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The Review: http://thefoundingfields.com/2014/04/blood-and-iron-jon-sprunk-bane-of-kings/
"A fun sword and sorcery romp with an excellently developed world, Blood and Iron is a good read that fans of the genre will enjoy, with some excellent character development that will keep readers entertained even when this book might not be the most original on the market today." ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
"Set in a richly-imagined world, this action-heavy fantasy epic and series opener is like a sword-and-sorcery Spartacus.
It starts with a shipwreck following a magical storm at sea. Horace, a soldier from the west, had joined the Great Crusade against the heathens of Akeshia after the deaths of his wife and son from plague. When he washes ashore, he finds himself at the mercy of the very people he was sent to kill, who speak a language and have a culture and customs he doesn't even begin to understand.
Not long after, Horace is pressed into service as a house slave. But this doesn't last. The Akeshians discover that Horace was a latent sorcerer, and he is catapulted from the chains of a slave to the halls of power in the queen's court. Together with Jirom, an ex-mercenary and gladiator, and Alyra, a spy in the court, he will seek a path to free himself and the empire's caste of slaves from a system where every man and woman must pay the price of blood or iron. Before the end, Horace will have paid dearly in both."
Jon Sprunk is a writer whose work I’ve been wanting to read for a while now so that when I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of his first new novel since concluding his debut trilogy, I dove straight into it and ended up really enjoying the book. Sure, it may be problematic in places and has plenty of flaws, but at its core, it is an entertaining, action packed and fun read that reads a lot quicker than most fantasy novels on shelves at the moment, and will leave you eagerly looking forward to future instalments in the Book of the Black Earth series.
If you read a sword and sorcery novel you’ll begin to notice that the genre shares a few things in common. However, despite the fact that Blood and Iron may not be the most original thing ever, like Paul S. Kemp’s Egil & Nix series for Angry Robot Books, it still manages to be lots of fun and incredibly entertaining – with the benefit of a richly detailed world that doesn’t come at a cost to the pace.
Meet Horace – a soldier from the west. He’s fighting in the Great Crusade against the people of Akeshia. However, something goes wrong and he ends up being pressed into service as a slave – before his latent sorcerer talents are uncovered and he becomes a member of the Queen’s Court. He’s also the main primary character of Blood and Iron – but not the only one. The third person narrative is split between Jirom, an ex mercenary now a Gladiator – and Alyra, a spy in the Court who uses the fact that she’s a slave for cover. Horace’s main struggle is against the empire, determined to free slaves from its iron grip.
Despite a relatively slow start, the book will pick up and move along at a quick pace once you get stuck into the narrative. I found myself flicking through pages desperately wanting to find out what happened next by the end, but despite this it took me a while to really connect to the characters. However, as well as the fun element that comes with the sword and sorcery genre – the book also benefits from a rich, fleshed out world that is one of the book’s highlights – you can see why it’s one of the first things that’s mentioned on the blurb. The comparisons to Spartacus are also justified as well, and it’s quite easy to spot the connection if you imagine what it had been like with a sword and sorcery twist.
Sprunk utilises a masterful narrative skill to keep readers engrossed in the series – people tired of all the characters in fantasy being white males will be relieved to see that there are several POC characters in this book as well – with narrative Points of View. Sprunk adds the diversity to a book successfully and gains bonus points in that regard.
The narrative is split between four main characters, two of each gender. Their meetings, interactions and development are very interesting to watch unfold – and Horace and company are very well developed. All four have a lot of attention put into their character growth and the end result is a success.
The book itself may be a little too predictable when it comes to the romance angle. It’s one of the problems in the book that should have really been improved on given the quality of the plot – and never feels as interesting as the main bulk of the narrative. This and the fact that there are multiple clichés inside also drag down the novel’s narrative in places – but despite this – Blood and Iron is still an engaging read.
Has it made me want to pick up the sequel? Sure, why not – I’ll certainly give it a try. However it doesn’t quite deserve to be at that top level of fantasy just yet, and it’ll be interesting to see how Sprunk’s work improves in future installments.
RATING: 7/10
"A fun sword and sorcery romp with an excellently developed world, Blood and Iron is a good read that fans of the genre will enjoy, with some excellent character development that will keep readers entertained even when this book might not be the most original on the market today." ~Bane of Kings, The Founding Fields
"Set in a richly-imagined world, this action-heavy fantasy epic and series opener is like a sword-and-sorcery Spartacus.
It starts with a shipwreck following a magical storm at sea. Horace, a soldier from the west, had joined the Great Crusade against the heathens of Akeshia after the deaths of his wife and son from plague. When he washes ashore, he finds himself at the mercy of the very people he was sent to kill, who speak a language and have a culture and customs he doesn't even begin to understand.
Not long after, Horace is pressed into service as a house slave. But this doesn't last. The Akeshians discover that Horace was a latent sorcerer, and he is catapulted from the chains of a slave to the halls of power in the queen's court. Together with Jirom, an ex-mercenary and gladiator, and Alyra, a spy in the court, he will seek a path to free himself and the empire's caste of slaves from a system where every man and woman must pay the price of blood or iron. Before the end, Horace will have paid dearly in both."
Jon Sprunk is a writer whose work I’ve been wanting to read for a while now so that when I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of his first new novel since concluding his debut trilogy, I dove straight into it and ended up really enjoying the book. Sure, it may be problematic in places and has plenty of flaws, but at its core, it is an entertaining, action packed and fun read that reads a lot quicker than most fantasy novels on shelves at the moment, and will leave you eagerly looking forward to future instalments in the Book of the Black Earth series.
If you read a sword and sorcery novel you’ll begin to notice that the genre shares a few things in common. However, despite the fact that Blood and Iron may not be the most original thing ever, like Paul S. Kemp’s Egil & Nix series for Angry Robot Books, it still manages to be lots of fun and incredibly entertaining – with the benefit of a richly detailed world that doesn’t come at a cost to the pace.
Meet Horace – a soldier from the west. He’s fighting in the Great Crusade against the people of Akeshia. However, something goes wrong and he ends up being pressed into service as a slave – before his latent sorcerer talents are uncovered and he becomes a member of the Queen’s Court. He’s also the main primary character of Blood and Iron – but not the only one. The third person narrative is split between Jirom, an ex mercenary now a Gladiator – and Alyra, a spy in the Court who uses the fact that she’s a slave for cover. Horace’s main struggle is against the empire, determined to free slaves from its iron grip.
Despite a relatively slow start, the book will pick up and move along at a quick pace once you get stuck into the narrative. I found myself flicking through pages desperately wanting to find out what happened next by the end, but despite this it took me a while to really connect to the characters. However, as well as the fun element that comes with the sword and sorcery genre – the book also benefits from a rich, fleshed out world that is one of the book’s highlights – you can see why it’s one of the first things that’s mentioned on the blurb. The comparisons to Spartacus are also justified as well, and it’s quite easy to spot the connection if you imagine what it had been like with a sword and sorcery twist.
Sprunk utilises a masterful narrative skill to keep readers engrossed in the series – people tired of all the characters in fantasy being white males will be relieved to see that there are several POC characters in this book as well – with narrative Points of View. Sprunk adds the diversity to a book successfully and gains bonus points in that regard.
The narrative is split between four main characters, two of each gender. Their meetings, interactions and development are very interesting to watch unfold – and Horace and company are very well developed. All four have a lot of attention put into their character growth and the end result is a success.
The book itself may be a little too predictable when it comes to the romance angle. It’s one of the problems in the book that should have really been improved on given the quality of the plot – and never feels as interesting as the main bulk of the narrative. This and the fact that there are multiple clichés inside also drag down the novel’s narrative in places – but despite this – Blood and Iron is still an engaging read.
Has it made me want to pick up the sequel? Sure, why not – I’ll certainly give it a try. However it doesn’t quite deserve to be at that top level of fantasy just yet, and it’ll be interesting to see how Sprunk’s work improves in future installments.
RATING: 7/10
I liked the overall premise, but it felt at times like certain characters were acting different if not completely contrary from their characterizations from one chapter to the other. It was mostly prevalent in minor characters although some main characters at times acted strange as well.
Several minor sideplots were added and then either not sufficiently explained or abandoned...
Anyway it was a decent read, but it could have been so much better.
Several minor sideplots were added and then either not sufficiently explained or abandoned...
Anyway it was a decent read, but it could have been so much better.
3,5 stars. Review coming soon. Enjoyable read, but maybe my expectations were a bit too high.
Interesting world, but the plight of the characters didn't grasp me
Jon has produced a story with a strong epic fantasy feel. The story moves along with major event after another with great descriptions of the town, buildings, rooms, and people as we go. The world building of the culture Horace comes into and the magic that is cherished here is powerful.
****FULL REVIEW****
Horace wakes in a home of strangers speaking a language quite different from any he's ever heard after being washed off the deck of the ship he worked on. Horace is in his countries enemy land, and learns the magic that lays within him when a frightening chaos storm of green lightning rolls in while he's chained with other slaves heading to a temple. Horace meets Jirom, a champion fighter and mercenary captured into slavery months ago. A keen friendship is quickly made when both men see how strong the other is, and not simply muscle strength. While in the grace of the Queen Byleth, Horace meets Alyra. Alyra is a strong slave to the Queen and yet so much more in the world. Horace grows in this town of constant danger and political games.
Jon has produced a story with a strong epic fantasy feel. The story moves along with major event after another with great descriptions of the town, buildings, rooms, and people as we go. I can see some thinking this slows the pace of the story as it stretches the events longer in reading, but it's part of what draws the epic fantasy picture. The world building of the culture Horace comes into and the magic that is cherished here is powerful.
There are three main characters we follow, yet possibly five. First we meet Horace. He's a simple man. He seems to be of a passive personality, not wanting much from the world or life as he's lost what was dear to him before. Yet he survives through the tortures the world puts on him. Horace even ends in a stronger sense than when he started. And he learns of a magic awakened in him. Cool. And I have so many questions about how he's different too. I'm curious of the potential he shows and where it will go.
We then meet Jirom. I have my eye on this man. I seem to love a good mercenary in fantasy and a man with a firm direction.
Then we have Alyra. Alyra caught my attention right off and held it. Her purpose in life and her whereabouts are fully active. I'm curious of her surroundings, even how cruel it can be. I love her determination and will for what she is here to do. She is in the perfect position for what she has to do.
The other two characters we see more of are Queen Byleth and Lord Mulcibar. Mmm, the Queen. I love her. Maybe it's the evil in me, but I enjoyed reading her. She's cunning, powerful, and smart. She knows she's being cornered and will do anything to keep herself safe. And even her people. Lord Mulibar is a likeable character as well. Though there was a few moments I wasn't sure I should trust him. (Yes I'm a suspicious one.) He is the teacher to Horace for the new magic he has found within himself. Mulibar is the way we learn of the magic in this part of the world, and it's interesting to learn with Horace.
There is a question of who is the lesser of two evils present in this book. Which is the worst to rule the city and land? It's a political game to get on top, and keep it.
I'm looking forward to the next three books of the series to see where our characters go and what happens in this city. And there is one that is thought to be an ally that may be something else, but we will see how that plays out in the coming books.
****FULL REVIEW****
Horace wakes in a home of strangers speaking a language quite different from any he's ever heard after being washed off the deck of the ship he worked on. Horace is in his countries enemy land, and learns the magic that lays within him when a frightening chaos storm of green lightning rolls in while he's chained with other slaves heading to a temple. Horace meets Jirom, a champion fighter and mercenary captured into slavery months ago. A keen friendship is quickly made when both men see how strong the other is, and not simply muscle strength. While in the grace of the Queen Byleth, Horace meets Alyra. Alyra is a strong slave to the Queen and yet so much more in the world. Horace grows in this town of constant danger and political games.
Jon has produced a story with a strong epic fantasy feel. The story moves along with major event after another with great descriptions of the town, buildings, rooms, and people as we go. I can see some thinking this slows the pace of the story as it stretches the events longer in reading, but it's part of what draws the epic fantasy picture. The world building of the culture Horace comes into and the magic that is cherished here is powerful.
There are three main characters we follow, yet possibly five. First we meet Horace. He's a simple man. He seems to be of a passive personality, not wanting much from the world or life as he's lost what was dear to him before. Yet he survives through the tortures the world puts on him. Horace even ends in a stronger sense than when he started. And he learns of a magic awakened in him. Cool. And I have so many questions about how he's different too. I'm curious of the potential he shows and where it will go.
We then meet Jirom. I have my eye on this man. I seem to love a good mercenary in fantasy and a man with a firm direction.
Then we have Alyra. Alyra caught my attention right off and held it. Her purpose in life and her whereabouts are fully active. I'm curious of her surroundings, even how cruel it can be. I love her determination and will for what she is here to do. She is in the perfect position for what she has to do.
The other two characters we see more of are Queen Byleth and Lord Mulcibar. Mmm, the Queen. I love her. Maybe it's the evil in me, but I enjoyed reading her. She's cunning, powerful, and smart. She knows she's being cornered and will do anything to keep herself safe. And even her people. Lord Mulibar is a likeable character as well. Though there was a few moments I wasn't sure I should trust him. (Yes I'm a suspicious one.) He is the teacher to Horace for the new magic he has found within himself. Mulibar is the way we learn of the magic in this part of the world, and it's interesting to learn with Horace.
There is a question of who is the lesser of two evils present in this book. Which is the worst to rule the city and land? It's a political game to get on top, and keep it.
I'm looking forward to the next three books of the series to see where our characters go and what happens in this city. And there is one that is thought to be an ally that may be something else, but we will see how that plays out in the coming books.
Ok let me explain this one as, European like crusader is shipwrecked and ends up on eastern enemy lands. But this East is a mix of every culture, old and older and well made up :)
Right so we have Horace, who becomes a slave but then they see he has magic and he is saved. His country does not have magic just over zealous priests so this is new to him. But he slowly finds his way.
The we have Jirom, another slave turned gladiator and who is sold yet again. Poor guy. But he mostly fought and fought so I was never really in his head a lot.
Last we have Alyra, a slave and spy who spies for another country. With her comes questions, what is going on? Seems to be a lot of city states in this empire. Then the neighbors wants control too (because the empire is evil), and then we have the idiot priests that wants to take over too. So everyone wants something, and all our players may not always realize what they are fighting for.
Magic, an old eastern touch and that is just the beginning. I really do not have an idea how this will all turn out. That is the problem when many countries are at war and there are priests, arghh those priests!
Right so we have Horace, who becomes a slave but then they see he has magic and he is saved. His country does not have magic just over zealous priests so this is new to him. But he slowly finds his way.
The we have Jirom, another slave turned gladiator and who is sold yet again. Poor guy. But he mostly fought and fought so I was never really in his head a lot.
Last we have Alyra, a slave and spy who spies for another country. With her comes questions, what is going on? Seems to be a lot of city states in this empire. Then the neighbors wants control too (because the empire is evil), and then we have the idiot priests that wants to take over too. So everyone wants something, and all our players may not always realize what they are fighting for.
Magic, an old eastern touch and that is just the beginning. I really do not have an idea how this will all turn out. That is the problem when many countries are at war and there are priests, arghh those priests!
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2015/12/26/blood-and-iron-by-john-sprunk/
Blood and Iron is an epic fantasy novel about three enslaved protagonists who overcome hardship only to be entangled in politics and war. The main protagonist, Horace, is shipwrecked and forced into slavery. A chaos storm strikes the caravan, and he discovers his own affinity for lightning. Jirom is an ex-mercenary who was forced to become a gladiator. Inspired by seeing Horace stand up to their oppressive masters, he becomes involved in an underground resistance among conscripted soldiers. And finally, Alyria chose to be sold into slavery to give her the opportunity to spy on Queen Byleth, but the more she learns, the more she begins to doubt in her mission.
Blood and Iron had a slow start. We didn’t even meet Alyria until 1/4 of the way through the book, and she’s pretty important to the story. That said, the book’s pacing did pick up around the time she was introduced, and after that it was a pretty quick read.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the characterization of the three protagonists. Horace was too much of a special snowflake—not only does he magically have magical powers, but he has a very rare kind of power that doesn’t occur very often and that no other living person has. That’s too much of a coincidence, and makes him less believable. Jirom doesn’t seem terribly complex, although I did enjoy that he’s gay. And Alyria was so incredibly selfless and perfect that she’s just not an interesting character.
Queen Byleth, on the other hand, was fascinating. She’s not a good person at all, as we first see in a rather telling scene in which she orders a 10-year-old (give or take) slave girl to be whipped in order to punish Alyria. And yet at the same time, Byleth is cast as a sympathetic character who is all that’s left standing between her kingdom and a hostile takeover from mad cultists. She has very little political power and is being forced into a marriage that will effectively dethrone her, and she’s doing everything she can to stay in power. Byleth is the lesser of two evils, and our characters slowly come to the realization that despite her flaws, she’s the best hope they have. I love it when fantasy politics mirror those of real life, and where there is no easy solution or perfect answer. And the politics in Blood and Iron really worked for me, because everyone had their own agenda and there wasn’t a clear-cut line between right and wrong.
Overall, there wasn’t anything about Blood and Iron that seemed particularly new or innovative. It was a typical epic fantasy novel with a pulpy vibe, and I found it enjoyable despite its flaws. I’m looking forward to continuing the series, mostly to see what Byleth will do next.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2015/12/26/blood-and-iron-by-john-sprunk/
Blood and Iron is an epic fantasy novel about three enslaved protagonists who overcome hardship only to be entangled in politics and war. The main protagonist, Horace, is shipwrecked and forced into slavery. A chaos storm strikes the caravan, and he discovers his own affinity for lightning. Jirom is an ex-mercenary who was forced to become a gladiator. Inspired by seeing Horace stand up to their oppressive masters, he becomes involved in an underground resistance among conscripted soldiers. And finally, Alyria chose to be sold into slavery to give her the opportunity to spy on Queen Byleth, but the more she learns, the more she begins to doubt in her mission.
Blood and Iron had a slow start. We didn’t even meet Alyria until 1/4 of the way through the book, and she’s pretty important to the story. That said, the book’s pacing did pick up around the time she was introduced, and after that it was a pretty quick read.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the characterization of the three protagonists. Horace was too much of a special snowflake—not only does he magically have magical powers, but he has a very rare kind of power that doesn’t occur very often and that no other living person has. That’s too much of a coincidence, and makes him less believable. Jirom doesn’t seem terribly complex, although I did enjoy that he’s gay. And Alyria was so incredibly selfless and perfect that she’s just not an interesting character.
Queen Byleth, on the other hand, was fascinating. She’s not a good person at all, as we first see in a rather telling scene in which she orders a 10-year-old (give or take) slave girl to be whipped in order to punish Alyria. And yet at the same time, Byleth is cast as a sympathetic character who is all that’s left standing between her kingdom and a hostile takeover from mad cultists. She has very little political power and is being forced into a marriage that will effectively dethrone her, and she’s doing everything she can to stay in power. Byleth is the lesser of two evils, and our characters slowly come to the realization that despite her flaws, she’s the best hope they have. I love it when fantasy politics mirror those of real life, and where there is no easy solution or perfect answer. And the politics in Blood and Iron really worked for me, because everyone had their own agenda and there wasn’t a clear-cut line between right and wrong.
Overall, there wasn’t anything about Blood and Iron that seemed particularly new or innovative. It was a typical epic fantasy novel with a pulpy vibe, and I found it enjoyable despite its flaws. I’m looking forward to continuing the series, mostly to see what Byleth will do next.
Welcome to the Crusades - only a little different. Horace is a ship's carpenter and finds himself shipwrecked on the shores of the heretics - the Akeshians. Horace seems to be the main player in the story as he discovers he has a magical ability not seen in ages. Because of this ability, he is offered a place at court where he meets Alyna. Alyna's role in the story is that of a spy for another country. Through her we see some of the inner workings of the Akeshian court that we may not have realized was going on. Our third player is Jirom, a slave-fighter that helps Horace at the beginning, but I'm not quite sure what his role long term is going to be.
There is a lot going on throughout this story. There is political and religious strife and conflict that the story is built around. Horace is lost as he tries to navigate this deadly set up and there are times he makes critical errors that come back to haunt him. You must like the political and religous intrigue/strife storylines to enjoy this story. While there is some good old fashioned sword and sorcery fighting, much of the tension and build up doesn't involve actual fighting.
I thought the author did a great job keeping the story on track (with the exception of Jirom - I still don't understand his part long run, but maybe book two will explain more). There were a handful of times that I thought the story moved a little too slowly, but never to the point that it became burdensome. This is a great read for fantasy lovers that like a little more of the politics in their story than you traditionally see.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/03/review-blood-and-iron-by-jon-sprunk.html#sthash.dEHIwZgy.dpuf
There is a lot going on throughout this story. There is political and religious strife and conflict that the story is built around. Horace is lost as he tries to navigate this deadly set up and there are times he makes critical errors that come back to haunt him. You must like the political and religous intrigue/strife storylines to enjoy this story. While there is some good old fashioned sword and sorcery fighting, much of the tension and build up doesn't involve actual fighting.
I thought the author did a great job keeping the story on track (with the exception of Jirom - I still don't understand his part long run, but maybe book two will explain more). There were a handful of times that I thought the story moved a little too slowly, but never to the point that it became burdensome. This is a great read for fantasy lovers that like a little more of the politics in their story than you traditionally see.
*This book was received in exchange for an honest review*
- See more at: http://hotofftheshelves.blogspot.com/2014/03/review-blood-and-iron-by-jon-sprunk.html#sthash.dEHIwZgy.dpuf