Fantasy Book Critic: Book Review: Silver Queendom by Dan Koboldt

AUTHOR INFO: Dan Koboldt is a geneticist. His popular blog series "Science in Sci Fi, Fact in Fantasy", has led to two writing how-to guides from Writer's Digest books: Putting the Science in Fiction and Putting the Fact in Fantasy. He is also the author of the Gateways to Alissia trilogy , and creator of the sci-fi adventure serial The Triangle.

Publisher: Angry Robot (August 23, 2022) Page count: 400 pp Formats: ebook, paperback Cover art:

REVIEW

It's been ages since I read a heist fantasy. That's why I immediately hit the request button when I saw the book on NetGalley. The cover looked cool. The plot sounded even cooler.

Silver Queendom is the kind of low heist fantasy that brightens your day and entertains. Everything in the story clicks and hits the right tone to engage the reader. We get a roguish band of protagonists based in Red Rooster Inn, (in)famous for its Ale. The fast-paced plot has twists and turns in all the right places, and the story stands on its own.

Darin owns the Red Rooster Inn, but his business and revenue sources are more diverse. He and his team are the best con artists in Old Quueendom, always happy to relieve nobles of their valuables.

Unfortunately, they rarely keep the loot. Instead, indebted to Dame, the city's most prominent and cold-blooded criminal, they try to pay the debt. After one of the heists goes wrong, Dame grows impatient.

Darin and his crew get a chance to earn BIG MONEY, but the mission is suicidal. A mysterious noble wants them to steal dream wine (the realm's most valuable substance) from the Queen.

A challenge!

Darin likes challenges, but he prefers ones you can survive. Unfortunately, time is running out, so the team accepts the challenge. Mayhem ensues.

I loved the whole team - the chapters are told from the point of view of key Red Rooster Inn employees. Darin is the brain of the operation, with a gift (although he'd call it a curse) for Metallurgy (fascinating magic). He likes to avoid attention. Evie comes from money and misses the wealth. She knows how to talk and act around high borns and has a lot of charm and sharp wit. Kat brews her own beer, which gets nastier and nastier with each new batch. She also helps orphans. Big Tom is a bouncer, and he's BIG. Most people prefer to stay on his good side. Those who don't, learn from their mistakes. There's also Seraphina, who encourages Darin to explore his magical gift.

Koboldt delivers imaginative action and cool twists (though I wouldn't call most of them shocking) and strong character interactions. Combine it with minimal world-building and you get fast-paced low fantasy goodness that can be easily devoured in one sitting.

I had a great time reading Silver Queendom. The story stands on its own but opens many possibilities for future sequels. I hope the novel succeeds and we'll get more adventures of Darin and his team.