Scourge of the Betrayer
Ratings4
Average rating3
Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies–or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself. Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail, Braylar has already disposed of at least one impertinent scribe . . . and Arki might be next. Archiving the mundane doings of millers and merchants was tedious, but at least it was safe. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown, in the company of the coarse, bloody-minded Syldoon, he is promised a chance to finally record an historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience! A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.
Series
Series
3 primary booksBloodsounder's Arc
Bloodsounder's Arc is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2012 with contributions by Jeff Salyards.
Series
1 primary bookLa malédiction du Tastesang
La malédiction du Tastesang is a 1-book series first released in 2012 with contributions by Jeff Salyards.
Reviews
Popular Reviews
Reviews with the most likes.
Arkamondos the scribe has just been given a new and unusual commission. He???s been hired by a notorious band of Syldoon soldiers to travel with them and observe and transcribe their adventures. The leader of this motley crew is Captain Killcoin, a brooding authoritarian figure whose weapon of choice is a frightening looking flail that has magical properties. Killcoin is accompanied by a few loyal companions who are just as scary and tough as he is. Arkamondos is intimidated by all of them, and he wonders if he???s made a big mistake, but Killcoin???s insistence that important events are about to occur makes Arkamondos decide that it will be best for his career if he stays... Plus, they???ll probably kill him if he leaves.
So off he goes with Killcoin???s band. They are coarse and vulgar but their dialog is frequently sharp and witty. There is much drinking, cursing, barfing, bleeding, piss... Read More: http://www.fantasyliterature.com/reviews/scourge-of-the-betrayer/
Really liked it.
This is what the Malazan books should have been. It has a similar theme (a group of self-sustaining elite, rather renegade soldiers used by a rather evil Empire to bring trouble against innocent, or not so innocent, neighbours - the Ottoman Empire sprang to my mind) and so is the approach: the reader is thrown directly into it with no knowledge and for quite a long while just goes with it (about 60% of the book, after which it is truly excellent and hints to a very original world).
What it does well and Erikson did bad is NOT to overwhelm the reader with a tonne of unnecessary details, but trickle it at a reasonable pace.
Sometimes too reasonable (quite slow to be honest), which is why I will not go for a full 5, another slight problem being that the battles are tactically sound, but too protracted and amply described till bordering boredom. But I am confident this series is going straight for full 5s next, so I will read the rest and anything else written by Salyards, whose fan I therefore declare myself.
