The first ever League of Legends novella from Riot Games, Anthony Reynolds’ Garen: First Shield is an action-packed tale of duty and determination that offers a glimpse into the life of the elite soldiery of Demacia. Still wracked with guilt for his inability to prevent the assassination of the Demacian King, Garen Crownguard leads a small force of the Dauntless Vanguard on a peace-time mission to a neighbouring, allied nation. Recent communications from Demacia’s ambassador to the Nockmirch have proven suspicious, and the mission is simply to check that all is still well, but when the Vanguard’s arrival reveals a plot that threatens the security of Demacia, Garen and his warriors find themselves vastly outnumbered by a ferocious enemy out for their blood.
Things start off at a fairly gentle pace, introducing new recruit Cithria to the existing members of the Dauntless Vanguard and sketching in their initial relationships over the course of the journey to the Nockmirch. By the time they arrive at their destination and Garen is able to uncover the truth, there’s already a good sense of who each of the main characters are within the unit – Garen and Cithria are the key protagonists, along with the solitary, slightly distant ranger Quinn, but there are plenty of opportunities to get to know the rest of Garen’s ‘Shield’, from the forthright and dependable Sergeant Merrek and the stern, cold Alys Morn to devious Eben Hess and Kriel, the minotaur. The pacing is a little slow over the journey, but the time spent with these characters helps to give them a bit of the classic fantasy ‘soldiers on campaign’ feel, and by the time their bonds (and martial skills) are tested in the crucible of battle, the dynamics between them are nicely established.
For all that the pace slows down a bit in the middle, the brutal battle that Garen and the Vanguard are forced to fight in the Nockmirch ramps up the ante and the stakes and never lets up, quickly developing into a breathless grind of attritional warfare. It’s packed full of visceral action, but serves a purpose beyond fighting for its own sake, not just demonstrating the Demacians’ skill and determination but also showing Cithria figuring out her place within the unit (and recognising her own worth). Meanwhile for Garen, despite the danger he ends up in, the mission gives him an opportunity to find his focus once more, as a tangible enemy arises from within the tangle of politics and diplomacy in which he’s found himself mired. There’s a genuine sense of danger, both for these particular characters and for Demacia as a whole, and while Reynolds doesn’t go into too much detail of the political implications, there’s enough to give a sense of how important these events could turn out to be.
A story like this, clearly designed to appeal to both existing League of Legends fans looking for development of familiar characters and readers new to the setting who want an overall introduction, is all about balance. As with most tie-in fiction it needs to balance action and excitement with insight and character development, but it also has to add new detail to the setting and the characters without neglecting the basics or overwhelming newcomers with too much new information, or putting them off with endless references to assumed knowledge. First Shield does a pretty good job of finding that balance, within the constraints of a novella – there’s lots to enjoy, as long as you recognise that this isn’t a full-length novel, and therefore needs to touch lightly on some elements. In-depth character studies or geopolitical explorations may come in future League stories, but until that happens First Shield is a good place to start.
Many thanks to Riot Games and Anthony Reynolds for sending me a review copy of Garen: First Shield in exchange for an honest review
See also: my Rapid Fire interview with Anthony Reynolds talking about Garen: First Shield
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