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A review by kayshiddenshelf
The Court of Broken Knives by Anna Smith Spark
4.0
4/5 Stars
I can certainly see why Anna Smith Spark has earned the title Queen of Grimdark. The world and characters are bleak with any hope tainted by great cost and insanity.
The story is told through four POVs. Tobias a grizzled merc leading his company to Sorlost to complete a mission, Marith a dangerous man hired into Tobias’ company, Thalia a high priestess seeking more to life and Orhan a nobleman plotting to overthrow the emperor.
The first aspect that stood out to me was the prose, it’s brief, direct, and poetic. Personally, I enjoyed it and found it added beautifully to the overall tone of the story. However, I can see the prose being a “make or break” aspect for readers. Initially the prose can feel jarring but by the end of the first few chapters I become comfortable with it. An aspect that may have also helped with this for me was immersion reading the physical book and audiobook.
Meanwhile the characters did take me longer to connect with as this felt like a mix of plot and character driven storytelling. Marith and Tobias, for example, became compelling characters for me, while Orhan and Thalia lacked depth in comparison. Mind you, I could see the groundwork being laid out and I’m curious to see if this is simply the beginning for their character work and how their arcs continue in the sequel and finale.
One aspect I thoroughly enjoyed was the choices and circumstances these characters face. Gray morality is certainly present within each character impacting their choices in unforeseen ways. This in turn created twists in the plot, and the psychology of the characters were captivating. There's also themes of addiction, the meaning of living and legends which felt thoughtfully executed.
Another standout aspect was the battles, and action. Anna Smith Spark takes gruesome battles and somehow manages to capture a twisted beauty in killing and death. This was something I never anticipated but added a thrilling and unique tone to the overall story.
The pacing also felt mixed for me. The first half having a slow burn to introduce the characters, political tensions, and plotlines. While events drive the second half into a thrilling and fast paced read full of action.
Overall, this debut makes a compelling introduction to Anna Smith Sparks writing for any grimdark fantasy fan out there. It also sets the stage for what I anticipate being a new favourite series.
I look forward to continuing this trilogy and what I can only predict will be a dark and terrible journey ahead.
I can certainly see why Anna Smith Spark has earned the title Queen of Grimdark. The world and characters are bleak with any hope tainted by great cost and insanity.
The story is told through four POVs. Tobias a grizzled merc leading his company to Sorlost to complete a mission, Marith a dangerous man hired into Tobias’ company, Thalia a high priestess seeking more to life and Orhan a nobleman plotting to overthrow the emperor.
The first aspect that stood out to me was the prose, it’s brief, direct, and poetic. Personally, I enjoyed it and found it added beautifully to the overall tone of the story. However, I can see the prose being a “make or break” aspect for readers. Initially the prose can feel jarring but by the end of the first few chapters I become comfortable with it. An aspect that may have also helped with this for me was immersion reading the physical book and audiobook.
Meanwhile the characters did take me longer to connect with as this felt like a mix of plot and character driven storytelling. Marith and Tobias, for example, became compelling characters for me, while Orhan and Thalia lacked depth in comparison. Mind you, I could see the groundwork being laid out and I’m curious to see if this is simply the beginning for their character work and how their arcs continue in the sequel and finale.
One aspect I thoroughly enjoyed was the choices and circumstances these characters face. Gray morality is certainly present within each character impacting their choices in unforeseen ways. This in turn created twists in the plot, and the psychology of the characters were captivating. There's also themes of addiction, the meaning of living and legends which felt thoughtfully executed.
Another standout aspect was the battles, and action. Anna Smith Spark takes gruesome battles and somehow manages to capture a twisted beauty in killing and death. This was something I never anticipated but added a thrilling and unique tone to the overall story.
The pacing also felt mixed for me. The first half having a slow burn to introduce the characters, political tensions, and plotlines. While events drive the second half into a thrilling and fast paced read full of action.
Overall, this debut makes a compelling introduction to Anna Smith Sparks writing for any grimdark fantasy fan out there. It also sets the stage for what I anticipate being a new favourite series.
I look forward to continuing this trilogy and what I can only predict will be a dark and terrible journey ahead.