Shield and Crocus by Michael R Underwood

Shield and Crocus by Michael R. Underwood is a stand-alone (perhaps series?) fantasy novel that I think is most easily described as Watchmen meets Game of Thrones. It is a story about a city, the Tyrants who vie for control of different sections, the various races of people who are oppressed, tortured and experimented on, and the underground movement of superheroes / terrorists who are prepared to risk people and the city in the pursuit of freedom. It is one of the better books I have read this year.

The story follows the First Sentinel, an aged warrior very similar to the Batman we see in Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, and his quest to free the people from Audec-Hal from the oppressive rule of the Tyrants. He is the leader of the Shields, a team of super-powered heroes pulled from the various races that inhabit the city, and together they try to erode the power of the Tyrants through guerrilla warfare and striking at targets of opportunity. When the Tyrants call for a ceasefire to hold a meeting that will decide the future of Audec-Hal, the First Sentinel senses an opportunity to rid the city of the Tyrants in one fell swoop. The First Sentinel has been fighting this war for a long time, he is ready for it to be over, and he is willing to let the city pay too a high cost just so he can have a shot at ending it for good.

The learning curve here is pretty steep, and story is a little predictable to balance that out, but I think in the end the payoff is worth it. Underwood thrusts you into an unfamiliar city made out of the carcass of a fallen giant, has populated with weird and wonderful races and automatons, and has established clear and defined goals for our heroes to meet. It may take you a few chapters to really get into the book, but once you read those first four chapters I think the hooks will be well and truly embedded and you will stay with this book all the way to the end. Normally superhero stories have the benefit of visual representations to punctuate key moments, but Underwood has managed to paint a fantastic picture with his words, and I was easily able to envisage everything that was going on. Shield and Crocus is a well written book.

While the First Sentinel is the main character, Underwood gives us opportunities to get to know the rest of the team. The problem with an ensemble cast is similar to those ensemble movies, you can’t dedicate enough time to developing everyone's personal story, but Underwood does an admirable job, especially considering we have never seen any of these characters before in any story. The only thing that didn't really connect with me was the portrayal of the tyrants - they all had unique aspects and definitions but they came across as simply "boss fights" for our characters. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and I think it is easily balanced by the awesomeness of the "boss fights" that takes place.

A few authors in recent times have attempted to tell a superhero story with prose rather than graphics, with mixed levels of success. In my opinion, the story Underwood has crafted is by far the best and most balanced superhero novel I have read, but I couldn’t help but feel that this story would have so much more impact as a graphic novel or with a few graphic illustrations to punctuate key moments of chapters. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading comics, enjoys watching comic book movies, or enjoys the new weird type of fantasy written by the likes of Moorcock and Mieville.

Shield and Crocus by Michael R Underwood
Print Length: 418 pages
Publisher: 47North (10 Jun 2014)

9/10 I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading comics.