Booklog 57/2018 - Scott Lynch: The Effigy Engine

[jacey]

While waiting for the next Locke Lamora book I thought I'd give one of Scott Lynch's shorter works a go. A short story (or maybe a novella) featuring the Red Hats a company of magical mercenaries who fight for right against might. The narrator of this story (and chronicler of the Red Hats) is Watchdog. On this occasion they are fighting with the Elarans against the Iron Ring when a new war machine is deployed against them, a huge tank-like machine. There's not much room for character development in such a short piece. The author introduces Runstandel, a wizard exceedingly ford of himself and somewhat annoying, Tariel a musketeer and the leader of the company, the sorceress Millowend, who also happens to be Watchdog's mother. These four have to figure out a way to defeat the war machine.