Book review
Written by Paul Kearney
Solaris paperback
Release date Out now

It’s been 23 years since Rictus of Isca led The Ten Thousand into the Asurian Empire, and now the most famous warrior in the Macht is considering setting his sword aside. But a new leader has arisen with plans to conquer and unite all the cities under his banner, and when he turns up at Rictus’s door one day, the mercenary is presented with an offer he can’t refuse…

Paul Kearney’s latest novel, Corvus, is a tentative sequel to his 2008 release The Ten Thousand. This new offering is similarly focused around Rictus’s red-robed band of mercenaries, the Dogsheads, meaning that knowledge of the author’s previous book, though not entirely necessary, will prove helpful.

Whereas The Ten Thousand was based around the Anabasis of Xenophon, Corvus takes the reign of Alexander the Great as its starting point. Corvus presents a loose account of the ruler’s initial domination told primarily from Rictus’s point of view. Kearney keeps the young conqueror at a distance, an approach that proves particularly rewarding as it allows the author to make the most of the atmosphere that surrounds the man. It also avoids having the main characters share the book and jostle for position.

Kearney’s writing is delicate, detailed and thorough, generating a disarming style that slowly makes the characters and their world feel real without you even noticing. It takes only the first couple of chapters to grab your attention and for you to feel invested in the characters and their story.

Rife with honour, glory and warfare, Corvus is as much military fiction as fantasy, and Kearney’s accounts of the battles are engaging. Where other novels often lose momentum in the monotony of slashing, maiming and blood-gurgling cries for mercy, Kearney delivers such moments as he does everything else: with aplomb.

Just as important as the world of the Dogsheads are the lives of Rictus’s wife and children, and of Karnos, ruler of Machran. Not only do these explorations beyond the battlefield provide a change of scenery, but they add a personal dimension to the over-arching plot. Alice Wybrew

VERDICT: 8/10
Kearney’s effective mix of carnage and gut-wrenching moments mean you’ll be thinking about Corvus long after you’ve finished it.