Bared Blade
Kelly McCullough
Bared Blade by Kelly McCullough is the second novel in the Fallen Blade series. Continuing about a year or so after the events in Broken Blade, it follows more exploits of former Temple Assassin Aral Kingslayer and his Shadow Familiar Triss.
This time the action opens again in a tavern, a common feature in the life of Aral since the fall of the temple he had devoted his life too. However in Broken Blade he is quite a bit more dried out than at the end of Broken Blade. The novel title helps to prepare us for the movement closer to his old focused self, hinted at in Broken Blade.
In walks two females, both intriguing for different reasons, that Triss hints need to be paid attention too. Shortly after that the magic starts flying, chairs and tables are destroyed, Stone Dogs arrive and Aral is back in almost over his head aiding females of the species. Yes it sounds a bit like the first novel in the opening, and there are some gross similarities. However the different magics that come into play, politics, information on the history of the entire world Aral and Triss live in, as well as more fantasy with a different flavor than stock Euro-Centric makes this all seem plausible and more than a little enjoyable.
The plot continues with more political intrigue, Aral seems to keep getting caught up in politics, and the different factions in both his adopted city of Tien and outside of it in the greater scheme of nations and their interactions. There are killings, assassinations, machinations, ancient rivalries come into play, all far outside the scope of Aral's life, and he is drawn into all the competing factions with Triss, his boltholes, and his skills to help him to carry the day.
One really nice aspect to the novel is how the relationship between him and Captain Fei is looked at and expanded. Digging deeper into how they can work with each other, as well as more about the good Captain's background and abilities, is a welcome part of the overall reading experience. The character of Captain Fei is expanded beyond window dressing into an integral part of the city and how the entire place operates in the shadowy parts that Aral and Triss live in.
The various elements to the magic in the setting is expanded with a variation on the Spell Caster and Familiar motif he established in Broken Blade. The Dyads, I first read it as Dryad but after a few more times it was used I read it correctly. The idea of expanding the magic to include two humans linked is a logical progression. Not a lot of expansion on the Stone Dogs for magic purposes, and some hints that the longer someone is practicing the stronger they become. Which is logical as well, still the hero is focused in his abilities and there are some different aspects that are brought out in Bared Blade. Additionally the introduction of another species, The Durkoth, an ancient more elemental species tied to earth and stone, with some different abilities compared to who we have seen so far. There are a few others mentioned that hopefully will be expanded on in future novels as well.
Not as strong of love interest in this novel compared to the first one. This is more an implied and potential one, vice consummated. Still there is a faint chance for something to come to fruition in a later novel between Aral and the ladies he encounters. The addition of these parts does not detract from the overall look and feel to the story.
Kelly McCullough is one of the great idea generators of writers currently being published. His MythOS series was groundbreaking pretty much creating an entire new Fantasy Genre all by himself. In The Fallen Blade novels he has taken the idea of the Noble Assassin (First really seen in the Steven Brust Vlad Taltos Novels) and brought in way neat magic ideas. He has a real skill in coming up with awesome ideas that are just to the left of most any other writers I have come across in years.
It helps that he is very accessible to his readers in various online sites.
Overall Bared Blade, and the first novel Broken Blade, is a fine addition to my own Fantasy Library. There are some very favorable comparisons that can be made to the Vlad novels, with tons of new and innovative aspects to the overall genre of fantasy novels that he brings to the table. Well worth the cost to pick it up new in the bookstore in dead tree format.
Bared Blade written by Kelly McCullough published by Ace Fantasy
