Sir Edric

Not one to miss for fans of fantasy fiction. Sir Edric, the first in a series of four books, sets the scene for what is to come. The author is clearly versed in the heroic fantasy genre and we have the usual elements well-described and developed. There are two lands. One is civilized, though become rather decadent; it is ill-prepared to meet the challenge presented by its war-like neighbour where life is harsh and cruel. It becomes apparent the latter has a mysterious secret weapon which poses an existential threat. Time is running out to discover what this is. So, we have travel to an earlier time to discover more. A mysterious priestess is encountered. Two forces exist, that of Earth and that of Sol. They are sources of great power, and their nature and use are a clever and intriguing feature of the book. The force of Sol has the potential to be applied for both ill and good. The author uses his descriptive abilities effectively. Characters are generally well-drawn and the plot, which is complex but well-handled, moves along at pace, keeping the reader engaged. Locations are convincingly described as the characters are often on the move. Military life and the battle scenes are particularly good. There is romance and the occasional sex scene to complete the heroic fantasy mix. A good debut novel from Howard Hartley and one looks forward to the sequels, to follow the exploits of Sir Edric and the other characters.

This was one that nearly slipped under the radar and I am glad I picked it up. This turned out to be a very interesting take on Knights and crusades that brings in the forces of mystical forces. This proved to be a wonderful read and I cannot wait to see how the next chronicles further develop the storylines.

I loved this book and can't wait for the next one to see how the story develops. Chapter 1 goes straight into the main character of the series and sets the landscape for the forthcoming action. Sir Edric's strategic military talent is shown early on so we know he is going to develop into something out of the ordinary and take a key role in fighting the menace from another land. Giving him a family background from a Knight of 'Luck' is an interesting twist and allows his character to develop with the honourable chivalric code of the knight, and as a channel for magic. The presence of magic is introduced as powerful forces of nature that can be wielded as a force for good in the land or manipulated as an instrument for evil. I love the way Edric finds and develops his power as more characters are introduced to give layers to the story and expand its complexity . There is time travel, a slave revolt and the growing presence of a new force of evil in the land that kept me turning the pages. If you like David Eddings, I recommend you read Sir Edric.