K. J. Parker (aka, Tom Holt) has written a trilogy of adventure novels about a rogue who stumbles from one dangerous situation to another. Parker made the wise decision of allowing “Saevus Corax” (aka, Florian met’Oc), a royal on the run, to narrate his own story: “Usually in human life you have at least some idea of which side you’re on, but not always.” (p. 188) In Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead, our intrepid narrator changes sides several times. As the novel opens, Corax and his 500 followers are “dealing with the Dead.” The real dead. Corax negotiated for the rights to strip the bodies of dead soldiers after a grand battle: battlefield salvage. Armor and weapons bring in Big Bucks in these Medieval times. But, Corax soon finds himself on the run. His family has put price on Corax’s head–dead or alive.

In addition, Corax and his salvage crew are framed in a heist so more forces are after their heads on a spike. Fleeing from city to city, fighting assassins and blackguards, you’d think this was a pretty grim story. And, you would be wrong!

Corax constantly jumps from one frying pan into another fire as his enemies converge on him. But Corax, despite his many flaws, is a genius at strategy and he’s almost always a step ahead of those who either want to kidnap him, or kill him. If you’re in the mood for a roller-coaster thrill ride with some laughs thrown in, give Saevus Corax Deals With the Dead a try. GRADE: B+