The Emperor's Blades by Brian Staveley
Get ready to punch the wall because you'll read this and then realise that the next one is not out for months.....long long months. It's that good.
On the surface this may look like your stock standard fantasy. The Emperor being assassinated and his children being hunted for the throne is not the most original of premises but Staveley does a great job at making his world original, interesting and developed enough that it draws the reader in.
We follow the Emperors three children as the main characters. The two male characters are particularly well drawn out will appeal to most guys.
First we have Kaden who is like Seraph from the Matrix. He is studying with Shin monks to learn things his father cannot teach him. Striving for a state of mind known as the Vaniate, he is a hard as nails but under going discipline that would make Bruce Lee weep. Given a new, harsher trainer with his own mysterious path we can only watch as he undergoes test after test in order to reach his highest potential and unlock a power that will enable him as heir to the Throne to defeat an ancient and powerful enemy.
The other brother Valyn is training to be Batman. Yep you heard me Batman. He wants to be a member of the Kettrel, who are the Navy Seals of this world, tough as nails and skilled fighters yet respected for their observation and detective skills. At the end of his training he will face Hulls Trial, a mysterious and deadly rite of passage that he must and his fellow students are actively encouraged to skip, such is the price of failure.
Adare is the Emperors daughter and through her character we see the machinations of the court. Whilst she is constantly told she will can never lead we certainly get the feeling she is the most equipped to do so. I imagine her storyline will be further developed but to be honest I found the other two characters much more engaging. This was also because of the amazing cast of supporting characters that exist out of the world of the court and the clever use of magic and though no specific system is spelled out or defined, at no point is anything tough to follow. I wont spoil the 'leech' but wait till you learn about them.
The only disappointing thing about this book for me was it ended! I can understand if the ladies are a little less enthused about it as the major female character is not as fully realised as the others. That being said there are some fantastic supporting characters most of whom are female so it may even out.
Either way this is looking like being a big one! If you grab a copy you wont be disappointed.
