Book Review: In The Shadow Of War (The Dark Mage Chronicles Book 1)
In The Shadow Of War (The Dark Mage Chronicles Book 1). Bradley R. Mitzelfelt. Hawks Barrow Press, Third Edition, April 3, 2016, Kindle Edition, 326 pages.
Reviewed by Stephanie Wilson Medlock.
In the Shadow of War, which sets the stage for two additional books in the series, establishes a fantasy world made up of various beings, among them humans, orcs, Blood Knights, and elves, plus the beings of the “Mist” who inhabit one of the region’s vales.
The book opens with the murder of the minister of religion in the human town of Brivan, within the Kingdom of Amarand. When evidence indicates that an elf or Devan was responsible for the human minister’s murder, war with the Devans is declared immediately.
Dearic, the hero and adopted son of the King in Brivan, holds the position of Ardour, a guardsman who protects the kingdom. He is sent off to find the killer and bring back a necklace that was stolen off the body of the minister.
Dearic wants to avert war, believing that nothing good can come of the upcoming battle. Against his wishes, his father sends him on his quest with a captain of the guards, Macullo, and Drae’ne, a female cleric who claims to be an assistant to the murdered minister.
Dearic is unaware that the minister’s death and a series of other dire magical happenings are the work of Gregor, an evil Mage, whose plan is to destroy the world and reestablish “Chaos.” The author paints a vivid picture of this homicidal magician, describing his pleasure in sending a flaming bolt to destroy any of his servants who displease him, his odd verbal quirks (he says “Yeh Yeh” a lot), and his affection for his cat, who remains indifferent to his terrifying master throughout the book.
In the Shadow of War reads like the verbal equivalent of a video game. Dearic and his companions fight one set of magical antagonists after another, with barely time to rest in between. The author does an excellent job of describing each of these battles along with the scenery and antagonists, who follow one another with confusing rapidity. Given the current glut of fantasy/war novels on the market, Mitzelfelt creates an original and interesting universe where magic is admired in some quarters and despised in others. His description of the people of the Mist, who have been trapped as water vapor by an evil spell, is particularly imaginative.
Don’t look to the novel for psychological motivations or much character development. This is a fast paced adventure, with little stop for reflection. Mitzelfelt’s least consistent writing is his dialog, which refuses to adhere to any particular style. Some lines are delivered in the style of King Arthur, as when Dearic says, “I am not planning on giving you a choice but to let me live. You made your choice in life. The punishment for bandits is death. Same for all who would attack helpless travelers.”
Other bits of speech sound like present day teenagers, as when a leader of the Thieves Guild, who has temporarily captured Dearic comments, “Professional courtesy. Right. We’re thieves, not assassins. But I like your style. And the fact that you had the guts to actually say that to me,” she said, smirking. “So what’s the deal?”
In the Shadow of War will appeal to fans of fantastical kingdoms always on the brink of war. It is full of suspense and leaves the reader wondering what will happen next. Overall, it is an engaging addition to the fantasy genre.