“Nothing is just what it’s made of (…) Everything is more than its parts.”
Jesse Teller’s “Song,” book one of the Manhunters series, has all the in“Nothing is just what it’s made of (…) Everything is more than its parts.”
Jesse Teller’s “Song,” book one of the Manhunters series, has all the ingredients of an exciting, dark fantasy epic: ancient and powerful mages, deadly and vengeful enemies, familial strife, malevolent politicking, and jailbroken criminals hell-bent on revenge. Yet the story also suffers from confusing character decisions, underdeveloped relationships, and perhaps a bit too much magic.
The story switches between two POVs: Rayph, a 10,000-year-old court wizard, and Konnon, a mercenary trying to raise enough money to prevent a disease from slowly killing his young daughter. As the story begins, we learn that a magical prison that Rayph has designed to detain some of the worst criminals in the Empire has been attacked, and its criminals have been released. A powerful enemy called Black Cowl is responsible for the jailbreak, and Rayph is left to assemble a team of potent heroes to discover Black Cowl’s plans and bring the fugitives back to justice. Meanwhile Konnon, a talented swordsman, is desperate to take any job that will earn him enough gold to pay for medicine to keep his daughter Bree’s disease at bay. Konnon is hired as a guard for a merchant train, and both Rayph’s team and Konnon’s route are fated to intersect in the city of Song, just in time for its seasonal festival celebration.
Many characters are introduced quickly and their histories are explained without much detail, which works as both an advantage and a detriment to the story. There is a reoccurring theme of scenes feeling underwritten throughout the entire book. Time and again, Teller will skim through a meeting between two important characters without filling in what their relationship is based on. Hints are dropped, but full explanations are rarely given. In most circumstances, I enjoyed having these mysteries to solve, as I didn’t quite know who to trust. In other cases, I was questioning why Rayph or Konnon would so easily pair up with new companions, even though their lives were constantly in danger. Towards the end of the book, most of the puzzle pieces revealed themselves, but the puzzle picture wasn’t completely clear. We are given just enough information over time to gain a broad perspective of our main characters, their sense of justice, and the various relationships they’ve built along the way. Yet some of their decisions seemed to lean more towards dramatic effect rather than rationality, as I found myself questioning why certain situations played out as they did, when other choices felt more obvious and efficient.
Action scenes were plentiful, but the battles seemed way too easy for Konnon, who I had to remind myself was only human. There was one chapter where Konnon and his companion take on an entire settlement of outlaws. Even though they had the element of surprise on their side, they defeated their enemies while outnumbered at least ten to one. Furthermore, they chose to fight in a style that caused their enemies at much pain and punishment as possible before killing them. Every outlaw arrow missed, while every strike our heroes threw scored a debilitating or lethal hit. I can understand that the author was trying to convey how skilled and deadly our heroes can be, but I had trouble digesting how deeply one-sided this scene played out. There didn’t seem to be any risk of harm to Konnon, and the tension was removed from the battle altogether.
Magic is one of the greatest variables in the story: there are no set rules or limitations for what the most powerful magicians are capable of. It was both exciting and frustrating to follow how Rayph and his enemies utilized their magical skills to achieve their goals. At one point in the story, Rayph becomes a fugitive and is on the run from every bounty hunter in the nation. He cleverly changes his outward appearance, but doesn’t bother to raise any other defense. He falls victim to a surprise attack, is severely injured from several arrow strikes, and barely escapes with his life. A short time later, we witness Rayph cast a spell that turns his friend’s skin into steel, leaving his friend impervious to attacks. It would seem like a 10,000-year old mage would act with a bit more competency and use that steel-skin spell on himself, considering he’s the most wanted man in the Empire. Rayph consistently places himself in more danger than is necessary, which seems odd for someone so powerful and ancient. I found it difficult to relate to his character after so many situations where he needlessly and recklessly puts himself in mortal danger, which is far from what I’d expect from someone who has lived to be a hundred centuries old.
I’ve spent much of this review pointing out some issues I’ve had with the story, but I want to emphasize that I enjoyed much of the book regardless of what was stated above. Teller is building this story with a great amount of moving parts; the world-building is specific as it is far-reaching. There are many gears in play, and though this chapter of the saga is over, there are many plot lines that I foresee will become more interesting as they develop further. Teller genuinely surprised me with some of the reveals towards the end of the story, and his dialogue and descriptions are so carefully worded, they might slip by undetected unless you pay full attention to what’s being said, and more importantly what is not said. I believe “Song” to be an interesting start of a series that may improve in hindsight after further books are published.
Thank you to Rebekah Teller for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Myke Cole’s “Armored Saint,” a 200-page novella that introduces The Sacred Throne trilogy, has the makings of a solid grimdark fantasy epic: an oppresMyke Cole’s “Armored Saint,” a 200-page novella that introduces The Sacred Throne trilogy, has the makings of a solid grimdark fantasy epic: an oppressed people, religious crusaders who overstep their power, a rebellious teenager, forbidden love, unlawful magic, and an engine-powered mech suit (!). The cover grabbed my attention immediately: our young, angry hero wearing this powered suit, looking to for vengeance. It checks a lot of interesting boxes and I was excited to dive in. However, while I did enjoy several portions of the story, this book didn’t entirely work for me.
The novella felt like several disparate stories packed together into one narrative. The first few chapters were certainly intriguing, as we meet the hero Heloise & her father Samson on a business trip to Hammersdown. In a few short pages, we learn that wizardry is banned in this world, and a religious sect of flail-wielding crusaders called The Order acts as the Emperor’s army, smiting anyone and everything that may have come into contact with a potential magic user. The common belief is that a wizard who uses magic with have a portal open through their eyeball to the Veil dimension, where a devil will be pulled through into their world, wreaking havoc and death and destruction. However, no one has ever met a devil and has lived to tell the tale. The Order uses fear as a weapon, though no actual proof of these deviled horrors have been seen for generations. When Heloise and Samson arrive in Hammersdown, they witness something potentially magic-related that could threaten their town and their lives.
At this point, I was all-in on what appears to be an exciting and swiftly-moving adventure that could go in any number of directions. Expectations were set, and I was buckled in. But then the book takes the first of multiple sharp tonal shifts in the story. Through a combination of Heloise’s defiance and stupidity, her family must hide from the enemy in her home town. I won’t go into too many details, but I had a few problems with the decisions our heroes made that put them in this situation. But above all, this sequence of hiding lasted the vast majority of the book. What started as a seemingly epic adventure turned into a game of hide-and-seek that lasted far too long. The descriptions became redundant, the feelings and emotions were repeated, and the life-or-death decision-making was… curious, to put it mildly. If that weren’t enough, a forbidden love story felt shoehorned in the middle of this act. It seemed to be a strange moment in the story to develop this type of character drama, and again this tonal shift felt unusually abrupt.
I was impressed with the end of the story, as it hearkened back to the tone that was introduced in the first few chapters. There were a couple of genuinely shocking moments, and some pulse-pounding action scenes that subverted my expectations. The story ended on a strong note, and I’ll likely continue the series because I’m curious in which directions it will lead. But the choppy plotting and the uneven, prolonged second act has made it difficult for me to give it a higher score. Still, I think many people who are fans of military grimdark fantasy can find a lot to like in this story.
When a hero saves the town or rescues the princess, the accolades come from far and wide. The hero's name is recorded in the annals of history, and hiWhen a hero saves the town or rescues the princess, the accolades come from far and wide. The hero's name is recorded in the annals of history, and his namesake is revered for generations to come. But what about the other men or women behind the scenes that have risked life and limb to ensure the hero's victories? In many cases, they might be the ones most responsible for saving the day, but are never honored or shown the respect they deserve.
Until now.
Liam Perrin's "Sir Thomas the Hesitant and the Table of Less Valued Knights" was a pleasure to read: a fun and funny romp through Arthurian times centering on Thomas of Fogbottom and his motley crew of ne'er-do-wells living in the shadows of the Knights of the Round. Thomas is already used to living in the shadow of his older brother William as the story begins, but a twist of fate forces Thomas to journey to Camelot to help change the fate of his brother, and perhaps his whole town. He embarks on several mini-adventures along the way, crossing paths with a wide range of characters great and small (and sometimes both!) on his quest to restore honor to his family and his town.
One of the biggest surprises of reading this novel was how well-plotted it turned out to be. Perrin did an excellent job of feigning seemingly obvious plot twists while launching into others. There were several instances of story threads that deftly wove together as the book progressed, and I was impressed at how easy it was to root for Thomas' team when the stakes were raised.
I also enjoyed how the author emphasized working out the many conundrums the group came across through non-violence as often as possible, turning to battle as a very last resort. It was a breath of fresh air to see knights and wizards use their wits before weapons.
The book is relatively short, but there was quite a lot of story packed in, and quite a bit of heart as well. I wish we were able to spend a little more time getting to know the back stories of some of the characters (Marie, Gorgella, Pyralis) but it seems like Perrin left the door wide open for future entries to this series, which I will definitely be checking out.
I can easily recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Arthurian legends with a dash of magic, plenty of comedy, a healthy dose of poignancy, swiftly-moving prose, and emotional moments that sneak up on you. I've heard some compare Perrin to Terry Pratchett, and though I'm mostly unfamiliar with Prachett's work, I feel that is quite a high compliment. Why not decide for yourself?...more
In all my years reading speculative fiction, I haven’t dipped my toes in the “flintlock fantasy” genre until picking up Richard Nell’s “Rebellion of tIn all my years reading speculative fiction, I haven’t dipped my toes in the “flintlock fantasy” genre until picking up Richard Nell’s “Rebellion of the Black Militia” novella. I first became aware of Richard Nell having recently finished the remarkable “Kings of Paradise,” so I was eager to explore more of his work. This novella utilizes a vastly different setting and playbook than “Kings of Paradise,” and I’m happy to report that Nell’s talent for character building, detailed action scenes, and skilled pacing shines brightly throughout the story.
The plot centers around Johann, an apprentice Scribe who has spent the majority of his life in a castle tower reading and researching the history of the realm. He is a (mostly) pious young man, but not familiar with the harsh realities of the surrounding empire. At the onset of the story, Johann is summoned by the knight Lamorak to help him defeat and capture a demon. Johann would then proceed to bind this demon his body, therefore removing it from further threatening the land. Once the pair start their journey, Johann quickly realizes that his knight companion and the realities of the world around him subvert his expectations and world view, and redefines what measures must be taken in order to serve the laws of their king. Soon, the pair become entangled with a rebel militia under the demon’s command, and Johann quickly realizes that his life’s path might not turn out the way he thinks.
Lamorak is a vulgar and battle-hardened knight with decades of war and blood under his belt, and a lot of early enjoyment is extrapolated from the relationship between him and Johann. They both have varied histories and conflicting morals, and their conversations and attitudes helped to breathe life into their characterization while also building upon the history of the surrounding empire. I was impressed at how much world-building information was tactfully delivered, as well as how well-defined Johann and Lamorak felt by the end of the story. Johann’s metamorphosis felt earned, and his decisions and changing viewpoints seemed like a natural reaction to the events he was experiencing. Character progression was one of the strongest parts of this story, and it speaks to Nell’s considerable talent as a writer to have his protagonist come so far in a relatively short novella.
Similar to “Kings of Paradise,” there is some magic in the world, but it was reserved until the final act of the story, and its placement and usage added a lot of tension and gravity to the final battle scenes. The binding of demons, the powers it grants, and the consequences of such actions were a driving force through the end of the story. It was thrilling to watch our heroes battle with cannons and powder-based firearms in a bloody and oft-horrific showdown, with several surprises and twists revealing themselves along the way. At first, the combination of muskets and super-powered demons felt like a strange combination, but Nell’s attention to detail and vivid descriptions of the sights and sounds of the battlefield made it feel natural and earned.
This novella is part of a planned trilogy of novellas that will serve as a prequel series to something much larger that Nell is working on down the road. While this story feels complete, it also opens that door for potentially many more exciting missions and quests in future installments. “Rebellion of the Black Militia” is an excellent introduction to the world of Johann and Lamorek, and I hope it won’t be the last.
Note: This review will contain some plot spoilers from the first book in the Binti trilogy (Binti).
A tentacle-haired, genius teenager decides to spendNote: This review will contain some plot spoilers from the first book in the Binti trilogy (Binti).
A tentacle-haired, genius teenager decides to spend spring break at home, so she leaves Planet Math School to fly back to Africa on a living, pregnant spaceship, accompanied by her terrorist-turned-best-friend: a giant, gaseous jellyfish monster.
And thus begins chapter one of Binti: Home.
While this opening summary might feel like an unfinished entry of a Douglas Adams space satire, it is in fact a beautifully written, heartfelt story on finding one’s purpose in the universe.
Binti: Home, the second novella of the Afro-futuristic Binti trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor, is about twice the length of the first entry, and takes full advantage of its wider scope. While the first story focused on Binti running away from her Namibia-based Himba tribe on an intergalactic journey of discovery, this sequel turns the focus of revelation inward. Binti continues to struggle with her place in the universe as she confronts her family, the history of her people, and her connection to the various relics, species, and technologies that surround her. Although she continues to find challenges wherever she lands, Binti’s interactions with foreign and domestic cultures helps to evolve her quest for self-identification and acceptance with her peers and loved ones.
Okorafor continues to impress with the amount of ground she covers in so few pages. One of the few issues I had with the first novella was how quickly many of the more interesting ideas and themes were glossed over in favor of moving the story along at a quickened pace. I was pleased to discover that we spend most of this volume diving deeper into nearly all the mysteries that were referenced in the first book: the true meaning of the god stone; attempting to gain control of her inner fury; her acceptance of the Meduse inside her body; her motivations for leaving and returning home; her struggles with PTSD; her quest to discover meaning in the history of her tribe and its surrounding peoples.
The world-building and lore is nuanced and compelling, and most of the supporting cast feels fully realized. It’s a testament to Okorafor’s gift with economical and efficient dialogue that helps paint a vivid picture of the varying races and settings we spend time with. The book ends on a thrilling and unexpected cliffhanger, and I’m eager to dive into the conclusion to this delicate and original story.
I recently learned that Richard Nell will be submitting Kings of Paradise, the first book in the Ash and Sand trilogy, into next year’s SPFBO (Self-PuI recently learned that Richard Nell will be submitting Kings of Paradise, the first book in the Ash and Sand trilogy, into next year’s SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off) competition. In my mind, there’s no question of whether it will be a finalist or not. In fact, I will be shocked if it doesn’t outright win the whole contest.
This book is that good.
Clocking in at over 200,000 words, Kings of Paradise is a methodically paced and richly detailed story that primarily focuses on two teenage boys coming of age in vastly different circumstances in distant areas of the world: Ruka is a genius with eidetic memory; he remembers every detail of every book he’s ever read, details of every conversation he’s had, and learns new information at a phenomenal rate. He even recalls experiencing his own birth. However, he was born with a malformed face, and the surrounding communities label him as an outcast, a demon child. He lives in the frozen woods of the South with his mother Beyla, an influential yet shunned child of the gods, who loves Ruka unconditionally. Beyla raises and reveres Ruka, teaching him how to survive among society’s fringes: living off the land while having minimal interactions with surrounding clans. Beyla believes that Ruka’s genius and deformity marks him as a child of destiny, though it is unclear which path Ruka is destined to pursue.
The narrative shifts from this frozen land of ash to a much warmer climate in the North, a land of sand and sun and prosperous islanders who live and trade in a time of peace. Kale is the fourth son of the king of Pyu, an island empire with a strong navy and delicate political ties to an ever increasing empire to the West. Kale’s older brothers are loyal servants to the king and court, and are motivated to fulfill their princely duties to secure and strengthen their father’s empire. But Kale views his princedom as a burden; he has a troubled relationship with his father due to his immaturity and rebellious nature, so he is placed in Navy boot camp where we first join Kale on his journey.
It isn’t immediately apparent where these storylines will go, and this holds true for the majority of the novel. In other stories I might take issue with this narrative choice, but in Kings of Paradise it is a welcome advantage. Nell is a talented writer of beautiful, elegant prose, and a knack for deep characterization that brings this cast to life. We spend a lot of time inside the characters’ heads, and I was surprised at how quickly and how deeply I’ve come to care about their fates. As the cast begins to expand and we start rotating through new points-of-view, Nell wisely dedicates ample pages to allow for each of the new characters to breathe and connect with the reader. Every time I spent a few chapters following one character, I was disappointed when having to switch POVs, but when it was time to switch back, I did not want to leave the current story. The characters are strong-willed, sympathetic, and surprising. There are many bleak moments scattered throughout the novel, but small victories along the way had me cheering, fearful, or shocked.
World-building is another high point of this novel. The settings are detailed and rich, and often reflect the mood of its characters. The political landscapes, environmental hazards, village hierarchies, familial values, religious sects, morally questionable law-keepers, and military forces all play varying roles in the story, with many having unique takes of their effect on surrounding societies. Some naturally play bigger roles than others, but the world feels like it is a living, breathing entity that continues on whether the characters live or die, instead of hinging on the fate and decisions of our characters.
But that might be changing in the novels ahead. The final 15% of the book accelerates the storylines at a blistering pace, and the stakes are raised surprisingly high given the more methodical pace of the earlier sections of the book. It was a bit jarring in comparison, but this minor quibble might be attributed to the fact that I didn’t want the story to end so soon.
I realize that I have spent most of this review talking about the characters and setting, so I want to make clear that this book has plenty of action, and much of it is grim. The violence is sudden and visceral. There are graphic and detailed sex scenes. There’s even a scene that involves cannibalism and children, and, oh yes, that’s on page 1. There’s even a bit of magic, and though it doesn’t show up until the end of the story, it feels earned – a natural progression that opens exciting possibilities in the books ahead.
Kings of Paradise is a brilliant book, and I expect it catch fire in the fantasy community as word-of-mouth spreads. It is a self-published novel, though I think that is a temporary label – other than very few grammatical or spelling gaffes, this book feels more polished and professional than many, or most, of the traditionally published fantasy books I’ve read over the past several years. This is a diamond of a novel, and one that I can recommend to any fan of speculative fiction. Read this book, buy copies to gift to your family and friends. I have no doubt that this will be a fixture in the annals of truly great fantasy literature for years to come.
One of the most exhilarating aspects of experiencing the fantasy genre is to immerse oneself in a new environment that is unique to an author’s visionOne of the most exhilarating aspects of experiencing the fantasy genre is to immerse oneself in a new environment that is unique to an author’s vision. The possibilities for design are only limited by the scope of one’s imagination. Even so, a substantial percentage of fantasy novels are set in a quasi-medieval European countryside, or perhaps a desert kingdom, or a dystopian wasteland. I get excited when I come across a less common fantasy setting that feels rich and full of wonder; a world that can bend and surprise and charm and scare. This type of setting is on full display in Jeffrey Hall’s The City of a Thousand Faces, book one of his Welkin duology. The majority of the story sets the characters traversing through an imaginative, well-developed jungle full of anthropomorphic animals, monstrous creatures, and other murderous flora and fauna. Although I had a couple of minor issues with it, this book was a wonderful read, and made me ask: why aren’t there more fantasy books out there that utilize a jungle environment?
The story focuses primarily on a teenage girl named Irtha and her younger brother Soli who live in extreme poverty on a riverbank outside the walled city of Mohii. Orphaned, starving, and homeless, Irtha spends her days hunting for river beads under a bridge that the city folk have wished away, like pennies in a fountain, and trades these beads in town for paltry food rations for her and her brother. Irtha faces two hard daily truths: first, she is extremely protective of Soli, who was born a Welkin: a rare human that can magically control and shape elemental stone and rock. Welkin are not only feared, but illegal; their king has been known to eliminate them on sight. As if keeping herself and Soli alive isn’t difficult enough, Irtha is also addicted to a drug called motherseed, and spends a healthy percentage of their meager coin on drugs instead of saving up to buy a real house, or simply buying more food. The seed’s effect is intriguing: after it is consumed, the user’s mind will temporarily leave their body and share a consciousness with a nearby jungle animal for the duration of the night. Irtha uses the seed as a temporary escape from the difficult hand that life has dealt her, but suffers dangerous, animal-like side effects from overuse of the drug.
A royal wedding is about to befall the city, and in preparation for its events, Irtha and Soli – as inseparable as “earth and soil” – suddenly find themselves in dire straits, as heroes are wont to do. A surprising and exciting event forces the siblings out of the city, with a couple of new companions in tow. This group, now hunted fugitives, set off through the jungle on a long journey to start new lives in the titular City of a Thousand Faces.
The journey itself represents some of the best and worst parts of the book. Hall shines in his creativity to fully flesh out a world of unique botany and human/animal hybrid creatures that are hidden around every tree trunk. I quite enjoyed Irtha’s realistic struggles with her addiction while on the journey, but I felt that the pacing of the dangerous events came too fast and furious for the majority of the trip. The early threats were constant and relentless, and the characters (and reader) could barely catch their breath before launching directly into a new life-threatening ordeal. Perhaps Hall’s intent is to convince the reader that no one is safe for even a moment, but the consistently narrow escapes in the face of death began to grow a bit tiresome. At one point, the unbelievable luck of being saved from violent death time and again is even addressed by one of the characters. It seemed like this streak of luck would be somehow baked in to the story, perhaps a side-effect of being a Welkin, because why address the idea of being too lucky and then drop the subject entirely? I’ll hold out hope that this will be revisited in the sequel, but all in all, a minor complaint.
Also of note: due to the high volume of action scenes in the early part of the story, the character development felt lacking. Thankfully, that all changed for the better once our group arrives at one of their destinations. The longest chapter of the book is saved for this point in the story, and is dedicated to slowing things down and giving ample time for our party to breathe, talk, emote, and react, without having to skirt around deadly vines or flay cats or bounty hunters. This lone chapter could have been pulled from the book and served as a wonderful little short story that stands on its own. Seeing these fugitives teeter between hope and despair while discovering a new world of opportunities and threats was the most attached I’ve felt to the book. These final chapters helped showcase Hall’s talents in bringing dimension and depth to his cast, though I wish this was apparent a little sooner.
However, the book finishes on a strong note. Although an ending twist may have been telegraphed a bit too loudly, the series of events that puts our heroes at the midpoint of the duology is a high-adrenaline read that leaves as many questions as it does answers. Hall’s strength in creating lush environments, interesting characters, and difficult choices propels this story into one of the more unique stories I’ve read in recent years. I’ve already started the concluding book to the series, and I’m eager to find out how this journey concludes. I recommend this story to anyone who loves a good road story with a fresh setting, inventive creations, and characters struggling with demons, both tangible and personal.
I’d like to thank author Alec Hutson for sending me a copy of this book for an honest review. His debut novel, The Crimson Queen, is currently a finalist in the 2017 SPFBO contest.
What possible treatment plan could there be for people who’d seen the truth? Because most of all what we didn’t trust was the world.
Daryl Gregory’What possible treatment plan could there be for people who’d seen the truth? Because most of all what we didn’t trust was the world.
Daryl Gregory’s “We Are All Completely Fine” is a stunning, genre-bending story that follows six survivors of unspeakable horrors that attempt to deal with their traumatic pasts by participating in group therapy. All members of the group had been involved in fringe supernatural occurrences: one man was partially cannibalized by a family who worships a spider god. Another woman somehow survived having her bones carved into scrimshaw. A third woman who grew up in a cult had her body used as a canvas for carving scars into artwork. After years of "treatment," she was finally ready to be a host vessel for a Hidden One trying to inhabit her body.
Heavy stuff, but extremely compelling. The relatively short length of the book helped to quickly push its pace, and it allowed for frequent major reveals as well as subtle hints of something much larger at play. This story could easily have spanned several full-length novels, but I appreciate how a few details were carefully utilized, asking the reader to fill in the blanks. This strategy allowed much of the mystery and horror to germinate inside my head.
Over the course of many weekly group meetings, the victims start to open up and share their stories. They begin to realize that they can never escape their past, and start to depend on each other’s companionship and shared histories to aim towards some semblance of a normal life. But what is normal? The rest of the world isn’t privy to their supernatural experiences. Even though each member of the group has suffered some form of living hell, they were also rewarded with the knowledge – or curse – that there is much more to this world than what everyone else believes.
The narrative style is worth noting. Each chapter starts in the first person, with an invisible narrator using the pronoun “we” as part of the therapy group. Eventually, the focus shifts to third person, changing the POV to one of the group therapy members. The “we” is dropped as the reader gains access to thoughts inside another character’s mind. It’s an interesting take, and one that helped make me feel that I was personally involved in the therapy sessions. It urged me to reflect on my own personal tragedies, and unpack what had helped me move past some of those lingering feelings. I realized that over time, companionship and support can help heal some of the pain, but not all of it. The people in this story learn to accept their past along with the differences in the world that only they can see. No matter how dark you may find it, facing it together is where real strength can be drawn.
This is an unusual book that I find difficult to recommend to everyone, as some of the content may be painful to digest. But if you allow their experiences to seep into your thoughts, it might help you change your views on the value of communication, and dealing with past fears or regret. It is uncommon for a book to have led me to this point of self-reflection, so I am comfortable grading it with a high mark. ...more
Thank you to the author Karim Soliman for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The Warrior's Path" continues my 2017 trendThank you to the author Karim Soliman for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
"The Warrior's Path" continues my 2017 trend of reading and reviewing independently published fantasy novels, and I was genuinely excited to read a non-SPFBO book that I hadn't heard of before. This year I've read some brilliantly conceived plots, with interesting characters that hang in your mind, toiling over decisions between love and honor and duty and sacrifice. I've been wowed by breathing worlds that seem to live on long after finishing the final pages of the story. I've been swept away by prose and turns of phrases that have kept me rapt long into the evening. Unfortunately, I do not feel that "The Warrior's Path" fits into any of these categories. While an interesting backbone of a story does exist -- a self-exiled warrior-barbarian trying to start a new life in a foreign land -- the flat characterization (especially its treatment of women), the glossed-over action scenes, and the apparent invulnerability of its hero prevented me from enjoying Masolon's journey.
The story is set in Gorania, which according to its map is a re-imagined Europe, with country or regional names slightly changed to perhaps give the reader an easier sense of direction. Rusakia instead of Russia, Bermania instead of Germany, and so forth. The scale is much smaller, which allows for quicker travel time for our protagonist. Often times these travel scenes are warped through in but a paragraph or two, swapping between the hot desert of the south with the icy reaches of the north.
For someone who has never visited these kingdoms before, I felt that these travel scenes would be excellent opportunities for our character to discover culture, or become involved in side quests, or any number of ideas that could have fleshed out the world. Instead, we're transported from confrontation to confrontation, with Masolon making quick work of pretty much anyone or anything that gets in his way -- even when outnumbered six to one, or worse. I believe Masolon once killed eight people in a row while only suffering a scratch on his arm during one scene. Why does he have such an advantage? Simply because he comes from beyond The Great Desert, of which we learn barely anything?
Although no magic or demons or supernatural being appear to exist in this story (contrary to the Impending Doom prologue), Masolon seems superhuman. There's a looming threat of Ghosts, who turn out to be just another group of marauding desert nomads that present no real threat to Masolon's superior skill. Whenever Masolon or his interchangeable army of soldiers becomes ill or injured, they just need to show up at a "save point" (e.g. a healer who befriends our protagonist for no reason other than to hear stories) and everyone seems to turn out fine.
Characterization is probably the most problematic theme that lent to the poor rating for this book. It seemed as though any person that Masolon meets along his journey shares his entire history within a paragraph of meeting our protagonist. In response, Masolon somehow gets away with saying "I'm from very far away" and it's universally accepted, full stop. Most of the male cast felt interchangeable, no matter the position of rank. One acquaintance might make jokes while another is pious, but there's a severe lack of nuance that allows any of the cast to feel interesting or alive.
There are three women in this book. All are described over and over again as "pretty." Their looks are their main character traits, and Masolon dreams of bedding them all. But whenever any of these women experience emotion, they act impulsively and irrationally, almost laughably so. They are prizes to be won, damsels in distress. They are to be "punished" for misbehavior, and they were described as "whimpering" more than once. The treatment of anyone female felt misogynistic and cartoonishly old-school. They serve as plot devices instead of people, appearing sporadically to push Masolon where the author wants him to go.
There were a few parts I enjoyed. The beginning was full of potential. There's some interesting warrior training scenes, and the continuation of book one can lead Masolon into any number of directions. Perhaps future volumes of this series will regain the James Clavell's "Shogun" / Bernard Cornwell's "Saxon series" / stranger-in-a-strange-land feel that dominates the early pages of the story, though I'm undecided I'll be along for the ride....more
I've read about 60% of this book so far, and have been impressed with nearly all of them. Exceptional list of authors covering the subject of War fromI've read about 60% of this book so far, and have been impressed with nearly all of them. Exceptional list of authors covering the subject of War from different angles and takes, and nearly every story knocks it out of the park. I bought this book because not only are the profits going to Doctors Without Borders, but because it is a who's who list of some of the best genre writers in the game. But the best part of anthologies is discovering new writers that I can go explore after being exposed to their work for the first time, and I've found three new authors that I'm eager to dive into their back catalogs....more
An absolute classic. Razor sharp dialogue that is a clear influence on today's greatest mystery writers. Elmore Leonard and Jim Thompson owe a great dAn absolute classic. Razor sharp dialogue that is a clear influence on today's greatest mystery writers. Elmore Leonard and Jim Thompson owe a great deal to Chandler's penchant for the hard-boiled, the morally grey, the charismatic and the unpredictable.
While all of the Marlowe-centric books are excellent, The Big Sleep serves as the quintessential blueprint for the film noir movement.
The plot twists come fast and furious, and it is certainly worthy of a re-read in order to truly grasp the subtle inferences and plot threads that are woven throughout this tale.
I feel a little whisky-drunk just remembering the atmosphere that Chandler's Marlowe and his surrounding band of miscreants evoke. ...more
“To me, the greatest possible horror is not that humanity might end, but that our Empire of Stupidity might last forever,” our stupidly brilliant food“To me, the greatest possible horror is not that humanity might end, but that our Empire of Stupidity might last forever,” our stupidly brilliant food-critic narrator waxes between ambling descriptions of past delicacies. “Wild songbird blinded, then drowned in strong port, eaten whole; dormice raised in ceramic jars and force-fed until they’re balls of butter, killed without ever seeing daylight, dipped in poppy seeds, server on feathers. Coffee. This is how the dead eat when they tire of life.” Dry wit and poignant insights are gifts littered throughout M. Suddain’s brilliant, horrific, and utterly hilarious “Hunters & Collectors,” an inventive and likely unforgettable novel that has earned its way in the upper echelon of recent favorite novels.
After finishing this book, I checked how many passages I happened to highlight. Normally I highlight a passage or two that I’d like to revisit later in case I think it foreshadows, or if it is especially humorous, or poignant. I found twenty-seven beautiful, powerful, and often-hilarious witticisms staring me in the face.
Our narrator Jonathan is incredibly brave but does incredibly stupid things. But perhaps doing these stupid things is what makes him so brave. He is not a man I would want to spend time with - he is completely self-serving, infuriating, misleading, and seemingly uncaring about anything outside of his goals and fame. But since the story is written from Jonathan's perspective, his sharp wit, uncommon motivations, and irregular behavior becomes increasingly fascinating as his quest for the perfect meal unravels a deeper and darker mystery.
I'm restraining myself from delving any further into the plot; much like a tasting menu, it's best to experience each portion with little predilection or knowledge of what's to come. I will say that the supporting cast are extraordinary characters with enough depth and mystery to still feel real even months after finishing this novel. They add a combination of sharp dialogue, hilarious wit, and thoughtful insights throughout each unpredictable horror or hijinks awaiting around the next bend.
Fans of Douglas Adams' "Hitchhicker's Guide" series and John Kennedy Toole's "A Confederacy of Dunces" will find lots to like here. This is a broad & exciting novel that swings for the fences and knocks it into orbit. ...more
Reading this book is like assembling a jigsaw with several missing chunks. You start with the corners, gaining a sense of scope and magnitude of the aReading this book is like assembling a jigsaw with several missing chunks. You start with the corners, gaining a sense of scope and magnitude of the area this puzzle will cover. Then the edges and borders slowly fill in, giving the story boundaries, lining the playing field, determining the rules of the sandbox in which the story will live. Then the central puzzle pieces are dropped in heavily. Some are in place, some are out of place, some are broken forever, and some disappear. By the time you make of sense of it, you're no longer putting a puzzle together; you're playing Hungry Hungry Hippos, and the world is a marble.
Chomp. Chomp.
You've lost your marbles.
I barely know where to start with this book. The wonder and mystery of Seanan McGuire's "Wayward Children" series, mixed with the fairy tale weirdness of Neil Gaiman, tinged with unexpected & terrifying elements of grimdark horror and... I... I just don't know how to describe it further without giving much away. This is a strange, compelling, challenging, unpredictable, thrilling, dark, dark, DARK novel that was nearly impossible to put down. The characters were distant, barely sane, and brilliant.
I'm being vague because it wouldn't be fair to take away from anyone else's experience with this book. Go into it blind, and trust in the ride....more
NOTE: This review contains light plot spoilers from part one of this duology, “Where Loyalties Lie”.
Power ain’t what ya reckon it to be. 4.5 / 5 stars
NOTE: This review contains light plot spoilers from part one of this duology, “Where Loyalties Lie”.
Power ain’t what ya reckon it to be. Don’t mean yea get to do what ya want all the time; means ya gotta do what every other fucker wants. Much better bein’ the knife in the darkness than waitin’ fer it ta come for you.
The more powerful you are, the less people you can trust. This adage has never been more apparent than in Rob J. Hayes’ thrilling conclusion to his Best Laid Plans pirate fantasy duology, “The Fifth Empire of Man.” Seeds planted early in the story have finally borne fruit, addressing themes of loyalty, betrayal, familial trust, and the attempted birth of a nation.
While the majority of “Where Loyalties Lie” took place out on the open seas, Hayes wisely trades water for land this time around, placing the widening cast of pirate anti-heroes in cities across Sarth and the Five Kingdoms. We spend much more time with Elaina as she is finally ready to leave her father’s shadow and stake a claim to power on her own. It was great fun to watch Elaina play an unconventional political game and keep her enemies off guard, while trying to stay one step ahead of her unpredictable and deadly family. Across the isles, T’ruck ended the last book captured and facing the gallows pole, and his story is as violent and thrilling as any other. Back in New Sev’relain, Captain Drake and Captain Keelin strive to bring their settlement into legitimacy, while defending the infant city from foreign invasion. Morass’s story takes a bit of a back seat for most of the book, though we do spend more time with the mysterious Arbiter Beck, and learn more about what drives her. You can safely bet that it involves heavy gunplay, magic, and a high body count. We also finally learn more about Keelin’s past, and some promises he made in the first book come to fruition. The fulfillment of Keelin’s lifelong thirst for vengeance leads to a thrilling and horrific quest that’s one part “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and one part “Indiana Jones on bad ayahuasca.” While this adventure feels like its own self-contained novella, it sets of a series of events that races through the end of the story and doesn’t yield until the book is concluded.
This is a well-polished book, showing off Hayes’ strength at writing convincing dialogue that put me right in the midst of these bloody bastard pirates. A couple of the problems I found with the first book were still somewhat apparent -- I didn’t completely agree with how one of the retribution arcs was handled, as one guilty party was outright ignored – but the tightening of all of the plot threads was handled with style and aplomb. Make no mistake, these books are exciting reads: vivid and detailed battles, ever-escalating stakes, deadly beasties and ancient long-dead horrors, sharp dialogue, and sharper swords. There’s enough world-building that hints at something much larger in store, and I’m looking forward to being swept up into whatever storm of a story Hayes conjures up next.
Book passage on this wholly satisfying, high-seas adventure....more
Rob J. Hayes' "Where Loyalties Lie," the first book of the "Best Laid Plans" duology, is a grim yet fun sea-faring adventure where a number of smarmy,Rob J. Hayes' "Where Loyalties Lie," the first book of the "Best Laid Plans" duology, is a grim yet fun sea-faring adventure where a number of smarmy, egocentric arseholes claw for power through any means necessary. No holds are barred as piracy, murder, rape, graphic sex, and general vulgarity are on full display. This book isn't for everyone, but if you have the fortitude to find this description appealing, you're in for a fast-paced and exciting page-turner.
This is "Treasure Island" meets "Pirates of the Caribbean" with a healthy dose of "Game of Thrones." The chapters are named after the ships where the action takes place, which usually rotates between two main ships: The Fortune, captained by Drake Morass, a conniving yet charismatic pirate captain who is trying to unite the pirate factions; or The Phoenix, captained by Keeling Stillwater, the best swordsman in the isles who once betrayed his mentor and stole a ship from his lover, but now prefers bloodless acts of piracy.
Drake Morass' brother is an Oracle, who reveals to Drake that he must befriend Capt. Stillwater if he wants to become king of the pirate nations. Some deeper motivations are kept mostly secret throughout the story, but there are casual hints that help expand the world-building outside of the high seas setting. Both Morass' and Stillwater's pasts are morally questionable and full of mystery; both are prideful men (and must be, in order to maintain leadership over their ships) so it's tough to say how much truth there is in the rumors we're given about their histories.
One small gripe I have is that it seemed like some revealing details of these men were only hinted at in passing, though they seem rather important to the motivations of the main characters. Casual references to torture and imprisonment, the seduction of a goddess, genocide by necromancy, and other interesting tidbits of the surrounding world are quickly swept by in a sentence or two, sometimes never to resurface again. I'll reserve final judgment until the duology is over, in case Hayes is saving these revelations for the final assembly of the puzzle. Even if this is the case, I wish there was a bit more expository information given up until this point in the story.
A colorful cast of characters populate the book as the setting expands, and the circumstances for war begin to escalate. One of my favorite characters is Kebble Salt, a pirate marksman, who spends most of his time sniping enemies from afar. Arbiter Beck is one of the few female characters that we spend a lot of time with; she is a "holy bodyguard" who is assigned by her Inquisition to protect Captain Drake Morass at all costs. Beautiful and dangerous, her eyes seem to strike more fear into her enemies than the seven pistols she carries with her.
Female characters are one of the problems I have with this book. There are only three that we spend a substantial amount of time with: Elaina Black, daughter of evil pirate warlord Tanner Black and a murderous threat in her own right; Arbiter Beck; and Aimi, a witty refugee sailor/cook who acts as a love interest for Capt. Stillwater. Elaina is given a few chapters on her own, but the first chapter we spend with her as the lead POV, we are presented with one of the most vile acts in the story. I was reminded of the "stuffed into a fridge" trope where a female character undergoes massive trauma or death just to further the character arc of a male character -- in this case, the reprehensibile Tanner Black, Elaina's father. For me, it felt like the scene existed to help justify how shitty Tanner Black was, instead of focusing on what Elaina suffered, as its consequences were barely touched upon thereafter. For all of Elaina's strength and independence, I had a tough time buying into her thought process towards the end of this chapter. It lessened the character's realism in my eyes, and it helped support the argument that the women are mostly here to help propel the story for the male cast.
Even with the minor plot frustrations and questionable treatment of its female characters -- these are pirates after all -- this book was a pleasure to read. The action is brutal and the deaths are many, and much larger mysteries have been hinted at wherein I immediately had to purchase the sequel last night to start getting answers, even though it was past 1:00 am. That's a great sign of a successful story, and I'm eager to see how it all ends. 4/5...more
Interesting ideas, poor execution. Too many coincidences when it tried to tie things together, and the ending felt tacked-on as an afterthought. A shaInteresting ideas, poor execution. Too many coincidences when it tried to tie things together, and the ending felt tacked-on as an afterthought. A shame, since the elevator pitch for this novel was very enticing. ...more
I loved this story. It treated the reader with intelligence and asked the right questions. It built a fully-realized world and a fascinating religion I loved this story. It treated the reader with intelligence and asked the right questions. It built a fully-realized world and a fascinating religion while mired in the depths of a dank underground cavern. It was well-researched and informative, scary and exciting, insightful and metaphoric, compelling and complex.
The story shifts between Wynn and Kharios, both students at different stages of their training towards priesthood. They live inside and beneath an ancient Temple whose followers worship the Forgefather, god of smithing. Centuries ago, a mysterious and catastrophic event called the Fall nearly destroyed all remnants of this world-wide religion, and the surviving devout are anchored to serve in this last remaining Temple. Rituals, chants and forging techniques are taught to the students while they attempt to ascend the ranks, while also having to prove themselves adept at mining underground caverns under horrifying conditions. Death can easily be found around every corner, and dire punishments await those who can not make their quota. It is a hard life, one that is pressed onto one of our protagonists without his consent, stripping him of his freedom and childhood for a life of hard labor and questioning his faith.
The author spends several chapters with each of the two main characters before switching POVs, which is a refreshing narrative choice. It allows each character's story room to breathe, instead of hopping back and forth incessantly and losing whatever momentum has been built.
One of the villains in this story is a horrifying, manipulative, and abusive priest who is responsible for the training of some of his selected students. Some might think to associate a trope with this kind of teacher/student relationship, but I'll just say that the decisions and ramifications that stem from this plot thread are addressed with grimly realistic consequences.
There's several surprising turns in the back half of the book. Some might be able to predict one or two events in advance, but the way they are handled respects readers in a way that doesn't try to shock, but rather unfold the events and reveal themselves both naturally and logically. There are a couple of major tonal shifts in the story which initially caught me off guard, but the story does an excellent job of answering the lingering questions as to why these events abruptly occur. While the first half of the story is deliberately paced, the back third races toward the finish with unprecedented speed.
The author gets some incredible mileage out of the setting for the novel, which takes place entirely inside an underground mining city, or the lower levels of the ancient temple above it. Some books impress me with immersive world-building, incorporating various histories, cities, wars, magical rules, maps, battle records, and so forth... this book felt incredibly rich and lifelike even though the characters are surrounded by dimly lit rock walls and tunnels for the entirety of the story. An impressive feat.
I would not be surprised if this SPFBO entry ends up being this year's "The Grey Bastards." It's a clear front-runner for one of the best of this year's crop that I've read, and also one of my favorites overall of 2017....more
2017 has been a stellar year for debuts, and Blackwing continues this tradition in spades. Excellent world-building, beautifully dark prose, grim acti2017 has been a stellar year for debuts, and Blackwing continues this tradition in spades. Excellent world-building, beautifully dark prose, grim action, genuine mystery, unique adversaries, and a clever turn on magic combine to tell this dark tale of sacrifice, love, loss, and standing up against insurmountable odds.
McDonald has a knack for landing the perfect metaphor or simile at the right moment. I found myself highlighting a sharp turn of phrase nearly every chapter. There are a few scenes of action, though the majority of the book (told from a first-person perspective) consist of the MC investigating, thinking, working things out, and trying to unravel several mysteries. The prose was compelling and kept my attention rapt throughout, even when events slowed down for a spell or two.
The brandy-swiggling, cigar-chomping, scarred and grizzled lead character feels like someone I've met before, but the setting of the story is what sets it apart from other grimdark fantasy novels of its ilk. The entire book takes place either inside a city, or just beyond its gates in a bent-reality, evil and ever-shifting badland called the Misery. This literal gods-forsaken land mass is a result of a powerful magic event that temporarily stopped the encroachment of the malevolent Deep Kings from invading and wiping out the humans. Unfortunately, a side effect of this event also wiped out two other major human cities in its wake. The Nameless were responsible for this catastrophic event, and the war between them and the Deep Kings is eternal, going back untold centuries. It is a war of god-like creatures of unimaginable power, but they are currently in a stalemate due to the threat of a Nameless-created weapon held by the humans to keep the Deep Kings and their army of formerly-human monsters at bay.
As the story progresses, we learn that humans are quite insignificant to the plans and whims of these eternal enemies, with thousands of lives on both sides sacrificed without a second thought. But our MC has a secret - he is a Blackwing, one of a very elite group of soldiers with direct ties to a Nameless. His past starts to catch up with him, and all hell starts to break loose.
It's a lot to take in, and the story goes quite a bit deeper than that, but I never found myself lost or confused - the twists and reveals came fast and furious, and I did not see many of them coming.
This is an exciting, unforgiving, and mysterious world, and although some major events are wrapped up by the end of the book, there are quite a few interesting arc that should carry over into future entries in this series. I'm very much looking forward to reading what's next. ...more
It has the swashbuckling and valour of an Alexandre Dumas novel, mixed with a Guy Gavriel Kay-like pride and sacrifice for the lThis book wrecked me.
It has the swashbuckling and valour of an Alexandre Dumas novel, mixed with a Guy Gavriel Kay-like pride and sacrifice for the love of country, and cut with a healthy dose of Scott Lynchian camaraderie and humor.
It answers the burning questions raised in the first chapters of Traitor's Blade, putting mysteries to rest in an exciting and rewarding fashion.
It sings with the glory of impossible victories, then tears you down with devastating and irreparable loss.
It knows where every thread ends, and where new ones begin.
This series is nothing short of brilliant, and de Castell has saved his best for last. It's a perfect finish for an imperfect world. I can only hope that we return to Tristia at some point during de Castell's writing career, as I am not yet ready to leave this story behind. ...more
I was privileged to receive an ARC of The White Song in exchange for a review.
I'll make this brief: if you've already read the first four books, it'sI was privileged to receive an ARC of The White Song in exchange for a review.
I'll make this brief: if you've already read the first four books, it's very likely that you'll be reading The White Song as soon as humanly possible, so I'll save the sales pitch.
Does it end well? There are so many threads, so many factions and characters with their own motivations, all coming to a head... does the series do justice for all parties involved? Does the resolution make sense? What is next for this shattered empire, this broken religion, these warring races after their system's hierarchy has been completely upended?
I can happily report that the finale is a huge success. Not only does it offer some of the most exciting battle scenes of the series (think Tarmon Gai'don on dragon steroids), but it also answers many of the questions raised throughout the entire journey. Beyond the core six POVs, Tucker does an admirable job of addressing some of the bigger, tougher questions of "what now?" that other authors unfortunately choose to ignore after the culminating violence ends. This was one of the most important topics that I would hope Phil would cover as the story reached its conclusion, and I was very satisfied with the decisions made to address these outstanding topics.
There's a lot of ground to cover in this finale, and not a lot of pages to do it. I figured it might have been the longest book in the series, but The Siege of Abythos has it beat by a solid margin. Like its predecessors, The White Song has the mystery, romance, sacrifice, questionable morality, loyalty, betrayal, and wildly creative action sequences that makes this series one of the best and most compelling I've read. Not to mention Tucker's steady & straightforward prose, frenetic pacing, and clever plotting has given us a story rife for development for the screen. Netflix, are you listening? Let's get this thing made. ...more