Synopsis:
No Mercy, No Questions Asked.
Cork has quickly made a name for himself among the Kosellan mercenaries, but now his boss has come to him with an unusual job. Cork’s erstwhile countrymen, the Winn, have hired to him to travel into the barren Frozen Lands and destroy a convoy, leaving only one survivor.
Cork isn’t sure he can trust the Winn. He feels like a pawn in their political game. However, his mother is sick and the Winn have promised to heal her if Cork does the job. And killing is what Cork does best.
To make matters worse. Cork’s crew has been decided for him: Arabella, an inexperienced and infuriating archer, and Nessa, a gloomy criminal with murder on her mind.
Cork will have to figure out how to complete the job, avoid Winn treachery, and manage conflicts with Arabella and Nessa along the way.
It’s going to be chaos.
Review:
The Pawns of Havoc is a quick-reading novella that serves as an introduction to the author’s Envoys of Chaos series. As someone who hasn’t read the related series, I can say with certainty that it works well as a standalone.
The story follows Cork, a career mercenary. He’s a bit gruff and he’s deadly with his axe, but the reader also gets to see his human side. He takes the jobs he does to help his family (particularly his ailing mother), and even though he’s a hired killer, there are lines he won’t cross. I really liked that about him.
Cork’s primary companions in this story are Arabella and Nessa. Arabella is chatty and naïve, and at first, Cork doesn’t have much patience for her. Nessa is brooding and violent, a career assassin that could probably be described as a true sociopath. With two personalities that are so polar opposite, Cork’s often stuck playing peace-maker until their job is finished.
The trio are hired by the Winn, who are a group of mages that everyone fears. There weren’t many details provided about the Winn, but from the little given, they sounded like a cult. I wish this story would have expanded on the Winn and their role in the world. As it stands, they’re the shadowy figures in the background that pop up to scare people now and again, but it felt like there’s a lot more to them that wasn’t explained.
Overall, I thought this was a fun little story and a good introduction to the author’s writing.
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