Knight of Gaelgara: War of Souls Apocrypha Book 1, by Gary J. Martin

Temple Dark Publishing, 2024

ISBN: ‎ 9781738467617

Available: Paperback, audiobook, audio CD

Buy: Amazon.com | Bookshop.org

Knight of Gaelgara is yet another stunning debut to a series published by Temple Dark Publishing. It’s firmly set in the realm of medieval fantasy and contains some of the elements that made the Game of Thrones series so enjoyable. With a layered narrative, numerous characters, and a feeling true to life of the medieval period, this is one the Thrones fans will not want to miss.

A simple synopsis of a complex plot is that Sir Rosalind Radsvinn, newly anointed knight, returns to her home, the portside city of Akkson. The city is ruled by her father, Baron Feylan Radsvinn, on the continent of Gaelgara. In a torrid 48 hours, the city is torn apart by the combined assault of invaders from the outside, and the internal strife and rebellion of the people of Akkson.

There is a LOT going on in the book, but I don’t want to give it away. The story is written in third person, but told from the perspective of multiple narrators, each with their own agenda for the city of Akkson. That’s where the plot complexity comes in: few of the characters are united in how they view things, and that keeps the narrative engrossing. There are loyalists, flat-out traitors, and those on the fence, and the author makes sure to provide reasons for each. The main turncoat out to destroy the Baron’s family may be a bad guy, but he certainly has some justification for what he does, even if you don’t agree with it. Many of the characters are written in shades of gray, and it’s what keeps the story so interesting. The Baron’s family alone is a study in dysfunction. Rosalind remains loyal to her father, Baron Radsvinn, although he hasn’t done a good job of running the city, while her brother, Ulrik, is an opportunist who may swing to either side, depending on how it benefits him. From the top-level characters to the basic foot soldiers, all the characters are complex and feel true to life. Thankfully, there is a character appendix at the beginning of the book for readers who start to feel overwhelmed by the scope of it all.

As far as the writing, this is seriously immersive stuff that will make you think the author must have lived through the period. It feels real, from the trebuchets and ballistae being used to destroy the city walls, to the hard, messy, and ugly battles. These are not glamorous battles like in movies: people get stabbed through the armpits or under the chin through the skull, the kind of places a warrior would actually target, since they are unprotected. It’s the same with the characters that use war-hammers: they go for the joints, and crush them. It’s a good reminder that medieval warfare was hardly honorable. It was unpleasant and a bloody mess. Interesting note: poison gas is actually used as a siege weapon in the book, a very creative touch. There are also some well-written naval battles in the book, something medieval fantasy writers rarely include. Truth be told, these might have been my favorite battle scenes of the book.

What also sets this one apart from the others are the original touches in terms of humanoids. The character Thorn is a cougari, a cat-man humanoid, and the Whale Riders are water-breathing humanoids who live in the ocean and ride into battle on whales decked out in armor. Those races add an interesting new element to the medieval style. Let’s hope the Whale Riders keep playing a role, as they were one of the best parts of the book

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Bottom line: for the readers that felt a void in their lives when it became apparent that the Game of Thrones series will probably never be finished, fear not. Gary J. Martin is here, and continues the genre in his own spectacular, original, fashion. This one makes my list of “can’t miss” titles for the year, alongside Ishmael Soledad’s Diathesis, Christopher Micklos’s Tick Town, and J.R. Konkol’s The Guardian’s Gambit. Now, let’s hope we don’t have to wait ten years for the next installment in this series! Beyond highly recommended.

Reviewed by Murray Samuelson