Blackwing: The Raven's Mark Book One (Raven's Mark, #1)

by Ed McDonald

You think you know Misery? You've not seen anything yet . . .

The republic faces annihilation, despite the vigilance of Galharrow's Blackwings. When a raven tattoo rips itself from his arm to deliver a desperate message, Galharrow and a mysterious noblewoman must investigate a long dead sorcerer's legacy. But there is a conspiracy within the citadel: traitors, flesh-eaters and the ghosts of the wastelands seek to destroy them, but if they cannot solve the ancient wizard's paradox, the Deep Kings will walk the earth again, and all will be lost.

The war with the Eastern Empire ended in stalemate some eighty years ago, thanks to Nall's 'Engine', a wizard-crafted weapon so powerful even the Deep Kings feared it. The strike of the Engine created the Misery - a wasteland full of ghosts and corrupted magic that now forms a No Mans Land along the frontier. But when Galharrow investigates a frontier fortress, he discovers complacency bordering on treason: then the walls are stormed, and the Engine fails to launch. Galharrow only escapes because of the preternatural magical power of the noblewoman he was supposed to be protecting. Together, they race to the capital to unmask the traitors and restore the republic's defences. Far across the Misery a vast army is on the move, as the Empire prepares to call the republic's bluff.

Blackwing is a gritty epic fantasy for fans of Mark Lawrence, Scott Lynch and Daniel Polansky.

Readers can't get enough of Blackwing:

'A splendid debut that is brilliantly written and I found it amazingly difficult to put down. It superbly presents a completely original, complex and epic fantasy world with incredible and believable characters' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Blackwing is, simply put, awesome. It's gritty, edgy, suspenseful, and often poignant' Nicholas Eames

'One of the greatest fantasy books I've read in my life. Perfect in every possible way. Ed McDonald is on a par with Joe Abercrombie and Brandon Sanderson' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Quickly gained the rare distinction of being one of those books that felt as if it had been written especially for me . . . A remarkably assured fantasy debut that mixes of the inventiveness of China Mieville with the fast pace heroics of David Gemmell' Anthony Ryan

'Blackwing is a new entry into the Grim Dark Fantasy realm, and a well written one . . . Venture in if you dare' Robin Hobb

'From start to finish I was excited to read this book! . . . The story is continuously in motion and there is so much magic! All kinds even! . . . Read this epic debut!' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'This thing is just magnificent . . . an astonishingly accomplished debut' Peter McLean

'Ed McDonald is a great story-teller and as such its 360 odd pages fly by . . . well paced with incredible characters and a refreshing and original world and magic' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

'Blackwing is a truly unique vision of a world, set with an eclectic mix of weaponry, technology and science and a brilliant magic system' Anna Stephens

'Like if Joe Abercrombie told a story in the voice of The Warden from Low Town . . . Will definitely be following up with the series' Goodreads reviewer, ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

• ISBN10: 1473222036
• ISBN13: 9781473222038
• Publish Date: 5 April 2018 (first published 27 July 2017)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Gollancz
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 400
• Language: English

Reviews

[wyvernfriend]

Grim but worked for me It surprised me how well this worked for me. The characters were well drawn and felt quite real to me.
The Misery is a wasteland, a frontier between the Republic and the Deep Kings. A war that has been going for a long time. Captain Ryhalt Galharrow hunts traitors and spies and tries to drink away his memories of his past while dealing with a supernatural creature that lives under his skin and occasionally gives him orders.
Now something is going very drastically wrong and the Deep Kings are at the gates and he has to do something or die or worse, because the Deep Kings don't want subjects, they want slaves.
It's dark and deep and I found it very interesting.

[llamareads]

Nall's Engine was created by the Nameless and last used a hundred years ago to push the Deep Kings away from Dortmark, creating the magic-warped landscape of the Misery. Legions of Talents toil away spinning phos from moonlight to power the engines, while more powerful magicians, called Spinners, can use the phos as a weapon. The stalemate seems ready to hold for another hundred years until Ryhalt Galharrow is sent to retrieve a Spinner from one of the Stations near the Misery. The woman from his past, however, doesn't need to be saved - rather, she needs help unveiling a treasonous plot that's infiltrated farther than anyone could expect.

Wow. Just wow. I usually avoid grimdark because so many books that brand themselves as that seem just wallow in misery and throw in a bit of a plot as an afterthought. I was pleasantly surprised by this book from the first chapter. Yes, there's the general "life sucks and then you die" background of the book, but there's also great characters, political plots, and hints of humor. The action is a bit backloaded in the book, but the twisty plot held my interest well enough that I didn't mind and honestly didn't even really notice.

It took me a chapter or so to get in to the story, but after that, I was hooked. The magic system is original and fascinating, Ezabeth and Nenn are amazing awesome, and Ryhalt is the perfect mix of flawed hero. The Brides, drudge, and Darlings are creepy-spectacular. This is the first in a series, but it works well as a standalone. Unlike the first in some other series, I felt like the main plot wrapped up to a satisfying conclusion. Definitely recommended to anyone looking for an exciting, enthralling read!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in return for an honest review.