What a great pulp fantasy book.   This is The Lord Otter’s (obviously not his real name) first attempt at writing a book and he did an amazing job.  Firstly, the look and feel of the book is great.  If you ever owned a copy of the old Hardy Boys books this book will feel very familiar.  Secondly, the full page art is great.  And finally, you have the story.  It’s a tale of two brothers being forced to look after each other as they are taken as prisoners, forced into menial labor, turned into gladiators, and eventually conscripted into mercenary service.  Throughout these circumstances they learn new important skills, find and loose friends and companions, and one brother awakens a power that had been bestowed upon them.   The person responsible for these circumstances? A wonderfully wicked women bent on bringing the world under the thumb of the Goddess she serves.  This villainess is cunning, ruthless, beautiful, and, most importantly, a true zealot.  Which makes for a very fun read.  

So what’s wrong with the book? Not much.  The margins could be a little better to make it easier to read.  There are times that I found a little confusing on who was being talked about and had to read it a couple times until I figured it out and the same could be said for some of the combat scenes.  But I was able to figure them out pretty quickly so not a really big deal.  So, overall, if you’re a fan of fantasy stories and are looking for a fun, quick read then this is a great book for you.         

4.8/5