You might know Richard for writing SF (Altered Carbon, Skinny Air) or maybe his A Land Match For Heroes collection involving Ringil the elf (The Metal Stays, and so on).
In his new e book, his first fiction novel for eight years – Skinny Air was revealed in 2016 – he takes up that concept of ‘A Land Match for Heroes’ that was talked about by Prime Minister Lloyd George in 1918 by setting the e book within the post-war setting of 1920’s England, however provides to it Grimdark folk-magic.
This can be a e book about struggle and the results of struggle, each bodily and magical. It’s about change, the necessity for change and the necessity to deal with such change. It’s anti-war, within the sense that males’s violence towards different males is seen as unsuitable and that honourable males could be compelled to do dishonourable deeds for the sake of their nation.* There’s a common disillusionment with society and the governments who run it.
We even have the return of Nature, with a Forest reappearing to the English countryside nearly in a single day. Dwelling of the Fae, it’s encroaching upon civilisation, upon the city cities and cities which have expanded within the 19th and 20th centuries. An indication of the Fae regaining energy as soon as extra, and with it a return by people to mysticism, folklore and witchcraft – Conan Doyle’s perception in fairies is given as one instance. Individuals are on the lookout for solutions, and as know-how and science are usually not giving them, they’re returning to older methods.
Which is the place we are available. Duncan Silver is a gun for rent, somebody who can retrieve youngsters taken from people by the Fae and return them to their mother and father. The plot begins with what appears to be a easy job – four-year-old Miriam has been taken by the Huldu and Duncan has stated that he’ll get her again, despite the fact that this implies he has to journey into the Forest, the area of the Fae.
In fact, this isn’t so simple as it first seems. The state of affairs is rather more complicated and wide-ranging than first appearances would recommend.
Richard does say in his Acknowledgements that this was not the e book he was anticipating to jot down and that it’s totally different to his different books.
To some extent, I agree with that – coping with fairies and different legendary creatures in a post-WW1 Britain is just not like Skinny Air or Altered Carbon. And but there are parts that to me are comparable, recognisable in his different work.
This being a Richard Morgan e book, that is all informed with power, graphic violence and intentionally vibrant language.
What additionally appears prevalent is the trend that fuels Duncan’s actions. Duncan is an indignant man, and that is repeatedly proven all through the e book. Liable to matches of rage on the unfairness of all the pieces, I did really feel that he’s clearly struggling with what we’d now discuss with as PTSD. He takes his anger out on others in impressively violent methods – particularly these from the magic world of the Fae, who would steal youngsters from their households and go away a changeling of their place, and any type of official authority.
Duncan comes throughout as a “man’s man”, as maybe reflective of the 1920’s the story is ready in. Though society is altering, No Man’s Land nonetheless seems like a human world with males holding onto energy. Silver at instances appears to be attempting to cope with this alteration, and failing. There have been instances when this appeared to boil right down to this being a spot the place males do manly issues, whose actions converse louder than phrases, while girls are there primarily to both be a assist or for use by males. This may occasionally not sit effectively with some readers.
Duncan himself is a person of these instances of change – indignant, snarling, taciturn, typically struggling to convey his ideas and emotions to others and but nonetheless wanting to save lots of youngsters, folks, the world – as a result of he thinks that he can and morally feels that he ought to. He felt just a little like a Clint Eastwood/Soiled Harry-type character to me, even right down to the “are you feeling fortunate, punk?” snap-liners. Common point out of Duncan’s weaponry, and particularly his cut-down McCulloch shotgun – his equal of Soiled Harry’s Magnum .45, certainly – reinforces that picture. It’s a e book undoubtedly written with a male gaze prevalent.
And as already stated, it’s also not for minors. There are intercourse scenes all through, typically pretty graphic, for instance how Duncan and the Fae work together – nothing is at no cost.
With all of this in thoughts, it’s fairly troublesome for me to determine whether or not I like this e book or if others will. I don’t take into account myself anti-violent or prudish and but there have been components that truly made me wince while studying, each for his or her visceral imagery and specific content material. A few of the set motion items are wonderful, and Morgan’s descriptions of life within the trenches of WW1 are appropriately horrific, lest we neglect. However on the similar time there have been moments when the dialogue felt just a little extra 2000 than 1920’s, which was just a little jarring.
What stunned me most of all was that the characters ultimately appeared slightly impersonal – while I obtained what Silver was doing and why, I didn’t really feel any empathy in direction of him, which stunned me. He’s, even on the conclusion, nonetheless a slightly unsympathetic character, a machine doling out violence. This can be deliberate – it’s clear that he’s a harmful man –however it additionally meant that these had been characters I may admire however not love, regardless of the entire horrible issues which have occurred. He isn’t the type of hero that I’d wish to sit and have a pint with, however I assume that’s the level. It is also stated that troublesome deeds want such a personality to get issues achieved.
In abstract, No Man’s Land is a e book that didn’t solely work for me. The entire writer’s traditional keynote parts are there, and followers of Richard’s earlier work will get what they count on, in a brand new setting, and presumably prefer it. Personally, I didn’t get pleasure from (if that’s the phrase to make use of) the e book as a lot as, say, Altered Carbon, however I did admire that the writer is writing one thing very totally different.
Being a standalone signifies that new readers might subsequently do that one to see in the event that they like Richard’s work.
*(Studying and writing about this as I’m in March 2026, with international occasions being what they’re, made me really feel that we don’t study from historical past. One thing I’m positive Richard is conscious of.)
© 2026 Mark Yon
Hardback | Gollancz
NO MAN’S LAND by Richard Morgan
March 2026 | 480 pages
ISBN: 978 0345 493 156
© 2026 Mark Yon
Hardback | Gollancz
NO MAN’S LAND by Richard Morgan
March 2026 | 480 pages
ISBN: 978 0345 493 156
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