Of all the fantasy novels I read at the end of last year, A Warrior’s Burden by Jacob Peppers may have been my favorite. My review has been a long time coming, primarily due to the time I’ve spent away from my blog while finishing the third book in the trilogy that began with Enoch’s Device. But late is better than never, and you can read my review below.
A Warrior’s Burden is a grimdark fantasy that introduces one of the more intriguing antiheroes I’ve come across in a long while. Cutter is a mysterious giant of a man living in the small village of Brighton, located in a frigid northern climate where snow rarely leaves the ground. But Cutter is burdened by a very dark past, and much of the book concerns the weight and price of his past sins. The author slowly reveals the details of his background throughout the novel, maintaining a sense of mystery that is not entirely dispelled by the end. We learn that Cutter has gone by other names – Kingslayer, Oathbreaker, and Traitor – and much of the fun in reading this book is learning how he came to earn these monikers and the truth about his identity.
The story begins with Cutter discovering that an army led by a prince is on its way to Brighton. The army is after Cutter, and if they reach the village, the whole community will suffer the consequences. To avoid this fate, he flees with a teenage boy named Matt, who is clearly more than he appears. As Cutter strives to protect Matt, he becomes a hero worth rooting for, adding a touch of heroism to his antihero persona.
Cutter and Matt flee into the Black Wood, home of the dangerous Fey. We’re told of a Fey War that happened some years ago, and it’s clear Cutter played a significant role in its outcome. This leads me to the novel’s world-building, which is yet another mystery in the book. The author does a magnificent job of slowly unfurling this backstory instead of shoving it down the reader’s throat in huge gulps. Throughout the story, we uncover details about the Fey and the tragic events that forced humans to seek refuge in the frozen north. Delving gradually into this dark fantasy world added another layer of enjoyment to the story.
Ultimately, this is a character-driven novel, and while Cutter is the most complex and intriguing character, the author gives us several others to root for in Matt and Cutter’s old companions, who come to his aid once they discover he’s in danger. These include a once-famous warrior named Maeve, an illusionist named Challadius, and an archer called Priest. Each of them gets scenes told from their point of view, and the author makes it easy to become emotionally invested in the characters’ fates.
Overall, the book offers a gripping journey through a dark and treacherous fantasy realm with a flawed and compelling protagonist. By the end, it left me eager to read the other books in this series. If you like a gritty and character-driven fantasy, I suspect you’ll really enjoy A Warrior’s Burden.