Hawkwood's Voyage

I am an avid reader of fantasy novels but I must say that I am getting tired of, and bored with, the SAME OLD WORLDS. It just seems that every author imagines the same place, and describes it in the SAME way. Paul Kearney has done an excellent job in creating a "NEW" world for his characters. He uses excellent description to compliment his wonderful writing style. I have never had a book pull me in as much as this one did. I would sit in my bed and dream of this world that Kearney has so thoughtfully put together. Kearney has done an excellent job with this novel, and I am looking forward to reading the next book in the Monarchies of God series!

I picked this book up totally at random. I didn't expect anything exceptional, but my low expectations were undeserved. The book is well written and imaginative. You get a nice world were Mr. Kearney pulls facets from our own history. On one hand there is a storyline resembling the clashes between Islamic and Christian nations in the middle ages, on the other a feudal society clashing with a new native continent, and on another strife within a corrupt religious hierarchy. The characters are engaging, the politics solid without being overly complex, and the magic, while fairly standard, slightly creative and unintrusive.

let me qualify my review prior to starting. I am a military veteran, lover of all things nautical, and avid historian. I enjoy fantasy books, but often find them lacking some element, aimed at the over the top trials of a hero or teenage protagonist. I stumbled across Paul Kearney without preconception. I have been very impressed.Hawkwood's Voyage is the initial book in Kearney's "MoG" series. He writes of a gritty, realistic fantasy world, an exotic, but familiar place. It is a world of magic, but there are no wizards washing dishes with spells. It is a land of demons, but the scheming and savage humans who call this world home are far more dangerous than werewolves or spirits. In short, it is very "real", with magic dancing on the edges rather than flaming in the center.I found this series to be a perfect fit to me. Kearney is a master of depicting military campaigns, and pulls no punches when describing the horror of war. His sailing scenes are true to that genre, and if he chose he could weave a tale of sword and sail better than any 21st century Author I have read save perhaps Lamden. If you are looking for a low-fantasy world, gritty and harsh, with a hint of magic and a dash of seafarer's spice, pick up this book. You will not be let down.

Fantasy novels these days are usually very cliched and it seems that author's feel that they have the right to steal plots from other authors. Because of things like this, fantasy can get boring. In Paul Kearney's "Hawkwood's Voyage" this is not the case. This is a very original novel that is entertaining right from the prologue. War is raging in the Five Kingdoms and the Merduk army is the main cause of this. The holy city of Aekir, what was the holiest city in the world and was supposed to be one of the strongest cities, has fallen. This is where the novel opens up. Now, the king of Hebrion is starting a voyage to go across the Great Western Ocean to start a whole new colony. The voyage will be lead by mariner Richard Hawkwood. This voyage was done twice before but failed. This is the basic plot of a very original fantasy novel. This book has lots of main characters which makes this book similar in a way to George R.R. Martin's series. This novel takes place all over the world. Places included are Richard Hawkwood's boat in the middle of the ocean all the way Ormann Dyke, a city that is under the threat of attack. This novel is politically and militarily oriented. The politics are that of the standing of the Five Kingdoms and how the Kings react to what is going on in the world. Military wise, you are taken to battle plannings and actual battles themselves. This book is not cliched is very suspenseful. This was fun to read while I am waiting for the next book in my favorite series, a series by George R.R. Martin. While this book isn't as detailed as that series it still embodies some of the same attributes as that series, such as good characterisation, good plotting, and suspense. This book would be good for a GRRM fan in addition to anybody that is looking for a highly original book. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.Happy Reading!

This is one of my all-time favorite series. New to the U.S., it originally published in Britain. There are currently 4 books out and I am eagerly anticipating the 5th and final book. Wonderful to have in paperback, however, you know how you have your favs and you must also collect in hardcover?-- prepare to search cause you will want them.Fascinating characters, eye-popping creature fixes, great descriptive passages, wizards, strange lands, mysteries, love interests, ah well, what more could you ask for? I'm not going to give you the plot, let's just say I'm a discriminating reader and this series will rule your fantasy world. BEGIN THE VOYAGE-- you won't want to come back.