Thrall by Steven Shrewsbury (Review)

Genre:	Fantasy, Adventure
Publication.Date	November 23rd 2010
Pages:	288
Published By:	Seventh Star Press
Website	Steven Shrewsbury
	Thrall - Goodreads
My review copy:	Review copy sent by the publisher (thank you!)
Where to get:	Barnes and Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

     Set in the mists of ancient times, Thrall tells the story of Gorias La Gaul, an aging warrior who has lived for centuries battling the monstrosities of legend and lore. It is an age when the Nephilum walk the earth, demonic forces hunger to be unleashed, and dragons still soar through the skies … living and undead.

On a journey to find one of his own blood, a young man who is caught in the shadow of necromancy, Gorias' path crosses with familiar enemies, some of whom not even death can hold bound. Thrall is gritty, dark-edged heroic fantasy in the vein of Robert E. Howard and David Gemmell. It is a maelstrom of hard-hitting action and unpredictable imagery, taking place within an incredible antediluvian world. In Gorias La Gaul, Thrall introduces an iconic new character to the realms of fantasy literature.

Thrall invites the reader to go on a perilous journey where it is not a matter of whether one has the courage to die, but whether one has the courage to live.

"Sending a dead man to stop more dead men from rising again. Who is the fool here?"

"You can't scare a man who's practically dead."

"Don't listen to undead wizards."

     Taking place in ancient times, Thrall by Steven Shrewsbury is a wonderfully crafted and compelling heroic fantasy.  It’s a fascinating, character driven story that has it all: legendary heroes, kick-ass actions, epic battles, evil villains and monsters. 

     The protagonist of this story, Gorias La Gaul, is an aging warrior and a legend. There is not a single person on earth that wouldn’t be familiar with his heroic actions. He’s so famous that at one point people stopped believing that he actually exists. But he sure does, and despite his age (700-year-old and counting!) he still knows how to kick ass! In his life he killed countless dragons and Nephilum, as well as people who were foolish enough to cross him. 

     Dark days have come, the evil legions of Nosmada are growing in strength, more and more dead are raising to join them. With no one else brave enough to stop the dark powers from taking over the world, Gorias is going to have to take matters into his own hands.  Together with his grandson, a bard and a tough young female warrior he must engage in a battle once again. 

     Thrall is without any doubt a character driven story. Each of the characters are clearly defined and explored throughout the book. They’re not pretty, sweet little characters that you would want to cuddle with, they’re very dark and rough characters, with ugly scars and many flaws. But that only makes them more human and it’s easier for us, readers, to relate to them and get engrossed in their story. 

     Steven Shrewsbury has a gift - he writes stunningly good fantasy which is gritty and realistic. There is no airy-faerie whiff about his work, and no long, over-complicated back story either.  Steven’s writing style is exquisite, and a true example of how all fantasy novels should be written. Thrall is badass. It’s a real man fantasy novel through and through, and even though testosterone leaks from the pages, I, as a woman, thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It’s not a secret that I have a soft spot for good fantasy novels, and this definitely is one. It has a solid, interesting and well paced plot, the characters are vividly depicted and very real, and above all, it’s unique, fresh and breathtaking. 

      I didn't know what to expect when picking this novel up, but I'm really glad that I did. It was an imaginative and unpredictable story, filled with fast paced action and many unexpected twists. The tension and narrative pull was strong throughout the whole novel. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Thrall, it was a powerful and entertaining read and I strongly recommend it to all heroic fantasy fans!