This book has an intriguing opening theme: the lead general and strategist extraordinaire of the most powerful empire of the world kills his king and consigns himself to certain doom or at least the life of a fugitive to keep his oath. The main character is well-portrayed and undoubtedly a soldier, albeit one with very modern beliefs about ethics, gender equality and fair play. The secondary characters are stereotyped but fitting and humorous.
The world building is very light but not lacking, the desert-spawn country of Niotan and the roman-empire-flavored Brindisi Sovran are contextualized as needed. I approached this book knowing it was a self-published work of an active author, it ended up resonating well with my most girlish sensibilities and although the story is quick-paced and engaging and the focus is war (so expect warfare, strategies, battle scenes, politics and courtly intrigue), the tones are gentle and not much gets in the way of the hero. As downsides, there is a love story a bit on the cheesy side, a linear simplistic plot line, and some aspects conveniently overlooked or timed (the lack of intelligence in Brindisi or the conflict with the other generals of Niotan). And the hero is a bit too perfect, bar being directionally impaired.
The editing is good, I noticed just a few repeated pieces of info and the author is partial to words like wryly, drily and ruefully, but the prose is flowing and the writing style pleasant. In the afterword we learn the book was written in two months, hats off.
I wasn't expecting a a mind-blowing war story but I was looking for a smooth and enjoyable book, and I was not disappointed. I liked the ride and would recommend it for an easy, neat read. ( )