Invasion of the Ortaks by Sveinn Benónýsson

Invasion of the Ortaks: The Knight is the first book in the Esthopia Sagas by Sveinn Benónýsson.

The world of Esthopia is divided into six kingdoms: Eniktronia, Serpenia, Antonia, Hergia, Montania and Otanga.

After an assassination attempt on Princess Egny, niece to King Haakon of Eniktronia and granddaughter to King Ragnar of Otanga, King Haakon sends his most trusted knight, Sir Klaus to Antonia to investigate who is behind the attempt. Meanwhile, successful merchant Christopher finds himself on the run from his home, seeking refuge in Serpenia and bearing the news about the Ortaks’ invasion.

This is an exciting and suspenseful book about knights, princesses, kings and elves. The author is able to keep the story interesting until the last pages. However, it seems like he focuses more on the description of fighting and battle scenes as well as on preparing the background for an apparently promising book series than on the plot. This results to a long list of names and places that are difficult to keep in mind, underdeveloped characters and inconclusive ending. Even the supposed climax of the book feels half-baked which leaves the readers feeling less satisfied than they should.

Still, fans of fantasy books may find it a very enjoyable book.

Congratulations to Sveinn Benónýsson  (@Sbenony) on the interesting first installment of such a promising saga. For more books on this series, click HERE.