Rosalyn Kelly
  • Home
  • FREE BOOK
  • Books
  • About
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Book Review: Blackwing by Ed McDonald

1/10/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Book Review: Blackwing (The Raven's Mark Book 1) by Ed McDonald (published by Gollancz)

This epic fantasy has received glowing reviews and is a big contender for ‘best fantasy book of 2017’.  And rightly so, because it is a great read.  Captain Ryhalt Galharrow is an older, experienced, battle-scarred soldier employed to hunt down spies and traitors, who invariably run into The Misery.  This is the name for the wasteland that lies right outside the city walls, which was the site of a huge battle between the Republic and the evil Deep Kings. The magic wrought during that war – and the powerful weapon used – blasted, twisted, and generally screwed up the area, but also drove back the Deep Kings. For many years, these Deep Kings have been reluctant to attack again for fear of this weapon.  
There are odd, dangerous creatures in The Misery, once human or animal, but now turned to something else entirely and the book opens with Galharrow and his crew of questionable fighters hunting a traitor in these wastelands.  Galharrow, under the direction of a Nameless God, is directed to a lookout station, one which houses a part of the weapon – Nall’s Engine – only to discover that perhaps it’s not in the working condition it should be… and the Deep Kings have got wind of this… and are coming. Eeek.

There was so much I loved about this book.  Firstly, the weird creatures out in The Misery. There are Darlings who look like children but are super powerful sorcerers with adult voices who throw out mind-worms that burrow into brains and make the person do their bidding.  There are Gillings that know and say only six completely random phrases and have anaesthetic in their teeth so if they bite you when you’re asleep they eat you alive as you’re numb to the pain. As well as lots of other bizarre things.  And the strange creatures that have found their way into the city and work as spies for the Deep Kings – the Brides that poison people’s minds with sex and grow fatter the more sex slaves they ensnare.

Secondly, I felt the characters were so well crafted, had detailed back stories and wholly believable actions. I liked Ezabeth Tanza, Nenn, Tnota and Dantry. And some of the secondary characters such as Prince Herono and Venzer were brilliantly realised. I didn’t quite bond with Galharrow, but nevertheless enjoyed seeing the world through his eyes.

And thirdly, the writing was excellent. Vivid descriptions that brought the setting and action to life. The highly detailed fight scenes were intense. There was one passage where two wizards are doing battle inside Galharrow’s mind that really stood out for me. This is so well described that I could picture what Galharrow must be seeing – or more specifically experiencing in his body.  He is abstractly wandering through someone else’s memories and this was so well done that I immediately went back to reread it a second time (which I rarely do!).  

So why did I not score this book higher? Galharrow’s frequent (and repetitive) melancholy musings, “I’m a worthless drunk”, “I feel guilty about my kids”, “I’ve done some bad things in my past”, “unrequited love boo hoo” dragged big time for me and I found myself skimming those woe-is-me internal monologues, of which there were quite a few. But otherwise, this was an enjoyable read, one I recommend for fantasy fans.  

My rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads | Author website | Publisher website

​**My debut novel, an epic fantasy called MELOKAI, is out now! Available from Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, Google Play Books, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords. Read more about my books here.**
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Click here for your free ebook of my fantasy novella THE FALL OF VAASAR.
    Picture
    Click here for my Book Review Policy.
    Are you on Goodreads?  Let's be friends!  Find me here.
    Subscribe to my email mailing list to be notified about new releases, giveaways, price promotions, free books, free short stories as well as exclusive extra content.

    Categories

    All
    Action And Adventure
    Audiobook
    Author Interviews
    A-Z By Author Surname
    Fantasy
    Fiction
    Historical Fiction
    Horror
    Listicles
    Literary Fiction
    Melokai
    Non Fiction
    Review Policy
    Romance
    Science Fiction
    Self Publishing
    The Clash At Jagged Canyon
    The Fall Of Vaasar
    The Sand Scuttler
    The Tunnel Runner
    Thriller
    Violya
    Women's Fiction
    Writing
    Young Adult

    Archives

    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • FREE BOOK
  • Books
  • About
  • Blog
  • Subscribe
  • Contact