Just a couple of reviews for Retribution, which have been floating around the web recently. The first is at Tor.com, which I like for its honesty:
Retribution is ultimately on a par with its predecessor, but it works for different reasons than Drakenfeld did. Given the ubiquity of the grim and the gritty, I was sorry to see Newton go back to the dark side after the refreshing lightness of his last. That Retribution’s plot revolves around an almost impenetrable pursuit rather than a gripping mystery is regrettable as well.
And the second over at the Hugo-nomiated Pornokistch:
This isn’t just revisionist epic fantasy, it is optimistic and, in its way, heart-warming escapism – fundamentally positing that ordinary people can make a difference. If traditional epic fantasy presents a character that the reader wants to be, the Drakenfeld series dares to present a hero that we can be: the inspirational, not aspirational. Lucan Drakenfeld battles against the worst villains in the world, and stops unspeakable horrors – and he does so by keeping his eyes open and doing the right thing. It is a fusion of the humanity of the modern crime novel with the scale of the epic fantasy. Mark Charan Newton’s hero might not be the most cinematic sort of swashbuckler, but he’s certainly one of the most fascinating to read.
