The Year of Our War is one of those books that only got picked up by me because it was standing on the fantasy shelf. I knew nothing about it, but as I tend to do with all new books I pick up on impulse I jump in with both feet, because it’s often on such occasions that I find the gold nuggets in a genre more and more populated by stereotype stories and never-ending series. And a gold nugget this is.

Right from the start it’s clear that this is no ordinary book. The world of the Fourlands incorporate elements from the renaissance as well as the modern world. At first it was a bit off-putting to discover things that don’t normally exist in your average fantasy world – such as drugs, cigarettes, newspapers, t-shirts, and jeans – since it seemed that the author didn’t go all the way when creating the new world. But once I learned to see through my scepticism and my own foolish notions of what is right and what is wrong in fantasy worlds it was easy to lay back and enjoy the ride.

The Fourlands has been waging a long and bloody war against a race of huge and monstrous insects, and it’s not going well. Ruling the Fourlands is the immortal and mysterious Emperor, assisted by The Circle, of which each member is the embodiment of a profession and through contests granted immortality. Among them is Jant, the Messenger, whose spot in the Circle has been fairly secure for the last two hundred years as he is the only one in a race of winged people who can fly. However, Jant seems intent to recklessly push the boundaries of both immortality and the patience of his friends to the limit with his addiction to a lethal drug. But it’s only when he is deeply within the effects of the drug – in quantities that would kill mortal men – that Jant can travel to a bizarre and dark alternate world, where he start to see a way to save the Fourlands against the insect threat. If the world is real that is.

Although the book is mainly about those immortal, Swainston does a good job at displaying the view from those that are not. Because after all, bitterness and envy run can only run high when looking at those that will never die, and knowing that you will. The character Swallow is determined to be the first Musician in the Circle, but it’s hard to see art as equal to swordsmanship when the biggest issue of a realm is killing insects before they kill you.

I like when books are intentionally vague in details of the world and not just cram all the worlds history, secrets, and present events into the first few chapters or prologue. If, after the first chapter, you are not wondering “how?” or “why?” and want to continue reading then the author did something wrong. But you could also take the secrecy too far, and I think that’s one of the books few flaws; unless you have read a summary of the story (like this review) it will require some effort to fully get into the world. Just a simple thing that everyone in the Circle have three different names is enough to confuse the best of us.

The book is well paced, and with flashbacks and present events it paints the bizarre and complicated picture of the world without banging you on the head with information. Although Jant has the traits to become your typical anti-hero I feel it would be an insult to already redeemed anti-heroes by including him in their midst. Jant is, to put it plainly, a douchebag, and considering that he was a douchebag before he became immortal – and still is two hundred years later – I’d say he is not likely to change his ways. But oddly enough it’s still fascinating to read about him.

This is a book much recommended if you have grown tired of your usual fantasy and like something weird. It’s a story told from the perspective of strange people with strange habits in a strange world, but it’s a good story – and that’s all that matters.