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10 Graphic Novels to Get You Started in the Genre

Comic books and, by extension, graphic novels (long-form comic books) were at one time the domain of the great unwashed. They were populated only by the geeks, the nerds, the weirdos, and outcasts. It was for people who lived more in their heads and fantasy lands then they did in real life. Time and perspective have changed how the public at large views comic books. We have The X-Men and The Marvel Universe brought to the forefront of popular culture. Kids en masse are comic book characters instead of ghosts and witches for Halloween. And now more than ever, have comics been seen as a valid form of literary storytelling. It isn’t all superheroes, graphic novels have deep themes of what makes us human, overcoming oppression, defeating the opposition, struggling, and the heroes journey. The only difference between some graphic novels and great literary works of old is that graphic novels use imagery as much as dialog and wordbuilding to build a mental picture in the reader.

It is a legitimate type of storytelling, but it can be overwhelming to someone getting into the genre. I have compiled a list of exceptional works that take reading to a whole new level.

Watchmen

by Alan Moore

“None of you understand. I’m not locked up in here with YOU. You’re locked up in here with ME.”

― Alan Moore, Watchmen

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Alan Moore’s Watchmen is one of the granddaddies of modern comic storytelling. Watchman is a work of grand ambition and crippling nihilism. The plot, summed up as the “anti-superhero” story, spans decades. The art is beautiful and puts a glossy shine on the intricate storytelling, but this isn’t a fun story. What it is, is a story that rips your soul out and haves you begging for more. By the end of it, you can only ask one question, “Who is watching the Watchman?”

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
Superman: Red Son
Marvels by Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross (Illustrator)

Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History

by Art Spiegelman

“To die, it’s easy. But you have to struggle for life.”

― Art Spiegelman, Maus I: A Survivor’s Tale: My Father Bleeds History

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Most graphic novels of substance get compared to Maus at one point in their existence. Maus is quite different than Moore’s Watchman in that Watchman is nihilistic and dark while Maus is dark but tinged with hope. The author Art Spiegelman created Maus in a series of one chapter inserts in his magazine, Raw. It was created as a means for Spiegelman to connect with his father’s history as a survivor of Auschwitz. It is told through mouse anthropomorphization, but don’t let that fool you—this a poignant story of the Jewish people and surviving during the nazi holocaust. There is no cuteness here, just raw storytelling.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Mattias Ripa (Translator, Part 1), Blake Ferris (Translator, Part 2), Anjali Singh (Translator, Parts 3 and 4)
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle

V for Vendetta

by Alan Moore, David Lloyd (Illustrator)

“Voilà! In view, a humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of Fate. This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is it vestige of the vox populi, now vacant, vanished, as the once vital voice of the verisimilitude now venerates what they once vilified. However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin vanguarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta held as a votive, not in vain, for the value and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose vis-à-vis an introduction, and so it is my very good honor to meet you, and you may call me V.”

― Alan Moore, V for Vendetta

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V for Vendetta, Another Alan Moore book for the list. “The story depicts a dystopian and post-apocalyptic near-future history version of the United Kingdom in the 1990s, preceded by a nuclear war in the 1980s that devastated most of the rest of the world. The white supremacist, neo-fascist, outwardly Christofascistic, and homophobic fictional Norsefire political party has exterminated its opponents in concentration camps, and now rules the country as a police state.” It is dark, as so much of Moore’s work is. It deals with the oppression of V for Vendetta‘s titular character, V, and his rise and revolution against the police state.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

Sin City Vol. 1 by Frank Miller
300 by Frank Miller
Kick-Ass Vol. 1 by Mark Millar

Preludes & Nocturnes

by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth (Illustrator) Mike Dringenberg (Illustrator) Malcolm Jones III (Illustrator) Todd Klein (Letterer) Karen Berger (Introduction/Editor)

“CHORONZON: I am a dire wolf, prey-stalking, lethal prowler.

MORPHEUS: I am a hunter, horse-mounted, wolf-stabbing.

CHORONZON: I am a horsefly, horse-stinging, hunter-throwing.

MORPHEUS: I am a spider, fly-consuming, eight legged.

CHORONZON: I am a snake, spider-devouring, posion-toothed.

MORPHEUS: I am an ox, snake-crushing, heavy-footed.

CHORONZON: I am an anthrax, butcher bacterium, warm-life destroying.

MORPHEUS: I am a world, space-floating, life-nurturing.

CHORONZON: I am a nova, all-exploding… planet-cremating.

MORPHEUS: I am the Universe — all things encompassing, all life embracing.

CHORONZON: I am Anti-Life, the Beast of Judgment. I am the dark at the end of everything. The end of universes, gods, worlds… of everything. Sss. And what will you be then, Dreamlord?

MORPHEUS: I am hope.” 

― Neil Gaiman, Preludes and Nocturnes

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An occultist attempts to capture Death; instead, he captures Dream. The protagonist Dream, also known as Morpheus, is a god, a deity, the personification of hope and despair, and something so much more. Humans have a complicated relationship with their dreams; they are the source of eternal hope and devouring nightmares.

Dream is all of this. Dream’s tale is part gothic, part horror, and part fantasy. It is beautifully rendered and shows what a fantastic writer Gaiman always has been. It, in turn, has inspired an entire generation of fantasy writers and is worth the read.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

Lucifer Vol. 1 Devil in the Gateway by Mike Carey
Preacher Vol. 1: Gone to Texas by Garth Ennis, Steve Dillon (Illustrator) Joe R. Lansdale (Introduction)
The Books of Magic, Volume 1: Bindings by John Ney Rieber (Writer), Gary Amaro (Illustrator) Peter Gross (Illustrator) Jane Yolen (Introduction)

Saga, Vol. 1

by Brian K. Vaughan (Writer), Fiona Staples (Artist)

“Once upon a time, each of us was somebody’s kid.

Everyone had a father, even if he never provided anything more than his seed.

Everyone had a mother, even if she had to leave us on a stranger’s doorstep.

No matter how we’re eventually raised, all of our stories begin the exact same way.

They all end the same, too.”

― Brian K. Vaughan, Fiona Staples (Artist), Saga, Vol. 1

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Saga is the Romeo and Juliet of the modern age because Alana and Marko must die for the crime of loving each other.

The planet Landfall is at war with the Moon Wreath and has been for generations. It has been at war so long that the reasons for the war are muddy. These two lovers from different sides of the battleline seek to escape the war and start a new life elsewhere. All they have is hope, their wits, and their infant daughter. But is escape is never easy, and they will have to fight an entirely different war if they want to keep their family alive.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

Locke & Key, Vol. 1: Welcome to Lovecraft by Joe Hill, Gabriel Rodríguez (Artist)
Fables, Vol. 1: Legends in Exile by Bill Willingham
The Walking Dead, Issue #1 by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore (Illustrator)

Y: The Last Man, Vol. 1: Unmanned

by Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra (Illustrator) José Marzán Jr. (Illustrator) Jose Marzan (Illustrator) Goran Sudžuka (Illustrator)

“I’m not afraid of the world. I’m afraid of a world without you.”

― Brian K. Vaughan, Pia Guerra (Illustrator) José Marzán Jr. (Illustrator) Jose Marzan (Illustrator) Goran Sudžuka (Illustrator)

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Yorrick Brown, or as he is later called Y, is the only man left in a world of women after a mysterious plague has destroyed all of the world’s Y chromosomes. It is an apocalyptic scenario that has you turning page to page. Come for the excellent graphics, but stay for Vaughn’s poignant and sometimes heartbreaking writing.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Writer, Artist)
Sass & Sorcery – Rat Queens by Kurtis J. Wiebe, Roc Upchurch (Artist)
Chew, Vol. 1: Taster’s Choice by John Layman, Rob Guillory (Illustrator)

Transmetropolitan, Vol. 1: Back on the Street

by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson, Rodney Ramos (Illustrator)

Garth Ennis (Introduction) Nathan Eyring (Illustrator)

Patrick Stewart (Introduction)

“Journalism is just a gun. It’s only got one bullet in it, but if you aim right, that’s all you need. Aim it right, and you can blow a kneecap off the world.” 

― Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis, Darick Robertson, Rodney Ramos (Illustrator) Garth Ennis (Introduction) Nathan Eyring (Illustrator)

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Patrick Stewart (Introduction)

Spider Jerusalem is a gonzo journalist based loosely on a combination of Hunter S. Thompson, and H. L. Mencken. In Transmetropolitan, there is drug use, murder, and the mafia, but also there is an insatiable quest for the truth from Spider. He digs and digs until he hits proverbial bone, and when he does, he brings that truth kicking and screaming to the world. Damn the costs.

Spider has a particular hatred towards people and the public at large. He destroys himself to bring the truth to the public and is pissed off by how blindly people accept falsehoods. Transmetropolitan is intense and funny at times; however, what this story nails is why people love reporters like Hunter S. Thomspon. There is an absolute authenticity to Hunter, and by extension, Spider. He is his most authentic self, and that can be both a refreshing thing to read and bring a little hope for tomorrow.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

100 Bullets, Vol. 1: First Shot, Last Call by Brian Azzarello, Eduardo Risso (Illustrator)
Sex Criminals: Volume One: One Weird Trick by Matt Fraction, Chip Zdarsky (Illustrator)
Ex Machina, Vol. 1: The First Hundred Days by Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris (Illustrator) Tom Feister (Illustrator) J.D. Mettler (Illustrator)

The Arrival

by Shaun Tan

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There are no words in The Arrival. There doesn’t need to be. Shaun Tan has crafted a narrative that is visually compelling and wholly original. He captures the surreal experience of being a stranger in a strange land, and the fears and intense joys it brings. It is an essential and universal story that should be savored panel to panel.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

Habibi by Craig Thompson
The Rabbits by John Marsden, Shaun Tan
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Daytripper

by Fábio Moon, Gabriel Ba, Craig Thompson (Introduction), Dave Stewart (Colours), Sean Knot (Lettering)

“Only when you accept that one day you’ll die can you let go, and make the best out of life. And that’s the big secret. That’s the miracle.”

― Gabriel Bá, Daytripper

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What is the most important moment of your life?

When does your life begin?

When does it end?

Every day of Brás de Oliva Domingos, life is a series of collected moments, like all of us. We, the protagonists in our personal narratives are shaped by small moments. These small moments, innocuous as they were, could change our destiny and fundamentally alter who we are as people. This is Daytripper, a collection of moments in the life of Brás de Oliva Domingos, where a small change, an alteration, changes his future. He becomes something else.

Each day ends with twists you aren’t expecting.

Daytripper is one of the few novels that understands the human condition and the fragility of life. It is the kind of book that reminds us that we may all be the lead protagonists in our own stories, but to someone else’s life, we might be the catalyst that changes their path from one way to another.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

Asterios Polyp by David Mazzucchelli
Essex County by Jeff Lemire
Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan, Niko Henrichon (Illustrator)

Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening

by Marjorie M. Liu, Sana Takeda (Illustrator)

“To quote the poets… we’re fucked.”

― Marjorie M. Liu, Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening

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Monstress covers a lot of ground. It is a set in a gorgeous alternative 1900’s Asia with elements of steampunk and dark fantasy. The world is wracked with war, and a young girl who has survived the trauma of war now has a psychic link with a monster of high power that can destroy them all.

The artwork is beautiful; the story is rich and dark. What Monstress does is an attempt to find a path towards redemption and fighting for inner peace. If inner peace is to be achieved, one must battle and find a balance with your inner monster, even if it is in the literal sense.

If you like this, read these graphic novels:

The Faust Act – The Wicked and the Divine by Kieron Gillen, Jamie McKelvie (Illustrations), Matt Wilson (Colorist), Clayton Cowles
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan, Cliff Chiang (Illustrator) Matthew Wilson (Colorist) Jared K. Fletcher (Lettering)
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes

The post 10 Graphic Novels to Get You Started in the Genre appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel takes the best parts of the dystopian science fiction and fantasy genre and does one thing most books can’t, give the reader hope. Generally, In speculative fiction, I think we as readers forget that to survive humans must do more than living, humans need to thrive. Humans need to explore and challenge ourselves, to watch sunsets, be moved, and feel joy. Humans need more than to breathe. Good fiction knows this but great fiction, like Station Eleven, explores this.

“Survival is insufficient.”

The story of Station eleven starts with multiple endings.

A play of King Lear at a Toronto Theater where 51-year-old Arthur Leander has his final moments on stage after suffering a major heart attack. That was his end.


A man runs on to the stage and attempts to save Arthur. In this moment of heroism, his wandering has ceased. It has ended. He has found his calling.


A little girl watches the death of Arthur followed by the end of life as she knows it. Her childhood has ended.


The first cases of superflu affect people. This ends in a worldwide pandemic that decimates that human population, cities, culture, and infrastructure. This is the end of human civilization as we know it.

The world ends, not with a bang but a cough.

“Of all of them there at the bar that night, the bartender was the one who survived the longest. He died three weeks later on the road out of the city.”

Endings are important in fiction, they are the culmination of something. But, an ending is only a moment, a person dying on stage, a man running to save him, a little girl weeping in the wings, and the two weeks that followed. These moments are like stones dropped into a pond. It isn’t so much about the stones as it is about all the ripples sent out from it. The endings are the springboards for beginnings and that in this novel is the important part.

We move forward twenty years and meet Kirsten who was the little girl who witnessed the death of Arthur. She is now a 28-year-old actor and part of the Traveling Symphony. A group of artists dedicated to performing Shakespeare and traveling around from city to city. They sing for their supper, but more than that they give a peek into something that is more than the drudgery of day to day. What in the world is more magnificent and resembles the height of human culture than Shakespeare?

I will not say any more about the plot. First, this is an intricately woven plot and surmising it any further than the blurb does the story injustice. There are too many small pieces. Second, this is a highly atmospheric novel. It is not so much about the words themselves, but the mental image the excellent storytelling it evokes. I couldn’t do it justice in a paragraph about plot highlights even if I wanted to.

Here is where I think this story is brilliant and surpasses many other speculative stories and should be read. It is the celebration of art and humanities. Art is such a human thing and it shines a light on the darkness of an apocalypse. There is so much dark, and drudgery in surviving. Find food and shelter… repeat. That isn’t important. It is the moments of joy and bliss that should be celebrated. Find hope amongst the shadows, find light in the dark. Celebrate that joy and write a story about that. That is what Station Eleven is. It is a light on the darkness. I hope you read it and are as moved as I was.

Buy Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The post REVIEW: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

MOVIE REVIEW: Behind The Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

Horror is the sister genre of grimdark. Some have suggested that fantasy and science fiction become grimdark when combined with horror. The world of horror invokes most of the feelings of nihilism, dread, and inhumanity that make the genre distinct from traditional escapist fiction. The two genres are very distinct with grimdark having a much more distinctive tone, however. The big thing lacking from most horror found in grimdark is the moral relativism and ambiguity. In most horror there are innocent victims and monsters. In most grimdark, the heroes themselves are compromised. One movie that straddles the line is, unusually, Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon, a comedy horror film that deconstructs the concept of the movie slasher.

The concept of Behind the Mast: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is that a group of grad students are working on their thesis with the premise of, “how do slashers do what they do?” In this movie, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, and Michael Myers are all real serial killers who have terrorized the United States. While they are rumored to be supernatural, it’s speculated they may just be people using special effects. The grad students then get invited to learn the “secrets” of slashers by an affable man named Leslie Vernon (Nathan Baesel) who claims to be a local urban legend.

The movie’s central conceit is the grad students don’t buy for a second that Leslie Vernon is dangerous. He looks and acts a bit like you’d expect Jim Carey to in real-life. He’s pleasant, charming, and a little goofy. Having come here expecting someone much more sinister, they swiftly decide just to go along with his detailed explanations of how to plan a spree murder while treating it more like he’s teaching them how to flip a house. Leslie explains everything from how to lure a bunch of victims to an isolated location, rig blackouts, disable cars, stalk people while not looking you’re running, and other “tricks of the trade.”

The heart of the movie is the idea that your typical stock slasher plot of beautiful people getting trapped and murdered by a deranged serial killer is the result of careful planning rather than bad writing. Leslie Vernon is a wonderful anti-hero in that he uses his moderate knowledge of special effects, theatricality, and planning to become the slasher movie equivalent of Batman. He doesn’t have any superpowers and is an imposter but that doesn’t make him any less dangerous. Indeed, he is more dangerous because even those people he tells he’s going to go on a killing spree like the documentary crew are lured into a false sense of security by his charisma.

Two-thirds of the movie is nothing more than Leslie Vernon’s preparation for his killing spree and how much effort he puts into it. An interesting part of the movie is the apathetic and unconcerned tone of the grad students. Taylor Gentry (Angela Goethals) and the others don’t believe Leslie is dangerous but the fact that they ignore all the signs he is as well as were planning to meet with an “actual” serial killer shows they put their careers ahead of people’s safety. Even when they’re confronted by a Doctor Loomis-esque psychologist (played none other than Robert Englund) who tries to warn them of how dangerous Leslie Vernon is, they shrug him off because he’s spoiling their fun.

The final third of the film is a more traditional slasher movie, essentially presenting the “best parts” of a typical one. Having had all the preparations explained to us, it’s a wonderful collection of grizzly deaths and shocking twists. One of these twists is one that was obvious in retrospect and makes the movie significantly more sinister on a second watch. The ending of the movie also includes the awesome song “Psycho Killer” by the Talking Heads. I give any movie props when they have classic rock songs like that as their theme.

The dark and nihilistic feel of the movie is quite interesting. Leslie Vernon’s craves meaning in his life and wishes to create a conflict of good vs. evil by embodying the evil while trying to force his “Survivor Girl” to be his good. It’s a high concept that I really enjoyed. Not only does it provide an explanation for how a “normal” person could pull off most of the tricks of a slasher, but it goes into the psychology of a person who would want to stalk and kill a bunch of people but give them a decent chance of fighting back. It makes sense in this world at least.

The humor in Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon is a delightfully black one as Leslie Vernon’s sardonic, affable nature contrasts with his plans for a killing spree. There are hundreds of in-jokes ranging from the huge (like Robert Englund’s appearance) to the blink-and-miss-it like Vernon’s turtle being named after characters from Pet Semetary. I got a lot of laughs out of the fact that one of the characters is a reference to Black Christmas and the Toolbox Murders, two movies you don’t normally see cited in this kind of story. As Friday the 13th‘s gravedigger would say, “Some folk have a very strange idea of entertainment.”

The movie is fairly low budget with much of it being treated as documentary “filmed footage” that is lower quality than the actual “live” footage of our characters interacting. There’s not much in the way of action sequences either or gory special effects. This was made on a show-string budget but that adds a weird sense of realism to the whole thing. There’s precious little gore or nudity so it’s the kind of slasher film that you can watch with the whole family (of adults).

In conclusion, this is a fantastic movie and the more you like slasher movies the more you’ll enjoy this film. It’s a solid and underrated movie available on Amazon Prime, BluRay, and Shudder. It was supposed to have a sequel but due to financing issues, it seems like it will be a one and done special. That’s fine by me as it’s a pretty awesome story by itself. I don’t think there’s anywhere they could go in the story that wasn’t already covered. If you like Scream or other deconstructive parodies that still work as an example of the genre then this is for you.

 

9/10

Buy Behind the Mask: The Rise of Leslie Vernon

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REVIEW: Valdor: Birth of the Imperium by Chris Wraight

Black Library’s books chronicling life in the grim darkness of the future usually fall under two basic timelines: the traditional 40th millennium of Warhammer 40K, and the 30th millennium, during which the tragedy of the Horus Heresy unfolded. However, we also know that the timeline of the Imperium is a richly developed treasure trove of lore; a fertile ground of stories waiting to be told. In his new book, Valdor: Birth of the Imperium, Chris Wraight tells a tale from a critical time in the Imperium’s growth – the bridge between the Wars for Unity and the time of venturing to the stars and bringing other planets into the Emperor’s Light. The book focuses on Constantin Valdor, the first Captain-General of the Legio Custodes; those greatest of genetically-enhanced warriors, charged with protecting the growing Palace on Terra, as well as the Emperor Himself.

This is a chapter in the Imperium’s history that many fans have desired getting the attention it deserves for a long time. Valdor is a cool, enigmatic, stalwart warrior who has long deserved a book of his own. Chris Wraight is, by and far, one of the top-tier authors in the Black Library stable. By any given metric, Valdor should have been a grand slam home-run.

Unfortunately, Valdor: Birth of the Imperium ends up as a glorious misfire; both bolstered by excellent writing, yet confounded by ill-conceived lore changes and painful lapses in logic and concept of basic military tactics.

Before we commence the dissection, let’s take a look at the blurb:

Constantin Valdor. It is a name that brings forth images of heroism, honour and peerless duty. For it is he who commands the will of the Legio Custodes that most esteemed and dedicated cadre of elite warriors. He is the Emperor’s sword, His shield, His banner and he knows no equal. Clad in shining auramite, his fist clenched around the haft of his Guardian Spear, he is the bulwark against all enemies of the throne, within or without.

Nearing the end of the wars of Unity, Valdor’s courage and purpose is put to the test as never before. The petty warlords and tyrants of Old Earth have been all but vanquished, and the Emperor’s armies are triumphant. What now for the nascent Imperium and what fate its forgotten soldiers, its Thunder Warriors and armies of Unity? A new force is rising, one which shall eclipse all others and open the way to the stars. But change on Terra is seldom bloodless and for progress to be ensured darker deeds are necessary.

First things first; let’s take a look at the book itself. The initial release of Valdor is a snazzy hardback (a paperback edition will be released in a few months), and it is graced by a gorgeous image of Valdor by Aaron Griffith. It also bears noting that Valdor: Birth of the Imperium is not so much a novel as it is a novella. The book comes in at a trim 190 pages; and although I don’t know the official word count, I’d guess the total length to be more around 150 pages. It is a release similar to the Primarchs series; although, of course, despite his significance as a hero of the Imperium, Valdor is not in that club. Oddly enough, the book is branded under the “Horus Heresy” umbrella, which just underscores the need on Black Library’s part for a “30K” or such segment, to cover historical stories outside of the Heresy itself. Again, it’s a neat volume.

Second, let me lay out a bit of a note on the historical timeline, for those who might be newer to the setting. This is an extreme oversimplification; so for the more lore-savvy, please don’t come after me for inaccuracies. As mentioned, Valdor takes place after the Wars of Unification; during which the Emperor solidified Himself as the ruler of Terra. This involved seemingly endless wars against minor kings and warlords, as well as agents those who’d aligned themselves with darker powers (Chaos). The premiere troops of this time were the first legions of genetically-enhanced soldiers, the Thunder Warriors. The Thunder Warriors were frightening in their martial prowess, yet mentally (and sometimes genetically) unstable, prone to outbursts of unmitigated, uncontrollable violence. As the Emperor set his sights upon the stars, he began work on another group of genetically-engineered soldiers to replace the Thunder Warriors; the Adeptus Astartes, aka the Space Marines everyone knows and loves. The Thunder Warriors were, ummm, ‘retired’ in a massacre at Mt. Ararat.

Now, back to the review.

Story

I’ve often mentioned that stories about Space Marines (and in this case, the Custodes), often work better when they are seen through the eyes of a human witness. Why? Because, all of these genetically enhanced soldiers have had their emotional palettes modified, truncated, and/or neutered. It is extremely difficult for even the best of authors to effectively put to paper what is going on in their heads. Ergo, it’s better to witness their magnitude from a distance. Usually. Such is not the case here. Wraight has a good bead on what makes Valdor tick; so I would’ve loved if he spent the whole novella inside of the Captain-General’s head.

Alas, a good chunk of the book is told through the eyes of Uwoma Kandawire, Provost Marshal of the High Lords of Terra (the Imperium has a Senatorum, head by High Lords, which oversee the largest branches of the Empire. The Provost Marshal heads up the Adeptus Arbites – the Terran police force). Kandawire isn’t a bad character, per se. Wraight makes her intentionally flawed but idealistic. Her part in the story boils down to realizing that something is rotten in Denmark; and as the High Lords are supposed to provide checks and balances, it’s up to her to see what’s going on. The Thunder Warriors were slaughtered without them knowing; and there are rumors that another army is being brewed up in ultimate secrecy. Kandawire dispatches her agents to investigate the latter; and decides to deposition Valdor himself to ascertain answers on the former.

I really can’t divulge too much without veering into spoiler territory (remember this is a pretty short book), but a lot of the story boils down to the mental chess being played back and forth between the two of them; Valdor misleading with cherry-picked tidbits of information and misinformation; and Kandawire attempting to separate truths from untruths as she prepares to act on her findings.

Also jammed into the proceedings is another storyline focusing on a genewright named Amar Astarte (more on her later), and her role in the genetically-engineered soldiers being vat-grown in the bowels of the Imperial Palace (currently under construction).

Characters

As mentioned above, Wraight nails his portrayal of Valdor. Stoic, melancholic, dry. A consummate warrior. One for whom duty is paramount. There were a few slips during the end where he came off a bit too sappy, but that is fine. Wraight understands that these characters are not overwhelmed by emotion; but hints at things like personal pride, etc., dance on the periphery of their being. Even though they are memory-wiped, ghosts of things remembered flash briefly in the mind. It is such a hard balance to strike; which makes it regrettable that Valdor is relegated to being a supporting actor in his own show (heck, he is not even seen until almost 30 pages in).

Kandawire, as mentioned, is interesting in concept, but deeply flawed in execution. One can understand her motives, and appreciate her intelligence-gathering network, but once her ‘plan’ is put into motion – sorry, it is beyond ridiculous. It simply makes no sense whatsoever.

As for Amar Astarte, I am willing to bet that her entire existence was shoe-horned into the narrative at the last moment. Her existence here contributes absolutely nothing. It is as though GW decided that one of the lore changes was going to be that she was the genius scientist who made the Space Marines, and we need to fit her in the book as well. Astarte has her own plan to set in motion; which by rules of narrative convenience coincide with the execution of Kandawire’s plan, and….ugh. It all culminates with action sequences that are beautifully written, yet completely arbitrary.

The rest of the cast list is pretty small, and they do their parts admirably. Samonas, the only other Custodes to get significant page time, is a nice addition; I really would have liked to have seen more of him. Kandawire’s agents are an interesting, diverse crew and made for compelling reading. And finally, the real show-stealer is Ushotan, one of the Thunder Warrior Primarchs (yes, you read that right….more in a bit). Every appearance by him is a welcome addition.

So, what went wrong with Valdor: Birth of the Imperium?

Well, first and foremost, Kandawire’s awful ‘plan’ is a huge misstep. Again, to avoid spoilers, I won’t get into the logistics (or lack of) surrounding it.

Now, we can talk about the lore changes. Just to put it out there; I’m not one of those fans who balk at any new lore. The Warhammer universe has grown exponentially over the past 30 years, so a lot of lore had to be developed, re-visited, nuked, etc. However, a good rule of thumb is that lore should enhance, not detract from, the overall IP. Also, you should really evaluate as to whether the lore added makes sense when added to the bigger picture.

Let’s start with the Thunder Warriors. First of all, they now have (had) an official name; the Legio Cataegis. This is fine. However, according to the new lore, they were also broken down into 20 legions, like the Space Marines, each of it with its own Primarch, like the Space Marines. And each legion also has a speciality. The IV Legion is skilled in siegecraft (like the Iron Warriors, the IV Legion of Space Marines), and it is of this legion that Ushotan is the primarch. Call me crazy; but it seems a bit of an oxymoron to have ‘specialists’ that are also immensely emotionally unstable. Also, Ushotan is supposed to have at least some aptitude in the art of the siege; which renders the climactic battle even more ridiculous.

Then, we get to our new character, Amar Astarte. Remember, in the previous lore, the Space Marines were called the Adeptus Astartes because they were adepts of the stars (their core focus to go to the other worlds and rope them into the Emperor’s fold). Using the term Astartes in favor of Space Marines also coincided with the failure of Games Workshop in their attempt to copyright the term “Space Marine”. No one is complaining that we get the chance to meet the genewright who was instrumental in creating them; it is just silly to now say that they were named after her in a casual display of irony. The folly is compounded by the fact that Astarte is such a poorly developed character; we are simply told that she is ‘the greatest genewright ever’, although nothing is posited to underpin this claim. We are even told that the bulk of her younger life was punctuated by creating failed genetically-engineered troops for myriad warlords. It makes no sense. It would’ve worked much better if we could really see or feel the ‘why’ behind her actions; alas, like everything revolving around her, it all feels tacked on.

In Closing

Not to sound like a broken record, but Valdor: Birth of the Imperium would have been a classic if it tightened its focus on what the title promised – the titular hero, and his place (as well as that of his Legio) in the drastically evolving Imperium). There was enough of that to fill a whole novel; rather than focusing on hare-brained schemes and rewriting the history of the naming of the most popular faction in the Warhammer universe.

Again, kudos at least to Wraight for making Valdor truly compelling, for giving us breathtaking views of the Palace under construction, and making even the ill-conceived battle scenes exhilarating.

To paraphrase Shakespeare: “I have come to bury Valdor, not to praise him.”

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EXCLUSIVE: The Magpie King and the Black Squirrel by Benedict Patrick

The following tale is The Magpie King and the Black Squirrel. The Yarnsworld is a land in which stories are important, and in no part of the world is that more true than the Magpie King’s forest – knowing your folktales, and heeding the warnings in them, can save your life under those dark boughs.

This is one of the oldest tales of the forest, harking back to the first days of the Magpie King’s reign. The further back in time these stories go, the less familiar they feel – in The Magpie King and the Black Squirrel animals talk to humans, and a small mammal can kidnap the sun.

If this sounds familiar to you, there might be a good reason – like many of the Yarnsworld folktales, this one has roots in our own world, in this case based on one of the tales told by the Wabanaki in North American, respun slightly to fit the Magpie King’s narrative.

It is one of my favourite tales from They Mostly Come Out At Night, and based on feedback I’ve received over the years, I am not alone in that sentiment.

 

The Magpie King and the Black Squirrel
An extract from the teachings of the High Corvae

It was in the early days of the forest, long before the outsiders arrived. The world was still new, and would look strange to your eyes if you saw it now. Cat and mouse would walk together through the leaves, chatting abouta joke a human had told them earlier that morning. Rabbits sneered rudely at passersby, concerned that everyone was after their patches of clover. Strange creatures that you cannot imagine shared these trees as their home, such as mammoths, bears and dragons.

The Magpie King was young, and was still becoming accustomed to his power. He viewed every feature of his forest with wonder and delight, and found great joy in taking the opportunity to pass the time of day with every deer, leopard or wolf.

This idyllic paradise was shattered when a great darkness enveloped the sky above the forest. Man, woman, fox and frog alike threw themselves to the dirt and wailed for the Magpie King to protect them.

“What is causing this?” the Magpie King demanded of his subjects. “What is happening to the sun?”

“It is Mikweh, the black squirrel,” they responded, writhing in unison into the dirt at the thought of the world ending. “He is eating the sun to teach us a lesson.”

The Magpie King shielded his eyes with his hand and raised them up to the sun. Sure enough, there was Mikweh, balancing high on a fir tree, with the sun in his paws and daylight dripping like syrup from his mouth.

I should tell you now that squirrels back then were not like squirrels are now. For a start, there was only one of them – Mikweh – and he was in a permanent state of anger, for he believed that the other animals were constantly laughing at his bushy tail. Our squirrels in the forest, when they appear, are small and weak, and frightened of their own shadows. Not so was Mikweh, in the dawn of the world. He was huge – taller than three stags perched atop one another – and incredibly strong. The Magpie King was still learning about his own abilities, but even then he knew he was no match for Mikweh, at least physically. Unlike the fiery red coats of the squirrels of our forest, Mikweh’s coat was a wiry black. Black as the anger that gnawed at his soul.

“Raise yourselves, gentle creatures,” the Magpie King bade the mourning animals. “I shall seek an audience with our friend squirrel and see if he cannot be appeased.” So the Magpie King set off to meet with Mikweh, the black squirrel.

It was a journey that itself is worth many stories. Mikweh had made his home deep in the forest, at the top of the tallest tree. It took many years for the Magpie King to find and reach his quarry. In that time, he learnt how to sing, found and then lost a dear friend, and forgot how to smile. The dark figure who finally reached the top of that fir tree was an uncanny shade of the man he had been when his journey had begun.

“Mikweh,” the Magpie King bellowed, a cloak of black and white feathers that had been gifted to him by the Great Magpie during the previous winter flowing behind him in the strong wind. “Put down the sun and speak with me.”

Mikweh still had the sun in his grasp, but that once-fiery orb had diminished greatly in size and its juices stained the squirrel’s maw. The black squirrel turned to the Magpie King to regard him with its red eyes, and the creature simply opened its jaw to scream at the man who had dared to disturb him.

“Mine. Sun belongs to Mikweh. Animals not laugh at Mikweh any more. Too busy screaming.”

The Magpie King’s lip curled and he took a leap closer to his target. He nodded in agreement with the squirrel. “Yes, oh great squirrel, you have truly shown us the error of our ways. Won’t you come down to the forest with me so that all creatures can beg your forgiveness?”

The beast snarled again at the Magpie King, and turned back to the sun to sink his teeth into it once more. The sun did its best to pull away from its attacker, straining to lift itself back onto its celestial path, but the muscles in the squirrel’s forearms bulged and the sun was held firm.

An almighty rumbling grew the Magpie King’s attention to its source, and as his eyes fell upon Mikweh’s distended belly, a plan formed in his mind.

“Oh, great Mikweh,” he began humbly, “it pains me you have dedicated yourself so passionately to our deserved education that you have neglected your own needs. We all know that feasting only on the sun for the past year and five days will not have satisfied your hunger. A sun is composed of warmth and light, and not much else – hardly a fitting meal for one of your stature. Please, allow me to seek out more adequate food for one such as yourself while you continue to chastise the rest of the forest.”

The black squirrel turned to snarl again at the Magpie King, and returned to gnaw on his sun. But the creature’s belly rumbled and its red eyes darted to regard the Magpie King, and as they did so a flicker of hope rippled through them. A smile threatened to break on the Magpie King’s lips at that moment, but he forced it into hiding and disappeared back down the fir tree.

The Magpie King’s journey to locate food for Mikweh would take more time than we have now to recount. Save to say it was a perilous one, taking him to depths of the forest he had never ventured into before. He lost the ring finger of his left hand to an army of red ants. He found a wooden earring he would treasure forever, and he awoke a new enemy that would eventually be his bloodline’s doom. Finally, he was able to return to Mikweh with an armful of red berries he had found within sight of the Lion’s mountains, each fruit as large as a man’s head, each containing a stone that was the size of a clenched fist.

“Here, good Mikweh. I have brought nourishment to fuel your great endeavours.”

On sight of the red bounty the black squirrel leapt from its perch, dragging the mutilated sun with him. He slavered over the gifts from the Magpie King, sucking on the red flesh of the berries and crunching into the stones until all were gone, and his belly gave a soft rumble of contentment. The squirrel lay there for a moment in front of the Magpie King, one hand still clutching the dying star to his breast and the other cradling his satisfied gut. With a trembling hand, the Magpie King reached forth and patted Mikweh on his head. As he did so, the squirrel gave a whimper of contentment, shuddered, and then visibly reduced in size. The Magpie King smiled as this happened, and at that moment, the sun made another pull away from its captor’s claws, but to no avail. The squirrel remained the size of a large horse, and anger still fuelled its powerful claws.

“You are much stronger now,” the Magpie King complimented Mikweh, “yet I feel I have not been equal to the task I had set myself. Forgive me, almighty black squirrel, I shall away to find more to sustain you with.” With that, the Magpie King leapt from the top of the fir. Once again, the details of his journey could entertain a mind for a lifetime. He stepped on a snake and had his face spat in. He met an owl and fell painfully in love. He was watched the whole time by a single mouse, but failed to pay it any attention.

Finally, the Magpie King returned with a single branch of blue flowers. Each flower was closed tight, as the petals were holding jealously to the rich nectar that was within. At the sight of the food, the black squirrel leapt down again, taking care to pull the sun with him, and gorged himself on the Magpie King’s find. He burst through the cocoon of leaves to the amber liquid contained within, and the Magpie King could clearly hear the splash of the nectar hitting the walls of the squirrel’s gut. Once again, the squirrel curled up in contentment, and once again, the Magpie King gave Mikweh a pat on the head. Anger draining out of him, the black squirrel diminished once more, down to the size of a wolf. However, it still snarled mightily at the Magpie King when it regained its senses, and quickly took up position again gnawing on the sun.

And so the Magpie King took a final journey down the fir tree. No records exist of what took place during this final trip. All that is known is that the journey took exactly three months and a day, and that when the Magpie King returned to the top of the tree once more, his hair was shaved off and he wept openly.

“Here, great Mikweh,” the Magpie King offered, bringing forth a tiny golden egg for the squirrel. The black creature scurried down from his perch, forcing the sun to follow, and eyed the egg greedily. With great reluctance, the Magpie King passed it to the beast, who cracked it open and gorged on the purple contents within. The Magpie King could not bear to watch this sight, but closed his eyes and reached out his hand to pat Mikweh one last time on the head. When the Magpie King opened his eyes, the squirrel was finally diminished to the size we know today. Indeed, so drained of anger and strength was Mikweh that he could no longer hold on to the sun, and it returned to the sky. In time, the sun regained its health and brought heat and light to the forest once more.

The black squirrel withdrew to the high branches of his tree and propagated more of his kind. The Magpie King had drained the squirrel of the rage that had allowed him to pluck the sun from the sky, but those flames came from a fire that can never be extinguished. To this day, when we meet Mikweh’s children in the forest, they shake their fists at us and chatter angrily, giving voice to their irritation. Dimly they recall their original greatness, and until they fade from the forest they will blame people for taking it from them.

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REVIEW: God of Vengeance by Giles Kristian

God of Vengeance is indeed a tale of vengeance, one that is as bloody and brutal as an evening in Valhalla. This is the first of 3 tales in the saga of Sigurd (The Rise of Sigurd) and I’m fairly certain if I had a beard as long as Olaf it would be been well and truly blown off!

“Let the enemy see the sword in my hand, but not the long dagger which I keep behind the back”

For those of you who have read Giles Kristian’s Raven trilogy you will know exactly who Sigurd, our main POV is. God of Vengeance is a prequel to the Raven tales and goes into the backstory of the lord of the crew of Fjord-Elk and his rise to becoming a formidable jarl. As I had read Raven’s saga prior to beginning this trilogy I really loved meeting some old friends and seeing their character’s when they were young(er) and it really added to the story for me. I can imagine reading this trilogy before the Raven books will only enhance that experience as well.

God of Vengeance is the story of Sigurd on the war-path to kill a jarl and a king who betrayed his father, Harald. The pacing here is superb, non-stop action and tense moments that merged into the next shield-wall to the next ship-battle to the next gory lopping off of heads and arms. I loved it. As a massive fan of Viking age combat I relished these scenes, feeling that Giles’ battle scenes have improved even more since the Raven trilogy. Tighter and bloodier fights that were all the more exhilarating. There are also some of the best duels I have read in a long time. If you are a fan of battles, small or large, on land or at sea, then here is a book for you.

“Sword and shield, flesh and bone, I am your man, Sigurd Haraldarson. As long as the sun shines and the world endures, henceforth and for evermore.”

The characters are brilliantly crafted. Norseman down to the broach on their cloaks, down to the bronze arm-rings. There are Viking sayings, similes, metaphors, reflections upon mythology and their geography – everywhere. It is seeping in history and authenticity, the language adding to every scene. The band of friends Sigurd has about him are hilarious, intense, being fiercely loyal to their young lord to then bantering him and others. Their relationships are real and tangible, written perfectly.

The story felt very Bernard Cornwell-esque, which is as high a compliment as I can give. Whilst being an overarching plot there was also room to finish threads and have a whole story inside one book here. There are no lulls in the story-telling where I switched off, only moments of respite and the development of relationships between a band of outlaws.

“Your father is not bothered with the weight of silver, but the weight of meaning. No one wants to be under other’s boot, not even the king’s.”

5/5 – God of Vengeance is a superior Viking-age tale that takes us along the weave of Sigurd, a young man heartbroken who seeks his vengeance. It is gory, brutal, hilarious and full of nordic flavour. Not to mention it’s bloody brilliant. Raise your mead-horn to a master of Viking sagas, and enjoy the ride on this formidable drakkar of a story.

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REVIEW: Chasing Graves by Ben Galley

Ben Galley’s epic story, Chasing Graves is the quintessential grimdark fantasy:

Dark and brooding characters, check.

Inhospitable political climate, check.

Violence, check.

Fantastic plot, check.

The world-building is exceptional. Galley has created a city unlike any I have read before named Araxas, City of Countless Souls. Imagine a place that stretches horizon to horizon. Dark towers of glittering crystal reach towards the sky and on the ground, the dead walk. The dead are in the form of souls. These souls are people who have died and had the souls taken into perpetual servitude. The oligarchy of Araxas is those few who can command control of the most dead. Araxas is a seat of power for the region, also as you can guess it is a seat of danger and murder.

Character-wise, the first book follows the intertwining narratives of four main characters. The first is of the Empress in waiting. The daughter of the absent Emperor that rules this city from behind closed doors, fearful for his life. Our main character, Caltro, comes to Araxas for an important meeting, only to be murdered in the streets. His soul stolen and sold into slavery. A mysterious woman traveling in the desert dragging a body and a man with a golden eagle’s talon for a foot that runs a trade of stolen souls. All of these characters dance around the plot. They peek in and out of each other’s stories. They tease the reader with small details that lead us to the larger story. Believe me; Galley is playing the long game in this story. There are no cute and resolved plots for this book. Chasing Graves is a long and luxuriously executed first book that is throwing us headfirst into the next story.

One of the few detractors I have from the book is at times the pacing slowed. Particularly with the Empress in waiting. I believe that to be a function of backstory and world-building creation and nothing that Galley had control over. That, and I can’t really stand her. I find her character to be a well-written brat with a lot of power. I foresee her changing quite a bit in future books, growing as necessity dictates in the political climate.

These characters are not likable, and like in most grimdark stories, they aren’t meant to be. There isn’t a plucky protagonist that steals the heart of a young maiden. Grimdark is just that, dark. It can be almost cruel in its narrative. Anyone who has read any G.R.R Martin or Mark Lawrence knows how unforgivable a grimdark author can be with his characters. What I like a lot about this book is that it is a dark fantasy, but there are shining brilliant moments of redemption or humor. It is not all muck and mire and savagery. There is light, at least a little bit. That gives me hope and a cause to cheer for Caltro, and I think much more than a typical fantasy story because Caltro, by the end of this tale, will have been through hell and I hope come out in some way on the other side.

That is something to cheer for, and I can’t wait to read about it.

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REVIEW: The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky

I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Doors of Eden in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Adrian Tchaikovsky and Tor for the opportunity.

Four years ago, young lovers Lee and Mal went in search of the Birdman of Bodmin. The girls were cryptid hunters and they were fascinated by the unexplained including creatures such as the aforementioned Birdman, the Sasquatch and the Loch Ness Monster. During their hunt on the moors of Bodmin, events took a turn for the worse and only one of the girls returned from that holiday expedition. In current day London, Mal miraculously resurfaces yet Lee has no idea what transpired that day on the moors or where her girlfriend has been all this time. No contact. No phone calls. No messages.

“You ever get the feeling there are cracks in the world? … My girlfriend fell into one somehow.”

The back of the novel states that:

These strange disappearances have taken place since time began, as the unwary have fallen through the cracks between our worlds and others. But now these cracks are widening, and it’s not just Mal who returned to Earth.

The Doors of Eden is truly epic in ambition and scale. The novel follows its main characters across many alternative Earths. Each world has changed – and creatures have evolved differently – across these multiple timelines. In Tchaikovsky’s science fiction masterclass Children of Time, we were presented with highly intelligent spiders. Here, we’re witness to extremely advanced rat-creatures, bird-like tribal dinosaurs, and science-savvy cavemen too. There are even village-sized insects that can act as flying vehicles. Tchaikovsky’s imagination is bizarre, mindboggling yet at the same time is utterly brilliant.

The novel follows approximately six human point of view perspectives. These include the already mentioned Lee, MI5 agent Julian who is nothing like James Bond, transgender genius scientist Dr Kay Amal Khan, and ex-army type Lucas May. We, as readers, learn about the multiple different species, societies, advancements and Earths from very human perspectives. However, you could say that there is one viewpoint from a species that is not human but I will not go into any further details regarding this. The characters’ stories cross over as the walls between Earths become thinner, meaning potential outcomes could be drastic and even Earth(s)-shattering. The majority of the characters are a pleasure to follow. They are likeable, well-developed and relatable. In addition to the main characters, I had a soft spot for the awesome Dr Rat and his translator, and also Mal’s “cousin” friend Stig.

When reading Tchaikovsky’s science fiction work I always get the feeling that I am reading something that is extremely special. The Doors of Eden come across as intelligent, well-researched, and incredibly detailed. Some of the science-specific language and the interludes written by the fictional Professor Ruth Emerson were a bit “over my head” at times yet this is possibly intentional because as a reader I learned to understand the complexities just as the characters themselves did. I’m afraid that I did skim-read a couple of the interludes to return to the main bulk of the story until I understood their importance and how they actually fit with the overall narrative. If I reread this novel I will not make this mistake again.

The imagery Tchaikovsky creates is sensational throughout, especially when depicting these alien worlds. Some of the set pieces are phenomenal. One moment springs to mind instantly which is when two Earths cross over when members of the ensemble are on the ninetieth floor of a skyscraper. The ending sequence(s) were intriguing and presented in a very clever way. Overall, The Doors of Eden was an outstanding and entertaining read that deserves to be Tchaikovsky’s next science fiction megahit. Highly recommended.

“We’re here because they trust us.” Mal chuckled. “It’s a million-to-one long shot, and only these two desperate lesbians can save the world. Perfect action movie material.”

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REVIEW: Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski

Time of Contempt, the second full-length novel in The Witcher universe continues where Blood of Elves left off, and thrust us back into the world that is now teeming with politics and inter-race war.

“Always takes action. Wrongly or rightly; that is revealed later. But you should act, be brave, seize life by the scruff of the neck. Believe me, little one, you should only regret inactivity, indecisiveness, hesitation. You shouldn’t regret actions or decisions, even if they occasionally end in sadness and regret.”

With Time of Contempt, Andrzej Sapkowski moves away from the original elements of The Last Wish of monster hunting, and develops the epic plot of Ciri as the child of Destiny. The land of Geralt, Yennefer and Ciri is changing, kings not working with mages, Ciri being hunted and Nilfgard are on the brink of war. It is a strange time for our favourites. Reading Time of Contempt made me miss the short stories of The Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny, where Geralt had his intense bouts with the monsters Sapkowski had created. There is still action a plenty, some of it fantastic in Time of Contempt, but I found myself longing for the original style that made me really love The Witcher universe.

This being my fourth read by Sapkowski I am now confident I know what I am getting in one of his stories. He has a style that is unique to him, with flowery and philosophical dialogue that tackles a whole list of issues that more often than not reflect today’s societies. I really wish Sapkowski would have built on these a lot more as I feel there is so much more to give in this series of books.

“That’s the role of poetry, Ciri. To say what others cannot utter.”

Due to the epic nature path that this story is now walking down we are introduced many new characters from the various nations of The Northern Realms, Nilfgaard and the Scoia’tael. I particularly like the non-human’s that Sapkowski adds to The Witcher Saga. With a new cast there is also a lot of room for confusion. Whether it be as I was listening to the audiobook rather than reading the physical edition, there are lot of new and alien names that aren’t structured as well as they could have been, which added to the confusion of the story.

Geralt is the strongest character by far and I always love his scenes. There is swordplay from him that I was looking forward to and it did not disappoint, I’m just always wanting more! I love Geralt’s interaction with the heroes we already know, such as Dandelion, and I enjoyed Geralt’s stalwart personality in this volume. If you have played the games like me then there are nice Easter eggs in Time of Contempt that the game used.

“It’s incredible,’ the Witcher smiled hideously, ‘how much my neutrality outrages everybody.”

I am in part frustrated with this series as I was expecting lots more. I am still enjoying Sapkowski’s writing and have a feel for the characters, there is just a lot of potential here with not much happening so far. I am really hoping Baptism of Fire picks up the pace and progresses the story and hopefully will end with a big SHOCKER or something like that. I am intrigued to see what the series will do with the full-length novels.

“But do you know when stories stop being stories? The moment someone begins to believe in them.”

3.5/5 – hoping/expecting too much maybe, but for one of the best-selling fantasy series of all time it hasn’t knocked me off my feet yet. There is enough to enjoy here and keep me ticking over to read the next instalment. Geralt is awesome, as always. Dandelion is fun, Yennefer is full of cool moments and Ciri is growing. Let me know your thoughts on The Witcher Saga so far!

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REVIEW: The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

Bitch, Queen, whore, warrior, wife, and mother: In The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso, Talyien aren dar Orenar is all of these and so much more.

K.S. Villoso’s debut novel and the first novel of the Chronicles of the Bitch Queen series introduces us to the protagonist and all-around badass Talyien. Talyien is the Queen. Her longtime betrothed, Rayyel, the Ikessar heir, whom she married to unite the warring clans of her homeland, has left her and disappeared. Now she bears the burden of monarchy solely. Alone and facing warlords who would love to see her fail and take her throne from her, Tali must survive and hold her country together.

Five years have passed since Rae left; Talyien has struggled and fought to hold her homeland together. It is a battle every day to keep the predators of rival clan warlords away from her and her young son. Taylien receives a letter from Rayyel out of nowhere. He asks if they can meet. Taylien is hoping for reconciliation for the sake of the ruling throne. She quietly sets out for this clandestine meeting, leaving her young son behind in the care of family members.

“Even after I became Queen, the rumors continued. I was powerless to stop them. I should have been more, they said. More feminine. Subtle, the sort of woman who could hide my jibes behind a well-timed titter. I could have taken the womanly arts, learned to write poetry or brew a decent cup of tea or embroider something that didn’t have my blood on it, and found ways to better please my man. Instead, Rayyel Ikessar would rather throw away the title of Dragonlord, king of Jin-Sayeng, than stay married to me.”

What transpires on this journey to this meeting and afterwards is exciting and chaotic. Assassination attempts, kidnapping, fights, and great characters, Tali is in a foreign land with foreign adversaries pulling strings behind the scenes. She doesn’t understand much of the language or customs, and after the assassination attempt, Tali is alone.

She has to survive on her wits and wiles.

One of Villoso’s strengths is her ability to set a scene. The lighting, the sky, the food: she covers it all and paints with the world with a colorful brush. You can practically feel what her characters are wandering through. Especially the food, I happen to think that food is one of the driving forces behind understanding a culture. It is central to gathering and feasting, it is the most important thing and can denote great fortune. Adding in descriptions of the sumptuousness of one lands cuisine versus the bland nature of another can help a reader understand the cultures better.

“They called me “bitch,” the she-wolf because I murdered a man and made my husband leave the night before they crowned me.”

Coupled with the worldbuilding, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro is a tremendous character-driven narrative. At no point in the story did I not know who Talyien aren dar Orenar was as a person. Same for the characters around her. I might not have known all their motives and trickery, but I got a good sense of who they were as people. For instance, Talyien is a character that is weary of her duties, but she is duty-bound and honorable down to the core of her soul. She is hard on the outside. That is necessary and fitting for her survival as Queen, but inside she is somewhat naive. Rayyel, her would-be king, is charming and scholarly. We see the descriptions of who Rayyel is through the eyes of Talyien, as the story progresses and changes, her perceptions of him change and mature.

The pacing of this story does not stop. We are moving moment to moment, fight scene to fight scene constantly. It does not get overwhelming, but this is an intense story. There are moments of introspection, moments to take our breath, but they are so brief that it is almost as if they didn’t happen. I think that is a tool that Villoso is utilizing to show how quickly this story is evolving. There isn’t much introspection because there is no time for meditation. We have murdering and spying to do.

“Perhaps, when you love less, it is easier not to let the emptiness become a cavern from which you could no longer see the sun.”

One of the excellent character dynamics of the story is between Tali and Khine. Khine is a swindler con-artist that assists Tali at the beginning of the book when she got separated from her group. Nothing is free, and Tali had to help Khine with the swindling of a mark. She does so, and a great friendship is born. Their scenes, even though most often took place while fighting or running, added a light levity and banter to the story.

A few times, I was even chanting Team Khine and screw Rae.

Overall, The Wolf of Oren-Yaro has been one hell of a fun ride. It is emotional, full of danger, loyalty, betrayal. It had plot twists, twists on twists, and for once, a kick-ass female character that was also a mom. All of this combined with an energetic and emotional group of characters that you become invested in rather early, and you have one thrill-ride of a novel. I highly recommend it, and I can’t wait for the next one.

Buy The Wolf of Oren-Yaro by K.S. Villoso

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