R.A. Denny. Warriors. (Mud, Rocks, and Trees, Book 4). 2017. See here for more information.
Warriors is the fourth book of R.A. Denny’s “Mud, Rocks, and Trees” fantasy series.
Five things of note in this book:
A. Burlem is part of the Armored species and has been a companion to
Tuka, who also is part of the Armored species. What is intriguing about
Burlem is his religion, which differs from the monotheistic faith of
Tuka, a believer in the god Adon. Burlem holds to a dualistic creed,
which inspires him to join the side of good in an attempt to check the
side of evil. Burlem carries around a lot of guilt because he failed to
avenge his family, so he hopes not to encounter his family in the
afterlife. Tuka and Burlem discuss Adon’s forgiveness.
B. Metlan is now king of the Samalitans, who are cat-riders. He
learns from the captured prophet Baskrod about his true lineage: he is
part of the royal line of Tzoladia, the greatest empire. Metlan has
shown himself to be a friend to Brina, a heroine in the book. A
lingering question is whether Brina can trust him, or if he will
ultimately look out for himself and his own political interests.
Surrounding him is political intrigue. The evil emperor Zoltov of
Tzoladia and his general, Zaheil, are at odds, as each has suspicions of
the other. Bladar, the ruthless leader of the Sparaggi, would like to
exploit this conflict so as to install Metlan as emperor of Tzoladia,
hopefully with the assistance of the Karsonians, against whom the
Tzoladians are fighting.
C. There is the question of whom Brina can trust, and whether she is
wise to make deals with the devil. Bladar is ruthless, and he killed the
family of Amanki, a hero in the series. Brina tries to make a deal with
Bladar, and one wonders if she knows what she is doing.
D. Emperor Zoltov hates those whom he calls “subs,” yet he uses them
for his tasks. The Webbies hope to show themselves valorous in Zoltov’s
war so that Zoltov will not annihilate them.
E. Pilezer is a brigadier in Zoltov’s army. He was kind to Tuka after
Tuka was injured. Tuka wonders if Pilezer is secretly a worshiper of
Adon. Zoltov, for that matter, does not entirely trust Pilezer! Is
Pilezer a follower of Adon?
Those were intriguing elements in this book. The book also had a lot of battle scenes.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author. My review is honest!