The Company by K.J. Parker

K.J. Parker's The Company is a military fantasy — not my usual choice of reading. However, my husband saw it and had me check it out for him at the library, and ended up liking it so much that he recommended it to me.

I guess it says a lot that even though I don't normally read this sort of thing, I did enjoy it immensely. The world Parker creates could essentially be any world where guns don't yet exist and most common people live in rural areas, and he doesn't waste time with histories of the world or far-reaching descriptions. Only the times and places relevant to the story are described, leaving you with the sense that to the characters, that really is all that exists.

The story itself is very well thought out, with details in all the right places. The tension is well-developed, and keeps you guessing until the very end. It's one of those complex stories where you are not entirely rooting for anyone — every character is portrayed as very human, with signficant flaws as well as significant strengths.

Even if this is not normally your kind of book, I think you might like this one. I certainly did, and I never would have even given it a second glance had my husband not recommended I read it!