‘The Swordsman’s Lament’ by G.M. White is a fantasy thriller that is the beginning of a new series titled The Royal Champion Book 1. It is only 206 pages so not a taxing read at all!
What seems to be a tale of a warrior, but soon spins it all on its head. Belasko is past his prime but still the most skilled warrior in the kingdom. The kings champion, he is the epitome of the champion. All he wants is to serve his country and king, although he will never back down from a fight. One day, out of Belasko just being kind he is abruptly arrested and charged with murder, and the murder of the Prince of the Kingdom, no less. He is now alone, friendless and without his trusty weapon. He does his utmost to escape and discover who is at the root of the treachery against his King and to stop the threat against his beloved country.
I enjoyed learning about Belasko and every side to him too. We see he is skilled in his career, but at the wrong end of said career. He can still take on as many men as needed at the time, but his body is ageing as time goes by. He is respected by the king and even prince who both listen to his opinion and he discovers a talented cook and has her taken on in the king’s kitchen, ultimately he has brains as well as brawn with hidden depths, I took to him immediately. The Prince is murdered and the blame falls immediately to Belasko, so he finds himself alone.
The story changes direction in a very clever way and becomes more fantasy thriller-like, with Belasko a very competent and highly skilled swordsman on the run while attempting to discover who is the murderer and clear his own name. During this time we meet quite a few people who have crossed paths with the swordsman over the years, including an enemy of his. Through these meetings, we are treated to flashbacks of his background and how he got to be the legend he is.
A fast read and the action flowed throughout the book nicely. As the story develops it raises the questions of honour, trust and the parts in between as we see Belasko attempt to discover why him?! A great introduction to a new hero and world that I look forward to returning to someday.
Thank you to Overview Media and the publisher for the book to join the blog blitz today.
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