Publishers Weekly
04/29/2019
Parker (Savages), the more sly and bitter pseudonym of comic fantasist Tom Holt, launches a witty adventure series set in a fictional world with features similar to the Roman Empire. The infectiously optimistic Orhan, colonel-in-chief of the Engineers, is away building a bridge when the unnamed capital city comes under siege. After the soldiers are ambushed and killed and the noblemen flee the city, there’s no one left to defend it, so Orhan sneaks his team of carpenters into the city to help. As a former slave and a “milkface,” he is the wrong color for a leader, occupying the lowest level of society among the blue-skinned elite Robur. Nevertheless, the local citizens, Robur and milkface alike, rally around the fast-thinking, faster-talking, and resourceful Orhan. The enemy at the gate is 100,000 strong, armed with trebuchets, and led by a tactical genius who’s been planning the siege for decades. When Orhan realizes he has a connection to the enemy’s leader, he begins to question why he’s defending the empire that enslaved him and killed millions of his people. Orhan is a comical, exceptionally lucky, unreliable narrator. Readers will appreciate the infusion of humor and fun-loving characters into this vivid and sometimes grim fantasy world. (Apr.)
From the Publisher
"Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun."—SFX
"Launches a witty adventure series . . . Readers will appreciate the infusion of humor and fun-loving characters into this vivid and sometimes grim fantasy world."—Publishers Weekly
"As with most of Parker's work, there is a melancholy undercurrent that gives the humor weight. As heroes go, Orhan is a reluctant and flawed one . . . . [but] when Orhan works the problem, we can't help but watch."—Locus
“With a steady pacing, solid, lean writing and variety of twists, the novel keeps on surprising the reader."—Fantasy Book Critic
"Parker's acerbic wit and knowledge of human nature are a delight to read as he explores the way conflict is guided, in equal measure, by the brilliance and unerring foolishness of humanity . . . . Thoroughly engaging."—RT Books Reviews on The Two of Swords: Volume One
"[Sharps] is a ripping good adventure yarn, laced with frequent barbed witticisms and ace sword fighting... Parker's settings and characterizations never miss a beat, and the intricate political interplay of intrigue is suspenseful almost to the last page."—Publishers Weekly on Sharps
"This is another splendid offering from K.J. Parker, the (pseudonymous) British fantasist who seems incapable of writing in anything but top form."—Locus on Sharps
"Well-crafted, powerful and downright unmissable"—SFX on The Company
"Brilliant."—Locus on The Engineer Trilogy
"Parker carries the reader on a headlong gallop to the powerful conclusion."—Publishers Weekly on The Company (starred review)
