Scourge of the Betrayer (Bloodsounder's Arc, #1) in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Jun 04, 2012 David rated it it was amazing

Shelves: all-time-favorites, books-i-have-re-read

Updated summer 2016... bit of a review for this book and a bit for the series as a whole.

Really loved this book on a second reading. A superior Fantasy novel. Somewhat Grimdark. Kinda Sword & Sorcery. A wee tad like Joe Abercrombie. Mostly it's own singular thing. Character heavy with some terrific action sequences. Masterful world-building, slowly revealed without dense exposition or infodumps. Gracefully told. The opening book might appear a bit slight at first glance. It's not at all. Go ahea ...more

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Jun 07, 2012 Courtney Schafer rated it it was amazing

I thought Scourge of the Betrayer sounded interesting right from the get-go: a naive bookish scribe playing "embedded journalist" in a hardened military company with a haunted, enigmatic leader...sign me up, I said! (I'm a total sucker for characters who've got secrets, and I enjoy military fantasies.) The book didn't disappoint.

The characters are very nicely drawn, particularly Captain Braylar Killcoin and the scout Lloi, both of whom I found fascinating. The internal journey of the young narr ...more

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Jun 01, 2013 Joseph rated it really liked it

Told by Arkamondos, a young and not-very-worldly scribe hired by Captain Braylar Killcoin, an older and not-very-nice officer leading an equally not-very-nice group of soldiers sent to -- well, that would be telling.

A compelling and surprisingly intimate story. The scribe-with-a-band-of-soldiers thing is reminiscent of Glen Cook's Black Company, obviously, but Salyards uses it to very different effect -- the focus is much tighter and the scale is much smaller. (Also, there's almost no magic to s ...more

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May 01, 2012 Mike rated it really liked it

Even with the publisher’s description I’m sure that I would have made the connection myself but when reading Jeff Salyards’ Scourge of the Betrayer the inevitable comparison is with Glen Cook’s Black Company series. The structure bears some similarity, a military fantasy narrated by a man chronicling deeds, but both remain distinct. Scourge of the Betrayer is told from the perspective of Arki, a young scribe hired to record the deeds of a band of Syldoon warriors lead by Captain Braylar Killcoin Even with the publisher’s description I’m sure that I would have made the connection myself but when reading Jeff Salyards’ Scourge of the Betrayer the inevitable comparison is with Glen Cook’s Black Company series. The structure bears some similarity, a military fantasy narrated by a man chronicling deeds, but both remain distinct. Scourge of the Betrayer is told from the perspective of Arki, a young scribe hired to record the deeds of a band of Syldoon warriors lead by Captain Braylar Killcoin. The Syldoon are warriors that border on legendary and it is Arki’s intent to determine how much of that legend was true. Arki, untrained in the ways of battle or the hardships of the road, is thrown into a dangerous mission that will test his dedication to uncovering the truth of the Syldoon and his desire to make his own name.

Salyards’ tosses you straight into the fire with very little explanation about the characters and world. Reader’s are left only with the vague notion that Syldoon are famous for their warriors and are forced to learn more at the same pace as Arki. It is a bold, and somewhat clever, move on Salyards’ part placing the readers on the same page as the narrator. Of course it has the potential to alienate the impatient reader since aspects of Captain Killcoin and his mission are only revealed in drips and drabs as the novel progresses. Descriptions of the world and nations in Scourge of the Betrayer go only so far as to include only those aspects that directly impact the plot. Given that the novel is narrated entirely by Arki this makes sense and works quite well at keeping the attention focused on the actions of and personalities of the characters.

While our initial introduction to Captain Killcoin and his companions portrays them in a sort of stereotypical fashion as Arki, and by extension the reader, comes to know them better they each begin to resolve into more complete and engaging personalities. This is one of my favorite aspects as the slow burn revelation of character and personalities really makes the later violence that falls upon our characters all the more heart wrenching. Salyards’ places particular focus on two characters in particular: Captain Killcoin (who weilds the titular scourge) and the outcast tribeswoman Lloi. Captain Killcoin, who first appears as the badass of badasses, slowly resolves into a more distinct and trouble figure. As the truth behind the title of the novel becomes more apparent, the Betrayers in question are the Gods that have seemingly abandoned the world, Killcoin takes on a more tragic air. However it is Lloi who I really found myself gravitating towards. Like Killcoin there is tragedy in Lloi’s past as well and it is telling that her position amongst a group of hardened warriors, some of whom do not necessarily respect her, is an improvement over her past. The way her existence is entwined with that of Killcoin is touching without being sappy even more so when you realize that as much as Killcoin need’s Lloi’s help there is still a very profound loneliness to her existence.

Scourge of the Betrayer offers a slower burn than most gritty military fantasies. When the action does hit it is fast, furious and unapologetic. To his credit Salyards’ doesn’t linger on the violence and rather lets the grit come from its effect of his characters. This is also Salyards’ debut novel and the novel does not stumble and while the pace might not be blistering it marches forward at a steady gait that never wavers. While Salyards’ doesn’t go into the lengthy history of his world those instances where it does come up are welcome and interesting. The bits of history we do get not only flesh out the world these characters live in but lend greater depth and detail to who they are. While the novel falters a bit in its conclusion, the end just sort of happens, the journey to get there is engaging and evocative and I’ll definitely be back on board when Captain Killcoin and his men come back. If you are a fan of dark, military fantasy you can’t go wrong with Scourge of the Betrayer. ...more

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Jan 29, 2013 Chompa rated it really liked it

Shelves: grimdark, fantasy, 2016

This is an excellent start to the series. Arkamondos is a scribe who after his time at university worked writing biographies of rich merchants, minor nobles and the like. He is hired by Captain Braylar Killcoin to chronicle Killcoin's company of soldiers. He does this in hopes of a change and perhaps some fame for telling their story.

Killcoin and his men are Syldoon (commonly called Blacknooses). They are trained from a young age to become exceptional soldiers and after ten years of training an ...more

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Jul 26, 2013 Doug Sturtevant rated it it was amazing

SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER is the debut novel from Jeff Salyards. It is the story of a scribe that is embedded with a grizzled Syldoon military company, with a gruff and mysterious captain with a big problem who carries an even more mysterious weapon. The scribe, Arki, is charged with recording the exploits of the company, but soon becomes wrapped up in the layers of mystery and intrigue surrounding the company’s goals.

I really enjoyed this one. Did not feel like a debut novel to me. The prose was ...more

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Jul 29, 2012 J.M. (Joe) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, books-by-friends

By now maybe you've read the comparisons of Jeff Salyards to Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, Richard Morgan, possibly Steven Erikson and Ian Esslemont, perhaps Mark Lawrence. After reading SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER (SotB), I can certainly understand some of these comparisons, with Glen Cook's "Black Company" series potentially being the closest in the running style throughout and the plot focusing on an elite unit of sword-wielders, at least in my opinion.

But let me add another, as I got the same fee By now maybe you've read the comparisons of Jeff Salyards to Joe Abercrombie, Glen Cook, Richard Morgan, possibly Steven Erikson and Ian Esslemont, perhaps Mark Lawrence. After reading SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER (SotB), I can certainly understand some of these comparisons, with Glen Cook's "Black Company" series potentially being the closest in the running style throughout and the plot focusing on an elite unit of sword-wielders, at least in my opinion.

But let me add another, as I got the same feel from SotB as I did while reading Michael J. Sullivan's THEFT OF SWORDS. Salyards has made me CARE about his characters, and I will admit as good as Cook is, I never really gave much of a toss for any of the Black Company characters, not like I feel about Sullivan's Royce and Hadrian, and now Salyards introduces Arkamandos "Arki", a chronicler and our first-person POV, as well as Lloi, Braylar, Hewspear, Mulldoos, Glesswik, Vendurro, all members of a military company called the Syldoon, plotting "something" in a foreign land (though through Arki's limited POV, the reader is often kept in the dark -- and, thus, turning page after page -- to uncover the truth of the plot). At some point in SotB, Salyards managed to make me care about his characters, and when it comes down to it, that's about the topmost thing a writer could want, because then you got 'em hooked.

I'm hooked. Jeff Salyards has another fan for life.

Now, I've read some reviews where Salyards gets a bit of a drubbing for some perceived lack of worldbuilding. I'm jumping to his defense here, because I don't see it. I was fully impressed with the pacing and what he manages to convey of his world in this debut. Sure, I would have liked to see a map, why not, but it wasn't crucial to understanding the geography and politics herein. I can see where he's headed, starting out with a little here, a bit there, letting it all simmer in the slow cooker, if you will. As far as worldbuilding, let's see, off the top of my head he presents:

1) Some intriguing political nuances setting up tension between the kingdoms of the setting and the Syldoon Empire,

2) Some ancient and compelling mythos regarding modern personifications of idealogical philosophies in the form of deities,

3) (view spoiler)

4) A cryptic and dark low-magic system that may or may not have something to do with (view spoiler)

I won't say any more than that, but that's a pretty good start, ask me; in fact, I'm not going to say anything else about the novel in particular. I think I've covered enough. Jeff Salyards is one of the new kids on the playground, and he's crafted one hell of an awesome (and, frankly, unexpected) first novel, so Joe, Rich, Mark, you guys swing that way just a smidge and make room on the ol' jungle gym. This guy's gonna hang around a while.

I'm giving SCOURGE OF THE BETRAYER my full endorsement. I can't wait for Book Two of "The Bloodsounder's Arc."

Five out of five stars and my highest recommendation. ...more

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