REVIEW: Sword of the North by Luke Scull

Sword of the North by Luke Scull
Publishing Information: Kindle
Publisher: Roc; 5 May 2015
ISBN: 9780425264867
ASIN: B00DMCV44O
Series: Grim Company #2
Copy: Provided by Publisher
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "In The Grim Company, Luke Scull introduced a formidable and forbidding band of anti-heroes battling against ruthless Magelords and monstrous terrors. The adventure continues as the company—now broken—face new dangers on personal quests…

As Davarus Cole and his former companions were quick to discover, the White Lady’s victorious liberation of Dorminia has not resulted in the freedom they once imagined. Anyone perceived as a threat has been seized and imprisoned—or exiled to darker regions—leaving the White Lady’s rule unchallenged and absolute. But the White Lady would be wiser not to spurn her former supporters: Eremul the Halfmage has learned of a race of immortals known as the Fade, and if he cannot convince the White Lady of their existence, all of humanity will be in danger.

Far to the north, Brodar Kayne and Jerek the Wolf continue their odyssey to the High Fangs only to find themselves caught in a war between a demon horde and their enemy of old, the Shaman. And in the wondrous city of Thelassa, Sasha must overcome demons of her own.

Because the Fade are coming…"

It has been a while since I read The Grim Company (REVIEW HERE) and so when I began Sword of the North I had some catching up to do and it took a little while to remember everything that took place in the first installment and where it left off. Once I remembered the story really took off and I was glad to be back into the world Scull created.

Brodar Kayne is one of the points of view in the story and we finally learn how he gained the title of Sword of the North and what he had to give up in order to become the weapon and fear warrior he is today. Make no mistake, the book is grim and upon learning about Kayne's past your really do feel for him and all that he has had to endure in order to be the man he is today.

His companion, Jerek, is still the strong and silent type and a powerful warrior as well. While his story has yet to be told, there is some growth in his character as well as he grudgingly follows Kayne where ever the road takes them. It would have been nice if more of his background was covered in this book but there is still more story to be told and there is always the chance we will learn of it in later books.

The other story is that of the Halfmage, Eremul, who goes from hero to zero in this book. His downfall is only the beginning of the story and it leads to the overall plot of the book. But the character feels real as he continues to do his duty even in the face of losing his honor and position in the city's hierarchy.

Scull's biggest writing asset is his characters. He is truly gifted when it comes to bringing them to life and it is what makes the story so compelling. While most books suffer from being the middle book in a series, Sword of the North does an excellent job of providing enough action to keep the book from being plot driven and enough breadcrumbs to give the reader an idea of where things are heading in future books. If you enjoyed Grim Company, you should have no problem reading Sword of the North as it is more of that fantastic Grimdark storytelling from and author that continues to improve with each new story in the series. Sword of the North is recommended.

Overall 8/10