Mercenaries hired for a dangerous quest by a mysterious stranger? Check. Peril, monsters, magic and epic journeys? Check. The Copper Promise has all the hallmarks of a generic swords ‘n sorcery tale, but Jen Williams lifts it above mediocrity through some likeable characters, a sufficiently detailed plot and, crucially, a sense of fun. Too often this genre gets bogged down in tortured heroes and their inner anguish, but here Williams leavens the death and destruction with bickering camaraderie and a breezy pace that doesn’t give us time to dwell on the darkness.
