Corvus [Mass Market Paperback]

Corvus is a sequel to The Ten Thousand(which was based on Xenophon's Anabasis). This novel is completely original, though Corvus has shades of Alexander the Great. Though you don't have to read The Ten Thousand to enjoy this book, I would recommend it to fully understand everything. The first novel takes place mostly in the Ashur Empire(Persia), this novel takes place completely in the homeland of the Macht(Greece/Macedon). The Macht are the most fierce some fighters in the world with their phalanx, but they are divided into countless city states that constantly squabble. Corvus however plans to conquer all of the city states under his banner and rule a united Macht homeland. To accomplish this he must recruit Rictus and his band of mercenaries. Rictus is a living legend, having lead the Ten Thousand back home in the previous novel taking place 2 decades earlier. Though the novel is called Corvus it really mostly focuses on Rictus and his family. I really enjoy Paul Kearney and wish more people would start giving him the chance. I greatly enjoyed the late David Gemmell and Angus Wells and I would put Paul Kearney right up their with them as far as my favorite British authors. Really a great read. Also check out the Monarchies of God series if you enjoy this book.

If you like bloody conquests with tactics and consequences fought by battle hardened soldiers, then this is your book.

Story:
Corvus is similar to Alexander the Great, as he marches his armies across the land and demands fealty from the other nations. He conquers by diplomacy, by blocking resources, and by force. This is a true sequel to The Ten Thousand, and a much better story. Rictus, the surviving leader of the Ten Thousand mercenaries that attempted to topple an empire is living peacefully on his farm with his family when he receives an offer he can't refuse from an enigmatic young conqueror named Corvus. Now the aged mercenary captain must join Corvus in his bloody Campaign to unite the kingdoms under his rule. The campaign will take him through deserts, forests, and mountains as they battle the other kingdoms for supremacy.

World Building:
This is historic fantasy and the people are based heavily on the ancient Romans. Their way of life is fully explained, without compromising the pacing of the book. There is one fantasy race named the Kufr, which are gold skinned people with long equine faces who excel in archery and horsemanship. There are also magic breastplates crafted by the Gods. Everything else could have taken place in Ancient Rome. There are no magic spells, no creatures, no mystical ancient ruins... Just soldiers on a conquest. Even though there is very little fantasy, the world still feels very complete and there is enough in here to please the fans of Medieval Fantasy. (Or Bronze Age Fantasy.)

Characters:
Corvus is a young warlord with violet eyes, who is a master strategist.
Rictus is a battle scarred veteran with a mane of long blonde hair, and a leader of men in battle.
Karnos is a lewd glutton who is transformed into a commander by his tribulations.

The Characters are much better this time around. They have a sense of honor and duty, but they feel no pity for their enemies as they run them through. They don't revel in death; in fact, many of the characters detest it. But they understand that you can't make an omelet without breaking eggs either.

Writing Style:
The writing style is gritty, epic, and heroic. You really feel the trials of the army as they attempt the impossible. The hunger, wounds, cold, and loss of comrades. This is a fast paced story full of battles, tactics, and gore. The characters are pretty good, but the military campaign is the primary focus of the book. The men are instruments and casualties of the conquest.

Action:
The action scenes and battle strategies are very detailed. You do feel the impact of spears, the clash of armies, and the agony of defeat. There are brawls, cavalry, archers, battle tactics, castle sieges, ambushes... And you feel the impact of every thrust of the spear or slash of the sword.

Maturity: M
There's swearing, rape, horrific deaths, gore, etc... It's not for young readers.

Overall:
This is a gritty book about a harsh military campaign and the men in it. The characters are battle hardened men of honor, who fight to the death for their leaders. It's dark and violent, but it is not devoid of humanity. The characters are well written and you understand their motivations and their personalities. The book also goes into detail about the battle tactics, strategies, weapons, innovations, and supply lines needed in war. If you like battles with depth and consequences fought by battle scarred men, then this is your book.

Read it if you love battle stories set in Ancient Rome.
Read it if you love gritty battles.
Avoid it if you like high fantasy, dragons, or magic.
Avoid it if you like feel good stories, this is a book about war in the Bronze Age.

If you enjoyed this book, you should read the Drenai and Rigante Books from David Gemmell, the Robert E. Howard Conan Stories, the mercenary books by Joe Abercrombie, or the Books set in the Warhammer universe.

Great story and the entire series is simply great. I cant wait for the next one. You have me hooked.