Review: Blood and Tradition by Marc Keyner

An unlikely crew of allies must transcend all that attempts to divide them in Blood and Tradition by Marc Keyner, a thoughtful and entertaining fantasy escape into the fascinating land of Ylliora.

Desperate to give his unborn Half-Orc child a chance at survival, Mos plans to smuggle his still-pregnant partner, Ella, to a safe harbor and a new life with the help of an old seafaring friend. However, Captain Phara Everbloom has problems of her own, thanks to a power-hungry rival in town intent on squeezing her profits, sinking her reputation, and even assaulting her crew. Before Phara can sneak Ella out of sight to Orc-free lands where her infant wouldn’t be murdered as a half-breed, a local commander imprisons much of the crew of the Siren’s Song, and blackmails those remaining into a treasonous scheme.

With their newborn child already being treated as a bargaining chip, a magic-wielding mother and a relentlessly devoted Mountain Orc will be pushed to the edge of their abilities to safeguard their family in decidedly unfriendly waters. They only have a week to complete their monumental task – deposing the longest-running Merchant King in whatever way possible – while overcoming everything from sexist bigotry and cultural racism to brutal violence and their own morality in this seemingly impossible quest. As the scheme unfolds and the stakes rise ever higher, untapped powers are revealed in surprising places, even as the weight of cruelty and injustice threaten to sink their collective fortunes and futures.

Balancing the relatively easy-to-follow plot with underlying layers of philosophy and questions of love, commerce, governance, and ethics, this novel reads like a long-form vignette of life in Ylliora, adding a prismatic perspective to the residents, pitfalls, and resources of this enchanting realm. Unlike many fantasy novels, where protagonists immediately get involved in epic conflicts to fulfill legendary destinies, Keyner chooses instead to examine this fantasy realm through more humble players. Across the board, character development and world-building are focal points, rather than stage dressing for sprawling storylines – the boyish resolve of Octavius, the grizzled suspicions of Krun, Phara’s fearless daring, and Suleiman’s malicious ambition make for complex and engaging profiles that bring the tension of the plot to life.

The plot moves a bit slowly at first, but the expositional conversations and character interactions at the front of the book form a strong foundation, immediately drawing readers into the desperate plight of Mos, Ella, and Iris. The writing is refreshingly accessible, without being simplistic; there is a limited amount of verbose descriptive language, but consistent attention on procedural language and scene details – physical movement, action sequences, and the consequence of events. Occasionally, this can make the prose feel somewhat plodding, due to the lack of emotional peaks and valleys that more visceral language can provide. There are also some storyline inconsistencies, including what people know, when they know it, and how it affects subsequent actions or conversations.

That aside, this character-driven fantasy drama is a gripping exploration into the deadly fray of politics and the blood that binds us, introducing a compelling new series that is allegorical, lyrical, and wiser than many works of fantasy.