The Last Vigilant (Kingdom of Oak and Steel Book 1)
by Mark A. Latham
In
a world where magic is forgotten, monsters lurk in the dark woods, and
honorable soldiers are few, this utterly gripping epic fantasy tells the
story of an out-of-practice wizard and a hot-headed sargent who are
thrust into the heart of a mystery that threatens to unravel their
kingdom's fragile peace.
Shunned by the soldiers
he commands, haunted by past tragedies, Sargent Holt Hawley is a broken
man. But the child of a powerful ally has gone missing, and war between
once peaceful nations is on the horizon. So, he and his squad have been
sent to find a myth: a Vigilant. They are a rumored last survivor of an
ancient and powerful order capable of performing acts of magic and
finding the lost. But the Vigilants disappeared decades ago. No one
truly expects Hawley to succeed.
When he is forced to abandon his men, he stumbles upon a woman who claims to be the Last Vigilant. Enelda Drake is wizened and out of practice, and she seems a far cry from the heroes of legend. But they will need her powers, and each other, to survive. For nothing in the town of Scarfell is as it seems. Corrupt soldiers and calculating politicians thwart their efforts at every turn.
And there are dark whispers on the wind threatening the arrival of an ancient and powerful enemy. The Last Vigilant is not the only myth returning from the dead.
So let me just say that I REALLY liked this book! I am not, in general, a fan of mysteries. But here I was, totally captivated by this medieval whodunit. So many twists and turns, I was second, even third guessing myself every other page it felt like. Certain I knew who was to blame and then dismissing them only to circle back and accuse them again. Hawley and I had that in common, I guess.
Speaking of Holt Hawley, he's our main leading man. A pariah of a soldier, Hawley seems to be bad luck personified. His fellow soldiers seem to either die under his command or try to kill him themselves. His journey felt a lot like the emotional heaviness I picked up on when reading Wolverine comics back in the day. That heaviness, that burden that comes from knowing what you're good at and what you're good at is killing. But he is also fiercely protective of those he takes into his care.
Which brings us to the main character of the book, the last Vigilant, Enelda Drake. Enelda, the last of her order, has lived in exile for decades. She has had little to do with the outside world and now she's being drawn back into it because children are going missing and no one seems to know why. Her relationship with Hawley is fun to read as it gives off vibes of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. I really enjoyed watching their friendship develop of the course of the book.
The world building is incredible in its detail. Actually, that might be the only thing i didn't like. I didn't hate it, but trying to figure out dates and seasons, probably more than I really needed to, did take me out of the book for minute.
Overall, I thought this was a well crafted story and look forward to the next installment. In the meantime, I may have to check out some of Mr. Latham's other works.
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