The Man With The Broken Sword Christopher D. Brand
Blurb:
His legend is spreading, while his enemies are circling. But even a broken sword can be deadly in the right hands.
After surviving his clash with the powerful Lord Chancellor and the Knights of the Holy Order of Robera, a weary but relieved Hale finally returns home to the capital Tylkin, ready to put his recent ordeal behind him. But he finds a city in mourning for the King's traitorous minister and rumours swirling about a notorious swordsman known only as 'the man with the broken sword'.
As he quickly discovers, notoriety has its dangers. And when one of the Lord Barthelme's guards fails to report for duty the investigation takes an explosive twist, as once again Hale finds himself pursued by deadly enemy agents bent on revenge in this thrilling, swashbuckling fantasy sequel.
Review:
Broken Sword is the follow up to Chris’ debut, A Blade For Hire. While not wholly necessary, just mostly, I would recommend reading Blade first. Otherwise, certain references, plot points and character references will be wasted on the reader. Where Blade was an enjoyable and a highly entertaining read Chris comes into his own with The Man With The Broken Sword.
The main character, Hale, a veteran under the employ of a member of the aristocracy of the times, Lord Barthelme, finds his skills best utilized where intrigue calls more for bold action than finesse.
With Hale, Chris builds a supremely likeable character. He is a brute, finding his way through life based on hard earned experience, has a big heart, a big sword, a practical view to solving problems (bold action), flaws and a sharp wit that shines through out the pages in wonderfully constructed dialogue.
The supporting cast of characters is either new to this book or played less prominent roles in A Blade For Hire. The predominant side pals from book one are unavailable for one reason or another, which was disappointing but Chris more than made up for their absence. I fully expect to see them return (those who can) in the next installment. To discuss further would be the stuff of spoilers.
We do have the opportunity to explore in further depth Lord Barthelme and his wife, Lady Barthelme, who both feature predominantly in Hale's misadventures this time around. There is a particularly clumsy, on Hale’s part, romantic side interest providing recurring comedic relief and perhaps a bit of hope, if complicated, for Hale's prospects.
This matchlock swashbuckling tale is perfectly represented by the author's own comp that goes something like, The Three Musketeers where D'Artagnan is John McClane. Yippee-ki-yay! I Added that last bit. The world is more swords and muskets than sorcery. Refreshingly leaning into the swashbuckling theme, the magic is a small thing in the day to day until it is not and only briefly so. The high-end potential for magic is only hinted at and I believe the plot is setting us up for further reveals and a bigger role in things magical. In large part, magic is forgotten and/or largely forbidden. While we don't have a lot of magic flying around the tale does not suffer for it in the least. Quit the opposite in fact.
I'm calling out two storytelling devices that stand out with a deft touch by the author:
Action sequences:
From the hard chase, the stand-up fight, an occasional ambush or encountering overwhelming odds, Chris cobbles together flowing, nail biting and brutal scenes that allow the reader to ride along without missing a beat. The prose avoids overcomplication and provides just the right bits of descriptive stylings making the action scenes a treat for the reader.
Dialogue:
I have a feeling my experience may be difficult for some readers to relate to. But if you know you know. That said, I'm putting this disclaimer right here: Chris is not Shakespeare. BUT! Damn if his ability with cutting, witty, humorous exchanges doesn't conjure to mind some of the best performances of the Great Bard's works that I've seen live or otherwise. Often, it was if I was watching the events and exchanges unfold before me in the Bill’s well-lit Globe Theater. One particular action sequence made this even easier to imagine, RAFO.
The plot picks up with Hale returning home from his misadventures in book one hoping to find some peace and rest. Of course, that is not going to happen. The secretive and dastardly Holy Order of Robera is still at large, rumors abound, and the kingdom is in morning for certain lords and men that met an untimely end in a certain, uh-hum, “tragedy”. Hale tags along to discover why one of Lord Barthelme’s guards failed to report and then things get a bit explosive rather quickly and escalate to a well-executed and satisfying climax.
A little bit on the writing style. I thoroughly enjoy the craftmanship Chris employs. The mechanics of his writing style provide a smooth enjoyable experience. Changes in pace are well timed. Comedic relief is used with proper care to great effect. Banter/dialogue is exceptional. The descriptive stylings are wonderfully balanced delivering the “show” of the trite old saying “Show, don’t tell.”
The Man With The Broken Blade earns my wholehearted recommendation. It was a fun quick paced tale that was difficult to turn the light off on. I found the swashbuckling low magic nature of work refreshing, it was something I didn’t realize I needed.
Yippee-ki-yay! Hale, Yippee-ki-yay!
*Note: Hale does not say “Yippee-ki-yay!” anywhere in the book.
