BooksFantasy

The Runes Of Engagement by Dave Klecha & Tobias S. Buckell (book review).

There can be very few readers who are unaware of J.R.R. Tolkien’s epic trilogy, “Lord of the Rings,” or of the rage of fantastic beings within its pages. It made such an impression that it became a habit for publishers to label any high fantasy as Tolkienesque. Most will also know about ‘Warhammer,’ both in the form of an interactive tabletop game and the multitude of novels set in the Warhammer universe. The genre of war stories also exists. Authors Tobias S. Buckell and Dave Klecha have speculated about what would happen if the worlds of swords & sorcery and militaria collided. The runes of engagement are the result.

A number of portals spontaneously opened between our world and a fantasy one, letting various monsters through to cause havoc. Once they were pushed back, military bases were set up at each rift to protect the modern world from further incursions. Modern weaponry may seem capable of repelling all invaders, but it can prove ineffective against dragons, trolls, and magic.

As the novel opens, a platoon of fourteen men and women, led by Staff Sergeant Raymond Cale, have been ordered to rendezvous with a group of wood elves. They are then to escort Lady Wiela back to their base. She is the representative who is to negotiate an alliance between humans and elves. Trolls pursue them, forcing them back to base, where Wiela sustains injuries.

Someone really doesn’t want Wiela to meet the authorities in Washington, as when they are about to fly her out through the rift, the base is attacked and the transport helicopters are shot down. Cale and his squad rush to the scene and rescue Wiela but are cut off from their base. They have no choice but to head for another rift and try to avoid the hostiles on the way. The goal is straightforward: navigate from point A to point B without encountering any fatalities.

There is no doubt about the accuracy of a military action and the way a group of marines would conduct themselves in a hostile situation. The problem for the average reader is that there is a lot of jargon. Despite initial explanations, readers often forget the meaning of unfamiliar terms. Perhaps a glossary of military terms would overcome this.

To call this action-packed is an understatement. There is no let-up in the pace of the narrative. The squad is an integrated unit, and members behave exactly as they should for a military team in the field. This gives very little room for the development of the characters. At the end, most of them are still just names rather than personalities. There is a limited cast, but there are still too many names to keep track of. This is the kind of novel that would probably work better in a visual medium rather than in the printed or audio format.

As an addendum, it is a pity that the authors or editors don’t know the difference between pillories and stocks.

Despite the fact that the squad has been inserted into a fantasy world, this book will appeal more to the reader of military fiction rather than someone looking for epic fantasy.

Pauline Morgan

January 2025

(pub: Tachyon, 2024. 288 page enlarged paperback. Price: $17.95 (US), £14.28 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-61696-416-0).

check out website:  https://tachyonpublications.com/product/the-runes-of-engagement/  

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