Scourge of the Betrayer [Hardcover]

The Sword & Sorcery sub-genre is currently the most important facet of my reading life. This is the sub-genre that got me back into fantasy after a five year hiatus where I read nothing but science fiction. With that in mind, I take the authors and novels of this genre very, very seriously. At first glance SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER by Jeff Salyards failed to catch my eye. I didn't find the cover immensely appealing (don't give me that look, we all judge books by their cover) and the synopsis sounded like somewhat standard fantasy fare. At second glance, however, one might notice a quote by an esteemed fantasy author, comparing this novel to the works of Joe Abercrombie and Richard K. Morgan. Name dropping of that caliber is the surest way to stroke my curiosity.

With this single blurb SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER had been elevated to Must Read status. This quote has also set the bar almost impossibly high for poor Mr Salyards. Abercrombie and Morgan? Yeah, good luck buddy! Oh, wait...

Small town scribe Arkamondos finds himself in way over his head when he accepts a commission from the enigmatic Captain Braylar Killcoin and his rugged band of Syldoon warriors. As the company of battle hardened killers embarks on a secretive mission at the behest of the Empire, Arki discovers there are far worse things in life than the mundane histories of millers and merchants...

Enter Arkamondos the scribe, more commonly known as Arki. The tale is told from Arki's first person perspective, putting a less world weary and more naive narrative to the adventures of bunch of professional soldiers. This is the first wise move on Salyards' part. I've read plenty of books about bloody-minded anti-heroes, but few from the point of view of an inexperienced bystander. Arki's understanding of the world in which he inhabits is limited to his fairly limited travels. This allows readers to jump right into the story with a minimum of world building. What world building can be found is handled deftly. Salyards tantalizes with suggestions and remarks, allowing readers to puzzle out the bigger picture for themselves.

Back to the characters. I found Arki immediately relatable and likable. Up until the point in which he meets Captain Killcoin, Arki leads a relatively comfortable life. Recording the deeds of merchants is a safe enough prospect but deep down he is bored. Salvation from boredom is just what Captain Killcoin offers, even if Arki is too naive to comprehend exactly what that means. Which brings us to the aforementioned Captain Braylar Killcoin. What a complex character we have here. With a surname such as "Killcoin" one might expect an abrasive sort of brute with no incentive in life but money. This could not be further from the truth. Though Captain Killcoin is a rough and bristly protagonist, he is hardly one-dimensional. Killcoin's general demeanor could almost be considered manic in a lot of ways. One never knows whether to expect a friendly joke or a cruel barb. The deeds of the past way heavily on this man who is as skilled with his flail, Bloodsounder, as he is with his sharp wit.

At one point Arki declares that he has no love for the man but he would be loathe to see him die, and I can associate with this sentiment. Killcoin is the sort of man you are unlikely to become friends with but he is precisely the type to trust your life with. He can inspire even the most craven of scriveners to feats of courage. Of the members of Killcoin's retinue, Lloi abruptly became a favorite. Much like Arki, Lloi is an outsider to the Syldoon, though that does little to lessen her loyalty. It is rare to find such a pleasurable female protagonist in the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre. Much of the time they seem to fall under one of two extremes. Either they are powerless sex objects or warriors with a serious chip on their shoulder. Lloi manages to be a strong female lead without developing a "screw the world" mentality. She is essential to the company and unnaturally upbeat given her lot in life.

I enjoy the rest of the Syldoon nearly as much. The camaraderie of the group rang true at heart. These are profane professionals who earn their money on the battlefield and spend it on prostitutes and hard drinking. It doesn't matter whether they are swapping stories over watery ale at an Inn or fighting side by side, the Syldoon are quite obviously a family.

The world SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER takes place in is of the pseudo-Middle Ages European bent but not without variation. Salyards nails all the important details, making the world seem real enough. The story is kept to a deliberately smaller scope than what most would expect. There is a much larger world to explore in future entries to the series. The plausible nature of the locales and people that inhabit the world are crucial when it comes time for Salyards to introduce the more mystical elements. The mundane makes the supernatural appear that much more awe-inspiring and intriguing. As with George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire series, a little bit of magic goes a long way and I can't wait to learn more about the Deserter Gods, Memoridons, and the Godsveil.

SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER is fraught with danger and deception. The conflicts are extremely personal. The violence is brutal and terrifying. No one escapes a battle unscathed, be it physically or mentally. This is the bread and butter of Sword & Sorcery. This story deals with a small component of what I assume will be a wide and sweeping campaign of tremendous proportions.

At first I had intended to make some snarky remark about SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER being "fantasy debut of the year" as it is so frequently described by critics on Amazon. After reading it I have to grudgingly admit that yes, this very well could be the fantasy debut of the year. Night Shade Books had best cut a massive contract with Jeff Salyards because this author is a significant contender for the Sword & Sorcery throne.

Recommended Age: 16+
Langauge: Heavy and frequent.
Violence: Yes, flails aren't the most elegant of personal combat weapons but they sure are effective...
Sex: Yes, and plenty of sex-talk besides.

Nick Sharps
Elitist Book Reviews

***UPDATE***
I just finished reading RED COUNTRY by Joe Abercrombie (my favorite Sword & Sorcery author) and as great as it was and as much as I loved it, SCOURGE is still at the top of my Best Fantasy 2012 list.

I started reading Scourge of the Betrayer with an open mind. My friend invited me to a book signing last week. It was compelling to listen to Salyards talk about his process of writing, and what it took to get this debut of his onto bookshelves. I'd heard it was a great read, but I was worried I wasn't going to like it. I'd have to tell my friend it sucked, or lie; neither outcome so comfortable.

Quite the opposite! I believe my reaction was "Holy expletive, he can write!"

I delved into the first couple of pages and dropped right into the story, captivated by the turns of phrase, descriptions, dialogue, and entertaining characters. Those are the elements that are most important to me, so I'm not asking for much. I mean, I'd previously read a few sci-fi/fantasy efforts that were just ridiculous, like the author felt he or she had to recreate the entire world or it didn't count. Binstavalerd is chair, and mugstobbabeast is horse. Plus no one has a mouth and everyone talks and eats through their belly buttons...AKA umbillipieholes. Sort of similar to going to IKEA, but no cheap bookcases.

Salyards, on the other hand, immediately drew me in with the opening sentence's description of Captain Braylar Killcoin, as seen by our narrator, Arkamondos: "dark hair slicked back like wet otter fur..." I know exactly what that looks like. And hey, I like otters.

Arki is a young scribe hired to take us on a mysterious journey, recording the deeds and misdeeds of the Syldoon soldiers. We don't know much because Arki doesn't know much. We listen, observe, and get a feel for place and personality. We learn as he learns. I wasn't overwhelmed with epic worldbuilding, or turned off by a bunch of weird crap thrown in for effect.

Another description, besides wet otter fur, that captured my imagination introduces Glesswik: "a long face, splotchy and deeply pocked as if it had been set on fire and put out with a pickaxe."

You're thinking about that right now, aren't you? How could you not? It's brilliant. And funny. There's a lot of unexpected humor throughout the book, though it's certainly not a comedy.

So, through Arki's narration, we get to know this small band of soldiers, the merciless Syldoon, that are on a questionable mission. There's a package. What's in the package? Where are they going? Why? I was antsy to know, and pulled along by the easy flow of a natural storyteller. The characters really struck me, especially Lloi, Arki, Braylar and super crass Mulldoos. The economy of words and characters really impressed me; it was all sculpted precisely down and no blathering on about nonsense. There was a lot of violence, foul language, gallows humor, and even some supernatural in there to keep it lively.

Braylar's flail is bad (expletive), for sure, and I'm looking forward to learning more about it in the next book, as well as Braylar's relationship to it.

As the story unfolds, it also gains focus and intensity. We gain a more clear picture of Braylar's path; we see Arki grow and evolve. There are emotional twists that paint the world through showing, not telling, and which flesh out the characters richly.

When it was done, I was already looking forward to the second installment, which is bothersome because it won't be out for another year. Write faster, Salyards. No pressure.

I highly recommend Scourge of the Betrayer to others. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Me and an online friend read this book together, we finished over half of it in one day! I'm a very dull person, but this book really got my attention and got me thinking; this is awesome! That is rare.

What made the book appeal to me was how realistic it all seemed. The personalities of the characters and the plot. You get the feeling that there is real danger; that perhaps not even the most important characters will make it out of any situation unscathed. It is a rare thing in books and movies in my opinion, there's always someone coming to the rescue at the most crucial moments, or some other miracle saving the day. Especially in these kind of fantasy novels.
Another thing that I appreciated a lot was the level of detail and effort put into describing the sequence of actions performed by the characters, in the action parts of the novel. Leaves little room for confusion, and makes it easy for the reader to imagine it in his/her mind.