Dave-Brendon de Burgh

This book reads a lot like traditional fantasy in how it is written and carries both the good and bad of such books. It does, however, very much make it its own and spins off in unexpected directions at times (e.g. zombies). While I did like that we had multiple characters, I feel like there were too many of them for hw short this is. There are a lot of people to keep track of and a lot happening and it can et a little confusing at times. This is, however, the first book of a series and maybe things become easier to follow and make more sense in the next book. I also wasn't a fan of how misogynistic the world is (although at least the women aren't all vague helpless forms as they are in some books). There is constantly abuse being flung at them and it's a little uncomfortable. But that being said, the book definitely had an interesting premise and would have been a far more enjoyable read if women were not being beaten as frequently. Beyond that, I had a good time visiting the world that the author created. It is well written, even if it is upsetting at times.… (plus d'informations)

Speculative fiction, and in particular, high fantasy has seen a resurgence lately, thanks to novel-based TV shows like “A Game of Thrones” and film empires like The Lord of the Rings making it “cool” to read about knights and dragons. However, as with any genre, factions develop and subgenres appear. Dubbed “grimdark”, the latest craze is for gritty, violent, realistic and dystopian/political books and films. Betrayal’s Shadow, is gritty, violent, realistic and dystopian, and serves as a great example of this subgenre. And I bet Dave-Brendon de Burgh will hate me for saying so, as he says, “I hope that [grimdark] doesn’t become established, because a lot of genres in speculative fiction, after becoming established, have to start following rules that didn’t exist before.” Betrayal’s Shadow is definitely not a rules-follower – when was the last time you saw an extra-terrestrial zombie outbreak in a medieval fantasy novel?

"Del’Ahrid wondered how long they had to wait until flames once again reached into the sky. For was conflict not the culmination of every sequence of events, be it between cultures, ideologies, friends, servants and masters, husbands and wives?"

With big names such as Robert Jordan, Raymond E Feist and more laying a solid groundwork in SFF, and setting some pretty clear rules, I fully expected Betrayal’s Shadow to follow the usual tropes – high-born damsels in distress, noble knights, a low-born youth who is “the chosen one” and must go on an epic journey to find a shiny thing that will save his kingdom, and all the other endless clichés. In addition, such a book would be bloated with Jordan-esque chapters about the colours of dresses. On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by how de Burgh takes those tropes, piles them up, sets them on fire and dances over their smoldering embers.

"The air was choked with smoke. The crackle of flames and the groans and screams of the wounded and dying rose and fell in volume as she moved down the rubble-strewn soul-stone pathway. Where is my son?"

Set in the Mahaelian kingdom, 500 years after the unification of the kingdoms by the magician-king Jarlath (who still holds the throne), a weathered soldier leads a company of elite knights to a state where there have been reports of an uprising. Along the way, they come under attack from mysterious forces, laying a trail of mystery that leaves Brice questioning his loyalties and dealing with the ghosts of his past. In the capital, the king’s favourite concubine buys a dagger “for protection” and his most trusted advisor tries to navigate the baffling political intrigues of the ruling classes. Beneath the city, an enslaved child escapes from captivity, becoming his people’s only hope for salvation.

"I need to know where your loyalty lies. Who will you stand with if civil war erupts? Which side will you choose?"

Betrayal’s Shadow breaks away from the formulaic plot I expected, instead focusing on a few complex characters whose flaws make all of them either pitiful or despicable, but who were interesting enough that I struggled to figure out who was “good” and who was “bad”. The novel challenged my assumptions on so many levels. De Burgh shows a social maturity that is incredible, as in Betrayal’s Shadow there is no absolute good or evil, no perfect hero or completely innocent victim, no villain who is evil purely for the sake of it. The characters have lives that precede the novel, and those histories continue to affect them in it, and they respond in completely believable and realistic ways. Embedded within this is one of the best depictions of an abusive relationship I have seen in speculative fiction, as well as some interesting depictions of varying mental illness and complex psychological breakdowns. De Burgh believes in breaking his characters down completely, so that they can rebuild themselves as something stronger.

"She was thinking about how it was possible to love a man such as he while hating him at the same time."

Additionally, the novel rids itself of the inane fluff that plagues so much of fantasy, balancing the action with incredible world-building without bogging the reader down with too many details. There are so many layers to this book, but de Burgh’s economy with words and his ability to evoke atmosphere, while calling attention to parallels between the Mahaelian world and our own, pushes this book ahead of the pack. Referencing colonialism, the Vietnam war, the civil rights movement in the USA, Abraham Lincoln, modern war tactics, the holocaust, the Boer and Frontier wars in South Africa and more that I probably missed, this novel is packed with realism and social commentary. But it’s only about 300 pages long. It’s a book that makes you think, while constantly surprising you.

Betrayal’s Shadow exceeded my expectations. Dave-Brendon de Burgh is doing startling, incredible new things with fantasy, and this book was a thrilling, powerful read. I have to agree with Raymond E. Feist, who said of de Burgh, “This son-of-a-bitch can write.”… (plus d'informations)