Havemercy (edit title)

• Rated 3 stars

“It took me a LONG time to pick up this book, and after having read the book I think I can definitive say that the publisher made a complete botch-job of this book. Everything, from the cover to the quotes, to the inside-flap summary, is absolutely a mess and honestly by no means indicative of what it contained within the pages of the book.

Up front I have to say that the writing ability of these to authors is amazing. Great prose. Immediately engaging, lyrical. It pulls you into its grasp and doesn't let go for a minute. Very old-world English in nature. Fun.

The big problem that I did have with the book though is its complete lack of an interesting plot. The characters are completely and thoroughly fleshed out. The world is satisfactorily developed. The magic system, although vague, is interesting. But there really wasn't a whole lot of direction to the novel at all. And thus, no real tension. Nothing that gripped me (other than the prose, that is) and made me excited to read more. And when I got to the end? Okay. The end. Kinda glad that I made it here.

So, if you're into well-written prose and wandering story then this is the book for you. But the story isn't about the dragons. I don't even know why one of the back-cover quotes was even included. Okay, so there are metallic, magical dragons. I think there are about 6 lines spoken by one of them in the entire book. ”

• Rated 5 stars

“After Shoebox Project, I was pretty exciting when I heard about this.

Havemercy alternates between the perspectives of four very colorful characters, who come together in unexpected ways.

While the majority of the first half of the book is a little lacking in action, the authors make up for it with ingenious use of language. Even in Shoebox, I always thought Jaida Jones had an uncanny ability to make writing interesting without employing vast amount of action.

This is a great fantasy novel that I would definitely recommend.”

• Rated 2 stars

“I expected Fantasy-- and there is some-- and got more romance than I wanted. Did it matter that the romance was all man-man? I don't think so, and hated the way the book was going, so I gave up. Gave it 2xNancy Pearl and hung on til page 179... didn't care where the characters ended up though, so I have no idea of the ending... Too bad, interesting dragons!”

• Rated 5 stars

“HAVEMERCY is a laudable effort by two young, new writers, containing everything you'd want in a good fantasy: an interesting world with believable societies, tech and magic; finely drawn, memorable characters; epic battles as well as romance and moving relationships; and most of all--talking, fire-breathing, metal dragons and the special corps of men who ride them!

The kingdom/empire of Volstov, ruled by the Esar, has been in a nearly endless war with the Ke-Han Empire across the Cobalt Mountains to the south-east. Volstov has maintained the edge during the conflict because they alone have a small but effective air force consisting of 14 metal dragons flown by the daring pilots of the elite Dragon Corps, who are praised and feted throughout Volstov and particularly in their home base in the captial city of Thremedon (near the border, by the Cobalt Mountains).

Unfortunately, during the long, drawn-out war, there are periods of inaction. The tale opens during such a stretch, which has led to the Dragon Corps being at loose-ends and therefore in trouble. Rook, pilot of one of the fleetest, strongest dragons, Havemercy, has insulted the wife of an Arlemagne diplomat. Skilled and daring, but also wild and uncontrolled, Rook is the uncouth, uncaring, outrageous, foul-mouthed product of Molly, the lowest tier of Thremedon City, and he has a chip on his shoulder a mile wide. Rook is one of the four first-person narrators of the tale. His voice is reminiscent of the swearing, tough-talking anti-heroes in a number of recent books--he reminded me a bit of Sarah Monette's Mildmay character (maybe in concert with the use of Bastion for castle/fortress area of the Esar and the tower of wizards, the Basquiat, and the upper-class, erudite voice of the wizard, etc.?).

There is also Margrave Royston, a wizard who also happens to land in trouble with an international incident. He's awaiting arrest and/or punishment for having indiscreetly had relations with an Arlemagne Prince who then blamed Royston entirely. (Volstov's society is a bit more forgiving of M/M relations, whereas Arlemagne is not, and the Prince was heir to the kingdom, and Volstov was hoping to make Arlemagne an ally in the war.) Royston's title of Margrave had been awarded him by the Esar himself, meaning that he was a magician who had performed great service, in Royston's case, in battle, even though he is already of the aristocracy and has a Talent and is therefore one of the elite magicians.

Thom is the third narrator, a scholar of the 'Versity who has the thankless task of trying to reign in the behavior of the Dragon Corps, a group of men closer than brothers. He goes to live among them, to find out what makes them tick. Rook seems to lead them all on, and Rook makes life for Thom unbearable. But Thom does, gradually, get to know about these men, the battles they fight--and the dragons!

Hal is the fourth narrator. He's a lover of romans, although he gets to read few enough books, being a poor, distant relation of the Margrave and nanny and soon to be tutor to the Margrave's brother, who lives at Castle Nevers out in the countryside--where the Margrave is exiled for his indiscretions.

All four play important parts in the plot, which starts slowly, during a time of inaction, and builds as the war heats up again--and then comes to a crisis as the Ke-Han magicians (who use a different form of magic) hatch a plan to turn the tide of the war and threaten all of the characters as well as the kingdom of Volstov and the outcome of the war.

There is not nearly enough about the dragons, however, that may have been wise, since it could have turned the story into just another man-and-his-dragon story (which may have been just fine). The aspects of the dragons and the life of the Dragon Corps that are shown are definitely fascinating, particularly as viewed through Rook's and Thom's very different eyes. Interwoven into this are Royston's and Hal's narratives, which are much more personal, but reveal intriguing and important things about the rest of society. All four characters are strong and distinct and interesting, and their sections interweave well, never impeding the gradually unwinding plot and building action.

While there is not much shockingly new explored in this book, it is still far from tired and derivative. The voices of the characters are varied and well-crafted and the overall story is told with dexterity and sincerity, giving it weight and easily engaging our interest as well as our emotions.

I had heard nothing about this book before happening to pick it up. It was like finding an unexpected gem and I feel grateful to have stumbled upon it.”

• Rated 4 stars

“I loved this book. Really. The only reason that it's a four and not a five is that I was totally expecting Rook and Thom to get together, and then they turned out to be brothers. What the fuck. But then, I got interested in their brotherly story--it was touching. I liked their parts of the book more than the Royston-Hal stuff, but then I liked how the exposition as handled under the Royston narrative. I was only really bored about some of the romantic stuff between Royston and Hal late in the book, because I felt their was too much build up with little pay off. Over all a gripping read.”