Shadow's Son [Paperback]

Assassins seem to be becoming the dominant figures in epic fantasy these days. While they don't yet have a stranglehold over the subgenre the way vampires do in the paranormal romance sector, they certainly appear to be in the ascendency. Brent Weeks' popular Night Angel trilogy arguably started the recent trend, which has been carried on by new authors Col Buchanan, in his debut novel Farlander, and now US debutant Jon Sprunk in his novel Shadow's Son.

The novel's protagonist is Caim, a freelance assassin working out of the city of Othir. After one particular assignment goes wrong, Caim realises he's been set up - and the only person who might be able to offer an explanation as to who is behind it all is the daughter of the man he was meant to kill. Unfortunately for Caim, this unknown enemy also want to get their hands on the daughter - Josie - for their own sinister reasons. Before long, Caim finds himself embroiled in a sinister game of conspiracy, with Othir's future as the stakes. If he is to stand any chance of survival, Caim is going to have to look inside himself and unleash the darkness that he has been holding back all these years...

The greatest asset of Shadow's Son is the sheer pace at which the story unfolds. The story rips along at speed, aided by short chapters and a pleasing lack of unnecessary detail or exposition. Furthermore, the plot is crafted well and enough hints are dropped throughout to keep the reader guessing, with the pay-off coming further down the line as various revelations come to light. Sprunk also manages to engineer one or two twists that keep things interesting.

The other elements of the novel are much more of a mixed bag.

Caim is a solid protagonist and - despite his profession - is easy to empathise with. His motivations are believable and partly drive both the plot and his personal development, while his background - and unnerving ability to control shadows - creates an air of mystery about him. His companion Kit - an ethereal, spirit-like young woman - is another intriguing figure, at least in terms of what her possible origins are.

Josie on the other hand, is a walking stereotype - a whinging adolescent who quickly grows up and matures into a headstrong, independent young woman over the space of a couple of weeks. Needless to say she's also beautiful, and the way her relationship develops with Caim can be seen coming from a mile off. While generally this relationship is handled well, there are unrealistic moments (such as when she and Caim are falling from a pier towards the sea, yet Josie is strangely preoccupied with marveling at how taught Caim's muscles are beneath his clothes).

The rest of the characterisation is uneven: Levictus is a brooding, sinister menace, though his backstory is a little rushed and would have benefited from more exploration to fully flesh his motives out. In truth, this is true of many of the major players in the novel: Ral and Vassili are defined well enough, but lack sufficient depth to truly explain their motives and smooth their rough edges. They're engaging enough, just a little superficial at times. The worst culprit though is Markus, who rarely rises above the level of pantomime villain.

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the characterisation though is the lack of strong female characters, with the arguable exception of Kit. Josie is little more than a damsel in (very frequent) distress and constantly requires rescuing, while the rest of the females in the novel are either tavern 'wenches' (a terribly clichéd word that I would be happy never to see used again) or prostitutes. I suppose you could argue that this merely reflects the male-dominated nature of Sprunk's world, though personally I prefer to see some strong females challenging such gender conventions.

Speaking of Sprunk's world, it's portrayed well enough but ultimately it's nothing you've not seen before numerous times. It's a feudal medieval world, with all the usual trappings. While not inherently a problem - and to be fair it serves its purpose - it nonetheless lacks the depth you find from those of other authors working in the genre. Sprunk does deserve credit though for placing the focus firmly on the story and characters, and not the world (which is the way it should be).

Sprunk's prose, on the whole, is a positive point: while he won't be winning plaudits for style, his writing is sharp and flows well. As mentioned above, he doesn't allow unnecessary details to bog down his narrative, and he handles exposition well. The only flaw in his prose is his insistence on using similes in his descriptive writing - this is a reliance Sprunk needs to overcome in future books, mainly because many of the similes he uses in Shadow's Son simply aren't that good, and add nothing to the descriptive quality of his prose.

Other details niggle as well. The surfacing of a major cliché halfway through the book isn't particularly welcome, Kit seems to vanish on a whim when it suits the plot and for no other discernible purpose, while the book's climax is marred by over-dramatic dialogue and an encroaching sense of predictability. The ascendency of one character to a position of power, despite apparently having no evidence at all to support their right to that position, was also rather hard to swallow.

Verdict: Shadow's Son undoubtedly has its flaws, namely its uneven characterisation, a reliance on cliché and stereotype, and a rather generic world. Yet its story is constructed well (save for perhaps the predictable final act) and unfolds at great pace, with plenty of action and intrigue along the way. Caim is a decent protagonist, and his development and relationship with Josie are handled well. A flawed novel then, but a reasonably entertaining one. Hopefully the next instalment in the trilogy will tread less familiar ground.

The good is that the main character is actually pretty true to the personality we are shown, throughout the entire story. He is a pretty typical protagonist, and I'd wager he could be the twin brother of Kylar (if we are being generous), from the night angel series, also published by Gollancz. Then there is the world setting, not really fleshed out as much as I'm used to, and pretty drab. The evil clergy theme is also just slightly tired, however its not done badly, but reads like a first time writer, and there is some promise here.

The bad; not really sure this is a piece of work that brings anything new or even original to the table.

While being a huge fan of gritty fantasy and having raved about many a writer published by Gollancz, this book wasnt able to sink its teeth into my imagination. As the first reviewer mentions, there are some jarring errors during his story telling; the one where our damsel in distress has just had the threat of gang rape, drowning and a cut throat thrown on her, but for some reason is feeling up out protagonists muscly shoulders half a page later. I just can't get down with that. It was such a strange out-of-character moment that it propelled me outside the story to feel the frown on my face. And I hate when that happens while Im trying to read a story, know what I mean?

It took me an evening to read half of the book, and 2 days to force myself to finish it.

If youre a hardened fantasy reader, especially books of the gritty kind, then this is not for you. If you come off a Malazan high and go straight to reading this, it will feel like a 12 yr old got a hold of a crayon and then got published for lord knows what reason.

However if this is one of your first forrays into the genre, I recommend it, as it will go through some of the stable themes, and introduce an archetype protagonist to familiarize yourself with.

This is the lowest score I have given a Gollancz book, as they are usually very good at picking up fantasy writers. This one just fell short of the usual standard.

When I originally read the blurb of this novel, Shadow's Son was immediately relegated to the piles of books I donate to local libraries. Indeed, it felt as though I had read such books a thousand times. But when two trusted reviewers both came up with positive reviews, I retrieved it and decided to bring it along with me on vacation.

Here's the blurb:

In the holy city of Othir, treachery and corruption lurk at the end of every street, just the place for a freelance assassin with no loyalties and few scruples.

Caim makes his living on the edge of a blade, but when a routine job goes south, he is thrust into the middle of an insidious plot. Pitted against crooked lawmen, rival killers, and sorcery from the Other Side, his only allies are Josephine, the socialite daughter of his last victim, and Kit, a guardian spirit no one else can see. But in this fight for his life, Caim only trusts his knives and his instincts, but they won't be enough when his quest for justice leads him from Othir's hazardous back alleys to its shining corridors of power. To unmask a conspiracy at the heart of the empire, he must claim his birthright as the Shadow's Son...

Not surprisingly, based on the cover blurb we quickly realize that Sprunk doesn't bring anything new to the table. Indeed, there is nothing very original associated with this tale, and it is predictable to boot. Yet the quality of the narrative's execution turns Shadow's Son into a very entertaining read.

The traditional tropes are all present, but somehow it doesn't take too much away from the overall story. Thanks to Jon Sprunk's writing style, a fast-paced yet evocative narrative that keeps you turning those pages, even though the story is clichéd somehow you keep going. Sure, if I were to break the plot down some of you would feel the need to roll your eyes. We have the antihero assassin who doesn't like killing. The damsel in distress who's an annoying brat and only seems good enough to get herself kidnapped time and again. A main protagonist of unknown parentage with strange powers. Secret societies and a corrupted church. Yada yada yada. . .

But like a talented fusion cuisine chef, Sprunk manages to take all those beaten to death ingredients, mix them up, and come up with a compelling recipe. Mind you, Shadow's Son will not change your life. But if you are looking for an action-packed and entertaining fantasy read to bring along with you on vacation, then this just might be what the doctor ordered.

The worldbuilding is the habitual medieval European setting. Nothing special in and of itself, yet Sprunk is nevertheless able to create an imagery that makes Othir come to life. His economical narrative is not bogged down by info dumps, and he manages to convey more in a few sentences than many authors do with a few paragraphs.

Shadow's Son is pretty much a self-contained story, which I reckon is why the novel is so short. Still, we catch a few glimpses of a wider story arc, something that promises to be vaster in depth and scope. I can only hope that the forthcoming sequels will tell us more about the Lords of Shadow, the war in the north, the rise of the Church, etc.

The characterization is at times well-done, but there are quite a few occasions when I couldn't help but grit my teeth in frustration. There are a couple of scenes, especially those involving Josephine, that will get on your nerves. In addition, there were quite a few instances when things felt way too contrived to be realistic. But overall, the plot moves along at a crisp pace. Caim's characterization is also uneven from time to time. Brilliant in some portions of the tale, but a bit corny when the inevitable love story unfolds. The supporting cast, however, is made up of mostly clichéd and somewhat forgettable characters. With the exception of Kit, a faerie spirit that is Caim's only companion.

With this being as assassin's story, as a matter of course there are a lot of battle scenes. But unlike R. A. Salvatore, whose books are filled with choregraphed fights, Sprung is a good storyteller. And other than the final battle scene, I never felt that the action was getting in the way of the story.

The ending, sadly, is a bit predictable and corny. But by this point, the rousing tale has kept you entertained enough that it doesn't matter a whole lot. It will be interesting to see if Jon Sprunk will be able to maintain this level of excitement while using the genre's most basic and overdone tropes in the coming sequels.

Shadow's Son may not be the most original fantasy work out there, yet it is an action-packed and fun read. I'd compare it to one of Hollywood's huge summer blockbuster. They never win any Oscars, but they scratch that itch when you need to get your fix.

Looking for something light yet compelling to bring along on vacation? Jon Sprunk's Shadow's Son should do the trick!