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 libertine: 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.
Review:
The Envoys of War is that feel-good, humorous blast of D&D style fantasy you never knew you needed. Lawson takes you on a ride filled with laughter and action that rarely lets up as Gen and Cordyn become embroiled in a dark mystery that will keep you hooked. The writing is of high quality throughout, and the characterisation, which can be loud and brash, is subtler than it first seems, as their friendship struggles under the weight of their initial mission and later, the introduction of Tobias (who may well be under your skin by the time the book is finished).
The pace is breathless, and so at times the deeper level of intrigue and politics may not be fully explored, but the true gold standard of this book is how it makes you feel. As the natural and witty banter flies, you can’t help but smile and start searching for your dice, while memories of the best campaign you ever played in run through your head. You know the one ‒ when your party bounced off each other all night long. Highly recommended.
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