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REVIEW: Onslaught of Madness by Jesse Teller

Onslaught of Madness was my second foray into the world of Perilisc, as told by the gifted author Jesse Teller. I’ve also reviewed Song by the same author for Grimdark Magazine.

While Song introduced us to a marvelous and mysterious world full of magic and intrigue, we only got a snapshot of the workings of the near-immortal beings that steer the course of humanity across the continent. With Onslaught of Madness, we get another angle on this, but from a much larger scope.

Drine is invading the neighboring country of Tienne. Drine has a huge military and is bent on conquest, with its king sending one of our POV characters to lead his forces in this full invasion. Rextur is a follower of Dis, the God of Destruction, and he’s been planning this invasion for years. Even so, the king has ordered him to action much sooner than Rextur had hoped for, and he’s now forced to wage his war early, taking the king’s son and heir with him to bask in his glory.

Among those opposing Rextur and the Drine forces are a small group of unlikely heroes.

Aaron the Marked is a 12 year old boy barbarian warrior traveling with the entirety of the Nation of Three, of which he is 1/3 of the total population. The boy king Peter and the equally young lad Jordai Stonefist finish the Nation of Three and are often underestimated due to their young age.

Vianne, the Porcelain Witch, is a young noblewoman who has been given training in becoming a Mage along with her pampered life in the nobility. Her mentor has been rather cruel and abusive in his training, and she’s betrothed to a man she doesn’t love.

Sai Summerstone is one of the world’s greatest swordsmen on a quest to find his long lost love, who he can see in his dreams but can’t quite pinpoint her location. He meets up with another of the world’s greatest swordsmen and they form quite the formidable pair to help defend one of Tienne’s cities against the Drine forces.

Tera is a young lady from a neighboring country who is training as a holy warrior for the child god Boxhead. She is sent on a quest to find the next Perpetual Child to lead her church, and protect the children that will be uprooted in this war.

Arundis is a mysterious figure that comes into the POV scene later on, and we’ll leave that for his eventual entrance.

These characters are joined by a large cast of supporting figures in this epic struggle which gets its start in this first book of the series. The scope of this novel is vast, and it takes quite an immersion to really see how it all fits together.

I mentioned Steven Erikson in my review of Song, as I compared Teller to him for his technique of dropping the leader into the action without knowing a lot of the backstory. We just have to run with it, trusting that important facts will be revealed as needed but not before. While I did see that with Song, it’s even more prevalent in this book, using quite a few more pages to bring us fully into the scene. Even then, there’s a lot that readers won’t understand right away, but if the reader trusts Teller and goes with it, the payoff is there.

This story is equal parts grim and dark, but is so much more than a sum of those parts. There are some heart wrenching moments, and it’s not for the faint of heart. I very much look forward to the next book in this saga, as I can see that once it’s complete, we’ll have the real payoff and I expect Teller to provide plenty of surprises along the way. Not all of them pleasant, for the characters at least. For the reader, this is a feast worth getting in straight away without the appetizers.

Buy Onslaught of Madness by Jesse Teller

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REVIEW: Sons of Thunder by Giles Kristian

In the name of Odin, Sons of Thunder is a mind-blowing and shield-bashingly good book. The second instalment in the Raven series, Giles Kristian has crafted a rich tale that has everyone you want in a book.

“A man who puts his hand into wolf’s mouth should not be surprised if he eats his next meal with just one hand”

Sons of Thunder picks up straight from Blood Eye, and wastes no time in setting sail into the dark ages. Osric ‘Raven’ is with the crew of Norse traders / marauders (depending on which mood takes them) as they seek vengeance and revenge upon the Saxon king, Ealdred. This tale abandons the Saxon land that we are familiar with from books of Bernard Cornwell, and crosses the sea to the land of the Franks, and the famous emperor Charlemagne.

I really cannot express how awe-inspiring and phenomenal the story-telling is. Kristian’s writing paints a picture so vivid that I can taste the sea air and mead, and see the shield-walls, dragon-ships, and lice-infested beards. The characters are brilliant, with he formidable Sigurd, the witty Olaf, the dark Floki, and many others that nearly steal the show.

“A man’s fate is always shrouded by fog”

The crew are such a high-point of this book. Their banter is hilarious, and the bond they share is real and emotional. The land is grim and dark, yet this band of men just make me wish I was pulling an oar beside them, counting the booty we had amassed and de-rusting my brynja with a sack of sand.

This fresh portrayal of the dark ages is easily among my favourite historical-fiction books. Giles Kristian is a genius at work, and his work has truly captured my attention, with little room for anything else. The pages are seeping with Norse history and information, the language is captivating, and scenes are breathtaking.

“You can go back the way you came, but that course in itself feels stale, for you merely re-live what has already been.”

5/5 – Grim, dark and bloody, there is plenty here for readers of fantasy to love. Please read these books, if it’s the first historical fiction series you read or the four hundredth. You won’t be disappointed.

Buy Sons of Thunder by Giles Kristian

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REVIEW: Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call

Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call is the book I have been waiting for all year. Ainnevog, let’s call him Annev, is a boy with a simple but not easy path before him. He works as a deacon at a school and also takes classes to become an avatar there. An avatar is one who goes out into the world, finds magical items, and brings them back to the school so that they can be safely stored away. In the world that Call has created, magic use is verboten. If one is found to be using magic or has the magic gift, they are flayed alive and stoned. Passing the Avatar of Judgement classes and final tests for Annev is an all-consuming endeavor. Only the best can become an avatar. While taking his classes, Annev also studies and is guided by the school’s priest and father figure, Sodar. How will Annev balance the two halves of his life? The public half, avatar trainee and rule-follower with the secret half, magic-user, and possibly as a destined hero. That is the crux of the story, duality.

Furthermore, to add to the duality of the plot, Annev is on the precipice of manhood. Of coming into his own and knowing who he is. But, as it stands, he is not quite a boy nor a man.

Master of Shadows is in the style of Patrick Rothfuss’s epic Name of the Wind and Pierce Browns Red Rising series. They all share similar trajectories. A boy, from dubious circumstances, is thrust into a world they can not quite understand, in Master of Shadows‘ case, an anti-magic school. This boy is destined for greater things but is hampered on all sides by morally grey characters. I say they share similar trajectories, but there is nothing bland or hackneyed in Master of Shadows.

The plotting and backstory of Master of Shadows are tightly done and rich in history. Annev comes from a world of gods, precisely three major ones – all siblings. Odar, Lumea, and Keos. Two of the gods, Odar and Lumea, are still culturally and spiritually revered by the public. But the other god, Keos, is considered the betrayer. Those who are born disabled are said to have been touched by Keos. They are considered to be in Keos’s favor and are immediately put to death. But in Annev’s case, as he was born without a left hand, instead of death, he was saved and raised by Sodar. This becomes another part of the duality and line that Annev must walk. He is the antithesis of everything an Avatar of Judgement is, yet he battles and struggles to excel and achieve an Avatar position, all while hiding his disability.

One of the detractors of the story, there are very few, is the love interest between Annev and Myjun. Watching from the position of a reader, one can look at a relationship like Annev’s and Myjun’s and think it is incredibly unrealistic and sometimes silly. Annev makes buffoonish decisions that made me want to shake him. But isn’t that what it is like when you are 17? You make stupid choices because your body is going berzerk with hormones. As much as I cringed when reading about Annev’s mooning, it is a realistic detail. Annev needs to experience things like love, loss, and betrayal on his narrative path so that he is a full and round character. This relationship is something that an older and wiser Annev in later books can pull and learn from. Also, the exposition of the story in some parts was lengthy. This is necessary due to the humongous back story and cultural context that Annev’s character exists in. Sometimes, I wanted to get back to the action, but these chapters are necessary.

One of the significant strengths of the story aside from the tight plot was the relationship between Sodar and Annev. Sodar is not all that he seems. He was living a double life; one as a priest to the students the other as scholar and magic-user. The later he keeps hidden to all but Annev, whom he has raised from a baby and trusts. Sodar is the stern father figure character that attempts to guide Annev to his destiny while similarly protect him from the details of it. They have an easiness between them that has developed throughout their shared lives and is a testament to Call’s writing skills that this came off effortless. I believed in their relationship, and it presented no false notes to me.

Another major strength in this story is the tense action sequences. They flowed like water from scene to scene and are some of the best I have read. Whether Annev is battling wild contraptions in his bid for a position as an avatar or fighting Feurog’s (creatures that are made of metals, stones, and flesh), the pulse racing, edge of your seat intensity kept me reading into the late hours.

The first narrative arc for Annev is done, but his story is far from over. Master of Shadows can be read as a stand-alone novel if one desires; however, the outcome was a bit of a cliffhanger that and had me yearning for more. I want to know where this story is going. . I want to more about Annev and about who accompanies him on the next part of his journey.

I hate that it hasn’t been written yet!

Master of Sorrows is one of the best books I have read this year and a perfect example of grimdark fantasy. It isn’t overly mired in negativity or cruelness. The rawer parts of grimdark and epic fantasy are there, but this story is tinged with hope in the best possible way. It is riveting, exciting, and one that is going to stick with me for a while.

I cannot wait to read the next one, solid five-star novel, and I highly recommend it. 

Buy Master of Sorrows by Justin Call

Master of Sorrows lost chapters!

Justin was awesome enough to drop us one of his cut chapters. Chapter 24.5 is an interesting one, not just because it didn’t make it into the final book, but also because it reveals so much more about the wood-witch (Kelga) and the Shadow Reborn (Oyru). Come check it out–click here!

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Grit in Your Controller: Grimdark and Gaming

By Jeremy Szal and Layla Cummins – originally published in GdM#3

Video games are nothing short of a controversial topic within the entertainment industry. From fuming politicians on the morning news to bloggers with an axe to grind, they always have been and always will be a point of contention. You may not be an avid enthusiast, but their contribution to social issues and their aesthetically expressive visuals, storytelling, characters, and worlds are undeniable. To consider them anything less than works of art would be ignorant. And a fair share of these games have a horse of their own running in the world of grimdark. Far more than you might think.

In our favorite grimdark novels the main characters make morally ambiguous decisions that affect the outcome of their stories, for better or worse. For example, Abercrombie’s Inquisitor Glokta attempts to save Dagoska in Before They Are Hanged by getting into bed with the banking house Valint and Balk. Glokta knows Valint and Balk will expect favours of him that will corrupt his role as an Inquisitor, but does it anyway to save the city. It is this same sense of moral ambiguity and self-determination that is becoming central to so many popular video games. Acclaimed books and series like The Witcher (Andrzej Sapkowski), Metro 2033 and 2034 (Dmitry Glukhovsky), A Song of Ice and Fire (George R.R. Martin), The Walking Dead (Robert Kirkman), and even Heart of Darkness (Joseph Conrad) have shown how grimdark novels and gaming can blend seamlessly into one. Perhaps the smooth transition from paperback to controller says a lot about what video game audiences are eager to digest.

In video games it is usually some kind of built-in morality system that allows players to perform actions and make decisions that ultimately determine their character’s future in the game world.  Many of these choices are difficult, influencing… These allow the player to perform actions and make decisions that manipulate the system one way or another. Many of these choices are difficult, influencing the world around the player and the way NPCs (non-playable characters) react to the protagonist. In the cases of RPGs like Mass Effect 2 (2010) certain choices can even change the game’s ending. These choices are clearly defined, even highlighted in red or blue, corresponding to the key morality of the decision. The choices are grey at times, and both have an impact in different areas, but it’s clear which path a certain action will take you.

But what if those moral guideposts are stripped away all together?

In The Witcher 2 (2011) you are Geralt of Rivia, a hunter of monsters and wild beasts. But more often than not real monsters come in the form of human beings. Of ordinary people and raw violence. The opening scenes set the stage for the morally grey world that you live in. Do you accept a bribe from a corrupt warden and use that money to better your chances of survival? Do you accuse a powerful archer of murder on the eve of battle, or do you betray the lusty succubus who accuses him? There is no pre-defined good or bad, no blue and red bar indicating your morality. There are only choices and consequences, for better and for worse. Like in other RPGs these choices impact the game’s world, diverging your paths and showing your point of view from opposing sides. Different playthroughs could even have you fighting for the other team. Geralt himself is a rogue in the greatest sense. He’ll do his duty and search for his kidnapped partner, yet sleep with every prostitute that comes his way. And he’s not above getting blood on his hands when he needs to, innocent or otherwise.

Metro: Last Light (2013) has a similar feature. The game does not let you know that a morality system exists. Your actions alone dictate how the overarching story ends. Likewise, in Dishonored (2012) the entire game world will shift depending on your actions. Should you choose to perform lethal assassinations on your targets, sprinting through the alarm system at full blast and slaughtering the guards who get in your way, your teammates will soon turn on you. Leading them to political ruin and even staying your hand affects the physical state of the city of Dunwall. The more bodies you pile up, the faster the plague spreads. Your own discernment is needed to decide if a certain character truly deserves to die.

Fallout 3 (2008) is yet another title that perfectly encapsulates the grimdark genre. Set in post-apocalyptic Washington, D.C., it combines dark humour with a quantifiable Karma scale. Every decision, from stealing items to killing another character, affects the player’s Karma. Choices that can alter gameplay come from main and side quests and include deciding whether to obliterate an entire town or participate in an assisted suicide. Before jumping into the Fallout series’ revival, lead writer and designer Emil Pagliarulo had previously worked on the “Dark Brotherhood” sequence in Bethesda Game Studio’s multi-award-winning The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion (2006). In an interview with Gamasutra, Pagliarulo claimed the Dark Brotherhood story was “for those players who have jumped over [the] moral fence and never want to look back […] [Fallout 3] is all about giving players a choice and giving the player the voice they want to use.”

A trope in many video games is the battle against some form of inhuman enemy, be it monsters, demons, ghosts, zombies, or any other form of cannon fodder that’s churned out for the player. There are some games that subvert that, forgoing supernatural evil for a more human villain. In Heavy Rain (2010), an oppressive, intense thriller with a distinctly nihilistic art style, you are pitted against a serial killer with a genuine motive — a villain who is real, life-like, and human. Any of the mentally unstable four main protagonists could be the serial killer, leading us to conclude that they are all unreliable narrators and what we are being told may not be the truth. Morally grey characters are the quintessential core of grimdark. Constructed with flaws found in people like ourselves, they establish a genuine link to characters who would otherwise be cardboard cut-outs having a punch-up on screen. And the entire cast of Heavy Rain are as real as they are flawed.

Often in games where choice is a factor, even the morality of the hero is called into question. In The Wolf Among Us (2013), you are Bigby, the same big bad wolf from the fairy tale, moved to the city along with almost every character to ever grace mainstream folklore. It’s the very definition of a gritty revamp, taking all the traditional archetypes of characters handed down for hundreds of years and painting them with a distinct noir flavour, done up with blood, mud, swears, booze and cigarettes. The slightest decision, even if your intentions are good, could cost you dearly and create dozens of additional enemies. Soon the entirety of Fabletown is at risk and the waters of morality become so muddled that you start to question if the ultimate villain is really you. At the end of the day, everyone from Bluebeard to Snow White is human at heart, and several characters will die horribly. No matter the outcome, there’s always that little niggle in the back of your mind: Did I really do the right thing? Was he actually telling the truth? Should I have listened to her? Nothing is ever certain, least of all the moral standing of the characters. Similarly, the conclusion of The Last of Us (2013) forces you to question who exactly the villain is — something that is left up to the player’s interpretation. We cannot negate the character’s actions, but their impact is left lingering in our minds.

It’s this morally ambiguous aspect of RPGs that keeps gamers coming back for more. Bioware’s surprise hit Dragon Age: Origins (2009) avoided the familiar paragon/renegade system from the Mass Effect series, opting instead for companion approval ratings. “It’s about difficult choices,” said lead writer David Gaider in an interview with Newsarama. “I don’t like easy, happy endings […] what I like is presenting decisions where the player has to stop and maybe isn’t quite sure as to what is the right thing to do […] In a game you have a unique aspect with the element of interaction and personal investment that you can’t really get in some other passive entertainment.”

With game designers like Pagliarulo and Gaider pushing for more immersive gaming experiences, it’s no surprise that technology is quickly filling in the gaps. The creation of Oculus Rift, a ground-breaking virtual reality headset, is beginning to change the way we play videogames, and the potential for grimdark gamers is huge. Ever wondered what it would be like to step into the Game of Thrones universe and create havoc in King’s Landing? Or ride across the Broken Empire world as Jorg’s road brother? The opportunity may be closer than you think.

But how far is too far? In the 2014 documentary DRONE by Norwegian filmmaker Tonje Hessen Scheiand, she focuses on the recruitment of young pilots at gaming conventions. “I came across a story of a gamer who dropped out of high school, joined the military, and very quickly became a drone pilot through the kind of skills he’d acquired gaming,” she said in an interview with VICE. “The US Army has used virtual reality and video games as a recruiting tool for a long time. They’ve been testing out different games and strategies, and they actually created their own video game, America’s Army, which is very much a recruiting tool.”

Video games were once looked down on as nothing more than time wasters for prepubescent boys squatting in dark rooms, and in some ways they still have a long way to go. But they’ve ensnared and captivated millions of people who once would never have dreamed about picking up a controller. They often provide social commentary, metaphysical scenarios, morally grey worlds filled with complexity and engaging decisions and, more importantly, show us characters just as flawed as ourselves. Characters we can connect with, regardless of if they’re the big bad wolf from fairy tales, monster hunters, assassins, or even a bitter teenage girl trying to scrape her way through a dark world. These characters feel human. They take us on journeys of dark beauty and horror, of grim realities and harrowing adventures that portray the harsh grey morals of our own world and the glimmers of hope we find in it. And thanks to the medium of interactive video games, it’s we the players who will be making the decisions. We’ve read and watched the characters from A Song of Ice and Fire make fiendishly hard decisions and face overwhelming brutality. Now we can directly engage with the world of Westoros (and countless others), make these tough choices and watch the results unfold, for better or worse. Each death will be another stain on our hands on a journey where corpses serve as steps to victory. And we must live with the decision we make.

You might not survive the journey, but that’s half the fun.

•

Originally published in Grimdark Magazine #3.

Grimdark Magazine #3 is available for purchase from our catalogue.

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REVIEW: The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski

The Last Wish is the first chapter in the epic Witcher series, opening Geralt’s tale with a brutal and fun bang. Book 1 of the Witcher introduces the slavic high-fantasy land teeming with faerie tales. It also includes one of the most iconic main characters in the genre.

“There’s a grain of truth in every fairy tale.”

Geralt: Job description – total legend, kills monsters for cash, casts a few spells, drinks some potions, looks cool whilst doing it. Geralt is by profession a Witcher, an outcast of society unless people are desperate for someone to rid them of an unpleasant creature, wyvern, werewolf. In that case he is their first port of call. The Last Wish features a series of short stories. For those who have played the video games, I did not find the original portrayal of Geralt to be as collected, witty and intelligent as the game highlights. I enjoyed his character throughout though, liking the different Geralt.

The cast of characters behind Geralt was particularly enjoyable, and through the format of short stories, Geralt was able to in a lot fo different places with a lot of different friends and enemies. Classics such as Dandelion, Yennefer and Foltest appear and give the stories their individual depths. Also I loved finding out how Geralt became to be called the the Butcher of Blaviken.

“People,” Geralt turned his head, “like to invent monsters and monstrosities. Then they seem less monstrous themselves. When they get blind-drunk, cheat, steal, beat their wives, starve an old woman, when they kill a trapped fox with an axe or riddle the last existing unicorn with arrows, they like to think that the Bane entering cottages at daybreak is more monstrous than they are. They feel better then. They find it easier to live.”

I really enjoyed how Andrej Sapkowski took on common tropes and old fairy tales and gave them a new lease of life. It was refreshing and a lot of fun to read stories such as Beauty and the Beast in a medieval-inspired setting. This range of short stories allowed Sapkowski to experiment with issues that Geralt seemingly tackles throughout such as racism and xenophobia. Sapkowski decided to not tackle sexism however, and this book is ripe with derogatory scenes regarding women.

The dialogue and writing style seems very alien, I would guess in part to the translation, in part perhaps to his style. It is stuttery and very simple, and at times cringy. There is a lack of character development from Geralt, no overall plot or motivation for him. However, I couldn’t help but still enjoy the book. It is unique and fun, has enough variety in each story to keep the pages turning, and especially if you enjoyed the games like I did, it is fantastic to read more about the world and lore, especially in time for the Netflix adaptation!

“But if I’m to choose between one evil and another, then I prefer not to choose at all.”

3.75/5 – A fun and enjoyable introduction into the world of the Witcher. I expected more, but wasn’t too disappointed. Playing the games definitely added to this experience, and I am definitely going to carry on through this series. IGNI!

Buy The Last Wish

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ANNOUNCEMENT: Grimdark Magazine Open Window

Grimdark Magazine’s 2019 open window for submissions between 1st of November and the 14th of November has begun.

I am looking for grimdark SFF fiction of up to 4,000 words for previously unpublished stories and up to 10,000 words for re-prints. I won’t be interested in anything over these word limits. I also won’t be interested in anything with grimdark “flavours” or “elements”. I’ll want your best grimdark stories in all their gritty  glory. Anything not meeting expectations here will get an auto-rejection–please don’t send stories that are outside our ballpark.

We are also now no longer taking serial submissions.

Our definition of “grimdark” is simply a grim story told in a dark world by a morally grey protagonist. Anti-heroes, antagonists turned protagonists, doing wrong for the right reasons or right for the wrong reasons, showing that evil is a matter of perspective—this is what I’ll be after to sell to our readers. As an SFF publication, we also prefer either medieval fantasy settings or near-to-far future SF settings. Urban fantasy is generally a hard sell.

I encourage submissions from authors from the underrepresented elements of human society. Yours, after all, are some of the most unique stories out there.

In previous open windows most submitters could expect feedback on their story from a GdM team member upon rejection. That will not be the case for this window. Only the stories shortlisted but not selected for publication will receive feedback on why they were not selected. This is to help GdM get through the submissions more efficiently than in previous years.

I hope to purchase between 4-6 original stories and 6-10 reprints. Stories that are purchased will likely be published in 2020.

For more in-depth detail on rights and submission, please refer to our submissions page.

Can’t wait to see what you lot come up with.

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REVIEW: Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

The Liveship Traders is the second trilogy in Robin Hobb’s The Realm of the Elderlings saga. After a couple of false starts, I ended up loving The Farseer Trilogy. I adored the tale of The Fitz and the Fool so much that I carried on following their narrative, probably incorrectly as this chronologically is set before those events. I read The Tawny Man trilogy next and I don’t imagine that I am the only person who has followed this route. I was then ready to jump straight into the final The Fitz and the Fool trilogy but a top reviewer and friend, Petrik at Novel Notions told me that I’d be missing out on so much if I did. He is one of the only reviewers I truly trust so I took his advice and I haven’t been disappointed. It was actually truly interesting reading it in the order I chose. There is one main character from the first trilogy who is featured but under a different guise and we also visit the treasure beach that Fitz frequented with Prince Dutiful. That is one of the handful of times that the trilogies cross over in Ship of Magic.

Being used to the emotionally focused and truly dedicated “warts and all” first-person perspective of Fitz, the way this novel was presented was a major shift. Hobb’s writing is as elegant, poignant, and admirable as ever, yet having so much of my heart invested in FitzChivalry it did take a while to get on board (no pun intended) with these new players.

I analysed that there were three main characters here, however; Hobb presents the events so that we also get the views of the surrounding players also. My favourite character introduced here was Wintrow. If Fitz pulled at your heartstrings I think Wintrow will be a similar emotional burden on your mind for the drama and what fate has in store for him. He was a priest-in-making who was taken away from his monastery and tutors. His grandfather, a famous captain of the Liveship Vivcacia is close to death. Against his oath but forced by the will of his father he is sourced away from the calling of Sa, of which his life is dedicated to. He is needed on Vivacia as he is a blood family relative to the Vesrits. The Liveship, just quickened, should have been passed to Alethea, Wintrow’s Aunt, not her sisters husband, Kyle Haven. Kyle is the closest that readers will get to a Prince Regal here. Aletha travelled under her fathers flag from when she was a child and was always told and under the impression that the Livership would become her possession and friend. Her mother, and her father’s ailing illness and loss of wit aided to assign the living vessel to probably the worse possible person.

After Aletha and Wintrow, the other main player is Captain Kennit. A dark, charming, and handsome pirate that has a Wizardwood charm on his wrist that talks, and he also wants to be the King of all pirates. He also wishes to commandeer a Liveship. He decides to strike a deal with his first mate that that every time they try to take a Liveship they have to free the cargo from a slaver vessel.

Ship of Magic was slow going to begin with. I wanted to see more of Amber but, for very good reasons she was always on the fringes in this entry. That being mentioned, there were some extremely memorable scenes when she conversed with Paragon, “The Mad Ship”.

As a quick aside, I devoured 25% of this book via audible and I found the narrator excellent. The majority of what is presented here was as brutal as it was unpredictable yet I did predict the ending.

I enjoyed following the majority of the point of view perspectives. Except that of Malta, but I’m sure her character arc will become truly important. It was written well so I have no issues against Hobb going down that avenue, however; she is presented as a spoilt 12-13 year old brat. The happens here hint that she will have importance with the Rain Wild traders going forwards so I am interested to follow her events.

Next to me right now I have the second novel in this trilogy and also Mark Lawrence’s The Girl and the Stars both winking at me saying “read me next.” The fact that I’ve gone straight on to read The Mad Ship, over Lawrence–one of my favourite author’s unreleased books–speaks volumes.

The last 50% of this narrative is sublime. I’m not saying that I prefer it yet over The Farseer Trilogy as the Fool and the Fitz have a place in my heart. The ambitious change in style and direction, focusing entirely on an area that has only been briefly mentioned beforehand is a masterclass in itself. I’m not sure how all the pieces of the fantasy puzzle will fit together but I can’t wait to endure the adventures, heartache, love, and the also foreboding influence of fate with Fitz, the Fool, Wintrow, Alethea, and Kennit. Also, whoever Hobb throws into the mix in her next few tales. You could start reading Hobb’s world here and still have a stunning experience. I’m currently reading to find out every single thing her mind has envisioned throughout this excellent saga.

Buy Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb

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REVIEW: Blood Eye by Giles Kristian

Blood Eye is a grim and gritty tale of ferocious Norse raiders in the 9th century. It has bone-crunching action sequences and a Norse flavour that will leave you desperate to don your ring-maille and plunder the nearest monastery (I believe Giles Kristian is not responsible for any Viking urges you may have).

This is my first historical-fiction review, and I think it fits particularly well with Grimdark Magazine. History is immensely grim AND dark, with characters that are as real as you can get. This fine historical-fiction book is a perfect example of a morally grey world that takes you along for the ride. It’s fantastic.

Osric is a young apprentice to a mute carpenter in a Saxon village, life seems peaceful enough. Until…yes, you guessed it, fearsome Norse warriors appear from the mist in a dragon ship, warriors that have the best arms a ninth century marauder could ask for, warriors that want gold and riches and glory. For those that have read tales of Norse adventure, yes, this starts similarly to others, and it contains a lot that other Norse stories also contain.

“The Raven doesn’t need to fear of anything in the world, because he isn’t from this world”

But it is done so perfectly.

From the first page I was gripped, and by the second chapter I knew that I really loved this story. Everything about it sucked me in. The language, thick and heavy with dark-ages phrasing and feel, the characters, mean and women with relatable personalities, morally-grey characters.

It’s damn good. It really is.

“A strong hand kills, but a cunning mind will keep us alive”

Back to Osric, our only Point of View. He is a fantastic character, with enough heart and passion to send me into the shield-wall. He is young and we see the Norse characters from fresh eyes. I won’t spoil any of the story, but his arc is brilliant, and I can say book 2 is shaping up to have him as one of my favourite PoVs ever.

The supporting characters are just magnificent. With all manner of men, and women. Vikings who implore you to want to be on their ship rowing alongside them, saxons who want you to join them fighting the Welsh, and everyone in-between. I am so invested in this story, and I really urge you to read this book.

“They say that the darkest hour sets in just before the sunset”

This is the first Giles Kristian book that I have read and I am immensely impressed. His description is phenomenal, so that I can smell the dirt in the Norsemen’s beards, hear the call of the Gjallahorn, feel the whipping of the sea and wind against my face, taste the iron-blood after taking a wound to the face (well, I actually did take a wound to the face. After reading a particular fight scene I picked up a Viking sword we have mounted on the wall, gave it a swing, only to have a Saxon warrior aka the door-frame send the steel-weapon swinging back at my head. The nurses in A+E did laugh when I told them I was attempting to be a Norse-raider…).

Any book that pulls me away from my medieval obsession is a good one, and Blood Eye, Book 1 of Raven well and truly took me to a place I had been to before, only giving me 1st class VIP treatment through the journey. Hats off to Giles Kristian, one of my new favourite authors!

5/5 – A ripping, roaring, red tale of Norse warriors in a foreign land. The skeleton might be the same as other books you’ve read, but Blood Eye is filled with authenticity and realism that is hard to imitate.

Buy Blood Eye by Giles Kristian

The post REVIEW: Blood Eye by Giles Kristian appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW: Konrad Curze The Night Haunter

Whether you’ve been reading Warhammer 40,000 fiction for years, or are a relative tyro, you are familiar with the Space Marines. These legendary, genetically-enhanced super-soldiers turn the battle in their favor just by showing up; cutting swathes through their enemies with martial and strategic prowess. All Space Marines; Loyalist or Traitor/Chaos, can trace their roots to a Founding Chapter. Each Founding Chapter, in turn, was comprised of Astartes who were the gene-children of a Primarch; that Primarch being a son of the God Emperor of Mankind. Recently, The Black Library began a novella series dedicated to these demigods; hence, The Horus Heresy Primarchs series was born. Today, I review Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter by Guy Haley. This is the story of the Primarch of the VIII Legion, the Night Lords. Note: this is Book 12 in the Primarchs series (each book, of course, is a standalone tome, allowing you to pick and choose as interests you).

Before we start reviewing the book itself, let’s talk a bit about Primarchs, Founding Chapters, and old 40K lore. Suffice to say, over the past few decades, the lore has grown, been fleshed out, and developed a lot. Looking back on the original concepts for the Founding Chapters, you basically have “Historical Military Faction X….in Space”. Substitute any famous faction for X – Romans, Vikings, Mongols, etc. It was cool at the time; it’s near comedic in retrospect, and it’s a testimonial to the work that’s been done to create the rich, canonic lore we have today.

But what about the Night Lords? Well, you know that extra quiet kid from High School, who wore all black and sat in the back? Remember his doodles in his notebooks? All lightning, skulls, curved, talon-edged bat-wings? Wicked claws and swords? Yeah, the Night Lords were his contribution to the lore. They are the epitome of all those drawings. They are the terror in the night, they are badder than bad.

All jokes aside, the Night Lords are a faction which rules, fights, and subjugates via terror. Their Primarch, Konrad Curze, embodies all of the tenets in spades. Named for Joseph Conrad, as well as legendary antagonist Kurtz, he possesses a true heart of darkness. He is also conflicted, self-loathing, and absolutely mad. In harnessing all of these myriad personality traits (disorders?), Haley has presented us with an utterly fascinating, and overall excellent character study of the madman, his last moments, and some snapshots of what made him who he was.

First, the blurb

Of all the Emperor’s immortal sons, the primarchs, it is Konrad Curze whose legend is the darkest. Born in the shadows of Nostramo, a world of murderers, thieves and worse, is it any surprise that he became the figure of dread known only as the Night Haunter? Heed now the tragic story of the creature Konrad Curze, master of the Night Lords Legion, of how he became a monster and a weapon of terror. He who once served the Imperium saw the truth in a maddening universe and the hypocrisy of a loveless father, and embraced the only thing that made any sense – darkness. From the blood-soaked gutters of his hiveworld upbringing, to the last days of his ill-fated existence, Curze is a primarch like no other and his tale is one to chill the very bone…

Quick note: The Primarchs novellas don’t follow strict structural guidelines; hence, they are not all ‘histories’ of the Primarchs. Different authors have chosen to focus on battles, histories, etc., stressing instances which they felt best illustrate the character of the Primarch in question.

The overarching storyline for Haley’s Curze story focuses on Curze’s last days; living in an emotional exile of sorts on the planet Tsagualsa, awaiting the arrival of the Callidus assassin M’Shen (if you are new to 40K, this is not a spoiler: Curze’s assassination is common knowledge). During this period of waiting, he delivers a testimonial of sorts; recounting his life, absolving himself of the atrocities committed by his own hands, and laying the blame for his ails and miseries squarely at the feet of his father, the Emperor of Mankind. These scenes are brilliant, and showcase Haley having a great time writing for this twisted demigod. The motif of “Daddy issues” often comes up when dealing with Primarchs; instead of trying to buck the trend, Haley gleefully picks up the ball and runs like Hell with it. In this scenes, Haley paints Curze as a nightmarish Hamlet; who, instead of regaling a skull with his self-pitying soliloquies, has crafted an effigy of his own father to voice his complaints to. An effigy of his father, comprised entirely of parts cobbled from collected bodies. A literal Corpse-Emperor.

Over the course of decrying his absentee father, and attempting to validate his past actions as righteous, we are treated to a series of vignettes which showcase the real Curze (Spoiler: he’s not righteous; he’s a sadistic madman). Among these are the final days of the crew of the ship which discovered the stasis coffin that Sanguinius had placed Curze in (this, in the end, provided Curze with a ride to Tsagualsa, and his rendezvous with destiny). Other vignettes show glimpses of Curze on Nostramo, his acts in punishing Legion members guilty of acting outside of acceptable parameters of terror, and the rise of a gang-led governmental coup on Nostramo; which would have grave ramifications for the Night Haunter’s adoptive world. Finally, as these storylines play out; we also witness another trend playing out; the degradation of the overall quality of Night Lords Legion stock; exacerbated by the withering quality of aspirants provided for elevation to the level of Astartes.

Let’s look at the elements bit by bit:

Characters

Haley maintains a tight dramatis personae here. This is almost entirely a one-man show, as it should be.

And, I simply cannot emphasize enough how well Haley ‘gets’ Curze, and delivers in his presentation. Haley captures the look, the physicality, the motions, the madness, the tenuous sanity, the rage, the sorrow, even the fear, of this most troubled Primarch. He sets up the plausible argument that yes, perhaps Curze was truly a victim of being a creature of pre-ordained design; and then, we will see an example reminding us of the natural, gleeful malice upon which his cruelties are predicated. Curze’s ‘punishments’ are meted out in the name of a justice, which by his own admission, omits the critical aspect of mercy. Of humanity. And that is because neither are present in his emotional palette.

Konrad Curze is a lethal madman living at the intersection of petulance and depravity, and Haley delivered this with a ribbon on top.

There are cameo appearances by key Night Lords, including fan-favorite Talos. Some decent page time is meted out to First Captain Sevatar, as well as Chapter Equerry Shang. Sevatar makes for a great, stalwart servant of his Primarch, and there is some well-orchestrated friction between him and Shang.

In each of the vignettes, we are treated to memorable human characters. This is a specialty of Haley’s; to flesh out these characters, even though they might only serve insignificant parts in the overall narrative. The best example of this is Elver, serving on the Sheldroon, the freighter which discovers Curze’s drifting sarcophagus. His presence in the novel is bolstered by a detailed backstory, and fully realized character arc. There are primary players in full length novels that do not get this level of authorial investment. But this has always been one of Haley’s strengths; a vivid imagination and the skill to realize it on paper.

Plus, I’m sure he’s aware of the importance of fleshing the characters out quickly. Any human who crosses paths with Curze tends to have their lifespan truncate drastically as a result.

World building

Here we arrive at Haley’s other great strength; worldbuilding. See, Haley is not just a great tie-in fiction author, he’s a sharp, savvy sci-fi author in general. You can really see this in effect when he’s discussing the mechanics of space travel. Most authors treat it as either seafaring vessels, or fighter planes, but in space. Haley truly delves into the physics, theoretics, and all that other scientific stuff which just whizzes over my head.

In the Curze novella, there are a lot of rich backgrounds which are brought to robust life courtesy of his deft keystrokes. The dark, hateful, crime-ridden avenues of Nostramo, where life is less than cheap and taken without a second thought. The filthy, poorly maintained Sheldroon; whose filthy sump tanks have become festering biomes. Desolate Tsagualsa, and the gruesome fortress in which Curze verbally meanders through his last days; decorated with the deft touch of an artisanal sadist. Floors festooned with mosaics of tooth, walls of living, moaning victims, stretched out and stitched together, wailing for an eternity.

The lore of the Night Lords is filled with such macabre window-dressing. Instead of trying to downplay it; Haley again embraces the visceral decor, treating readers to the sights and smells, reminding us that some organs have those stubborn, crunchy-chewy bits.

Action

So, if there’s one complaint that I have about Haley, in general, it’s that I’m not a huge fan of his action scenes. Luckily, there are not many action scenes in this book. The few that are present are done fairly well. However, if you need a little more bolter action in your Warhammer offerings, consider this a fair warning. The crux of this novella is charting Curze’s descent into absolute madness, not mulching xenos.

Overall Writing

Again, stellar. This is a short work, but Haley makes his words count. He lays down a bunch of threads, and makes sure to tie them all up by close. He employs a rich, vibrant, intelligent vocabulary, which is something I’ve always appreciated from him.

Pacing is great; no slow, stalling bits. Nothing rushed, either.

Final Thoughts

This is one of the most enjoyable, satisfying books I’ve read from The Black Library in a while. You can tell that Guy Haley was having a lot of fun writing this book; and that’s good, because when the author’s having fun then usually the readers will too.

Instead of reducing Konrad Curze to a moustache-twirling, cartoon villain; or, potentially worse, a too-cool-for-school misunderstood anti-hero, Haley embraced and explored the madness eating the man. The Primarch of the VIII Legion was a natural dichotomy; both a victim of circumstances (of birth, etc.) beyond his control, and a complicit perpetrator of the atrocities for which he was so rightfully loathed.

Thus was the legacy of Konrad Curze, Primarch of the VIII Legion, and, also, The Night Haunter.

Buy Konrad Curze: The Night Haunter by Guy Haley

The post REVIEW: Konrad Curze The Night Haunter appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

Getting excited for Stormblood by Jeremy Szal

One of the books I’m absolutely pumped about being released in 2020 is Jeremy Szal’s Stormblood from Gollancz. Jeremy’s been a mate for a long time, and having known him since Grimdark Magazine’s early days, and known the sheer grit, determination, and passion he’s shown to get himself into a spot where he could get John Jarrold to represent him and his first choice publisher Gollancz to pick up his book in an exclusive worldwide rights deal has been brilliant to witness.

I’m just stoked to see him succeed.

Anyhow, enough of me riding Jeremy’s coattails, let’s take a look at this book.

Cover

I remember Jeremy showing me this cover at the pub when it was ready and just being blown away. It’s gritty and foreboding, noir-AF, with the blue hues cold and brutal and the white lights great visual cues to draw the eye up from the character at the bottom and to all the SF on offer in this crushing world.

Blurb

Vakov Fukasawa used to be a Reaper: a bio-enhanced soldier fighting for the Harmony, against a brutal invading empire. He’s still fighting now, on a different battlefield: taking on stormtech. To make him a perfect soldier, Harmony injected him with the DNA of an extinct alien race, altering his body chemistry and leaving him permanently addicted to adrenaline and aggression. But although they meant to create soldiers, at the same time Harmony created a new drug market that has millions hopelessly addicted to their own body chemistry.

Vakov may have walked away from Harmony, but they still know where to find him, and his former Reaper colleagues are being murdered by someone, or something – and Vakov is appalled to learn his estranged brother is involved. Suddenly it’s an investigation he can’t turn down . . . but the closer he comes to the truth, the more addicted to stormtech he becomes.

And it’s possible the war isn’t over, after all . . .

Pre-order Stormblood by Jeremy Szal

If that didn’t get you salivating for some pretty epic noir SF, then I don’t know what will. Get yourself a pre-order!

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