I love this story! I'm really glad he's stepping out from the Powder Mage world into something different (don't get me wrong, I very much enjoy the Powder Mage series, but I was excited to hear that he was branching into a differentish genre), and think that this is a great trip.

I got a World War vibe from the whole thing, but it seemed to be two countries battling it out over the course of decades, and I feel like he did a good job of populating his world with believable characters and settings.

I would have liked to have seen more character interaction; I liked what there was and can understand why there isn't more, but I really hope there are more stories set in this world to better flesh it out.

i have loved all the authors previous books and was delighted to get a copy of this to review.
i was slightly disappointed that this was only a novella, however once i got over this i quickly devoured the story.
i assume its really a set up for what is going to be a new series.

As with previous books there is a lovely mix of low tech and magic not just your usual swords and sorcery and the story gives us just enough background to make you want to read more about the world and conflict there in.

My only real grip is a what i felt was a very abrupt ending , although i guess that may be the price to pay for this being a novella i am certainly hooked enough to read more and look forward to what i hope is a full length novel to start of a new series!!

Another month, another Tor.com novella…

One of the great things about these novellas is that authors can try new ideas and stories, often different from the work they are known for. More in-depth than a short story, but not as complex as a novel or a trilogy, Tor and other publishers have for the last few years brought back this rather unfashionable mode of story-telling.

It has been successful too – see Tor’s recent Nebula and Hugo Award success with Martha Wells’ first Murderbot story, All Systems Red, for example.

Like Martha before him, Brian is best known for his Fantasy writing. His Powder Mage series (five novels, and nearly a dozen novellas so far) have also won Awards (Promise of Blood won the Morningstar Award for Best Newcomer, 2014).

For this novella, it’s a new setting, with new characters. War Cry feels more contemporary than any of his previous work.

The beginning of this novella reads like many a fairly modern war story. It could be the Spanish Civil War of 1936 or Stalingrad in 1941, with talk of propaganda leaflet raids, machine guns, propaganda radio, worn-out carbines and an army on the cusp of defeat.  It’s only after a couple of pages that mention is made of Teado’s platoon’s real job – a platoon that uses sorcery and magic to get the job done.

The only problem is that things are increasingly tough – their side in the war are losing, supplies are running out, equipment is failing and soldiers are beginning to desert – or, at least, think about it.

A chance at a resupply mission, albeit risky, is undertaken with some enthusiasm – not only does it mean that the might have food and viable weapons to use, but it gets them out of the foxholes they’re stuck in and relieves the boredom and tension of being unable to make much of a difference. After hijacking what they hope is a new supply of enemy food, Teado, separated from the rest of his platoon, finds instead something else that could change the course of the war.

The mixture of relatively modern warfare and witchcraft is nothing really new – Poul Anderson was doing it with his Operation Chaos stories back in 1956, for example, Heinlein had something similar by showing us magic being used as a business strategy in Magic, Inc. (1940) and in 2015 there was a good anthology edited by John Joseph Adams named Operation Arcana which covered similar ground. Even Lord of the Rings has medieval battles with added magic.

But what Brian does here is breath life into old tropes.  His use of different magical types is interesting. Teado is a Changer, who, rather like werewolves, can change his form at will. Bellara is a Smiling Tom, who can use magical illusion to make things seem invisible. There’s also mention of Fire-Spitters and Wormers, although they are not really seen in this story.

War Cry is a Fantasy story, admittedly, but at the same time it shows the reader basic human universals - warfare is horrible, but at the same time it is something that for the sake of freedom and liberty has to be done, friends and loyalty is important.

In fact, most of all, this is a story of honour and betrayal. Teado is torn between defending his comrades and leaving what seems to be an increasingly senseless war. He is also a teenager who makes a huge mistake which has consequences for his friends. By the end there is resolution, although not without cost, and things are more complicated than they at first appear.

So: if the idea of these novellas is to entertain, has War Cry worked? Yes. Teado is likeable and sympathetic and the characterisation is brief but adequate, enough to give us the idea of what is going on before focussing on the pace and the plot.

The other success is that the story also introduces the reader to a new world, which I’d be very happy to read more of. The ending is partly left to allow this to happen.

In short, War Cry is a terrific success. It sets its stall out quickly, is readable in one session and remains memorable throughout. Like Martha’s series, I’m hoping to read more from this world in the future.

Soy una de las principales defensoras de la publicación de Brian McClellan en España. Sus novelas de flintlock fantasy son un buen ejemplo de creación de mundos complejos y personajes carismáticos. Pero en esta ocasión hablaré de una obra totalmente distinta, titulada War Cry.

Lo primero que destacaría sobre War Cry es su longitud. Es un relato muy corto y quizá esta extensión juegue en contra del autor, acostumbrado a desarrollar sus ideas en un espacio mucho más amplio, aunque también tiene algunas historias cortas situadas en su mundo de fantasía. Pero estas otras historias se pueden apoyar en el conocimiento que el lector ya pueda tener de ese mundo, mientras que War Cry debe valerse por sí sola.

¿Lo consigue? Sí, pero a cambio ha de sacrificar otras cosas, como la coherencia de algunas acciones. Y eso que el mundo que ha creado, con una guerra donde son importantes los poderes mágicos de algunos combatientes (¿he oído mutantes?), suena muy interesante. Pero es difícil creer en una guerra en status quo cuando uno solo de esos combatientes es perfectamente capaz de acabar con un batallón, con una piel resistente a las balas, por ejemplo. Aunque ambos bandos tengan personajes con estas características, resulta difícil imaginar una lucha de trincheras disponiendo de estas posibilidades.

Las escenas de acción tampoco me han acabado de convencer. Es muy espectacular realizar un asalto entre dos aviones para conseguir robar provisiones, pero fuerza mucho nuestra incredulidad.

El mensaje antibelicista que lleva la historia si me parece importante. Años de guerra que han destrozado el futuro de las naciones involucradas, sin que haya perspectivas de un fin cercano. Vidas cercenadas por una lucha de la que ni siquiera se conocen las causas. Esta desesperanza si que la relata perfectamente McClellan.

No considero War Cry un ejemplo del trabajo habitual de este autor, más bien una excepción. Si deseas conocer cómo escribe, te recomendaría mejor empezar con alguna de sus historias cortas o novellas que en algún momento ha puesto gratis en su web. War Cry te gustará si lo tuyo es la ficción bélica o las historias de superpoderes.

I received an advance copy of this novella via Netgalley.

Brian McClellan is an excellent writer, and <i>War Cry</i> shows that in a fast, breezy read with a lot of depth. War is hell, and to be on the losing side is a special sort of hell. Teado is a shapeshifter with an isolated platoon that is gradually dying off. When they get an opportunity to strike at the enemy--a morale boost as well as a chance to get food--they seize it, with unexpected results.

Teadro is an interesting character whose loyalty to his comrades over his country has a note of realism to it. His shapeshifting magic is fascinating, though I was left wanting to know more about the other magics in this world. This is a very fast, intense read; I finished it in about 30 minutes.

In the book War Cry, author Brian McClellan writes about Teado, a Changer who is in the struggle of his life to survive. Could his actions change the course of the war? I did not enjoy this book. Something about the style and characters I could not connect to it. It was short and a fast read. I received a copy of this e-book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Trying to do a McClellan book in 95 pages is always going to be a hard sell - his writing is all about depth and character growth - neither of which can be done in a novella format. So I am guessing that what we have here is a prequel that introduces how our squad came together from separate parts. But this looks to be an intriguing series whose setting is very reminiscent of the Spanish Civil War.

Story: Teo's squad has been inflicting heavy damage on the enemy from their hidden base. But supplies are running low and they are cut off from further supply lines. In a desperate gamble, they attack an enemy cargo plane with the hope of bringing home fresh supplies. But all does not go as planned.

With War Cry, we once again have the interesting merger of magic and war. In this case, we are given shape changers, illusionists, and fire mages - with likely many more to come. Each mage type has a very catchy and era appropriate name-type that once again showcases McClellan's attention to detail. This isn't the Powder Mages rewritten for the future. It feels like a new world, a new era, and with its own rules.

In all, I am looking forward to this being continued as a full series. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Teado's people have been at war for forever. And they are losing.

His platoon is one of the last holdouts, and after a disastrous attempt to steal an enemy cargo plane, Teado is separated from his platoon, and then he stumbles upon a plot that could change the course of the war—and destroy everyone he cares about.

This novella reminded me of Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls in tone (not really in plot so much as the overall helpless of the situation—so I kept thinking of the Spanish Civil War and skirmishes in the mountains) and Correia's Grimnoir Chronicles with the specific types of magic and wizardry that manifest in the world.

While the overall pace and plotting of the story was enjoyable, the ending petered out with a whimper rather than a bang, and the dramatic reveal was neither dramatic nor much of a reveal. Overall, it was a fairly bittersweet ending. It was more of a meh reaction for me than anything, mostly because I didn't really feel myself connecting with Teado's character the longer I sat in his head (while I emphasized with his position, I questioned his lack of questioning anything when he meets M).

I haven't read any of McClellan's longer works, so I don't know if admirer's of his work would like this too. It was a good idea, but it fell flat.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.

This is the first work of McClellan's that I have read, and it happens to be a great place to start! Or at least *I* think so, but I'll leave it to the McClellan aficionados to examine how "War Cry" relates to the entirety of McClellan's rather massive body of work. I'm a huge fan of the latest crop of Tor.com novellas, among whom "War Cry" sits in good company. When I say that this is "capable" science fantasy, I'm not using the word lightly; there have been plenty of smart and strong war (or after-the-war) novels and novellas in science fiction and fantasy over the last year, and this is up there with the leaders of the pack. If it had come out a little earlier in the year, it may even have nipped past its remaining competitors due to novelty. As it is, this is still a fun, if grim, read, with plenty of sharp dialogue and nifty action sequences that tap into some of the World War II vibes which have been bubbling to the surface in literature lately. Oh, and we all know I love a good, old-fashioned unresolvable moral dilemma to sucker-punch me while deplaning from a new book. McClellan delivers on all of the above, and I'm hoping this ends up being the start of a new series!

Thank you to Netgalley, MacMillan-Tor/Forge and Brian McClellan for an ARC. My opinions are my own and independent of receiving an advanced reading copy.

Rating 3.5 stars
First, I am a big fan of Brian McClellan. I’m just not a big fan of novellas, unless they are connected to a series that I’m familiar with. I mean they are just a morsel, sometimes tasty and sometimes not enough of a bite. War Cry is a standalone for now, hopefully setting up a new world where McClellan can take his usual 600 pages to thrill us with a new adventure. Because you are not yet familiar with this world, and because there is no time to explain in this short work, you are a bit off kilter until you start to understand what is going on.

Meet Teado who is a changer. A changer is a human who changes into some kind of big, animalistic, leathery skinned, spindly ridged creature with talons and horns that is almost indestructible. So cool!! I want to be a changer. They change at will and guns, grenades, even falling off of an airplane will not kill you. Also, if you are injured, and you do get injured, you can stay in this state until your human state can withstand the injuries and heal. There are other wizards, Smiling Toms, that can perform illusions making you see things that aren’t there. Teado’s platoon has a Smiling Tom, Bellara. Bellara wants to perform magic for pleasure, to bring joy to the world. But that doesn’t happen anymore. Anyone’s special talents are for the war effort only. It reminded me of World War I or II when the war effort propaganda took over every day life.

This told from Teado’s perspective. There is no background so it takes a minute before you connect or feel invested in the story. The action is exciting and grounded in the real world, no futuristic bombs or cool gadgets. The military strategies, the troops, the food rations all seem like any war novel, but has a retro feel, like from a previous World War. But you have these interesting elements, like the wizards, that lend an air of excitement and mystery.

I want to know more. I need to know more. Why are they fighting? What is at stake? What is life like in the regular world. There is no time to tell these stories in a novella. So, I will wait for book one of the series. It was a good morsel. But I’m ready for dinner.

I thought that this was just an excerpt, but it turns out that this is the whole book. I'm a bit disappointed with the length of it, as I feel that it definitely could have been fleshed out into a full length novel. However, I really enjoyed what I did read.

Staring out across the plains, the team feels hunger. The need of food, family, and an end to the war they have always known. A specialized squad of rangers: gunners, magic-users, medics... all tired of waiting. Until their resupply man returns with two tins of biscuits, and news that it might be the end of the supplies. Two lousy tins of biscuits. From this news begets a plan so crazy, its methods have been outlawed for most of the war.

In just under a hundred pages, McClellan vividly draws a world that is a war-addled wreck of politics, WW2 weaponry, and magic. Everything is breaking: machinery, spirits, and the soldiers themselves. The narrator Teado is a Changer, a man who is able to metamorphosize into a 'prehistoric monster'-like beast of awesome strength, speed, and stamina. McClellen aptly reveals the world's nuts and bolts through Teado's eyes. The reader gets his personal and global observations and reflections of what's going on between nations and the team members. It's a small picture, but one that has great potential.

War Cry is a perfect introduction into McClellen's new foray into world building, a place many readers would be itching to explore. A gritty mission of need turns into an incisive, yet measured glimpse of the war and its participants. Highly recommended.

Teado is a shapeshifting wizard who serves on the front lines of a war that has dominated his life. His platoon specializes in ambush and sneak attacks, but they are running low on supplies. In an effort to steal the needed supplies from the enemy Teado is lost behind enemy lines and struggles to find his way back.

I'm not sure exactly what I imagined War Cry would be like. It does have the feel of a more modern war with planes, motorcycles, machine guns, and other modern technology. The world features wizards such as Fire-Spitters, Smiling Toms, and Changers. Fire-Spitters name seems self explanatory in that they can spit fire. Smiling Tom's create illusions that can be made to mask an army base. Changers seem to be werewolves that don't need the full moon to transform, but they can't pass their powers on through a bite. The world and wizards have potential.

I struggled a bit with War Cry in that I didn't truly connect with any of the characters before events really got moving. The story is told exclusively from Teado's point of view and with the exception of being loyal to his platoon, I don't feel like I knew anything about him as an individual. He's a Changer as well, but that doesn't really flesh him out. The story features some other characters who show even less personality with the exception of Bellara who just wants to use her Smiling Tom powers to make people happy rather than having to be involved in a seemingly never ending war.

The story itself also didn't really draw me in as it was a largely straightforward tale of a character lost behind enemy lines with some slight differences. I felt bad for Teado's platoon as they seemed to be largely abandoned in the war effort. I also was a bit disappointed that the author never really showed the enemy. Granted they have the same types of wizards, but outside of that they were just simple soldiers.

War Cry felt like a good idea that simply wasn't developed enough yet.

3 out of 5 stars

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I first want to thank the publisher and the author for an Advanced Reading Copy of ‘War Cry’ in exchange for an honest review. Receiving this ARC in no way influences my overall opinion of the novella.

War. War never changes.

The great war has been ongoing for ages. Some do not even remember a time before there was war. Teado is one of those. He is a ‘Changer’, a wizard with the ability to shape-shift into a large, destructive creature on a whim. He didn’t always have this power, but once it manifested, he was sent to the front lines to lead the attack. Armed with large talons and close to impenetrable skin, his kind were thought to bring about an end to the war. (Picture a mix between the video game Prototype and a Deathclaw from Fallout and you’ll get a glimpse as to Teado’s form.)

But as the war continues, supplies and rations become scarce. The enemy, whom Teado’s platoon uses in order to resupply themselves, has moved back and there is no resupply coming in their near future. Teado and his platoon must make a last ditch effort to attack the enemy, recover their supplies, and get out alive. When they arrive, they find out that they are in for more than they bargained for.

War Cry starts out a little slow, giving the reader a sense of what is going on surrounding Teado and his platoon. We are given a small glimpse into their struggle for survival and the limited avenues in which they can turn, but then the world-building begins and our characters are fleshed out as much as humanly possible within the confines of 96 pages. There are firefights, dogfights, hand-to-talon combat (see what I did there?), political intrigue, etc, all of which McClellan excelled at in his Powder Mage novels, except the talons of course.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and it is a very quick read if you need something on a lunch-break. It is very engaging, and intriguing, what with the originality of the ‘Changers’ and other wizardry among the ranks, plus the consistent tempo changes keeping the reader off-pace. In short, “Gritty, violent, and downright fun, War Cry will go down as one of my favorite novellas of all time.”

A great Novella from the pen of McClellan, a different type of mage than his other books but delves more into traditional fantasy than we usually see from him and yet its not... If you enjoy his other books I highly encourage you to give this little book a read!

Despite falling behind on his ‘main’ fantasy series, the Powder Mage trilogy and the new Gods of Blood and Powder, McClellan is one of my favourite (fantasy) author working today. When I heard that he had a novella on the way from Tor.com, I immediately put it on my must-read list. Due out in a couple of weeks, War Cry lived up to my expectations: it’s really good.

War Cry introduces readers to a whole new world: a world seemingly caught in a perpetual war of attrition. However, while it appears to be World War II-esque technology-levels, this world’s armies also employ sorcerers and shape-shifters. This novella focuses on the travails of Teado, a shape-shifter who, after a daring raid, is separated from his platoon and must make his way back.

The novella contains some good action, for sure, but also examines the lives and psychologies of the war-weary soldiers on the ground. With limited or non-existant supplies, and no end in sight, morale is low, tensions are high. The information war is ongoing, too. At one point, Teado and his comrade Aleta talk about the enemy’s radio broadcasts they sometimes catch:

“No, not by accident. We all listen, Teado. We all wonder if their food is better, or their beds and clothes warmer. We all look toward the enemy air base and wonder if we could make it there without one of our friends shooting us in the back for desertion.”

Teado’s journey, while relatively small in scale, nevertheless offers readers a great look at the world McClellan has created. There are divided loyalties, tense chases and a great ending. I won’t go into any more detail about the plot (it’s a rather slim novella, so spoilers would abound at — in my opinion — an unacceptable rate). One thing I will say, however: I really hope McClellan has plans to explore this world more.

Highly recommended.

Brian McClellan's Powder Mage world has been one of my favourite fantasy series to date. War Cry wasn't even on my radar until it popped up on NetGalley, which I immediately snapped up. While War Cry isn't set in the Powder Mage world or 600+ pages, it was a fantastic little novella that introduces readers to a new world facing a new war. There are different kinds of magic in this world, and our main characters, Teado, is one of those individuals that possesses that kind of magic. Teado is a Changer and because of this ability Teado "enjoys" a certain status; however, when he's stranded behind enemy lines he discovers that not all of his people are invested in combating their common enemy.

While War Cry is a short novella, I thought McClellan did a brilliant job of creating complex characters and giving readers a satisfying story in a limited page count. While I would have been totally happy with another really, really long fantasy novel from McClellan (I did just finish Wrath of Empire, so I'm looking for more), this was a satisfying read, which is perfect for those fantasy readers who can't quite commit to a lengthy tome.

I'm not certain if War Cry kicks of a series in this new world, but I think there is a possibility for it. And I certainly would love to read more of this world and these characters. Like the Power Mage world, McClellan succeeds in creating complex characters who are up against impossible odds.