Merlin’s Cove reviewed Horsemen's War by Steve McHugh
Review of "Horsemen's War" on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
So, we’ve reached the end of the line for this truly epic series with Horsemen’s War. I’ve been equal parts excited beyond measure, and gutted because I know it’s the end. I am desperately clinging on to hope that we’ll get more from Nate and this universe in the future...well, that and I’m already onto to book 5 of The Hellequin Chronicles (which will be closely followed by The Avalon Chronicles and the rest of The Rebellion Chronicles), Lies Ripped Open, in my umpteenth re-read. It’s a world that has truly become somewhere I can retreat to and happily forget everything else. Steve McHugh has cemented his place as my favourite author with this book. To be able to handle such a big universe, with a huge cast of characters, and to end a thirteen book series so well shows how talented he is. I recommend his books whenever I …
So, we’ve reached the end of the line for this truly epic series with Horsemen’s War. I’ve been equal parts excited beyond measure, and gutted because I know it’s the end. I am desperately clinging on to hope that we’ll get more from Nate and this universe in the future...well, that and I’m already onto to book 5 of The Hellequin Chronicles (which will be closely followed by The Avalon Chronicles and the rest of The Rebellion Chronicles), Lies Ripped Open, in my umpteenth re-read. It’s a world that has truly become somewhere I can retreat to and happily forget everything else. Steve McHugh has cemented his place as my favourite author with this book. To be able to handle such a big universe, with a huge cast of characters, and to end a thirteen book series so well shows how talented he is. I recommend his books whenever I get the opportunity, and have helped a number of people fall in love with his writing.
Once again this book has multiple narrators, but still manages to be coherent and not overwhelming. Nate is still the primary narrator, with Mordred and Layla narrating smaller sections as McHugh juggles battles across different realms, on multiple fronts. Most of our favourite characters get a look in, but because McHugh, and Nate, have such a massive job in this book we may not get as much as we’d love. Worry not though, the same humour and relationships are here, and we are swept along at a rip roaring pace to a great finale.
What stood out to me in this book, and I suspect I may notice this in my current re-read as I get later through the books, is a growing anger towards the world we have been living in. Many times throughout the book I felt myself cheering at the confrontation of misogyny and privilege, power and cruelty. I happened to be reading this while the US Presidential Election was rumbling on and I felt that many of my feelings towards the process, and my feelings about this awful year in general, were echoed here. It honestly pulled me in even deeper than usual, and I loved how real it felt in consequence. Other readers may take different things away, as is the way with all books and their readers, but this truly resonated with me, and impressed me greatly.
I’ve said in previous reviews that one of the reasons I love to read McHugh’s books is the lack of objectification, of anyone. Nobody, male, female or fox (oh how I love that fox-man), is described or boiled down to their sexual attributes and it is still so refreshing to read. McHugh doesn’t over describe either, so while we may get a short description to refresh our memories, we aren’t regaled with paragraphs of useless fluff. It means that he is able to pack in so much more plot and character development, while still being able to paint the picture he wishes.
I won’t get into the plot. I don’t want to spoil anything, because it is worth going into the book blind and truly enjoying the conclusion McHugh has created for his world. Suffice to say that the only complaint I have is that it’s over.
