A Practical Guide to Conquering the World: The Siege, Book 3 (The Siege, #3)

by K. J. Parker

This is the true story of Aemilius Felix Boioannes the younger, the intended and unintended consequence of his life, the bad stuff he did on purpose, and the good stuff that happened in spite of him.

It is, in other words, the tale of a war to end all wars and the man responsible.

A Practical Guide to Conquering the World can be read by itself, but for those who like endings, it can also be considered the refreshingly pragmatic conclusion to K. J. Parker's acclaimed sequence of novels that began with Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City and continued with How To Rule An Empire And Get Away With It


Praise for K. J Parker:

'Readers are ensured a good time and a barrel of laughs to boot' Publishers Weekly on How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It

'Parker's latest epic fantasy proves that all the world is, indeed, a stage, and Parker himself is a master impresario. Readers will enjoy his comedic take on how politics are comprised of equal parts lies, incompetence, and the foolishness of humanity-with just enough flashes of brilliance to save the day. Recommended for fans of Terry Pratchett' Library Journal on How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It

'Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun' SFX on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

'Launches a witty adventure series . . . Readers will appreciate the infusion of humor and fun-loving characters into this vivid and sometimes grim fantasy world' Publishers Weekly on Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

• ISBN10: 0356514390
• ISBN13: 9780356514390
• Publish Date: 13 January 2022 (first published 11 January 2022)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Imprint: Orbit
• Format: Paperback (B-Format (198x129 mm))
• Pages: 384
• Language: English

Reviews

[Metaphorosis Reviews]

3.5 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews

Summary
An unassuming translator in a far capital finds his entire country has been wiped out, and that he himself has only a tenuous grasp on survival. He sets out to make the best of it, and a little more.

Review
I won’t rehash my overall view of K.J. Parker’s approach. I’ve done that in other reviews. Here, I’ll talk only about this book. In addition, this is the third book in a loosely related series, and I’ve not read the first two, but this does function well as a standalone book.

As always with Parker, the writing is excellent, the tone sardonic but appealing, the hero understated but engaging. As is also often the case, but ever more so here, the book is desperately in need of a map. The plot wanders across countries with abandon, especially in the final third, where we cross half a dozen countries in the span of a few pages, none carefully placed, and with no real sense of where in the world we are. The story clearly takes place in Parker’s larger universe, with recognizable nations like the Aram Chantat and Aram No Vei, but his preference for generic names (the City, the Empire) makes it very hard to place anything in context. He clearly recognizes and makes fun of his own tendencies here, but that doesn’t make things easier. (He also alludes in passing to earlier books such as The Fencer and Devices and Desires.)

As typical with Parker, the main joy here is not so much the plot as the journey – following along with the protagonist as he stumbles (or does he) his way through one difficulty after another. Late in the book, Parker raises some larger questions about intent and self-determination, but then drops them without any kind of resolution. The end of the book in general I found to be something of a letdown. Neither the protagonist’s arc nor that of his nation is really concluded; they both simply fizzle out in a disappointing coda.

Well written and engaging without breaking any new ground. Good for Parker diehards and newcomers; less so for casual fans.

I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.