Lord of a Shattered Land by Howard Andrew Jones
Baen Books
2023
Cover art by Dave Seeley

Howard Andrew Jones is one of many individuals instrumental in the resurgence of S&S today. He is a fan, first and foremost, with many friends within our little fandom. Howard is also an author. His bibliography, while not yet enormous, is well favored and received by readers. For example, as of today, Lord of a Shattered Land has been rated and/or reviewed by 118 people on Amazon and 39 on Goodreads. Those numbers are not staggering, but they are exceptional for a work of S&S. Howard is also an editor. His work at Tales From The Magician's Skull keeps the community buzzing. The feedback I've heard has always been positive, painting him as a genuine and caring individual.

The setting of Lord of a Shattered Land draws inspiration from history. Hanuvar, the protagonist, is drawn from Hannibal of Carthage.

Being that Lord of a Shattered Land is an S&S story you would expect that it is a tale of revenge. That is simply not the case. Hanuvar, a man in his later years, simply wants to locate and free what remains of his people from bondage. Over the course of fourteen stories, Hanuvar's plan grows and evolves. We're introduced to a strong-willed individual that doesn't want to see others endangered by his mission, only for him to later admit to himself that he cannot do this task alone. Each chapter, or short story (as they are all self-contained), introduces the reader to more and more of this world and the characters who seem to crop up from Hanuvar's past. Several of the characters share a complicated past with Hanuvar.

Many elements of what Howard has done here have been done before, although Lord of a Shattered Land excels in its presentation. Fourteen short stories that can be read independently but follow a definitive story arc. You have the heft and page count of a modern novel while adhering to pulp sensibilities. I have seen numerous interviews with Howard, and he likens his book to a season of a television show. His summation is apt, and I heartily agree.

Baen Books has been around since the early ‘80s. They publish science fiction and fantasy. Currently it appears that science fiction is their bread and butter. Although, my shelves are filled with Baen books of yesteryear. Reprints and originals both. The Robert E. Howard reprints are a nice set to own. Lord of A Shattered Land and several other titles are Baen's way of testing the waters for more S&S. Whether anything comes of this, keep in mind that Baen has submissions open year-round. Nothing ventured, nothing gained.