By the Hand of Dragons: Saber

This review is also featured on Behind the Pages: Saber

Any time I pick up a book by Alexander Christion I know there will be brutal battles of epic proportions. This time Shefa goes toe to toe with Saber, a being once favored by the emerald mistress but has since been thrown into disgrace. When Shefa unknowingly grants Saber the one object that can return him to his full power, he unleashes a monster on the world. Saber sets forth with the power of a red dragon to conquer Fuumashon and kill as many as he can in the process.

There is no mercy in Alexzander Christion's writing. He will pull no punches and unleash the full force of evil on his characters. Blood flows freely as Saber manipulates and slashes his way into the kingdoms. And while Shefa does not want to kill citizens, if they stand with Saber he will cleave through them. With two powerful forces on the board, when they finally meet on the battlefield buildings will fall and sparks will fly. You know when you go to watch a monster movie like King Kong vs Godzilla just to watch two monsters level cities in their ongoing feud? Picture that, but with a sword and sorcery angle. However this time, Shefa may have met his match.

As intense as the battle scenes are, it took a little while for the story to push Shefa towards Saber. It was a good tactic to build up and show the vileness of Saber, but I wish it had been executed a bit differently. One scene, in particular, depicts a battle Shefa is thrown into the middle of with a race of people that don't have an impact on the story. I was also a little confused at the mention of new abilities. I would have liked a little bit of an overview to fully grasp how they worked.

But even with these stumbling blocks, as a fan of dark fantasy Saber contained everything I look for in the genre. Brutal battles, intense life or death moments, and the overall tone of anguish. The characters are each so unique and the powers they wield are devastating. If you enjoy fantasy books focused on combat, give Saber a try.