 The first two novels in K.J. Parker's Siege trilogy did much to create a kaleidoscopic world from the singular position of the city, the capital of a great empire that has been thoroughly decimated by the, well, end of the 50th page, maybe the 20th of the very first book in the series. 16 Ways to Defend Wall City told the story of an engineer, not of the robber race, who are the supreme masters of this empire, but a milkface, one who has been deplored and hated for the skin collar that he has by the blue-skinned robber. This engineer struggled to hold out in the face of overwhelming odds, protecting this last enclave of robber civilisation, despite a lifetime of being treated like a mudstain on every higher-ups boot. The second novel saw the actor, Nautka, forced into a typical becoming-the-mask situation, go away, it's on TV tropes, whereby he was forced to portray the leader of the city after his unfortunate death by Boulder. The results were as hilarious as they were murderers, a written and spoken about both in the past. These first two novels did their world-building from within the city, always providing bits and pieces of information about the world twisted up through the robber perspective. A practical guide to conquering the world still has that perspective, considering our main character is among that venerable race of cruel and strangely efficient warlike humans. Yet this character is an outsider to his own people, a translator and interpreter for all intents and purposes banished to the furthest corner of the world. The view of this world is thus made very different. As a result, this last novel in the siege trilogy is an absolute masterclass in world-building, and worth dissecting to no end if you enjoy that kind of thing. Which I do. Felix, K.J. Parker's third protagonist in as many books, is a fantastic character. He is as unreliable as his predecessors, if anything, he might be even more so. What's even more impressive is that Felix provides a view of the robber that is more in common with that of the milkface Orhan from 16 Ways to Defend the World City. That is to say, Felix's view of his fellow robber is just about as adverse as anyone's. And for good reason. If you read the previous books with something of a suspicion that the blue skin robber are not the nicest people, you'll find plenty of evidence here, like in the following example, which discusses an old conflict between the robber and another empire. Open quotes. What prevailed in the end? Wasn't the technical advantages of this or that weapon? The robber were simply more violent, more prepared to trade their lives for those of the enemy. The Sushen liked to win, but the robber loved to fight. In consequence, the better man lost. That, if you define better as possessing more admirable qualities and not loving bloodshed for its own sake, has always seemed pretty admirable to me. Felix knows the cruelties and deprivations of the robber better than anyone. He knows them not only because he is robber, but because he has experienced them. He has known their hypocrisy and the damage it does first hand. There is something to be said about the wonderful amount of characterization Parker works into this latest protagonist. The thoughts that give away the cowardice and uncertainty and need to belong that hound Felix. But there is also brilliance in the love for books there that will be familiar and speak to any who choose to read the novel, especially if those of you love books as much as I do. When Felix spends three years in a library, he consumes prodigious amounts of books. Despite the fact he does so because his whole nation was murdered, I found myself jealous of this lucky, lucky robber. One of my favorite lines in the book comes from this short, blissful section. Namely, I cite, a circular understanding of time isn't just a neat hypothesis, it's a basic survival mechanism. Close got. Fun right? Lest you make the mistake of enjoying yourself too much, know that KJ Parker's seed trilogy has always had these moments of supreme dramatic irony. These are moments when what would be little more than a throwaway line in the hands of a less skilled author comes back to haunt protagonist and reader both in the most unexpected ways. The supreme ease with which Parker juggles humor and the darkest, most bitter moments of loss, betrayal, disappointment. It takes the breath away. Kind of like life. Parker's books are impeccably researched. The first double, there's a book on medieval engineering practices. The second was an excellent how-to-guide for acting. The third is part bow-pawn, power strategy smarts, and all bookworms dream. Every book in the siege has an engaging and competent female character to act as foal to our quote-unquote brilliant men, to keep them humble. Orhan had one, Nautke had Heder, who pops up on occasion here, to hilarious and near-murderous effect. A practical guide has the host royalty known as she stamps them flat. Naming conventions for the whole, the Jorsey nation, are great fun to read about. The book is almost devoid of named characters, one of several ways in which it is an interesting and unusual novel. The Jorsey with whom Felix spends much of his time, I mean, don't like using names much. This book is, well, the most fun I've had with the fantasy novel this year, not perhaps the best final fantasy novel. I guess life is bleeding into art, or at least into this review. What I meant to say was, before my subconscious, so rudely interrupted me, is that this perhaps is not the best fantasy novel I've read this year, since I don't really know what that means. What I know is that I read this book and I laughed and I laughed and I laughed. And most every time I laughed in different ways, in amusement, in delight, in bitterness and disbelief. That's a kind of novel you're dealing with. It's one of those rare books I could open up again as soon as I've closed it. And that, it deserves some kind of praise. You'll enjoy a practical guide to conquering the world by K.J. Parker if, 1. You can say no to a clever, funny and utterly unreliable protagonist. 2. You're looking for a masterclass in world building. 3. You like bows and strategy and military fantasy. 4. You have got a sad, masochistic trait about your characters. Hmm, there's probably more. And more, probably. Thank you for watching this video. If you enjoyed it, don't forget to smash that like button. Subscribe. Let me know in the comments. What are you reading right now? Have you ever heard of K.J. Parker? And would you read his novels? He is, in fact, not a real person. Well, he is. But K.J. Parker is a pseudonym for the English author Tom Holt, who is known for his comedic fantasy and other writings. I've not read anything that has the authorial name of Tom Holt to it, only K.J. Parker, but I mean to read more of both. Which is really easy because both are one and the same. The world of pen names. Wonderful, truly. At any rate, see you next time. I'm Philip Magnus, you're not. And bye!