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REVIEW: Red Sister by Mark Lawrence

Red Sister is a classic of modern fantasy, a perfectly crafted and beautifully written opening to Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor trilogy, which centers on a cast of young novices training to become skilled warriors, spies, alchemists, and mystics under the tutelage of Abbess Glass and the sisters of Sweet Mercy Convent.

It all begins with a young peasant girl, Nona Grey, an outcast from her small village in the brutal ice-covered world of Abeth. Only a slim corridor of green encircles the planet, kept alive by a mechanical moon that focuses light from a dying sun. The moon was created by the Missing, the original settlers of Abeth who possessed technology now lost to the current population. But traces of the four original tribes remain in their blood, giving heightened powers to a select few. Nona is one of the very rare individuals exhibiting traits from more than one of these original tribes.

The four tribes, in order of decreasing prevalence, are: (1) gerant, who grow to an abnormally large size; (2) hunska, who can move and react with fantastic speed; (3) marjal, who have access to the lesser magics, including shadow-work and mastery of the elements; and (4) quantal, who can access an alternate layer of existence known as the Path, enabling them to manipulate the threads of reality itself and form entangled bonds with the minds and bodies of other quantals. Children who exhibit traits of the original tribes are often captured and sold into fight-halls. The lucky ones find their way to Sweet Mercy Convent, where they can be trained to control and develop their powers.

The worldbuilding in Red Sister is outstanding, with careful consideration for all factors related to the geography, technology, religion, politics, and culture on a planet where only a small strip of land is inhabitable. Whoever controls the mechanical moon also has the fate of the entire world in their hands.

Best of all are the characters. Red Sister introduces us to Mark Lawrence’s most compelling cast of characters from any of his series. Nona Grey is an ideal main character, struggling with the dark realities of her past and her seemingly uncontrollable violent powers. But at her core, Nona is a very kind and caring person who values honesty and friendship above all. The other novices—Ara, Zole, Clera, Hessa, Juli, et al.—are all wonderfully developed characters, as are the sisters of Sweet Mercy.

Mark Lawrence’s writing is concise but packed with details and emotional value, without ever wasting space on filler. There are so many quotable lines throughout Red Sister, including its iconic opening: “It is important, when killing a nun, to ensure that you bring an army of sufficient size.”

I especially appreciate Mark Lawrence’s attention to detail and the way he gradually reveals the truth about certain characters. Nona’s violent and heart-wrenching past is revealed after several misdirections, including her interactions with the peripatetic juggler, Amondo, and the way she saves her friend, Saida, from the brutal gerant Raymel Tacsis. We also learn about Clera’s true backstory as the copper penny she flips gradually changes to silver and then to gold over the course of the book. I also love how Mark Lawrence plays with classic fantasy tropes, such as the magic school and the notion of a Chosen One.

I really can’t recommend this series enough. With the Book of the Ancestor, Mark Lawrence has crafted the perfect fantasy trilogy, and I don’t give that praise lightly. I’ve read the series several times, and it keeps getting better each time through. Upon my first read of Red Sister, I already fell in love with the wonderful cast of characters and was blown away by the story itself. However, each time through, new layers emerged with subtle foreshadowing of future volumes in the Book of the Ancestor trilogy and Mark Lawrence’s subsequent series, the Book of the Ice.

Clever connections to Lawrence’s other trilogies also gradually reveal themselves upon careful reading. For example, those with gerant blood share a name with the abnormally large knight Sir Gerrant, who is mentioned briefly in both Prince of Thorns and Prince of Fools. In fact, the characteristics of each of the four tribes in Red Sister are connected to Mark Lawrence’s broader worldbuilding across his five trilogies, but only hinted at throughout the Book of the Ancestor.

I would advise readers who finish Red Sister to read Mark Lawrence’s excellent short story, “The Devil You Know,” before continuing to Grey Sister. You can think of “The Devil You Know” as a few extra chapters tacked onto the end of Red Sister, describing the aftermath of the final scene from that book and providing an important bridge to Grey Sister. Astute readers will also find subtle connections among all of Mark Lawrence’s trilogies buried in this short story.

When I finished the Book of the Ancestor trilogy, I was left hungry for more in this world of Abeth. Fortunately, Mark Lawrence’s next trilogy, the Book of the Ice, takes place in this same world. The Book of the Ice greatly expands the breadth and depth of worldbuilding on Abeth and also solidifies the connections to Lawrence’s greater universe. The third volume of the Book of the Ice, The Girl and the Moon, reads essentially like a fourth Book of the Ancestor and prominently features one of my favorite characters from that series, Sister Pan, a powerful quantal who serves as Mistress Path in Red Sister.

Five enthusiastic stars to Mark Lawrence for Red Sister, one of his finest achievements. If you haven’t already started Book of the Ancestor, pick up a copy of Red Sister today, and Nona Grey will become your friend for life.

5/5

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REVIEW: Disco Elysium

The flippant pitch for Disco Elysium would be to say if China Mieville wrote a Dirk Gently video game. The writer, Robert Kurvitz, has made something unique with this game, and it’s hardly a surprise to see it has won as many awards as it has.

In Disco Elysium, you play a terrible cop trying to solve a terrible case. When you wake up hungover at the start of the game, you’ve lost your badge, your gun, and your car. You’ve got voices in your head that double as your skills, and they’re a far cry from the ones found in most games. Sure, you’ve got Perception and Hand-Eye Coordination, but you’ve also got Esprit de Corps, Shivers, and Half-Light.

These voices argue with you (and each other) and when you fail a task they’re as likely as the NPCs to mock you. You start the game really far behind where you need to be, and as the game goes on it becomes apparent—this is entirely because you messed up prior to the start of the game.

A man was killed, and you’re supposed to bring the killer to justice. The man who was killed was a mercenary caught up between two sides of a major labour dispute. He’s been hanging from a nearby tree for days, with a neighborhood kid chucking rocks at his corpse for fun.

The side quests range from standard to ludicrous to brilliant. My favorite was getting some young people to open up a rave in a church that a crab-man lived inside, while also convincing the scientist who was in the church studying the silence from a 2mm hole of nothingness that she should go along with it. Even the standard one was good, decent detective work, solving a missing persons case and telling the victim’s family.

The NPCs are great, even the ones you dislike. They have strong, distinct personalities, while still being recognizably a part of the city and the system that made them.

The game is an isometric CRPG, designed similar to Planescape: Torment, but it doesn’t even have PS:T’s rare combat. It’s a murder mystery through and through. Instead, when you do a skill check it’s based off your skills, and any relevant bonuses or penalties you might have. There are white checks, which can be retried when you level up that skill, and red checks which cannot (but no failure on a red check ever prevents the plot from moving forward.)

The game puts up obstacles for min-maxing as well. If you have too many points in a skill, it’s entirely possible that you’ll overdo it and fail in a different way. Authority, for example, will make some trust you or at least accept what you’re saying, but too much will make others close up to you.

Responding in similar ways enough to different NPCs can also open up options for your character to go from being a cop to being a Superstar Cop, an Apocalypse Cop, a Sorry Cop, and more. There are also philosophies you can fall into which have their own quests, so if you argue about moralism or ultraliberalism or communism you can open up different plot-lines.

The history of the world was fleshed out well. Robert Kurvitz had made it for a tabletop RPG, and then it was the setting for a book he wrote called Sacred and Terrible Air that has, unfortunately, never been translated into English. But the various strains of thought, the long and revolutionary history, the historical context for different iconography, the streets still filled with war-torn fragments, and the strange energy called The Pale all pushed together in this game to make the setting seem truly lived in, depressing but just fantastical enough to spark imagination.

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REVIEW: Prince of Fools by Mark Lawrence

Every magnet has two poles, north and south, which can never be separated. The power of the magnet—indeed, the very concept of a magnet itself—necessitates a pairing of these two opposite but complementary poles. In Prince of Fools, author Mark Lawrence has personified this concept of inseparable magnetic poles with Jalan Kendeth, the fun-loving playboy prince from the southern part of the Broken Empire, and Snorri ver Snagason, the serious and honest Viking from the north.

Prince Jalan is a self-admitted coward, liar, and cheat. He wants to live the good life of a royal who is tenth in line to the crown, full of wine, women, and gambling. Responsibility is overrated.

But fate deals Jalan a different hand when he meets Snorri, a hulking Norseman who has been captured and sold into slavery. Jalan and Snorri become bound together through a magic spell cast by the Silent Sister, the mysterious sibling of the Red Queen, Jalan’s grandmother, whom only Jalan and Snorri are able to see.

Jalan and Snorri set off together to the icy lands of the North on a quest that neither of them fully understands. As part of the Silent Sister’s spell, one becomes dark-sworn and the other light-sworn, two complementary forces representing the yin and yang of their relationship. Although the forces of dark and light appear as opposites, they are actually interdependent, a lesson that Jalan will need to learn throughout his journey with Snorri.

Prince of Fools is the first volume of the Red Queen’s War trilogy, which takes place in the same neo-feudal, post-apocalyptic world as Prince of Thorns and the rest of Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire series. Utilizing the perspective of Jalan Kendeth, Lawrence has crafted a very different experience in this same dark world.

The tone of Prince of Fools is more lighthearted compared to that of Prince of Thorns, primarily due to having Jalan as narrator. Despite his many shortcomings, Jalan is a good person with a self-deprecating sense of humor. I laughed out loud several times while reading Prince of Fools.

I love the friendship that develops gradually between Jalan and Snorri, a perfect odd couple who play well off each other throughout the trilogy. Snorri always believes the best in Jalan, despite Jalan continually trying to cut himself down.

The intersecting plotlines between Prince of Fools and Prince of Thorns are another highlight. Both novels take place concurrently, and there are several overlapping characters, including the enigmatic Dr. Elias Taproot. I was particularly amused seeing Jalan’s perspective on Jorg Ancrath and his band of Road Brothers from Prince of Thorns, including one of them who is harboring a surprising secret.

Although I am emphasizing the more lighthearted elements of Prince of Fools, this is still grimdark fantasy full of violent action (cue Snorri picking out pieces of lung from his overgrown beard). Jalan Kendeth is a morally gray narrator, but much more immediately likeable than Jorg Ancrath in Prince of Thorns.

Which trilogy should be read first? There is no wrong answer to this question, since the Broken Empire and Red Queen’s War trilogies can be read in either order and provide complementary perspectives on the same world. If you want to turn the grimdark dial up to eleven, then Prince of Thorns is the better place to start. However, readers who are not yet ready to dive into the pitch-black heart of Jorg Ancrath may find Prince of Fools to be a better entry point to Mark Lawrence’s world of the Broken Empire. Prince of Fools also has a more accessible writing style and linear narrative structure compared to Prince of Thorns, making it an easier read. Overall, the Red Queen’s War trilogy also offers more expansive worldbuilding compared to the Broken Empire trilogy.

On the other hand, each book of the Red Queen’s War has a scene that overlaps with the corresponding volume of the Broken Empire trilogy, and I think readers will enjoy those scenes more if they already know the context from the Broken Empire. Regardless of which series you read first, I highly recommend both the Broken Empire and Red Queen’s War trilogies.

Overall, I’ve never had such a good time in a post-apocalyptic world as I did in Mark Lawrence’s Prince of Fools. Lawrence has created a gleefully fun and surprisingly complex main character in Jalan Kendeth, who provides a perfect balance to the dark world in which he inhabits.

5/5

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REVIEW: The King’s Blood by Daniel Abraham

The King’s Blood is another strong entry in Abraham’s politically charged, character-driven fantasy series, The Dagger and the Coin.

The Dragon’s Path helped get me out of a reading slump and The King’s Blood features more of the same fine elements that kept me engaged during the first entry. Complex and often misunderstood lead characters, excellent drama, high stakes, and detailed point of view perspectives that sometimes intertwine. Every action and decision that a character makes seems to have consequences, some causing shocking and unexpected outcomes in The King’s Blood, and some, do doubt, planting the seeds for what is to occur in The Dagger and the Coin’s remaining three novels. Words and truths are powerful here and have lasting effects.

“I think he has a long memory, though. Anyone who crosses him while he’s weak will answer for it when he’s strong.”

The way that Abraham writes and the pacing really connects with the rhythm of my thoughts, creating vibrant and clear images, feeling almost meditative to me, and had me truly engrossed. Hypnotic almost, yet, not in a sleepy manner, in a way that kept me fully focused and attentive. The series is adult in nature and it has a similar tone to A Song of Ice and Fire with political maneuvering, backstabbing, plotting, and ambitious characters aplenty. The King’s Blood doesn’t feature many detailed lengthy battles or as much bloodshed on-screen as some fantasy mainstays, although there is a war ongoing throughout the duration of the novel and also a potential revolution. When these moments do occur, though, they have a massive impact. There is one moment in particular with Geder; the climax of which stands out in my top ten most haunting and sure to be most unforgettable moments I’ve ever read.

In a similar fashion to the first novel, Geder is an absolute gem of a creation, and I don’t want to say too much about him because the way he changes, the consequences of his actions on himself and others, and the mythology that seems to surround him makes him an enticing lead player. The fact he’s a point of view perspective – where we follow his actions and thoughts as if sitting on his shoulder – makes it really interesting and occasionally harrowing to see how he is witnessed, differently, by other point of view characters. Whether they are misunderstanding his ideals and intentions or not.

“(She) listened, her hand around her mug. She forgot to drink from it. Instead, she listened to story pile upon story pile upon story as Geder Palliako grew toward legend.”

Dawson is similarly stubborn in nature and loyal to the crown as he was in The Dragon’s Path yet I enjoyed following him more this time. His partner Clara is another point-of-view perspective, and it starts to develop here how important, I believe, the whole Kalliam family will be to the overarching story. It’s nowhere near a neat analogy yet I think this family will be the closest this series has to the Stark family as The Dagger and the Coin progresses further.

Like Geder, I don’t want to say too much about, arguably, the series’ other main character, Cithrin. That being said, I can confirm she has many excellent moments, shares the screentime with some important players, and her tale goes down unexpected avenues. I’m often completely drawn into the way her mind works and how her analytical nature makes her a success with finances, and in other areas here as well. Captain Marcus Wester has a few important and exciting moments in The King’s Blood but he seems to drift away to being a secondary character, however; his importance to the overall series is blatant and I can’t wait to follow his arc further in The Tyrant’s Law as the novel sets where his journey will go next nicely.

The Dagger and the Coin is building up exquisitely with its detail, drama, layers, intrigue, and very real consequences. The novels in this series don’t work as standalone so might not be suited for fantasy fans who want a quick-fix, adrenaline rush. This is a series for those who will embrace its intricacies, its depth, its wonderful characters, the build-up, the stand-out moments. The more time I spend in Abraham’s world, the more intense and invested I will get. Although parts of this series have been a slow burn, I’m absolutely invested now. Let’s see how The Tyrant’s Law ups the ante.

“And I suppose it would be entirely too much to ask what this mysterious errand is that’s calling you away?” she asked. And then, contradicting herself, “You owe us that much.” The apostate licked his lips, searching for words he hadn’t used, even to himself. When he found them, he chuckled. “This may sound a bit grandiose,” he said, scratching at his beard with one long finger. “Try me.” “I’m off to kill a goddess.”

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REVIEW: Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

The Broken Empire trilogy comes to a Shakespearean end in Emperor of Thorns, which finds Mark Lawrence soaring to new literary heights as Jorg Ancrath deepens his understanding of this post-apocalyptic world and seeks to use that knowledge to ascend to the emperor’s throne.

Before becoming one of the pioneers of grimdark fantasy, Mark Lawrence earned a PhD in mathematics from Imperial College London and had a highly accomplished career in artificial intelligence (AI). Lawrence’s deep knowledge of AI permeates Emperor of Thorns, even while most inhabitants of the Broken Empire can’t see past their own immediate reality.

The Broken Empire trilogy is set in Europe about a thousand years after a technology-driven apocalypse. Evidence throughout the trilogy suggests that the apocalypse was induced by a combination of nuclear war and global warming. The humans from our time are referred to as Builders. The people of the Broken Empire are unable to understand or recreate the technology or architecture built during this bygone era. Only echoes of this previous civilization remain. Remnants of the Builders’ technology are scarce, and their powers are attributed to magic.

One of these technologies is the data echo, which is basically an AI clone of a human. Although humans die, a data echo can live forever, artificially replicating the memories and thought patterns of the original human being. Physically, data echoes appear as holograms or “ghosts” to those who don’t understand what they are seeing.

The story of Emperor of Thorns is again told on multiple timelines from the point of view of Jorg Ancrath, but now with an additional perspective from the necromancer Chella. Jorg has already established himself as king of nine principalities in this feudal post-apocalyptic Europe, and the present-day timeline revolves around Jorg’s quest to become emperor of a united Broken Empire.

There is no better way to unite a fractured empire than to face a grave, imminent threat from a common enemy. Enter the Dead King and his army of undead soldiers, who make Jorg seem like the lesser of two great evils.

In Emperor of Thorns, we learn of another horrific event from Jorg’s childhood that scarred him emotionally and contributed to his anger, demonstrating how violence and abuse inflicted on one person can propagate forward to others. Emperor of Thorns also features a brutally detailed torture scene that would make even Joe Abercrombie squirm. No wonder Jorg is so messed up.

Jorg has grown impressively over the course of the Broken Empire trilogy. In Prince of Thorns, young Jorg was consumed by anger and had a single-minded focus on revenge. In King of Thorns, this anger was tempered and balanced by a profound sense of sadness and regret. Now in Emperor of Thorns, Jorg has come to an acceptance of the role he must play in this epic saga.

Emperor of Thorns also finds Jorg becoming a father to young William, named after his deceased younger brother, whom he was unable to save from a gruesome death in the first volume of the trilogy. As a father, Jorg feels a deep sense of love and makes decisions based on something beyond his own self-interests and desire for revenge and power.

Mark Lawrence’s writing is precisely crafted, as always. The Broken Empire trilogy can be read at the surface level for its story alone. It’s a story full of dark wit, violent action, and unpredictable plot twists. But for me, the greatest enjoyment came from considering the important philosophical and scientific questions hidden just beneath the surface, which are only partially conveyed by Jorg as narrator.

Emperor of Thorns has a myriad of connections to all of Mark Lawrence’s other series. The most obvious of these is the common thread provided by Dr. Elias Taproot, who appears in every one of Lawrence’s trilogies. Taproot reminds me a bit of Hoid from the Cosmere universe of Brandon Sanderson. Fexler Brews, the data echo of a long-dead Builder, also provides key information about the nature of the Broken Empire and its magic system, which is not magic at all, but rather based on AI and quantum physics and shared across all of Mark Lawrence’s literary universe. There are plenty of more subtle connections as well, which will delight the careful reader.

There are so many layers to the Broken Empire trilogy. It is a psychological study of a deeply disturbed individual coupled with a thought-provoking treatment of the interrelationships among technology, the environment, global politics, religion, and the nature of human memory. The Broken Empire trilogy is also a story of redemption, how even the darkest soul can learn to love and put other people’s wellbeing ahead of his own.

5/5

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REVIEW: The Few and Cursed: Heart Shaped Ambition

The world of The Few and Cursed is a fresh take on the post-apocalyptic setting: a world where almost all the world’s water vanished overnight in 1840. What we’re left with is a world of gunslingers and saloons, blowing deserts where there were once oceans, curses, and monsters both human and otherwise. We first met Captain Bartholomew Eamus in Turks and Caicos in Scarlet Dream, written by Felipe Cagno and drawn by Jose Luis, the first story in the collection Chronicles of the Few and Cursed. The latest entry into this world, written by Carlos Estefan with art by Pedro Mauro, The Few and Cursed: Heart-Shaped Ambition, tells Bartholomew’s story leading up to that initial moment.

Heart Shaped Ambition’s world bears little resemblance to what we’ve come to expect from the Few and Cursed, taking place prior to the mysterious cataclysm that wiped out the world’s water. That’s not a bad thing – the world is rich, with almost infinite possibilities for choices of location and time period, and filled with dark mysteries. This change in setting allowed colorist Clonerh to use a different palette than what we’ve come to expect from the series. Instead of the dry sepia tones that come with a desert planet, we’re treated to the blues and greens of oceans and jungles. That said though, I felt the coloring was the weakest part of the book, occasionally feeling unfinished. The art style leans heavily on the penciling which creates a distinctive style that is marred in some places by Clonerh’s heavy shading. Kickstarter backers were also treated to an excellent black and white version of the book as well.

It’s obvious this is a Kickstarted project and not a heavily polished big budget production, but that’s a compliment not a criticism. Heart Shaped Ambition’s team was able to create visually appealing and distinctive artwork that I enjoyed on a Kickstarted budget. The end result would have been very different with quadruple the budge, but I don’t think that would have actually made the book better. Heart Shaped Ambition was made with love and it shows.

The Few and Cursed: Heart Shaped Ambition is a great pirate story. Heart Shaped Ambition is a story of betrayal, black magic and revenge. Everyone has an agenda and nothing is as it seems. Featuring some of the most interesting and fully realized characters in the Few and Cursed series, Heart Shaped Ambition succeeded in making me empathize with some characters and feel disgusted by others, and occasionally both. I was truly caught up in the story, and I felt like no character was safe from meeting a violent end. The action was brutal and thrilling.

The Few and Cursed is an amazing series that is constantly growing in new and exciting ways, whether that be boardgames, table top RPGs, or spinoff stories. Heart Shaped Ambition is an excellent, albeit B-tier, addition to the world. I wouldn’t suggest it as a point of entry to this amazing world, but its still a good read and I recommend it. Don’t sleep on The Few and Cursed, it’s just too good to pass by.

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You can check out their catalogue page, here.

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REVIEW: The Evil Within (2014)

The Evil Within is a game from 2014 and despite being eight years old, is still one the most stunningly lovely games I have ever played in my life. Resident Evil IV is getting a remake and I think this game deserves one as well. Not because it is as universally loved and acclaimed as the Resident Evil games but because it is a great game that makes several missteps that could be rather easily corrected. Sadly, Ghostwire: Tokyo was meant to be The Evil Within 3 and nothing says a franchise is dead quite like having a sequel that could have been one but they felt would do better as an original IP.

The premise is there is a mass murder at a sanitarium and Detective Sebastian Castellanos, his partner Joseph Oda, and rookie Julie Kidman go to investigate. They find out a guy who resembles Freddy Krueger in a white hoodie killed everyone and then Sebastian is knocked out before being dumped in what appears to be Silent Hill’s Otherworld. If this sounds like someone is combining Resident Evil 1, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Silent Hill then you have basically figured out ninety percent of the game. The remaining ten percent is The Matrix and, unfortunately, that element just feels tacked on.

Sebastian takes things relatively in stride when he finds himself in a fun house of monsters, gore, death traps, and then sees an entire city destroyed by Inception-like reality warping. He proceeds to travel through hellish level after hellish level of abandoned hospitals, villages, dungeons, mansions, and catacombs before finally confronting the sinister dream demon behind this as well as rescuing his friends. Discussing the game further without addressing its plot is impossible so let the reader be warned.

You see, this is all a dream. Sort of. You’ve been plugged into a virtual reality simulation by a sinister corporation/conspiracy and the simulation is controlled by deranged serial-killer/mad scientist Ruvek that lives inside it full time. This severely impacts the stakes of the story because “it’s all a dream” always hurts things. Also, it doesn’t make much sense as you getting knocked out by Ruvik would require the aforementioned serial-killer scientist to have superpowers in the “real” world that he doesn’t have.

Anyway, The Evil Within‘s biggest problem is pacing. The first level has gallons of gore, an invincible stalker-type enemy, a massive meat grinder trap, and no weapons. It’s arguably the scariest portion of the game and everything is downhill from there. It also is unlike the rest of the game where you have a gun and can shoot the baddies in the head for the most part. The cartoonish amount of gore and over-the-top scenes like a massive valley of giant baby heads means that there’s never any sense of ramping up the horror because it’s always going up then down like a heart monitor.

Despite this, I like The Evil Within. As stated, the game is absolutely beautiful and could be released today without issue. The characters are also likable even if we don’t get much about their backstory or motivations. Storyline-wise I don’t have much to say since Ruvek as a serial-murdering mad scientist does not a particularly compelling character make and even being played by Rorschach/Freddy Krueger (II) Jackie Earle Haley didn’t help much.

Gameplay wise is where the game (mostly) shines as it’s basically Resident Evil IV. You wander through the levels, shooting and looting the various hordes of monsters spread throughout them. Unfortunately, it’s boss fights are wildly divergent with some being ridiculously easy and some being one-hit kill puzzles that are almost impossible to figure out. Some more consistenct would have made this game significantly better in my view. There’s also no need for the extensively

Basically, a large chunk of the game is picking up something called “brain gel” that you need to be able to run, carry ammo, and have any real luck with the weapons. My opinion is that the game’s difficulty wouldn’t have been affected a great deal by having these minor upgrades all available to you. Hell, give a regenerating health option. As such, it feels like the NG+ version of things would be much better than the initial run.

In conclusion, this is a game I would recommend but with the caveat that you should play it on Casual mode and be willing to make use of hint books because some of the areas really are disgustingly difficult. Still, the atmosphere of the game is incredible and I just absolutely love its grindhouse horror theme.

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REVIEW: The Iron Crown by L.L. MacRae

The Iron Crown by L.L. MacRae is Book 1 in the Dragon Spirits series and a finalist in Mark Lawrence’s 7th Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO7). In this epic, character-driven novel, MacRae excels at gradually revealing layers of gray morality hidden beneath the surface of what initially seems like a traditional high fantasy.

The Iron Crown is told from the perspective of four principal characters. The novel opens with Fenn, who awakens from an almost too-real nightmare to find his memories gone and his body washed up on the remote Isle of Salt. Fenn is found by Calidra and her partner, Jisyel, who nurture him back to health despite Calidra’s apprehension. We learn that Fenn’s amnesia is the result of being touched by the Myr, an ancient magical enemy who have returned to wreak destruction on the Realm of Tassar.

Can the seemingly innocent Fenn be trusted if he has been cursed by the shadowy Myr and requires their help to restore his memories?

Calidra is a natural pessimist who sees the worst in others. She has been estranged from her noble family for several years but has finally decided to return home for her father’s funeral. Calidra’s hostility toward others is a diluted version of the vitriol exhibited by her mother. But Calidra’s temper is softened by her loving, supportive relationship with Jisyel. The relationship between these two young women is one of the highlights of the book.

The remaining point-of-view characters are Torsten, the master inquisitor who will go to any length to suppress talk of the Myr, and Apollo, a thief who has been pardoned for his past crimes but might not have actually performed his required penance. The Iron Crown also features an outstanding cast of supporting characters, including Selys, a priestess with possibly competing loyalties, and Varlot, a former soldier and current drunken gambler, who has committed unspeakable acts of violence in his past life. Throughout the novel, L.L. MacRae carefully weaves the threads of gray morality with each of these characters, which darken as the story progresses.

The Myr are a well-crafted enemy, shrouded in enough mystery to maintain a satisfying level of intrigue throughout the book. They had supposedly been defeated five years prior to the events of The Iron Crown, but their shadowy forms have returned. Fenn discovers that he is one of many Myr-touched souls, whose amnesia is followed by severe physical pain and an untimely death.

The Iron Crown is a showcase for L.L. MacRae’s outstanding worldbuilding. I especially love it when fantasy authors allow their characters to explore the full world, seeing the different terrains and traveling across various countries. An early scene where Calidra flies atop a griffin over her homeland of Bragalia nearly took my breath away with its beautiful imagery.

The griffins in The Iron Crown are not mere beasts: they are hyperintelligent talking creatures who induce awe in people who witness them. The Iron Crown also features dragons aplenty, or dragon spirits, to be more precise. The dragon spirits form organically in the presence of forests, bodies of water, etc., with the goal of protecting their natural realms. Their powers are channeled through the humans who bond with them, creating a symbiotic relationship. The most powerful of the dragon spirits is Toriaken, the spirit of iron, who is bonded to Queen Surayo and is the power behind the Iron Crown. Toriaken appears in breathtaking fashion as a veritable mountain of iron.

MacRae’s writing is fantastic throughout the 563 pages of The Iron Crown. Her pacing is generally good, although the plot is a bit slow in the first part of the book. MacRae introduces new characters and elements of worldbuilding in a natural and accessible fashion. Despite the vastness of the world that she has created, I never felt overwhelmed by the rate at which information was being provided. Instead, I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent in the Realm of Tassar and the bonds that I developed with this compelling cast of characters. I look forward to following up with Book 2 of the series, The Shadow Gate.

4/5

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REVIEW: Mad King Robin by James Vella-Bardon

Mad King Robin is a historical thriller portraying an interesting time in history as the inspirational Robert the Bruce leads the fight for Scottish freedom. Based on Scotland’s most famous medieval king, Vella-Bardon has written a well-researched novel telling a story of a small nation standing up to the largest army to have ever invaded their homeland.

Fans of historical fiction are in a good place right now. Bernard Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom series is riding a huge wave of popularity brought on by the hit Netflix series, and Matthew Harffy (A Time for Swords, The Bernicia Chronicles) seems to be releasing book of the year contenders at an astonishing rate. Whilst not hitting those dizzying heights, author James Vella-Bardon shows great potential with Mad King Robin. It is obvious that Vella-Bardon has spent a lot of time researching this vital part of Scottish history and this provides the foundation for an enjoyable underdog story as Robert the Bruce fights against all odds using bravery that verges on the border of insanity to stand up against the invading English. The story starts with a bang Robert the Bruce slaying his rival to the throne and enraging the King of England. With enemies now in both Scotland and England, Robert goes into hiding and steadily builds enough power to be able to take on the might of the English.

Mad King Robin is an interesting novella that moves at a quick pace with various POVs. The story draws upon the key moments from Robert’s battle for freedom and readers will easily be drawn into siding with the underdog facing a much larger, arrogant army. There are duels and battles to sate desire for blood thought I feel that these scenes lacked the visceral, in the moment edge that masters of the genre like Cornwell and Harffy have perfected.

A timely, well-researched novella that shows great potential from Vella-Bardon: Mad King Robin is another great tale for fans of historical fiction to enjoy. Complex characters, an inspiring story, and a main character that has inspired countless fantasy authors over the years, Mad King Robin is a story you would be mad to miss out on!

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REVIEW: A Touch of Light by Thiago Abdalla

Death is an unhealthy obsession in A Touch of Light, the debut high fantasy novel from Thiago Abdalla and the first entry in his new series, The Ashes of Avarin. The world of Avarin is divided into two clashing civilizations with diametrically opposed views on death. In the north, the Seraph blesses the people of the Domain with unnaturally long lives. To the inhabitants of the Domain, death is the ultimate sin against the Seraph herself, bringing shame to one’s family. The bodies of the pure can be preserved, with the understanding that the Seraph can bring them back to life upon her return to Avarin. The others are burned and forgotten, never to be spoken of again.

While the Seraph is a goddess of life, in the south the people of the clan lands live in fear of Zala, the goddess of death. To prevent Zala’s return, they embrace death as necessary for keeping the earth alive and maintaining a healthy circle of life. However, the inhabitants of the clan lands are almost too eager to sacrifice people who show any sign of weakness.

A Touch of Light is told as an interwoven tale from three point-of-view characters. Adrian is a prince from the Domain, whose beloved brother Jovu has recently died under unknown circumstances in the clan lands. Nasha is a hunter from the clan lands who is beleaguered by a mysterious curse and is struggling to find her place in a hierarchical society. My favorite character is Lynn, a Sentinel warrior from the Domain who is fighting against the resurgence of a plague known as the Madness. For the death-fearing people of the Domain, the return of the Madness is an unspeakable horror. Those afflicted with the Madness become uncontrollably violent, even wearing the peeled-off skin of the dead as a type of necrotic mask.

The Sentinels enhance their physical powers by forming emotion-based bonds with griffins. Lynn’s bond with her griffin, Vedyr, is created through their shared anger. By combining her anger with Vedyr’s power, Lynn can gain superhuman strength and swiftness. However, Sentinels risk losing their minds if their powers are overused.

While fundamentally a character-driven fantasy, A Touch of Light also shines in its ambitious and detailed worldbuilding. Thiago Abdalla has created a boldly innovative world of clashing cultures and political intrigue, not only between the Domain and the clan lands but also among the various countries and ruling families within those civilizations.

Abdalla’s focus on opposing religious views and the interconnectedness of religion and politics reminded me of The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon, another favorite of mine full of nuanced world-building and compelling point-of-view characters who reflect the values of different societies. But I would argue that A Touch of Light addresses these topics even more effectively than The Priory of the Orange Tree, while also creating a more compelling, well-balanced cast of characters. While female characters are often, unfortunately, given only minor roles in classic high fantasy, The Priory of the Orange Tree swung the pendulum in the opposite direction, presenting complex female characters but with rather two-dimensional male counterparts. In contrast, A Touch of Light does an excellent job developing both female and male point-of-view characters, all with realistic faults and strengths, without any objectification.

Thiago Abdalla is an excellent writer. The prose flows smoothly throughout the book, successfully transporting the reader to his carefully crafted world of Avarin. The physical book itself is remarkably high quality, with keen attention to detail from the beautiful cover designed by Alejandro Colucci to the meticulous editing throughout the text.

I should caution prospective readers that Thiago Abdalla does not engage in any handholding in A Touch of Light. There is no mentor character who explains everything to us as the reader. Rather, we are thrown directly into the world of Avarin and must piece together key elements of the world as the story progresses. Thiago Abdalla has constructed this world with great care, but it took me about 100 pages to get my bearings. After the first quarter of the book, the story takes off at an accelerated pace and never lets up till the last page. There is also a great setup for future sequels, which I look forward to reading.

A Touch of Light is highly recommended for fans of nuanced character-driven fantasy who wish to get lost in a richly detailed new world full of intrigue and action.

4.5/5

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