A Sword That Refuses to Be a Metaphor
The book begins by promising a sword and then, out of some misplaced sense of honesty, actually delivers one. This is considered bold. The sword itself is uninterested in symbolism and spends most of its page time simply being sharp, which several characters find refreshing.
Dialogue throughout is conducted primarily through grimacing. Entire conversations are resolved when one participant grimaces more convincingly than the other.
Plot, Assembled Under Duress
Several men with complicated pasts are gathered for a purpose that is explained six different times by six different characters, none of whom agree:
- One man is extremely tired and has been for several hundred pages.
- A wizard offers directions that turn out to be riddles, then apologizes and offers directions again.
- A torturer joins the group and is, unexpectedly, the most emotionally well-adjusted member.
- The war, when it arrives, is disappointed to learn it is only a subplot.
By the final act, nobody has technically won anything, which the book insists is the point.
Verdict, Delivered With a Grimace
Grim, funny, and occasionally both in the same sentence, which shouldn’t work but does. Recommended for readers who want their fantasy violence accompanied by excellent bookkeeping.
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