With swashbuckling brio and more playful wit than you might expect in an epic tale of revenge in a war-torn land. Davis’s debut finds Charles Raptor—a “White Shield” mercenary—captured, betrayed, and disillusioned after 18 years of civil war between a half-orc queen and a human duke, “the Pretender,” whom Raptor has hunted for years “with nothing to show for it but a pile of dead friends and a soldier’s pension.” Despite that glum assessment, Raptor still has much to live for: his bride, Wren, and his dear mother, who now, thanks to the queen’s decree, quarters an orc in her home. After a dispiriting (and suspicious) defeat in a siege, Raptor returns home after years away, seeking new employment and the comfort of family. But an underworld job he grudgingly accepts goes wrong in the worst way, and Raptor’s punishment is enslavement in the mines of Trollheim, in the frozen north.

Davis blends contemporary epic fantasy of the gritty, proudly foul-mouthed variety with parodic elements, especially when it comes to the vicious politics of his realm. But the story’s heart is in classic adventure, as Raptor and an amusingly ragtag band of slaves endeavor to escape their dwarven captors, hatching a plot involving tunnels, skis, a boat, and well-executed surprises. Davis proves adept at imagining the rough world of the mines, the brutality of imprisonment, and the slightly goofy camaraderie of the prisoners undertaking a desperate, impossible mission.

The dialogue has a crackling, sometimes comic rhythm, which lightens the pulpy material yet occasionally proves distracting from the reality of this grim world, as characters indulge in patter routines. (The names, too, can inspire incredulity: Turd, Goldprick, Sir Fartus the Clown.) But the worldbuilding is clear and inviting, classic fantasy with some welcome surprises, and the story of Raptor losing everything yet still fighting on is compelling, and the crisp, inventive action will please adventure fans.

Takeaway: A fantasy epic offering compelling classic adventure storytelling—and some wild humor.

Great for fans of: Joe Abercrombie, Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A