Customer Reviews

Priest (Ratcatchers)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Priest is a very good first novel, and a pretty good read all-around.

I tend to rate books I like more than dislike a 3 out of 5 stars, books I particularly enjoyed a 4 out of 5, and books that I think are just outstanding a 5 out 5.

Having just recently read a somewhat entertaining but workmanlike book by a professional author working in a setting I enjoy, I'm reminded by Priest of what the difference between a 4-star and 3-star book really is.

What makes it stand out? I was curious about the characters the entire time, I felt the protagonist's frustrations as he ran into stubborn refusal or confusing revelations, I laughed at the way certain scenes played out or classic fantasy tropes were included, and I shared clever lines with my wife.

"Campaigners," people who form adventuring groups that do work for hire or set off on quests of glory or gold, are called "Ratcatchers" because they're seen as distasteful and nasty but sometimes necessary by the locals. Knights and Priests call on patron saints that grant them boons of protection or martial prowess in exchange for service. Retired adventurers have too much money to spend, too many regrets to enjoy that sort of problem, and too much power to be easily dealt with by the people they've crossed.

And all the stories of haunted forests are much worse than the stories say.

It's not a perfect book, there is some editing to be done and I must admit that because I had come to feel for some of the characters I was left a bit unfulfilled by one or two developments, but I will definitely be checking out the second in the series.

I recommend it.

This is an excellent fantasy read! The characters are lush and fully realized, with personalities that leap off the page at you. The main character, Heden, is a down-and-out priest asked to investigate the murder of a knight who was a member of a secretive order in the remote reaches of the world. Upon Heden's arrival, it becomes obvious that it goes deeper than a simple murder. I was engaged with this book after only a few pages, and despite some editing errors (some misspellings, missing words, etc.) it was still a joy to read. A good, self-contained adventure. It also lacks the clearly defined good-vs-evil that many novels shove down your throat. In Priest, you are given the ability to decide for yourself who you think the bad guy is, or if there even is one. It is an excellent fantasy novel, and also a good detective novel. I look forward to Mr. Colville's next work in this series, and earns the biggest compliment I can give, which is: Give me more!

Priest is an excellent fantasy novel that eschews the lengthy prose that is typical of the genre. Punchy, satisfying dialog with great characterization is the rule here. It reads like a hardboiled mystery without sacrificing immersion into a really interesting fantasy setting.

The setting is extremely grounded and feels more like a real place than many fantasy series I've read. Heden and the other characters are all interesting. Many clever lines throughout the book.

I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

It's hard to categorize this novel well. It's like the Dresden Files, but not funny and the main character feels more.. broken and more real. It's like a (very) early Raymond Chandler novel set in a fantasy world. It's... really good. If Jack Reacher were a fantasy character, it would feel like this book.

The main character (Heden) obviously has some personal problems. He's also pretty bad-ass. Following him along as he tries to solve mysteries is fun, not just because I wanted to know who did it - I also wanted to know more about Heden and his world.

Why is this not a 5 star book? There are a couple of minor editing issues (the author asks them to be pointed out at the end of it, and when I go back and re-read it I'll mark it in my kindle so I can send him notes). The ending is also particularly frustrating, because I was left desperately wanting JUST ONE MORE chapter. This is obviously part of a series, but it's good enough you won't mind as long as the next book comes out soon.

I highly recommend it if you like fantasy and/or detective novels - at least try out the sample chapters. The sample is meaty enough that you'll get a good sense of Heden and the writing style and it will become clear that the book is obviously worth the price.