Review: Solid Start to a New Epic Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 8, 2014
<blockquote>Kara is a mercenary – a Diamond warrior, the best of the best, and a member of the notorious Majat Guild. When her tenure as protector to Prince Kythar comes to an end, custom dictates he accompany her back to her Guild to negotiate her continued protection.But when they arrive they discover that the Prince’s sworn enemy, the Kaddim, have already paid the Guild to engage her services – to capture and hand over Kythar, himself.A warrior brought up to respect both duty and honour, what happens when her sworn duty proves dishonourable?</blockquote>Certainly the beginning of an excellent fantasy series, if not an epic fantasy series, <em>Blades of the Old Empire</em> is a well thought out and delivered first book in a series. It sets the scene and tone for the ongoing story, while ensuring the reader is engaged in the story from the very beginning. In some ways this story reminded me of Kristin Cashore's <em>Graceling</em> series. Most specifically of the first book, <em>Graceling</em>, where the focus is on Katsa and Prince Po. Between discovering the full extent of their fighting Graces, as well as other situations, the similarities between the two stories are difficult to miss...Between the lovely word building and exquisite characters I thoroughly enjoyed this book. With much of the focus being on Kara, often thought to be the most lethal warrior of the Majat Guild. No wilting flower, Kara is much closer to a finely crafted blade that bends rather than breaks. However she has an imperfection, as she discovers she is unable to adhere to the mandates of her guild. The Majats are mercenaries, selling their skills to the highest bidder. Their only concern is their guild, remaining emotionally detached from events in the outside world. It is this attitude that makes them such an effective force. With no emotional attachments aside from their guild they are better equipped to face prior clients on the field of battle should they ever be hired by the enemy. Yet knowing all this, having been raised and indoctrinated into this set of beliefs, Kara is unwilling, or unable, to ignore her emotions. And a fearful enemy exploits this 'flaw,'setting into motion a lethal chain of events.Kyth is the heir to the Dorn King, and a talented young man in his own right. However he has developed a problem that impacts the kingdom. One their enemies are quick to take advantage of, some using it at face value, while others just use it as an excuse to make trouble. Alden and Ellah are his boon companions, and each have important roles of their own, which they discover as this story unfolds. And of course there is Mai, the only Majat warrior that is considered to be possibly as good as Kara - though of course all Diamond-level Majat warriors are supposed to be interchangeable regarding their skills and training. Yet for some reason both Kara and Mai seem to have an unknown quality that sets them apart, and above, their peers.With many more important characters, this book is well-rounded on that front. They are well developed, showing depth and dimension that is rather surprising for such a large cast. At least this is true of the protagonists. The antagonists are certainly scary, cruel, imperious, and evil. What they aren't is well developed. So far they appear to be simply bad guys, available to stir up trouble, but lacking a hard explanation for their motives. Their reason is given, yet it is never explained in any depth, and only briefly referenced when necessary. I am hoping that in the sequel they will become more than the one dimensional characters they currently represent, particularly now that the scene has been set.As for the arc of the plot, it is engaging and unfolds quite smoothly throughout the book, picking up speed as the story progresses. It provides us with many of the reasons for the conflicts within the book, but certainly not all of them, ensuring we still have questions throughout the story. Many of which remain unanswered by the end of the book. Thankfully there is a sequel, one we can hope will shed some light onto the remaining mysteries, as well as the new ones that are bound to crop up in the next installation in the series.