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REVIEW: Wrath of N’Kai by Josh Reynolds

Wrath of N’Kai by Josh Reynolds is a gamelit tie-in literature, specifically for Arkham Horror. I don’t play Arkham Horror but a friend of mine does and it basically seems to be a boardgame version of Chaosiums’ Call of Cthulhu, except published by Fantasy Flight Games. I have an interesting relationship with game tie-in fiction. Basically, it’s what made me the reader I am today.

I was a fanatical consumer of Dungeons and Dragons fiction from around thirteen to nineteen with perhaps two hundred or so books under my belt. All of them five dollar paperbacks from my local Waldebooks: Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Dark Sun, Ravenloft, and so on. Technically, my love of the Star Wars Expanded Universe was the same as I devoured the books chiefly because of my love of Star Wars D6 by West End Games. Later, I’d read a large chunk of Dan Abnett and William King’s work in Warhammer and Warhammer 40K.

Even as a teenager, I felt they were essentially like fast food. They were filling, what I wanted, and not at all “good” for me. Some of them were things that stayed with me for decades, though, like Dragonlance Legends by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. I always felt Chaosium missed the boat by not churning out Call of Cthulhu books the same way TSR did. Perhaps it was a fear that they would dilute the brand by having investigators fighting against the Mythos versus going insane or dying horribly as the stereotype of Lovecraft protagonists was.

Which is a very long winded introduction into saying that Wrath of N’Kai is book I wish I’d read twenty years ago and was a trilogy rather than a standalone. It’s exactly what I want from a Cthulhu Mythos themed adventure novel and a Pulpy throwback that hits the spot perfectly. No one will ever accuse me of having refined tastes but I read a lot (350 Goodreads ratings last year) and this is on track to being my favorite read of 2023. There’s a beauty to sincere use of adventure and classic horror movie tropes that jumps off the page.

The premise is a beautiful female cat burglar, Countess Alessandra Zorzi, has been hired to steal a mummy found by archaeologists working in Oklahoma. Existing in the world of Call of Cthulhu/Arkham Horror, a lot of her clients are occultist weirdos so this doesn’t strike her as too strange. Befriending a young cabbie named Pepper who becomes her sidekick, stalked by an insurance investigator PI out to see her jailed, and dealing with old enemies who want to see her dead–she would be an interesting protagonist even without the Cthulhu Mythos elements.

But the use of Cthulhu Mythos elements are well done and Arkham is brought to life in a rich not-entirely- realistic way that makes me feel the city is a Waterdeep or Mos Eisley I’d love to visit. I admit part of the fun is picking out all the references I get. The Order of the Silver Twilght? I remember those guys! They were the villains of The Shadows of Yog Sothoth! Is that a reference to HP Lovecraft’s The Mound? Why, yes it is.

The Countess is really the best reason to enjoy this book, though, as she has a kind of Phryne Fisher 1920s style free spirited energy and enjoyment factor that makes her a tremendous read. She’s not a real countess, she drove an ambulance in WW1, and keeps a pistol for dealing with disgruntled clients as well as victims both. It says what I think best needs to be said about this book that I really wish I had more books about her and Pepper robbing evil wizards across Europe or the Americas. Kudos also to the cover artist for successfully evoking what sort of book this is by the art style.

Read Wrath of N’Kai by Josh Reynolds

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REVIEW: Dead Space 2023

Dead Space (2023) is a remake of the classic 2008 video game. It is a welcome revival of a franchise that briefly was on top of the world with animated movies, comics, and multiple sequels before crashing into a spectacular inferno with the incredibly ill-received Dead Space 3. The premise is simple: in the far future, humanity discovers a series of dark mystical artifacts called Markers that drive people insane before transforming them into horrible zombie-like monsters.

Dead Space is something of a victim of its own success as the premise is excellent but somewhat limited. The mystery of the Markers, Unitology, and the forces behind them both were intriguing but the games never really added behind them. Familiarity breeds contempt and the universe started to feel limited as well as static rather than constantly growing. Resident Evil and Silent Hills were always growing, while Dead Space didn’t. Oh and the fact the third game was an action multiplayer game in a series about survival hero.

Despite this, I was really excited about the remake as the original game was easily the best of them. As a huge fan of sci-fi horror, like Alien: Isolation, I’ve always been of the mind that we could use more of it in gaming. It’s also good to continually reintroduce the best games to new console generations so that future gamers can appreciate what was fantastic. It’s why I absolutely loved the Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 3 remakes.

While I’ve already shared the premise of the games, the plot is a bit more specific and interesting in both this version as well as the remake. Isaac Clarke is a technician who is sent to the USG Ishimura that has lost all contact with the outside universe despite just being a mining ship. Heading with a couple of soldiers, Isaac has the mission to repair it and see to helping any survivors. Isaac has a personal motivation as well with his ex-girlfriend, Nicole, being one of the people onboard the Ishimura.

The gameplay is the biggest change this time around as it more resembles Dead Space 2’s more actionized but still scary version. You can go back to the original controls if you want but I much preferred the more streamlined and enjoyable version. The name of the game in the remake is tweaking rather than generally modifying. Virtually the entirety of the original game is present with a bunch of additions rather than trying to reinvent the wheel. There’s no “empty” nodes in leveling up either.

Genuine improvements to gameplay would include the fact the Zero G system of the game is no longer bare bones. In the areas where Isaac can move around without gravity, you are no longer restricted to a preset path but can move around at will. They’ve also removed the incredibly poor turrett section and replaced it with one that has auto-turrets that Isaac must repair. Those turrets more or less destroyed me the last time I played the game so that’s a massive improvement.

Perhaps the biggest change is the fact that the Ishimura is one gigantic open world map now rather than something you are only able to explore once. A bit like the Spencer Mansion or the Racoon City Police Department, they provide you the opportunity to go around at your leisure. There’s also the addition of sidequests that were absolutely terrible ideas in Dead Space 3 but work surprisingly well here. There’s more interactivity as well with the previously unopenable red light boxes being available to loot this time around.

The plot is about 90% the same this time around and that’s a good thing even if I went in knowing the big “twist” that was such a shocker in 2008. I also appreciated the larger role for Nicole in this game as she’s a character that was somewhat of a Macguffin the first time around but is a fully realized entity this time. Because she and Isaac are played by their original voice actors, we also have the change to their characters that they’re a pair of middle aged lovers rather than twenty somethings.

Lore-wise, we actually get more nods toward Dead Space 3 and the revelations there. At least some of the Unitologists aren’t complete morons this time around and are full-on Call of Cthulhu cultists who want to bring about the end of reality for their dark masters. Given the games have always been heavily HP Lovecraft inspired, I’m not against this and hope this is a sign we’re going to eventually get a Dead Space 4.

In conclusion, I think this is a solid and impressive remake. I am a huge fan of HP Lovecraft cosmic horror but like when people take the themes and expand on them in a way that, well a 1920s oddball couldn’t, like done here. I have high hopes for the continuation of the Dead Space series and think fans of both the old game as well as ones who never gave it a shot will enjoy this too.

Play Dead Space 2023

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REVIEW: Death Rider by Zamil Akhtar

Death Rider is a prequel novella for the Gunmetal Gods series by Zamil Akhtar, which is a Middle Eastern inspired grimdark fantasy with heavy eldritch overtones. We see the world from Darya’s point of view, a tribal warrior trying to break through the walls of a besieged city and end the war in the name of the Shah. She is assigned to the eponymous death riders; the tip-of-the-spear vanguard designed as fodder against the defending forces. Despite facing death many times, somehow, she continues to survive – is it luck, skill, or a guiding hand?

Having read Gunmetal Gods (#1) previously I thought I knew what to expect from Akhtar in this novella – powerful, many-eyed beasties revered as gods, blood, death, and ominous magic – but Death Rider veered off on a mind-bending detour that I did not see coming. Kudos to any author who can shakes things up like that! Darya’s persistent not-dying leads her to believe she is being shielded by a higher power as she tries to find a way to break the siege and get herself back into the good graces of the Shah, who has sent her on this impossible mission.

A lot rides on her shoulders, as she laments her lost love, how she might keep her grown children safe and to preserve her honour through a long and difficult campaign. As the solo POV of Death Rider, Darya works extremely well to bring us into the world and keep us hooked. She kills with efficiency and prowess as she makes her way to seize the princess-in- the-tower who could spell her triumph. Darya keeps her head when things start to get a little topsy-turvy and this is where Death Rider really shines.

Akhtar’s prose is quick, smooth, and engaging; he conjures some dark imagery and a profoundly in depth world in just 100 pages. More than just a story, Death Rider will make you think and wonder. As someone who has never been keen on Lovecraft’s work, I have to say Death Rider takes the tentacles and eyeballs for an exciting ride and is entirely worth the time to try out – especially as it’s available free from Akhtar’s newsletter. You do not need to have read any other books in the series before this. It is set much before the happenings of
Gunmetal Gods, with entirely different characters. It is a perfect introduction, and reminder, of the brilliantly dark worldbuilding and story-craft that Akhtar has brought to the fore in the series.

Rating: 4.5/5

Read Death Rider by Zamil Akhtar

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January 2023 Comics Highlights

2023 came out swinging strong with January’s comic book offerings. The pile to pull from was mighty, with more outstanding books than was entirely necessary. It feels like every publisher has something to prove, and they’re proving it. The art, writing, storylines and everything are firing on all cylinders leaving readers absolutely spoiled for choice.

Whether you’re after tried and true superheroics, horror, fantasy, adventure, or anything in-between there’s something for you out there and there are story arcs just ending, beginning, and digging deeper. 2023 is definitely going to be a high water mark for comics and if January is any indication I can’t wait to see what the rest of the year brings.

X-MEN RED #10 (Marvel)Al Ewing (W), Stefano Caselli & Jacopo Camagni (A), Federico Blee (C), Ariana Maher (L)

While some people may question the overall quality of the current X-Men line, one of the most consistently excellent titles coming out for a while now has been X-Men Red and I think a lot of that is thanks to Al Ewing’s propensity for grand, epic narratives and colossal confrontations and action set pieces and all of that is put on huge display with the most recent issue. In a series that’s no stranger to outrageous action, we at last get a showdown between two of the most gut-wrenchingly powerful Omega mutants in the solar system: Vulcan and Storm. The battle itself is amazing, portrayed with astounding detail by Caselli and Camagni, and brought to vivid life with Blee’s colors. It scours the face of Arakki (once Mars), and you may or may not be surprised at its outcome—also, we see fallout of Abigail Brand’s clandestine machinations at last as the series’ first major arc comes to a close. If you haven’t been following X-Men Red, now would be a good time to jump on as it looks to begin a new arc. 

Read X-Men Red #10

ALL AGAINST ALL #2 (Image)Alex Paknadel (W), Caspar Wijngaard (A/C), Lassan Otsmane-Elhaou

I love a good, weird science fiction story and All Against All has more than satisfied that itch with its first and now second issue. The premise alone is enough to intrigue, with aliens having come to some kind of post-apocalyptic version of Earth to observe its biospheres and create weapons for their own mysterious extraterrestrial conflict. The questions are huge, the answers are cunningly delivered in bits and pieces, but the art in All Against All is a joy to behold. Wijngaard’s pages are, honestly, beautiful and his compositions are a breath of fresh air as the art and the story moves along at an impressive clip. The issue itself ends on a big moment, and it feels like the action is about to hit a major tipping point, which makes sense as the miniseries is set for five issues and I can’t wait for the next installment.

Read All Against All #2

GHOST RIDER #10 (Marvel)Benjamin Percy (W), Cory Smith (A), Oren Junior (I), Bryan Valencia (C), Travis Lanham (L)

The end of Ghost Rider’s first major arc closes with a huge confrontation, gore and action, and a big DUN-DUN-DUN moment to close it all out on and setup what’ll be coming next. I’ve said it before, but I’m a giant Ghost Rider fanboy and was pretty apprehensive when a new series got announced but over the course of these last tens issues those anxieties were certainly put to rest. I love that Percy ad Smith have embraced Ghost Rider’s horror roots and don’t shy away from touchy, otherwise sensitive subject matter. They embrace it, and use it effectively, creating a story of horror and suspense that has been exhilarating to read. Ghost Rider continues to be a consistently excellent book, and looks to continue that theme with its next arc.

Read Ghost Rider #10

MOON KNIGHT #19 (Marvel)Jed MacKay (W), Federico Sabbatini (A), Rachelle Rosenberg (C), Cory Petit (L)

Speaking of books that are consistently excellent: Moon Knight is like the book that can’t lose (knock on wood). Under the careful stewardship of MacKay, it’s been quite probably the single best book Marvel’s putting out right now with every single issue knocking it out of the park. This newest chapter sets up the opening overture of the new arc, and promises great, terrible things to come for Moon Knight and crew, his little makeshift family of misfits. A great time for new readers to jump on, Moon Knight has something for everyone with action, intrigue, mystery, comedy, and more. I could gush all day about this book, but I think it’s better to let it speak for itself and say Moon Knight is a title you should definitely not be sleeping on.

Read Moon Knight #19

DOCTOR STRANGE: FALL SUNRISE #3 (Marvel)Tradd Moore (W/A), Heather Moore (C), Clayton Cowles (L)

Listen, I’m a simple guy. I hear there’s a book being done by Tradd Moore, I go out and I get that book because I know that no matter what at least the thing is going to look damn good, and Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise is probably one of the most artistically impressive books I’ve picked up in a long time. Filled with Moore’s signature, insanely detailed work, it tells one of the most esoteric Doctor Strange stories ever with themes of philosophy and metaphysics building an intriguing narrative that’s easy to lose yourself in—if you don’t lose yourself in the art, first. It’s hard to even describe, if you haven’t experienced the kinds of layouts and tableaus that Moore creates. Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise is, ultimately, just that: an experience, and one that shouldn’t be missed. It’s a joy to behold, to fall into, and lose yourself poring over, absorbing every little thing in its pages. I can’t wait for the next installment.

Read Doctor Strange: Fall Sunrise #3

3KEYS #4 (Image)David Messina (W/A), Alessandra Alexakis (C), Shawn Lee (L)

I’m a big Cthulhu Mythos nerd and I can say, definitively, that 3KEYS is probably the single coolest interpretation of Lovecraft’s universe I have ever seen. Emphasis on “seen.” David Messina’s art is, in a word (or two), freaking cool. Even if it were presented as a wordless and totally visual narrative, 3KEYS would still be one of the most enjoyable books being put out on the stands every month simply on the strength of its stunning visuals. The art, the aesthetic, the colors, they’re all brilliant and then you go ahead and get a story and characters that are awesome and engrossing, and it becomes this book that everyone should be reading. It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s, cathartically visceral and far and away one of the most original interpretations of sweeping stretches of Lovecraft’s oeuvre. I’ve fallen head over heels for this book, and can’t recommend it enough. The only problem? 3KEYS is ending next month, and that absolutely guts me. But, if the previous issues are anything to go by, it’ll be one hell of a climax.

Read 3KEYS #4

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There’s a Monster in the House (and it is us)

It is often asserted that Mary Shelley gave life to modern speculative fiction with her masterpiece Frankenstein. If this is so, it can be further argued that grimdark swirls deep in the DNA of all modern speculative fiction.

And we love it. Time and again we fling ourselves into the pit with Frankenstein’s monster, with Glokta and his knives, with monsters and mad scientists and imperfectly understood alien technology. We glut ourselves on horror and despair.

Why should this be so? Why, in a musty old bookstore filled with tales of derring-do True Kings and Good Witches, would we ever reach for stories that make us wince or weep? Why reach for the bitter cup instead of sweet?

It’s almost as if we know that both cups have been poisoned, that the sweet wine is a lie.

Blake Snyder, known for his ‘Save the Cat’ beat sheet template for storytelling, describes a subgenre that he names ‘Monster in the House’. In this story genre our hero is trapped in an inescapable venue (the house) and menaced by an implacable danger (the monster). In order to survive, the hero must: a) defeat the monster; and b) escape the house. Unfortunately, neither of these is possible until the hero has been wrecked and remade in a new, darker image of themselves.

Worse, the monster only exists at all because the hero has created it. Victor Frankenstein, in his hubris, challenged the throne of God in his attempts to bring forth life from cold clay. Glokta chooses to inflict upon others the same horror that unmade him. We choose to watch as tragically fallible human beings raise the dead, commit all manner of atrocities, plunge worlds into war, and suffer for it.

We suffer along with them, and find ourselves entertained.

Why? Why do this to ourselves? Why, when the torturer pulls a hot poker from the fire, do we not set aside that book in favor of bright elves and sweet Hobbitses? Why, when the brat king shoots a whore full of bolts, do we not hit the remote and watch Willow for the umpteenth time?

Why do we decide, time and again, to trap ourselves in the house with these monsters?

Perhaps, as it has been opined, we wish to expose our limbic systems to fear, horror, and grief so that we may build grit and resilience by surviving these harrowing experiences. Perhaps we wish to distract ourselves from a sometimes terrible and terrifying reality.

After all, what is end stage capitalism and climate change when compared to a planet-devouring protomolecule?

I suspect the reason is deeper.

And darker.

It can be argued that humans suffer mental anguish when our actions are not in harmony with our ideals. And we, perverse creatures that we are, consistently elect sin over sainthood. We tyrannize and destroy our neighbors, our planet, ourselves. We rape, plunder, and pillage our way to a throne, crown ourselves in stolen gold, and then eat, drink and whore ourselves into an early grave. We drink stolen water from plastic bottles which choke the life from our oceans, drive ridiculous vehicles that steal the oxygen from our own lungs. Every generation sews together bits and pieces of the Nazi dream and tries to breathe new life into a dead nightmare.

We could embrace life, love, and light. We could bottle the light of the stars, plant trees of silver and gold, unfurl our wings and soar into a land of peace and prosperity.

But we won’t. We will always create the monster and then lock ourselves in the house with it. Because, as Agent Kay tells us, “People are dumb, panicky, dangerous animals and you know it.”

Mary Shelley knew it, too.

Out loud, we tell ourselves that we want True Kings and Bold Heroes and Virtuous Rulers, but down deep in the muck of our DNA, we know that we neither deserve nor truly desire that glittering castle in the sky.

So lock yourself within the house of pain and bring forth the monster from your tortured, dissonant, too-human soul.

It’s not your fault, poor creature—you were made this way.

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REVIEW: New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine

Genre labels are funny, aren’t they? Grimdark. Cyberpunk. Hopepunk? ‘Swords-and-sorcery’ has been bandied about for almost a century, and still the average consumer doesn’t know what the hell it is. Does it have swords? And sorcery? Must be sword and sorcery, right? Nah. Not really, but that’s an argument for another day. What’s important is that sword and sorcery is back and screaming for vengeance! Readers who prefer outsider protagonists, cruel sorcery, and a hearty helping of Weird now have options beyond what was popular in the 30s and 70s. That’s right; we may well be facing a third wave of the genre that brought us Conan, Kane, and Elric! One such publication offering new and exciting tales of flashing blades and eldritch evils is New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine.

Dear reader, it’s absolutely worth your time.

Editor Oliver Brackenbury has assembled an impressive ToC for this first issue (#0). Beyond the striking cover (by fantasy artist Gilead), you’ll find beautifully laid out pages filled with stunning art, fast fiction, and persuasive essays that probe and highlight various aspects of the genre. Every entry is strong, but there were a few standouts for me.

Dariel R. A. Quiogue’s tale of Orhan Timur is pure old-school S&S, deeply rooted in its historic influences. Its words are worth a thousand pictures, and you can all but feel the cool wind of the steps blowing through your hair. Those who dig Robert E. Howard and Harold Lamb will surely enjoy The Curse of the Horsetail Banner.

The non-fiction standout for me is C. L. Moore and Jirel of Joiry: The First lady of Sword & Sorcery by Cora Buhlert. Though I host a sword and sorcery podcast called Rogues in the House, I was woefully ignorant to the career of C.L. Moore and the adventures of her trail-blazing heroine, Jirel of Joiry. Buhlert’s essay goes a long way in educating readers about these seminal tales.

Exquisite art has always accompanied these sorts of adventure tales, so any good sword and sorcery magazine worth its salt must bring the visual goods. This first issue is bursting with excellent black and white illustrations from folks all over the globe. Hardeep Aujla and Morgan King’s pieces stood out for me, taking me back to a time before robots who can’t draw hands got into the mix. Yeah, I said it.

While the entries in the magazine are strong on their own merits, it’s worth noting the magazine’s ethos is as a blazing banner, literally defined and laid out in detail. Sword and sorcery has a tradition of fleet storytelling and strong protagonists, where underdogs can, and often do, triumph over laughable odds. These tales are rarely concerned with world-shaking stakes, instead focusing on human desires and inclinations. This genre has also, like so much of what was written in the past century, offered some unseemly racist and sexist content, some of it beyond just the “views of its day”.

To focus on what makes S&S truly shine, Brackenbury has leaned into the human element, the outsider’s perspective, and the thunderous, thrilling trappings of high adventure yarns. The magazine also puts in the work to boost voices of those traditionally underserved and underrepresented in genre fiction.

One might hear this and suggest it’s the quality of the stories that ultimately matters. I agree! But it’s a fake idea to suggest you have to sacrifice quality for variety, and I would also add that storytelling is richer when we’re treated to tales by those outside our immediate demographics. I found ample proof of that in New Edge Sword and Sorcery Magazine, and so can you.

Meanwhile, the presence of a story by S&S veteran David C. Smith, and non-fiction by S&S scholars Howard Andrew Johnson and Brian Murphy, makes it pretty clear they’re only looking to add people to the genre, not cut them out. “Made with love for the classics, and an inclusive, boundary-pushing approach to storytelling” is the short version of their ethos, seen even in their badass battle-axe logo that looks to both the genre’s past and future.

The digital formats of issue #0 are available for the low price of FREE; or you can pick-up a soft or hardcover copy via Amazon for the cost of printing. You can find all of that through www.newedgeswordandsorcery.com.

There’s also a 30 day Kickstarter for issues #1 and 2 and that absolutely warrants your contributions. Issue #1 even includes a brand new story by fantasy legend Michael Moorcock! Check out the Kickstarter campaign page to see who the other 20 authors, and 19 artists, are.

 

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REVIEW: The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

In The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan, our protagonist Helena, Vonvalt, and his retainers travel from Galen’s Vale to the empire’s capital of Sova to unravel the pit of treachery it has become. Old mentors and leaders, and some of the very most senior justices in Vonvalt’s Order of Magistrates must be cut from the body of the empire, lest they poison if further. And if the treachery and intrigue and action stopped there this would still be a very good book. But because it’s a fucking great book, it doesn’t stop there.

The Tyranny of Faith has a little something for every kind of dark fantasy fan. Intrigue, political manoeuvring, necromancy and other vicious magics used for both good and evil, small personal vicious fights and epic battles, and brilliantly well-fleshed out characters on all sides of the story. As we travel to Sova and experience something akin to the halls of Rome in Gladiator and then to the frontier fortress of Keraq which reminded me so much of Kingdom of Heaven, we are treated to a brutal, intensely personal, at times darkly funny (in an Abercrombie way), story about the collapse of the empire, and the degradation of the people who try to prop it up.

In The Tyranny of Faith Helena follows her mentor Vonvalt and his retinue into danger. Helena as a character is excellent and well thought out. She is principled as only the young can be, and her journey of starting to see the world and the people around her more realistically against the principles she thought they stood for is a riveting one. Her relationships with the three men in her party are well fleshed out, with each playing a role in her growth throughout, while also going through their own pain and growth in return.

One of the things I really enjoyed about the early stages of The Tyranny of Faith is how Swan’s history as a lawyer shines through in showcasing how the Order of Magistrates works. How people talk, what they value, and what drives them shines through in the way only authors with lived experience seem to manage. I’m not sure if it’s my own white collar career upbringing in what’s essentially project management kicking in here, but seeing the workings of a place like that–that isn’t the standard senate setting that’s in plenty of books–just makes me happy at this age. That and logistics, which Swan also seems to consider beyond a surface level throughout his books, really just add nice depth and nuance to the world.

As a book two in a series, The Tyranny of Faith is almost perfect. In my eyes it’s a slightly better book than The Justice of Kings (which I’m pretty sure I five-starred, so this is awkward) and it doesn’t rely on heavy clumsy exposition to remind you of all the things in book one that matter to book two. Swan ramps up the stakes throughout the story presented in the pages of The Tyranny of Faith, and also makes damned sure that just about every reader is going to be chomping at the bit for book three to land. Try as I might, I actually don’t have a negative word to say about it.

The Tyranny of Faith is an absolutely unputdownable read. Swan ramps up the awesomeness of The Justice of Kings by giving readers more of what we loved in book one, and then building on it in book two. The emotional hits are harder, the action is bloodier, the magic out of control, and the stakes just keep going up as the tens of millions of people in The Empire of the Wolf are set up to be torn down.

5/5

Read The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

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REVIEW: To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

In a grim world damaged by dragon wars, colonization, and industrialization, To Shape a Dragon’s Breath follows the story of a young Indigenous girl who becomes the hope of her people. Instead of Dragon rider, her people call her Nampeshiweisit. Throughout the book, Blackgoose digs up the older roots of fantasy and plants new life with original ideas, growing this novel into a stronger, more thoughtful story. In a whaling village, a girl watches as a rare dragon leaves its egg. It hatches in front of Anequs, who finds herself in a bond with a baby dragon. Anequs is led into the horrid, complicated politics between her people and the colonial government, which requires that she train in dragoneering at a dragon academy, far away from her people.

At Kuiper’s Academy of Natural Philosophy and Skiltakraft, students learn all about dragon academics. The sciences, philosophies, and engineering of the nineteenth century become the basis for this empirical dragon school, where tweedy teachers make the average black-gowned fantasy professor look like an angel. But where the typical fantasy makes boarding schools seem like a cozy academic fairytale, Blackgoose makes this academic colonial horror into reclaiming power.

Anequs and her dragon, Kasaqua, leave their whaling village for the steam trains of the Anglish world. I imagined this world as an epic industrial society if the Vikings lived in the Victorian age. Following the requirements of the Ministry of Dragon Affairs, Anequs studies anglereckoning and other magical academia to graduate in dragoneering. Blackgoose puts industrious thought into how the magic works. This is an intensely nerdy book—full of theories, mathematics, devices, and the wacky scientists who make them. Add that up with dragons and oral storytelling, To Shape A Dragon’s Breath made for a fun, smart read. Blackgoose brings a daring, entirely hot, take on dragonriders and worldbuilding that outshine what I’ve previously read. I love a fantasy author that pokes, prods, and questions the genre. That storytelling puts a different perspective, embracing what fantasy is truly about. It encourages growth over stagnation.

Characters in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath command the story. Blackgoose makes every character with even the smallest scenes captivating with intriguing, interesting details about them. Existing in this grunge civilization, Anequs experiences a world where everything is unkind and brutal compared to the softness of her home. While the Anglish see progress through their rose-tinted glasses, she sees atrocity, broken laws, and prejudice. Fantasy and dragons give her perspective another layer in a frightening fantasy world that truly feels like a cultural shock. Tight corsets, anthropologists treating her existence at the academy as an experiment, spending time with her lady amour in private, and restrictive rules for women and queer people all frustrate Anequs. Truly, you can feel the fire within in a world like that.

Not only does the world feel real, but the characters have personalities beyond their dragons. Anequs is both a clever protagonist and a delightfully rageful one in equal measure. I am charmed by her unfiltered tongue, like her confusion about expressing love in public or her grumblings about women having to wear such restrictive clothing. I like that she does not conform or feel sorry for refusing to conform to their culture’s expectations of her. She’s so wonderfully dry-humored in a dark world, which is exactly the balance I look for in a great dark fantasy novel. There’s a genuine feeling that she wants to follow in the footsteps of her ancestors, and points out that there is nothing wrong or backward about that. But as a student she is confronted with the poisonous attitudes the Anglish have about her people, making her increasingly invested in her people’s liberation.

Every character in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is fully realized—some have quirks, oddities, family obligations, dislikes, tempers, and money to earn. I enjoyed seeing that the author wrote such nuanced, complicated queer and disabled characters, including a teacher who fought in a dragon war. And all of them are imperfect and flawed. The relationships are richly written too, be it father and daughter or grumpy classmates to good friends. My favorite is Theod, who when first introduced to Anequs says “I am the offspring of murderers.” His prickly relationship with her turns into something very deep and full of heartache, which readers will particularly be
pulled towards. I am used to Fantasy novels that portray a dark world where sensitive feelings are portrayed as unimportant and weak. I love that Blackgoose shows characters feelings towards courtship or towards family as something to appreciate. The development of everyone in To Shape a Dragon’s Breath felt visible as clear glass.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath is one blazing epic gulp of a fantastic tale. Queer, anticolonialist, and full of dragons. Moniquill Blackgoose’s writing is easy to love: cutthroat, smooth, and reminds me of a story being told over an open fire.

Read To Shape a Dragon’s Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose

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REVIEW: Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

Untethered Sky is Fonda Lee’s delicate coming-of-age novella inspired by Persian and Arabian folklore, featuring two beasts from Middle Eastern mythology: manticores and rocs. The manticore, which derives its name from the Persian word for “man-eater,” is a fearsome beast with a human-like head, the body of a lion, and a scorpion-like tail. It delights in feeding on humans, with the screams of its victims only fueling its thirst for carnage. In Untethered Sky, the manticore has only one natural predator: the giant bird known as the roc. The roc, which appears in both Arabian and Persian mythology, is essentially a supersized falcon that can be trained to hunt a variety of beasts, including the manticore.

Untethered Sky is told from the first-person perspective of Ester, a girl who lost both her mother and brother to a rampaging manticore. With the manticore’s sinister, heterochromic eyes emblazoned in her memory, Ester makes it her life’s mission to hunt and kill manticores by training as a ruhker, i.e., a professional roc trainer. The job of a ruhker is highly dangerous, since any miscommunication with the roc could lead it to attack its handler. Only about one in five apprentices are able to complete their training and become a successful ruhker.

The first part of Untethered Sky focuses on Ester’s apprenticeship. The most important aspect of her training is to build a trusting relationship with her adolescent roc, Zahra. I was especially touched by the respect and thoughtful care exhibited by Ester in all her interactions with Zahra.

As in her Green Bone Saga, Fonda Lee excels at nuanced characterization of complex interpersonal relationships. In Untethered Sky, these relationships include those between ruhkers and rocs and amongst the ruhkers themselves. All these relationships are built on mutual respect and collegiality but with an unspoken barrier preventing deeper connections. The cautiously affectionate interactions between Ester and her fellow ruhker Darius are especially poignant.

Another major theme in Untethered Sky is the relationship between humankind and the natural world. The ruhkers cultivate a respectful, personal relationship with their rocs, never considering themselves to have any ownership over the giant birds. This attitude contrasts with that of the local government officials who seek to leverage the rocs in a more organized, militaristic fashion to exterminate the manticores. Whereas the ruhkers give all the credit for manticore-hunting to their beloved rocs, the officials are quick to attribute their success to human skill and ingenuity.

With Untethered Sky, Fonda Lee shows her maturity and versatility as an author. Her writing is precise and poetic, with every word skillfully chosen. Combined with its gentle didacticism, Untethered Sky has the feeling of a classic folktale. Whereas the Green Bone Saga showcased Fonda Lee’s ability to write pulse-pounding action in the world of organized crime, in Untethered Sky she demonstrates quiet restraint. Her more minimalistic approach in this novella works every bit as effectively as the grander scale she employed in Jade City and its sequels.

Untethered Sky is a beautifully crafted gem of a novella, which reinforces Fonda Lee’s standing as one of the most talented authors in fantasy today. The Middle Eastern-inspired setting is an ideal backdrop for Lee’s tale, which gently interweaves fantastical elements in this graceful story about the nature of humanity, our relationships with each other, and humankind’s place in the natural world. Fonda Lee’s understated approach is the perfect vehicle for this moving novella about rising from tragedy to find one’s true calling.

5/5

Read Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

The post REVIEW: Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

Review: Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

Untethered Sky is Fonda Lee’s delicate coming-of-age novella inspired by Persian and Arabian folklore, featuring two beasts from Middle Eastern mythology: manticores and rocs. The manticore, which derives its name from the Persian word for “man-eater,” is a fearsome beast with a human-like head, the body of a lion, and a scorpion-like tail. It delights in feeding on humans, with the screams of its victims only fueling its thirst for carnage. In Untethered Sky, the manticore has only one natural predator: the giant bird known as the roc. The roc, which appears in both Arabian and Persian mythology, is essentially a supersized falcon that can be trained to hunt a variety of beasts, including the manticore.

Untethered Sky is told from the first-person perspective of Ester, a girl who lost both her mother and brother to a rampaging manticore. With the manticore’s sinister, heterochromic eyes emblazoned in her memory, Ester makes it her life’s mission to hunt and kill manticores by training as a ruhker, i.e., a professional roc trainer. The job of a ruhker is highly dangerous, since any miscommunication with the roc could lead it to attack its handler. Only about one in five apprentices are able to complete their training and become a successful ruhker.

The first part of Untethered Sky focuses on Ester’s apprenticeship. The most important aspect of her training is to build a trusting relationship with her adolescent roc, Zahra. I was especially touched by the respect and thoughtful care exhibited by Ester in all her interactions with Zahra.

As in her Green Bone Saga, Fonda Lee excels at nuanced characterization of complex interpersonal relationships. In Untethered Sky, these relationships include those between ruhkers and rocs and amongst the ruhkers themselves. All these relationships are built on mutual respect and collegiality but with an unspoken barrier preventing deeper connections. The cautiously affectionate interactions between Ester and her fellow ruhker Darius are especially poignant.

Another major theme in Untethered Sky is the relationship between humankind and the natural world. The ruhkers cultivate a respectful, personal relationship with their rocs, never considering themselves to have any ownership over the giant birds. This attitude contrasts with that of the local government officials who seek to leverage the rocs in a more organized, militaristic fashion to exterminate the manticores. Whereas the ruhkers give all the credit for manticore-hunting to their beloved rocs, the officials are quick to attribute their success to human skill and ingenuity.

With Untethered Sky, Fonda Lee shows her maturity and versatility as an author. Her writing is precise and poetic, with every word skillfully chosen. Combined with its gentle didacticism, Untethered Sky has the feeling of a classic folktale. Whereas the Green Bone Saga showcased Fonda Lee’s ability to write pulse-pounding action in the world of organized crime, in Untethered Sky she demonstrates quiet restraint. Her more minimalistic approach in this novella works every bit as effectively as the grander scale she employed in Jade City and its sequels.

Untethered Sky is a beautifully crafted gem of a novella, which reinforces Fonda Lee’s standing as one of the most talented authors in fantasy today. The Middle Eastern-inspired setting is an ideal backdrop for Lee’s tale, which gently interweaves fantastical elements in this graceful story about the nature of humanity, our relationships with each other, and humankind’s place in the natural world. Fonda Lee’s understated approach is the perfect vehicle for this moving novella about rising from tragedy to find one’s true calling.

5/5

Read Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee

The post Review: Untethered Sky by Fonda Lee appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.