Blackwing by Ed McDonald
Easily on of the best books I've read this year. Let's get into it.
The Nameless and the Deep Kings have been locked in a long struggle the makes the lives and struggles of humans comparable to ants in a children’s playground. Individually the Nameless are no match for a King but together they have a chance at victory and thanks to the invention and sacrifice of one of their own a stalemate has developed. Nall’s Engine is a weapon of mass destruction that separates the Republic from the Misery and since its destructive introduction many years ago it’s mere presence has keep the Deep Kings and their minions, the Drudge, at bay. However the time has come for the Kings to make a move. The inventor is long gone, the fuel is running out and there is a question whether it even works at all.
Captain Ryhalt Galharrow is a man in debt to a Nameless known as Crowfoot and serves at his bidding. When he is compelled by a raven bursting from his arm to rescue a young lady from his past he is forced to get involved in the affairs that will push his resolve and tenacity to their breaking points. Usually a man who takes video game quests like go find this person who has gone missing and collect this artefact and return to buyer he is much less comfortable and willing to be an agent that will shape the nation. He has a band of mercenaries though only two, Nenn his women at arms and Tnota his navigator, are of any consequence with the sad fact being the average man is a red shirt whether they like it or not. That being said the brutal reality of a situation is always present and helps make this a true gem of the grimdark genre.
“Nothing I could do about that now except send as many drudge down to the hells as I could. I was aiming for at least two”.
Galharrow is often tired after besting an opponent or two and on the rare occasion he faces more than that in a single sitting he is fairly exhausted by the time the fourth one comes at him. It’s a harsh reminder of how many times a fantasy hero is able to face down scores of men and the basic level of fatigue is never taken into account being replaced by an incredible level of skill that lets them triumph over any situation.
Another reason this book really impressed me was that it’s so tight. The entire story takes place within the span of a couple of weeks and in the City of Valengrad or outside it’s walls in the Misery. There is no travelling large distances and certainly no map required. In fact the normal trope of sending a raven to negate huge distances has been turned on its head by having one that can arrive instantly and speak it’s message albeit in an ill tempered manner. I could count the major characters on a few fingers and the important supporting one’s using the rest. The world building is sparse but wonderfully specific especially the Brides and the Darlings. All this combines to create a real roller-coaster of a book that wastes no time getting its hooks into the reader.
Blackwing by Ed McDonald is a triumph of grimdark proportions and undoubtedly one of the fantasy debuts of the year. The hype is real and this one deserves a place on everyone’s shelf. 10/10
