Adrian Collins's Blog, page 236

REVIEW: Beyond the Shadows Volume One – A Grimdark Anthology

It’s always an exciting thing to see a new anthology of grimdark stories when it’s released. Great artwork typically pulls me in along with a list of stories promising lots of grit, swords, and dismemberment.

This was no exception, even though it was a compilation of indie authors. No problem, as anthologies are a great way to discover new voices in fantasy.

Beyond the Shadows was a fun collection, though I found it to be a bit of a mixed bag, as many are. There was the good, the bad, and definitely the ugly. In this book, we are introduced to such things as immortal beings trying to blend into society, traders in an untamed wilderness hunting river monsters, an interrogation of a gnoll war leader, some power sucking urchin eaters, the solving of domestic abuse issues with dark witchcraft, pirates turned military in an Asian setting with Haitian magic, queens giving birth to twins while holding court over accused traitors, warrior women with male “peons” serving them on a suicide mission, a spoiled brat of an inheriting teen coming to terms with his own vileness, soldiers in mech suits baiting dragons, gunslinger sorceries in a Western landscape, a mercenary band trying to survive on a weird island, and the last soldier standing against a horde of undead led by a super necromancer.

But beyond all of this were two stories that stood out above the rest. These are two tales that will have me looking up their authors and adding titles to my To Be Read list.

First of these was I, Legion by T. O. Munro. This was an excellent story, with a main character burdened with a creepy power of absorbing the souls of those she has killed. She inherits their abilities and knowledge, but has to live with their crazy personalities in her head.

The second was Stiff’s Standoff by Jamie Edmundson. This was a great take on the mercenary band theme facing impossible odds but finding unexpected solutions, with a great combination of grit and humor that is the trademark of good grimdark. Like the story mentioned before, there were a lot of twists and unexpected surprises, especially for a story this short.

The rest of the pack was interesting, if not as wonderful as these two 5-star tales. Honestly, there is a lot to like and something for everybody, but a good number of these fall short due to the editing. There were some great ideas that could have been a lot better with some solid polishing.

All in all, this was a pleasing experience, and I’m happy to say that there are several authors worth further exploration. There are several promising careers in fantasy writing showcased here.

Purchase Beyond the Shadows now

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REVIEW: The Ruthless by Peter Newman

I received an advanced copy of The Ruthless in an exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Peter Newman and Harper Voyager for this opportunity. Spoilers for The Deathless in this review.

The Ruthless is set sixteen-years after the finale of The Deathless. During this time Lady Pari Tanzanite has been between lives and the narrative begins with her rebirth into a younger vessel. Throughout this period Mother Chandri has been raising her son Satyendra who is the proposed rebirth vessel for Sapphire Lord Rochant but without Chandri being aware, there is utter evil inside her son and he might not give up his life so easily. The youth Sa-at has been living amongst the trees, the terrors, and his birdkin friend Crowflies in the Wilds. Finally, Lord Vasin has been trying, slowly, to gain support from the other houses in his mission to remove Yadavendra as House Sapphire’s High Lord. During this time too, the monstrosities and horrors of the wild have been acting too and Lord Vasin now travels to assist House Ruby who has been attacked frequently by the numerous grotesque beings. Something is different with these attacks from the once thought of as brainless terror-inducing creatures, almost as if they are planned, organised, and have an endgame.

My reading pace was slow initially and this is due to the complexity and depth of the crafted world. In addition, it took me some time to reacquaint myself with the dramatis personae. I was trying to put a jigsaw together in my mind reminding me who certain characters were, who they were affiliated with, who their ex-lovers were, who they were plotting against etc… It took me about five chapters until everything fell back into place. The chapters are approximately 15-20 pages and after the slow beginning, were intensely addictive. The story follows 5-6 point of view perspectives, the majority of which we will be familiar with from the first book, and that of Satyendra.

My favourite sections to read about were those of Sa-at’s escapades with him trying to survive in the Wild. As a wildborn, he has affiliations and agreements with the aspects of the dangerous Wilds including pacts with trees, birds and even the notorious Murderkind. His development is one of The Ruthless‘ standout elements, as are the set-pieces that happen to him throughout. So of the most grotesque segments happen through his seasoned but still sometimes childlike viewpoint. Crowflies is still an amazingly well-crafted companion who he has a telepathic link with. I adore wildlife companions in fantasy.

The other two real standout perspectives are those of Satyendra and Lord Vasin. Satyendra’s inner dark thoughts are intense and chilling but he paints a perfect to picture to all those around him. Lord Vasin, the Deathless hunter was my favourite character from the last book, and I loved the progression here. He’s up to his neck in complex plots, propositions, and plans with the aim of saving his exiled mother’s life and returning House Sapphire to glory.

Like it’s predecessor, The Ruthless still very much revolves around the Floating Cities, The Godsroads, The Wilds and The Deathless. The latter being elite almost superhero overpowered hunters who wear winged armour, Paralympian runner-style blades and protect the world from the unspeakable terrors that lurk in the depths of the Wilds. Although more complex, I believe this book exceeds its predecessor in almost every way and I rated that 4.5-stars. Many of the set-pieces blew my mind especially an event that took place in a swamp and another that happened within a throne room. Some of the revelations, twists, and shocks I did not see coming at all. I adore novels that I can’t predict and this is definately a novel that ticks that box. One of the most developed, unique, and thrilling fantasy series currently being written. This is highly recommended to all grimdark and dark fantasy readers, and anyone who enjoys political or horror-tinged fantasy drama. Also, there is a moment at the very end I won’t discuss, but just wow, it was one of my favourite scenes from anything I’ve read in a long time.

Finally, I would highly recommend not reading this book unless you have read The Deathless. My review of which can be found here.

Pre-order The Ruthless by Peter Newman

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COMPETITION: Win a signed hardcover of PRIEST OF BONES by Peter McLean

Our most difficult to please reviewer, malrubius, said this about Priest of Bones by Peter McLean in his review, “Fans of the Black Company, Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, and the like will surely eat up Priest of Bones. Highly recommended.”

In other words, if you’re a fan of this site, this book should be right up your alley. Which makes an opportunity to win a signed and dedicated copy of the hardcover something to get excited about! A few quick clicks is all it takes, so get in for a chance to win.

Enter the competition

We’re using Rafflecopter to help give away this prize to a randomly chosen winner, so use the tool below to post your entries. The more you help us spread the word, the more chances you have to win.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Our review for priest of bones

Priest of Bones is the new fantasy novel by Peter McLean, author of the Burned Man urban fantasy series. It is a decidedly grim and dark, not-for-the-kiddies-thank-god, story that essentially recounts a turf war in the city of Ellinburg, told by one of its gang leaders, Thomas Piety, an army priest. With its fast-moving plot, intense conflicts, interesting characters, and compelling narrative, Priest of Bones is sure to be among the favourite reads for grimdark fantasy fans this year. I am already looking forward to its follow-up in what will eventually become the War for the Rose Throne series.

Read the rest of the review, here.

Our review for book 2 Priest of Lies

We return to Ellinburg following the first person perspective of gangster boss Thomas Piety, the head of the Pious Men. The way that McLean writes led me to feel like I was actually walking the streets of The Stink, enjoying a mug of beer in the Tanner’s Arms and that I was almost a member of the Pious Men myself. When a fantasy world has me that invested then it is difficult for an author to do much wrong. Since I read Priest of Bones I have read about 100 books so I always worry when returning to a fictional world after I’ve spent too much time away. Will I remember the characters? Political agendas? Warring factions? Etc… With Priest of Lies, I need not have worried. The reading experience at the beginning was like trying on a favourite hat that I thought I’d lost to find out that it still fitted perfectly and I still looked good in it! I fitted in with the world here again straight away and it was a great feeling.

Read the rest of the review, here.

 

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REVIEW: Seven Blades in Black by Sam Sykes

“Before you embark on a journey of vengeance,” the old adage goes, “dig two graves.” Sal the Cacophony, the protagonist of Sam Sykes’ new Seven Blades in Black, didn’t get the memo. Betrayed by those she loved and trusted most, Sal was robbed of her magic and left for dead. Armed with a sentient gun, a bottle of whiskey, and a fistful of spell-worked bullets, readers follow Sal as she carves a path of destruction across the blasted wasteland of the Scar in relentless pursuit of the thirty-three mages who took everything from her. After all, what are a paltry two graves to a woman who’s filled cemeteries?

Readers receive a firsthand account of Sal’s bloody vendetta from the woman herself. In terms of structure, the majority of the novel is a first-person frame narrative with Sal recounting the events that led to her capture moments before her impending execution. As the lead character and protagonist, Sal is a fascinating dumpster fire of a human being with a drinking problem, an itchy trigger finger, and an unforgettable narrative voice. While I sometimes struggle with stories told in flashback, I felt like this slightly unconventional structure did a great job of putting readers in the interrogation room with Sal and allowed her to tell her story to best effect. On the whole, I found Sal to be a first-class antihero with all of the depth, realism, and moral complexity the archetype entails.

In her hunt for the wizards who wronged her, Sal is joined by an idealistic soldier named Cavric and Liette, a sorcerous artificer who’s smarter than everyone else and damn well knows it. While both of these characters were complex enough to stand on their own, their dynamic and interactions with Sal and each other truly made them shine. Cavric’s wide-eyed optimism, for example, paired nicely with Sal’s frank cynicism and led to some great dialogue and top-notch development for both characters. On the other side of the conflict, the mages who oppose them make for equally compelling antagonists—my personal favorite being the nightmarish Taltho the Scourge, a half-insane illusionist with slashed-off lips and dead trees tattooed up and down his arms.

At just over 700 pages, this substantial book could likely be considered a bludgeoning weapon in some countries, but solid pacing, cinematic action, and the constant tension and high stakes of Sal’s hunt keep the plot moving and pages turning at a timely clip. Among these factors, I found the fight scenes to be a real standout. On social media, Sykes has discussed the Japanese-RPG-inspired roots of this novel, and the anime-esque scale and aesthetics of every wizard Sal duels translate surprisingly well to the written word. More importantly, I thought the author did a great job of avoiding pulpy blow-by-blow action and instead offered up conflicts full of emotion—feelings of betrayal, rage, and tragedy—that really gripped me as a reader and made me care about who walked out alive.

While this book leans more toward heroic fantasy than grimdark, the sorcery-scorched wastelands of the Scar are bleak and bloody enough to satisfy any fan of the subgenre. And beyond the charred earth, impoverished Freeholds, and the flesh-stealing horrors that populate it, the factions that war over the land are little better off. The Revolution is composed primarily of brainwashed zealots and the leaders who exploit them and carelessly waste their lives. The Imperium is a nation of decadent, opera-loving wizard aristocrats where non-magical citizens (Nuls) are little more than enslaved serfs. Haven is a theocracy ruled by a horrific priesthood and the disturbing magic their god grants them. All in all, the Scar and the surrounding world provide an excellent backdrop for a protagonist as morally complex as Sal and a great sandbox for her adventure.

On the subject of worldbuilding, the novel’s magic system was one of my favorite elements. The Imperium’s mages pay a price called the Trade whenever they cast a spell, and the short and long-term costs of this bargain vary by what form of sorcery they practice. Nightmages for example, can weave illusions and beguile the senses of their foes with waking dreams. In exchange, they gradually lose their ability to sleep without horrific nightmares and become warped by chronic insomnia. Gatemages can teleport in the blink of an eye and move legions with little preparation at the cost of temporary (and eventually permanent) paralysis. While this magic system was more art than Sandersonian science with hard and fast rules, the Trade’s sense of tragic romanticism really worked for me as a reader.

Darker elements aside, this book is far from bleak. Seven Blades in Black is a fun-as-hell read, and fans of Sykes’s previous work (or his Twitter account) will recognize and enjoy his usual humor. In addition to some familiar elements (giant aerial combat birds, feuding powers turning cities into battlegrounds, etc.), Seven Blades in Black contains the same wildly inventive worldbuilding and deeply emotional stakes that made the Bring Down Heaven trilogy excellent. Overall, I can wholeheartedly give this book five stars and recommend it to any reader with an interest in sorcery, a thirst for vengeance, or the simple craving for a good novel.

Buy a copy

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REVIEW: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George RR Martin

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a collection of three novellas that are set a generation or two before the events of A Song and Ice and Fire. In the third person perspective, we follow Dunk or as he tailors himself – Ser Duncan the Tall. The first narrative is named The Hedge Knight and we are presented to our protagonist as he is burying his former mentor for whom he used to squire. It’s a touching start, and an interesting introduction to Dunk. He is planning to go to a tourney in Ashford and at a crossroads inn he meets Egg, who he assumes is a stable boy. This boy decides to follow Dunk without permission, wanting to squire for him, and eventually it transpires that he is of royal blood and would eventually become Aegon V, protector of the realm, etc… He is the brother of Aemon Targaryen who becomes Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch and at this time Bloodraven is the Hand of the King. This is the gentleman who becomes the three-eyed-raven.

“Dunk the lunk, thick as a castle wall.”

At 17 years old, almost 7-foot-tall, strong and with weight and reach in his favour, Dunk is a formidable Hedge Knight. Essentially, he is a Knight who travels throughout the 7 Kingdoms doing jobs he deems true and honourable for coin. Dunk is as true and decent as any Knight you would have read about in A Song of Ice and Fire and there is a fan theory that Brienne is a descendant of his and I can totally believe that. We are presented the tale from his mind and he talks himself down over explaining his stupidity. I never really saw him as being dim. He can’t read, he has never kissed a girl and he doesn’t really have people skills but some of the supporting cast and villains who can and have done these come across as more vile and horrid when reflected against Dunk’s honesty, loyalty and general goodheartedness.

Egg is a pretty amazing character. Even though he has Targaryen purple eyes he shaves his head so his gold/silver hair doesn’t make it completely obvious regarding his lineage. And he has a silly straw hat! He is described as being as wise as a maester but still only 10. He knows the history of the majority of the nation’s houses and can name who someone is just by seeing the paintwork on their shields. He is also quick of tongue sometimes to his detriment, especially when these 3 novella’s often discuss the Targaryan Blackfyre rebellion and hints at seeds of which are still spread throughout the land. I read this after I read GRRM’s Fire and Blood and the knowledge I gained regarding the Targaryan’s there did enhance my experience although it isn’t truly necessary to read in that order. I think this could be thoroughly enjoyed by someone who has not yet read the main series. It’s not all pretty and it does feature numerous deaths, violence and backstabbing but from Dunk’s perspective, these stories present a lot more hope and goodness than we are accustomed to from a typical Westeros tale.

When I read this I had had one of the worst weeks of my life. If I believed in guardian angels I would think that mine made me pick up this book at this time instead of the other 1000 books on my to-be-read list. This story was exactly what I needed. Interesting, funny, about friendship with elements of trust, mystery and excitement. I’ve always looked down upon reviewers who rate a book 6/5 as I think it makes no sense. After this scenario and how this book has helped me recover then this is the closest I will ever get to giving that rating. It’s the best novel I’ve read this year and I can’t wait to read about more Dunk and Egg.

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Review: Son of the Black Sword by Larry Correia

I first came across Larry Correia while I was doing what most failed writers do—browsing the internet to find out how I can become a better writer instead of actually writing. Correia and author John Brown (The Dark God series) were doing a writing seminar that someone had kindly posted to YouTube. Correia seemed genuinely enthusiastic about writing gritty, entertaining SFF. When I searched out his books at the time, however, I found that both his Monster Hunter series and his Grimnoir Chronicles featured guys and gals with large machine-guns on the cover, and I’m just not that into guns. So I never delved into Mr. Correia’s oeuvre. Well, that changed recently when I surfed across Son of the Black Sword on Amazon and decided to give it a try.  Overall, with a few reservations, I’m glad I did. Although it’s not what I would call a literary masterpiece (see last issue’s review of Ian Tregillis’s The Mechanical), I enjoyed it and I think Grimdark Magazine readers will enjoy it as well.

Son of the Black Sword is a heroic fantasy novel set in a medieval-style world of magic swords, archaic magic elements and relics, and plenty of war. The story follows Ashok, the reluctant hero—a somewhat typical downcast orphan with a mysterious past, who finds himself on the wrong side of, well, pretty much everything—on his quest for justice. But do justice and ‘the Law’ always coincide? Ashok must find out, whether he wants to or not, and the stakes are high. Luckily, he has his sentient black steel sword, Angruvadal (think of a slightly nicer sibling to Elric’s Stormbringer) by his side to slay anyone who gets in his way.

Ashok is a Protector, an enforcer of the Law that has replaced the mysticism and superstition of the Age of Kings. Protectors have a secret force, the Heart of the Mountain, which gives Ashok nearly unbeatable strength, agility, sensory perception, endurance and pretty much anything a hero would need to kill his enemies—breakers of the Law. And Ashok, the Black Heart, is as ruthless and deadly a Protector as has ever been known.

But Ashok is not the only character who has a stake in this melee, and as such, he is not the only viewpoint character in Son of the Black Sword. Jagdish is a dishonoured guard/warrior of the House Vadal, who hopes to regain his honour and give his loving wife a respectable life. Rada is a librarian and scholar. She puts her life on the line to find out exactly how their land, Lok, transformed from the Age of Kings to the Age of Law in the first place. Keta is a religious disciple, a Keeper of Names, who hopes to bring back the spirit of Ramrowan, the great hero who rid the land of demons and forced them into the oceans. He is convinced that a prophet has foreseen the coming of a great hero to bring spirituality back to Lok.

Correia sets this complex tale in a well-wrought story world.  Lok is a place where many feudal Houses compete for pre-eminence, and the rise of one House often depends on the fall of another.  Within the Houses is a rigid caste system in which movement seems nearly impossible.  While the ‘firsters’ wine and dine in fancy clothes, the ‘casteless non-beings’ labour at the worst tasks to earn a barely subsistent living.  In between rich and poor, warriors, workers, and merchants maintain their stations. Demons, relics of a past religious apocalypse, inhabit the oceans and occasionally take to land to create mayhem, as if this world needed more mayhem than its humans already create. Embedded in the world are some very compelling and vivid settings—a prison for Law breakers, a river barge floating under a well-defended bridge crammed with archers, a ‘firsters’ party, a mountain trek, an icy village, and several other nicely painted backgrounds that figure adroitly into the action. I really felt like I was standing in a pink slushy mixture of blood and snow fighting Somsak warriors or chasing a demon through a web of rope bridges in a coastal slum village. Correia obviously gave this a lot of thought with the intent of creating a home for an expansive story world, and it pays off for the reader.

Most of the novel is pretty much just people sitting in taverns and talking in this really cool story world. Just kidding! There are some fuckin’ epic battles and fights that take place in Son of the Black Sword (‘cause if there weren’t, I’m pretty much fired at this point). Corriea obviously loves a good fight and has taken great pains to make the timing and details of the fight scenes in Son of the Black Sword just right to kick your arse. There are a great variety of frays here. At first I worried that Ashok would be fighting faceless demons for 400+ pages, but not so, my friend—the many fights and battles are staged between well-motivated characters and factions from all walks of life, giving the story world a spectrum of violence that can stand up with the best grimdark. Prepare for a shower of skull shards, broken teeth, and bloody clots of brain. Bring an umbrella.

Underlying the brutality of Son of the Black Sword, however, is a reasonably interesting theme that pits the Law against what’s morally right. Should we do what we do because it’s the law or because it’s right? It’s not earth-shatteringly original but it provides a nice depth to the story’s conflicts. Similarly, moments that pit the Law against religion nicely complement the conflict of Law and justice. It’s complex enough to form the background for a many-threaded story.

The wow factor, though, in Son of the Black Sword comes from a faction of wizards who seek to emerge from secrecy by possessing Angruvadal, Ashok’s sword. Luckily for the reader, they are not wizards with pointy hats who clumsily summon something-or-other by waving plastic wands. Wizards in Lok are mercenary assassins and shapeshifters whose magic is both mysterious and illegal.  More importantly, when they walk out a window into thin air or fly down like a cluster of vultures, a sense of wonder, the true measure of good SFF, is conjured. Again, not necessarily su generis, but vivid and entertaining.

There are just a few nagging hangnails in Son of the Black Sword that keep me from recommending it without reservations.  First, there’s Ashok.  When I began reading I hoped the entire novel would be in his (third-person-close) point of view.  He’s a sympathetic hero and a total badarse.  By halfway through, however, I realized that might not be a good idea because at times he is so inflexible that I wondered if he’s an idiot.  Additionally, there are moments when Correia’s overall pretty good writing could have been better. For example, when Ashok, simmering for vengeance, returns to House Vadal after many years away, he says, of all things, ‘I have returned!’  Well, duh?  Also there is some cheesy hyperbolic nonsense like ‘The world turned to blood’ and ‘he dragged his meat shield [a dead body]…’ and ‘the morning filled once more with flying death [arrows]’. This kind of purple prose always diminishes my enjoyment of a story and makes me wonder if I should just go have a beer instead.

Nevertheless, Son of the Black Sword is an engrossing read that should entertain fans of grimdark with its main character caught in a crucible between justice and the Law; its gruesome and well-choreographed fights; its wide array of complicated, well-motivated bad guys and diverse viewpoint characters; and its pitiless and complex story world. I recommend reading this one, book one in the Saga of the Forgotten Warrior series.

Son of the Black Sword was published by Baen Books on 15 October, 2015.

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Originally published in Grimdark Magazine #6.

Grimdark Magazine #6 is available for purchase from our catalogue.

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REVIEW: A Collection of Obsessions by Michael R. Fletcher

Rarely do I find myself drawn to fiction without knowing much about the person behind the words. Perhaps it’s a part of my training as a researcher, or just me being a know-it-all, but I love to understand how the weaver of words cobbled their fiction together. Michael R. Fletcher‘s A Collection of Obsessions taps into this passion for what we have in his collection of short stories is a treat for those interested in not only the writing process, but the struggles, the highs, and the lows of being a writer.

Before I proceed, I’m going to mention that this is not going to be a normal review. That would be a disservice to Fletcher’s work here. I cannot review seventeen short stories in a reasonable amount of space, so I’m going to examine the few that really stood out to me and of course, the commentary Fletcher offers the reader in between his stories.

Obsessions is no simple collection of tales. It is, as the title suggests, a collection of obsessions that Fletcher has developed over the course of his artistic career. The shorts range between cyberpunk to fantasy to semi-autobiographic and historical. Some have been previously published in Grimdark Magazine and other publications, some have been hidden away until now. There are slight grammatical errors (or as Fletcher would call them, ‘beautiful flaws’) and the constant returning to his preferred themes of sanity, death and undeath, and the concept of what makes humans human.

Perhaps ironically to Fletcher, I found myself mostly drawn into his unpublished and semi-autobiographical works, which is an anomaly for me. There is a rawness and energy in these stories that perked my cynical mien and drew me in more than I initially thought possible. My favourite story out of the seventeen, Less than 20/20, is one of these unpublished gems that has been critically underrated by the various publishers. It is an unusual piece that features a scuzzbag named Mark that speaks to his future self through emails. The formatting is exceptional (Fletcher has a penchant for playing with form) and the story goes as well as you would except for a scuzzbag with access to communicating with his future self. It is gritty, jovial, and I had a blast reading it.

The Summer of ’79 is another one of Fletcher’s underrated shorts that treads a fine line between autobiography and fantasy. This short read as if it was being told to me by a child. Fletcher immerses the reader in an almost dreamy landscape of childhood innocence and imagination which evoked a warmness in me that I thought was long dormant. ’79 personally hit me hard as it reminded me of my childhood and the wanderlust that comes with being an adventurous little hellion.

Fletcher’s first fiction sale, Artificial Stupidity, is another standout and one that left me pondering for a long while. I am fascinated with A.I., robots, cyberpunk themes, and anything else to do with computers in fiction, and  Artificial Stupidity delivers on the simple notion of depicting a rather simple machine. It is common knowledge to think of A.I. as being far beyond our intellect, as depicted in various films and novels, but Fletcher reroutes that trope and perfectly turns it around. Artificial Stupidity is short and sweet, and it left me wanting to read more hilarious lines from the juvenile A.I.!

Though I only mentioned three stories, Fletcher’s other works are definitely well worth reading. His fantasy collection (which some of you Grimdark Magazine readers may be familiar with) is superbly written and his cyberpunk works are intriguing.  As mentioned above, this is no mere collection of short stories, but a journey throughout Fletcher’s mind, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about his writing and his methodology. I appreciated learning about his failures and relished in his triumphs. His stories felt personal, gritty, and loved, and I felt connected to Fletcher on a far more personal level.

I have no real criticisms of this collection, for how can one criticise a living, breathing piece of art that depicts the method behind someone’s madness? There are some inconsistencies, editing mistakes, and some slight inconsistencies, but as Fletcher mentioned during his introduction to Fire and Flesh: ‘The story is what it is, and rewriting and editing it now would be lying about what it was (and where I was)’.

A Collection of Obsessions is one of those rare gems that excites me every time I think about it. I want to recommend this to not only everyone familiar with Fletcher’s works, science fiction and fantasy affictionatos, but also writers and writing students. This is a deep dive into the psyche of a fiction writer, someone that has faced hundreds of rejections, gone through the publication process, and is a valuable voice to guide those starting out. Read. Muse. Ponder. And write, write, write, write, and write some more.

Pre-order one of the best short fiction collection we’ve laid hands on

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COVER REVEAL: A Collection of Obsessions by Michael R. Fletcher

Michael R. Fletcher’s A Collection of Obsessions is described in our review as, “A deep dive into the psyche of a fiction writer, someone that has faced hundreds of rejections, gone through the publication process, and is a valuable voice to guide those starting out.” This magnificent collection includes 17 brilliant short fiction stories featuring Fletcher’s full range of cyberpunk to fantasy to semi-autobiographic and historical works. And it’s those commentaries and semi-autobiographic works that give a deep insight into the man and his process and why it’s important that his daughter create his cover.

Without further ado…

The reveal

Here it is!

Check out the review!

If you haven’t yet checked out our review, go have a look now. If it doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will. Click here.

Pre-order this masterpiece, now

Make sure you get yourself a copy immediately.

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REVIEW: From The Wreck by Jane Rawson

I received an uncorrected proof and a finished version of From The Wreck in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Jane Rawson and Picador. This review is based on the final product. *Minor spoilers*

But I, awakened from sleep, considered in my excellent heart whether to drop from the deck and die right there in the sea or endure, keep silent, go on being of the living.

– Homer – Odyssey

Rawson’s Aurealis award-winning novel is a unique, intelligent and thought-provoking alternative history / science fiction merger. This narrative begins with an incident set on the Admella, a real-life steamship that was wrecked on Carpenters Reach in 1859. George Hills, the main character is an alternative version of a gentleman who was actually Rawson’s great-great-grandfather. He was on the aforementioned ship as it hit the reef and was one of the few survivors who lasted over a week at sea with very little substance. Naked, drifting, without any sort of nourishment on the wreck, in this version, George befriends – if you can call it that when freezing, close to death and having to make brutal life changing decisions – a young lady who he canoodles with whilst waiting for the inevitable watery end that awaits them all.

After many days, he is fortunately rescued by a lifeboat and the lady he was embracing named Bridget disappears. George tries to continue with his life and eventually gets married, has a decent job, and raises three children. But not a day passes where he doesn’t suffer from a kind of post-traumatic stress disorder. Replaying the events in his mind. Having trouble breathing. Falling down. Having terrible dreams. And also feeling like he is no longer a human. That the human died during those days and he is part of the ocean. His storyline is mainly about how he handles reality and his life which on paper is flowing perfectly. There is always a part of his mind that wants to find out where and who the woman he was with on the wreckage is and what/if anything, she did to change him.

We follow George’s 3rd-person point of view perspective, as well as his young son Henry’s and a mysterious neighbour’s. There is another, poetically written 1st-otherworldly-being, siren, wraith, shapeshifter, what on earth is the thing-perspective that although initially confusing has an ethereal and elegant quality. Haunting and dreamlike. This section that I have written may sound confusing and these sections initially do not seem to make much sense either. To the extent where I nearly put the book down after the second chapter. But, keep with it. It is definitely not nonsense and fits the story expertly.

It’s really difficult with a story that is this original to discuss some of the events that happen without spoiling the plot, tone, and the unique directions that the narrative takes us. Some of the scenes are extremely emotional, especially when told from a child’s perspective. How can a scene where someone talks about counting stones make me want to cry? There are twists, elements of utter sadness, horror, uncertainty, mental breakdowns, blood-drinking headless monsters, a birthmark that eats food, a cat that turns up when she wants to, a baby boy who lives in a drawer. It’s a unique literature cocktail that reads like a classic work of fiction would if the author was warped on hallucinogenics – but focuses on family, heart and goodness as much as paranoia, uncertainty and wanting to cut a part off of a member of your own family – in a world where nobody quite knows what is happening to the ensemble we witness. The ending blew me away and I can confirm that this is one of the strangest, most original, intense, beautiful yet in someways hauntingly horrific books I have ever read.

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The post REVIEW: From The Wreck by Jane Rawson appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

Enter the Dragons: Richard A Knaak’s fiery fiends

To me, dragons are the epitome of magic and fantasy. They are epic in both proportion and power. With fifty novels in the fantasy genre, I’ve created my share. I’ve worked on dragons in my own worlds and helped develop those in others. I’ve always attempted to make them different from one another, at least in some regard, so that each world has something unique to give to the reader. In fact, I actually think that dragons themselves offer that opportunity just for being who and what they are. Below, are a few prime examples, including my latest, the dragon from the Black City Saint series.

The Dragon Kings and the drakes of the Dragonrealm

My first creation, the Dragonrealm has been, and continues to be, an active part of my career from its inception. The simple explanation is that many of the lands in the series begin under the claws of shape-shifting ruler of a race that has two basic forms. Giant dragons and, for the males, scaly-armored knights. The females are a bit more successful, managing what appears to be more elven forms.

The truth is, however, that there is a reason that a human form has more and more appeal to them. The drake race of the Dragonrealm shares the same ancestor as the humans—an ancient race of sorcerers called the Vraad. Through desperate manipulation of spells, some of the Vraad attempted to escape their dying world by transporting their spirits to remotely-created human bodies strengthened by the essence of animalistic dragons discovered in what would become the Dragonrealm. That plan backfired badly, resulting in them becoming sentient dragons who, with a few exceptions, forgot their lives. Their descendants remain mostly unaware, but newer drakes sometimes seem more and more human again… which may only make them more sinister.

 

 

The dragon folk and the dragon who judges gods

In my more recent Rex Draconis saga, there is a very distinct and tumultuous group of gods suddenly become more interested again in the mortal world. Some have good intentions, others do not. They can be glorious and they can be petty. Yet, in Tiberos, the world of the series, there is a power even greater than them, set by an enigmatic force to try to ensure that the world stays in some sort of balance. The title refers to the legend of a powerful dragon that even the gods fear, but who is so rarely seen that even the deities wonder if he still exists. He moves in subtle ways, using agents who may or may not understand they serve him. Despite his vast power, Rex Draconis wields it judiciously, well aware of the chaos he himself might be capable of.

On the other end, though, are the dragon folk, consisting of the Afafni and the Fafni, two races diametrically opposed and with ambitions harmful to the mortal races. In their secretive war against one another, they seek to become the gods they believe they should be. Each wears the form of a dragon part of their life, with one group during the night and the other during the day. Much to their bitterness, though, their dragon forms are mere shadows of Rex Draconis, and that jealousy only makes them more vicious. They would yearn to be true dragons, and, thus, true gods, in their minds.

 

 

 

The most primeval of dragons

In the beginning…of the Black City Saint saga… there was the dragon. He had no name. He had one purpose, one… curse. Condemned to guard the gate between the mortal world and Feirie, he was forced to follow it as it ever shifted from one location to another. That is, until he was slain by a Roman tribune unaware of his true task, a tribune who would become known as St. George.

However, two things neither of them expected to happen forever changed them. One was that, with its guardian slain, St. George became the unwilling replacement. For the next sixteen centuries, he would follow the gate, trying his best at all times to prevent dark powers on either side from crossing. The second was that the mixing of the tribune’s and the dragon’s blood during combat sealed their existences together. Now the dragon is a part of Nick—as St. George calls himself in Prohibition Chicago—but while the dragon must lend him his power, the ancient leviathan ever yearns to break free, to take over the body they share and become himself again. He’s come close, including ending up setting fire to Chicago itself in 1871. In the meantime, the dragon in Black City Saint is like the proverbial devil whispering in the saint’s ear, trying to weaken his resolve with his sarcastic or seductive comments and biding his time for the next chance to make everything burn…

There are more dragons I could mention and more to come, I’ve no doubt. Like Nick / St.George, I think I may have one whispering in my ear now, telling me what the next world will be… and what dragon will rule it.

Check out Richard A. Knaak’s dragons!

Grab some copies of Richard’s latest trilogy, including his 2019 release Black City Dragon.

The post Enter the Dragons: Richard A Knaak’s fiery fiends appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.