What I like:
*the world-building such as the creation myths, the structure of the three guilds, and the role of the Fray in Quarry Town's culture.
* The character development such as Brindl's budding friendships with Tonio and Xiomara, and the distinctions between the Far World ambassadors. It's really something how Lord Yonda shifts from seeming like the "Fat Bastard" trope to the "Big Fun" trope.
*starting each chapter with an excerpt from a in-universe royal advice book, which compliments and contrasts its chapter. That's a neat literary device
*the epilogue. It addresses most of the plot threads for a satisfying conclusion. It is also plenty heartwarming while utilizing the same device as the chapter breaks, which creates a different sort of climax than the big fight.
What I DON'T like:
*the ambigous supernatural element. Brindl is implied to have a kind of foresight at three points in the story, and the Diosa is also implied to have this same ability. Whether this is a real thing or just mundane intuition is never made clear, and not in the fun way. It feels like a plot contrivance.
*the battle of the climax. It gives the impression that battles are won via the Rule of Drama rather than sound battle tactics, social organization, or sensible decision making.
*starting the story off with an assassination attempt on Xiomara and then following up with a second one, only to completely drop that angle. All that remains of it is a half-hearted mention in the epilogue. Again, it feels like a tool for cheap drama without payoff.
*Brindl feels too much like a Pinball Protagonist at times. Pulled in several directions, she seems more like a spectator or messenger than a participant in many events. This is NOT the case overall, as she makes decisions, on her own, that trigger great events and move the plot forward, but these are fewer in number. Like a player character in a scripted video game that can make meaningful choices at story branches, but otherwise does what the NPCs tell them to do.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "Shadow Guard, a Second Guard novel" a B+
Brian Wilkerson is an independent novelist, freelance book reviewer, and writing advice blogger. He studied at the University of Minnesota and came away with bachelor's degrees in English Literature and History (Classical Mediterranean Period concentration).
His fantasy series, Journey to Chaos, is currently available on Amazon as an ebook or paperback.
