A review by markyon
The Incorruptibles by John Hornor Jacobs
5.0
This is an interesting novel from an author new to me, that I think many readers of the grimdark persuasion may like. It’s a combination of mercenary buddy novel (see Leiber’s Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser) and occultist magic, with a great deal of snark (see KJ Parker, Mark Lawrence and Joe Abercrombie, to name but three), all set on a paddleboat going up river (which reminded me a touch of George RR Martin’s Fevre Dream, but without the vampires).
To quote the blurb:
“In the contested and unexplored territories at the edge of the Empire, a boat is making its laborious way up stream. Riding along the banks are the mercenaries hired to protect it – from raiders, bandits and, most of all, the stretchers, elf-like natives who kill any intruders into their territory. The mercenaries know this is dangerous, deadly work. But it is what they do.
In the boat the drunk governor of the territories and his sons and daughters make merry. They believe that their status makes them untouchable. They are wrong. And with them is a mysterious, beautiful young woman, who is the key to peace between warring nations and survival for the Empire. When a callow mercenary saves the life of the Governor on an ill-fated hunting party, the two groups are thrown together.
For Fisk and Shoe – two tough, honourable mercenaries surrounded by corruption, who know they can always and only rely on each other – their young companion appears to be playing with fire. The nobles have the power, and crossing them is always risky.
And although love is a wonderful thing, sometimes the best decision is to walk away. Because no matter how untouchable or deadly you may be, the stretchers have other plans.”
Must admit, I’d not really heard of John or his writing before, although I understand he is the author of Southern Gods, which was short-listed for the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2011. There is a definite horror vibe here, like something that has been reanimated from Weird Tales, though the novel is more mash-up, with it often being the broader Fantasy than Horror.
Of course, what gives the book its connection to the reader are those ol’human traits – loyalty, betrayal, jealousy and even love, which create the various plots of the novel. In particular, Fisk and Shoe are likable characters, though not always well-liked or perfect in their actions. As the story is told from the perspective of Shoe, there’s a fair amount of self-deprecating humour and honesty which rather endears him to the reader. I thought it was interesting that the Vaettir – the stretchers, elf-like savages of the novel – are rather similar in behaviour to what was the Euro-centric view of the original North American tribes, a similarity which I am sure is entirely deliberate. Many of the characters are developed to the point where they are more than the traditional two-dimensional stereotype.
This isn’t a cuddly, romantic novel, although there is romance. The tone is generally rather snarky, if understandably so. There’s also a hint of unreliable narrator here too, an interesting perspective that often suggests that there’s more going on than we know or think. What begins as a small-scale hunting expedition at the beginning of the novel soon becomes a wider view of the world-politics of this rather dangerous environment. Politics can be almost as deadly as life out on the edges of the Empire, and the later parts of the novel reflect this wider perspective.
The dialogue’s nicely done and the setting is not too far removed from a recognisable Fantasy-esque environment. I liked the writing generally, which was both natural and yet finely focused.
This style is also enhanced by there being a sprinkling of words that sound familiar (often Romanesque, here referred to as ‘Ruman’ – there is a Rume, as well as terms such as legionnaire, Marcellus, legates and so on) and those that are clearly of a different world (the vaettir, a god named Ia, daemons). Of this wider world there are subtle hints of more than this novel contains. There is an Aegypt, a Mediera which suggests something rather Mediterranean in tone and a tantalising hint of the Autumn Lords in Tchinee, which seems rather Asian in aspect. No doubt these will become important later.
What works most here is the seemingly natural and yet uneasy relationship there is between the ‘normal’ and the occultish world of daemons and imps. Much of Shoe’s world uses imps and Hellfire for daily use – power, weaponry and so on. It is clear pretty early on that this is not necessarily a good thing, and that things are going to change in the novel – which they do. The author does well here to highlight what such a world dependant on magic would be like, and this aspect of the story comes across as well-realised and logical.
It was nice to read something that in the end turns into a rather original novel, albeit with traits regular readers of the genre might recognise. This one reads as a Grimdark Western novel, rather like Red Country, but with magic, something Joe’s books do not normally have. There is enough intelligence and difference in style to make The Incorruptibles a worthy read on its own. The ending is a real page turner. However, be warned: this is the first in a trilogy, and not everything is resolved by the end of it.
The Incorruptibles is not the longest book in the world, but its relentless drive, its tight focus and its identifiable characters leaves you wanting more at the end, and it is more memorable as a result of its brevity. Definitely an author I’d revisit again.
To quote the blurb:
“In the contested and unexplored territories at the edge of the Empire, a boat is making its laborious way up stream. Riding along the banks are the mercenaries hired to protect it – from raiders, bandits and, most of all, the stretchers, elf-like natives who kill any intruders into their territory. The mercenaries know this is dangerous, deadly work. But it is what they do.
In the boat the drunk governor of the territories and his sons and daughters make merry. They believe that their status makes them untouchable. They are wrong. And with them is a mysterious, beautiful young woman, who is the key to peace between warring nations and survival for the Empire. When a callow mercenary saves the life of the Governor on an ill-fated hunting party, the two groups are thrown together.
For Fisk and Shoe – two tough, honourable mercenaries surrounded by corruption, who know they can always and only rely on each other – their young companion appears to be playing with fire. The nobles have the power, and crossing them is always risky.
And although love is a wonderful thing, sometimes the best decision is to walk away. Because no matter how untouchable or deadly you may be, the stretchers have other plans.”
Must admit, I’d not really heard of John or his writing before, although I understand he is the author of Southern Gods, which was short-listed for the Bram Stoker Award for Best First Novel in 2011. There is a definite horror vibe here, like something that has been reanimated from Weird Tales, though the novel is more mash-up, with it often being the broader Fantasy than Horror.
Of course, what gives the book its connection to the reader are those ol’human traits – loyalty, betrayal, jealousy and even love, which create the various plots of the novel. In particular, Fisk and Shoe are likable characters, though not always well-liked or perfect in their actions. As the story is told from the perspective of Shoe, there’s a fair amount of self-deprecating humour and honesty which rather endears him to the reader. I thought it was interesting that the Vaettir – the stretchers, elf-like savages of the novel – are rather similar in behaviour to what was the Euro-centric view of the original North American tribes, a similarity which I am sure is entirely deliberate. Many of the characters are developed to the point where they are more than the traditional two-dimensional stereotype.
This isn’t a cuddly, romantic novel, although there is romance. The tone is generally rather snarky, if understandably so. There’s also a hint of unreliable narrator here too, an interesting perspective that often suggests that there’s more going on than we know or think. What begins as a small-scale hunting expedition at the beginning of the novel soon becomes a wider view of the world-politics of this rather dangerous environment. Politics can be almost as deadly as life out on the edges of the Empire, and the later parts of the novel reflect this wider perspective.
The dialogue’s nicely done and the setting is not too far removed from a recognisable Fantasy-esque environment. I liked the writing generally, which was both natural and yet finely focused.
This style is also enhanced by there being a sprinkling of words that sound familiar (often Romanesque, here referred to as ‘Ruman’ – there is a Rume, as well as terms such as legionnaire, Marcellus, legates and so on) and those that are clearly of a different world (the vaettir, a god named Ia, daemons). Of this wider world there are subtle hints of more than this novel contains. There is an Aegypt, a Mediera which suggests something rather Mediterranean in tone and a tantalising hint of the Autumn Lords in Tchinee, which seems rather Asian in aspect. No doubt these will become important later.
What works most here is the seemingly natural and yet uneasy relationship there is between the ‘normal’ and the occultish world of daemons and imps. Much of Shoe’s world uses imps and Hellfire for daily use – power, weaponry and so on. It is clear pretty early on that this is not necessarily a good thing, and that things are going to change in the novel – which they do. The author does well here to highlight what such a world dependant on magic would be like, and this aspect of the story comes across as well-realised and logical.
It was nice to read something that in the end turns into a rather original novel, albeit with traits regular readers of the genre might recognise. This one reads as a Grimdark Western novel, rather like Red Country, but with magic, something Joe’s books do not normally have. There is enough intelligence and difference in style to make The Incorruptibles a worthy read on its own. The ending is a real page turner. However, be warned: this is the first in a trilogy, and not everything is resolved by the end of it.
The Incorruptibles is not the longest book in the world, but its relentless drive, its tight focus and its identifiable characters leaves you wanting more at the end, and it is more memorable as a result of its brevity. Definitely an author I’d revisit again.