Christopher Buehlman‘s The Blacktongue Thief (2021) is, simply, the best swashbuckling fantasy novel I’ve read in years.
In some ways, that’s it: perhaps Reading Well should move to being one sentence reviews.
The protagonist lives right in the middle of the genre: a smart-talking, street smart, vagabond thief on the run, complete with Daddy issues and a love interest. The story is set in a world recovering from a long and bloody war that has decimated the populations of several cultures. The “bad guys” are a race of goblins, and while, yeah, they tend to eat the humans, they are also drawn with some depth and sensitivity.
Lovely swashbuckling epic. Great protagonist, deep world building. Best pure fantasy read in quite a while, and one where I truly hope the author decides to extend the story. Currently, there is a prequel set for release in 2024, but no word on a continuation of the characters from The Blacktongue Thief itself.
Highly recommended.