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REVIEW: Knight of Stars by Tom Lloyd

I received an advanced review copy of Knight of Stars in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Tom Lloyd and Gollancz.

“We’re here to drink beer an’ fuck people up, but we ain’t halfway through the beer yet.”

After somehow surviving the labyrinth of Jarrazir the soldiers of Anatin’s Mercenary Deck seem like they have a simple task for the next few weeks. Lots of drinking, violence, sex, and banter whilst visiting the picturesque Mage Islands and dealing with a debt issue. It turns out that there may be a few complications. Giant golanthas, dragon-like tyserns, Mastrunners, and Teshen – the Knight of Stars – having to deal with his ex-girlfriend.

This is a series that I truly recommend but it has been an interesting one for me. I rated the first two books 7.5/10 which I class as a good rating but something has kept drawing me back every time a new entry is unleashed more than other higher-rated books would have. They are also tales that I have had to read before they have been released. There is something really addictive about the way Lloyd writes. Lloyd writes action scenes better than anybody in the game at the moment. The author has crafted an amazingly well-thought-out world and it is strikingly impressive in its originality which when combined with other mentioned factors equals excellence.

As discussed, the action is top-notch. No author at the moment can touch Lloyd for the adrenaline-pumping, shit, what the fuck just happened scenes. As always, Anatin’s mercenary crew are a pleasure to follow. Lynx, the portly honourable main character. Toil, the intelligent but manipulative and insightful funder of the escapades. Sitain, the young but extremely talented night mage, and Reft, the gentleman-loving brawler who would never lose a fight. These are all great examples, but Teshen, the Knight of Stars really shines here.

Some of the scenes, for me personally, were over descriptive but I cannot deny that Lloyd has a deft talent with words. Perhaps that is why the action scenes hit harder and more precise and just blow the metaphorical doors off. I’m not an author so I can’t judge the mechanics but that is my only minor criticism.

The “magic system” is excellent, especially now that certain individuals’ skills have been enhanced and I’ve always liked the flintlock-esque elemental-pistols. After the first two books the vibe that the characters were going to end up fighting a massive monster in a cave or secluded environment was slightly predictable but I don’t see that as a negative. Lloyd does what he does well and long may it continue. I believe the next narrative will be the final entry in this story and wow, it builds up to a hell of crescendo about what could occur next. From what I’ve read of Lloyd’s work, he’s one of the finest writers of stunning, action-focused fantasy in the world.

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REVIEW: A Little Hatred by Joe Abercrombie

The North is invading under a new vicious leader. The Union is under threat both on its northern border and from within, as the Breakers try to destroy the progress large scale machine manufacturing is bringing. Refugees from the lands beyond the Union’s borders stream in looking for a better life and cities swell with people. Mayhem is building–diminishing jobs for diminishing pay; an invasion of cultures clashing with the locals; an unhappy populace frothing under an inept, uncaring, and brutal leadership; mountains of money to be made by the few and privileged; a protectorate begging for help–and in the gritty guts of it all are a new generation of characters grown a little soft in the last couple decades of peace and about to get a very rough awakening in Joe Abercrombie’s A Little Hatred.

As we’ve come to expect from Abercrombie, the story of this next age in the Union’s development (or destruction?) in A Little Hatred is magnificently driven by its characters. Drawn from all walks of life in the Union and beyond, this new generation are brilliantly written, deeply engaging, and as individually unique as their predecessors. Rikke is the Dogman’s daughter, dealing with either impending madness or The Long Eye and guided by mountainwoman Isern-i-Phail. Leo dan Brock, the Young Lion, is in the thick of it, revelling in glorious combat one moment and then having strips torn off him by his mother for putting himself and the battle at risk the next. Savine dan Glotka is a ruthless business woman in the midst of building her own empire using her father’s infamous name as a baton. Crown Prince Orso is next in line for the throne, and he’s cut from much the same vain and generally useless cloth as his father. Gunnar is back from the loss in Styria, back home to his wife and daughter—only he didn’t leave the war behind. It stayed in his fists and his head, and he’s straining to hold it at bay. Vick comes from the brutal work camps and is a new member of the worker’s movement railing against the losing of jobs to the progress machines are bringing to manufacturing. Clover is cut from the old cloth of the North, and really just wants to sit on his arse under a tree, but bends to the whims of more vicious men. These characters drive the plot through a rollercoaster of twists, fights, laughs, cringes, and epic moments as the Union tries to save itself from the North, as well as from itself.

Now, if you’re new to Abercrombie’s world and you haven’t read one of the seven previous novels he’s released, fear not. This books stands on its own two feet as a reading experience. However, if you are like me and you have loved every moment with all the characters since The Blade Itself was published in 2006, A Little Hatred has an extra layer of goodness to it–like that surprise layer of dulce de leche you find in a cake when you cut it open.

One of the things Abercrombie does so well is create these characters that just stick with you. He drops a well known name (or surname) here and there and all I want to do is grab somebody near me by the shoulders and share just how fucking wide-eyed-awesome it is that these characters are still in the mix, still trying to save the Union or destroy it, or just bloody retire in peace. With this new generation of characters at the fore, and the old characters in the background as secondary and tertiary characters, there is just so much reward for your years of investment in Abercrombie’s work. Within the Circle of the World, Abercrombie has created one of the most magnificent, unforgettable casts of characters to ever grace the pages of a fantasy book.

Grimdark crowd, this book is your jam. We’ve been waiting for this, and Abercrombie has delivered one helluva ride. Get you pre-order in below, you’re not going to want to miss this one. And by that last chapter at the end, you just know book 2 in this new trilogy is going an absolute barnstormer.

Pre-order A LITTLE HATRED

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An Interview with Syama Pedersen creator of Astartes

Syama Pedersen is the creator of the phenomenal fan animation series Astartes, based on this interviewer’s favourite sci-fi universe, Warhammer 40,000. We were lucky enough to grab a few short minutes of his time to talk with one of the most talented fan-creators out there.

[AC]    Your depiction of Warhammer 40,000’s Astartes is more fluent, faster, tactical, and less bulky than those we’re accustomed to, which tend to be more tank-like in their approach. What made you want to do it differently than what many would argue is the established canon?

[SP] While in media they’re often more tank-like (hard to avoid with 8ft tall armored super-soldiers), in most fiction they’re actually described as very agile. I really wanted to try and find the right balance of power/weight with them while also very efficient and coordinated in their movement and quick when they need to be. Things that IMHO help portray them as the elite soldiers they’re described as.

[AC] The first four episodes feature no, “For the Emperor!” or “Burn the heretic!” In fact, they feature no dialogue whatsoever. Why?

[SP] I’m a big believer in no dialogue is better than bad dialogue. And in my mind I see Marines as doing what they day in/day-out with cold, grim determination. They’re all veterans and I think a certain taciturn nature comes with that. That being said, if the moment is right and the build-up warrants it, a good old, “For the Emperor!” is always satisfying.

From an artistic view I wanted the series to feel like observing one of countless operations going down in a cold, grounded way and felt letting the action do the talking would work better.

[AC] How many episodes will this story include, and how far apart do you envisage future episodes to be released?

[SP] I planned this short-story as five parts and looking to stick to that. After that I’ll re-evaluate things and decide whether to continue or switch something up.

[AC] Can you tell us a little bit about the chapter you created for this video and why you didn’t go for one of the established chapters?

[SP] Nothing against the big boys but I wanted something of a clean-slate that would let me portray my personal take on what a ‘Space Marine’ is. The ‘Retributors’ are also a more militaristic chapter more interested in operating in small numbers to take on as many elite targets as possible rather than massed battle glory like you might find on some box art.

It’s also a pet peeve of mine when the same old established factions show up in every story, I think it makes the universe feel like a smaller and less epic place.

[AC] How much effort goes into each episode’s creation?

[SP] I think it’s been 4-5 months average per episode, slightly getting faster considering the last was a whopping 2 minutes (Woohoo!) hahaha. A lot of hours going into them but it’s something I enjoy and I’m leaning lots along the way which is great. I have come close to going Khorne on an uncooperative computer many times however…

[AC] When did you get into 40K, and what drove you to aim your animation ability at this universe and not another project where the IP isn’t pre-established or controlled by a third party?

[SP] I was probably 8 years old when I stormed in on my older brother and his friends playing Space Crusade (an old 40k themed board game). I wasn’t allowed to touch anything but I fell in love with the Space Marine figures and ever since wanted to see them animated. 40k is also a big setting with many dark corners and things open to interpretation which makes it fun to create a story within.

I have other interests I’ll pursue eventually, particularly game-design but at the moment I’m happy to be animating Space Marines.

[AC] Where can our fans best support your video creation efforts?

[SP] Fan feedback and support has been amazing! If anyone wishes to they can add their support via Patreon to help me spend more time on Astartes.

https://www.patreon.com/astartesfilm

[AC] Thank you for your time, Syama! I’m sure I’m amongst a growing legion of people who can’t wait to see what you release next!

Support Syama and the Astartes Patreon here.

Purchase issue #19 of Grimdark Magazine

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REVIEW: The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

I received an uncorrected proof copy of The Dragon Republic in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank R.F. Kuang and Harper Voyager.

The Dragon Republic is a phenomenal follow-up to what was one of my highest rated fantasy books of 2018, and I think this exceeds the debut in almost everyway.

Rin is a drug-addled individual who has the monstrous, murderous and perhaps demented power of the Phoenix at her fingertips. We join her here as the commander of the Cike; potentially orchestrating her shamans who can wield the extraordinary power of certain Gods. Those few “lucky” enough to be able to manipulate such absurd yet undeniably powerful magical abilities have to look forward to one of two eventualities. Death or utter madness as the Gods seem to easily overpower their hosts so that these shamans will no longer be able to control their actions. Since the finale of The Poppy War, Rin has built a steady but not completely trustworthy relationship with a Pirate Queen. Rin completes tasks for her under an agreement that she will be supported when she turns her attention to the bigger picture. Which, of course, is getting her revenge by murdering the Empress.

This Oriental-influenced dark fantasy epic features a huge world, all the political intrigue you could hope for, expertly presented dramatic moments, smooth dialogue, and also, the narrative often leaves the reader wondering if the person about to be betrayed is going to betray the betrayer beforehand. You’ll have no idea who to trust and something intense and unpredictable happens at least every sixty pages.

It features the majority of the ensemble from The Poppy War but since those events began approximately four years ago these characters have changed so much following their involvement in the last war. One of my favourite aspects of this novel was the relationships between Rin and a lot of the major characters. These include the genius strategist Nikay, the twins Chaghan and Qara, and her sort of father figure The Dragon Warlord. All the above being stated though, nowhere near the majority of the ensemble who started The Dragon Republic make it to the end so be warned. Many of your most loved players will die. Possibly in horrible fashion.

A main character from the first novel who was one of my favourites returns but I don’t want to mention his name just in case that approaches spoiler territory. His and Rin’s chemistry is dynamic, to say the least. Love, hatred, respect, admiration, disgust, misunderstanding. My reading of Rin personally, as the novel is still presented solely from her point of view, reflected the above-mentioned feelings. Half the time I adored her and the other half I couldn’t follow her train of thought when considering consequences. She’s a brilliant and complex protagonist who is drug-addicted, recruited for a cause not her own, she loses something important to her, acquires dramatic new abilities all whilst having a God whispering in her ear and a vendetta to complete. It’s as much of a headfuck for the reader as it must be for Rin herself so congratulations to Kuang for presenting it this way.

R.F. Kuang is the brightest new star in adult fantasy which I guess is an oxymoron as she writes some of the darkest material around right now. The Dragon Republic truly ups the grimdark ante. There are some utterly gruesome moments. There is a huge amount of chaotic war action presented throughout and all the nastiness that comes with it. The rebellion events in the novel take over 14 months so we’re witnesses to amazing naval battles, sieges, land and guerilla warfare, and even a race that flaunt plasma-like weapons and have built airships. The latter may seem out of place if you’ve just read this review but it fits in with the overall narrative and will make perfect sense when you get to this story. Although young, Kuang has a knack for writing some of the best fantasy and makes it seem effortless. She will be mentioned alongside names such as Lynch, Lawrence, and Sapkowski for awesomeness very soon. To conclude, what happens at the end of this book is spectacular and the pieces are now set on the metaphorical chess board for what will be a monumental last outing in this series.

Between us we have the fire and the water,” she said quietly. “I’m quite sure that together we can take on the wind.

Order The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

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REVIEW: The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

The inhabitants of Omehi who are known as the Chosen have been warring with the savage hedeni tribes for hundreds of years. The hedeni may have superior numbers but the Chosen have the Gifted. These are powerful female mages who can source power from the underworld Isihogo. The Gifted are a huge asset in battles. They can turn a warrior into an Ingonyama which is a giant, amazingly powerful protective being. The pinnacle of their powers, and the aspect that the hedeni fear the most is that when Gifted work together they can call a Dragon Guardian to aid them on the battlefield to bloody and devastating effect.

After an incredible prologue which is set 186-cycles prior, we spend The Rage of Dragons mostly following Tau’s third person perspective. Castes and birthright are hugely important in this novel and Tau is a higher common. He lives in a relatively small town and spends the majority of his days helping his father in his duties or training with the sword. His father was an Ihashe warrior and now helps keep the settlement secure and safe. Tau wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and become an Ihashe soldier too. These are the elite fighters from the lesser castes. He spends his days practicing with the second son of a petty noble house called Jabari. As a noble Jabari is bigger, stronger, faster, fitter and beats Tau the majority of the time. Jabari wishes to join the Indlovu which is the group for the most powerful noble caste warriors. Although best friends they are aware that their blood will lead them to walk different roads in the future even though the nobles, commoners, and the drudge are all on the same side. All seems content and life doesn’t seem too harsh. Tau even has a love interest in his village called Zuri. Things change dramatically but mostly for Tau the day that Jabari attends his warrior trials and that where the story really begins.

Tau was a standard and safe character at the beginning of the narrative but his development throughout is dramatic and very well done. He changes drastically when vengeance becomes his only real motive. Following his loss, taking part in his warrior trials, to his time in Scale Jayyed as an initiate Ihashe, seeing events from Tau’s perspective was addictive for me. He was headstrong, unyielding, sometimes made bad decisions and wasn’t always likable which are some of the qualities I look for in a protagonist.

He made a pact with himself, a pact he swore on his father’s soul. If he were asked to run a thousand strides, he would run two thousand. If he were told to spar three rounds, he would spar six. And if he fought a match to surrender, the man who surrendered would not be him. He would fight until he won or he died. There would be, he swore, no days without difficulty.

I’ve read many fantasy novels where sections take place at a warrior or magic educational establishment. This tale features some of what you’d expect in this sort of setting. Rivals, different factions, a team of varied individuals working together against the odds, camaraderie, interesting teachers/trainers, etc… The familiar elements incorporated, I think this is the most I have ever enjoyed reading a story that features a warrior school. That includes Anthony Ryan’s Blood Song which is probably the closest rival this story has. What made this exceed was the practice battles against other scales from the lesser castes and also from the noble castes. The hatred between the nobles and the lessers leads readers to realise that there is no such thing as a practice fight in this environment. These scenarios are exceptionally well crafted and gripping especially when Tau hones his fighting skills and other members of his team learn to work together expertly to overcome much adversity.

Winter has a deft talent for writing colourful, complex and memorable characters. My personal favourites were sword trainer Jayyed, love interest Zuri, hated rival Kellan, and all the members of Jayyed’s five. This African-influenced fantasy world was composed well without being too flowery or unnecessarily over detailed. This kept the focus on the action and The Rage of Dragons flows at a breakneck pace with only a few quieter, slower chapters here and there for readers to catch their breath, compose themselves, reflect on what has just happened and then breathe before going again. The Rage of Dragons features the battle scenarios as mentioned but also huge skirmishes and fights against the age-old enemy, the hedeni. Duels, political corruption, dragons and venturing to the underworld to fight demons are just a small amount of the ingredients which make The Rage of Dragons such a phenomenal debut. I’ll definitely see what Winter has in store for us in his next entry. The Rage of Dragons is an excellent high-octane thrill ride of a fantasy debut that I devoured in one day. Highly recommended.

Purchase The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

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REVIEW: The Armored Saint by Myke Cole

The Armored Saint is a novella from Myke Cole (Shadow Ops) and the beginning of his fantasy trilogy, The Sacred Throne. The publication seems to be part of Tor’s novella series, but at 208 pages, it reads more like a short novel than a novella. No matter what you call it, though, Cole makes the format work exceptionally well with tight prose, a close third-person single narrative, a condensed story world, and intense conflicts all stuffed into a smaller-than-door-stopper package. As most readers are aware, there is not enough time to read all the great fantasy and sci-fi available, and I have been wanting to read some of Cole’s highly regarded Shadow Ops series, but never got there. So I was glad to be given a chance to read and review the beginning of this new series, which looks to be a good one.

The Armored Saint follows the story of Heloise, a teenage girl living in a quasi-medieval village on the outskirts of an extremely oppressive empire under the rule of the religious Order and their Holy Writ. The job of the order is summed up in one line from the Writ: “Suffer no wizard to live.” The Order gallops around from village to village dispensing brutal justice on anyone suspected of wizardry or any village suspected of harboring a wizard. The Order is relentless and, even worse, accountable only to themselves. True to the short-form novel, Heloise and her father, Samson Factor, encounter the Order in the story’s first chapter. They stop Heloise and her father on the road. The effect is truly frightening, setting the mood for the entire story, and the hook, the inexorable, gripping, frightening conflict, of the story is set, never to let go.

While some, perhaps many, longer novels sag in the middle, get muddled down with seemingly irrelevant subplots, long descriptions, and/or episodic events, The Armored Saint has no time for bullshit. The story races along like a forest fire. When Heloise sees her friend murdered by the Order in a horrifying “Knitting” of a nearby village, she is determined to fight back. She is joined by her village who are fed up with the oppressive Order and skeptical about its intentions. Only Heloise knows the real secret that need to be protected from the Order to save her friends and family. But does she really know everything she thinks she knows? There are twists and turns aplenty, especially for such a short novel, and as should be expected, the whole fucking thing blows up in an explosive, magical, and pleasantly unexpected climax.

Cole’s prose is fast and direct. There’s no space for self-indulgence here; the author/narrator almost disappears behind Heloise’s thoughts and actions. Characters’ voices, dialogue, and language are consistent and diacritical, which helps create a distinct feeling for the culture of these villagers without the need for a lot of exposition. Cole also uses dialogue to move the story along briskly while adroitly avoiding info-dumping. The effect is a very fast moving tale, full of energy, excitement, and the type of character depth one would expect from a full-length novel. It’s not perfect, though. Heloise’s mother, Leuba, who appears sparingly in the story, is particularly without description or voice, a mere placeholder for a character, but that’s part of the tradeoff between a lengthy tome and a densely packed short novel.

Despite its short form, The Armored Saint is replete with thematic significance. Readers must ask themselves what rights do authorities have to govern people in extremely dangerous situations, a theme that seems extremely compelling given the expanding role of government in the so-called War on Terror. The nature of forbidden love and sexual attraction is called into question as well, with surprising results. Loyalty is another significant theme that drives the action in The Armored Saint: at what point are family ties in conflict with the good of society? Of course, the role of sexuality and gender in a male-dominated society is also explored. Are women worthy of traditional male roles in society, and why must it always be men who raise them to such positions (with the highly significant exception of Kameron Hurley’s The Stars are Legion—see review in GdM #11)? These are complex questions that are significant both in fiction and with regard to the resurgence of a global women’s movement.

Heloise joins a seemingly rising number of young, tough-as-nails female protagonists written by male authors in grim fantasy, including Nona from Mark Lawrence’s Red Sister, Thorn from Joe Abercrombie’s Half the World, and Pyrre from Brian Staveley’s Skullsworn. And Heloise is not alone in this story. She has other female friends, which separates The Armored Saint from a lot of old school fiction that features female characters who only relate to male characters, like the nearly non-existent female characters in The Lord of the Rings and the powerful but isolated female characters in A Game of Thrones, which shows that male writers are starting to “get it”: women are literally Half the World. I wonder if Heloise will continue to be the featured protagonist of The Sacred Throne trilogy; I can think of no reason why she shouldn’t. She is a complex, flawed, sympathetic character with huge balls… uh… I mean, gonads. If anything, she might be too ‘good’.

Which brings us to the big question. The Armored Saint is billed by its publisher as the start of “a new epic fantasy trilogy.” It remains to be seen how grimdark purists will receive it. Heloise and her father are ‘good’ people; there can be little argument about that. Because this is only the first entry in a trilogy, we cannot know yet if good will triumph over evil, but I expect it will. However, even though I enjoy grimdark as a favorite subgenre (IMHO) and love the morally grey sentiments that are central to it, I am very much looking forward to revisiting these complex characters and this terrifying world in the next installment in this gritty, dark, brutal, grim, fearsome but perhaps merely ‘epic’ series. Highly recommended.

The Armored Saint is expected to be released by Tor.com Books/Tom Doherty Associates on Feb 20, 2018. Our thanks go out to the publishers for sending us an advance copy.

Purchase a copy

Originally published in Grimdark Magazine #14.

Grimdark Magazine #14 is available for purchase from our catalogue.

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ANNOUNCEMENT: GdM Appoints New Cover Artist

When he left, Jason Deem walked away and left a huge hole in our ranks. We went through a pretty big process to come up with a new artist, including a Patreon poll to make sure we got the artist our fans wanted. And then came Carlos Diaz, who has blown us away with the opportunity his ability presents.

There are a few things that made us pick Carlos, but primarily these are the images that made us partner with this brilliant artist. I’m sure you’ll agree with his potential. Check it out below, and I’m sure you’ll agree we’re all very excited with what Carlos will come up with in Issue #20 with our October 1 2019 issue.

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REVIEW: Limited Wish by Mark Lawrence

I read One Word Kill a few weeks ago and was thrilled to get hold of an eARC of the sequel, Limited Wish.

If you liked book one, prepare to be just as entertained an engrossed with book two. The good news is that this book doesn’t suffer at all from “middle book syndrome” where the bridge from beginning to end of a trilogy often becomes the weakest link. Indeed, this is just as good if not better than the first book.

Limited Wish picks up a few months after the events of One Word Kill, as our party of adventurers settles back into their daily lives. Our narrator, Nick, has turned 16 and worked his way into admission at Trinity College in Cambridge, working as a protégé to a Professor in Mathematics. They’re working together on ideas with bending time, as Nick is convinced by his experiences in book one that he eventually invents a method of time travel.

As in book one, Nick and his friends get together each week to play their Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The book’s title reflects that, with the Limited Wish spell being one that has wondrous benefit but obvious limitations on it. It’s all in the wording of the wish. The campaign story runs parallel to our main story, where Nick is once again dealing with visitors from the future and having to avoid time paradoxes.

This time around, Lawrence ups the stakes from the first book. Nick still has the shadow of leukemia to haunt him and threaten to end his future before he can move to set it back to what it was, or is, supposed to be. We see that there are many alternate realities and possibilities, and Nick is determined to make sure that his reality is one where he isn’t killed by such things as his leukemia or the simple fact of the universe seeming to be out to kill him with random accidents. If that’s not enough, Nick and his friends are dealing with the aftermath of the events in book one, where they know certain parts of their futures and are dealing with the questions of how set in stone they are or if their current actions will change things up and create a Butterfly Effect.

This isn’t a rehash of the first book, but a deeper study into time bending and alteration, and the paradoxes that are formed when it’s attempted. At the centre of these ideas is the “time hammer”, which Nick will need to employ at a precise moment of convergence in order to set things “right”. It’s a bit of a mind twister for both Nick and the reader, but Lawrence pulls it off in ways that make sense scientifically and make sense to the layman reader.

I’m recommending the Impossible Times trilogy as one of the top reads of 2019, and very much looking forward to the conclusion in November. I can see this series down the road as an essential re-read, as there will be lots of little things to snap into place the second time around. Perhaps the time hammer will make elements click that might have been overlooked with the first reading.

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REVIEW: One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence

Though I often read more than one book at a time, I generally keep to a rule that I have for myself which prevents me from reading multiple books by the same author. With One Word Kill, I made an exception. My current audiobook is Holy Sister, also by Mark Lawrence, but since it is such a different genre and setting, I didn’t think it would be a problem. I was correct, as the only thing that carried over into this book was Lawrence’s great storytelling.

Nick is a teenager that just wants to get through school and get to the weekends when he can enjoy the D&D (Dungeons and Dragons) sessions he has with a small group of friends. He might even be interested in kissing a girl, but that comes later. At the beginning of our story, Nick has learned that he has leukemia, and the prognosis isn’t that great. Talk about a chilling way to end the first paragraph of the novel:

“As unwilling to speculate as he was, I think even Dr. Parsons would have assured me that the cancer would give me the next four weeks. But as it turned out, I would die even before February got into its stride.”

Wow! Right there Lawrence hooks and scares his readers from the first. But of course, we want to know what happened next, and how Nick is narrating this story.

Before long, we’re getting right into the meat of the game, which has a storyline with parallels to what happens to the group in the real world. We soon learn the significance of the book’s title and see how it relates to both the game and the struggles that our characters face through the course of learning of Nick’s cancer and dealing with other social issues that plague the group. Nick’s perspective is changed through the book as he starts to look at the world differently, knowing that his time may very well be limited.

From reading reviews, I’ve seen that this book is sometimes described as Stranger Things meets Ready Player One. As far as tone, I would agree, but for content not as much. I do see the definite Stranger Things parallel, as we have a small group of teenagers getting together to play their D&D game each week, and weird stuff happens that run in sequence alongside the D&D campaign. But other than the first-person quasi science fiction story going on, I didn’t really see it as all that similar to Ready Player One. But that’s still not a bad way to set expectations with approach to this book.

Regardless of comparisons, the only thing that’s important with One Word Kill is that it be read immediately. Mark Lawrence has become one of my favorite authors, and he shows here that whatever the genre, he’s a master of bringing good characters to life with fantastic prose and plot. It’s exciting to know that the other two books in this trilogy will be out later this year.

Buy One Word Kill by Mark Lawrence

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REVIEW: The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

The first fantasy series that I ever read was Stephen King’s epic The Dark Tower. Looking back, it is by no means my favourite fantasy series however it opened the door for me to this wonderful genre that I’ve loved for seven years. In similar fashion to the Russian doll-esque tale featured in The Wind Through the Keyhole, there is a story within a story with reference to my experiences too.

This review features one major spoiler for the series yet is referenced in the novel’s forward by King himself and a few minor spoilers.

When I was a wide-eyed 9-year-old, my grandfather read Stephen King’s Wizard and Glass to me, the book that chronologically precedes this entry. I remember adoring those times and they remain one of my most beloved memories. A train that challenged its passengers to riddles? It was amazing. Instead of that book, I decided to re-experience this narrative as an older, wiser and uglier person.

Here, the Gunslinger Roland presents a tale to his ka-tet (mid-world terminology for his crew) about a younger Roland who had just received his guns and the esteemed title of Gunslinger.

“None of us can sleep,” Jake said. “So tell us a story.”

Many years prior he meets a young lad called Bill who is about the age I was when my grandfather would read to me. Things are not looking great for Bill at present. His father has just been brutally murdered by a skin-man. This being is similar to what we are aware of through the myths and stories of werewolves but this version can change into many different animals as and when it deems necessary, such as a bear or a crocodile. This nightmare of a being has savagely attacked and mutilated far too many people in this quaint little town. From the minors to the working folk. Nobody is excluded from this creature’s wrath.

The skin-changer is the reason that 16-year-old Roland and his gunslinger companion Jamie DeCurry are here. They have been assigned a task to find and eliminate this threat. Bill escaped the massacre and witnessed the beast in its changed, grotesque form. Roland wishes to question the young gentleman but if things couldn’t get any worse a Starkblast is on the horizon. This is a behemothic tempest and storm concoction that can obliterate all and rip entire settlements to shreds. To keep Bill calm during the event after they are safely secure Roland promises to present one of his favourite tales that his mother used to tell him when he was a little lad called The Wind Through the Keyhole.

“The stories we hear in our childhood are the ones we remember all our lives.” – That’s why I picked up this book again in memory of my grandfather as I felt it was fitting.

It’s not the finest The Dark Tower outing. I would say however though that it is definitely in the top-4. After the events of Wizard and Glass when the ka-tet leaves the land that was not Oz and before they arrive at Thunderclap and End-world, this story takes place. About 80-pages, comprising of the beginning and the end of the narrative is dedicated to the ‘current day’ Roland. These set the scene and then wrap up the happenings nicely before the gang is seen next in The Wolves of the Calla. To me, this was simply ‘bubble-gum’ reading and easy going rather than the sort of depth that comes later. It’s great to be back with Eddie, Oy, Susannah, Roland, and Jake again. The banter between the ka-tet is as fluent, tight, humorous and natural as ever. It brought me many smiles after a long time away. Oy was always one of my favourite animal companions in fantasy books up there with Ghost (ASOI&F) and Storm (F&TF). It’s a nice touch that Bully Bumblers are important throughout with the many upcoming storms.

About a 100-pages are regarding younger Roland who has wisdom beyond his years. The rest of this metaphorical story cake is the portion about the magically haunting fairy tale that features Tim Stoutheart.

The first story within a story is when Roland is sent on a mission with Jamie by his father, the legendary Gunslinger Stephen Deschain. A descendant of the line of Arthur Eld. There are a couple of neat sections here that enhance Roland’s fathers already exceptional reputation. His body is a map of scars. This is the segment that grimdark fans will enjoy the most. It features a few heads being ripped off and devoured, also absolute catastrophic bloody murderous destruction, and a sometimes confused young Gunslinger. Naturally gifted, of course, but in these early escapades lacks the finesse during certain choices yet at the same time blows the metaphorical doors off with other intense analysis that then leads to very fine decisions. He’s still a flawed work in progress and is living with the demon on his shoulder regarding the fact that he murdered his mother.

The main meat on the narrative is the story within the story within the story. This section is a dim, dark fairy tale, yet even though terrible parts happen throughout there is always an underlining element of hope. This segment reminded me of the writing King did in one of his other fantasy endevours The Eyes of the Dragon and the Yarnsworld series by self-published author Benedict Patrick. I’ll try not to say too much in detail about this part other than it features true love between family, betrayal, alcoholism, murder, a dragon, a forbidden forest, a mischevious fairy, and a couple of magicians. Readers of the main series will know one of these very well. It also features a Starkblast as do the other two storylines and to conclude, this section is enlightening, fulfilling and magical.

I truly enjoyed reading this book again and devoured it within a handful of days. King states that this entry should be placed between book #4 and #5. I agree chronologically, yes, but to be read in that order, no. The reason being is that the majority of Wizard and Glass is a Roland flashback tale from his younger days, as it The Wind Through the Keyhole. As a first time reader, I would not wish to spend approximately 900 pages away from the main narrative. I read it originally after I had completed the main series and it sat well there. I’d either read it first or last in the series if I knew what I know now. A fine entry point but also a good final goodbye to the world to those who found the finale of The Dark Tower unfulfilling, leaving a bad taste in their mouth. In the later order, it might make things seem a bit better.

Thankee Sai for reading.

Final note:- The few pages of artwork by Jae Lee, as it is with the graphic novels, are absolutely spectacular!

Purchase Stephen King’s The Wind Through the Keyhole

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