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Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite
Magnus Baikie’s The First Law is Survival (We Have a Few More) follows Marcus d’Ostia, a former orphan who now leads the XIX Legion in an empire modeled on ancient Rome. After imperial armies conquer Wyddfce, Emperor Tertius orders Marcus to marry Isolde, the Celtic kingdom’s surviving princess, then leaves his legion behind as its only defense. The arrangement places Isolde beside the man her people call Scriosaire, the Destroyer, while Attila gathers a Hunnish army beyond the northern mountains. Krekka, a sorceress, protects his advance with magic, and the horde is expected to reach Wyddfce before winter. Marcus begins preparing the capital for siege, but the city still remembers what his soldiers helped take from it. To survive, Marcus and Isolde must persuade a conquered people to trust the army now standing between them and annihilation.
Magnus Baikie has written a terrific military fantasy, and the people are every bit as memorable as the battles. He is especially good with younger characters stepping into leadership, such as Mistral, a fifteen-year-old winged healer at the imperial fortress of Fort Edge who secretly listens to military meetings from the rafters. After her mother is killed, those earlier moments make Mistral’s new role feel fully earned. Baikie also has a real talent for building magic into military strategy, like an imperial mage near the Empire’s capital making a narrow road look like open country, so a Hunnish army marches between five hills where soldiers wait above. The plan, whether it works or not, is to fire and seal the route, turning the illusion into a spectacular trap. I went in thinking this would be interesting historical fiction, and ended this absolutely brilliant fantasy wanting to read more of Baikie's work. Well written and immersive, readers who enjoy history-inspired military fantasy will adore every page of this book.
