Review: Great Entry from a New Author
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 10 20, 2013
Overall, I really enjoyed this book, though in all honesty it did have me scratching my head once or twice.Originally I thought the lack of a classic fantasy "quest" plot was a major flaw, and even 60% through I wasn't sure what the goal was, though I had put the major pieces together in terms of some of the plot points.  The last third really changed my mind on that point, though I still think terming it a fantasy work is a bit misleading, but I can't think of any other genre which fits better.  I think of it really as more of a murder thriller or whodunit which is set in a created land.  At some points it almost borders on historical fiction, as overall it is a rather feudal setting.Those things said, it is a damned readable book and I was extremely engaged with it.  Even as the pieces began to fall into place I didn't loose interest.  Even more impressive is that the entire book focuses on everything from Marcus' viewpoint; there is no jumping or hopping to various plotlines as you'd expect in Tolkien, Brooks, Eddings, or Martin.  The ability to maintain reader interest in light of such a singular focus is pretty impressive.I'm not sure if a sequel is planned, but I did like the presumably open ended ending.  I won't give anything away, but I see two directions Mr. Hamilton could take this, and both could be quite exciting!