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Book ReviewsFantasySword & Sorcery
Home›Book Reviews›The Copper Promise by Jen Williams

The Copper Promise by Jen Williams

By Laura M. Hughes
November 24, 2017
3022
0

The Copper Promise (Copper Cat, #1) by Jen WilliamsThe Copper Promise is a classic fantasy romp; a sword and sorcery tale of epic quests, fallen heroes, plucky sellswords and fearsome dragons.

After unwittingly unleashing an ancient horror from a buried citadel (oops!), three unlikely heroes – noble Lord Frith (whose family were murdered and who himself was tortured after being overthrown by rivals); Sir Sebastien (an exiled knight with a troubled soul); and Wydrin (a sassy mercenary also known as the Copper Cat) – must seek out long-lost magic in order to atone for their bloody daft mistake and save the world.

Jen Williams’ story is a lot of fun. The Copper Promise is full of action and magic and just the right amount of grit and gore . . . and it’s entertaining enough to make you overlook certain instances of deus ex machina (need to travel somewhere in a hurry? Take these magical flying griffins!). Although several threads of the story are so contrived as to be reminiscent of quests in a Dungeons & Dragons game, the flighty pace and likeable characters (particularly Wydrin) make the reader more than happy to turn a blind eye.

The pacing of The Copper Promise does suffer a little bit from its uneven structure. As I understand it, the story was originally written as a series of four novellas; this version of the book is similarly split into four distinct sections. While this means for quite fast pacing and lots of exciting moments and mini-climaxes, it does make the final events of the book seem a little anti-climactic. (The wild chase through the skies, though very exciting, felt a little rushed.)

The Copper Promise (Copper Cat, #1) by Jen WilliamsMost of all, though, it’s nice to read the first book in a series that can actually be read as a standalone. Far too many fantasy authors recently have cut me up with sudden and dramatic cliffhangers at the end of their books (I’m looking at you, Brian McClellan). The Copper Promise is refreshing in that it’s self-contained, and ends with a sense of resolution while at the same time inviting (rather than demanding) a sequel.

I’m currently reading Jen Williams’ latest novel, The Ninth Rain, and am massively impressed by the increase in quality. While I did enjoy The Copper Promise, I think I’d find it hard to return to the Copper Cat and co. now that I’ve sampled the Winnowing Flame trilogy… but who knows?

The Iron Ghost has been sitting on my shelf for years now, and I’d like to say that its patience will be rewarded one day.

 


TagsAngry RobotCopper CatEpic FantasyJen WilliamsThe Copper PromiseWydrin

Laura M. Hughes

Laura works as a freelance editor beneath the grey, pigeon-filled skies of northern England. When she isn’t working on a manuscript or writing for the Hive, you're most likely to find her on Twitter, playing Dragon Age, or hoarding polyhedral dice. Laura also writes LitRPG under the pen name Demi Harper; her first novel, GOD OF GNOMES, was published in September 2019. She created The Fantasy Hive in 2017; her sanity has been steadily disintegrating ever since.

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