Two years ago Rurik Matir, the third son of a country landlord, was accused of rape. He was stripped of his family name and exiled. A failed attempt on his life leads him to believe that his father now wants him dead and he returns home with his company of sell swords intent on confronting him. Rurik soon finds himself caught in larger events; an aging king and his family’s infighting for the throne, a religious schism waiting to erupt and a sinister lord manipulating events from the shadows.
Galford introduces an intriguing mix of characters and their development is certainly one of his strongpoints as a writer. They are fully realized and filled with their own idiosyncrasies that keep a reader interested. The character of Voren was especially well done. It is often difficult to keep a 'despicable' character's view point interesting, they either come across as too sympathetic or too evil but the author strikes the balance perfectly.
The prose suites the time period and general story to a tee. The world building is also top rate, with a mix of cultures, political infighting and religious tension all masterfully done.
Overall Galford delivers a very strong read that ticks all the right boxes. 8.75/10.
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