Review: Lord of a Shattered Land, by Howard Andrew Jones

Chronicles of Hanuvar, Book 1

Legendary general Hanuvar Cabera’s city, family, and life was destroyed by the Dervan Empire. He spends his days in hiding, relying on the fact that most Dervans believe he fell when his beloved Volanis was finally razed. Hanuvar has every right to yearn for revenge. But what he really wants is to deliver his surviving countrymen out of bondage. Defeated but not broken, Hanuvar travels the known world and beyond, his life given new meaning with this one final campaign.

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The story

Each chapter of Lord of a Shattered Land is its own self-contained story, but those individual stories build upon the each other to recount Hanuvar’s quest to free his people. Framed with historical commentary and asides, Hanuvar travels across the Dervan Empire as spy, assassin, and rescuer.

I found the structure refreshing - each chapter introduced a conflict and and resolved it with a satisfying conclusion, and while Hanuvar’s quest to free his people underlies the whole of the novel, each individual chapter in that quest brings new exotic locales, strange creatures, plucky heroes and depraved villains. This structure makes chapters longer than I am used to, but subchapters help to break up the action, and the pacing never suffered for it.

The characters

Lord of a Shattered Land revolves around Hanuvar Cabera, famed Volani general and scourge of the Dervan Empire. Hanuvar has seemingly lost everything - his armies, his city, and his family. But despite his desperate circumstances, he has not lost his honor, his sense of justice, or his humanity. Hanuvar could easily blame all Dervans for his plight, but time and again he treats the people he comes across as individuals to be judged on their own merit, even coming into conflict with fellow Volani refugees at times. Hanuvar is a skilled warrior who makes good use of his falcata. But just as often, he must use his wits to overcome the obstacles in his way.

While Hanuvar is the clearly the focus, Lord of a Shattered Land features an expansive cast of characters. I was consistently impressed with Howard Andrew Jones’ ability to keep my interest introducing new characters with each new chapter and for the most part ushering them offstage as the chapter ends. His characters are well-drawn and interesting if not always sympathetic, and each takes center stage in their own chapter (beside Hanuvar, of course.) Whether it is the young chariot racer that Hanuvar takes under his wing, the retired Dervan general who needs Hanuvar’s help to save his family, or the grizzled one-armed warrior joining Hanuvar for one last battle in the mountains, the characters come to life in their own.

The world

Jones is not shy about where he draws his inspiration for Lord of a Shattered Land - He clearly states upfront that Hanuvar is a fantasy hero version of the great Carthaginian general Hannibal Barca, and the Dervan Empire is a stand-in for the Ancient Roman Republic. The world of Lord of a Shattered Land reflects that, there is a fantasy version of the Mediterranean, the Alps, of Carthage, Egypt, Gaul and so forth. If you are a student of history, you will notice plenty of echoes from our own world - the fantasy analogues to Scipio and Cato, references to “Carthago Delenda Est” and even the catapulting of Hasdrubal Barca’s severed head into his brother’s camp.

Much like Robert E. Howard’s Hyperborian Age world, however, this version of the Classical Roman world features hideous monsters, scheming sorcerers, terrible curses and even rifts to other worlds beyond understanding. The weird and strange entities filling this book are too many to count, but some notables are skin-stealing shapeshifters, pain-devouring demons, and blood-drinking telepaths, all fitting into their own well-developed niches in the world of the novel.

The politics

Real-world politics are almost nonexistent. The only thing that comes close is that Volanus is more egalitarian in regards to the sexes than the Dervan Empire. The Dervans see Volanus’ use of female troops as an oddity while the Volani see it as utterly unremarkable.

Content warning

There is plenty of violence and gore in these tales, although rarely does it get graphic. Sexual content is minimal.

Who is it for?

If you are a history buff and love Sword and Sorcery, Lord of a Shattered Land is for you!

Why read it?

Read Lord of a Shattered Land for an ancient-style globetrotting adventure, an expansive cast of great supporting characters, and a sword-wielding hero who refuses to give up his humanity even in the face of losing everything.

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