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Le Fléau Du Traître (2012)

by Jeff Salyards(Favorite Author)

3.59 of 5 Votes: 5

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

Panini Books

series

Bloodsounder's Arc

review 1: Scourge pulled me in from the first page. I liked Salyard's pacing and the way he imbued his characters with a healthy dose of danger and ambiguity. It's a rough-and-tumble book of soldiers and secret missions, and the author releases the tidbits judiciously, keeping the reader drawn along. The characterizations of the main characters are first-rate and Salyards keeps the character count reasonable. Others you meet along the way (it's mostly a quest story) are also convincingly drawn and backstory makes sense. Action scenes are crisp and gripping, and YES use of magic and the rough and tumble of combat *has repurcussions*. No hollywood "get hit & shrug it off" characters here. Getting hit hurts. Another plus - people have regrets. Nothing bothers me more than battles where... more everyone is cheering. After a battle, the characters regret their losses, lick their wounds. It's convincing. I thought the characters occasionally a bit talky but not to the detriment of enjoyment. A solid work and I look forward to the next in the series.
review 2: Overview: 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 soulPlot: Many people warned me that this book was slow, boring and hard to get into. I looked into the reviews and Reddit and there were a lot of mixed opinions on the book due to ‘how long it takes for anything to happen’. I do not feel this way about Scourge of the Betrayer. While it is true that there is no battle sequence for the first eighty or so pages, Salyards creates a story that revolves around the characters. Immediately I enjoyed the voice of Arki and how he relates to the battle hardened Syldoon in his company. The plot is less focused on war-ing and more focused on Arki trying to figure out just what type of venture he’s gotten himself into…and I think it is a really tight and well done plot. I enjoyed the story thoroughly and the intimacy with the characters is what drove this story for me. Sure its a change of pace from the usual grimdark style where blood is spilled on every page, but the change of pace is welcomed here for me because it is done really well and I loved this book from cover to cover.Characters: The lead character is the scribe Arki and as the scribe, the story is told from his point of view in the first person. Arki is employed by the Syldoon to record all of their activities, as mandated by the Syldoon emperor. Arki doesn’t fit in well the with military driven Syldoon and his impulsive curiosity will often times lead to harsh words from Captain Braylar. Among the other Syldoon is the outcast tribeswoman named Lloi. The relationship between Lloi and Arki is not much different from his relationship with the Syldoon, but Lloi is more forgiving of the gentle scribe and friendship begins to form. Much of the story is told with just Arki, Braylar and Lloi in the picture and the dynamics of their personalities bashing heads was interesting to read. The characters are well imagined and reading the gentle scribe among hard warriors was interesting from page one to the end.Setting: Jeff Salyards delivers a diverse and interesting world. From the dangers of the town Rivermost to the hardships of the Grass Sea and the political intrigue of the city Alespell, the diverse settings and obstacles that stand in the way of the company are well imagined and compelled me froward through the novel. I love the world that was created and look forward to more time spent in Veil of the Deserters.Writing: The writing is fascinating as a soft and empathetic scribe is forced to witness and record some harsh deeds and crimes. Listening to Arki’s thoughts on what he is forced to go through and his voice of opinion that he sometimes struggles to keep to himself were fun to read. The writing is well done and each character has a definite voice that I could almost hear inside me head. I enjoyed the time spend with characters and I think Salyards’ choice of character POV was perfect for the story he wished to tell. Less about epic, more about character intimacy. He delivers well in this one.My Reaction: I really liked it. When I first picked up the book everyone I talked to said it can be a little rough to get into. I just never felt this way. I really connected with the characters and the story was very interesting to me. I enjoy a plot that centers around mystery and political intrigue and following a character that isn’t in ‘the know’ was a fun and interesting choice of position. This was a refreshing read for me and at times it is full of action. The fight scenes are some of the best I’ve ever read in any genre and often times I could see the cinematic in my head. This was a well written book and a solid read that I’d recommend to anyone.Rating: 9/10 less

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