understand that there is a certain tone and style you can reasonably expect. Parker’s one-of-a-kind writing style is what first endeared me to his books. It has a wry, self-deprecating narration that is loads of fun.
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead has several things to like. First of all, is Saevus’ job. He’s basically a vulture. He and his team pick over battlefields to scavenge what they can repair and resell. It’s a surprisingly lucrative job and it keeps Saevus moving, which is a big bonus for him, because, while those on the battlefield are quite dead, Saevus’ past just won’t stay buried.
At the beginning of the book, Saevus promises the reader to be completely honest, even if (when) that makes him look like a jerk. The wonderful thing about Parker’s characters, though, is that they are rarely honest with themselves. This transfers over into a delightful and healthy distrust of the story being told. I love an unreliable narrator when they’re well written, and Saevus is extremely well written.
However.
I didn’t love Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead. It isn’t a carbon copy of other Parker books by any means, but it is similar enough that I found myself comparing them. Both fortunately and unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I liked How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It, and Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City quite a bit more.
Is Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead worth reading? Absolutely. It’s a massively enjoyable book. But if you only ever read one book by K.J. Parker (which would be a real shame because he’s a great author), this isn’t the book I’d suggest first.
Recommended with a caveat: don’t start your K.J. Parker experience here.
For those of you who have read books by K.J. Parker before, you know that he has a very specific style. You might not know exactly how the book will go, but you understand that there is a certain tone and style you can reasonably expect. Parker’s one-of-a-kind writing style is what first endeared me to his books. It has a wry, self-deprecating narration that is loads of fun.
Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead has several things to like. First of all, is Saevus’ job. He’s basically a vulture. He and his team pick over battlefields to scavenge what they can repair and resell. It’s a surprisingly lucrative job and it keeps Saevus moving, which is a big bonus for him, because, while those on the battlefield are quite dead, Saevus’ past just won’t stay buried.
At the beginning of the book, Saevus promises the reader to be completely honest, even if (when) that makes him look like a jerk. The wonderful thing about Parker’s characters, though, is that they are rarely honest with themselves. This transfers over into a delightful and healthy distrust of the story being told. I love an unreliable narrator when they’re well written, and Saevus is extremely well written.
However.
I didn’t love Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead. It isn’t a carbon copy of other Parker books by any means, but it is similar enough that I found myself comparing them. Both fortunately and unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, I liked How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It, and Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City quite a bit more.
Is Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead worth reading? Absolutely. It’s a massively enjoyable book. But if you only ever read one book by K.J. Parker (which would be a real shame because he’s a great author), this isn’t the book I’d suggest first.
Recommended with a caveat: don’t start your K.J. Parker experience here.
September 1, 2024
Saevus Corax doesn’t spend too much time dealing with the dead. In the beginning he runs a Battlefield Salvage company that pays a fee to collect items, bodies and so on, post battle and sells the resources for profit. He and his employees get into trouble pretty quickly, This effectively takes all the focus off their "job."
This is a fantasy novel in the sense that it takes place in a fictional medieval/renaissance historical setting. There are no fantasy creatures or magical abilities. There is a lot of world building with thorough politics and geography of the various settings.
Corax is a “British Bastard" variety of character, reminding me a bit of Lord Blackadder from the old BlackAdder II television show. He is selfish and cowardly, but quick-witted and intelligent. Trouble is, unlike Lord Blackadder, Corax is not surrounded by equally entertaining characters. Everyone he meets comes off flat, there to be outsmarted or to impart information. The exception is his rival/ally Stauracia, a female counterpart who swings between foiling and aiding his schemes.
The title character narrates a story that heats up as his backstory is revealed, shared only as it is relevant to the plot. There are a lot of twists, but since they revolve around Corax, I’m going to think of it as a character-driven story.
The problem (for me) is that the Corax doesn’t care about anything. Not even himself or his own life. The “high stakes” presented seem like no stakes. He doesn’t even take any joy in putting one over on his opponents. There is some hint that he tries to manipulate for the greater good, but it is vague. It's also possible that Corax is intended to be depressed about his past mistake(s).
There is a lot of cynicism about politics, war, and capitalism. I can get behind that, but Saevus Corax is cynical to the point of indifference. Nor is there any “hopeful” counterpart character.
As Corax himself might say, I’m not fussed about reading the other two books in the series.
This is a fantasy novel in the sense that it takes place in a fictional medieval/renaissance historical setting. There are no fantasy creatures or magical abilities. There is a lot of world building with thorough politics and geography of the various settings.
Corax is a “British Bastard" variety of character, reminding me a bit of Lord Blackadder from the old BlackAdder II television show. He is selfish and cowardly, but quick-witted and intelligent. Trouble is, unlike Lord Blackadder, Corax is not surrounded by equally entertaining characters. Everyone he meets comes off flat, there to be outsmarted or to impart information. The exception is his rival/ally Stauracia, a female counterpart who swings between foiling and aiding his schemes.
The title character narrates a story that heats up as his backstory is revealed, shared only as it is relevant to the plot. There are a lot of twists, but since they revolve around Corax, I’m going to think of it as a character-driven story.
The problem (for me) is that the Corax doesn’t care about anything. Not even himself or his own life. The “high stakes” presented seem like no stakes. He doesn’t even take any joy in putting one over on his opponents. There is some hint that he tries to manipulate for the greater good, but it is vague. It's also possible that Corax is intended to be depressed about his past mistake(s).
There is a lot of cynicism about politics, war, and capitalism. I can get behind that, but Saevus Corax is cynical to the point of indifference. Nor is there any “hopeful” counterpart character.
As Corax himself might say, I’m not fussed about reading the other two books in the series.
July 29, 2024
Saevus Corax is the same kind of man as Locke Lamora (from the Gentleman Bastards series); namely, a little rat bastard of a dude who falls into trouble and scrambles out again. He’s technically rather clever, but in reality a very entertaining sort of scumbag with the moral fiber of a slice of cheese.
All this to say, I LOVE these kinds of stories. Practical, well-built worlds that feel really lived in, with odd little details you’d never think of that make them real. Saevus Corax and his endless penchant for unutterable schemes is just so, so funny against the backdrop of a bunch of Normal Guys living Normal Lives.
9.5/10. I will be reading the rest of the series posthaste.
All this to say, I LOVE these kinds of stories. Practical, well-built worlds that feel really lived in, with odd little details you’d never think of that make them real. Saevus Corax and his endless penchant for unutterable schemes is just so, so funny against the backdrop of a bunch of Normal Guys living Normal Lives.
9.5/10. I will be reading the rest of the series posthaste.
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