Adrian Collins's Blog, page 12

REVIEW: War Cry by Ian Ross

Last month, I eagerly picked up War Cry, the second instalment of the de Norton trilogy by Ian Ross, from the bookshop across the road from my workplace. The reason for my enthusiasm was its predecessor, Battle Song, which I’d devoured towards the end of 2023. Battle Song was the best historical adventure I’d read in ages, even eclipsing Dan Jones’ Essex Dogs.

Battle Song was a masterful novel which should have made Ian Ross an international bestseller-topping, household name on par with the likes of the late Hilary Mantel. This first instalment tells the story of the baronial revolt led by Simon Montfort against King Henry III. More importantly, it contained language so immersive that it was intoxicating, as well as characters better sculpted than a Renaissance statue in Florence, all the while blending historical fact and character journeys with the greatest intelligence. I loved the convincing way in which Ross painted the unlikely union of the profiteering, canny knight Robert de Dunstanville and his valorous yet naive squire Adam de Norton, as the two seek their fortunes along the tourney circuit in England and the Continent, prior to securing their futures in a highly dangerous civil war.

Throughout the first instalment, Ross convincingly portrays Robert and Adam as formidable fighters but also endearing rascals, men using both their wits and their martial skills to rise in an unforgiving, cruel world. So that I found myself quickly warming to the descriptions and motivations of de Dunstanville and his motley crew; I could fully understand why Adam would eventually want – despite perfectly realised initial reluctance – to form part of the band. They were characters that were perfect in their strengths and imperfections, also backed by an excellent cast of secondary characters and nemeses like Malmaines and De Brock who eliminated any sense of tedium from the referenced historical events. All of which led me to feel like I was journeying with the characters every step of the way, right until the final, dramatic standoff.

As for the second instalment: it started very brightly, with the usual excellent use of language that Ross employs, combined with a great sense of danger and uncertainty, as Adam secures his father’s lands accorded to him by the new, de facto ruler of England. For a few pages in, it appeared that the amusing Welshman, Hugh of Oystermouth, would step up and help make War Cry highly engaging, only to disappear from the scene all too swiftly, along with Robert de Dunstanville who made a brief cameo. Thereafter, I found that the story turned from an upward sprint into a weary limp, as Adam goes from pursuing a woman he’s not wholly in love with to serving Montfort again, against Robert’s advice. There follow a couple of interesting twists and turns, involving a siege and a flown prince, yet what first appeared to be a promising sequel started to quickly lose the momentum built by its predecessor, as a forbidden love thread becomes ground down by the slow progress of Montfort’s army as it desperately seeks to tie up a fast unravelling, loose end, with tragic consequences.

The last third of War Cry just did not possess any characters or unexpected twists to lend it the immediacy or the personal stakes of its predecessor – with one character in particular reappearing and being eliminated far too quickly, especially when one considers that this character was previously so compelling because of his ability to read political headwinds and pick the side that best suited him personally. How this same character – who so cleverly cut corners and effortlessly revealed the cynical side of chivalry to young Adam in Battle Song – suddenly elects to throw it all away in an unwinnable conflict, mainly because of social perceptions, was somewhat hard to buy. I also question whether the outrages committed against the Jews by Montfort’s men in book one (which Montfort himself profited from) might have justified, for the reader at least, Robert and Adam throwing their lot in with a charismatic Prince Edward’s cause, or simply sitting out the final conflict entirely? And while it was great that Montfort was such an enigmatic character in book one, I felt that further teasing out his motivations and personality in this sequel would have been a good approach, especially when one considers that both Robert and Adam are ready to give up everything for him.

I will probably pick up the third book in the trilogy, both due to my curiosity and the fact that Ian Ross’ command of language is a great joy to experience when combined with his historical knowledge. Yet – unless I’m missing something and soon to eat humble pie after reading the third instalment – I can’t shake off the feeling that the structure and character motivations of this number could have been truer to its predecessor’s. So it’s 3/5 stars for me, which given Ross’ world-beating quality of writing should probably be a 4, were it not for the unparalleled excellence and sky-high expectations set by the timeless classic, Battle Song.

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REVIEW: Andor Season 2

Star Wars. Stories of good versus evil set in a world designed to sell toys to kids. Swords that light up, guns firing lasers, aliens, princesses and more. Not exactly grimdark, right? A prequel series to a prequel film of the beloved original trilogy, Andor S2 may be the best thing to have ever come out of the Star Wars universe and for fans of grimdark, this is a must-see series.

Following on from the brilliant and dark first season, Andor S2 follows Cassian Andor as he tries to find his place in the growing rebellion against the evil Empire who are slowly tightening their grip on the numerous worlds in their control. Set four years before the events of Rogue One, the series chronicles Andor’s transformation into an integral part of the rebellion with three-episode arcs representing a year in his life. This approach allows deep exploration of the characters within the series and a chance to see the way in which the rebellion grows in the shadow of the Empire. It also allows viewers the witness the ways in which the powerful can get away with atrocities in small steps using propaganda and control of the media. This is Star Wars at its most mature and developed as we see tension build between cliques within both the Empire and the rebels. No one knows who they can trust and there is a weight to their actions with death being a very real consequence in this story. The story focuses heavily on the plight of Ghorman, a world being mined by the Empire for their resources for an as yet, unknown project. The clothing, language, music, and whole atmosphere of the show calls back to moments in history when countries have been invaded and colonised but fought back with resilience and hope. Episode 8 in particular is a beautiful and devastating episode that stayed with me long after the credits rolled. It is dark and gritty but laced with hope throughout, even during the darkest of times. I never thought Star Wars would be allowed to go this dark but they allowed it and have created something greater than anything that has come before. The weight of episode 8 left me thinking that the rest of the season would struggle to reach such a peak but every episode following continues the excellent standard and finished with me knowing that I had watched one of the best TV series ever – not just in the Star Wars universe.

Diego Luna is compelling as Cassian Andor. You can see that he is burdened with the weight of the choices he makes and the impact it has on those around him. This is a career defining role for him. Andor S2 is filled with stunning performances. Genevieve O’Reilly as Mon Mothma portrays the personal sacrifices needed to fight a rebellion and her performance adds a level of depth needed to pull of the political side of the series whilst Stellan Skarsgard as spymaster Luthen Rael is an absolute standout as he embodies the moral complexities that come with leadership in a time of war and rebellion. There are so many more powerful performances I can mention and the writing is some of the best seen in this world. Every episode is packed with excellence and it forces the reader to pay attention. This isn’t a show that spoon feeds its viewers information. It is a truly mature piece of work and whilst I am surprised that something under the Disney banner has been allowed to be so dark and mature, I am so happy it has been.

Andor S2 is not just one of the best works in the Star Wars universe, it is one of the best TV series of the past decade. It is gritty, mature, and treats its audience with intelligence. You don’t have to be a Star Wars fan to appreciate this brilliant series, although it does help. Power, corruption, genocide, war, rebellion – Andor S2 has it all. This is the darkest Star Wars has ever been but there is always hope. Watch season 1 and 2 and then pop on Rogue One – you can thank me later.

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REVIEW: Rose in Chains by Julie Soto

Julie Soto’s debut fantasy, Rose in Chains, is a dark romantic page-tuner with a high-stakes political angle that will have you devouring the story whilst wanting to savour it simultaneously. When Briony Rosewood’s brother, the King of Evermore, is murdered in a battle against Bomard, the kingdom comes toppling down, and she is kidnapped along with other high-ranking Eversuns. The captured are put up for auction to the Bomardi elite, where Briony would be sold as a conduit of power known as a heartspring, to the highest bidder. With her royal blood, she fetches a high price. She is sold off to none other than Toven Hearst, heir of one of the most coveted Bomardi families, and the object of Briony’s most ill-fated infatuations. With no allies, no magic and very little freedom, Briony must go through the cruelty that awaits her, with only the hope that she will one day make it to the growing Eversun resistance. But the more time she spends at Hearst Hall, the more she begins to question Toven and his family’s stake in the larger political game she finds herself victim to.

Rose in Chains is addicting. Anyone that has ever experienced the thrill of a good written fanfiction will very much appreciate this, seeing that it was adapted from the author’s initial Dramione fanfic, known as The Auction. Soto does not gloss over the grimdark parts of the story: enslavement, sexual assault and torture, all used as tools for political gain. The setting is atmospheric and dark for the most part, lending itself into the grimdark frame of the story as a whole. Whilst there are clear antagonists at play, there is also a thrumming narrative throughout the story that the Eversun are not so innocent themselves.

The world-building was swift and easy, with digestible settings and a simple magic system. There are two types of magic: heart-magic and mind-magic, both of which seem to pull at convenient strings throughout the novel, thus feeling a bit one-dimensional.  I am hoping that the magic system will grow more complex within the series, seeing as this is only the first entry. However, Soto’s expertise lies in what she does best: romance. The romance between Briony and Toven is slow-burn and tortured, but the desire exists from the very beginning. The enemies-to-lovers trope, whilst a familiar formula, is set at full force here, driving the book. The book is split between flashbacks and current day narrations, so we’re able to see how Toven and Briony reached their current state from a couple years prior. It adds a sense of history and dimension to their dynamic, which I very much appreciated. Also, I just wanted to throw out there that there’s a dragon! And a sassy one at that. I’m very much looking forward to seeing more of it in the series later on.

It is important to note that a large chunk of the action happens within the first part of the novel. For readers who need constant action, this may not be the read for you. Personally, I love a good character build-up, which is what we get in the later parts of the book, which pivots around Briony coming to terms with her situation, both politically and emotionally, as well as Toven’s part in all of it.

We were left on a cliffhanger, and a personally satisfying one at that. I’ve only just put down the book, and I need book two immediately. This is going to be one to rock the reading community, for sure. Soto is a force, and she’s coming for the fantasy-romance crown.

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REVIEW: Glass Girls by Danie Shokoohi

Ghosts of the past are not so easily eluded in Glass Girls, the debut novel by author Danie Shokoohi, a midwestern Gothic tale of a family with inherited supernatural powers. But these magical gifts come at a cost, and the price is highest for the unfortunate male members of the Glass family.

The protagonist of Glass Girls, Alice Haserot, has decided to leave magic—and her dysfunctional family—behind, adopting a new name and creating a new life for herself. After many years of estrangement, a visit from her sister, Bronwyn, forces Alice to confront ghosts of the past, both literal and figurative, and decide whether to reengage with a family that has left her feeling haunted and traumatized. To make matters worse, an unexpected pregnancy raises the stakes even higher for Alice, who must ponder whether sins of the past will repeat themselves with another generation.

Danie Shokoohi’s prose is tight and polished throughout Glass Girls, an excellent vehicle for telling this subtly creepy Gothic story. Shokoohi is especially effective at conveying Alice’s family trauma, alternating between the present-day narrative and flashbacks to different points from her childhood. While Bronwyn is a diviner, capable of finding anything or anyone if she can follow their trail of energy, Alice has the rare ability to serve as a medium with the dead. As a child, Alice’s mother took full advantage of her gifts, earning profit and notoriety along the way.

The first part of Glass Girls is overly dominated by exposition, telling rather than showing the reader key plot points and relationship backstories. Although the tension builds up nicely by the end of the novel, I was hoping for stronger horror elements, especially earlier in the book, to accentuate the sense of dread.

Notwithstanding these minor quibbles, Glass Girls is an impressive debut that offers a fresh twist on classic paranormal storytelling. Danie Shokoohi’s novel is recommended for fans of modern Gothic fiction.

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REVIEW: The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar

Amal El-Mohtar took the Internet by storm with her novella This is How You Lose the Time War, co-written with Max Gladstone. She now returns with her solo debut novella The River Has Roots, stretching the legs of her whimsical and lyrical prose. The River Has Roots follows two dutiful sisters, Esther and Ysabel Hawthorn, devoted to tending and harvesting the enchanted willows by the River Liss, on the edge of Faerie, by singing their joint tunes to honour the magical trees. This devotion takes root, first and foremost, in the sisters’ love for one another, who cherish each other more than anything. When Esther rejects a forceful human suitor for her Fae lover, the dejected takes matters into his own hands, testing the strengths of sisterhood between Esther and Ysabel.

The writing is atmospheric and charming, flitting between verses of poetry and prose, supported by the illustrations throughout the story, giving readers breaks to supplement the whimsy of the tale. I loved the main characters; Esther and Ysabel were a delight, and so multifaceted. The realities of sisterhood felt encompassed within their relationship, which is no small feat at all. They captured the sweetness of having a constant companion in your sibling, as well as the acute heartbreak of losing them to the love of another. El-Mohtar writes emotion as if she is peaking into the window of a soul and transcribing what she sees; it is genuine artistry.

I found myself slightly confused and frustrated at the magic system, known as Grammar. It is essentially an elusive form of magic that changes and transforms. Had the story been slightly longer, perhaps it would have allowed the magical system to create a concrete foundation in the story, and thus flow easier. Nevertheless, the magic added to the overall charm of the novella, and also added to the grimdark aspect. The mystery behind Faerie, and what you do and do not see, lends a grimdark hand in the story as a whole; you could easily step forth into your demise, as much as into a dream.

At its heart, The River Has Roots is an ode to sisterhood, before it is an ode to love, poetry or revenge. For any readers who are looking for a swift and quick novella, one filled with heart and charm and the promise of an everlasting bond, I’d suggest picking up this gem. In the hands of Amal El-Mohtar, any fairytale can be transformed into an epic story.

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REVIEW: The Whisper that Replaced God by Timothy Wolff

The Whisper that Replaced God novellas by Timothy Wolff are unerringly clever, poignant, dark, unhinged and all around lovable pieces. Narrated by our main character, Lord Mute, we’re introduced to a dark world but through the eyes of a “romantic” (read stalker), layered, certifiably insane, tragic, masochistic-and-sadistic psychopath.

Oh, also, he’s a prince who wields a dagger and the power of the reviled god of silence to commit assassinations at the request of his brother, the king. Also, he’s in love with a prostitute who hates his very existence.

Like I said: layered and certifiably insane.

“Prisons contain one of the sadder of truths: the quickest way to make everyone equal is to make them worthless.”

Now, before we get too into this review, a quick disclaimer: these are two novellas that I’m reviewing at the same time. The official titles are The Whisper that Replaced God and The Whisper that Replaced God II: Silent Almighty. The reason I’m reviewing both at the same time is that, in my opinion, they should be read back-to-back and treated as a singular piece. While you could read book one The Whisper That Replaced God and be satisfied with it as a stand-alone piece, Lord Mute’s tale is clearly not done at the end of book one, and Silent Almighty provides a more concrete ending.

With that out of the way … these novellas are simply fantastic. Lord Mute’s narration is sardonic, witty, and unflinching. Except for when he flinches, which is a lot, because he’s deeply traumatized. Little things will phase him while big things will have absolutely no effect. It wraps you in and makes you feel like you understand how a stalker, a psychopath, and a hurt young boy feel.

Wolff’s prose in The Whisper that Replaced God borders on purple but never fully enters the realm of pretentiousness, except for a few tongue in cheek moments that are scattered throughout the novella—including a reference to things like “PleasantReads” and other winks.

The writing itself is sublime. You could pull up any random page and find some incredible writing. For example “We don’t choose what we favor. If we did, the world would be all the more simple, and all the less beautiful. It’s all some strange amalgamation of chaos and nature.” —That’s just a random page I turned to. On a pound-for-pound, page-for-page basis, The Whisper that Replaced God operates at an elite level.

There’s an undercurrent of political and religious machinations beneath the plot that Lord Mute is simply not intelligent enough to figure out. His brother and royal family are up to some things, and the god he worships who gives him the Gift of Silence is hated for seemingly just reasons. Mute doesn’t really know why or how though. We, the audience, know something is wrong, but Mute carries on unbothered. Until it all bites him in the ass. Then he’s bothered.

“I had dared to become God, then wept as heaven became a prison of my own construct.”

Keeping everything together in The Whisper that Replaced God is the humor throughout both novellas. Sometimes it’s biting sarcasm, sometimes it’s “unintentional” in the sense that Mute doesn’t understand why it’s funny, and sometimes it’s slapstick. It’s always there though, just like the silence and disdain Mute sees in every corner of the world.

My only problems with The Whisper that Replaced God is something that stems from the length. Once again, these are novellas, and even though these pieces are jam packed with content, there’s things that most novellas can’t pull off. The ending, while cryptic and foreboding and ambiguous, leaves you wanting more. It’s a perfect appetizer, but still, an appetizer it is.

The good news is these will be supporting Requiem of Dice, book one of the series. It’s not released yet, but it’s my most anticipated book. Until then, I’ll be waiting in an uneasy, unnatural silence.

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REVIEW: Cold Eternity by S.A. Barnes

Cold Eternity is the third female-led, space horror from author S.A. Barnes (pen name for Stacey Kade) and this time we’re on a literal ship of the dead steeped in what is becoming Barnes’ signature level of creep-factor. We meet Halley, on the run and hiding from political forces that would rather she stay gone permanently following an election furor she knows a bit too much about. In desperation, she accepts a shady job on the Elysian Fields, an oversized cold-storage for the rich and powerful of the past, cryogenically frozen in the hopes medical science could one day extend their lives. She is recruited by caretaker Karl, who needs an extra hand monitoring things around the ship while he tries to keep it functioning and keep the corporate board off his back. Without better options, Halley agrees despite the low pay and the suspicious way Karl operates.

She is drawn, in part, to the job because of a traumatic experience she had years ago as a child, when the Elysian Fields functioned as a museum. After she arrives, Karl gives her a quick tour by hopping from one video screen to the next. Shows her to the Security Office where she needs to press a button once every 3 hours, to the dusty room she can bunk in, and explains which levels she needs to patrol. It sounds unrelenting and unfriendly, with Karl complaining her predecessor up and abandoning their duties without so much as a goodbye, and Halley’s need to stay hidden she starts the unforgiving routine, grabbing short snatches of sleep between patrols and button presses.

It doesn’t take long for things to begin unravelling, as a sleep-deprived and on-edge Halley starts to notice things that shouldn’t be possible. Starts to see things that are too bizarre and horrific to be real. It’s the lack of sleep, the stress, causing her imagination to overreact… right? Trying to keep herself sane with minimal sleep, long periods of isolation and no one to talk to besides a recalcitrant Karl who seems more than willing to manipulate her to get what he wants begins to prove difficult. Throw in a glitchy, all-too-aware, AI that traumatised Halley as a child and the foreshadowing tension in Cold Eternity is thick enough to slice.

As we tumble deeper down the spiral of this creeptastic plot, Cold Eternity turns the screw mercilessly on the already taut horror woven through it. What could possibly go wrong on a ship full of centuries-old rich people corpsicles? Yes, it may seem an obviously cursed scenario but Barnes has cleverly taken this in directions you may not expect. She hasn’t relied on body horror to carry Cold Eternity, which has a juicy level of tension throughout and some excellent moments to shock you. With short chapters and fast-paced prose, Cold Eternity pulls you deep into a tense and twisting space horror plot that will have you devouring it keenly.

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INTERVIEW: Koji A Dae

Born in Virginia, dark speculative fiction author Koji A Dae spent a total of six months there before starting a wander that spiralled from the United States to the world. Now she finds herself strangely settled in Bulgaria with two kids, a cat, and a whole lot of responsibility. She enjoys reading, dancing, and being tied up (or writing about it). She also writes about all varieties of human relationships—with each other, with technology, and with the greater universe. Her three published books to date are Mazi, Casual, and Hold My Heart. Her work has also appeared in Clarkesworld, Apex Magazine, and elsewhere.

[GdM] Hi Koji, thanks for chatting. Your new novella, the intense, thematically rich, deliciously written Hold My Heart has just come out from Ghost Orchid Press, and I think it’s safe to say that it’s your darkest story yet, full of more uncompromisingly disturbing themes than the devil’s memoirs. Can you give us a brief plot overview of it, and explain why you think readers might like it?

[KAD] Well, that’s quite the intro to it. You’re so kind. The quick and dirty is that this is a dual POV novella about a serial killer, a depressed woman looking for relief, and the creature that connects them.

Emma, having suffered deep depression for years, goes on the dark web and hires a serial killer to take her life. At the last minute, she backs out. But by then the killer—or what’s driving him⁠—has already gotten a scent of her. While the serial killer and Emma explore the relief they can offer each other in the form of an intense sexual relationship, something more sinister moves between them⁠—exploring the exchange of pleasure and pain and the borders of life and experience.

I think readers are going to like this because it’s a bit genre-bendy. Not quite dark erotica, not quite extreme horror, but borrowing from both genres to build a story that’s both a visceral and emotional exploration of the pain of depression and guilt.

[GdM] Although not the only theme explored by any measure, a key part of the early plot is the idea of someone consenting to their own death by a serial killer. This is a fascinating exploration of consent, suicidal ideation, and mental health—where did you get the idea from, and why did you choose to lead the story with this?

[KAD] Hold My Heart actually started as a short story that was supposed to be just the first scene in the tunnels⁠—with Emma dying at the end of the scene. It came about when I was still very new to horror (I thought I was a fantasy writer for many years before I found my groove in dark sci fi and horror) and a writer friend and I were exchanging spicy horror stories as a form of flirtation. These stories weren’t just a way to expand our writing skills, but were actually letters that allowed us to reveal aspects of ourselves to the other, sparking conversations and deepening our friendship.

Perhaps it’s embarrassing to admit this publicly, but the concept of the heart being held, beating and bloody with all the scars of the past visible on it, was a way of me opening myself to this person. I just needed a way to make that believable in a story. Who would be ripping hearts out of chests? A serial killer. And what could make it sexy? Consent.

Disclaimer here: I want to be clear that suicide is not sexy. I really don’t want to glorify it⁠—and I suppose that’s why, when I took the story out of the personal realm and decided it was something I wanted to share with the world, I decided to explore what would happen if Emma didn’t go through with it.

[GdM] This feels like a work whose darkness is the point; this is unflinchingly visceral and disturbing at times. Why was it important to examine desire through such a shockingly transgressive work?

 [KAD] Here’s where I admit that I have a rather dark outlook on a lot of things, one of which is desire. I think, at its core, desire is a violent emotion. It’s wanting. It’s needing. And we as a society do a really good job of either denying our desires or wrapping them up in acceptable packaging. I like to strip things down to their naked core. For desire, that core is visceral, a bit bloody, and sometimes violent.

This doesn’t mean desire is a bad thing. It keeps us alive. It makes us go to work and survive. But I really wanted to get complicated and messy with what it is.

 [GdM] This is your second work, after your 2024 novella Mazi, to explore kink and BDSM in horror. I know it’s tough to discuss this without spoilers, but how did it inform the story you are trying to tell in Hold My Heart, and why is it a recurring theme in your work?

[KAD] I feel like I really wanted to see more stories that explore kink, and especially BDSM, in a messier context than what you see in most dark romance novels. Because I wasn’t seeing it, I decided to write it, and because I’m not a romance writer, I focused on the emotional and erotic aspects as opposed to the additional complicating layer of romance.

I remember reading Carmen Maria Machado’s In the Dream House in 2020, and she talks about how people who write queer stories are forced to write perfect queers, and so queer abuse is swept under the rug because, to explore it would be to admit that queer relationships can be abusive, and that would harm the public image of an already hated group⁠—something the gay community was unwilling to do. (I’m saying this very awkwardly. Really. Read In the Dream House. It’s speaks super powerfully about this).

Anyway, books about BDSM are often the same. They approach BDSM from a stance of protecting the reputation of the community. (Or sometimes disregard the community altogether and are downright exploitative). Either way, they tend to be sanitized and perfect when in reality BDSM is a constant negotiation that builds trust and depth over time. More importantly, people practicing BDSM make mistakes, and people can get hurt. I think writing a picture of BDSM that is more messy⁠—with characters exploring rather than being instant experts as soon as they engage, or seeing characters cross lines and make mistakes⁠—presents a more realistic picture of BDSM, and something I find way more interesting to explore than perfection.

[GdM] I’m interested in your sense of place in your books. You live in Bulgaria, and your previous two novellas have been set in modern Bulgaria and a near-future Bulgaria respectively—but this one is set in an unnamed country, which feels distinctly American. Why the change, and how important was it that this was a non-distinct setting?

[KAD] As an immigrant, I find writing place really difficult. I often feel like since I wasn’t born and raised in Bulgaria, I don’t have the right to write about places here. In a lot of ways, even though I’ve lived the majority of my adult life here, I feel like I’ll never fully integrate into the deepest cultural depths of the country. Because of that, setting things here feels scary a lot of the time. I’m afraid of getting things wrong or that I’ll somehow misrepresent people and places.

At the same time, it’s really hard to write a book set in the United States since I’ve been there a total of fifteen days in the past twenty-five years. The US I write about is one that no longer exists, and that’s visible when I try to write a modern story set there.

But with this book⁠—since it is quite a bit darker and more violent than other books I’ve written, I didn’t feel quite right setting it in Bulgaria. I have plenty to say about violence in Bulgaria, but I want it to have a deeper cultural context. Plus, I feel like serial killers, though they exist in all countries, are (in literature) an American archetype. That, and drawing inspiration from William Lindsay Gresham’s Nightmare Alley for the noir feel, I really wanted the ability to pull from the American imagination of serial killers and carnivals.

[GdM] I’d like to ask you about Casual, your previous work published earlier this year from Tenebrous press. For the reader’s sake, this is a near-future sci-fi/horror about a pregnant woman whose gaming implant manages her mental health but as she’ll be a single mother, the law says she’ll have to have it removed before she gives birth. In my review I called it “a stunningly written near future parable about class, mental health, women’s autonomy and all the myriad ways a controlling society can challenge these in a future so real I could almost touch it.” I think it’s fair to say it wasn’t just me who wasn’t impressed; Lit Hub said it was “up there with Atwood, Bradbury, Dick and Gibson.” How does it feel to have critical affirmation of your work—helpful, or meaningless?

[KAD] I feel like the correct thing to say is it’s nice but meaningless, that I write solely for my passion of writing. But honestly? It feels pretty great. Writing is something I’ve done my whole life and I never see myself stopping, but to know that people have read my words and found something interesting or beautiful or thought-provoking or really… just SOMETHING is really rewarding. And to be in any way associated with the likes of Atwood? That’s an absolute dream.

[GdM] You’ve written publicly about how you have lived with depression and mental illness, as well as how you identify as bisexual, gender queer, and polyamorous and how you explore all these themes in your work. As a writer myself who uses my own books to explore my own self-identity, mental health, and in some ways as therapy, do you think you do this in your own books? Or is it less directly personal, and you are simply exploring the themes you think it’s important to explore?

[KAD] I definitely write what I know, and all of my books are highly personal. For me it’s super important that my books have emotional depth and resonance, and the only way for me to achieve that is to write personally and emotionally. I don’t necessarily set out to explore these themes in my books —they just appear entwined with characters because they are my reality.

For example, with Mazi I didn’t set out to write a book that explores mental health and a poly D/s relationship. My intention when I started was to explore an interesting Bulgarian myth in a dark erotic fashion. And the same with Hold My Heart. I had no idea how deep into exploring mental health the story would eventually get. But because of who I am, those themes get pulled into my work. Once they end up on the page, I tend to go “oh, I can take a jog over and explore this, too!” As in, I’m here now, what truths about my lived experience can I pull out of this situation I’ve written myself into?

[GdM] This is your third full-length published work now. How do you feel about your career as a speculative fiction author now compared to when your debut came out?

[KAD] Honestly, I’m not sure that much has changed. These three books happened to find homes in a really short period of time. It’s been just a year since I released my first book, and now I have three out. Which feels almost a bit magical and I think it might take awhile for it to really sink in.

Right now I’m working on my next book, and I’m still dreading the process of submitting it to publishers, going through rejections, and finding the right team for it. It’s still a bit terrifying. I think the difference is that now I have more confidence that I will eventually find people who appreciate my stories, even if they are a bit dark and weird.

[GdM] What’s your experience been working with indie presses? Are there any notable advantages or disadvantages you’ve encountered?

[KAD] It’s been amazing so far! The teams at both Ghost Orchid and Tenebrous have been super communicative and supportive, and the end result is a book that’s better than the one I submitted getting out to a wider audience than I would have reached on my own. I think my favourite benefit (though there are quite a few) has been seeing the covers for these books come together. Both Ghost Orchid and Tenebrous care a lot about the art on their books, and so they have connections with some great artists that I probably wouldn’t have found on my own⁠—and they know how to communicate with them to get some really great covers. I absolutely love the cover on Hold My Heart, which the art was done by Claire L. Smith and the layout was (I believe) done by Antonia. It really fit my vision for the book and it was so cool to see it come alive that way.

I can’t speak to the differences between indie presses and the larger traditional presses, but I can say that for me, I wouldn’t have been able to self publish these books. I have no desire to handle the financial, administrative, or artistic side of book publication. I just want to write, and working with indie presses allows me to concentrate on putting stylus to glass and getting my words out.

[GdM] What can we expect from you next, that you’re able to talk about at least?

[KAD] Well, for starters you can expect a slower release schedule! Though I do hope to still publish a couple of short stories a year, it will probably be a while before I get another book out there. At the moment I’m working on another weird horror that involves alternate realities and is a critique of AI and social media. I’m going for “Severance if Clive Barker was the showrunner” vibes, but like everything I write, it will probably end up morphing quite a bit during edits. I’m having a lot of fun writing it, but it’s still in early stages.

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REVIEW: Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi

When a bleeding girl shows up at his flat one night and vanishes, a down-and-out veteran and private detective, Boubacar, finds himself tangled in an intricate case he reluctantly takes on. In this postcolonial West African city, otherness takes centre stage – whether you’re a floater or born of two races. Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi is a hard-boiled fantasy-noir that explores identity, injustice, and the voice within that just won’t let you live in peace.

From page one, Onyebuchi offers readers witty prose that’s also very efficient. Too often, standalone mysteries tend to drag out setups. Not Harmattan Season, though. Boubacar’s character introduction is punchy and develops so much of the premise in just under two pages. I was thoroughly impressed and engaged in our detective’s seemingly bad luck. We also learn of a unique and fantastic ability of the dugu – floating – which the French colonists want to erase, obviously. One thing I did find rather interesting (and I am a firm believer of this) is the ethnic terms that weren’t explained in English. I felt that it made the book even more authentic, and I felt immersed in the cultural stigmas and nuances. I think this is also the reason why I felt the prose to be efficient.

Throughout the story, there is a strong sense of colonial bitterness that is also central to Bouba’s internal turmoil, being half-French and half indigenous Dugulen. Harmattan Season explores the intricacies of what it means to be mixed-race in a hegemonic society, never really knowing where you fit in and always feeling like you have to choose one side over the other. Although the plot was filled with twists and earth-shattering political tension, I found myself very drawn to Bouba’s internal struggles with his unsettling past and navigating his lost heritage.

“Most days, you feel like you’ve left the dugu behind with all its superstitions and its ways of worship. Then something happens and you open your eyes to realise you’ve been mumbling a prayer this whole time.”

The world in which Harmattan Season is set in is also very interesting – despite being an unnamed city, indigenous customs and characters breathe life into the worldbuilding. As readers are taken through dark alleys, shisha parlours and Ethnic Quarters designed to house the indigenous population, they are witnesses to the injustices against marginalised communities everywhere.

The dry humour in the novel also had me laughing out loud a lot of the time. I enjoyed Bouba’s banter with supporting characters – most of them unnamed – like the one street urchin who offers Bouba his services. We only know him as ‘the urchin’. Justice for Urchin! I think the conversations with this little kid gave our main character more dimension and made me want to root for him.

I am thoroughly impressed by Harmattan Season. As short as it is, the novel perfectly balances its hard-boiled and fantasy-noir elements, and somehow still manages to blend in cultural nuances throughout. Onyebuchi’s writing style is incredibly witty, memorable and deeply empathetic. I highly suggest you strap on your sandals and give Harmattan Season a read.

Read Harmattan Season by Tochi Onyebuchi

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REVIEW: Solo Leveling Season Two

The second season of Solo Leveling, subtitled Arise from the Shadow, has all the makings of a grimdark anime classic. Based on a Korean web novel of the same name, Solo Leveling takes place in a modern South Korea where portals to monster-infested dungeons appear, threatening to overrun humankind if they are left unchecked. In order to maintain peace, guilds of monster hunters raid the portals, systematically eliminating each enemy on their way to the boss at the end of the dungeon.

Each hunter has a designated rank, which is innate and immutable. Sung Jinwoo, the protagonist of Solo Leveling, is the Mr. Irrelevant of the hunter guilds, the weakest warrior of the lowest rank. However, after surviving a massacre early in the first season, Sung Jinwoo discovers that he has the unique ability to level up, growing his powers by defeating increasingly powerful monsters. It’s as if Sung Jinwoo is the main character in his own role-playing game.

Season two of Solo Leveling surpasses the first season in every respect: more action, more character development, and a surprising amount of emotional depth, especially in the latter episodes. The relationship between Sung Jinwoo and his mother is especially moving, as he will go to any lengths to help her recover from her years-long coma. While his mother is sick, Sung Jinwoo has also taken charge of his younger sister, a responsibility he must balance with his role as a progressively powerful hunter.

The action scenes in Solo Leveling are absolutely spellbinding. I sometimes worried that Sung Jinwoo would become too powerful too quickly, but the increasingly fearsome enemies kept pace with our protagonist and kept my heart pounding throughout the entirety of the season. There are also expanded roles for other hunters in the second season, allaying one of my criticisms of the first season that there was too much “solo” in Solo Leveling.

The second season of Solo Leveling has probably the best use of necromancy that I’ve seen anywhere. All of this is building up to an epic battle between the top-tier hunters and an army of insectoid monsters on Jeju Island that could have easily sprung out of a Michael R. Fletcher novel. The animation in Solo Leveling is top-notch, among the best in modern anime, and the voice acting is also outstanding.

Altogether, grimdark anime fans are sure to devour the second season of Solo Leveling. The combination of traditional Dungeons & Dragons-type tropes with an urban low-fantasy setting works very effectively. Although season two has a satisfying conclusion, there are still major questions left open to address in the third season (which can’t come soon enough).

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