Welcome to the lands of swords and sorcery, where people live and die by the sword and only the bravest of souls stand between the common folk and the forces of darkness. Join me as I wander different planes and hear the stories of their greatest defenders and the sagas of their worthiest warriors.
This review does not represent the opinions of the general public. It reflects my personal thoughts and opinions on the book.
That said, on to the review!
The Iron Throne is the first in the Birthright series of books. It's set in a land I'd never visited before, Cerilia, but by the time the book ended, I was intimately aware of its great history. And I found out in a way that didn't bore or irritate me: not in long-winded, drawn-out explanations of why this is this and that is that, but in occasional flashbacks for various characters, and children's reenactments of historical scenes. More than anything else, however, these things were used appropriately at the right moments. For example, you wouldn't want someone to expound on the history of the continent in the middle of a fight with undead, would you? Nor would you want a description of an awnshegh during a wedding banquet. By drawing parallels between a children's reenactment to the real, historical event the author prevents the loss of the reader's interest. Likewise with the awnshegh's description: do it when a person is thinking about the awnshegh and finally lays eyes on it, and the reader feels the impact of that "first" sight of it with the character.
Although I understood the necessity of minimizing awnsheghlien involvement until absolutely necessary, I could have wished for just a bit more. After all, considering how often Michael and Aedan passed through awnshegh territories, you'd expect a bit more reaction, right? Yet only once does an awnshegh attempt to waylay them (and Michael's army), and even then the awnshegh doesn't actually appear. I did like the descriptions of Aedan's first journey through the Shadow World and the lasting effect one of its spiders had on him. I also liked the introduction of the Cold Rider and the army's encounter with him/her/it. The battle that followed was nothing short of stupendous, and only the very last one topped it. How's that for excellent writing?
The Iron Throne provides an excellent introduction to the world of Cerilia, where great strength and powers acquired by the deaths of the gods are the birthrights of succeeding generations. The awnsheghlien, though conspicuously absent, have all the markings of serious enemies. It's a pity the Birthright line has been put on moratorium, but maybe it'll be back someday. I hope so!
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