Scourge of the Betrayer by Jeff Salyards Coming in May

Okay, the upcoming Scourge of the Betrayer (Amazon.com*, Night Shade Books) sounds like a book I’ll need to try. The description was sounding like something I would like, and then they went and pushed it over the top by mentioning Glen Cook (the Black Company novels — see Wikipedia — are seriously great reads). Today is the first day I’ve ever even heard of Salyards or Scourge of the Betrayer, but the product description and the excerpt posted at Salyards’ site have me pre-ordering the book.

Many tales are told of the Syldoon Empire and its fearsome soldiers, who are known throughout the world for their treachery and atrocities. Some say that the Syldoon eat virgins and babies–or perhaps their own mothers. Arkamondos, a bookish young scribe, suspects that the Syldoon’s dire reputation may have grown in the retelling, but he’s about to find out for himself.

Hired to chronicle the exploits of a band of rugged Syldoon warriors, Arki finds himself both frightened and fascinated by the men’s enigmatic leader, Captain Braylar Killcoin. A secretive, mercurial figure haunted by the memories of those he’s killed with his deadly flail. As Arki heads off on a mysterious mission into parts unknown he is promised a chance to finally record a historic adventure well worth the telling, but first he must survive the experience!

A gripping military fantasy in the tradition of Glen Cook, Scourge of the Betrayer explores the brutal politics of Empire–and the searing impact of violence and dark magic on a man’s soul.