In The Company of Cowards [Kindle Edition]

D.A. Boulter (Author)

Book Description

In the Company of Cowards: Fantasy; 79,500 Words

Young Rel Panace, son of the First Councilor to the Thane of Greltin, finds himself running like a coward from hoodlums who would beat him, perhaps to death. Trapped in a blind alley, right arm useless, his pursuers catch him. Only the timely intervention of Coll, a man with a brand upon his left cheek, saves him.

Rel discovers this brand marks those found guilty of cowardice on the battlefield, and that many more men in the city carry this mark. They call themselves the Rookschlo, an ancient word meaning "The Betrayed". Drawn to Coll, Rel hopes to learn the skills he needs to survive in the city, to find in himself the inner strength that this 'coward' seems to have.

But other forces are at play, and soon only Rel and the Rookschlo stand between the city and disaster.

Product Details

• File Size: 399 KB
• Print Length: 261 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0096C4H4I
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #282,302 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Another great story from D.A. Boulter September 6, 2012

By Niles Stonne

Format:Kindle Edition

I was lucky enough to get a pre-release version of this book to read through and comment on. This review is based upon the pre-release version.

First, like most of the author's books, I found this to be a compelling and quick read for me. Once you get started and into the characters, it rolls along nicely, with no lulls in the pacing. Like his other books, there is action, but the real core of the story is character growth and interaction. The main character, Rel, starts as a rather foolish young man, and throughout the book grows into something much greater. Beyond Rel, there are several other primary characters, and numerous other interesting side characters.

The book is set in a classic medieval fantasy setting - swords, horses, kings, and the like. It avoids magic altogether, which is a good thing, instead favoring a fairly gritty and realistic setting.

Beyond In the Company of Cowards, I highly recommend Courtesan, and The Steadfasting as well.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic coming of age story, high adventure, intelligent characters October 5, 2012

By P. Robinson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

After reading all of DA Boulter's recent works, I've reached the kind of trust in his writing that I simply immediately buy anything new he has written. I hope DA Boulter enjoys writing his stories as much as we enjoy reading them. If you are new to his writing, any of his recent works, Courtesan , Enemy of Korgan , The Steadfasting , and now this book are truly perfect for entertaining fiction.

Boulter's characters are always intelligent and his protagonists usually work through the twists of the plot while simultaneously wrestling with some deep question. In this book, the protagonists all wrestle with the classic questions of bravery, duty, love, and the duality of victory and defeat. There are two very engaging coming of age stories as a brother and older sister each navigate the sword age politics of the city the story is set in. Also there is a second story of redemption and resignation that allows Boulter to really explore many nuances of cowardice and bravery as the characters face physical and emotional challenges. Boulter's writing style presents the issues he wants his characters to work through in recurring settings which gradually resolve into illumination - the moment when the character fully understands. This allows the reader time to ponder the question presented and enjoy the character's growth along the way. Fortunately in such an intelligent writer who is so interested in exploring character questions - Boulter has zero cynicism. His books are written with a base assumption that moral virtues matter. Put all of this together with fun story telling and action and you have another fine work.

I highly recommend this book as very entertaining and well written.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An outstanding quick read November 13, 2012

By J. Wells

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I really enjoyed this story. It takes a new twist on old themes. It once again presents a hero who has normal human weaknesses and faults. With these human traits he goes through his life that is more interesting than he desires.

More About the Author

D.A. Boulter hates talking about himself in the 3rd person. Finds it annoying.

Since my early school days, Science Fiction and Fantasy have intrigued me, starting with Heinlein, whose Starship Troopers I read in the middle 60s, long before I knew about the social and political themes it carried. My seminal year, though, came in 1974 when I got my hands on a copy of Frank Herbert's "Dune", which fascinated me with its depth and breadth. At that moment I knew SF&F had hooked me.

However, it took another ten years before I seriously considered writing my own material and another ten after that before I began writing in earnest. Now, with the advent of e-readers, I find myself in the very strange position of being a published author, rather than someone who wrote for himself only. It gratifies me that many have read and enjoyed my works. Thank you.

I've worked as a cook, a first-aid attendant, weather observer, radar operator and tech. I've worked in the city, in the woods, and in the Arctic. Just now, I find myself on the West Coast of Canada, with my feline companion -- one of a line of cats who have shared my writing moments (and interrupted them as well).