The Black Hawks is a debut fantasy novel (and start of a series) from David Wragg (who we'll be interviewing tomorrow!). It follows the titular crew of smart-mouthed mercenaries as they try and survive, and even make a little money, in a world which seems determined to get the better of them.

The protagonist is Chel, a young man from a noble family, who dreams of doing something more exciting with his life. It’s true that being a hanger-on to an uncle who seems to be some sort of minor court functionary is a little dull, but lets just say that Chel’s life is about to get more exciting than he might like. Still, Chel is an absolutely cracking protagonist. That’s helped by the sense of voice deployed throughout the book. Chel has a naivete of sorts; his lack of experience outside of a bubble of privilege is clear from the beginning, though it becomes sharper over time. In a sense, this is a coming-of-age tale. Watching Chel cast aside his preconceptions of life as it should be, and instead pick up the raiment’s of life as he finds it is at once empowering and saddening. If Chel isn’t a stereotypical hero, though, or a chosen one on a grand quest, still, he’s easy to empathise and sympathise with. An everyman, cast onto the winds of fate, trying to figure out what to do with himself in unusual and potentially shark-infested waters. Chel is, to continue the theme, a fish out of water, struggling to understand exactly what’s going on, and what compromises may be asked of him as he finds himself working with a band of mercenaries to save both himself and the kingdom.

In this he’s assisted by a thoroughly enjoyable supporting cast, most notably the members of the Black Hawks. These are mercenaries, willing to do just about anything to get paid, and with fewer moal scruples about who does the paying than Chel might hope. Each has depth and a sense of personality. These aren’t traits masquerading as characters to tell Chel’s story, but living, breathing, bleeding people. They’re in the Black Hawks for their own reasons, and if it’s because they’re hurt, or mad, or dangerous, so be it. They have a capacity for teamwork, for kicking arse and taking names, that makes every page with the squad on it a delight to read. Their relations with each other are cleary complex, an undercurrent beneath the fast-paced adventure that sits in the foreround. I was delighted by the wit and banter between them, especially juxtaposed with their casually grey morality and penchant for solving problems with sword to the head.

If Chel is the heart of the book, the rest of the company are the soul, in the way they interact with each other and with Chel. They’re fighting and dying for each other and, of course, for the money. But the ties that live in the history of this band of malcontents are there, twining around each member of the ensemble even as they begin wrapping themselves around Chel. This is a coming of age story, for Chel, but also a story of family, or at least, found family – albeit a family that spends its days outrunning bands of hired thus, and doing less than entirely legal jobs for hard cash.

The plot begins with a surprise attack, and it doesn’t really ramp down the adrenaline from there. Because while this is a coming of age story, and a family story, it’s also an adventure story, as Chel and the gang try to fight their way out of a hornets nest they’ve walked into. There’s a few surprises tucked away in a well-crafted narrative, one which doesn’t pull punches, and isn’t averse to sneaking something up on you when you least expect it. That said, the story is occurring in a world I want to see more of. We’ve got icebound tribes and deep snows; nobility-packed ocean castles, and a church filled with overweening ambition. It would be great to look at these systems a little more closely, and I look forward to seeing more of the world in the forthcoming sequel. What’s there is compellingly drawn stuff, and certainly provides a wonderful backdrop for a story which hums along wonderfully

This one’s a lot of fun, folks. The Black Hawks keep you turning pages to see what happens next. It’ll keep you turning pages to see how Chel gets out of his latest jam, or if he’s managed to get the hang of the group yet. It’ll keep you turning pages for the often carmine, fast-paced action sequences. It’ll keep you turning pages, in the end, because it’s a damn good story – and that’s why you should give it a try.

I really liked the cover. It is very appealing designed. The writing style is pleasant and very fluently to read. The characters are very well described and look well thought out and consistently interesting. The tension is always present. The descriptions of surroundings, feelings and scenes were also very good. The story is told pleasant and it succeeds from the first pages to dive directly into the story. The storyline as a whole is very coherent and it seems very understandable and authentic. A very fascinating story that you won't like to stop reading.

Oh! I tried so hard to love this. On the surface, it is everything I would devour but the writing style just wasn't for me. The 'actual 'writing was superb, the imagery brilliant, parts of it were laugh-out-loud funny but I just couldn't get into it and actually DNF which is almost impossible for me. This book will be enormously popular and do incredibly well, I'm sure. Just not for me.

A bonkers but brilliant fantasy romp about a bored Knight (Chel) who just wants to go home.  That isn't likely to happen any time soon though as Chel soon finds himself caught up with a band of fools and misfits, and hilarious chaos ensues.
Immensely entertaining with some excellent world building and fantastic characters. I highly recommend this book and cannot wait for the sequel.

The Black Hawks is a rip-roaring humour action fiction. Where the language would cause Captain America to blush.

The Black Hawks crew banter is one of my favourite element of the book. One of my favourite interaction is below;

"Lemon waggled her eyebrows. 'What's up fuckers? Miss Me?' 'Like a treasured tapeworm came the reply."
(As my copy is an ARC this quote may or may not be in the finished book or it may be altered.)

The plot of the story is full of action, danger, death and not knowing who can be trusted. There is more going on in the Kingdom than originally lead to believe.

Chel is are leading man and a character that I didn't know what to think of him at the beginning. But as the book progress, you see that he is a good guy. Who also takes his oath very seriously.

As Chel is oath-bound to the Prince Tarfells. Bound to keep him safe. Normal books I read, the prince is able to look after himself. It nice to see a Prince that can't, also how out of his death he is while being kidnapped and having to rough it.

Also I am hoping to find out more about the leader of the Black Hawks Rennic as his like a mystery wrapped in an Engima.

Another element I enjoyed is that some of the most dangerous people in The Black Hawks are female. Special shout out to Whisper, Lemon and Loveless.



The Black Hawks is perfect for people who like their action fiction with a lot of humour.

I am looking forward to seeing what happens to this group of mercenaries.

My rating is 4.5 out of 5.

I have very mixed feelings about this book. The blurb really draw me in but unfortunately I just feel pretty meh about it. The main character Chel has been forced in to making an oath to protect the youngest Prince and slightly clueless Prince of the realm which leads to both of them being captured by the Black Hawk Company, a group of mercenaries. I did really like the characters in this. Chel isn’t you typical main character as he’s not particularly skilled in anything or have a great destiny ahead of him he was really just in the wrong place at the wrong time which I felt was refreshing and I loved the members of the Black Hawk Company and was living for their moments together however, I feel there wasn’t enough of this. I feel that this book took a while for me to get into and I felt bored during the first few chapters, it picks up around the middle of the book but then starts to drag again as we get to the end then picks up for the last couple of chapters.

Overall, I enjoyed elements of this book but did find myself bored at times. I gave this 3 out of 5 stars.

Mixed feelings on this one. On the plus side, it's energetic and easy to read, with some quality dialogue and fun characters. If you're looking for some new grimdark this will satisfy you. But it doesn't really do anything original, the world is generic and very lightly sketched in, and my god does the author need to learn the difference between "a cliffhanger ending" and "stopping the book two chapters early".

I'd be a bit leery of the blurb and the way it emphasises humour. There are funny bits, mostly in the dialogue, but the story and plot are deadly serious. This isn't the kind of comic take on the genre I was expecting from the publisher's description. At the end of the day it's a solid fun read that will be nowhere near my top ten books of the year. I'll stick around for the next one though.

Chel is sworn to serve his odious step-uncle, but a chance encounter with Prince Tarfel whisks him away on an unexpected adventure, in the company of mercenaries and killers.

I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Vedren Chel has to serve his step-uncle - a coward who avoids all conflict; so Chel's life is made up of running around with his clothes, and never having a chance to improve his station. Until the city his is in falls under attack, and Chel is suddenly honour-bound to get soft and stupid Prince Tarfel to safety.
His reward is an even bigger challenge, increasing danger and getting so many injuries, it becomes a normal thing.
Chel and a reluctant Tarfel end up being escorted by the Black Hawk Company to a mysterious benefactor. It's a good job these killers are so highly-trained, as everyone is trying to kill the missing prince, along with anyone who gets in their way.

I really enjoyed this story. The Black Hawks are a band of foul-mouthed, opinionated, unforgiving bastards. I really think this book was going for the record number of f*cks in any one piece of literature. The swearing was fantastically creative and British-tinged. If you don't like swearing, this is not the book for you.

Despite starting as the Black Hawks prisoner, Chel has to trust them, and in turn, help them. With the constant attacks, they need every man (including the weaklings) to survive.
The rate at which danger cropped up and attacked them did become a little overdone. They seemed to stumble from one to the next.
With the constant action scenes, and the Black Hawks Company in a habit of all talking over each other, and referring to their colleagues by a variety of insults and nicknames, does make it hard to follow sometimes.

The ending was very strong, and there was a twist that I definitely did not see coming! I don't want to say anything and spoil it.

I really enjoyed this, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

‘Would you rather be a tarantula, or a hairless cat?’
Do I have your attention? :)

The Black Hawks has a premise that should be as catnip to cats for most of us fantasy readers. Morally ambiguous, indolent mercenaries with a lack of ambition, loyalty and compassion who tend to be in the wrong side of the winning/losing column? Hell yeah, sign me up! Twice!

This first book in the Articles of Faith series introduces us straight away to the protagonist, Chel. He is nothing special and seems a bit unhappy with his current predicament; a man sworn in service to a lord who is also Chel’s step-uncle. Chel seems to be dodging his duties as a sworn knight, duties that are nothing like he imagined, when a sudden attack on the city by foreign invaders changes his life instantly. As all seems lost, he flees the beset city with a stolen horse and cart, and before long he makes the shocking discovery of a royal stowaway. Tarfel Merimonsun, Junior Prince of Vistirlar.

They make a deal - Chel will get prince Tarfel to safety and he will free Chel from service to his step-uncle. Win win. Chel is no warrior though, and while he has a knack for being lucky and his courage belies his size, things go south faster than a wolf on a downslope, and pretty soon they are kidnapped by a band of mercenaries known as the Black Hawks.

I have to be honest. The story was a slow starter and I felt my attention wandering early on. Chel and the prince were not uninteresting, but they could not hold the story together on their own for 300 odd pages and I started having doubts. About 60 pages in though the magic happened. The Black Hawks arrived. Folks, I could read five hundred pages about this rag-tag band followed by five hundred more. And then some. It is fitting that they are the namesake of the book as these are a bunch of ruffians that could narrate a phonebook onto the bestsellers list. Don’t get me wrong though - this isn't a laugh-a-minute adventure with some gory action in between. Oh, it has elements of all that and more, but at its heart this is a grim-darkish character-driven fantasy that has just the right amount of humour to lighten things up.


Never fight fair, never spare a killing blow, never consider for a moment that what’s on the other end of your blade is another living, thinking, dreaming, human being. Your enemy is your enemy, understand? You start playing the wondering game, someone will kill you.’

‘That’s … grim.’

‘That’s life, fuck-o. Deal with it or let it go.’


This being a debut book, I had never heard of David Wragg before setting my eyes on that glorious cover by the ever popular Richard Anderson, whose work you might recognise if you have enjoyed Nicolas Eames’ The Band series. I had no idea what to expect, but am overjoyed to yet again be treated to such brilliant characterization as has been a staple feature of many debut fantasy authors recently. I can't say this enough, but what a great time it is to be a reader of fantasy! Chel & the prince, while not winning me over at first encounter, have great development over the course of the tale, staking their own claims on the spotlight. No mean feat, given the company they keep. The mercenaries have the kind of chemistry that movie execs dream about and the relationships and politics within the mercenary band were almost as gripping as the action, and that’s not even mentioning the banter, the dialogue.


Hush and listen, this could save your life some day.’

‘Oh?’

‘Aye, “oh”. See, thing is, most people, they don’t get hit by arrows much.’

‘That so?’

‘Indeedy. So, if and when they do, they don’t know what to do. They think that’s it, and they should just keel over, curl up their toes, back to the ancestors.’

‘Whereas …?’

‘Ah, you can fight on with an arrow in you! You can fight on with a dozen, like a fucken pin-cushion. I knew a fella, a Clydish man, mark you, not like one of you northern piss-sheets, fought on with sixteen arrows, two spears and a sword in him. Carried on for hours, cracking heads and ripping limbs.’

‘And he lived?’

‘Well, no, but he didn’t lie down and die at the first blow, did he?’

‘So what’s the big secret? If you’re hit by an arrow, don’t die?’

‘Aye. That’s the secret: don’t die.


Whilst world-building is not one of the main building blocks of this story, references to battles past and the history of the world is interspersed throughout and gives the sense of a much larger world that even the main characters only know a smattering of. I am happy though that the focus is more on the characters and plot, as it keeps the pace up and let's face it; with characters such as these you want to keep the spotlight on them. Before moving on, I cannot help but give a shout out to my personal favourite, a possible sufferer of lupophobia, the one, the only, Lemon.


‘Oh aye, right, into the mountains we go. No bother there. Not like there’s fucken wolves and bears and whatnot. Always fucken wolves. Wildlife, shitehawks all. If I see a fucken wolf I’m gonna brain it with a fucken hammer and wear its flat head like a fucken hat. No fucken wolf better come near me. Lemon the wolf-hammer, that’s what they call me. Too fucken right, wolfy, just you try it. Just you show me your little wolfy teeth. I’ll have your fucken tail to clean my arse.’


*cough* more Lemon please*cough*

Action is of course, what mercenaries live for and the book does not skimp. There are quite a few battles, ambushes and even a moment of horror to keep things tense, but David Wragg does not let up with some great escalation towards the end, culminating in a moment or two that will have you going “wait, WHAT?”, right before delivering a lovely little cliffhanger.

I’m not a big fan of cliffhangers.

But I’ll allow it.

Once. ;)

Definitely recommended!

The Black Hawks is released on 3 October 2019 and there is a lovely sprayed edge version (red) being released by Goldsboro if you are in the UK. I would pre-order. They are going to sell out fast.


The quotes in this review were taken from an ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

Fans of Joe Abercrombie rejoice …. a debut writer arrives to rival Joe's dark adventures. A dark and gritty medieval-type world is portrayed with a cast of morally bereft protagonists , overflowing with action and adventure. Instead of magic we are treated to realistic battles with body parts being cleaved and spirting blood..
Bungling and wastrel Vedren Chel is mired in a worthless job as a knight in the service of a lazy step-uncle who hides from any
meaningful confrontation or foray into anything controversial. Chel inadvertently falls into a situation where he is forced into swearing an oath of allegiance to a seemingly meek and incompetent prince …. who is second heir to the kingdom. He and the prince quickly find themselves captive by a band of mercenaries known as the Black Hawk Company.. A motley crew of colorful and fascinating diverse characters fleshed out to perfection.. Spider, Loveless and Lemon are just a few of the sarcastic rogues portrayed with varying degrees of unsavioriness. Wragg proves to be a master storyteller as he weaves a twisted tale of action and skullduggery with interspersed dollops of humor. Supposedly the Black Hawks are tasked to deliver the duo to a mysterious third party for ransom.. Their journey is frequently interrupted by such inane forces as cannibals, berserkers, and even unrepentant agents of a false religious order.. The tension mercilessly ratchets up to an unexpected denouement … and setting up a highly anticipated sequel.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Collins. Voyager for supplying an Uncorrected Proof of the Debut gem in exchange for an honest review.

To be honest, the prevailing feeling I have about this book is a big old sense of “eeehhh”. Not in a bad way, I should add. I did like this book, to an extent. But it wasn’t to a huge extent.

The Black Hawks is your generic kind of fantasy. There’s a land, split into factions. There’s a King, there’s a Church, there are lords, and so on and so forth. In this world, we meet Chel, a boy who has reluctantly sworn an oath as a knight to his step-uncle. When the city he is visiting is attacked, he flees, seeing it as an opportunity to escape his service. Only, he finds himself escorting a Prince home instead, and then is subsequently made his protector. And then facing all the chaos that ensues.

What I liked about this book is that it wastes no time in getting to the action. There is very little worldbuilding that goes on at the start (which is where the generic nature of the fantasy world helps). Instead, we, like Chel, are thrown right into the thick of things. And that, for me, works to this book’s advantage, because I am not that big a fan of exposition and huge amounts of worldbuilding. But I can also see some places where the book could benefit from more of it. Like, the structure of the Church, the power it holds, the history of the land. All of it, we get piecemeal, eventually, and I sort of wanted more.

Honestly, though, the best part of this book was the Black Hawks. If you’re looking for a group of rag-tag mercenaries who rip the shit out of one another without mercy, then this book is for you. The number of times I laughed out loud reading scenes with them, I could not count. But they’re kind of offset by how boring some of the other characters are (*cough cough* Tarfel). I couldn’t find it in myself to even root for Tarfel, because he just kept whining. And whining. And then whining again.

But the end did kind of get me intrigued enough to want to continue the series in a way. I didn’t see the plot twist coming (maybe something that could have been foreshadowed better?) and it ended on a cliffhanger. But it was arguably too abrupt a cliffhanger because it felt almost as though the chapter had just stopped in the middle. I was expecting the book to continue and instead it finished. Just like that.

Overall, though, this was a solid debut novel. I only wish I had liked it that little bit more.

The Black Hawks by David Bragg is a fun book, if a little slow to get going, with the first 20% all a bit 'go here, but then, go back here,' before the characters really start to feel fleshed out and enjoyable.
When the narrative is focused on the members of The Black Hawks, the book is at its finest - and the section that runs from about 20% to 50% is rife with promise, humour and a great deal of action.
After that, the novel tends to fall down a few fantasy 'holes' and the reliance on a religion as the ultimate 'baddies' feels laboured and a bit disappointing. I was hoping for something a bit different for The Black Hawks company to get their teeth into, as they certainly deserved it.
I read on though, hoping for something a 'little more' only to be further disappointed that the book has no true ending, but rather just stops. This is frustrating. Series and trilogies should still ensure that the characters reach an 'ending' even if it only the beginning of something else, and leading into another book. The ending of The Black Hawks is frustrating and as a marketing ploy, I wouldn't allow myself to be be drawn into it.
Overall, this book holds a bucket load of promise, and while hugely enjoyable in places, it lacks the real punch of 'original' which I think the fab characters truly deserved. A firm 4/5. I wish it had been a 5/5, and I wish it had truly had an 'ending.'
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my review copy.

An unexpected captivating read about a rather unclear cause in a kingdom far away and long ago, a vague bunch of mercenaries and a young hero against all odds. The cause, ridding the realm of a suffocating, cruel and scheming ruling class that is using all the tricks of the book to keep the people scared and subdued, only slowly unfolds itself. The adventures, the chases, the fights, the language used (both the colourful profanities as the lovely descriptions) made me miss my stop in the metro home several times.

This was such a good read! I have been on the fantasy and 'group of misfits' hype for a while now and this was perfect! I loved the plot, both action-packed and chaotic. The characters were easy to love and the world-building really drew me in! I highly recommend this to fans of Brandon Sanderson and fantasy-lovers. I wish I had the paperback version now to treasure with me! :)

Thank you HarperVoyager UK and NetGalley for the eARC!

This book admittedly does take quite a while to kick into gear, but once it does it flows easily. While it avoids some fantasy cliches, it also embraces some in earnest - indicating that while this is meant to stand out, it is also a loving homage to fantasy works past. The characters were endearing even though painstakingly oblivious (especially the main character Chel). The banter is arguably the best part of the book, but I think the ending may be the stronger part of the book. In a region completely permeated with religious beliefs down to the laws of the land, the ending gives a lot to question as much as it answers with its dark, heartrending twist - leading to a cliffhanger many would clamour to find resolution for. The series name "Articles of Faith" (according to Goodreads, anyways) is surely fitting.

Make no mistake. Although there's a lot of humour from the banter, this world is considerably bleak to the point it skirts the boundaries of grimdark fantasy with the typical graphic violence you'd come to expect from grimdark fantasies. But I suppose humour and pain go hand in hand, something I suspect Wragg knows perfectly well.

Overall this is a satisfying fantasy debut, and I will be looking forward to Wragg's future works to see how he evolves as a writer. As is now, The Black Hawks will appeal to fans of Mark Lawrence, Joe Abercrombie, Anna Stephens, and Jay Kristoff.

Four and a half
I keep seeing the term grimdark meaning a fantasy that is violent and doesn't necessarily have an heroic lead and from this truly striking cover I thought this might just fit into that category . Now having finished this I'd say yes it's violent and bloody but perhaps not really grim.
Our young hero Chel might lack experience but he definitely has heart, morals and knows the value of loyalty. Stuck in a position beyond his control he really just keeps on doggedly plodding along until one day everything goes to pot around him and he finds himself agreeing to be the bodyguard of Prince Tarfel. You would think the Prince would be perhaps more worldly than he is but he is extremely naive almost to the point of stupidity and the pair just blunder along but with a price on Tarfels head it's not long until they are captured by mercenaries and that's when this story truly takes off !
Yes Chel is a hapless hero but make no mistake he is a hero. I struggled to connect in the beginning but about two thirds in there's a revelation that was both eye opening and also very intriguing and I've a feeling the author has another surprise up his sleeve.
The Black Hawks are a truly entertaining bunch and there's always something new to discover about the various members along the way . Yes I know you would expect mercenaries to be morally reprehensible but there's a strong bond that at times meant the author could inject humour into the proceedings. Trust me the black humour was necessary because the action scenes are in no way fade to black and are pretty brutal. I was absolutely gripped as this stormed towards the end and left devastated when I turned the page only to find no more ! I recommend this debut if you want action, strong characters, banter and surprises although for this reader the next book cannot come soon enough !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This is a fantastic start to the Articles of Faith series and it is the author's debut novel. It took me a little while to get into it but after a couple of chapters I settled into the flow of the story. I loved the array of characters in this book and thought their development was really well done. Overall I really enjoyed this one and will definitely be continuing this series. I highly recommend checking it out.

Wonderfully weird and weirdly wonderful and that was just the first few pages and from then on it became even better. A more mismatched set of fellows you could not hope to meet who, in spite of everything, almost manage to do what they set out to do. The series of adventures they carom through to get to the last page of this book has to be read to be believed and that is exactly what I recommend you do. I already have the second volume on my wait list; please write it soon.

I really enjoyed this book. It's dark with some humour that at times has you laughing out loud. I was gutted by the cliffhanger ending, as I now have a long wait to catch up with Chel and the gang again.
The Black Hawks are a motley bunch of mercenaries on a mission, and Chel - a bored knight and his young charge Prince Tarfel - whom Chel has sworn to protect are on the run from assassins. But who are friends and who are foe?
I loved the characters, especially Lemon and her banter, and look forward to catching up with the Hawks in the next book.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC.

I could hardly resist a new fantasy book marketed as "Perfect for fans of Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch", and I'm glad this turned out to be spot-on! This is a very tightly-plotted, remarkably confident debut, and I can't wait to see where this all goes.

For once, you actually get exactly what the summary promises. There's not much else going on, and the action moves quickly to the very dramatic (and pretty evil) climax at the end. I think some readers might be disappointed by the lack of rambling world building that usually takes up a good portion of a first book, and the fact that there is not much you learn about the world. You get just the facts to understand the characters' motivation, and not much else. Which I for one really enjoyed!

"Lesson one: don't fight." "Come on-" "... unless you've no alternative."

"Lesson three: keep your fucking eyes open."

"What's lesson two?" "There's no dignity in dying, no matter how nobly you do it. The most honorable warrior giving his life in sacrifice still shits his breeches the same as any peasant on a pitchfork." "So...?" "So don't die."

I also really liked the set of characters. There's a lot of bickering, and the band of mercenaries known as The Black Hawks is made up of a wide array of interesting and layered characters I am excited to get to know better in the future.

And the end (for now…). Oh boy. That was brutal... But what a clever way to make sure your audience comes back for answers!