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The Monarchies of God #1-2
Hawkwood and the Kings
The world is in turmoil. In the east the savage Merduks, followers of the Prophet Ahrimuz, have captured the holy city of Aekir. The western kingdoms are too distracted by internecine bickering to intervene and the Church seems more obsessed with rooting out heresy. It is an age where men go to the stake for the taint of magic in their blood, where gunpowder and cannon co-exist with werewolves and sorcerers. It is the turning point when two great religions will fight to the death and the common folk will struggle to merely survive.
700 pages, Paperback
First published July 27, 2010
65 people are currently reading
1398 people want to read
About the author
Paul Kearney
47 books528 followersPaul Kearney was born in rural County Antrim, Ireland, in 1967. His father was a butcher, and his mother was a nurse. He rode horses, had lots of cousins, and cut turf and baled hay. He often smelled of cowshit.
He grew up through the worst of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland, a time when bombs and gunfire were part of every healthy young boy's adolescence. He developed an unhealthy interest in firearms and Blowing Things Up - but what growing boy hasn't?
By some fluke of fate he managed to get to Oxford University, and studied Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.
He began writing books because he had no other choice. His first, written at aged sixteen, was a magnificent epic, influenced heavily by James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Robert E Howard, and Playboy. It was enormous, colourful, purple-prosed, and featured a lot of Very Large Swords.
His second was rather better, and was published by Victor Gollancz over a very boozy lunch with a very shrewd editor.
Luckily, in those days editors met authors face to face, and Kearney's Irish charm wangled him a long series of contracts with Gollancz, and other publishers. He still thinks he can't write for toffee, but others have, insanely, begged to differ.
Kearney has been writing full-time for twenty-eight years now, and can't imagine doing anything else. Though he has often tried.
He grew up through the worst of the 'Troubles' in Northern Ireland, a time when bombs and gunfire were part of every healthy young boy's adolescence. He developed an unhealthy interest in firearms and Blowing Things Up - but what growing boy hasn't?
By some fluke of fate he managed to get to Oxford University, and studied Old Norse, Anglo-Saxon and Middle English.
He began writing books because he had no other choice. His first, written at aged sixteen, was a magnificent epic, influenced heavily by James Joyce, Samuel Beckett, Robert E Howard, and Playboy. It was enormous, colourful, purple-prosed, and featured a lot of Very Large Swords.
His second was rather better, and was published by Victor Gollancz over a very boozy lunch with a very shrewd editor.
Luckily, in those days editors met authors face to face, and Kearney's Irish charm wangled him a long series of contracts with Gollancz, and other publishers. He still thinks he can't write for toffee, but others have, insanely, begged to differ.
Kearney has been writing full-time for twenty-eight years now, and can't imagine doing anything else. Though he has often tried.
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September 18, 2021
4.5 stars. *No spoilers. I drafted this review while reading both omnibuses*
Well, wow, where to start? I read the whole series straight and it was everything I could ask for in a fantasy tale: seafaring, battles in different terrains, much court intrigue, world-changing stakes, a brutal medieval Europe/Middle-East-ish setting and a good cast of characters involved in several intersecting storylines. There are lots of military minutiae, which I've a penchant for, not to mention some remarkable women, all finding agency within the limits of their societies and rank (no improbable girls in chainmail, basically) and all unique: I cheered for some and despised none. Same goes for the male protagonists who are all sporting the kind of grey morality I prefer in my adult epics: I couldn’t root for any of them unconditionally but I liked that they were striving for something without blind stupidity.
There are no particular twists as the tale and all major plot threads unfold and yet the ensemble result is very engrossing, flowing with a steady pace even during the more lulling moments. I immersed in the story and kept up with the nuances without trying too hard, but at the same time I wasn't led by the hand and I always appreciate this kind of balance in my books.
For full disclosure, I was able to read several hours a day and I’m sure continuity contributed to the positive experience. For the most part the tale is well-planned, full of beautiful descriptions, and the minor qualms I had did not mar the overall enjoyment, because I could easily overlook some scarcely examined subplot lines or a few simplistic resolutions, or even a bit of Gary-stuism, considering the quality of the work.
However the last book of the Monarchies of God is not up to par: what started as the author not shying away from killing his characters progressively became a death spree, sometimes to raise the tension ofttimes for narrative expediency and this particular resolving plot device is not my favorite way to wrap things up. Also, in the last part the story loses some momentum and the narrative favors telling over showing unlike the previous installments; it is still good but less inspired.
I ended up rating the second omnibus of the series 4 stars but Ships from the West alone was barely a three. What really irked is the demise-domino effect because really, while knowing nobody is safe usually keeps me on the edge of my seat, what happened was a touch overdone.
Back to the good (and there’s plenty): I totally appreciated that the novels combine familiar historical elements (Columbus' voyages, Europe's geography and society, the Muslim-Christian conflict etc.) with fantasy and alternate history events. From the ground of my profane sensibilities -and I hope I’ll never face such violence in my life- I feel the author managed to capture the never-ending horror of war, on both sea and land, not only throughout a series of ghastly images, but through the anticipation, the foreboding, the feeling of endless despair mingled with scant hope and all too real humanity (I know I'm biased, but the destruction of the Inceptine library was chilling to the core. Because books. There is also a brutal gang-rape episode, be warned).
I really loved his care for details, down to the fact that a warhorse is not trained in a day and hardtack becomes home to weevils after a while.
On the whole it was a wonderful journey; and better, I devoured the books: in spite of heavy authorial thumb stamping the ending, I truly enjoyed this complex, adult fantasy series and I would particularly recommend it to seafaring/military fantasy fans. I'll make sure to read more by Kearney.
The company built their fires despite the fact that the sweat was dripping off their very fingertips. They needed the light, the reassurance that their comrades were around them. The fires had a claustrophobic effect, however, making the towers of the trees press ever closer in on them, emphasizing the huge, restless jungle which pursued its own arcane business off in the darkness as it had for eons before them. They were mere nomadic parasites lost in the pelt of a creature which was as big as a turning world. That night they were not afraid of unknown beasts or strange natives, but of the land itself, for it seemed to pulse and murmur with a beating life of its own, alien, unknowable, and utterly indifferent to them.
Well, wow, where to start? I read the whole series straight and it was everything I could ask for in a fantasy tale: seafaring, battles in different terrains, much court intrigue, world-changing stakes, a brutal medieval Europe/Middle-East-ish setting and a good cast of characters involved in several intersecting storylines. There are lots of military minutiae, which I've a penchant for, not to mention some remarkable women, all finding agency within the limits of their societies and rank (no improbable girls in chainmail, basically) and all unique: I cheered for some and despised none. Same goes for the male protagonists who are all sporting the kind of grey morality I prefer in my adult epics: I couldn’t root for any of them unconditionally but I liked that they were striving for something without blind stupidity.
There are no particular twists as the tale and all major plot threads unfold and yet the ensemble result is very engrossing, flowing with a steady pace even during the more lulling moments. I immersed in the story and kept up with the nuances without trying too hard, but at the same time I wasn't led by the hand and I always appreciate this kind of balance in my books.
For full disclosure, I was able to read several hours a day and I’m sure continuity contributed to the positive experience. For the most part the tale is well-planned, full of beautiful descriptions, and the minor qualms I had did not mar the overall enjoyment, because I could easily overlook some scarcely examined subplot lines or a few simplistic resolutions, or even a bit of Gary-stuism, considering the quality of the work.
However the last book of the Monarchies of God is not up to par: what started as the author not shying away from killing his characters progressively became a death spree, sometimes to raise the tension ofttimes for narrative expediency and this particular resolving plot device is not my favorite way to wrap things up. Also, in the last part the story loses some momentum and the narrative favors telling over showing unlike the previous installments; it is still good but less inspired.
I ended up rating the second omnibus of the series 4 stars but Ships from the West alone was barely a three. What really irked is the demise-domino effect because really, while knowing nobody is safe usually keeps me on the edge of my seat, what happened was a touch overdone.
Back to the good (and there’s plenty): I totally appreciated that the novels combine familiar historical elements (Columbus' voyages, Europe's geography and society, the Muslim-Christian conflict etc.) with fantasy and alternate history events. From the ground of my profane sensibilities -and I hope I’ll never face such violence in my life- I feel the author managed to capture the never-ending horror of war, on both sea and land, not only throughout a series of ghastly images, but through the anticipation, the foreboding, the feeling of endless despair mingled with scant hope and all too real humanity (I know I'm biased, but the destruction of the Inceptine library was chilling to the core. Because books. There is also a brutal gang-rape episode, be warned).
I really loved his care for details, down to the fact that a warhorse is not trained in a day and hardtack becomes home to weevils after a while.
On the whole it was a wonderful journey; and better, I devoured the books: in spite of heavy authorial thumb stamping the ending, I truly enjoyed this complex, adult fantasy series and I would particularly recommend it to seafaring/military fantasy fans. I'll make sure to read more by Kearney.
The company built their fires despite the fact that the sweat was dripping off their very fingertips. They needed the light, the reassurance that their comrades were around them. The fires had a claustrophobic effect, however, making the towers of the trees press ever closer in on them, emphasizing the huge, restless jungle which pursued its own arcane business off in the darkness as it had for eons before them. They were mere nomadic parasites lost in the pelt of a creature which was as big as a turning world. That night they were not afraid of unknown beasts or strange natives, but of the land itself, for it seemed to pulse and murmur with a beating life of its own, alien, unknowable, and utterly indifferent to them.
September 27, 2014
Since this seems to be getting more attention lately, I'll add this: more people should start reading Kearney!
http://abitterdraft.com/2013/09/hawkw...
Didn't realize I never posted the review I threw together a year back for this.
I actually read Paul Kearney’s Hawkwood and the Kings back in June(2013), but for some reason, even though I loved it, I didn’t end up writing a full review. The review is for the omnibus of the first and second books in his Monarchies of God series and for a good reason. The end of the first, Hawkwood’s Voyage, has something along the lines of a cliffhanger, and while it’s not a “the main character has just been mortally wounded and now you have to wait X amount of time for the next book”, it still stands to reason that the books should have been published as one. I like to think of it in similar terms to Hyperion from Dan Simmons in that, from what I’ve heard (I haven’t read it yet), there is some sort of killer cliffhanger that people were likely to have been very upset having to wait the year or so it took for Simmons to release the sequel, but not quite as drastic.
First and foremost, Hawkwood and the Kings is a definitive fantastical parallel to the Western Schism of the Christian church as well as the quest for the New World and the fall of Constantinople. There’s no beating around the bush about that – it’s a story of religious and cultural strife between the Ramusians (Christians) and the Merduks (Muslims). Even the map is a very thinly veiled Europe. The fact that the plot and world are so derivative do nothing to affect the ability of Kearney to tell a compelling story.
The books sets a grim tone with the fall of the holy city of Aekir to the Merduk horde. The crumbling and burning city is described vividly and we are introduced to my favorite character of the series, Corfe. Corfe is a solider who has had everything ripped from his hands. His wife is believed dead in the fall of Aekir, his friends dead, his home burned. His arc is something of a cross between a tale of redemption and one of listing along to wherever his feet take him because he has been so numbed by his loss.
Alongside Corfe, we have the mariner Richard Hawkwood, who is essentially coaxed into captaining a settling journey to the lands to the west, believed to be uninhabited – but are they?
King Abeleyn of Hebrion is the typical young king, and that’s why I liked him. Kearney crafts Abeleyn into a person with whom the more you read about the more you empathize. The Ramusian church, after the fall of Aekir, conducts a series of chauvinistic purges of all who are not Ramusians and members of the Five Kingdoms as well as Dweomer-folk, or magic-users, in Abeleyn’s kingdom without his consent, and his story revolves around strife with the Pontiff (Pope) and internal conflict in his kingdom. This, specifically, is what compels me to read more and more about religious strife in fiction. The bigoted and prejudiced views of medieval religious fanatics, if done well, provide great storylines. Kearney also supplies a few other characters as protagonists, from all sides of the conflict, but to a lesser extent than the aforementioned three.
As I said, Corfe was probably my favorite character, but Hawkwood’s journey to the New World was the one I was most eager to follow. I previously had a personal rule where I would not read two or more books in a series consecutively so as to preserve the story in my mind and keep me thinking that there’s still more waiting for me. Yeah, well that rule was broken for the only time this year in order to read the second half of Hawkwood and the Kings, The Heretic Kings. It’s something of a flintlock fantasy, but instead of muskets we have the more rudimentary arquebuses, and Kearney does the line-fire very well.
If you’re not opposed to the fact that Kearney’s world is a very thinly veiled carbon-copy of ours in the 15th century, I highly, highly recommend this series.
http://abitterdraft.com/2013/09/hawkw...
Didn't realize I never posted the review I threw together a year back for this.
I actually read Paul Kearney’s Hawkwood and the Kings back in June(2013), but for some reason, even though I loved it, I didn’t end up writing a full review. The review is for the omnibus of the first and second books in his Monarchies of God series and for a good reason. The end of the first, Hawkwood’s Voyage, has something along the lines of a cliffhanger, and while it’s not a “the main character has just been mortally wounded and now you have to wait X amount of time for the next book”, it still stands to reason that the books should have been published as one. I like to think of it in similar terms to Hyperion from Dan Simmons in that, from what I’ve heard (I haven’t read it yet), there is some sort of killer cliffhanger that people were likely to have been very upset having to wait the year or so it took for Simmons to release the sequel, but not quite as drastic.
First and foremost, Hawkwood and the Kings is a definitive fantastical parallel to the Western Schism of the Christian church as well as the quest for the New World and the fall of Constantinople. There’s no beating around the bush about that – it’s a story of religious and cultural strife between the Ramusians (Christians) and the Merduks (Muslims). Even the map is a very thinly veiled Europe. The fact that the plot and world are so derivative do nothing to affect the ability of Kearney to tell a compelling story.
The books sets a grim tone with the fall of the holy city of Aekir to the Merduk horde. The crumbling and burning city is described vividly and we are introduced to my favorite character of the series, Corfe. Corfe is a solider who has had everything ripped from his hands. His wife is believed dead in the fall of Aekir, his friends dead, his home burned. His arc is something of a cross between a tale of redemption and one of listing along to wherever his feet take him because he has been so numbed by his loss.
Alongside Corfe, we have the mariner Richard Hawkwood, who is essentially coaxed into captaining a settling journey to the lands to the west, believed to be uninhabited – but are they?
King Abeleyn of Hebrion is the typical young king, and that’s why I liked him. Kearney crafts Abeleyn into a person with whom the more you read about the more you empathize. The Ramusian church, after the fall of Aekir, conducts a series of chauvinistic purges of all who are not Ramusians and members of the Five Kingdoms as well as Dweomer-folk, or magic-users, in Abeleyn’s kingdom without his consent, and his story revolves around strife with the Pontiff (Pope) and internal conflict in his kingdom. This, specifically, is what compels me to read more and more about religious strife in fiction. The bigoted and prejudiced views of medieval religious fanatics, if done well, provide great storylines. Kearney also supplies a few other characters as protagonists, from all sides of the conflict, but to a lesser extent than the aforementioned three.
As I said, Corfe was probably my favorite character, but Hawkwood’s journey to the New World was the one I was most eager to follow. I previously had a personal rule where I would not read two or more books in a series consecutively so as to preserve the story in my mind and keep me thinking that there’s still more waiting for me. Yeah, well that rule was broken for the only time this year in order to read the second half of Hawkwood and the Kings, The Heretic Kings. It’s something of a flintlock fantasy, but instead of muskets we have the more rudimentary arquebuses, and Kearney does the line-fire very well.
If you’re not opposed to the fact that Kearney’s world is a very thinly veiled carbon-copy of ours in the 15th century, I highly, highly recommend this series.
January 8, 2012
Finally finished the combined first two novels of the Monarchies of God series by Paul Kearney.
And, good gods, what a piece of crap that was. I can only conclude that all those recommendations floating about are some kind of practical joke by other disappointed readers. If you really feel that you need to waste precious time of our life with this novel, you're welcome to my copy for the price of shipping to your place.
Plot premise in a nutshell:
The holy Ramusian Church is getting one of those urges again to do away with all people who are different, and starts buring witchy people en masse. The slightly enlightened king of Hebrion doesn't like that, and sends two shipsfull of them into the unknown west. At the same time, the Merduks, who worship a different flavour of Prophet, decide to attack the Ramusian kingdoms. The main seat of the head of the Church is destroyed, and thousands of people flee, among them the young soldier Corfe and the after all not quite dead Pontiff, whose lucky survival will lead eventually to the whole political union falling apart into civil war, because another ambitious cleric lets himself be crowned Pontiff too as soon as the news of the destruction of Aekir is in, and half the kings declare for one, half for the other. Messy stiff ensues.
Meanwhile, the expedition to the west discovers that they should better have stayed home.
The following contains spoilers.
The first thing that annoyed me was the incredibly lazy worldbuilding. Look at the map. Does it remind you of anything? Except for the fact that Italy seems to have sunk, and there's a random mountain range west of the Netherlands, it's pretty much Europe. It has Italiens, Spanish, Brits, Vikings, Catholic and Muslim peoples, by any other name. The northern Barbarians worship a horned god called Kerunnos. No, really?
If I were too lazy to create my own fantasy world, why not go all in and do it as an alternative world? You have your fanatical and corrupt Catholics, the Muslim threat, and Columbus, er, Hawkwood, sailing off to America, er, the unknown West to save all the witchy people. The only things that don't match are that according to my knowledge, the Maya were not werewolves. But, as I said, in an alternative history setting it wouldn't be so bad.
I am aware that Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn did much the same with its powerful Church, Celts, Viking, etc derivatives, but there it didn't annoy me as much.
Secondly. there is no indication that God exists within the framework of these novels. However, Dweomer is very real. Isn't the main reason why the Catholic church took over the shop in our world that magic doesn't work? Why do they Dweomer just let themselves be burned without fighting back? For hundreds of years, no less?
Thirdly. The terrible stilted and unnatural dialogue. Most of it is just corrupt churchmen orally masturbating about how great they are. For pages and pages. bla bla bla heretics bla bla bla fire bla bla bla...
Also, while I'm not fond of your cliché fantasy infodump, it would have been nice to be told in some way what was going on and who was who withim the dozen of kingdoms of varying allegiance. Very confusing in the beginning.
The descriptions are in a kind of wannabe epic style, except that they don't work, and at times appear like self-parodies. Terrible writing style.
Fourth: 99,5% of all characters are complete and utter idiots and bastards (and not the magnificent kind), or boring and pathetic as hell. The other 0,5% are dead, except Jemilla, who will probably cop it in childbirth, as they do. I just couldn't make myself feel for any of them. They're also all utter and complete cardboard cutouts, with no originality whatsoever. I liked the imp, but he's dead too.
The only halfways interesting part was Hawkwood's voyage to the West, although you need a bloody nautical dictionnary to follow what's going on there. Unfortunately, the confrontation between the colonialists (conquistadores?) and the Maya werewolves was clichéed as hell.
The only redeeming feature were the chapters with the two young monks exploring a long-forgotten temple in the library of the Vatican, er Charibon. But, what do you know, they're dead too now.
All in all, a complete failure. 2/10
And, good gods, what a piece of crap that was. I can only conclude that all those recommendations floating about are some kind of practical joke by other disappointed readers. If you really feel that you need to waste precious time of our life with this novel, you're welcome to my copy for the price of shipping to your place.
Plot premise in a nutshell:
The holy Ramusian Church is getting one of those urges again to do away with all people who are different, and starts buring witchy people en masse. The slightly enlightened king of Hebrion doesn't like that, and sends two shipsfull of them into the unknown west. At the same time, the Merduks, who worship a different flavour of Prophet, decide to attack the Ramusian kingdoms. The main seat of the head of the Church is destroyed, and thousands of people flee, among them the young soldier Corfe and the after all not quite dead Pontiff, whose lucky survival will lead eventually to the whole political union falling apart into civil war, because another ambitious cleric lets himself be crowned Pontiff too as soon as the news of the destruction of Aekir is in, and half the kings declare for one, half for the other. Messy stiff ensues.
Meanwhile, the expedition to the west discovers that they should better have stayed home.
The following contains spoilers.
The first thing that annoyed me was the incredibly lazy worldbuilding. Look at the map. Does it remind you of anything? Except for the fact that Italy seems to have sunk, and there's a random mountain range west of the Netherlands, it's pretty much Europe. It has Italiens, Spanish, Brits, Vikings, Catholic and Muslim peoples, by any other name. The northern Barbarians worship a horned god called Kerunnos. No, really?
If I were too lazy to create my own fantasy world, why not go all in and do it as an alternative world? You have your fanatical and corrupt Catholics, the Muslim threat, and Columbus, er, Hawkwood, sailing off to America, er, the unknown West to save all the witchy people. The only things that don't match are that according to my knowledge, the Maya were not werewolves. But, as I said, in an alternative history setting it wouldn't be so bad.
I am aware that Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn did much the same with its powerful Church, Celts, Viking, etc derivatives, but there it didn't annoy me as much.
Secondly. there is no indication that God exists within the framework of these novels. However, Dweomer is very real. Isn't the main reason why the Catholic church took over the shop in our world that magic doesn't work? Why do they Dweomer just let themselves be burned without fighting back? For hundreds of years, no less?
Thirdly. The terrible stilted and unnatural dialogue. Most of it is just corrupt churchmen orally masturbating about how great they are. For pages and pages. bla bla bla heretics bla bla bla fire bla bla bla...
Also, while I'm not fond of your cliché fantasy infodump, it would have been nice to be told in some way what was going on and who was who withim the dozen of kingdoms of varying allegiance. Very confusing in the beginning.
The descriptions are in a kind of wannabe epic style, except that they don't work, and at times appear like self-parodies. Terrible writing style.
Fourth: 99,5% of all characters are complete and utter idiots and bastards (and not the magnificent kind), or boring and pathetic as hell. The other 0,5% are dead, except Jemilla, who will probably cop it in childbirth, as they do. I just couldn't make myself feel for any of them. They're also all utter and complete cardboard cutouts, with no originality whatsoever. I liked the imp, but he's dead too.
The only halfways interesting part was Hawkwood's voyage to the West, although you need a bloody nautical dictionnary to follow what's going on there. Unfortunately, the confrontation between the colonialists (conquistadores?) and the Maya werewolves was clichéed as hell.
The only redeeming feature were the chapters with the two young monks exploring a long-forgotten temple in the library of the Vatican, er Charibon. But, what do you know, they're dead too now.
All in all, a complete failure. 2/10
October 27, 2014
A fantastic epic read. Since I heard through the grape vine he's a grossly underated author I embarked on my first Paul Kearney experience. Complete with an endorsement signed Steven Erikson I was totally roped in. And lets face it this was like candy for me. It has all the components I look for in a political/ military fantasy. Hawkwood and the Kings oozes and gushes my kind of book.
We get the story of a Continent in peril being pulled to pieces by war, and conflict as well as a group of adventurers seeking a new continent. Church viying for power. A super power invading from the east, and three young Kings holding what's left in tact. Honestly people the plot is too complex for me to put into words at risk of making me sound like some burned out pot smoking hippie. So I'll just focus on the books merits.
What will you be treated to?
Explosive military sequences, (literally) flintlock before it was cool. Arquebuses, cannons, artillery, sabers. "Present pieces..., give fire..., out swords... follow me". Kearney's tactical/historical knowledge is phenomenal this element felt real all the way.
With a huge cast of characters, and 20 some odd pov's we get to see all sides of the conflict, every corner of the continent. All the characters/ factions are pinned down tight all their political choices affect the next making all their actions rationalized. This really highlighted Kearney's prowess as he at no point in time why's away from this book's massive scope. Furthermore he accomplishes this in a very small page count. The entire series is roughly 1600 pages.
A challenging read plain and simple. Me personally I like the challenge every so often. This book beat me up here and there. Extreme description, a trade off for a great visual. The pacing is comparable to ASOIAF 1 book = 3 month timeline. So we get to see the world changing, and the ramifications of our amazing characters.
Sensitive readers beware.
No humour not much wit not really hip
Can't say I was surprised but we get a weak representation of female characters once again. Whores, sex slaves, women who use their lady parts to gain political advantage. So if you're the kind of reader who can't stand this shit beware. Brutal blacker than black imagery this book is sick and twisted at the best of times. If you're scared go to church. Kearney has managed to uproot religion as a solid theme in this novel. The fictional religion closely resembles Christianity, and is adulterized continually in this novel. So if this offends you beware.
So it would seem that Kearney writes a fairly unaccessible style, and tells a story that appeals to a smaller market of readers. Fortunately I'm one of those readers, underated I don't think so just misunderstood. If this book sounds like you're kind of thing you are in for a treat. Enjoy.
We get the story of a Continent in peril being pulled to pieces by war, and conflict as well as a group of adventurers seeking a new continent. Church viying for power. A super power invading from the east, and three young Kings holding what's left in tact. Honestly people the plot is too complex for me to put into words at risk of making me sound like some burned out pot smoking hippie. So I'll just focus on the books merits.
What will you be treated to?
Explosive military sequences, (literally) flintlock before it was cool. Arquebuses, cannons, artillery, sabers. "Present pieces..., give fire..., out swords... follow me". Kearney's tactical/historical knowledge is phenomenal this element felt real all the way.
With a huge cast of characters, and 20 some odd pov's we get to see all sides of the conflict, every corner of the continent. All the characters/ factions are pinned down tight all their political choices affect the next making all their actions rationalized. This really highlighted Kearney's prowess as he at no point in time why's away from this book's massive scope. Furthermore he accomplishes this in a very small page count. The entire series is roughly 1600 pages.
A challenging read plain and simple. Me personally I like the challenge every so often. This book beat me up here and there. Extreme description, a trade off for a great visual. The pacing is comparable to ASOIAF 1 book = 3 month timeline. So we get to see the world changing, and the ramifications of our amazing characters.
Sensitive readers beware.
No humour not much wit not really hip
Can't say I was surprised but we get a weak representation of female characters once again. Whores, sex slaves, women who use their lady parts to gain political advantage. So if you're the kind of reader who can't stand this shit beware. Brutal blacker than black imagery this book is sick and twisted at the best of times. If you're scared go to church. Kearney has managed to uproot religion as a solid theme in this novel. The fictional religion closely resembles Christianity, and is adulterized continually in this novel. So if this offends you beware.
So it would seem that Kearney writes a fairly unaccessible style, and tells a story that appeals to a smaller market of readers. Fortunately I'm one of those readers, underated I don't think so just misunderstood. If this book sounds like you're kind of thing you are in for a treat. Enjoy.
May 21, 2019
As George RR Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series became a popular success, each novel debuting higher on the bestseller list, the fantasy genre saw a predictable stampede of derivative imitators. Epic sagas with dozens of characters rooted more firmly in historical fiction than in conventional fantasy. Political scheming, gory battles, and morally-dubious characters fighting it out in narratives told through many POV characters using a close 3rd person stance. By 2012, the fantasy shelves of bookstores were stuffed with series hoping to catch the Martin updraft.
This isn't one of those books. Published in 1994, Hawkwood's Voyage is a pre-derivative Song of Ice and Fire. Paul Kearney brought all the elements Martin does to the page a year before Game of Thrones was published. And yet Martin's work went on to become a world-wide phenomenon, while Kearney toils away as an obscure mid-list writer. Who said publishing was fair?
The world we're introduced to in this first book of the Monarchies of God bears much resemblance to 17th century Europe. The Merduks, analogous to the Ottomans, are on the march. The kingdoms of the West are wracked with religious persecution and strife. And explorers looking to the West for riches find a world far stranger and daunting than they expected.
But this isn't paint-by the-numbers historical fantasy. While Kearney draws on a strong historical knowledge of the peoples who inspire this saga, he breathes originality and life into them. Their values and conflicts. Fears, jealousies, and hatreds. Magic is subtly interwoven into the story, both a recognized part of this world and a strange, dark power that is to be feared. Kearney doesn't go overboard with the world-building. He gives us just enough background to get on with the story, which he tells with great pace and verve. No meandering 300 page setup here.
Kearney's prose is assured. The quality of wordsmithing he brings to the page far surpasses the dismal norms of fantasy fiction. He presents believable characters and psychologically resonant drama. His descriptions and metaphors are vivid without being pretentious or self-conscious. Kearney is clearly a fan of Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey-Maturin books, and I'd say the fan isn't far off the master in his writing chops.
Besides the obvious comparison of Martin, this novel also brings to mind Guy Kavriel Kay's fine historical fantasies. Though for my money, I prefer Kearney. He's darker, faster-paced, and tighter in his storytelling, without losing anything in quality.
It's puzzling that Kearney never caught the popular imagination the way Martin or even Kay has. But I'm always pleased when I discover a new-to-me writer whose work I can expect to enjoy for years.
This isn't one of those books. Published in 1994, Hawkwood's Voyage is a pre-derivative Song of Ice and Fire. Paul Kearney brought all the elements Martin does to the page a year before Game of Thrones was published. And yet Martin's work went on to become a world-wide phenomenon, while Kearney toils away as an obscure mid-list writer. Who said publishing was fair?
The world we're introduced to in this first book of the Monarchies of God bears much resemblance to 17th century Europe. The Merduks, analogous to the Ottomans, are on the march. The kingdoms of the West are wracked with religious persecution and strife. And explorers looking to the West for riches find a world far stranger and daunting than they expected.
But this isn't paint-by the-numbers historical fantasy. While Kearney draws on a strong historical knowledge of the peoples who inspire this saga, he breathes originality and life into them. Their values and conflicts. Fears, jealousies, and hatreds. Magic is subtly interwoven into the story, both a recognized part of this world and a strange, dark power that is to be feared. Kearney doesn't go overboard with the world-building. He gives us just enough background to get on with the story, which he tells with great pace and verve. No meandering 300 page setup here.
Kearney's prose is assured. The quality of wordsmithing he brings to the page far surpasses the dismal norms of fantasy fiction. He presents believable characters and psychologically resonant drama. His descriptions and metaphors are vivid without being pretentious or self-conscious. Kearney is clearly a fan of Patrick O'Brian's wonderful Aubrey-Maturin books, and I'd say the fan isn't far off the master in his writing chops.
Besides the obvious comparison of Martin, this novel also brings to mind Guy Kavriel Kay's fine historical fantasies. Though for my money, I prefer Kearney. He's darker, faster-paced, and tighter in his storytelling, without losing anything in quality.
It's puzzling that Kearney never caught the popular imagination the way Martin or even Kay has. But I'm always pleased when I discover a new-to-me writer whose work I can expect to enjoy for years.
July 20, 2018
¿Quiere saber más de estos dos libros, sin spoilers? Visite:
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com/...
http://librosdeolethros.blogspot.com....
January 5, 2011
Hawkwood and the Kings is an omnibus of Hawkwood’s Voyage and The Heretic Kings, first released in the mid-nineties to critical acclaim but limited commercial success. Paul Kearney is, to the detriment of readers of fine fantasy, one of those authors who ran into publisher difficulties. Had the publisher actively marketed the original releases of The Monarchies of God, the books would have sold well and would unquestionably be considered classics alongside other great adult fantasies like George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire and Steven Erikson’s The Malazan Book of the Fallen. Unfortunately, Paul Kearney is among the more unnoticed and underrated authors of epic fantasy today.
Hawkwood and the Kings is set in a parallel to our world’s late fifteenth century. This is a fantasy with gunpowder and magic as well as clashes between Church and State, Church and Magic, and East and West. Kearney deftly weaves a story that uses the schism of the 13th century, the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the voyage of Columbus in 1492, and the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Church in the 1530s.
There are four major story lines in Hawkwood and the Kings. Richard Hawkwood is forced to undertake a dangerous journey into the unknown West with a man he detests. King Abrusio of Hebrion leads a revolt against the Ramusian Church (loosely based on the Christian Church). Corfe is a young officer who flees the destruction of Aekir instead of joining the last stand of the defenders against the Eastern Merduks (though Corfe later helps with the defense of the kingdom of Torunna against the Merduks). Finally, there is the story of the monks Albrec and Avila, who uncover an ancient document that goes to the heart of the dispute between the Ramusian Church and the Merduk’s faith in their Prophet.
Kearney has written a tightly plotted, character-driven epic fantasy that reflects something of our own world, but he makes his story entirely new and exciting. Hawkwood and the Kings kept me awake at night turning pages, and it is one of the best books that I have read in recent memory. It is adult-level fantasy that does not pull any punches. Kearney’s writing is gritty, realistic in its blood, violence and sex, but also shows how humans can, once in a while, shine. Kearney builds a fantasy that demonstrates clearly that a series need not be epic in size to be truly epic.
Kearney’s battle scenes are the best I have ever read in fantasy, or even empirical history, and that includes the likes of Steven Erikson and George R.R. Martin. His battle sequences are clear and descriptive in a manner that is at once exciting and horrifying. However, Kearney is not a glorifier of violence, and it is clear that he views war in all of its forms as a very poor way of resolving disputes, which is a major theme of the series.
My only complaint about this book is that the publication value by Solaris is a little low. The words are crammed on the page, the print is small, and the number of typos is excessive for a book that has already been published once. However, this is easily overlooked when the quality of the story is considered, and the cover to Hawkwood and the Kings is simply gorgeous, which made me wish that the covers of Kearney’s The Ten Thousand series were half as good.
I read Hawkwood and the Kings together with Century of the Soldier, which is the concluding omnibus of The Monarchies of God, and the pace does not let up. Though that is a separate review, I rate the entire series at five stars. Paul Kearney has become one of my favorite writers, and I eagerly look forward to his new novel in the The Ten Thousand series, Corvus. I strongly recommend readers of good epic fantasy everywhere to buy The Monarchies of God, now. Angus @ www.FantasyLiterature.com
Hawkwood and the Kings is set in a parallel to our world’s late fifteenth century. This is a fantasy with gunpowder and magic as well as clashes between Church and State, Church and Magic, and East and West. Kearney deftly weaves a story that uses the schism of the 13th century, the fall of Constantinople in 1453, the voyage of Columbus in 1492, and the separation of the Church of England from the Roman Church in the 1530s.
There are four major story lines in Hawkwood and the Kings. Richard Hawkwood is forced to undertake a dangerous journey into the unknown West with a man he detests. King Abrusio of Hebrion leads a revolt against the Ramusian Church (loosely based on the Christian Church). Corfe is a young officer who flees the destruction of Aekir instead of joining the last stand of the defenders against the Eastern Merduks (though Corfe later helps with the defense of the kingdom of Torunna against the Merduks). Finally, there is the story of the monks Albrec and Avila, who uncover an ancient document that goes to the heart of the dispute between the Ramusian Church and the Merduk’s faith in their Prophet.
Kearney has written a tightly plotted, character-driven epic fantasy that reflects something of our own world, but he makes his story entirely new and exciting. Hawkwood and the Kings kept me awake at night turning pages, and it is one of the best books that I have read in recent memory. It is adult-level fantasy that does not pull any punches. Kearney’s writing is gritty, realistic in its blood, violence and sex, but also shows how humans can, once in a while, shine. Kearney builds a fantasy that demonstrates clearly that a series need not be epic in size to be truly epic.
Kearney’s battle scenes are the best I have ever read in fantasy, or even empirical history, and that includes the likes of Steven Erikson and George R.R. Martin. His battle sequences are clear and descriptive in a manner that is at once exciting and horrifying. However, Kearney is not a glorifier of violence, and it is clear that he views war in all of its forms as a very poor way of resolving disputes, which is a major theme of the series.
My only complaint about this book is that the publication value by Solaris is a little low. The words are crammed on the page, the print is small, and the number of typos is excessive for a book that has already been published once. However, this is easily overlooked when the quality of the story is considered, and the cover to Hawkwood and the Kings is simply gorgeous, which made me wish that the covers of Kearney’s The Ten Thousand series were half as good.
I read Hawkwood and the Kings together with Century of the Soldier, which is the concluding omnibus of The Monarchies of God, and the pace does not let up. Though that is a separate review, I rate the entire series at five stars. Paul Kearney has become one of my favorite writers, and I eagerly look forward to his new novel in the The Ten Thousand series, Corvus. I strongly recommend readers of good epic fantasy everywhere to buy The Monarchies of God, now. Angus @ www.FantasyLiterature.com
April 11, 2016
Resenha: Monarchies of God (Monarquias de Deus) #1 de Paul Kearney, Fantasia Épica em uma Prosa Enxuta
The Monarchies of God (As Monarquias de Deus, Editora Solaris, 2010, 700 páginas) é uma série de fantasia épica militarista e brutal escrita pelo irlandês Paul Kearney entre 1995 a 2002, inicialmente em cinco volumes, e depois editadas em dois volumes.
Os livros originais são:
Hawkwood's Voyage (1995)
The Heretic Kings (1996)
Esses são os dois primeiros livros reunídos no Monarchies of God Vol.1
Já o Monarchies of God Vol.2 reúne os seguintes livros:
The Iron Wars (1999)
The Second Empire (2000)
Ships from the West (2002)
Cheguei até Paul Kearney como muitos outros leitores, pela recomendação de Steven "Malazan" Erikson, que disse que a série As Monarquias de Deus tinha sido uma das melhores sagas de fantasia dos anos 90, e que merecia maior atenção do público pela qualidade de sua narrativa.
A recomendação de um dos mestres da fantasia contemporânea corresponde ao que encontrei nas Monarquias de Deus: uma obra cheia de batalhas épicas, brutal, com mortes inesperadas de progatonistas bem ao estilo cruel do George R.R. Martin, uma abordagem realista da religião no período da baixa idade média, conflitos entre religião versus magia versus ciência, e uma prosa engajante, rápida e eficiente.
A série se passa no continente de Normannia, que lembra a Europa do período renascentista.
O continente é dominado por cinco reinos poderosos: Hebrion, Astarac, Perigraine, Almark e Torunna, além de outros ducados e principalidades, como Candelaria, Tulm e Finmark.
A república de Fimbria, também conhecida como os Eleitorados Fimbrianos fica entre os cinco maiores reinos de Normania, e representa claramente o Império Romano do cenário.
Fímbria dominou o continente até perder seu império em uma guerra civil gerada por conflitos religiosos há quatrocentos anos antes do início da narrativa. O antigo império se manteve como a República de Fímbria, e se tornou isolacionista, porém respeitado por ter os exércitos mais poderosos do continente.
As Cinco Monarquias de Deus (Hebrion,Astarac, Perigraine, Almark e Torunna) se unem pela religião Ramusiana, uma religião monoteísta criada a partir do mensageiro de Deus, o Abençoado Santo Ramusio; em uma descrição que lembra o Cristianismo medieval. A Igreja Ramusiana tem até uma cidade sagrada, Aekir (análoga a Jerusalém) e Charibon, o centro de poder da Igreja (análoga a Roma).
Os Ramusianos se opõem fanaticamente aos Merduks, um grupo religioso, cultural e étnico que ocupam as terras do leste da Normannia, os Sete Sultanatos (em uma clara analogia aos reinos árabes e a religião muçulmana). Os Merduks seguem os ensinamentos do Profeta Ahrimuz, e seguem uma fé monoteísta, análoga a fé muçulmana.
A existência, em todas as nações, de um povo geneticamente propenso à magia, os Dewomer, que são cícliclamente perseguidos em inquisições violentas feitas pelas igrejas.
E por trás disso tudo, uma conspiração mística que prenuncia o apocalipse, o início da Era do Lobo. Doidimais vééééi!
Conspirações, perseguição religiosa contra os usuários de magia, uma viagem de descobrimento de um novo continente, transmorfos e o começo do uso da pólvora, guerras navais e cercos militares, esse primeiro volume tem de tudo para agradar quem curte fantasia militarista brutal. Paul Kearney é um ótimo escritor, infelizmente ainda desconhecido do grande público (mas quem sabe, ultimamente, e principalmente por causa da recomendação do Stephen "Malazan", a fama de Kearney está aumentando).
Técnicas Narrativas nas Monarquias de Deus, Vol 1
O que mais me impressionou foi a capacidade de síntese narrativa do Kearney. Ele consegue, sem detrimento da trama e do desenvolvimento de personagens, conduzir diversas narrativas paralelas em poucas páginas (dentro do padrão da fantasia épica).
São muitos personagens, muitos pontos de vista, muitos arcos narrativos mas conduzidos com muito controle de cena e um ritmo empolgante. E, acredito, ele consegue isso com economia e revisão, penso que quando Kearney estava escrevendo, ele deve ter reduzido a narrativa ao seu essencial, sem desperdiçar nenhuma cena, e usando de cortes cinematográficos para focar a trama e manter o ritmo narrativo.
A quantidade enorme de personagens sempre corre o risco de diminuir o impacto individual de cada história, mas Kearney consegue um bom equilíbrio nesse sentido.
A narrativa é feita em Terceira Pessoa Limitada, mas com o uso de pensamentos indiretos, ao invés de diretos, talvez por facilitar a síntese e por causa da grande quantidade de personagens.
A saga aborda de maneira realista o tema da intolerância religiosa, a definição de heresia, as crueldades da inquisição, motivações pessoais ditando a moralidade, o cinismo religioso e a natureza da fé verdadeira.
A descrição das cenas engajam todos os sentidos, Kearney usa metáforas e símiles esporadicamente, favorecendo a economia de linguarem.
Na construção do cenário, Kearney usou da queda do Império Romano e a criação dos Reinados europeus de base, além dos Sultanatos do período das Cruzadas, aproveitando todas as complexidades e peculiaridades daquele momento histórico para dar mais realismo na sua saga.
Uso de estruturas literárias diferentes, como o formato de um diário de navegação em uma das partes da saga.
A narrativa pula de cena em cena, seguindo um formato cinematográfico, mas o autor mantém domínio da cronologia dos acontecimentos, e centra cada parte em um único ponto de vista narrativo.
Caracterização rápida dos múltiplos personagens, é a difícil escolha entre caracterização e trama. Em uma história épica, com muitos personagens, é necessário caracterizar um personagem rapidamente, colocando sua personalidade, passado, motivações, frustrações, virtudes e defeitos em poucas frases e ações. Kearney demonstra habilidade com essa técnica, usando de detalhes peculiares em seus personagens para diferenciá-los.
Descrição dos efeitos sociais da magia e da presença de magos entre reinos que seguem uma religião monoteísta. Magia faz a diferença nos conflitos, mas tem um custo alto (magos gastam vitalidade, anos de vida para realizar suas magias).
Magia limitada pela capacidade intelectual e de concentração do mago.
Conspirações baseadas na diversidade de interesses, mesmo dentro de uma organização ou instituição supostamente homogênea, dando realismo para a narrativa e complexidade moral.
Conclusão:
Monarchies of God Vol. 1 vai agradar muito os fãs de fantasia militarista e brutal épica. Vinte personagens POV, uma narrativa que se passa em dois continentes, muita politicagem, combate, estratégia, moralidade complexa e realista. Um detalhe que pode incomodar é a caracterização das personagens femininas, que ficam limitadas a papéis mais secundários, além da violência explícita e muitas passagens bem sombrias.
Eu adorei, fica recomendado! :) Ainda vou ler o volume 02 e posto a resenha aqui. :)
The Monarchies of God (As Monarquias de Deus, Editora Solaris, 2010, 700 páginas) é uma série de fantasia épica militarista e brutal escrita pelo irlandês Paul Kearney entre 1995 a 2002, inicialmente em cinco volumes, e depois editadas em dois volumes.
Os livros originais são:
Hawkwood's Voyage (1995)
The Heretic Kings (1996)
Esses são os dois primeiros livros reunídos no Monarchies of God Vol.1
Já o Monarchies of God Vol.2 reúne os seguintes livros:
The Iron Wars (1999)
The Second Empire (2000)
Ships from the West (2002)
Cheguei até Paul Kearney como muitos outros leitores, pela recomendação de Steven "Malazan" Erikson, que disse que a série As Monarquias de Deus tinha sido uma das melhores sagas de fantasia dos anos 90, e que merecia maior atenção do público pela qualidade de sua narrativa.
A recomendação de um dos mestres da fantasia contemporânea corresponde ao que encontrei nas Monarquias de Deus: uma obra cheia de batalhas épicas, brutal, com mortes inesperadas de progatonistas bem ao estilo cruel do George R.R. Martin, uma abordagem realista da religião no período da baixa idade média, conflitos entre religião versus magia versus ciência, e uma prosa engajante, rápida e eficiente.
A série se passa no continente de Normannia, que lembra a Europa do período renascentista.
O continente é dominado por cinco reinos poderosos: Hebrion, Astarac, Perigraine, Almark e Torunna, além de outros ducados e principalidades, como Candelaria, Tulm e Finmark.
A república de Fimbria, também conhecida como os Eleitorados Fimbrianos fica entre os cinco maiores reinos de Normania, e representa claramente o Império Romano do cenário.
Fímbria dominou o continente até perder seu império em uma guerra civil gerada por conflitos religiosos há quatrocentos anos antes do início da narrativa. O antigo império se manteve como a República de Fímbria, e se tornou isolacionista, porém respeitado por ter os exércitos mais poderosos do continente.
As Cinco Monarquias de Deus (Hebrion,Astarac, Perigraine, Almark e Torunna) se unem pela religião Ramusiana, uma religião monoteísta criada a partir do mensageiro de Deus, o Abençoado Santo Ramusio; em uma descrição que lembra o Cristianismo medieval. A Igreja Ramusiana tem até uma cidade sagrada, Aekir (análoga a Jerusalém) e Charibon, o centro de poder da Igreja (análoga a Roma).
Os Ramusianos se opõem fanaticamente aos Merduks, um grupo religioso, cultural e étnico que ocupam as terras do leste da Normannia, os Sete Sultanatos (em uma clara analogia aos reinos árabes e a religião muçulmana). Os Merduks seguem os ensinamentos do Profeta Ahrimuz, e seguem uma fé monoteísta, análoga a fé muçulmana.
A existência, em todas as nações, de um povo geneticamente propenso à magia, os Dewomer, que são cícliclamente perseguidos em inquisições violentas feitas pelas igrejas.
E por trás disso tudo, uma conspiração mística que prenuncia o apocalipse, o início da Era do Lobo. Doidimais vééééi!
Conspirações, perseguição religiosa contra os usuários de magia, uma viagem de descobrimento de um novo continente, transmorfos e o começo do uso da pólvora, guerras navais e cercos militares, esse primeiro volume tem de tudo para agradar quem curte fantasia militarista brutal. Paul Kearney é um ótimo escritor, infelizmente ainda desconhecido do grande público (mas quem sabe, ultimamente, e principalmente por causa da recomendação do Stephen "Malazan", a fama de Kearney está aumentando).
Técnicas Narrativas nas Monarquias de Deus, Vol 1
O que mais me impressionou foi a capacidade de síntese narrativa do Kearney. Ele consegue, sem detrimento da trama e do desenvolvimento de personagens, conduzir diversas narrativas paralelas em poucas páginas (dentro do padrão da fantasia épica).
São muitos personagens, muitos pontos de vista, muitos arcos narrativos mas conduzidos com muito controle de cena e um ritmo empolgante. E, acredito, ele consegue isso com economia e revisão, penso que quando Kearney estava escrevendo, ele deve ter reduzido a narrativa ao seu essencial, sem desperdiçar nenhuma cena, e usando de cortes cinematográficos para focar a trama e manter o ritmo narrativo.
A quantidade enorme de personagens sempre corre o risco de diminuir o impacto individual de cada história, mas Kearney consegue um bom equilíbrio nesse sentido.
A narrativa é feita em Terceira Pessoa Limitada, mas com o uso de pensamentos indiretos, ao invés de diretos, talvez por facilitar a síntese e por causa da grande quantidade de personagens.
A saga aborda de maneira realista o tema da intolerância religiosa, a definição de heresia, as crueldades da inquisição, motivações pessoais ditando a moralidade, o cinismo religioso e a natureza da fé verdadeira.
A descrição das cenas engajam todos os sentidos, Kearney usa metáforas e símiles esporadicamente, favorecendo a economia de linguarem.
Na construção do cenário, Kearney usou da queda do Império Romano e a criação dos Reinados europeus de base, além dos Sultanatos do período das Cruzadas, aproveitando todas as complexidades e peculiaridades daquele momento histórico para dar mais realismo na sua saga.
Uso de estruturas literárias diferentes, como o formato de um diário de navegação em uma das partes da saga.
A narrativa pula de cena em cena, seguindo um formato cinematográfico, mas o autor mantém domínio da cronologia dos acontecimentos, e centra cada parte em um único ponto de vista narrativo.
Caracterização rápida dos múltiplos personagens, é a difícil escolha entre caracterização e trama. Em uma história épica, com muitos personagens, é necessário caracterizar um personagem rapidamente, colocando sua personalidade, passado, motivações, frustrações, virtudes e defeitos em poucas frases e ações. Kearney demonstra habilidade com essa técnica, usando de detalhes peculiares em seus personagens para diferenciá-los.
Descrição dos efeitos sociais da magia e da presença de magos entre reinos que seguem uma religião monoteísta. Magia faz a diferença nos conflitos, mas tem um custo alto (magos gastam vitalidade, anos de vida para realizar suas magias).
Magia limitada pela capacidade intelectual e de concentração do mago.
Conspirações baseadas na diversidade de interesses, mesmo dentro de uma organização ou instituição supostamente homogênea, dando realismo para a narrativa e complexidade moral.
Conclusão:
Monarchies of God Vol. 1 vai agradar muito os fãs de fantasia militarista e brutal épica. Vinte personagens POV, uma narrativa que se passa em dois continentes, muita politicagem, combate, estratégia, moralidade complexa e realista. Um detalhe que pode incomodar é a caracterização das personagens femininas, que ficam limitadas a papéis mais secundários, além da violência explícita e muitas passagens bem sombrias.
Eu adorei, fica recomendado! :) Ainda vou ler o volume 02 e posto a resenha aqui. :)
January 21, 2017
This omnibus was a little bit of a slog to get through, as the length of time it took me to read it will attest. It didn't feel like the story was dragging, but there was such a lot of it, and the authors writing style is rather dense. The magic system is only lightly touched on, which is a shame, since it looks fascinating, and the being onset by all sides is murderous to my nails if I was a nail biter. I think once I digest everything that has taken place in this omnibus that I will continue the series, thought likely in single book form.
July 30, 2023
An epic tale, with multiple POVs and sweeping descriptions. Personally there were characters I was more interested in than others, and tbh you can skim through the paragraphs of describing things without missing much, but I will say this is definitely one of the more entertaining fantasy books I’ve read.
October 15, 2023
2011 review: Brilliant and deserved reissue of the first two volumes of the Monarchies of God. Kearney's writing is taut and pulls you into the story, while his were-beasts would wipe the floor with the sickly and anaemic creatures that inhabit so-called "modern" fantasy. If there's one gripe, it is that the three major viewpoint figures - Hawkwood, Abelyn, Corfe - tend to much the same, but this hardly impairs the narrative. First rate fantasy, and a worthy successor to Gemmell.
2023 edit: I can't believe it's taken me twelve years to get back to this series! I first read The Monarchies of God whoah back in the 90s, borrowed from the library in single volumes. I vividly remember the first two volumes, combined here in Hawkwood and the Kings. The late 90s were not a great time for my mental health however and I have much less memory of anything that happened after Abelyn finally returned to Abrusio. These Solaris editions were an excellent opportunity to remedy that... but once again I failed to get past the first two books. Maybe this time?
This first volume is still quite excellent. Seven hundred pages of densely packed detailed narrative, vivid battle scenes, apocalyptic fires, astounding journeys across the face of the world. It deserves to be read as a high watermark of the late 90s, as a precursor to the likes of John Gwynne, Clifford Beal, Christian Cameron and Anna Smith Spark. Kearney's prose alternates between fever and fervour, his descriptions sketched with pinpoint accuracy. From the fall of Aekir to a grimy cellar underneath the library of Charibon, the story never flags, never fails to keep the reader turning pages. At my age, I'm more likely to complain about the font size now than anything else - you're going to need a magnifying glass, believe me!
The second omnibus collects books three to five of the series - in just as small a font. It's staring at me, challenging me to read it before Christmas. Like Albrec in that library, I'm going in deep....
2023 edit: I can't believe it's taken me twelve years to get back to this series! I first read The Monarchies of God whoah back in the 90s, borrowed from the library in single volumes. I vividly remember the first two volumes, combined here in Hawkwood and the Kings. The late 90s were not a great time for my mental health however and I have much less memory of anything that happened after Abelyn finally returned to Abrusio. These Solaris editions were an excellent opportunity to remedy that... but once again I failed to get past the first two books. Maybe this time?
This first volume is still quite excellent. Seven hundred pages of densely packed detailed narrative, vivid battle scenes, apocalyptic fires, astounding journeys across the face of the world. It deserves to be read as a high watermark of the late 90s, as a precursor to the likes of John Gwynne, Clifford Beal, Christian Cameron and Anna Smith Spark. Kearney's prose alternates between fever and fervour, his descriptions sketched with pinpoint accuracy. From the fall of Aekir to a grimy cellar underneath the library of Charibon, the story never flags, never fails to keep the reader turning pages. At my age, I'm more likely to complain about the font size now than anything else - you're going to need a magnifying glass, believe me!
The second omnibus collects books three to five of the series - in just as small a font. It's staring at me, challenging me to read it before Christmas. Like Albrec in that library, I'm going in deep....
November 3, 2014
After reading Game of Thrones (and of course watching the series), I was looking for something similar. Hawkwood and the Kings is book one of the (Monarchies of God). Original a multi-book series that has been complied into two books, the first being Hawkwood and the Kings and the second being the Century of the Solider.
The author weaves some core elements of real history - predominately the Crusades. Additionally the world is, in some ways, very reminiscent of our own (Old Europe, Middle East, the New World) - which I find makes things easy to keep track of.
There are three main story archs and it is somewhat complex.
War is raging between the East (Merduks - similar to the Middle East during the Crusades), who have invaded the West. The main character it follows is Corfe, the last survivor of a the first battle of the Merduk invasion. He starts off retreating with the people, but emerges a great leader in battle. We also follow the leaders of the Merduks as well.
While the five kingdoms attempt to repel the advances of the Merduk's, the Church is vying for power to control the West. A new High Pontiff has taken control and he wants to bring the full power of the church to bear. He has started burning the heretics and anyone that has any "magic" powers. Part of the story of the church follows a monk who has discovered a secret in the catacombs that could bring the church down.
Lastly we follow ship's captain Hawkwood, a salty smuggler type, who has been commandeered to lead a group of soldiers and a group of "magic folk" across the Western Ocean in a Columbus type of expedition for the New World - what they discover could change the course of everything.
If you enjoyed Game of Thrones, like reading different POVs, and enjoy a fast pace near-real fantasy, this is it - or your can wait a few years for the next book in the Game of Thrones series.
The author weaves some core elements of real history - predominately the Crusades. Additionally the world is, in some ways, very reminiscent of our own (Old Europe, Middle East, the New World) - which I find makes things easy to keep track of.
There are three main story archs and it is somewhat complex.
War is raging between the East (Merduks - similar to the Middle East during the Crusades), who have invaded the West. The main character it follows is Corfe, the last survivor of a the first battle of the Merduk invasion. He starts off retreating with the people, but emerges a great leader in battle. We also follow the leaders of the Merduks as well.
While the five kingdoms attempt to repel the advances of the Merduk's, the Church is vying for power to control the West. A new High Pontiff has taken control and he wants to bring the full power of the church to bear. He has started burning the heretics and anyone that has any "magic" powers. Part of the story of the church follows a monk who has discovered a secret in the catacombs that could bring the church down.
Lastly we follow ship's captain Hawkwood, a salty smuggler type, who has been commandeered to lead a group of soldiers and a group of "magic folk" across the Western Ocean in a Columbus type of expedition for the New World - what they discover could change the course of everything.
If you enjoyed Game of Thrones, like reading different POVs, and enjoy a fast pace near-real fantasy, this is it - or your can wait a few years for the next book in the Game of Thrones series.
May 3, 2014
Paul Kearney is not a big name in fantasy but after having read The Monarchies of God series I believe he really should be.
The first book does initially feel a little disappointing - as if the author has taken a chunk of European history and re-worked it into his fantasy world. You have the conflict between East and West, the unknown continent across the ocean, two rather familiar monotheistic religions engaged in a war over a great besieged city. It all sounds a bit too familiar, however after the story develops the world begins to take shape and the comparisons become fewer.
The real strength of the story is the descriptions of sailing ships and land combat. Here Kearney produces some of his best and most exhilarating writing describing in great detail many a muddy and violent battlefield, and although there are elements of politics throughout the story I would say it is overwhelmingly a military fantasy.
I would also say there is an element of tragedy about the story, which becomes more apparent in volume two. Happy endings are few and far between, however I never quite felt the author quite managed to shock and surprise the reader by killing off a much loved character in the same way that perhaps George R R Martin has done.
My only other criticism would be the disjointedness of the story. Hawkwood's voyages, although fun to read, feel somewhat redundant and his entire narrative could almost be removed from the volumes without massively affecting the rest of the story. This disjointedness is perhaps realistic in a world full of millions of people where many parallel lives exist, but as part of a story it feels as if it's been tacked on in order to accommodate the character.
In summary, although Kearney's two volume series is perhaps not the most original fantasy story to have emerged, it is extremely well written and well worth reading. It's definitely been one of my favourite fantasy reads to date.
The first book does initially feel a little disappointing - as if the author has taken a chunk of European history and re-worked it into his fantasy world. You have the conflict between East and West, the unknown continent across the ocean, two rather familiar monotheistic religions engaged in a war over a great besieged city. It all sounds a bit too familiar, however after the story develops the world begins to take shape and the comparisons become fewer.
The real strength of the story is the descriptions of sailing ships and land combat. Here Kearney produces some of his best and most exhilarating writing describing in great detail many a muddy and violent battlefield, and although there are elements of politics throughout the story I would say it is overwhelmingly a military fantasy.
I would also say there is an element of tragedy about the story, which becomes more apparent in volume two. Happy endings are few and far between, however I never quite felt the author quite managed to shock and surprise the reader by killing off a much loved character in the same way that perhaps George R R Martin has done.
My only other criticism would be the disjointedness of the story. Hawkwood's voyages, although fun to read, feel somewhat redundant and his entire narrative could almost be removed from the volumes without massively affecting the rest of the story. This disjointedness is perhaps realistic in a world full of millions of people where many parallel lives exist, but as part of a story it feels as if it's been tacked on in order to accommodate the character.
In summary, although Kearney's two volume series is perhaps not the most original fantasy story to have emerged, it is extremely well written and well worth reading. It's definitely been one of my favourite fantasy reads to date.
November 17, 2021
The Monarchies of God series is definitely Paul Kearney's masterpiece, a military fantasy that has nothing to envy from other more well known series. Set in an alternate Europe the book gets its inspiration from a number of historical events, the holy wars between Christians and Muslims, the witch hunts and the Holy Inquisition, the schism of the two Popes and the discovery of America. In the Ramusian (Christian) Kingdoms the church gains more and more power over the secular as well as the spiritual by fueling fanaticism against non believers and magic users, causing strife and unrest while at the eastern borders the Merduk sultanates, believers of the prophet Arhimuz (Muslims) advance inexorably in their holy war against the Ramusians. In the midst of growing unrest and the rise of a new High Pontiff who dreams of absolute church power an expedition to the fabled western continent sets off with a crew of magic users trying to escape the pogroms. We follow a number of characters, a disgraced soldier in a losing army, a woman captured by the Merduks, a young king trying to establish his power, a sea captain, a fleeing wizzard and others each of them well rounded and interesting in a story that manages to be clear and complex at the same time, well written and exploring important themes without shying away from the grittiness and greatness of reality.
August 21, 2022
Hervorragende Military Fantasy mit Gewehren, Magie und Schiffen!
Die Merduks marschieren langsam aber sicher in die Reiche der ramusianischen Religion. Obwohl diese eine starke Bindung untereinander haben, besonders durch ihre gemeinsame Religionsangehörigkeit, stehen sie nicht geeint gegen ihren gemeinsamen Feind. Denn innerhalb der Religion und damit der Reiche kommt es zu einer plötzlichen Spaltung. Zeitgleich startet der Pontifex eine Verfolgung der magisch Begabten, was die Spaltung noch weiter verstärkt und die Reiche zusätzlicher Ressourcen für ihre Verteidigung beraubt. Um diejenigen Untertanen, die eine magische Begabung besitzen, zu retten, erlaubt der hebrionische König Abeleyn seinem Vetter Murad, mit diesen eine neue Siedlung auf dem unerforschten westlichen Kontinent zu gründen. Gemeinsam mit Kapitän Richard Hawkwood und dessen beiden Schiffen machen sich die Siedler auf den Weg ins Ungewisse.
Nachdem ich mich lange davor gedrückt habe, Hawkwood and the Kings zu lesen, zumindest zum Teil, weil ich mich sehr daran störte, dass die The Sea Beggars-Reihe desselben Autors vermutlich nie vollständig veröffentlicht werden wird*, habe ich es endlich doch getan – zum Glück. Hawkwood and the Kings ist ein hervorragendes Military Fantasy-Buch, dessen Handlung passend zu der erwähnten anderen Buchreihe des Autors zusätzlich einen großen Seefahrtsanteil besitzt. Die vorliegende Ausgabe enthält die ersten zwei Bände der The Monarchies of Gods-Reihe, Hawkwood's Voyage und The Heretic Kings.
Die beiden größten Stärken des Buchs sind die Schifffahrtsszenen sowie die Beschreibungen von Schlachten. Ähnlich wie in seiner Buchreihe The Sea Beggars setzt Paul Kearney auch hier einen großen Fokus auf die Schifffahrt, indem er Hawkwoods Reise in die neue Welt ausführlich beschreibt – dass er sich mit Schiffen auskennt, ist dabei offensichtlich. Die Schlachten sind spannend und verständlich beschrieben, sodass ich diesen beim Lesen gut folgen konnte und die Schlachtszenen besonders mochte. Selbstverständlich baut Kearney auch hier wann immer möglich Schiffe ein.
Die Charaktere fühlen sich echt an, da jeder seine eigenen Charakterstärken und -schwächen besitzt. Zugleich sind die Entscheidungen aller Charaktere durchgehend nachvollziehbar – entsprechend ihrer jeweiligen Persönlichkeit. Dabei leiden jedoch einige POVs meiner Meinung darunter, dass sie handlungstechnisch schlichtweg weniger spannend sind. So gefielen mir die Szenen mit Corfe und Hawkwood sehr gut, während die POVs von Abeleyn und Heria für mich größtenteils uninteressant waren – zumal ich durchweg das Gefühl hatte, dass Herias (zugegebenermaßen wenige) Kapitel der gesamten Geschichte nur wenig Mehrwert brachten.
Auch das Worldbuilding insgesamt positiv anzumerken. Kearney erfindet das Rad zwar nicht neu, aber die Welt wirkt durch die starke Orientierung am europäischen Spätmittelalter glaubhaft und wird mit genügend (historischen) Details beschrieben, damit sie Interesse nach mehr weckt. Die Ähnlichkeiten mit dem europäischen Spätmittelalter gehen sogar so weit, dass der Hauptkontinent rein geografisch sehr an Europa erinnert. Des Weiteren scheint die Welt eine Verbindung zu der Welt von The Sea Beggars zu haben, denn im Laufe des Buches wird ein Gott erwähnt, der auch in dieser Buchreihe vorkommt, und auch die Magie weckte bei mir Erinnerungen an die Magie von The Sea Beggars – obwohl ich zugeben muss, dass meine Erinnerungen hier etwas vage sind.
Mit all den Stärken ist es kein Wunder, dass auch die Story selbst sowie das Pacing derselben fantastisch sind. Abgesehen einigen wenigen und häufig auch noch sehr kurzen POV-Kapiteln, schreitet die Geschichte in einem rasanten Tempo fort. Ständig kommt es zu neuen Entdeckungen, persönlichen Konflikten, politischen Intrigen und großen sowie kleinen Schlachten; Kearney verschwendet keine Seite auf unnötige Details, die die Geschichte nicht weiterbringen oder die Darstellung der Charaktere und der Welt nicht in irgendeiner Form bereichern. Da er alle wichtigen Details dennoch auf natürliche Weise über die Seiten hinweg verteilt einbringt, wirkt sich das schnelle Pacing trotzdem nicht negativ auf die Tiefe der Geschichte, der Charaktere und der Welt aus.
Insgesamt erinnert mich das Buch vor allem an die Instrumentalities of the Night-Reihe von Glen Cook. Die historische Inspiration ist hier sicherlich ähnlich, da sich sowohl die Handlung als auch die gesamte Welt ähneln. Da mir diese Reihe – die übrigens genauso wie The Sea Beggars unvollendet ist – insgesamt sehr gut gefiel, ist es wohl kein Wunder, dass mir Hawkwood and the Kings so zusagt.
So ergibt sich ein hervorragendes Buch – oder eigentlich viel mehr zwei. Ob die Aufteilung in die ursprünglichen zwei Bände das Ganze irgendwie negativ beeinflusst, kann ich nicht beurteilen; als ein gesamtes Buch funktioniert die Geschichte jedoch auf jeden Fall sehr gut. Dass die Buchreihe eher unbekannt ist, empfinde ich als sehr schade; sie hätte definitiv mehr Aufmerksamkeit und Lob verdient – zumal so die Chancen erhöht würden, dass das letzte Buch der The Sea Beggars-Reihe doch noch veröffentlicht wird.
*Das liegt aber wohl am Verlag, nicht am Autor.
Die Merduks marschieren langsam aber sicher in die Reiche der ramusianischen Religion. Obwohl diese eine starke Bindung untereinander haben, besonders durch ihre gemeinsame Religionsangehörigkeit, stehen sie nicht geeint gegen ihren gemeinsamen Feind. Denn innerhalb der Religion und damit der Reiche kommt es zu einer plötzlichen Spaltung. Zeitgleich startet der Pontifex eine Verfolgung der magisch Begabten, was die Spaltung noch weiter verstärkt und die Reiche zusätzlicher Ressourcen für ihre Verteidigung beraubt. Um diejenigen Untertanen, die eine magische Begabung besitzen, zu retten, erlaubt der hebrionische König Abeleyn seinem Vetter Murad, mit diesen eine neue Siedlung auf dem unerforschten westlichen Kontinent zu gründen. Gemeinsam mit Kapitän Richard Hawkwood und dessen beiden Schiffen machen sich die Siedler auf den Weg ins Ungewisse.
Nachdem ich mich lange davor gedrückt habe, Hawkwood and the Kings zu lesen, zumindest zum Teil, weil ich mich sehr daran störte, dass die The Sea Beggars-Reihe desselben Autors vermutlich nie vollständig veröffentlicht werden wird*, habe ich es endlich doch getan – zum Glück. Hawkwood and the Kings ist ein hervorragendes Military Fantasy-Buch, dessen Handlung passend zu der erwähnten anderen Buchreihe des Autors zusätzlich einen großen Seefahrtsanteil besitzt. Die vorliegende Ausgabe enthält die ersten zwei Bände der The Monarchies of Gods-Reihe, Hawkwood's Voyage und The Heretic Kings.
Die beiden größten Stärken des Buchs sind die Schifffahrtsszenen sowie die Beschreibungen von Schlachten. Ähnlich wie in seiner Buchreihe The Sea Beggars setzt Paul Kearney auch hier einen großen Fokus auf die Schifffahrt, indem er Hawkwoods Reise in die neue Welt ausführlich beschreibt – dass er sich mit Schiffen auskennt, ist dabei offensichtlich. Die Schlachten sind spannend und verständlich beschrieben, sodass ich diesen beim Lesen gut folgen konnte und die Schlachtszenen besonders mochte. Selbstverständlich baut Kearney auch hier wann immer möglich Schiffe ein.
Die Charaktere fühlen sich echt an, da jeder seine eigenen Charakterstärken und -schwächen besitzt. Zugleich sind die Entscheidungen aller Charaktere durchgehend nachvollziehbar – entsprechend ihrer jeweiligen Persönlichkeit. Dabei leiden jedoch einige POVs meiner Meinung darunter, dass sie handlungstechnisch schlichtweg weniger spannend sind. So gefielen mir die Szenen mit Corfe und Hawkwood sehr gut, während die POVs von Abeleyn und Heria für mich größtenteils uninteressant waren – zumal ich durchweg das Gefühl hatte, dass Herias (zugegebenermaßen wenige) Kapitel der gesamten Geschichte nur wenig Mehrwert brachten.
Auch das Worldbuilding insgesamt positiv anzumerken. Kearney erfindet das Rad zwar nicht neu, aber die Welt wirkt durch die starke Orientierung am europäischen Spätmittelalter glaubhaft und wird mit genügend (historischen) Details beschrieben, damit sie Interesse nach mehr weckt. Die Ähnlichkeiten mit dem europäischen Spätmittelalter gehen sogar so weit, dass der Hauptkontinent rein geografisch sehr an Europa erinnert. Des Weiteren scheint die Welt eine Verbindung zu der Welt von The Sea Beggars zu haben, denn im Laufe des Buches wird ein Gott erwähnt, der auch in dieser Buchreihe vorkommt, und auch die Magie weckte bei mir Erinnerungen an die Magie von The Sea Beggars – obwohl ich zugeben muss, dass meine Erinnerungen hier etwas vage sind.
Mit all den Stärken ist es kein Wunder, dass auch die Story selbst sowie das Pacing derselben fantastisch sind. Abgesehen einigen wenigen und häufig auch noch sehr kurzen POV-Kapiteln, schreitet die Geschichte in einem rasanten Tempo fort. Ständig kommt es zu neuen Entdeckungen, persönlichen Konflikten, politischen Intrigen und großen sowie kleinen Schlachten; Kearney verschwendet keine Seite auf unnötige Details, die die Geschichte nicht weiterbringen oder die Darstellung der Charaktere und der Welt nicht in irgendeiner Form bereichern. Da er alle wichtigen Details dennoch auf natürliche Weise über die Seiten hinweg verteilt einbringt, wirkt sich das schnelle Pacing trotzdem nicht negativ auf die Tiefe der Geschichte, der Charaktere und der Welt aus.
Insgesamt erinnert mich das Buch vor allem an die Instrumentalities of the Night-Reihe von Glen Cook. Die historische Inspiration ist hier sicherlich ähnlich, da sich sowohl die Handlung als auch die gesamte Welt ähneln. Da mir diese Reihe – die übrigens genauso wie The Sea Beggars unvollendet ist – insgesamt sehr gut gefiel, ist es wohl kein Wunder, dass mir Hawkwood and the Kings so zusagt.
So ergibt sich ein hervorragendes Buch – oder eigentlich viel mehr zwei. Ob die Aufteilung in die ursprünglichen zwei Bände das Ganze irgendwie negativ beeinflusst, kann ich nicht beurteilen; als ein gesamtes Buch funktioniert die Geschichte jedoch auf jeden Fall sehr gut. Dass die Buchreihe eher unbekannt ist, empfinde ich als sehr schade; sie hätte definitiv mehr Aufmerksamkeit und Lob verdient – zumal so die Chancen erhöht würden, dass das letzte Buch der The Sea Beggars-Reihe doch noch veröffentlicht wird.
*Das liegt aber wohl am Verlag, nicht am Autor.
September 23, 2014
Hawkwood and the Kings is an omnibus of Hawkwood’s Voyage and The Heretic Kings, first released in the mid-nineties to critical acclaim but limited commercial success. Paul Kearney is, to the detriment of readers of fine fantasy, one of those authors who ran into publisher difficulties. Had the publisher actively marketed the original releases of THE MONARCHIES OF GOD, the books would have sold well and would unquestionably be considered classics alongside other great adult fantasies like George R.R. Martin’s A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE and Steven Erikson’s... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/revi...
May 30, 2011
Paul Kearney is a grossly underrated author. This series is a great place to start for new readers. To be honest this first collection is weaker in comparison to the second Omnibus. I say this because the first book is a bit slow in my opinion. However, The second book is a huge step up and the second omnibus is unbelievable start to finish. If you like fantasy literature with an emphasis on the military then this book and this series is for you.
I would give this first collection 4.5 stars but the series as a whole would be closer to 5 stars.
I would give this first collection 4.5 stars but the series as a whole would be closer to 5 stars.
October 31, 2010
This omnibus contains the first two books in The Monarchies of God series.
Epic fantasy at its best!!! Absolutely awesome.
Full review in progress ....
Epic fantasy at its best!!! Absolutely awesome.
Full review in progress ....
March 20, 2021
Great read. Kearney is a master of prose.
Read
April 13, 2023Amazing series I only wish that Paul would write more!
June 24, 2023
A fantasy series that should be as recognized as A Song of Ice and Fire.
December 12, 2017
The continent of Normannia is dominated by the five great Monarchies of God, five kingdoms and myriad duchies and principalities united in the worship of the Word of God as revealed by the holy messenger, Saint Ramusio. But now, five centuries after Ramusio's passing, that union is fracturing. The Merduks of the east have taken the Holy City of Aekir and put it to the sword and the flame. The Kingdom of Torunna stands open to their armies, with only a scant defence being mounted at the fortress of Ormann Dyke. But rather than reinforce Torunna, the Church is instead sending its Knights Militant into the other kingdoms, determined to root out heretics and burn them at the stake.
In Hebrion King Abeleyn, determined to reassert the secular rule of kings over that of the Church, sets his will against that of Prelate Himerius, who is determined to continue the burnings of heretics, magic-users and shapeshifters. As part of these intrigues, Abeleyn authorises his cousin Lord Murad to outfit an expedition across the Great Western Ocean in search of a new landmass rumoured to exist there. Captain Richard Hawkwood is commissioned to lead this expedition, but once to sea it becomes clear that someone, or something, is determined to see it fail. For his part, with the Fall of Aekir and the apparent death of the High Pontiff, Himerius is determined to rise to high office and see the entire continent ordered to his design.
As the Merduk armies dash themselves against the walls of Ormann Dyke, a young cavalry officer, Corfe, last survivor of the Aekir garrison, emerges as a canny warleader who may hold the key to saving Torunna and Normannia. For in his party from Aekir is an old man who claims to be the High Pontiff Macrobius, and the revelation of his survival will splinter the continent in two and unleash turmoil and strife the likes of which have not been seen in centuries.
Hawkwood and the Kings is an omnibus edition containing the first two volumes of Paul Kearney's classic Monarchies of God series, Hawkwood's Voyage (1995) and The Heretic Kings (1996). Long out of print, this reissue is a very welcome move from Solaris. If it wasn't for poor sales (despite heavy critical acclaim), this series would be mentioned in the same breath as A Song of Ice and Fire and The Malazan Book of the Fallen as one of the strongest epic fantasy series of the past fifteen years.
Kearney's writing style, which comes across somewhere between Martin, David Gemmell and Bernard Cornwell, is brutal and direct. This is not a pleasant world and all of the characters are flawed individuals developed with complex motivations. Lord Murad, for example, is initially portrayed as an antagonist but by the end of the book he has gained more of the reader's sympathy, whilst our erstwhile heroes Hawkwood and Corfe both have plenty of negative traits (Hawkwood treats his wife badly, whilst Corfe fled Aekir rather than stand and fight). In this sense the series withstands comparison to A Song of Ice and Fire, although the (relatively) slim page count-per-volume means that the series cannot build up the same kind of unstoppable momentum. Still, the complex politics and characterisation will appeal to fans of that work.
An area which Kearney could have badly fumbled is in his treatment of his source material. The Fall of Aekir is modelled after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, with the Merduks standing in (fairly obviously from the name) for the Ottoman Turks and hence Muslims. Kearney avoids this by showing the Merduks to have honourable generals and soldiers amongst their ranks even as their leaders are shown to be a mixture of the corrupt and the competent. He could have tipped this in the other direction with the Ramusian Church, a clear stand-in for Christianity, portrayed too villainously, but solves this by adding sympathetic POV characters within the Church's ranks (particularly Albec and Avila), showing the internal dissent and strife that have driven some in the Church to the current extremism.
Kearney handles the politics, characters and religious material deftly and also delivers great battles, whether on land or at sea. More common now, Monarchies was unusual when it was published in being set further up the technological ladder than most epic fantasies, with gunpowder, arquebuses, culverins and mortars being the weapons of choice. Fans of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books or C.S. Forrester and Patrick O'Brien will be very happy with Kearney's depiction of combat, the life of a soldier and life at sea. Those readers tired of interminable thousand-page epic fantasy novels will also find Kearney's laser-like story focus and relentless pace refreshing.
Hawkwood and the Kings (*****) is epic fantasy at its very best, combining strongly-realised characters with epic battles, complex politics and a compelling storyline. This new edition will hopefully lead to a resurgence of interest in this over-neglected series. The omnibus is available now in the UK and USA from Solaris Books.
In Hebrion King Abeleyn, determined to reassert the secular rule of kings over that of the Church, sets his will against that of Prelate Himerius, who is determined to continue the burnings of heretics, magic-users and shapeshifters. As part of these intrigues, Abeleyn authorises his cousin Lord Murad to outfit an expedition across the Great Western Ocean in search of a new landmass rumoured to exist there. Captain Richard Hawkwood is commissioned to lead this expedition, but once to sea it becomes clear that someone, or something, is determined to see it fail. For his part, with the Fall of Aekir and the apparent death of the High Pontiff, Himerius is determined to rise to high office and see the entire continent ordered to his design.
As the Merduk armies dash themselves against the walls of Ormann Dyke, a young cavalry officer, Corfe, last survivor of the Aekir garrison, emerges as a canny warleader who may hold the key to saving Torunna and Normannia. For in his party from Aekir is an old man who claims to be the High Pontiff Macrobius, and the revelation of his survival will splinter the continent in two and unleash turmoil and strife the likes of which have not been seen in centuries.
Hawkwood and the Kings is an omnibus edition containing the first two volumes of Paul Kearney's classic Monarchies of God series, Hawkwood's Voyage (1995) and The Heretic Kings (1996). Long out of print, this reissue is a very welcome move from Solaris. If it wasn't for poor sales (despite heavy critical acclaim), this series would be mentioned in the same breath as A Song of Ice and Fire and The Malazan Book of the Fallen as one of the strongest epic fantasy series of the past fifteen years.
Kearney's writing style, which comes across somewhere between Martin, David Gemmell and Bernard Cornwell, is brutal and direct. This is not a pleasant world and all of the characters are flawed individuals developed with complex motivations. Lord Murad, for example, is initially portrayed as an antagonist but by the end of the book he has gained more of the reader's sympathy, whilst our erstwhile heroes Hawkwood and Corfe both have plenty of negative traits (Hawkwood treats his wife badly, whilst Corfe fled Aekir rather than stand and fight). In this sense the series withstands comparison to A Song of Ice and Fire, although the (relatively) slim page count-per-volume means that the series cannot build up the same kind of unstoppable momentum. Still, the complex politics and characterisation will appeal to fans of that work.
An area which Kearney could have badly fumbled is in his treatment of his source material. The Fall of Aekir is modelled after the Fall of Constantinople in 1453, with the Merduks standing in (fairly obviously from the name) for the Ottoman Turks and hence Muslims. Kearney avoids this by showing the Merduks to have honourable generals and soldiers amongst their ranks even as their leaders are shown to be a mixture of the corrupt and the competent. He could have tipped this in the other direction with the Ramusian Church, a clear stand-in for Christianity, portrayed too villainously, but solves this by adding sympathetic POV characters within the Church's ranks (particularly Albec and Avila), showing the internal dissent and strife that have driven some in the Church to the current extremism.
Kearney handles the politics, characters and religious material deftly and also delivers great battles, whether on land or at sea. More common now, Monarchies was unusual when it was published in being set further up the technological ladder than most epic fantasies, with gunpowder, arquebuses, culverins and mortars being the weapons of choice. Fans of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books or C.S. Forrester and Patrick O'Brien will be very happy with Kearney's depiction of combat, the life of a soldier and life at sea. Those readers tired of interminable thousand-page epic fantasy novels will also find Kearney's laser-like story focus and relentless pace refreshing.
Hawkwood and the Kings (*****) is epic fantasy at its very best, combining strongly-realised characters with epic battles, complex politics and a compelling storyline. This new edition will hopefully lead to a resurgence of interest in this over-neglected series. The omnibus is available now in the UK and USA from Solaris Books.
December 11, 2018
In Hawkwood and the Kings, we obviously have two novels stitched into one volume. The books being Hawkwood's Voyage and The Heretic Kings. After a brief setup, I'll talk about each book, then the volume as a whole.
THE SETUP
A Merduk horde numbering in the hundreds of thousands has come sweeping out of the East, conquering the borders of the Western kingdoms, or, the Monarchies of God. They capture cities and castles, enslave or execute any who survive, and generally cause a whole lot of trouble for everybody involved.
Meanwhile the Ramusian Church (a power structure similar to the Catholic church, I imagine) is burning wizards and foreigners and anybody not very Ramusian (Christian, I think) by the hundreds on massive pyres.
AND the king of the westernmost Ramusian country gets word of an unclaimed continent across the western sea, and so sends a couple ships over to check it out.
That's as basic as I can get.
* * * * * *
HAWKWOOD'S VOYAGE
The first book sets the stage well. (Better than I did!) It introduces every core character you'll meet in this volume, and there are a LOT. The plot moves very quickly, jumping between the half-dozen or so major characters as they move about the continent and the sea just trying to survive. The Merduk horde is severely destructive, and Kearney does a fantastic job describing the utter chaos, misery, and violence that accompanies these characters.
He also is very good at environmental description, telling us about landscapes and castles and armies and battles.
Any flaws in the book\this section of the volume involve weak characterization. The main characters don't differentiate much from each other, and any non-POV characters are basically names that occasionally do things, rather than anybody interesting.
THE HERETIC KINGS
Book 2 (being the last 30-40 percent of the volume) slows the story way down, for the most part. Certain plots feel less significant, with characters taking long absences. Book 2 is shorter, and thus has LESS characterization, and also loses a lot of the grand prose that vividly painted the events and landscapes of the first book. In the first book, Kearney could write a well-realized battle scene and castle. In Book 2, the city is hard to imagine, and the battles even harder.
That said, while some plots flounder, the Western Continent plot is absolutely riveting. Lots of mystery, drama, small character moments, and high tension.
HAWKWOOD AND THE KINGS
So the volume as a whole I would say is very good, almost bordering on great in some moments. (namely the Western Continent in book 2 and the Merduk invasion in Book 1) Although the events of the first book feel more significant, and the ending is better, leaving the back half of the volume\book 2 feeling underwhelming and ending weaker.
The characters never quite become more than subpar, save for maybe two or three (of the dozen-and-a-half POV\side characters).
The biggest weakness in this lack of characterization comes in the villains. The "heroes" range from dull to kinda-interesting, while the villains range from dull to cartoonishly evil. This at least is true of the PEOPLE that serve as the villains. There are no "hero must defeat villain" plots in these books thus far. Instead, the driving forces of tension, chaos, violence, destruction etc seem to be more CONCEPTS.
Sauron from Lord of the Rings serves as a good example. He exists merely as a name to drive the forces of evil, and Monarchies of God works the same way. The MERDUK INVASION is the "villain", not the LEADER of the Merduks. The Pontiff\Pope is a bad guy, sure, but it's his CHURCH and its MASS PYRES that are the true threats.
Magic plays a part in the story, but not a massive part (until a certain section of book 2). Characters spend a majority of the time running through war-torn countries, trying to survive desperately in a single location, or plotting how to handle the myriad of threats that burn and kill their way through these two books.
Plenty of swords, lances, cannons, ships, half-armors, and royal meetings everywhere.
All in all, definitely a worthy read for large-scale war fantasy. Not great with the characters, but fantastic with the plot of its massive multi-sided war and backstage magical mysteries....
THE SETUP
A Merduk horde numbering in the hundreds of thousands has come sweeping out of the East, conquering the borders of the Western kingdoms, or, the Monarchies of God. They capture cities and castles, enslave or execute any who survive, and generally cause a whole lot of trouble for everybody involved.
Meanwhile the Ramusian Church (a power structure similar to the Catholic church, I imagine) is burning wizards and foreigners and anybody not very Ramusian (Christian, I think) by the hundreds on massive pyres.
AND the king of the westernmost Ramusian country gets word of an unclaimed continent across the western sea, and so sends a couple ships over to check it out.
That's as basic as I can get.
* * * * * *
HAWKWOOD'S VOYAGE
The first book sets the stage well. (Better than I did!) It introduces every core character you'll meet in this volume, and there are a LOT. The plot moves very quickly, jumping between the half-dozen or so major characters as they move about the continent and the sea just trying to survive. The Merduk horde is severely destructive, and Kearney does a fantastic job describing the utter chaos, misery, and violence that accompanies these characters.
He also is very good at environmental description, telling us about landscapes and castles and armies and battles.
Any flaws in the book\this section of the volume involve weak characterization. The main characters don't differentiate much from each other, and any non-POV characters are basically names that occasionally do things, rather than anybody interesting.
THE HERETIC KINGS
Book 2 (being the last 30-40 percent of the volume) slows the story way down, for the most part. Certain plots feel less significant, with characters taking long absences. Book 2 is shorter, and thus has LESS characterization, and also loses a lot of the grand prose that vividly painted the events and landscapes of the first book. In the first book, Kearney could write a well-realized battle scene and castle. In Book 2, the city is hard to imagine, and the battles even harder.
That said, while some plots flounder, the Western Continent plot is absolutely riveting. Lots of mystery, drama, small character moments, and high tension.
HAWKWOOD AND THE KINGS
So the volume as a whole I would say is very good, almost bordering on great in some moments. (namely the Western Continent in book 2 and the Merduk invasion in Book 1) Although the events of the first book feel more significant, and the ending is better, leaving the back half of the volume\book 2 feeling underwhelming and ending weaker.
The characters never quite become more than subpar, save for maybe two or three (of the dozen-and-a-half POV\side characters).
The biggest weakness in this lack of characterization comes in the villains. The "heroes" range from dull to kinda-interesting, while the villains range from dull to cartoonishly evil. This at least is true of the PEOPLE that serve as the villains. There are no "hero must defeat villain" plots in these books thus far. Instead, the driving forces of tension, chaos, violence, destruction etc seem to be more CONCEPTS.
Sauron from Lord of the Rings serves as a good example. He exists merely as a name to drive the forces of evil, and Monarchies of God works the same way. The MERDUK INVASION is the "villain", not the LEADER of the Merduks. The Pontiff\Pope is a bad guy, sure, but it's his CHURCH and its MASS PYRES that are the true threats.
Magic plays a part in the story, but not a massive part (until a certain section of book 2). Characters spend a majority of the time running through war-torn countries, trying to survive desperately in a single location, or plotting how to handle the myriad of threats that burn and kill their way through these two books.
Plenty of swords, lances, cannons, ships, half-armors, and royal meetings everywhere.
All in all, definitely a worthy read for large-scale war fantasy. Not great with the characters, but fantastic with the plot of its massive multi-sided war and backstage magical mysteries....
August 24, 2022
There are two stories here. The first is the story of Hawkwood's voyage, as the title implies. But that story is actually the smaller one. Most of the book is about a war between a Middle-Eastern-like culture and a European-like culture that's raging alongside a civil war between the kings and the religious leaders.
Hawkwood's voyage is fantastic. The ocean is terrifying. I would say that it kept me on the edge of my seat, but that isn't quite right. More like it kept me lying comfortably on my couch in my climate-controlled home appreciating the fact that I wasn't lost at sea in the middle of a tropical storm, soaked for days on end, chilled to the bone, starving, and living in terror of the mysterious beast that stalks the ship. It's that sort of story that makes you feel cozy through contrast. But as horrifically great as the journey is, the destination doesn't really live up to it. It's a total letdown. I was hoping for so much more.
The war between the Middle-Eastern-like culture and the European-like culture frustrated me because I'm sick of fantasy authors not using any creativity when building their worlds. Not every book can be Dune, but at least give us something.
On the redeeming side, I loved how the religious civil war is taking place at the same time as this foreign threat is invading. One war is enough to fill a book with tension. But here we have two, and both of them seem hopeless. It's amazing. I'm surprised more authors aren't using this same formula.
The battles are fantastic. The tactics are creative and make sense. The scenes are vividly described and feel real. The characters are worth caring about. None of them are safe. Some of them die. The tension is ratcheted up to eleven.
There's very little magic in this first book. The wizards mainly serve as spies and messengers, making them extremely useful, but their magic isn't powerful enough to directly swing the outcome of a battle. I think that helps it feel grounded, and it also lets Paul Kearney draw from real historical events, using bonafide tactics. It works very well.
Overall, the way these twin wars are handled is incredible. These are some of the best battles in fantasy.
This is a great start to a series.
Hawkwood's voyage is fantastic. The ocean is terrifying. I would say that it kept me on the edge of my seat, but that isn't quite right. More like it kept me lying comfortably on my couch in my climate-controlled home appreciating the fact that I wasn't lost at sea in the middle of a tropical storm, soaked for days on end, chilled to the bone, starving, and living in terror of the mysterious beast that stalks the ship. It's that sort of story that makes you feel cozy through contrast. But as horrifically great as the journey is, the destination doesn't really live up to it. It's a total letdown. I was hoping for so much more.
The war between the Middle-Eastern-like culture and the European-like culture frustrated me because I'm sick of fantasy authors not using any creativity when building their worlds. Not every book can be Dune, but at least give us something.
On the redeeming side, I loved how the religious civil war is taking place at the same time as this foreign threat is invading. One war is enough to fill a book with tension. But here we have two, and both of them seem hopeless. It's amazing. I'm surprised more authors aren't using this same formula.
The battles are fantastic. The tactics are creative and make sense. The scenes are vividly described and feel real. The characters are worth caring about. None of them are safe. Some of them die. The tension is ratcheted up to eleven.
There's very little magic in this first book. The wizards mainly serve as spies and messengers, making them extremely useful, but their magic isn't powerful enough to directly swing the outcome of a battle. I think that helps it feel grounded, and it also lets Paul Kearney draw from real historical events, using bonafide tactics. It works very well.
Overall, the way these twin wars are handled is incredible. These are some of the best battles in fantasy.
This is a great start to a series.
April 4, 2016
I’m not sure how I initially heard of Paul Kearney and his Monarchies of God series because it seems like he’s slipped under almost everyone’s radar. And despite being very similar in many ways to ‘Game of Thrones,’ Kearney’s novels haven’t found their place at the edge of the spotlight just yet. Not like they were big when they were published either- from what I can tell, Kearney wrote these novels in pieces for submission to a fantasy magazine, and only after making significant headway, did he decide to publish each novel by itself. This bind-up called ‘Hawkwood’s Voyage’ is an even later publication that combined Books 1 and 2 in an attempt to condense and streamline the series for the ease of the readership. Books 3, 4, and 5 are in their own bind-up, the sequel novel to this one called ‘Century of the Soldier.’
Summarizing the plot of this series is going to be difficult just because Kearney’s world is so large. The bind-ups themselves aren’t particularly massive (each book comes in maaaybe at around 250 pages) but a ton of stuff happens in each one. This isn’t a long series but my god, is it a dense one filled with a large cast, multiple sprawling plotlines, and a world that mimics medieval Europe but with just enough differences that it takes some learning on the reader’s part.
The very general gist of the whole thing is that there’s growing conflict between the King and the clergy over how magic users in the kingdom should be treated and perceived. Because other kingdoms are coming under attack from a spreading invading nation, the Church recommends a period of non-leniency, where potential sorcerers are rooted out before war erupts fully across the land. The monarchy disagrees and decides to remove the magic users not by executing them as the Church desires, but by sending them across the ocean to hopefully colonize a continent (that might or might not exist) leagues across the sea. Hawkwood’s the Captain chosen to lead a small armada of ships peopled with sorcerers and soldiers, and that’s where the ‘Voyage’ part of the novel’s title comes in. Although this is one of the most captivating plot lines it’s not the only one and Kearney weaves a massive story about war, conquest, and politics that bounces from soldier, to priest, to king with ease and grace.
At the risk of spoiling things I’ll stop my crude summary there and instead pay my respects to Kearney’s prose. In terms of the visceral reaction, of the physical expression of a place or a person or an event, Kearney is one of the most talented authors I’ve ever read. I have no idea how he prepared to write these novels but at times it reads like he actually lived them. There’s a believability to every scene he writes whether it’s sailing a big galleon through a storm, orchestrating a siege, leading an army through a deadly mountain pass, or exploring a rainforest that’s just alien enough that it borders on uncomfortable. At first, it can read a little bit too technically (as in, do I really need to know what we call *that* specific part of the ship?) but he quickly hits his stride as the series continues and it becomes impossible to imagine these books written any other way. I want to mention too that, having spent a large chunk of my childhood trailing after my biologist parents in tropical rainforests, Kearney’s description of this kind of habitat was spot. on. Granted, he took certain liberties with some fantasy elements, but the way he wrote about the killer humidity, the torrential rain that starts and stops in an eyeblink, and the feeling of walking under a canopy that’s so oppressively dense it almost becomes haunting… it was incredible. I’d almost say this series is a must read just for that section. (And it’s funny too because since I finished this series I’ve read the Vorrh by B. Catling and I think Kearney does the ‘creepy, forest with a secret’ theme much better than Catling did, even though that’s the Vorrh’s big ‘claim to fame’.)
There’s an authenticity to Kearney’s prose that’s unique to this series and it made the whole thing come alive and feel genuine. I’d recommend these books just for the way he writes even if that was the only thing they had going for them. Thankfully it’s not, and the Monarchies of God series also offers up a host of interesting and sympathetic main characters. One viewpoint in particular broke my heart then broke it again then took the stringy, bloody pieces and fed them to hyenas. Another, made me realize how much I enjoyed hating someone even as I grudgingly had to respect him and hated him for that too. Another one ended way too soon and I’m still in a bit of shock almost a year later. It was an engaging, tragic, diverse cast of characters that was a bit on the large side but never felt overwhelming or redundant.
I’m not going to review ‘Century of the Soldier’ (the second bind-up) because I feel like a lot of what I just said is applicable to the concluding arc of the series, but I WILL mention that the second half is a lot weaker than the first. And I will say that although I mentioned viewpoints abruptly ending, there’s really no warning for the massacre that takes place during the 5th book except the one I’m giving you now. So be warned. Even Kearney himself considers the last book something of a disappointment in some respects and he openly acknowledged that he was working on lengthening and revising it- which, if you make it that far, you’ll see is sorely needed. All that I can tell you is that, despite this diluted ending, this series is absolutely worth reading- just be prepared for it to all end with a sad little whimper (probably originating from you).
Summarizing the plot of this series is going to be difficult just because Kearney’s world is so large. The bind-ups themselves aren’t particularly massive (each book comes in maaaybe at around 250 pages) but a ton of stuff happens in each one. This isn’t a long series but my god, is it a dense one filled with a large cast, multiple sprawling plotlines, and a world that mimics medieval Europe but with just enough differences that it takes some learning on the reader’s part.
The very general gist of the whole thing is that there’s growing conflict between the King and the clergy over how magic users in the kingdom should be treated and perceived. Because other kingdoms are coming under attack from a spreading invading nation, the Church recommends a period of non-leniency, where potential sorcerers are rooted out before war erupts fully across the land. The monarchy disagrees and decides to remove the magic users not by executing them as the Church desires, but by sending them across the ocean to hopefully colonize a continent (that might or might not exist) leagues across the sea. Hawkwood’s the Captain chosen to lead a small armada of ships peopled with sorcerers and soldiers, and that’s where the ‘Voyage’ part of the novel’s title comes in. Although this is one of the most captivating plot lines it’s not the only one and Kearney weaves a massive story about war, conquest, and politics that bounces from soldier, to priest, to king with ease and grace.
At the risk of spoiling things I’ll stop my crude summary there and instead pay my respects to Kearney’s prose. In terms of the visceral reaction, of the physical expression of a place or a person or an event, Kearney is one of the most talented authors I’ve ever read. I have no idea how he prepared to write these novels but at times it reads like he actually lived them. There’s a believability to every scene he writes whether it’s sailing a big galleon through a storm, orchestrating a siege, leading an army through a deadly mountain pass, or exploring a rainforest that’s just alien enough that it borders on uncomfortable. At first, it can read a little bit too technically (as in, do I really need to know what we call *that* specific part of the ship?) but he quickly hits his stride as the series continues and it becomes impossible to imagine these books written any other way. I want to mention too that, having spent a large chunk of my childhood trailing after my biologist parents in tropical rainforests, Kearney’s description of this kind of habitat was spot. on. Granted, he took certain liberties with some fantasy elements, but the way he wrote about the killer humidity, the torrential rain that starts and stops in an eyeblink, and the feeling of walking under a canopy that’s so oppressively dense it almost becomes haunting… it was incredible. I’d almost say this series is a must read just for that section. (And it’s funny too because since I finished this series I’ve read the Vorrh by B. Catling and I think Kearney does the ‘creepy, forest with a secret’ theme much better than Catling did, even though that’s the Vorrh’s big ‘claim to fame’.)
There’s an authenticity to Kearney’s prose that’s unique to this series and it made the whole thing come alive and feel genuine. I’d recommend these books just for the way he writes even if that was the only thing they had going for them. Thankfully it’s not, and the Monarchies of God series also offers up a host of interesting and sympathetic main characters. One viewpoint in particular broke my heart then broke it again then took the stringy, bloody pieces and fed them to hyenas. Another, made me realize how much I enjoyed hating someone even as I grudgingly had to respect him and hated him for that too. Another one ended way too soon and I’m still in a bit of shock almost a year later. It was an engaging, tragic, diverse cast of characters that was a bit on the large side but never felt overwhelming or redundant.
I’m not going to review ‘Century of the Soldier’ (the second bind-up) because I feel like a lot of what I just said is applicable to the concluding arc of the series, but I WILL mention that the second half is a lot weaker than the first. And I will say that although I mentioned viewpoints abruptly ending, there’s really no warning for the massacre that takes place during the 5th book except the one I’m giving you now. So be warned. Even Kearney himself considers the last book something of a disappointment in some respects and he openly acknowledged that he was working on lengthening and revising it- which, if you make it that far, you’ll see is sorely needed. All that I can tell you is that, despite this diluted ending, this series is absolutely worth reading- just be prepared for it to all end with a sad little whimper (probably originating from you).
March 13, 2019
I can see why this would have the makings of epic fantasy - it's set in an alternative 15th century. There's magic (seven branches, including shapeshifing and wizardry), there's the growing power of the (corrupt) Church and their desire to burn the Dweomer-folk, the launch to the New World in the undiscovered West, there's the Merduk (aka Muslim) army, and there's the old Roman Empire with their armies.
But mostly, I read it and was like... meh. I don't care about these characters or their motivations.
But mostly, I read it and was like... meh. I don't care about these characters or their motivations.
August 7, 2025
Stumbled upon this older work. In a world reminiscent of 16th century Europe, filled with politics, war, gunpowder, ships, exploration. One story follows an explorer to the new world much like Cortes and Columbus. An invasion of a Middle Eastern style empire similar to the ottoman turks and internal strife among the church and kingdom leads to religous splintering.
Characters are solid and the book very much grabbed me and pulled me along. Can't wait for volume 2.
Characters are solid and the book very much grabbed me and pulled me along. Can't wait for volume 2.
January 8, 2026
The first two books of the Monarchies of God series are brilliant, the concept is great and the characters feel functional and not overbearing or exaggerated. Well worth the read, and the full series too, even if publishing conflicts caused issues for the author and it couldn't be as complete as needed.
December 27, 2017
This is a good book. It follows flawed characters and examines themes such as persecution, genocide, war and political bickering. It has interesting magical elements and has left me wanting to read the next book.
August 12, 2017
9/10
Great military fantasy.
Great military fantasy.
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