Book Review: Shadow’s Son (Shadow Saga #1) by Jon Sprunk (Three Stars)

Book Review: Shadow’s Son (Shadow Saga #1) by Jon Sprunk

(Three Stars)

“It is not the Night We Fear,/ But the Gathering Shadows Beyond our Ken.”

Good, if pedestrian epic fantasy. Another bad guy who isn’t, good guys who aren’t, orphan who is (oops, spoiler) …. You get the idea. You’re read dozens of them. Gave Sprunk an extra star for clean storytelling and a satisfying conclusion.

“He hated admitting she was right, but he’d probably hate dying even more.”

Uncomfortably numerous parallels to Michael J. Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations. Not quite plagiarism, but not as good either.

“There’s always someone looking for trouble. You try to avoid it when you can, but—” “But sometimes it finds you anyway.”

Non sequiturs: “a charcoal etching of a lighthouse” Charcoal etching? “You’re good with your hands. You could lead men.” Does not follow. “the crackle of blazing pinewood logs” (Who heats a palace with softwood?)

“We don’t cry for them, Caim. We cry for ourselves.”

Book Review: Black Guards by A. J. Smith. (Three Stars)

Book Review: Black Guards (The Long War#1) by A. J. Smith.

(Three Stars)

“They’ll just assume we’ll go into the wilds and lie low. The idea of us going to Tiris is so stupid it won’t occur to them.” “So, our stupidity is what’s going to keep us alive?” “Precisely … I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Engaging epic fantasy. Good world building. Touted for being Lovecraftian, but I didn’t feel it. In fact, Smith’s supernatural dimension felt more organic to his world. Prose was easy to read.  A little humor.

Numerous non sequiturs: “He was flabby, with little muscle, though still immensely strong.” (Huh?) “… carefully placed a bolt, and pulled back on the drawstring.” (Wrong order.) “She’d fed him some of the baled of straw.” (She picked up bales of straw as she fled? Why didn’t she get something nutritional?) “… as the horses barreled into