ALTHOUGH I enjoy Fantasy, especially Queer Fantasy, it isn’t a genre I don’t read often enough. Since I was introduced to “Hank” in the 1980s Dungeons and Dragons cartoon, “Ranger” has become a Fantasy class that’s always intrigued me. When I saw the beautiful cover of Ed Knight’s Orc’s Bane: Ranger’s Codex Episode 1, I took a chance and opted to try an Advanced Copy read and review provided by BOOK SIRENS. I’m glad I did. Though this novel didn’t have any obvious LGBTQ characters or themes, I admit, the hot guy on the cover caught my eye, so… ya.
I greatly enjoyed Knight’s style of writing. It has just enough of the expected whimsy to feel “fantastical” without oversaturating the book in flowery “fantasy-speak.” I like how Knight writes his novel’s Fantasy vernacular to be more straightforward, more medieval, with dashes of the fanciful, of surrealness. The quality of descriptive text—characters, places, and events—is captivating and easy to follow. Knight skillfully crafts the tension in the novel so that it never comes across as rushed or plodding. The plot is quite accessible to a broad audience, with a compelling mystery involving a missing Prince and the discovery of a victim with some odd “bite marks.” The action is quick and cleverly written, playing less to epic battles and more to one-on-one combat. Human vs. Orc is the general theme, but it’s all entertaining. I liked how the author put forth a point of view regarding judgments, preconceived notions, and bigotry that felt poignant and contemporary.
Speaking further on that—the only thing keeping me from giving this novel a higher rating than 4 STARS on Book Sirens (out of 5) was the off-putting nature of Cade the Ranger’s relationship to traditional masculinity, to ruggedness, correlating power and, to a degree, respect. It’s a trope I can do without. The characterization of the Prince as “bookish and effete” with “a limp, uncertain grip” left me with conflicted feelings toward our main protagonist. In today’s Fantasy, there have to be less problematic ways for authors to convey that a male character isn’t warrior or leader material than to use disdain for feminity in men and the stereotype of softness equating to “unmanliness.” As the novel progressed, I did grow to feel less disgruntled by Ranger Cade as he interacted with the Orcs in a surprisingly evenhanded manner, open to a different, evolving interpretation. He is quite likable, aside from this one issue. So perhaps he grows in his feelings and perceptions as the series progresses. I hope this is Knight’s intention. [Image On Left Credit: Ed Knight]
I highly recommend Orc’s Bane: Ranger’s Codex Episode 1, and I look forward to reading more of this series. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily (as I do for every review I do! No one needs to bribe me. LOL)
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