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mxsallybend's review
4.0
A party of adventurers in an unknown land of ghosts, on a quest for a legendary artifact, backed by the divine intervention of a mysterious demigoddess. Stop me if you've heard this one before, because you have, but that's precisely the point. Much of the appeal of The Splintered Crown is that the story is so familiar, a throwback to the classic quest adventures of the 70s and magical fantasy of the 80s.
Larry N. Martin offers up plenty of action and adventure, magic and mayhem, in a story driven along by a memorable band of adventurers. The framing device of The Poxy Dragon is a nice touch, opening a wealth of storytelling possibilities within the world of Tankards and Heroes, with Lady Leota sending would-be-heroes and adventurers through her magical portal.
This time out, those adventurers include a mage, a half-elf, a thief, a wolf-shifter, and a healer - all of them broken, damaged, or alienated in some way. Declan, the broken mage who doubts his own ability to lead the team, is an interesting character. He's a bit cold and flat, but nevertheless intriguing. It was Malyn, though, the androgynous healer who can commune with the dead, who captivated me. With his personality, his backstory, and his powers, he could easily carry a story on his own, pulling the team together.
There are some great settings here, from haunted forests to cursed monasteries, and the lychgates where they shelter are fascinating little places. It's an episodic kind of tale, with each adventure centered around obtaining some tool, artifact, or treasure. It all seems a little coincidental or convenient at first, but as revelations about Lady Leota and her role come to light, it all begins to make sense. If there were any flaw to the story, it would be that the characters never really felt as if they were in danger, but nobody ever really expects the heroes to die, so that's a minor quibble.
Hopefully, The Splintered Crown is not the last we'll see of the world of Tankards and Heroes, even if does mean a new cast of adventurers next time out.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2019/05/02/book-review-the-splintered-crown-by-larry-n-martin/
Larry N. Martin offers up plenty of action and adventure, magic and mayhem, in a story driven along by a memorable band of adventurers. The framing device of The Poxy Dragon is a nice touch, opening a wealth of storytelling possibilities within the world of Tankards and Heroes, with Lady Leota sending would-be-heroes and adventurers through her magical portal.
This time out, those adventurers include a mage, a half-elf, a thief, a wolf-shifter, and a healer - all of them broken, damaged, or alienated in some way. Declan, the broken mage who doubts his own ability to lead the team, is an interesting character. He's a bit cold and flat, but nevertheless intriguing. It was Malyn, though, the androgynous healer who can commune with the dead, who captivated me. With his personality, his backstory, and his powers, he could easily carry a story on his own, pulling the team together.
There are some great settings here, from haunted forests to cursed monasteries, and the lychgates where they shelter are fascinating little places. It's an episodic kind of tale, with each adventure centered around obtaining some tool, artifact, or treasure. It all seems a little coincidental or convenient at first, but as revelations about Lady Leota and her role come to light, it all begins to make sense. If there were any flaw to the story, it would be that the characters never really felt as if they were in danger, but nobody ever really expects the heroes to die, so that's a minor quibble.
Hopefully, The Splintered Crown is not the last we'll see of the world of Tankards and Heroes, even if does mean a new cast of adventurers next time out.
https://femledfantasy.home.blog/2019/05/02/book-review-the-splintered-crown-by-larry-n-martin/
ephemerily's review
adventurous
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
5.0
I was surprised by how much I liked this fantasy. I say that only because it has not a single bit of romance in it, and the cover shows an angry-looking dude shouting. I picked it up in anticipation of being on a panel with the author at a fantasy con.
The basic premise is there’s a rundown pub with a “resident demigoddess” who hangs out and sends would-be heroes on quests through a magic portal. Five down-on-their-luck friends decide to try it so they can hopefully succeed on the quest and win the money to buy a farm in the country where they can live in peace. They are given a quest with a series of tasks, which of course involves each of them growing/learning. (And, they seem somewhat aware that “this is how quests work.”)
Objectively, I can see that the plot (based on random tasks) is sort of contrived, but I just loved how this book felt. I can’t figure out what about it worked so well for me. But I was picking it up to keep reading every time I had five minutes all weekend. While there is some fighting/danger, it felt cozy to me because each task ends and they leave it behind, and as they journey (with a map), they are able to spend the night in “lychgates” at cemeteries that offer protection. The lychgates felt so cozy! Plus they have a sack that magically churns out the standard questing fare of bread, cheese, dried fruit, and cured meat.
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