Review of Guy Haley's The Arkanaut's Oath

The Arkanaut's Oath by Guy Haley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Drekki Flynt, swashbuckler extraordinaire. A Kharadron privateer, he captains Aelsling, the fastest sky-cutter in the Skyshoals and named for his wife . . . er ex-wife, whom he hopes will return to him soon. He and his fellow skyfarers have come to the filthy, lawless Bavardia to meet with his former father-in-law who has a long tally of grudges against Drekki. (Not least of which are that Drekki stole his daughter and his ship.) But if Drekki accepts this venture, Throkki will wipe the slate clean and stop sending assassins to kill Drekki.

Such an offer tempts Drekki as much as treasure for the taking. Of course, there has to be a catch. Nothing comes easily for him and his fellow skyfarers. This time around, he is chosen for this venture because he is the best and he is expendable should things go awry (which is a given when Drekki is involved). Lady Sanahsa Lerarus, a human mage, must retrieve the last Talisman of Achromia before the current one protecting the old empire’s surviving city against daemons and other dark magic fails.

Naturally, they will not be the only ones searching for the Talisman and some will try to stop them. Oh, did I mention that the hidden vault that holds the Talisman is located somewhere in a derelict city infested with grots, the ancestral enemies of duardins, which is what Drekki and many of his skyfarers are? Nor is the vault simply a vault; it has special powers such as turning intruders into stone. Not only can’t Drekki refuse this job; there also is no aether-gold for him and his fellow skyfarers. But fear not, Drekki has ways and means of finding treasure in the least likely of places.

He also has a knack for finding trouble, and this time around trouble abounds. There are gargantuan squigs, snotlings, daemons, witch hunters, screamers, disc riders, unnatural storms, harkraken, a shipwreck, and Kaptain Blackheart who dares to fly the Jolly Orruk! Not to mention a spy aboard Drekki’s vessel, or the immense vortex that is slowly pulling them inside.

In the true fashion of swashbuckling novels of yore, The Arkanaut’s Oath takes readers on a breathtaking, daring adventure reminiscent of the largest, twistiest, and most exhilarating roller coaster imaginable. The imagery of Drekki’s world is masterfully drawn with words that are far better than the poetic verses crafted by Drekki’s ship’s poet. Interwoven with serious topics of war and strip-mining are humorous episodes, such as the security guard who also collects autographs. This may be Drekki Flynt’s first full-length novel, but I certainly hope it will not be his last. He may be used to being unpopular, but he’s also one of a kind and he and his fellow skyfarers are just the right sort to have with you when things get dicey.


This review originally appeared at Pirates and Privateers: http://www.cindyvallar.com/Haley.html



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