Thursday 19 December 2013

Review: Moon's artifice - Tom Lloyd

In a quiet corner of the Imperial City, Investigator Narin discovers the result of his first potentially lethal mistake. Minutes later he makes a second.

After an unremarkable career Narin finally has the chance of promotion to the hallowed ranks of the Lawbringers - guardians of the Emperor's laws and bastions for justice in a world of brutal expediency. Joining that honoured body would be the culmination of a lifelong dream, but it couldn't possibly have come at a worse time. A chance encounter drags Narin into a plot of gods and monsters, spies and assassins, accompanied by a grief-stricken young woman, an old man haunted by the ghosts of his past and an assassin with no past.

On the cusp of an industrial age that threatens the warrior caste's rule, the Empire of a Hundred Houses awaits civil war between noble factions. Centuries of conquest has made the empire a brittle and bloated monster; constrained by tradition and crying out for change. To save his own life and those of untold thousands Narin must understand the key to it all - Moon's Artifice, the poison that could destroy an empire.

My thoughts:
I guess cops are the next big thing in fantasy ;) Here we got Narin who is a Lawbringer, so when he "accidentally" knocks down a guy he sets out to investigate what on earth is going on. There are baddies, demons, poison and something that would rock the empire to it's core.

Narin was a good guy, sure he did not make the best of choices (one in particular), but that just made him human. And he really did love working as a Lawbringer and protecting the innocent. It was a true cat and mouse game. Luckily he had some help, very mysterious Enchei who was a tattoo artist. Kesh, a young woman on the run. Rhe, Narin's mentor, whom I really liked. And of course a strange assassin without any memories.

I think that what I liked most was that it was a world where some humans had found a way to ascend and become Gods. I would have loved to learn more. If they were really good at what they did, then they might just become the god of that, like the God Lawbringer. It was also a world that had known it's fair share of war and there empire was made up of powerful Houses who ruled.

And of course I must mention that it's gun powder fantasy. But yes some of the powerful are allowed to have guns. A world caught between the old and the new is always fascinating.

What I liked most was the end, do not get me wrong. There was a conclusion so I was all yay! But at the same time I now want more, so that was bad in a good way ;)

Conclusion:
An interesting world, likable characters, and evil baddies ( I love evil baddies)! I look forward to reading more set in this world

Would I read more?
Yes

Cover
Love

Hardcover, 432 pages
Published November 21st 2013 by Gollancz
Fantasy
For review

32 comments:

  1. Sounds like this one was an all around winner! I think the fact that people can become gods in this story if they're good enough at something is really intriguing:) Thanks for putting this one on my radar!

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    1. It was such a cool premise! And there are hints of what they found so they could do it. I liked it

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  2. This sounds interesting. Great review and I love that cover too.

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  3. Cops as the new heroes, I love that and gun powder fantasy? I'm in! I haven't seen this before but it sounds like my kind of book.

    Happy holidays!

    New follower :)

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    1. I have read one other, usually they are all thieves and assassins, so yeah it's cool :)
      And gun powder sure is fun to read too

      Happy holidays!

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  4. Cops in fantasy? Now that is interesting! Are they hot or fatties?

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    1. LOL! Ok so the author does not spell it out that is is to do for, but yes I did see him as...handsome :)

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  5. What is "gun powder fantasy"?

    I'm not sure I like reading about cops but I do like assassins lol

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    1. It's fantasy with like it says gun powder, guns and such. So not only swords

      It was fun cos it was different

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  6. I love the sound of this worldbuilding, humans ascending especially, and the cover looks great!

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    1. I looooove the cover, I fell in love with it at once

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  7. Lol @heidi above =D

    Another great cover! But other than that this one isn't really grabbing my attention. I'll have to wait and see on this. I'm very glad you enjoyed it though.

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    1. Lol, I know ;)

      I am having a good cover week. It's the kind of cover I want to have on my wall

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  8. The worldbuilding in this sounds fascinating..I want to know more!

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  9. Yea, I wasn't the only one who liked it!

    I do kind of hope City Watches become the next thing. I think settings can be so much more detailed with so many fewer pages when fantasy holds itself to a small area like this.

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    1. Yours is actually the only review I have seen ;)

      It's different and I like it. Sure assassins and such are fun to read, but City watches can do other things.

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  10. Oh I like the sound of it. I'm an ending girl so that sounds perfect for me. Also love "good" baddies. :D

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    1. Good ..baddies are the best. Some are just so meh, but a really good baddie you just wanna kick off a cliff but do not dare too cos they are so evil

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  11. Ooo definitely checking this out. I love cops in books. Have you read JD Robb's In Death series? Eve is totally my favorite fictional cop :)

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    1. I did read it but Roarke was so rapey creepy so it kind of put me off after having read book 1

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    2. Oh he is an amazing hero. A little iffy there at the start but he's one of my faves :)

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  12. That does sound like an interesting premise.

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  13. I guess they are in, they just have other names in fantasy :)

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  14. Sounds interesting. Cops, who knew? I haven't heard of this book before, I will have to go check it out and see what else this author has in this world.

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    1. I know, it's the second or more I have come across using more of a "cops" theme

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  15. I love Tom Lloyd, can't wait to get hold of this book myself!

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