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Drakenfeld #1
Drakenfeld
“I am Lucan Drakenfeld, second son of Calludian, Officer of the Sun Chamber and peace keeper. Although sometimes it seems I am the only person who wishes to keep it …�
The monarchies of the Royal Vispasian Union have been bound together for two hundred years by laws maintained and enforced by the powerful Sun Chamber. As a result, nations have flourished but corruption, deprivation and murder will always find a way to thrive.
Receiving news of his father’s death Sun Chamber Officer Lucan Drakenfeld is recalled home to the ancient city of Tryum and rapidly embroiled in a mystifying case. The King’s sister has been found brutally murdered � her beaten and bloody body discovered in a locked temple. With rumours of dark spirits and political assassination, Drakenfeld has his work cut out for him trying to separate superstition from certainty. His determination to find the killer quickly makes him a target as the underworld gangs of Tryum focus on this new threat to their power.
Embarking on the biggest and most complex investigation of his career, Drakenfeld soon realises the evidence is leading him towards a motive that could ultimately bring darkness to the whole continent. The fate of the nations is in his hands.
The monarchies of the Royal Vispasian Union have been bound together for two hundred years by laws maintained and enforced by the powerful Sun Chamber. As a result, nations have flourished but corruption, deprivation and murder will always find a way to thrive.
Receiving news of his father’s death Sun Chamber Officer Lucan Drakenfeld is recalled home to the ancient city of Tryum and rapidly embroiled in a mystifying case. The King’s sister has been found brutally murdered � her beaten and bloody body discovered in a locked temple. With rumours of dark spirits and political assassination, Drakenfeld has his work cut out for him trying to separate superstition from certainty. His determination to find the killer quickly makes him a target as the underworld gangs of Tryum focus on this new threat to their power.
Embarking on the biggest and most complex investigation of his career, Drakenfeld soon realises the evidence is leading him towards a motive that could ultimately bring darkness to the whole continent. The fate of the nations is in his hands.
429 pages, Hardcover
First published October 1, 2013
17 people are currently reading
1,912 people want to read
About the author
Mark Charan Newton
16Ìýbooks249ÌýfollowersMark Charan Newton was born in 1981, and holds a degree in Environmental Science. After working in bookselling, he moved into editorial positions at imprints covering film and media tie-in fiction, and later, science fiction and fantasy. He currently lives and works in Nottingham. His major label debut is Nights of Villjamur, which is published by Tor UK (Pan Macmillan) and Bantam Spectra (Random House).
"Newton combines strange and vivid creations with very real and pressing concerns with estimable commitment and passion." � China Miéville on City of Ruin.
"This is fantasy with vast scope and ambition... a complex, eldritch vision" � The Guardian on Nights of Villjamur.
"Newton combines strange and vivid creations with very real and pressing concerns with estimable commitment and passion." � China Miéville on City of Ruin.
"This is fantasy with vast scope and ambition... a complex, eldritch vision" � The Guardian on Nights of Villjamur.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
October 16, 2013
5 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum
If you ever get the opportunity to check out Drakenfeld, I highly recommend doing so! Go ahead and pick up the book, take your time to admire that striking, gorgeous cover, and give the first chapter a whirl. For myself, I was irrevocably hooked by the third page. It's hard not to be intrigued by the opening scene, when the descriptions of a brutal, torturous act of punishment is at once juxtaposed by the eponymous main character's deep regret and compassion, especially since he was the one who so doggedly hunted down the condemned in the first place.
Indeed, Lucan Drakenfeld has his work cut out for him. As an officer of the Sun Chamber, the independent organization tasked with maintaining the peace and stability of the various kingdoms in the Royal Vispasian Union, he has traveled far and wide and acted as lawkeeper in many places across the land. Yet when news of his father's death reaches him at the start of this story, Drakenfeld is recalled to his childhood home of Tryum.
Unfortunately, our protagonist has scarcely settled into his new post when tragedy befalls Tryum's royal family. The king's sister Lacanta has been found murdered, and Drakenfeld is called in to investigate the case. But with the princess' body found inside an empty locked temple just minutes after she was last seen alive by numerous witnesses, the baffling circumstances around her death seem quite impossible. Furthermore, the rumors that she was struck down by sorcery and witchcraft certainly aren't helping one bit.
First of all, I was absolutely delighted to find a book like this! I'll admit, despite hearing it described as a "fantasy mystery", I had my doubts in the beginning, namely in the "Mystery" part of that combination. After all, I've read a lot fantasy in the past which have been lumped into this category (specifically, a lot of urban fantasy and paranormal) but only because they happen to contain a few elements of the genre like noir or crime. Don't get me wrong; I've been known to enjoy those kinds of books a lot as well, but it was still very exciting, the moment when I was reading Drakenfeld and realized that I was holding an actual bonafide whodunit murder mystery in my hands.
It only gets better. The book's fantasy setting is one rich with politics, religion and culture, with an atmosphere reminiscent of Ancient Rome. Mark Charan Newton's writing style is wonderful, bringing the world of Drakenfeld to life in a way that gives it an almost classical, literary feel. As a lover of epic and historical fantasy, I was in my comfort zone, even as the meat of the mystery plot unfolded.
But perhaps my biggest attraction to this book is the character of Lucan Drakenfeld himself. In a genre that has seen the rise of many anti-heroes and other darker, morally-ambiguous characters in recent years, I was actually a little taken aback to encounter someone like Drakenfeld. Put simply, our narrator is a good person. Not perfect, no; but he values life and law in equal measure. His code of honor, as I said, was something I was able to determine very early on, from his attitude towards crime and punishment in the opening scene. A genuine belief in the adherence to regulations combined with a respect for personal freedoms made him an intriguing character whom I knew I was going to love. Coming down from reading a lot of epic fantasy starring thieves, mercenaries and assassins as of late also made meeting Drakenfeld a refreshing change.
This is the first book I've ever read by Mark Charan Newton, but it certainly won't be my last. With its perfect blend of fantasy and mystery and an excellent cast of characters, Drakenfeld gave me one of the more unique reading experiences I've had this year, and I think those who enjoy both those genres will really like this one. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, definitely check this one out.
If you ever get the opportunity to check out Drakenfeld, I highly recommend doing so! Go ahead and pick up the book, take your time to admire that striking, gorgeous cover, and give the first chapter a whirl. For myself, I was irrevocably hooked by the third page. It's hard not to be intrigued by the opening scene, when the descriptions of a brutal, torturous act of punishment is at once juxtaposed by the eponymous main character's deep regret and compassion, especially since he was the one who so doggedly hunted down the condemned in the first place.
Indeed, Lucan Drakenfeld has his work cut out for him. As an officer of the Sun Chamber, the independent organization tasked with maintaining the peace and stability of the various kingdoms in the Royal Vispasian Union, he has traveled far and wide and acted as lawkeeper in many places across the land. Yet when news of his father's death reaches him at the start of this story, Drakenfeld is recalled to his childhood home of Tryum.
Unfortunately, our protagonist has scarcely settled into his new post when tragedy befalls Tryum's royal family. The king's sister Lacanta has been found murdered, and Drakenfeld is called in to investigate the case. But with the princess' body found inside an empty locked temple just minutes after she was last seen alive by numerous witnesses, the baffling circumstances around her death seem quite impossible. Furthermore, the rumors that she was struck down by sorcery and witchcraft certainly aren't helping one bit.
First of all, I was absolutely delighted to find a book like this! I'll admit, despite hearing it described as a "fantasy mystery", I had my doubts in the beginning, namely in the "Mystery" part of that combination. After all, I've read a lot fantasy in the past which have been lumped into this category (specifically, a lot of urban fantasy and paranormal) but only because they happen to contain a few elements of the genre like noir or crime. Don't get me wrong; I've been known to enjoy those kinds of books a lot as well, but it was still very exciting, the moment when I was reading Drakenfeld and realized that I was holding an actual bonafide whodunit murder mystery in my hands.
It only gets better. The book's fantasy setting is one rich with politics, religion and culture, with an atmosphere reminiscent of Ancient Rome. Mark Charan Newton's writing style is wonderful, bringing the world of Drakenfeld to life in a way that gives it an almost classical, literary feel. As a lover of epic and historical fantasy, I was in my comfort zone, even as the meat of the mystery plot unfolded.
But perhaps my biggest attraction to this book is the character of Lucan Drakenfeld himself. In a genre that has seen the rise of many anti-heroes and other darker, morally-ambiguous characters in recent years, I was actually a little taken aback to encounter someone like Drakenfeld. Put simply, our narrator is a good person. Not perfect, no; but he values life and law in equal measure. His code of honor, as I said, was something I was able to determine very early on, from his attitude towards crime and punishment in the opening scene. A genuine belief in the adherence to regulations combined with a respect for personal freedoms made him an intriguing character whom I knew I was going to love. Coming down from reading a lot of epic fantasy starring thieves, mercenaries and assassins as of late also made meeting Drakenfeld a refreshing change.
This is the first book I've ever read by Mark Charan Newton, but it certainly won't be my last. With its perfect blend of fantasy and mystery and an excellent cast of characters, Drakenfeld gave me one of the more unique reading experiences I've had this year, and I think those who enjoy both those genres will really like this one. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, definitely check this one out.
December 16, 2012
A big improvement on the author's previous series...!
April 8, 2017
Kings and queens may fall, but cloth still needed to be dyed.
October 25, 2014
Did you ever want to read a fantasy novel that feels like historical fiction? If the answer is yes then Drakenfeld is the book for you.
Lucan Drakenfeld is an agent for the Sun Chamber, an organization that is tasked with keeping order in the Vispassian Union, a union of 8 kingdoms, each with its own agenda.
When Lucan's father, who was also a prominent member of the Sun Chamber, dies Lucan returns to his home city of Tryum. He is ordered to take over the office of his father and the first case to investigate turns out to be a prominent one, as the murder of royal proportions happens shortly after Lucan and his companion Leana arrive in the city.
The setting author Mark Charan Newton invokes for us is quite similar to ancient Rome. Next to the king there is a senate with influence and all the naming conventions and the technological level within the novel are period appropriate.
From the setup with the many nations as part of the union, this could have easily been an epic fantasy, but Newton goes another way and presents us with a murder mystery mainly focused on Tryum. Lucan as our main character and only pov is clever and capable, but is far from turning out to be a super-detective ala Sherlock Holmes.
The story is told in first-person and if you follow my reviews frequently you already know that this is my least favorite narrative style and that I rarely give 5 or 4 stars to those novels.
Overall the murder mystery was interesting and I didn't figure it out by myself, but I still had the feeling that some of the clues came up more by chance and Drakenfeld's quality was more of making connections between the clues as of actually finding those clues.
And for a fantasy, the novel had next to none fantastical elements, so the sense of wonder which is very important for me in a novel wasn't really satisfied.
My personal highlight of the novel was definitely the supporting cast, cause we have some very interesting and likeable characters. Apart from that the amount of historical research to invoke a believeable ancient setting was commendable and if you're into settings like Rome or maybe The Greek polises, than Drakenfeld will be of interest for you.
As I received Retribution, the second novel of the series as an ARC copy, I will directly jump into the sequel and hope to see a little more fantasy and hopefully a bit more of complexity.
Lucan Drakenfeld is an agent for the Sun Chamber, an organization that is tasked with keeping order in the Vispassian Union, a union of 8 kingdoms, each with its own agenda.
When Lucan's father, who was also a prominent member of the Sun Chamber, dies Lucan returns to his home city of Tryum. He is ordered to take over the office of his father and the first case to investigate turns out to be a prominent one, as the murder of royal proportions happens shortly after Lucan and his companion Leana arrive in the city.
The setting author Mark Charan Newton invokes for us is quite similar to ancient Rome. Next to the king there is a senate with influence and all the naming conventions and the technological level within the novel are period appropriate.
From the setup with the many nations as part of the union, this could have easily been an epic fantasy, but Newton goes another way and presents us with a murder mystery mainly focused on Tryum. Lucan as our main character and only pov is clever and capable, but is far from turning out to be a super-detective ala Sherlock Holmes.
The story is told in first-person and if you follow my reviews frequently you already know that this is my least favorite narrative style and that I rarely give 5 or 4 stars to those novels.
Overall the murder mystery was interesting and I didn't figure it out by myself, but I still had the feeling that some of the clues came up more by chance and Drakenfeld's quality was more of making connections between the clues as of actually finding those clues.
And for a fantasy, the novel had next to none fantastical elements, so the sense of wonder which is very important for me in a novel wasn't really satisfied.
My personal highlight of the novel was definitely the supporting cast, cause we have some very interesting and likeable characters. Apart from that the amount of historical research to invoke a believeable ancient setting was commendable and if you're into settings like Rome or maybe The Greek polises, than Drakenfeld will be of interest for you.
As I received Retribution, the second novel of the series as an ARC copy, I will directly jump into the sequel and hope to see a little more fantasy and hopefully a bit more of complexity.
November 18, 2016
A very good Agatha Christie-like murder story set in a Fantasy world reminiscent of Ancient Rome. I liked every single page of it!
OLIVIER DELAYE
Author of the SEBASTEN OF ATLANTIS series
OLIVIER DELAYE
Author of the SEBASTEN OF ATLANTIS series
December 20, 2013
Full review over at
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Over here at Fantasy Book Critic, we keep an eye out for special writers and I was looking forward to this book since it was announced back in 2011. While I’ve read the first two books in Mark C. Newton’s debut series, this book almost felt like from a whole new person. Let me clarify that; as I don't think that Mark was a bad writer with his earlier books, no he was a different kind of writer. With this one, he re-invents himself and goes on to write a book that is vastly different than his debut effort in terms of plot style, genre & characterization.
Drakenfeld introduces us to Lucan Drakenfeld, an officer of the Sun Chamber who is called back to his birth city of Tryum. Tryum is the capital city of Detrata, which along with a few other nations combine to form the Vispasian Royal Union. A confederation of monarchic nations, which is controlled and policed by the Sun Chamber. Set in a quasi-Roman landscape and with a world that is very slowly & surely revealed, the author focuses on the main character of Lucan Drakenfeld as we learn all about his past life and his route to becoming an officer of the Sun chamber. Lucan’s father has passed away and when he learns about it, he goes back to Tryum wherein he learns that the King’s sister has been murdered in a locked room.
Tasked by the king to find his sister’s murderer, Lucan Drakenfeld soon learns that the past never truly is in the past. As revelations about his father and his ex-lover shake Lucan and he is embroiled in the royal murder mystery with no end in sight. The author then conveniently proceeds to involve the reader in this quasi-roman world via his smooth operative protagonist. Lucan Drakenfeld is a superb protagonist who is a cerebral character and one who looks to avoid violence whenever he can. The author has commented about this in a blog post and after reading this story, it’s very apparent how the author has gone about this. I enjoyed discovering Lucan’s past and how some of it ties into the current mystery. With first person narratives, it's entirely upon the narrator to enrapture the reader and so here the author excels by creating such a everyman protagonist. Lucan is a simple, honorable man who has made mistake but has learned from them as much as possible.
There’s also the world that is introduced and with this opening story, we are only shown the city of Tryum. I hope the author explores remaining city states in further volumes as this series is ripe for exploration. The side character cast introduced in this one is also intriguing beginning from Leana who provides an interesting foil to Lucan and provides the reader with some of the interesting dialogue in this book. Also primarily what it does is hold a mirror to Lucan, his views and actions. In the sense that Lucan is a man who advocates avoiding violence but Leana often counters by providing reasons that violence might actually be the better option. I enjoyed this intellectual foreplay and will be interested to see Leana’s past explored in the future volumes.
The author has to be lauded for lacing such a good mystery story within a secondary fantasy world. The world he has created is a very low magic one and there's almost none within this story. Perhaps this is a world with its superstitions that is slowly but surely on its way to dispelling them. Or it's a series that might present some later, either way it's a series that will draw in the readers comfortably. Not much to nitpick about it, besides the fact that there's almost next to none of any magic, but the way the story is presented, most readers shouldn't have any quibbles about it.
With strong characterization and a very smooth plot, the book was an excellent read from the first page to the last. I very much enjoyed this new turn by Mark C. Newton and will be looking forward to further adventures featuring Leana and Lucan. Very highly recommended for those who love strong mysteries, nuanced plots and an intriguing protagonist. Join Lucan Drakenfeld in his ancient world, for the author is sure to dwell in it for a long, long time to come.
October 10, 2013
Lucan Drakenfeld is an Officer of the Sun Chamber; a vast network that oversees the peaceful unity of the kingdoms it polices. Called back to his home city of Tryum after the death of his father, Drakenfeld is quickly given his father’s old post of Officer based in the city. He is quickly drawn into his first case � to investigate the mysterious death of the king’s sister. Conspiracies, murder and treason are just a few of the things he comes up against in his search for the truth about what happened. I don’t want to delve much deeper into the events of Drakenfeld for fear of spoiling the intricate plot that Mark Charan Newton has created here. Be assured, though, that this is a satisfying blend of crime, fantasy and historical fantasy that never short changes and lives up to the mysteries promised at the beginning.
I’ve never read anything by Mark Charan Newton before (although he has been hovering around my pile for quite some time) but Drakenfeld is the perfect place to start. Heavily influenced by the classical world � immediately giving it an edge of originality � Newton pulls from epic fantasy and crime fiction to give something truly different. Written in 1st person from the POV of Lucan Drakenfeld himself, it still manages to feel like epic fantasy � despite the crime thriller plot and historically influenced setting. Beyond the main narrative, we learn about Drakenfeld’s past and the wider world, lending the book a much bigger scope than might be expected. 1st Person Detective Fantasy, to me, is immediately associated with Urban Fantasy, like the Dresden Files or the Iron Druid Chronicles � but here, Newton has managed to create a crime narrative that feels every bit as seedy and sinister as the best crime thrillers, and yet every bit as involved and complex as some of the best epic fantasy. It’s a testament to his skill that the worldbuilding never felt superfluous, but rather something I was eager to read about.
The plot is always going to be absolutely core to any crime novel, and in this Newton does not disappoint. Centred around a locked-room mystery, the central case around the death of the king’s sister will have you constantly second-guessing yourself as layers are peeled away from the mystery and new ones are piled on top. Drakenfeld’s own sub-narrative is weaved in beautifully, giving depth to his character as we learn about what really happened. The resolution is satisfying and well-constructed whilst also leaving an element of mystery going forward. There are no cliff-hangers here, but elements are certainly in place for the continuation of Drakenfeld’s story.
The main setting is Tryum, a city that loosely grabs elements from Ancient Rome and the social, political and cultural make-up of the classical world, whilst also maintaining more progressive elements of the modern world. The city itself is a fantastic creation � one that feels as deep in its creation as Camorr and as pivotal as King’s Landing. The setting allows for much of Newton’s originality, feeling genuinely different to anything else I’ve really read in fantasy and showing a thoughtful writer, not afraid to take risks in exploring a progressive culture within a fantasy world, when it may have been much easier to simply use the medieval framework seen in so many other epic fantasies.
But central to my enjoyment of Drakenfeld were its characters. In Lucan Drakenfeld himself, Newton has created a man with a history. He is not the chosen one, nor a warrior. A man of mental tenacity, but who has seen a lot in his life already. He has flaws, both historically, mentally and physically. He feels real, and being inside his head for the entire novel feels right. Alongside Drakenfeld is his…assistant, Leana. A black foreign woman in a city that sneers at those different to themselves, she doesn’t have the easiest prospects in Tryum. But Leana IS a warrior, and she could take on fifty of the city’s best and still be home in time for dinner. Leana, quite easily, is my favourite character in fiction this year. A progressive, intelligent take on a character who, in the hands of a lesser writer, could have been hackneyed and cliché, Leana is wonderful. I defy anyone not to smile every time she has a line of dialogue. The host of senators, generals and royalty round out a colourful cast that fill out a novel where no one is as simple as they may seem.
Drakenfeld is a progressive, intelligent fantasy that provides a thrilling story alongside its more thoughtful elements that serve to create something truly unique. In a market saturated with books about thieves, assassins and grit, Mark Charan Newton has written a novel that takes the elements of crime thrillers and epic fantasy and created something that transcends the boundaries normally set by either of those genres. Regardless of the fact that it must adhere to the expectations of its narrative in solving the central mystery, Drakenfeld remains a forward-looking and genuine read from an author determined to do something original and progressive. He’s succeeded. It is quite easily one of the best novels of 2013.
I’ve never read anything by Mark Charan Newton before (although he has been hovering around my pile for quite some time) but Drakenfeld is the perfect place to start. Heavily influenced by the classical world � immediately giving it an edge of originality � Newton pulls from epic fantasy and crime fiction to give something truly different. Written in 1st person from the POV of Lucan Drakenfeld himself, it still manages to feel like epic fantasy � despite the crime thriller plot and historically influenced setting. Beyond the main narrative, we learn about Drakenfeld’s past and the wider world, lending the book a much bigger scope than might be expected. 1st Person Detective Fantasy, to me, is immediately associated with Urban Fantasy, like the Dresden Files or the Iron Druid Chronicles � but here, Newton has managed to create a crime narrative that feels every bit as seedy and sinister as the best crime thrillers, and yet every bit as involved and complex as some of the best epic fantasy. It’s a testament to his skill that the worldbuilding never felt superfluous, but rather something I was eager to read about.
The plot is always going to be absolutely core to any crime novel, and in this Newton does not disappoint. Centred around a locked-room mystery, the central case around the death of the king’s sister will have you constantly second-guessing yourself as layers are peeled away from the mystery and new ones are piled on top. Drakenfeld’s own sub-narrative is weaved in beautifully, giving depth to his character as we learn about what really happened. The resolution is satisfying and well-constructed whilst also leaving an element of mystery going forward. There are no cliff-hangers here, but elements are certainly in place for the continuation of Drakenfeld’s story.
The main setting is Tryum, a city that loosely grabs elements from Ancient Rome and the social, political and cultural make-up of the classical world, whilst also maintaining more progressive elements of the modern world. The city itself is a fantastic creation � one that feels as deep in its creation as Camorr and as pivotal as King’s Landing. The setting allows for much of Newton’s originality, feeling genuinely different to anything else I’ve really read in fantasy and showing a thoughtful writer, not afraid to take risks in exploring a progressive culture within a fantasy world, when it may have been much easier to simply use the medieval framework seen in so many other epic fantasies.
But central to my enjoyment of Drakenfeld were its characters. In Lucan Drakenfeld himself, Newton has created a man with a history. He is not the chosen one, nor a warrior. A man of mental tenacity, but who has seen a lot in his life already. He has flaws, both historically, mentally and physically. He feels real, and being inside his head for the entire novel feels right. Alongside Drakenfeld is his…assistant, Leana. A black foreign woman in a city that sneers at those different to themselves, she doesn’t have the easiest prospects in Tryum. But Leana IS a warrior, and she could take on fifty of the city’s best and still be home in time for dinner. Leana, quite easily, is my favourite character in fiction this year. A progressive, intelligent take on a character who, in the hands of a lesser writer, could have been hackneyed and cliché, Leana is wonderful. I defy anyone not to smile every time she has a line of dialogue. The host of senators, generals and royalty round out a colourful cast that fill out a novel where no one is as simple as they may seem.
Drakenfeld is a progressive, intelligent fantasy that provides a thrilling story alongside its more thoughtful elements that serve to create something truly unique. In a market saturated with books about thieves, assassins and grit, Mark Charan Newton has written a novel that takes the elements of crime thrillers and epic fantasy and created something that transcends the boundaries normally set by either of those genres. Regardless of the fact that it must adhere to the expectations of its narrative in solving the central mystery, Drakenfeld remains a forward-looking and genuine read from an author determined to do something original and progressive. He’s succeeded. It is quite easily one of the best novels of 2013.
September 24, 2013
Drakenfeld is a book that combines a Romanesque mystery novel with the detective work of CJ Sansom, and billed as a ‘fantasy crime� series.
In this world of Vispasia, Lucan Jupus Drakenfeld is an Officer of the Sun Chamber: an official whose purpose is to travel throughout the eight nations of Vispasia and act as representative of the Vispasian Royal Union, adjudicator and keeper of the peace. Such a difficult position has been maintained by the Sun Chamber for decades, despite attempts to the contrary. “We are peacemakers, not warmongers�, Lucan’s father says at one point.
To this world we are introduced, at a point where Lucan’s world is turned upside down. His father, Calludian, also a respected and long-serving Officer, has been found dead in Lucan’s home city of Tryum in Detrata.
Lucan travels home from Venyn City to sort out the responsibilities required of a dutiful son, despite his relationship with his father being rather estranged in recent years. Once in Tryum, Lucan is also involved in a major murder mystery. King Licintius’s sister, Lacanta, is found murdered in a locked temple room with no apparent means of escape for a murderer. Various motives and suspects are suggested. King Licintius gives Lucan the responsibility of discovering the killer.
As his investigation of this locked room mystery continues, Lucan uncovers secrets that have been covered up, as well as complications from his own past. He is also a target for the city’s underworld who try to dissuade him from his searching as soon as possible. Ultimately, Lucan discovers things that may have much bigger consequences than the case might at first suggest.
I know that Mark has been researching the Romans whilst writing this novel, and it shows. The climate is clearly Mediterranean in the main, and although the people and place-names are different, the sense of a Romanesque empire runs throughout. We have much of the intrigue and violence that such a world would involve.
I could sense that the city of Tryum is a proto-Rome, the King of Tryum an Emperor Caligula-type character. Mark manages to convey this world’s environment of kings and governments well, although details are kept fairly light in order to keep the plot moving.
And that is something that plays to the author’s strengths. Whilst the world is fairly well outlined, the element that worked for me most here is the characterisation. Drakenfeld and his female accomplice Leana are most likeable, with some thought-provoking backstory that could be developed later. Leana, a warrior from Atrewen, comes across as an Amazonian Grace Jones � type character to me, whilst Drakenfeld is the cooler, more logical, Sherlock Holmes � type figure. Together, they have the easy banter and camaraderie that you would expect of two people who have known each other a long while and with a mutual respect for each other’s often very different backgrounds. I was reminded of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser a little in that respect, often the template for such characters.
Whilst things at the end move fast, and perhaps a little too conveniently to tie things up in the end, these are characters and places I’d happily revisit again. The first few chapters in Venyn City suggest there’s a wider world out there beyond Tryum I’d like to know more of.
Don’t be misled � though there is a lot for a fantasy reader to enjoy, this is not a Tolkien-like medievalesque fantasy, nor a tale filled with magic and wizardry. There are religions and gods, but the mysticism is kept to a minimum, if there at all. I suspect Harry Turtledove fans would like it, even if Drakenfeld is written firmly from the first-person perspective, whilst Harry’s books usually include a broad variety of different points of view.
As a Romanesque detective story � an “I-Sherlockius� perhaps? - there’s a lot to like in this novel. I understand that Drakenfeld is the first of a series, if successful. I sincerely hope that that is the case. This is a solid, enjoyable page-turner with a wide appeal that I would personally like to read more of.
In this world of Vispasia, Lucan Jupus Drakenfeld is an Officer of the Sun Chamber: an official whose purpose is to travel throughout the eight nations of Vispasia and act as representative of the Vispasian Royal Union, adjudicator and keeper of the peace. Such a difficult position has been maintained by the Sun Chamber for decades, despite attempts to the contrary. “We are peacemakers, not warmongers�, Lucan’s father says at one point.
To this world we are introduced, at a point where Lucan’s world is turned upside down. His father, Calludian, also a respected and long-serving Officer, has been found dead in Lucan’s home city of Tryum in Detrata.
Lucan travels home from Venyn City to sort out the responsibilities required of a dutiful son, despite his relationship with his father being rather estranged in recent years. Once in Tryum, Lucan is also involved in a major murder mystery. King Licintius’s sister, Lacanta, is found murdered in a locked temple room with no apparent means of escape for a murderer. Various motives and suspects are suggested. King Licintius gives Lucan the responsibility of discovering the killer.
As his investigation of this locked room mystery continues, Lucan uncovers secrets that have been covered up, as well as complications from his own past. He is also a target for the city’s underworld who try to dissuade him from his searching as soon as possible. Ultimately, Lucan discovers things that may have much bigger consequences than the case might at first suggest.
I know that Mark has been researching the Romans whilst writing this novel, and it shows. The climate is clearly Mediterranean in the main, and although the people and place-names are different, the sense of a Romanesque empire runs throughout. We have much of the intrigue and violence that such a world would involve.
I could sense that the city of Tryum is a proto-Rome, the King of Tryum an Emperor Caligula-type character. Mark manages to convey this world’s environment of kings and governments well, although details are kept fairly light in order to keep the plot moving.
And that is something that plays to the author’s strengths. Whilst the world is fairly well outlined, the element that worked for me most here is the characterisation. Drakenfeld and his female accomplice Leana are most likeable, with some thought-provoking backstory that could be developed later. Leana, a warrior from Atrewen, comes across as an Amazonian Grace Jones � type character to me, whilst Drakenfeld is the cooler, more logical, Sherlock Holmes � type figure. Together, they have the easy banter and camaraderie that you would expect of two people who have known each other a long while and with a mutual respect for each other’s often very different backgrounds. I was reminded of Fritz Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser a little in that respect, often the template for such characters.
Whilst things at the end move fast, and perhaps a little too conveniently to tie things up in the end, these are characters and places I’d happily revisit again. The first few chapters in Venyn City suggest there’s a wider world out there beyond Tryum I’d like to know more of.
Don’t be misled � though there is a lot for a fantasy reader to enjoy, this is not a Tolkien-like medievalesque fantasy, nor a tale filled with magic and wizardry. There are religions and gods, but the mysticism is kept to a minimum, if there at all. I suspect Harry Turtledove fans would like it, even if Drakenfeld is written firmly from the first-person perspective, whilst Harry’s books usually include a broad variety of different points of view.
As a Romanesque detective story � an “I-Sherlockius� perhaps? - there’s a lot to like in this novel. I understand that Drakenfeld is the first of a series, if successful. I sincerely hope that that is the case. This is a solid, enjoyable page-turner with a wide appeal that I would personally like to read more of.
May 29, 2016
*** 4 stars ***
book: 4,5 stars
reading experience: 4 stars
book: 4,5 stars
reading experience: 4 stars
November 11, 2015
This one was a little slow for me, but I could see where another reader would like it more. Some things I really liked but its more for the fans of "Who done it".
May 11, 2016
This one hooked me right from the get go... Interesting and well-developed world , interesting MC... a fantasy world with interesting political concepts and its a murder mystery.
December 26, 2015
This book combines the elements of my favourite genres: detective novels and history fiction. Just imagine: it's two centuries since the great Empire of Detrata had fallen, and eight new kingdoms were founded on its ruins. Currently, these kingdoms flourish due to the Royal Vispasian Union that unifies all of them, but still neither any of the kingdoms nor the Union itself can reach the level of the Empire. The peace and order in the Union is withheld by an organization called the Sun Chamber � but even in peace, there is hidden strife and murder, and many wish to reclaim the glory of the old days� I admit that we don't get a lot of details on this world, and the setting is rather revealed to the readers bit by bit, what leaves me with some questions. For example, I didn’t quite get the Sun Chamber’s official duties � is it like police? Internal security service? Peacemaking contingent? Supranational court sort of like in Strasbourg? All of the above? Still, the world is very atmospheric and engaging, that with Roman-like setting, gods who are actually deified humans, brutal and spectacular horse races and embezzlers getting molten silver poured in their eyes.
It’s true that our hero, Lucan Drakenfeld, is a stereotypical detective in a way, but he is an enjoyable character nonetheless. I admit that I love such character types: let the others love brooding anti-heroes that are darker than grey, I love an old-fashioned good guy who does his best to uphold the law, right all the wrongs and help people wherever he can. And Lucan is just such a guy with his own worries, problems and ideals that make it so easy to sympathize with him. What makes Lucan especially engaging is his repulsion to all violence, a quite unusual quality for someone living in such a society as him. He took his father’s words about Sun Chamber Officers being peacekeepers, not warmongers, close to heart and made them his principle, always seeking to resolve the matter with as little blood involved as possible. That’s what makes the tagline ‘They’ll kill to hide the truth. He’ll kill to find it.� incredibly wrong: Lucan would rather talk than fight. Lucan’s assistant Leana is another awesome character I loved, strong and fierce warrior woman from Atrewe, the country that is considered savage and barbaric by civilized Vispasian Union. So aside from dealing with her own painful past, Leana needs to bear the scorn of Tryum’s high-born citizens. But looking at her, you wouldn’t know she has anything bothering her � Leana doesn’t let her past or anything else to control her, and that makes her an admirable person. I love her relationship with Lucan, with whom she has a strong comradery bond.
The secondary characters weren’t as well-developed, but that’s something to be expected in a mystery novel. I can say that I was okay with them, but there was one that I absolutely hated: Titiana, Lucan’s love interest. She probably was supposed to be proud and strong, but in truth she was haughty and annoying and did nothing but pout at Lucan for the story that happened between them ten years ago . The romance she eventually developed with Lucan felt so forced.
The mystery of the murder of Lacanta, sister to King Licintius ruling the country of Detrata, was a worthy main plot. Some of the readers noted that those familiar with the books of Agatha Christie would be able to figure out that classic ‘locked room� murder. While I’m very fond of Dame Christie works, I wasn’t able to unriddle it until some heavy clues were dropped, but I enjoyed building up theories about different aspects of the crime and its participants and seeing some of them come true. I found the pace too slow sometimes, and there was a subplot involving Senator Dirvan and her apparent supernatural abilities that I wish was developed better. The world of the Royal Vispasian Union is not the one of magic, but it’s the one of superstition, so when . But this topic was never explored properly or given any explanation. But all of that was easily topped by a great ending. When the true culprit behind all the dead bodies is revealed, I was afraid that the book will take a realistic but sad course, and the criminal will get away and force the law shrug at all the blood they shed due to them having the money, the fame, the connections and the power that made them almost untouchable, and Lucan would have to choose between the law and the justice that would make him break all his principles. But Mark Newton did better than that: he showed us the system where the law triumphs even over those who consider themselves above it and that can force even the highest to bend their knees before the justice. It’s true that it sounds idealistic, but the reader has yet to see the real life kick in during the final, making the ending bittersweet.
It’s true that our hero, Lucan Drakenfeld, is a stereotypical detective in a way, but he is an enjoyable character nonetheless. I admit that I love such character types: let the others love brooding anti-heroes that are darker than grey, I love an old-fashioned good guy who does his best to uphold the law, right all the wrongs and help people wherever he can. And Lucan is just such a guy with his own worries, problems and ideals that make it so easy to sympathize with him. What makes Lucan especially engaging is his repulsion to all violence, a quite unusual quality for someone living in such a society as him. He took his father’s words about Sun Chamber Officers being peacekeepers, not warmongers, close to heart and made them his principle, always seeking to resolve the matter with as little blood involved as possible. That’s what makes the tagline ‘They’ll kill to hide the truth. He’ll kill to find it.� incredibly wrong: Lucan would rather talk than fight. Lucan’s assistant Leana is another awesome character I loved, strong and fierce warrior woman from Atrewe, the country that is considered savage and barbaric by civilized Vispasian Union. So aside from dealing with her own painful past, Leana needs to bear the scorn of Tryum’s high-born citizens. But looking at her, you wouldn’t know she has anything bothering her � Leana doesn’t let her past or anything else to control her, and that makes her an admirable person. I love her relationship with Lucan, with whom she has a strong comradery bond.
The secondary characters weren’t as well-developed, but that’s something to be expected in a mystery novel. I can say that I was okay with them, but there was one that I absolutely hated: Titiana, Lucan’s love interest. She probably was supposed to be proud and strong, but in truth she was haughty and annoying and did nothing but pout at Lucan for the story that happened between them ten years ago . The romance she eventually developed with Lucan felt so forced.
The mystery of the murder of Lacanta, sister to King Licintius ruling the country of Detrata, was a worthy main plot. Some of the readers noted that those familiar with the books of Agatha Christie would be able to figure out that classic ‘locked room� murder. While I’m very fond of Dame Christie works, I wasn’t able to unriddle it until some heavy clues were dropped, but I enjoyed building up theories about different aspects of the crime and its participants and seeing some of them come true. I found the pace too slow sometimes, and there was a subplot involving Senator Dirvan and her apparent supernatural abilities that I wish was developed better. The world of the Royal Vispasian Union is not the one of magic, but it’s the one of superstition, so when . But this topic was never explored properly or given any explanation. But all of that was easily topped by a great ending. When the true culprit behind all the dead bodies is revealed, I was afraid that the book will take a realistic but sad course, and the criminal will get away and force the law shrug at all the blood they shed due to them having the money, the fame, the connections and the power that made them almost untouchable, and Lucan would have to choose between the law and the justice that would make him break all his principles. But Mark Newton did better than that: he showed us the system where the law triumphs even over those who consider themselves above it and that can force even the highest to bend their knees before the justice. It’s true that it sounds idealistic, but the reader has yet to see the real life kick in during the final, making the ending bittersweet.
September 18, 2013
After finishing his critically acclaimed Legends of the Red Sun series last year, Mark Charan Newton decided to try something completely different from his first series. While his Red Sun series was more of a New Weird style, is Drakenfeld a political crime-noir thriller, set in a secondary world based on the ancient Roman Empire. When Lucan Drakenfeld is summoned home after the death of his father, he soon finds himself entangled in one the strangest murder cases of his career. Lacanta, the king’s sister, is brutally murdered in a, from the inside locked, temple. When he is ordered by the king to find the murderer, Lucan doesn’t know that his inquiry will lead him to facts that will shake the entire nation.
Drakenfeld starts with a slow build-up and an extensive and well thought worldbuilding, which is perfectly normal as this is the first story in a brand new world. The characterbuilding of the two protagonists, Lucan and his comrade/bodyguard/assistant Leana, is well developed with the main focus on Drakenfeld.
Lucan is, despite his line of work and the things he sees in his ‘civilized� world, still a rather optimistic person. Probably because he wants to counterbalance the barbaric things he sees around him. Drakenfeld is a man of flesh and blood, with flaws and a disease that is a curse for his line of work. I like him and would love to read more about the man. Maybe someday a prequel about Lucan’s time as trainee with the Sun Chamber? (Hint, hint, Mark?)
An honorable mention goes also to Leana. I think she’s a fascinating character and I find it a pity that there weren’t more scenes with her.
Like I said was the worldbuilding very thorough and the setting reminded me most of all of tv-series like Rome and Spartacus, mixed with the movie Gladiator. Especially the final heartbreaking scene with Lucan and Titiana reminded me of that movie. I will not give away spoilers, but if you saw that movie and read this book, you’ll know what I mean. Mark scores points with his depiction of a barbaric society with a civilized front.
Since this book is the start of murder/mystery series I can’t conclude this review without talking about the murder mystery in Drakenfeld. Or I probably should say two mysteries, because very early on Lucan discovers that the death of his father probably isn’t as natural as everyone thinks. The author weaves these two mysteries together to a finale where all fits together.
Despite a slow and, in my opinion, not so very interesting start of the mystery, succeeded Mark in making the murder case gradually more interesting until a point halfway through the book from where it was almost impossible to put down the book.
There are a few interesting and surprising plot twists during the book, twists I didn’t saw coming. Especially Maxant’s fate came as a big surprise to me.
The solution to the mystery was great, though at an early point in the book I figured out who was responsible. Only the motive I didn’t guess. It was very surprising and that made up for the fact that the identity of the culprit didn’t came as a surprise to me.
I haven’t said anything about the writing style of this book, but I don’t think that I have to. Mark has proven with Legends of the Red Sun that he is capable of delivering a very well written story and it shows with Drakenfeld.
Before I write my conclusion I want to give a special mention for Lucan’s employers. The Sun Chamber is a very intriguing organization and I loved reading about the workings of that bureau.
And now my conclusion. Drakenfeld is a promising and well developed start of a new fantasy noir series and with some minor adjustments could this very well be a second bestselling series for Mark Charan Newton.
Give me some more Leana and Sun Chamber in the next book, a little more interesting start of the murder mystery and book two will definitely become an instant classic.
Drakenfeld is a more than decent start of a new series in a well-developed world with some very interesting characters. Definitely worth your reading time.
check out my blog for more reviews and interviews
Drakenfeld starts with a slow build-up and an extensive and well thought worldbuilding, which is perfectly normal as this is the first story in a brand new world. The characterbuilding of the two protagonists, Lucan and his comrade/bodyguard/assistant Leana, is well developed with the main focus on Drakenfeld.
Lucan is, despite his line of work and the things he sees in his ‘civilized� world, still a rather optimistic person. Probably because he wants to counterbalance the barbaric things he sees around him. Drakenfeld is a man of flesh and blood, with flaws and a disease that is a curse for his line of work. I like him and would love to read more about the man. Maybe someday a prequel about Lucan’s time as trainee with the Sun Chamber? (Hint, hint, Mark?)
An honorable mention goes also to Leana. I think she’s a fascinating character and I find it a pity that there weren’t more scenes with her.
Like I said was the worldbuilding very thorough and the setting reminded me most of all of tv-series like Rome and Spartacus, mixed with the movie Gladiator. Especially the final heartbreaking scene with Lucan and Titiana reminded me of that movie. I will not give away spoilers, but if you saw that movie and read this book, you’ll know what I mean. Mark scores points with his depiction of a barbaric society with a civilized front.
Since this book is the start of murder/mystery series I can’t conclude this review without talking about the murder mystery in Drakenfeld. Or I probably should say two mysteries, because very early on Lucan discovers that the death of his father probably isn’t as natural as everyone thinks. The author weaves these two mysteries together to a finale where all fits together.
Despite a slow and, in my opinion, not so very interesting start of the mystery, succeeded Mark in making the murder case gradually more interesting until a point halfway through the book from where it was almost impossible to put down the book.
There are a few interesting and surprising plot twists during the book, twists I didn’t saw coming. Especially Maxant’s fate came as a big surprise to me.
The solution to the mystery was great, though at an early point in the book I figured out who was responsible. Only the motive I didn’t guess. It was very surprising and that made up for the fact that the identity of the culprit didn’t came as a surprise to me.
I haven’t said anything about the writing style of this book, but I don’t think that I have to. Mark has proven with Legends of the Red Sun that he is capable of delivering a very well written story and it shows with Drakenfeld.
Before I write my conclusion I want to give a special mention for Lucan’s employers. The Sun Chamber is a very intriguing organization and I loved reading about the workings of that bureau.
And now my conclusion. Drakenfeld is a promising and well developed start of a new fantasy noir series and with some minor adjustments could this very well be a second bestselling series for Mark Charan Newton.
Give me some more Leana and Sun Chamber in the next book, a little more interesting start of the murder mystery and book two will definitely become an instant classic.
Drakenfeld is a more than decent start of a new series in a well-developed world with some very interesting characters. Definitely worth your reading time.
check out my blog for more reviews and interviews
October 1, 2013
Damn brilliant.
I was honored to receive an ARC of Drakenfield from Mr. Newton, and with the publication date around the corner here are my thoughts on it.
First off I really like the cover. It's bold, colourful and will surely stand out on the shelves between all the hooded men and daggers populating the shelves. According to Mr. Newton himself, the cover is the banner of Detrata, the nation in which the story plays out. The plan is that the following books covers' will also depict the nation's flag in which the story takes place. That's a pretty smart idea and should make for a real striking collection of books.
The main character, Lucan Drakenfeld -who has possibly the coolest name ever in fantasy- , is a detective. As an Officer of the Sun Chamber it's his job to keep the peace and find those that disturb it. The first time that we are introduced to Drakenfeld he is busy overseeing the sentencing of someone who broke the law. It's not pretty, but shows that Drakenfeld is damn good at his job, fair and that the Sun Chamber is not to be messed with.
Lucan is summoned home on the death of his father, who was a highly placed member of the Sun Chamber. The travel home reveals quite a bit of the world we find ourselves in, and sets the first blocks for the rest of the woldbuilding that is necessary to the story. His struggle fitting back into society in the capital also helps the reader get the lay of the land and to figure out who some of the power players are early on, which makes for fascinating reading.
The interaction between Lucan and his assistant, Leana, is well done throughout the book. Leana comes from a neighboring kingdom and the outside view she brings to proceedings is quite a nifty way to slip a few facts about the world into the story, fleshing out the world at large as well.
This book is light on the magic, seeing as it's honestly a detective novel. There aren't priests running around with godly powers, no wizard tower that rule the skyline and no flashing lights. Well, at least not yet. Some hints are made, but mostly as rumour and quickly dismissed by the involved parties. It makes for a refreshing change, seeing as we are spared the explanation of how the magical system works which can bog down a book for chapters at a time. This is a character driven story and I love it for that.
The main plotline of solving the impossible murder of the King's sister is well thought out and a real whodunnit headscratcher. False trails are laid bare and obstacles galore are placed in Drakenfeld's path. Drakenfeld also comes to realise that his father's death wasn't as clean cut as he was lead to believe and this personal case works well to add a lot of depth to the character.
There are more than enough twists throughout the novel to keep the pages turning at a brisk pace, and the conclusion of the case of the murdered princess is quite a doozy. Looking back on the book there were enough hints to figure out who was ultimately responsible, but how they accomplished the murder was brilliant.
I really like Mr. Newton's writing style, and it makes his prose a joy to read. I've not read that many murder mystery novels, but I'm surely going to be following this series very closely. This is a very fun book that made me think back on it, well after I've read it. Now that is what I look for in a story.
9/10
I was honored to receive an ARC of Drakenfield from Mr. Newton, and with the publication date around the corner here are my thoughts on it.
First off I really like the cover. It's bold, colourful and will surely stand out on the shelves between all the hooded men and daggers populating the shelves. According to Mr. Newton himself, the cover is the banner of Detrata, the nation in which the story plays out. The plan is that the following books covers' will also depict the nation's flag in which the story takes place. That's a pretty smart idea and should make for a real striking collection of books.
The main character, Lucan Drakenfeld -who has possibly the coolest name ever in fantasy- , is a detective. As an Officer of the Sun Chamber it's his job to keep the peace and find those that disturb it. The first time that we are introduced to Drakenfeld he is busy overseeing the sentencing of someone who broke the law. It's not pretty, but shows that Drakenfeld is damn good at his job, fair and that the Sun Chamber is not to be messed with.
Lucan is summoned home on the death of his father, who was a highly placed member of the Sun Chamber. The travel home reveals quite a bit of the world we find ourselves in, and sets the first blocks for the rest of the woldbuilding that is necessary to the story. His struggle fitting back into society in the capital also helps the reader get the lay of the land and to figure out who some of the power players are early on, which makes for fascinating reading.
The interaction between Lucan and his assistant, Leana, is well done throughout the book. Leana comes from a neighboring kingdom and the outside view she brings to proceedings is quite a nifty way to slip a few facts about the world into the story, fleshing out the world at large as well.
This book is light on the magic, seeing as it's honestly a detective novel. There aren't priests running around with godly powers, no wizard tower that rule the skyline and no flashing lights. Well, at least not yet. Some hints are made, but mostly as rumour and quickly dismissed by the involved parties. It makes for a refreshing change, seeing as we are spared the explanation of how the magical system works which can bog down a book for chapters at a time. This is a character driven story and I love it for that.
The main plotline of solving the impossible murder of the King's sister is well thought out and a real whodunnit headscratcher. False trails are laid bare and obstacles galore are placed in Drakenfeld's path. Drakenfeld also comes to realise that his father's death wasn't as clean cut as he was lead to believe and this personal case works well to add a lot of depth to the character.
There are more than enough twists throughout the novel to keep the pages turning at a brisk pace, and the conclusion of the case of the murdered princess is quite a doozy. Looking back on the book there were enough hints to figure out who was ultimately responsible, but how they accomplished the murder was brilliant.
I really like Mr. Newton's writing style, and it makes his prose a joy to read. I've not read that many murder mystery novels, but I'm surely going to be following this series very closely. This is a very fun book that made me think back on it, well after I've read it. Now that is what I look for in a story.
9/10
November 29, 2014
I don't believe I've ever come across such a Fantasy-less Fantasy novel before. This reads more like a Historical novel than a Fantasy. There's no magic, no other races, no elfs, etc. The only thing keeping the book from being straight Historical is the setting, a late era Roman analog, not of our Earth.
It's a Locked-Room Mystery. At least to start with. I really enjoyed this book. It's an accomplished work of fiction. Maybe the best "Fantasy" book I've read this year. Just ordered the sequel. Looking forward to continuing Drakenfeld's story.
It's a Locked-Room Mystery. At least to start with. I really enjoyed this book. It's an accomplished work of fiction. Maybe the best "Fantasy" book I've read this year. Just ordered the sequel. Looking forward to continuing Drakenfeld's story.
October 29, 2013
A surprising and interesting combination of crime-fiction and ancient world history, with a very gentle, almost imperceptible fantasy perfume. I can't wait to find out more about this world and Lucan Drakenfeld.
October 17, 2013
originally posted
Drakenfeld is the latest book by Mark Charan Newton, his earlier series Legends of the Red Sun was well received and I am still looking forward to take plunge into this series when I get the chance. Mark Charan Newton has worked for several book publishers before and currently works for a big game company creating narrative background for video games. When I read the blurb of Drakenfeld it reminded me of a series that I took to liking a few months back D.B. Jackson's Thieftaker Chronicles. Drakenfeld is a pseudo-classical crime-thriller story, inspired by Roman times. Now this all got my quite excited in reading Drakenfeld and the with the crime idea behind this book, Mark Charan Newton proves that crime investigation doesn't necessarily need to take place in the present, but that the past proves to be just as good or actually even better!
In Drakenfeld you follow Lucan Drakenfeld, an Officer of the Sun Chamber, an independent organization that keeps the peace between the united nations of Vispasia. In the beginning of the book Lucan serves his job in Venyn City but is soon called back to the city of Tryum for a new task. Well actually two. The sister of the King is murdered and his father has died. This is really the start of Lucan story and he is thrown in the deep waters in his investigation. Lucan is accompanied his female companion, Leana, a warrior from Atrewene. This is pretty much their relation, pure business. But it seems that there could be more between them (not hinting to strongly to the romantic side), their a well suited duo. I enjoyed reading about Lucan's part of the story. He lives in the shadows of his father, Calludian, who was a renowned investigator of the Sun Chamber and has raised the bar for Lucan to live up to. This part haunts Lucan and it feels that he is dragging this pressure everywhere he goes and is further played upon by the royalty he meets, the twist here is that Lucan uncovers several things about his father's past that does change the image of this once great investigator. Another part that was good to read about and gave a clear grip on the storyline was the narration done by Lucan, as he is investigating the crimes, he recounts several events to himself that give a much better picture of how it might have gone down, creating hypotheses and rejecting them on the go as he uncovers new things. This gave a pretty cool twist to the crime aspect of this story. Lucan is not your Sherlock Holmes but he is quick witted and armed with a sharp mind and mouth.
Leana, though she isn't the sole focus point of the story, does help take the story that much further. She is Lucan's companion and bodyguard, Leana is quick with her sword and someone you want to have watching you back. Her discussion with Lucan add a lot of new things to the story and she helps to let Lucan think things through and come up with new idea's of who might have carried out the crimes, this somewhat challenging of Lucan was shown in a nice way. But going back to her own character, she is cool and through her you see a lot of action, though it might seem a bit anticlimactic with her skill, the action is there and it shows a nice display of sword fighting.
The story itself is cleverly put together and as a reader you are challenged by a lot of possibilities of who might be the bad guy behind it all. Mark Charan Newton has a great way of leading the reader on the wrong track of things, you can make assumptions but once you find out the actual plot, you will likely abandon all things that you thought about several characters. It was great to be led onto that many trails in the story and really inspired the classic crime investigation. You can expect betrayals, assassinations and some other interesting twists in the plot. And like I mentioned the final plot twist of the story left me a bit gaping and the resolving of it all was done just like it was in the ancient times. Quite dark and trying to keep your name as clear as possible. I know this mind sound a bit cryptic but I don't want to spoil to much.
Now where this book does turn interesting is with the mentioning of the supernatural all throughout the story, visiting presumed witches and the mentioning of magic. Though the story doesn't feature any flashy scenes of elemental magic or other types thereof, it did hold me in it's own spell, with the whole setting that was created you could just never know when something or what might happen. There was one scenes with something supernatural but whether this was really or something of an hallucination I don't know and I think I am just perplexed as Lucan himself.
The ending of the plot of Drakenfeld is most interesting. I think Lucan has just been drawn and drafted into a much larger plot than he has imagined. His first task was just solving crimes but now that they have been solved the actions of how they were solved seem to be just the beginning of a possible avalanche (I am speculating here) but I think a lot of other things might just have been set into motion by Lucan's actions... and I want to know what his brother Marius is all about, his brief mentionings and references and interactions with their father in the story show that there might be much more to this than we have learned so far...
Drakenfeld is a fresh new addition in the ever growing fantasy genre and with taking crime investigation a couple of years back Mark Charan Newton has done a amazing job. The story talks by itself and is written in a clear and highly addictive way. Mark Charan Newton writes in a simple way and now I don't want you to get the idea that the story is simple, more on the contrary, there are some interesting turns of events in Drakenfeld but the story itself is written in a approachable way that lends itself easily to get addicted to. This clear and easy writing will make this book appeal to a broad audience, from the dark gritty crime lovers to fans of an easy afternoon read. Accompanying this is a great set of characters and mainly the main protagonist Lucan, is shown in a way that you just know this isn't the last we have seen from him. His introduction to and in the series just screams for further exploration. The world that was created within these pages is rich and though it has a lot of idea's in common to the ancient Roman times, it does have a very unique and interesting twist to it. I will make sure to keep an eye out on further developments of this series, it's off to a great start and it turned out to be much more than I anticipated. Add this book to your must read list.
Drakenfeld is the latest book by Mark Charan Newton, his earlier series Legends of the Red Sun was well received and I am still looking forward to take plunge into this series when I get the chance. Mark Charan Newton has worked for several book publishers before and currently works for a big game company creating narrative background for video games. When I read the blurb of Drakenfeld it reminded me of a series that I took to liking a few months back D.B. Jackson's Thieftaker Chronicles. Drakenfeld is a pseudo-classical crime-thriller story, inspired by Roman times. Now this all got my quite excited in reading Drakenfeld and the with the crime idea behind this book, Mark Charan Newton proves that crime investigation doesn't necessarily need to take place in the present, but that the past proves to be just as good or actually even better!
In Drakenfeld you follow Lucan Drakenfeld, an Officer of the Sun Chamber, an independent organization that keeps the peace between the united nations of Vispasia. In the beginning of the book Lucan serves his job in Venyn City but is soon called back to the city of Tryum for a new task. Well actually two. The sister of the King is murdered and his father has died. This is really the start of Lucan story and he is thrown in the deep waters in his investigation. Lucan is accompanied his female companion, Leana, a warrior from Atrewene. This is pretty much their relation, pure business. But it seems that there could be more between them (not hinting to strongly to the romantic side), their a well suited duo. I enjoyed reading about Lucan's part of the story. He lives in the shadows of his father, Calludian, who was a renowned investigator of the Sun Chamber and has raised the bar for Lucan to live up to. This part haunts Lucan and it feels that he is dragging this pressure everywhere he goes and is further played upon by the royalty he meets, the twist here is that Lucan uncovers several things about his father's past that does change the image of this once great investigator. Another part that was good to read about and gave a clear grip on the storyline was the narration done by Lucan, as he is investigating the crimes, he recounts several events to himself that give a much better picture of how it might have gone down, creating hypotheses and rejecting them on the go as he uncovers new things. This gave a pretty cool twist to the crime aspect of this story. Lucan is not your Sherlock Holmes but he is quick witted and armed with a sharp mind and mouth.
Leana, though she isn't the sole focus point of the story, does help take the story that much further. She is Lucan's companion and bodyguard, Leana is quick with her sword and someone you want to have watching you back. Her discussion with Lucan add a lot of new things to the story and she helps to let Lucan think things through and come up with new idea's of who might have carried out the crimes, this somewhat challenging of Lucan was shown in a nice way. But going back to her own character, she is cool and through her you see a lot of action, though it might seem a bit anticlimactic with her skill, the action is there and it shows a nice display of sword fighting.
The story itself is cleverly put together and as a reader you are challenged by a lot of possibilities of who might be the bad guy behind it all. Mark Charan Newton has a great way of leading the reader on the wrong track of things, you can make assumptions but once you find out the actual plot, you will likely abandon all things that you thought about several characters. It was great to be led onto that many trails in the story and really inspired the classic crime investigation. You can expect betrayals, assassinations and some other interesting twists in the plot. And like I mentioned the final plot twist of the story left me a bit gaping and the resolving of it all was done just like it was in the ancient times. Quite dark and trying to keep your name as clear as possible. I know this mind sound a bit cryptic but I don't want to spoil to much.
Now where this book does turn interesting is with the mentioning of the supernatural all throughout the story, visiting presumed witches and the mentioning of magic. Though the story doesn't feature any flashy scenes of elemental magic or other types thereof, it did hold me in it's own spell, with the whole setting that was created you could just never know when something or what might happen. There was one scenes with something supernatural but whether this was really or something of an hallucination I don't know and I think I am just perplexed as Lucan himself.
The ending of the plot of Drakenfeld is most interesting. I think Lucan has just been drawn and drafted into a much larger plot than he has imagined. His first task was just solving crimes but now that they have been solved the actions of how they were solved seem to be just the beginning of a possible avalanche (I am speculating here) but I think a lot of other things might just have been set into motion by Lucan's actions... and I want to know what his brother Marius is all about, his brief mentionings and references and interactions with their father in the story show that there might be much more to this than we have learned so far...
Drakenfeld is a fresh new addition in the ever growing fantasy genre and with taking crime investigation a couple of years back Mark Charan Newton has done a amazing job. The story talks by itself and is written in a clear and highly addictive way. Mark Charan Newton writes in a simple way and now I don't want you to get the idea that the story is simple, more on the contrary, there are some interesting turns of events in Drakenfeld but the story itself is written in a approachable way that lends itself easily to get addicted to. This clear and easy writing will make this book appeal to a broad audience, from the dark gritty crime lovers to fans of an easy afternoon read. Accompanying this is a great set of characters and mainly the main protagonist Lucan, is shown in a way that you just know this isn't the last we have seen from him. His introduction to and in the series just screams for further exploration. The world that was created within these pages is rich and though it has a lot of idea's in common to the ancient Roman times, it does have a very unique and interesting twist to it. I will make sure to keep an eye out on further developments of this series, it's off to a great start and it turned out to be much more than I anticipated. Add this book to your must read list.
July 4, 2014
When a fantasy novel is announced as a murder mystery set in a secondary world inspired by Ancient Rome *BOOM* I’m done and sold on reading said novel, especially if it’s written by an author whose work I’ve enjoyed before. Super sold on the book, I bought a signed copy at WFC and then, inexplicably, crickets. The book got waylaid by review copies and while I kept eyeing it, reading kept being put on the back-burner. The paperback release gave me the perfect excuse to finally read it. And I’m glad I did. I knew I enjoyed Mark Charan Newton’s writing, having read and his short story in , but Drakenfeld has made me kick myself for not reading City of Ruins, which is on my shelf, and his other Legends of the Red Sun books before. A situation which I’ll have to remedy sooner rather than later.
Drakenfeld is set in a Rome-inspired world, where the Royal Vispasian Union ensure peace and prosperity for its constituent monarchies. The world is familiar enough to allow easy entry, yet different enough to make it truly a secondary world fantasy. I love the ambiguity of some of the staple elements of fantasy worlds. There are many different gods and religion is important, but the priestly powers seem mundane, not god-given. There is mention of magic and witchcraft and the populace firmly believes in curses and augury available on most street corners. Yet there is no firm proof and due to Lucan’s rational and logical outlook on the wold, it’s never quite clear whether they are fake or whether Lucan is just too much of a sceptic to believe in them.
The narrator of the novel is the eponymous Lucan Drakenfeld. He’s an interesting character, the son who followed in his father’s footsteps, yet has been estranged from him for years. Like his father, he’s an agent of the Sun Chamber, a body of law enforcement that functions across the entire Vispasian Union and is integral to keeping the peace between its member states. This makes him not only a character with an interesting profession, but also one who has travelled the continent and as such brings something of an outsider’s view to the happenings in Tryum, despite having been born and raised there. I liked his thoughtful and peaceful nature� Drakenfeld abhors killing though he admits there is a time and place for it. He’s also somewhat prudish and arrogant, yet at the same time he sees those of the lower classes not as chattel or lesser beings, but as people in a more unfortunate position than himself and worthy of respect. He’s a complicated man, our Lucan Drakenfeld.
What makes his life even more complicated is the fact that he suffers from what we’d call epilepsy. His episodes are often preceded by specific smells or flashes of light, a phenomenon that is commonly known as aura. It’s interesting to see how these seizures influence Lucan’s functioning. There is a taboo on them and he tries to keep them hidden as much as he can. The only one who knows all about them is his closest companion, confidante, and bodyguard Leana. On the one hand he seems to consider his seizures a punishment of the gods as he prays to his goddess Polla to help him vanquish them, yet at the same time he and Leana seem aware it’s a medical condition and he even successfully consults with an apothecary for a remedy to at least assuage the number of seizures that plague him.
There are several important supporting characters in the book, but the most important are Leana, Senator Veron, and Lucan’s former lover Titiana. Leana is a fascinating character. She’s a woman of colour posted to a city where people often look down at people of colour, yet she holds her head high, defying their prejudice and proving herself superior in spirit and skill to all of them. Despite what we learn of her � she’s from Atrewe, she’s the sole survivor of her people who were massacred, she was married, she’s a brilliant warrior, and she’s fiercely loyal to Lucan � there is a sense that her story is yet largely untold and I look forward to learning more about her in future Drakenfeld books. One of the most entertaining characters in the book was Senator Veron, an old friend of Lucan’s late father, who takes him under his wing when he returns to Tryum. Veron is your quintessential hedonist; he drinks, he feasts, he sleeps around, he gambles. Yet despite all this I really liked him and his hedonism seems in part a front as Lucan notices his mask slipping a number of times and sees a far different, more serious man underneath. Titiana is an interesting character as a foil for Lucan. She uncovers some of his past and reveals to the reader some of what has made him into the man he is now.
The mystery in the book is a classic locked-room one and I found the way Newton structured his mystery very solid. I really enjoyed the sense of flusterment and desperation that overtakes Lucan about halfway through his investigation, when he’s running out of leads and facing increasing pressure from the king to solve his sister’s murder. Yet he manages to pull his chestnuts out of the fire and to do so without a deus-ex-machina intervention, but through old-fashioned legwork and deduction. With Leana to protect and assist him, Lucan makes his way through the city or Tryum and the labyrinthine twists of the murder plot in a very satisfying manner. I won’t go into the details any further, so as not to spoil anything, but trust me the resolution of this mystery is surprising and interesting.
With Drakenfeld Newton moves in a very different direction than his previous series, but the world and characters he creates are instantly compelling and very entertaining. I loved the details Newton inserted into his world building, such as the graffiti everywhere and the political structures not just of Tryum, but of the Vispasian Union over all. Drakenfeld is a wonderful start to the series and I can’t wait to read Lucan and Leana’s next adventure later this year in Retribution. If you enjoy smart, well-plotted historical fantasy, yet set in a secondary world then you shouldn’t miss out on Drakenfeld.
Drakenfeld is set in a Rome-inspired world, where the Royal Vispasian Union ensure peace and prosperity for its constituent monarchies. The world is familiar enough to allow easy entry, yet different enough to make it truly a secondary world fantasy. I love the ambiguity of some of the staple elements of fantasy worlds. There are many different gods and religion is important, but the priestly powers seem mundane, not god-given. There is mention of magic and witchcraft and the populace firmly believes in curses and augury available on most street corners. Yet there is no firm proof and due to Lucan’s rational and logical outlook on the wold, it’s never quite clear whether they are fake or whether Lucan is just too much of a sceptic to believe in them.
The narrator of the novel is the eponymous Lucan Drakenfeld. He’s an interesting character, the son who followed in his father’s footsteps, yet has been estranged from him for years. Like his father, he’s an agent of the Sun Chamber, a body of law enforcement that functions across the entire Vispasian Union and is integral to keeping the peace between its member states. This makes him not only a character with an interesting profession, but also one who has travelled the continent and as such brings something of an outsider’s view to the happenings in Tryum, despite having been born and raised there. I liked his thoughtful and peaceful nature� Drakenfeld abhors killing though he admits there is a time and place for it. He’s also somewhat prudish and arrogant, yet at the same time he sees those of the lower classes not as chattel or lesser beings, but as people in a more unfortunate position than himself and worthy of respect. He’s a complicated man, our Lucan Drakenfeld.
What makes his life even more complicated is the fact that he suffers from what we’d call epilepsy. His episodes are often preceded by specific smells or flashes of light, a phenomenon that is commonly known as aura. It’s interesting to see how these seizures influence Lucan’s functioning. There is a taboo on them and he tries to keep them hidden as much as he can. The only one who knows all about them is his closest companion, confidante, and bodyguard Leana. On the one hand he seems to consider his seizures a punishment of the gods as he prays to his goddess Polla to help him vanquish them, yet at the same time he and Leana seem aware it’s a medical condition and he even successfully consults with an apothecary for a remedy to at least assuage the number of seizures that plague him.
There are several important supporting characters in the book, but the most important are Leana, Senator Veron, and Lucan’s former lover Titiana. Leana is a fascinating character. She’s a woman of colour posted to a city where people often look down at people of colour, yet she holds her head high, defying their prejudice and proving herself superior in spirit and skill to all of them. Despite what we learn of her � she’s from Atrewe, she’s the sole survivor of her people who were massacred, she was married, she’s a brilliant warrior, and she’s fiercely loyal to Lucan � there is a sense that her story is yet largely untold and I look forward to learning more about her in future Drakenfeld books. One of the most entertaining characters in the book was Senator Veron, an old friend of Lucan’s late father, who takes him under his wing when he returns to Tryum. Veron is your quintessential hedonist; he drinks, he feasts, he sleeps around, he gambles. Yet despite all this I really liked him and his hedonism seems in part a front as Lucan notices his mask slipping a number of times and sees a far different, more serious man underneath. Titiana is an interesting character as a foil for Lucan. She uncovers some of his past and reveals to the reader some of what has made him into the man he is now.
The mystery in the book is a classic locked-room one and I found the way Newton structured his mystery very solid. I really enjoyed the sense of flusterment and desperation that overtakes Lucan about halfway through his investigation, when he’s running out of leads and facing increasing pressure from the king to solve his sister’s murder. Yet he manages to pull his chestnuts out of the fire and to do so without a deus-ex-machina intervention, but through old-fashioned legwork and deduction. With Leana to protect and assist him, Lucan makes his way through the city or Tryum and the labyrinthine twists of the murder plot in a very satisfying manner. I won’t go into the details any further, so as not to spoil anything, but trust me the resolution of this mystery is surprising and interesting.
With Drakenfeld Newton moves in a very different direction than his previous series, but the world and characters he creates are instantly compelling and very entertaining. I loved the details Newton inserted into his world building, such as the graffiti everywhere and the political structures not just of Tryum, but of the Vispasian Union over all. Drakenfeld is a wonderful start to the series and I can’t wait to read Lucan and Leana’s next adventure later this year in Retribution. If you enjoy smart, well-plotted historical fantasy, yet set in a secondary world then you shouldn’t miss out on Drakenfeld.
November 13, 2019
3 and a bit stars.
It's sort of a murder mystery set in a fantasy version of Rome. If you like historical murder mysteries and fantasy books, you may enjoy this.
It's sort of a murder mystery set in a fantasy version of Rome. If you like historical murder mysteries and fantasy books, you may enjoy this.
October 2, 2013
As someone who studied Latin in high school, the classical Greek and Roman world is something that captures my fancy. And when it is used as an inspiration for a new series, you can count me in.
Drakenfeld by Mark Charan Newton begins when Sun Chamber investigator Lucan Drakenfeld gets called home after his father has died. He has not been in his home city for a long time, and he has to rediscover it. Soon after a high profile murder takes place and Drakenfeld is the one to look into it.
This is not a traditional fantasy novel, let's get that out of the way immediately. Gone is the medieval setting with magic or some other supernatural gimmick. Neither of those things apply to Drakenfeld. The setting is an interesting interpretation of the classical times. No swords and knights, but aqueducts, polytheism and hippodromes. It is a breath of fresh air. Newton creates a beautiful world that is painted clearly through the eyes of Lucan Drakenfeld.
There are some slight hints of the supernatural, but they are very minimal. In this way Drakenfeld begs the question of what a fantasy novel really is. Does it need wizards and elves? Time has proven to not be the case. Much of Game of Thrones is based around the "normal" people that inhabit Westeros. There are hints of the supernatural, but they don't dominate the plot to begin with. Drakenfeld pushes this even further. Why is this a fantasy story? Because it is set in an imagined world. It needs nothing more when that world is executed so well.
There are not many characters that get a lot of screen time, but those that do deserve the spotlight. Drakenfeld is an intriguing point of view character. He is not one to be easily taken aback, and he gives the reader what seems like an objective look at the world. Drakenfeld's sidekick Leana is an enjoyable read for those who look for female characters that rock. She is sensible and sensitive, but she knows how to kick� ass. My favorite outside those two main characters has to be sleazy, but good-hearted, senator Veron. Finally Drakenfeld's old lover introduces some much needed (it is inspired by the classics after all) tragedy.
The plot of the story is mostly centered around the murder case that needs solving. I felt it was somewhat shallow at times. There is focus on Drakenfeld's investigation, but not so much on his speculation. I'm not much of a mystery reader, but to me it would have been more fun if there had been some more suspicious characters to imagine as the murderer. If anything Drakenfeld's case is one that is too bland to do the setting justice, which is a shame as the rest of the novel is so nicely done.
A second gripe I have is the small supernatural element that the story does have. It is never resolved � it is even quite explicitly not resolved � and as a reader you can't really be sure if something supernatural did even happen. While this might be the effect Newton was going for, it left me a bit unsatisfied.
All in all Drakenfeld is a great novel to pick up if you are looking for something new. Its setting is fresh and exciting and extremely well done. If you want to be spirited away to a world that is different, this is the novel that might do it for you. The characters are well done and strong. If you are looking for suspense and mystery it may not be quite what you expected. I am already looking forward to the second novel in the series. Hopefully the setting will continue to be amazing, but with it and the characters already introduced, maybe the plot can go up a notch for an even better read.
Originally posted on .
Drakenfeld by Mark Charan Newton begins when Sun Chamber investigator Lucan Drakenfeld gets called home after his father has died. He has not been in his home city for a long time, and he has to rediscover it. Soon after a high profile murder takes place and Drakenfeld is the one to look into it.
This is not a traditional fantasy novel, let's get that out of the way immediately. Gone is the medieval setting with magic or some other supernatural gimmick. Neither of those things apply to Drakenfeld. The setting is an interesting interpretation of the classical times. No swords and knights, but aqueducts, polytheism and hippodromes. It is a breath of fresh air. Newton creates a beautiful world that is painted clearly through the eyes of Lucan Drakenfeld.
There are some slight hints of the supernatural, but they are very minimal. In this way Drakenfeld begs the question of what a fantasy novel really is. Does it need wizards and elves? Time has proven to not be the case. Much of Game of Thrones is based around the "normal" people that inhabit Westeros. There are hints of the supernatural, but they don't dominate the plot to begin with. Drakenfeld pushes this even further. Why is this a fantasy story? Because it is set in an imagined world. It needs nothing more when that world is executed so well.
There are not many characters that get a lot of screen time, but those that do deserve the spotlight. Drakenfeld is an intriguing point of view character. He is not one to be easily taken aback, and he gives the reader what seems like an objective look at the world. Drakenfeld's sidekick Leana is an enjoyable read for those who look for female characters that rock. She is sensible and sensitive, but she knows how to kick� ass. My favorite outside those two main characters has to be sleazy, but good-hearted, senator Veron. Finally Drakenfeld's old lover introduces some much needed (it is inspired by the classics after all) tragedy.
The plot of the story is mostly centered around the murder case that needs solving. I felt it was somewhat shallow at times. There is focus on Drakenfeld's investigation, but not so much on his speculation. I'm not much of a mystery reader, but to me it would have been more fun if there had been some more suspicious characters to imagine as the murderer. If anything Drakenfeld's case is one that is too bland to do the setting justice, which is a shame as the rest of the novel is so nicely done.
A second gripe I have is the small supernatural element that the story does have. It is never resolved � it is even quite explicitly not resolved � and as a reader you can't really be sure if something supernatural did even happen. While this might be the effect Newton was going for, it left me a bit unsatisfied.
All in all Drakenfeld is a great novel to pick up if you are looking for something new. Its setting is fresh and exciting and extremely well done. If you want to be spirited away to a world that is different, this is the novel that might do it for you. The characters are well done and strong. If you are looking for suspense and mystery it may not be quite what you expected. I am already looking forward to the second novel in the series. Hopefully the setting will continue to be amazing, but with it and the characters already introduced, maybe the plot can go up a notch for an even better read.
Originally posted on .
September 7, 2014
The death of the father is a critical milestone in a man’s life. It confronts him with inescapable proof of his own mortality as well as a powerful spur to examine his own level of maturity, or lack thereof.
At the start of Mark Charon Newton’s engrossing novel, Drakenfeld, Lucan Jupus Drakenfeld, Officer of the Sun Chamber has just finished presiding over a particularly gruesome, but as he explains it, justified, punishment session. Waiting for him as he exits the Temple where the punishment was exacted is his assistant Leana. She hands him a tube with the seal of the Sun Chamber. Inside is notification of his father, Calludian’s death and that he is required to travel to his home city of Tryum in the state of Detrata to deal with his father’s affairs.
After winding up their affairs in Venyn City, Lucan and Leana set sail for Tryum, expecting only a short uncomplicated stay in that city state. Of course we know that this cannot be remotely possible. Shortly after arriving in Tryum, and while most of the city’s upper classes are at a reception to welcome home Maxant, a victorious general, King Licentius� sister, Lacanta, is discovered stabbed to death inside a locked temple. Lucan as the only representative of the Sun Chamber in the city at the time is asked to investigate.
As Lucan and Leana attempt to track down and unravel the many threads linking to the murder, more bodies pile up. Worse, some of the threads Lucan is finding, implicate his own father in dubious if not corrupt practices. And for good measure, Lucan encounters Titiana, his childhood love whom he had wronged on the orders of his father, dancing in a nightclub.
So� we have a fine witches� brew of complicated motivations, ancient memories, wrongs unrighted and at least three murders to solve. All this wraps around a poignant story of a young man trying to come to terms with memories of a father whom he respected but couldn’t like. This has all been set into a vivid environment which, with its multiplicity of Gods, cramped, tightly packed neighbourhoods made lawless by want and need, and the monumental temples and villas of the wealthy, closely resembles ancient Rome.
The characters, from the troubled, often indecisive Lucan to Leana who has buried her pain and bad memories into serving the Sun Chamber and supporting Lucan, are well drawn and likeable. There are also a host of useful, occasionally funny supporting characters much like Shakespeare’s mechanicals, rude or otherwise.
If you like high fantasy with well executed world building, interesting characters and complex plots, then I can highly recommend Drakenfeld. 4****
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author himself after winning a competition. That in no way influenced my review which I promise is true and fair.
At the start of Mark Charon Newton’s engrossing novel, Drakenfeld, Lucan Jupus Drakenfeld, Officer of the Sun Chamber has just finished presiding over a particularly gruesome, but as he explains it, justified, punishment session. Waiting for him as he exits the Temple where the punishment was exacted is his assistant Leana. She hands him a tube with the seal of the Sun Chamber. Inside is notification of his father, Calludian’s death and that he is required to travel to his home city of Tryum in the state of Detrata to deal with his father’s affairs.
After winding up their affairs in Venyn City, Lucan and Leana set sail for Tryum, expecting only a short uncomplicated stay in that city state. Of course we know that this cannot be remotely possible. Shortly after arriving in Tryum, and while most of the city’s upper classes are at a reception to welcome home Maxant, a victorious general, King Licentius� sister, Lacanta, is discovered stabbed to death inside a locked temple. Lucan as the only representative of the Sun Chamber in the city at the time is asked to investigate.
As Lucan and Leana attempt to track down and unravel the many threads linking to the murder, more bodies pile up. Worse, some of the threads Lucan is finding, implicate his own father in dubious if not corrupt practices. And for good measure, Lucan encounters Titiana, his childhood love whom he had wronged on the orders of his father, dancing in a nightclub.
So� we have a fine witches� brew of complicated motivations, ancient memories, wrongs unrighted and at least three murders to solve. All this wraps around a poignant story of a young man trying to come to terms with memories of a father whom he respected but couldn’t like. This has all been set into a vivid environment which, with its multiplicity of Gods, cramped, tightly packed neighbourhoods made lawless by want and need, and the monumental temples and villas of the wealthy, closely resembles ancient Rome.
The characters, from the troubled, often indecisive Lucan to Leana who has buried her pain and bad memories into serving the Sun Chamber and supporting Lucan, are well drawn and likeable. There are also a host of useful, occasionally funny supporting characters much like Shakespeare’s mechanicals, rude or otherwise.
If you like high fantasy with well executed world building, interesting characters and complex plots, then I can highly recommend Drakenfeld. 4****
Disclaimer: I received this book from the author himself after winning a competition. That in no way influenced my review which I promise is true and fair.
September 22, 2014
Giving up at page 215 (of 429, so about halfway). It's part a shambles of ordinary writing; part the tedium of unravelling mysteries that are still mysterious, not compelling; and part that the world is so straight-up classical that I find myself yearning for some Falco, where at least ancient Rome is virulently alive, compellingly everyday, and no one ever says "OK"...
I'm also a bit perplexed that the gritty promise of the logline ("They'll kill to hide the truth... He'll kill to find it") seems to be in direct opposition to our "but why does there have to be violence?" hero. The dark spirits promised by the blurb have failed to manifest as anything other than a once-off rumour, and the political assassination likewise promised has also completely failed to loom with dire consequences. Instead, we have apparently ordinary actors, chatty and helpful senators, the re-emergence of a boringly ordinary childhood sweetheart tragedy, and a hero who is having trouble with the gossip about the murder victim because she didn't seem like a slut to him when he took one quick look at her bedroom.
I'm bored. I'm genuinely perplexed as to why I've seen so many excited reviews about this book. I have a stack of other books beckoning. Moving on.
I'm also a bit perplexed that the gritty promise of the logline ("They'll kill to hide the truth... He'll kill to find it") seems to be in direct opposition to our "but why does there have to be violence?" hero. The dark spirits promised by the blurb have failed to manifest as anything other than a once-off rumour, and the political assassination likewise promised has also completely failed to loom with dire consequences. Instead, we have apparently ordinary actors, chatty and helpful senators, the re-emergence of a boringly ordinary childhood sweetheart tragedy, and a hero who is having trouble with the gossip about the murder victim because she didn't seem like a slut to him when he took one quick look at her bedroom.
I'm bored. I'm genuinely perplexed as to why I've seen so many excited reviews about this book. I have a stack of other books beckoning. Moving on.
January 12, 2014
I must begin by saying that I did try to read another fantasy series by him and did not like that one at all. But I still gave this one a go and I am glad I did. It was different and really good.
It's basically a murder mystery. And our lead detective is Lucan Drakenfeld, the genre is fantasy and the world is very Roman.
Right another cop story for me, and yet another fantasy book that mainly takes place in a big city. No running around on an adventure here. No Lucan comes to his home town, says farewell to his dead father and begins to investigate the murder of the King's sister. He and his assistant goes from clue to clue, sees what the city is really about and moves from the highest to the lowest social circles. The whole mystery sure had me wondering and there were just so many suspects. But it all came together beautifully and I would love to read more about Drakenfeld.
I also liked the whole "Roman" style. Rome conquering other nations, and the whole style of living too. But it still felt fantasy and not just like I fell into another Rome dimension. He made it is.
A cool book and I would love to read more. Well written too.
It's basically a murder mystery. And our lead detective is Lucan Drakenfeld, the genre is fantasy and the world is very Roman.
Right another cop story for me, and yet another fantasy book that mainly takes place in a big city. No running around on an adventure here. No Lucan comes to his home town, says farewell to his dead father and begins to investigate the murder of the King's sister. He and his assistant goes from clue to clue, sees what the city is really about and moves from the highest to the lowest social circles. The whole mystery sure had me wondering and there were just so many suspects. But it all came together beautifully and I would love to read more about Drakenfeld.
I also liked the whole "Roman" style. Rome conquering other nations, and the whole style of living too. But it still felt fantasy and not just like I fell into another Rome dimension. He made it is.
A cool book and I would love to read more. Well written too.
January 23, 2015
This book was a delight to read. Fast-paced, witty, it kept me on the edge of my seat. The mystery was intriguing and the characters had all the depth needed to make you sympathise with them. Lucan is a Sun officer, a straight-laced guy doing his best solving the murder of the king's sister. I especially liked the fact that even though he is the hero of the story, he has his faults and shortcomings, and despite all that, does his best to do his job. I'm definitely watching out for the next installments in this series.
January 24, 2014
Very different setting for a fantasy novel but works so well.The classical theme anchors it to reality while still being based in a fictional setting.
Well built up mystery and likeable main character finishing with the promise of more to come.
Well built up mystery and likeable main character finishing with the promise of more to come.
December 27, 2014
Very good. My first book by Mark Charon Newton and I really enjoyed this one. Recommended!
November 7, 2020
3.5 / 5
Drakenfeld is a fantasy detective novel by Mark Charan Newton. A locked-room murder takes place in the king's court with no apparent motive, possible murderer and no loose-end. Lucan Drakenfeld, newly arrived, finds himself gradually entangled into many mysteries surrounding the murder along with other unrelated ones.
This novel takes place in a fantastical world of Newton's creation, and I have to admit he has done an amazing job with world-building and passing all this depth on the pages and then to the reader. Never did I feel that the story took place in a boring, uninteresting world, quickly set just for the sake of providing a background. On the contrary, everything feels realistic and natural as if they have a history behind them. So, top marks for world-building and setting.
The characters are also well written. The protatonist, Lucan, is a realistic personality with weaknesses, doubts and feelings. The other main characters, Leana and Veron, are also well portrayed and are interesting enough. The same can not be said unfortunately for the rest, who don't get really much page-time and thus end up really thin and uninteresting. I think it is a pity and a lost opportunity, especially when so many words are spent on descriptions of buildings and roads etc.
In a detective story of course, the plot is probably the most important thing and in this novel it's quite good and adequate. There's a multi-layered mystery that builds slowly and is absolutely logical. When the reveal came, I didn't feel cheated as is sometimes the case with some detective / mystery novels. But at the same time, I was not excited or amazed by the plot at any point from the start until the end. It seriously lacked tension and momentum. The various threads remained so unrelated to each other for so much of the book that it made me wonder why I was reading some of them.
The writing and pace was also a mixed bag. Some times, it flowed perfectly and smoothly, presenting details while promoting the story or the characters. Other times though it felt sluggish. Especially the parts with Titiana came out as if they were added as a second thought, just to fill pages and maybe as an excuse to justify Titiana's role in the novel.
In the end, I have to admit I found a lot of interesting things in this novel and I liked most of its aspects. It never felt samey or just another "such" book. But, at the same time, I kept feeling not completely satisfied as I was always expecting something more, even up until the end. In summary, I won't and can't say that it's a bad book, instead it's a very good novel, but it could have been even better! I may be strict in my rating but I will definitely read the next book! Recommended!
3.5 / 5
Drakenfeld is a fantasy detective novel by Mark Charan Newton. A locked-room murder takes place in the king's court with no apparent motive, possible murderer and no loose-end. Lucan Drakenfeld, newly arrived, finds himself gradually entangled into many mysteries surrounding the murder along with other unrelated ones.
This novel takes place in a fantastical world of Newton's creation, and I have to admit he has done an amazing job with world-building and passing all this depth on the pages and then to the reader. Never did I feel that the story took place in a boring, uninteresting world, quickly set just for the sake of providing a background. On the contrary, everything feels realistic and natural as if they have a history behind them. So, top marks for world-building and setting.
The characters are also well written. The protatonist, Lucan, is a realistic personality with weaknesses, doubts and feelings. The other main characters, Leana and Veron, are also well portrayed and are interesting enough. The same can not be said unfortunately for the rest, who don't get really much page-time and thus end up really thin and uninteresting. I think it is a pity and a lost opportunity, especially when so many words are spent on descriptions of buildings and roads etc.
In a detective story of course, the plot is probably the most important thing and in this novel it's quite good and adequate. There's a multi-layered mystery that builds slowly and is absolutely logical. When the reveal came, I didn't feel cheated as is sometimes the case with some detective / mystery novels. But at the same time, I was not excited or amazed by the plot at any point from the start until the end. It seriously lacked tension and momentum. The various threads remained so unrelated to each other for so much of the book that it made me wonder why I was reading some of them.
The writing and pace was also a mixed bag. Some times, it flowed perfectly and smoothly, presenting details while promoting the story or the characters. Other times though it felt sluggish. Especially the parts with Titiana came out as if they were added as a second thought, just to fill pages and maybe as an excuse to justify Titiana's role in the novel.
In the end, I have to admit I found a lot of interesting things in this novel and I liked most of its aspects. It never felt samey or just another "such" book. But, at the same time, I kept feeling not completely satisfied as I was always expecting something more, even up until the end. In summary, I won't and can't say that it's a bad book, instead it's a very good novel, but it could have been even better! I may be strict in my rating but I will definitely read the next book! Recommended!
3.5 / 5
February 10, 2021
This was a nice variation on your regular fantasy: a locked-room murder mystery in a pseudo-classical secondary world. The world was nicely drawn, rich and colourful - in other words, an ideal stage on which to play out further adventures - and I enjoyed the central conceit, but I found the language of a police procedural (statements, time-of-death conversations over a rapidly-cooling corpse, and liberal use of 'OK' in dialog) didn't sit well for me in such a vivdly Romanesque world, making it a 'like' not a 'love'. Personal taste, I suppose.
March 4, 2017
The Royal Union has bound the nations of the Vispasian continent together for more than two centuries, with the ultranational police force known as the Sun Chamber being essential for enforcing peace between the kingdoms. Lucan Drakenfeld, an officer of the Sun Chamber, is recalled to his home city of Tryum by the death of his father. However, whilst setting his father's affairs in order, Drakenfeld becomes embroiled in politics and murder. There are forces in Tryum that would see it reach out and become the great empire it used to be, forces that would kill to make that happen...and other forces who would kill to ensure it doesn't.
Drakenfeld is Mark Charan Newton's sixth novel and the first in a new series set in a fantasised Rome (sort of) featuring Lucan Drakenfeld as a private detective (or the equivalent thereof). Drakenfeld is an enlightened man living in unenlightened times, a man who believes in the Union but has to deal with the nationalistic forces that threaten to tear it apart.
In this novel, Newton is doing several things. First of all, he's telling a fairly compelling murder mystery. Secondly, he's using the novel to comment on the state of epic fantasy and its conservative tendencies. A large number of interesting issues come into this, such as the fear of the people of Tryum towards 'the other' (Drakenfeld's assistant is a dark-skinned woman from a far distant nation) and kneejerk nationalism overriding the wider common good. There aren't lazy correlations with real-life events, but there's certainly some food for thought going on under the fairly straightforward surface.
In terms of character, Drakenfeld makes for a likable protagonist but not the most dynamic one. Drakenfeld is a good man, trusting (but not too much), loyal, dedicated and so on. He's also a little bit boring due to his earnest reasonableness with no apparent foibles. His sidekick, Leana, and redoubtable friend, the amable-but-prejudiced Veron, are both far more interesting but the strict, first-person POV means we don't get to know them very well.
In terms of writing, Newton knows how to tell a good story and does it quite well. However, the book suffers from an abrupt shift in gears and pacing towards the end of the novel that the writing never really pulls off. Suddenly what was an intriguing, well-played murder mystery turns into a full-on epic fantasy complete with marching armies, sieges and clandestine night assaults. This shift in gears is so jarring you may drop the book, and never really makes much sense. The worldbuilding is also flawed: the superb evocation of the faux-Roman atmosphere of Tryum and its people is let down by the later revelation that the 'continent' of Vispasia is actually only marginally bigger than Italy itself (oddly, given the variety of landforms mentioned in the descriptions of the various nations) and armies can be summoned, assembled, armed, equipped and sent into battle at just a moment's notice.
This conclusion saps a lot of believability from the narrative, and I was left wishing for a novel much more focused on the murder and perhaps on the political intrigue. The military stuff fails to convince, but at least it does upset the status quo and leaves Drakenfeld in a very interest place for the sequels.
Drakenfeld (***½) is, for most of its length, a compelling murder mystery novel with some great atmosphere and writing which abruptly shifts gears in the final chapters and fails to pull it off. However, it does a great job of establishing the character of Drakenfeld and the world of the Vispasian Union and certainly leaves the reader wanting to know more about his adventures.
Drakenfeld is Mark Charan Newton's sixth novel and the first in a new series set in a fantasised Rome (sort of) featuring Lucan Drakenfeld as a private detective (or the equivalent thereof). Drakenfeld is an enlightened man living in unenlightened times, a man who believes in the Union but has to deal with the nationalistic forces that threaten to tear it apart.
In this novel, Newton is doing several things. First of all, he's telling a fairly compelling murder mystery. Secondly, he's using the novel to comment on the state of epic fantasy and its conservative tendencies. A large number of interesting issues come into this, such as the fear of the people of Tryum towards 'the other' (Drakenfeld's assistant is a dark-skinned woman from a far distant nation) and kneejerk nationalism overriding the wider common good. There aren't lazy correlations with real-life events, but there's certainly some food for thought going on under the fairly straightforward surface.
In terms of character, Drakenfeld makes for a likable protagonist but not the most dynamic one. Drakenfeld is a good man, trusting (but not too much), loyal, dedicated and so on. He's also a little bit boring due to his earnest reasonableness with no apparent foibles. His sidekick, Leana, and redoubtable friend, the amable-but-prejudiced Veron, are both far more interesting but the strict, first-person POV means we don't get to know them very well.
In terms of writing, Newton knows how to tell a good story and does it quite well. However, the book suffers from an abrupt shift in gears and pacing towards the end of the novel that the writing never really pulls off. Suddenly what was an intriguing, well-played murder mystery turns into a full-on epic fantasy complete with marching armies, sieges and clandestine night assaults. This shift in gears is so jarring you may drop the book, and never really makes much sense. The worldbuilding is also flawed: the superb evocation of the faux-Roman atmosphere of Tryum and its people is let down by the later revelation that the 'continent' of Vispasia is actually only marginally bigger than Italy itself (oddly, given the variety of landforms mentioned in the descriptions of the various nations) and armies can be summoned, assembled, armed, equipped and sent into battle at just a moment's notice.
This conclusion saps a lot of believability from the narrative, and I was left wishing for a novel much more focused on the murder and perhaps on the political intrigue. The military stuff fails to convince, but at least it does upset the status quo and leaves Drakenfeld in a very interest place for the sequels.
Drakenfeld (***½) is, for most of its length, a compelling murder mystery novel with some great atmosphere and writing which abruptly shifts gears in the final chapters and fails to pull it off. However, it does a great job of establishing the character of Drakenfeld and the world of the Vispasian Union and certainly leaves the reader wanting to know more about his adventures.
February 7, 2017
2.5 stars. Before I get into my reasons for giving it that rating, I feel the following needs to be noted. If you are a devout Christian, or someone who finds any of the following listed topics to be offensive and give books a 1 star rating simply for containing such subjects, then please, PLEASE put this book down and return it to the bookstore, library, or friend who lent it to you, because this book is not for you.
- Worship of various gods
- Murder
- Sex and implications of deviant sexual behavior
- Homosexuality
- Suicide
- Incest
- Implications of witchcraft and/or demon worship
- Implications of ghosts, spirits, and other similar entities
I have seen too many books receive 1 star reviews only because they contained such subjects that I felt it was necessary to say something in warning to anyone who might feel that way about the books they select, and then go on to give those books extremely poor reviews based only on subjects they found unacceptable and not on the actual merit of the plot or the writing. I do not believe that is fair to the author or the book or the people who might otherwise read the book. Therefore, when I find books that contain such things, I make a point to make that warning.
Now, on to what I think.
Ugh, it was boring...
The main character is so dry! The author has made attempts to give him a past and to give him special quirks, but he's never actually an interesting person. The only two characters I found to be all that interesting were Leana and Senator Veron. I wish there had been more in the book about them, since they were such bright points in what is otherwise a real drag to read.
This is a murder mystery set in some fictional time and/or place. I've seen it noted that the place is supposed to be a fictional representation of Rome. Nothing specifically leaped out and said, "This is Rome!!" to me, honestly, though there is a heavy Mediterranean atmosphere.
This is not a fantasy. I feel I was deceived by what was written on the back of the book into thinking this was a fantasy novel. It's not. Except for being set in a fictional place with fictional gods, there is little else you could point to that would set this into the realm of the fantasy genre. There is some talk of ghosts, but such things do not a fantasy make, in my opinion, and are very few in general anyway, so I don't even feel that they could be considered when deciding on the genre this book should be placed into. Mystery, oh yes. It's the most cliche mystery ever, being a who-done-it murder mystery, but it is not a fantasy, and I'm not very happy to have been lured into thinking it was by the publishers.
Remember how I said it's boring? I need to say it again. It's really boring. Only the last 100 pages of this 420+ page book are all that interesting, and even then it's only for a little while. The last 20 pages or so went back to being dull again. I get that everything was being wrapped up during those pages, but it had the same dry, flavorless feeling to it that the rest of the book had had.
If you like murder mysteries, then have at it. It's not original. If you read a lot of mysteries, you could probably figure out who the mastermind was pretty early in, I bet. If you're a fantasy reader, though, don't waste your time. This probably won't satisfy you if you were looking for a fantasy novel when you picked this up. I know I sure wasn't...
- Worship of various gods
- Murder
- Sex and implications of deviant sexual behavior
- Homosexuality
- Suicide
- Incest
- Implications of witchcraft and/or demon worship
- Implications of ghosts, spirits, and other similar entities
I have seen too many books receive 1 star reviews only because they contained such subjects that I felt it was necessary to say something in warning to anyone who might feel that way about the books they select, and then go on to give those books extremely poor reviews based only on subjects they found unacceptable and not on the actual merit of the plot or the writing. I do not believe that is fair to the author or the book or the people who might otherwise read the book. Therefore, when I find books that contain such things, I make a point to make that warning.
Now, on to what I think.
Ugh, it was boring...
The main character is so dry! The author has made attempts to give him a past and to give him special quirks, but he's never actually an interesting person. The only two characters I found to be all that interesting were Leana and Senator Veron. I wish there had been more in the book about them, since they were such bright points in what is otherwise a real drag to read.
This is a murder mystery set in some fictional time and/or place. I've seen it noted that the place is supposed to be a fictional representation of Rome. Nothing specifically leaped out and said, "This is Rome!!" to me, honestly, though there is a heavy Mediterranean atmosphere.
This is not a fantasy. I feel I was deceived by what was written on the back of the book into thinking this was a fantasy novel. It's not. Except for being set in a fictional place with fictional gods, there is little else you could point to that would set this into the realm of the fantasy genre. There is some talk of ghosts, but such things do not a fantasy make, in my opinion, and are very few in general anyway, so I don't even feel that they could be considered when deciding on the genre this book should be placed into. Mystery, oh yes. It's the most cliche mystery ever, being a who-done-it murder mystery, but it is not a fantasy, and I'm not very happy to have been lured into thinking it was by the publishers.
Remember how I said it's boring? I need to say it again. It's really boring. Only the last 100 pages of this 420+ page book are all that interesting, and even then it's only for a little while. The last 20 pages or so went back to being dull again. I get that everything was being wrapped up during those pages, but it had the same dry, flavorless feeling to it that the rest of the book had had.
If you like murder mysteries, then have at it. It's not original. If you read a lot of mysteries, you could probably figure out who the mastermind was pretty early in, I bet. If you're a fantasy reader, though, don't waste your time. This probably won't satisfy you if you were looking for a fantasy novel when you picked this up. I know I sure wasn't...
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