Larry Correia has found a comfortable place in the world of urban fiction, crafting bestselling, entertaining adventures for Owen Pitt in his Monster Hunter series. He also has done very well in mixing in books for the more pulpy-feeling Grimnoir Chronicles. Now he is looking to spread his already sizable wingspan a bit and set his sights on developing a line of epic fantasy works. SON OF THE BLACK SWORD is the first volley in this new conquest, and while it won’t launch him into the pantheon of fantasy greats, it does lay some groundwork for what promises to be an entertaining series.

Legend tells us that the War of the Gods ended with the demons being cast out, turning their vile hate upon mankind. The gods sent a hero to help unite the peoples of mankind in driving back the demonic forces. This history has faded to myth, if remembered at all, and gods are forgotten as the Age of Law is ushered in. This brings us to Ashok Vadal, the best of the best as Protector of the Law. He is merciless in his defense of the law, in bringing those who practice the old ways to justice. His is a world of black and white. You are obeying the Law, or you are in defiance of it. Given Ashok’s diligence, you do not want to be in defiance of the Law.

"[Correia's] action sequences pop on the page, his magic system has a nice wrinkle, and he has the foundations laid out for some excellent character growth as the series continues."

However, Ashok finds his worldview turned upside down as he starts to unravel some mysterious threads of his history, realizing that the world is far more shaded in gray than his black and white worldview had previously permitted. As he begins to question himself and why he is who he is, he also begins questioning the very Law he is sworn to uphold, coming to believe that there may be little justice in a system he now sees as corrupted and broken. As such, Ashok diverges from his just path, pushing him to walk the road of a rebellious leader.

One of the promising spins Correia provides in SON OF THE BLACK SWORD is locale. The land of Lok is spiced with a more Indian/Southeast Asia flavor as opposed to the dominant European-style fantasies that flood the market. So while Lok is indeed a creation wholly new for readers, it is tinged with a touch more of an outlier feeling than we are used to in usual fantasy, or even Correia’s previous works, which tend to be more rooted in recognizable settings and times. It is a welcome deviation from the norm.

Overall, Correia isn’t breaking any new ground in terms of fantasy. Much of the book utilizes the standard tropes of the genre. That does not mean to imply that it’s not worthwhile. Many different meals can be concocted from the same base ingredients. Correia is, above all, a storyteller, and he weaves a unique and entertaining tale. Without question, his action sequences pop on the page, his magic system has a nice wrinkle, and he has the foundations laid out for some excellent character growth as the series continues.

SON OF THE BLACK SWORD is a pretty bold step for Correia. While he could have sat back and churned out Monster Hunter books with little rest, he has pushed himself into an area that he hasn’t comfortably explored. He successfully completed this quest and, at the same time, has given readers a quick, entertaining and enticing read. I would dare say it is not quite the epic fantasy it may have intended to be, but even better --- and perhaps even more into Correia’s wheelhouse --- is seeing so many Robert E. Howard-esque elements here, making this more accurately categorized as sword and sorcery. In that light, the book is a definite hit.