Theft of Swords

Oh, this was a fun one! And yes, I realize that it's weird that a book in which lots of people die in gruesome ways just makes me think “fun” is pretty fucked up, but that's this book pretty much. The things that are happening at times are horrible, but they're never explicitly described or gratuitous and the overall tone remains fun.

I loved the main characters, Hadrian (especially Hadrian) and Royce and the only thing I think it lacked was more development for them. I also just want to know more about them and spend way more time with them, but I guess that's what the other books are for!

One of my favorite books I've read this year and since this was originally a self published work I can definitely say that this is the best Indie book I've ever read. The story follows two mercenaries who are experts in thievery and combat. They go from being accused of murdering the king to saving the Kingdom to unleashing a 1000 year old wizard to killing a dragon like creature. This is definitely a unique author with a light, fast paced writing style and 100% recommend to any fan of fantasy.

I'm a glutton for a story about an assassin, but then add in his partner who's a mercenary with a heart of gold and you've got me hooked. Now, paint a slightly askew picture as compared to your bog standard medieval fantasy and you're two for two. Then add in a layer of political intrigue and some heists and I'm all in.

On some levels, this story feels like a buddy cop movie, except instead of cops we have a pair of fixers (men for hire who can steal, kill, implicate, and solve ‘problems'). From the first book on, they're involved in more than what they ever intended, being hired to do a too-easy job for far too much money, which goes bad very quickly. From there, we see them help a kingdom and then a small village.

I think what makes this book so great is the interaction between Royce and Hadrian (our assassin and mercenary, respectively). The roles are pretty standard with the assassin being angst and short-fused, and the mercenary having his own code of honor and wanting to what's right. Yet, it just feels so good to watch them do what they do and in the way that makes sense to their character. I love that Royce thinks of himself first and maybe everyone else later, and that Hadrian is looking to do what's right for others and be honorable, despite his association with a thief and assassin.

I highly recommend this book.

This series of books went from self-published success to big publisher success and I'd also listened to the author discuss the series on a podcast. It's straight-up faux-medieval light-hearted adventure that is just pure fun to read, especially while on vacation. Volumes 1 through 3 each contain two stories (previously self-published books) about the adventures of Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater. Things get a bit dicey for them when they get framed for killing a king. Good stuff.

I can't decide if I should give this a 3 or a 4 star rating so let's just say it's 3.5.

Things I liked:
1. The characters! Although there's not much of character development, the friendship between Royce and Hadrian is precious.
I LOVED Myron! His character was so adorable and funny!
2. The political intrigue was pretty good.

Things I think could have been better:
1. The stakes were not high enough and there was not as much action as I typically like in adult fantasy.
2. The plot felt slightly predictable and somehow wasn't as gripping as it could have been.

I feel like I went in expecting too much. But I must say, this would definitely make for a great book for people just getting into adult fantasy. The writing is super accessible, the world is simple, the magic system is soft and easy enough to follow. It's a fun story. I know for a fact that the series gets better and I really really hope I love it as much as others have!