Adrian Collins's Blog, page 47

REVIEW: These Fragile Graces This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

In These Fragile Graces This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein governments have collapsed alongside post-capitalism and the wealthy have created havens for themselves while the historical outcasts—the poor, the different, the non-conformists—try to scrape a life on the outskirts. We have a perfect setup for a detective noir story in a cyberpunk world, and into that world Dora Madsen has left the safety of the commune and her ex, Kay, has been murdered in her absence. Time to strap on her PI boots, and get her grit on.

As Dora investigates we slowly peel back the layers of her past, as well as the mystery of Kay’s death. Wasserstein takes us through a devastated lower socioeconomic-economic world, and her old community trying to provide a safe space for people to shuck the trap of the society they live in. However, in doing so, they leave themselves open to the inherent cruelty and selfishness and danger of people, megacorporations doing megacorporation things, shady people with shady deals—all the things readers like me enjoy in these sorts of stories are there.

Wasserstein writes furious fight scenes, engaging character interactions, excellent character depth, and structures a pretty enjoyable story. I was really into the first three quarters of the story, and while I wasn’t blown away by the ending, the pacing suited the novella length.

These Fragile Graces This Fugitive Heart is a strongly character-voiced book, and I think it comes at the expense of painting a mental picture of the surroundings. I loved the way the character relayed the story to me, their thoughts and the detail added about the wider thematic world around them and it’s collapse, about her family and her life that led to this moment, and about her struggles as a trans woman. These were insightful and interesting on multiple levels. However, the lack of detail about the world she moved through as a visual—the smells, the sounds—the lack thereof made this feel more like reading a letter than watching a movie in my head.

These Fragile Graces This Fugitive Heart is an enjoyable detective noir, with plenty of grit and cynicism to sink your teeth into. Either through stylistic choice, or fitting too much into too little pages, I found the world around the characters a bit too lean for my tastes, but I’m glad I had this reading experience.

Read These Fragile Graces This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

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REVIEW: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4

Last Updated on August 2, 2024

House of the Dragon 2×04 “The Red Dragon and the Gold” is the fourth episode of the second season of House of the Dragon. It is also, by far, the best episode of the season and probably the series as a whole. Those who were complaining about not enough dragon fighting in the show about a war involving dragon fighting finally get one of the crowning examples thereof. I, personally, am here for the politics rather than the dragons but I am in a distinct minority and still thought they did well.

This episode primarily deals with the contrast between the Greens and Blacks after the last failed attempt at peace by Rhaenyra in “The Burning Mill.” I had my issues with that episode because Rhaenyra’s diplomacy was horribly handled and showed no actual plan to get the Usurper, Aegon II, to back down. However, that actually gets called out in a meeting of her Small Council as they call her actions rash as well as reckless. House of the Dragon isn’t afraid to make fun of its own characters and I don’t mind that.

Rhaenyra is emboldened by the failure of the peace process that I don’t think she was actually that invested in stopping. It seemed she was more interested in confirming that her father was actually still interested in appointing her heir than any actual desire for terms. By contrast, Alicent Hightower is riddled with guilt at the possibility she may have interpreted her husband’s wishes wrong. Oh and she seems to have gotten pregnant by Ser Criston Cole, which she quickly rids herself of using Moon Tea.

Ser Criston Cole has managed to find a place where he actually isn’t suffering the Peter Principle, though, by becoming the general of Aegon II’s armies. He continues to call Rhaenyra a whore and executes her followers for following her. However, he gets a big wakeup call that all of his plans and military experience mean nothing in the face of dragons. Whether all of the thousands of dead on his head at the end of House of Dragon will affect him in any way (or he’ll ever learn he knocked up the Queen Mother) are things I’d like to know.

The character that benefits from this episode is Aegon II. He’s a particularly scummy individual in House of the Dragon but you start to realize that his frustrations are legitimate. The Greens have placed him on the throne as a figurehead to control him but he doesn’t have any interest in being controlled. Their arrogance and self-righteousness about it makes it even worse for Aegon II because it highlights what hypocrites they are.

Possibly my favorite moment from “The Red Dragon and the Gold” is Aemond schooling his brother in High Valyrian, a language that Aegon II barely speaks, at the Small Council. Aegon II humiliated him at a brothel but Aegon humiliates him in the halls of power. It shows that he’s become the dangerous rogue that Otto Hightower feared Daemon becoming.

It drives Aegon II to seek out a way to justify himself and prove himself in the one area that he’s never had any complaints: his skill as a dragon rider. Really, it reminded me of the classic “Leeroy Jenkins” moment of World of Warcraft. What happens in the dragon fight is something that has been building for a long time and I am anxious to see where it goes from here.

The Daemon plotline is a bit of a slow burn but I think one that will lead to some necessary character development for him. Daemon has long struggled with respecting his wife and still thinks of her as the teenager he tried to seduce. Harrenhal is not the sort of place you want to have an existential crisis, though, as it basically works like Castle Ravenloft meets Silent Hill. Alys Rivers proves to be a great addition to the cast and is instantly memorable after just a single scene.

Which brings us to the final thing of note in the episode with Princess Rhaenys heading out on dragonback to do battle with the Green forces in the first real aerial duel of the series. The only previous example of dragon on dragon combat was more like a massacre. She gets to show off what sort of queen she would have been but also shows herself to be a fantastic Targaryen warrior. Her acceptance of Corlys’ bastards is perhaps a bit much for sanctifying her but shows a nice contrast to Catelyn Stark.

The CGI for House of the Dragons‘ titular characters has always been somewhat spotty but is really well done in “The Red Dragon and the Gold”. Some fans may question the tactics employed and how a dragon as huge as Vhagar is able to employ stealth not once but twice but I think it was, overall, really well done. It’s the reason that everyone wanted to watch this series and we finally get it.

The post REVIEW: House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

REVIEW House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 2×04 “THE RED DRAGON AND THE GOLD” is the fourth episode of the second season of House of the Dragon. It is also, by far, the best episode of the season and probably the series as a whole. Those who were complaining about not enough dragon fighting in the show about a war involving dragon fighting finally get one of the crowning examples thereof. I, personally, am here for the politics rather than the dragons but I am in a distinct minority and still thought they did well.

This episode primarily deals with the contrast between the Greens and Blacks after the last failed attempt at peace by Rhaenyra in “The Burning Mill.” I had my issues with that episode because Rhaenyra’s diplomacy was horribly handled and showed no actual plan to get the Usurper, Aegon II, to back down. However, that actually gets called out in a meeting of her Small Council as they call her actions rash as well as reckless. House of the Dragon isn’t afraid to make fun of its own characters and I don’t mind that.

Rhaenyra is emboldened by the failure of the peace process that I don’t think she was actually that invested in stopping. It seemed she was more interested in confirming that her father was actually still interested in appointing her heir than any actual desire for terms. By contrast, Alicent Hightower is riddled with guilt at the possibility she may have interpreted her husband’s wishes wrong. Oh and she seems to have gotten pregnant by Ser Criston Cole, which she quickly rids herself of using Moon Tea.

Ser Criston Cole has managed to find a place where he actually isn’t suffering the Peter Principle, though, by becoming the general of Aegon II’s armies. He continues to call Rhaenyra a whore and executes her followers for following her. However, he gets a big wakeup call that all of his plans and military experience mean nothing in the face of dragons. Whether all of the thousands of dead on his head at the end of House of Dragon will affect him in any way (or he’ll ever learn he knocked up the Queen Mother) are things I’d like to know.

The character that benefits from this episode is Aegon II. He’s a particularly scummy individual in House of the Dragon but you start to realize that his frustrations are legitimate. The Greens have placed him on the throne as a figurehead to control him but he doesn’t have any interest in being controlled. Their arrogance and self-righteousness about it makes it even worse for Aegon II because it highlights what hypocrites they are.

Possibly my favorite moment from “The Red Dragon and the Gold” is Aemond schooling his brother in High Valyrian, a language that Aegon II barely speaks, at the Small Council. Aegon II humiliated him at a brothel but Aegon humiliates him in the halls of power. It shows that he’s become the dangerous rogue that Otto Hightower feared Daemon becoming.

It drives Aegon II to seek out a way to justify himself and prove himself in the one area that he’s never had any complaints: his skill as a dragon rider. Really, it reminded me of the classic “Leeroy Jenkins” moment of World of Warcraft. What happens in the dragon fight is something that has been building for a long time and I am anxious to see where it goes from here.

The Daemon plotline is a bit of a slow burn but I think one that will lead to some necessary character development for him. Daemon has long struggled with respecting his wife and still thinks of her as the teenager he tried to seduce. Harrenhal is not the sort of place you want to have an existential crisis, though, as it basically works like Castle Ravenloft meets Silent Hill. Alys Rivers proves to be a great addition to the cast and is instantly memorable after just a single scene.

Which brings us to the final thing of note in the episode with Princess Rhaenys heading out on dragonback to do battle with the Green forces in the first real aerial duel of the series. The only previous example of dragon on dragon combat was more like a massacre. She gets to show off what sort of queen she would have been but also shows herself to be a fantastic Targaryen warrior. Her acceptance of Corlys’ bastards is perhaps a bit much for sanctifying her but shows a nice contrast to Catelyn Stark.

The CGI for House of the Dragons‘ titular characters has always been somewhat spotty but is really well done in “The Red Dragon and the Gold”. Some fans may question the tactics employed and how a dragon as huge as Vhagar is able to employ stealth not once but twice but I think it was, overall, really well done. It’s the reason that everyone wanted to watch this series and we finally get it.

The post REVIEW House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 4 appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

An Interview with Ryan Skeffington

Ryan Skeffington had a unique journey leading him to the world of storytelling. His professional background is entrenched in the oil and gas industry, but he has always been drawn to the arts. His desire to create drives him to continuously try new things.

Ryan draws inspiration from the imagery and stories in music, visual media, and the written word. He explores the world by trying new things, which has led him down the rabbit hole of woodworking, photography, startups, golf, and most recently writing, where he has found his voice. Through his writing, Ryan aims to transport readers to fantastical worlds that explore the human experience.

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Ryan Skeffington about his debut science fiction novel, Lost Souls, his approach to writing, and his future plans.

[GdM] Thanks so much for taking the time to do this interview with Grimdark Magazine. Your novel, Lost Souls, is truly a breathtaking debut. Could you tell us about your history as a writer? Who are some of your inspirations?

[RS] It’s an absolute joy to be included, thank you for having me. I would say my history is pretty sparse compared to most other authors that you’ve read or interviewed. Lost Souls is my first ever attempt at writing a piece of fiction. To set the stage, I’ve been a closeted creative my entire life with sports and academics taking the lead in most of my childhood. After school I explored multiple creative avenues that would allow me to express myself, and ultimately, writing is going to be the one that sticks. It’s perfect blend of structure, creativity, skill building, and a hobby that has measurable progress when you put forth effort. It took many years, but I’m stoked to have found an outlet that is so rewarding.

For my inspirations I’ve come to appreciate other artforms on a deeper level now that I create with intent. In the past I would consume the media and then move onto the next thing. I appreciated them for how they made me feel, but now I look behind the curtain. After understanding the depth of it all, I focus on musical lyrics, dialogue in television, and cinematic scene setting in films. The strongest inspirations for me are Gladiator, Halo, and the band Parkway Drive, which you’ve noticed in your read through!

[GdM] The chapters in Lost Souls are named sequentially after songs from the “Deep Blue” album by Australian metalcore band Parkway Drive. Was “Deep Blue” a direct inspiration for Lost Souls? Could you tell us more about this inspiration and how you incorporated themes from “Deep Blue” into your work?

[RS] “Deep Blue” was one of the first pieces of creative media that I studied with any depth. I read a rhetorical analysis and thematic breakdown online and was blown away. What I had previously thought of as thirteen really good songs was a rich, and in-depth story about the struggles of one man, that paralleled humanity to a good extent.

While the characters and worldbuilding of Lost Souls weren’t a direct reflection of the album, the main character’s plot and arc most definitely are. For those that listen to the songs in the album, they’ll find that the main character, Maximus, follows a parallel path to the unnamed pov in “Deep Blue”. From my understanding of this album and my translation to character, I tried to incorporate the recapturing of an individual’s agency in an overpowering world. Ultimately leading to, when you have that agency and the responsibility of power, will you make better decisions?

I love being able to gush about Parkway, and the foundational theme of the world came from another song of theirs, “Dark Days” that asks the question, “What will you tell your children when they ask you, ‘What went wrong?’” Lost Souls, outside of the main POV, tries to explore the consequences of not leaving a world better than you found it. The lyrical nods at the beginning of each chapter serve as a forewarning to the reader, so don’t overlook the details.

[GdM] Much of Lost Souls revolves around xantium, a fictitious extraterrestrial metal with profound implications for the future of humanity. What was your process like for developing the scientific and engineering aspects of your book? Was there any direct influence from your career in the oil and gas industry?

[RS] Xantium was an absolute treat to create. My thought process around introducing a fictitious resource was “how can I blend hard sci-fi and magic”? In hard sci-fi, you have the constraints of the real world, and all modifications to the world need to fall in line within the expected constraints of reality. I wanted to apply those same constraints to my world to hopefully establish a sense of realism. I built constraints around the ore such that, if we discovered xantium today, the things that occur in Lost Souls could theoretically happen in our world.

There are two branches to the world building of xantium: resource and catalyst.

The resource component was inspired by my background in engineering, and my career in understanding energy and how it advances the quality of life for those that have cheap and abundant energy.

The catalyst component is all thanks to my wife. She has a master’s degree that focuses on the human body, while I peaked with the grade of 89 in 9th grade biology. I would sit with her and repeatedly ask her questions about body modification, automated process like respiration and the Krebs cycle, and all of the technical terminology that I would have never even considered to google. She is the reason the word ‘nephron’ is in the novel, and it’s better for it.

Because I was able to utilize xantium on both a grand world building scale and on a micro-biologic, character focused scale, I believe it lends itself to having a basis in realism. When something new is discovered, it’s the creativity of man that creates the branches from the trunk of its discovery. I only hope my characters emulated this creativity in the story.

[GdM] As the lead protagonist of Lost Souls, Maximus has more than a few surprises in store for the reader. Could you tell us about how you developed Maximus as a character?

[RS] Because I was laying the foundation of my writing craft while drafting, I didn’t have a lot of experience with character creation, so I started with the one that I knew best, me. Engineer who was bored at work was the canvas that I started with. Then I put that character in this new world that I created. I started to ask myself how would this character have grown up and what would the ensuing traits be?

There is a quote that I really love that I apply to character sculpting, “What would I put a person through to get them to have the traits I want them to have? If I wanted them to be patient, I wouldn’t give them everything immediately. If I wanted them to be resilient, I wouldn’t give them an easy life.”

Starting from this framework I asked, “What would he ‘know’ having grown up in the upper end of a caste system? How would he treat people in a cruel world when he was raised by a kind man?”

Lastly, I wanted to incorporate, and share with the world, the relationship I have with my father. There are moments in the story that I pulled from my life that I needed to share, because man my dad was cool. The honor of being able to share a fraction of that relationship through the eyes of Maximus made it all worth it.

[GdM] Your writing in Lost Souls is very well polished, especially for a debut novel. What was your writing and editing process like? Are you a planner or a “pantser”?

[RS] The reason Lost Souls has any level of quality is because I leaned on others for guidance and critique. My very first draft was written as if the POV was a movie camera that followed around the characters in a scene. There was head hopping, past and present tense, shifting from 1st to 3rd perspective, and a little omniscient for good measure. Ryan Patrick, author of Lag Delay and The Martian Incident, was my first beta reader and man did he sit me down and set me straight. There was so much work to be done. I edited the story a cumulative twelve passes during the entire process because it needed that much work.

If you’re reading this and thinking of writing a story, please do it. There is no way that your first draft could be worse than my first draft. I made every single mistake in the book. I might’ve even invented some new mistakes.

After cleaning up my technique I moved to the more traditional editing process where I had a developmental editor (someone who critiques the structure of the novel), another round of beta reading, and then I finished it off with a line editor (someone who edits your sentence level structure).

For my writing I love, love, love to outline. Some might call my outlines zero drafts. After my research and high-level plot and character outlines, I create a chapter by chapter, scene by scene, outline that goes in depth. I outline the characters in the scene, what the setting looks like, what they’re trying to accomplish, and what problems they’ll face, sometimes interjecting proposed dialogue if I think of something quippy.

My main reason for doing this is that it allows me to marinate on my story before I start writing and ‘commit’ to the story. I daydream and add ideas into the outline quite often and because the outline is more shorthand/chicken scratch typing I feel free to make sweeping changes. Once there is prose on the page, I’m more hesitant to make sweeping changes. It hurts!

[GdM] What are your thoughts on the current state of publishing in the science fiction genre? How do you think indie publishing will influence the future of the genre?

[RS] Because I am only self-published and didn’t even query, I have limited, outside only perspective on the industry. Because Amazon and Ingram have made it so easy to publish, removing the largest barrier to entry, the number of participants in the ecosystem has drastically increased meaning you get a higher level of saturation of stories.

The double edge sword is that you get to participate more easily, but it doesn’t mean you’ll have default success on the click of the ‘publish’ button. Inferring from my personal technical background, industry/tribal knowledge will always have value and allow for precise execution and the best possible path forward. That doesn’t mean that indies don’t stand a chance!

There are two key tools for indie success that I can see. Social media and the avoidance of parasocial relationships. Social media has made it possible for an individual to have a marketing arm. Attention is no longer on billboards, commercials, or newspapers, but the digital platforms the consumers interact with on a daily basis. This is incredibly powerful but requires a lot of work! Next is the ability to form meaningful relationships with fans. Instead of a best-selling author only engaging at a meet & greet, they can participate in discussions and relationship building on a more frequent basis. Twitter, Facebook, and Discord are all platforms that allow connection to prosper.

The ability for indie authors to succeed in this fierce market signal to me that creativity will no longer be gate kept. The weird, outlandish, nontraditional stories people have been writing for ages may find new audiences. These edge cases, that previously were uneconomic, could find their footing with a rabid, niche audience and create something new in the mainstream! I have high hopes for my fellow indie authors out there!

[GdM] What advice do you have for new authors based on your own experience with self-publishing?

[RS] Do it. Try it. Fail at it. Keep at it. Fail some more. Delete what you don’t like. Try again. You can do it. There is an infinite number of ways to make art. Your way, your voice, is worthy of being seen and heard.

More personally, I found that I place a lot of emotional weight on how others have perceived the story. I would caution against the habit of checking Goodreads or the Amazon sales page. Leave F5 season to sports. (Maybe 1/10th of you will have gotten that, and its okay if you didn’t)

Make the art for the love of making it.

I’ll keep my day job.

[GdM] Could you tell us more about your background as an entrepreneur? How has your experience creating new startups affected your approach to writing and publishing your work?

[RS] Combining my creative juices with my experience during my MBA led me to try and tackle entrepreneurship. Once I graduated, I founded a startup and began working as a consultant in the evenings after work. (I don’t recommend this.)

In the world of a startup if you aren’t the one moving the company forward, no one else is. Unlike my day job, the work/customers didn’t automatically just appear in my inbox for me to do. If only it worked like that.

Same thing goes for writing and publishing a novel. If you’re not planning (for my planners) no one else is. If you don’t leave foreshadowing elements no one else does. You do the planning, you put prose on paper, you do the structural edit, you hire the other editors, you are the art director for the cover, you do the formatting of the word doc, you do the pricing model, you do the marketing.

As a self-published author you’re the CEO of your startup. If its going to be out in the world its going to be because you willed it to happen.

Working in consulting taught me the value of communicating so that other people could understand. It didn’t matter if my presentation was perfect. If the audience didn’t get the takeaways that I wanted them to understand, then I failed at effectively communicating. When writing a novel one of the most difficult parts was getting everything in my head onto the pages in a way that allowed my vision to translate to the reader’s imagination.

[GdM] Your Twitter biography mentions that you might run for governor of Oklahoma in 2030. Is this meant facetiously, or do you have serious political ambitions in the Sooner State?

[RS] Politics was always a bad word growing up.

“Politicians are nothing but liars, cheaters, and crooks.”

“Well why don’t good people run?”

“It just doesn’t work like that?”

I wish it did.

This was a conversation I had multiple times growing up. Now that I’ve reached the point of paying taxes, understanding policy, and living the consequences of bad governance I replay that conversation over and over again. There’s a lot of hopeful ego in the idea that maybe I could make a difference, I want to make a difference.

Then it hit me out of the blue one day. There will always be a governor of each state. They’re a human being, no different than me. Everyday we read or watch stories about heroes saving the day in fiction. Some may consider it childish naivety to want to be a hero, but I’d rather try than sit back and just keep complaining.

[GdM] Thanks again for taking the time to do this interview with Grimdark Magazine. What can readers expect next from Ryan Skeffington, either as part of the Infinite Existence series or beyond?

[RS] I’m elbows deep in editing Eternal Dreams, the sequel to Lost Souls. I hope to deliver a story that captured the brilliant moments of the first while improving on its very apparent flaws. The cover art will come out later this summer and I hope for a release by the end of the year! The conclusion of the trilogy is being plotted, and I am so excited for a roller coaster of an ending.

Beyond that, I hope to maintain the same love I have for writing right now, many years into the future. Thank you so very much for having me and I wish you, and Grimdark Magazine all the success in the world.

This interview was originally published in Grimdark Magazine #39.

Read Lost Souls by Ryan Skeffington

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REVIEW House of the Dragon Season 2 Episode 3

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON 2×3 “The Burning Mill” is the third episode of the second season. Unfortunately, it is also House of the Dragon’s first misstep after two exceptionally strong opening episodes. House of the Dragon is always at its best when it is dealing with the subtle characterization and politicking going on behind the scenes versus the big epic events. One of the reasons that season stumbled as often as it ran. However, this seems to be an episode that pauses for characterization that doesn’t really make sense in the context of the larger narrative.

The story begins with a well-loved element from the books with the Bracken and Blackwoods families. These two were at each other’s throats for millennia in the background of Westeros and were shown doing it the previous season. Here, a fight over several unrelated disputes results in a massive battle with hundreds if not thousands of dead. This is the first battle of the Dance and yet it isn’t enough to push the rest of the Seven Kingdoms into war.

Aegon and Criston Cole are both excited at the prospect of war, sending out their forces to destroy Rhaenyra’s supporters. It is an old saying that it only takes one person to wage war. Aegon is already proving a terrible king, appointing his favorites to the Kingsguard as well as wearing Aegon’s armor despite it not fitting him. Alicent Hightower finds her shut out of all decisions and even her attempt to get her brother involved in the war effort backfires as Ser Gwayne proves to be even more incompetent than Ser Criston.

Daemon Targaryen also seeks out war but finds it frustratingly difficult to find. He makes a one-man suicide assault on Harrenhal, only to discover that Simon Strong the castellan is perfectly happy to swear allegiance to Queen Rhaenyra. Worse, the castle is quite obviously haunted, and Daemon finds himself subject to the torments of spirits as well as visions. It’s a reminder that dragons are not the only magic to be found in Westeros.

House of the Dragon also has a few scenes where the protagonists do stop to reflect on their current place in the story. Rhaenyra banishes one of her stepdaughters to the Pentos, sending her along with three dragon eggs that will one day shape the destiny of Westeros. We also a brief moment where Milly Alcott shows up in a vision that hints that Daemon is not nearly as kill about his child murder (specifically his kin) as he claims. There’s also a great moment where it seems Ser Criston and Gwayne are almost incinerated, which sadly proves to have just been a prank by the Blacks.

House of the Dragon‘s biggest mistake as a series, thus far, happens later in “The Burning Mill”, though. Rhaenyra sneaks into King’s Landing to have a conversation with Alicent Hightower that strains credulity in every possible way. Not just because both of them should want the other’s heads but because the scene is not remotely well thought out.

Rhaenyra offers no terms for her surrender or Aegon II’s and there’s no indication that Alicent should have the authority to stop the war at this point. Worse, Alicent should have called for Rhaenyra”s head as it would have stopped the war she wants to prevent. It is a silly scene that calls back to the worst idea of season one, which was Alicent believed Viserys named Aegon to be his heir on his deathbed.

In conclusion, “The Burning Mill” is a flawed episode that has good points overshadowed by a spectacularly bad scene. The show takes a moment to stop when it should be going forward with all cylinders. The death of Prince Lucreys was from the first blow but there was no going back after Prince Jaehaerys’ death. Here, they act as if it was each one dented the other’s car.

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REVIEW: Ghost of the Neon God by T.R. Napper

Building upon his brutal cyberpunk vision of the future shown in Neon Leviathan and 36 Streets, T.R. Napper’s Ghost of the Neon God is an utterly haunting, lonely, and beautiful novella. I simply cannot put down Napper’s books and short stories, and before I get into this review more, I highly encourage you to pick up something, anything he’s written.

Jackson is the homeless son of an immigrant, eking out an existence squatting in under-construction towers in metro Melbourne, Australia, and talking shit with his mate Col to pass the time. They steal where they can, buy dope and food where possible, and stare at the neon glow of the buildings and streets, and the people below they share this cage with. When walking through a back alley, a foreign woman runs into Jackson as she flees for her life. His life is about to change. But first, he’ll steal that woman’s shoes.

From there the story takes off from its slow build baseline. Ghost of the Neon God is full of action and intrigue, rolling cynicism and snark, and is at times sad, and lonely, and beautifully introspective. Ghost of the Neon God of one of those books that is an actual experience you can lose yourself in as you peel back the layers of political and societal commentary, anger at a system that has failed the many to benefit the few, and the unrelenting nature of even the most trodden-down human spirit.

Once again, Napper’s understanding of poverty (derived from his time working in South East Asia) brings levels of harshness and grief and hope to his words that I just don’t think people without his experience are capable of. His vision of future Australia in Ghost of the Neon God is of towering neon soaked cities as beacons of post capitalism amongst the endless dry desert wastelands being plundered for the last scraps of their mineral wealth. People waste away under economic impoverishment and the control of immense foreign powers the Australian government cowers before. If you’ve ever wondered what a first world country would feel like if it became a third world country with slums and desperation and the rich looking down upon the poor, and the lack of hope to get out of your situation while you watched the wealthy whine about their hardships for sympathy… look no further. This novella will grab you by the scruff of your fucking soul and shove your nose in it. I still feel worked up even just thinking about Ghost of a Neon God, almost a week after finishing it.

That said, the more I think about Ghost of a Neon God, the more I like it. And I can’t stop thinking about it. Napper’s story—the heart strings he manages to pluck on every page; the anger he makes me feel at the unfairness of that world; the way he makes me think about where our society might be heading—puts him amongst my favourite writers. Do not miss this novella.

Read Ghost of the Neon God by T.R. Napper

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REVIEW: Immaculate Scoundrels by John R. Fultz

Thold the scaleborn is a killer. A madman. The most accomplished thief in all Yhorom. Now god-touched, his divine vision reveals a lost treasure in the temple ruins of Asha-Khana.  First, he must escape prison. Then trek across a desert overrun with cannibals and the supernatural. Each footstep brings bloodshed, but he cannot turn back. Death follows him. Death follows everyone in Immaculate Scoundrels by John R. Fultz.

Good men do not exist in Yhorom. There are corrupt politicians and murderers. There are thugs and brutes. There are plenty dead. Beneath them all, as the lowest caste, are the scaleborn. In Yhorom, those born with scales are either treated as slaves or abused as soldiers. Many scaleborn join the war legions to legally kill humans.

Immaculate Scoundrels follows the exploits of a few scaleborn; Thold, Yuhai, and Captain Niro Vont. As a scaleborn sorceress, Yuhai is a traitor. She serves the Celestial Empress by kidnapping other scaleborn magic wielders. Her schemes and craftiness make her POV a delight to read. Captain Niro commands the 51st legion. Having fought in three wars, Captain Niro is not driven by bloodlust but understands one truth; cruelty wins wars. Readers will not find heroes in Immaculate Scoundrels.

Immaculate Scoundrels embodies an elevated spirit of classic sword and sorcery fantasy. John R. Fultz brings dark magic and swift brutality with his The Scaleborn series. Readers seeking the fantasy adventures of the 70s will find much to love with the barbarians and straight up savagery of this world. The resurgence of sword and sorcery works like the new Conan the Barbarian comics and Lord of a Shattered Land have blended with or perhaps evolved into the Grimdark genre. Grimdark elements are seen in the complexity of Fultz’s characters and diverse setting.

Immaculate Scoundrels features an Asian-inspired world stocked with different cultures, religions, and landscapes. It is refreshing to have an expansive Asian-inspired setting. John R. Fultz takes readers through forests, cities, and desert. As the title of the series suggests, there is an emphasis on scaleborn and their culture. As readers, we are shown an oppressive world ruled by humans from scaleborn eyes. This focus does spark curiosity for the human perspective of this world.

John R. Fultz is the modern voice for traditional sword and sorcery tales. Immaculate Scoundrels is a must read for those looking for a barbarian-esque fantasy adventure with modern pacing and prose.

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An Interview with Katrina Kwan

Katrina Kwan is no stranger to the literary world, though her name is a new one. She was an accomplished ghostwriter, focusing on romance, before trying her hand at writing for herself. The Last Dragon of the East is a compelling adult fantasy debut, set in a Chinese-inspired world. It features surprisingly little romance, instead drawing the reader into a vivid story of dragons, greed and destiny. It’s been great catching up with Katrina ahead of The Last Dragon of the East‘s release later this year.

[GdM] To get us started, can you pitch The Last Dragon of the East in a sentence or two?

[KK] The Last Dragon of the East is about a young man with the ability to see red threads of fate between soulmates who finds himself embroiled in a devious plot to hunt down the last dragon in existence—all while discovering the truth of his own Fated One along the way.

[GdM] While this is your debut, you’re coming at this as an experienced (ghost)writer. In what ways was your experience writing and publishing for yourself new and different?

[KK] It’s honestly so surreal! I was a professional ghostwriter for roughly six years before I wrote The Last Dragon of the East, and in that time, I’d written a little over 150 projects for a handful of clients—and the wild thing is that no one will ever know I wrote them!

Obviously, getting to see my name on the front cover is the biggest difference, but there’s also something to be said about deadlines and pacing. As a ghostwriter, I had tight turnarounds (often one book a month/month and a half), but now I can really take my time and care sinking my teeth into the worlds I’m creating.

My work as a ghostwriter was certainly a fabulous opportunity to develop my craft. When it came to writing stories under my own name, I was eager and ready to get everything down on the page.

[GdM] It would be great to learn more about your writing process. How do you approach a new story?

[KK] All my story ideas come to me in the shower. (Sorry if that’s TMI.) I tend to space out while washing my hair, and that’s when ideas will pop into my head. It usually isn’t a fully formed thought, just an abstract concept, but then my imagination takes over and handles the rest.

For The Last Dragon of the East, for example, I’d been daydreaming about another book I’d been reading, Madeline Miller’s The Song of Achilles. It had me thinking about how I was very familiar with Greek mythology (and by extension Roman and Norse mythos) having grown up in the West, but I knew very little about the myths of my own culture.

That was when I had the shower thought—Could I write a story based on a Chinese myth? What stories did my parents and grandparents grow up with? Would this be an opportunity to reconnect with my roots? I went into a research deep-dive later that evening, and the idea behind The Last Dragon of the East started to take shape.

[GdM] In the story, you use dialect sparingly for certain characters. How did that come about?

[KK] I think inserting dialect into a character’s dialogue is a great way to pay homage to the Chinese influences that inspired this story, as well as lend to the worldbuilding. The reason I use dialect sparingly is because, although I want to give the characters a unique voice, I’m also mindful of the reader experience. At the end of the day, I want to make sure that my stories are accessible for all to enjoy—little to no prior knowledge of another language required. It’s all about striking a balance!

[GdM] While Feng is gruff and Jyn wise and calm, Sai is at his core soft and domestic – and has no sense of self-preservation. What attracted you to these archetypes and to what extent do you play off your readers’ expectations?

[KK] I think this might have been a response to the ghostwriting projects I was involved with. My clients were very particular about wanting “bad boy alpha male” leads (and honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that), but after writing what was effectively the same character over and over again, I desperately wanted a change.

I love leads who are goofy, have hearts of gold, and ultimately just want to do their best—which is probably how Sai came to be. I’m a firm believer that just because a character is soft, that doesn’t necessarily equate to ‘weak,’ and Sai proves this time and time again through his resilience and determination (even if it often lands him in hot water and he is physically quite weak).

As for readers’ expectations—I’m not too sure. I hope they enjoy the change. As an avid reader myself, I’ve seen a pattern in fantasy as of late where characters are written as strong, brave, and broody. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy these archetypes very much, but hopefully The Last Dragon of the East can be a nice palette cleanser.

[GdM] I particularly loved your approach to love and fate, showing how easily they can be twisted into greed and pain. Could you talk a bit more about your intentions there?

[KK] (Spoilers ahead.) In The Last Dragon of the East, there are actually two storylines playing out in parallel with one another. There’s the love story between Sai and Jyn, as well as A-Qian and Emperor Róng. Both tales eventually knit themselves together.

At the time, I wanted to explore the definition of love and how it can manifest. Ultimately, I think true love is selflessness. It endures, regardless of hardship and tragedy. Through Sai and Jyn, I wanted to explore a connection that was more than just physical. These two share a bond that transcends time and space. They are two halves of the same soul, destined to find one another in every lifetime.

Through A-Qian and Róng, I wanted to explore what happens when love becomes warped. When love becomes possessive, controlling, toxic—it can no longer be called love. Juxtaposing the two couples felt poignant, but reflective of the types of relationships we see in the world.

[GdM] To me, The Last Dragon of the East’s core moral was in the fallacy of righteous justice, straddling the fine line between being right and being evil. Here, death is not the worst thing that can happen to someone, exploring what true cruelty is. I’d love to know more about how you see your characters interacting with justice and betrayal?

[KK] When I first started writing the draft, I knew I wanted to incorporate the concept of reincarnation, which features heavily in Eastern cultures. But by including reincarnation, this meant that the consequence of death wouldn’t carry the same level of stakes for the characters.

Sai, who is oblivious to his past lives in the beginning of the story, is driven by his need to do what’s right—even to the point of self-destruction. Jyn has dealt with betrayal through her withdrawal and isolation from the world at large, lending to her cold personality. We also have the huntress Feng, who deals with injustice through more violent, vengeful means. Each characters’ actions are driven by both their experiences and personalities, leading to very different reactions and outcomes.

[GdM] Since Sai runs a teahouse – what tea would you serve alongside his story?

[KK] In the book, Sai mentions a real-world tea called Longjing, also known as Dragon Well tea. The story he shares with Jyn upon their first meeting is an actual Chinese myth about how the tea came to have its name. I took creative liberty to tie the tale into his lore. You can pop by your local tea shop or buy it online to give it a try! I’d definitely recommend it.

[GdM] Do you have any book (or other media) recommendations to follow up on The Last Dragon of the East? I certainly had a book hangover after reading and I’m sure other readers will too!

[KK] That’s so sweet of you to say! I think Judy I. Lin’s A Song of Six Realms is a phenomenal read if you’re looking for more Asian fantasy.

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REVIEW: Smothermoss by Alisa Alering

Smothermoss is the debut novel by writer, editor, and former librarian Alisa Alering. I found it an unsettling and profoundly compelling read, although not as dark from a fantasy perspective as I had expected. Smothermoss is a relatively short novel that would appeal to fans of gothic writing or dark fairy tale-style stories. In terms of style, it would be enjoyed by fans of T. Kingfisher or A. G. Slatter, or fans of Lee Mandelo’s The Woods All Black if you want more of the atmospheric Appalachian setting.

Set in the 1980s in an isolated Appalachian community, Smothermoss, at its heart, is the tale of two sisters. Sheila is in her late teens, and Angie is a preteen. The sisters are not very alike – Sheila is relentlessly taunted at school, hyper-aware of how poor her family is, and works constantly. Sheila keeps the house, looks after their ailing great aunt, and forages for food. All the while, wild and strange Angie plays through the forest, battling imaginary foes and constantly creating and carrying around a set of eerie tarot-like cards that seem to hold power over her.

The monotony of their unrelenting lives is shattered by the brutal murder of two hikers on the nearby Appalachian trail. Their small community is in an uproar, and catching the murderer becomes everyone’s focus. The sisters find themselves caught up in this hunt, but the murderer might not be the most dangerous thing lurking in the Appalachian wilds. Something more sinister has been lurking near their family for a long time, and Sheila feels this strangeness constantly tied around her neck. This unknown and unseen threat slowly tightens its noose around her throat.

Alering’s Smothermoss is a chilling novel that is more atmospheric gothic than dark fantasy in nature. Both the physical setting of the Appalachian Mountains and the era lend themselves to this. There are no mobile phones, getting lost in the wilderness is entirely plausible, and the unease that the noise behind you could be a harmless forest critter or a violent killer gives an almost overwhelming sense of unease. Smothermoss feels intense and uncomfortable to read because there is virtually no let-up in the pressure of the novel. The characters did not have an easy, happy life, which was rudely interrupted by a bad thing happening; Sheila and Angie already had it hard, and then something else made their lives harder. Alering’s blend of human and supernatural threats swirls together, so the reader treats everything with mistrust and suspicion.

There are also a lot of very human issues at play in Smothermoss that may or may not be linked to supernatural elements. For example, the metaphysical rope at Sheila’s neck might cause her disordered eating, and something supernatural seems to be at play with the cards Angie draws and then uses in the story. But some parts show just how hard life can be without any magical maleficence. Their mother is exhausted, working long hours at a menial job and still struggling to keep everyone fed and clothed, their brother is in jail, Sheila is struggling with her sexual identity, and Angie is clinging on to childhood because being an adult in her world is just so hard. These issues are threaded through the narrative without driving it; they were issues that impacted the family before the story began and will probably continue once the slice of their life Smothermoss covers is over.

I usually find that short novels are an easy, palate cleansing read in between larger stories. Alering’s Smothermoss is not that. It is not light or distracting and is something I am still thinking about after reading, stuck to my brain like a seed burr. This sort of novel might not appeal to everyone, but it works well for me. Thank you to the team at Titan Books and Alisa Alering for sending over a review copy.

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REVIEW: Gilgamesh by Emily H. Wilson

Emily H. Wilson’s Inanna was one of the most interesting debuts of 2023 (you can find our review here and our interview here). Now, she’s returned with the second volume in her Sumerians trilogy, Gilgamesh. We’re once again drawn into the books’ rich world, full of vivid detail. Wilson’s work straddles the fine line between historical novel and myth. Gilgamesh takes itself seriously, and I would argue, sees itself grounded in history as written in ancient texts, eschewing more traditional ideas of what constitutes fantasy. It is a wonderfully evocative novel and I’m looking forward to seeing how the story concludes in the third book.

While Inanna was the story of the eponymous goddess coming of age, Inanna has become her adult, her mythical self in Gilgamesh. Funnily enough, Gilgamesh himself is only one of a range of characters in this volume rather than being the focal character as much as Inanna was. Here, Wilson presents a complex story, feathering out in many plot threads that start coming back together towards the end of the book. In that sense, Gilgamesh is a true second book in a trilogy – it can’t stand on its own merit and the story ends on a sense of uncertainty. I would recommend reading this series in sequence, or even rereading Inanna before Gilgamesh. I wish I had thought to do that as it would have been easier to see ongoing strands and nuances.

I did particularly enjoy a scene where Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld, comes above ground for the first time in a hundred years. As she stands in the light, she notices a stark shift in perception. Where she considered herself well-groomed, regal and impressive before, the light makes her see how dirty and ragged she has become – showing that a contained physical space affects our capacity to reason and confines our mindset. And that sense of self-reflection permeates Gilgamesh. Every major character has at least one scene where they consider themselves, their role in the world and the why behind their actions. To me, that makes the book stand out. I’m a sucker for some good introspection and Wilson delivers. It’s especially poignant here as all characters could be perceived as villains or antagonists in their own right. There are no heroes, gods are presented as people rather than removed deities and the story is dark. Wilson doesn’t shy away from darkness, cruelty or brutality, though the truly bad usually happens off-page. Having characters inflict pain and suffering with intent while aware of what they are doing, and considering it the right thing to do in that situation makes them strong characters with an emotional impact on the reader. I find sparse descriptions with ongoing reflection makes for harrowing reading, in a good way.

Still, there is a sense of hope and healing permeating the novel. Every single character is traumatised in some way, but they are actively working to cope with their past, and the healing power of company becomes clear. That said, the narrative voice wasn’t quite distinct enough. The story shifts perspective with each chapter, following various characters in close first person. These points of view aren’t substantially different in terms of voice so I found it hard to locate myself within the story when my attention slipped. This might be one to listen to in audio if that’s a medium that works for you as it might make the voices more distinct. Gilgamesh is worth the effort in any case, whisking the reader away to ancient Sumer with its dry humour, atmosphere and complex characters.

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