I picked up "The Burning Shore" because it had a few things going for it, obviously. It seemingly had enough quality to spawn two sequels, and I THINK I recall there being miniatures for the pair of (dubious) heroes? Perhaps my old mind plays tricks on me, but nevertheless, I picked up the book (for a song, of course) with expectations... somewhat above average.
As mentioned in other reviews, I like a bit of exotic info in my Warhammer fiction. That is to say, I like a bit of pulpy tourist lit where I as reader can learn about exotic corners of a fictive globe and/or about exotic races and creatures. However, as the sayings go... "Be careful what you wish for..." and "too much of a good thing..." That is perhaps the major problem here: The book is basically a stack of cliches and it offers no surprise what so ever in terms of plot. We have a coming of age story where our hero Florin D'artaud is uprooted from his native Bretonnia with his friend/servant Lorenzo and travels to Lustria. Gradually he matures into a capable mercenary leader and the pairs adventures are as predictable as they are colourful. That is to say, there is nothing MISSING in terms of plot, but the plot is just not that satisfying. Like... Given the elements a seasoned reader would easily come up with something along the lines of what the book contains.
Is it well written then? Yes and no. The details are many, the descriptions are just fine, but it is not riveting at any point really. I was left with the feeling that had the plot been better, then Robert Earl could have treated us to something better, as it seems he had the tools, but did perhaps work to boring specs. "Write us an extended bromance with Old World mercenaries and lizardmen for when the new army list comes out." Something like that.
Another thing that may annoy the piss out of not just me: The Tilean mercenary captain. Why? Well, I have seen "Allo Allo"... Laughing at national stereotypes and pidgin English is just not my bag, bay-by. Well, other than in that whole Warhammer World way that we of course all buy in to it, but still. Ham-fisted.
The book was not packed with nuggets of info, but it was fiiiine in that sense, I guess. I learned that Lustria is a jungle hellhole full of insects, lizardmen, more lizardmen, predators and more lizardmen. It is hot and humid too, and a bitch to get to. All duly noted.
What is perhaps most frustrating is the fact that Florin and Lorenzo both seem like they have virtually no depth at all. Their bromance is not quite explained in any way or made all that believable, and neither have much of a personality. They are both supposed to be quite rogue-ish, but this just does not hit home to a point where you love it, hate it or love to hate it, and the book would have been vastly more interesting if this had been probed a bit better and somehow gotten further.
Over all rating: 2 out of 5.
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