The Free

The Free is probably one of the shortest fantasy novels I have read in the last year, however probably packed more punch than any four tome series I have ever read. Done through succinct, yet still lyrical writing and denying some of the more arduous rambles through magical systems and world building, it is a brief glimpse into the last days of a mercenary group off to fight their last battle.That is not to say the magic and world building is forgotten or done poorly, but is given to the reader by way of seeing what is done, rather than how. There are little divergences here and there to explain the consequences of action, but only what was necessary to make sure the reader understands the sacrifices each character makes and allows the emotional impact of each sacrifice to wield a really powerful blow. Watching the magic unfold (as I felt I was watching it, rather than reading it) was a thing of beauty, even as it stole and ripped from the characters. Totally brutal, though more believable than anything else I could compare it to. Though at one point I had a "The birds! The birds!" moment, which was probably my head trying to deflect the sense of grief filling the scene.The world is given to us through the characters experiences of it, rather than Ruckley simply telling us what it is and why it is. It was an exclusive experience, but made it clear this was not about the greater whole, but only why these characters are here and doing what they are doing. I certainly wasn't left with any lingering feeling that I had missed anything of greater importance.The writing is simple and accessible, refreshingly so. There was no need to use arcane words so long forgotten you needed a dictionary in your free hand, to explain the workings of this novel. The importance of the task at hand and the bond between the characters was enough to carry it through without unnecessary affectations.Nothing is missing from this vignette. Bravery, love, loss, massive battles, down right despicable enemies and intrigues galore, a massive book in content, even though it had a narrow view scope. And albeit I love a good rambling read, I actually think fleshing it out any more would've just made it flabby. It's fast motions kept me captivated enough to read it in one sitting. And quite sad to see it end!If you are looking for all the heroes to walk off into the sunset unscathed and skipping toward bright futures as the next kings and queens of the realm however, well, this isn't one of those books. I was a bit disappointed in the ending, but not because it ended on the wrong note, it actually wrapped up with more skill than the greats of the genre seem to muster. However, I am a greedy reader and I was yearning to see where the future would lead for the characters, so with great frustration I had to concede to the fact it is a set piece, not a life story.Though, the ending could be a nice intro to the world in the aftermath of a certain untamed and very angry flying Permanence.. Just a suggestion Mr. Ruckley ;)A very accomplished fantasy and very satisfying first foray into the depths of Ruckley's little grab of genius. Looking forward to delving into the authors other books. *runs off to frantically search the kindle store*

Very good fantasy book, ending was super weird though.No spoilers - I found the book gripping from first page to roughly the last chapter. The way he ends the book sort of left me scratching my head.If you like fantasy books, this is a great read. Very brisk, no wasted sections, just good characters, interesting plot, some great action sequences, and one of the coolest uses of magic ever.

A well written gritty novel, full of detail while moving the story forward. Characters are absolutely interesting and engaging. Reminding me of the cast of characters from the Black Company. While the plot is not complex, it doesn't need to be, you are dropped into the last remaining days of the Free. You learn all about what bond these people share, what they do for each other and how nasty this bunch really is. Only wishing it was longer.

I wanted to give this story four or five stars, I really did, but after digesting the story for a while, I just couldn't. The story is interesting and well written, but the characters are predictable and don't really grow. The only character to change at all is Creel's contract holder and the more I thought about it, the more useless he seemed. He never really accomplishes anything in the story and could have been completely edited out without changing the story. The other thing that bothered me about this story was that all the intense danger that The Free face is solved in a deus ex machina way. It all looks bleak! But then the danger is destroyed all at once by this one character. Dramatic? Maybe. But I would prefer it if The Free actually figured out a clever way out of danger instead.

It's a story of the reach for redemption in the hard, harsh and imperfect way of us mortals. A great story with an intriguing, unique? magic system. Worth every penny for fantasy-mercenary readers. I only wish I could experience more of this world and hope the author sees fit to create more content. I'm down for a trilogy. Are you?

I enjoyed the Godless trilogy but thought it too long and the end predictable and anti-climatic. The Free has many more layers, better characters (especially two despicable villains) and a clever ending neatly gathering loose ends. Ruckley's style is easy to read, moves quickly and advances the story line quickly. Can't wait for the next book...

This was one of those books I could hardly put down. It had the irresistible combination of a young man on his first venture into the world, the wizened warrior leading a colorful band, and mysterious and powerful wizards, called "clevers". The story was fast paced and moving. I got to know the characters just enough to care about them, knowing that most of them wouldn't survive. It was a solid, satisfying read. I will be looking for more from Brian Ruckley!

Ruckley writes a descriptive, dark, gritty tale with articulation not often seen, while still being able to move the storyline quickly. The characters are well thought out and defined. One finds oneself trying to anticipate the next development, but the story twists and you say, ok, didn't see that coming. Good guys are mostly good, bad guys are mostly bad, just way it should be.

This book was great, unputdownable. It is not an unfamiliar story but it is as fine a rendition of it as you will find.Excellent flawed characters and a farm boy who dreams of renown but dreams are not the same as reality. The magic, Clevers and Permanences are interesting and memorable.I would recommend this title to anyone who enjoys a good story. Brian himself makes reference to The Magnificent Seven and Seven Samurai and this story certainly does have exactly the same feel and a style of it's own too.So check this book out and you are in for an epic tale with good, evil and all the many shades of grey in between.

I really enjoyed Brian Ruckley's 'The Free'. From the beginning I found myself pulled into the story and enjoyed discovering the history of the characters as the book progressed, while all the time wondering what their eventual fates would be. It is full of gritty fighting and an original magic system and the story really highlights the consequences of past actions and the sacrifices that people have to make. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Joe Abercrombie, David Gemmell, George R R Martin and John Gwynne and if you enjoyed Brian Ruckley's Godless World trilogy I think you will love this standalone novel too.

Pacey, full of well-described action and fleshed out with interesting and believable characters.I enjoyed Ruckley's previous trilogy but this is better, in many ways.

Fantastic, Brian Ruckley's best novel yet

I loved reading the book as I loved Brian Ruckleys's other books (The Godless World triolgy, The Edinburgh Dead) but I felt the ending of this one to be way too precipitated and verging on deus ex machina... I won't get into spoilers, but really, a long buildup to a most anticlimactic resolution of several main arcs in a few pages. Quite disappointed by the last chapters after enjoying the whole book so much.