Adrian Collins's Blog, page 208

REVIEW: By Force Alone by Lavie Tidhar

Published in March of this year in the UK, Lavie Tidhar’s By Force Alone is a period-set mashup of Arthurian myth. This Arthur is brash, young, and power-hungry, expanding his influence out from a small band of men based in London. His ambition ruffles the feathers of many, and he ends up betrayed. Throughout the story we meet many characters familiar from Arthurian myth, such as Merlin, Kay, Guinevere or Gawain, with all of them having their own spin put on them. Classic elements of the myth such as the sword in the stone, the holy grail and the lady in the lake pop up too.

As the afterword shows, Lavie Tidhar has clearly done his research when it comes to medieval sources on Arthurian legends. He explains how the folktale of this legendary king grew into somewhat of a basis for fanfiction, and By Force Alone is his contribution to this ever-growing corpus. As someone who has a background in medieval studies, I can definitely validate this take – I think it’s versatile nature is one of my very favourite things about Arthurian myth.

However, if I’m being honest, I struggled a lot to get through this book, although I had been looking forward to reading it – it took me almost three months to finish it. It is fast paced, and the language used is rather crass and modern, breaking the illusion for me. Among other things, there is a fair amount of swearing, using terms that are commonly used in everyday conversation today. This led to a disconnect between story and characters, and I was unable to immerse myself in the novel. While I do not usually mind authors taking creative license with historical source material, having dialogue that is clearly twenty-first century in a book set in the early medieval period does not work for me. I do see this being a personal preference, and I’m sure that By Force Alone will be a book that is great for a different type of reader!

One of the things I did like about By Force Alone is the introduction of Guinevere and her companions, who, rather than being a hapless princess as she is often portrayed as, has her own agency. They are somewhat of a band of travelling mercenaries of their own, entering the story through choice and not due to marital machinations, which is refreshing. Generally, most of the characters in the book will be familiar to the reader from medieval Arthuriana, although not necessarily in this version. Many characteristics are exaggerated, and the fast pacing leads to little focus on individual characters and their growth, which for me meant that I lacked a sense of who they were as people outside of their immediate actions. They remained superficial, and I was unable to see much discernible character development over the course of the story.

I regret that I am not able to be more unequivocally positive about this book. Nevertheless, I am very grateful to Head of Zeus and Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of By Force Alone in exchange for an honest review.

Buy By Force Alone by Lavie Tidhar

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REVIEW: Of Mice and Minestrone by Joe R. Lansdale

Thank you to the fine folks at Tachyon Publications for providing a review copy of Joe Landsdale’s Of Mice and Minestrone.

I have read several Joe R. Lansdale stories over the years, but it’s only recently that I’ve been making a conscious effort to seek out his work. I have reviewed his new documentary, All Hail the Popcorn King for Grimdark Magazine, and I’ve also reviewed an earlier collection, Driving to Geronimo’s Grave: and Other Stories at my personal blog for NetGalley.

While Lansdale’s work is as varied as the regions of Texas, there is one common link through all of it: his brilliant storytelling. I had only dabbled in the world of Hap and Leonard before this, but it’s safe to say that after reading this collection, I’m hooked, and will be reading more of these stories sooner rather than later.

Established fans of Hap Collins and Leonard Pine will love these stories, which go back to their youth as their friendship was just getting started. It is also a great place to introduce new readers, as it gives a great taste of their background in the 1960s of East Texas, as well as a snapshot into the dynamic friendship between the two.

Five stories make up this collection:

“The Kitchen”, where we are introduced to another very important element of these stories, food. Not just any food, but the East Texas Southern cooking that serves as the foundation for all that is to come with these characters.

“Of Mice and Minestrone”, the title story where we see a young Hap Collins as he’s faced with some disturbing social issues of the time.

‘The Watering Shed”, a tale that shows that just because our heroes can go into a seedy backwoods bar, it doesn’t mean that they should.

“Sparring Partner”, the longest story in the collection, deals with an illegal boxing ring that’s about as safe an environment as the Watering Shed.

“The Sabine is High”, where our two main characters just want to hang out and go fishing.

This book is a remarkable study of friendship, as Hap and Leonard are faced with several challenges of their times and geographic setting. The late 1960s were a time of Vietnam, racism, and the old South good ole boy system where women were treated as property. Hap and Leonard weren’t defined by these issues, however, and had a strong sense of right and wrong which motivated their decisions.

I was actually born in the southern part of the East Texas region where these stories are set, and though my family moved away when I was quite young, I remember several occasions where we went back to visit family. These stories struck home for me and stirred up some of these memories. Starting out the collection with “The Kitchen” brought back those experiences of the family gatherings, and the food we had. This was a great way to settle in and get comfortable, before striking out with Hap and Leonard to face the challenges presented by the other stories in the book.

An extra bonus to these stories is the section at the back of the book, where recipes are included of the main foods experienced in the stories themselves. This section was written by Lansdale’s daughter Kasey, and she did a great job of providing entertaining recipe notes in Hap’s narrative voice. This was a great addition to the stories, giving them a little extra flavor. My arteries might just have hardened a little bit after reading these…

Buy Of Mice and Minestrone by Joe R. Lansdale

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An Interview with Luke Arnold

Many people know actor Luke Arnold from the Starz TV show Black Sails where he plays the character, John Silver. But, to add to his extensive acting credits is his debut novel, The Last Smile in Sunder City. The first novel of the Fetch Phillips Archives series. If you haven’t had a chance to check out Sunder City, you should fix that ASAP. (Our review can be found here.) Sunder City is a little bit of fantasy, a little bit Sam Spade, and a whole lot of good writing. GdM got the opportunity to sit down with Luke and talk to him a bit about his writing, and what is happening in the future for Fetch Phillips.

Hi Luke. Thank you for agreeing to chat with me a bit about your writing, life, and The Last Smile in Sunder City. 

My absolute pleasure. Thanks for having me.

For the uninitiated, could you tell me a little about yourself and how you got into writing Sunder City? Have you always been a writer?

I’ve been working as an actor for most of my adult life. When I started out, all my creative paths were intertwined. I’d write things, act in them, direct them, and collaborate with anyone on anything. Then I was lucky enough to have some success in the acting world, most notably on a show called Black Sails, and gave that all of my focus for a few years. After that wrapped up, it felt like it was time to dig back into my own writing, so I put away some time and punched out the first draft.

I know with acting, you must pull character creation and visualization from a creative space. How does that differ from character creation when writing novels? 

In some ways, they couldn’t be more opposite. When you act on film, you really have to trust everyone around you and hope that you’re in safe hands. You work off someone else’s material on a set that someone else built, in a costume that someone else made, while you listen to direction and hand your performance over to an editor at the end of it. It’s about doing your homework, preparing properly, and then committing to this brief window of time when you try to be in the moment and deliver a performance worth capturing.

With a novel, you are the entire crew, and the window lasts as long as you need it to. For the most part, there is no collaboration, no outside input, nobody rocking up with a ready-made set or a beautiful coat to put on one of your characters. For better or worse, it’s all you.

To be honest, being able to bounce back and forth between the two makes me enjoy each of them even more.

The Last Smile in Sunder City was a remarkable story. I loved how the story is told through a series of interactions, both now and in the past. It was a compelling narrative device in describing how a character can change once crossing a pivotal moment in their lives. In Fetch’s case, it was the before and after the Coda. Did you plan for the story to be told in this fashion, or did the story change organically as you wrote it? 

When I started writing this story, it was only the present-day part of the story: a man-for-hire searching for a Vampire in a broken fantasy world. I thought maybe I would do a bunch of these short cases, stick them together, and then do an origin story one day.

I shared the story with some friends in the publishing world and while they really liked it, they informed me that collections of short stories are nearly impossible to sell, and suggested that a novel would be a better path. Thankfully, I took their advice.

I think the scars of that process can still be seen on this story, but I kind of like that. It’s the same thing that happened to Raymond Chandler (my biggest influence when it comes to this book). Chandler wrote short stories for a magazine called Black Mask. Most of his novels were an amalgamation of those shorter stories, tied together and padded out.

My second book, Dead Man in a Ditch, is more tightly constructed, but for the first story about a hopeless, wandering gumshoe who only begins to find his way, I think the creative journey added to the tone.

How did you create the after Coda world? What was the inspiration?

A lot of the pre-Coda world (the magical time) was planned out before I started. I tracked the beginning of magic and thought about how it would seep into the world and create versions of all the magical creatures we’re familiar with. But in the post-Coda, a lot of it comes to life as I take Fetch around the city and see who he stumbles across. Rather than being inspired by any particular time or place in history, it’s more about a feeling. A bit of guilt. A touch of depression. A regular spoonful of self-loathing. Sometimes it’s about growing up. Sometimes it’s about living in the aftermath of mistakes. It all depends on where Fetch’s mind is at. He’s always struggling with some internal dilemma, and I love to make him bump into the perfect creature that will make things even worse.

Are you a big fantasy and science fiction reader? Which books have you been inspired by?

I’ve always been a big reader, but I only dabbled in fantasy before this. I’ve been doing my best to catch up over the last few years. Most of the fantasy worlds that influenced me would have come from video games, anime, and film. I’ve been going through Final Fantasy 7 recently (remake, and replaying the original), and realized that it probably influenced Sunder City more than any book.

There’s plenty of Pratchett in my world, and I’ve stolen fantasy creatures from everywhere, but you’ll find more elements of Humphry Bogart than Hobbits.

One of the take-aways I had From The Last Smile in Sunder City was even under all the dark, the ominous, the despair, under the constant struggle to live, there is always a small shiny kernel of hope. As a reader, I am drawn to stories that have this; it helps me connect and want more as a reader. Was this always the intention?

Sure. I love playing with the expectations we have of fantasy characters versus what we expect of ourselves. In worlds with magic spells, evil villains, and ancient prophesies, we want our heroes to find the special sword, kill the baddie, and restore peace to the land. When you’re younger, our world seems so different to the ones in books that it feels like escapism. But as you get older, you realise that there are actually these looming threats coming to destroy the us and villains who cause suffering for their own gain, but the bit that we struggle with (at least I do) is what we can do about it. Could we be better? Does anything we do matter? Or could we wake up tomorrow and actually make a difference?

I don’t know how to fix the world (yet) but I do know that a shared moment with a close friend or a perfect cup of coffee will help me get up tomorrow and keep searching.

Can you tell me a bit about Dead Man in a Ditch? 

The first book hints that the magic might not be completely gone for good. Of course, Fetch isn’t ready to believe that, but word has gotten out. Folks start arriving at Fetch’s door, asking him to find a way to fix things. That includes the police department, who invites Fetch to a crime scene where a guy’s face has been blown apart by a fireball.

With the stage set by the first book, Dead Man in a Ditch makes some big moves forward, though the shadows from the past are still hanging around.

Finally, I always like to end on a light-hearted question. The Dinner Party question. If you could have dinner and conversation with three figures from real life, alive or dead, or fiction, who would they be and why?

Jim Henson. I think Sesame Street is the most important television show ever made and everything Jim brought into the world has made it a better place. Maybe I’d get to learn a couple of things but maybe I’d just get to spend a couple of hours in his presence.

David Bowie (Similar reasons to Henson, really) and Nina Simone (because she seemed really disappointed at Montreux that Bowie wasn’t there, so I’d die to see them hanging out). And there would be a piano tucked in the corner, as if by accident, but I’d never ask anyone to play (until the second bottle of wine, when I absolutely would).

I know they’re all creative, but then I would at least have a chance of joining in the conversation. If it was Nelson Mandela, Marie Curie and Martin Luther King, I’d be outed as an imbecile immediately.

Buy The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold

Pre-order Dead Man in a Ditch by Luke Arnold

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REVIEW: The Devil’s Blade by Mark Alder

I received a review copy of The Devil’s Blade in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Mark Alder and Gollancz for the opportunity.

This is the first time that I have read anything by Mark Alder. When Gollancz e-mailed me asking if I would be interested in reviewing The Devil’s Blade I was won over completely by the striking cover and the intriguing premise so I opted to check the book out. I have started reading more historical fiction recently so this novel ticked the box for me to continue that trend. I knew nothing about The Devil’s Blade’s protagonist (Julie D’Aubigny), whose real life this story is loosely based on, so I decided this novel would be an interesting entry point to find out about her.

Set in 17th-century Paris, The Devil’s Blade begins when Julie is invited to sing on All Hallows Eve in a foggy wood for thirteen masked men of influence who call themselves the Tredecim. She sings beautifully for the gentlemen with notes so pure, clear and delicious. At the conclusion of her performance, it transpires that she was invited by the group to be a sacrifice. They wished to spill the blood of a lady pure and beautiful so that they could call forth the Devil to do their bidding. Unfortunately, Julie is not a virgin, and after heated exchanges with the gentleman, her friend Paval is murdered and her throat is pierced by a rapier. Whilst Julie is lurking at death’s door and about to pass, the Devil arrives at the scene as they were summoned. At this point, the men have left and because of their arrogance in raising them from the underworld, the Devil is a bit pissed off. Julie makes a deal with the Devil that if she lives she will murder the thirteen men, sending their souls to Lucifer. As some of the Tredecim will be notoriously difficult to kill, such as a three-fingered gentleman who is the self-proclaimed greatest swordsman in France, the Devil promises that in return for each soul they claim, they will reward Julie with one fencing lesson. If she is unable to present all thirteen souls to the Devil within one year then they will return and take her to Hell still living.

Written in the third-person present tense, The Devil’s Blade follows Julie D’Aubigny through three acts and numerous scenes. Being written in this manner makes the reader think that they are part of the play, that events are happening in real-time, and it connects us closely with Julie through the year’s events and the emotions that she feels. Each scene takes about ten to fifteen minutes to read so it is extremely easy to read just one more chapter.

I liked Julie’s character quite a lot. After the ordeal at the beginning, she loses her beautiful singing voice and one of her only friends in Paval, so I sympathised with her a fair amount, even when she was plotting the demise of those that had wronged her. She is clever, crude, sweary, not afraid to use her sexuality to get what she wants, and is a master of disguise. Lucifer granted her ghost sight which is a useful ability, and after delivering one soul she is given a fox scarf called Furie who can come to life. She was an able fencer to begin with yet as the Devil teaches her moves and techniques when she crosses identities off her list, she becomes an excellent swordswoman, causing havoc around Paris and building up quite a reputation. A reputation that earns her the moniker The Devil’s Blade.

“She will practise for the performance ahead, practise song, the art of life and the blade, the art of death.”

The plot of the novel is straightforward in how Julie moves from one target to the next but I didn’t find this tedious or repetitive. Some of the assassinations are excellently executed by the author (no pun intended) and thrilling to read. There isn’t that much to distinguish the thirteen gentlemen from each other, they are just names on her list after all, and we don’t find out that much about the majority of these characters other than that they are wealthy scumbags.

I always enjoyed the scenes where Lucifer popped up on the page. He/she/they are beautiful, charming, mischievous and notorious too. Other characters I enjoyed reading about were Julie’s highborn love interest Charlotte-Marie who is kooky and out-there, and her father’s sword-master Sérannes who is infatuated with Julie.

The Devil’s Blade steadily builds up to a fitting, fulfilling and exciting culmination. Alder wraps up everything nicely and makes it clear that this is only one period in Julie’s life and it would be easy for him to return to this imagined 17th-century France to detail more of her escapades. If he does, I am pretty certain I will check it out. At 370-pages this was a novel that I savoured rather than raced through, perhaps reading about the build-up to and then the act of one or two murders before then putting it down for a day or so before continuing. To conclude, I would describe The Devil’s Blade as a fine revenge-driven historical fiction adventure that features a strong and intriguing female lead. It’s full of love, infatuation, duels, deceit, disguise, murder, devilishness, and music with a lovingly crafted picturesque 17th-century Paris as the backdrop. The Devil’s Blade isn’t a perfect novel but I had a pleasant and entertaining time reading it and I give it a pretty solid 7/10.

Buy The Devil’s Blade by Mark Alder

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REVIEW: Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth

Usually novels end with the villain being vanquished. Not so with Chosen Ones by Veronica Roth. Known for the YA phenomenon Divergent in the early 2010s, this is her adult SFF debut, and it is a memorable one. Having been the ones prophesied to defeat the Dark One in their youth, the tenth anniversary of the event brings Sloane, Esther, Matt, Ines and Albie back together. No longer chosen teenagers, they are dealing with the repercussions of trauma, PTSD and a world that had been terrorized by a Dark One.

After things go awry and Albie dies, Sloane, Esther and Matt find themselves in a parallel universe where the Dark One has not yet been defeated, and a number of chosen ones have died trying. Although the people who seem to have brought them over seem to be very cagey with information, and much of what they have been told does not add up.

More so than any other book I have read, Chosen Ones interrogates the trope of the prophesied chosen one, of what makes a hero and what turns one into a villain. The book addresses issues of perception and perspective, and puts the focus on the humanity of the heroes. While the story is ostensibly about the group of chosen ones and their fight against the Dark One, large chunks of the story focus on Sloane. She was likely the hardest hit by the original fight against their adversary, and is struggling with her mental health throughout the book. Much of her development arc is her coming to terms with who she is and figuring out her place in the world, which, although most of us are not chosen ones per se, resonates with a generation of millennials struggling to find themselves.

Chosen Ones is a true step up from Roth’s earlier work, and a book deserving of the adult SFF genre. It is compellingly written – despite the pandemic I read the decently sized volume in only a few sittings, and the pacing is kept up throughout. The book doesn’t drag, and reveals are scattered throughout the plot without being overly obvious to the reader. The story is full of morally grey characters, whose ambiguous nature makes the reader guess about their true nature for much of the novel. There are various kinds of magic, from powerful artefacts to almost scientific learned magic to a sort of necromancy, all of which are thought out and well established.

All in all, I very much recommend you give Chosen Ones a read! It is enjoyable, thought-provoking, and it deals with an issue that bugs me about many happy endings: what happens after the seemingly all-is-well of so many stories? How do the characters deal with the repercussions, and how do their lives develop? Chosen Ones is a light Grimdark answer to that question. Do not discount her due to her commercial YA past, but treat her as an adult SFF debut author and give this book the shot it deserves. Many thanks to Netgalley and Hodder and Stoughton for the review copy of Chosen Ones.

Buy Chosen ones by Veronica Roth

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REVIEW: Wrath of Madness by Jesse Teller

Wrath of Madness, book 2 of The Madness Wars begins where the first book left off, the conquest driven nation of Drine pushing through on their campaign of conquering the neighboring country of Tienne.

The Madness is out of sorts. Rextur, the warlord general of the Drine forces, has suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of the boy king Peter Redfist. But Rextur hadn’t developed the reputation of being the world’s finest strategist for nothing. He is regrouping and taking another shot at the resisting forces led by Peter and the clans that he has under an unsteady truce.

As with the previously reviewed Onslaught of Madness, this book takes the reader in for the long haul. We get a variety of point of view narratives from players on both sides of the conflict.

Joining Rextur’s POV on the side of Drine are new characters. Strick is an elite soldier, one of the Lunatics, making his way through from the ground level, where he interacts with characters we’ve seen before.

We also get a unique perspective from Cursed, the wife of Treason, who is Rextur’s top general. Through her story we get a picture of the conflict going on within the Drine aristocracy, as the key power elements are shifting, drawing a fine line between God and King.

Saykobar is a mage that we encountered for a short time in Book 1, but he is now featured as a POV character. He has been snared by a demon known as Valkyrie and sent to assist Rextur in his conquest. Her motivations are unknown to Saykobar, and he is constantly trying to find a way around her control.

Tarana is one that the reader might question as to which side she is on. The answer is simply, Tarana is on Tarana’s side. She’s the daughter of a recently defeated warrior lord of Tienne, and she’s very annoyed that her standard of living has been compromised by the invasion. She is a noble lady, and expects to be treated as such. Joining a group of refugees is the utmost trial for Tarana, as they don’t even have a litter to carry her on!

Besides Rextur, we also have a couple returning POV characters, Aaron and Vianne.

Aaron the Marked is now known as the Demon, one of the chiefs of the Nation of Three led by Peter Redfist. He’s tasted war and he’s good at it, and though he is held in the highest esteem by his boy king, he still feels that he is inadequate for the task. A boy himself, he’ll do anything asked of him by Peter, without question, and Peter is counting on him to be quite the Champion.

Vianne is the Lady of Stonage, ruling in the place of her recently assassinated fiancé Brom Colmax. She’s been accepted by her new people as their ruler, and fully intends to wed Brom regardless to the fact that he’s been murdered. She’s the Porcelain Witch, of course, and she has a way. Beyond this, Vianne also has some family matters back home in Prox which will prove to be even more challenging than marrying dead men.

As the individual stories of these people play out in different parts of the nation of Tienne, the reader gets a real variance in perspective within the scope of this conflict. The events don’t seem connected at first, but as we venture through the narrative, we see how they come together by the end of this volume.

There is a lot going on, and it is often confusing as to what exactly, but I learned to stick with it and see it through, knowing that we’ll get a payoff in the end. It might not be a happy ending, but the reader is indeed rewarded for staying on course. While the book feels rather long at times, by the end I felt that there should have been more, and that I am eager to see what happens in the next volume.

Buy Wrath of Madness by Jesse Teller

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14 Female Fantasy Author Recommendations

On the Fantasy-Faction – Fantasy Book Discussion Facebook page today a gentleman asked for recommendations on what people regarded as the best fantasy written by female authors. Since I started reading fantasy in 2012 I have read many incredible books and series by extremely talented female authors and have decided to compile this list of fourteen authors I recommend and which of their books to check out first. I’m not restricting this list to just grimdark and dark fantasy so I will add genre tags to each of the authors so readers can decide any of these books sound like their cup of tea. I’m aware that there are many amazing female authors that I haven’t included here so if you have read any that you’d like to recommend then, by all means, let us know in the comments.

Melissa Caruso – The Tethered Mage (Swords & Fire #1)

Tags: Fantasy, YA, Politics, Magic

In the Raverran Empire, magic is scarce and those born with power are strictly controlled — taken as children and conscripted into the Falcon Army.

Zaira has lived her life on the streets to avoid this fate, hiding her mage-mark and thieving to survive. But hers is a rare and dangerous magic, one that threatens the entire empire.

Lady Amalia Cornaro was never meant to be a Falconer. Heiress and scholar, she was born into a treacherous world of political machinations. But fate has bound the heir and the mage.

War looms on the horizon. A single spark could turn their city into a pyre.

Fonda Lee – Jade City (The Green Bone Saga #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Adult, Urban Fantasy, Politics, Magic

Magical jade—mined, traded, stolen, and killed for—is the lifeblood of the island of Kekon. For centuries, honorable Green Bone warriors like the Kaul family have used it to enhance their abilities and defend the island from foreign invasion.

Now the war is over and a new generation of Kauls vies for control of Kekon’s bustling capital city. They care about nothing but protecting their own, cornering the jade market, and defending the districts under their protection. Ancient tradition has little place in this rapidly changing nation.

When a powerful new drug emerges that lets anyone—even foreigners—wield jade, the simmering tension between the Kauls and the rival Ayt family erupts into open violence. The outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones—from their grandest patriarch to the lowliest motorcycle runner on the streets—and of Kekon itself.

Jade City begins an epic tale of family, honor, and those who live and die by the ancient laws of jade and blood.

[GdM Review of book #2 Jade War]

Robin Hobb – Assassin’s Apprentice (The Farseer Trilogy #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Magic, Animals, Assassins

Fitz is a royal bastard, cast out into the world with only his magical link with animals for solace and companionship.

But when Fitz is adopted into the royal household, he must give up his old ways and learn a new life: weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly. Meanwhile, raiders ravage the coasts, leaving the people Forged and soulless. As Fitz grows towards manhood, he will have to face his first terrifying mission, a task that poses as much a risk to himself as it does to his target: Fitz is a threat to the throne… but he may also be the key to the future of the kingdom.

[GdM Review of Assassin’s Apprentice]

Anna Smith Spark – The Court of Broken Knives (Empires of Dust #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Grimdark, High Fantasy, Adult, Dragons

They’ve finally looked at the graveyard of our Empire with open eyes. They’re fools and madmen and like the art of war. And their children go hungry while we piss gold and jewels into the dust.

In the richest empire the world has ever known, the city of Sorlost has always stood, eternal and unconquered. But in a city of dreams governed by an imposturous Emperor, decadence has become the true ruler, and has blinded its inhabitants to their vulnerability. The empire is on the verge of invasion – and only one man can see it.

Haunted by dreams of the empire’s demise, Orhan Emmereth has decided to act. On his orders, a company of soldiers cross the desert to reach the city. Once they enter the Palace, they have one mission: kill the Emperor, then all those who remain. Only from ashes can a new empire be built.

The company is a group of good, ordinary soldiers, for whom this is a mission like any other. But the strange boy Marith who walks among them is no ordinary soldier. Marching on Sorlost, Marith thinks he is running away from the past which haunts him. But in the Golden City, his destiny awaits him – beautiful, bloody, and more terrible than anyone could have foreseen.

[GdM review of The Court of Broken Knives | Excerpt]

R. F. Kuang – The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, Magic, Grimdark

When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising.

But surprises aren’t always good.

Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school.

For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . .

Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.

[GdM review of book #2 The Dragon Republic]

Sam Hawke – City of Lies (Poison Wars #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Adult, Grimdark

I was seven years old the first time my uncle poisoned me…

Outwardly, Jovan is the lifelong friend of the Chancellor’s charming, irresponsible Heir. Quiet. Forgettable. In secret, he’s a master of poisons and chemicals, trained to protect the Chancellor’s family from treachery. When the Chancellor succumbs to an unknown poison and an army lays siege to the city, Jovan and his sister Kalina must protect the Heir and save their city-state.

But treachery lurks in every corner, and the ancient spirits of the land are rising…and angry.

Winner of the 2018 Aurealis Award for Best Fantasy Novel, the 2018 Ditmar Award for Best Novel and the 2018 Norma K Hemming Award (for works exploring issues of gender, disability, race or class).

Tamsyn Muir – Gideon the Ninth (The Locked Tomb #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Science Fiction, LGBT > Queer, Horror, Adult, Mystery

Gideon the Ninth is the most fun you’ll ever have with a skeleton.

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as necromantic skeletons. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.

[GdM review of Gideon the Ninth]

Samantha Shannon – The Priory of the Orange Tree

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adult, Dragons, Magic

A world divided.

A queendom without an heir.

An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction—but assassins are getting closer to her door.

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

[GdM review of The Priory of the Orange Tree]

Sarah Kozloff – A Queen in Hiding (The Nine Realms #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Adult, Epic Fantasy, High Fantasy, Magic

Orphaned, exiled and hunted, Cérulia, Princess of Weirandale, must master the magic that is her birthright, become a ruthless guerilla fighter, and transform into the queen she is destined to be.

But to do it she must win the favor of the spirits who play in mortal affairs, assemble an unlikely group of rebels, and wrest the throne from a corrupt aristocracy whose rot has spread throughout her kingdom.

J. A. Andrews – A Threat of Shadows (The Keeper Chronicles #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adventure, Magic

Do some choices change us too much for us to ever change back?

There was a time when Alaric was a Keeper, one of the men entrusted with counseling the queen, protecting the people’s histories and ancient stories, and working magic in defense of the land.

But in a desperate attempt to save his dying wife, he has sacrificed it all— abandoning his duties, betraying his deepest beliefs and falling ever deeper into darkness.

So far, he has done nothing but fail, and his wife’s time is growing short.

Now, haunted by his past, Alaric has found one last chance at a cure, hidden in a magical Wellstone buried a century ago. With the help of a handful of quirky companions, the stone—and the cure—are finally within his grasp.

But he’s not the only one searching for the Wellstone.

His quest grows more perilous as he discovers that his companions are harboring dangerous secrets their own. It becomes almost impossible when he unearths rumors of a gathering shadow threatening the land—whispering of the return of a dark lord, thought to be defeated.

To face this enemy, and have any chance of saving his wife, Alaric needs to be the Keeper he used to be, not the broken man he has become.

Can he put the failures and pain of his past behind him to stand against the approaching threat? Or, in the face of all the growing shadows, will it be the darkness within himself that destroys everything?

M.L. Spencer – Darkmage (The Rhenwars Saga #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Grimdark, Magic

The hope of the world rests in the hands of a Darkmage.

The Well of Tears is open and the terror of the night has been unleashed. Now, the last Sentinel left alive with the power to defend his world against the minions of the Netherworld is a man destined to be corrupted into the image of what he hates. In the name of duty, Darien Lauchlin will see oaths forsaken, crowns toppled, friends sacrificed and the land he loves desecrated. For there is a very thin line between duty… and brutal inhumanity.

Tasha Suri – Empire of Sand (The Books of Ambha #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Romance, Adult, Young Adult

A nobleman’s daughter with magic in her blood. An empire built on the dreams of enslaved gods. Empire of Sand is Tasha Suri’s captivating, Mughal India-inspired debut fantasy.

The Amrithi are outcasts; nomads descended of desert spirits, they are coveted and persecuted throughout the Empire for the power in their blood. Mehr is the illegitimate daughter of an imperial governor and an exiled Amrithi mother she can barely remember, but whose face and magic she has inherited.

When Mehr’s power comes to the attention of the Emperor’s most feared mystics, she must use every ounce of will, subtlety, and power she possesses to resist their cruel agenda.

Should she fail, the gods themselves may awaken seeking vengeance…

Empire of Sand is a lush, dazzling fantasy novel perfect for readers of City of Brass and The Wrath & the Dawn.

Jenn Lyons – The Ruin of Kings (A Chorus of Dragons #1)

Tags: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Adult, Dragons

Kihrin is a bastard orphan who grew up on storybook tales of long-lost princes and grand quests. When he is claimed against his will as the long-lost son of a treasonous prince, Kihrin finds that being a long-lost prince isn’t what the storybooks promised.

Far from living the dream, Kihrin finds himself practically a prisoner, at the mercy of his new family’s power plays and ambitions. He also discovers that the storybooks have lied about a lot of other things too: dragons, demons, gods, prophecies, true love, and how the hero always wins.

Then again, maybe he’s not the hero, for Kihrin is not destined to save the empire.

He’s destined to destroy it.

Rena Rossner – The Sisters of the Winter Woods

Tags: Fantasy, Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Adult

Raised in a small village surrounded by vast forests, Liba and Laya have lived a peaceful sheltered life – even if they’ve heard of troubling times for Jews elsewhere. When their parents travel to visit their dying grandfather, the sisters are left behind in their home in the woods.

But before they leave, Liba discovers the secret that their Tati can transform into a bear, and their Mami into a swan. Perhaps, Liba realizes, the old fairy tales are true. She must guard this secret carefully, even from her beloved sister.

Soon a troupe of mysterious men appear in town and Laya falls under their spell-despite their mother’s warning to be wary of strangers. And these are not the only dangers lurking in the woods…

The sisters will need each other if they are to become the women they need to be – and save their people from the dark forces that draw closer.

The post 14 Female Fantasy Author Recommendations appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

COVER REVEAL: The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie

Sweet. Grimdark. Gods. I am so bloody excited to show you the cover of The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie! After absolutely loving A Little Hatred, this is the book I’ve been waiting for in 2020. The Age of Madness trilogy is my “I will literally drop my cat to read this book” (I don’t have a child to drop) book.

Anyway, you’re not here to fuck spiders; scroll down and check out that cover in all of its glory!

Cover reveal: The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie

The blurb

Second in the AGE OF MADNESS trilogy, THE TROUBLE WITH PEACE is the next instalment of a series which is revolutionising fantasy . . .

Conspiracy. Betrayal. Rebellion.

Peace is just another kind of battlefield . . .

Savine dan Glokta, once Adua’s most powerful investor, finds her judgement, fortune and reputation in tatters. But she still has all her ambitions, and no scruple will be permitted to stand in her way.

For heroes like Leo dan Brock and Stour Nightfall, only happy with swords drawn, peace is an ordeal to end as soon as possible. But grievances must be nursed, power seized and allies gathered first, while Rikke must master the power of the Long Eye . . . before it kills her.

Unrest worms into every layer of society. The Breakers still lurk in the shadows, plotting to free the common man from his shackles, while noblemen bicker for their own advantage. Orso struggles to find a safe path through the maze of knives that is politics, only for his enemies, and his debts, to multiply.

The old ways are swept aside, and the old leaders with them, but those who would seize the reins of power will find no alliance, no friendship, and no peace, lasts forever.

Pre-order The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie

The artwork Tomás Almeida

We were also given the original artwork by Tomás Almeida which is just absolutely bloody gorgeous. A banner of the Union on book 1, and a banner of I assume the North for book 2. I can’t wait.

The post COVER REVEAL: The Trouble with Peace by Joe Abercrombie appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

In The Last Kingdom, we follow Uhtred. son of Uhtred who is the Ealdorman of Beddanburg by birthright. In the first-person perspective, Uhtred tells us his tale and throughout The Last Kingdom, he presents his formative years from a youth, through his teenage years to the time that he becomes a man.

During the prologue, Danes attack the outskirts of Beddanburg. Uhtred’s brother is murdered by a Dane called Ragnar the Fearless. The Saxons retaliate in a pitched battle, during which 9-year-old Uhtred sees his brother’s killer and tries to get revenge.

“I recognised him as the man who had killed my brother and, like the fool I was, I screamed at him.”

Seeing the courage and fearlessness that Uhtred already holds at such a young age, Ragnar doesn’t kill him but takes Uhtred with him at the end of the battle. Throughout the next years, Ragnar becomes fond of Uhtred and sees him as an adopted son. Uhtred, likewise, loves Ragnar like a father.

During this period, Uhtred lives like a Dane. He lives alongside Ragnar’s family including his sons, his adopted daughter Brida, his real daughter Thyra, and Rangar’s blind and wise father Ravn. Throughout this time Uhtred learns the warrior ways, learns how to speak Danish, and finds out about the ways of Woden, Thor, and the “pagan gods.” He takes part in numerous battles and skirmishes against the Saxons and meets the army’s heavy hitters such as Ubba, Ivar, and Guthrum.

There are so many excellent and memorable characters. Cornwell’s penmanship expertly brings them to life. I finished The Last Kingdom yesterday and last night I had a dream about Uhtred and Young Ragnar. It is not often that an author’s characters invade my subconscious in such a way. Uhtred is a great character. Not quite Danish and not quite a Saxon. Confused regarding his religious beliefs as he just wants to fight and to get Beddanburg back from his treacherous uncle. Characters like Ubba, Leofric, Ragnar, and Young Ragnar jump of the page and their dialogue exchanges with Uhtred are well composed and extremely memorable.

“Destiny is all, Ravn liked to tell me, destiny is everything. He would even say it in English, “Wyrd biõ ful ãræd.”

When I started reading The Last Kingdom I hadn’t watched the BBC series yet. I initially decided that I would read ahead so that the show didn’t spoil events for me. I purchased the novel and also the audiobook which features the excellent Jonathan Keeble as Uhtred. This plan didn’t quite work out. After I had read the first few chapters I decided to watch the first episode. The finale of this episode reveals a huge moment of death and deceit that doesn’t take place in the novel until around 60%. I’ve only got myself to blame for spoiling it but thought I would highlight this in my review so that potential readers don’t make the same mistake. This moment was still extremely powerful and important to the novel’s narrative but I think I’d stolen away from the unpredictable nature of the incident. The book focused a lot more on young Uhtred than the show. The scenes of Uhtred’s youth are extremely important to who he becomes and I think the show missed out on some amazing moments that are featured here.

“The preachers tell us that pride is a great sin, but the preachers are wrong. Pride makes a man, it drives him, it is the shield wall around his reputation… Men die, they said, but reputation does not die.”

The Last Kingdom was an extremely enjoyable historical fiction read that features excellent drama, well-realised characters, and is chock-full of memorable battles and duels. The pacing is great too and at the more heated moments, I almost felt like I was part of the battle bellowing “shield wall!” with the sweat, blood, gore and death dripping from the pages. I am so glad that I started Uhtred’s story. With there being 13 books in The Last Kingdom/ The Warrior Chronicles/ The Saxon Stories series I am aiming to read one a month for the foreseeable future. I’d like to thank Edward Gwynne for recommending this series to me.

9/10

Buy The Last Kingdom by Bernard Cornwell

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MUSIC REVIEW: Dreaming City by Glass Hammer

It wasn’t long ago that I was listening to some of my classic rock bands and I found myself wishing that there was something out there today that had a similar feel. Sure, there are a lot of classic bands still touring and putting out music, but most of them don’t have the same power or passion of their glory days.

Then I was given the opportunity to listen to the new album by a band called Glass Hammer, who I’d never heard of. Sure, I’ll give it a listen. The title was certainly interesting enough, Dreaming City. This made me think immediately of the Michael Moorcock story of the same name, and as I looked into it, I saw that there were other similarities as well – a sword of power, a cursed warrior, a lost love, and powers of twisted magic that haunted the “hero” of the tale.

Oh, I was hooked. From the first chords I was mesmerized and locked in until the final moments an hour or so later. It came out pounding heavy but melodic, putting me to mind a quick comparison to some of the gothic metal bands, such as Tiamat or Moonspell. But then that gave way to a more symphonic quality, still maintaining its rock edge but becoming more of a driving mixture of progressive melody and sound. The influences are all here: King Crimson. Emerson, Lake & Palmer. Jethro Tull. Yes. Blue Oyster Cult. Rush. Kansas. Pink Floyd. Maybe a touch of Dream Theater.

“In the Vales of Pagarna there is a doom-haunted city where no man dreams; for dreams are the price of entry.”

Dreaming City is a concept album, where all 12 tracks run together as a continuous experience. Skallogrim is our anti-hero, a swordsman that ran afoul of dark magic and must find his lost love before she is killed. Terminus is his sword, giving him an extra edge as he descends into madness to defeat his foes.

The story behind the music is “inspired by” a tale called Skallagrim and the Dreaming City – Book One of the Terminus Chronicles. I found myself doing a quick search to see where I could get a copy of this book, only to learn that it is as much a piece of fiction as the story itself. It seems that it’s an idea by lyricist Steve Babb, and that it’s something that he’s contemplated writing. Let’s hope he decides to publish it, as well as more of the “Chronicles”, for it would make for an enjoyable read for fans of sword and sorcery.

It turns out that Glass Hammer has been around since 1992, though they’ve never achieved the mainstream success of many of their peers. After listening to this album, I find that to be a true shame, as the music world has a gathering of talent here in place that begs to be heard. I know that I’ll be going back and finding work from their back catalogue.

When I have time to relax and enjoy myself in a little escapism, I often find myself reading works of epic fantasy or sword and sorcery. I like to turn on some good music to play in the background as I read, to help me immerse myself in the world. In a way, it’s like a soundtrack to the story I’m reading. Well, with Dreaming City, I can do both at once. It’s the perfect musical soundtrack to its own lyrics, telling a tale as epic and bloodthirsty as any of the books I read.

https://glasshammer.com/discography/dreaming-city/

Buy Dreaming City by Glasshammer

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