Unfortunately, I am unable to review this book as the writing style is not for me. I'm very sorry as the premise sounded very interesting, I just couldn't get on with the style of writing. I'm giving it a three star as I have to rate it on NetGalley.

This was a well written book as one would expect from this writer. Having enjoyed his historical novels which I found riveting reading, this alternative world was an exciting change and just as gripping as his others.

I really enjoyed this book. The switching perspectives kept the story fresh. Each of the characters in this novel are so well crafted. There could have probably been a little more development of the character’s stories if we followed less of them and as a character driven book the lack of development did mean the story felt quite slow in some parts. However, something I loved about all these characters is that having a lot of them meant that we weren’t just following one character with incredible magical abilities, but rather characters of all kinds, some of which had magical abilities and some that were just plain old human, each finding their own way in the Kingdom. I think my favourite character out of all of them, the one I fell in love with the quickest was Elias, the hunter. (If you read the book you’ll know who I’m on about)

Something I did love about this book was that even though we were reading from many perspectives there was still an overarching plot that everything was leading up to. In the end everything comes to a head in the main setting of the book, the major city Darien (for which the book is named). It means that the hundreds of little threads that Iggulden weaves into the story are mostly tied up at the end. Being the first book in a trilogy however there are obviously a few threads left to lead onto the next book.

Verdict: Only for those who place no importance on characters being active in their own stories.

Not really my cup of tea. Very well written and good characters but i found myself quite bored and uninterested. Not a massive fan of the genre though so others will probably love it.

Conn Iggulden is better known for his historical fiction, so I looked forward to reading Darien, the first in the Empire of Salt series.

After a slow start, this story developed into a fast-paced high action fantasy, which I enjoyed and look forward to the next.

**I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in return for my own personal and honest review**

I love a good, solid fantasy book. I've read a whole range of fantasy series and it is definitely my genre. So when the opportunity came up to review Darien, the first in a series by C.F. Iggulden I was excited. I haven't read any of his other work (historical fiction is not my genre) so I wasn't sure what to expect.

The book is set in and around Darien, a city that is coming to the end of its Golden age and that is built on magic. This is more than just parlour trick magic, this is salt of the Earth (see what I did there?) magic. The kind that is infused into temples older than you can imagine, or Golems who will outlive us all. C.F. Iggulden beautifully creates a world where this magic is woven into the story.

The book follows a series of characters culmunating in a power struggle for the city. It is the characters that help make this book such a triumph. Other fantasy authors get so caught up on the magic and the drama and the intrigue (and the incredibly long fight scenes) that they forget about the essence of the story, the people. Whilst I felt that the author could have gone even further on this, you can see the beginnings of something quite special here and it's why I was so drawn to it. I will be very intrigued to see what comes next with this book, and very keen to follow the exploits of the characters in the next installment to see where they lead next.

Darien is a new epic fantasy series, that tells of 12 aristocratic families, ruled by one Monarch, (although indirectly more so via the wider 12 families). Yet somehow the Empire of Salt has been ruled in a way that has preserved peace. Mercenaries however are hired to murder the king with terrifying consequences, as the political tolerances evaporate and all rules are disregarded. Each family seeks to become the most powerful and rule the throne. In their quest they use any familial magical power or advantage that they can acquire and boy can they scheme!

Told from 6 differing points of view, this is a very engaging novel, with a large cast and complex world, which has a long history. Each of the chapters is told by a different character, namely: Elias, Tellius, Arthur, Daw, Nancy, and Deeds as they get wrapped up in the schemes of the Twelve Ruling Families. Hence their stories intertwine with highly entertaining and tense results. Whilst all the main characters are bold and memorable, Deeds has to be the favourite for his reluctant hero mentality. He just wants a steady uncomplicated life, but being a hunter with a magical power, referred to as his knack, trouble seems to surround him. However when blackmailed into using his knack to gain advantage in the fight for power or lose his daughters his threatening menace begins to simmer.

Nancy appears to have a knack that absorbs magic out of the limited people or objects holding in such power. She can then manifest this power into the use of flamethrowing, but those with their powers removed are then rendered powerless. As yet she doesn't really know how to use these. So we don't want her and Deeds paths to cross as he needs his power to keep himself and his daughters safe. Bloody battles ensue and strange magical foe are engaged in strategic and military schemes. The pace is good, the vision of the world of Darien is bold and the political ramifications are complex and conveyed very impressively. There is plenty of action amidst the initial world and character building of the first in a book of a series. But with much more clearly to come, this is a highly recommended read for fantasy readers.

https://lynns-books.com/2017/07/13/darien-1-empire-of-salt-by-c-f-iggulden/
Darien is an impressive start to a series that looks set to become epic. I had a few niggles but overall I really enjoyed this and look forward to reading more from this world.

Unsurprisingly the majority of the story is set in the city of Darien. Darien is a huge city, it has a monarch but he’s little more than a figurehead, the real rulers of the city being the 12 noble families who keep peace with the threat of their own collection of magical artefacts that are rolled out during troubled times. Not to mention obscene amounts of money that can buy their own personal armies.

As we start the story we are introduced to a number of characters who eventually pair up and follow their own storylines which eventually converge. We have a hunter named Elias, he’s desperately seeking a cure for his wife and and daughters who have fallen victim to the plague, his actions have become desperate and his lack of caution brings him to the notice of an ambitious gunman called Vic Deeds. The two of them make an agreement to travel together, one with the promise of a cure, the other with ulterior motives that make him appear as less than trustworthy. We have a sneaky thief called Nancy and her latest potential victim Daw. Again, the two of them strike a deal that sees them seeking out an ancient monument in search of treasure. Finally we have a character called Tellius who runs a gang of street urchins. Tellius is a very clever individual, not originally from Darien, he teaches his boys to dance, except what they believe to be a form of dance is actually a combination of routines that feel like martial arts. Tellius is about to be introduced to his latest recruit, a young boy called Arthur who hides a huge secret.

There are a number of different motivations at play here. Elias wants little more than a quiet life and to keep his family safe. He has something, referred to in Darien, as the knack. This differs from individual to individual but lends Elias an ability of stealth and foresight that makes him quite lethal. Nancy’s story is all about revenge, she also has a knack that makes her very interesting to certain people. Arthur is really in search of home. He is much more than a little boy though and although he forms strong attachments to those who show him kindness his abilities will also bring him to the attention of those who would use and manipulate him. On top of this we have a huge army situated outside the city, an army run by a ruthless general who has his own ideas of what is best.

Darien is really a character led story and given the size of the book manages to fit a heck of a lot into what is really relatively few pages in terms of epic fantasy. I enjoyed the style of writing. I think the author does an excellent job of keeping the different POVs distinct and I had no trouble keeping track of them. The plot comes together in a very satisfying way. The author manages to converge the storyline in a way that makes us see the plot unfold from different angles which I particularly enjoyed.

In terms of my niggles.

Nothing that spoiled the read for me but random thoughts that popped up as I read. There is very little history about Darien and although there are twelve noble families we don’t meet them all here. Personally, I think Iggulden has the right idea by not introducing everyone at this point. We only meet with those nobles that play a role in the story and this helps to keep the story succinct and prevents the need for history lessons (although I would have liked a little bit more information on, for example the Sallets).

The magic is not really touched upon, more it’s just there unquestioned. There are magical objects and mages and witches, it’s not really made clear why or how the knack manifests in some and not others. To be honest I don’t really mind this but, again, I think a little bit of history would have been useful.

I think my real concern is that I did want to have a stronger attachment to the characters. By the end of the story I definitely had favourites but it felt like it took a little while to get there, just as though they were a little flat or lacked that certain something that immediately draws you to them. Like I said, this changed as I reached the conclusion where I definitely found myself caring about the fate of a few of the characters, particularly Arthur and Tellius.

Overall I think this was a really good read. It reads as a self contained story but with obvious openings left for the next in series to pick up on, I’m really keen to find out more about certain characters and I’m particularly curious about Elias, and his daughters, and wonder whether they might play more of a role in the future. I think the main issue with this book is that the author was obviously trying to prevent the story from becoming bloated with information which can lead to the story becoming lost a little. As it is, I think this could easily have had another 100 or so pages without becoming bogged down. At the end of the day though the beauty of a series is the way that the characters and world are expanded upon with each successive book.

I think this has the promise to become a great series, almost old school in terms of the style of writing, not overly brutal or dark and with some great battle scenes to boot. I look forward to discovering more.

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

A hunter with an uncanny knack. A thief who knows where an ancient, impenetrable tomb lies. An old man teaching forbidden fighting skills to a group of street waifs. A young woman who knows magic is a fake, ‘cos it’s never ever worked when she’s been there. A young boy who can mimic anything he sees. And the city of Darien: ruled by 12 families, each with their own ancient artifact to protect the city – from invaders, and from themselves.

Conn Iggulden is well known as a writer of historical fiction, which comes with such rave reviews that I’ve been meaning to read some of his work for years. So, when NetGalley had a copy of his new foray into fantasy fiction, I jumped at the chance!

The best bit about this book for me was the sheer multitude of ideas, different forms of magic and magical skills. The downside was therefore how little time we get to spend with each of them, following at least three main plot threads as they inexorably pull towards an explosive meeting.

Thankfully, this is the first in a series – there is so much more to discover about Darien, its ruling families, the Empire of Salt, and of course all of these characters we’ve barely met in this first instalment. While the story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, it still feels like we’ve barely scratched the surface of something so much bigger, and there are far more areas to be explored still. Colour me intrigued to see where the rest of the series might take us.

It's a competent enough fantasy and I will certainly read the sequels but there is nothing really new.

as usual an incredibly well researched and put together book, also an interesting look at a historical figure that is perhaps a bit different from the norm with this type of book.
although not as enjoyable as some of his other works i was still engrossed by the main character and indeed leant something from a period of history that truth be told i know very little about.
Four stars!!

Summary

C.F. Iggulden is a well-known historical fiction author; Darien is his first foray into fantasy. It revolves around the city of Darien, where powerful magic is a thing of the past but remnants remain in objects and as knacks in a few select people. The novel follows a number of these gifted people as they all converge on the city for Reaper’s Eve. By morning, everything has changed.

Plot

The novel follows multiple point of view characters, and so covers a wide range of plots and sub-plots. Ultimately, however, all the threads come together to shake the foundations of Darien’s ruling class. It is a novel in two parts and, ultimately, I much preferred the first part of the novel and felt it could have ended when part one ended. The first part is, admittedly, slow in places, but it does a brilliant job of capturing the magic of the world and introducing the characters, all the while building to the climactic scene where all the threads come together. The second part, unfortunately, just did not work for me – by the time I got to it, it felt like the novel was nearly over. Instead, I was  to embark into another extended climactic scene. It almost felt like it could have been a sequel if expanded slightly.

Characters

As I’ve mentioned, the first part of the novel does a brilliant job of introducing the characters. Of them all, Elias and Nancy stood out to me as the most interesting, two sides of a coin. One only wanted to save his family while the other was purely motivated by revenge. Unfortunately, once the novel hit the half-way mark, I felt like the characters lost a little bit of what made them special in order to allow the more battle-filled scenes to occur. The two female characters, while brilliantly crafted, were also subjected to romances which felt both forced and sprung out of nowhere.

World/Setting

That being said, Iggulden’s experience with historical fiction has led to creation of a world which feels deep-rooted in the novel as well as our own world. I felt I was present in the novel from the beginning, experiencing everything alongside the characters. The set-up of the city felt like you could walk the streets. The only trouble I could find with this was that Darien is supposedly the heart of an empire, yet it felt more like an individual, solitary city than an empire. Even so, it was a city which jumped off the page and I have a feeling that we will see more of the empire in future books.

Final Thoughts

While it is not going to a be a favourite book of mine, I did enjoy Darien. It captured a world built on magic, but where only remnants survive. It introduced me to a number of intriguing characters. It’s also a novel with spectacular writing style – Iggulden can write incredibly well. The novel wasn’t perfect and I was not particularly hooked throughout but I think there is enough in it to make me curious to read the next book in the series.

Let me say up front that I did enjoy this book quite a lot. It was refreshingly straightforward to read and the pacing was good. With that being said, I do have some issues about it. The book tells the story of Darien, a city in the Empire of Salt and a selection of the individuals who live there. The narrative is fairly loose in structure. We are introduced to a series of characters, all having individual tasks or adventures with seemingly little or no connection to each other. The book then ratchets up somewhat with a series of massively important things happening one after the other, with little or no preamble. While this disjointed feel didn't actually disrupt my enjoyment, it does really lack a structure, which means that things happen to characters and you haven't really developed any feelings about them so the impact is lessened. It kind of feels like an origin film for a superhero franchise - it's the one you just have to get through before the story kicks in to full effect. In fairness, by the end of the novel, there are strings left for future books and the quality of the writing is such that I will read future novels in this series. I like the world and I like some of the characters. I just hope that we are given more time to enjoy them in future instalments.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review.

“TWELVE FAMILIES. ONE THRONE.

WELCOME TO THE EMPIRE OF SALT.

The city of Darien stands at the weary end of a golden age. Twelve families keep order with soldiers and artefacts, spies and memories, clinging to a peace that shifts and crumbles. The people of the city endure what they cannot change. Here, amongst old feuds, a plot is hatched to kill a king.

It will summon strangers to the city – Elias Post, a hunter, Tellius, an old swordsman banished from his home, Arthur, a boy who cannot speak, Daw Threefold, a chancer and gambler, Vic Deeds, who feels no guilt – and Nancy, a girl whose talent might be the undoing of them all. Their arrival inside the walls as the sun sets will set off a series of explosive events. Before the sun returns, five destinies will have been made – and lost – in Darien.”

I was quite excited to receive this as I am a lover of fantasy, especially in the warmer months so I thought it would be great summer read. Something wasn’t quite right though, and I don’t know whether it was because I’m in a weird reading slump or because of the book.

This follows six different characters who all have some kind of unique skill. I honestly was only interested in two: Nancy and Arthur, who held skills that I had never read about before. I would have liked to have seen more description around these two, and what they their powers entailed, as the background and charm surrounding these characters was great. The other four I did not care for.

The plot was a bit bland and I felt that not much was happening, but this may have been because it is the first in a series and I understand that these books are usually set up books. I felt that there could have been more world building because the action was a bit lacking.

Saying this, it was a well written book. Seeing as this genre is not the norm from this author I think there is a lot of potential once they find their feet with it. I won’t be picking the rest up in the series because it was lacking the detail that I want from a book.

3/5* good effort.

A change of direction for this author and he does fantasy very well. A rollicking tale of good and evil with lots of magic thrown into the mix. Very atmospheric and beautifully descriptive especially for someone like me who doesn't like this genre but more like this and my mind could change.

I was sent Darien by C. F. Iggulden to read and review by NetGalley.
I love Conn Iggulden’s writing and this story did not disappoint! Although this book is not an historical novel like most of his writing it did have the same feel about it. There are soldiers, palaces, royals and peasants, feuds and best of all magic! The Darien of the title is a city ruled by twelve families and headed by a ‘paper’ king. There are plots of assassination and uprisings and there are plenty of characters to meet and follow.
As with other Conn Iggulden books Darien is well written and quite compelling and I for one can’t wait for the next instalment!

I absolutely love Conn Igguldens historical fiction series - Emperor and Conqueror - so grabbed this without reading the blurb. I didn't realise that he had moved into the fantasy genre with this series. Since I read a lot of fantasy novels actually this should have appealed to me strongly, but I am unconvinced.

I struggled to get into the characters - in his other books the characters take strength from an established historical backdrop, but in this case I felt several floundered.

In addition, the setting seemed unrealistic - more Discworld (without the humour) than Game of Thrones.

Overall, I won't read the next in this series, but I will definitely read more of his historical fiction.

This story takes you into a rich fantasy world with some very different characters.
I cannot wait to read the second in the series.

Darien is the first book in a new fantasy series called the Empire of Salt.

Darien is a city that has one throne and twelve ‘royal’ families, this families are the You people who keep control of the armies, magic, money and peace. Peace as at risk but these families do not know it. The story follows 6 people stories, Elias a hunter focus to kill with Vic Deeds there to make sure he does, Tellius an old swordsman in hiding from his homeland who finds a boy Arthur who does not speak. Daw Threefold a gambler and ‘adventurer’ who take Nancy on adventure that awaken a talent that might be the downfall of them all.

It took me a little bit to get into the story as you are introduced to a new world and several character. I think it was me trying to figure out people connections and how all these stories would come together than enjoying the flow of the story.

When all the characters are in Darien is when I was really gripped with the story, the action is all happening in Darien but we get to see it from the prospective of these six characters. You finally get to see who everyone is connected and the impact these people will have on the history of Darien. 

I didn't really connected to any of the characters, as the book is split between so many. I hope that in the next book I can learn more about them. 

The book ending was well written and made me want to read the next book. 

I give this book

3.5 out of 5