Review

The Pawns of Havoc is a gripping fantasy novella that follows mercenary Cork as he’s sent on another job – but this one isn’t his typical kind of job. He’s been tasked by the Winn to find a convoy in the Frozen Lands, destroy it, and leave only one survivor. Cork might be Winn himself, but he knows he can’t trust them. Forced to team up with an archer named Arabella and a criminal named Nessa, Cork must find a way to complete the job, stay out of the Winn’s political games, and keep Arabella and Nessa in line – what could possibly go wrong?

This is my first book from Dave Lawson and I absolutely loved it. The Pawns of Havoc is a prequel story to The Envoys of War and I thought it was the perfect place to jump in. The plot was so engaging that it made me immediately want to pick up the next book in the series. The action scenes are very vivid and well crafted and I was very intrigued by the mysterious Winn and what they were up to. While The Pawns of Havoc is just a little over a hundred pages, it certainly packs a punch – there’s plenty of adventure, love and heartbreak along the way.

The characters in The Pawns of Havoc are terrific and I really liked our main character Cork. He has a strong narrative voice and I can’t wait to see more of him in The Envoys of War. I loved the group dynamics in this tale – there’s plenty of bickering, banter, and heart as they attempt to come up with a plan and carry out their mission. I also thought Arabella and Nessa were really interesting characters and I loved seeing how the dynamics changed as they have to work and travel together.

Overall I thought this was a brilliant, entertaining tale so if you’re looking for a compelling fantasy novella that you can read in one sitting, this one should definitely be next on your TBR.