Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead

De: K. J. Parker

Narrado por: Ben Onwukwe

From one of the most original voices in fantasy comes a twisted tale of murder, betrayal, and battlefield salvage.

There’s no formal training for battlefield salvage. You just have to pick things up as you go along. Swords, armour, arrows–and the bodies, of course.

Over the years, Saevus Corax has picked up a lot of things. Some of them have made him decent money, others have brought nothing but trouble. But it’s a living, and somebody has to deal with the dead.

Something else that Saevus has buried is his past. Unfortunately, he didn’t quite succeed.

For more from K. J. Parker, check out:

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

How to Rule an Empire and Get Away With It

A Practical Guide to Conquering the World

The Two of Swords

The Two of Swords: Volume One

The Two of Swords Volume Two

The Two of Swords: Volume Three

The Fencer Trilogy

Colours in the Steel

The Belly of the Bow

The Proof House

The Scavenger Trilogy

Shadow

Pattern

Memory

Engineer Trilogy

Devices and Desires

Evil for Evil

The Escapement

The Company

The Folding Knife

The Hammer

Sharps

©2023 K. J. Parker (P)2023 Orbit

kj parker has done it again

I love the prose and the twists and turns in the story. The narration is fantastic. It's an all-around treat, just like the sixteen ways trilogy. I also have to commend the release schedule of this series. Each book being released a month apart is so awesome and reader friendly! I can't say enough about how impressive this author is!

K. J. Parker does not disappoint!

This story is fun and strange and sad and epic. The reader is phenomenal and really makes this book a delight to hear. I do not write reviews; I had to share my experience. Don't let this one pass you by!

Adjacent to Abercrombie, more grounded, and better

The headlines sums it up. This is a gritty but very, very, very well realized world. Coming from his other books (Sixteen ways), its the same universe but a different time. The narrator really grew on me over time. I think the first chapter he's trying to be a bit too gruff, but he grows into it (or I got used to it).

Anyways, if you like low fantasy like Joe Abercombie or Glen Cook - you'll fit right in here. It's also rather clever. Just a great all around trilogy.

Typical KJ Parker, in a good way

Complicated protagonist, the witty kind of dialogue everyone wishes they could snap out in person, and a sprawling story in a fictional world. If you’re new to his work, I wouldn’t start here — probably enjoyed it because of the familiarity more than the story itself, which is obviously set up for sequels, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. Maybe pick up the Engineer series or the latest trilogy.

Starts slow, good. Tough to hear

Not the author is best. 16 ways to defend the world city was a little better written and more laugh out loud hilarious moments.
I will say that is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read though so that still leaves this one is quite funny.
The first hour is rambling and not particularly captivating, but then the story really gets going.
My main beef is the reader is doing like a theatrical deep voice. I’m sure the reader has a deep voice, but it’s obviously being played up and it’s just too much. Between that and a British accent if you are listening on a phone, the base doesn’t really come through as well and it’s very hard to understand. If it were just a little less theatrical or just a little less base, it might have been dramatic and pleasant, but it was too much.

Feel Good Grimdark with No Magic

A good book if you want a feel good grimdark fantasy with gallows humor and no magic. Wish the world was fleshed out more.

I was left feeling that the world was sort of post Roman medieval and since there is no magic it feels almost like historical fiction, but without the details that let you place the period.

KJ Characters (BrettD Review)

KJ Parker is most known for his witty and flawed characters. They tend to push the boundaries of morality while still being likable. Saevus continues this character trend. I am not sure about chronology, but this story takes place in the same world as the siege trilogy (which I also enjoyed very much). I think the siege trilogy suffered from switching main characters each book, with the siege being the central theme/arc that linked the stories. The changing perspective was somewhat jarring. I am eager to see where this story goes following one very clever main character throughout.

Side note for listeners: This book requires the listener to pay attention. KJ's witty language can side track quickly. Space out for 10 seconds and you will wonder "how did we get here?". Actively listening is totally worth the effort.

A real jerk

Saevus Corax is a brilliant guy with a nasty personality. His friends are nasty and he somehow manages to find a beautiful woman that is equally nasty. Strangely their sarcastic and raw way of looking at life manages to keep them alive through an age of blood and hardship. His genius works well for him in many sticky situations that would otherwise have led him into a horrible death. The novel is full of interesting war details that nobody would have imagined like how many jars of olives you’d need for fifteen hundred men traveling two weeks on foot. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would and I’ll definitely be listening to the next two novels in the series.