Adrian Collins's Blog, page 220

REVIEW: Chains of Blood by M.L. Spencer

Chains of Blood by M.L. Spencer is the follow up series to her incredibly entertaining Rhenwars Saga books. The Rhenwars Saga books were a grimdark series that was actually heavy on the grim but not so much the dark. A deconstruction of traditional high fantasy narratives, they followed wizard Darien Lachlan in what initially appeared to be a epic of the evil Middle Eastern-themed Darklanders vs. European themed Lightlanders.

The Darklanders lived in a land of eternal night as well as worshiped the dark god Xerys while the Lightlanders worshiped a variety of benevolent gods. Gradually, the novels tore apart this simple premise with an analysis of the Darklanders’ motivations, the corruption of the Lightlanders, and our protagonists finding their own actions proving more monstrous than their enemies. I really recommend the series and think it’s an underrated series destined to become a cult classic.

Chains of Blood is not so much a sequel as a second series set in the same world. You’ll benefit from having read the original books but they’re not necessary. The series tells a wholly original story that merely references the previous one with the children of the previous story’s (anti)heroes. I liken this as equivalent to reading the First Law trilogy before reading books like Red Country by Joe Abercrombie.

The premise is farmer Rylan Marshall is a father of two when his house is attacked by murderous cultists who kill his eldest, kidnap his daughter, and then make him swear his soul to an evil god before releasing him. He soon discovers this is because he is the scion of the most feared and hated mage in the world. Except, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter and Rylan discovers that others are prepared to pledge allegiance him.

It’s about thirty years after the events of the original series with the Darklanders and the Lightlanders having an uneasy peace. Both sides were guilty of atrocities during the war and neither has forgiven the other. Attempts by the mages to heal the rift or at least build understanding only result in tensions being made worse. As such, neither of the races are prepared when a new enemy arrives in the form of  the Turan Khar. Similar to the Seanchan from the Wheel of Time, they are an invasing force that keeps its own mages enslaved as weapons.

Chains of Blood is something I would consider putting underneath the label of grimdark because of the pervasive moral ambiguity, deconstruction of high fantasy, and its willingness to show the heroes going to extreme lengths for advantage. However, it’s definitely on the lighter side of the spectrum in terms of grit, cussing, depravity, and violence. It’s a darker fantasy story but not something that would immediately stand out among more traditional fantasy works.

Despite this, I would recommend it to fans of both the original Rhenwars Saga and someone looking for a new series to entertain themselves. I’m eager for the sequel and hope it will come out relatively soon. This book is available on Kindle Unlimited as well, being one of the better fantasy novels available through that service.

(Check out an excerpt of Chains of Blood here)

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REVIEW: Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey

In Taste of Marrow by Sarah Gailey we are thrown back into the world of River of Teeth with Houndstooth trying to find his love, Hero after the barnstorming events of River of Teeth. Along for the ride are crowd favourites Archie and Adelia. However, they aren’t really along for the ride—Archie and Adelia make this book; they are magnificent and their story just grabs you by the collar and does not let go.

Our four protagonists are teamed up and on the road in two teams: Hero and Adelia, and Archie and Houndstooth. Hero thinks Houndstooth is gone and is waiting for the right time to ditch Adelia and head off on his own, while Houndstooth is driving himself and Archie mad trying to find Hero. Then, somebody takes something very important from Adelia, and we are very swiftly swept up into an absolutely barnstorming story that has you surging through the pages of this novella until the satisfying end.

Sarah Gailey weaves such a brilliant tale with her imagination and tight writing. The characters leap off the page astride their hippos (something else that is just so damned cool in this frontier world of hers) and just grab you. Honestly, there is an amazing army of brilliant character creators out there at the moment making people leap off the page, and Gailey would be in their front rank.

The only thing I didn’t enjoy about this book was that it felt a bit info-dumpy at the start. As a follow up to the absolutely phenomenal River of Teeth it needs some history but it felt a bit unnecessarily jammed in there at times. But honestly, I’m nitpicking. This is a brilliant book.

Taste of Marrow is yet another excellent novella from Sarah Gailey and Tor.com, one that I’m sure most fantasy fans will enjoy. It’s not Grimdark, nor does it claim to be, but I assure you that most readers will find this an enjoyable story and world driven by an absolutely magnificent cast of characters.

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REVIEW: The Witcher from Netflix

Netflix’s The Witcher is an exciting new adaption of Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels of the same name. They follow the eponymous protagonist, Geralt of Rivia. A magically-enhanced monster and creature hunter is known as a “witcher.” I was in for a treat, as I am a heavy fantasy reader, but I have not read the series nor played the game. All I know of the Witcher is from a “white-haired man sitting in a bathtub” meme. I can judge the first season from a fresh perspective knowing only that Geralt enjoys baths.

The show stars three narratives. At the beginning of the show, the narratives are very distinct and unconnected. The first is, of course, Geralt of Rivia. He is played by Henry Cavill, of Superman fame. He stars alongside Freya Allan as Ciri. Ciri is a young princess from a kingdom that is attacked by invaders and violently destroyed. She sets out on a quest to find Geralt of Rivia, whoever that is. The third narrative, and what I thought was the most interesting, was that of Anya Chalotra as Yennefer. Yennefer was a hunchbacked and disfigured woman who had shown a spark of magic while being attacked by townspeople. This spark sent up a flag to the Magical council that she may be one who could be taken and cultivated in the magical arts. Her character is a dichotomy in that, in the beginning, Yennefer is entirely powerless. She is sold to a witch for training cheaper than a pig costs. She is “ugly” and unloved. She has nothing, so she must take what she wants. Chalotra, as well as makeup and effects people,  did a great job on this character. I was absolutely convinced of the authenticity of Yennefer’s suffering. She was broken and wanted nothing more than to be needed.  Later, after much ceremony and magic, Yennefer is transformed into a beautiful and powerful woman. She went from one extreme to the other. You get the sense that she is bored by both extremes in that extreme beauty was as stifling as grotesquery.

These three narratives swirl and bounce off each other in the first three episodes. We know, as an audience, that the fortunes of these three people will somehow come together, but as to how they do and when we have no idea — however, Netflix rewards watchers with solid story progression. This is done in a confusing series of vignettes from different times.  We see how the puzzle pieces of The Witcher saga began to form and come together, but it was complicated and confusing. I am not sure why Netflix did it that way. Often scenes from different episodes lacked visual cues of when and where the story was taking place until mid-episode. This left the timeline and narrative a puzzle to figure out. Once you pieced together when on the timeline you where it made a lot more sense, but until then, it was baffling. I am not sure if this hearkens back to how the source material was written, but I would hope for season two, Netflix finds a way to give better ques.

The benefit of watching a story like this on Netflix is that you can binge-watch the episodes. The Witcher takes place in two ways. The overarching storyline between the three characters. This is hinted at during each of the individual episodes. It develops patiently and is the heart of the series. However, each chapter is generally a “monster of the week” and episodic. Geralt is battling some creature that overshadows more considerable plot consequences for the whole series. It isn’t preachy, and it is useful. I think this is one of the significant differences between this and Game of Thrones. Game of Thrones was not a “monster of the week” type series. It hinged entirely on excellent writing and the narratives of many characters. It had a depth to it that The Witcher does not have. That is not a bad thing. Not all series should have that kind of gravity, as The Witcher is much lighter and often funnier than Game of Thrones could have ever been. But those looking to replace the gaping hole left by Game of Thrones may be a little bit disappointed by the stylistic differences.

As to what precisely a witcher is, I am not entirely sure. The first season alludes to witchers being “unnatural.” Created and mutated, a witcher can drink substances that give them extra power to help in their quests to murder monsters. They are hated by society at large and have been hunted and murdered down to where there are only a few left in existence. You see this quite a lot in the series,  a hatred of the unknown and not understood. Yennefer lived her whole life before her transformation under the thumb of people’s view of her. Geralt was shown getting stones thrown at him because he walked into a town that hated witchers. Ciri comes from one extreme to another. First, she is the granddaughter of the high queen. Maybe not loved, but at least respected for her position. Later, when the country is ransacked and her people murdered, Ciri is an outcast and hated for her name. Again it is a dichotomy for her character. She must learn how to change with time and be something else.

Is this series good for the newbies? Yes! Even though I had zero experience in this series, I still understood and felt comfortable with the plot. I am sure there are a ton of fan-service moments throughout the series, that lovers of the books and video game would recognize and understand, but for a newbie, I had no troubles.

All in all, I enjoyed binging this series. It was a great bit of fantasy that was, at times, lighthearted and funny. At the same time, it had beautiful scenery, excellent protagonist progression, killer plot, and incredible visuals. Henry Cavill solidly sold the character to me. I had no problem believing him an emotionally scarred mess of a man who was forced into “monster-hood” by someone with magical means.

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REVIEW: Legacy of Ash by Matthew Ward

In Matthew Ward’s magnificent and epic Legacy of Ash, the kingdom of Tressia is coming under attack, but the worst is happening within its own borders—the trodden down Southshires are having a fifteen year old insurrection held over their heads by the north and the governing Council and being left without a standing army in the face of invasion as punishment for the disloyalty of a generation all-but-gone.

Legacy of Ash shows a world against the last two Of the Trelan family. Josiri and his sister Calenne witnessed the death of her mother and the fall of her rebellion, and are trying to keep her memory alive while simultaneously trying to not draw the might of the Council that crushed her. Josiri keeps being painted into harder and harder positions by his people. He wants the south to rebel against the north as he promised his mother, but the north is in power and the south is under the control of the man who killed his mother. To make it worse, his lowborn comrades who form his groundswell rebellious support seem to want open warfare, in contradiction of his orders for patience. And they aren’t going to wait much longer.

Council member Malachi‘s friend Kassamor is marrying Calenne Trelan, and copping a ribbing for it from his mates. The Southshire-based  Trelan’s are trouble for good northern families, and Malachi’s fellow councillor (and Kasamor’s mother) Ebigail isn’t over the moon about it. Malachi doesn’t have the spine he used to as a younger man, and feels his family has softened him somewhat–he’s going to need to develop more of a spine to manage what’s coming.

Viktor is out of his depth at the council, representing the Southshires whose rebellion he helped crush, and being far less skilled at using words as weapons than his sword or shadow. As a witch, he is hated by his own people, and struggles to balance hiding his true power from the Council against his people’s vision of him as Tressia’s towering champion and the Southshires hate of him as the murderer of Katya Trelan.

Melanna wants more than to just be a political tool her father can marry off to pump out heirs. She wants to stand in the shield wall like a prince, she wants to lead, she wants to fight and conquer the Tressians as a true child of an emperor should. And, when her father passes, she wants his crown. As she follows her father across the mountains and into the lands of Tressia, where she rails against the constraints of her people just for being born a woman, greatness rears its ugly head.

Now, take a breath. That’s a lot to take in–A Game of Thrones-level cast and enough politics and alliances and hatreds to sate even the thirstiest epic fantasy fan. There are plenty more PoVs for you to get engaged in, but if that foundation chock-full of the powerful and the powerless driving their own agendas through intrigue, betrayal, and massive bloody battles doesn’t have you licking your lips in anticipation of what is to follow in this 700-odd page epic dark fantasy, than I’ll be buggered if I know what will.

Somebody get me a cigarette and a whiskey because Matt Ward has just taken me to reading heaven. Legacy of Ash is a magnificent book, and I cannot wait to see what comes next.

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Vampire the Masquerade 5th Edition: An interview with Matthew Dawkins

Today we have a special guest with Vampire: The Masquerade line developer Matthew Dawkins. Matthew Dawkins is a prolific game writer as well as producer of content with work across multiple game lines including his own, They Came from Beneath the Sea, which is a humorous spoof of 1950s Red Scare tropes and b-movie science fiction.

Readers of Grimdark Magazine know how big a fan I am of the 5th Edition of Vampire: The Masquerade released last year. I feel like it’s a wonderful return to the roots of the game with a re-focus on horror, Humanity, and struggles with the Beast. It’s also directly targeted at adult audiences.

Recently, they have launched a Kickstarter for a new supplement called Cults of the Blood Gods, which is about vampire faiths. Like the undead themselves, they are bloody, atavistic, and frequently alien in their morality. Perfect for grimdark fans and a great thing to back this Christmas (or January).

1. Is Vampire: The Masquerade still wandering the nights of the new millennium?

It absolutely is. Ever since Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, interest in Vampire has been going up and up. The fifth edition of the game was released in 2018, and since then we’ve seen a book for the Camarilla, the Anarchs, and Chicago by Night.

2. What books will you need to have to really get your money’s worth from Cults of the Blood Gods?

You’ll only need the core book, but I recommend the Anarch book if you want to get a lot out of the Church of Set, or Chicago by Night if you want more insight into the nihilistic Cult of Shalim’s activities.

3. What can you tell us about the supplement itself?

Cults of the Blood Gods covers the myriad of vampire religions that exist in the World of Darkness. Worship of law, chaos, and everything in between, whether in search of enlightenment, gifts from a godlike master, or the chance to redeem oneself from the curse of being a vampire. It contains the Clan of Death – the necromancers such as the Giovanni and Cappadocians, who raise zombies and talk to the dead – and has a full playable story in there with characters you can play right out of the book.

4. Will fans of the Giovanni Clan like the changes you make?

I certainly hope so! The strongest element behind the Giovanni is the family structure, and the Hecata really play on that. The Hecata are an evolution of the Giovanni, taking in all the other clans and lines of death to create a functioning but highly dysfunctional, abusive, and incestuous family of necromancers.

5. What sort of rules material are here?

This book contains a plethora of new powers for vampires of many cults and faiths, from the Church of Caine being able to manipulate fire, to the Bahari being able to twist the earth to their will. The Church of Set can now remove their own hearts for safekeeping, while the Hecata have a bevy of necromantic powers at their disposal.

6. What sort of gains do Backers get for backing the project vs. buying later?

They can read the manuscript already! Just by backing you can gain access to the entire book before it’s released. Also, by backing the Kickstarter you help fund and gain access to further sourcebooks other fans will be paying for separately, such as the Trail of Ash and Bone.

7. Is Kickstarter the way of the future for tabletop games?

Different companies have different preferences, but all my uses of Kickstarter have been highly positive. Fans love an interactive way of backing their game and engaging with the creators, and Kickstarter campaigns enable and encourage that.

8. Do you have any favorite parts from Cults of the Blood Gods?

I love the entire book, but my favorite parts must be the chapters titled The Cult of Death and Undeath, and the Hecata. I love some dark arts in my games, and this twisted group of death-dealers is up there as my favorite playable clan. Who doesn’t like a necromancer or lich in their game?

9. Will any old favorites show up in the book?

Long-term fans of the game will recognize some character names and clan powers from previous editions, but likewise, there’s lots of new material in here too for those same established fans. I think there’s something for everyone in Cults of the Blood Gods.

10. What other products does Onyx Path have coming up that you’ll be involved in?

Everyone should check out They Came from Beneath the Sea! before the pre-order window on Backerkit.com closes, and it’s closing very soon! If you like your horror and science fiction to have a 1950s, cold war feel, please check it out! It’s a game that can be played with humor or Lovecraftian seriousness, and has had a fantastic reception to date.

CLICK ON THE BANNER BELOW TO BACK VAMPIRE THE MASQUERADE 5th EDITION ON KICKSTARTER

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REVIEW: The Light of All That Falls by James Islington

I have been looking forward to reading The Light of All That Falls ever since I finished An Echo of Things To Come and have been counting down the days until I could return to the world of Davian, Caeden, Asha and Wirr. I won’t go into too much detail here regarding the actual story as I don’t wish to spoil anything for people who haven’t started the series yet.

“Remember that your past does not define you—no matter the consequences,” he said gently. “Choice is meaningless without consequences, and a privilege we do not deserve if we will not face them. You are facing them, Tal’kamar. You have changed.”

I can safely say that the final entry in The Licanius Trilogy is breathtaking and brimming with phenomenal moments throughout. It starts off with a showdown in the prologue and wraps up with one of the finest and perfectly crafted endings that I have read in a long while. One I did not see coming at all but is satisfying and wraps all the loose ends up expertly. There are quieter segments in the beginning-middle stages. All four of the point of view perspectives had a huge number of highlights and they intertwine and occasionally cross paths. It’s always excellent when the main characters meet up again. Some of these engagements take place unexpectedly and not until much later in this eight-hundred-page door-stopper.

As mentioned, it had been some time since I finished the last book and I thought it was a nice addition offered by Islington that he presents a summary of past events at the start of The Light of All That Falls. This usefully filled in the slight gaps in my knowledge and potential confusion with character names. Caeden and Davian have always been the characters I have enjoyed following the most especially with their destinies been so closely intertwined.

I believe only two years have passed since we met the ensemble for the first time in The Shadow of What Was Lost. The characters have changed so much and you wouldn’t really recognise the same three students who met at the school for the Gifted. A few of the players are extremely overpowered now – both main and supporting. In addition the magic-schemes and possibilities get much deeper, complex and enhanced throughout the overall narrative. The magic system is one of my favourites from modern fantasy although it’s sometimes confusing and scientific-like within the rules of the crafted world.

Elements included are destiny, knowing your fate, time-travel, a legendary sword, and alternate plains of existence where time doesn’t follow normal rules. It has incredibly well-depicted monstrosities such as the serpent-like Dar’Gaithin and the terrifying Al’Goriat. These often cause havoc and raise a great deal of suspense. It includes a plethora of competing factions, complex and sometimes frosty relationships, and thousands of years of past history. The trilogy also showcases a huge dramatis personae and a unique and detailed glossary of world-specific phrases. This is a useful link regarding the points mentioned above: (here) A version is also included and updated in the novel itself.

There isn’t really much left to say regarding my feelings with this trilogy and the final entry in this series that I haven’t mentioned already. It was an epic, stunning and extremely satisfying finale. The series features some of my favourite modern fantasy characters that I truly cared about and ended up loving. It’s one of my favourite trilogies from the last 5 years and the ending was perfect and completely unpredictable. It is the end of an era and I’m not sure if we will return to see these characters again. Islington does hint in his afterwards that we may return to the world and see the stories of more minor but extremely important players. I can’t wait.

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Netflix’s The Witcher: The books vs the show

Like many individuals, I was introduced to The Witcher by the CD Projekt Red video games that showed a dark, sensual, cynical, and sometimes humorous world I hadn’t yet encountered in fantasy. Before Joe Abercrombie or even George R.R. Martin, Andrzej Sapkowski created a multi-book epic that incorporated elements from Polish folklore, Spaghetti Westerns, and his own life experiences that was already a nationally popular series in his homeland before it exploded onto the world stage with his adaptations. While CD Projekt Red and Sapkowski have since reconciled after a nasty legal dispute over royalties, the Netflix series is an adaptation of his novels rather than the games that take place a few years after said events.

Sitting down to watch The Witcher on Netflix, I was curious how they would adapt the stories as The Witcher is unlike most fantasy series. It begins with two collections of short stories that were initially published in fantasy magazines. These short stories are far from inconsequential and if you were to begin with The Blood of Elves (the first “proper” Witcher novel) then you would probably be at a loss. Instead, it is much better to read both The Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny if you want to understand what’s going on in the series.

Thankfully, the first season of the Netflix show is a decent adaptation of both The Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny. There are many omissions, additions, changes as well as a somewhat questionable timeline but it manages to capture the spirit of the novels. It also conveys most of the pertinent information that sets up The Blood of Elves as a story. I’ll talk about each individual episode as well as their changes below to give a sense of what was kept as well as what was discarded.

Warning: There will be spoilers for both the book as well as show.

Episode 1: The End’s Beginning

The End’s Beginning is a loose adaptation of The Lesser Evil which is not the first Witcher short story (called The Witcher) but one of the better Sapkowski tales that is also, I kid you not, a grimdark parody of Red Riding Hood. Geralt finds a bandit woman named Renfri who is on a mission of revenge against a mad wizard named Stregobor. Geralt establishes his life philosophy of refusing to engage in the lesser evil because, at the end of the day, that’s still evil. The event haunts him in the books but the show portrays the measures he must take to save lives from both individuals as a much greater character development moment than in the books. Renfri’s memory will haunt Geralt for decades to come as he is forced to kill her in a brutal sword fight that helps dub him, “The Butcher of Blaiviken.”

Episode 2: Four Marks

Four Marks is the largest deviation from the book as it is a primarily Yennefer of Vengerburg-adapted story. She meets Istredd, her other lover here in a wholly invented story. While she was described as a former hunchbunk in the story, fixed by magic, this is a minor plot detail that is meant to help explain her prickly demeanor. The mages are also more ruthless with young women turned into eels who don’t make the grade. The book also adapts The Edge of the World which is done accurately and depicts the harsh state of the world for elves. We see the sacking of Cintra during this story and Queen Calanthe’s suicide as well, forcing Ciri on the run to find Geralt.

Episode 3: Betrayer Moon

Betrayer Moon is an episode that continues Yennefer’s story arc and the idea that she chose to become beautiful at the cost of her fertility. Yennefer of Vengerburg is described as a deformed girl who had her body straightened by the sorcerers and then is sterialized as Tissaia wanted no distractions from her work. Her deformity in the show is portrayed as something abnormal rather than a common affliction among young witches as in the books. Also, sterilization is something that is a consequence of having her deformity surgically removed not something Tissaia did to all young women. The Witcher short story is adapted here with an accurate retelling with the addition of Triss Merrigold.

Episode 4: Of Banquets, Bastards and Burials

Of Banquets, Bastards, and Burials creates another Yennefer story where she serves as the King of Aedirn’s royal advisor for decades, only to be witness to him having his wife as well as baby daughter murdered. The rest of the story adapts A Question of Price which is also accurate to the books but has a lot more violence as well as special effects. The episode also has Ciri head to Brokilon Forest where she initially did it in the books before the sacking of Cintra as well as meeting Geralt there, which she doesn’t in the show. The show also claims Calanthe took part in the Great Cleansing and pogroms of the elves, which did not happen in the books.

Episode 5: Bottled Appetites

Bottled Appetites is a loose adaptation of The Last Wish. The depiction in the show is very accurate with Jaskier (Dandelion in the games) getting Geralt in a conflict with a djinn as well as Yennefer. A wholly invented plot occurs with Cahir, a future ally of Geralts, murdering Mousesack the Wizard (whose fate is uncertain in the books) to replace with a doppelganger. This wholly changes the storyline of “The Sword of Destiny” as well as makes the Dryads almost incidental.

Episode 6: Rare Species

Rare Species is an adaptation of The Bounds of Reason which is a dragon hunting episode that deconstructs a lot of traditional fantasy narratives. Geralt and Yennefer’s relationship is changed due to their tempestuous long-time arrangement being compressed in the show. Ciri and Dahir’s encounter with the Doppelganger is wholly invented with it being filler to give her something to do until she reunites with Geralt.

Episode 7: Before A Fall

Before a Fall is a compressed adaptation of Something More. The story is much less humorous with much of the back and forth between Geralt as well as Calanthe being played seriously versus for laughs. We also see the Brotherhood of Sorcerers decide to side against Nilfgaard when none of this was ever depicted in the show. Yennefer also tries to talk some young girls out of being witches, despite them not having any magic. Fringilla, who is a moderate Nilfgaardian patriot in the books, is reimagined as a murderous fanatic. Cahir continues to have adaptational villainy, murdering several innocents to find a doppelganger.

Episode 8: Much More

Much More ends the season with an adaptation of Something More. It is completely different from the short story since the short story is Geralt recovering from an injury while hearing about the Battle of Sodden Hill nearby. The battle is dramatized as an epic brutal conflict between Nilfgaard’s and the North’s wizards.

There are other changes throughout the show, especially visually. Geralt of Rivia only wears one of his swords, the steel one, and keeps his silver sword on his horse Roach’s pack. The cultural and ethnic makeup of the cast is also a bit more diverse, but this is not necessarily untrue of the books. The humans of the Continent come from both the world itself as well as through a portal to our universe via the Conjunction of the Spheres.

The big changes between the books and show is a matter of presentation as the series shows numerous events out of order, deletes some important ones, and increases the role of both Yennefer as well as Ciri before they enter Geralt’s life. This can be confusing to fans of the books and might be to viewers as the original books were quite well-paced in building to The Blood of Elves. I also regret the loss of characters like Essi Davin.

Still, I think Netflix avoided the mistakes of most adaptations by trying to change the “meat” of the story. The Witcher on Netflix is a dark and brooding series that is sure to delight fans of the books.

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REVIEW: Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

Come Tumbling Down, Seanan Mcguire’s fifth installment in the Wayward Children series follows the adventures of the delightfully macabre and grisly Wolcott twins. Jack, the mad scientist, sufferer of OCD, and generally quirky misanthrope and Jill, jacks twin, cruel, beautiful, and wants nothing more than to become a vampire. Jack returns to the school via a door made of lightning, literally carrying her love in her arms. Jack is trapped in the body of Jill, and although Jill is virtually identical to Jack physically, Jill has done horrible things that have soiled her very essence. Jack is a sufferer of OCD and desperately needs her body back to salvage her sanity. She requests the aid of former classmates in a quest, disobeying the no quest rule, to get her body back from Jill and save Jill, even if it means saving her from herself.

The Moors, the twin’s world they have come to love, is a place of darkness, monsters, mad science, and unforgiving fierce creatures.  It is a place where gods are drowned, the moon has power, and lightning fuels the world, and it is a place where Jack feels most like herself and a home where she wants to stay. But first, Jack and friends Kade, Sumi, Cristopher, and Cora must help Jack stay sane and save this dark and macabre world. But, who knows who the monsters are? The line between good and evil or Monster and savior can be blurry. It depends entirely on which side you are standing.

“The world doesn’t stop spinning because you’re sad, and that’s good; if it did, people would go around breaking hearts like they were sheets of maple sugar, just to keep the world exactly where it is. They’d make it out like it was a good thing, a few crying children in exchange for a peace that never falters or fades. We can be sad and we can be hurt and we can even be killed, but the world keeps turning, and the things we’re supposed to do keep needing to be done.”

Again, McGuire delights and intrigues with the darkly rich world she has created in the Wayward Children series. Each installment has a message or a sort of idea that can be gleaned from the pages without it coming off as preachy. In this entry, McGuire touches on the sense of self and not being at home in one’s own body. Where your body on the outside does not necessarily match who you are on the inside. It is an important message, and McGuire treats the subject delicately and with immense care.

McGuire has written another beautiful and meaningful story with Come Tumbling Down. It will delight, and maybe shock a bit. And, when you get done reading it, you might think twice about who is a monster, and who is not.

Buy Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

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REVIEW: Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski

Blood of Elves, the first ‘proper’ book in the tale of The Witcher, is a story of extreme training, bards songs and of course, swords. You’ll want to read this and the previous two instalments before you commence your journey into Netflix’s The Witcher.

“When you know about something it stops being a nightmare. When you know how to fight something, it stops being so threatening.”

The 3rd instalment into The Witcher moves away from the prior collections of short stories, and shifts into gear for the grand arc that is sure to come in the remaining 5 instalments. Where The Last Wish and Sword of Destiny focused on monster-slaying contracts, Blood of Elves has character development at the fore. It was my main gripe with the previous two stories, how there did not seem to be an over-arching scheme that would link everything together.

I highly suggest that you begin your journey into the realm of The Witcher with The Last Wish, and then Sword of Destiny as they subtly introduce a vast range of characters. I was pleasantly surprised with the return of minor characters that had quirks and personality enough for me to distinctly remember them.

“To be neutral does not mean to be indifferent or insensitive. You don’t have to kill your feelings. It’s enough to kill hatred within yourself.”

It is through Geralt’s interaction with other characters where the books come alive. The vast variety of dialogue sequences and subjects allows everyone to have their own voice, pardon the pun. Their voices and styles are distinct, if a lot of the time very wordy, which I will blame on the translation…maybe.

If you’ve played the games, you’ll notice lots of references the makers made in honour of the books. Particular scenes, such as the training of a young ‘Witcher’. There is a surprise as Geralt is not the only POV. The most notable addition is Ciri’s side of things, which I wasn’t keen on at first (everyone always wants more Geralt) but in the end really enjoyed it. She is a character that is growing on me and I am really looking forward to seeing where the story takes her.

“I know you’re almost forty, look almost thirty, think you’re just over twenty and act as though you’re barely ten.”

The world building is solid, and gives the impression of a vast and well thought out world, from the Witcher haven of Kaer Morhen to the busy city of Novigrad. Characters that drift between places are met and so are characters that are key parts of regions. I’d have loved a map to go with the various names, which would have given me a real scope of the world, but I used my knowledge of the games (which is albeit probably slightly different to how Andrej Sapkowski imagined the world).

I still managed to find the examples of a gender imbalance, which unfortunately I’ve come to expect from a Sapkowski book about the Witcher. Geralt is a good man, and someone who tries to treat everyone equally, but there were still instances in the general writing of it. Still, I was pleasantly surprised with Ciri’s POV and really enjoyed her portrayal.

Now one thing I need to say is that I was desperate for more sword and sorcery. Geralt is one of the coolest guys and he has some really cool swords and I really wanted some cool swordplay and casting of signs and monster heads to go flying and… I could go on for a while. I would have enjoyed some more action. And some more classic fairy tale re-tellings. There was certainly enough talking in Blood of Elves, there could have been a few more instances of bloody fighting and some twists and turns. Hoping I’ll get my silver sword fix in the next instalment, Time of Contempt!

“Night and day the streets resounded with music, song, and the clinking of chalices and tankards, for it is well known that nothing is such thirsty work as the acquisition of knowledge.”

3.75/5 – Hoping for something better, but still enjoying what I received. This lukewarm dish is warming up and I have high hopes for the continuation of The Witcher Saga. The preparation for Netflix’s The Witcher is enjoyable, and I am sure will sweeten the TV show and Henry Cavill’s lovely wig. More swords next time, please! Igni!

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REVIEW: Violya by Rosalyn Kelly

With Violya, once again I am sent back to Rosalyn Kelly’s grim and brutal world, and for that, I am very happy. Set in her In the Heart of her Mountains series, Kelly’s Violya depicts the story of the titular character Violya (or V for short), the new Melokai of Peqkya. A once cautious warrior, V is thrust into a chaotic nation whereby she must repair her fractured nature, bonds, and garner new treaties with adversaries and once close allies. There is no time for hesitation, V must fight for her nation and come to terms with herself as not only the warrior she knows, but as a Melokai gifted with magical powers.

Akin to Kelly’s former novel, Violya bestows the reader with a variety of chapters from the point of view from a variety of characters such as the familiar wolf father Darrio; Queen Jessima; the Trogr (simian-like people) Gwrlain, and several more.

I was initially worried that I was going to get lost in the minutia of these chapters, forget names and places, but Kelly’s talent as a writer is her fantastic ability to weave interesting and intriguing elements within every chapter that she has so carefully crafted. Her world-building is phenomenal, near the level of George R.R. Martin or J.R.R. Tolkien. I could feel the sands on my cheeks as I veered into the desert kingdom of Drome and was swallowed into the dank pit of Troglo as the characters delved deep into the cavernous dominion of the unusual cave dwellers. There is a name for nearly every language, every people, every landmark, so much that I felt as if I were reading some quasi-historical text.

But what really kept me hooked was Kelly’s ability to also weave elements of myth and fairytale (perhaps knowingly or unknowingly) within her story. I’m a sucker for stories that perfectly blend the real and the unreal together, and Kelly does this with absolute precision. The Darrio chapters, for instance, examine the culture of the wolves, their fears, their desires, their deities, and the fervour they have in their new pack leader, Sarrya. It was strange and unreal, but also reminiscent of elder fables of yore and quite lovely to read in between the politicking of the other chapters.

Much like the Darrio chapters, the Gwrlain chapters were imbued with an almost macabre majesty that invoked a sense of horror and malaise. Without going so much into spoilers, there is a lovely darkness that permeates cave kingdom of Troglo, one that evokes disgust, pity, and hope in one little segment. There was just so much lore within these chapters that I felt deserved a special mention as they kept me hooked and wanting to know more and more about the plight of the Trogrs.

But much like Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series, and other novels/series’ that flit between character POVs, there are always ones you enjoy more. Though the Violya and Jessima chapters, for instance, are well-written and lovely, I found myself wanting more and more from the Darrio and Gwrlain segments. Other readers may fare differently, but I was so hooked to them that I found myself, at times, speedreading. A big no-no when it comes to this series. Don’t be like me. Slow down. Allow the environment to sway you into a deep meditative state of compliance and enjoy the beautiful words before your eyes.

In a similar vein, the language in the other chapters detracted from the majesty of Kelly’s world. Wolf-speak and Trogr language feels and sounds different. There is a craftsmanship there that is unseen in some of Vioyla, Jessima, Toby, and Ammad’s (though I enjoyed his chapters more so this time) chapters. They range between sounding too modern (as in copious amounts of swearing) to Arthurian clichés, not to say that it hampers the story entirely, but it certainly pulled me out at times.

My tip for slowing down, alas, also revolves around energy of this novel. To Violya’s benefit there is a stronger emphasis on action over politicking, but the action at times feels a bit too frantic. Names are constantly thrown around, people are always fighting and travelling to distant lands. I wanted to slow. Down. And. Absorb. Every. Thing.

Rosalyn Kelly’s Violya is without a doubt an interesting read. The world is rich with fantastic lore and intriguing lands. The tone is dark and provocative, insatiable at times, and gritty. Oh so gritty. Though I found the pace a bit too frantic, the novel flows well and builds upon Kelly’s In the Heart of the Mountains series wonderfully. A strong recommendation from me, especially if you’re into darker fiction.

If you’re interested, you can check out an except here.

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