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Artesia: Artesia Afield (Book of Doom) TPB

By Mark Smylie

Archaia Studios Press - 192 pagesArtesia’s world lies somewhere between ancient Rome, ancient Greece and medieval Byzantium. Artesia was born and raised to be a courtesan in the royal household, but when war came she became a battle commander. Artesia Afield is classic fantasy material done extremely well. I have read more than my fair share of bad fantasy novels, and finding fantasy executed with this level of skill is very rare. Mark Smylie has created a rich historical, political and religious background for his novel. Artesia is a real character, and she makes her choices with awareness of what they will cost herself and others. She uses all the weapons she possesses, from wily seductions to force of arms, to acheive her goals (it's the seductions as well as the appearances of goddesses and spirits, all displaying a good bit of bare flesh, that push this volume firmly into the older teen and adult category). Working with watercolors Mark Smylie paints a rich picture of Artesia’s world. The precision and detail that he puts into the images in combination with the lush colors creates a vibrant whole. ---

Only She saw the threat that clearly; only She was willing to go. The Others sent tokens of support, and some of those plotted treachery against Her. In victory They would be first to claim credit; in defeat They would be first to cast blame. Her allies scorned Her capabilities, dismissed Her contributions, ignored Her counsel, and despised Her religion, but when the Crisis came, She would stand in the breach and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. Why does this scenario seem to repeat so often both in fiction and in history?Attracted by the artwork and having developed a soft spot for sword and sorcery, I decided to give Artesia a try and was amazed at what I found! This is no pale imitation of Howard or Tolkien; this is a fully developed world with fully developed histories and back stories, fully developed magical powers, fully developed religions, and fully developed powers and empires with which its characters must contend.Having "resolved" her dispute with her lover and king, Artesia leads her expanded forces south to the aid of the hard pressed Middle Kingdoms. Desperation makes her welcome, though it is a poor welcome initially. However, her intelligence gathering exposes an impending disaster, and her courage and that of her soldiers stems the tide...for a time.Mark S. Smylie has given us quite a story here, or rather part of quite a story. Objections about unrealistically able female warriors are met first by magic and spiritual aid and second by good generalship. Few individual combats are shown; instead we see army against army, where better discipline, better training, and better leadership can rather easily defeat superior individual abilities... Buy Book at Lowest Price on Amazon

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