The Last Man

I found this book while wandering around the Dealers' room at EasterCon 76 (Belfast Reconnect). I had the honour of being the first person to buy the book, and had a chance to meet the author, who had travelled from the distant lands of Paris to make an appearance. I believe it's his debut novel, but you'd be hard pressed to tell from the quality of the writing.

The Last Man, the first in the Leybound series, follows the escapades of Sergeant Nathaniel Riot (Duke of Fallows' regiment), also infamously known as the titular Last Man, named so from things that happened twenty years prior. Now he's just trying to stay alive in a war against the Faelen who have returned to claim their place on the continent of Parthanea and crush any who stand in their path. They have so far succeeded in forcing back the dilapidated regiment of the Arcanum, who attempt to fortify the last stronghold of the land, Helgan’s Rest, against Bimil-pal and his Mazral army.

Riot finds himself having to choose between death and the damned life of a Leybound, someone infused with an astonishing amount of raw power, but treated as little more that a weapon, a slave to obey the commands of his betters. Then, bound as he is by this strange magic, what should have been a simple mission goes badly; he ends up trapped behind enemy lines with a band of thieves, murderers, and deserters. To finish the job, he’ll have to reach the citadel of Morbian and its famed Sun Tower and break the blockade. The ragtag band he's with are the dredge, the scum of the regiments, but if he can find a way to lead them, he might turn them into real, capable soldiers.

The Last Man is grimdark, managing to nail that tone well. It never gets too depressing or self-depreciating, but you get a strong sense of the danger,  deprivation and sometimes hopelessness of the situation. The moral ambiguity of both Riot, his superiors and his enemy, reinforces the dark tone. There is an effective exploration of the grey areas around fighting in a war, along with the physical and psychological toll such an experience takes on those involved.

The pace is good, helped by not going down the too-trodden road of lengthy exposition; instead, we get glimpses under the surface of the world at large, along with how this strange form of magic works when bound to a person. Information about the world around us is fed organically, without feeling contrived or forced.

Riot is an interesting protagonist. The author makes efforts not to make him the shiny, heroic figure that can do no wrong. Instead, we get a fairly broken, seasoned war vet whose principal characteristic is one of survival, an old soldier who seems full of regret, remorse and resignation for all the crap thrown his way. The power that is forced upon him and the resulting slavery make an interesting argument around the use of control and misuse of responsibility. While Riot is undeniably the grim heart of the narrative, the interactions with his unlikely companions – a colourful mix of hardened criminals and weary deserters – add fascinating dynamics and moments of unexpected camaraderie amidst the bleakness.

It's an easy read too, the story is compelling and keeps you fully engaged, while the quality of the writing is excellent, with vivid dialogue and compelling imagery that paints a stark picture of a continent on the brink. Fans of authors like Joe Abercrombie or Mark Lawrence will find themselves immediately at home in this brutal yet captivating world. This debut left me eagerly anticipating the next instalment in the Leybound series.