Review: Godfrey’s Crusade (The Griffin Legends) by Mark Howard

Sacred duties to kings, brothers, and the gods of war collide in Godfrey’s Crusade by Mark Howard, the dynamic first installment of The Griffin Legends series. Blending Arthurian-style questing with riveting battle sequences and a deeply developed world history, this detailed fantasy realm is overflowing with monsters and magic.

Godfrey may be the son of a Duke growing up among the royal court, but he was also raised on tales of bravery and noble sacrifice, and the proud knightly traditions of his family. After earning his sword and knighthood in heroic fashion against wights, vampires, and orcs, he embarks on a far more dangerous journey – a Crusade to defend a declining kingdom in the north from the sinister forces of a vicious warlord and a witch before they conquer all of the Nordslands. Despite his youth, and his father’s doubts, this young and idealistic warrior is determined to defend the righteous from the forces of evil and bring honor to his family, no matter the hardship.

As Godfrey’s narrow view of the world expands from the towns of his duchy to the cities, fortresses, and kingdoms beyond, so too does his righteous philosophy, and his legendary standing among his comrades. Armed with a compelling blend of humility, nobility, and courage, he is a natural leader and a fiercely loyal friend, one that would rather camp with his fellow crusaders than enjoy the temptation-strewn halls of luxury.

After briefly falling in battle to mad berserkers from the North, Godfrey meets Madeline, a daughter of a northern duke, who gives him something new for which to fight. While the crusade was commenced for noble purposes, Godfrey is soon drawn into the politics and posturing of powerful men, and the tricky tangles of love. All the while, warring gods roll dice for souls on battlefields soaked with undead horrors, visceral gore, and the screams of brave men.

Many of the elements of this book are reflective of other fantasy sagas, whether that is the geography of Westeros, the character profiles of Robert Jordan, or the battle styles of R.A. Salvatore, but there is also something decidedly original about the story’s execution. Though it takes nearly half of the book before the titular crusade formally begins, Howard does an excellent job of constructing his core characters through gradual exposition, in parallel with the depiction of the rich and multilayered world they inhabit. By encouraging readers to emotionally invest in multiple characters, the stakes are raised for every battle and exchange, giving this book a gripping mood that keeps the pages turning.

On a technical level, some of the narration can be plodding, overly explicit, and possibly unnecessary. Epic tales like this are usually about the journey, rather than the destination, but the pace is still sluggish, at times. There is also some repetitive language use, and not as much creative or descriptive language as one might expect for the genre niche, but the dialogue is authentic, and the high-fantasy speech patterns are consistently maintained.

As a whole, despite some minor stumbles in the prose, this is a brilliant and sprawling adventure that will appeal to fans of fantasy that is heavy on magic and noble quests, for a stellar first entry in the series.