Review: Dark Currents (Emperor’s Edge Book 2), by Lindsay Buroker

It’s been quite a while since I read the first Emperor’s Edge book, an engaging read in a more technologically advanced setting than I usually go for (think steampunk). Naturally, spoilers for that are contained in this review so if you want to avoid those, stop reading now. My review of the previous entry in this series is here.

At the start of the book Amaranthe, a former cop, has assembled what amounts to a steampunk A-Team, and is intent on clearing their names (including that of Sicarius, the taciturn assassin). Aided by a preening peacock, a learned bookworm, a foreign mute, and a delinquent novice mage, Amaranthe and her assorted ne’er-do-wells have been attempting to find problems to solve to get into the Emperor’s good books (hence their collective name, the Emperor’s Edge). When a corpse gets washed up the trail leads the Edge into an alarming conspiracy regarding the city’s water sources and magical constructs. Tensions continue to rise between the misfits as Amaranthe does her best to balance a group whose primary unifying characteristic is having bounties on their heads.

The characterization is excellent and fun, and the pace is handled very nicely, never feeling sluggish without straying into over-the-top needy constant action. It had been a while since I read the first book so it did take me a little while to recall who was who beyond Amaranthe and Sicarius, but this was a fun and engaging read and I’m looking forward to part three.

Incidentally, you can get the Emperor’s Edge Collection, which is the first three e-books, and is very good value.

Thaddeus

Review: NPCs, by Drew Hayes

Turns out reading multiple books at once can lead to a brief glut of reviews.

NPCs is a fun and engaging fantasy with an emphasis on light-hearted adventure and a wry look at tabletop gaming. For the most part it’s a traditional fantasy set in an RPG type world, and you don’t need to be an aficionado of D&D or Pathfinder or Critter to easily get the references.

We follow our not-so-heroic quartet of adventurers Grumph the half-orc, Gabrielle the human, Thistle the gnome, and Eric (also human). Together, to protect their hometown, they pick up the mantle of an unfinished quest when four foolish fellows accidentally combine forest foraging and booze and manage to kill themselves with ignorance.  Unfortunately, this entails highly probable death, and trying to get to grips (as NPCs) with how this adventuring business actually works.

Along the way they encounter a variety of foes and challenges, and the pace manages to tick along nicely without becoming frantic and breathless. There’s a nice sense of irony and amusement, and it’s a relaxing read. I often found myself reading more than intended, and given my reading speed can be somewhat glacial now this was a very good thing.

The beginning was interesting, the middle was fun, and while I won’t spoil anything of the ending I did like that as well.

It’s also worth noting this is the first in a series. I do plan on reading the rest later, but as the Deathgate Cycle will attest (minimum of 16 year gap between first and second instalments) it may take me a while with my current reading list.

NPCs gets a recommendation from me.

Thaddeus