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Blackwing: The Raven's Mark Book One by [McDonald, Ed]

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Blackwing: The Raven's Mark Book One Kindle Edition

by Ed McDonald (Author)

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The republic faces annihilation, despite the vigilance of Galharrow's Blackwings. When a raven tattoo rips itself from his arm to deliver a desperate message, Galharrow and a mysterious noblewoman must investigate a long dead sorcerer's legacy. But there is a conspiracy within the citadel: traitors, flesh-eaters and the ghosts of the wastelands seek to destroy them, but if they cannot solve the ancient wizard's paradox, the Deep Kings will walk the earth again, and all will be lost.

The war with the Eastern Empire ended in stalemate some eighty years ago, thanks to Nall's 'Engine', a wizard-crafted weapon so powerful even the Deep Kings feared it. The strike of the Engine created the Misery - a wasteland full of ghosts and corrupted magic that now forms a No Mans Land along the frontier. But when Galharrow investigates a frontier fortress, he discovers complacency bordering on treason: then the walls are stormed, and the Engine fails to launch. Galharrow only escapes because of the preternatural magical power of the noblewoman he was supposed to be protecting. Together, they race to the capital to unmask the traitors and restore the republic's defences. Far across the Misery a vast army is on the move, as the Empire prepares to call the republic's bluff.

Blackwing is a gritty epic fantasy for fans of Mark Lawrence, Scott Lynch and Daniel Polansky.

Length: 370 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
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Product description

Review

Dark, twisty and excellent... Grimdark with heart. (MARK LAWRENCE)

Guaranteed already, this will be one of the best books I will read this year. (FANTASY BOOK REVIEW)

A real fantastical page-turner. (SciFiNow)

Blackwing is a book that surprised me more than any other has so far this year. It's the debut of Ed McDonald and boy what a way to make an entrance. (SF BOOK)

Their story moves at an (ahem) spellbinding pace. (SFX MAGAZINE)

An impressive work of fantasy, and one I think we'll be hearing more about. Highly recommended. (SF AND F REVIEWS)

Fabulously inventive and at times horrifyingly funny and action packed. (MORNING STAR)

Ed McDonald is an author to watch out for. I don't say things like this lightly. I read a lot of fantasy, and I don't hesitate to say that this will be one of the biggest fantasy debuts of the year. McDonald has given us the first instalment of what looks to be a very interesting series. (THE BOOK BAG)

A very impressive debut, with complex characters and an imaginative setting that does much to impress the reader. (SFF WORLD)

Ed McDonald has taken something old and made it new... it's epic. (Fantasy Book Critic)

Book Description

You think you know Misery? You've not seen anything yet . . .

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Product details

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 1125 KB
Print Length: 370 pages
Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0399587799
Publisher: Gollancz (27 July 2017)
Sold by: Hachette Book Group (AU)
Language: English
ASIN: B01N7QHBH6
Text-to-Speech: Enabled

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Not Enabled

Word Wise: Enabled
Screen Reader: Supported

Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled

Average Customer Review: 3 customer reviews
Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #36,883 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
- #333 in Contemporary Fantasy (Kindle Store)
- #539 in Contemporary Fantasy (Books)
- #984 in Epic Fantasy (Kindle Store)

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patrickimoff

HARDBOILED PUFFS OF STEAM

13 August 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Hardboiled in the same way that Joe Abercrombie books are. Very enjoyable...

I've noticed that a lot of fantasy now has a steampunk feel about It (Anthony Ryan, Brian McClellan etc), and the technology / industriaslisation aspect makes things more interesting (alongside 'systems of magic')... Maybe the genre had moved beyond Tolkien - I enjoyed researching Matchlocks and other arcane firearms whilst reading Blackwing.

So if you liked Sand dan Glokta's caustic besides, you should enjoy this.

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Phil Wallis

Worth every cent

24 November 2018

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Bloody, hard, confronting, gory, rude, and so damn honest. I loved this book and will be going straight for the next one. Bravo!

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Emily Wrayburn

Good writing but not my style

11 September 2018

Format: Kindle Edition

I want to start this review by sayinig this is a really good book. If you’re into grimdark fantasy, you will probably love it. It’s just not really my thing, and I did struggle with it at times, but it is really well developed and the writing is tight, and the things that brought down my rating are mostly a matter of personal preference.

I really enjoyed the worldbuilding here. It’s a kind of grungy, darker Ankh-Morpok, with industry and factories and also magic. I think when I started Blackwing that was the sort of thing I was in the mood for, rather than a stock standard medieval fantasy. Things are explained as the reader needs to know about them and there is a good balance of explanation and leaving it to the reader’s imagination.

I think the (anti-)hero, Ryhalt Galharrow, both worked and didn’t work for me. At times he was a loveable grump, and at other times, I just wanted him to stop wallowing and get on with things. Which isn’t entirely fair, because he had a lot to wallow about. I did enjoy his ragtag team. Nenn, especially, was a great addition.

The one big thing I did take issue with was the badass, competent female character wore a veil because she was scarred, and claimed that she couldn’t let Galharrow see her face because he would be disappointed as she “had nothing of woman about her”. And then it was up to Galharrow to validate her by telling her she’s beautiful anyway. I mean, yes, women are often insecure about their looks because of impossible standards of beauty, but that doesn’t mean it’s still disappointing to see that trope in a very capable mathematician/magician character.

The plot is interesting, and as I said earlier, the writing is quite tight. It does move slowly, though, and that is one thing I have trouble with. My reading slows right down when the book itself is slowly-paced, and that frustrates me.

I am probably not going to continue with the series, but I honestly do think that this a high quality example of its genre, so if it sounds like your thing, you should get on that.

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Amazon.com: 70 reviews

Ozguy

Epic tale that is gripping to read and impossible to put down!

2 August 2017 - Published on Amazon.com

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Remember when you first discovered Robert E. Howard and David Gemmell?

And if you’re like me, you’ll have read most of the greats of Fantasy and Grimdark. Names such as Jack Vance, Joe Abercrombie, George R. R. Martin, Scott Lynch and Fritz Leiber amongst others…

Today, Ed McDonald gets added to that list with his debut Blackwing.

I devoured the book in one sitting and found myself in awe of the sheer imagination contained within.

The story begins with Captain Ryhalt Galharrow leading a posse in search of fugitives, in a no man’s land called the Misery.

Humanity, or what remains, huddle in their cities.

But the monstrous Deep Kings are stirring, and the enigmatic magicians known as the Nameless may not be enough to stop them….

What Galharrow finds in the Misery spirals the plot from there and involves intrigue, betrayal and machinations of the highest order that Galharrow and his comrades are ill-equipped to survive. Yet, to lose, would mean disaster for all.

The odds are against him.

Simply put, Ed McDonald has conjured a brilliant world.

Full of intricate plotting, a fully realised magic system and living, breathing characters, this book gripped me and held me in its sway.

A rousing, emotionally charged read- buy this book!

11 people found this helpful.

Lukasz

It’s not easy as Ezabeth is called a traitor

1 October 2017 - Published on Amazon.com

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Once this book was published, people around started to rave about it. I was curious what on earth could stir so much enthusiasm and emotions?

McDonald begins his tale by showing us the Misery – a post-apocalyptic wasteland where dark magic reigns and strange creatures thrive. It’s not wise to venture here and yet that’s where we meet Captain Galharrow and his team of mercenaries. The book is told from first person POV. We observe the world through the eyes of battle hardened veteran who enjoys drinking himself unconscious when he’s not on a bounty-hunting mission. Also he’s a Blackwing – he’s binded by a powerful Wizard Crowfoot who literally comes out of his body at times. Well, it’s more complicated and imaginative. Sometimes a crow tattoo on Captain Galharrow arm breaks through his body tearing skin and muscles along the road just to tell him what the Crowfoot expects from him.
Galharrow has a loyal team of mercenaries. Two of them, Tnota – sex addicted queer navigator and Nenn – noseless and deadly woman warrior play significant role in the story. The other mercenaries are mentioned although we learn very little about them.

The plot revolves around magic, politics, possible end of the world as the Deep Kings who were held at bay in Misery by a powerful weapon called Nall’s Engine prepare to attack. There’s a word floating around that the engine doesn’t work. That all the world and sense of safety were built on a lie. In order to learn the truth Galharrow needs to keep powerful Spinner – Ezabeth Tanza safe. It’s not easy as Ezabeth is called a traitor. Also they share a past. From their previous lives – when they were both young and innocent. These times are long gone though.

The story may seem familiar in a way but the book is told in unique way. The world building is excellent, especially given that we learn about the world through first person POV. Galharrow’s viewpoint is addicting although it took me few chapters to get used to him. He’s not a hero. He’s not a good guy. He also has a sense of humor - quite dry and sarcastic. I liked the way inner workings of Galharrow’s mind were written. They made this book really unique.

Blackwing is a very impressive debut. The story is told in a unique way (the tone, internal monologues, world-building), characters are complex and the setting is imaginative. I highly recommend this book to those who look for some fresh voice in the fantasy

5 people found this helpful.

Paul C

Good definitely outweighs the ok in this one

21 January 2019 - Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

Simple Plot Explanation:

The reluctant leader of an elite misfit crew finds himself intertwined in a cover-up of world-breaking proportions. Ryhalt Galharrow is a man whose job is hunting down criminals who escape the cities for the anonymity of the wasted decades-old battlefield called The Misery, a place populated by zombie-like creatures left over from the war. But things are about to change… The gods holding the puppet strings are ready to ramp up the action.

Good stuff:

Well-drawn protagonist. A dark brooding man who enjoys keeping his past in the past and his present securely in the shadows as well.

Fantastic female fighter-buddy-partner, Nenn. Her lines were some of the best in the book.

Sword/ close quarters fighting was impeccably detailed.

Original magic system made up of weaving moonlight to create power wells for users and devices.

Gods who send messengers to people through enchanted tattoos.

Ok stuff:

Some minor characters were hard to tell apart at the beginning. Political worldbuilding was heavy in places, and I had a hard time envisioning the main city setting at times.

Spoiler stuff:

Great siege/ action in the last part of the book.

Overall:

The good definitely outweighs the ok in this one. I would like to see where the story goes because there’s a lot of room in this setting to explore and so much war to be had.

One person found this helpful.

Clan Lindsey

Absolutely outstanding

7 August 2018 - Published on Amazon.com

Verified Purchase

I was prompted to read this by another reviewer (Books of Brian); not sure how I came across his review, but I'm glad I did. I was amazed by this book on he very first page. Ed McDonald has a sparer style of writing that still conveys loads of evocative information and transports you instantly to a fully realized world. This book gripped me from the first page and kept me glued to it throughout the novel. I can't wait for the Kindle sequel to be released in two weeks.

This book very much made me think of the Low Town series by Daniel Polansky which is one of my favorite series ever, so that is a good thing for me to say. In fact, if you liked this, but haven't read Low Town, do yourself a favor and grab a copy. Both series are dark fantasies, with flawed heroes, that are written by master's of the genre.

Ed McDonald is a delightful find and is now on my "must read" author list. I absolutely recommend this book to fans of thoughtful, literary grim dark. This could very well be my book of the year.

One person found this helpful.

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