Fantasy Book Critic: Book review: Pennyblade by J.L. Worrad (reviewed by Adam Weller)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J.L Worrad lives in Leicester, England, and has for almost all his life. He has a degree in classical studies from Lampeter University, Wales. In 2011 James attended Clarion, the prestigious six-week SF workshop held at the University of California, San Diego. There, he studied under some of the genre’s leading professionals. 2018 saw the publication of his first space opera duology ‘Feral Space’. He’s had short stories published by Daily Science Fiction, Flurb, Newcon Press and Obverse Books. He also writes screen plays for short films, one of which- Flawless was selected for both the Cannes and NYC Independent film festivals.

Publisher: Titan Books (March 29, 2022) Length: 389 Formats: Audiobook, ebook, paperback

Pennyblade is a wonderful surprise, and I think the average rating should be much higher than it is. This book isn't for everyone, as the MC and general humor might not be to everyone's tastes. But for those who enjoy gallows humor, a generous helping of sexual acts, and lots of stabbing, then Pennyblade will make an excellent addition to your shelf.

Worrad writes with lean yet descriptive prose. He paints vivid pictures and evokes strong emotions from very few words, which is a wonderful and rare skill—especially in fantasy.

Kyra is a magnetic protagonist: fearless, sarcastic, noble-blooded, self-serving, and horny as hell. Her species, the Commarach, was invented by the author and borrows some traits from the traditional elven kind. But, there are many innovative features and history to the Commarach race, which I won't spoil. It is but a small piece of the vast world-building in this story.

I got the sense that in other writer's hands, the plot of this story would be covered across a trilogy. But Worrad wastes no time tearing through strong character development, religion, geography, architecture, and much more. I've seen other reviews comparing Worrad's writing to Joe Abercrombie's, and I agree - both authors excel at strong dialogue, quick changes in setting and plot, and wry humor.

A few years back, NetGalley had a copy of Pennyblade available for request before its release. I was granted a copy, but it was in PDF format, the text garbled and unreadable. I'm glad to have given this a second (well, first, really) chance. While I currently have a towering TBR, I'm not ready to leave this world or its characters so soon. "The Keep Within," Worrad's follow-up set in the same world as Pennyblade, has cut its way to the top of my reading list. Can't think of a better way to recommend this book than that.