The official release date for The Hammer and the Blade (Amazon, BN) is about a month away, but many reviewers have received advance copies and early reviews are popping up around the internet.  My sincere gratitude to those who’ve taken the time to read the novel and write up a review.  It means a lot, and I’m grateful.

I figured it was about time to round up some of these early reviews for easy reference. If you’re on the fence about ordering the book, maybe these will help you make up your mind.  In all cases, I encourage you to read the entire review, since I just excerpt the bits that make me smile.

Now, I know this kind of post can be tedious, so I won’t make a habit of it. That said, here we go.

CivilanReader (Stefan Fergus) wrote, “[The Hammer and the Blade is] a fast-paced sword-and-sorcery adventure, action-packed and dark, with some great interpretations of classic fantasy tropes and themes. Highly recommended if you like your sword and sorcery no-holds-barred, dark, action-packed and with an insouciant sense of humour.”

Stefan Gore, of Stefan’s Bookshelf, gave the book a 5/5 and said, “The Hammer and the Blade is sword and sorcery at its best.”

The Founding Fields gave the book 9.5/10 and wrote, “The Hammer and The Blade is a truly fantastic novel that deserves to be out there with the best of the best.”

The Functional Nerds (via Paul Weimer) concludes his review with this, “The Hammer and the Blade is old school Sword and Sorcery with an appealing pair of protagonists whose feats of derring-do and likeable personalities kept me turning the pages. If you have any interest in Sword and Sorcery, I am confident you will find the same.

SFFWorld (via Rob Bedford) says, “[Kemp’s] voice is very engaging, the characters came across as very believable and I want to know more about the world they inhabit. Highly recommended.”

Pete Morrison, at Lightsaberrattling, writes, “[The Hammer and the Blade is] a fast paced ride full of disturbing detail, gluttonous gore and fantastic fun. Egil and Nix may not be your traditional heroes, but these two men, as close as brothers serve to check the excesses of the other’s personality. The ending was both fulfilling and disturbing, and I hope we get to revisit the adventures of Egil and Nix in the near future.

The Trouble Scribe says, “With the upbeat whirlwind ending, I found myself wanting more – many, many more Nix and Egil adventures.  With this fierce and untamed fantasy world Paul Kemp has created, I see no reason why there won’t be a vast number of them in the foreseeable future.”

Tome of Geek writes, “This book is wonderful, funny and exciting with a pinch of spine shivering evil added in for flavor…a great book not only for fantasy fans but for people looking for a good thriller.”

Kayleighbug Books says, “I wholeheartedly recommend this novel to anyone with a love for Sword & Sorcery novels.  Kemp does it right!  You’ll love this pair of ne’er do wells and their first adventure in print form.  Mr. Kemp assures me that it will not be the last – there are more Egil and Nix stories on the way – and I can’t wait to read them.”

Drying Ink writes, “A likeable duo, some inspired action – what more can you want from a sword and sorcery novel? Recommended.”

And Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review says, “When things heat up. Kemp gives us sequences that wouldn’t look out of place in an Indiana Jones film, with the undead and vengeful wraiths only proving to be half of the fun. There is always something happening and that’s just what a ‘Sword & Sorcery’ novel needs to be all about. Kemp really delivers the goods on that score.

And there you go!  A good start.  🙂