Special Treatment

Fiona McIntosh is part of a beautiful and original idea. Having had a kind gesture towards Myrren, a girl considered a witch, arrested and tortured, General Wyl Thirsk receives a mysterious gift from her. He learns what it is when misfortune falls on his head when he is killed, his soul passes into the body of his murderer.

Unfortunately, the author has not been able to build a decent story with this idea. Wyl Thirsk control Morgravia Legion under the command of King Magnus. To the east is the kingdom of Briavel where Valor reign. Both countries using the same language, that almost nothing distinguishes culturally, are at war for centuries without anyone knowing why (a bad start for the plot!). The heir of Magnus, Prince Celimus, is a young man of beauty to ravage hearts but it is completely sadistic. He does not hesitate to spit in the faces of his dying father to show him his hatred, as if Magnus (and readers) had still not understood that he was a son môôôvais. To the north is an area of ​​mountains whose barbarous people Cailech is ruled by a king just a little less crazy and sadistic that Celimus.

As we see, Fiona McIntosh ignores the art of nuance. That sensitive souls can rest assured, there is no sex in this book. We see just a few tender kisses between Thirsk and Wyl Valentyna's daughter became Queen of Valor Briavel. But fans can rest assured of horrors also: Myrren is dismembered naked in front of men hungry for steamy erotica.

There is not a single scene that is not open to criticism. The author still toying with the improbability. People act too often wrong. I was totally horrified by the penultimate chapter, peppered with grandiose and hollow phrases like "the poison of betrayal was spreading through his veins and his withered heart." But those who arrive until then understand that Wyl Thirsk is in no way a traitor and is about to do just what the most basic right order, and Valentyna behaves like the worst fools. His late father would put his fist in the face if he could get out of his grave.

The problem is that if she had not become a fool, the story would have ended and there would have been no volume 2 and 3, resulting in a significant shortfall for Fiona McIntosh. But me, these tomes, I will not read them.