A Review of Shadow of the Conqueror
An exciting adventure, though not without its own fair share of problems
Is it possible for a tyrant to become a hero?
This is what’s often asked in Shadow of the Conqueror, the first book in a planned series penned by author Shad M. Brooks. As an avid fan of fantasy myself, it’s always a treat when I can find something new and refreshing within the genre. And Brooks’ novel of betrayal and redemption accomplishes just that, barring the occasional stumbling in execution.
The story takes place in a world that’s entirely separate from our own, suspended in a perpetual state of freefall whilst the sun remains affixed in place. Daytime is a near constant factor in the land of Tellos… except when it’s not. Every so often night does eventually descend on the land, though it is almost never good. This is where the Shade comes in, which is one of the most prevalent kinds of monsters in the story, ones which kickstart many of our characters’ own personal journeys and struggles.
This leads us to our main protagonist, Dayless the Conqueror, otherwise known simply as Daylen. He is both a bastard and is often regarded as a monster by his contemporaries. But that’s also what makes him such a brilliant character, since he’s hoping to put aside his tyrannical ways of the past, first by bringing about his own death, then later by eventually becoming a champion of the weak.
Alongside this premise we learn that our hero has quite the intellect, which is very satisfying to watch, as he comes up with some truly magnificent solutions to problems which are set about on his journey.
This, in my opinion, proves to be one of the book’s greatest strengths. And I believe it even offsets some problems that I had earlier on with the story.
So comes the actual question: Did I enjoy the story that was given to me? The short answer is “Yes!” The long answer? “Yes… but there are some problems with the execution.”
To put it simply, Shadow of the Conqueror is bursting at the seams with details on worldbuilding and character development. There is no content that’s stretched out here, as wars are fought, armies are slaughtered, magic is woven, and character relations fluctuate wildly. There is a lot to be unpacked as the story barrels relentlessly onward, but it starts out simple at first, and also just a tad slow.
Luckily, the opening ‘blurbs’ for each chapter gives us a lot of insight into Daylen, which definitely compensates for the slightly more meandering pace early on. For a time I even found myself preferring these to the actual content of each chapter - that is before the story really unravels itself, and we’re shown just how much thought has been put into the cast of (almost) each and every character.
Accompanying a lot of the action and drama here is the magic system, which includes a number of skills and styles such as lightbinding, lightweaving, and forging weapons of material light. This is only a small taste of what’s actually disseminated as part of Tellos’ magic system, as there is a lot going on, and it can get pretty confusing when Daylen does a deepdive into the mechanics of darkstone or sunucles. It certainly gives us the impression that Shad has thoroughly thought out the inner workings of this world, but sometimes it goes just a little too in depth, and oftentimes we the readers are simply left in the dust of what’s going on.
Yet on the flipside, having all of this detail really does allow some cool ideas to bleed through. I, for one, am a big fan of how the setting doesn’t adhere strictly to being a planet, as is the case with so many modern fantasy series. These parts are often explained with a real sense of clarity and fun, and it allows for some scenes to unfold that are truly mind-bending in scale.
As for the antagonists, they too start off simple. In a way this is certainly a blessing, as a gripping mystery or character goal can truly be utilized to great effect. However, I would argue that the villains here are a little too simplistic at first, along with some humor that, though funny, grated on my nerves just a little more often than I would have liked.
Yet as I’ve mentioned before, this changes as the story reveals more and more of what’s happening. Character motivations are unveiled with a sense of dramatic oomph, and they make for some truly compelling revelations later on.
All of this leads up to a climax which I found to be just as powerful as it was exciting, and I truly felt empathy towards both sides as swords were ultimately drawn and curses were flung.
Yet the flow of action is occasionally broken up here and there, by a number of typos which I spotted throughout my read. And though I didn’t find them too distracting, perhaps an extra bit of proofreading would have helped smooth out these rougher edges.
Though it’s certainly not without its faults, I still would not hesitate in recommending Shadow of the Conqueror. Keep in mind, however, that this is more of a modern take on epic fantasy, and some of the humor and extraneous details can prove a little more off-putting to one who’s not really expecting it. Even so, what the story does well, it does damn well, and I believe the characters here are worth the price of admission alone.
You can find out more about Shadow of the Conqueror here on Amazon.
I read it when it first came out, but this made me want to revisit it. Especially, before the graphic novel makes its way to my door.
I read it when it first came out as well. I was impressed with how th good/evil was clearly defined and how Dayless was the ultimate bad guy on a redemption arc. It wasn't a Hero's Journey (Thank god) and it was more of a mage's tale. I like stories where older characters are the focus of the story. Even when he got rejuvinated, Dayless still acted like an older man.
I liked the fact that he wasn't going to take shit off of anyone.
I keep hoping he'll do another book.