THE ARMORED SAINT

By Myke Cole

In his first of the Sacred Thrones trilogy, Cole leads us to Hammersdown, the hamlet where Heloise and her father live. On the road they are stopped by the Pilgrims, members of the Order, who ensure the laws of the land are kept. Their leader, the Sojourner, scours the countryside searching for wizards and those who provide shelter to wizards, as they are an affront to the Emperor.

Heloise is a head-strong youth whose attitude catches the attention of the Sojourner. She brings grief to her father, and the village’s inhabitants are subjected to a raid from the Pilgrims. Many of the villagers don’t hold with the Emperor’s will and a battle is fought, as Heloise hides from the brigands but is forced into action to save the clan.

Debuting the war-machine armor one of the craftsman has created, she takes on evil to save the village from certain peril, even if it means her own death.

Because the heroine is a teenage girl this has a feel of YA to it, though the story is strong, detailed and entertaining for adults, too. A brutal, dark, fantasy novel with a female Celtic warrior that feels like the second coming of Boudicca, and a strong debut from a cerebral author.