My Five Word TL:DR Review : Private Ryan meets Frodo Baggins

Okay – that’s not essentially correct because this has a WW1 feel rather than WW2 but even so it has those vibes.  A small band of elite soldiers, moving deep into enemy territory on a covert mission in a world where monsters can be both human and other.  This is an epic quest, the result of which could either save or break the world as our characters now know it.  A small Band of Sisters trying to save the world from darkness.

I really enjoyed this.  It’s a step away from the urban fantasy world of Ordshaw that Williams usually writes from but as with his other work the characters really shine through and are, for me, what makes this read so enjoyable.  Military fantasy isn’t usually the type of book that I would naturally err towards so I was pleased at how well this worked for me.

The world – known as the Rocc.  Currently experiencing global conflict primarily between the Drail Empire and the unified countries that came together to prevent the Drail’s quest for domination.  Everything about this gave me WW1 vibes which in many respects made it easy to visualise – but, here there be giants and goblins, barkmen and Grekkels.  So, tread carefully,  Not only must our characters infiltrate way beyond the enemy lines but they also need to be ever vigilant – there are many strange critters in the wilderness.

We actually follow characters from both camps.  On the one side we have the Blood Scouts and on the other the Dread Corps.  From the Blood Scouts we follow Wild Wish as she rises through the ranks, her cheerful presence giving the rest of her companions hope. This is an engaging bunch of characters with a found family feel.  From the Dread Corps we meet up with Maringdale, an officer of the Purification who has the ability to use magic in a way that allows her to be aware of a person’s intentions.  The Purification is much as it sounds.  I would call it military police but this particularly unit has significant power and is generally feared, nobody wants to be investigated by them. Maringdale is particularly ambitious.  She wants to prove her worth and has visions of the ‘all male’ Dread Corps embracing her and her talents, to this end, and to prove herself she is determined to find the Blood Scouts.

This is an impressive story filled with creativity and heart.  It does take a little while to get under your skin, there are a number of characters to become familiar with not to mention different races and the overall knowledge of the conflict, but once you get into the flow and find your favourites it takes on a new life of it’s own.  The stakes are raised and the ending has a dramatic finale reminiscent of old war films with heros and sacrifices aplenty and a tense scene on a speeding train.

Overall, this is a complex, thrilling and emotional read and given the ending I can’t wait to see where the author takes us next.  Not to be missed if you enjoy military style drama set in a fantasy world with plenty of emotion and strong characters.  Reminiscent of old movies such as The Dirty Dozen, Kelly’s Heroes and Von Ryan’s Express mashed into a fantasy world where the wilderness is a very dangerous place – well, put bluntly, it would be folly to miss this series.

I received a copy courtesy of the author, for which my thanks.  The above is my own opinion.

My rating 4.5 of 5 stars