Every time I step into a new fantasy adventure, I’m like a kid on Christmas morning. There’s something about the prospect of fantasy journeying to so many unexpected places and showing the reader all sorts of new, unexpected and magical things that fuels my love for the genre. So when I saw a number of my friends in the blogging community raving about this fantasy debut, I knew I had to get my hands on it. Thankfully, the Netgalley Gods smiled on me and I was approved for an ARC, because it was calling to me.

Of course, that level of anticipation can sometimes lead to a bit of a let down, but thankfully that wasn’t the case with Blackwing, which has got to be one of the most wildly creative and vividly told fantasies I’ve read so far this year. For a debut novelist, Ed McDonald hits all the right notes and has created a gloriously dark and gritty world fully of characters that will stick with me for quite some time. 

I should be clear here though, because when I say dark and gritty, I mean this is seriously dark. Fantasy has a lot of sub-genres within it, and I would definitely classify this as a grimdark tale. Obviously, the explorations of darkness and violence aren’t for everybody, and there’s no shortage of swearing coming from the characters and Ryhalt’s first-person narrative voice. So if those things aren’t your cup of tea, you might be best served giving this a pass. But, for those of you like me, who enjoy their fantasy best served cold, with danger lurking in the shadows, this book absolutely needs to be on your list of books to read!

One of my favorite aspects of Blackwing had to be the world. When I opened it up and saw that there was no map included with the eARC I received, I was a little dismayed as that sometimes feels indicative to me of a fantasy product that not much thought went into. Thankfully, that’s not the case here, as the Misery is a constantly shifting hellscape so the details of where the few remaining settlements surrounding it are the only thing of any real import to the story.

One thing I really loved about the setting is that McDonald pushes away the typical sword and shield warfare present in most fantasy. Instead, he infuses an industrial sort of setting with the apocalyptic aspects of Mad Max. There’s guns and powder and magically infused electric lighting in this world, and it feels fresh and full of lively little details – a surprising plus for a book centered around the last remnants of a dying world.

The Misery reminded me of a grown up version of the Unsea, from Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone series. It’s a magical construct that has twisted and divided the land – and what remains within it is diabolical and hungry for human flesh. The entire concept of the Misery, the creatures within it, and the Deep Kings who control it was fascinating.McDonald drops pertinent historical facts about the Misery throughout the narrative, without falling into the trap of infodumping. There’s enough to stoke my interest, but the plot keeps chugging along as the facts get dropped.

Magic in this world was another positive. I love a strongly developed magical system with clear rules and the occasional drawback for its users. While the moon provides the power to the “Spinners” of its light in this story, they are also subject to its extreme consequences along the way. It made using it and trying to activate it under certain conditions (such as a lack of light) dangerous and that makes the storytelling compelling.

As for aspects that dragged down my score, I had only two.The first thing I found frustrating was prolific use of the dreaded “F” word in dialogue and narrative voice. I actually don’t mind swears – but it felt like it was trying a bit hard to impart the seriousness of the situation characters found themselves in, when I thought the situation itself was enough to deliver that message. I think with a stronger focus on the tension and dread that McDonald does so well at, later additions to the series can only improve.

Secondly, of the side characters, a fair chunk of them were pretty flat. Ryhalt, Ezabeth and Nenn were definitely the strongest of the bunch. I only hope that we get some expanded backstories for the other characters in the world in later books, especially for the more creative and powerful entities in the world – such as the Deep King, and Crowfoot, the creature to which Ryhalt is indebted to.

Regardless, those are only two small complaints in the midst of a sea of positives. Blackwing was a wonderfully creative and deliciously dark fantasy debut. Reader beware, you’re in for quite the adventure!

Ryhalt Galharrow is just trying to get by. In ages past, the Deep Kings — immortal, evil, god-like beings — marched on the land, wreaking devastation wherever they went. Then, a group of powerful wizards called The Nameless blasted the world apart and created the Misery, a twisted wasteland of renegade magic and grotesque monsters, but their actions kept the Deep Kings at bay. Now, Galharrow makes his money as a mercenary for hire tracking and killing minions of the Deep Kings. Unfortunately, Galharrow has also pledged his sword to Crowfoot, one of the Nameless. When Crowfoot delivers an urgent order to save a mysterious noblewoman, Galharrow is plunged into a far-ranging conspiracy whose roots threaten to destroy civilization itself.

This is the first book in a series by debut author Ed McDonald, and it is something to behold. McDonald tosses the reader right into the Misery on page one, and keeps up a relentless pace throughout the book. Unlike quite a few “first in series,” Blackwing has avoided the awkward “getting to know you” phase that breaks up the flow of so many books. We learn about our hero and our setting in bits and pieces; enough to make sense of the plot, but little enough to leave us wanting more. The tone of the book combines the best elements of dark fantasy, steampunk, post-apocalyptic brutality, and 1930s detective noir.

McDonald has created an interesting and flawed hero in Ryhalt Galharrow, and provides enough secondary characters to allow the series to mature and expand with future books. Likewise, the setting seems like something out of a Robert E. Howard story, all dark recesses and horrifying sorcery. McDonald does a fantastic job of building this world up without sacrificing the pace of the plot, no mean feat. In fact, the only thing I have to complain about in this book is that any romance-related dialogue is awkward. I mean, Attack of Clones, George Lucas awkward. Fortunately, there’s not too much of this, so it doesn’t really impact the quality of the story.

In all, fans of darker fantasy will probably love this book. Fans of Lovecraftian stories, or the Conan and Solomon Kane stories by Howard should also check out this series. If Blackwing is the author’s debut work, then I can’t wait to read the next in the series!

An advance copy of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Today I have a review on one of 2017’s big debuts, Blackwing by Ed McDonald. This is the first book of the Raven’s Mark series and it has been getting a lot of praise, and a little disdain, from a good deal of people in the reviewing business. As such, I was very excited to sink my teeth in and form my own opinion. What I found was I agree with some points on both sides of the fence and that Blackwing is an exciting debut to a new series with a talented author, but it could use a little bit of polish.

The plot is a little complicated, so bare with me – I promise it is worth it. Blackwing is a harrowing grimdark novel that follows the story of Ryhalt Galharrow (get it because I said the book was harrowing earlier? Please don’t unsubscribe) as he makes his way in a dystopia torn by devastating war. In McDonald’s world two sets of god like beings, The Nameless and The Deep Kings, have been fighting each other for millennia. Ryhalt fights for the side of The Nameless, the mildly more sympathetic side who aren’t actively trying to kill every human – unlike The Deep Kings. However, though the Nameless are the only thing that keeps humanity from being destroyed by The Deep Kings, they certainly are not benevolent and kind rulers. The magics of both sides have warped and destroyed people and land alike. In particular, one of the Nameless set off a bomb to drive back a Deep King invasion that turned a huge portion of the continent into a wasteland called The Misery – killing a huge chunk of the population at the same time. While it is implied that there were once a large group of Nameless, at the start of our story there are only about four left. Ryhalt works for one in particular, Crowfoot, and is one of his Blackwings – apostles that feel something like park rangers that patrol the Misery against possible incursions. While the Misery is a hellscape one wouldn’t want to enter willingly, what actually keeps humanity safe from the Kings is a colossal weapon designed by another of the Nameless called ‘Nall’s Engine’ – basically the universe’s largest set of artillery cannons aimed at the Misery. Humanity must constantly gather magic and shove it into the engine to keep it primed, a task that leaves any who have the talent chained to the engine powering it until it cripples them. Our story begins with Ryhalt getting a message from Crowfoot that the engine might not be running quite as well as everyone expects, and to investigate.

I know that the plot seems like a convoluted mouthful, but McDonald has a real talent for worldbuilding. The world, culture, power structure, magic, and infrastructure of his setting are all extremely detailed and well fleshed out. Blackwing has a strong sense of identity that makes it feel like you are reading about a real functioning world – not a fantasy construct. It can feel messy, but messy by design not through lack of effort. Additionally, the magic of the book is both original and exciting to read. Humanity has sorcerers who gather light and turn it into energy. This is used both to power cities and Nall’s Engine, as well as in combat in a form of pyromancy. On The Deep King’s side, the minions we meet have a huge variety of powers straight out of a horror novel – most of which revolve around corrupting others. It makes for some edge of your seat action sequences that I really enjoyed.

On top of the world, McDonald has a great cast of interesting characters that I was very invested in. We meet members from all areas and walks of life that show us all the big and small jobs that keep humanity from succumbing to The Deep Kings. Speaking of which, The Nameless and Deep Kings had more depth than I was expecting and I really enjoyed learning more about them, in particular when a few get time in the spotlight. However, there is one exception to this praise about the cast, and it is really my one big issue with Blackwing – I really didn’t care about Ryhalt.

It isn’t as though I hated the protagonist, it is just that I really never felt attached to Ryhalt in any meaningful way. I believe a lot of that comes from the fact that he seemed to have little to no agency himself. A lot of our time with Ryhalt is spent watching other characters react to his personality, reputation, or rank as a Blackwing. In a large number of interactions between Ryhalt and his support cast involve them reacting to him being a Blackwing and whether or not they should respect him more. This lead to a lot of the supporting cast getting some deep characterization but leaving Ryhalt out in the cold a little bit. By the end of the book I was stuck with two conflicting feelings: the most important part of Ryhalt’s identity is that he is a Blackwing and that I cannot understand for the life of me the point or benefit to being one. It allows him access to insider information about The Nameless, gives him a rank above most soldiers (which in a military dictatorship is a pretty good perk), and helps him make the world a better place (sorta?) but I don’t really get why Ryhalt wants any of these things based on other aspects you learn about his personality. It was a speedbump on an otherwise fantastic novel, and I am hoping that Ryhalt’s character will see more development in the sequels.

With the exception of a slightly forgettable protagonist, Blackwing is an amazing debut that I greatly enjoyed. McDonald’s attention to detail and wild imagination has made a world and story worth reading about. It is definitely one of the more promising new series and I will be picking up the sequel as soon as it is available. The Quill to Live recommends Blackwing for anyone looking for a great dystopian fantasy/horror mashup.

Rating: Blackwing – 8.0/10

This novel was absolutely fantastic! The lore had me captivated from beginning to end. I loved the relationships between the characters, loved watching them grow and collapse. McDonald kept me on my toes the entire time! There were twists that broke my heart, some that shocked me and some that were brilliantly written. The ending tore my heart out but made for quite a read. I can't wait to see what McDonald does next!

Blackwing (Ravens' Mark #1) 
by Ed McDonald
Paperback, 336 pages
Expected publication: October 3rd 2017 by Ace Books 
I received an E-ARC of this book from Netgally in return for an honest review. 
THE BLURB
Nothing in the Misery lasts…

Under a cracked and wailing sky, the Misery is a vast and blighted expanse, created when the Engine, the most powerful weapon in the world, was unleashed against the immortal Deep Kings. Across the wasteland, teeming with corrupted magic and malevolent wraiths, the Deep Kings and their armies are still watching—and still waiting.

Ryhalt Galharrow is no stranger to the Misery. The bounty hunter journeys to a remote outpost, armed for killing both men and monsters, and searching for a mysterious noblewoman. He finds himself in the middle of a shocking attack by the Deep Kings, one that should not be possible. Only a fearsome show of power from the very woman he is seeking saves him.

Once, long ago, he knew the woman well, and together they stumble onto a web of conspiracy that threatens to unmake everything they hold dear and end the fragile peace the Engine has provided. Galharrow is not ready for the truth about the blood he’s spilled and the gods he’s supposed to serve.

OK that is some Blurb but let’s delve in to what it is saying in a bit more depth. First off the Misery. Well the Misery is when your number 1 fan kidnaps you and… oh wait wrong one. This misery while also being like hell on earth was created by one of the nameless as a kind of buffer zone between kingdoms. Oh, the Nameless are like Demi-Gods and so are the Deep Kings but they go about things a bit differently. But back to the Misery It is a buffer zone of hell on earth that has the annoying habit of trying to kill everyone that walks in to it. A place where you need a navigator with an astrolabe to find your way out. And that leaves you sick for days after you leave like you are going through heroin withdrawals. That is if you are not killed right off the bat by some of the beasties roaming around.
And this wonderful setting is where this book begins. This is written in first person. But while most First Person POV’s are the narrator telling their own story. This one is more like being in the mind of a man that is a drunk and borderline insane. A man that is haunted by so many ghosts of his past that this unreliable narrator goes back and forth between telling the story to some really weird places and random thoughts and back, and I absolutely loved it. Ryhalt Galharrow has a way about him that made me like him from the start. The pacing is steady throughout and by that, I mean it starts with action and never slows down. 
The thing I really liked about this book was its originality. I mean yes, the writing style is extremely original. But what I am talking about is the originality of the story elements. Everything from the magic and monsters to the setting and style, they are all wonderfully new. I should warn you this is a pretty GrimDark world with plenty of death and carnage, but it is not gratuitous. The gore is part of the story not just there for shock value.  
FINAL THOUGHTS
If you are tired of the same old thing in every fantasy book that you read, then this book is a must. Blackwing is not only a magnificent story that is brilliantly written, but it is also outstandingly original. A truly remarkable debut book. I give Blackwing By Ed McDonald 5 out of 5 stars.

Got ARC from Net Galley.

I'm not totally sure what the problem was for me. It could be a combination of things. I read a lot of series so I think part of the reason why I decided to DNF this book was because I'm just burnt out on series. Also it might just be the writing style not working for me. I did start reading it and read about a chapter.

I put it down and picked up the book later and had to restart the book. That isn't a really good sign. Even though I read nineteen percent of the book I'm not totally sure what the book is about. There's a group of people called Blackwing who go into a desolate place called Misery where they collect human heads. There are creepy beings that look like children called darlings and I think there's magic.

This book was fantastic. I’ll start there, because that’s really the most important thing about this review. Blackwing is a fantastic story with all kinds of intrigue and mystery, twists and turns, ups and downs. It’s a very unique world and has such interesting characters and situations in it, that I just fell right into this world of magic, gods, monsters, kings, and princes and before I knew it, it was over.

It brought to mind a great many different things as I went, but is wholly something amazing and different. It’s sort of swords and sorcery that meets steampunk somewhere vaguely nowhere near the middle. It’s mostly been called grimdark to me though, which I will definitely agree on. It’s pretty grim, and pretty dark. I have trouble assigning genres to things. It’s fantasy. The good kind.

Galharrow is a character that I couldn’t help but root for, despite all the horrible stuff he’s done in his life. He’s the sort of protagonist that you know is morally… sort of grey in areas, but who you just want to win.  Galharrow will kill pretty much anyone in his way when it will benefit himself or his friends, but when he is presented with information that changes everything… well, he’ll change his tune a little.

The concept of the Blackwing and how Galharrow serves his master, Crowfoot- not exactly a god, but not exactly a man- was really interesting and well thought out. The magic system altogether was really well executed here. People called Spinners actually spin the light of the moons into batteries that they then use to do magic. There’s more than just that… there are different kinds of magic, but that is the one we see most. The world of Blackwing, this dystopian wasteland of the Misery (a section of land that actually negatively affects the human body to be in) and even the city that Galharrow resides in was well described and came to life for me. Smells are described often here, and I’ll admit to wrinkling my nose once or twice when I imagined being in Galharrow’s place. Wash your sheets, dude. >.>

The climax and ending of this book was really, really well done. I was legitimately surprised by some of the revelations that were brought forth. The whole thing got turned on its head. People you had 100% surety about were suddenly not at all what they seemed. Things happened. Emotions were emoted. Flux capacitors fluxed. And a rollicking time was had by all.

Anyway, I really, really liked this book. It’s definitely the sort of story that keeps you up reading well past your bedtime. This is easily in my top 10 books I’ve read this year so far.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Ace for the advanced copy of this book!~

The book in question, as the title and the cover would suggest, is Blackwing by Ed McDonald. Why, would you ask, can't I review it? Because even if I tried, I couldn't possibly do it justice. Blackwing is one of the greatest fantasy books I've read in my life. Perfect in every possible way. Ed McDonald is on a par with Joe Abercrombie and Brandon Sanderson. Cast aside whatever you're reading and start Blackwing instead. That's all I have to say

“Some men are born to charm ladies and spread their irresponsible seed across the land. Some exist to create the great works of art that inspire dreams and drive creativity for generations. Others are born to till the fields, put bread on the table, and raise their sons to till the fields, put bread on the table, raise sons of their own. I was born to end lives.”

2017 appears to just be the year for amazing debut fantasy novels, and Blackwing by Ed McDonald was no exception. This book is already released in Europe, but doesn’t drop for us Americans until October 3rd, but you definitely want to put this on your pre-order list if you’re a fantasy fan.

Blackwing is a super unique novel that isn’t afraid to talk about dark themes. I never felt like Blackwing was too much, but you should probably know going in that many people do consider this grimdark. Also, trigger warnings for suicide, war themes, and graphic violence. But, again, I don’t think it’s anything too brutal, and I never felt overwhelmed by any of the dark themes.

“I’m Blackwing Captain Ryhalt Galharrow. I’m here to beat the living shit out of you until you tell me what I need to know.”

This is a post apocalyptic story following a bounty hunter, Ryhalt Galharrow, AKA: Blackwing, who is constantly running away from his past. He also has a very magical arrangement with a Nameless, which aren’t Gods, but they are pretty close to it. This arrangement is also constantly haunting him, because he never knows when he will be called upon for a quest.

Well, that’s how this story truly gets started, and Blackwing receives a quest that not only seems impossible, but also forces him to look his past straight in the face. Blackwing is quickly tangled up into a a much bigger mission where the fate of human existence depends on him helping solve a problem that seems unsolvable.

Basically, the humans live in fear of the Dhojaran forces and the Darlings, who were once human and now turned into magical beings by the Deep Kings. All of these forces live in the Misery alongside ghosts and other magical, yet terrifying, beings.

“The blasts that had created that stalemate had left their scars deep in the earth. Nobody and nothing moved out there in the poisoned lands of the Misery”

There are now outposts where soldiers are constantly on the lookout for the Deep Kings and their armies. Many years ago, the Deep Kings tried to take over the rest of human existence, but a magical weapon unleashed a fury like no other, and now its presence keeps the humans feeling safe and the Deep Kings feeling weary to try another attack. That is, until there is talk circulating that the weapon may not be in function anymore.

In this world, some humans are Spinners, who are like sorcerers and able to make Phos from the powers of the three moons, which help them produce magic. Talents are a lesser type of sorcerer, who are still able to produce Phos, but for Spinners and others to use. And the magic that the Spinners and Talents use is always at a cost. Many go mad, and are killed or tucked away in asylums. Talents are also treated terribly and forced to work at mills, where they are just harvested for their Pho production.

This book constantly talks about and touches on the three moons in their sky:

➽Rioque – Red
➽Clada – Blue
➽Eala – Gold

These moons also play a huge part in this book, because of the Spinners and Talents that are drawing power from them, but I predict these moons will play an even bigger part in this world and story in later installments.

I touched upon this earlier, but there are six Nameless who could possibly help Blackwing against the Dhojaran forces, and they were pretty much my favorite part of this story:

➽Crowfoot – Has the pact with Blackwing.
➽Nall – Vanished. Also, made the powerful weapon that keeps the Deep Kings at bay.
➽Cold – Presumed dead.
➽Songlope – Presumed dead.
➽Shallowgrave – Vanished and is a complete mystery.
➽The Lady of Waves – Never seems to leave the island of Pyre. But, like, I am so in love with the mystery about this Nameless. I’d love to read an entire book just about her and what is going on on her island.

I loved the mystery behind all the Nameless, and I cannot wait to read more books in this series just to find out all of their secrets. It is also pretty apparent that they are going to play a much bigger role in this series, and I’m completely ready to learn any and everything about them. Also, give me all the information on Saravor, the Fixer, because I’m already obsessed with his entire situation.

This story is action packed and moves so very fast that the book feels impossible to put down. Like I said above, the world is so unique and has such a Mad Max feels to it. I completely adored it all, and the characters are just as amazing, too.

“The great mistake of man is to believe that other men can live up to the ideals that we set them.”

Plus, the prose of this novel, especially in juxtaposition of this cruel world, is absolutely beautiful. I was so impressed with the writing in this, and I couldn’t believe all the quotes I had tabbed once I finished. Not only is this a fast paced thrilling story, but it’s written absolutely lyrically.

And this book is so funny. It’s hard to make me actually laugh in a book, but this book actually made my sides hurt at times. The banter is just the perfect combination of witty and humorous, that is very reminiscent of Sebastien de Castell’s Greatcoats, especially during many of the fighting scenes. And if you’ve been following my reviews for a while now you will know that comparing anything to Sebastien de Castell means that I love it completely.

This book also excelled in female representation. The two strongest fighters on the good side of this war are both women. Woman are soldiers, Princes, and godlike deities in this world. They are all strong, brave, and rather fearless if I do say so myself. The female representation in Blackwing is amazingly portrayed.

And Ed McDonald even gives us a little sexual representation, because there is also a gay side character that I instantly fell completely in love with. It was said, known, and accepted that he was gay without question or contestation. And the entire society that is built in this book feels very gender neutral and I was completely living for it.

Also, the main female character has severe scarring all over her body, and I was living for the body positive representation that Ed McDonald wrote. Like, he did what Colleen Hoover in November 9 could not, and he did it seamlessly and completely beautifully. And seeing things like that in Fantasy? Rare and beautiful and I completely applaud this debut author for incorporating all of these amazing and important themes.

Seriously, Blackwing has it all, and I’m still in somewhat disbelief that this is Ed McDonald’s debut novel. I also expect nothing but great things for everything else he has in store for us surround this world. The plot is unique, the world building is incredible, the characters are fantastic, the representation is important, and the writing is nothing short of gorgeous. Blackwing is a must read in 2017 for Fantasy lovers, and I promise you won’t be disappointed.

“Back behind where my heart should have been, I harboured a fury hotter than any pile of burning literature could ever produce, a rage born of fear and pain and longing. I needed to see a head roll across the floor, and I needed it to be his.”

This is an impressive fantasy novel (thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read an eARC of the book), and even more impressive for being Ed McDonald's first published book.  If there's a criticism to be made of the story, it will probably be the oft-repeated saw of supporting characters not being fleshed out enough, though in my mind, readers receive what they need to know to keep the story moving at a brisk pace; and move at a brisk pace it does, indeed!  
There's a bit of a feel of a western story here--a weird western, if you will--which I like quite a lot, probably enhanced by the use of "Range" fortresses and Matchlock firearms.  The violence is suitably violent and descriptive, as needed, which is great, but I feel McDonald really shines when it comes to his creation and implementation of magic in the story; plus, there are god-like beings in the mix, which is a favorite fantasy trope of mine.
When all is said and done, Blackwing is a fine entry into the Grimdark sub-genre of fantasy novels.  I would be very surprised if those who enjoy Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, et al., don't get a real kick out of this book.

When two godly forces collide, when both are cruel and don’t give a shit about humans, when you are forced to take a side, you choose the lesser evil.

The story starts with action already taking place and events happening. After trying to capture a few sympathizers who ran to the Misery, Ryhalt Galharrow receives a surprising call from his master, a Nameless called Crowfoot. After years of paying him little attention, he gives him a new mission. Vague and impossible to predict. He ends up meeting someone that he held dear a lifetime ago. It doesn’t stop there. After their last defeat, the Deep Kings retreated to their home at the East. However, at last, they made their move and sent a small army of their twisted creatures, the drudges. Only 2 Nameless are left. Meanwhile, there are 6 Deep Kings. Bad odds. But at least, the Engine that stopped them years ago is still standing. However, there are many hidden secrets, buried waiting for someone to discover them. Once revealed they’ll change everything Gallharrow has ever known.

The world McDonald weaved a very rich and creative world. The Misery was easily my favorite: “only three kinds of people willingly enter the Misery: the desperate, the stupid and the greedy”. Dangerous and rotten to the core, it was the barrier between the humans land, and the east, where the Deep Kings come from. You can find all kind of creatures in the misery. The dead air, the cracked sky, everything about it is so bizarre. The author’s imagination is very vast not only because of the world he created but also the magic. The Spinners use phos (like light) from the 3 moons to draw power but that’s only a small part of the magic system. It’s better to discover it by yourself.

While I can’t say that this book is fast paced, it certainly isn’t slow either. The real battle mainly takes place at the last 25% of the book, something is always going on. Thus, world-building and the actions intertwine throughout the whole book in a way that will not get you neither bored nor confused. To be honest, it did get a bit repetitive sometimes but I didn’t mind it. Moreover, the politics were something to admire. Even humans are, of course, corrupted. I would’ve liked to learn more about the Nameless, the Deep Kings, and the princes but I guess we have to leave something to learn in the sequel.

The characters were real, fun, and badass. I loved Nenn and Ezabeth. Ed McDonald created likable badass women. Both are flawed but you’ll like them for it. Nenn a strong fighter without a nose was just awesome. Ezabeth, noble but selfless, smart and also capable, she’ll play a huge role in the turn of events. Gallharrow came a long way from the start. He was a drunk who would do anything for money. A cold blooded veteran who went through too much to care anymore, he'd strike you at first as an anti-hero. However, soon enough, you'll realize that he’s more than just this façade. This book was told from his pov (1st person) but have no fear, it fitted perfectly with the book.

One thing I didn’t like was the romance. I don’t think it was necessary and honestly, the dialogues between Ezabeth and Gallharrow were sometimes awkward and just. I know that it serves the plot but I just couldn’t see the chemistry or even wish to see them together.
This is a great debut, best I’ve read so far this year. I enjoyed Blackwing quite a lot but I wish I'd taken my time reading it because I felt forced to finish it quickly since the publication date was on 27 july and I started it on 26.

It featured dark but not too dark events, politics, a bit of humor, lovable characters, and an original world. Ed McDonald created an outstanding story that I highly recommend for all the fantasy lovers out there. I will definitely be reading the sequel as soon as it comes out even though this book didn't end with a cliffhanger.

Its been a long time since I've come across a fantasy that was unique and breathtaking. Blackwing takes you to an old west type setting with strange magical creatures that are dangerous and hard to kill. I really enjoyed how the story just threw you into the Misery, a barren wasteland of death. You could feel how heavy the air was and how our main character, Ryhalt Galharrow and his band of Blackwing Mercenaries are tired of the long road. There are so many twist and turns in this awesome fantasy. It was a great read.

I’m calling every fan of Joe Abercrombie and Mark Lawrence to put Blackwing on their radar. Blackwing, the debut work and the first book in the Raven’s Mark series by Ed McDonald is one of the most original grimdark fantasies I ever read. 

My experience will most likely differ from a lot of readers but I envisioned Blackwing as something that was created out of an open world video games with a post-apocalyptic setting reminiscent of Mad Max, with a little touch of the manga ‘Flame of Recca’. The result? Bloody brilliant.

The plot of the book revolves around Ryhalt Galharrow in his journey to survive his dark destiny as a servant to the Nameless, the ruthless ancient beings or maybe even gods of this world. The enemies, The Deep Kings is held at bay in Misery (a vast and blighted expanse) by a powerful weapon that protects its borders, and Galharrow will soon be thrown into the heat of this resurging war. The pacing of the book is slow paced due to the reason that the plot itself is very heavy with politics and a lot of world-building, especially during the 20%-50% marks. The political tribulations that the characters faced here more or less lasted around 60-70% of the whole book but there are a lot of thrilling elements in it that made the politics intriguing to read.

Sure there are maybe only around three action sequences throughout Galharrow’s journey in Blackwing but the climax sequences itself took up the last 20% of the book. All the previous 80% imo was completely just a setup for this section. They’re bloody magical and truly well orchestrated. I should also mention that the plot somehow felt concluded already, like how 'The Lies of Locke Lamora' ended, we know that there will be a continuation to the story but the first book worked greatly as a standalone in my opinion.

Only the plot itself will not guarantee a great book, and considering that Blackwing is completely toldin 1st person view solely through Galharrow’s perspective, it is prominent to have a greatly written main character. Ryhalt Galharrow, the captain of Blackwing, a barely 40 years old bounty hunter that’s also a servant to one of the Nameless, Crowfoot, started out simply as an anti-hero and a long hardened battle veteran. However, as the story progressed, a lot of backgrounds were revealed seamlessly within the plot. His deeply hidden longing of the past in particular made him easier for the reader to connect with him despite his cold-hearted actions and overall, I love his character development.

“Spirits knew I needed the money. More than I ever had before. But there are promises you make to yourself, vows you place your pride in. Some things are worth the struggle.”

One more thing to mention, the female characters, Ezabeth  (which I can’t help but pronounced as Elizabeth) and Nenn are really well written but I’ll let you find out about them yourself. I also can’t wait to find out more about the other Nameless and in particular, Crowfoot, who’s responsible for the creation of Misery during the old/past war with the Deep Kings.

The first thing that came to my head when encountered with a grimdark fantasy book with a post- apocalyptic setting is 'The Broken Empire' by Mark Lawrence (I haven’t read Red Queen’s War yet), it’s in my opinion that Blackwing is better on this aspect, by far. I have huge praises towards the intricacy of the world-building in this genre, it is excellent.

Although the book doesn’t took place in Misery most of the time, it is still an amazing place to dive into. Consisting of fractured skies, multiple moons, shifting landscape, zombiesque and mutant creatures, it truly made Misery one heck of an original place to visit. There is a sense of danger looming everywhere in the world and the post apocalyptic atmosphere worked splendidly in bringing the feeling of despair in the world. I’m reading the ARC edition of this book so I have no idea if there will be an official map or not in the final edition of the book but this world would benefit so much more from one and I truly can’t wait to see it.

I have mentioned in the beginning of my review that the book reminded me of the manga/anime ‘Flame of Recca’, this is due to the reason that in the anime, Recca could summon a dragon from the tattoo on his arms. It’s almost the same case here, Crowfoot nestled himself as a tattoo on Galharrow’s arm and could come into existence from there, the difference with Recca is that Galharrow cannot summon him voluntarily, while Recca can but the concept is more or less the same. This is a good thing because 'Flame of Recca' is one of my favorite manga from my teenage years and I'm pleased to see some of the elements there made it into a novel.

Let’s talk a bit about the prose. Ed McDonald’s prose is profound and poetic at times. There are a lot of terminologies here and Ed doesn’t spend any time to explain what they are. This can be confusing at first and usually, this kind of storytelling method tended to bother me but the contexts in the narrative allow me to fully understand the meaning behind the terminologies with ease. To give a sense of how great his prose is, there’s no better way other than a direct quotation from the book. I don’t usually post long quotation in my reviews but I’ll make an exception this time, please, just read this gem and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

“The world is a cruel mother, a matron of darkness, selfishness, greed, and misery. For most, their time suckling at her breast is naught but a scramble through stinging, tearing briars before a naked, shameful collapse as the flesh gives out. And yet in the bright eyes of every newborn, there lies a spark, a potential for goodness, the possibility of a life worth living. That spark deserves its chance. And though most of them will turn out to be as worthless as the parents who sired them, while the cruelty of the earth will tell them to release their innocence and join in the drawing of daggers, every now and then one manages to clutch to its beauty and refuses to release it into the dark.”

Despite all the greatness, there are, however some minor cons I had with the book that prevented me from giving this book a full 5 stars ratings. First, although the world-building is the best part of the book for me, it also felt a bit repetitive in the first half that it hurts the pacing a bit. I also think that the relationship development between Galharrow and Ezabeth felt a bit ‘forced’ at the last section of the book. Finally, I wish the characters spent more time at Misery, that place is truly amazing and in my opinion, maybe the biggest strength of this book. These are all minor cons and overall and it only affected my enjoyment factor a bit.

To conclude my review, I’m just going to say that I don’t think there’s any reason to not read this book if you’re a fan of grimdark, gritty fantasy or just in the mood for something original in your read. Blackwing will rise with its engrossing tale of conflagration soon, as some of us may know already, 2017 is a great year for adult fantasy debut, and this is precisely one of the book in the list. Highly recommended!

Ed McDonald’s debut novel, “Blackwing,” has the potential for being the fantasy novel of the year.  It was a superb postapocalyptic story set on the frontier of a desolate wasteland.  A world ravaged by war with the immortal Deep Kings over a century ago.  It definitely gives misery a new meaning.

The characters were interesting and the system of magic was intriguing.  By the end of the novel, I no longer wanted to put it down.  The foreshadowing makes if obvious who the mystery “big bad” of the novel is, but the reveal comes with a twist.

Note: An ARC was received from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.