Synopsis

Don’t kill the messengers.

As a bodyguard for the King’s Envoys, Gen is content with her life of traveling, drinking wine, and hitting things with her sword. It’s the perfect job. Until the King sends her and her friend Cordyn into war-torn enemy territory on a mission to deliver vital military intelligence to an allied nation.

The problem? The mission is a sham.

Gen is tasked with determining if Cordyn is a spy who is selling information to the enemy. Cordyn is the worst kind of brash, arrogant, and on the run from half the husbands in the kingdom, but Gen can’t imagine him betraying her or their nation.

With obtuse bandits, vengeful mages, and a resolute lutist, they embark on a daring rescue mission, complicated by Cordyn’s increasingly complex schemes. As ominous enemy plots surface, Gen and Cordyn must decide what matters most. Their nation, or their friends.

A rollicking fantasy adventure for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, Nicholas Eames, and Michael J. Sullivan.

Quick Review

The Envoys of War is a delightful fantasy adventure with loads of heart. I absolutely adored this story and the band of misfits in it.

Full Review

Despite some solid action scenes and mysteries in the beginning of the book, Envoys of War took some time for me to really get into it. I enjoyed the first third, but author Dave Lawson is really building toward something that doesn’t shine until about that point—a third of the way into the book. By then, Envoys of War shifts from something of an inoffensive and lighthearted fantasy story to one that’s got something to say. And at no point does Lawson lose the fun sense of wit or adventure which made this book fun from the beginning.

But, I’m getting ahead of myself. This book is fundamentally about Gen and Cordyn, and the companions they meet on their journey across the continent. Seeing them assemble this group of soldiers, rogues, and mages—friends and enemies aligning for a common cause—is nothing short of a delight. That’s not to say there weren’t some darker themes and scenes, but at the end of the day I come away thinking about how fun this story was. This is perhaps the least useful comparison, but it reminded me of the show Scrubs, which could at a moments notice balance on the edge of comedy and drama.

The balance between Cordyn talking his way out of bad situations and Gen cutting her way through problems with her massive sword keeps every scene exciting as well, since each problem could feasibly be solved either way.

I also really enjoyed the way Lawson approached magic in The Envoys of War. It’s entirely based on water (imagine Avatar: The Last Airbender waterbenders) but he still manages to come up with creative and violent uses for it throughout the book, from simple ice daggers to complex water-based magical locks. It’s both approachable, and interesting to see how each mage uses their abilities, as well as the way people treat them. There’s an almost Witcher-esque feeling to the way people without magic (and thus a lack of understanding of it) villainize mages here.

I did have one or two minor qualms with this book, but overall I think Lawson did exactly what he wanted to—and those minor issues are likely more about my personal taste than with the story. For example, in the beginning I felt there might be slightly too many perspective changes within a chapter. However, I got used to it, and that wasn’t really even on my mind by the end.

I highly recommend The Envoys of War. It’s a brilliantly fun adventure that ends with a clear direction for where the series will likely go, and I’m very curious to see that. 

I’ll add that I listened to the audiobook narrated by Lawrence Stirling Knott and he did an excellent job with this story as well, lending an extra punch to each of the action and comic scenes. If you have a spare audio credit, I’d absolutely toss it Lawson’s way.

Thank you to the author for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.