A veteran called to face evil is an old story. Lee Millewski shows why it still shines in the very enjoyable and engaging story. Rowan is a knight in the city guard. He receives a request for help to find a missing boy. Against the wishes of his commander, he leaves and find much more than he expected. The story continues as Rowan finds he is being hunted and goes to face those pursuing him.
Lee Millewski has structured the story interestingly. Using letters sent by Rowan to fill in context for the story and flashback to set up reveals gives the story additional force and depth. Rowan is a very attractive lead character; with the confidence and expertise of a veteran, he is choosing to do what he sees as his duty. The path he travels is unexpected. Lee Millewski has embraced the tropes of the story and added to them to make it shine.
The art is reminiscent of woodcuts, powerful lines and blocked out shapes. This matches and catches the nature and tome of the story. The cast are expressive and the art is welcoming.
Lee Millewski washed the flashbacks in a light blue, which gives them the flavour of memory. The present time used autumn colours, browns, and reds. This catches the melancholy and aging experience of Rowan. As a young man, he was full of fire for service and adventure. Now he seeks duty elsewhere.
The story gets the balance between brains, experience, and the will to fight evil perfectly. It is a simple story told with an outstanding flair that happily captures the reader and is a pleasure to read.
