Lord of a Shattered Land (1) (Chronicles of Hanuvar)
A vast empire's greatest foe. A conquered people's last hope. His name is Hanuvar, and he will set his people free!
When the Dervan Empire came for the city of Volanus its people fought block by block, house by house until most of them fell with sword in hand. Only a thousand or so survived to be led away in chains. The empire looted the city's treasures, set fire to its temples, and sowed its fields with salt. Their victory was complete apart from one small detail: the greatest Volani general had escaped alive. And now, alone against the might of a vast empire, Hanuvar has only an aging sword arm, a lifetime of wisdom, and the greatest military mind in the world, bent upon a single goal. No matter where his people have been taken, from the furthest outpost of the empire to its rotten heart, he will find them. Every last one of them.
And he will set them free.
Praise for Lord of a Shattered Land:
“This wonderful work put me in mind of the stories I read when I was editing the Baen’s Robert E. Howard library.” —David Drake, best-selling author of the Hammer’s Slammers series, Redliners, Vettius and His Friends and the RCN series.
“Howard Andrew Jones is the leading Sword & Sorcery author of the 21st Century . . . His Lord of A Shattered Land is his best work yet, a heroic fantasy retelling of one of the great tales of antiquity, the fall of Carthage and its legendary general Hannibal . . . It's a magnificent achievement, destined to become a modern classic.” —John O’Neill, World Fantasy Award-winning publisher of Black Gate
“The book is a riveting portrait of a hero trying to keep his civilization alive in the wake of a devastating military defeat; it’s a series of ripping yarns that collectively add up to a greater story with a deeper impact than any of its parts; it’s another triumph for Howard Andrew Jones, premier wielder of the new edge in sword-and-sorcery.” —James Enge, World Fantasy Award-nominated author of Blood of Ambrose
Praise for The City of Marble and Blood:
“Not since DON QUIXOTE, encountered in Spanish Lit, have I come across a more engaging episodic novel. Every character is relatable, including the worst. I loved this book.” —Glen Cook, best-selling author of The Black Company series
Praise for Howard Andrew Jones:
“Howard Jones writes not-to-be-missed epic fantasy with immersive world building and the highest stakes for the characters, fighting for personal survival and the survival of their world.” —Martha Wells, Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award-winning author of the Murderbot series
“Howard Andrew Jones is a scholar and a gentleman, a deft multi-genre wordsmith . . . a living link between the right action-adventure narratives of old and the sprawling epic fantasies of today.” —Scott Lynch, author of The Republic of Thieves
“Howard Jones creates engrossing fantasy tales by combining historical authenticity with his thoughtful modern sensibilities and shapes events with his keen understanding of great adventure writers like Harold Lamb, Robert E. Howard, and Leigh Brackett.” —S. Craig Zahler, novelist and writer/director of Bone Tomahawk
Praise for the Ring-Sworn trilogy:
“Jones writes well, his strong prose giving a good sense of setting and able to stir emotions without ever getting itself noticed. . . . but the real strength of the book is simply that it is fun to read.” —Mark Lawrence, author of the Book of the Ancestor series
“For the Killing of Kings is a fast, fun swords-and-sorcery tale in the grand style, but updated for a modern reader. Magic, mayhem, betrayal, reversal, sword fights, court intrigue? This book hits all the right notes and has a great time doing it.” —Kelly McCullough, author of the Fallen Blade and WebMage series
“This is exciting storytelling from one of the best and most knowledgeable writers of heroic fantasy around . . . Jones’s prose is skillful and clean, equally adept at creating intimate moments of loss and longing or trumpeting big moments of battle and disaster.” —Black Gate
Praise for The Chronicles of Sword and Sand series:
“A modern iteration of old school storytelling. Highly recommended to anyone in search of a fun run through strange lands and times.” —Glen Cook, author of The Black Company series
“A grand and wonderful adventure filled with exotic magic and colorful places.” —Kevin J. Anderson, NYT best-selling author of The Saga of Seven Suns and the Young Jedi Knights series
“First class New School Sword and Sorcery, and anyone with the remotest interest in Sword and Sorcery would be cheating themselves if they did not avail themselves to try the work of Howard Andrew Jones.” —SF Signal
When the Dervan Empire came for the city of Volanus its people fought block by block, house by house until most of them fell with sword in hand. Only a thousand or so survived to be led away in chains. The empire looted the city's treasures, set fire to its temples, and sowed its fields with salt. Their victory was complete apart from one small detail: the greatest Volani general had escaped alive. And now, alone against the might of a vast empire, Hanuvar has only an aging sword arm, a lifetime of wisdom, and the greatest military mind in the world, bent upon a single goal. No matter where his people have been taken, from the furthest outpost of the empire to its rotten heart, he will find them. Every last one of them.
And he will set them free.
Praise for Lord of a Shattered Land:
“This wonderful work put me in mind of the stories I read when I was editing the Baen’s Robert E. Howard library.” —David Drake, best-selling author of the Hammer’s Slammers series, Redliners, Vettius and His Friends and the RCN series.
“Howard Andrew Jones is the leading Sword & Sorcery author of the 21st Century . . . His Lord of A Shattered Land is his best work yet, a heroic fantasy retelling of one of the great tales of antiquity, the fall of Carthage and its legendary general Hannibal . . . It's a magnificent achievement, destined to become a modern classic.” —John O’Neill, World Fantasy Award-winning publisher of Black Gate
“The book is a riveting portrait of a hero trying to keep his civilization alive in the wake of a devastating military defeat; it’s a series of ripping yarns that collectively add up to a greater story with a deeper impact than any of its parts; it’s another triumph for Howard Andrew Jones, premier wielder of the new edge in sword-and-sorcery.” —James Enge, World Fantasy Award-nominated author of Blood of Ambrose
Praise for The City of Marble and Blood:
“Not since DON QUIXOTE, encountered in Spanish Lit, have I come across a more engaging episodic novel. Every character is relatable, including the worst. I loved this book.” —Glen Cook, best-selling author of The Black Company series
Praise for Howard Andrew Jones:
“Howard Jones writes not-to-be-missed epic fantasy with immersive world building and the highest stakes for the characters, fighting for personal survival and the survival of their world.” —Martha Wells, Hugo, Nebula and Locus Award-winning author of the Murderbot series
“Howard Andrew Jones is a scholar and a gentleman, a deft multi-genre wordsmith . . . a living link between the right action-adventure narratives of old and the sprawling epic fantasies of today.” —Scott Lynch, author of The Republic of Thieves
“Howard Jones creates engrossing fantasy tales by combining historical authenticity with his thoughtful modern sensibilities and shapes events with his keen understanding of great adventure writers like Harold Lamb, Robert E. Howard, and Leigh Brackett.” —S. Craig Zahler, novelist and writer/director of Bone Tomahawk
Praise for the Ring-Sworn trilogy:
“Jones writes well, his strong prose giving a good sense of setting and able to stir emotions without ever getting itself noticed. . . . but the real strength of the book is simply that it is fun to read.” —Mark Lawrence, author of the Book of the Ancestor series
“For the Killing of Kings is a fast, fun swords-and-sorcery tale in the grand style, but updated for a modern reader. Magic, mayhem, betrayal, reversal, sword fights, court intrigue? This book hits all the right notes and has a great time doing it.” —Kelly McCullough, author of the Fallen Blade and WebMage series
“This is exciting storytelling from one of the best and most knowledgeable writers of heroic fantasy around . . . Jones’s prose is skillful and clean, equally adept at creating intimate moments of loss and longing or trumpeting big moments of battle and disaster.” —Black Gate
Praise for The Chronicles of Sword and Sand series:
“A modern iteration of old school storytelling. Highly recommended to anyone in search of a fun run through strange lands and times.” —Glen Cook, author of The Black Company series
“A grand and wonderful adventure filled with exotic magic and colorful places.” —Kevin J. Anderson, NYT best-selling author of The Saga of Seven Suns and the Young Jedi Knights series
“First class New School Sword and Sorcery, and anyone with the remotest interest in Sword and Sorcery would be cheating themselves if they did not avail themselves to try the work of Howard Andrew Jones.” —SF Signal
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Community Reviews
I accepted a hardback copy of this book from the author in consideration of a review. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and are subjective to myself as a reader.
This is one of - if not THE best - sword and sorcery fantasy tales I have ever read. I prolonged finishing for as long as I possibly could, so as to savor this fascinating tale of one man's mission to free his people from slavery. A mission that begins with one man and results in alighting a land with renewed hope and passion for freedom.
The first characteristic of this book that sets it apart is that it's written in a serial storytelling format. This simply means that it's generally published in small, sequential installments. What we have here with LORD OF A SHATTERED LAND is the larger narrative fiction all together in one bind up. It took me 3 chapters to get adjusted to this style, which I did end up really enjoying. It's like watching an ongoing TV series, it cuts out all the minute stuff that occurs between the really good parts!
I, like the people in many of these stories, grew to have such respect for Hanuvar Cabera. A single man whose sole purpose is to find every single Volani and free them from the yoke of slavery forced upon them by the Dervan Empire. His motives are pure and inspirational. Even when he would take jobs in order to disguise himself when traveling the different lands, he still managed to be a memorable example to those he met. A few of Hanuvar's greatest enemies treated him with utmost respect. Truly a remarkable character.
While Hanuvar's mission never wavered or changed, I loved the variety of people/gods/magical beings encountered - sometimes this led to being able to free some of his people, sometimes it didn't - or at least not immediately. The relationships Hanuvar forms in these stories were nothing short of amazing.
Howard Andrew Jones just knocked it out of the park on this one: large scale world building, magic that was mysterious and unique, characters I would die for, a legendary story arc - I was left wanting for nothing except more. Thank goodness I already have The Chronicles of Hanuvar II here, ready and waiting!
You can find this review along with other reviews spanning multiple genres at The Nerdy Narrative or if you prefer video format, I do have a BookTube Channel
A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing!
Special thanks to my highest level Patrons: Ev, Sharon, Andrew, Star, Amanda L., Kate, Gail, Amanda F., Lourdes, Tara, John, Ann, Chad K., Ashley E., & Jennifer M.
"This story isn't about me. It's about my people. Without them, I'm nothing."
This is one of - if not THE best - sword and sorcery fantasy tales I have ever read. I prolonged finishing for as long as I possibly could, so as to savor this fascinating tale of one man's mission to free his people from slavery. A mission that begins with one man and results in alighting a land with renewed hope and passion for freedom.
"Monsters and dark gods and Dervan soldiers and revenants and spirits could not stop him. The Dervans fear him like they fear no other. They burned his city and razed its fields and dragged its survivors off to slavery and still they fear him, even when they think he has nothing. They will fear him even after he dies, but they will fear him more if he lives."
The first characteristic of this book that sets it apart is that it's written in a serial storytelling format. This simply means that it's generally published in small, sequential installments. What we have here with LORD OF A SHATTERED LAND is the larger narrative fiction all together in one bind up. It took me 3 chapters to get adjusted to this style, which I did end up really enjoying. It's like watching an ongoing TV series, it cuts out all the minute stuff that occurs between the really good parts!
I, like the people in many of these stories, grew to have such respect for Hanuvar Cabera. A single man whose sole purpose is to find every single Volani and free them from the yoke of slavery forced upon them by the Dervan Empire. His motives are pure and inspirational. Even when he would take jobs in order to disguise himself when traveling the different lands, he still managed to be a memorable example to those he met. A few of Hanuvar's greatest enemies treated him with utmost respect. Truly a remarkable character.
While Hanuvar's mission never wavered or changed, I loved the variety of people/gods/magical beings encountered - sometimes this led to being able to free some of his people, sometimes it didn't - or at least not immediately. The relationships Hanuvar forms in these stories were nothing short of amazing.
Howard Andrew Jones just knocked it out of the park on this one: large scale world building, magic that was mysterious and unique, characters I would die for, a legendary story arc - I was left wanting for nothing except more. Thank goodness I already have The Chronicles of Hanuvar II here, ready and waiting!
You can find this review along with other reviews spanning multiple genres at The Nerdy Narrative or if you prefer video format, I do have a BookTube Channel
A heartfelt thanks to my Patrons on Patreon for their support towards my enthusiasm for reading and reviewing!
Special thanks to my highest level Patrons: Ev, Sharon, Andrew, Star, Amanda L., Kate, Gail, Amanda F., Lourdes, Tara, John, Ann, Chad K., Ashley E., & Jennifer M.
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