As this review covers the second novel in Doulas Hulick’s Tales of the Kin series, some spoilers for the first novel, Among Thieves, are unavoidable… though I will try to be as vague as possible.
The events of Among Thieves had major ramifications on Drothe and the criminal underworld of Ildrecca, where he made his home. One of those ramifications has seen his closest friend – Bronze Degan – disappear, though Drothe manages to learn where Degan went rather quickly and despite knowing Degan likely doesn’t want him to follow, Drothe tries to find his friend. This is problematic, because Drothe’s station has moved up in the world considerably as a result of the fallout of Among Thieves. By leaving Ildrecca to travel across the sea to this faraway nation of Djan he is leaving some very important responsibilities behind. Another Degan*, who only gives the name Wolf, compels Drothe to leave Ildrecca to find Bronze Degan after framing Drothe for the murder of one of Drothe’s rivals. Wolf sees Degan as a very important key in unraveling the truth of the Order of Degans. Drothe also manages to get involved with a troupe of actors who join him on his journey.
*The Degans are a group of powerful warriors beholden to the empire, but the Degan who is friends with Drothe has always simply been called “Degan” by Drothe)
Much of the novel involves the plot paths down which Hulick sends Drothe through the streets of Djan. The land has more of a Middle-Eastern/Silk-Road feel than Ildrecca and Droth gets tangled up with sorcerers, assassins, crime lords, and spirits. The world-building was a bit spare in Djan, but for a first person narrative, it was enough to get through the passes and not bog down the otherwise well-paced plot. We saw what Drothe saw, with a few minor added details and it was all that was germane to the story being told. Peppered throughout are some great sword fights and physical conflicts between Drothe and various characters. Although Drothe was away from Ildrecca for a majority of the novel, a connection between the two places is revealed as the novel progresses.
In Djan, Drothe has a far smaller network of contacts to get his goals accomplished. He has only his quick thinking and his Oak (bodyguard) Fowler Jess. The relationship between Jess and Drothe proved to be an interesting one; more often than not Jess was the one bossing Drothe despite Drothe being the Boss. Also, Jess is a woman, which provided a nice gender reversal for the protector and protected. Though again, as in Among Thieves there are more male characters, Hulick places the gender on equal footing in terms of roles they can play in the world. In a sense, this was quite like Brian McClellan’s Powder Mage Trilogy which placed the men and women on equal footing in the military of the world.
So we’ve got Drothe trying to make amends for what happened between him and Degan. Whether by prodding from Wolf, or Nose-ing around on his own, Drothe comes to realize how deep and blurry the past of the Degans actually is. To say more would take away the enjoyment of discovering these elements through Hulick’s narrative.
One could easily say of Sworn in Steel, compared to its predecessor: more of the same. I don’t intend that to be a reductive back-handed compliment because I enjoyed Among Thieves a great deal and I was hoping for just that, more of the same. However, by expanding Drothe’s world, plumbing the depths of its history, and revealing that fact has been glossed over by years of assumption Hulick has brought more to the table. Two books into the Tales of the Kin and Hulick is building something quite enjoyable. The easiest comparisons is Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos novels; as both authors employ a first person, intimate narrative with a healthy dose of snark. Hulick is carving out his own voice and it is one I look forward to reading again. I especially can’t wait to see what happens when Drothe is fully settled back in Ildrecca.
Recommended.
© 2014 Rob H. Bedford
My review of Among Thieves
Roc, May 2014
Mass Market Paperback, 512 Pages / ISBN: 978-0-451- 464-477
http://douglashulick.com/
Review copy courtesy of the publisher, Roc
