Review: The Queen's Assassin (Volume Three of the Terrarch Chronicles) by William King

This might be my favourite Terrarch Chronicle to date.

The story continues to follow the exploits of protagonist Rik, his former unit The Foragers and his slightly suspicious patroness Asea.

It continues where the second book left off, regarding the disposition of a possible ally nation and its recently rescued queen-to-be. Rik finds out more about his father, and the very creepy Quan race of sentient soul-stealing squid are introduced.

Sardec, the commander of Rik's former unit, continues to develop nicely and I really like the air of ambiguity about Asea. I hope there are lots more Chronicles to come and it's very easy to see her being revealed as either an angel or a demon in later books.

Rik's nation (Talorea) and their enemy (Sardea) are vying for political advantage in a lesser border nation as well as the independent city of Harven. There's a mixture of political shenanigans, bloodshed and Lovecraftian arcane horror, and I think it works really well.

The pace is also nice and fast. I think I slightly criticised the previous book for sagging a bit in the middle, but The Queen's Assassin was thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish.

Thaddeus

Review: The Serpent Tower (Volume Two of the Terrarch Chronicles) by William King

This story’s set a couple of months after the events of Death’s Angels. Not much has changed, except that Sardec’s now got a hook for a hand and (not unlike Sharpe’s success in…. Sharpe’s Rifles, I think) he now has the respect of the men.

The army’s marching through an allied state to attack the Dark Empire’s forces, when it comes across a problem. There’s a bloody enormous and impregnable tower held by a formerly friendly but now hostile chap. And he’s kidnapped the rightful queen and intends to marry her.

Also seeking to persuade the tower’s master to join their side is a loathsome pair of emissaries from the Dark Empire.

There are more of the strange monstrosities in this book than its predecessor, and I quite like that. However, the story itself feels like it should be a bit longer and perhaps have some more action. What’s there is enjoyable and easy to read, but it feels bit like a tasty meal with portions that are a bit too small. The fate of the Dark Empire emissaries would have been a nice dessert.

I like the start of the book, and the ending is surprisingly abrupt (almost as much as The Empire Strikes Back). There’s some more interesting history/lore of Gaiea revealed, and Sardec and Rik continue their development, the former becoming more sympathetic, the latter less so.

If you liked the previous book you’ll probably like this, although I wish it had been a shade longer.

Thaddeus

Review: Death’s Angels (Volume One of the Terrarch Chronicles) by William King

Death’s Angels is an unusual mix of fantasy, Sharpe-style technology and army (muskets abound) and a little Lovecraftian horror.

The protagonist, Rik, is a half-breed (half-Terrarch [elf], half-man) in the Foragers. They’re a sort of scouting unit, similar to a Light Company or the Greenjackets from Sharpe (they do have muskets rather than rifles, however).

The second leading character (and only other chap to get his own PoV bits) is Sardec, Rik’s Terrarch lieutenant and leader of the Foragers. He’s a snooty, arrogant sort, but not without the redeeming features of honesty and bravery. A bit like Arnold J. Rimmer crossed with Richard the Lionheart.

Supporting them is a cast of Foragers including the amusing ‘the Barbarian’, the nefarious Weasel, and Leon, Rik’s childhood friend (the pair were thieves together before joining the army). A few more Foragers would have helped a bit, I think (a few more are mentioned but appear only briefly) but the unit seems to work pretty well.

The Foragers are sent to kill a prophet and a wizard who have been rallying hill-men to their cause. They enjoy a partial victory, and the majority of the book deals with the aftermath of the half-failed mission and trying to finish the job.

There’s a nice sense of realism to Rik. He doesn’t tell Leon everything, despite being close, and is torn between his own desires and what he knows is a wiser course of action. Similarly, some of the Foragers aren’t exactly heroic, and the officers are portrayed as a mix of dutiful and very self-interested.

The start and end of the book were both very engaging, and had an edge of doubt when combat began. I like books with death tolls, and whilst Mr. King doesn’t go nuts bumping off characters there is an air of mortal danger about the battles. The middle seemed to sag slightly. It was perfectly well-written and developed Rik’s character a bit further but there was an absence of urgency or real excitement.

However, given I raced through the book (this seems to have become a habit) in a couple of days it certainly wasn’t seriously detrimental.

I’ve already begun the second Terrarch Chronicles book: The Serpent Tower.

Thaddeus