Honor for the Dead

by Connor Ludovissy, Christopher Cervelloni (Editor)

Ao has always tried to do the right thing. Now he has blood on his hands, his own comrades are hunting him, and the right thing to do isn’t so clear anymore.

Renfreya and the Kings have fought each other to a bloody stalemate on the Plain of the Ancestors, and no one knows who will emerge the victor. No one but Ao.

When an easy first mission turns into a massacre, Ao uncovers a secret that could turn the tide of the war and save his home. But with a power-hungry sergeant leading the company and a horde of killers opposing them, he might never get the chance. Not unless he creates it himself.

With his rifle, cunning, and a little bit of runic magic, Ao will do whatever it takes to save his home. No matter who has to bleed for it.

Genres: Fantasy

315 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 13, 2022

About the author

Connor Ludovissy is an author and physician in the American South. When he's not seeing patients, he enjoys writing fantasy novels and drinking too much coffee.

Reviews

[Teddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I was eager to dive into this flintlock fantasy book, a rare find in the genre once you've explored the major titles, my excitement waned as I progressed. By the 40% mark, I had to stop reading. The dialogue oscillated between oversimplified and jarringly unnatural, disrupting my connection to the characters and the world they inhabit. The inconsistency in naming—for both characters and geographical locations—added to the confusion. The author's choice to invent terms for everyday items like coffee and plants, while simultaneously using familiar terms from our world, created a jarring inconsistency.

The most significant issue, however, lay in the editorial oversights. These mistakes were not just occasional, but frequent enough to become a major distraction, disrupting the flow of the narrative. While I recognize that no book is immune to the occasional error, the volume of these oversights indicated a lack of thorough editing. This, more than anything else, led to my decision to discontinue reading the book.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun, fast-paced flintlock fantasy full of adventure, characters to root for, villains to root against - I literally could not put it down! What reading slump?

I am a sucker for this genre and this book hits all the right notes. The common soldier caught up in the clogs of an unjust war? Love it. Add in some wilderness survival, guerilla warfare, and a whiff of a lost ancient magic and the story comes together masterfully.

Definitely a self-pub/indie treasure!

[Emily Ludovissy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful read with a little something for everyone!

I really enjoyed reading this 1st novel of the saga. I'm looking forward to starting the second book to find out more about Ao's transformation. It's magic/fantasy embedded perfectly in a flintlock world. If you like fantasy, adventure, or military fiction give this a read. You'll be glad you did!

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed it. I haven't really read much flintlock fantasy, my only foray being Soldier's Son by Robin Hobb, but this book definitely grips you. And then halfway through starts to shake you until YOU'RE shaking IT with excitement, frustration and impatience, desperate to know how a particular situation will resolve itself. The book just enjoys plunging Ao, and by extension, you into fun chaos.
My criticisms are that there were a number of typos that may have been missed during editing, but this doesn't affect the story and thus, not worth removing a star and I would have preferred the multiple POV's being there from the start instead of quite a bit into the book, but that's just a personal preference. I really look forward to a sequel and sincerely hope there is one in the making! Ao and Val riding off into the night needs to be continued!!! 😁