The Grim Company, by Luke Scull. Just like Abercrombie, but with actual magic.

[Luke Scull]

Somebody hurry up and read this. Give me an objective review. As it stands, the author doth protest too much (we get it, you're super gritty), and it's turning me off the book.

Somebody hurry up and read this. Give me an objective review. As it stands, the author doth protest too much (we get it, you're super gritty), and it's turning me off the book.

peterbound is too hardcore to into humour. Is that Mike Haggar from Final Fight piledriving a shark?

At last count I reckon the book has at least three objective reviews. But there is a free sample available...

Edit: I'm still not sure if the free sample is available to North Americans, so apologies if that's not the case.

[polishgenius]

Edit: I'm still not sure if the free sample is available to North Americans, so apologies if that's not the case.

The kindle one isn't, I linked it on another forum and the 'Mercans couldn't get it (which makes it odd that it's listed on amazon.com). I dunno about the epub though.

[MisterOJ]

Somebody hurry up and read this. Give me an objective review. As it stands, the author doth protest too much (we get it, you're super gritty), and it's turning me off the book.

I'm there with ya.

You know the last "epic fantasy debut" that got a while shitload of hype before it came out and I read it?

The Fifth Sorceress by Robbie Newcomb.

Also, use of the term "grimdark" is a big turnoff. Sounds like you're marketing it angsty teenagers.

ETA: I am still interested in the book though. And I'll likely give it a try. Despite all this.

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

Guys, I posted my thoughts earlier in the thread. I give it 4/5. I didn't think it was as gritty as Lawrence or Abercrombie, maybe on a level with Morgan. The first third wasn't exactly weak but it was fast and loose, so to speak, but it tightens up and becomes pretty intense in the later stages.

Oh, I will add that I didn't care for the magic system at first, but my opinion improved as the book went on.

[Sci-2]

Epub works in US.

[Mark Lawrence]

I've read Lawrence and Morgan and they're both definitely more gritty, at least when it comes to sex and rape.

Well to be fair, there's essentially zero sex and rape in my books.

Hundreds of ARCs sounds impressive. I had 35 for King of Thorns - I got just the one myself and had to tell Werthead I'd want it back if it went his way. Don't think he ever got over the shock :D

[OwaynOTT]

Just got the free sample and im brewing a cup of tea before I begin to read.

[polishgenius]

Well to be fair, there's essentially zero sex and rape in my books.

Hundreds of ARCs sounds impressive. I had 35 for King of Thorns - I got just the one myself and had to tell Werthead I'd want it back if it went his way. Don't think he ever got over the shock :D

Not on the page maybe but you had your protagonist casually rape someone by the second chapter, which doesn't happen very often in fantasy...

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

Heh, and Jorg comments that sex with a prostitute is much different than the women he and the Brothers share, implying that Mabberton wasn't the first time.

[red snow]

Well to be fair, there's essentially zero sex and rape in my books.

Hundreds of ARCs sounds impressive. I had 35 for King of Thorns - I got just the one myself and had to tell Werthead I'd want it back if it went his way. Don't think he ever got over the shock :D

If you count the ARCs that came free with ADWD preorders in Waterstones I'm sure your ARCs were in the thousands. I still feel bad in that I've yet to buy one of your books as I won KOT. I'll buy Emperor as my luck is bound to run out :)

Heh, and Jorg comments that sex with a prostitute is much different than the women he and the Brothers share, implying that Mabberton wasn't the first time.

I'd have to check the exact quote myself but as you say it's imply. Maybe the brothers come across women who choose to have sex with them all for free? Although I agree i went with your interpretation the first time I read it. It's not like he wrote a whole chapter detailing the event though and

it doesn't happen in the rest of the series and given Jorg turns out to be heavily influenced by other forces it could be that he wasn't directly responsible. Doesn't let the rest of his gang off the hook or Jorg if it happens afterwards and he turns a blind eye to it.

.

The sex in Richard Morgan's books are far, far more explicit than anything Mark has written. Not saying that's good or bad but there's a hell of a difference. Not sure about rape in Morgan's fantasy series. Oh, wait a second, I'm getting flashbacks. shudder. The rapes are actually described in a fair amount of detail and it also happens to male characters too, which i guess is actually a different take on things but probably just as justifiable for everyone who claims the rape of women in fantasy is just "how things were back then" - except for authors and readers who casually decide homosexuality doesn't exist in fantasy or medieval times.

How did we wind up discussing this? None of the reviews I've seen about Grim Company suggest this is much of an issue. We should get back on track before that other author gets discussed and derails the thread :)

Can anyone roughly describe the magic, unless it contains massive spoilers. I'm always curious as to how these systems work as I like an original take on it.

[Mark Lawrence]

Heh, and Jorg comments that sex with a prostitute is much different than the women he and the Brothers share, implying that Mabberton wasn't the first time.

All true, but a given book isn't full of trees just because at one point a forest is mentioned in passing :)

Edit: Not gonna hijack the Grim Company thread so I'm out of this one until I've read the book. Best of luck to Luke with it.

[polishgenius]

How did we wind up discussing this? None of the reviews I've seen about Grim Company suggest this is much of an issue. We should get back on track before that other author gets discussed and derails the thread :)

Hey, he brought it up!

But yeah, that was the essential point we were making anyway; as far as 'grimdark' (my I hate that word) goes, this book is particularly low on sexual content, explicit or implied.

Can anyone roughly describe the magic, unless it contains massive spoilers. I'm always curious as to how these systems work as I like an original take on it.

There hasn't been a huge amount of description of the systems in the two thirds I've read so far, but (safety spoiler, though I'll keep it vague as to plot points):

Magic is a finite resource that has to be mined from the areas surrounding the bodies of dead, fallen gods where it leaks from. There's a few sorcerers and magicians that can use it directly; apart from those, a person can be 'bound' to magically imbued items that give them limited special powers. There seem to be a few other things going on as well, but they're mysterious at this stage.

[red snow]

All true, but a given book isn't full of trees just because at one point a forest is mentioned in passing :)

Edit: Not gonna hijack the Grim Company thread so I'm out of this one until I've read the book. Best of luck to Luke with it.

Hope you don't think I was meaning you with the "author hijacking the thread" comment. I actually meant Bakker who can hijack a thread without doing it himself. Powerful.

Hey, he brought it up!

But yeah, that was the essential point we were making anyway; as far as 'grimdark' (my I hate that word) goes, this book is particularly low on sexual content, implicit or implied.

There hasn't been a huge amount of description of the systems in the two thirds I've read so far, but (safety spoiler, though I'll keep it vague as to plot points):

Magic is a finite recourse that has to be mined from the areas surrounding the bodies of dead, fallen gods where it leaks from. There's a few sorcerers and magicians that can use it directly; apart from those, a person can be 'bound' to magically imbued items that give them limited special powers. There seem to be a few other things going on as well, but they're mysterious at this stage.

The magic system sounds interesting a bit like FFVII materia I guess?

[PhoenixFlame]

Involved with Witcher? Yup, adding to my read list. Curses, I'll have to wait for the U.S. release.

[red snow]

Involved with Witcher? Yup, adding to my read list. Curses, I'll have to wait for the U.S. release.

Actually I'm curious as to whether he's still writing games. There's a lot of authors making more of a living writing computer games than in their books. Is the novel something he just wanted to have a go at or is the computer game thing his main occupation? Taking advantage of the author being around.

[Luke Scull]

Actually I'm curious as to whether he's still writing games. There's a lot of authors making more of a living writing computer games than in their books. Is the novel something he just wanted to have a go at or is the computer game thing his main occupation? Taking advantage of the author being around.

To clarify, I was lead designer on an expansion for The Witcher that was ultimately cancelled while in alpha (no reflection on the quality - it was a business decision). I am actually working on a title at the moment:

http://toucharcade.com/2010/10/06/first-screens-of-the-shadow-sun-look-incredible/

You might note the article dates back to 2010. The game has been massively delayed, but the good news is that it's because of the delay I wrote The Grim Company to pass the time. The game should be released in spring. Though if it gets delayed to launch alongside the North American release of The Grim Company, that would hardly be a disaster.

This interview will probably answer a lot of your questions regarding the origins of the novel and my game design career.

[Rhom]

Summon Author spell is working wonders these days around here.

:lol:

I'm intrigued. I'll be picking it up.

[WrathOfTinyKittens]

Can anyone roughly describe the magic, unless it contains massive spoilers. I'm always curious as to how these systems work as I like an original take on it.

No plot spoilers, but setting spoilers:

As said, magic is a resource that can be mined physically from the bodies of dead gods. It is difficult to find and use and is thus a source of conflict between nations. A person must be born with magical talent to manipulate the power, and this power allows them to channel energy that doesn't need to be mined. Men and women can both have the talent for it. Magic (the kind mined from dead gods) can be bound into items, giving them (or the person wielding them) certain abilities.

Minor plot spoilers (from the first third or so of the book):

Mined magic can be hoarded, but once used it is gone. So when a powerful wizard does something very large, it essentially drains all of the power they have stored, including any magic that is imbued in the previously-mentioned magical items.

It seems pretty original in the way it's implemented, though the core concept*** has been done before.

*** (same as above but just to be safe):

Magic as a finite, mine-able resource

[Eponine]

That sounds potentially interesting to me - I'd like to read it after the author finishes the second book :)

Are dead gods a renewable resource or are they going to run out? Is there ever a choke price or backstop price for magic? If magic can be channeled from things around the magic user, how is ownership enforced - i.e. what stops a wizard from using other people's stored magic?

[Darth Richard]

I hate the term grimdark.

Although, by current definitions, if you don't have tons of rape and graphic sex these days, it just isn't grimdark is it?(Or any good, by some peoples standards...)

I'm intrigues enough I may have to import this. Stupid USA.

I'm there with ya.

You know the last "epic fantasy debut" that got a while shitload of hype before it came out and I read it?

The Fifth Sorceress by Robbie Newcomb.

Ouch. Owwwie ouch ouch.

I'm still mad at all the hype Stormdancer got. Heck, is still getting. But maybe, that's a different topic.