This was such a satisfying end to the series!

Overall, I really enjoyed this series. We got a very interesting MC (he really hit his stride in book 2), a dark and war torn setting, and plots with lots of twists and turns. You never know exactly what's gonna happen, and I found that really fun. The prose is also witty, perfectly balancing the darker elements. Exactly how a grimdark story is supposed to be imo!

Also, the romance arc (can I even call it that?) was delicious.

Saevus is such an interesting guy. He's very closed off, very introspective, which makes reading from his perspective such a treat. In many ways, he is a villain, depending on whos asking. Yet for many (but never to himself), he is also a hero. It's so well done - he's so human, and getting the story from his skewed perspective paints such an interesting picture. You never quite know whether he's good or bad - and you can't, cause humans rarely work like that. Sometimes we do bad things, and sometimes we do good ones. But do your good actions make up for one very big and bad action?

All in all, this is one of the best cases of unreliable narrators I've come across, and I'm gonna be turning this series around in my head like a rotisserie chicken for a long while.

Saevus Corax Gets Away With Murder is the third book in a trilogy featuring the titular character getting into scrapes and barely surviving through a combination of luck and sheer bloody minded brilliance. It does a lot of what the two previous books did, so if you enjoyed them, you'll likely enjoy this one too. Characters from the previous books return in some prominent ways, so it doesn't quite work as a standalone. Ultimately I enjoyed this book, and thought the end was a fitting one for a man who couldn't help taking on responsibility, even as he tried to avoid it.

Tom Holt writing as K.J.Parker
Saevus Corax has a sister. For years she’s been trying to have him killed by putting a 70,000 staurata bounty on his head, but now she’s in trouble for killing her husband, so who does she turn to? Yes, that’s right. And Saevus, while not entirely falling for it, rises to the bait.

This is a series that has got better for me with each successive book, which means that this final installment has been my favourite. I love the tone of the narrative and the way that Saevus interacts with all of the characters is really enjoyable. I thought the introduction of one of his family members into this plot was fantastic, as was the further exploration of the world. My main issue was with the ending, which didn't quite match the rest of the book or indeed, the rest of the series, in the direction and tone it took. While it was definitely impactful, I'm not sure I quite liked it. With that being said, this was definitely the best book of the series for me and I will continue to pick up K J Parker's books in the future.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

A really excellent, clever funny and also heartrendingly tragic finale to this outstanding new series by KJ Parker set in his Roman-inspired world. We see the outcomes of all Saevus' political manoeuvres, his attempts to save the woman he loves and his efforts to get away from his awful family. It was an absolutely enthralling read and a fabulous series. I am a huge fan of KJ Parker - please please write more books like these!

Honestly, how very dare they? K.J. Parker put out an entire trilogy in the last few months of 2023, firing them off at a rapid pace while, frankly, also firing on all cylinders. We looked at the first two books last year, and thought that they were vintage iterations on Parker's signature style - darkly humorous, intelligent but ruthless interlocutors, and a rich, deeply detailed world that feels very real. And I'm here to tell you that they've done it again. Saevus Corax is back, and so is K.J. Parker.

Saevus continues to be, well, who they've always been. A wry, apologetic protagonist, who refuses to flinch away from the decisions they make, even when those decisions are appalling, or selfish, or sometimes both. Saevus Corax is not a very nice man. But he's charming, and very, very clever - sufficiently so that most of his ideas look like they're the right thing to do, when you get down to it. And if they're a multi-layered shell game with a gambit buried on a gambit buried on a gambit - well, surely this time you've figured out what he's up to. Surely this time you won't be the collateral damage in his life. And sometimes...sometimes that's true. Sometimes you're going to make some money and walk away clean, And sometimes a very apologetic man is going to have to rip your throat out with his teeth, as step fifteen of an escape plan that's step forty of a plan to take over an Empire that's step ninety in a plan to be left alone. Because that reads like Corax, to me. He always says he wants a quiet life, but he's always surrounded by forces that act on him, that force his agency. He claims this of course, but whether he could get what he wanted in other ways, who knows. Maybe he wants answers, maybe he wants an ending. It's...an opaque question, even if this story lifts the veil on it somewhat. We've known since the first book that Corax is defined by an interstitial moment, when he killed his brother., Possibly accidentally. Even he isn't sure. Whether that matters, well, it matters to him. Maybe trying to find a way out of that moment is what's get Corax in the whirlpool, stopping him from cutting his throat or meditative retreat - because he wants to know, or at least, to decide, who he is, and that moment is clouded enough that it's hard to say for sure. Much like the person surrounding it, that killing is arcane, occluded. Well, here's some more of the story of the past and the now, showing us who Corax used to be, and, well deciding who he is now.

All of this is done against a backdrop of, if not war, at least not yet, then simmering tensions coming to a boil. Corax has been at the right place the right time in the last few books, keeping civilisation away from catastrophe mostly as a means of preserving his own skin. But time rolls on, and people just can't seem to keep themselves away from a good civilisation-shattering roar. And maybe Corax doesn't want to, need to, stop this one. In part that's due to his own connections - the antagonistic, business-like friendships and camaraderie he shares with his gang of salvagers, always shocked they'll come back for him, unless they don't. Are they really friends? Or just looking out for the same Big Score? And the same applies to his ongoing friendship and occasional murderous rivalry with a competitor. Is she a colleague? A friend? Something more? Likely to slit his throat in the night to save herself or make a pile of gold? Or save him from a mob and walk away empty handed from the deal of a lifetime? Or all of these. Something Parker does well is lay out complex, grounded personalities, and not tell us too much, letting us try and peer at their motives and their truths through a half-darkened glass, as unsure of what they're doing as they are themselves.

This is Corax's swan song, and it's really rather well done. The stakes ramp up quickly, and the sense of being at the bottom of a hill and hearing the advancing rumble of an avalanche is an unnervingly apposite one. This is a story that'll pull you close, hammer a blade into your heart, then wish it hadn't had to do it while emptying your pockets. This is a smart story, an emotionally complex, very personal story about a man who may save or damn the world, while trying to find out who he is. And it's funny and bloody and sometimes so sharp you might cut yourself. If you've come this far with Saevus Corax, I can only say that you must see him through to his ending - it's worth it.

“Whenever I try and shove corpse management off onto someone else, they tell me I should keep at it because I’m so good at it, and this actually happens to be true. Even so. When it’s your friends you’re hauling about, it’s different. No, that’s not quite accurate. It’s the same, but with heartache as well as backache.”

My thanks to Little, Brown Group U.K. Orbit for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder’ by K. J. Parker.

This is Book 3 in Parker’s Saevus Corax Trilogy in which Saevus Corax’s tale comes to an end. As this is a continuous story that unfolds over its three books, it is advised to read them in order for continuity.

In the battlefield salvage business, it’s important to regard death as a means to an end. In other words, when the blood flows, so will the cash. Yet even though it’s clear that a big war is on the way, Saevus Corax has had enough. It’s time to retire.

Before he can do that he needs to put his affairs in order and get away with one last score that will fund his retirement. Yet he finds that there are plenty of challenges along the way, as well as reunions and partings.

This proved a satisfying conclusion to Corax’s journey with bittersweet elements. Over the course of the trilogy I became quite attached to this playful trickster and admired Parker’s world building throughout. 

Overall, I found ‘Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder’ and the trilogy as a whole a great read with its blend of comedy, adventure, and historical fantasy coupled with Saevus’ entertaining narration. Having completed it encourages me to now look into the other writings of K.J. Parker/Tom Holt.

4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Saevus Corax Gets Away with Murder is the third and final book in this series. In this book, Saevus allows his sister to deftly manipulate him with unforeseen consequences. For Saevus he will do anything for familial love but Saevus’s family is like no other and he is about to feel what it is like to be on the receiving end of betrayal, done in style. Through this action, we see the fragility of Saevus's true personality. As for the ending, just wow, didn't see it coming and felt for Saevus. The complete soul-crushing impact of betrayal after betrayal on a person. We see how these events essentially rob Saevus of his humanity and love to become a lost and cynical shell of a man.

The worldbuilding is cleverly done, rich but not overwhelming, often told through small clever bits of Philosophy and history. Saevus remains his usual self, full of cynical sardonic humour. There is some grim violence, mixed with lighthearted adventure. For me, Parker yet again delivers another masterful trilogy in style, writes like no one else, and gives unexpected endings.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Orbit for the opportunity to read this fantastic trilogy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was another new series to me but one my students have fallen head over heels for. Full of action and adventure and a hectic pace, this was a read I am sure they will love.

The third and final (?) installment in the trilogy takes us on Saevus's latest adventure, and helps tie up a lot of loose ends we got exposed to in the first two books. The story begins with Saevus and his crew encountering the former's sister. One things leads to another, and Saevus embarks on an adventure of global proportions, meeting many characters we learned to love (and hate), learning even more about these characters, and surviving another war.

I actually loved this book, and it's a fitting and awe-inspiring finish to a fantastic trilogy. While this installment is perhaps lighter on the banter, the wanton violence, and lighthearted adventure, it makes up for all of it by taking a more serious note and laying bare Saevus's personality. We see the soul crushing impact of betrayal after betrayal on a person who is essentially good and kind. We see how these events essentially rob a person of the belief in kindness and love, and make him into a cynical and lost human being. We also see how one can slide into nihilism and dejection, going on due to inertia alone.

The potent psychological dismemberment of the protagonist in this book does the whole trilogy justice. It makes it hang together as more than just frivolity, and while it continues to have some levity, it also makes you think and feel, leaving the experience of reading the books marked by them, and considering human resilience in the face of betrayal and loss.

The only thing that I perhaps struggled with is the pacing of the book. It felt rushed at times, as if the author was just trying to get to the point, without letting the true impact of events sink in. In this way, the book was perhaps less balanced and cohesive than its predecessors.

Either way, I highly recommend it to anyone who loves grim dark (especially when it is veiled in something more frivolous), folks who want to read about heroes and anti-heroes regardless of their love for fantasy (after all, there is nothing fantastic in this book), and readers who enjoy an author who makes playful use of language and humour to tell what is essentially a tragic story. This third book makes the entire trilogy stand out for me as among the best I read in the genre (and, again, I really do struggle to call this fantasy!).

My thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

The third of Parker’s Saevus Corax trilogy arrives hot on the heels of the previous two The mixture is much the same as before, cynical sardonic humour mixed with war viewed from the perspective of a historian or economist rather than heroic fantasy. It’s a winning combination, and one I enjoyed. I just think l that it may have been a mistake to publish these books so close together as I ended up feeling a little burnt out on Saevus. Perhaps I would have enjoyed this volume more after a break, or even if they’d been published as a doorstop to read in one go.

Saevus Corax Gets Away With Murder is really a story about getting caught. You might think this'd be a major break from the first two Corax books, which forever threatened Saevus with unimaginable catastrophes —continent-scale war, true love, unstoppable vegetarian cannibals — only to pull him off the cliff edge at the last minute. Yet Murder is still very much a KJ Parker work, so it mostly tweaks his signature tragicomic blend without throwing out the formula. But even without radical change, it’s a poignant, surprisingly elegiac close to a series about the man who seemed like he’d always get away with everything, and sometimes did.

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Of course, it’s impossible to talk in detail about how Saevus gets caught here without spoiling the effect, so I won’t. What I can say is that Murder shows just how masterfully Parker has been training his audience through this series to expect certain things, to lean on particular crutches, if only so he can kick them away tand leave you hanging in the void. But you really wouldn’t know it at first. After all, we start in the usual style: Saevus is short on money, the lads are picking up the tail end of a little war, things get complicated, Sister Stauracia sweeps in at the end of Act One to set up the stakes, cue scene card. It’s all lullingly familiar, but dissonant notes creep in from practically the first page, chipping away at the cozy certainties. Doc Papanian can’t fix all wounds, the Asvogels might not be in business forever, some obvious setups really are obvious setups, and maybe a few battlefield scavengers really are amoral sociopaths (and not just Saevus). It’s just a trickle, but even that’s enough to know the dam is doomed.

Murder goes on to cleverly rework many of the beats of the other two Corax books, and this subversive streak is often delightful but also a bit parasitic on what came before. Sure, the reasons Saevus is tromping through desolate, hostile wilderness now are an Ironic inversion of the time he dashed across Hetsuan to save his family in Castle. Still, he’s definitely tromping through hostile wilderness. Again. The book's middle lingers a bit too long on these funhouse-mirror callbacks, and while they effectively evoke Saevus’ own dislocation and uncertainty, it’s fair to wonder if this story is going anywhere new.

It is, thankfully, and the last third of Murder turns that trickle of change into an all-consuming torrent. And by the end, for maybe the first time in all three books, I actually understood why Saevus might be telling his jokey, surely-you-must-be-joking stories. They’re not barroom boasts, or campfire tall tales, they’re the setup to a tragedy, and like Saevus. I didn’t see it coming until It finally happened. Well played.

Oh boy I didn't expected this ending. It is fitting in various way, almost logical given Saevus' story, but it still surprised me. I'm quite sad for him and how things envolved, though his situation is, in a way, not that bad.
I think I liked book three nearly as much as book one. Not that I didn't like book 2, but there is some elements of novelty and resolution in the final book that clearly shape my mind and my feelings about it. The whole series is great.
We find Saevus once again doing his job, until his sister finds him and asks for his help. How much I wanted him to turn her down. She does a good antagonist all in all. With other stuff happening around, Saevus is forced to change the life he had found until then, every thing scambeling around him. He still manages to find a spark of happyness in all of it, which was sort of a relief given his dreadful life. He isn't such a bad guy as he portrays himslef, nor is he a good one. He is human, with a heavy life on his shoulder. Sometimes smart, sometimes stupid.
The tone used to tell the story clearly helps to bring some fun into it, with really funny moments, others more touching. There is a kind of distanciation from Saevus part that I find really relatable in a weird way.
The worldbuilding is cleverly done to my taste, really rich but not overwhelming. Sure, some moment are a bit long, we don't need every bit of information given to us, but those helps to hide some clues and also create an atmosphere of intimacy with what's going on in Saevus' head (even though he is good at lying).
Conclusion : a good wrap up of the story, where Saevus can't run out anymore, and a fitting ending to his story (my romantic heart is sad, but the more logical one is rather satisfied).