What we have here is, in short, a quest story but also, so much more than that. The lands here are still recovering from the Goblin Wars and times, for many, are a tad desperate. That is why we find our 'hero' Kinch about to waylay a traveller in the woods on the road into town, a decision that is about to change his life's direction.
There are so many things that impressed me about this book. First up is the attention to detail both in the world building and the tiny 'extra' details (a prime example being money - different coins and different denominations from different areas could be really dull but the author has given Kinch a love of coins that makes it seem interesting).
The world itself reminded me a lot of Edding's Belgariad with lots of different peoples populating various lands and our gang passing through them. No two countries quite the same leaves the reader feeling they are part of a Grand Tour - and I absolutely loved it! There's a snap of the map below.
Where the author really excels though is dialogue. Buehlman also does the Renaissance Fair circuit in the US as Christophe the Insultor - where people pay him to insult them (check out YouTube - he's very funny). It seems he has given CtI's word skills to Kinch who is the Narrator he and reading him is an absolute joy. I lost track of how many times I had to stop reading as I was laughing so much.
The Blacktongue Thief has the makings of a true genre classic and I cannot wait for more
5/5* Must Read
This is the first day of the tour (thanks for the invite Will O'Mullane) so make sure you check out the rest of the posts for more insights into the world of Kinch Na Shannack, The Blacktongue Thief.
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