Traitor's Blade by Sebastien de CastellMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a great read! Just go read it.
An outstanding first book.
In my world, 5 stars means that I'd be willing to buy a copy and give it away.
A fantastic book about three judges/magistrates that travel the land ensuring that everyone obeys the law. The prospect of limited power naturally draws the ire of the Dukes that hold most of the power.
To ensure that the law is obeyed, the King has trained and equipped these magistrates to be able to personally enforce the law.
At the start of the book, the King is already dead. He was killed by the armies of the Dukes. What unfolds is the story of how the King as an unlikely heir became King and how the magistrates because magistrates.
Also unfolding is the King's quests that he gave to every magistrate before he surrendered to the Dukes.
I find the premise of the book to be fascinating in that it reflects some very common sense notions about government and the law. The King, while he lived, had a small government that was only strong in the areas where it was able to be strong. There is also the theme of ensuring that no one is every above the law.
The ending provoked a very strong reaction from me. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Hopefully, this series will live up to the expectations of this first book. We should expect this book to be on the short list for every award.
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