Author: David L. McDaniel
Book: The Warrior’s Bane (War for the Quarterstar Shards #1)
Published: October 2018
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
Genre: Fantasy
Source: eBook
Rating:
Synopsis:
The former mercenary just wanted to leave his past behind. Alaezdar had become a man with a price on his head and wanted nothing more than a place to call home. He thought he’d found it when he stumbled into the farming community of Valewood. As a festival starts, an evil sorceress, a wizard, and goblin-like gronts attack Valewood, shattering his hopes for peace. The point of the attack is to kidnap a teenage girl and draw Alaezdar into the open. Forced to assist his newfound home, he takes up his magic sword, Bloodseeker, and wades into the battle.
The enemy kidnaps the girl, and the desperate villagers turn to Alaezdar for help. While he is sure this quest is a suicide mission, Alaezdar sets off with a small band to save the girl. Before they reach the journey’s end, Alaezdar will learn more than he cares to of an ancient Elven prophecy, setting him up as the catalyst to the realm’s destruction or salvation.
Review:
Warrior’s Bane is the first book of the War for the Quarterstar Shards series. It follows the story of Alaezdar as he starts out to save a young friend from being sacrificed to a goblin god, only to find himself part of a larger plan. His old mercenary company hunts him. The book had several twists and turns and, mostly, kept control of the various threads.
The author does show a weakness for long exposition that he might have dealt with as dialog. However, David L. McDaniel tells an interesting story. The battle scenes were good, and the intrigue was gripping.
I’m looking forward to the second book in the series.
Kurt's Frontier 