It’s always tricky writing reviews for books that didn’t evoke any strong feelings. The Ragged Blade is a solid novel, but it never got my heart racing and I never felt completely gripped. That being said, it did have some strong elements working for it.

The plot is quite basic: a man is on the run from his ex-lover with his daughter. But said ex-lover is a powerful magician who is hunting them, determined to get them back. But who is the price: Richard, or his daughter, Anna?

The narration is told in two parts: the majority follows Anna and Richard as they flee across wastelands and into hostile environments to escape their pursuer. But interspersed along the way is the past; we get glimpses of the adventure that ultimately leads Richard to this point many years ago: how the magician seduced him, the peril they had to face and hints of the life he’s led in-between.

Richard is a solid protagonist: he will do whatever it takes to protect his daughter – sacrifice who he must, kill who he must, as long as his little girl is safe. He faces up to mistakes he has made in the past and isn’t above admitting when he’s wrong or acting immorally.

The past helps flesh out Richard’s character. You understand how he was taken in by the magician and it offers great character development from the naïve boy he was then compared to the protective father he is now.

But I found it hard to connect with him. There’s no flaw I can put my finger on, I just wasn’t as emotionally invested in these characters as I’d like to be. They’ve all been through a lot and yet I never felt their emotions in the way I wanted to.

As with any book where there is a lot of travelling, it felt slow-paced. There are fights and flights scattered throughout: escaping the magician’s pet monster, uncovering a priest as a liar that break it up, but the characters never feel as if they are in true danger – you know somehow they are going to get out of it.

It was also never clear the difference between magic and chemistry – and which character had the power to do what. It needed more clarity at times to help readers understand the rules of the world.

Without any spoilers, I liked the ending. Considering the power of the magician and the hold he has on Richard’s head and heart; I wasn’t sure how events were going to come to a close. It was a plausible ending, leaving enough questions that I’m considering the second book to see if it gives more answers.

I still have questions. There are still things I want to know that weren’t covered. I’d continue reading but not have my hopes up to be blown away. Sometimes you don’t need a book that makes your heart race, but it did feel something was lacking here and I’m not sure what.

This one was an assorted bag of fabulous, and some odd, not quite sure how I feel about it stuff. It’s a slow building world that relies on the mc Richard, to tell the story through a combination of flashbacks- partly through sharing stories with his daughter Ana (who is mute for the most part), combined with present day events. Because I had mixed feelings towards Richard- he’s rather odd at times in his abruptness; it took me a good quarter of the book to warm to him and his story.

Richard hopes to return the heart to a Demon, in hopes of passage across the desert to freedom and safety from the Magician (his Master and at one time lover) whom had been holding his daughter in the dungeons, for a purpose that is not clear until practically the end of the book (so I won't spoil).

***
I found the relationship between Richard and Ana a bit strange at first, making it a small stumbling block in the story. He was so touchy/tender towards her which was so weirdly awkward to me, especially because up until her rescue he had never set eyes upon her before or at least since she was born. But this awkwardness did work in some ways to show how much of an adjustment this was for Ricard as well- leaving me not sure where I stand on the whole thing.

I think, I just needed something outside of the we are blood and I loved your mother and your mother loved you, type of bond which seems a somewhat flimsy connection for the tenderness that was displayed- I admit to not being a touchy feely type of person either so that may have held sway, so take this criticism with a grain of salt.

Their weird vibe did improve for me though as the story progressed. As Ana had noticeable growth in affection towards her dad and more initiative in the story it lost some of that awkwardness that I was feeling at the beginning.



The Kabbah was a nice addition, interesting in his views and also gave us the odd small dose of humor to break the darkness.

I would have liked to know more about Richard and The Magician’s working and personal relationship. He held so much influence over Richard I was curious to know when and how Richard began to change his views towards him, and see he wasn’t all that he thought, etc.


***
The world felt unique and imaginative, alive with people, religion, and dangerous creatures. The atmosphere is just thick with apprehension. I liked it a lot. The uneasiness builds as the story unfolds and because Richard is the source of our information and he was so pushed to the edge throughout, it leaves us feeling unsettled while we patiently wait for him to continue his story, wondering how he came to this point. I liked the backstory the best, so the waiting was hard.

I enjoyed the style of the writing. The sometimes-abrupt sentences had some lovely turns of phrase, a few of which, the impact in their placements burned an afterimage in my mind. There was obvious thought put into the prose and occasionally, I would go back and reread the events leading up to certain lines just because they were so effective. I probably highlighted dozens of scenes, and spent more time than necessary trying to choose a quote to showcase this without spoilers but the beauty of it is not quite the same when you aren’t immersed in the world.

Quote-

“Let the demon rage,” he whispered. “Let the tower fall. Some things aren’t worth the price.” He retreated toward the Needle’s edge. A quick smile. A twist of the head, like he didn’t want to meet Richard’s gaze.

Then, with sudden speed, he descended into the storm and was gone.

Richard couldn’t move. His sword still shook in his hand. When he blinked, he saw Spirin tumbling, blood arcing between his fingers. He saw the Magician’s rueful grin.

The heartbeat of the tower echoed through his feet, into his bones.

It drummed and drummed and drummed."



Other Notes-

-A few times the switch from retelling the story to Ana to the actual being in the now of the story, was so sudden that I’d have to backtrack especially with Richard being the subject of the tale, and weaving the past/present thoughts into the now. It did give it this dream-like quality which added to the uneasy atmosphere.

-Cool as hell imagery, especially at the petrified ship and at the Needle looking for acceptance by the God.


A very memorable world and story that has been haunting my head for days. I’m pretty curious to see where this story goes from here.


3.5


-will go up on blog as asap, followed by the rest.

One book in and I can already tell that I'm going to love this entire series. I was drawn in from the first chapter. The author really made these characters come alive, when Richard touches Ana's foot through the bars of his cell I could feel his pain. I'm already looking forward to reading more in this series.

I have to say I couldn’t put it down. You can’t help but empathise with the well portrayed main character .Richard is a hardened soldier trying to reclaim his connection with his estranged daughter . After the death of his wife he left her with someone he thought would be a better choice than himself but it turns out he was so wrong.
Steeped in a fantasy world which seems violent, barren and unforgiving we gradually find out more of Richard’s past and how he comes to be in the situation he is now. He steals his daughter Ana away from the Magician whom he once followed blindly. Richard has to break through to his traumatised unspeaking daughter while being hounded by his former master and demons who frequent the dunes he must cross to reach his goal. Trying hard not to give the whole plot away here as it’s little different from the usual swords and sorcery.
You can’t help but feel the extraordinary love Richard feels for his daughter and the regret he feels for some of his past deeds as a soldier and all he wants now is to not have her suffer. However The Ragged Blade is no hearts and flowers fable. Well plotted storyline, Excellent character portrayal and world building. Looking forward to more from this author.





Ruthless

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley for an honest review.

This is a hard book to review because there were certain aspects that I really liked and others I didn't. The storytelling itself was good and kept me interested but there were a few times I felt it really lagged. Richard's character really annoyed me. I can't say I bonded with him. I wish the story would have gone into more details on Richards and the magicians relationship because I felt that was the most interesting part. The violence and gore didn't bother me. I feel like it did a good job setting the mood for the story.

Absolutely loved this story, the only disappoint us waiting for the next in the series! To pass the time I'm reading everything else he's written. So far it's enjoyable!

If anyone is familiar with my reading/media tastes, then you know that Berserk is one of my favorite things. And if that tickles your fancy, definitely check this book out.

Richard and his daughter, Ana, are roaming the desert on the run from The Magician, Richard's ex-boyfriend who really wants a demon's heart for reasons. The way Ruz captures the loneliness of the desert is truly outstanding, even though Richard has the company of his daughter and his regrets. The interactions with the other desert travelers lead to some pretty exciting battles and if you like Shelob and surprises, you will be delighted.

I applaud the way the present timeline and the past play together throughout the narrative. The locations tie together really well and it gives context for Richard's journey and why he's so determined. It also does a good job showing the wisdom and hindsight that comes from aging.

Definitely a book for epic fantasy fans who want a few good family feels.

Richard, who has been a loyal fighter and executioner for years, starts to realise that his master, the Magician, is more evil than people he has been killing on his behalf. After the death of his wife some years ago he gave his baby daughter into the care of the Magician. He rescues her and escapes. They are both in grave danger as Richard has also taken a precious artefact which the Magician treasures. So begins a journey that has the makings of classic fantasy writing. The two of them journey in wild places to avoid the Magician and seek help to defeat him.

The pace from the start of this is very good. He and Ana's journey is fraught with danger. However there are times when Richard is reflective. He is also trying to get Ana to speak - what has the Magician done to her? This allows him to tell a substantial amount of back story in a way that satisfied this reader's curiosity very well. It is always hard to introduce new worlds, beliefs, magic etc in a convincing way. For me it worked here. By the time I was 10% in I had a fair idea of the general setting and was hooked!

The writing is vivid as is the landscapes the book is set in. In the main Richard and Ana travel through desert areas which create their own problems. There were times when I was walking through strange landscape with them. It is fair to say that, as well as writing very well, this author has a dark and powerful imagination. Some of the creatures he invents are vividly scary. Meeting some of these in the settings he creates might make this a book not to read at bedtime for those of a sensitive nature.

I really liked the characters here. Beyond Richard and Ana are others who are well worked. Are they simply passing by or will we see them again. Will those who seem to be enemies at the start still be that later and vice versa? Be prepared for some very interesting people/beings to wander in the pages of this book. Even minor characters are worthwhile.

Religion plays a real part in this world and its stories. In practice the item Richard stole from the Magician belongs to a demon. Richard hopes the demon will help defeat the Magician if this treasure is returned. However what are the demons in this world and who are the gods? Will they talk to anyone? For a fantasy book magic plays quite a small part in this story. The emphasis is more of basic alchemy which Richard is able to use. Be prepared for swords and the like rather than spells maybe.

I found this an enormously satisfying read. It was one of those books which took over Any spare minute or two and the decision was what shall I do - the answer was obvious... I am a fairly selective fantasy reader and can be quite fussy. However this was right up my street. While the style and ideas are not similar this book was in the same league as some from writers such as Hobb and Canavan. I would suggest that a lot of fantasy readers would enjoy this book and hopefully the whole series. I for one cannot wait for the next book.