The Devil in the Dust

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: This is an excellent beginning to a fantasy series. I was browsing looking for an alternative to all the multi-thousand page fantasy epics. Although part of a larger series, this release manages in under 300 pages more depth of characterization, richness of atmosphere, and worldbuilding detail than many novels twice (or three times) its length.

Especially noteworthy is the author's prose. I usually steer clear of books whose reviews extoll the virtues of the book's prose. Such reviews almost invariably mean the author is so enamored of his turn of phrase and too self-important to get to the business of telling the story. In this book, however, the hype is actually warranted. Brenchley's prose is a bit more stylized than the average fantasy thriller, perhaps, but the narrative still moves along at a brisk pace.

Overall, highly recommended. I ran out and bought the second book as soon as I finished this one. I look forward to all the rest in this series.