The Bookwyrm's Review of Lizard Skin and Sharpened Steel by Damien Larkin

 

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Rating: 10/10 Stars

Synopsis

Death stalks the jungles of the landmass, on two legs and four.

On an isolated continent where dinosaurs still roam, the Dead Mudder legion must embark on a perilous mission to steal great-lizard eggs for use in war. Led by Captain Dustn, alongside the fierce Cohort Sergeant Ullndu and enigmatic tracker Boy, they navigate treacherous terrain and cunning predators.

As the Dead Mudders delve deeper into unexplored territory, mysterious forces emerge, hinting at secrets untold. With alliances tested and dangers lurking, every step could be their last. In a bid to succeed, they face ancient beasts and traverse the blurred lines between friend and foe.

In this unforgiving land, mastery of lizard skin and sharpened steel determines survival.

Review

Lizard Skin and Sharpened Steel is sci-fi author Damien Larkin's first foray into fantasy, and what a genre debut it is. I was already a fan of his Mars sci-fi books, and everything that works so well in those is in full effect here. Great characters, interesting character arcs, loads of action, intriguing world building and some serious twists keep you turning the pages.

The world building was the first thing that stands out. It's a low fantasy world, a nice change of pace in the crossing fireballs kind of epic fantasy so common lately. It's a violent medieval world, a world of haves and have-nots, nobles and peasants, where the Kingdom of Hipernia is the big kingdom on the block, constantly at war with it's neighbors in search of land and resources. They see themselves as the height of civilization, and when a new continent is discovered, it seems ripe for the plucking. 

Except for one issue. Giant lizards, which we would call dinosaurs, ranging from little ones less than knee high to three story tall monsters with teeth that would give a Great white tooth envy. Not to mention even plant eaters can be dangerous when threatened. it doesn't help the continent is covered in thickly overgrown jungle, and that most people who go in don't come out. But ruler's are always looking for more to rule, and some resources are valuable enough to set up an expedition deep into unknown territory to get something specifically wanted by the King: Dinosaur eggs. It's on this the story hinges, and takes some intriguing and even tragic twists and turns.

The characters are absolutely fantastic. I was shocked just how quickly the various characters hooked me into their stories, especially with three POV characters, who are all equally engaging. Dustn is a captain in the Dead Mudders, a mercenary troop that have been hired to go to the continent to get the eggs. He is the leader of one of the four cohorts deployed to the continent, so commands about 400 troops. He came up through the ranks, and has finally reached higher command, working directly for the overall leader of the mercenary legion. He does care about his troops, but does believe in the chain of command, and he is very mission oriented. When things go horribly wrong on the mission, he is pushed to his limits but shows that he will not fail his mission, no matter it's personal costs.

Ullndu is Dustn's Cohort Sergeant, his senior enlisted soldier, and she is the one that enforces discipline within the cohort. She is very much like NCO's I served with in the Army, tough as nails but looking out for her soldiers, expecting the best from them but someone who would lay her own life down to try and protect them. She is competent and a skilled fighter, and sets the example for her troops, and is the best aid Dustn could ask for. She is a leader, and organizes her soldiers when things fall apart to try and stay effective as a fighting force in the face of insurmountable odds. 

Boy is my favorite character in the story. A skilled tracker raised by a mysterious tracker known as Sir, why her name is Boy is finally explained in a funny way, and makes sense in context. She is very skeptical of the soldiers and their mission, knowing that the Lizards further inland are death machines, and she sees the whole thing as a fools errand. That being said, she longs to see Hipernia, and see the things in life she's never experienced. She is in her late teens, but has a very mature, pragmatic view of life. She is very skilled at living in the wild, and moves like the wind when tracking and hunting. She is the voice of reason, and the Hipernian leaders ignore her and Sir's advice to their own detriment. She's even willing to risk her own life to save others from almost certain doom, and she has things happen to her that show she may have some mysteries about her that are still to be explored. 

The action packed story has so much to recommend it. While dragons are oversaturated in fantasy at this point, dinosaurs are a rarely used trope, and with this book, its done so well that it should have broad appeal. The characters just seem so real, and as they deal with the harsh realities of this distant continent, they come to realize that all is not what it seems, both on the ground and with the mission itself. It leads to a set of twists that have tragic consequences for everyone involved. If you are looking for something outside the usual chosen one/dragon rider/defeat the dark lord epic trope, this is definitely the answer. I give it my highest recommendation.