Adrian Collins's Blog, page 141

REVIEW: The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport

The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport is a debut straddling grimdark and epic fantasy in a slightly futuristic world. Set in a world inspired by the rich cultures of the African subcontinent, it tells the story of Ikenna, a young soldier with Blood Magic gifts as she goes through military training. It is full of betrayal, unclear loyalties and a brutal world that makes this an attractive read for our audience. After her grandfather’s assassination, Ikenna changes her plans for her future and decides to pledge to an elite fighting force in order to track down the people who killed him. She undergoes gruelling training while trying to find clues – and working to save her own life.

There are a lot of amazing ideas in The Blood Trials, and there were many parts that had me engrossed and unable to put the story down. However, as a whole, pacing didn’t work out as well as I hoped, and was rather inconsistent. This made The Blood Trials a harder read to get through as I’d initially expected, drawn in by the compelling opening. It felt like the author tried to address too many things at the same time, which lessened tension for the individual elements and the book in its entirety. I did read a proof, so it may be that some of this has been changed in the final copy.

Following on from that, it felt like Ikenna was not as consistent a character as I would have liked – sometimes jumping from trust to distrust very quickly, making her seem younger and more naive than she is intended to be. Similarly, relationships between the characters didn’t read as organically as I would have liked, and I think The Blood Trials as a whole would have benefited from another round of development edits to streamline it. Both friendships and romantic relationships suffered from a case of on-and-off, with characters changing their minds utterly within just a few pages, rather than following a coherent arc. Part of what makes this book hard to situate for me personally is that it has a lot of elements that are far more at home in young adult fiction, whereas others clearly read as adult to me. Just like R.F. Kuang’s The Poppy War or Jay Kristoff’s Nevernight, this is not a young adult book at all, but the story isn’t always conscious of that and ends up falling into patterns that are more reminiscent of YA fiction, jarring the reader out of the expected. I am still intrigued enough to want to read the sequel – it is the first in a duology – but on its own, The Blood Trials was a book with strengths and weaknesses, and one that may not click with everyone.

Read The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport

The post REVIEW: The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker

R. Scott Bakker concludes his The Prince of Nothing Trilogy with the final novel, The Thousandfold Thought. As the last part, the book’s tone and pace deviate from its predecessors while reaching toward the story’s conclusion to include pivotal moments we have been waiting for since The Darkness That Comes Before.

In The Thousandfold  Thought, the Holy War makes the final march of its long journey toward the holy city of Shimeh. While the path appears clear and righteous as internal tensions subside, certain kernels of knowledge held as truth begin to fold as twisted reveals take shape. Every decision and action that has taken place before is cast into doubt as the apocalypse’s real face emerges from the victory amassed in death and blood. What you think you know is wholly eclipsed by what has yet to come.

Bakker’s approach to The Thousandfold Thought is a changeup from The Warrior Prophet. Where the previous book had moments of sweeping and immersive action, the finale slows the pace and conveys a deeper emphasis on the philosophy and thought behind the decisions each character makes. Rather than a full-fledged, quick, and bloody venture forward, Bakker makes his readers crawl to the very end, acknowledging everything that came before in a way that only Bakker knows how. This choice may in part cause some divisive reactions to the book’s conclusion, especially concerning the first half’s focus and pacing.

However, in the second half of The Thousandfold Thought, we finally witness some of the key moments Bakker’s spent two books building. He masterfully weaves a sequence of events to heighten the tension between different plot points as they each hit their climax and drop into their denouement. Opinions will differ based on whether Bakker’s conclusion is fulfilling or not, but there is one specific moment where Bakker’s execution was perfect in regard to emotional payoff. While the last book does resolve some of the plot points introduced in the previous books, Bakker leaves some loose threads, which will more than likely be explored in the sequel series: The Aspect-Emperor

The Prince of Nothing Trilogy reads more like one continuous story told in three parts rather than three separate books with an overarching plot to connect them. As such, I would recommend reading them very close together. However, Bakker does provide summaries at the beginning of books two and three to help the reader remember any significant events. The trilogy embodies the elements of the grimdark label and more than earns its place within the fantasy genre as a whole. Bakker achieves what he sets out to do with his unique approach to storytelling: vivid concepts mixed with strong thematic elements that are dipped in philosophy, history, and lore.

The Thousandfold Thought leaves a strong and lasting impression while laying the foundation for its sequel series. Bakker challenges his readers’ perspective on what came before while shaping what comes next: “There were two pasts…There was the past that men remembered, and there was the past that determined, and rarely if ever were they the same. All men stood in thrall of the latter. And knowing this made them insane” (105).

Read The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker

The post REVIEW: The Thousandfold Thought by R. Scott Bakker appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish

In The Bladed Faith, book one of David Dalglish’s Vagrant Gods series, a young Prince Cyrus sees his peaceful island kingdom of Thanet invaded by the Everlorn Empire and its monstrous, superhuman Paragon soldiers. At the age of twelve, he is faced with his parents being executed, his throne usurped, and the living, incarnate gods who once protected the people being slaughtered or driven into hiding. As the years pass and Cyrus is kept as a prisoner in his own home, he finally encounters a group of secretive revolutionaries. Seeing the fallen (and supposedly dead) prince as the perfect figurehead to inspire his people and strike terror into his foes, the group trains Cyrus in the arts of stealth, swordplay, and politics, and he dons the persona and grinning skull mask of the Vagrant in his quest for revenge.

The Bladed Faith is a third-person, multi-POV story that switches between viewpoint characters every chapter or two. Cyrus himself acts as the main protagonist, and much of the narrative is devoted to his transformation from deposed monarch to terrifying vigilante. Two other prominent POV characters are the sisters Stasia and Mari Ahlai. Stasia, nicknamed the Ax of Lahareed for her signature weapon, is a savage brawler and one of Cyrus’s primary trainers. Having fought a losing battle against the Empire since her youth, she chafes at the idea of abandoning another nation to its fate and leaving the people she cares about behind—even as she realizes the cost holding her ground might demand. By contrast, Mari is shorter, softer, and kinder than her sister, but these attributes only make her more frightening when she uses her abilities as a god-whisperer to take on the powers of slain divinities. On Thanet, she embraces the fallen lion god Endarius and hunts the empire’s soldiers as a bone-armored feline predator. Readers also get a few chapters from the viewpoints of allies like the aging paladin Rayan, and enemies such as the brutal conquering general, Magus of Eldrid and the Everlorn god-emperor’s own daughter.

Dalglish’s plotting and pacing are top-notch. Outmatched as the revolutionaries are, this book maintains steady tension and exceedingly well-written action. If swordplay and training montages are your cup of tea, the novel has a great one as Cyrus learns the assassin’s trade over course of the story’s first act. On a larger scale, there’s a mythic-level conflict between the polytheistic kingdoms of the land and the monotheistic Empire in a setting where gods take to the battlefield themselves and grant their followers magical abilities. Woven in amongst the bloodshed and divine sorcery, though, there’s also a slower and subtler theme of found family amongst the characters that adds a lot to the narrative and builds a cool dynamic between them that’s very gratifying to follow.

I found the first fifty percent or so of the book to be an enjoyable, if not slightly straightforward, conflict of good vs. evil, but the latter half shakes things up a lot with skillful plot twists and sticks the landing with a top-notch ending. Even if this book isn’t quite Grimdark, it’s a conclusion I still suspect GDM readers in particular will enjoy. In the same manner, the magic system comes into its own in later chapters as Dalglish takes the established rules and implications of his god-centric sorcery and goes in a really cool and interesting direction with them.

While I did enjoy elements of moral ambiguity that came into play later in the book, if I had one small complaint, it would be that there weren’t more of these themes throughout the story. Sometimes, the ethicality of Cyrus and company feels a little glossed over as they fight a guerrilla war against an empire.  In one scene, for instance, the rebels need to create a distraction to get out of a desperate situation and set a large number of houses on fire. The houses are empty, but there’s still no question of what will happen if the flames get out of control, who they’ll be leaving destitute, etc.

If I had to sum up The Bladed Faith, this book is Arkane Studio’s Dishonored meets D&D’s divine magic. Reading this novel took me back to my college years—a time when I was studying English and buried alive in assigned reading. Even after a long week of textbooks and classic literature, though, I could always count on one of Dalglish’s Shadowdance books to pull me out of a slump and keep me turning pages all weekend. They were simply that readable, and Bladed Faith has the same quality (refined, if anything by the passage of time since then). The author has stated that this book feels like something of a “homecoming” to him, combining many of the best aspects of his previous works (the religious conflict and magic of Paladins, the assassins and found family of Shadowdance, etc.), and I’m inclined to agree. In all, I would give Bladed Faith a 4.5-star rating. In the meantime, I think I’ll take on a level of priest or paladin and hope that the higher powers in publishing answer my prayers for an early release of book two.

Read The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish

 

The post REVIEW: The Bladed Faith by David Dalglish appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

Religion in Fantasy: Finding Meaning in the Madness

Conversations about religion can be difficult. It is a subject that tends to evoke great passion and strong opinions. From a staunch atheist to the most extreme believer and everyone in between, religion touches on nerves like nothing else. There is no denying the way it has shaped life on this planet and the way we interact with one another.

With that in mind, it is easy to see why fantasy writers have often used religion to explore the human condition and shine a light on both its positive and negative aspects. We have used religion to find meaning in the wondrous and make sense of the mysterious. Throughout history, religion has been used as a way to make sense of the world around us. Fantasy writers have used religion, in the same way, to give life to their own worlds. Some authors create alternative versions of real religions whilst others have created whole new secondary religions. Fantasy’s development from its beginnings has been intertwined with mythology and folklore and its links with religion are impossible to ignore. Religion can often be used as a way of developing a shorthand with the reader for certain races or species, just look at the differing gods and religions within the World of Warhammer as examples. It is easy to get a clear understanding of what to expect from those who worship Gork and Mork, the twin gods of the Greenskin races. They are gods of brutal cunning and cunning brutality. Straight away, it is clear that those who worship these deities are up for a fight and chaos may follow.

One of the earliest forms of western literature is attributed to Homer: The Iliad and Odyssey. Along with the Epic of Gilgamesh, these texts set a template that many adventure stories follow. They each involve gods meddling in the world of man. When reading about characters such as Achilles, Hector, Paris, and Agamemnon, it is easy to see the parallels with the popular superheroes of today from Marvel and DC. In Ancient Greece, these stories were used for entertainment but also as a cautionary warning (Icarus flying too close to the sun and Pandora’s Box unleashing suffering into the world due to the curiosity of one person). The Gods were used to explain things that science had not yet been able to touch upon. Zeus threw lightning bolts and that explained the storms raging over the Aegean Sea. Soldiers would ensure fallen warriors were left with coins over their eyes as payment for the boatman as they passed into the underworld ruled by Hades. William Shakespeare, one of the biggest influences on literature, built on the tragedies and comedies of Ancient Greece, using the tragic nature of texts such as Oedipus Rex and Antigone when adapting his own plays such as The Tempest, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare had to be careful with his writing as the Elizabethan era was one of great conflict between Catholics and Protestants in England. Due to this, witches and monsters were used metaphorically in place of some prominent religious members of society to ensure that Old Bill wouldn’t lose his head like some of his peers. The stories of his time still had that supernatural and fantastical element to them, but writers needed to be careful when commenting on religion. The King James Bible, published in 1611, is the only text to have contributed more phrases to the English language than Shakespeare’s works. Phrases such as ‘a fly in the ointment’ and ‘do we see eye to eye’ originated in this version of the Bible and is proof of the influence of religion on literature throughout the ages.

The 1600s was an important century for the development of language and literature in the West. Eastern texts progressed greatly during the Golden Age of Islam, as well as the growth of Baghdad and its Great Library centred on the Silk Road. The East had thrived with texts such as One Thousand and One Nights (including tales stories involving Aladdin, Ali Baba, and Sinbad) whilst the West was lost in the Dark Ages. Finally, however, there were sparks of light.

John Milton, a blind, religious writer produced his greatest work, the epic poem titled Paradise Lost. Milton took the story of the fall of man from the Bible and explored it from the perspective of the greatest villain of his time: Lucifer himself, Satan. Grimdark is known for its love of anti-heroes and the genre owes a debt of gratitude to Milton and his epic poem. The blind writer used Tiresias like wisdom and foresight to dive deep into the mind of one of the most hated characters from all of literature and explore why he may have acted that way. Feeling betrayed that God would hand over a paradise to puny humans, Lucifer acts out and takes the lead of his own army of disgruntled angels in defiance of their creator. Paradise Lost is a tale of rebellion and of longing and a need for redemption. Many great tales have been written since but not many touches on the emotion and the feeling imbued in Milton’s greatest work.

Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials builds on the foundation set by Milton and continues the fall of man story as Pullman draws on his own beliefs to portray a world in which religion is abused in that those in power use it as an instrument of control rather than for the betterment of the world. The Amber Spyglass involves a scene where a withered and frail God is killed in a holy war to end the corruption of the Church-like organisation and ensure freedom for all. Such texts would have led to beheading in Elizabethan England!

There’s no use in discussing religion in fantasy without mentioning the daddy of it all: JRR Tolkien. Though works such as Oscar Wilde’s The Fisherman and his Soul were written before Tolkien’s masterpiece Lord of the Rings, it is the adventure of hobbits, elves, men, and dwarves that is seen as the beginning of modern fantasy. Tolkien’s works include religion mainly in the appendices and in his unfinished The Silmarillion. Elves and wizards are nearly immortal beings doing their best in Middle-earth before sailing away to a Heaven-like dwelling. They carried dreadful burdens and sacrificed much for the greater good to reach this plane. It is in moments like these that Tolkien’s faith can be found. More subtle and focused on themes than C. S Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia where the allegory is front and centre as Aslan the Lion plays the role of Jesus as he dies and returns to save his people.

Modern fantasy and grimdark in particular have used religion as part of the worldbuilding process and as a way of commenting on the use of power, both for good and bad. Game of Thrones shows the dangers of cults and especially the danger in believing charismatic figures. The books and the TV series do not shy away from the pain and suffering caused by those with blind faith, or how people with nothing to hold on to can be so easily manipulated. The rise of extremism in such stories reflects history and shines a light on the dangers caused by a cult of personality. In The First Law trilogy, Abercrombie has a monotheistic religion that has been corrupted by Khalul, who is now called The Prophet. In a genre that is known for its focus on the human condition and the fallibility of man, grimdark is perfect for exploring religion in its blood-soaked pages. Last year alone provided books such as Stephen Aryan’s The Coward and G R Matthews Seven Deaths of an Empire look at how religion can be exploited by individuals for their own gain and the way in which it can both drive people and nations apart or bring them together.

Religion can be divisive and spark uncomfortable conversations but that is what fantasy, and in particular grimdark, does so well. It gets people talking. It opens a platform for discussion and allows readers to study who we are as humans living on this big rock that is hurtling through space at an unfathomable speed. Fantasy, and literature in general, throughout the ages has allowed a safe (most of the time) space to comment on the world and the mysteries around us and allows readers the opportunity to reflect on their place and what it means to be human, long may that continue.

This article was originally published in Grimdark Magazine #29.

The post Religion in Fantasy: Finding Meaning in the Madness appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW – Crowbones by Anne Bishop

Crowbones by Anne Bishop is another excellent addition to The Others series.

I have read my fair share of urban fantasy, romantic, tragic, or otherwise. As a reader and reviewer, it has become a challenge for me to seek out series in that elusive “other” category, ones that straddle a line of horror and urban fantasy such as Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere and American Gods or A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. These books are different. They excel in bringing something fresh to the reader. The Others series by Anne Bishop has brought life to the tired genre of the supernatural urban fantasy genre with her brilliant take on the relationships between humans and the Terre Indigene in Crowbones.  

“Don’t matter if you caw, Don’t matter if you shout. Crowbones will gitcha If you don’t watch out! —Crowgard rhyme”

Every culture, human or other, has a boogeyman. A creature that will come to getcha if you aren’t a good kid. Bishop explores that idea in Crowbones. Vicki Devine, whom we met in book 6 of The Others series, Lake Silence, is back again as the central figure of Crowbones. Vicki, the owner of the Jumble, a resort that does some light tourism around folks wanting to interact with The Others, is hosting a gathering to celebrate Trickster Night, The Others form of Halloween. There are some funny antics and miscommunication between the humans and the terre indigene. What kind of costume is scary but not too frightening to become other. 

We first meet Vickie in a previous novel, Lake Silence. In that novel, she is a woman recovering from a traumatic relationship and divorce and attempting to start a new life in a new town. I find her a compelling character, that while she is broken and worn down from hardship, Vickie manages to have inner strength. Enough that the Others understand that she is special and a cut above other humans. 

“He wasn’t sure what disturbed him more—that the Others were able to excavate that much dirt from either side of the road and pile it into a hill that quickly . . . or the smiley face made out of boulders that was pressed into this side of the mound.”

Each of the stories in this series of books revolves around a mystery. This one isn’t an exception. Something rotten is affecting the terre indigene, and individuals who act as judges have come to bring sentences on human and terre indigene alike. Office Wayne Grimshaw, Julian Farrow, and Ilya Sanguinati have to work together before judgment is cast on all of them. 

The plotting and pacing are tight; it keeps you going. You know from the first few pages that this will be a mystery story, but it lacks the tropey feel of a “who done it” story. Vickie is someone trying to keep the crows safe, and the three individuals, Wayne, Julian, and Ilya, are trying to do the same. There are certainly some bloody and violent scenes. Bishop has never shied away from the darker side of things, which works for me as a lover of horror and grimdark. Crows are picking at eyeballs, basically doing what crows do. 

Crowbones is another exciting addition to the world of The Others that continues to be interesting. We learn that even the strongest and wildest predators of the terre indigene have boogeymen that go bump in the night. Check it out. 

Read Crowbones by Anne Bishop

 

 

The post REVIEW – Crowbones by Anne Bishop appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The Last Kingdom Season 5

The excellent adaptation of Bernard Cornwell’s The Saxon Stories comes to an end (as a TV series at least) in thrilling style. The Last Kingdom has been a bloody joy to watch since 2015 and has always been nothing short of brilliant. Like the seasons before it, The Last Kingdom S5 perfectly blends the history of the birth of England with thrilling entertainment and memorable characters.

The Last Kingdom S5 finds Uhtred son of Uhtred worrying about his old friend Brida. Travelling from Iceland to York, Brida brings along an army of warriors and her daughter (a Seer) to disrupt Uhtred’s life in Runcorn as he attempts to care for young Aethelstan. Brida’s attack disrupts the relative peace in the land and threatens to tear apart the idea of a united kingdom that Alfred dreamt of before his death. Through it all, the devious Lord Aethelhelm is scheming to seize the power of the throne from King Edward for his grandson and his actions set in motion a battle for the very heart of England, one that Uhtred has to once again play a big part in.

As shows like Game of Thrones have shown us, it is often difficult to stick the landing for a successful series. Thankfully, The Last Kingdom S5 is able to close the story off by linking back to the various threads that have appeared throughout the show since The Last Kingdom S1. The Last Kingdom is at its best when it twists the political intrigue together with personal tales of a man who is trying to find himself and care for those he loves. There is a clear bond between Uhtred and the various people who he has fought with and defended over the years. This makes it even more gut-wrenching when Uhtred suffers a loss as we can truly feel the pain that he is in after losing a loved one. It also helps that Uhtred is a character whose journey makes sense. He started as a brash, often arrogant but skilled warrior and has developed into a more cautious, thoughtful man who thinks about the effects that his actions may have on those around him. At one time, he yearned for nothing more than to take back his home of Bebbanburg, but in The Last Kingdom S5, he cares more about the people he is with than where he is and needs to be convinced by others about the importance of his destiny.

The bloody battles are still thrilling to watch and the writing excellently balances the large cast of characters throughout the ten episodes of The Last Kingdom S5. One complaint would be that at this point in the series, the age of the characters becomes quite muddled. Uhtred has lived through the rise of Alfred’s son and grandson but doesn’t appear to be much older than King Edward. Aelswith has a few scenes with her on screen daughter and granddaughter and all the actresses are in their twenties and this does create a bit of a disconnect for the audience but not enough to run any particular episode thankfully. However, it would have been an injustice to recast any of the actors in the series as they are all played to perfection. From the charismatic lead of Uhtred to my favourite returning Dane Haesten, every performance is played to perfection.

The Last Kingdom S5 is another stunning piece of television. If you like shows with battles full of grit and blood, with interesting characters that make up a grand historical epic, then The Last Kingdom is as good as it gets.  All that is left to finish off the story is a final film titled: Seven Kings Must Die. If the high standards of the TV series are met, then we are all in for a thrilling finale. Destiny is all!

Watch The Last Kingdom Season 5

The post REVIEW: The Last Kingdom Season 5 appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The City of Dusk by Tara Sim

The City of Dusk is the debut adult fantasy novel from Tara Sim. It is the first instalment of The Dark Gods trilogy and is published by Orbit. I would like to thank Orbit for sending me an eARC of the novel to be able to provide my review for Grimdark Magazine.

In The City of Dusk we follow the four heirs of the four noble houses in the city of Nexus. The families of Lastrider, Vakara, Mordova, and Cyr have kept the city running for over five centuries. Each family represents a different deity and holds different divine skills to help the city run smoothly. But their gods no longer favour Nexus, and the heirs of the families must work together to save their kingdom.

As this is a review for that corner of the internet dedicated to getting knee deep in grit, I need to say from the get go that The City of Dusk is not the darkest of dark fantasy novels. Although it has a lot of dark elements, there are not enough consistently grim features to make it grimdark. It is, however, a good fantasy, with a cracking ensemble cast and a wonderful world.

In fact, the world of The City of Dusk is my favourite aspect of Sim’s novel. It is a gorgeously crafted realm where each of the main characters, and their magics, are believable. From necromancy, to wielding shadows or wings of light Sim has created a unique magic system that is easy to follow and understand. The history of the different religions and their feuding noble families is also well built, where all relevant information is shared without ever feeling like it is bogging down the narrative. I also loved that The City of Dusk is a world without the prejudices and biases of our society. There are a range of sexualities, races, and religions in Sim’s world with no stereotyping or token inclusion. This is a very refreshing feature for a fantasy world to have! It also focuses on some deep emotional issues, such as grief, in a careful and considered way.

However, although there were many things that I enjoyed about The City of Dusk I did struggle in some places. The denouement was fantastic, but the slow and steady pace of the rest of the novel made those final few chapters feel almost too quick. I also think that Sim’s writing style is more juvenile than I expected from a book being billed as an adult dark epic fantasy. The City of Dusk has all the ingredients to make it that, but to me it felt like I was reading a very long young adult novel and I took a while to get into the swing of it. Although I liked all of the characters, I often perceived them as younger than the narrative states them to be which also added to my sense that this is more of a crossover fantasy novel than an adult one. I do not mean this as a huge criticism; I have read and liked Sim’s young adult novels. But I do think readers who do not also enjoy “new adult” writing may struggle with the style of The City of Dusk.

Overall I think that The City of Dusk is a good read. It will appeal to the fans of fantasy who prefer a less grim world whilst still being a dark novel. It is a novel with violence, sex, swearing, political intrigue, and characters with some moral ambiguity. These traits just are not quite as explicit or harsh as grimdark readers would be used to or might be expecting from it. The cliff hanger of The City of Dusk has kept me interested and I am invested enough in the characters and this world to continue with the next instalment of The Dark Gods when it comes out. 3 / 5

Read The City of Dusk by Tara Sim



The post REVIEW: The City of Dusk by Tara Sim appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: Skallagrim – In the Vales of Pagarna by Stephen R. Babb

Two years ago I was given the chance to hear a new album by the band Glass Hammer entitled Dreaming City.  I was intrigued and within moments was able to become totally absorbed in the music. I reviewed this album for Grimdark Magazine, and in that review, I stated a hope that there would someday be an actual book detailing the adventures of Skallagrim. Imagine my pleasant surprise at being presented with a copy of this paperback in my mailbox courtesy of the author, Stephen R. Babb.

Skallagrim – In the Vales of Pagarna begins much as the first song on the album (The Dreaming City) with Skallagrim himself coming to, after a blow to the head and with some severe memory loss, forced to do battle with a gang of ruffians as an evil wizard steals off with the woman of his…dreams.

“Two things happened nearly at once, both of them bad. First was the horrifying sensation of watching a cruelly curved knife plunging toward his left eye.”

Fighting for survival, Skallagrim can only hang on as he desperately watches in horror as his lady is whisked away, but these thugs aren’t going to let him be long enough to rescue her. He’s not even sure how he’s to win through, as he’s a thief by trade dammit, not a swordsman. Then as he cries out in despair, a wonderous and magical blade drops from the heavens to help him on his quest to stay alive.

“…he dropped his bloody short sword and, reaching up, grabbed the hilt of the alien blade.

Then all hell broke loose.”

That’s how the first chapter ends, setting us on a course along with Skallagrim as he seeks to track down the wizard Forneus Druogorim and rescue his lady. He doesn’t remember her name, just his strong feelings for her and her radiant blue eyes. Though he doesn’t remember what happened, he knows he’s responsible for getting her into this mess and even if she won’t love what he’s become, he’s honor bound to save her from an evil rite of sacrifice in just a few nights hence.

Sets up a pretty good story, doesn’t it? Oh yes, and I found myself racing through on this adventure where everything seems horrible and pretty much is.

“‘Try making sense of the schemes of the mad, and you will go mad yourself.'”

Horrible for Skallagrim, that is. The reader of a grimdark story will get a thrill out of this. More specially, fans of Michael Moorcock’s Elric series should see some strong influences here, from the tortured hero and his wicked blade, all the way back to the author being a collaborator with the band Hawkwind. Steve Babb has his own musical pedigree with his band Glass Hammer, of course. I also got a bit of a Robert Howard feel, from the old Conan stories. Fans of either series, or any dark sword and sorcery tale will find something here to enjoy.

Skallagrim has some thoughts on Archon, the Dreaming City itself:

“Archon was a mystery to him. One day he might return and search out its towers, its crypts, and its labyrinths, find out its secrets and thus untangle the tentacles with which the city had snared his mind.”

This kind of writing will pull a reader (or listener) into the epic wanting more. And from what I have gathered, this is the first book in a series about Skallagrim, so there is much to look forward to down the road. There are more albums to enjoy too, as it turns out.

Read Skallagrim – In the Vales of Pagarna by Stephen R. Babb

The post REVIEW: Skallagrim – In the Vales of Pagarna by Stephen R. Babb appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: Travels in the Dark by Jordan Loyal Short

Travels in the Dark by Jordan Loyal Short is the third and final novel in the Dreadbound Ode. The Dreadbound Ode is a fascinating mix of space opera, dark fantasy, and politics that reminds me strongly of Warhammer 40K. It is a dark and somber world where an oppresisve empire beats down the Medieval-like impoverished worlds in it sphere of influence. Worse, the Underworld is a literal place and it is full of dead gods as well as regret.

The premise is that our protagonists have really been screwed up by the events of the previous novel. Lyssa is dying of the injuries she sustained trying to finish off the pirates who enslaved her people, Henrik has managed to free himself from slavery but made countless enemies in the process, and Brohr is now totally insane with necromantic powers that are linked to forces darker than can be imagined.

After two relatively grounded and low fantasy science fiction stories, this book amps up the sorcery and supernatural significantly. The Dead Gods are escaping their prison and unleashing the forces of the insane soirits of the Underworld. The sole remaining “good” god (which is a very questionable statement) is manifest but clearly outmatched by the powers arrayed against him. Brohr is also outright using necromancy to raise the dead in hopes of being able to unite with Lyssa.

I think my favorite part of Travels in the Dark is the extended quest in the Underworld by Lyssa to try to get out of it. The Underworld is a place filled with people tormented by their regrets and inability to move on past their deaths. Given the number of people Lyssa killed on her way to getting trapped there, there’s more than a few people who want to pay her back whether or not it is going to endanger everyone.

Things go from bad to worse for our protagonists as they find themselves crippled not only by the impressive forces arrayed against them but also their own horrible personality flaws. Brohr’s obsession with Lyssa is the only thing keeping him going, which drives him to increasingly horrific acts. He’s also the only person who can protect the remaining survivors. Henrik is the Prophet but that is a power that means very little among the power-hungry atheists who head the religion as well as Inquisition.

If I had any complaints about Travels in the Dark, it’s the fact I was really enjoying the low fantasy and politically charged world of the previous books. There’s not much room for political subtlety or moral ambiguity when the entirety of the universe is at stake. I could have read more stories about slavers, pirates, and corruption among the Electors before dark gods. This is a small complaint, though.

There’s a lot of twists and turns in Travels in the Dark with all the major plotlines resolved by the end. The characters go through hell, literally, and is all the more interesting. The grand finale is both a satisfying end as well enjoyable story in its own right. It is definitely within the dark fantasy/grimdark genre. Flawed characters, unspeakable horrors, and a bittersweet ending that shows the consequences of our characters’ actions.

Read Travels in the Dark by Jordan Loyal Short

The post REVIEW: Travels in the Dark by Jordan Loyal Short appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The Rush #4 by Simon Spurrier and Nathan Gooden

The Rush, written by Simon Spurrier and drawn by Nathan Gooden, can for the most part best be described as a low, seething burn. At least the first few issues can, because once we hit The Rush #4, it turns into a roiling conflagration.

Where before the hideous, abominable truth of the world, the supernatural terrors that preyed upon the sane light of reality, was mostly hidden and teased out in brutal bits and pieces here we see it all stark and raw and unflinching. In The Rush #4, the cards are laid on the table and the action is furious and nonstop.

After all the slow burn, after all of the build up, The Rush #4 creates a kind of frenetic catharsis of exhilarating horror as our protagonist Nettie is pushed into a direct conflict with the monstrous powers that dominate the frozen northern wastes of The Rush. The whole issue moves at a breakneck pace, with neither the reader nor poor Nettie given much chance to breathe as we’re constantly turning pages see what’s next while she’s desperately pushing forward and running for her life.

Any pretense Nettie might have had that there was a logical, reasonable explanation for her son’s disappearance is thrown headlong out the proverbial window. The bullets fly, the nightmares stalk the snow and the hillsides redden as the full title of The Rush promised.

This Hungry Earth Reddens Under Snowclad Hills suddenly takes on an ominous portent in The Rush #4 as we begin to learn the truth of the hungry earth, what it hungers for, and the bloody price it exacts on those who seek to satiate their greed on its bounty. The Rush has gone from a daring, spine-tingling and introspective examination of the vices of man and the danger man presents when driven to extremes and privation, spiked her and their by glimpses of unspeakable horrors to an endless cavalcade of those horrors laid bare in all their ominous, terrible splendor.

That doesn’t mean The Rush has given up all of its secrets, though, as we discover the monsters have motives and hidden truths of their own which they tease out to poor Nettie and leave us dangling on a white-knuckled cliffhanger.

It’s stressful, to finally have gotten so much out of an issue and be left dangling over the edge and having to wait a whole other month for more. In The Rush #4 the story has just crossed the threshold from excellent to exceptional, the story cranking it up several notches to become absolutely required reading if you’re a fan of speculative cosmic horror and fantasy. The art, the colors and textures, all of them remain top notch, evocative and emotive, hugely effective at portraying the terror of the moment. The Rush #4 has easily earned itself five out of five stars, and I cannot wait for the next.

Read The Rush #4 by Simon Spurrier and Nathan Gooden

The post REVIEW: The Rush #4 by Simon Spurrier and Nathan Gooden appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.