Ryhalt Galharrow is a bounty hunter who serves Crowfoot, one of the Nameless. The Nameless, ancient beings of great power, are fighting an ongoing war with beings of even greater power, the Deep Kings. At one point, the Nameless won a great battle against the Deep Kings by using a weapon that created a blighted land called the Misery. We first meet Ryhalt as he and his merry band of fellow bounty hunters enter the Misery in search of a bounty. It is here we also first meet Crowfoot. Crowfoot has a mission for Ryhalt, and it’s to protect a Ezabeth, a light mage who apparently has a part to play in the ongoing war. So Ryhalt sets off to do just that, and finds himself smack in the middle of the conflict between the Nameless and the Deep Kings. This, it turns out,is a terrifying place to be.

This is a dark fantasy, full of grim and gritty characters living in grim and gritty places. The world building was very well done, and the pace was excellent. Blackwing is a debut title for Ed McDonald, and first of the Raven’s Mark series. If you like the works of Joe Abercrombie or Mark Lawrence, you’ll likely enjoy Blackwing.

Annette G.