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Mahaelian Chronicle #1
Betrayal's Shadow
Betrayal casts long shadows – none know this better than Brice Serholm.
As a decorated general in the kingdom's elite Blade Knights, Brice had to overcome the taint of treason and betrayal to attain his rank. When Brice and a force of Knights are sent on a mission to investigate claims of rebellion in one of Avidar's provinces, their ship is magically attacked, and the resulting investigation tests every oath Brice swore before his king.
Meanwhile, an inhuman infant escapes the capital's Slave-Hold, the king's mistress comes into possession of a unique dagger, and Del'Ahrid, the king's most trusted First Advisor, begins to question everything he built his honour and life upon.
Events are in motion that will test every man, woman and child – and a conflict is coming that will shake the kingdom to its very foundations.
So begins the Mahaelian Chronicle.
As a decorated general in the kingdom's elite Blade Knights, Brice had to overcome the taint of treason and betrayal to attain his rank. When Brice and a force of Knights are sent on a mission to investigate claims of rebellion in one of Avidar's provinces, their ship is magically attacked, and the resulting investigation tests every oath Brice swore before his king.
Meanwhile, an inhuman infant escapes the capital's Slave-Hold, the king's mistress comes into possession of a unique dagger, and Del'Ahrid, the king's most trusted First Advisor, begins to question everything he built his honour and life upon.
Events are in motion that will test every man, woman and child – and a conflict is coming that will shake the kingdom to its very foundations.
So begins the Mahaelian Chronicle.
270 pages, Paperback
First published April 23, 2014
About the author
Dave-Brendon de Burgh
13 books74 followersDave is a writer, guitar player, sometime-teacher, and Furbaby-dad from Pretoria, South Africa. He still reads comics, doesn’t mind being terrified by Horror movies, plays movie soundtracks when he writes, and still hasn’t finished Mass Effect 3. Find him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 7, 2014
Okay so where to begin...
Knowing the writer personally, I really dreaded reading this book... I mean, what if it sucked... I look to this guy to point out new and good reading all the time, how would I ever make eye contact with this man again??
Thank Mahaelal it did not!!
So the book starts right in the middle of it, which for some readers might be a biathc but for me it just reminds me of the start of The warded man trilogy. If you are not into it just keep pushing till you hit the sweet spot at page 60... this continues all the way to the end. I think the writer really made a great new world that that can compare to that of James Barclay.
The best part of this book... the fighting scenes. I love my blood and gore and this just does it right!
Now for the bad part...
The book is a tad short, I would have liked to have a 100 more pages to read. This I think would have made the ending flow a bit smoother. But speaking if the ending.. *Looks to Dave* "Dude, you can't just... What??...No...But... Dude..." What a way to end a book! Screw the blood lust of George R.R Martin. The ending is insane and leaves you feeling pis.. angry... yes... let's use angry.
I think Dave <-- the writer has a winner here. If you have not read it... do that.
Knowing the writer personally, I really dreaded reading this book... I mean, what if it sucked... I look to this guy to point out new and good reading all the time, how would I ever make eye contact with this man again??
Thank Mahaelal it did not!!
So the book starts right in the middle of it, which for some readers might be a biathc but for me it just reminds me of the start of The warded man trilogy. If you are not into it just keep pushing till you hit the sweet spot at page 60... this continues all the way to the end. I think the writer really made a great new world that that can compare to that of James Barclay.
The best part of this book... the fighting scenes. I love my blood and gore and this just does it right!
Now for the bad part...
The book is a tad short, I would have liked to have a 100 more pages to read. This I think would have made the ending flow a bit smoother. But speaking if the ending.. *Looks to Dave* "Dude, you can't just... What??...No...But... Dude..." What a way to end a book! Screw the blood lust of George R.R Martin. The ending is insane and leaves you feeling pis.. angry... yes... let's use angry.
I think Dave <-- the writer has a winner here. If you have not read it... do that.
February 8, 2015
Lots of mixed feelings about this one.
On the one hand, I really enjoyed all the traditional aspects of this fantasy novel and even the traditional delivery of narration - multiple third-person POVs, backstory woven into the narrative, flashbacks etc. But at the same time, it was often these same traditional techniques that frustrated me. At times, it was hard keeping track of who was who and where they were and why I should care because of the numerous POVs - this meant I didn't connect with the characters the way I wanted to and didn't really find any characters I wanted to route for.
Being traditional fantasy, there is also an abundance of presumably straight, male characters in what is clearly a patriarchal world. The role of women in this story didn't impress me, sadly, with the females relegated to being servile wives, whores, and victims of rape and abuse. I do hope things change and that the few female characters we've been introduced to in this first book become stronger characters as the series progresses.
On the one hand, I really enjoyed all the traditional aspects of this fantasy novel and even the traditional delivery of narration - multiple third-person POVs, backstory woven into the narrative, flashbacks etc. But at the same time, it was often these same traditional techniques that frustrated me. At times, it was hard keeping track of who was who and where they were and why I should care because of the numerous POVs - this meant I didn't connect with the characters the way I wanted to and didn't really find any characters I wanted to route for.
Being traditional fantasy, there is also an abundance of presumably straight, male characters in what is clearly a patriarchal world. The role of women in this story didn't impress me, sadly, with the females relegated to being servile wives, whores, and victims of rape and abuse. I do hope things change and that the few female characters we've been introduced to in this first book become stronger characters as the series progresses.
January 9, 2016
I've had a bit of a love/hate relationship with epic fantasy over the years, sometimes despairing of the 'one lowly character raised up to be the Chosen One' narrative, but the stunning cover of this inventive epic made me decide to give Dave De Burgh's novel a try. And I am SO glad I did. Political machinations rub shoulders with magical mysteries, while the characters are drawn into a tangled web from which no one will escape. It's not a straightforward fantasy, either; yes, there are magic-wielders, and characters with difficult names, and a whole history to a set of invented lands, but science fiction gets a look in through the journey of the Elvayn, while the Reavers are the closest I've ever seen to zombies in a fantasy novel! The pacing is snappy, and while there are a few typos scattered throughout, I'm not going to let them stop me enjoying a good story! I even stayed up late by about two hours just because I HAD to know how it finished! If you'd like a fantasy novel with a bit of a difference, then definitely check this out.
October 9, 2014
Just for perspective, I have been reading and loving epic fantasy novels ever since I picked up a copy of Pawn of Prophecy (Belgariad book 1)in 1983. That's 30 years ago, and since that fateful day I have read a lot...and I mean A LOT! Most new series that came out, I was there. With the dawn of the kindle/e-reader age the field got bigger, and, to be fair, the quality wasn't always there. The main problem, for me, was variety.
Realistically there are only so many times you can join the farmboy/villager/baker/general low-born person destined to be king in a quest for the sword of destiny/magic ring/family hirloom that will save the world. What I want is someone to raise the bar a little, tell me a new story. There are authors out there who do - Sanderson, Rothfuss, Abercrombie and now Dave-Brendon de Burgh (DBdB). DBdB tells a story full of momentous WOW! moments. There is a cast of characters that walk that grey line between good people and bad. Not everything is clear, right up to the very last page you will be wondering at motives.
I do not want to drop spoilers, so what I am going to do is tell you what made this stand out for me (you can get the story synopsis from the amazon kindle page)
First off is the world - from our first meeting with High General Brice Serholm on an island populated by babarian tribesmen to the markets and on to the Palace where lives a king who has ruled for 500 years the whole world comes to life. You don't just read the story, you are left with a sense of actually being there as events unfold.
Secondly, the characters. As I said earlier, many of the characters occupy the grey area between truly good and truly bad people, often doing what they have to whether they want to or not. These charaters do not have an easy time and, revelations (which I never saw coming) later in the book only continue to make things tougher for them - and books 2 and 3 are only going to make their problems grow.
Finally, the magic systems. For me this is where DBdB really ups the stakes. Magic can be a very difficult thing to do differently but believe me when I say DBdB really does pull it off. There is a scene early on, at a place called Shorwin's Hold, where a battle takes place and the first real use of magic occurred. Suffice to say I was amazed, a brilliant and, clever way of using magic - beat that I thought. And he did....... In a later scene a man is taken for execution - reading the scene I thought "oh, probably get his head chopped off or something along those lines". I was wrong....very wrong. I can honestly say, hand on heart, I never expected the method. It was stunning, mind-numbing in a way and will live with me for a very long time. Bravo Sir!
As for the story itself - I said earlier on that it was epic fantasy, and, while this is true, it is so much more than that as well. There is a hint of sci-fi in there also. And the monsters (and to be fair, there has to be monsters) are straight from horror fiction with more than a hint of the zombie apocalypse. In lesser hands this could be an awkward mix to get right but, like a master baker DBdB has got the ingredients just right. The ending, indeed the whole story, sets things up nicely for book 2, which I wait for with baited breath (until then, there is also a prequel novella - A Song of Sacrifice, also available on amazon).
Fantasy fiction needs authors with new ideas, authors that will surprise you with revelations and bombshells you never saw coming, authors that can say "step into my world and prepare to be challenged". Dave-Brendon de Burgh does all of these things. As a first novel, this is probably the best I have read since Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. Big boots to fill but this author, in my eyes will do it.
Realistically there are only so many times you can join the farmboy/villager/baker/general low-born person destined to be king in a quest for the sword of destiny/magic ring/family hirloom that will save the world. What I want is someone to raise the bar a little, tell me a new story. There are authors out there who do - Sanderson, Rothfuss, Abercrombie and now Dave-Brendon de Burgh (DBdB). DBdB tells a story full of momentous WOW! moments. There is a cast of characters that walk that grey line between good people and bad. Not everything is clear, right up to the very last page you will be wondering at motives.
I do not want to drop spoilers, so what I am going to do is tell you what made this stand out for me (you can get the story synopsis from the amazon kindle page)
First off is the world - from our first meeting with High General Brice Serholm on an island populated by babarian tribesmen to the markets and on to the Palace where lives a king who has ruled for 500 years the whole world comes to life. You don't just read the story, you are left with a sense of actually being there as events unfold.
Secondly, the characters. As I said earlier, many of the characters occupy the grey area between truly good and truly bad people, often doing what they have to whether they want to or not. These charaters do not have an easy time and, revelations (which I never saw coming) later in the book only continue to make things tougher for them - and books 2 and 3 are only going to make their problems grow.
Finally, the magic systems. For me this is where DBdB really ups the stakes. Magic can be a very difficult thing to do differently but believe me when I say DBdB really does pull it off. There is a scene early on, at a place called Shorwin's Hold, where a battle takes place and the first real use of magic occurred. Suffice to say I was amazed, a brilliant and, clever way of using magic - beat that I thought. And he did....... In a later scene a man is taken for execution - reading the scene I thought "oh, probably get his head chopped off or something along those lines". I was wrong....very wrong. I can honestly say, hand on heart, I never expected the method. It was stunning, mind-numbing in a way and will live with me for a very long time. Bravo Sir!
As for the story itself - I said earlier on that it was epic fantasy, and, while this is true, it is so much more than that as well. There is a hint of sci-fi in there also. And the monsters (and to be fair, there has to be monsters) are straight from horror fiction with more than a hint of the zombie apocalypse. In lesser hands this could be an awkward mix to get right but, like a master baker DBdB has got the ingredients just right. The ending, indeed the whole story, sets things up nicely for book 2, which I wait for with baited breath (until then, there is also a prequel novella - A Song of Sacrifice, also available on amazon).
Fantasy fiction needs authors with new ideas, authors that will surprise you with revelations and bombshells you never saw coming, authors that can say "step into my world and prepare to be challenged". Dave-Brendon de Burgh does all of these things. As a first novel, this is probably the best I have read since Tad Williams' Memory, Sorrow and Thorn series. Big boots to fill but this author, in my eyes will do it.
June 4, 2014
Betrayal’s Shadow by Dave-Brendon de Burgh is a complex book that will ship readers away into a fantasy world where they’ll be entertained from cover to cover.
There are some fascinating characters that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, some beautiful descriptions, and an intriguing plotline that’ll keep you guessing what’s coming next. De Burgh’s world-building skills are also put to the test, seeing as Betrayal’s Shadow is high fantasy, but he surpasses expectations with ease. What’s more is that this is an old-school type of magical fantasy. I mean, who doesn’t love warriors with swords and ships and all kinds of awesome magic? Sure, I like modern fantasy too, but sometimes a good ol’ fashioned high fantasy novel is just what the doctor ordered and I’m fairly certain that I’m not alone in that sentiment. As far as debut novels are concerned, Betrayal’s Shadow shows only the tip of De Burgh’s hidden talent. I’d like to see where he goes from here …
Of course, no good deed goes unpunished and I feel it’s important to point out that I wasn’t keen on the editing of the book. There were too many adverbs being thrown around and way too many hyphens for my liking. Other than that though, I really enjoyed Betrayal’s Shadow and I’m excited to hear what’ll happen next in this awesome world he’s created.
Readers that enjoy high fantasy, where magic is in full supply and where action is never far behind, will enjoy the introductory novel to the Mahaelian Chronicles. Keep your eyes on Dave-Brendon de Burgh; he’s got a whole arsenal of awesome talent still waiting to be tapped into. You’ll see …
(review originally posted on www.tentaclebooks.com)
There are some fascinating characters that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat, some beautiful descriptions, and an intriguing plotline that’ll keep you guessing what’s coming next. De Burgh’s world-building skills are also put to the test, seeing as Betrayal’s Shadow is high fantasy, but he surpasses expectations with ease. What’s more is that this is an old-school type of magical fantasy. I mean, who doesn’t love warriors with swords and ships and all kinds of awesome magic? Sure, I like modern fantasy too, but sometimes a good ol’ fashioned high fantasy novel is just what the doctor ordered and I’m fairly certain that I’m not alone in that sentiment. As far as debut novels are concerned, Betrayal’s Shadow shows only the tip of De Burgh’s hidden talent. I’d like to see where he goes from here …
Of course, no good deed goes unpunished and I feel it’s important to point out that I wasn’t keen on the editing of the book. There were too many adverbs being thrown around and way too many hyphens for my liking. Other than that though, I really enjoyed Betrayal’s Shadow and I’m excited to hear what’ll happen next in this awesome world he’s created.
Readers that enjoy high fantasy, where magic is in full supply and where action is never far behind, will enjoy the introductory novel to the Mahaelian Chronicles. Keep your eyes on Dave-Brendon de Burgh; he’s got a whole arsenal of awesome talent still waiting to be tapped into. You’ll see …
(review originally posted on www.tentaclebooks.com)
November 15, 2014
Just realized i hadn't posted a review here...time to remedy that! Anyhow, legalese first: I received an egalley of this novel in return for an honest review. (I know, right!)
So, after a bit of a slow start (half a dozen POV's can do that) things settled down and the story really started flowing. De Burgh really comes into his own at the halfway mark when all hell starts breaking loose.
Without giving too much away, if you'd told me this book had psychic soldiers, weretigers, zombies, a badass mage and interplanetary elves I would have called BS and ignored you. But having read it, there's such a natural progression that now I couldn't see it any other way.
Excellent debut, sir, definitely ready for the sequel.
So, after a bit of a slow start (half a dozen POV's can do that) things settled down and the story really started flowing. De Burgh really comes into his own at the halfway mark when all hell starts breaking loose.
Without giving too much away, if you'd told me this book had psychic soldiers, weretigers, zombies, a badass mage and interplanetary elves I would have called BS and ignored you. But having read it, there's such a natural progression that now I couldn't see it any other way.
Excellent debut, sir, definitely ready for the sequel.
July 10, 2017
Well this is more difficult then I thought it would be, writing a review. My real rating is four stars, meaning I really enjoyed it especially while loading up on rooibos and crunchy biscuits. Kinda took me back to when I was a teenager, getting home from the library, locking myself in to read and going yay!
Gave it five stars though because I know the author loves reading, writing and well everything about books.
Gave it five stars though because I know the author loves reading, writing and well everything about books.
April 28, 2016
4.5 Epic Stars!
I have always been a fan of SFF, although Epic high fantasy is a bit of a stretch. Simply put, I like my books simple. Until I read Betrayals Shadow. I'll admit it took me a while to get into, given the complexity of the plot and the number of unique characters, but suddenly the story gripped me and I could not put it down. Jarlath was by far my favorite - dark, brooding, complex...I'm a sucker for strong male characters and lets just say I would have no problem bowing before the king ;) The final chapters unfolded in a magnificent culmination of nail-biting tension, and riveting action. Mr de Burgh possesses a raw, rare talent. And the ending....oh, the ending! Not since the Lorien Legacies have I been so highly anticipating a sequel. Highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers.
I have always been a fan of SFF, although Epic high fantasy is a bit of a stretch. Simply put, I like my books simple. Until I read Betrayals Shadow. I'll admit it took me a while to get into, given the complexity of the plot and the number of unique characters, but suddenly the story gripped me and I could not put it down. Jarlath was by far my favorite - dark, brooding, complex...I'm a sucker for strong male characters and lets just say I would have no problem bowing before the king ;) The final chapters unfolded in a magnificent culmination of nail-biting tension, and riveting action. Mr de Burgh possesses a raw, rare talent. And the ending....oh, the ending! Not since the Lorien Legacies have I been so highly anticipating a sequel. Highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers.
June 13, 2016
Betrayal’s Shadow is a story on a large scale; a deathless king possessed of powerful magic, a force of highly trained knights, a non-human second race also possessed of magic, plenty of palace intrigue, a sinister sorcerer and an army of the risen dead. There a lot of points of view and initially that’s a bit confusing, but if you persist until the plot really starts rolling it pays off. The battle scenes (and there are lots) have a touch of David Gemmell. This book is very clearly the first of a series and none of the plot arcs resolve at the end. I hope we don’t have to wait as long as ASOIF readers for the next one.
July 13, 2014
Great read. The way the action moved between points of view was enough to keep you hanging on - waiting for the chapter where you'll get back to the action-filled set piece just left behind. And what an explosive ending; cliffhangers don't get any better! Roll on book 2.
June 8, 2014
Betrayal's Shadow is a fantastic read. Combining the best of Game of Thrones and Magician, it is an epic fantasy that sets a very high bar for the forthcoming books in the series. Highly recommended.
January 27, 2016
I’m always excited to get my hands on books that fall under my favourite genres of science-fiction and fantasy, and when they have been written by local (read: South African) authors, that excitement seems to double. So Dave-Brendon de Burgh’s Betrayal’s Shadow, book one of his upcoming Mahaelian Chronicles, was a real treat to get stuck into over the December holidays.
This one is an authentic sweeping, epic fantasy, with a large cast and the fate of the world at stake. The story follows variously: High General Brice Serholm; Blade Knight Alun; royal courtesan Seira; Khyber, a rogue Elvayn; the positively diabolical Cobinian; King Jarlath, an impossibly powerful and thus terribly intriguing figure; and the king’s dangerous first advisor, Del’Ahrid.
The events in Betrayal’s Shadow are set after a devastating war between the humans and the Elvayn, a race that is able to control magic through song. Reduced to the status of slaves, and having their tongues ritually cut out before reaching maturity, the Elvayn seem to have become a non-existent threat, and all is ostensibly well in the kingdom. However, we are quickly presented with an unsilenced Elvayn – Khyber -- on the loose, the High General Brice missing in action under mysterious circumstances, and Blade Knight Alun experiencing disturbing new physical and mental traits after being badly wounded in a strange battle. Thus Betrayal’s Shadow roars into action, with a thundering pace that never seems to drag.
De Burgh’s real strength, here, is assuredly world-building, and this is a difficult thing to get right. While he throws the reader into the thick of things from the very first page and wastes little time on exposition, the internal logic of his world’s history and contemporary political structure comes together beautifully as the story progresses. The Betrayal’s Shadow universe has clearly been given much careful thought and development, and the effort has resulted in a wonderfully convincing fantasy world.
I also found the characters fascinating, especially Seira, the royal courtesan – I loved the chapters following her and found myself earnestly wishing for more time to be spent on Seira’s story. As another reviewer, Suzanne Rooyen, has noted, women do not really feature in roles outside of the patriarchal tradition, and the real movers and shakers are overwhelmingly male. The Mahaelian Chronicles will continue, however, and so I am hopeful that female characters will feature more prominently as the story progresses.
Finally, Nerine Dorman has already noted that the novel could have benefitted from more stringent editing to catch a number of typos, and I will add that another round of edits focusing on style could really fill out and polish the prose – but perhaps that’s the literature student in me!
On the whole, this is fun, competent epic fantasy which should appeal to most lovers of the genre, and the fact that the story doesn’t end here means that all of my little niggles may well be addressed in the next instalments – colour me interested!
This one is an authentic sweeping, epic fantasy, with a large cast and the fate of the world at stake. The story follows variously: High General Brice Serholm; Blade Knight Alun; royal courtesan Seira; Khyber, a rogue Elvayn; the positively diabolical Cobinian; King Jarlath, an impossibly powerful and thus terribly intriguing figure; and the king’s dangerous first advisor, Del’Ahrid.
The events in Betrayal’s Shadow are set after a devastating war between the humans and the Elvayn, a race that is able to control magic through song. Reduced to the status of slaves, and having their tongues ritually cut out before reaching maturity, the Elvayn seem to have become a non-existent threat, and all is ostensibly well in the kingdom. However, we are quickly presented with an unsilenced Elvayn – Khyber -- on the loose, the High General Brice missing in action under mysterious circumstances, and Blade Knight Alun experiencing disturbing new physical and mental traits after being badly wounded in a strange battle. Thus Betrayal’s Shadow roars into action, with a thundering pace that never seems to drag.
De Burgh’s real strength, here, is assuredly world-building, and this is a difficult thing to get right. While he throws the reader into the thick of things from the very first page and wastes little time on exposition, the internal logic of his world’s history and contemporary political structure comes together beautifully as the story progresses. The Betrayal’s Shadow universe has clearly been given much careful thought and development, and the effort has resulted in a wonderfully convincing fantasy world.
I also found the characters fascinating, especially Seira, the royal courtesan – I loved the chapters following her and found myself earnestly wishing for more time to be spent on Seira’s story. As another reviewer, Suzanne Rooyen, has noted, women do not really feature in roles outside of the patriarchal tradition, and the real movers and shakers are overwhelmingly male. The Mahaelian Chronicles will continue, however, and so I am hopeful that female characters will feature more prominently as the story progresses.
Finally, Nerine Dorman has already noted that the novel could have benefitted from more stringent editing to catch a number of typos, and I will add that another round of edits focusing on style could really fill out and polish the prose – but perhaps that’s the literature student in me!
On the whole, this is fun, competent epic fantasy which should appeal to most lovers of the genre, and the fact that the story doesn’t end here means that all of my little niggles may well be addressed in the next instalments – colour me interested!
September 8, 2014
Exciting things are happening for genre fiction in South Africa. Not only are locals making waves overseas, but we can now celebrate yet another fantasy author to make his debut. Betrayal’s Shadow is book one of Pretoria-based Dave-Brendon de Burgh’s Mahaelian Chronicles. In addition to this, he has also released a prequel short story, A Song of Sacrifice, which is available electronically.
Much like Steven Erikson’s epics, which De Burgh cites as among his influences, the story is told by a large cast of assorted characters. We are introduced to High General Brice Serholm; the Blade Knight Alun; the royal courtesan Seira; the Elvayn Khyber; scheming mastermind Cobinian; King Jarlath, who possesses near godlike powers – but at a price; and Del’Ahrid, an ambitious first advisor to the king.
Throw all these folks together and you have the ingredients for a suitably violent, intrigue-soaked plot. All characters have ambitions and secrets, which lead them into conflict as a bigger, ages-old saga plays itself out.
De Burgh throws readers right into the thick of things – a quality I appreciate, considering the fantasy genre’s tendency to indulge in exposition. Readers are faced with events that transpire after a war between humans and an elf-like, magic-wielding race known as the Elvayn. The latter have been reduced to slave status, but King Jarlath has plans for them, which may not be to the liking of those who prefer the status quo.
Battle-scarred Alun and young Khyber must both learn to work with their powers, for each has a role to play, and greater threat to face when the zombie-esque Reavers make their first appearance. For those who’d like a little back story, do pick up the prequel, which will help clarify events occurring in book one.
While De Burgh is definitely a South African voice in fantasy to keep an eye on, both novel and prequel could have benefitted from more stringent editing, not only to catch a number typos, but perhaps also to develop some of the characters further. At times I felt his writing flowed a bit too fast, which begged for deeper insights into characters’ motivations, especially with the large cast in this book.
That being said, this is still a worthy read, which should appeal to those who enjoy epic fantasy with a high body count, mounting tension and a fascinating setting.
Much like Steven Erikson’s epics, which De Burgh cites as among his influences, the story is told by a large cast of assorted characters. We are introduced to High General Brice Serholm; the Blade Knight Alun; the royal courtesan Seira; the Elvayn Khyber; scheming mastermind Cobinian; King Jarlath, who possesses near godlike powers – but at a price; and Del’Ahrid, an ambitious first advisor to the king.
Throw all these folks together and you have the ingredients for a suitably violent, intrigue-soaked plot. All characters have ambitions and secrets, which lead them into conflict as a bigger, ages-old saga plays itself out.
De Burgh throws readers right into the thick of things – a quality I appreciate, considering the fantasy genre’s tendency to indulge in exposition. Readers are faced with events that transpire after a war between humans and an elf-like, magic-wielding race known as the Elvayn. The latter have been reduced to slave status, but King Jarlath has plans for them, which may not be to the liking of those who prefer the status quo.
Battle-scarred Alun and young Khyber must both learn to work with their powers, for each has a role to play, and greater threat to face when the zombie-esque Reavers make their first appearance. For those who’d like a little back story, do pick up the prequel, which will help clarify events occurring in book one.
While De Burgh is definitely a South African voice in fantasy to keep an eye on, both novel and prequel could have benefitted from more stringent editing, not only to catch a number typos, but perhaps also to develop some of the characters further. At times I felt his writing flowed a bit too fast, which begged for deeper insights into characters’ motivations, especially with the large cast in this book.
That being said, this is still a worthy read, which should appeal to those who enjoy epic fantasy with a high body count, mounting tension and a fascinating setting.
September 25, 2015
Speculative fiction, and in particular, high fantasy has seen a resurgence lately, thanks to novel-based TV shows like "A Game of Thrones" and film empires like The Lord of the Rings making it "cool" to read about knights and dragons. However, as with any genre, factions develop and subgenres appear. Dubbed "grimdark", the latest craze is for gritty, violent, realistic and dystopian/political books and films. Betrayal's Shadow, is gritty, violent, realistic and dystopian, and serves as a great example of this subgenre. And I bet Dave-Brendon de Burgh will hate me for saying so, as he says, "I hope that [grimdark] doesn't become established. because a lot of genres in speculative fiction, after becoming established, have to start following rules that didn't exist before." Betrayal's Shadow is definitely not a rules-follower - when was the last time you saw an extra-terrestrial zombie outbreak in a medieval fantasy novel?
With big names such as Robert Jordan, Raymond E Feist and more laying a solid groundwork in SFF, and setting some pretty clear rules, I fully expected Betrayal's Shadow to follow the usual tropes - high-born damsels in distress, noble knights, a low-born youth who is "the chosen one" and must go on an epic journey to find a shiny thing that will save his kingdom, and all the other endless clichés. In addition, such a book would be bloated with Jordan-esque chapters about the colours of dresses. On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by how de Burgh takes those tropes, piles them up, sets them on fire and dances over their smoldering embers.
Set in the Mahaelian kingdom, 500 years after the unification of the kingdoms by the magician-king Jarlath (who still holds the throne), a weathered soldier leads a company of elite knights to a state where there have been reports of an uprising. Along the way, they come under attack from mysterious forces, laying a trail of mystery that leaves Brice questioning his loyalties and dealing with the ghosts of his past. In the capital, the king's favourite concubine buys a dagger "for protection" and his most trusted advisor tries to navigate the baffling political intrigues of the ruling classes. Beneath the city, an enslaved child escapes from captivity, becoming his people's only hope for salvation...
Read my full review on Literogo.com
With big names such as Robert Jordan, Raymond E Feist and more laying a solid groundwork in SFF, and setting some pretty clear rules, I fully expected Betrayal's Shadow to follow the usual tropes - high-born damsels in distress, noble knights, a low-born youth who is "the chosen one" and must go on an epic journey to find a shiny thing that will save his kingdom, and all the other endless clichés. In addition, such a book would be bloated with Jordan-esque chapters about the colours of dresses. On the contrary, I was pleasantly surprised by how de Burgh takes those tropes, piles them up, sets them on fire and dances over their smoldering embers.
Set in the Mahaelian kingdom, 500 years after the unification of the kingdoms by the magician-king Jarlath (who still holds the throne), a weathered soldier leads a company of elite knights to a state where there have been reports of an uprising. Along the way, they come under attack from mysterious forces, laying a trail of mystery that leaves Brice questioning his loyalties and dealing with the ghosts of his past. In the capital, the king's favourite concubine buys a dagger "for protection" and his most trusted advisor tries to navigate the baffling political intrigues of the ruling classes. Beneath the city, an enslaved child escapes from captivity, becoming his people's only hope for salvation...
Read my full review on Literogo.com
January 15, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. The writing is vivid and fluid and I found it easy to drift into the fantasy world the author has created...and its a fairly big old world! This is an ambitious tale, not lacking in detail, with a large cast, some with names that could easily slot into the Sri Lankan cricket team, so you'll need your wits about you to remember who's who. But that's also half the fun. Overall, both the scenes and characters are well thought out and believable. I especially liked the deft touch the author used where magic was concerned. 'Too much of a good thing is bad' my grade one teacher used to say and magic is no exception. The over zealous use of magic has ruined many a fantasy book for me but happily this was not the case here. I also liked some of the beasties the author created, especially the Turo: bad-ass feline werewolf equivalents who I hope to see more of in the sequel.
Within the broad fantasy writing spectrum, I would place this book somewhere in the vicinity of David Eddings' Elenium series and there is a ghost of Sparhawk seeping from the pages although, that said, there's an originality about the story and descriptions that is truly refreshing. To my mind the author doesn't have to stand back for anyone on that count and easily holds his own. Its been a while since I've read a fantasy book, mostly because the genre had become a little stale for me but I tucked into this one and I'll be back for more. The one concern I have, and its a concern I also have with Game of Thrones at the moment, is that with so many story threads open, its hard to see how they will all tie back together as the story progresses in the next book/books. But I will definitely be back for the next installment, following which hopefully I'll eat humble pie on this count.
Within the broad fantasy writing spectrum, I would place this book somewhere in the vicinity of David Eddings' Elenium series and there is a ghost of Sparhawk seeping from the pages although, that said, there's an originality about the story and descriptions that is truly refreshing. To my mind the author doesn't have to stand back for anyone on that count and easily holds his own. Its been a while since I've read a fantasy book, mostly because the genre had become a little stale for me but I tucked into this one and I'll be back for more. The one concern I have, and its a concern I also have with Game of Thrones at the moment, is that with so many story threads open, its hard to see how they will all tie back together as the story progresses in the next book/books. But I will definitely be back for the next installment, following which hopefully I'll eat humble pie on this count.
June 5, 2014
The one thing I can say for Dave de Burgh, he tells one compelling story. I found his book well-paced and engaging – enough so that I finished it in the space of a day. This is no mean feat, since in today’s hurried life there are so many other demands on my time. I particularly loved the setup of the novel – one that acknowledges that there is no black and white – just countless shades of grey. These shades never completely settle towards black and white, and only halfway through the book do they even separate into light and dark.
Dave draws inspiration from a multitude of well-known tropes, many of them rarely seen together – and some even less rarely seen in traditional fantasy. None of these tropes, however, seem forced; allowing the story to blend easily into the world he created.
There is something satisfying about reading traditional sword and sorcery fantasy. Too often these days we see authors embracing the various modern fantasy forms – Urban Fantasy, Steampunk an modern noir to name a few. But sometimes you need a guy with a big sword, a humanoid creature with magical powers and a story with fights and politics and intrigue.
See my full review in the June edition of Cover to Cover on http://exclus1ves.snapplify.com
Dave draws inspiration from a multitude of well-known tropes, many of them rarely seen together – and some even less rarely seen in traditional fantasy. None of these tropes, however, seem forced; allowing the story to blend easily into the world he created.
There is something satisfying about reading traditional sword and sorcery fantasy. Too often these days we see authors embracing the various modern fantasy forms – Urban Fantasy, Steampunk an modern noir to name a few. But sometimes you need a guy with a big sword, a humanoid creature with magical powers and a story with fights and politics and intrigue.
See my full review in the June edition of Cover to Cover on http://exclus1ves.snapplify.com
May 20, 2016
Avidar is a sprawling kingdom ruled by a sorcerer-king on the verge of becoming an expansionist empire. But on the edges of the kingdom, in advance of the Far Continent Project, Ser Brice Serholm has found traces of a something dark standing against both him and his king. De Burgh's fantasy debut is everything an epic fantasy should be. The action is fierce (his strengths are in the fight scenes I think), and the characters (though there are many) believable and compelling. Above all, the story and how De Burgh unravels the history of the world is awesome.
There are problems with the editing, but the story so good I can overlook them. There a few typo's, too many hyphens for my liking, and until the story really gets going it is hard to follow so many characters. Such is the case with most epic fantasy, but give it time and you will not be disappointed.
There are problems with the editing, but the story so good I can overlook them. There a few typo's, too many hyphens for my liking, and until the story really gets going it is hard to follow so many characters. Such is the case with most epic fantasy, but give it time and you will not be disappointed.
June 9, 2015
Though not meeting the requirement is hardly a deal-breaker I feel that the first business of any book is to surprise the reader. This book met that requirement (Surprise is not necessarily connected with plot as a good turn of phrase in the prose can also count).
I thought I knew where certain plot-threads were going and was surprised when they did not pan out as I expected (particularly Brice's arc). Combine that with a good writing style, good characters and a plot that does not let go of all its secrets at once (or even as the book finishes) and you have a good, solid piece of genre fiction that ends on a very sinister note. As the first book in a series it satisfied me while leaving me wanting more. The only bad thing I can say about the book is that the sequel is not out yet.
I thought I knew where certain plot-threads were going and was surprised when they did not pan out as I expected (particularly Brice's arc). Combine that with a good writing style, good characters and a plot that does not let go of all its secrets at once (or even as the book finishes) and you have a good, solid piece of genre fiction that ends on a very sinister note. As the first book in a series it satisfied me while leaving me wanting more. The only bad thing I can say about the book is that the sequel is not out yet.
June 13, 2014
De Burgh writes with a tone that's well-used in fantasy books regarding grammar and structure. His characters are interesting and the way in which he describes his action scenes are perfectly executed. There are elements of magic modern fantasy writers have forgotten. The protagonist and antagonist both contribute to the darker setting of the story and an intricate lore system that weaves in and out according to the flow of the story in general.
To read more, go to http://splattergeist.blogspot.com/201...
To read more, go to http://splattergeist.blogspot.com/201...
July 15, 2014
From the first page of Betrayal's Shadow by Dave-Brendon De Burgh, I was instantly drawn into the Mahaelian world and all the fascinating characters that exist therein. From the honourable and noble to the treacherous and deceitful, each and every character had me spellbound and intrigued enough to want to dig deeper and learn more. Be prepared for a deep and complex journey, peppered with love, deception and betrayal. I am eagerly awaiting the release of the second edition and would highly recommend this book to everyone.
January 13, 2015
Dave-Brendon,
I met you several times at the bookstore and I bought your book in your back to be sure not be annoyed in front of you in case I didn't like it. Next time I come, I will ask a signature ;)
Your book is an excellent surprise. I've really enjoyed it! Now I'm left with a "want some more feeling", I don't know if you left so many unsolved intrigues by purpose and I really wander when we will have book 2.
Je ne savais pas que tu parlais français....
Christophe
I met you several times at the bookstore and I bought your book in your back to be sure not be annoyed in front of you in case I didn't like it. Next time I come, I will ask a signature ;)
Your book is an excellent surprise. I've really enjoyed it! Now I'm left with a "want some more feeling", I don't know if you left so many unsolved intrigues by purpose and I really wander when we will have book 2.
Je ne savais pas que tu parlais français....
Christophe
April 6, 2016
Oh gosh, where to start? ! ?
Firstly, this is the very first time in my life that upon completing a book, I immediately went back to page 1 and re read it!
This is a complex story with many interesting characters. There is no gentle build up or introduction to the characters - from page 1, I felt like I was in a headlong, action packed race until the end! (Hence having to reread it just in case I missed something
Firstly, this is the very first time in my life that upon completing a book, I immediately went back to page 1 and re read it!
This is a complex story with many interesting characters. There is no gentle build up or introduction to the characters - from page 1, I felt like I was in a headlong, action packed race until the end! (Hence having to reread it just in case I missed something
November 25, 2014
I love fantasy. It's my go-to genre. Even so, I haven't been this into a book in a long time. I spent my day at work waiting for home time and started reading as soon as I walked through the door. Dave tells an intricate tale with the ease of a seasoned writer. His characters are believable, his twists unpredictable. I am thrilled there's a prequel to read while I wait for the next installment.
April 23, 2016
Even the book is not too long with around 318 pages, it took me an unusual long time to finish the book.
The reason for that was not the quality of the story. I just read it when I was in the right mood for epic fantasy.
All in all a strong debut with interesting characters, action and, a story which revealed details well dosed. The stage has been prepared for the next novel.
The reason for that was not the quality of the story. I just read it when I was in the right mood for epic fantasy.
All in all a strong debut with interesting characters, action and, a story which revealed details well dosed. The stage has been prepared for the next novel.
June 12, 2014
Dave-Brendon de Burgh creates a wonderful and complex fantasy world. The characters grow before your eyes as you learn more about their pasts and personalities. Betrayal's Shadow is a great debut that will make you look forward to de Burgh's future books. Highly recommended to any fantasy fan!
September 13, 2017
Full review is here on my blog.
It’s nice to get into some nice, traditional epic fantasy sometimes.
It starts out right in the thick of things, which is sometimes both good and bad to me, because while it never takes any time to ramp up the action, there’s a bunch of stuff going on that we the reader are just sort of dumped into without knowing any of the backstory of. It was a little difficult to understand everything right at first, but it soon finds it’s way. The backstory is definitely there, but it’s let out a bit at a time as you go. I don’t dislike books that do this, in fact rather the opposite, but it’s tricky to get the beginning right when you start off right in the middle of a major point of action. This one mostly manages the feat of getting it right, but there was still quite a bit of WTFing in the beginning for me. I got over it, don’t worry.
It follows the POV of several characters, so it varies the point of view of everything going down over lots of different characters… about eight or nine of them, some more than others. The main ones that we follow a lot are Brice, the general of the Blade Knights (who are like… the most talented knights of the realm, more or less); Seiria, the king’s concubine; Alun, one of the Blade Knights; Khyber, an Elvayn youth; and Del’Ahrid, the king’s advisor.
The bad thing about following so many points of view, especially in this particular case, is that it’s sometimes very hard to keep track of who is who. I forgot some of their names, to be honest. Brice is pretty easy to pick out, but we sometimes see things from the POV of his subordinates, who refer to him as General Serholm. He refers to a few of his subordinates by their surnames, while they are referred to by their given names while we’re looking at things from their POV. So, it gets unnecessarily confusing at times right at the beginning of the book. It gets a little easier as you go though and characters begin to take real shape. Alun is definitely my favorite character here, as he is so no-nonsense and doesn’t take any bullshit from anyone, especially Del’Ahrid.
There’s a lot going on here in a fairly short amount of pages for an epic fantasy (not a complaint, believe me). So, there’s plenty of action to go around. There’s lots of action, gore and fight scenes. It’s well written, and the dialogue and plot flows quite well, so I did have a hard time putting it down. There are many twists and turns, and things happen that you don’t often see in fantasy. Things that are… sort of familiar from other genres that are used here as fantasy. It’s quite interesting. There are more or less aliens, zombies, and werewolves(ish?) all mingled into one story, and you’d think that would be a really big clusterfuck of weird, but no, it works in this case. It really works.
My one real gripe with it is that the women in this book appear to be the characters that you need to feel sorry for… and that’s about it. I wish there were a few more ladies in this book who didn’t get verbal or physical abuse hurled at them every 5 seconds, because it seemed truly unnecessary to the story in the long run. Seiria, the main woman in this story is treated like total shit 90% of the time for some reason that we aren’t privy to until the end, and when that reason finally comes out, it didn’t make sense to me whatsoever as an actual reason for any of what happened to her. We meet a priestess, who seems confident and strong willed and within minutes she’s on the floor reeling from being smacked in the face. Khyber runs into one nice lady briefly on his journey who is actually not treated badly at the time. ‘Yay!’ I said to myself only to later learn that she’s actually a victim of abuse who fled from her abuser. It made me wonder when we were going to learn that the random lady that offered Seiria tea also has a past full of abuse that we needed to somehow know about for reasons related to the offering and imbibing of tea. Perhaps this general shitty treatment of women is an aspect of the world they live in, and I can sort of understand that (to a point), but I still feel like this world would be more fun to read about if there was a bigger presence of strong women in it. The distinct lack thereof didn’t ruin the whole thing for me, but it soured it a little.
All told, I thought it was pretty good! It was paced pretty well, written quite well and flowed nicely from start to finish. It had some really unique ideas in it, and a lot of the unexpected. The ending wrapped up most of the story, but left many questions that will likely be answered in the next volume. The next book will surely go on the TBR of Babel.
It’s nice to get into some nice, traditional epic fantasy sometimes.
It starts out right in the thick of things, which is sometimes both good and bad to me, because while it never takes any time to ramp up the action, there’s a bunch of stuff going on that we the reader are just sort of dumped into without knowing any of the backstory of. It was a little difficult to understand everything right at first, but it soon finds it’s way. The backstory is definitely there, but it’s let out a bit at a time as you go. I don’t dislike books that do this, in fact rather the opposite, but it’s tricky to get the beginning right when you start off right in the middle of a major point of action. This one mostly manages the feat of getting it right, but there was still quite a bit of WTFing in the beginning for me. I got over it, don’t worry.
It follows the POV of several characters, so it varies the point of view of everything going down over lots of different characters… about eight or nine of them, some more than others. The main ones that we follow a lot are Brice, the general of the Blade Knights (who are like… the most talented knights of the realm, more or less); Seiria, the king’s concubine; Alun, one of the Blade Knights; Khyber, an Elvayn youth; and Del’Ahrid, the king’s advisor.
The bad thing about following so many points of view, especially in this particular case, is that it’s sometimes very hard to keep track of who is who. I forgot some of their names, to be honest. Brice is pretty easy to pick out, but we sometimes see things from the POV of his subordinates, who refer to him as General Serholm. He refers to a few of his subordinates by their surnames, while they are referred to by their given names while we’re looking at things from their POV. So, it gets unnecessarily confusing at times right at the beginning of the book. It gets a little easier as you go though and characters begin to take real shape. Alun is definitely my favorite character here, as he is so no-nonsense and doesn’t take any bullshit from anyone, especially Del’Ahrid.
There’s a lot going on here in a fairly short amount of pages for an epic fantasy (not a complaint, believe me). So, there’s plenty of action to go around. There’s lots of action, gore and fight scenes. It’s well written, and the dialogue and plot flows quite well, so I did have a hard time putting it down. There are many twists and turns, and things happen that you don’t often see in fantasy. Things that are… sort of familiar from other genres that are used here as fantasy. It’s quite interesting. There are more or less aliens, zombies, and werewolves(ish?) all mingled into one story, and you’d think that would be a really big clusterfuck of weird, but no, it works in this case. It really works.
My one real gripe with it is that the women in this book appear to be the characters that you need to feel sorry for… and that’s about it. I wish there were a few more ladies in this book who didn’t get verbal or physical abuse hurled at them every 5 seconds, because it seemed truly unnecessary to the story in the long run. Seiria, the main woman in this story is treated like total shit 90% of the time for some reason that we aren’t privy to until the end, and when that reason finally comes out, it didn’t make sense to me whatsoever as an actual reason for any of what happened to her. We meet a priestess, who seems confident and strong willed and within minutes she’s on the floor reeling from being smacked in the face. Khyber runs into one nice lady briefly on his journey who is actually not treated badly at the time. ‘Yay!’ I said to myself only to later learn that she’s actually a victim of abuse who fled from her abuser. It made me wonder when we were going to learn that the random lady that offered Seiria tea also has a past full of abuse that we needed to somehow know about for reasons related to the offering and imbibing of tea. Perhaps this general shitty treatment of women is an aspect of the world they live in, and I can sort of understand that (to a point), but I still feel like this world would be more fun to read about if there was a bigger presence of strong women in it. The distinct lack thereof didn’t ruin the whole thing for me, but it soured it a little.
All told, I thought it was pretty good! It was paced pretty well, written quite well and flowed nicely from start to finish. It had some really unique ideas in it, and a lot of the unexpected. The ending wrapped up most of the story, but left many questions that will likely be answered in the next volume. The next book will surely go on the TBR of Babel.
December 9, 2016
AWESOME ORIGINAL STORY
I've been reading fantasy for longer than most of the world has been alive. I love the genre and enjoy reading a fine story that generally follows a familiar arc that begins with a beggar, a waif, an orphan and ends with a completed quest and the restoration of power, money, position, a wedding and a happily ever after.
Betrayal's Shadow is not that story. It's head and shoulders above any "normal" fantasy yarn and goes places and into the characters psyche's as no other book I've read. This is a must read for anyone who loves fantasy. The world building is authentic, the characters flawed and believable, and the magic is used in such a unique way, making the twists and turns of the story lead into a surprising ending. I'm still salivating.
I've been reading fantasy for longer than most of the world has been alive. I love the genre and enjoy reading a fine story that generally follows a familiar arc that begins with a beggar, a waif, an orphan and ends with a completed quest and the restoration of power, money, position, a wedding and a happily ever after.
Betrayal's Shadow is not that story. It's head and shoulders above any "normal" fantasy yarn and goes places and into the characters psyche's as no other book I've read. This is a must read for anyone who loves fantasy. The world building is authentic, the characters flawed and believable, and the magic is used in such a unique way, making the twists and turns of the story lead into a surprising ending. I'm still salivating.
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