Ben F. on Nostr: Le Chevalier aux Épines t1: Le Tournoi des Preux by Jean-Philippe Jaworski. I really ...

Le Chevalier aux Épines t1: Le Tournoi des Preux by Jean-Philippe Jaworski. I really like Jaworski's Gagner la Guerre, probably one of the best French fantasy novels if not the best. His writing is complex and erudite, sometimes a bit too much and for that reason I waited until his new series, set in the same world, "Le Chevalier aux Épines" (The Knight with the Needles would be a very ugly but accurate translation) was released in paperback to read it. On the whole, despite a sizeable book (500+ pages) that is only the first of three, I enjoyed reading it. The story is centered on feudal politics as the Duke of Ganelon repudiated his wife to marry a younger and richer one. The Duke's sons are not happy about it, to say the least, and oppose their father quite forcefully, which leads to a big tournament where both parties will air their grievances on the field. It turns out that despite his occasionally needless use of antiquated vocabulary, reading this new Jaworski isn't an issue. I wasn't as convinced about the pacing, I found the book too slow and long winded at times, and Jaworski relies a bit too much on cliffhangers that don't get resolved until 200 pages have passed. Still, I'll probably read the rest of the series, but only when they also get released in paperback. #novel #fantasy #french