I managed to squeak in a lot of really good books in November as I tried to catch up on everything before our end-of-year list. Turns out having a child doesn’t do great things for your free time—who knew? Though I managed to read everything I wanted, I still have a large backlog of books I want to shout about; and the first on that list is Lord of a Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones. Jones is an author I like from my time with his Ring-Sworn Trilogy, but the new books he published this year are a new beast entirely. Part classic sword-and-sorcery, part anthology of journal entries, Lord of a Shattered Land evokes a lot of my favorite things about older fantasy books yet feels new and fresh in how it presents its story.
Right at the start of the book, we find ourselves witnessing a smugly victorious Dervan Empire. Having finally defeated their great enemy, the city-state of Volanus, things are looking up for this growing world power. The city of Volanus has been put to the torch, its treasures looted, temples defiled, and fields sown with salt. What little remains of the Volani people have scattered across the Dervan empire, each taking refuge and hiding where they can. It is an absolute victory for the Dervans in every way but one: Hanuvar, the last and greatest general of Volanus, still lives. The old tactician now travels the length of the Dervan Empire driven by a singular purpose—to find what remains of his people and rebuild the city that they lost. At the start, he only has a lifetime of hard-won wisdom and the greatest military mind in the world. Yet, it’s amazing what a little wisdom and cunning can do and the kinds of things they can build. Hanuvar will find his people, every last one of them.
If you have seen our Best of 2023 list, then you know the cat is already out of the bag: I loved this book. The narrative structure is fascinating. Each chapter is a small 30-40 page self-contained story written like a fairy tale or fable. In each chapter, we follow Hanuvar as he follows a lead on the location of some of his people, arrives at a new location in the world, and sets out on an impossible task against an unbeatable foe. Jones does an incredible job in how the story progresses in several ways that really pull the book together. First, the situations and trials that Hanuvar finds himself in are varied in interesting ways. You will find him investigating local legends, conducting miniature military campaigns, rescuing circus animals, and/or fighting ghosts to name a few. Additionally, each of these problems always feels uniquely solvable for Hanuvar. His calm mind, a wealth of hard-won experience, and his patience always feel like the key tools to win out every confrontation he is dropped into. Each situation always feels unwinnable at first but through the liberal interpretation of ‘choosing your battleground,’ Hanuvar is able to come out ahead. Each chapter always has a nice set of subtexts, often about the nature of the oppressed or their oppressors. Finally, all the chapters feel additive. You get to watch Hanuvar start from small actions and slowly build his movement into an avalanche that will reestablish his people in the world.
On top of a fabulous writing style, the characters in the story are delightful. I am a big fan of older protagonists, especially as I age myself. Hanuvar is the delightful case of the rare older gentleman who has a wealth of experience to share. He feels like a kindly grandfather who has been forced to take up arms as a last resort and he shines like a beacon of knowledge that I desperately want him to share. He is assisted greatly by many side characters that move in and out of the story to great effect. They act as couriers that report how the actions Hanuvar is taking are having real effects on the world and allow the reader to see in real-time the butterfly effects of a single man’s choices. We also get a lovely young bard character that sticks with Hanuvar more regularly and provides a great foil to his older stately personality.
A supporting element of the characters is how lively the world they live in feels. The worldbuilding is done like Lego bricks, with each chapter adding another block to the structure. This might make it sound like it’s slower and more drawn-out, but I found the world to be much more immersive than half the other books I read this year. The map is fabulous as a side note, and the strong visualization of different places Hanuvar visits creates a very clear idea of regionality in the world and it makes everything feel deeper and less two-dimensional. The world-building in this book made me reassess how I was creating my own world in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign because of how clear its sense of place became through Jones’ methods. This is also a very exciting development because the world-building was the one hangup I had with Jones’ first Ring-Sworn Trilogy. The result is a new start that feels like Jones has grown as an author and makes me very excited for what comes next.
Lord of a Shattered Land is a stunning success that managed to stand out as fresh in the genre despite its classic style and nostalgic feel. It has a somber and thoughtful lead that I love being in the mind of and a world that feels like you step into with fresh eyes every chapter. The narrative structure of the story is brilliant, and the sequel to the book already came out this same year and I can’t wait to get my hands on it. Absolutely check out Lord of a Shattered Land if you are a fan of classic sword and sorcery, or older protagonists, or generally enjoyable fantasy.
Rating: Lord of a Shattered Land – 10/10
-Andrew
An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The thoughts on this book are my own.
