Sunday, June 12, 2011

Thrall by Steven Shrewsbury (Review)

Genre:Fantasy, Adventure
Publication.Date  November 23rd 2010
Pages:288
Published By:  Seventh Star Press
WebsiteSteven 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!




17 comments:

Ashton Amo said...

hey you! i just wanted to say, love what you've done with the blog and i do so love your reviews!

ME said...

Oo this sounds good. I loved David Gemmell's "Legend" and your review brought that to mind. I'll keep an eye open for this!

P.S. Loving the new look of the blog =D

Ishita Singh said...

"Sending a dead man to stop more dead men from rising again. Who is the fool here?" <--- I <3 this quote lol...this book sounds great though ! ps. i love the background of your blog !

Alexis @ Reflections of a Bookaholic said...

Stopping in to say I love the new look and the changes around your blog :)

Nikita said...

Heey :D it sounds interesting and I think I haven´t read this type of book. Your review is really good and I like quotes you chose. :D I like: "You can't scare a man who's practically dead." :D Thanks for the review.:)
Nikita

ibeeeg said...

I love character driven stories, AND I love stories in ancient times with legendary heroes and such. This book sound like one I would really like. It is going on my to-read list right now.

aurora M. said...

Sounds like a book to change things up a bit. Thanks for the review! I really like this plain but appealing cover.

Krystal Larson said...

I typically enjoy books containing Nephilum, I'm sure I'll like this.

Unknown said...

I am going to have to see if I can get a copy of this one. Great review! :)

roro said...

I typically enjoy books containing Nephilum, I'm sure I'll like this.

so like the review
never heard of this 1

therainhouse said...

700 years old? Is Gorias human?

You've definitely got my attention now.


Fantasy/adventure books are right up my alley.

So, Thrall is on my TBR list now

therainhouse said...

700 years old? Is Gorias human?

You've definitely got my attention now.


Fantasy/adventure books are right up my alley.

So, Thrall is on my TBR list now

FairyWhispers said...

sounds intriguing

Munnaza said...

Thrall is one of my favorite fantasy books, so I'm so glad you reviewed it (so little people seem to know about this book)! I think "character driven story" is the best way to describe it, and I totally agree, it was more than powerful and entertaining. Your review is actually making me want to read it again!

Mary Preston said...

I was drawn to the cover first of all. THRALL looks like a fabulous read. Thank you for your review.

Jaime Lester said...

I have a bookmark of Thrall that I am using as we speak in my current read, and every time I look at it I tell myself that I have got to get over to Amazon and buy the book. Every time I say it, I start reading and get pulled into the story and forget all about heading over to Amazon. Thanks to your review, I think I will actually remember to go to Amazon and see about getting a copy of this on my shelves. It sounds amazing.

Jaime Lester said...

I have a bookmark of Thrall that I am using as we speak in my current read, and every time I look at it I tell myself that I have got to get over to Amazon and buy the book. Every time I say it, I start reading and get pulled into the story and forget all about heading over to Amazon. Thanks to your review, I think I will actually remember to go to Amazon and see about getting a copy of this on my shelves. It sounds amazing.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...