BIG DAMN MAGIC

In Pettway’s third installment of the Misplaced Mercenaries series, a novice sorceress struggles to take command of god magic while a deposed king fights for his city.

Continuing on from the events of Blow Out the Candle When You Leave (2020), Keane, the foulmouthed yet good-hearted mercenary-turned-king, has fled Greenshade with his pregnant wife, Megan. Seemingly already at the nadir of their fortunes, they are captured by the Free Hand—a small group of cutthroats led by Keane’s former boss and nemesis, Marshal Harden Grayspring. When Greenshade fell, it was due to treachery. To reclaim his throne and keep Megan safe, Keane must throw in his lot with Harden. But can he secure allies enough to retake Greenshade and then defend the city once again—this time from the remorseless invading army sent by Emperor Brannok of Tyrrane? Keane’s best friend Sarah, meanwhile, who is both a fearsome warrior and a sorceress in the making, finds herself trekking across a desert searching for the so-called Wailing Prison. Sarah pledged to find a weapon to use against an evil sorcerer whose immense power has corrupted Emperor Brannok. But even if Sarah can survive the screaming sands that surround the prison tower and successfully petition the goddess there interned, will she have the strength of mind to employ god magic—intricate spells that if miscast prove deadly to their wielder? Pettway devotes time not only to Keane and Sarah, but also to Brannok and to the story’s other antagonist, Hulda Hubrane, so the villains are afforded intriguing depth. This adds to the believability of the fantasy setting, as does the raft of strong female characters. The prose is breezy, and the story rattles along in a series of short chapters, sweeping the reader up with its camaraderie, action, foulmouthed banter, and irreverent celebration of the antihero. Manna for those who don’t take the genre too seriously.

Fast moving and fun; a lively reimagining of quest fantasy.