Son of the Black Sword

A Great Beginning to a new Epic Series

From the creator of “Monster Hunter International” and the “Grimnoir,” series one of my favorite authors, Larry Correia, has created a different world from his normal “pulp” fantasy; an intricate new world of swords, magic, and demons as he lays the foundation for his new epic series “Saga of the Forgotten Warrior.”
In book one, “Son of the Black Sword,” we meet Ashok Vadal, Protector of the law; a man tormented by the duty he has always unbendingly upheld, and the truth.
This is a fantastic tale as Mr. Correia begins with an amazing backstory worthy of “The Wheel of Time.” With believable and complex characters and great action scenes, if this is only book one I can’t imagine what is going to come.
The narrator, Tim Gerald Reynolds gives a great performance.

100 of 114 people found this review helpful

Loved it

Great first installment, definitely a page turner, the novels political construct is probably a micro model to how the author perceives our current political power system. Larry mixes in legendary sword myth, even though he is a gun person, but very well researched, somewhat entertaining, not young adult fiction, but not really adult fiction, should satisfy all, very similar to his other novels, I think he did work a bit harder on this one, maybe because he is established now and has more leeway. The narration is excellent.

29 of 34 people found this review helpful

Woo'd & Won

Any additional comments?

I’m typically a strictly urban sci-fi fantasy kind of a girl. Save for a few exceptions (think Tolkien, CS Lewis, Douglas Adams, Herbert and Orwell) I prefer my sci-fi/fantasy novels peppered with a hefty dose of the Now – this place in time and space. With trepidation, I downloaded this book on the strength of the author’s previous work. Nary a one of Correia’s books has ever failed to capture and hold my attention.

I downloaded. Lo and behold, abracadabra, shazaam!, I absolutely had myself an audio marathon. That my friends, is so entirely unusual for me, that I was honestly surprised that I enjoyed it so much. Excellent character development, an engaging plot line combine to make this a wonderful inauguration into what I hope will be a long series. And the narrator? Perfection.

91 of 109 people found this review helpful

Good, but predictable and a little trope-y

I enjoyed the story arc, and the character development was somewhat interesting, but entirely predictable. The main character is supposed to be one-dimensional, but knowing this didn't save him from being the most boring character in the book. It seems like he's the overly annoying paladin in your role playing group, but there's not enough humor in the other characters to bring him down to relatable levels. Make him more human!

As for the narration, I feel he did a good job on engaging us. The only problem is some off hand comments received more drama than I believe was intended. I think this made the writing feel a little cheesier than it might have if the characters didn't sound so dramatic or self-important.

41 of 49 people found this review helpful

Great start, and potential for an epic series

Book starts off slowly and it even seemed that it is another monster hunter type book in fantasy setting. However, author delivers a thought provoking story with depth and complexity. The story surrounds a paladin type person Ashok Vadal who is a protector of law dispensing justice as he was taught; however, Ashok begins to question the law itself as the society is built upon cast system where some of the cast had no rights. Ashok's struggle while discovering the truth makes of an intriguing story line. There is political element that is quiet prevalent in the story that basically want status quo at the expense of unjust cast system that is in place. To round it off, there are monsters, wizards and magic aspects as well. Over all, this book sets up a foundation for a story that could mature into a great series.

Interestingly, there are some elements that seem to be taken from Indian society (such as the cast system) and even name 'Ashok' is Indian. Certainly it is not a commentary on Indian culture or religion, but it is interesting to see what could have been the inspiration for author while writing this book.

As usual, Tim Gerald Reynold's narration is great. And as other (5 star) books, I didn't mind the busy traffic while listening to the book. I would recommend this book and look forward to the next in series.

31 of 37 people found this review helpful

Game of Thrones fans will love it!

Any additional comments?

I finished listening to Son of the Black Sword: Saga of the Forgotten Warrior. book 1 three days ago and I keep thinking about it ever since.

The story revolves around Ashok Vadal, the most renowned warrior in the Protector’s Order and he defends The Law! The Protectors are called in to defuse conflicts between the Great Houses, they fight Sea Demon’s and, from time to time, they hunt down and execute traitors and religious fanatics. The Law is the most important thing to Ashok! He will never do something that goes against the letter of the law! Everything is black or white, there is no middle ground, no excuses, no exceptions. If someone breaks the law, Ashok will be there to deliver the appropriate punishment, and yet, all he knows to be true is a lie… it’s against the law.

This is a World filled with swords, warriors, casts, slaves, politics, magic, wizards and shape-shifters. It’s history is as impressive as that found in The Wheel of Time series of A Song of Ice and Fire aka Game of Thrones. The book is fast-paced, the action switches between Ashok and some other important characters and the story is nothing short of amazing. Although Ashok is a coldblooded murderer, I really cared about him and I absolutely loved the entire idea… Don’t want to spoil anything for the potential readers. I added the Publisher’s Summary below for those wanting to read more about the World and the history of Son of the Black Sword.

The audiobook version of The Son of the Black Sword is narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds. He delivers a great performance bringing all the characters to life with his refined British accent and a huge array of different voices and tones. I haven’t listened to Mr. Reynolds before, but I really enjoyed his work with this book. Looking forward to the next one…

Larry Correia created a fantastic World for his new series. I haven’t read anything from him before Son of the Black Sword, but he just became one of my favorite Fantasy authors, alongside George R.R. Martin and Robert Jordan.

If you like A Song of Ice and Fire and / or The Wheel of Time, you’ll LOVE The Son of the Black Sword, the 1st book in the Forgotten Warrior Saga.

42 of 51 people found this review helpful

Definitely a Top 10

I am a fan of Larry Correia and this book does not disappoint. Great characters and great narrator. I have a book hangover after reading this and cannot wait for the next book in the series. This is, for sure, one of the top books in my collection.

28 of 34 people found this review helpful

A solid departure from Monster Hunters

I enjoyed the Monster Hunter series, so thought I would give this book a try. I am glad I did. Larry Correia shows great imagination and versatility. I was delighted by how quickly I was drawn in by the main character. Tim Reynolds delivers a superb performance. I often found myself walking around the block another time or slowing my pace so I would have more time to listen. I very much look forward to the next installment.

19 of 23 people found this review helpful

Pleasantly surprised

I came into this book expecting monster hunter international with magic and swords. I was wrong, this was an excellent book with its own style and a couple intriguing concepts. It was a bit cliche but none the worse for it. I'm looking forward to following this series.

36 of 45 people found this review helpful

Good but not as good as Larry's other titles

Enjoyed the story although the characters seem a little more one dimensional (if that's possible) than in Correia's other books. They do develop throughout the book as does the story, and I'm looking forward to the next instalment. I can sense something big coming. The narration isn't as good as it could be - it's okay but not great.

28 of 35 people found this review helpful