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shalini_gunnasan's review against another edition
4.0
I was contacted by the author for an honest review, and I am happy to provide it.
First Impressions
Potentially triggering for some. The books opens with a traumatic birthing scene, and the pregnancy was conceived of rape.
We meet one of the major movers of the story, and this short, bloody, ugly chapter sets the tone for much for the rest of the story. Despite this, it never veers into cheesy grimdark territory, which I thought was pretty skilful. Bleak, maybe, but not that.
Characters/ Characterization
Although the characters are easily differentiated, their voices are not really unique. They felt one-dimensional and predictable, especially Anders. As a moustache-twirling villain none of his actions came as a surprise. Lyssa was a generic action girl, Brohr was a generic conflicted anti-hero. I felt that Henrik is the most developed, being a lot less black-and-white than the rest. He was predictable in that he had a specific goal and moved towards it, but how he would do so was less clear and so he was interesting in that sense.
Plot
As I said before, a lot of things happen, and there's a kind of whiplash towards the middle as the story's direction changes abruptly. Despite this, there is never hopelessness - everyone is fighting, moving on, finding solutions.
The interplay between the conquerors and the conquered was, alas, all too familiar from real-world situations. Brohr is the awaited savior, but he is nothing like what they think their savior will be. There is a shadowy presence of eldritch creatures who oversee this world, and they are running the show. A prophecy of doom is already afoot, and genocide appears to be the only outcome.
Prose
Short, detailed and straightforward. Excellent for action sequences, stilted for emotional scenes. As there is far more action than drama, there is less awkwardness to put up with.
Verdict
Fast-moving and enjoyable.
First Impressions
Potentially triggering for some. The books opens with a traumatic birthing scene, and the pregnancy was conceived of rape.
We meet one of the major movers of the story, and this short, bloody, ugly chapter sets the tone for much for the rest of the story. Despite this, it never veers into cheesy grimdark territory, which I thought was pretty skilful. Bleak, maybe, but not that.
Characters/ Characterization
Although the characters are easily differentiated, their voices are not really unique. They felt one-dimensional and predictable, especially Anders. As a moustache-twirling villain none of his actions came as a surprise. Lyssa was a generic action girl, Brohr was a generic conflicted anti-hero. I felt that Henrik is the most developed, being a lot less black-and-white than the rest. He was predictable in that he had a specific goal and moved towards it, but how he would do so was less clear and so he was interesting in that sense.
Plot
As I said before, a lot of things happen, and there's a kind of whiplash towards the middle as the story's direction changes abruptly.
Spoiler
Like Ben H. Winters' The Last Policeman trilogy, the world is already doomed by a comet-destroyed moon, and everything is for naught.The interplay between the conquerors and the conquered was, alas, all too familiar from real-world situations. Brohr is the awaited savior, but he is nothing like what they think their savior will be. There is a shadowy presence of eldritch creatures who oversee this world, and they are running the show. A prophecy of doom is already afoot, and genocide appears to be the only outcome.
Prose
Short, detailed and straightforward. Excellent for action sequences, stilted for emotional scenes. As there is far more action than drama, there is less awkwardness to put up with.
Verdict
Fast-moving and enjoyable.
flockandforge's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Skald's Black Verse is book one in a Trilogy by Jordan Loyal Short. If you are a lover of grimdark epic fantasy, with a sprinkle of sci-fi and a whole lot of world ending, this is the book for you!
NO SPOILERS - This book follows a wide cast of characters as they navigate the perils of what is possibly the end of the world (as foretold by an omen in the sky) - Brohr, or main character is at the center of calamity when he is accused of murder which sets of a chain of reactions in his life. His grandfather has raised him for one purpose, but Brohr wants freedom. Will his choices lead to chaos or peace? Blood may lead to the answer.
I love a good grimdark fantasy, and this one doesn't disappoint! There is blood galore, dark scenes and undertones, escape from the cusp of death more than once, dark and misunderstood magic, religious persecution, and mysterious figures! There are many points of view so it's important to pay attention to which character we are seeing the story unfold from. There author does a wonderful job with character development and world building. The writing evokes love or hate for the characters and is heart pounding in many scenes. There is a hint of barely there romance, but who knows where that will lead.
Definitely recommend this book to anyone with a love for dark fantasy. It's dark from start to finish and I'm excited to get into the next book in the series.
NO SPOILERS - This book follows a wide cast of characters as they navigate the perils of what is possibly the end of the world (as foretold by an omen in the sky) - Brohr, or main character is at the center of calamity when he is accused of murder which sets of a chain of reactions in his life. His grandfather has raised him for one purpose, but Brohr wants freedom. Will his choices lead to chaos or peace? Blood may lead to the answer.
I love a good grimdark fantasy, and this one doesn't disappoint! There is blood galore, dark scenes and undertones, escape from the cusp of death more than once, dark and misunderstood magic, religious persecution, and mysterious figures! There are many points of view so it's important to pay attention to which character we are seeing the story unfold from. There author does a wonderful job with character development and world building. The writing evokes love or hate for the characters and is heart pounding in many scenes. There is a hint of barely there romance, but who knows where that will lead.
Definitely recommend this book to anyone with a love for dark fantasy. It's dark from start to finish and I'm excited to get into the next book in the series.
rishellereads's review against another edition
5.0
This is a great story and I LOVED the characters. I can't wait for everyone else to get to know them! Congrats on your debut novel, Jordan Loyal Short. xo
kevinscorner's review against another edition
4.5
The Skald’s Black Verse was so much more than I expected. I went in expecting a dark fantasy based on Norse mythology, and I got that but wrapped in a sci-fi space odyssey.
The book follows three young people in a far-off mining town of planet conquered by religious military empire. Brohr is shunned because he is a product of the rape of his native mother by an invading soldier. He has dark magic in his blood and is haunted by the spirit of his stillborn twin. Henrik is the son of the collaborator mayor who has learned the ways of the conquerer’s magic. Lyssa is just one of many girls in the town who leads an unremarkable life but dreams of more. When a prophesied galactic disaster approaches, they are thrown together on a battle for their very existence. Little do they know that they are mere pieces on the board in the fight of the gods.
Well-written and well thought-out, the world is rich in lore and history. So much so that I did get a bit confused because I am completely unfamiliar with Norse mythology so I wasn’t actually sure which part are based on that and which the author made up. Barring that, the book really had me gripped with its steady pacing, a mounting feeling of unease and tension, and some intense bursts of action, culminating in an epic grimdark finale that left me reeling. The central characters are imperfect, morally gray, and quite directionless, but that’s what make them so easy to root for despite how unsure we are of whether they are the heroes or villains of the story.
The Skald’s Black Verse is a surprisingly great scififantasy that had me hooked from the very beginning and left me wanting to see where the series goes after that ending.
The book follows three young people in a far-off mining town of planet conquered by religious military empire. Brohr is shunned because he is a product of the rape of his native mother by an invading soldier. He has dark magic in his blood and is haunted by the spirit of his stillborn twin. Henrik is the son of the collaborator mayor who has learned the ways of the conquerer’s magic. Lyssa is just one of many girls in the town who leads an unremarkable life but dreams of more. When a prophesied galactic disaster approaches, they are thrown together on a battle for their very existence. Little do they know that they are mere pieces on the board in the fight of the gods.
Well-written and well thought-out, the world is rich in lore and history. So much so that I did get a bit confused because I am completely unfamiliar with Norse mythology so I wasn’t actually sure which part are based on that and which the author made up. Barring that, the book really had me gripped with its steady pacing, a mounting feeling of unease and tension, and some intense bursts of action, culminating in an epic grimdark finale that left me reeling. The central characters are imperfect, morally gray, and quite directionless, but that’s what make them so easy to root for despite how unsure we are of whether they are the heroes or villains of the story.
The Skald’s Black Verse is a surprisingly great scififantasy that had me hooked from the very beginning and left me wanting to see where the series goes after that ending.
oddroad's review against another edition
4.0
I found this book through the TBRindR-service over on reddit. Which means I got it for free, which means nothing as I say whatever the fuck I want;)
The Skalds Black Verse is the first book of a series (as seems common for the stuff I review…) and with that come some neat things and some things I didn’t like as much.
First the basics it’s a Grimdark Fantasy Novel so you can expect some darker themes and moments (and you will find them here). Here it’s mostly in some of the themes of the story and some gore in fight scenes. The scope of the story is centred around one town and the surrounding lands and some proper apocalyptic happenings and how these affect the town and it’s inhabitants (which sadly isn’t explored to its full potential but the book is a bit longer than 300 pages so not much space).
At least for me the story centred around a darker version of the traditional “Chosen One” variant with the main character Brohr struggling against his destiny before being pulled into it fully but less in a I have to do this because it’s right way instead it feels more like a means to survival for him and his people. Brohr himself is a well written character who undergoes quite a change throughout the story but seemed to me the only one who didn’t actively take part in the events and more like he got pushed along which I normally would have to criticise but here it fits in the overarching theme of the story.
His opposite is Henrik the son of the towns mayor who starts out as just that, the son of an more or less powerful man in the community and he is perhaps the character undergoing the most change and my favourite because he actively does things instead of reacting while he fits in the chosen one role with his power and later responsibilities he never seems to react and always searches for stuff he can do first for himself and later for the town.
There are some more pov characters most of which serve either a narrative purpose as is the case with Brasca the closest thing the book has to an actual antagonist we get to so (there are hints and you meet others but spoiler) or serve to drive the personal arcs of other characters forward as I felt with Lyssa (who is still well written) Brohrs love interest and Anders his grandfather.
The worldbuilding is a bit hit and miss it has some really great parts and somethings which confused me. One of the best things is the magic system or rather systems as we learn of two one is the way of the Skalds which is more what you would expect in an setting inspired by northern mythology with its focus on blood and tradition and the other is binding which came from ancient beings and is more of a technology than magic and there is not much known because we only get to see an amateur using it rather than a master of the craft.
Only thing that bugged me is that I never got a feel for the world how it’s build and the way people travel or conquer in it as kinda space travel but not explored much until the final chapters which left me wondering in the beginning what some characters where talking about, again the book is on the short side but I feel this should have been addressed better or in more detail early on as it confused me for about a third of the book.
So that leaves us with great characters, cool and interesting magic system(s) and a confusing world (for me) and some lost potential in the face of impending doom.
The Skalds Black Verse is the first book of a series (as seems common for the stuff I review…) and with that come some neat things and some things I didn’t like as much.
First the basics it’s a Grimdark Fantasy Novel so you can expect some darker themes and moments (and you will find them here). Here it’s mostly in some of the themes of the story and some gore in fight scenes. The scope of the story is centred around one town and the surrounding lands and some proper apocalyptic happenings and how these affect the town and it’s inhabitants (which sadly isn’t explored to its full potential but the book is a bit longer than 300 pages so not much space).
At least for me the story centred around a darker version of the traditional “Chosen One” variant with the main character Brohr struggling against his destiny before being pulled into it fully but less in a I have to do this because it’s right way instead it feels more like a means to survival for him and his people. Brohr himself is a well written character who undergoes quite a change throughout the story but seemed to me the only one who didn’t actively take part in the events and more like he got pushed along which I normally would have to criticise but here it fits in the overarching theme of the story.
His opposite is Henrik the son of the towns mayor who starts out as just that, the son of an more or less powerful man in the community and he is perhaps the character undergoing the most change and my favourite because he actively does things instead of reacting while he fits in the chosen one role with his power and later responsibilities he never seems to react and always searches for stuff he can do first for himself and later for the town.
There are some more pov characters most of which serve either a narrative purpose as is the case with Brasca the closest thing the book has to an actual antagonist we get to so (there are hints and you meet others but spoiler) or serve to drive the personal arcs of other characters forward as I felt with Lyssa (who is still well written) Brohrs love interest and Anders his grandfather.
The worldbuilding is a bit hit and miss it has some really great parts and somethings which confused me. One of the best things is the magic system or rather systems as we learn of two one is the way of the Skalds which is more what you would expect in an setting inspired by northern mythology with its focus on blood and tradition and the other is binding which came from ancient beings and is more of a technology than magic and there is not much known because we only get to see an amateur using it rather than a master of the craft.
Only thing that bugged me is that I never got a feel for the world how it’s build and the way people travel or conquer in it as kinda space travel but not explored much until the final chapters which left me wondering in the beginning what some characters where talking about, again the book is on the short side but I feel this should have been addressed better or in more detail early on as it confused me for about a third of the book.
So that leaves us with great characters, cool and interesting magic system(s) and a confusing world (for me) and some lost potential in the face of impending doom.
alwroteabook's review against another edition
5.0
Looking for a dark and gritty science fantasy? Then look no further. With a Nordic vibe, this has great characters, an interesting story and most importantly, an excellent sequel, but more on that later. The narration by Aaron Smith really adds to the story.
allyens's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
davidgreenwriter's review against another edition
4.0
Vikings, science-fiction, grimdark, and end of the world shenanigans. What's not to like?
This is a brutal book. It starts as it means to go on, and for those who don't enjoy certain subject matters (no spoilers here) you get those from the off so you can quickly decide if this is the type of book for you.
There's ingenuity and well-worked twists, and the MC Brohr is well-delved. In fact, that would be my only criticism - the rest of the characters pale in comparison. The narrative more than makes up for this, in my opinion - as does the scope and scale of the world-building.
This is a brutal book. It starts as it means to go on, and for those who don't enjoy certain subject matters (no spoilers here) you get those from the off so you can quickly decide if this is the type of book for you.
There's ingenuity and well-worked twists, and the MC Brohr is well-delved. In fact, that would be my only criticism - the rest of the characters pale in comparison. The narrative more than makes up for this, in my opinion - as does the scope and scale of the world-building.
fantasybooknerd01's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Jordan Loyal Short begins his sci - fi/ fantasy Trilogy, Dreadbound Ode with this dark tale of rebellion and Revolution in The Scald's Black Verse.
Brohr is the grandson of Anders Nilstrom, a deeply scarred veteran of The Tyrianite invasion of his homeworld Heimar. Brohr is a mix of Norn and Tyrianite, born of a brutal assault by Tyrianite troops, which leaves his mother pregnant with twins
However, his twin is killed at birth and bound to him by a dark ritual performed by his grandfather shortly after Brohr's birth.
Skip forward quite a few years and Brohr is planning to run away with his girlfriend. However, things don't go according to plan when his supposed best friend tattle tales on his plans and they are stopped. As a result, Brohr loses his temper, and subsequently beats said best friend half to death.
As a result, he is shunned even more than he was, and things go from bad to worse when he is out drinking and gambling. The result of the night, which is one that is echoed in towns all over the universe it seems, is violence. However, whilst the man that Brohr became involved with is unconscious, he is killed be a shadowy apparition. The event is witnessed by two others Lyssa and Hendrick.
This incident is the catalyst for an event that will change all their lives forever.
I have got to say that this book surprised me, and I did not expect it to go the way that it did. Initially, the world building points to a Norse inspired fantasy. A pitch black Norse inspired fantasy, I may add! However, things soon took a different turn with the introduction of space faring invaders that are oppressing the people of Heimar and the whole book goes in a direction that I did not foresee.
The story is made up of four diffiering POV’s; Brohr, Lyssa, Hendrick and Brasca, each of them very different. Brohr is possessed by the spirit of his dead brother and resembles a berserker (or The Hulk, or even Slaine the Horned God when he goes into his warp spasm). Then there is Lyssa, an independent young woman who is totally bored of working in her father’s tavern. Next up is Hendrick, a spoilt prig of a boy whose father is the Mayor, and also one who has done very well from allying himself with the oppressing forces. And finally, there is Brasca, the Tyrianite Prefect sent to Heimar as some kind of political punishment.
The story is mainly confined to one place, the village of Skolijas (although there is some mention of other towns in the world). Whilst in some ways it may seem that it is limited in its world building, it does add to the intensity of the book. And I have to say, I did find this book quite intense.
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a dark fantasy, pitch black even, but this works well. It highlights the oppression that the inhabitants of the village are experiencing, and it also heightens that sense of foreboding that is ever present throughout the book.
Throughout the story, there seem to be a plethora of differing influences in there, such as; epic fantasy, grimdark, ecological disaster, sci fi and even some folk horror. Whilst it may make you wonder how these elements can be melded together, Jordan Loyal Short makes them work extremely well and provide a fantasy tale that is quite individual.
The magic system is quite intriguing, with the Scalds using blood magic, which is used for all sorts of things like hiding evidence and intent. However, other forms of magic are used in the book, and we learn about bindings.
The characters are all well realised, with Lyssa being the standout for me. At times I found Brohr to be a little less than the sum of his parts and could be quite frustrated with him, whilst Hendrick was a typical lordling’s son. The other character Brasca was well realised and complex. It was interesting to see his story unfold to show how he had fallen from a star of the Tyrianite Empire to being demoted to his current position.
I liked that Jordan Loyal Short used some typical other fantasy elements like the chosen one trope, warring gods or the found family trope, and twisted them to fit the story.
So, if you like your dark fantasy flavoured with a bit of grimness and spiced up with a touch of Sci Fi and horror then give The Scold’s Black Verse a try.
Brohr is the grandson of Anders Nilstrom, a deeply scarred veteran of The Tyrianite invasion of his homeworld Heimar. Brohr is a mix of Norn and Tyrianite, born of a brutal assault by Tyrianite troops, which leaves his mother pregnant with twins
However, his twin is killed at birth and bound to him by a dark ritual performed by his grandfather shortly after Brohr's birth.
Skip forward quite a few years and Brohr is planning to run away with his girlfriend. However, things don't go according to plan when his supposed best friend tattle tales on his plans and they are stopped. As a result, Brohr loses his temper, and subsequently beats said best friend half to death.
As a result, he is shunned even more than he was, and things go from bad to worse when he is out drinking and gambling. The result of the night, which is one that is echoed in towns all over the universe it seems, is violence. However, whilst the man that Brohr became involved with is unconscious, he is killed be a shadowy apparition. The event is witnessed by two others Lyssa and Hendrick.
This incident is the catalyst for an event that will change all their lives forever.
I have got to say that this book surprised me, and I did not expect it to go the way that it did. Initially, the world building points to a Norse inspired fantasy. A pitch black Norse inspired fantasy, I may add! However, things soon took a different turn with the introduction of space faring invaders that are oppressing the people of Heimar and the whole book goes in a direction that I did not foresee.
The story is made up of four diffiering POV’s; Brohr, Lyssa, Hendrick and Brasca, each of them very different. Brohr is possessed by the spirit of his dead brother and resembles a berserker (or The Hulk, or even Slaine the Horned God when he goes into his warp spasm). Then there is Lyssa, an independent young woman who is totally bored of working in her father’s tavern. Next up is Hendrick, a spoilt prig of a boy whose father is the Mayor, and also one who has done very well from allying himself with the oppressing forces. And finally, there is Brasca, the Tyrianite Prefect sent to Heimar as some kind of political punishment.
The story is mainly confined to one place, the village of Skolijas (although there is some mention of other towns in the world). Whilst in some ways it may seem that it is limited in its world building, it does add to the intensity of the book. And I have to say, I did find this book quite intense.
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a dark fantasy, pitch black even, but this works well. It highlights the oppression that the inhabitants of the village are experiencing, and it also heightens that sense of foreboding that is ever present throughout the book.
Throughout the story, there seem to be a plethora of differing influences in there, such as; epic fantasy, grimdark, ecological disaster, sci fi and even some folk horror. Whilst it may make you wonder how these elements can be melded together, Jordan Loyal Short makes them work extremely well and provide a fantasy tale that is quite individual.
The magic system is quite intriguing, with the Scalds using blood magic, which is used for all sorts of things like hiding evidence and intent. However, other forms of magic are used in the book, and we learn about bindings.
The characters are all well realised, with Lyssa being the standout for me. At times I found Brohr to be a little less than the sum of his parts and could be quite frustrated with him, whilst Hendrick was a typical lordling’s son. The other character Brasca was well realised and complex. It was interesting to see his story unfold to show how he had fallen from a star of the Tyrianite Empire to being demoted to his current position.
I liked that Jordan Loyal Short used some typical other fantasy elements like the chosen one trope, warring gods or the found family trope, and twisted them to fit the story.
So, if you like your dark fantasy flavoured with a bit of grimness and spiced up with a touch of Sci Fi and horror then give The Scold’s Black Verse a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
Moderate: Violence
barb4ry1's review against another edition
3.0
In The Skald’s Black Verse, Jordan Short crafts an ambitious dark fantasy novel.
The novel’s protagonists, Brohr, has a violent reputation. When a sinister creature murders a conqueror‘s soldier he becomes the prime suspect. After miracoulously surviving the odds, Brohr sets off on a quest to save his people and uncover the truth about a war stretching back into the ancient past. With time, he discovers his fits of rage are, in reality, moments of possession by the ghost of his rage-fuelled twin-brother.
Fans of dark fantasy will enjoy Short’s rich description and the horror-nuanced tone throughout. However, the novel’s grand-scale nature—coupled with a slowly developing storyline—negatively impacts momentum in places. Short offers great detail regarding many of the main characters’ back stories; while this adds depth, the pacing slows markedly in places, and the story could use trimming.
While the premise is intriguing, the writing has some failings. In places the story has too little focus on tension and narrative intensity. In a large cast of characters who get screen time, only Brohr stood out as a memorable one. I didn’t care at all about Henrik, Anders or Lyssa.
Short has a knack for the detail and complexity. His writing is straightforward and thorough, the dialogue is varied, and he shines in the action sequences. He is dedicated to his imagined world, and even through its denser stretches, his attention to detail makes his text come to life.
The book ends with significant questions unanswered, but I expect nothing else from a book one in the series.I would say it’s an interesting debut that could use some trimming and additional editing focused on engaging the reader in the narrative more effectively.
The novel’s protagonists, Brohr, has a violent reputation. When a sinister creature murders a conqueror‘s soldier he becomes the prime suspect. After miracoulously surviving the odds, Brohr sets off on a quest to save his people and uncover the truth about a war stretching back into the ancient past. With time, he discovers his fits of rage are, in reality, moments of possession by the ghost of his rage-fuelled twin-brother.
Fans of dark fantasy will enjoy Short’s rich description and the horror-nuanced tone throughout. However, the novel’s grand-scale nature—coupled with a slowly developing storyline—negatively impacts momentum in places. Short offers great detail regarding many of the main characters’ back stories; while this adds depth, the pacing slows markedly in places, and the story could use trimming.
While the premise is intriguing, the writing has some failings. In places the story has too little focus on tension and narrative intensity. In a large cast of characters who get screen time, only Brohr stood out as a memorable one. I didn’t care at all about Henrik, Anders or Lyssa.
Short has a knack for the detail and complexity. His writing is straightforward and thorough, the dialogue is varied, and he shines in the action sequences. He is dedicated to his imagined world, and even through its denser stretches, his attention to detail makes his text come to life.
The book ends with significant questions unanswered, but I expect nothing else from a book one in the series.I would say it’s an interesting debut that could use some trimming and additional editing focused on engaging the reader in the narrative more effectively.