The Red Knight (The Traitor Son Cycle, #1)

Jan 02, 2013 Experiment BL626 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley, fantasy, reviewed

The Red Knight (TRK) was a mixed bag surprises.

Great writing

I love the succinct writing. I love the subheading of the character’s name and their location every time the plot shifts in POV. TRK is a big Fantasy book, and I expected to be lost in a wall of text at some point, but I never really was.

Too many POVs

What I did not love was the boatload of irrelevant POVs. It took me a couple long chapters to realize the book was plot-driven given the focus on the large cast and how an unexpectedly smal...more

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Nov 15, 2012 Liviu rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012_release_read, genre-fantasy, read_2012, review_fbc, series_reading, top_25_2012_novels

finally!

i read 100+ pages out of probably the most expected remaining book of 2012 for me, The Red Knight by Miles Cameron and it is very good though it is not quite what i expected so far; the setting is truly medieval with small cities at least so far in the Nord/West - the world may be something like Earth ~1000 so the east may be much more developed; the Wild is out there and it has its denizens, its sentients, its allies and its manipulators but there is also the Church and God's magic as w...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Stefan rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: advance-reading-copy, fantasy, far-beyond-reality-review

The eponymous hero of The Red Knight by Miles Cameron is the leader of a mercenary army that’s just returning to Alba after fighting a campaign abroad. His identity and even his real name are a mystery to most: there are hints throughout the novel, and eventually you’ll have a good idea of who he is, but for the most part he simply goes by “Red Knight” or “Captain” and deflects any questions about his origins.

He and his company are now on their way to Lissen Carak, the site of an ancient and hea...more

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Apr 24, 2013 Lady*M rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, fantasy, historical

4.5 stars

Well, Miles Cameron is a new star in the fantasy constellation. The Red Knight is an exciting bland of pseudo-historical medieval setting, complex magic system and intriguing characters. Told from multiple POVs, the story takes some time to take off, but when it does, it's an absolute page turner. Multiple POVs also mean that not all the characters are equally developed, but it seems to me that they will get their deserved place later in the series.

The mysterious Red Knight is naturally...more

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May 03, 2013 Emil Söderman rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was fun.

Okay, for starters, it's partially an arthurian retelling but with changed names. (and possibly things will turn out differently in some respects) I'm game for that. Especially as the book seems to at least nod a bit to the tradition of chivalric romances, rather than going all early-medieval "realistic". (which, honestly, is kind of boring. Iron-age warriors beating each other up isn't half as fun as dinner parties being interrupted by strangely colored animals and random duels ove...more

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Apr 25, 2013 Dmitri rated it 3 of 5 stars

A well researched fantasy story that unfortunately does not bring anything new to the table.

Plot: In one word, derivative. I have read a variation of this theme so many times before. A mysterious stranger imbued with near unlimited magical power, the beautiful love interest and the will they or won’t they dynamic that gets stale after a few pages. The evil magic user with his plot to destroy all of humanity, frankly we have read it all before. It is quite clear that the author has done his home...more

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Apr 08, 2013 David rated it 5 of 5 stars

Sometimes I watch movies or read stories and feel like they were created just for the 12 year old version of me that still lives in my head. The A-Team movie would be a good example. The Red Knight by "Miles Cameron" is not one of those stories. It is instead a story written for the 36 year old that 12 year old grew up to become. Cameron is a former soldier, historian, martial artist, and medieval reenactor who is able to describe with some authority what it feels like to fight in armor. He brin...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Richard Manzano rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recommend Cameron’s debut novel without hesitation. It puts him firmly on the level of current “gritty” fantasy luminaries like George R. R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie. Cameron is a historic reenator and a practitioner of medieval fencing techniques and fact that he’s spent countless hours studying period fencing manuals, swinging a sword and living in the clothing and armor of the period comes through vividly. The world feels lived in, and the combat feels frightening, exhausting and dangerou...more I recommend Cameron’s debut novel without hesitation. It puts him firmly on the level of current “gritty” fantasy luminaries like George R. R. Martin and Joe Abercrombie. Cameron is a historic reenator and a practitioner of medieval fencing techniques and fact that he’s spent countless hours studying period fencing manuals, swinging a sword and living in the clothing and armor of the period comes through vividly. The world feels lived in, and the combat feels frightening, exhausting and dangerous.
Like Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire (ASOIAF) series, Cameron uses numerous point-of-view characters to tell the story, although he jump cuts much more quickly between narrators. Most interesting in Cameron’s approach is narrating scene from Character A’s perspective, then switching to Character B’s narration while rewinding into the middle of that scene so you see it develop from a completely different perspective. While the battle lines are more starkly drawn than in ASOIAF (no pun intended), having point-of-view characters on both sides of the conflict deepens the story and makes the motivations of all the players more understandable and relatable.
This being the first of a five book arc, the story unfolds slowly and organically. We learn the background of the world and the characters themselves through their actions, rather than having a semi-omniscient character pop in at a convenient moment and take a 5-page expository dump. The fact that nearly all the major characters are keeping some facts very close to their vests, or actually hiding things, makes the slow reveal in context an extremely rewarding way to tell the story.
Magic is much more ubiquitous than in many “gritty” fantasy works but refreshingly avoids the shopworn tropes of simple Black vs. White magic as well as the consequence free Unicorns and Rainbows variety. Magic is powerful but has a cost. It’s widely used, but also widely distrusted by non-users. And by grounding one school of magic in the historic school of Hermeticism it is anchored a bit more in reality (and here “reality” includes not only early science, but alchemy, mysticism, necromancy and the active intervention of divine beings to mention only a few) and provides rules by which the magical system operates.
I am very much looking forward to the rest of the series. (less)

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Mar 20, 2013 Rebecca Lovatt rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Red Knight, book 1 of The Traitor Son Cycle by Miles Cameron is a well-written tale following the Captain and his troop of mercenaries. in a familiar high-fantasy world.

With interwoven elements of history, magic, faith, chivalry, fear and love, Cameron has taken our world (as it takes place at some point in time in Europe) and transformed it into an alternate history with monsters lurking in every shadow. Cameron definitely kept to “write what you know”, as his knowledge of history and exper...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Sam rated it 5 of 5 stars

It’s so hard to talk about how amazing The Red Knight is without giving away half its secrets.

I think one of the best attributes of The Red Knight for me was the way that Miles Cameron was able to utterly surprise me at every turn. This was partially done by establishing likable characters on both sides of the fight in different skirmishes. Cameron started his weave of deception and captivation into the story by letting the reader get to know these characters hundreds of pages before their actio...more It’s so hard to talk about how amazing The Red Knight is without giving away half its secrets.

I think one of the best attributes of The Red Knight for me was the way that Miles Cameron was able to utterly surprise me at every turn. This was partially done by establishing likable characters on both sides of the fight in different skirmishes. Cameron started his weave of deception and captivation into the story by letting the reader get to know these characters hundreds of pages before their action begins.

Personally, I was frustrated at this jumping between smaller characters and subplots in the beginning of the story until I realized how deftly Cameron was weaving all the stories and characters together later in the book. In fact, every character and jump away from the main story line was carefully planned, establishing strong characters and a broader more complete picture for the story overall. Not only that, but because readers will be rooting for characters on both sides of the fights, readers will be town in who they want to win. Also this allows Cameron the flexibility to kill off characters, surprise the reader and make The Red a truly amazing book.

Of course as I mentioned above, there are a lot of characters in The Red Knight, and while at times it’s hard to keep them all straight Cameron does one heck of a job making complex and likable characters in this first installment of a five book series. Some awesome characters that come to mind are the Captain (AKA the Red Knight), Michael, Peter, Gaston, Sir Gawin, and Bad Tom (heck even with her limited role I loved reading about Pridentia). All of these characters are different than many of the characters that are in most epic fantasy novels today, and as the story develops become more and more flushed out.

All in all I loved the Red Knight. It was full of non-stop action, had great characters, and really surprised me. I personally can’t wait for the next in the series and recommend it to anyone looking for a book to read, because this is one of the next in a great line of fantastic epic fantasies.

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Jan 31, 2013 Matt Heppe rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Characters: The Red Knight features a wide cast of characters, with each chapter giving us a different point of view. Our primary point of view is the Red Knight himself, a young mercenary commander. The Red Knight might be young, but he knows his business. I don’t put spoilers in my reviews, so I’ll just mention that there is more to the Red Knight than (of course) first meets the eye. Besides the Red Knight we have a rich cast of characters, including the novel’s primary antagonist. I enjoyed...more Characters: The Red Knight features a wide cast of characters, with each chapter giving us a different point of view. Our primary point of view is the Red Knight himself, a young mercenary commander. The Red Knight might be young, but he knows his business. I don’t put spoilers in my reviews, so I’ll just mention that there is more to the Red Knight than (of course) first meets the eye. Besides the Red Knight we have a rich cast of characters, including the novel’s primary antagonist. I enjoyed getting both the “good guy” AND “bad guy” point of views.

World building: This had to be one of my favorite elements of the novel. Cameron has taken Europe (circa 1450, I estimate) and tuned it to his own fantasy setting. You’ll recognize names and places from European history, some straight out of the history books, some given interesting twists. The book combines the author’s deep knowledge of history with a truly refreshing, well thought out overlay of magic and fantastic monsters (some you’ll recognize, some you won’t). It is a gritty, highly realistic setting.

Engagement/Willing suspension of disbelief: Cameron is a historian and a reenactor. Both come through in spades when it comes to engagement. Small details of everyday life create a rich, believable atmosphere. And Cameron certainly knows how to write a gripping combat scene. Knights in other fantasy novels wear the same armor, but in the Red Knight you really get to know what is means to be in a full suit of plate. It is obvious that the author has spent his fair share of time in full harness.

Writing/Mechanics: The Red Knight is a professionally written novel. Besides getting an exciting story, you are getting a well-written story. It is not all blood and guts, Cameron takes time to smell the roses. Love and hate, the nature of good and evil, the meaning of loyalty and friendship... Cameron writes them as well as he writes a deadly battle with a wyvern.

Impact: A terrific fantasy novel. It isn’t a YA fantasy, this is a tough, realistic telling of a bloody war in a fantasy setting. It also isn’t a Dungeon’s and Dragons knock off - which is a great relief. It has the depth, complexity and realism of GRR Martin in a world where magic and monsters are more the norm. I can’t wait for more. (less)

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Jan 19, 2013 Jeff rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I gave this book 5 stars not because its a perfect book but because I started reading it yesterday and didn't stop until I was finished it.

Let me start with my perceived negatives:

(1) I am not a huge fan of authors jumping from POV to POV. I know that the Game of Thrones has made that a popular format but it has never worked from me. Having said that, while Cameron does that, it isn't quite as annoying as it has been in other works I've read - even if the point of some of the POV characters is b...more I gave this book 5 stars not because its a perfect book but because I started reading it yesterday and didn't stop until I was finished it.

Let me start with my perceived negatives:

(1) I am not a huge fan of authors jumping from POV to POV. I know that the Game of Thrones has made that a popular format but it has never worked from me. Having said that, while Cameron does that, it isn't quite as annoying as it has been in other works I've read - even if the point of some of the POV characters is beyond me at this time (I suspect future novels will explain some of them).

(2) While he has created fantasy kingdoms analogous to actual medieval kingdoms, he has not given the same care to his religious and academic background. The main religion is Medieval Christianity and throughout he mentions a number of actual famous Ancient writers (he also at one point refers to "London"). While I have enjoyed medieval fantasy set in the Medieval Europe (Judith Tarr's Hound and Falcon trilogy being an excellent example of same), the throwing in of Christianity and actual writers/philosophers in a world that clearly never existed jolted the suspension of disbelief necessary to enjoy a fantasy novel.

(3) And now the big one - I hope that I am wrong but I saw a number of Arthurian tropes in the novel. Now, there is nothing wrong in Arthurian tropes, especially in Arthurian novels, but I hope the author doesn't rely on them. The characters he has created are far more interesting than they will end up if he uses them as such.

Okay, so those are my complaints - so why do I give it 5 stars? Because, unlike most novels that I have read in the recent past, this novel had me hooked from page 1 on - I wanted - no, scratch that - needed to know what was going to happen next. The various mercenaries in the Red Knight's band became real to me and I wanted to know what would happen next to them. My favourites include the Red Knight himself, his squire Michael, and a fellow by the name of Bad Tom.

The battle scenes are exciting and, in one memorable one, the author does a rapid POV switch between sides that, despite my griping above (#1), was a different way of describing a battle. His medieval world is also incredibly believable. Now, I understand that both of these are because the author is a historical re-inactor. I've known people in historical re-inactment groups and if they were half as realistic as what is drawn between these pages, I would have alot more respect for the hobby than I do.

I strongly recommend this novel and hope that the next novel is just as good (and that I'm wrong about #3 above)
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Jan 11, 2013 Ivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

The Red Knight seems to follow the trend of "ancient past in the far future" type of fantasy, that has recently resurfaced thanks to the writing of Mark Lawrence and some other authors. It must be said that Miles Cameron manages to imply that much more subtly and without SF elements, at least so far, so his novel can not be considered to be science fantasy. He also manages to escape aping George Martin, at the same time achieving grimness and that gritty atmosphere to which many established auth...more The Red Knight seems to follow the trend of "ancient past in the far future" type of fantasy, that has recently resurfaced thanks to the writing of Mark Lawrence and some other authors. It must be said that Miles Cameron manages to imply that much more subtly and without SF elements, at least so far, so his novel can not be considered to be science fantasy. He also manages to escape aping George Martin, at the same time achieving grimness and that gritty atmosphere to which many established authors aspire, but most fail to achieve. I would place The Red Knight straight in the middle of military fantasy tradition as established by Glen Cook and further developed by Steven Erikson, although his quasi-medieval setting most closely resembles the Change novels written by Steve Stirling.

The quality of Cameron's writing is superb. The language of his protagonists is as taken from the pages of Ivanhoe and I've noticed anachronistic phrases perhaps couple of times in more than six hundred pages. The language is not lifeless as is frequently the case with writers who try to achieve some kind of authenticity in their literary expression, but is very much alive and flowing - despite difficult choice of words and sometimes over the top use of medieval terms, such as names of different armor parts and such. The author has shown most detailed knowledge of the everyday life of the warrior class during the middle ages, but sometimes his overuse of expressions little known or completely unknown to the modern reader tends to encourage the reader to think that the novel is more difficult to read than it's worth. Nevertheless, Cameron's prose is excellent and quite enjoyable.

My greatest objection to this novel is abundance of PoV characters, with much too short chapters. Don't get me wrong, they are beautifully written, but sometimes PoV lasts for half a page, and then you need to adapt to another one much too quickly. This has proven to be tiresome, at least in my case.

Anywayz, this book is serious contender for the Book of the Year title, by my humble opinion, of course. 5/5(less)

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Dec 02, 2012 Mark rated it 4 of 5 stars

OK. The Red Knight is a book that holds its Epic Fantasy credentials high. Though generally its plot is at first glance nothing really new, there’s a lot in it to like, for it has hidden depths. And it does what it purports to very well.

In terms of similarity, well, the plot is rather generic, it must be said. We have Knights, Kings, Queens, mages and monsters. If you read Epic Fantasy, all the usual tropes are there, and at this point I can see that some might want to walk away, put the book do...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a fanatasy novel, but much more than that. It comes very close to Medieval HF with a twist. The knights, human society and human characters are very convincingly late medieval, as is the case with the battle scenes and the swordplay, strategy and battle tactics. Of course there is Magic and Monsters and a world to save, but even so- Miles lays down a comprehensive system of magic in his novel , and the monsters ar not altogether evil but credible as characters as well. Kudo's for Miles...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Tom Lloyd rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well I had a pretty complex reaction to this book I must admit, and I was undecided as to whether to give it three stars or four. I'm thinking it's a 3.5 probably, but given the choice for the rating I've gone for four because I'll almost certainly read the next one.

So I enjoyed it, absolutely, but at the same time it took me weeks to read because it has issues and is long, but maybe I start with the good.

For a book like this, the fact that it's enjoyable is important and worth bearing in mind...more Well I had a pretty complex reaction to this book I must admit, and I was undecided as to whether to give it three stars or four. I'm thinking it's a 3.5 probably, but given the choice for the rating I've gone for four because I'll almost certainly read the next one.

So I enjoyed it, absolutely, but at the same time it took me weeks to read because it has issues and is long, but maybe I start with the good.

For a book like this, the fact that it's enjoyable is important and worth bearing in mind given the niggles I'll list later. The plot is simple but effective, the main character a very good hero and the secondary characters interesting in their own right. I'd assumed Bad Tom, for example, would continue as a caricature through the book and be a predictable point of conflict, but actually he had his own humanity and that's something that extended. While some people might be put off by the nerdy level of detail in weapons and armour, and certainly it's excessive, to someone like me it's just a pleasure to read a book from a completely informed background, it's honest and that's wat I like.

But most importantly, the book lives and dies on the action. And he's good at it, very good. Cameron writes actions scenes as well as anyone I've ever read and surpasses big names like Martin or Abercrombie. Without that I'd have struggled in the book, but there was never any question of giving up on it. even when I'd taken ages to get halfway, I was always going to keep going.

But the flaws, and there are several of them. Firstly the length - it's just too big and there are whole threads that don't serve much purpose. Maybe the Frenchmen will continue and fill a roll in the next book but at the moment they did little. Also the setting - a skewed version of England, twisted beyond recognition so whether it's alternate history or what I can't tell. The map tells me nothing but France and England are recognisable of a sort - and there is a mention of London, but only once so I genuinely can't tell if that's intentional or whether it's another sign of the really poor proofreading that's allowed errors to litter the book. Then we have religion - i can't tell whether it's rigid piety from the author that he refuses to make up a world's religion but reading this I don't see any reason why it isn't a secondary world - the Christianity doesn't work well, doesn't gel with the setting he's created and is overall a massive, irritating distraction for me.

It's a shame really. if the book was shorter and tighter, had a religion to suit it, either spent less time on the magic system or explained less (one of the two, halfway doesn't really work for me) either made clear what the deal was with the setting and didn't have so many distracting errors, then you're talking about a classic in the making - a rival to Gemmell's Legend but technically superior to that book. Unfortunately, there's too much getting in the way to make that sort of judgement.
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Apr 02, 2013 A.E. Marling added it

Shelves: epic-fantasy

If you love epic fantasy in a world not of black and white but in shades of grey and green, you may love The Red Knight. Despite the title, this is not a tale of any single character so much as a world. Miles Cameron introduces several interesting and nuanced characters, from a bastard knight tortured by his past, to a wizard feeling a resurgence of youth and as excited about his experiments as defeating the onrushing hordes, to a resourceful abbess, to a charismatic queen, to an ex-slave joinin...more If you love epic fantasy in a world not of black and white but in shades of grey and green, you may love The Red Knight. Despite the title, this is not a tale of any single character so much as a world. Miles Cameron introduces several interesting and nuanced characters, from a bastard knight tortured by his past, to a wizard feeling a resurgence of youth and as excited about his experiments as defeating the onrushing hordes, to a resourceful abbess, to a charismatic queen, to an ex-slave joining the wild men, to a disgraced knight, to the cousin of a giant of a man who believes an angel gave him a divine right to rule, to a Hillman type trying to drive his herd to supply the army, to a seamstress (the book’s true hero?), and to the sorcerer treefolk commanding the forces of the Wild. I may have missed a few, but the point is that this is an involved and engrossing world. To appreciate it you have to be comfortable with changing perspectives repeatedly.

Oh, and I best mention this book is mostly epic battle. Blood of various colors and acid concentrations would have to be your thing.

The world has many similarities with medieval Europe, except that man is battling against the Wild for territory. Instead of forces of Light versus Dark, this is set up as Light vs Green, and the nuance makes a surprising difference. Also, it’s never clear which side is in the right, as mankind is seen as encroaching on the wilderness, even capturing some of the beasts for amusement. The delightful bestiary involves wyverns, trolls, golden bears, dinosaur-like creatures obsessed with beauty, insectile footmen, and humanoids we might consider elves in other worlds but are very much the enemy to man here. The Red Knight is ostensibly the story’s protagonist, but he wins most every battle against the forces of the Wild, which made me wish to root for the side of the golden bears. That this story allows for that is refreshing indeed. A pity that their champion, Thorn, seemed at best a bully.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to have to run away with a certain beautiful dinosaur.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Ruth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: spec-fic

c2012: wyvern, mercenaries, nunnery, Wild, beast. O.M.G. I am breathless after reading this one. With a master's skill, Mr Cameron plunged me into every melee, sortee, charge, ambush, retreat and victory. I am not particularly fond of battle or fight scenes as most of them go over my head. But these ones..wow!I loved the layout of the story - you really get an almost 4D perspective of the entire tale and it is easy to keep track of the many sterling characters from base-born to highborn, from th...more c2012: wyvern, mercenaries, nunnery, Wild, beast. O.M.G. I am breathless after reading this one. With a master's skill, Mr Cameron plunged me into every melee, sortee, charge, ambush, retreat and victory. I am not particularly fond of battle or fight scenes as most of them go over my head. But these ones..wow!I loved the layout of the story - you really get an almost 4D perspective of the entire tale and it is easy to keep track of the many sterling characters from base-born to highborn, from the Wild to the 'nobles' (? not quite sure that is the right description but I am sure it will help me to remember.) I also learnt more than I ever thought possible about the advantages of a suit of armour ...and so effortlessly conveyed. Some of the action scenes are so vivid that I just could not stop reading and reading and reading and felt as drained as the characters at the end of a scene. There were very faint echoes of GRR Martin but perhaps only in the medieval setting and the structure of the novel. Whereas, the spec fic written by women tend to have pages of pages of angst, foreplay and then the 'dirty deed' Mr Cameron puts it far more simply ie "He rid himself of his shirt and braes with more effort and far less elegance, and she laughed at him. And then they were together.". That's it folks, thats all you're getting. I am a bit of a bunny hugger, so I did not like some of the scenes in the book but even I have to say that they were an integral part of the story and helped to stir up emotions...as if there was ever a chance that this was not going to be an emotional read. Mr Cameron is a true craftsman and I noted from the acknowledgements that he writes from actual experience and it shines through. My only tiny tiny criticism is that the book is riddled with silly typographical errors that should have been picked up through the editing process. As this is the kind of book that you have to read every single word, it becomes very noticeable. Especially in one particular part (P130) where a character's name was spelt differently on the same page. But, needless to say, this is heartily recommended to the normal crew. FCN: The Red Knight ( "youth on his side and determined to turn a profit.") , Big Tom (I really grew to like this particular character), Sauce (not a star but always there), Harmodius (the Magus), De Vrailly (an honourable lunatic), Thorn (the bad baddy). "Do well. Act with honour and dignity. Not because there is some promised reward, but because it is the only way to live. "(less)

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Jan 08, 2013 PhoenixFantasy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Mile’s Cameron’s The Red Knight is an absolutely outstanding novel. I haven’t read such an impressive and engrossing Epic Fantasy in years. Comparisons are cheap, I know, and I apologise in advance for this, but this is 100% the thing for any George RR Martin fans looking for something fresh to obsess over. For me, Cameron has all the benefits of Martin, but with a little extra bonus thrown in, as there are hints of Gemmell in there too. Gemmell + Martin = heaven for me.

The most obvious comparis...more Mile’s Cameron’s The Red Knight is an absolutely outstanding novel. I haven’t read such an impressive and engrossing Epic Fantasy in years. Comparisons are cheap, I know, and I apologise in advance for this, but this is 100% the thing for any George RR Martin fans looking for something fresh to obsess over. For me, Cameron has all the benefits of Martin, but with a little extra bonus thrown in, as there are hints of Gemmell in there too. Gemmell + Martin = heaven for me.

The most obvious comparison to Martin is in the structure of the novel, where we have multiple sections from multiple POVs. Cameron keeps these sections a lot shorter than Martin, and, to begin with at least, things can get pretty confusing as we’re introduced to a lot of characters and the narrative feels bitty and disjointed. Cameron soon brings everything together though, and whilst this isn’t an easy read it’s a massively rewarding one. A drop in pace is the price that’s sometimes paid for the intensity of the detail, and that will bother some, but for me it was a happy trade-off in places. Whilst I’m already making comparisons I might as well also throw in that this series is shaping up to offer as much rich and all-consuming detail as Erikson, and for my money Cameron shows the new supposed “giants” of gritty fantasy – Abercrombie and Lawrence, how it’s done. He wipes the floor with the pair of them. Watch and learn, good Sirs. Cameron’s bringing Epic back.

The Red Knight is a compelling series opener, composed of equal parts Historical Fantasy, earth based Magic and a beautifully detailed approach to battle. I’ve heard people complain that Cameron brings nothing new to the genre, and it may well be true that his novel deals with “standard fantasy tropes”, but it deals with them brilliantly, there’s nothing ‘standard’ about his writing. I understand that many readers are tiring of the medieval fantasy setting, but I’d heartily suggest giving The Red Knight a go even if you feel that way, because seeing it done So Very Well might make you re-think. It works beautifully.

The Red Knight is an intelligent and beautifully detailed Epic Fantasy, one of the finest I’ve read, and I’ve been reading Epic for more years than I’d care to admit. The sheer scope of the novel is breathtaking, the characters are well rounded and believable, and the battle scenes are the best I’ve read to date. I cannot recommend this highly enough.

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Feb 01, 2013 Nick rated it 5 of 5 stars

REVIEW SUMMARY: A new tale of knights and daring deeds worthy of a place amongst some of our most cherished chivalric legends.

BRIEF SYNOPSIS: The Red Knight and his merry band of mercenaries take a commission to rid an Abbey of a monster problem. It turns out that the monster problem is more complex than any could have imagined and the whole kingdom of Alba is in danger of being overrun.

MY REVIEW

PROS: Highly descriptive, furious combat, huge array of colorful characters, intricate plotting, grea...more

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Mar 20, 2013 Sarabeth rated it 5 of 5 stars

Purchased by myself. Bought the US and loved it so much had to buy the UK to get the hardcover.

Absolutely one of the very best epic fantasy reads of the past year. I was blown away by how good this one. The plot, the characters, the creatures, the worldbuilding all top notch. I cannot begin to express how much I loved this!

The Red Knight is smart, funny and daring, although maybe just a bit, only a bit, jaded for his age. The Wild is alien and much too human and the book did not dig nearly enoug...more

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Apr 03, 2013 Liam rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, 2013

This book was a struggle to read for a long time. About half to two-thirds of the way through it picked up and I ate it up, but before that it did feel like a bit of a slog and failed to engage me despite my interest in everything that was going on.

Nevertheless I persevered and I am glad I did. The battles are very well done and exciting to read, and the characters are interesting and diverse. The world confused me somewhat - whether it is supposed to be an alternate Earth (due to the references...more

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Mar 03, 2013 Derrick rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2013, disturbing, fantasy, disappointment

The first 20% was all 2Star.

The swearing, the eff word being dropped at least once a page, the unspoken assumption that you just raped nuns because they were available, the complete baseness of the mercenary troop, it really disgusted me.

I think it was supposed to. But I don't have to be dipped into a cesspool to know it stinks something terrible. So that was very disappointing.

Then a switch was flipped, and whammo, the swearing stopped, people started showing the tiniest bit of good character a...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Owlcat Mountain added it · review of another edition

I don't use star ratings, so please read the review!

(Description nicked from B&N.com.)

“Twenty eight florins a month is a huge price to pay, for a man to stand between you and the Wild.

Twenty eight florins a month is nowhere near enough when a wyvern's jaws snap shut on your helmet in the hot stink of battle, and the beast starts to rip the head from your shoulders. But if standing and fighting is hard, leading a company of men - or worse, a company of mercenaries - against the smart, deadly...more

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Feb 16, 2013 Mike (the Paladin) rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy

Here we have the beginning of what seems to be another fine, readable, highly enjoyable epic fantasy. The story draws us in and if it has a weakness (and what book doesn't?) it may be that the story (again) strings out into several viewpoints. Of these most of us will probably become more interested in one "storyline" than we are the others (I know I did). Still when it boils down to "a" climax (actually there might be said to be "multiple climaxes") the author weaves all his threads together an...more

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Dec 07, 2012 Burgoo rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

The titular Red Knight leads a company of mercenaries who have been hired to find & kill a monster who is on the estate of a large Abbey. As their monster hunt proceeds, they realize that the monster is just the first of many, and what looks to be a simple hunt & kill operation turns into a protracted siege, with the fate of the kingdom at stake.
The Red Knight is a remarkable genre debut. Its melding of gritty historical background with magical elements will immediately draw comparisons...more The titular Red Knight leads a company of mercenaries who have been hired to find & kill a monster who is on the estate of a large Abbey. As their monster hunt proceeds, they realize that the monster is just the first of many, and what looks to be a simple hunt & kill operation turns into a protracted siege, with the fate of the kingdom at stake.
The Red Knight is a remarkable genre debut. Its melding of gritty historical background with magical elements will immediately draw comparisons to George RR Martin. Like Martin, Cameron uses a fictionalized medieval England as the setting for his larger fantastical tale. There is a large cast of characters, with many POVs.

What sets The Red Knight apart from the legion of Martin imitators? Several factors: first is the feeling of historical accuracy given to the equipment and combat sequences. Cameron is apparently a re-enactor, and his personal experience with the historical equipment comes through in his writing. He writes with full awareness of the physicality of the medieval armor & weaponry he discusses. He knows where something is going to chafe, and how your arms feel after swinging heavy weaponry.

The second factor would be his unique magical system. Without delving deeply into spoilers, magic users are divided into two groups; users of the light, representing civilization, and users of the green, representing the Wild. Additionally, he incorporates the ancient practice of memory palaces into the subjective experience of the magic practitioners.

Magic & weaponry aside, Cameron does a great job working with his large cast of characters. He develops distinctive voices for each of his POV characters. We see the mercenaries grow from little more than outlaws into a force fighting for something bigger than them. The fact that they are reluctant heroes makes their story all the more compelling.

Strangely enough, the strong historical spine to this novel may be its biggest drawback. Readers uninterested in medieval siege tactics, the composition of military groupings, or the logistics caravans may be somewhat alienated from a riveting story. Personally I found the detail fascinating and grounding in a fantastical story.

The Red Knight is highly recommended. It is one of the best fantasy debuts I’ve read in many many years. I am very much looking forward to continuing the series.
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Feb 06, 2013 Sarah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle, fantasy, dark, arc-or-review-copy, read-in-2013, war, orbit

What it really boils down to is the fact that Cameron seemed to struggle a bit blending all of the elements together into one cohesive book that is more than just the sum of its pieces. Somehow, when the book was put together, some elements feel like they get far more attention than others. While The Red Knight is incredibly plot driven, the characters could have used a little more love. Though the world is fascinating and the culture is interesting, some of the plot points and action sequences...more

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Feb 19, 2013 Christoffer Keisu rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable read and I'm already looking forward to the sequel. A shame this just came out and I'll probably have to wait for at least a year. Wouldn't be surprised if this turns out to be one of the best reads for the first half of 2013. It's already right up there with The Daylight War by Peter V Brett.

If you're always browsing around for the newest worthy reads this is your book. Cameron goes into knights in detail, being a fanboy himself, and it is refreshing to see an author who actually...more

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Feb 18, 2013 Aaron Crossett rated it 3 of 5 stars

The nook version is difficult to read. The chapter breaks are abrupt, and the format doesn't flow very well.

As for the actual plot. Decent, author is pretty heavy handed with the Arthurian parallels, and doesn't really veer from the norm. Everyone that recommended the book kept saying that it started off as a siege novel, but got better. Never happened for me, just the same relentless siege the whole way through. Some great ideas were contained in the book, but never belt upon. The whole anti-ch...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Nick Sayce rated it 5 of 5 stars

As a big fantasy book fan I find it harder and harder to find new and exciting novels which are not simply Tolkien rip offs, and this book is nothing of the sort. It does take awhile to get into mainly due to the multiple different characters, but once you are over the initial breath of characterisation you will soon see it was worth it. The characters are all individual and not the fearless invincible heroes that we are too often provided with. The "enemies" seem real and are not just the usual...more

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The Red Knight (The Traitor Son Cycle #1)

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