‘Wereblood’ – Eric Iverson (Tower Belmont)

Page Count: 144 Pages

Last week, what with getting over Covid and hanging out with my daughters, was definitely not a week for getting books read. I can’t remember the last time I spent so long on a book as I did with ‘Wereblood’; it was literally a page or two read whenever I could grab a couple of minutes. I got there in the end though (go me!) and it was definitely time well spent.

Before we get onto the book itself, I should point out that I’m reading this series out of order, again (the perils of not having an ordered bookshelf…) If you want to find out what happens after ‘Wereblood’, click Here and read my thoughts on ‘Werenight’. For now though, lets concentrate on ‘Wereblood’…

In the northern reaches of the Empire of Elabon, Gerin, called the Fox, battled to save his domain from destruction by the warlike Trokmoi and their wizard-leader, Balamung. Assisted by the gian Van of the Strong Arm, Gerin prepared to make the hazardous journey to the City of Elabon, there to enlist the aid of a sorceror more powerful than the Trokmoi mage.

Pursued by demons, beset by bloodthirsty nobles and encumbered by the presence of the beautiful Elise whom Gerin had sworn to protect, the comrades encountered greater dangers than either had ever known.

So yep, ‘Wereblood’ proved to be a difficult read to find time for but that’s by no means the fault of the book, which ended up being just as much fun as it always is. We’re talking a high stakes quest punctuated by bursts of violence and/or magic that keep the plot moving along nicely. Especially the fight between Gerin and the possessed aurochs; it’s been a while since I last read ‘Wereblood’ and I’d forgotten what an awesome spectacle that made. It’s not all fights with magical beasts but every encounter is treated with the same urgency and that is just the approach this book needs. ‘Wereblood’ is a refreshing burst of ‘Sword and Sorcery’ that knows exactly what it is and revels in it. It’s pretty much impossible not to get caught up in that energy and be swept along for the ride (okay, apart from when you’re getting over Covid but even then...)

What really struck me though, this time round, is how Iverson (a pen name employed by none other than Harry Turtledove but we’re sticking with it here) gently applies a little world building and characterisation around the edges of the plot; leaving the narrative free to do its thing but really fleshing out the background at the same time. Gerin and Van may be a little too good to be true but that’s besides the point here; it’s their desire to do the right thing that drives the plot in all the right directions. And I enjoyed seeing the Empire of Elabon slowly form on the page, complete with little hints at the direction the series, as a whole, will eventually take. There’s a lot going on here and it all fits together perfectly.

All in all then, a fun read with plenty to chew on. I thought you could pick these books up on Kindle but can’t seem to find them on Amazon. Either way, ‘Wereblood’ is definitely worth a look if you happen to come across a copy.