The Folding Knife
October 31, 2017 - Comment
A new stand-alone novel from the acclaimed author of the Engineer Trilogy and The Company.
Basso the Magnificent. Basso the Great. Basso the Wise. The First Citizen of the Vesani Republic is an extraordinary man.
He is ruthless, cunning, and above all, lucky. He brings wealth, power and prestige to his people. But with power comes unwanted attention, and Basso must defend his nation and himself from threats foreign and domestic. In a lifetime of crucial decisions, he’s only ever made one mistake.
One mistake, though, can be enough.
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High-brow philosophical fantasy Endless political machinations abound in K.J. Parkerâs The Folding Knife, an excellent mixture of introspective biography and Roman-inspired alternate world fantasy. Think Machiavelliâs The Prince, fictionalized, if Niccolo Machiavelli had been more of a schemer. And was on speed. Thatâs right. Parkerâs protagonist Basso makes Machiavelli look like an utter political neophyte, a bumpkin, and about as shrewd as a member of the U.S. Congress. And itâs this smirking intelligence and introspection…
Oh, yes; no stupid “magic” cop out involved. LIke the other books I’ve read by Parker, this was definitely a good read. The action is good, and there are some amazing insights into politics that I did not expect from a work which is not totally fantasy and definitely not historic fiction. The best I can call it is a darn good yarn. Basically we’ve got the Parker-stock dysfunctional family in a mythical civilization that seems all-so-familiar (ancient Rome in the early Renaissance I’d call it) and some very convoluted, but clever, plotting…
… Parker novel I have read and I was quite pleased to find my enjoyment of the first was not … This is the second KJ Parker novel I have read and I was quite pleased to find my enjoyment of the first was not a fluke and I believe I have found a new favorite author.