The Skald’s Black Verse by Jordan Loyal Short
Published:
November 6, 2018
Re-Released: August 6, 2020
Genre: Epic
Grimdark Fantasy
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 330
When a soldier’s murder sparks rebellion
in the tiny village of Skolja, Brohr’s past marks him as the prime suspect.
Haunted by his brother’s ghost, and drawn into a web of dark
pacts and tangled loyalties, Brohr must choose between the path of vengeance
set before him, and a chance to forge his own fate.
From the shadows, an all but extinct race of alien
demigods have begun the end game of their millennia-spanning war, and one has
chosen Brohr for his closing gambit.
But Brohr’s grandfather harbors a dark secret that
will change everything.
Above it all, a dread portent looms in the sky,
spelling the death of Brohr’s world. With doom spiraling toward
them, Brohr must lead an unlikely rebellion, unearth disturbing family secrets,
and tame the raging ghost that haunts him. Can Brohr lead his people out of
darkness, or will he succumb to his own terrifying bloodlust, and destroy the
very people he has sworn to save?
Review:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Brohr has always been shunned and hated, an outcast. His very existence the result of his mother's rape. Living with his grandfather in their village hoping to get away with one person who he thought loved him but after an incident in which she see's his rage, something that Brohr hoped to never reveal. A month lapses and he discovers that she's now with another at the Tavern, things go from bad to worse. Resulting in Brohr have too much to drink and ending the night in a fight at the docks. All while a comet is streaking across the sky, which sets so many things in motion and his life is never the same again.
This novel might not be everyone's horn of mead, it is brutal at parts, but if you enjoy your fantasy on the darker side then you are in for a treat with The Skald's Black Verse. There is a lot happening in this novel. A blend of science fiction and fantasy, black magic, Norse mythos and interplanetary race who have conquered and oppressed.
Secrets and truths, sinister beings.
Well written, fast paced with a wide cast of characters. A fantastic debut novel from author Jordan Loyal Short, looking forward to book 2.
Jordan Loyal Short is a debut author of epic
fantasy. His first novel, The Skald’s Black Verse,
is a dark and beautiful story about families, cultures, and beliefs at war with
themselves. The protagonist, Brohr, must navigate the tangled loyalties and
unforgiving biases of a planet conquered by invaders from another world. Using
black magic, and the bizarre bond he shares with his stillborn brother’s
spirit, Brohr unravels the truth about himself and an eon spanning war that has
reached its end game. Jordan has worked in a variety of industries, as a
waiter, bartender, copywriter and more. He lives in Washington state with his
wife where he is currently daydreaming about the end of the world
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I loved this book!
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