Vedren Chel holds every oath of service sacred ― except his own.
His father’s sermons on the nobility of duty left him ill-prepared for the grind of service to his indolent step-uncle. Chel’s wretched oath has dragged him from home and family across a war-splintered kingdom; he craves an escape from this life.
When foreign invaders heave into port, Chel finds opportunity in the chaos – a bargain with a stranded prince. Escort the prince to safety, and in return: release from his oath, a chance to go home. A solemn duty at last.
But a bargain with a prince is never a simple thing, and greater forces are at play than Chel realises. Heavy wheels are turning. Assassins and mercenaries lurk in every shadow, many bearing smiles as sharp as their knives.
As a kingdom’s dark conspiracy turns its gaze towards him, Chel must decide just how much he will sacrifice in duty’s name.
Prepare to join the Black Hawk Company.
I really, really, really am trying to not start too many new fantasy series when I have so many that I still need to finish.
But, well.
Sometimes curiosity gets the best of me. That paired with the whole “Fucking hell, I’ve had this on my shelf for so long now!” vibe. Add in some FOMO I guess, and also the panic of an author releasing another new book with ANOTHER EPIC COVER (THE COMPANY OF THE WOLF, in this instance) and here we are.
I’d of course been meaning to read David Wragg’s THE BLACK HAWKS for a long time & I’m glad to have finally done it! This was every bit as fun & blood-drenched as I had heard, and I loved it a lot!
This is the first book in the ARTICLES OF FAITH duology. Wragg’s newer series, TALES OF THE PLAINS (the aforementioned THE COMPANY OF THE WOLF being the second in that series) is set in the same world but I’m not sure whether they share much beyond that. Either way, it’s publication order for me all the way, and I’m really excited to get caught up with these books!
So right up front I’ll say, this one didn’t fully capture my imagination until about 75 pages in. Which I wonder if that was a bit intentional?
Because our main character, a minor knight named Vedren Chel, is relentlessly bored. In service to his step-uncle & not really doing a whole lot, he’s increasingly homesick and looking for a way out.
So it’s kind of fortuitous that the city of Denirnas is violently attacked by the Norts, causing Chel to flee in a stolen horse-drawn carriage. Only trouble is, a not-so-minor Prince named Tarfel Merimonsun has stowed away in the carriage. Tarfel strikes a bargain with Chel: if Chel can return Tarfel to his (Tarfel’s) brother, then Chel will be released from his oaths, and free to do as he likes.
It’s when Chel & Tarfel cross paths with The Black Hawks, a band of mercenaries, that things really kick off in this book. I went from just kind of plugging away at the story to feeling that almost delirious feeling you get reading a wild fantasy book where it seems like anything can & will happen.
The Black Hawks themselves are fucking priceless. Chel & Tarfel absolutely grew on me as the story went on, and the plot hinges on them entirely. But oh my, the members of The Black Hawks are unbelievably entertaining, foul-mouthed, unhinged, and violent. I love them all.
There’s Lemon, for sure the most memorable of the bunch for me. If you look up “cantankerous” in the dictionary, you’ll likely find a picture of Lemon. She is a nonstop fountain of profanity, and she is carrying a wide array of small hammers & axes that she is more than proficient in. This is truly one of the funniest and most unhinged characters I’ve met in a long time & I lived for every moment she was on the page.
There’s Spider, who is a wildly nimble climber and who may or may not be trying to murder Chel in his sleep. Spider is a fucking menace, and can be absolutely chilling in certain moments. An interesting, multifaceted character for sure.
I also really liked the inclusion of Whisper, who cannot speak. She kind of lurks around the edges of the story, seems to know significantly more than she lets on, and is an ace shot with a bow & arrow.
You really get to know all the members of The Black Hawks, in some really interesting ways. They aren’t just cookie cutter fantasy characters. Each of them has their own stories & motivations, even if some of those elements stay a bit murky to the reader. And there’s a lot of compelling dynamics within the group, too.
The Black Hawks lead Chel & Tarfel on an absolutely wild adventure across all manner of hostile landscapes, all while a violent group of religious zealots nip at their heels.
This was a fucking blast, for sure. While it did take me just a bit to get really hooked into this one, once I did I just couldn’t get enough of this book. There’s backstabbing & betrays & the grayest of morally gray characters. There’s also some cannibals to watch out for, so you know…watch out for the cannibals.
THE BLACK HAWKS was a delight…crackling dialogue, brutal & bloody action, political scheming, and at the center of it all…an absolutely bonkers found family, hacking and slashing their way across the country. I loved this so much & I can’t wait to check out the second book, THE RIGHTEOUS!
Grimdark Dad 