The first novel in a new, interesting grimdark fantasy series.
Even though it took a little while before I was hooked, it nevertheless hit the ground running (I know, a bit of a contradiction).
Spark is definitely a new voice in fantasy to watch (by the time I wrote this, though, the author's fourth novel was on the way - I really need to catch up!). I've read the next one already, and I'll review that in a moment.

I had high hopes for The Court of Broken Knives: the synopsis sounded like it was my kind of book. Set in a fantastical world, with a power struggle and a few men with dubious pasts having the chance to make a difference.

Unfortunately, it disappointed me.

The pacing felt slow and the tension never climaxed. It remained the same throughout, regardless of whether the characters were walking through a desert, attempting to assassinate an emperor or contemplating their love-life. You never got the feeling you should start worrying.

Violence, without tension, suddenly becomes a really boring read. Towards the end of the book, there is an extremely bloody battle, with characters dying in ways that are far from honourable. It didn’t touch me though; I felt it dragged on for too long and because there were no heightened emotions attached to said fighting, it was just words on a page. Is that harsh?

One of the reasons I had trouble was the changing narrators. There were multiple characters acting as narrators, sometimes with several chapters at a time, sometimes just a couple. There were two separate plotlines happening, with only a single point where they merged. It broke the continuity – just as you got into one, it flipped to the other.

There was also one character who suddenly told their part from a first-person perspective, compared to the rest, which were third. But her part didn’t remain consistent: not every chapter from her point of view was told in first-person.

My main issue, however, was the characters. I didn’t care about them. Marith has a haunted past, but he does nothing to redeem himself. The book had one moment where, if he had chosen differently, he might have been likeable. But he was nothing more than a drug addict with a lust for violence.

Tobias was a severely underused character – he was prominent when he was needed to move the plot along, then dwindled to nothing. I’m not even entirely sure what happened to him at the end, other than knowing he was around somewhere.

Thalia was a High Priestess, the most powerful woman in the Empire, and other than throwing a few shadows around once or twice, she did nothing but cower. She only stayed with Marith because he was beautiful, which in turn made her a really shallow character.

Even Orhan – his character was the most developed out of all of them and I might go as far as saying I liked him. But I couldn’t connect with him on an emotional level, so I still didn’t really care what happened to him. Once you don’t care about the characters, it needs to be a strong plot to make up for it. This just involved a lot of moving from one place to another, then killing things.

A disappointing read, if I’m honest. More development was needed and the plot should have been faster paced in order to work in a building tension rather than meandering along.

Good story but very strange the way the book ended, felt that the last chapter was pointless for the book.

I'm split over this one. Well written, really well written. Setting interesting. Found all the characters bit dull and unlikeable. Couple of them were completely pointless by the end. Got to the 'big ending' and found I had no idea how or why we got there. Am curious to read next one though.... So confused!

This is gorgeously written and Anna is clearly a talent to watch,

Another fantasy I picked up expecting normal epic and I got grimdark instead... I really should check out the reviews more before reading. Although that may have put me off reading it and that would have been a shame as it was rather good.

I loved the slightly dreamy wordy writing style, it reminded me of reading my first 'grownup' fantasy novels as a teen by the likes of Angela Carter and Tanith Lee. My main problem, which is often my issue with these types of fantasy novels, is distant unlikeable characters. If I don't care what happens to the nasty shits I rapidly lose interest. Luckily I was invested enough to keep going with this one (and with all the horridness in this I'm quite astounded I managed). I'd definitely be interested in reading the next but will be sure to have a fluffy happy novel lined up to read straight after it...

(ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley)

The city of Sorlost stands at the heart of an empire that was once the richest the world had ever known. But its glory days are past. While titled families still play court to a puppet Emperor, and spend wildly and extravagantly on their own pleasures, the streets are filled with the desperate and homeless. Orhan Emmereth has decided it's time things were changed, and a band of mercenaries are heading across the desert to put his plans into action. They're a hotchpotch band of experienced fighters and raw recruits, but the strangest among their number is the youngster Marith, running away from something ( a common enough scenario for mercenaries) yet filled at times with a berserker killing rage beyond anything his comrades have seen, and somehow carrying a feel of impending doom or glorious destiny about him.
Meanwhile, in the temple in Sorlost, the High Priestess Thalia continues her routine of prayers and sacrifices, never wondering what lies beyond the enclosing walls ...

To be honest, I found it a little difficult to get started with this story - it has that problem frequently found in fantasy books (or even hulking great classics like Middlemarch or War and Peace) of such a huge cast of characters to be introduced within the first few chapters, that it can be hard to start to piece together the overall plot-line; I just got to grips with one group of characters and the story jumped elsewhere and to different players. If you find this, bear with it. Get past those first few chapters, and the book will grow on you - well, it did on me! Gradually, the scenario emerges - a decaying empire, someone eager to gain control of it, mercenaries with their own aims which may not run in the same course as their employer's, a young man hiding secrets in his past and a probably unfortunate destiny in his the future, and a beautiful woman dedicated since childhood as a priestess.
It has all the things I love in fantasy novels. The world-building is excellent, the writing rich and varied, and the characters behave as real people with human foibles, failings, and strengths. Yes, there are mages ready to whip up pyrotechnic displays, beautiful selkie women from the sea, even a dragon or two, but the story is powered by qualities we can recognise - ambition, fear, or desire - not the wave of a magician's wand.
If you love a tale in which alliances are made and broken, god and armies are ready to battle till no one's left standing, and trustworthy friends are as eager to betray you as your enemy is, then this is for you. Be warned though, the story is dark, violent, there's plenty of blood and gore, and the description of Marith's beserker rampages deeply unsettling. It's maybe odd then that the images and scenes which stood out most for me were of quieter moments - the descriptions of the once glorious but now down at heel city of Sorlost, the desolate emptiness of the desert or its brief flowering after rain, Marith's delight in the seaside haunts of his childhood, and two lovers stealing a day away from treachery and death. Maybe it's something to do with the balance between the two aspects of the story but as the first book in a series it's grabbed me in a way that off hand I can only think of Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice having done before. I just hope there isn't too long to wait for Book 2.

I feel that this book needed some attention and proofreading before being published. There's too much going on in the first few paragraphs and it feels as if there's no distinctive, original narrative to the text. If Joe Abercrombie had hurriedly jotted a quick scene down to flesh out and work into a later scene, then this is probably what the initial result would be.

I appreciate the adult and mature descriptions given, and the sense of danger being in a war practically bleeds off the pages. Smith Park knows exactly what she wants her reader to smell and feel, adding vulgar odours to let you experience the ugly truth of being shit-scared, surrounded by brutal men eager to kill you.

With the appropriate attention given to it, I bet Smith Park could produce something really awesome.

Four and a half
Ok if you buy this because you think it's like a popular series that has had phenomenal success on television prepare to be hugely surprised. I'm telling you right now that a certain Mr Martin is not the only one who writes about greed, politics and magic because the death toll inside this book is absolutely shocking. Right from the first page it's sweat, blood and death with nothing to redeem it. Admittedly an unusual start that initially didn't make sense but as the story unfolds I realised that not only does it set the tone but also provides a background to the gory tale that the author has set in motion.
Ok this is hard to review not because it's bad but because truthfully so much happens, there are such complicated layers and the intrigue just kept on coming. This is fantasy that is dark and gory and surprisingly even though we get strong, riveting characters they are flawed I hesitate to consider any of them to be heroic.
Initially we meet Tobias , a soldier of fortune, yes a mercenary who will lead his rag tag troop to a fabled city to once and for all take down the Emperor that lives so blithely indifferent whilst his people suffer.
Orhan has implemented a plot that is high treason and yet his reasons are for the greater good. His foresight, his belief is never in question and yet he too will command heinous acts that will change the lives of so many others.
Marith is a beautiful young man and when we meet him he's just a lowly grunt following Tobias. The author quickly disabuses the idea that he is anything but ordinary as he tackles a dragon and we begin to realise he has secrets that gradually spill out as the narrative continues.
The final character who takes prominence is Thalia, high priestess yet still a young woman who knows nothing of life outside the temple. What she does know is she's a murderer, her hands covered in the blood of innocents and soon she too will be called on to lay down her own life.
Obviously there are other characters who sparked my interest and I'm loathe to reveal too much. What I can say is keep going as the more you read the more you get pulled into the lives of these characters. Tobias stood out to me initially and yet he completely blindsided me when he arrived at the palace proving that even the most straightforward character can be multifaceted. Orhan might be a politician but he's human with desires of his own and although he doesn't necessarily get exactly what he wants he is left to deal with the consequences. Marith is possibly the character that experienced the most growth. He comes into his own here, accepts his heritage and yes he even finds love but he's almost an antihero fighting addiction, circumstances and even himself. All this leads me to the part that Thalia plays in this and in many ways she's underused here and yet perhaps some will think she's the catalyst that sends Marith to reclaim that which is lost. Yes there's magic but it's used sparingly leaving the bulk of the action to be brutal and hard hitting. I could say there's romance but honestly that's not what this book is about. This is edgy, unusual and dark. I'm left wondering if I have sympathy for any of those left standing. I believe this is the authors debut and if so just wow. A violent portrayal of a violent world but as it ended so much had changed that I can't help wondering just what the author has planned next
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I'm sure I'd hate to live in this world but it's a great place to visit for a few hours. Strong characters, strong story, can't wait for the next in the series.

I really enjoyed this book, it had me gripped I couldn't put it down! The writing is beautifully descriptive and the storyline was so fast paced it had me on the edge of my seat. I always think you can tell a good story by whether you feel anything - be it dislike or love for a character, I was constantly changing my mind about Marith one minute I loathed him the next I really liked him. I love it when an author builds really in-depth and believable worlds and characters. Both of these in this book were truly epic.

I would highly recommend this book to any lovers of fantasy and Game of Thrones.

"This is Sorlost, the eternal, the Golden City. The most beautiful, the first, the last. The undying. The unconquered. The unconquerable.

The mummified heart of an empire of dust and desert villages, half forgotten by half the world. "

* *
2 / 5

I read quite a few rave reviews for The Court of Broken Knives: it's a grimdark novel featuring battles and gods and guts and glory. It seemed to tout all the elements that I love in a fantasy series: drama, assassins, different factions and a cheeky bit of political skulduggery, and, most of all, epicness. Unfortunately, I didn't really get into The Court of Broken Knives. Most of it's flaws - too long, a bit verbose, weird writing style - can be attributed to being a debut novel or my own personal preference (because after Flame in the Mist I am so very done with short dramatic sentences). So maybe it was just preference, but I just was not engaged by this book.

"Death is a bad thing. What a profound man you are, Orhan Emmereth"

Briefly, there's a city, Solost. Solost, a city of gold and dreams and fortune, no longer. The Emperor of Solost is a weak man and his inferiors have decided to act. Enter Orhan Emmereth who hires a mercenary troop to sort out the perceived problem the old-fashioned way - cold, bloody murder with just a hint of magic. It's a solid fantasy plot and one that, in theory, I had no problem with. In execution, however, we didn't quite see eye to eye.

Before anyone accuses me of "not getting" Grimdark, I'm aware that half the point is for everyone to be utterly despicable. But there's a difference between being morally grey and just being straight up disgusting that, for me, Spark didn't manage to straddle. Unfortunately, I hated everyone, which is quite a feat considering how many points of view there are. I've loved Joe Abercrombie's Shattered Sea trilogy; the characters in them are morally heinous and they rape and pillage and do all sorts of disgusting things, but there's also cunning and wit and charm (not normally from the rapists, thankfully). It's not the blood or the violence either that I dislike, God knows Abercrombie is known for some rather brutal animal cruelty scenes.

"Didn't really like sending the two of them out alone, Mr Grumpy and Mr Increasingly Frigging Weird, but there were things they needed that really couldn't wait. Clothes and whatnot. Things. And he could probably trust Marith. Yeah?"

A big part of it was the characters. For a good handful of pages I wasn't even sure who the main character was. Not a good start. Pro tip: it's Marith, a boy running with a mercenary band who's really a descendent of some sort important demon-man. This makes Marith very special and man does it go to his insolent, annoying little head. I couldn't find a single thing to like about him between his entitled attitude and murderous rages; the closest I got was pity regarding his drug problem. Who I did like was Tobias, Marith's commander. He's the kind of grimdark character that I like: gritty, realistic, has his regrets but doesn't dwell too much on them. Tobias is a well damn, everything's gone to shit, fuck it I'd better start running kind of man, and we didn't get nearly enough of his POV.

Then there's the High Priestess of Lord Tanis of the Living and Dying. When she appeared I thought things might pick up; after all, the woman kills children on the altar as a sacrifice to the gods, I mean, she's got to be interesting, at least? No. Instead all we get once the characters all join up is her waxing lyrical about how beautiful Marith is. Oh, she thinks, he just murdered a bunch of people for no reason but maaaan those eyes it's like they're divine and my what luscious lips, and so forth. If a bunch of battle-scarred mercenaries told me a guy was bad news, I think I'd run no matter how cute his dimples were.

"The darkness pressed on him, heavy and soft like falling snow. You look like what you are, boy. It was all the same, he realised, whether he looked into the dark of the room or into the dark of his own mind"

The plot pacing was another point of issue for me. I have read and enjoyed fantasy epics - Brandon Sanderson is one of my favourite authors and he writes massive tomes - so the length itself wasn't the issue, it was just how it was used. I don't think it needed to be 400+ pages or, if it did, something should have happened that I cared about; I felt like things were happening but there was no obvious way for the novel to proceed. There was no goal, just events occurring. We also get the good ol' fantasy classic of the characters taking a months long trip across a desert.

After my recent experience with Flame in the Mist where. Every sentence. Had ridiculous. Use of. Dramatic effect. I was a bit gutted to start The Court of Broken Knives and to be confronted with:

"Half-dead men lying in the filth. Screaming. A whole lot of things screaming. Impossible to tell who's who anymore. Mud and blood and shadows and that's it. Kill them! Kill them all! Keep killing until we're all dead."

It's not all written like this, but enough is. Spark does write a number of hilarious one liners though; there were a couple of times when I genuinely snorted aloud.

"Not sure I really feel like fucking someone who is part god and part suicidal drunk, you know"

I do feel like this has been quite a negative review and whilst, obviously, I think I am entitled to my opinions, quite a few others have found this book to be amazing. So take what I say with a pinch of salt. I do think Spark has promise as a writer and I'll probably try something else of hers. I would genuinely recommend The Court of Broken Knives to those who like lots of main characters, characters that are not meant to be liked in any respect, and the lovers of the. short. dramatic. sentence.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book.

I received this book as an e-arc from Netgalley in exchange of an honest review. When I saw this book I knew I had to read it and was so glad I got approved. I did enjoy parts of the book and will definitely read the next one, but this one was quite slow at times. The world building took awhile and for me it took a bit of time to understand exactly what was going on. Once I got into the book and figured out who Marith was I saw it going in a different direction. I liked the dragons in the story and hope to see more of them in the future. I expect that the next story won't be quite as slow since we have the world mapped out to us already. There weren't any explicit sex scenes either they were more implied which was refreshing. I would recommend this book to lovers of fighting and goriness.

I want to love this book, but I didn't. Don't let my rating put you off though, as I've seen a lot of good reviews of this book. I think the main reason I struggled with this book was the writing. There isn't anything really wrong with it but it just didn't work for me. I felt that it was quite hard to follow at times. The characters are quite well written and the concept is an interesting one. However I didn't care about any of the characters. Overall this just wasn't for me but I seem to be in the minority.

I could not get past the broken language throughout the beginning of this novel. So many sentence fragments made the story jarring and irritating. This novel needs some heavy editing. There are sentences that make absolutely no sense. It seemed that the author didn't have a grasp of the English language, but that's just my impression.

When I started <i>The Court of Broken Knives</i>, I couldn't have imagined how involved I'd be by the end of the book, but here I am, screaming "Amrath! Amrath!" and already looking back at every page with nostalgia.

The first few chapters are written in a staccato of edgy sentences, and in the beginning I honestly didn't think I could take any of it seriously, or even make it through another try-hard fantasy novel, but <i>that's not what it is</i>. One soon realizes that the book is told from various POVs - a plotting politician in a crumbling empire, a child-sacrificing high priestess, a mercenary captain, and the new boy under his command - each with their own, distinct tone and absolutely unique, morally grey character concept.

This crude description may sound like another [book:A Song of Ice and Fire|12177850] rip-off, but Spark's work felt a lot more ethereal and hard to grasp. And brutal. The aptly executed diversity does not feel forced, the worldbuilding is well-developed, and the lore sounds so interesting that I would have been hooked even if there hadn't been any plot at all.

Still, there <i>was</i> a plot, and a leading mystery. Honestly, I didn't want to put the book down, impatient to find out what in the world was wrong with <spoiler>Marith, and my god, I did not expect the drug-addicted demon-heir psychopath reveal</spoiler>. And when <spoiler>the romance punched in</spoiler>, I nearly lost it. It's not only the characters that differ from the usual medieval uniformity, it's also their relationships and interactions, as shown in great dialogues.

What a pleasant, grimdark surprise! "Grimdark" is my new favourite word btw. While I'm still divided about some of the more exaggerating aspects of <i>The Court of Broken Knives</i>, there's really no reason for me to give it any less than five stars. Edgy can be so good, and in this case it is. I can't wait to see where this story goes and will surely need at least one reread of the first installment to catch all the details.

This was one of those rare books I requested based on a whim and cover picture. Turns out it's probably gonna hold the top place on my 2017 best reads list. It had everything I as an old grimdark fan expect in a grim-fantasy book: Politics, betrayals, gritty fight scenes etc. Queen of Grimdark indeed...

Will definitely ask our product manager to aquire this for our shelves. Will be an absolute pleasure to recommend it for our customers.

https://lynns-books.com/2017/06/29/the-court-of-broken-knives-empires-of-dust-1-by-anna-smith-spark/
I must say from the outset that The Court of Broken Knives is an impressive debut novel and that Anna Smith Spark has a unique way of spinning a tale that twists and turns as it travels around this world she has created.

The story begins with a vicious battle on a blood soaked field and has a chaotic, almost hypnotic quality. I must confess that I had to read this twice because I wanted to understand the battle, who was fighting who and, more importantly, why, but I don’t really that that was the purpose. What this opening really left me with was an overwhelming sense of destruction, almost without purpose, almost casual and cruel. The deaths on either side purely incidental as though nothing mattered other than the conquering.

I must admit that at first I did wonder whether the entire novel was going to be blood and guts but after this opening gambit the author then sets about introducing a number of different characters and giving us a glimpse into their respective worlds until their paths eventually cross. That’s not to say that there isn’t plenty more fighting along the way but more that it’s not an incessant battering of bloodshed.

To be honest, I don’t really want to elaborate on the plot too much because I think that the author has contrived a story that is as slippery eels. She takes you so far along until you think you’re getting comfortable, maybe even smugly thinking you know what’s going on and then everything goes arse over tit and you’re left scratching your head a little bit in wonder because it really isn’t what you expected, it’s like you’ve just been thrown from your horse and you’re scrambling around with the stirrups trying to get back in the saddle.

The Court of Knives has four distinct characters whose stories help to shine a light on the world explored here. Basically, we have a priestess, a politician, a toughened mercenary and a young recruit. Their stories are all linked and as we set out we pick up with the band of mercenaries crossing the parched and dusty deserts to reach the City of Sorlost. They’re mostly a ribald bunch of characters aside from one young man, Marith, who keeps himself somewhat remote from the others. We then jump to Sorlost to make the acquaintance of the scheming politician, of course he’s only scheming because he wants change and his plans of assassination will certainly be the catalyst for that. The final POV is that of the priestess. A young woman, the highest in her order, whose role it is to carry out the most important duties – those of sacrifice. This is an unusual religion which seems to be based on maintaining a fine balance between life and death.

The strange thing about all of the characters is that although they’re all strangely compelling to read about with their imperfections and dark thoughts, none of them are easy to like, and even reading further on doesn’t change that too much. I sometimes find it difficult to really get into a book if I don’t like the characters and yet this read was slightly different in that the author gives you this bunch of characters, that on the face of it you could be forgiven for thinking fit the usual tropes but she then seeks to peel off those comfortable outer layers exposing a completely unexpected inner core. Its a bold step because rather than making you feel a connection to certain of the characters it could make you dislike them. At the same time though the author throws in these sympathetic elements that serve to counterbalance those feelings and add complexity.

Added to this we have a rather huge empire, one with magic, mages, dragons and other mythical creatures. To be honest these elements don’t play a massive driving force in the story, up to this point, but more colour in the background and add depth and there is definitely one element that will no doubt be explored further.

The author’s style is definitely quite unique and I confess it took me a little while to get used to. There’s a succinct quality to the sentence structure, almost like a paring back of some elements but then in other ways a descriptive element that conjures a picture without being overly flowery. Like I said, it took me a little while to get used to but once I did it felt perfectly natural.

I admit that I found this review difficult to write. I didn’t want to give anything away about the plot, or the characters really, because when I thought about it it would be very easy to simply give everything away and I didn’t want to do that.

So, overall, an impressive debut, a number of schemes, a couple of twists, a lot of fighting, an unexpected romance (not overpowering) and although self-contained, an ending that leaves a lot of scope for the next book. A story that feels like a journey, not just from ‘there’ and then ‘back again’ but a discovery of self. I look forward to seeing where this story goes next.

I received a copy through Netgalley courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.

Was I expecting, when requesting this on a whim, to find that a book that was one of my favourites of 2017? The answer is no, and I’m so glad that I listened to the feeling in my gut and decided to pick this one up. Because, as much as I love fantasy, sometimes I have a really hard time telling books apart from their blurbs. Large fantasy cities? Mercenaries? Empires? I can name off the top of my head a veritable list of books that contain these components. It’s what an author does with these building blocks that makes them special…

And this is certainly something special.

Sorlost is a City built behind towering walls of Bronze, residents comfortable, protected, despite being surrounded by a crumbling Empire of Dust. Orhan Emmereth is Lord of a once powerful house and sometime confidante of the Emperor. He sees the way the tiles are falling, that they are living in the dying ages of the Empire. Along with other high ranking Lords and his charismatic lover, Darath, he devises a coup, hiring mercenaries from across the desert to infiltrate the Palace and take out the Emperor.

This ragged band of mercenaries are much like any ragged band of mercenaries, apart from the cuckoo in their midst, a boy with the face and education of an aristocrat, the dreams of a broken soldier and the bloodlust of a beast.

In the great Temple of the Lord of Living and Dying, a young High Priestess completes her ritual sacrifices to keep the doors between life and death secure. She has no idea how this revolution could affect her temple and how it will change her life forever.

‘A crown of silver. A throne of gold. A sound of weeping. A scent of blood in the air. King Ruin. King of Dust. King of Shadows.’

This book is 100% for people who came out of ‘Game of Thrones’ more interested in the story of the Targaryens than anything else. It has all the trademarks of a dark fantasy, a brutal antihero, gallows humour, dragons…but there’s something else about this book. It’s just so well written. Seriously, it’s so rich and poetic and gorgeous. It’s a tale told by a poet with the mouth of a sailor and the voice of an angel, and it suits the tone of the book so well.

Take the character of Marith, a boy who looks as if he’s been carved from marble and storm clouds, but with an almost demonic killing frenzy. He’s not your classic anti-hero, not perfect in every crooked way; he has flaws that frequently take him to the edge of death, that make him unpredictable. You mourn for Marith, for the life and love that he could have had, for the addictions that plague him and for the lack of sympathy and help extended to him. I mean ‘cool motive, still murder’ is definitely a phrase that comes to mind and he’s not written in a way where you are expected to forgive him his crimes. I honestly felt at times as if we might be watching the end of the world…

Without spoiling much of the story I really loved how Smith Spark handled the story of the our dark hero’s lover. Through reading her sections you can entirely see how the character knows that falling in love with this person is a terrible idea, how they teeter between staying and leaving and yet, somehow, fall under their spell. So many times when reading fantasy novels, I find myself questioning why someone would stay with their despot lover, but this book definitely explored how people can become someone that they never knew they could be.

One thing that I know can make a lot of people uncomfortable whilst reading grimdark fantasy is an over-reliance on gendered violence. ‘A Court of Broken Knives’ seemed to be refreshingly free of this trope. I mean, every single person in this book is at severe risk of being knifed, but the danger of being decapitated by a dragon was higher than being raped. Thumbs up for that. For everyone who is concerned that it indicates a lack of general gory glory, have no fear, it’s bloody enough to make ‘Game of Thrones’ look a kids bed time story, it just decides to make everyone at risk of a gory death, not just women.

Also, the relationship between Orhan and Darath was so unbelievably cute. Established m/m romance in grimdark, that is treated respectfully? I did feel sad that it was a world where, whilst m/m relationships weren’t really frowned upon, a marriage between two high ranking Lords was considered impossible. It did mean that Orhan had to be ostensibly in a loveless sham marriage where neither he nor his wife was happy. But, to be honest, I don’t think there was a happy marriage in the entire book, so it wasn’t entirely out of pattern. The story is young and dark, who knows what is going to happen.

As mentioned earlier in the review, this book is one of my absolute favourites of the year so far. It is just so irreverent but evocative, poetic but also blunt and gory, filled with gorgeous prose and enough cursing to make a soldier blush. I can’t believe I’m going to have to wait ‘who-knows-how-long’ for book two. I can’t wait that long to see how my favourite royally makes a mess of everything.

‘A Court of Broken Knives’ it out on the 29th of June (tomorrow) from the wonderful people over at Harper Voyager, and I know there are some beautiful signed copies available at Goldsboro Books *wink wink*.

Many many thanks to Harper Voyager Books for a copy in return for an honest review. It was a pleasure to read.