Introduction
In “Servants of War,” Larry Correia and Steve Diamond transport readers to the grim, war-torn world of Novimir, where two empires engage in endless trench warfare. Seemingly drawing inspiration from a variety of sources, including “Warhammer 40K” and “Starship Troopers,” as well as World War I trench warfare action right out of “1917,” the novel follows Illarion as he pilots an empty husk of golem in a conflict sparked by a thousand-year war between two sister goddesses. This military fantasy, a grimdark fantasy epic, is sure to satisfy crossover fans of the grimdark genre.
This is the first book in the “Age of Ravens” series, I hope we have years of entertainment to come.
Authors
Larry Correia is a bestselling author known for his military fantasy and science fiction novels. I’ve read all of “The Grimnoir Chronicles”, “Sage of the Forgotten Warrior” and “Monster Hunter International Series.”
Steven Diamond is a much less experienced author, this being his first novel published by a major publishing house, Baen. This is the first book I’ve read of his, hopefully there will be many more in the future.
Summary
Readers are introduced to Illarion Glaskov, a young man living in the far reaches of the Kolaklovian empire on the alien world of Novimir. The world, now home to humans who crossed through mists from Earth, is ruled by two warring goddesses, two surviving members mythical Three Sisters.
When Illarion’s village is attacked by monstrous creatures, he is injured and left to flee for his life. He is rescued by the Witch, one of the Sisters, who tells him that his village’s failure to send soldiers to fight in the ongoing war with Almacia voided her protection pact with Kolaklovia.
The deaths of Illarion’s loved ones are thus his own fault, and he is charged with serving the Tsar and by proxy the Witch as atonement. Guilt-ridden, Illarion makes his way to the capital city of Cobetsnya to enlist in the military and begin his journey as a servant of war.
As he undergoes intense training in the capital city of Cobetsnya, Illarion is singled out for The Wall, an elite regiment of the Tsar’s army that pilots armored suits. He demonstrates an unusual aptitude for operating the war machines and is thrown into a brutal trench war.
But the story is not just about combat – it also delves into political intrigue of the empire, thanks to the cunning and villainous character of secret policeman Kristoph Vols, who introduces readers to the mysteries of golems. The key to the power of these golems lies in the runes inscribed on their bodies, and control over these runes can determine the outcome of the war.
Kristoph Vols’s employs Natalya a sharpshooter in dangerous special forces like missions to further his palace intrigues. Natalya is a compelling character that adds some romance when she teams up with Illarion.
Evaluation
The world building is excellent and seems ripe for further exploration. I’m intrigued with the origins of Novimir, the religion of the Three Sisters and the magic that creates the immensely powerful golems. The action is excellently plotted and moves at a breathtaking pace.
If I had to criticize, it’d come from one of the book’s strengths; it’s fast pace. I’d love to have seen another few chapters on Illarion in his normal world. I’m a fan of epic fantasy and therefore there are few fantasy books that I find couldn’t be improved with an additional few hundred pages. This book’s pacing makes it’s 435 pages seem short. It does leave plenty of room to explore in further installments of the “Age of Ravens” series.
Conclusion
If you like face paced grimdark military fantasy “Servants of War” is the book for you and if you don’t you should give it a try anyway. This book might make a convert of you.
It is a pleasure to experience well-written grimdark military fantasy, especially after failure after failure in fantasy in this “grimdark age” of streaming fantasy television, such as “Rings of Power”, “The Wheel of Time” and excretable “Willow.”
