Adrian Collins's Blog, page 203

REVIEW: Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Golden Son is the second book in Pierce Brown’s magnificent Red Rising series. In a rarity for a book series, it’s better than book 1, and seeing as how I gave Red Rising a 5/5, that leaves me in a rather awkward scoring position.

Following on on after Red Rising, Darrow has passed his trials and is on to the next phase of his life as he integrates into his new Scarred Gold society, one far more dangerous than any environment he’s ever known. Golden Son begins with Darrow’s battle ground being of politics and leverage, one he can’t physically fight his way through. But one he must fight either way, if he is to ever pull Red out of the mines. He must also be wary of his own changes–Gold society and growing friendships with his Gold followers is beginning to change Darrow’s perspective.

“I am a child of hell, and I have spent too long in their heaven.”

However, things have changed for the Sons of Ares, and therefore for Darrow. He is being pushed into more danger than ever before by people he is now questioning if he can trust.

From a story perspective, Golden Son is just utterly magnificent. There is so much to get you teeth into, and Brown rarely gives you even a moment to breathe. You’re either worrying about who Darrow can trust, tearing through the atmosphere in one of the best SF battles I’ve ever read, waiting for Mustang or Roque to rip your heart out of your chest, or picking your jaw up off the floor after a big twist or reveal. Golden Son is non-stop, and it’s absolutely magnificent for it.

And we do have to talk about that battle. To keep this review spoiler free, I’m going to leave out the context, but I will say that fans of the battles portrayed in 40k books (eg. the Istvaan V dropsite massacre or the siege of Vervunhive) will be absolutely blown away by Brown’s ability to write personal in-close action, immense sweeping scale, and claustrophobic fear in a way that I think would eclipse most authors in the Black Library stable. He is a genius.

Brown’s ability to make you care about and love these predominantly Gold characters–a species of humanity we start out hating in Red Rising–is enviable. Mustang, Roque, Sevro, Tactus … I could go on and on, but every characters just hits that sweet spot where no matter who they are you know what they’re about and you care what happens to them. For me, the only character with more than a couple of pages of screen time that I thought felt a little two dimensional was the Sovereign (and honestly, I am nit-picking here), but hey, sometimes a book just needs a driven, vicious, irredeemable bastard.

Once again, Tim Gerard Reynolds brings Darrow and The Society to life through his magnificent narration. Reynolds has completely turned my reading world upside down with his performances–I’ve gone from not really being able to get in to audio books to laying on the couch like a zombie watching the clouds drift by as I listen to Golden Son.

Golden Son is a book / audio book that I will be recommending to literally anybody who will listen. It is magnificently written and narrated, builds on Red Rising in a way that in recent memory I think only Nicholas Eames’ Bloody Rose has managed as well, and gives readers so much of what they want. The politics, the war, the inner struggles, the class struggles, and watching people you love get wrenched about with their friendships torn and mended and stretched beyond what they can take just … just makes my reader soul happy in a way not many books can. Golden Son is the perfect sequel and is just bloody good science fiction. 5.5/5

Read Golden Son by Pierce Brown

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Get some grimdark spirit in your Dungeons and Dragons game

Hello, my name is Fabienne, and I am a Dungeon Master. Or a Dungeon Mistress, as the case may be. Don’t worry, nothing sexual, we are talking about Dungeons and Dragons, the pen and paper tabletop

roleplaying game. Today I am here to talk to you about how you can get some of that grimdark spirit from your favourite books by authors such as Joe Abercrombie, Brian Naslund or Matthew Ward into your own

campaigns without having to leave your living room!

Swing the weather wand

Sorry to break it to you, but sunshine ain’t going to cut it. It’s hard to project dark and gloomy when the sun is out, the weather is pleasant, and your characters don’t have to face any environmental obstacles. Miserable weather will lead to miserable characters and a tense party. And ultimately, that is what you want for your perfect grimdark campaign. Make your world foggy, wet, or brutally, relentlessly hot with no shade to be found. Just like us dwellers of the British Isles, your characters will be beaten down and hopeless. Not only that, but use the landscape of the world to your advantage. Make it hard for the characters to find shelter, expose them to the elements and make their lives miserable on campaign.

Introduce an element of madness

D&D fifth edition has a wonderful mechanic element of madness. Well, wonderful for the DM, less so for the players. Figure out a way to have external factors induce levels of madness in the characters and you are in for a slew of curses and chaos. The early levels are temporary, but as they stack up, they become permanent, which can lead to interesting scenarios. For example, back when I was a player, one of my characters ended up with a level three madness condition, which is permanent and rolled out on a table, which made her crave alcohol to feel sane. Problem was, the party was stuck in an underground cave system with nothing alcoholic anywhere to be found. If that’s not Grimdark I don’t know what is.

Legal Obligations

In the middle of the game, change the basic rules of life in whatever realm you are setting your game in. Have a coup happening, have a tyrant change legislation, or invent some other reason why the stakes are

changing. For any reason of your choosing, without knowledge of your players or their characters, the legal situation has changed utterly. Their behaviour is now no longer acceptable, and they keep doing things wrong and don’t know why. They are suddenly morally reprehensible to the rest of the land and no longer considered adventurers to be admired and helped. This allows you as the DM to introduce all kinds of shenanigans and obstacles for them and forces your players to come up with very creative solutions to get out of these problems. And really, that is exactly what would happen to a set of adventurers in a Grimdark novel!

Let there be dragons

It wouldn’t be Dungeons and Dragons if I wouldn’t suggest introducing some of the titular creatures. A fully grown dragon is overpowered for most parties if the goal is to slay it, so have it wreak havoc and scare

your characters into submission. It should be much more fun to force them to come up with tricks and creative solutions to trap or defeat a dragon, or even to spot and identify it rather than make them fight and kill it – or use it as a tool for a TPK (total party kill), the most grimdark of all endings…

Character Death

I know it’s hard to hurt your player’s characters. I know it’s tempting to fudge rolls so enemies don’t hit characters that are already on the verge of dying. But in a Grimdark world, hope is hard to come by and people die unexpectedly. If your characters are not actually at risk of permanent death, you risk lowering the stakes for your players, which leads to a loss of tension in the game, and thus a boring campaign. But if they are aware that they could die at any moment, they will be paying much more attention, and play every session in fear for their character’s lives, ensuring that the Grimdark spirit remains fully present.

Get started on your grimdark Dungeons and Dragons campaign

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REVIEW: Spear of the Emperor by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

I’m used to Aaron Dembski-Bowden being the guy that Black Library call in when they need to make a bad guy seem compelling or to mess with our heads with daemonic or alien insanity but in Spear of the Emperor we’re very much on the side of the good guys*.

* Of course in 40k, the concept of ‘good’ is a rather subjective thing.

Amadeus Kais Incarius of the Mentor Legion is sent across the Great Rift to see if any of the three chapters dedicated to protecting the Elaira’s Veil region have survived the Noctis Aeterna. He finds the situation is a dire one and endures suspicion, setbacks and betrayal en route to becoming the titular Spear of the Emperor.

All of this is told from the viewpoint of his helot – think a mixture of armourer, squire and valet – Anuradha, relayed as memoirs from decades afterwards. This gives a far more human view on the doings of superhuman warriors and we feel genuine peril for Anuradha on several occasions. While you might think the memoir aspect removes that possibility, the prose is powerful enough that you forget and enter into the crisis of the moment.

While Spear of the Emperor is mostly about the good guys, there is plenty of opportunity for Dembski-Bowden to indulge his taste and affinity for the chaotic otherness as traitor marines and voidborn horrors and portrayed in vile, delightful detail. This eye for detail shines through in the rest of the story though, as we see the culture that spawned the Spears of the Emperor and feel their despair at their long, losing vigil from amongst the mouldering bones of a crypt.

Naturally, Anuradha is the most well formed character in Spear of the Emperor and her journey from starving orphan at the bottom of the ladder of an Imperial world to loyal helot is played out throughout the book. Her fellow helots are well realised and fleshed out so we care about their ultimate fates and Amadeus is presented more fully than any Astartes without their own point of view chapter that I can recall.

The core theme of Spear of the Emperor is about loyalty and betrayal, both on a personal level and in a wider galactic sense. I can’t reveal the various ways this is portrayed as to do so risks spoiling the book. Nonetheless, trust me when I say that the way that Anuradha and Amadeus pull through, finding new kin and purpose on the dark side of the rift in the face of multiple betrayals is quite lovely, in the most grimdark way imaginable.

Overall, I found Spear of the Emperor to be an engaging and characterful read, shedding light on a literally darkened part of the 40k universe and really playing up to the best parts of the setting, blurring the lines between good and bad, testing loyalties and throwing betrayal from the place you’d least expect it.

As ever from Dembski-Bowden, Spear of the Emperor is an excellent read, but might be lost on anyone not familiar with the 40k canon.

Four stars.

Read Spear of the Emperor by Aaron Dembski-Bowden

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REVIEW: Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work by Guy Haley

When Games Workshop rebooted the Warhammer 40k setting, introduced a whole new kind of Space Marine and casually advanced the timeframe by a few centuries when it had sat at 999.M41 for the best part of 30 years, a lot of the in-universe credit went to Archmagos Belisarius Cawl. As such, I was very interested to read Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work as it’s nice to get into the head of such an important figure in one of my favourite universes.

While I originally expected Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work to deal with the creation of the Primaris, this is only touched upon briefly as instead the story concentrates on Cawl’s investigation of the Pharos beacon on the world of Sotha, a world with significant historical importance both in the distant past and more recently.

It soon becomes clear that the Pharos’ abilities are powered by blackstone and it is also causing time slips where Belisarius Cawl and others experience past memories, in between combatting mutual distrust and a variety of alien menaces.

It’s these time slips that unveil the most compelling parts of the lore, as Cawl’s recollections of his own millenia long existence offer some depth and context to this most enigmatic character.

However, the time slips make the narrative a little hard to hold on to and that got a tad wearing as I worked through The Great Work.

Even though there are attempts to make supporting characters like Felix and Thracian more than props, the only character I even remotely cared about was Cawl and even then it was because he was such an egotistical prick. I can imagine him being played with gusto by Russell Crowe, chewing up scenery and being nasty to all the interns.

The final set piece of Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work in naturally inside the Pharos itself – I won’t divulge who it’s with, although 40k lore nerds will likely guess long before the reveal – and it’s very cinematic, but the final gambit where the solution is resolved via Deus Ex Cawl feels a little too cheap and obvious.

All in all, I enjoyed Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work but far more for it’s little teases about the wider Warhammer 40k narrative and a tiny glimpse into Cawl’s backstory than because it’s an especially awesome book in itself.

In many ways, Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work feels less than the sum of its parts. We’ve got Space Marines, multiple alien menaces, revelations from before the dawn of the Imperium, an explanation for why a relatively new key character is so enigmatic and fractured and for some reason, I didn’t care. I know that Guy Haley can write excellent stories in this universe but this felt just a little bit like a Michael Bay movie. It feels like we teetered from cool set piece to set piece with an ultimately unlikeable, if charismatic lead character the only thing holding it together.

Fun, but for 40k completists and lore nerds only.

Three stars.

Read Belisarius Cawl: The Great Work by Guy Haley

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Dune trailer gives a glimpse into the future

The trailer for Denis Villieneuve’s long awaited movie adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi classic Dune has finally dropped and it’s packed with tantalising moments.

Dune has been adapted before, with the 1984 David Lynch movie and 2000 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries. However, as the first major studio movie adaptation in 36 years, with a celebrated director and all star cast featuring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaacs, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem, this is easily the most anticipated science fiction movie not associated with Star Wars in a long time.

It’s worth noting that this film, unlike the 1984 adaptation is only going to cover the first half of the book, with a proposed sequel to finish the story. This may go some way to addressing the criticisms of that film’s incomprehensibility and echoes Ridley Scott’s assessment when doing a treatment for the 1984 version that it should be shot as two films.

The trailer concentrates on Paul (Chalamet) with glimpses of his beloved Chani (Zendaya) seen mostly in precognition. The theme of being aware of the future is backed up by the warnings of Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) who tests Paul and warns that his family will lose everything. The contrasting dream of love and warnings of imminent doom set the stage nicely for both the trailer and the film.

A rousing version of Pink Floyd’s Eclipse underpins the rest of the trailer as we get tantalising shots of our cast in action, amidst scenes of fire, violence and desperate flight.

It might be beautiful, but this is not a forgiving fantasy world.

I have to note that the visual direction and worldbuilding seems to be absolutely spot on, from the contrasting visual style of the Atreides and Harkonnens, to the architecture of Caladan and Arrakis, the scale of the Heighliner starships, the realisation of the ornithopter aircraft and presentation of the knife fights and shields.

It’s so very, very beautiful and it really feels like the Dune which played inside my head reading the book.

The trailer closes with the thing we’ve all been waiting for, as Chalamet speaks the memorable warning against fear, we get a good look at the Shai-Hulud, the sandworm of Dune.

He’s a big lad. I suspect we’ll see more of them.

Most worries as a long-term fan of Dune are placated by this being the first of a two-parter and the prominence of Idaho, lack of Alia or the Emperor making perfect sense in that context, while views of the Navigators and more baroque elements of the universe can wait.

Other pedantic complaints like a lack of Fremen still-suit discipline and Paul’s fight with Jamis appearing to take place in the open rather than underground can be put down to cinematic need. Gotta see those actors’ faces when we can’t read their thoughts.

It remains to be seen how the movie handles the long term criticism of the book’s ‘white saviour narrative’ and presentation of desert peoples versus being a criticism of imperialism, colonialism and exploitation. With two of the three named Fremen characters being played by actors of at least partial African descent and Villeneuve’s deft hand (not least in his 2010 film Incendies), I have faith that it won’t suffer the fate of so many big budget films and gloss over such narrative concerns.

All in all, as a devotee of the book and most of the prior adaptations, Dune looks great and I can’t wait.

Dune is set to be released on 17-19th December worldwide and on 26th December in Australia.

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REVIEW: The House of a Hundred Whispers by Graham Masterton

Graham Masterson offers his own unique take on haunted-house horror in The House of a Hundred Whispers.

Taking place in the aftermath of their father’s violent death, the Russell siblings and their spouses gather at the family home, Allhallows Hall, to make post-mortem arrangements as well as bear witness to the obligatory reading of the will. Grievances, old and new, threaten to boil over before disaster strikes, when five-year-old Timmy Russell goes missing from the Hall, without a trace. Timmy’s father, Rob, must enlist the aid of his family and resolve the dark secrets of the ancient mansion if they are to have any hope of finding the young boy before it’s too late.

Masterson duly mixes in elements somewhat uncommon to the subgenre, making for an original telling rather than a tired trope rehash, and furthermore provides sufficient twists and turns to keep the reader guessing up to a thrilling – albeit somewhat contrived – conclusion (more on that shortly). The prose is quite competent, with visuals vividly yet succinctly described, dialogue thoroughly believable, and the setting very well realized.

To specify regarding the aforementioned conclusion (while attempting to remain spoiler-free), I will say only that that I did not find the mythology behind the supernatural elements well-integrated enough to avoid feeling of contrivance, nor the foreshadowing adequate to curtail a modest deus ex machina from diminishing an otherwise entertaining climax. Both issues might have been resolved with a leaner and more focused narrative, though it should be noted that, at times, the relatively wide net of plot threads cast by Masterson worked in his favour by misleading the reader’s assumptions.

Characterization was strong in some cases, with much of the supporting cast really coming to life despite mostly being painted in broad strokes; that in itself, a small triumph of storytelling. However, I specifically found protagonist Rob Russell to be alarmingly detached: while he does worry for his son, he never seems truly afraid, nor even particularly awed, by terrifying supernatural events. The conspicuous absence of emotional response hindered my empathetic connection to the character, lamentably resulting in deflating the tension thus utterly negating, for me at least, the fear-factor.

I do also feel compelled to note that I was disappointed by Masterson’s handling of female characters, who are primarily portrayed as ineffective bystanders. The lone exception to this is quickly nullified, sexualized, and – at risk of revealing a minor spoiler – requiring subsequent rescue by her male counterparts. Through the lens of my own inherent gender bias, I might not have noticed this regrettable feature were it not for a revealing display wherein Rob (in the absence of other capable men on-scene) earnestly states to four female characters that he appears to be the only one competent to save the day. Yikes. To be clear, this scene is apparently meant to play as a showcase for a character rising to a challenge, not in parody of (or even commentary on) masculinity or ego.

Despite its flaws, I did still feel that The House of a Hundred Whispers was a story worth following through to its conclusion, if for nothing else than to discover the secrets of the tantalizing mysteries laid out in the proficiently written opening chapters. However, for those seeking a truly terrifying tale with a strong connection to the lead character, or those turned off by poor female representation in their reading material, I would suggest looking elsewhere.

Read The House of a Hundred Whispers by Graham Masterton

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REVIEW: Mark of Faith by Rachel Harrison

The Sisters of Battle have been getting some much deserved attention from both Games Workshop and Black Library of late and in Mark of Faith, Rachel Harrison does a really good job of personifying their distinctiveness in a universe all too often shown through the eyes of Space Marines.

My usual disclaimer for Black Library books comes in here; if you’re not familiar with the Warhammer 40,000 universe and for this book specifically, the up to date setting, then this book might be a tad confusing as it assumes a lot of prior familiarity going in.

Our main character is Sister Evangeline who somehow survives a massacre on Ophelia VII when the Great Rift opens and awakens marked with the Emperor’s Aquilla. Promoted and literally marked for greatness and wracked with guilt and self-doubt, she is charged to find a lost artifact, taking the survivors of her order with her.

Across the galaxy, Inquisitor Ravara also seeks the artifact, believing it to be the conduit to heal the Great Rift, but also for more personal reasons.

Together, they must travel across the Great Rift to fulfil both of their destinies, though warp storms, daemons and heretic astartes stand in their way.

Evangeline is the most fully formed character in Mark of Faith and her piety, bravery and humility shine through. She is placed under incredible pressure and when it would have been easy for her to be too good, too noblebright her doubt acts as a check on the sheer weight of her heroic narrative.

She’s balanced by Ravara, our other point of view character. Ravara is Machiavellian and manipulative. Her aims are mostly good but her methods are dubious and it’s an ever present concern as to whether she will aid or betray Evangeline, knowingly or not.

The prose in Mark of Faith is delightful, making full use of the close first person viewpoint to show the depths of each woman’s thoughts and their very different motivations. It also has the advantage of keeping the reader in the dark, so we share Evangelina and Ravara’s confusion and desperation.

Little touches such as the description of fighting a demon and Evangeline actually singing hymns to the Emperor add so much character and no small amount of horror to Mark of Faith as well.

My one criticism of Mark of Faith is that the main antagonist is largely absent from the story and this makes the final conflict one which feels a tad underwhelming. Of course, the point is that Evangeline and Ravara’s real conflict was within themselves, but a villain who is fully revealed in the last fifth of a book always feels like a speedbump rather than a wall our protagonists may not successfully cross.

Overall, Mark of Faith is a worthy addition to the Black Library, adding depth and character to the Sisters of Battle and some much needed diversity to the setting. Rachel Harrison has crafted compelling characters and evocative settings that should appeal to anyone who’s a fan of the Sororitas, strong, complex female characters and doing battle with eldritch evil from beyond time & space.

Four stars.

Read Mark of Faith by Rachel Harrison

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REVIEW: Stoker’s Wilde West by Steven Hopstaken & Melissa Prusi

I received an advance reading copy of Stoker’s Wilde West in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Steven Hopstaken, Melissa Prusi, and Flame Tree Press.

It was great to rejoin Bram Stoker, Oscar Wilde, and Henry Irving as they end up tackling more supernatural threats. This time they travel to the American West following a request for aid from their friend Robert Roosevelt and his nephew Theodore. (That’s a statement that I never thought I’d say prior to reading these books!)

In a similar fashion to how Stoker’s classic horror Dracula is presented, Stoker’s Wilde West is an epistolary novel. It is set in 1882 and compiles the details that relate to the California incident. These events are recorded via diary and journal entries, letters, telegrams, meeting transcripts, etc…

The main point of view perspectives that we follow are those of Oscar, Bram, and Florence. The viewpoints of Oscar and Bram are as different as their characters. Bram as a narrator is reliable and thorough. He has excellent memory recall and therefore paints an almost perfect picture of events. Oscar’s diary is full of heightened imagery, expert wit, and dashes of humour, whilst often reporting how many times he has saved Stoker’s life.

“It has become tiring saving Stoker’s life so many times but for the sake of Florrie and Noel, I must do it at least once more.”

Although they are completely different, they make an extremely enjoyable duo to follow, and even though they fall out and argue as often as they slay a vampire there is definitely a grudging respect between the two and, as a reader, we know that they like each other more than they let on. Florence’s perspective was one of my few negatives from Stoker’s Wilde. I stated that I tended to rush her sections to get back to what I considered the better parts. In Stoker’s Wilde West she has developed into a great character herself. She’s become strong of mind, self-reliant, intuitive and just as great to follow Bram and Oscar. She develops an interesting friendship with Calamity Jane throughout their journey too. Further examples of the perspectives compiled in Stoker’s Wilde West include White Worm Agent Cora Chase, Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) and Bass Reeves.

Stoker’s Wilde West is a sequel to Stoker’s Wilde and refers to those events quite frequently. This novel is a better read having read the previous book but I believe it could be enjoyed as a standalone too. Stoker’s Wilde West is a great piece of vampire-hunting historical fiction that is written like a classic. It exceeds the already pretty high standards set by Stoker’s Wilde by the two authors. I did enjoy the setting in America that was presented here a lot. It felt like a different world to the Dublin and London we saw in the first book.

Hopstaken and Prusi have obviously put a lot of research into these novels and it really shines. There are many nuggets and easter eggs for fans of classic literature. For example, it was a great moment when I recognised a famous real-life Oscar Wilde quote that was used in a casual conversation with Bram Stoker here. Stoker’s Wilde West is a well-written horror novel using some of the most famous people from Victorian times as the main characters. It contains moments of terror, deep fears, action-focused set pieces, touching scenes between characters, arcane magic, a vampire gunslinger, and a business tycoon who believes he is looking to find Eden. The ending was exciting and well worked and it nicely sets up the possibility of a third entry in this series. Stoker’s Wilde West is, quite simply, an addictive, clever and extremely fun horror adventure.

Read Stoker’s Wilde West by Steven Hopstaken & Melissa Prusi

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The GdM team pick their favourite self-published fantasy books

Readers that follow our page will be aware that the Grimdark Magazine review team are big supporters of self-published fantasy works. As it’s Self-Published Fantasy Month we decided to put together a list of some of our favourite self-published fantasy books. You can find out more about Self-Published Fantasy Month here but for the purpose of this article, my GdM colleague and member of the SPFM team Elizabeth will give us a quick introduction below:

Hey all! Thank you for supporting self-published authors. Self-published fantasy is tough. When you are a self-published fantasy author, you are someone who has to wear many hats. It is not good enough to be a great writer; you also have to be someone who can organize printing, package your book, get it illustrated, and finally market it. You can write the greatest story in the world, but if you can’t get it out to people to read it, it will languish. That is why the blossoming self-publishing community is so important and exciting. Five years ago, the great grimdark author Mark Lawrence created the Self Publishing Fantasy Blog Off. A competition that pits some of the best self-published fantasy writers in the world against each other. It is a brutal competition that takes close to a year to complete and involves ten fantasy review blogs. Around it has erupted an entire community of readers that cheer on the winners and console those cut. But the most important thing is that books are getting read, great stories are making it out to the masses, and self-published fantasy is becoming a force to reckon with. 

Self-published fantasy month has come out of the great love readers have for these tireless authors. Jason Aycock at Off the TBR, Justine Bergman at Whispers and Wonders and Storytellers on Tour, podcaster, and reviewer Calvin Park from Under a Pile of Books and myself have come together to celebrate these authors for the entire month of September. Check out the website and follow the twitter feed. We will be hosting daily giveaways, interviews, and guest posts to introduce readers to new authors. 

Thanks Beth. Okay, without further ado here are the GdM team’s recommendations which will include the book’s summary and a quick review extract or sentence about why we’re including them on this list. If you are new to self-published fantasy or are just looking for your next quality fantasy read then give one of these GdM-approved books a try, and by all means, let us know how you find them in the comments. Happy reading!

The Sword of Kaigen by M.L Wang (Theonite Series)

Holly said: “The Sword of Kaigen is a Japanese-inspired military fantasy that goes beyond first-rate fantasy – the writing is both brutal & meaningful, as a wealth of fantastic characters fill the landscape. The world-building is beautifully vivid & imaginative, with shades of Brandon Sanderson meets Avatar: The Last Airbender. This was a masterfully woven odyssey; a Battle Royale of emotions!”

Goodreads says:

“A mother struggling to repress her violent past,

A son struggling to grasp his violent future,

A father blind to the danger that threatens them all.

When the winds of war reach their peninsula, will the Matsuda family have the strength to defend their empire? Or will they tear each other apart before the true enemies even reach their shores?

High on a mountainside at the edge of the Kaigenese Empire live the most powerful warriors in the world, superhumans capable of raising the sea and wielding blades of ice. For hundreds of years, the fighters of the Kusanagi Peninsula have held the Empire’s enemies at bay, earning their frozen spit of land the name ‘The Sword of Kaigen.’

Born into Kusanagi’s legendary Matsuda family, fourteen-year-old Mamoru has always known his purpose: to master his family’s fighting techniques and defend his homeland. But when an outsider arrives and pulls back the curtain on Kaigen’s alleged age of peace, Mamoru realizes that he might not have much time to become the fighter he was bred to be. Worse, the empire he was bred to defend may stand on a foundation of lies.

Misaki told herself that she left the passions of her youth behind when she married into the Matsuda house. Determined to be a good housewife and mother, she hid away her sword, along with everything from her days as a fighter in a faraway country. But with her growing son asking questions about the outside world, the threat of an impending invasion looming across the sea, and her frigid husband grating on her nerves, Misaki finds the fighter in her clawing its way back to the surface.”

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adult, High Fantasy

Black Stone Heart by Michael R. Fletcher (The Obsidian Path #1)

You can read our review here.

Chris said: “As with all of Fletcher’s work, Black Stone Heart does not shy away from a steady diet of comfort food for the grimdark appetite. His recipe is equal parts violence, gritty happenings, grisly humor, and a dash of bad luck for flavoring.”

Goodreads says:

“A broken man, Khraen awakens alone and lost. His stone heart has been shattered, littered across the world. With each piece, he regains some small shard of the man he once was.

He follows the trail, fragment by fragment, remembering his terrible past.

There was a woman.

There was a sword.

There was an end to sorrow.

Khraen walks the obsidian path.”

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy

Aching God by Mike Shel (The Iconoclasts #1)

Nate said: “It’s that perfect cocktail of fantasy adventuring tropes mixed with horror, dread, and the traumatic realities of the DnD party lifestyle.”

Goodreads says:

“The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. That is, until old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, heralding an urgent summons back to that old life.

To save his only daughter, Auric must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. With only a few inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. Auric has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god?

First book in the Iconoclasts trilogy, Aching God is the debut novel of RPG adventure designer Mike Shel. He is working on book 2, Sin Eater. The first two chapters of Sin Eater are included at the end of Aching God.”

Tags: Fantasy, Horror, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy

Blood of Heirs by Alicia Wanstall-Burke (The Coraidic Sagas #1)

You can read our review here.

Edward said: “Blood of Heirs is a fantastic display of character-driven fantasy that will have you feeling every ounce of pain, relief, joy and terror that the POVs endure.”

Goodreads says:

“Lidan Tolak is the fiercest of her father’s daughters; more than capable of one day leading her clan. But caught between her warring parents, Lidan’s world begins to unravel when another of her father’s wives falls pregnant. Before she has time to consider the threat of a brother, a bloody swathe is cut through the heart of the clan and Lidan must fight, not only to prove her worth, but simply to survive.

Ranoth Olseta wants nothing more than to be a worthy successor to his father’s throne. When his home is threatened by the aggressive Woaden Empire, Ran becomes his city’s saviour, but powers within him are revealed by the enemy and he is condemned to death. Confused and betrayed, Ran is forced to flee his homeland, vowing to reclaim what he has lost, even if it kills him.

Facing an unknown future, and battling forces both familiar and foreign, can Lidan and Ran overcome the odds threatening to drag them into inescapable darkness?”

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adult

The Blackbird and the Ghost by Hûw Steer

Elizabeth said: “The Blackbird and the Ghost is a fun adventure novel full of excitement and compelling characters. Tal, the lead protagonist, is Indiana Jones with more swagger and snark. He quips his way through tombs, puzzles, and boiling seas while he battles his arch-nemesis. It is well written, the pacing is flawless, and the story had me yearning for more.”

Goodreads says:

“The Boiling Seas are the mariner’s bane – and the adventurer’s delight. The waters may be hot enough to warp wood and boil a hapless swimmer, but their scalding expanse is full of wonders. Strange islands lurk in the steamy mists, and stranger ruins hold ancient secrets, remnants of forgotten empires waiting for the bold… or lying in wait for the unwary.

On the Corpus Isles, gateway to the Boiling Seas, Tal Wenlock, the Blackbird, seeks a fortune of his own. The treasure he pursues could change the world – but he just wants to change a single life, and it’s not his own. To reach it, he’ll descend into the bowels of the earth and take ship on burning waters, brave dark streets and steal forbidden knowledge. He’ll lie, cheat, steal and fight – but he won’t get far alone. The ghosts of Tal’s past dog his every step – and one in particular keeps his knives sharp.

The Blackbird will need help to reach his goal… and he’ll need all his luck to get back home alive.”

Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, Mystery

Chasing Graves by Ben Galley

Elizabeth said: “Ben Galley’s epic story, Chasing Graves, is the quintessential grimdark fantasy.”

You can read our review here.

Goodreads says:

“Welcome to Araxes, where getting murdered is just the start of your problems.

Meet Caltro Basalt. He’s a master locksmith, a selfish bastard, and as of his first night in Araxes, stone cold dead.

They call it the City of Countless Souls, the colossal jewel of the Arctian Empire, and all it takes to be its ruler is to own more ghosts than any other. For in Araxes, the dead do not rest in peace in the afterlife, but live on as slaves for the rich.

While Caltro struggles to survive, those around him strive for the emperor’s throne in Araxes’ cutthroat game of power. The dead gods whisper from corpses, a soulstealer seeks to make a name for himself with the help of an ancient cult, a princess plots to purge the emperor from his armoured Sanctuary, and a murderer drags a body across the desert, intent on reaching Araxes no matter the cost.

Only one thing is certain in Araxes: death is just the beginning.”

Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, Dark Fantasy

Where Loyalties Lie by Rob J. Hayes (Best Laid Plans #1)

You can read our review here.

Charles said: “A fantastic story of pirates, mayhem, and skullduggery.”

Goodreads says:

“Everybody knows Drake Morrass is only out for himself.

As the fires of a dying city burn on a distant shore, Drake sees an opportunity to unite the other pirate Captains under his flag and claim a crown for himself. If he is to succeed he will need allies and the Oracle named Keelin Stillwater, the best swordsman in the isles, as Drake’s right hand.

With enemy ships sailing his waters and setting fire to his cities, and the sinister Tanner Black threatening to steal the throne before Drake has even sat in it, Drake must somehow convince the other Captains that his best interests are also theirs.

Author Rob J. Hayes, after his successful completion of his award-winning grimdark trilogy, The Ties That Bind, now continues the saga of First Earth.”

Tags: Fantasy, Adventure, Pirates, Dark Fantasy

Paternus: Rise of Gods by Dyrk Ashton (Paternus Trilogy #1)

You can read our review here.

James said: “This is urban fantasy done right. It’s dark, adult, and gruesome. If you can get past the slow start then you are in for a treat.”

Goodreads says:

“Described as American Gods meets The Avengers and Supernatural meets The Lord of the Rings, Paternus combines myths from around the world in a modern story of action and intrigue that is “urban fantasy on the surface, but so much more at its core!”

Even myths have legends. And not all legends are myth.

When a local hospital is attacked by strange and frightening men, Fiona Patterson and Zeke Prisco save a catatonic old man named Peter—and find themselves running for their lives with creatures beyond imagination hounding their every step.

With nowhere else to turn, they seek out Fi’s enigmatic Uncle Edgar. But the more their questions are answered, the more they discover that nothing is what it seems–not Peter, not Edgar, perhaps not even themselves.

The gods and monsters, heroes and villains of lore—they’re real. And now they’ve come out of hiding to hunt their own. In order to survive, Fi and Zeke must join up with powerful allies against an ancient evil that’s been known by many names and feared by all. The final battle of the world’s oldest war has begun.

Paternus: Rise of Gods, is Dyrk Ashton’s critically acclaimed debut novel and the first book in The Paternus Trilogy. It has been compared to works by Neil Gaiman, Scott Hawkins, Roger Zelazny, China Miéville, Joss Whedon, and Kevin Hearne.”

Tags: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Mythology, Adult

Death March by Phil Tucker (Euphoria Online #1)

James said: “Death March is gripping, with intense action segments, awesome characters, and a detailed magic and perks system. ”

Goodreads says:

“I sacrificed everything for my family. It wasn’t enough. I lost my mother, and now I’m about to lose my brother.

I’ve got only one thing left to gamble: my life. Which is why I’m willing to play Euphoria Online in Death March mode.

If I survive six months in-game against a lethal array of wyverns, ogres, necromancers, and more, I’ll earn my brother a pardon.

If I lose?

Well. I’m done with losing.”

Tags: Fantasy, LitRPG, Science Fiction, Dragons

Art of War: Anthology for Charity edited by Petros Triantafyllou

You can read our review here.

Adrian said: “While the fiction in this anthology predominantly isn’t self-published fantasy, this is one of my favourite books because it’s put together by a bloke who runs a review blog who just has a big heart. I’d like to call this ‘self-edited fantasy’.

Art of War features 40 authors, two artists, a designer, and an editor, all who donated their time and expertise to make this book happen–all so Petros could take the proceeds and donate them all to Doctors Without Borders. Not the worst reason you’ve ever had to put down a few bob and read some short stories, right?”

Goodreads says:

“Charity Anthology: All proceeds going to MSF (Doctors Without Borders).

“War, my friend, is a thing of beauty.”

How do you get forty fantasy authors to contribute short stories for a war-themed anthology without paying them? It sounds as if there should be a good punchline to that, but all Petros Triantafyllou did was twist the moral thumbscrews and tell them all the profits would go to Doctors Without Borders, a charity that works tirelessly across the world to alleviate the effects of conflict, sickness and poverty.”

Tags: Fantasy, Short Stories, Anthology

Never Die by Rob J. Hayes

Mike said: “Never Die by Rob Hayes and The Headlock of Destiny by Sam Gately. Both have amazing characters; both are emotionally engaging; both are grim and hilarious.”

Goodreads says:

“Samurai, shinigami, vengeful spirits, and an impossible quest.

Itami Cho has earned the name Whispering Blade. She is a Shintei warrior, sworn to the path of oaths and honour. But keeping her oaths has always been more difficult than taking them. When Flaming Fist and his bandits attack the city of Kaishi, Itami swears one last oath: she will protect the city and its people at any cost.

Ein has spent his life dreaming of being a hero, and now the God of Death has given him a chance. The Reaper has set him an impossible quest: an eight-year-old boy sent to stop an immortal Emperor.

Never Die is a stand alone set in the world of Mortal Techniques. It’s a wuxia adventure filled with samurai, shinigami, heroes, and vengeful spirits.”

Tags: Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Mythology, Adult

The Headlock of Destiny by Samuel Gately (Titan Wars #1)

You can read our review here.

Goodreads says:

“Some say titans are descended from giants. Others say they are risen from men. But there’s never any debate about where to find them. They will be in the center of a roaring crowd, beating the hell out of each other. From contenders like the Savage and Scott Flawless to pretenders like Richard the Living Portrait and Troll-Blooded Thom, a titan’s lot in life is the same: To wrestle for dominion and glory in the squared circle.

Van, a quiet titan from the brewery town of Headwaters, wants no part in this. He’d prefer to be left alone with a beer. But destiny has him in a headlock, and it is prepared to drag him into battles that will shake the land and change his world forever.

Step into the ring with this one-of-a-kind novel, brewed special for fans of epic fantasy, fans of professional wrestling from the Golden Era and beyond, or simply fans of a good tale.”

Tags: Fantasy, Wrestling, Epic Fantasy

The post The GdM team pick their favourite self-published fantasy books appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse

The Burning Chambers is a refreshingly accessible and compulsively readable piece of historical fiction that marks the beginning of the Burning Chambers trilogy. Kate Mosse, of Labyrinth fame, has crafted a wonderful tale that takes place during the infamous Huguenot religious wars in France. It is filled with tension, romance, betrayal, and some relatively infrequent but nonetheless harrowing depictions of violence.

“You talk as if mankind has learnt the lessons of the past. That we have improved ourselves. I fear the opposite. That human beings have learnt rather to repeat the mistakes of the past, and more vilely.”

The story is well-written with some moments that stand out, such as the great dialogue or concise yet beautiful descriptions of scenery. These descriptions wonderfully render each of the major set pieces, from the fortified city of Carcassonne to the lush green forests surrounding the mountain town of Puivert.

The Burning Chambers contains very good plotting that does not treat the reader like a fool yet is not so complex as to need to reference an obscure appendix. There are several people to keep track of, but they are adequately memorable and characterized well enough to set them apart from the rabble and the historical portions are educational without being a slog. Large events, such as the massacre at Vassy and the riots of Toulouse are true, but a majority of the characters in the novel are fictitious people just trying to live during these unstable times.

“You well know that if a lie is repeated often enough, in the face of the clearest evidence to the contrary, even the most level-headed of men start to believe in it. Falsehood easily becomes accepted truth.”

The perspectives of The Burning Chambers center around the following characters; Minou, who is the daughter of a bookseller, Piet, a Huguenot and ex-soldier, Bernard, who is Minou’s father, Vidal, a Catholic priest and an old schoolmate of Piet, and Blanche whose presence is menacing and mysterious throughout the novel. Despite each of the characters being strong in their ways, I found Minou to be a bit two-dimensional. This may be the result of a more complex character arc that will find her to be fully fleshed out by the end of the trilogy. Yet, judging solely on The Burning Chambers, I found her likable yet lacking in depth beyond her naivety and determination.

Even though it’s part of a trilogy, The Burning Chambers does well to stand on its own as an individual piece. It ends with a metaphorical sunset; in the character’s minds, things are getting better. The Wars of Religion are thankfully and finally nearing their end. Yet, the book ends in 1572 but the wars last until 1598. Knowing that the conflict is far from finished casts a shadow over the saccharine-like optimism of the epilogue. Grim tidings are, in my humble opinion, made grimmer by the gift (or curse) of hindsight and I am excited to see where the next novel, The City of Tears, goes from here. The Burning Chambers earns a respectable 4 out of 5 stars.

Read The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse

The post REVIEW: The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.