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REVIEW: Ash and Bones by Michael R. Fletcher

Smoke to Ashes, and Stone to Bones… Here we go again, continuing the saga where Fletcher introduced us to the world of Bastion in Smoke and Stone. Ash and Bones is the second novel in his City of Sacrifice series, and here we start to see a little more of the sacrifice part of the series title.

In my review for Smoke and Stone I went into how intrigued I was with the unique worldbuilding and magic system employed by Fletcher. He certainly continues that, digging deeper into the mythology and the machinations of the Gods that rule Bastion.

“…those who blasphemed against Bastion’s sacred laws would be offered up to the gods. The gods fed well.”

Once more we get the shifting point-of-view chapters from our two characters on opposite ends of the struggle, Akachi and Nuru. They survived their first squaring off at the end of Book One, where Mother Death was allowed into the city past its wards. Face Painted with Bells is the newest addition to the pantheon, having manoeuvred herself in as caretaker of the Underworld and a placeholder for Mother Death, after their plans to destroy Father Death came to pass. The Pantheon is now in disarray as the remaining Gods move to take their place as first among Gods.

“Trust was a luxury only enjoyed during times of peace.”

The thing is, an ancient pact between the Gods after an earlier war prohibits any God from taking the life of another. So they have to wage this war through their mortal representatives, called Hearts. Our protagonists are chosen to serve in this capacity, with Akachi elevated from priest to become the Heart of Cloud Serpent. As servant of the God of the Hunt, he is tasked to defeat our other protagonist, Nuru, who has been chosen to be the Heart of Mother Death. Joining her is her friend Efra, who may or may not know that she has been selected to be the Heart of the Obsidian Lord. The fact that one of this god’s many names is The Enemy of Both Sides certainly can’t be good, but what is his goal in all of this?

“Trusting a god named the Enemy of Both Sides seemed foolish.”

This just scratches the surface of the conflict between these pages, and there are so many twists and turns I’m not entirely sure I understood them all. What I did understand is that I was on the edge of my seat as Fletcher took us on this journey, both deeper into the city of Bastion, and into the worlds of dreams and visions from the Gods. To top it off, it seems that a final conflict in the Underworld is in the cards before it’s all settled.

Nothing can be taken for granted as the Gods play their chess pieces in this Game that has much higher stakes than anything that has come before.

“He looked terrified, as if maybe dying on an altar in a church of Father Death might not have been such a great idea.”

Be sure to see our review of Book One, Smoke and Stone, here.

Read Ash and Bones by Michael R. Fletcher

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Conan the Destroyed: the Good, the Bad, and The Reboot

Conan the Barbarian was once a household name. Back when I was very young, the character was at the height of his popularity, and you might have seen his grim visage and muscular physique painted on the sides of vans or on the backs of leather jackets. At the very least you would have seen him on the covers of comics, paperbacks, or the big screen of your local movie theatre. But it’s not the 80s anymore, and these days we don’t leave a lot of room for shirtless, brazenly macho murderers and ladies’ men.

Now, when I tell people I work on Conan books and games, they ask, “the comedian?” Sigh. But memories aren’t too short—once I mention Arnold Schwarzenegger, they conjure vague memories of fur diapers and hotdog tans. They’ll say “oh, cool” or some other words of feigned interest, and the conversation moves onto other things. But the community in which I spend a lot of time knows deeply who Conan is and what he’s about. Not only that, they know who Robert E. Howard is and the differences between Kull and Bran Mak Morn, and some—the truly nerdy—know Hyboria is not a place, despite what the marketing department would have them believe.

Needless to say, in this social media circle, the topic of the Conan movies rears its head on a regular basis. Someone’s always stepping in to say, “Hey, did you know the Jason Momoa movie is much closer to Robert E. Howard’s original Conan stories?”, as if their observation is novel and a thousand other people haven’t already made the claim. And of course I have to put down whatever I’m doing, sharpen my oversized sword, and wade in to the conversation to tell them how wrong they are. That isn’t to say the film doesn’t have its strengths. They all do, but to quote a more modern, hulking, northern warrior, “you have to be realistic about these things”. So I’ve strapped on my sandals and girded my loins for a short exploration into the merits of each Conan film. Next time the topic pops up in my feasting hall, I shall have a link to my definitive say on the matter and can drop it into the conversation like Thulsa Doom’s severed head.

Little wonder Conan the Barbarian (1982) has stuck so firmly in our public consciousness and made the character impossible to separate from Arnold Schwarzenegger, “crushing enemies”, and the Riddle of Steel—It’s a classic film. The script, direction, cinematography, orchestral score, production design and performances all stand out as good to excellent in quality. Pair John Milius’ masculine sensibilities with Arnold’s peerless physique and you’ve got yourself a quintessential testosterone-fuelled fantasy flick and easily the best of the sword and sorcery films. When I ask, “what is best in life?” you know the rest, and that’s because this film is full of classic moments and set pieces. So, it works as a film on its own merits—I doubt anyone reading this would disagree—but how well does it represent Robert E. Howard’s original stories?

On the surface it does a lot wrong in translating Conan to the big screen—especially the character himself. The you-killed-my-family-so-now-I-seek-vengeance plot is sort of anti-Conan and anti-sword and sorcery. Howard’s Conan sought adventure, riches, love, life, and slaying. He didn’t need a reason beyond wanderlust and burning curiosity to explore the glittering kingdoms and tread the jewelled thrones of the earth beneath his feet. It’s also probably hard for the Howard fan to swallow that Conan, regardless of his age, would allow himself to remain a prisoner and a slave. Howard’s Conan would have broken those bonds on his own and spilled the blood of his captors in an explosion of violence. As cool as the Wheel of Pain is, it isn’t something Conan would stick around to push. But if you look beyond the motivations and temperament of the title character and the needless origin story, you will find Howard’s Hyborian Age, lived-in, grim, and brutal. You’ll also find allusions to other Howard’s works including the Kull and Bran Mak Morn tales. So, the appreciation for Howard is present—if not misguided—but arguably overshadowed by John Milius’ wish to make a Genghis Khan film. In short, it’s an excellent genre piece, among the best fantasy films of all time, but not overly rooted in the source material. But that’s okay because we have the sequel, Conan the Destroyer, to course correct and offer a truly Howard-esque Conan, right?

Well…no. With 1984’s the Destroyer we got an objectively worse film—one that dials up the humor, camp. It may be a pretty awful Conan film and dubious on its own merits, but it’s the best damned Dungeons and Dragons movie ever committed to film. While it’s fairly despised by Howard fans, I am not among those who hate it. In fact, I like it—a lot. But it’s for all the wrong reasons, and I can’t really defend it as an adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s work. There is that one really awesome, “enough talk!” moment, though. Speaking of that—ENOUGH TALK about Conan the Destroyer.

That brings us to the entire reason I felt compelled to write this article: Conan the Barbarian 2011. I remember my mounting anticipation during this film’s promotion. Those involved attested this would be Robert E. Howard’s Conan onscreen, finally. Of course those promoting it would say that; that’s what they do, and at that time fidelity to source material was the hot thing to do, thanks in no small part to Marvel Studios’ efforts. I can forgive the promoters. But what really disappoints me are all the fans who claim Conan the Barbarian 2011 is Robert E. Howard’s Conan.

I’ve watched the film numerous times, and not even with Mitra as my guide can I understand where this notion comes from. They can’t be serious, right? I assure you, I’ve read countless posts claiming this film is closer to Howard’s Conan than the two films preceding it. How do I say this politely? These folks are selling Haga, and I only smoke the finest Stygian lotus.

I’ve tried to imagine what aspects of the film they believe tether this aggressively generic fantasy film to Robert E. Howard’s greatest creation. Is it the Lord of the Rings plot, where a dread artefact is splintered into pieces and scattered about the land and “hidden for ages”? Is it that Conan’s father was the last protector of the final shard? Maybe it was the wagon chase so emblematic of Howard’s prose (or was that Willow?) No wait, I’ve got it—it’s the parkour sand mummies, right? Of course, and maybe the cool double-bladed scimitar which was only slightly less egregious than the rocket sword from the Sword and the Sorcerer? How about the “master thief” who is clearly respected in Argalon, City of Thieves(what? Where? Huh?)—the master thief whose skill set involves—and I’m not kidding here—having keys. Surely Shevatas, “thief among thieves, whose name was spoken with awe in the dives of the Maul…and who lived in songs and myths for a thousand years” would have been impressed.

No? None of these? Then what makes these folks claim this is Howard’s Conan? Is it the orcs? Yeah, you heard me. Sure, you can argue that Remo and Akhun are just beastly henchmen, but in a movie so clearly aping other aspects of the Lord of the Rings, it’s not a stretch to think the director (Marcus Nispel) or one of the several writers demanded orcs with the serial numbers filed off.

But what about Conan himself? Does Jason Momoa embody Robert E. Howard’s timeless reaver? Yes and no. Momoa shows flashes of greatness in the role and, at times, really does seem to step off the mouldering pages of Weird Tales. There are scenes where he stalks his prey much like a hunting cat, much like Howard describes Conan. He’s got the speed and athleticism and though the sword fights are clearly of the style over substance variety, he is believably deadly with a sword. That said, he also seems a little too Bro-nan for my liking. I appreciate his mirthless grin, but is it really necessary to have Conan say, “come on!” five times over the course of the film? I’m not so sure. He also gives his word to someone that he won’t kill them, only to trick them with semantics. Not very Conan-like, I’m afraid.

As a sword and sorcery film, it’s not bad. It’s not good either, but the Picts, the Dweller, the young Conan scenes, and the pacing are all high points in what ends up being a master-class in derivative storytelling. There’s a Batman Begins scene. There’s a location called the Forbidden Forest. The finale takes place inside Skull Mountain. The revenge plot and the “mystery of steel” are plucked from the 1982 film and rehashed, diminished, and once again, not from Howard’s stories. All of these aspects are fine if you view this film as a long-lost 1980s sword and sorcery flick. But when people claim it’s Robert E. Howard’s Conan on screen, I’m forced to write lengthy articles insisting the contrary.

It has been almost a decade since the last crack at a live action Conan film. There have been false starts and rumours about subsequent projects, and I’m sure before long we’ll all enjoy (or endure) another. Will they finally get things right and offer a film steeped in Howard’s texts? I’m doubtful, but I also don’t believe that’s what we need. Direct adaptations are tricky and mediums differ. Changes are necessary. My hope is that we get something that captures the proper tone, feel, and spirit of Howard’s stories. All three films offer some of these elements, but ultimately they all fail to properly represent Howard’s most popular character and epoch. You don’t have to agree with what I’ve said here, but I appreciate you taking a moment to listen.“And if you do not listen, then the hell with you!”

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REVIEW: The Emperor’s Knife by Mazarkis Williams

I discovered the name Mazarkis Williams late in the game. It was a lucky accident that I stumbled across her short story Violet in the anthology The Art of War. I loved it. Williams wove a brilliant tale that really sunk its hooks into me. After I finished it, I popped up google and did a search for Mazarkis Williams and was pleased to find out that Williams had an entire trilogy published and ready for my greedy eyes. That’s how I ended up with a copy of The Emperor’s Knife in my lap about a week later.

Allow me to preface this review with the fact that after three or four chapters I realized this wasn’t really the sort of book I read. I prefer more swords than sorcery in my novels, and this one was more about political intrigue than rough and tumble dragon slaying. However, it did grow on me, and I decided to give it a chance.

The story is embedded in a magical pattern that is infecting the denizens of the Cerani Empire. Citizens who are infected with the pattern are slowly covered in geometrical designs, and it eventually kills them, or drives them to madness. Therefore, those infected are immediately put to death. The main problem, which arises within the first few chapters, is what happens when the Emperor is infected? Do the same rules apply?

A struggle to fill the potential void in the power structure of the Empire quickly develops. The initial players appear to be the Emperor Beyon, his mother Nessaket, and the Vizier of the Court Tuvaini. However, in time, it becomes obvious that it is their pawns who make up the bulk of the story.

Tuvaini conscripts the help of the Emperor’s Knife, his personal assassin named Eyul. While Nessaket manipulates the fate of Mesema, the daughter of a Chief of the northern Horse Tribes, who she has betrothed to her second son Sarmin. A son who she has hidden away in the high tower because it is tradition to kill all the brothers of the Emperor upon his succession.

The culture of the Empire also plays a vital role in how the story develops. Cerani is an extremely patriarchal society, at least at its highest levels. Women are seen but not heard and exist purely to bear sons for their husbands. An ability once proven, gives them the “right” to bare their breasts in public. A large part of how any of the female characters achieve their goals is determined by how much they manipulate or ignore that aspect of their society.

Even though The Emperor’s Knife is somewhat slower than the action-packed fiction that I prefer, I did actually enjoy it. The interplay between the characters was fascinating, and I found myself rooting for folks by the close of the book. I also enjoyed the fact that while, this is the first of a trilogy, it had definite closure at the end of the story. I could have easily walked away from this trilogy, but now I find that I can’t. I’ll be ordering the second book today.

Read The Emperor’s Knife by Mazarkis Williams

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REVIEW: King of Ashes by Raymond E. Feist

Few authors have had the effect that Raymond Feist has had on the fantasy genre. He is as synonymous with grand fantasy novels as Stephen King is with horror. As of right now, Feist has written 30+ books, most notably the Riftwar Cycle. A collection of fantasy stories that revolve around the world of Midkemia and Kelewan. However, Feist’s newest series, The Firemane Saga beginning with King of Ashes, has the potential to be as widespread and loved as the Riftwar Cycle.

“The queen had a late child, yes . . . ,” said Daylon. He let out a long sigh. “Most likely it died during the taking of the villa. They threw babies from the cliffs to the rocks when the household was slaughtered. Perhaps he was one.”

King of Ashes details the fall of the Ithrace kingdom through great treachery. For more than a century, the five nations worked in partnership with each other to build a world of great prosperity. This is especially true of the Ithrace kingdom. They are known for the beauty of the land and a love of the arts and wealth that far exceeds the other four kingdoms. It indeed was a magnificent kingdom of milk and honey. The King of Ashes begins with a prologue after the great betrayal, and Ithrace is burning to the ground. The King of Ithrace, Steveren Langene, and his entire family are brought onto a stage and unceremoniously have their throats cut. The aim was to destroy every Firemane member and eradicate the family line.

But they missed one… and this is how a great fantasy story begins.

“So he had betrayed a man he loved like a brother to spare his people future ravages. As the priests of the One God would say, Daylon had made his pact with the Dark One; he had sold his soul.”

The last Firemane child, a baby, is spirited away from the burning city under cover of darkness to the land of the island nation of Coaltachin. Coaltachin, a secret people specialing in spying, thieving, and information gathering, is taking custody of the child until the child turns 17. From there, the Baron Daylon Dumarch will take back the child and explain to him his lineage if all goes to plan.

King of Ashes officially begins 16 years after the betrayal of Ithrace with the perspective of 16-year-old Hatu. There are a variety of viewpoints given in the story. This adds a certain roundness to the narrative and the ability to take in new perspectives. However, the majority of the viewpoints are from Hatu, Declan, and Hava. At this point, Hatu and Hava are dear friends and students at Coaltachin. At the same time, Declan is a journeyman smith finishing off his first masterpiece to claim Master smith in another town. Hatu, as a character, is young, impulsive, and angry. Although he has, through necessity, figured out ways to calm the ever-present anger that boils inside of him, it still is there. Declan is in a lot of ways, the opposite of Hatu. Where Hatu is impulsive, Declan is steadfast. Where Hatu burns hot, Declan cools down to ice. It is ironic in the case of Declan when his life is on the line, and he must battle, he boils his mind down to a single point of action. He is ruthless, cold, and efficient. Both of the characters’ lives slowly spin and swirl towards each other.

“He was content to rise or fall on his own ability, but when he failed due to lack of information, Hatu flew into a rage—often at himself for not acquiring the knowledge, or at others for not providing it. Unreliable information was what he hated most.”

The world-building of King of Ashes is thoughtful, expansive, and detailed. A well thought out world is Feist’s wheelhouse. Although his stories tend to be character-based, Feist gives the perfect amount of detail to his worlds so that the reader can get a clear picture in their head. Any missing information can be filled in by imagination. The characters are highly detailed, and the dialog does not ever have a forced or static feel to it—the bane of many fantasy books. Feist’s characters tend to speak like humans and have human reactions. Honestly, Raymond Feist is a master at this kind of fantasy. You would think that a lost child destined to save the world, might be a little tropey. In any other hands, it probably would be. But this is Feist, and he could write a phone book and have it be engaging.

“Declan said, “One last thing, my lord.” “Yes?” said Daylon, turning to Declan. “My master said that I needed to see you to honor his pledge.” “Who was your master?” “Edvalt Tasman.” Daylon looked at his half brother, who raised an eyebrow and gave him a short nod. Daylon was silent for a moment, then said, “He was as gifted a smith as I’ve ever known. I made him promise he’d send me his best apprentice. So, that would be you?” “He judged me fit to be named master,” said Declan. “I was an orphan and he was like a father to me, and so because of that, I honor his pledge to you, my lord.” Daylon was again silent, then he said, “You tell me this more from duty than from any desire to seek service.” “Truth to tell, my lord, I promised him I would do this, but my ambition is to set up my own forge and be my own man.”

Pacing-wise, this book is a slower burn. It balances giving enough information to the reader while keeping the pace moving. This isn’t easy in the first book of a series. Feist does this generally very well. But at points, in the story the pacing lags a bit, especially in the beginning. I want to get to know these characters; I want more from them. But Feist teases the readers with glimpses. One of the most interesting and I would think pivotal figures later on in the series is Baron Daylon Dumarch and his brother. The interactions these two have coupled with the political climate, and the Baron’s everpresent guilt made me want to skip to his sections. His pain is almost palpable. “I seek only not to despise the man I see in the mirror,” said the Baron of Marquensas.” He betrayed his best friend and will spend what is left of his life atoning for it. 

One of the other aspects of the book I particularly enjoyed is the magical system. Many fantasy books use magic as a sort of Deus ex Machinea. It can do anything, save anyone. King of Ashes is much more subtle. There is magic in this world, but its extent and how it works is not fully fleshed out at this point. I like that. It teases the reader and allows the narrative to the rest of the great dialog and characters rather than flashy magic.

King of Ashes is a bright start to a new series. It is epic in scope, detailed in character, exciting, heart wrenching, and entertaining. It is all the best parts of the fantasy genre written by a master. Much need not be explained when you say the name, Feist. Readers know that they are in the presence of something great, and King of Ashes is no different.

Buy King of Ashes by Raymond E. Feist

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REVIEW: Black Legion by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

Black Legion, the follow up to the Talon of Horus continues the tale of Iskander Khayon as he takes part in the wars to assert the titular Black Legion as the pre-eminent force amongst the Nine Legions.

The main thrust of the story is Khayon’s ongoing feud with a rival warlord, Thagus Daravek who threatens the Black Legion’s ascendancy. The wider tale sees the beginning of what would be called the first Black Crusade and a confrontation between Abaddon and a great hero of the Imperium as the call of the daemon sword Drach’nyen rings out. Again, this is narrated by Khayon to his Imperial captors millenia later.

This is a story for 40k devotees and would be a very tough jumping on point even for some of those who’d missed out on the first book, such is the singular nature of the story and the relative obscurity of these events even within 40k’s well trodden canon.

Indeed, this tale comes across very much as a middle chapter. It lacks some of the immediacy and creativity of the first book and also fails to give a truly satisfying conclusion, with Daravek coming across as an antagonist of the week rather than a true Big Bad.

Not that there is a good/bad dichotomy in this story as much as bad who’s point of view we get, and bad who stand opposed to it. That’s not to say Khayon is a wholly despicable protagonist. His care for his ship, his long term allies and his retinue is clear and his reasons for turning against the Emperor of Man are ultimately reasonable. I’d better be careful talking like that, the Inquisition will be asking questions.

There are some lovely sections in this book, not least Khayon’s assault on Daravek’s fortress near the beginning of the story and the appearance of the Warp Ghosts later on, but the plot meanders while the best moments and themes aren’t as compelling as those explored in the Talon of Horus. Thankfully, the moments where Khayon breaks out of his reverie and acknowledges his current circumstances are less immersion breaking than in the first book.

Dembski-Bowden’s prose and characterisation remain delightful with Khayon being a layered and compelling protagonist and Abaddon is given new depth that we haven’t seen in either the Horus Heresy books or current 40k settings.

Ultimately, Black Legion is not as captivating a story as the Talon of Horus but remains an entertaining and capable middle chapter.

A recommendation for fans of 40k, and anyone who liked the previous book. I just hope that the final installment of the trilogy emerges at some point.

Read Black Legion by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

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REVIEW: The Lessons Never Learned by Rob J. Hayes

The Lessons Never Learned is Book Two of the War Eternal trilogy, that began with the fantastic Along the Razor’s Edge.

“Opinions are like children. Those who have them want them to be special, rarely realizing they are just as dumb and ugly as all the others.”

With this in mind, I’ll go forth with my review.

Now, before we start to worry that The Lessons Never Learned will suffer from middle-book syndrome as so many bridge novels in trilogies seem to do, let me state right here that this is not the case. I would actually compare this more to the classic Empire Strikes Back level of middle-books, the perhaps rare case where the bridge is better than the ends. I don’t know (yet) if it’s better than Book Three, but I would venture to say that if you enjoyed Book One, you will like this at least as much.

Eskara Helsene and her companions have escaped the Pit. Big spoiler for Book One, but if you’ve read this far you would have been alerted to this fact. But their problems have only just begun, as they have nothing more than the rags on their backs and a couple of Sources picked up along the way. Sources are essential to sorcerers though, of which Eska is a member. It is in fact, the “source” of their power. (See Book One for the source of this information).

Well, it isn’t much, but it’s a start. Eska has managed to escape by being clever enough and making the right alliances, getting the help she needed to make her break for it. And now she has a little link to her power with these two sources. Well, more like one as if she uses the second it’s more like to kill her, which would end this trilogy as a single novel with an afternote.

Eska’s next step is to evade recapture by the ones hunting her and her companions, Hardt and Tamura, and she discovers that she might be able to do just that by going to the floating city of Ro’shan. Not only does this city float in the sky, but it orbits the planet slowly, dropping anchor when arriving at trade cities. As luck would have it, it’s just in the path of Eska and her group. They stumble on a young thief named Imiko who can help them stowaway on the city before it moves on.

And that’s where their troubles just begin…

This novel was packed with just as much excitement and surprises as the first, moving out from the underground setting we experienced for most of the first book. We get to see the world from above, somewhat literally as Eska and her friends look down from Ro’shan. Will she be pursued by their enemies? (She will.) Will they get into even more trouble in this floating city than they were in to begin with? (They will.) And will there be lots of grimdarky violence and power switching along the way? (There will.) Finally, will Hayes kick us in the teeth a few times with unexpected twists?

This, my friends, is a Book Two of Three that would make Lucas proud. I won’t reveal who gets trapped in carbonite and hauled back to Jabba the Hutt, but this is a novel that not only bridges the trilogy in fine fashion, but makes us long for Book Three.

Luckily, we don’t have to wait three years…

Buy The Lessons Never Learned by Rob J. Hayes

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REVIEW: Heart of a Dragon by David Niall Wilson

Heart of a Dragon is an interesting introduction to the shared universe of David Niall Wilson’s Dechance Chronicles. Several of his series take place in this universe ranging from his O.C.L.T government agency tales to his recent Hoods teen superheroes stories. The supernatural is real in his world but it is hidden from the prying eyes of the public.

Dovonan Dechance is a gentleman wizard that doesn’t get much backstory but exists as the invisible protector of San Valencez, a fictionalized version of San Diego that is based around the author’s experiences there. Dovonan walks around the city using magical doors linking him to every alley and building while collecting a variety of ancient artifacts. He’s a man of a different time and ill-suited to dealing with the dark and gritty forms of magic that have taken root in his city in recent years.

The central premise is that Dovonan is forced to deal with the fact that magic has trickled its way down to the Dragons and Los Escorpiones street gangs. A bokor, Anya Cabrera, has armed the Los Escorpiones with black magic that has allowed them to summon gods into themselves and make themselves invincible. The Dragons, by contrast, have begun using artistic magic to channel the power of dragons into themselves. The fact both gangs are using cosmic powers just to kill each other better is something mystifying to Dovonan but he has no immediate recourse for. It doesn’t help that he knows the hedge mage who is helping the Dragons and has thoroughly burned all bridges with him due to refusing to help him decades ago.

I appreciated the Dragons’ side of the story a bit more than I did Dovonan’s part of the tale. Unlike, say, Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files, this story isn’t completely told from Dovonan’s perspective. The most interesting perspectives are definitely Martinez the hedge magician and his student Salvatore. Salvatore has been dreaming of dragons his entire life and they are capable of manifesting through his paintings but it is something that the local gang is willing to exploit. The fact they assume their totem animal will care about their petty street war is another one of the mistakes made by the magicians playing with forces they can’t comprehend.

I like Dovonan’s “fish out of water” relationship with the magic of the street when he’s a high hermetic magician that is more Doctor Strange than John Constantine. John would have been able to resolve this much easier but Dovonan is a guy more accustomed to exploring tombs and ancient libraries. I was also fond of his girlfriend, Amethyst, who is another high wizard living in the city. Their relationship was really sweet and I wished we’d learned more about the circumstances in which it arose.

Overall, there’s a lot of good to say about Heart of a Dragon. It isn’t much interested in world-building, though, but giving a short snapshot of a conflict. The magic system is what I was most interested in with sorcery being composed of multiple paths and dealing with higher dimensions that interpose themselves on our world. There’s a few weaknesses in that I feel like the main characters remain a mystery despite how much time we spend with them but I felt the plot was pretty solid from beginning to end.

Read Heart of a Dragon by David Niall Wilson

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REVIEW: Blacksad by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido

Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canales might be one of the most perfect noir graphic novels I have ever read. It is a blend of noir and the 1940s and 1950s aesthetic with the “Sam Spade” type detective novel.

John Blacksad is a black cat in an anthropomorphized world. The species of each of the characters reflect what kind of role they play in the story. John, a black cat, is a private detective dealing with a share of beautiful and dangerous women, thugs, mafia, and cigarettes. The first of the three stories included in Blacksad Vol. 1 is about the murder of the famous movie actress, Natalia Willford. Someone John knows quite well. This story is a classic tale of deception and power struggles and the great “who done it.”.

“I’m out of the game, but you’re not. This is my proposition: Eliminate the murdering son of a bitch and I’ll personally cover your back.”

The next story in this collection is called Arctic Nation and is about race relations within the different animal communities. John acquires a client, named Miss Grey, who wants John to find a missing little girl. No one wants to stick up for this little girl, including the little girl’s mom, because the little girl is of mixed race. John sticks his paws into a tumultuous storm of race relations and deals with a KKK-like group that has no problem killing people that get in their way. Someone has to speak for the child, and John is the cat to do it.

“One day, not far from now, the world will again be under the control of the proud white race. That which god set on Earth to control all of others.”

The last story in the collection is Red Soul, and it finds our titular hero amidst conspiracies surrounding communist witch-hunts and scares of the 1950s.

The great thing about these stories is that even though they have characters played by different animals, it isn’t cute and cuddly. Blacksad is dark and brooding. The stories are magnificent, there is a reason why this is such a respected graphic novel series. John is an anti-hero. You can dislike him intensely as a character, but cheer him on as a detective. I loved Blacksad and am looking forward to finishing it up soon. Check it out.

Read Blacksad by Juan Díaz Canales & Juanjo Guarnido

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REVIEW: The Empty Throne by Bernard Cornwell

The Empty Throne is one of Bernard Cornwell’s best. Uhtred is written so well here, and he has such a strong voice and personality, I am constantly chuckling to myself at his downright rudeness – he’s becoming an impatient grey-bearded man!

“I wondered why the gods no longer came to earth. It would make belief so much easier.”

I have found that the deeper I delve into the Saxon Chronicles the more I enjoy them. There is a typical format for a Cornwell book, but there’s a reason why he is considered to be one of the greatest historical fiction writers ever. As the reader, you can see his passion and enthusiasm for this time period on each page.

“It takes a weak man to prove his strength by striking a woman.”

Uhtred has amassed a loyal band of warriors and family around himself. There are superb characters, such as the much loved Irishman Finan, as well as Uhtred’s fearsome daughter Stiorra and his son growing in stature. I loved the dynamics between this band and the epic politics surrounding them.

“I shook my head. ‘Killing isn’t woman’s work,’ I said. ‘Why not?’ she asked. ‘We give life, can’t we take it too?”

Uhtred manages to get himself involved in the Norns weave many times, decided the fate of his enemies, friends, even countries. He spends the majority of this book in a state of injury from the end of the previous book, and I loved the difference this made to his character.

“Wyrd bið ful āræd. Fate is inexorable. We are given power and we lose it.”

5/5 – I completely loved The Empty Throne. It was full of defining moments for Uhtred and his followers. There were incredible duels – of swords, words and minds, as well as brilliant battle sequences. In my opinion, it is far superior to the second half of Season 4 of The Last Kingdom, which is based on this book.

Read The Empty Throne by Bernard Cornwell

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REVIEW: Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

Every now and then our team gets approached separately by the same publicist, or by two seperate publishers altogether, to review a book. And when that happens we end up with something that’s rare as hen’s teeth for our site–A DOUBLE REVIEW. This time, it’s for Peace Talks by Jim Butcher.

This time, both Charles Phipps and Beth Tabler grabbed themselves a reviewer copy and took a look.

Charles’ review of Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

Peace Talks is the 16th book in the Dresden Files series by Jim Butcher. This isn’t really a grimdark novel or even horror but it is a series that we love, so we’re going to be sharing our review of it anyway. It’s also nice to see an author get over a long schedule slip. The last Dresden Files, Skin Game, was released six years ago in 2014. Given the series was chugging along at roughly a book a year, it was a really harsh dry spell for his fans. We had to find other others to read and some others like myself made their books because they didn’t have the comfort of Harry Dresden, Molly Carpenter, or Karrin Murphy.

The premise is that it takes place about six weeks after the events of SKIN GAME, which puts it in 2014 rather than 2020. It’s a shame as I would have been interested in how Harry reacted to the massive series of events that have occurred during the past six years even if he’s a not very political sort of guy. Jim Butcher summarizes the events of Skin Game in a pretty organic way, leaving us with where everyone is and what has been done to them. It’s not a particularly good place with Murphy but she’s coping because Murphy is a badass.

Harry Dresden is trying to settle into his new routine with a daughter he’s raising as well as the fact that he now has access to regular hot water (long story). He’s also the Knight of Winter and that’s something that obviously contradicts with his obligations as a Warden of the White Council. Despite this, he’s contacted by Carlos Ramirez to serve as a liaison for the peace talks happening between the Formor and the White Council after years of fighting. Things immediately go pear-shaped as his brother becomes caught up in what can charitably be called an international incident.

Reading a Dresden Files novel is like putting on a comfortable pair of shoes. They may be a little worn out, perhaps get more love than they deserve at times, need some repair, and maybe you’re defensive about replacing them. However, they are shoes you love. I’ve been reading about these characters since 2005 when I picked up a copy of Dead Beat and I’m still invested in them. While the delay was harsh, I have no problem jumping back into the complicated and wonderful world of Jim Butcher’s Chicago.

The book’s primary appeal for me is its characters, the humor, and action. You know, the things we’ve come to expect from Dresden Files books. Well-loved characters like Ebenezer McCoy, Carlos Ramirez, Butters, Murphy, Lara Raith, and Molly have big roles. Harry, as usual, is impossibly stubborn and a bit slow on the uptake. Anyone who loved the previous books in the series will almost certainly love this one too.

And the ending? Wow, the ending. It’s both incredible and infuriating simultaneously. It’s a cliffhanger and I can’t wait for Battle Ground.

Beth’s review of Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

Peace Talks, Jim Butcher’s newest installment in the Dresden Files universe is the culmination of all of Harry’s experiences, pain, and victories blending into one great explosion that resonates with, “I am enough.”

It has been a long, long time since I have read any new snark coming from the mouth of Harry Dresden. There is a giant hole in my TBR stack that only a Dresden book can fill. The Dresden series are books that make you smile and not take life so seriously; they are the best parts of Urban Fantasy as a genre. The series taken as a whole is half Sam Spade (trench coat and all) and half the tv show Supernatural. It is wizarding with an attitude. It is a take no bullshit, going to do what is right, Dresden is going to smite the bad guy kind of fun. It is heart and soul and so many things. Although there have been a few short stories since Butcher’s last book, it has been six years since the previous full Harry novel.

But let me tell you folks; this book is worth the wait.

We return to Dresden’s world very near where Skin Game left off. You can read Peace Talks singularly. However, I think readers should read Skin Game. There are many plot points that Butcher touches on that might be lost on readers if you aren’t vaguely familiar with them. Harry is still a member of the council and is the Winter Knight for Queen Mab. All of these twist and turn and pull Harry’s loyalty in many directions.

Complicating things is a situation with Thomas. Thomas, for some reason, does something very uncharacteristic for himself and gets in trouble.

In Peace Talks, Harry, an “every situation can be solved with a tornado” kind of wizard, is faced with something he is not known for talking and subtleties. Peace Talks is just that; it is the gathering of most of the world’s significant magical forces to talk. The idea is not to jump all over each other, whip fire around, or see who is wielding the biggest magical staff. Instead, it is talking in peace amongst your peers and hammering things out. Also, Peace Talks touches on familial issues: Dresden’s relationship with his brother and Grandfather plays a large part in the Narrative. We are blessed with moments of Harry interacting with reoccurring characters. Butters, Karrin, Molly, and Mouse all have standout moments. Especially Mouse, that dog has single-handedly made me want a Foo dog so that I may name him Mouse. Don’t tell me Foo dogs aren’t real.

“Okay,” Butters said. “So… that just happened.” He regarded the ectoplasm and then me and shook his head. “Your life, Harry. What the hell?” 

Dresden seems more at peace with who he is in this book more than any book or short story written. He has great interactions with Karrin that exude hard-fought-for calmness and familiarity. It is lovely to read as Harry deserves some peace in his romantic life for once. There are also moments later in the book where, while battling a foe, Harry realizes that he is his own man and does not need to explain or defend it. Even to his most trusted advisors, friends, and lovers. You would think that by book 16, he would have figured this out by now. But there is a difference in knowing something and internalizing it. I believe that Harry has finally internalized that he is enough; he always been enough, and given his history and experiences, people should start believing in him.

This book is also a love letter to the idea of found family.

“Yeah, one second.” I finally found the folded-up piece of paper with the weekly passphrases on it in the depths of the gym bag. I unfolded it, shook sand off it, consulted it, and read, “All of my base are belong to me. What does that even mean?”

A little back story on Harry’s character. He is an orphan, both of his parents have passed away, and his grandfather had raised him. He has few people to turn to that are blood-related. So instead, he finds his people, his family. They become as dear to his heart as much as anyone who shares his blood. It is part of what makes Harry such a fun character to read. He has a certain authenticity; he genuinely loves the people he adopts as family members. Sometimes this is used to hurt him as we have seen in previous books, with his daughter used against him as leverage.

“Yer a wizard, Harry.”

Pacing wise, this book feels different than previous Dresden stories. I know that this is marketed as having a small procedural arc like most of the Dresden file books do, this arc then sits inside a massive ongoing series arc. But although the end of the book does come to some conclusions as expected, it does not feel whole to me. Instead, it feels like it was written as 1/2 of a story to be concluded with Butcher’s next book Battleground. This might be why they are being released close together as Battleground is due to be released on September 29th of 2020. This is pure speculation; Battleground might feel very much like its own book. But I think that we are going to get a more solid feeling of closure for Peace Talks when Battleground has concluded. Either way, Butcher is blessing us readers with two Dresden stories this year.

If you take on the Dresden Files, 16+ books, it might seem overwhelming. A lot is going on. But trust that even if you haven’t read the previous books, you will enjoy this one. It is full of snark and quips, great plot, pacing, and standout moments. And, if you have read the previous books, you will fully appreciate it as it almost feels like he wrote it with the fans in mind. Butcher needed to remind longtime fans why this series is so much fun, and he does that in spades. As we have Battleground set to be released this fall, it is a banner year for Dresden Fans. If Battlegrounds is anything like this one, I don’t think fans will be disappointed.

Read Peace Talks by Jim Butcher

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