The Hammer and the Blade: A Tale of Egil and Nix (Unabridged‪)‬

This is easily the best book I've read in years. Why? Because It's the most FUN i've had reading a book since Neil Gaiman's "Sandman" series. I'll give you a good breakdown of the many reasons I love this book.

CHARACTERS: Egil & Nix are phenomenal as characters because they are at their core, very relatable. The series protagonists are thrill seekers and adventurers in the sunset of their prime and feeling their age, and the characters reflect this in self-awareness that is staggeringly fantastic to read. They have a confidence in their abilities and experience that is communicated easily to the reader, yet have very real-world problems and weaknesses. Adding to the cast are multiple supporting characters that, at first glance, are a full range of personality types that range from villain to hero. What was incredibly rewarding to read was to watch even these secondary characters have life breathed into them and observe as they cast off traditional personality types you believe they possess and display more character and depth then other authors invest into their main characters. Truly wonderful.

DIALOGUE: By far my favorite point of "The Hammer and the Blade" was the dialogue. Egil and Nix have a witty banter between each other and other characters that is reminiscent of that between Samuel L. Jackson and John Travolta in, "Pulp Fiction". Extremely refreshing conversation keeps readers engaged page by page. Like real-world characters, they don't shy away from discussions or topics that other authors characters do, and Paul S. Kemp avoids the boring and stereotypical trap of having characters so focused on what's at hand; instead, the conversations that would naturally happen between fellow travelers is put on display for all to see, even when it doesn't directly advance the main plot of the story; this is not a weakness, this is a very palatable strength and the story and characters blossom as a result. Every bit of spoken word in this book flows naturally like a river from the first page to the last.

WORLD: The world is well mapped, for what we see in this story, and Paul does a masterful job of painting a vivid picture of his new world. It has the feeling of a real place that existed before this story was told and will exist long after you finish the book. The story eludes to history that has directly shaped the land this particular tale takes place in. Even portions of the city have their own particular charm even when described as filthy and crumbling because they are also filtered through the experience of the characters, and this lets the reader experience the world through two different lenses, a very strong mark in Paul's corner. Finally, There is magic in this world, but it doesn't feel contrived or glued on; instead it feels natural, even believable. Best of all, none of the characters in the world behave as though it's something fully understood by them or anyone else; it's still something that can inspire awe or fear in any soul around.

PACING: The pacing is nigh perfect; it slows when necessary for character exposition, and speeds up during climatic moments. It is also achingly slow during moments of terror, making you wish Paul would speed up the pace, only because the scenes depicted are horrifying, yet knowing full well if he had not used his pacing the way he did, you wouldn't fully grasp the severe magnitude of situations characters find themselves within. A word on combat pacing: Paul has obviously picked up a few things about combat from his prior works in the Forgotten Realms and Star Wars universes. Every time a character draws a weapon, the story seems to become this bright and vivid setting, with specific detail added to virtually every swing of a blade or blow of a hammer, all without forcing the reader into a space where they feel bored within a few paragraphs; indeed the combat is usually fierce and seems to end naturally without ever feeling like it's being drawn out for the sake of adding more blood to the pages. R.A. Salvatore should beware; any fight scene within the Hammer and the Blade equals or exceeds anything Drizzt Do'Urden has taken part in.

I strongly recommend this book for all sorts of readers. The only downfall of this book is that, like all books, it ends, and now that I've finished it I find myself wanting more. Well done, Mr. Kemp.

It’s a decent story well read. That’s said, I am tired of being preached at every time I try to read something.