Lots of Bang for your Fantasy Buck
“Swift Reprisal” is an epic fantasy
adventure in every sense of the word. At nearly 700 pages, you’re
getting quite a bit of adventure for your $4.99. The books length
might actually be considered a detriment as that little status bar at
the bottom of the kindle screen moves along with almost indiscernible
progress. I wonder if Ian Blackport might have been better off
breaking this up into three or more novels just to make it a little
more kindle friendly (and to increase his profits).
The book begins with the betrayal of
House Erodin by the Venshals. We see a castle sacked and all the
nobility slaughtered except for the young Layera. Layera embarks on
a quest to reunite with her father and brother, who are away at war,
and to get vengeance on the Venshals.
For those of you who prefer a strong
female character, Layera is that. She’s handy with both a bow and
a blade, although she’s real enough to show a very well-developed
vulnerability. I liked the character development, and found
Blackport’s choices in crafting her set a nice tone. Arya Stark
comes to mind, although Layera is a little older I believe (at least
she reads that way).
“Swift Reprisal” is a very
descriptive book, and at times I felt the text bogged down somewhat.
It reminded me of David Eddings, an author who I know enjoys
tremendous popularity, and yet leaves me a little uninspired.
Blackport uses a lot of gerunds, and they started to ring in my ear a
bit. He’s also inclined to give you lists of adjectives. For
example, a soldier speaks his dying words through a mass of “frothy
spittle.” My preference would have been to trim down the text and
eliminate some of the description...but I think it’s fair to
mention that I don’t enjoy the readership of authors like David
Eddings, so consider that when you weigh my opinion.
I’m giving this book four stars
because it is a well-thought out and well-developed adventure. It’s
certainly a great value for the amount of story you get for the
price. It will be great fun for readers who enjoy extremely verbose
writing. If you like sharp, quick prose you aren’t going to enjoy
this, but if you revel in the details, smells, and feelings of the
settings of a fantasy novel—you’re going to love “Swift
Reprisal.” I have no doubt this book will find an enthusiastic,
loyal following.
Get your copy here.
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