Book Review: Myrren’s Gift

The Quickening Book One
Our story starts with death, which is not such a bad way to start a story.

Loyal General Thirsk best friend to King Magnus gets wacked saving the Kings life. Magnus promises to treat Thirsk’s children like his own. (Actually better) Wly at 14 is now the General of the Legion (tradition) and has an instant antagonist in Celimus, the King’s son. Celimus is everything that Wly is not, flashy, handsome, sly, cruel and an all around shit. King Magnus was hoping that Wly and Celimus would become as close as Thirsk and he were and that Wly would be a good influence on him. Not so much, Celimus drags Wly down to the dungeon to see a young girl tortured into giving a confession just to see Wly squirm. Wly gives the girl a sip of water because that is all he can do. He goes to see her put to death and with her last breath Myrren gives him a gift of sorts, she asks Wly to keep her dog.

Things only get worse from here.

Celimus beheads Wly’s best friend and brother in law and then forces Wly’s sister to carry the head to the dungeon where she will be staying until Wly comes back with an agreement from a neighboring kingdom. Of course Celimus has planned on having him killed, what he didn’t figure on was Romen the mercenary. There are twists and turns and beautiful strong women and not so strong. Throw in a smidgen of magic, crazy kings and a situation that was….unexpected and you have what I hope to be a good series.