Trance Warriors – The Siege of Scarn is Robert Auty`s first book in the Trance Warrior saga.
The Siege of Scarn is a unique tale following Connor; a legendary Trance Warrior and his battle against evil. Connor had been raised by his uncle after being forced to watch his parents die at the hands of the Kings riders on a tax collecting expedition. You later learn that Connor has more in common with the evil royalty than he would wish for.
The young warrior was taught in the art of combat by his uncle and he learned how to use his ‘trance’ powers which enable Connor to move beyond the recognition of the human eye at lightning speed. The story is set up brilliantly as Connor is being tracked by the Queens men after he had mistakenly assassinated her son and not the king as Connor had agreed to do for ‘Janice’ who led a small community hidden in the woodlands and who were very much wanting the evil monarch eradicated.
On his travels, Connor discovers new ally`s who help him on his quest against the seemingly eternally youthful queen Merrill and her ruler husband ‘The King’. Merrill is many years older than she looks, but although she appears most of the time to be a beautiful specimen of a woman, her nature is as disgusting and vile as you can imagine, using the lives of those beneath her to prolong her beauty and enjoying her new lust for life at every opportunity. The king has an army of soldiers, hunters and lizard-like creatures which also have skills to match those of the Trance warrior. So Connors quest was not going to be an easy one.
Early on in the tale, Connor allows queen Merrill`s hunters to apprehend him to save the life of a companion that he has just met. Whilst in captivity and awaiting execution, the warrior is put under a spell to release the details of who had put a ransom on the king’s head resulting in the death of her son. Connor under the influence of a potion releases that it was Janice, who as the story progresses plays a big part in Connors life. Janice and her settlement are now in grave danger and sparking the start of something big. The Trance warrior must act.
Robert Auty has managed to use a medieval feel through this book but added an almost futuristic touch at the same time. His use of old style language in parts really set this book up well and the reader will not be disappointed with it. The descriptive content is striking but not out of place, such as the battle scenes which are accurately described giving every detail exceptionally. As well as a clever use of language, Auty also installs witty and sometimes humorous remarks within the story to break up the tense battle scenes.
The storyline is set out brilliantly; there is a lot of information and detail which you will have no problem following in the well written dialogue. Auty has developed a loveable rogue type character in Connor, not without his flaws. His ‘Trance’ powers are uniquely inspiring and during fighting scenes you expect him to win every time. But Connor does not always get his own way. The powers he possesses can leave him very tired; sometimes needing a full day in which to recover. We must also recognise that his attempt on the evil king failed causing him and Janice`s people grave danger, he also has more than one chance to exterminate the evil queen, Merrill, but again the good in him stops him, causing further problems along the line keeping the story enticing. Connor is more than capable of being victorious in his quest but will the kinder side of his nature get the better of him as major battles between the different clans and armies ensue. But Connor`s major battle is to fight for what is rightfully his, as you will discover as you read through this 352 page tome.
In summary, Siege of Scarn is an original, captivating and must read novel. It has an ancient English feel, with gruesome battle scenes, magic and mystery, romance and thrills. A great all round fantasy novel, reminiscent of Lord of the Rings with a mix of Merlin and King Arthur added too.
