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The Executioner's Song #1
The Executioner's Right
Executioners don’t solve crimes, they punish those who commit them. Or so Finn thought before apprenticed to one.
Poverty-stricken Finn Jagger would give anything to heal his ailing mother. With his father imprisoned, Finn has joined a thieving crew to earn the money he needs to save her. When the latest heist turns to disaster and lands him on death row, Finn’s future seems to be tied up with a noose.
Until the king’s executioner claims him as an apprentice.
Finn soon learns an Executioner has far more power and greater responsibility than he’d ever realized. As inquisitor and detective, he must find the truth behind each sentence he carries out. It’s a challenging job, but one that Finn is surprisingly good at.
When the crew decides Finn could be the key to completing an impossible heist that threatens the kingdom, he’s forced to choose between his new job and his old friends.
And making the wrong choice could cost him everything.
Poverty-stricken Finn Jagger would give anything to heal his ailing mother. With his father imprisoned, Finn has joined a thieving crew to earn the money he needs to save her. When the latest heist turns to disaster and lands him on death row, Finn’s future seems to be tied up with a noose.
Until the king’s executioner claims him as an apprentice.
Finn soon learns an Executioner has far more power and greater responsibility than he’d ever realized. As inquisitor and detective, he must find the truth behind each sentence he carries out. It’s a challenging job, but one that Finn is surprisingly good at.
When the crew decides Finn could be the key to completing an impossible heist that threatens the kingdom, he’s forced to choose between his new job and his old friends.
And making the wrong choice could cost him everything.
516 pages, Paperback
First published January 5, 2021
591 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
February 3, 2022
Maybe I’ve just gotten extra picky but I’m not enjoying half of these books I read anymore. This started off really good and then half way in I just got bored. I didn’t connect with the characters at all. I don’t honestly know why I stopped enjoying it but I’m still giving it 4 stars for hooking me for a while.
December 30, 2020
In the interest of full disclosure, I received an electronic ARC for review purposes free of charge, in exchange for an honest review of the book, from the author. I will be ordering a print copy of the book once it is available for purchase on Amazon.
D.K. Holmberg is the author of another series, The Chain Breaker, which is what first drew me to this author, so this is not my first reading of this author's work. One aspect of his series that has been consistent so far in my readings is that he is able to effectively tell a complete story, which does not leave the reader disappointed in a lack of closure of the main plot points. Holmberg is skilled at putting in some plot hooks for future works, while not leaving the core story hanging incomplete.
My complaint about this book is a lack of maps. I'd like one for both the kingdom and one for the specific city in which the story takes place. There are clues that suggest the story could leave the city in future books, although that is not certain by any means. Nonetheless, to help the reader visualize distances and locations, maps might be useful.
Up front, I want to say this is not a typical fantasy or young adult offering. It has a feel of a historical fiction and fantasy blend. D.K. Holmberg focuses the narrative on Finn, a young man with a troubled sister, severely sick mother, and imprisoned father, struggling to cope with providing for his family without employment in a legal trade. Holmberg crafts a marvelous mozaic of supporting characters and it is quite easy to become comfortably familiar with all of them. As events unfold within the book, the reader follows Finn through navagating his neighborhood, as he pursues his father's past work on a theiving crew. As a junior member, Finn feels compelled to prove himself and takes on tasks with greater difficulty. After tragedy befalls Finn, protecting his father's former partner, he finds himself imprisoned, tortured, and quickly sentenced to death, a sentence he believes to be excessive. Finn finds a temporary reprieve granted by the King's Executioner, but he is not immediately aware of the stakes or costs of that reprieve, not just for himself but for those around him. Finn finds himself tied unexpectedly to Master Meyer, the King's Executioner, who is not just an executioner, but also is effectively a head investigator or detective for the King within the city. Finn continues to struggle with his relationship with his theiving crew, who want to use his status to help them on upcoming jobs, and with his ailing mother and missing sister. Even when granted second chances, people frequently struggle to make use of them, simply because their circumstances or social connections have not changed. The author was brilliant in his handling of this very common phenomenon, which leads the story to feel so real and personal. I say this having retired a probation officer who worked daily with people in similar circumstances, and this was a common plight. Holmberg introduced several twists which led the story to turn in directions I did not anticipate, which made it even more delightful. He gave it plenty of realism and grit, but yet was able to inject twists and turns to give it room to grow and become a truly uplifting story. Holmberg gives the reader hope in even the worst humanity has to offer.
Holmberg does not rely on gratuitous violence or sexual content to stimulate interest in his stories. There are some violent scenes characterized, but the violence is minimal and necessary to contribute to the story. There are some scenes of torture performed by law enforcement officials, which may trigger strong emotions from those with a personal history of torture or negative history with law enforcement. These scenes are consistent with what one might expect from the past in our own world, are necessary to advance the plot, and are not sensationalized or gratuitous. I don't recall any significant strong language, so if there is some, it is mild and sporadic.
I really liked the Chain Breaker series, but I have to say this is my favorite work of Holmberg's to date. I can't say that this is his best book, because I haven't read his others, but between these two series, I have to applaud his body of work. I am anxiously awaiting books in two series of his now. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
D.K. Holmberg is the author of another series, The Chain Breaker, which is what first drew me to this author, so this is not my first reading of this author's work. One aspect of his series that has been consistent so far in my readings is that he is able to effectively tell a complete story, which does not leave the reader disappointed in a lack of closure of the main plot points. Holmberg is skilled at putting in some plot hooks for future works, while not leaving the core story hanging incomplete.
My complaint about this book is a lack of maps. I'd like one for both the kingdom and one for the specific city in which the story takes place. There are clues that suggest the story could leave the city in future books, although that is not certain by any means. Nonetheless, to help the reader visualize distances and locations, maps might be useful.
Up front, I want to say this is not a typical fantasy or young adult offering. It has a feel of a historical fiction and fantasy blend. D.K. Holmberg focuses the narrative on Finn, a young man with a troubled sister, severely sick mother, and imprisoned father, struggling to cope with providing for his family without employment in a legal trade. Holmberg crafts a marvelous mozaic of supporting characters and it is quite easy to become comfortably familiar with all of them. As events unfold within the book, the reader follows Finn through navagating his neighborhood, as he pursues his father's past work on a theiving crew. As a junior member, Finn feels compelled to prove himself and takes on tasks with greater difficulty. After tragedy befalls Finn, protecting his father's former partner, he finds himself imprisoned, tortured, and quickly sentenced to death, a sentence he believes to be excessive. Finn finds a temporary reprieve granted by the King's Executioner, but he is not immediately aware of the stakes or costs of that reprieve, not just for himself but for those around him. Finn finds himself tied unexpectedly to Master Meyer, the King's Executioner, who is not just an executioner, but also is effectively a head investigator or detective for the King within the city. Finn continues to struggle with his relationship with his theiving crew, who want to use his status to help them on upcoming jobs, and with his ailing mother and missing sister. Even when granted second chances, people frequently struggle to make use of them, simply because their circumstances or social connections have not changed. The author was brilliant in his handling of this very common phenomenon, which leads the story to feel so real and personal. I say this having retired a probation officer who worked daily with people in similar circumstances, and this was a common plight. Holmberg introduced several twists which led the story to turn in directions I did not anticipate, which made it even more delightful. He gave it plenty of realism and grit, but yet was able to inject twists and turns to give it room to grow and become a truly uplifting story. Holmberg gives the reader hope in even the worst humanity has to offer.
Holmberg does not rely on gratuitous violence or sexual content to stimulate interest in his stories. There are some violent scenes characterized, but the violence is minimal and necessary to contribute to the story. There are some scenes of torture performed by law enforcement officials, which may trigger strong emotions from those with a personal history of torture or negative history with law enforcement. These scenes are consistent with what one might expect from the past in our own world, are necessary to advance the plot, and are not sensationalized or gratuitous. I don't recall any significant strong language, so if there is some, it is mild and sporadic.
I really liked the Chain Breaker series, but I have to say this is my favorite work of Holmberg's to date. I can't say that this is his best book, because I haven't read his others, but between these two series, I have to applaud his body of work. I am anxiously awaiting books in two series of his now. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
July 24, 2021
This and more reviews at superstardrfiter.com!~
The Executioner’s Right is the story of Finn Jagger, who is a young man on a crew of thieves, who gets caught and is sentenced to hang. Instead of being hanged, Henry Meyer, the king’s master executioner invokes an ancient right that claims Finn as his apprentice.
Finn’s crew is still pulling dangerous heists while he begins training to be Meyer’s eventual replacement, and on top of his worry for them, his mother is ill, and his sister is doing more and more dangerous things to try and afford medication for her. Finn tries his best to help, without getting caught again and ruining his second chance.
I liked this story, though I will admit that it took me a little while to get into it. Finn makes some ridiculous decisions at times, especially in the first 20% or so of this novel, and so at times I found him just… hard to cheer for. However, I have to say that once Meyer entered the picture, I latched right onto this book and read the rest of it in two sittings. I found Meyer fascinating as a character, and honestly read this one more for him than for Finn.
It was well written, well edited, and seemed paced very well. I never found myself bored with it at all (though… I’ll be honest… there were ‘annoyed at Finn’ times, lol). I’m definitely interested to see where this story goes, because the last quarter really started to open up all kinds of interesting shenanigans, and Finn actually seemed to grow on me a bit by then.
I had 7.75 stars of fun with The Executioner’s Right, and it quickly became my next semifinalist for this year’s contest! If you’re into a fantasy world of thieves and heists but with a very unique twist of the hangman being something special, then this is the book for you!
The Executioner’s Right is the story of Finn Jagger, who is a young man on a crew of thieves, who gets caught and is sentenced to hang. Instead of being hanged, Henry Meyer, the king’s master executioner invokes an ancient right that claims Finn as his apprentice.
Finn’s crew is still pulling dangerous heists while he begins training to be Meyer’s eventual replacement, and on top of his worry for them, his mother is ill, and his sister is doing more and more dangerous things to try and afford medication for her. Finn tries his best to help, without getting caught again and ruining his second chance.
I liked this story, though I will admit that it took me a little while to get into it. Finn makes some ridiculous decisions at times, especially in the first 20% or so of this novel, and so at times I found him just… hard to cheer for. However, I have to say that once Meyer entered the picture, I latched right onto this book and read the rest of it in two sittings. I found Meyer fascinating as a character, and honestly read this one more for him than for Finn.
It was well written, well edited, and seemed paced very well. I never found myself bored with it at all (though… I’ll be honest… there were ‘annoyed at Finn’ times, lol). I’m definitely interested to see where this story goes, because the last quarter really started to open up all kinds of interesting shenanigans, and Finn actually seemed to grow on me a bit by then.
I had 7.75 stars of fun with The Executioner’s Right, and it quickly became my next semifinalist for this year’s contest! If you’re into a fantasy world of thieves and heists but with a very unique twist of the hangman being something special, then this is the book for you!
December 7, 2022
In between a 3-4 star for me. I like the interesting premise that executioners are also involved in truth finding, the book starts strong and we having intriguing tidbits of a thieves crew, dark magic users and a mystery to solve. But then it sort of peters out as the book goes into the last third leaving me feeling like I’ve just read a book long prologue in some ways. Our lead Finn is an interesting character but we also have a cast of interesting characters that we barely get to see or hear from and when we do the dialogue is often a bit flat and wooden. It’s possible in the sequels that these get fleshed out a bit more as this first book really focuses on Finns internal struggles. We also get an overarching mystery that seems will go on through the sequels as well but what we get in this one isn’t entirely satisfying, which I guess is why you’d have to read the sequels. Seemed like always getting just enough taste to be interested but not enough to be truly hooked.
May 14, 2021
2.5 Stars
The Executioner's Right had a unique and interesting premise that an executioner's job is more than just killing people and the summary/description led me to believe that the book would be more of a mystery where executioners were ancient investigators and crime solvers. For the most part this was accurate, but the book as a whole was a lot more filler than I was hoping.
CONS:
- The worldbuilding was sufficient enough but quite bland. While having information revealed naturally, most aspects were not fully flushed out or expanded upon to make them satisfying.
- There was a lack of detail in the city and descriptions that consisted of mostly "buildings, streets, alleys, and palace" that just made it less immersive.
- Mostly wooden dialogue and characters. If a story has a simple plot, this requires that it makes up for it in rich characters or dialogue that is engaging. Finn Jagger and Master Meyer were at times engaging, but other times were just stiff and spoke in exposition too often.
- The overuse of Finn's connection to "the crew, his crew, my crew." It's overplayed and frustrating.
- Why wasn't Esmerelda, Lena, Oscar, and Helda in the story more? These were good characters for Finn to have relationships with and they weren't utilized to their full potential.
- The biggest problem with the story is that it could've been perfectly paced had it been about 100 pages shorter. There were events that made the plot progress well, but they were surrounded by fluff of "going here and there" and talking a little, but nothing really that necessary. This could've easily been the first half of a book, but instead felt a little incomplete while also being too long.
PROS:
- Simple, straightforward plot that follows one main character (a strange rarity in fantasy) and doesn't try to be an epic or world-affecting drama.
- Despite the lack of detail, the story had fairly good atmosphere. This probably comes down to the plot being about a thief, an executioner, and dark magic, but the atmosphere of the Hegen village and shadowy meetings was refreshing at least.
- The story has potential going forward with Finn's future as an apprentice, his relationships, and the future of the Hegen, Esmerelda, and the Alainsith.
- Finn actually felt like an interesting character when he doubted his motivations and had to consider what would be his best moves. He was a little dry, but also had aspects that made him an endearing enough main character to root for.
I enjoyed reading The Executioner's Right for what it's worth, but found myself checking to see how many pages I had left often and only really finished out of personal conviction and wanting to see how it ended. While wanting to continue the series, I'm just worn out by the effort of finishing this one.
The Executioner's Right had a unique and interesting premise that an executioner's job is more than just killing people and the summary/description led me to believe that the book would be more of a mystery where executioners were ancient investigators and crime solvers. For the most part this was accurate, but the book as a whole was a lot more filler than I was hoping.
CONS:
- The worldbuilding was sufficient enough but quite bland. While having information revealed naturally, most aspects were not fully flushed out or expanded upon to make them satisfying.
- There was a lack of detail in the city and descriptions that consisted of mostly "buildings, streets, alleys, and palace" that just made it less immersive.
- Mostly wooden dialogue and characters. If a story has a simple plot, this requires that it makes up for it in rich characters or dialogue that is engaging. Finn Jagger and Master Meyer were at times engaging, but other times were just stiff and spoke in exposition too often.
- The overuse of Finn's connection to "the crew, his crew, my crew." It's overplayed and frustrating.
- Why wasn't Esmerelda, Lena, Oscar, and Helda in the story more? These were good characters for Finn to have relationships with and they weren't utilized to their full potential.
- The biggest problem with the story is that it could've been perfectly paced had it been about 100 pages shorter. There were events that made the plot progress well, but they were surrounded by fluff of "going here and there" and talking a little, but nothing really that necessary. This could've easily been the first half of a book, but instead felt a little incomplete while also being too long.
PROS:
- Simple, straightforward plot that follows one main character (a strange rarity in fantasy) and doesn't try to be an epic or world-affecting drama.
- Despite the lack of detail, the story had fairly good atmosphere. This probably comes down to the plot being about a thief, an executioner, and dark magic, but the atmosphere of the Hegen village and shadowy meetings was refreshing at least.
- The story has potential going forward with Finn's future as an apprentice, his relationships, and the future of the Hegen, Esmerelda, and the Alainsith.
- Finn actually felt like an interesting character when he doubted his motivations and had to consider what would be his best moves. He was a little dry, but also had aspects that made him an endearing enough main character to root for.
I enjoyed reading The Executioner's Right for what it's worth, but found myself checking to see how many pages I had left often and only really finished out of personal conviction and wanting to see how it ended. While wanting to continue the series, I'm just worn out by the effort of finishing this one.
October 8, 2021
The premise of this book was interesting and unique. There were several aspects of the story that were fascinating and I was excited about. However, I found that the execution of the plot was severely lacking.
The characters were all bland - there was no emotional connection between the reader and the characters, making it difficult to care when bad things happened to them. There were also long chunks of exposition that were unnecessary to the story and drastically slowed down the pacing of the book. There were several words/phrases that were used too much (e.g. crew); in one short paragraph, the same word was repeated four times. I also like it when the author leaves some things to the reader's imagination, but in this case I felt that there was minimal to no information concerning the setting. Buildings were described as "buildings." A little bit of detail about the setting goes a long way towards making it feel realistic and engaging. Last but not least, there were very few female characters in this work, and the majority of them were described only by how much the male characters liked their "bosoms."
On a positive note, I didn't run across any errors in the book.
This book unfortunately was not interesting or well-written, and I won't be continuing the series.
The characters were all bland - there was no emotional connection between the reader and the characters, making it difficult to care when bad things happened to them. There were also long chunks of exposition that were unnecessary to the story and drastically slowed down the pacing of the book. There were several words/phrases that were used too much (e.g. crew); in one short paragraph, the same word was repeated four times. I also like it when the author leaves some things to the reader's imagination, but in this case I felt that there was minimal to no information concerning the setting. Buildings were described as "buildings." A little bit of detail about the setting goes a long way towards making it feel realistic and engaging. Last but not least, there were very few female characters in this work, and the majority of them were described only by how much the male characters liked their "bosoms."
On a positive note, I didn't run across any errors in the book.
This book unfortunately was not interesting or well-written, and I won't be continuing the series.
August 16, 2021
What a treat!
I was led to this book by reading "similar" fantasy novels. I didn't know what to expect, but the progression was really good. The conflict, the character development, it was all there. A lot of mystery and crime solving.
Highly recommend!
I was led to this book by reading "similar" fantasy novels. I didn't know what to expect, but the progression was really good. The conflict, the character development, it was all there. A lot of mystery and crime solving.
Highly recommend!
December 26, 2020
Who knew that an Executioner was not a one trick pony? This story follows a thief who doesn't really want to be a thief, his father, mother and sister all wanted him to be more. However he follows his father down this path and discovers the city's prisons from the inside. He is a good thief but the viscount and king are cracking down.
He ends up sentenced to death but is saved when the executioner exercises his right of an apprentice. The as we travel we discover all of the talents and expectations for an executioner. We also see the difficulty for the apprentice in choosing his "family". Is it the family of origin, the family of thieves or his new route in life?
He ends up sentenced to death but is saved when the executioner exercises his right of an apprentice. The as we travel we discover all of the talents and expectations for an executioner. We also see the difficulty for the apprentice in choosing his "family". Is it the family of origin, the family of thieves or his new route in life?
November 21, 2021
CW/TW at end of review
Its not bad but does get a little redundant with the whole "my crew/my family" thing. Not saying it's a bad thing, just got a little too repetitive at the halfway point. But it's not bad. I enjoyed it enough to want to read the second book.
CW/TW: death, murder, graphic description of torture, beheading, knives/knife violence, sword/sword violence, parental illness, imprisonment, vomiting, blood magic, stealing/robbery, mention of blood, classism, graphic description of gore, graphic violence, hanging, mention of lashing/whipping, recreational drinking, drowning, waterboarding, mention of animal death, police brutality (soldiers), PTSD, anxiety
Its not bad but does get a little redundant with the whole "my crew/my family" thing. Not saying it's a bad thing, just got a little too repetitive at the halfway point. But it's not bad. I enjoyed it enough to want to read the second book.
CW/TW: death, murder, graphic description of torture, beheading, knives/knife violence, sword/sword violence, parental illness, imprisonment, vomiting, blood magic, stealing/robbery, mention of blood, classism, graphic description of gore, graphic violence, hanging, mention of lashing/whipping, recreational drinking, drowning, waterboarding, mention of animal death, police brutality (soldiers), PTSD, anxiety
January 5, 2021
Full disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'm going to do my best to avoid spoilers while also relating what makes this book great.
I have greatly enjoyed D K Holmberg's other books that I've read and was excited to read this one. It continues the pattern of this author creating vivid worlds and bringing delightfully complex characters to life. I'm excited to read the rest of this series as it becomes available.
The Executioner's Right is mainly the story of Finn, a boy whose father had to turn to thievery to try to afford medical help for Finn's sick mother. His father is caught and imprisoned, and Finn, out of desperation to keep his family afloat and try to get help for his mother, joins his father's former crew.
Jobs start going bad and Finn ends up captured by authorities and is sentenced to death because of political tensions and the ruling cass wanting to be tough on crime as a deterrent.
As his sentence is about to be carried out, the executioner intervenes and uses an archaic rule known as the Executioner's Right to claim Finn. Finn and the reader then gradually learn more and more about what this means for Finn, his family, his crew, and the executioner.
This book has magical elements that are discussed, but is different from the author's other work in that it isn't the main focus and the main character does not appear to have magical abilities.
I absolutely love the complexity of characters Holmberg always brings and this story is no different. Finn is torn among wanting to be loyal to his crew, wanting to help his mother, and wanting something different out of life. He clearly struggles with what the right path to take is. He's very clever but desperately needs grounding and guidence.
And I love the executioner. There's much more to him than what you see on the surface. The way he views his job is important and the job of executioner is very nuanced in this world.
These are realistic characters struggling with realistic issues and written in a relatable way.
I really liked this book. I tried to make this review as useful as I could without too many spoilers. If any of it sounds interesting, go give it a read and see what makes this author great.
I have greatly enjoyed D K Holmberg's other books that I've read and was excited to read this one. It continues the pattern of this author creating vivid worlds and bringing delightfully complex characters to life. I'm excited to read the rest of this series as it becomes available.
The Executioner's Right is mainly the story of Finn, a boy whose father had to turn to thievery to try to afford medical help for Finn's sick mother. His father is caught and imprisoned, and Finn, out of desperation to keep his family afloat and try to get help for his mother, joins his father's former crew.
Jobs start going bad and Finn ends up captured by authorities and is sentenced to death because of political tensions and the ruling cass wanting to be tough on crime as a deterrent.
As his sentence is about to be carried out, the executioner intervenes and uses an archaic rule known as the Executioner's Right to claim Finn. Finn and the reader then gradually learn more and more about what this means for Finn, his family, his crew, and the executioner.
This book has magical elements that are discussed, but is different from the author's other work in that it isn't the main focus and the main character does not appear to have magical abilities.
I absolutely love the complexity of characters Holmberg always brings and this story is no different. Finn is torn among wanting to be loyal to his crew, wanting to help his mother, and wanting something different out of life. He clearly struggles with what the right path to take is. He's very clever but desperately needs grounding and guidence.
And I love the executioner. There's much more to him than what you see on the surface. The way he views his job is important and the job of executioner is very nuanced in this world.
These are realistic characters struggling with realistic issues and written in a relatable way.
I really liked this book. I tried to make this review as useful as I could without too many spoilers. If any of it sounds interesting, go give it a read and see what makes this author great.
January 5, 2021
What stands out about DK's writing, is that each series is totally different to the last, which I love! The Executioner's Right is a book with all right ingredients, family, friends, loyalty, truth, justice, with magic thrown into the mix. Finn is forced into a world of crime and thievery, as was his father before him, to try and get as much money, as quickly as possible, to find a physician for his mother, who is deadly ill. His sees his crew as his family and will do everything he can to protect them, whilst trying to procure as much money as he can to cure his mother. He is captured and tortured, but refuses to rat out his crew and is sentenced to hang, a totally exaggerated sentence for his crime. The Executioner sees something in Finn and after a brief discussion with him, the Executioner evokes the Executioner's Right, whereby Finn is spared the hangman's noose and thus begins his apprentenship with Master Meyer, the Executioner. Finn battles with his inner turmoil, does he try escape or try to embrace his new role and what of his crew? Finn has a profound loyalty towards them but slowly comes to realise that his loyalty is misplaced. The Executioner helps Finn's mother and sister and as Finn begins to respect him, he realises Master Meyer has literally put his fate in Finn's hands, if Finn fails his test with the Executioner's Council, both he and Meyer are at risk. Meyer is another compelling character, who seems to have many secrets, yet to be disclosed. Finn is forced into helping the crew with a job that he has a bad feeling about and learns of the betrayal of some of his crew. Finn is convinced he has failed his trial with the Executioner's Council and tries to find a way to prevent Meyer from any repercussions. Just gets better and better as the story progresses! Looking forward to the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 7, 2021
I was really blown away by the first book in the new series The Executioner’s Right, it managed to capture me right from the start and I found myself unable to stop reading till I got to the last line. It is a thrilling book about a very likeable character called Finn, who aspires to join the crew of thieves under the leadership of the King. He is following in his father’s footsteps even though his father had been caught and imprisoned, it was the only life he knew, and he had to earn money for his sister and his ailing mother. However on one of the more ambitious burglary attempts, he turns back to save his friend and mentor, Oscar and gets caught and thrown into prison and though his role was that of just a scout he was sentenced to death by hanging. Death on the gallows provided an occasion for a citizens as the followed the blood court through the streets of Verendal. Pooe Finn in his naivete kept on protecting the crew even when tortured by the lion, and till the last minute hoped they would come and spring him from prison. However, the break he got which saved his life came from someone quite unexpected, someone who risked everything and who changed Finn’s life forever. This is a series that cannot be missed, it makes for a very exciting epic fantasy read full of action, rogues and down and outs, witches known as the Hegen and a client who was orchestrating so many lives whilst staying incognito. The King of Verendal had made a treaty with the people of Alainsith, who had magic but were different to the Hegen but someone it seems was out to disturb the peace and break the treaty which would bring harm to more than just Verendal. Who is the Client and what is he up to? I just cannot wait to read book 2 in this very thrilling and captivating series.
February 17, 2021
Something a little different & I really enjoyed it. Very hard to review without spoilers so what I can say, we have Finn who is part of a "Crew" that steal, think Jimmy the Hand if you've read Feist. He get's caught somewhere he shouldn't be, well he actually sacrifices himself to save one of the other Crew members. Now it's always a bit strange when you are writing about Fantasy as it's not real to begin with but in most cases characters respond like a "normal" person, so why does Finn never question the circumstances surrounding his capture? He ends up with divided loyalties, in the first instance to take care of his mother & sister but as the story progresses you do think why as it's clear where is loyalty should lie.
There is a mention of magic but so far none of the main characters seem to posses this, you have the Hegen, which in my mind sound like Gypsies, that possess some but it's not clear what or how much & the Alainsith but in this book they are mentioned but never met.
If I had one critique, & this sounds daft for a kindle (as any Kindle owner would know) is that there was no map, lots of places mentioned & not a clue how they all relate to each other!
There is a mention of magic but so far none of the main characters seem to posses this, you have the Hegen, which in my mind sound like Gypsies, that possess some but it's not clear what or how much & the Alainsith but in this book they are mentioned but never met.
If I had one critique, & this sounds daft for a kindle (as any Kindle owner would know) is that there was no map, lots of places mentioned & not a clue how they all relate to each other!
December 11, 2022
I got The Executioner's Right and the next episode free on Bookbub and having read this I am looking forward to the next one. Finn Jagger (cool name) is hung out to dry saving a friend and fellow thief Oscar during a heist with his crew in the Viscount's home and is saved from hanging literally by Mister Meyer the hangman who claims him from the gallows as his apprentice. His sick mother and his sister are also adopted by Meyer and helped by his healing skills. Finn maintains contact with his crew but realises something is not right with the King, their leader who is putting them at risk with high profile robberies which lack planning and are for weird items. He helps them on the last big job but it is too ambitious and doomed to failure but he saves his friend Oscar (the Hand) again and is accepted by the Hangman's court as a member. He works out who is hiring the crew and the reason behind the robberies to destabilise the Kingdom and cause war with the Alleinsith (check spelling) and is instrumental with Oscar in thwarting the plan, plenty of stuff happening and good character build ups and descriptive writing.
December 23, 2020
You will find an exciting adventure in this book!
You can feel the tension in the air thick enough to cut. You see inside of several different prisons, hear the suffering of the prisoners and witness their torture. You feel the relief of Finn’s freedom, go through his training and investigating crimes under Meyer while he is studying to become the next executioner. Lots of action clearly described so you could feel the tension and run with Finn hurrying him along rooting for him to escape. A fantastic save by the executioner who invokes his right to save Finn from hanging. He is given a great chance to turn his life around but vacillates for awhile so you don’t quite know if he truly succeeds until the very end. Since this is part of a series there is much that is unanswered but the book ties up well enough in the epilogue so you’re not totally hung up. Those of you who are diehard Holmberg fans will love this story. Even if you are still sitting on the fence I could easily recommend this book.
You can feel the tension in the air thick enough to cut. You see inside of several different prisons, hear the suffering of the prisoners and witness their torture. You feel the relief of Finn’s freedom, go through his training and investigating crimes under Meyer while he is studying to become the next executioner. Lots of action clearly described so you could feel the tension and run with Finn hurrying him along rooting for him to escape. A fantastic save by the executioner who invokes his right to save Finn from hanging. He is given a great chance to turn his life around but vacillates for awhile so you don’t quite know if he truly succeeds until the very end. Since this is part of a series there is much that is unanswered but the book ties up well enough in the epilogue so you’re not totally hung up. Those of you who are diehard Holmberg fans will love this story. Even if you are still sitting on the fence I could easily recommend this book.
January 8, 2021
The Executioner's Right is the first book in The Executioner's Song epic fantasy series.
Finn has joined a thieving crew to make enough money to provide for his sister and his mother, who is terminally ill. When he is caught red-handed, he refuses to betray his accomplices and is sentenced to death by hanging.
In the nick of time Master Meyer, the executioner, uses his Executioner's Right to claim Finn as his apprentice. Finn soon learns that the job of executioner is far more comprehensive and interesting than he could ever have imagined. But he is torn between loyalty to his crew and his savior..
The Executioner's Right is a successful blend of historical fiction, fantasy and mystery. The book is fascinating in its depiction of the main characters, the city and its history. I look forward to the rest of the series.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Finn has joined a thieving crew to make enough money to provide for his sister and his mother, who is terminally ill. When he is caught red-handed, he refuses to betray his accomplices and is sentenced to death by hanging.
In the nick of time Master Meyer, the executioner, uses his Executioner's Right to claim Finn as his apprentice. Finn soon learns that the job of executioner is far more comprehensive and interesting than he could ever have imagined. But he is torn between loyalty to his crew and his savior..
The Executioner's Right is a successful blend of historical fiction, fantasy and mystery. The book is fascinating in its depiction of the main characters, the city and its history. I look forward to the rest of the series.
I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
January 6, 2021
Finn is a simple young man who is trying to help out his sick mother but is forced to join a crew of thieves to pay the bills. But of course a few jobs go wrong and he ends up being sentenced to death but then rescued in the nick of time not by his friends but the Executioner himself. And thus starts an amazing story where things are not what they seemed and Finn goes from a simple thief to an amazing character that ends up in the thick of things. The story was a great read as it winds its way through the story and just draws you in and keeps you reading to the end. I just had to see how it all played out and what was really going on as things just were off with a wide range of circumstances and characters. I loved the suspense, mystery, danger, unknown, magic, and crooks. Just a great story.
December 22, 2022
Slow to start
I kept trying to put it down. It felt like slogging through mud, it was so heavy with detail and tiring to read through the first 50%.
But I stuck with it, and at 57%, I realized it was finally picking up. It had moments where it got clunky again, so I skimmed and skipped until it picked back up.
The main character is conflicted. That comes across well. There is some minor prediction and projection, but it wasn't enough to throw me out of the story.
Overall, 3-ish stars. The "twist" wasn't really a twist. It was pretty obvious from the first time we meet the jurors.
The secrecy of the executioners right was unnecessary and added to the slog. The sister's disappearance was thrown in to make an emotional tie and resolved to easily.
The more I think through what I just read, the more I'm leaning towards a 2.8-2.9 stars.
I kept trying to put it down. It felt like slogging through mud, it was so heavy with detail and tiring to read through the first 50%.
But I stuck with it, and at 57%, I realized it was finally picking up. It had moments where it got clunky again, so I skimmed and skipped until it picked back up.
The main character is conflicted. That comes across well. There is some minor prediction and projection, but it wasn't enough to throw me out of the story.
Overall, 3-ish stars. The "twist" wasn't really a twist. It was pretty obvious from the first time we meet the jurors.
The secrecy of the executioners right was unnecessary and added to the slog. The sister's disappearance was thrown in to make an emotional tie and resolved to easily.
The more I think through what I just read, the more I'm leaning towards a 2.8-2.9 stars.
May 10, 2022
A prescindere dallo stile che è molto molto blando e dalla storia che è molto lineare (dovrebbe essere un mezzo giallo, ma il colpevole è anche l'unico personaggio caratterizzato) quello che ha creato problemi a me durante la lettura è stato il fatto che l'autore non è riuscito a "darmi a bere" quello che mi stava raccontando.
Molte delle regole di questo mondo, di come funziona, mi sono rimaste all'oscuro e benché io non sia contraria a imprecisioni storiche (perché non è uno storico, è un fantasy) ho avuto l'impressione che non ci fosse una chiara idea dietro alcuni spunti tranne il "perché è così che deve andare la trama".
Benchè alla fine sia stata una lettura media, il dovermi domandare ogni tot pagine "perché" non è stato così piacevole.
Molte delle regole di questo mondo, di come funziona, mi sono rimaste all'oscuro e benché io non sia contraria a imprecisioni storiche (perché non è uno storico, è un fantasy) ho avuto l'impressione che non ci fosse una chiara idea dietro alcuni spunti tranne il "perché è così che deve andare la trama".
Benchè alla fine sia stata una lettura media, il dovermi domandare ogni tot pagine "perché" non è stato così piacevole.
July 10, 2023
I listened to this book through Audible.
Overall the story was interesting and engaging, but I didn’t feel like there was anything special or new in the story. It is a typical fantasy story of the last decade. Young protagonist is poor and works as a thief, is provided with a unique chance to make something of themselves, struggles with loyalties to their past and their new mentor, and eventually makes a series of bad decisions but ends up making one good decision at the end that makes everything work out.
I believe it was worth the time for me to listen to this book, but there’s nothing new here for someone with limited time. This is a great book for someone who wants to relax and disengage into a comfy story.
Overall the story was interesting and engaging, but I didn’t feel like there was anything special or new in the story. It is a typical fantasy story of the last decade. Young protagonist is poor and works as a thief, is provided with a unique chance to make something of themselves, struggles with loyalties to their past and their new mentor, and eventually makes a series of bad decisions but ends up making one good decision at the end that makes everything work out.
I believe it was worth the time for me to listen to this book, but there’s nothing new here for someone with limited time. This is a great book for someone who wants to relax and disengage into a comfy story.
March 12, 2021
Quite interesting
The story of Finn Jagger is quite interesting and set quite differently from others that I have been reading. It is a collection of mysteries, investigations, moral dilemmas, choices, politics, intrigue, murder, to name a few.
Many parts of it set my heart racing and I tried to get ahead in the reading by skipping paragraphs here and there only to come back to them a short while later and read them in their entirety.
SPOILERS:
I also liked the relationship between meyer and Finn. And then Finn and his sister lena. And Finn and his crew.
I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series to follow Finn on his investigations.
The story of Finn Jagger is quite interesting and set quite differently from others that I have been reading. It is a collection of mysteries, investigations, moral dilemmas, choices, politics, intrigue, murder, to name a few.
Many parts of it set my heart racing and I tried to get ahead in the reading by skipping paragraphs here and there only to come back to them a short while later and read them in their entirety.
SPOILERS:
I also liked the relationship between meyer and Finn. And then Finn and his sister lena. And Finn and his crew.
I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series to follow Finn on his investigations.
May 20, 2021
It's an interesting idea. Executioner's aren't well liked in the majority of stories and are rarely seen in most books these days. Finn is an alright character but not really smart, but able to get most tasks done, at least to some degree. He's had a fairly challenging time since his dad either died or disappeared and has to make money to care for a seriously ill mother. The story is pretty slow and not as action oriented as I thought it might. It does have potential and a few unanswered questions by the end of the book that I hope get resolved within the next book. Its a decent start to a trilogy and I intend to read the next book.
January 5, 2021
I received a copy of this book for free in return for an honest review.
I found this book an exciting and very interesting read. Credible characters that act like real people - mistakes and all - sum up to a roller coaster of a story.
Saved from the gallows by the man whose job it was to execute him, Finn’s conflicting emotions, loyalties, priorities, and ways of life make taking the gift of the second chance at life anything but a foregone conclusion.
I can’t wait for the next installment to continue this far from normal life journey.
I found this book an exciting and very interesting read. Credible characters that act like real people - mistakes and all - sum up to a roller coaster of a story.
Saved from the gallows by the man whose job it was to execute him, Finn’s conflicting emotions, loyalties, priorities, and ways of life make taking the gift of the second chance at life anything but a foregone conclusion.
I can’t wait for the next installment to continue this far from normal life journey.
Read
February 3, 2021The Executioner's Right (The Executioner's Song Book 1), my first highly enjoyable read from author D.K. Holmberg. All I can say is WOW! December seemed to be my month for new authors, January continued the trend, and now February. A well written, entertaining read, with intriguing, well-developed characters that I read in a single setting. Slow to start but when it took off I couldn't turn pages fast enough. “I received a free review copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review." I look forward to reading more from this author. (RIP Marley January 20, 2014 - July 24, 2018).
August 23, 2022
A young boy over his head in a heist gone wrong. Fin gets caught saving a friend during a job, he needs money for his sick mother and tired sister. There are twist and turns throughout the entire book. Myer is the executioner that have this sad boy a chance to change his fate. Fin is beyond annoying but that is expected from him.
This is fast paced, mystery, torture , and self discovery. I like the perspective of the story line, this is the transition from poor pitiful thief to respectable executioner.
Off to book two!
This is fast paced, mystery, torture , and self discovery. I like the perspective of the story line, this is the transition from poor pitiful thief to respectable executioner.
Off to book two!
February 18, 2021
Executioners Right
This book has a great storyline and the author does well in navigating the readers through the turns of events. I can’t wait to get into the second book. I love the trilogies written by this author. Finn is saved by the executioner but for what reason and how does it relate to the Helen and alainsith? I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery with a little magic.
This book has a great storyline and the author does well in navigating the readers through the turns of events. I can’t wait to get into the second book. I love the trilogies written by this author. Finn is saved by the executioner but for what reason and how does it relate to the Helen and alainsith? I recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery with a little magic.
March 25, 2021
I enjoyed this book. Finn is a young man who is in a hard spot and tries to do the right thing while doing the wrong one. Caught in poverty with a sick mother and sister to look out for, he is trapped until the King's executioner sees something worth saving. Holmberg creates a medieval world of riches and poverty with a magical bent. His main characters are realistic with all the flaws one expects of people. The story has mystery, action, and suspense, a perfect combo for reading pleasure.
May 5, 2021
All in all a good series to read. It is entertaining and the story is catching. A few slow parts that may give you a good nap. But good reading all the same, unique story. Good Reading Everyone! Oh by the way, what is up with the cover art? It is not very appealing. I think I said something about it in another series. It is not appealing, it is just blah! No pop! Bad first impression and it carries over into the book.
June 25, 2021
Very interesting storyline
I was having some issues starting this one. It’s not what I’ve been reading lately, and there were external issues as well. Once I got about half way into it however, it captured my attention completely. The storyline is deeper than I originally thought. More complex. It doesn’t grab you on page one but it slowly draws you in until you are ensnared in the web. Highly recommended for young adults as well as we young at heart.
I was having some issues starting this one. It’s not what I’ve been reading lately, and there were external issues as well. Once I got about half way into it however, it captured my attention completely. The storyline is deeper than I originally thought. More complex. It doesn’t grab you on page one but it slowly draws you in until you are ensnared in the web. Highly recommended for young adults as well as we young at heart.
December 31, 2020
This first installment of Finn Jagger's story builds steadily introducing different character's.
It has a solid story line with twists and turn's along the way
There is plenty of action and adventure along the way as Finn tries to ensure his sick mother and sister are safe. Would definitely recommend this first installment in what promise's to be a great series
It has a solid story line with twists and turn's along the way
There is plenty of action and adventure along the way as Finn tries to ensure his sick mother and sister are safe. Would definitely recommend this first installment in what promise's to be a great series
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