Marta Cox's Reviews > The Black Hawks

I keep seeing the term grimdark meaning a fantasy that is violent and doesn't necessarily have an heroic lead and from this truly striking cover I thought this might just fit into that category . Now having finished this I'd say yes it's violent and bloody but perhaps not really grim.
Our young hero Chel might lack experience but he definitely has heart, morals and knows the value of loyalty. Stuck in a position beyond his control he really just keeps on doggedly plodding along until one day everything goes to pot around him and he finds himself agreeing to be the bodyguard of Prince Tarfel. You would think the Prince would be perhaps more worldly than he is but he is extremely naive almost to the point of stupidity and the pair just blunder along but with a price on Tarfels head it's not long until they are captured by mercenaries and that's when this story truly takes off !
Yes Chel is a hapless hero but make no mistake he is a hero. I struggled to connect in the beginning but about two thirds in there's a revelation that was both eye opening and also very intriguing and I've a feeling the author has another surprise up his sleeve.
The Black Hawks are a truly entertaining bunch and there's always something new to discover about the various members along the way . Yes I know you would expect mercenaries to be morally reprehensible but there's a strong bond that at times meant the author could inject humour into the proceedings. Trust me the black humour was necessary because the action scenes are in no way fade to black and are pretty brutal. I was absolutely gripped as this stormed towards the end and left devastated when I turned the page only to find no more ! I recommend this debut if you want action, strong characters, banter and surprises although for this reader the next book cannot come soon enough !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair