Book Review: The Gryphon of Tirshal by Henry Brown

I read this book immediately after I read Henry's first story in this series, The Bloodstained Defile. There, three warriors - the Black Lancer Sir Javo, the horse-archer Turgar, and the enormous Krag the Wrecker - formed an alliance of arms after, well, almost killing each other.  In The Gryphon of Tirshal, the three agree to hunt down and kill the Gryphon of Tirshal, a powerful, near-mythical beast which once guarded the city of Tirshal from danger, but now seems to be stealing children and treasure from the city's homes.

TGoT is a pretty interesting story. Beyond the action and adventure, Henry delves into the world of politics and the warrior culture, something familiar to him as a former U.S. Army serviceman. The Gryphon was once a guardian of Tirshal, but now it appears to have turned against the city - or has it? The concept of who turns against who, the protector or the protected, is explored in some detail, but it doesn't mire the story in burdensome philosophical exploration. There's plenty of head-cleaving, limb-hewing action, and after this second story, I found myself really wanting more adventures featuring Javo, Turgar, and Krag.

So if you get a chance, read both The Bloodstained Defile and The Gryphon of Tirshal. Two quick, entertaining reads that fans of the Sword & Sorcery genre will really enjoy.