Review: Decent Gritty Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 21, 2011
This book is a good, not great, example of the dark fantasy/ amnesiac assassin genre.  The prose, written in first person, excels at witty, wry observations and dark humor; the author's lengthier, occasionally overly florid descriptions are less inspired but still decent.  The combat is for the most part reasonably believable and well paced.  There is little overt magic, limited mostly to minor divine influences and some healing potions.  "I Know Not" is on par with Dalglish's "Shadowdance" books, though there is more of a High Medieval than Renaissance Italy feel to Ross' writing.  What the book most reminded me of was a somewhat less grim, developed version of KJ Parker's writings (particularly his Scavenger trilogy).  Overall enjoyable, and I will read the sequel.