Adrian Collins's Blog, page 48

REVIEW: The Fire Within Them by Matthew Ward

In The Fire Within Them by Matthew Ward, Kat’s story of survival, rebellion, and love and loss that I enjoyed so much in The Darkness Before Them continues. These main themes remain in book two, with strong new themes of duty and redemption playing key parts. Ward has also done something I absolutely love in fiction, turning secondary characters into primary characters and using those people to explore more of the world he has created in book one of The Soulfire Saga as we follow Kat and her crew trying to overthrow an undead king who has the people of Khalad firmly beneath his fiery boot heel.

Before you continue reading about The Fire Within Them, be wary that this review contains one key spoiler for book one.

In The Fire Within Them, Kat tries to save her mother from her father, boarding a land train to stop her mum from being shipped to a quiet little outpost and killed so her father could play the grieving lord and move on with his life. And she must do so without her tattoo to manipulate the spirits around her while her body begins to betray her. In the attempt, she discovers her sister is not as claimed by the Deadwinds as she first thought …

Damant accompanies Rima, his ageing warrior diplomat character an interesting juxtaposition against a warrior a hundred thousand years old being stalked by the only killer Damant ever witnessed capable to standing against Rima’s sword and preternatural combat abilities.

Vanquished villain in The Darkness Before Them, Tanith is a powerful demon-infused character trying to figure her life out after being released by the Deadwinds, rejected again by her parents, and finding that while she’s certain her sister Kat should be punished, she’s not quite sure she should kill her anymore. All the while Tanith’s hunger to devour souls drives her every moment. For the grimdark fan, Tanith is the character most likely to hit your morally grey sweet spot as she finds a person capable–and willing–to help her … for a price.

Each of the POVs in The Fire Within Them lends significant weight to the reading experience. Kat and Tanith’s stories are the key foundation of the book, as Kat tries to save her mother and Tanith tries to save herself, and they both try to figure out how to be with each other. Kat retains her crew from the first book with Vallant and Yali still in play, and one previous character coming back into her life who she must decide if she’ll allow to return. Tanith is betrayed by everyone she knows. She is alone, and angry. And she is also desperate. A father figure finds her and gives her purpose, gives her a cause to get behind and teaches her how to control her hunger so she may be of use to his uprising.

A character who is given significant screen time through the eyes of Damant, is Rima. She is a mystery in book one, but gets a far more fleshed out story line in book two as Rima and Damant delve into the darkness below to face the calling of her grandfather and her people. Damant’s storyline is more about witnessing Rima’s life and tribulations than about his perspective, which I quite enjoyed as an approach to storytelling. There’s a part of me that wishes we didn’t unveil as much of Rima as we did in the book, as I quite enjoyed the mystery of her and the alienness of her character in The Darkness Before Them, but it was necessary for the expansion of the story into what I would deem a more epic lens, and for her partnership with Damant to have depth.

Ward really expands the world in The Fire Within Them. We jump into the world’s myth and legend brought to life with both feet. One of the key ways Ward does this is by leaning into the religion: its god, its story, and what the reality looks like versus the myths. If you wanted to know more about Nyssa, the Eternity King, and The Voice then buckle up for a trip to The Stars Below. The Stars Below gives us a view into one of the long lost layers of Khalad and looks past the lore known to our characters. This more religiously exploratory story aspect I quite enjoyed in some parts, and had to back track and re-read to make sure I understood in others.

The Fire Within Them is still stacked full of ifrit (people’s souls used to create movement and fire as part of trains, carts, guns, and lamps), and there’s plenty more of the terrifying undead koilos creatures. The feeling of the cities in this world being a bit like the hive cities of the Warhammer 40,000 universe remains, especially with the exploration of The Stars Below, and there is a general consistent claustrophobic feel to the story as we get deeper into the book that I think fans of that universe would enjoy.

The Fire Within Them ramps up the insights into this world by peeling back multiple layers of lore to give us a peek at the fiery underbelly. I didn’t enjoy this as much as The Darkness Before Them, but it was still an epic dark fantasy read with plenty for grimdark fans to stick their teeth into. Having seen Ward’s ability to bring home a series with his Legacy trilogy (Legacy of Ash, Legacy of Steel, Legacy of Light) I highly recommend picking up these books. I think book three will be a cracker.

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REVIEW: Riven Earth by Zammar Ahmer

Nature and humanity clash in Zammar Ahmer’s Riven Earth, a breathtakingly epic yet intimately character-driven grimdark fantasy that will sink its roots into the hearts of everyone who loves a good dose of heavy emotional destruction with their fantastical adventures.

Twelve years ago, the unconquerable dryad empire was brought to ash to make place for the Kingdom of Heartsong. But a kingdom forged in blood will have to pay the price of its brutal creation, and now nature is demanding its due. The earth is trembling, famine razes through the lands, and a mysterious blood sickness is threatening all of humanity. But as treason thrives and war looms ever closer, the most dangerous tempests might just be the ones ravaging everyone’s minds from within.

Now, I challenge you to read the prologue to Riven Earth and try to put the book down after that. Spoiler alert, you won’t be able to. This story is honestly straight-up fire from the very first page (pun intended, iykyk), and Ahmer’s wild imagination and mesmerising prose just continues to amaze and spark wonder all the way through.

We are transported into a world not dissimilar to the one in Mark Lawrence’s Book of the Ancestor, where only one strip of land is still somewhat habitable, though not without risk. In a way, the world almost feels like a character in its own, which I personally really loved. The entire flora and fauna of this world was just so incredibly imaginative and fascinating, brimming with malicious earthly forces, diverse races and fantastical creatures, dryad and sun-based magic, and a plethora of immersive settings that are brought to life through the most breathtaking descriptions.

Though while Riven Earth shines in many aspects, it was Ahmer’s terrifyingly realistic and intimate character work that captivated me the most. We follow a diverse and dynamic cast of characters who are scattered all across the spectrum of gray morality, and they each just leap off the page with personality, for better or worse. A young king crippled by depression and his desperate yet supportive wife, an advisor struggling with her burdens and fed up with everyone’s bullshit, a ruthless politician who is way too conniving and ambitious for his own good, and a grieving, terminally ill soldier who stumbles into becoming a reluctant hero in his final days; each of these characters is established with an Abercromie-like skill of characterisation, bringing them to life through their uniquely distinct inner voices and dangerously sharp dialogue.

And not only does this epic and sprawling story remain rooted through the intimate narration of these characters, but the themes and conflicts are also presented with so much nuance and ambiguity through their opposing perspectives. Riven Earth can definitely be a mentally and emotionally challenging read at times, especially when being in the heads of the more prejudiced and depraved characters, but I personally think Ahmer handled the darker and more disturbing content with exceptional skill.

Broader themes of racism, genocide, religious zealotry, corruption, and rewriting of history are beautifully balanced with the more intimately vulnerable themes of mental health (in men), depression, suicidal ideation, grief, and the dangerously thin line between hate and love, which is exactly what makes this story so rich and emotionally impactful. Moreover, I was pleasantly surprised to see some powerful women and casually queer people represented here, especially in a world where prejudice runs rampant in other regards.

Every aspect of Riven Earth is just beautifully in harmony with each other, and each new revelation helps build tension as it recontextualizes everything you thought you knew about this world and its characters in the most satisfying way imaginable. I do have to say that the unpredictable inclusion of sudden flashbacks made for a slightly rocky pacing and somewhat unclear chronology of events, but at the same time I loved how those insights into the history of the world and backstory of these characters only made everything feel more fleshed out and complex.

Safe to say, Riven Earth kicks off The Book of Astea duology with an absolute bang, and the brutal yet enticing ending practically demands the reader to come back for the sequel. Which, fortunately for all of us, is already written and is scheduled to be released within a month (July 2024); that’s indie winning the game for you, just saying.

With a debut that is this astonishingly strong, Ahmer immediately proves that he is absolutely an author to be watched. Fans of Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, and Thiago Abdalla will find much to love in this gritty yet emotional grimdark fantasy, though it also offers an altogether more unique reading experience that will surprise and thrill with each new imaginative concept and shocking twist and turn. I simply can’t recommend Riven Earth highly enough, not only because it is a truly exceptional story, but also because I selfishly need more people in my fanclub/emotional support group, thank you very much!

Thank you to the author for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Riven Earth is scheduled for release on June 11th, 2024. 

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REVIEW: Conan the Barbarian #11 by Jim Zub (W) and Roberto De La Torre (A)

At the conclusion of Conan the Barbarian issue #10, Kull led Conan, Brule, and the Red Slayers to his homeland in Atlantis, only to find that the village of his birth has been replaced by a yawning abyss. As the party descends into the chasm, Conan flashes back to his conversation with Yag-Kosha (in Conan the Barbarian issue #9), a pachyderm-headed alien god who he slayed a decade ago in his own life (during the events of the 1933 Robert E. Howard story “The Tower of the Elephant”), yet encountered alive and well just days ago in Valusia. Yag-Kosha emphasizes that Conan’s soul has been “set adrift” in time, but that his fate is entwined with Brissa, a Pictish warrior woman from his own era (missing and presumed dead as of the conclusion of Conan the Barbarian issue #4) and her distant ancestor Brule.

Upon reaching the bottom of the pit, Conan and Kull discover a series of ancient cyclopean chambers that—judging from the arms and armor left behind—appear to have once been inhabited by giants. The situation quickly becomes deadly as the explorers inadvertently release a horde of hostile subhuman creatures. Even accompanied by the elite Red Slayers, Kull and his companions face a difficult struggle.

Rob De La Torre’s artwork is a visual feast, as always. His John Buscema-inspired character artwork and dynamically staged combat scenes receive a great deal of justified praise, but his backgrounds are also worthy of attention. His oppressive monolithic architecture and craggy, menace-filled subterranean passages create a real sense of place for the events of the story. Diego Rodriguez’s color work in this issue was also effective. Whether an intentional reference or not, the bluish-white coloration of the subterranean attackers brought to mind the Morlocks from the 1960 film adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The Time Machine.

Jim Zub’s storytelling continues to excite, with the issue’s climax leaving this reader full of questions and wanting more. The flashback to Conan’s conversation with Yag-Kosha felt a little lengthy and redundant, however. By this point it should be abundantly clear to both the reader and Conan himself that the barbarian is outside of his natural place in time and space. Additional, talk of “fate” and “destiny” in Conan pastiche never sits well with me. While there was occasional foreshadowing in the Howard stories that Conan would one day become a king, I’ve never had the sense that outside forces were in play or that his claiming the throne was in any way preordained. Much of the appeal of Conan is that he is a self-made hero who uses his wits, skills, and physique to accomplish his objectives. He’s no “chosen one”; Conan forges his own destiny.

On the other hand, while Howard purists may balk, I appreciate that Zub has been incorporating elements of the 1982 Conan the Barbarian film into the comic. While originally created by Howard as an antagonist for King Kull, Thulsa Doom was the memorable movie villain and has been an “off-screen” presence in this comic since the first story arc. Movie fans will also doubtless appreciate the appearance in this issue of a certain instantly recognizable sword.

This issue features not one but two essays by Robert E. Howard expert Jeffrey Shanks. The first goes into detail about Thulsa Doom. In addition to listing Thulsa Doom’s appearances across Howard’s body of work, Shanks also suggests that the skull-headed sorcerer was an inspiration for both the lich monster in Dungeons & Dragons and Skeletor from the Masters of the Universe franchise. The second, briefer essay examines the Nemedian Chronicles epigraph (i.e., “Hither came Conan…”) that accompanied Conan’s debut in “The Phoenix on the Sword” (1932) and has been a popular inclusion in Conan films, comics, and novels ever since. The premise of the essay boils down to “Some versions of the quotation begin with ‘Know, oh prince…’ and others ‘Know, O prince…’; which is correct?” This sort of pedantry is real “inside baseball” stuff, unlikely to be noticed or remarked upon by any but the most hardcore Conan fan, but the essay both informed me and made me grin.

With Conan the Barbarian issue #11, Zub has laid the groundwork for an epic showdown with the potential for repercussions throughout both the Thurian Age and Conan’s own distant Hyborian Age. While it feels like there may be too much plot remaining to neatly resolve in a single issue, I look forward to seeing where Zub takes us.

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REVIEW: The Devising by Jacob Sannox

Last Updated on June 2, 2024

A new age rises with the world standing against Dark Oak. In this age, the ascended spirits of the world share mankind’s war. A war in which no one will remain unscathed. The cycle of nature, the rebirthing of souls, is broken. The conclusion of The Dark Oak Chronicles brings forth an epic finale, a war of ultimate death. All are in peril in Jacob Sannox’s The Devising.

Dark Oak’s quest to protect the forest leads him to Halwende, the former home of the Dark Lord Awgren. He will use whatever force necessary to ensure humanity never recovers their strength but they no longer stand alone. The spirits of the forest, water, and air, the ascended are coming to end his reign. Dark Oak must unravel the Dark Lord’s secrets and harness the knowledge hidden there. If he is to fight immortal beings, he must surpass the Dark Lord’s power.

Jacob Sannox saves the most astonishing battles for his final book in The Dark Oak Chronicles. Dark Oak’s war of souls is fought with true dark magic. His use of the Devising births horrors. In these diabolic scenes, a little more time could have been spent from the victim’s perspective. The Devising is hellish imagination unleashed.

The world is churning in Jacob Sannox’s The Devising. While Dark Oak cultivates his Devised magic, others are executing their own schemes. His own alliance with the Weavers and dependency on their Devised powers are at odds. The Weavers have been studying Devising long before Dark Oak and the Dark Lord Awgren came to Halwende for their knowledge. Their cause is greater in scale than any war lord’s. Meanwhile, fractured as they are, humanity begins to rebuild.

The numerous perspectives in The Devising fanfare its finale. Ailsa is now leader of Queen Cathryn’s people. Instead of becoming regent, she looks for new ways to govern. The dishonored and defeated Feran, once Queen Cathryn’s knight, tries to find his path. His perspective on loss has a strong impact across all chapters. Rowan continues as one of the most memorable characters throughout the series.

The Dark Oak Chronicles is faithful to classic epic fantasy series. Grand scale events drive its narrative, but the intimate battles endured by characters such as Rowan form the heart of Jacob Sannox’s story. Her fight for her family makes the final ending in The Devising bittersweet and memorable.

Everything leads to this final battle in The Devising. A conclusion eras in the making, compiling all the schemes from dead rulers, humanity’s survivors, and dark lords. The fate of all souls is sealed in Jacob Sannox’s third and final book of The Dark Oak Chronicles.

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REVIEW: Running Close to the Wind by Alexandra Rowland

Alexandra Rowland delivers chaotic queer pirates with insanely high sex-drives, mystifying turtle astronomy, dangerous sea serpents in breeding season, loveable glowing dogs, and an absurd cake competition in Running Close to the Wind, an unapologetically unhinged seafaring fantasy with a fun-factor that is simply off the charts!

A horny as hell former Arasti spy with inexplicable good luck, a grumpy non-binary captain fed up with everyone’s bullshit, and an ungodly hot monk with an unfortunate vow of celibacy are stuck together at sea while they try to escape the law and change the tide for the crew; no, it’s not the beginning of a bad joke, but the insanely ridiculous set-up for Running Close to the Wind.

Though set in the same queer-normative world as Rowland’s slow-burn political fantasy A Taste of Gold and Iron, this feel-good and chaotic fantasy romcom is a completely different beast and stands totally on its own. It’s raunchy yet low-spice, hysterical yet poignant, and overall just batshit crazy on every single level, but I was personally eating up the hijinx and mayhem. I mean, Rowland clearly had a strong vision, and they damn well ran with it!

Never before have I read a book with such an exceptionally infuriating, insufferable, and pathetic protagonist, whom I constantly wanted to strangle, but also inexplicably loved to pieces (for which I then wanted to strangle myself). See, our little gremlin Avra is a self-proclaimed flibbertigibbet and whiny little slut with zero impulse-control and a personality more annoying than that of a mewling, clingy wet cat, yet somehow he just burrowed his way into my heart. Don’t get me wrong, I probably would’ve yeeted him straight over the railing of the ship within seconds of meeting him myself, yet I am admittedly also exceptionally glad that the characters in Running Close to the Wind had (slightly) more patience with him than I would have had.

And speaking of other characters, it is truly beyond me how Rowland managed to write such a loud and energy-sucking protagonist without having the rest of the crew pale in comparison. The broody, witty, and suave Captain Teveri (a.k.a. the on-again, off-again ex lover whom Avra simply worships) is a really refreshing counterbalance to Avra’s chaos, and I absolutely loved their tragically entertaining captain logs at the end of most chapters. Much to their deep dismay, they just can’t seem to stop themself from being drawn in by Avra’s irresistible charm, and the amount of exasperation-fueled banter between the two amused me to no end.

But that level of queer messiness clearly wasn’t enough, so enter Brother Julian (my personal favourite). Truly, I can’t blame Avra and Teveri for low-key starting a bet on who could get him to break his vow of celibacy first, as I would have joined that competition without a second thought. However, Julian quickly proves that he is not just sinfully sexy, and his actions actually end up bringing some of the most powerful themes and social commentary into the narrative.

Because yes, while this is absolutely a fun and almost cosy fantasy romcom at its heart, there is a deep undercurrent of righteous anger woven into Running Close to the Wind that Sir Terry Pratchett himself would have been proud of. Themes of capitalism, religion, and the injustice of all-powerful institutions are delivered in a cleverly funny way, and one particularly impassioned speech by Julian had me pumping my fists in the air and screaming “FUCK YES” out loud; sometimes messages deserve to be heard loud and clear, no subtlety needed.

Now, I do have to admit that the pacing felt a bit rocky at times, but if there was ever a book which I can forgive for a slightly messy and unfocused plot, then it’s Running Close to the Wind. Between Avra’s ridiculous antics, all the crazy pirate adventures, the queer messiness, and the deliciously intense interpersonal drama, there simply wasn’t a single dull moment in this story, and I am not ashamed to admit that I devoured nearly 300 pages of it in one day.

It’s hard to give this book a glowing universal recommendation considering how subjective humour is, but if you liked the vibes of Gideon the Ninth or like the idea of an even more unhinged version of Pratchett-esque absurdity, then this should be smooth sailing for you! I personally think Rowland nailed the execution of their vision for this story, and I would honestly praise this book into the heavens. If you think you are ready to meet Avra and crew to go on one of the most hysterical and delightfully queer fantasy adventures you will ever have the pleasure of experiencing, then I can’t recommend Running Close to the Wind highly enough.

Thank you to Tordotcom for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. Running Close to the Wind is scheduled for release on June 11th, 2024. 

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An Interview with Markus Heitz

Markus Heitz is one of the most well-known and popular German fantasy authors. He published The Dwarves in 2003 (its English translation was released in 2009) and has been a professional author since. His work spans from dark epic fantasy to horror and thrillers, and even to games writing and children’s books. In The Return of the Dwarves, we return to the beloved world for new adventures. Heitz is one of my foundational authors, kindling a love for fantasy back in my school days, so it’s particularly exciting to be able to speak to him about his new book, returning to familiar worlds and international editions.

[GdM] Can you introduce The Return of the Dwarves to our audience in a sentence or two?

[MH] Well… the dwarves are returning. I always endeavour to ensure that the title and content are congruent. I don’t want to spoil anything about the content. For dramaturgical reasons.
But I can reveal that there will be a few surprises on this return. As far as I’m concerned, I’ll reveal that it could be about a very famous hero dwarf, for one thing. But I swear, there are plenty of new things to discover.

[GdM] The Dwarves was your first big success – books I personally grew up with and devoured. What has driven you to return to this world, to build so directly on your legacy?

[MH] It was about seven years before I decided to add new dwarvish stories to the previous ones. I thought about it for a long time: to tie in or not, to rebuild the country, what changes do I want? Little by little the decisions were made, and when they were finalised, the ideas for new novels exploded. For dwarves and Aelfar.

[GdM] Can you talk a bit about the challenges of returning to a familiar world, to write a – compelling – new story within its constraints?

[MH] In this case, there was no real challenge because I knew exactly how I was going to approach it: a mixture of the familiar and lots of new things, memories of the old Girdlegard for the fans of the first hour, completely new circumstances with maximum possibilities for the new readers, who don’t need to have any prior knowledge. The mix was incredible fun. Lots of echoes of the past and much more things to come.

[GdM] I love how The Return of the Dwarves uses the book-within-a-book hook. What drew you to this premise?

[MH] I like the nesting, and it also gives me the opportunity to give readers hints, insights and allusions to the adventures that have happened over the hero’s many hundreds of years.

[GdM] Heroes and legends are core to your work. What do you think makes a hero interesting, what makes a compelling character?
[MH] Heroes who claim to be heroes are usually not this. Or they’re really bad show-offs. Heroes who don’t want to be heroes in the first place, who stumble into their task, with weaknesses and making mistakes – that’s what I find exciting. In the end,
the character fights for the good. Well, okay, “good” from his point of view.

[GdM] After having been in the publishing business for two decades, what do you wish you had known starting out?

[MH] That you NEVER send your entire book to a publisher as a beginner, in 10-point font, without a synopsis. Well. That’s exactly what I did. Like a non-professional, which I wasn’t back then. But a kind God held his hand over me, and two publishers wanted ULLDART, my first work. That was the beginning of my career.

[GdM] Have you noticed big differences in terms of how your audiences react to your
work in Germany versus internationally?

[MH] I don’t get that much from abroad, to be honest. Sometimes via FB and X, and to my delight they usually ask for the next translation. So it seems that there are people outside Germany who also read my books – and want more. Huzzah!

[GdM] My favourite books of yours have always been your takes on myths, weaving together legend and history with SFF. However, as far as I am aware, these were never translated into English. Can you talk a bit more about translations, reception and the choices that go into international deals from an author perspective? (Note to the reader: If you can read German I recommend you take a peek at Kinder des Judas or Ritus).

[MH] How decisions are made as to which book could or could not be translated is no different from the publishers in Germany. They look at which book has sold best. So, the idea is to assume that it could also be a success in the respective country. The
aspect of timing should not be neglected. Sometimes you have to be in the right place at the right time. That’s better than
expensive marketing. Unfortunately, there is no real rule for the best timing. Let’s call it … chance. One of the most crucial factors in the creative field. You have to know that.

Romance fantasy aka Romantasy is currently extremely strong, while classic fantasy is currently struggling a bit in Germany. But everything comes and goes in waves. That’s why there will definitely be a trend towards classic fantasy again at some
point. It could just take a while. But dwarves live long.

[GdM] Do you see major differences in how the different markets you are published in approach SFF? What do you think works particularly well in German that is perhaps underappreciated here in the UK?
[MH] I don’t follow the market very closely. I know, it’s a bit ignorant – but I always concentrate on writing and the next book idea. I don’t intend to write according to market trends myself, unless there happens to be an intersection between my idea
and the demand. Oh yes, there it was again, coincidence.

[GdM] Can you talk a bit about how your background as a historian has influenced your work as an author?
[MH] … History as such is full of ideas! A quarry from which an infinite number of works of art can be mined. Hence many works that relate to history, such as The Devil’s Playbook. While enjoying the novel, readers can do their own research and understand what really happened and what I invented about it. Specialist knowledge is also used in fantasy, such as my knowledge of conquest techniques, battle formations, fencing techniques or siege tactics. Sure, it’s fantasy, but I know pretty well how to crack a castle when you don’t have a magician on hand. And of course that is brought into the novel.

[GdM] I’d love to know more about your experience being known for one very specific series/setting and how you have handled these expectations while writing a very broad range of SFF?

[MH] Hahaha, well, it’s a bit like a restaurant that has a very extensive, varied and surprising menu. And yet most guests prefer to order ONE dish. And it’s the same with dwarves. As a chef or author, you can now despair that despite the large selection, many people only want one thing. But I have long since accepted this and am happy about every reader who also enjoys reading other books and discovering new worlds. The important thing for me is to have the freedom to really follow every idea. For me, writing only about dwarves would be like having to eat the same dish every day. Let’s say pizza. It would be okay for the first few days, but at some point you don’t want to anymore. Variety is extremely important to me, and I accept it if there are fewer readers looking forward to the new dish… book. So far, nothing has got past the dwarves. The Aelfar are hot on their heels, but the little ones are still the biggest success. And for that I am very, very grateful to the fans. That’s why I will always have a mixed menu. And the dwarves will always be part of it, sometimes with a new flavor.

[GdM] How similar (or different, as the case may be) is your writing process for adult novels across genres and in comparison to your work for children/games/music?
[MH] There is not really much difference. It’s always storytelling, regardless of the medium. If you keep in mind what the requirements are in the respective medium, it’s easy. And don’t forget: writing is also a craft in which you get better (at best) and
learn.

[GdM] Can you tell us anything about what’s next for you?

[MH] I’m currently writing a sequel, which I can’t say much about – for dramaturgical reasons – in case a few German fans also read this article. But there are vampires in it (real vampires don’t glitter in the sunlight, folklore doesn’t know anything like that, I swear!) and it has a historical background.

After that, I’m off to write the second new volume of Aelfar. In Germany, the first Aelfar volume will be published in summer 2024. The Black Eyes are just too much fun, and if the dwarves got two new novels, well… My writing schedule stretches into 2026, and yes, ideas are not my problem. They never are. It’s the time to implement everything. That’s a bit tricky.

[GdM] I’m aware you’re into pen & paper RPGs, so a two-pronged question: first, what have you been playing recently, and second, what would a D&D character based on yourself look like?

[MH] A sniper cat in a fantasy world called “Twaing” (that’s the sound the crossbow makes when triggered). I don’t want to talk about it, please… Yes, of course, it was very funny! A live P&P round on stage. And the audience almost laughed their heads off. Sniper, heads off… pun alert! Who would have thought that the hobby that accompanied me in the 80s and 90s would experience such a renaissance? I think it’s great! Let the dice roll!

Hahaha, really?! Based on me? Here we go: a Shakespearean-dressed Goth in black, always standing around in the background, taking notes, commenting and smelling good. In case of a fight, using puns, sharp knifes and poison, that looks like ink. And a
raven, who always quotes Nevermore. As mascot.

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REVIEW: Bonded by Thorns by Elizabeth Helen

Bonded by Thorns is the debut fantasy romance novel by sister writing duo, Elizabeth Helen. Directly inspired by Beauty and the Beast, this retelling blends traditional fairy tale with a spicy reverse harem/why choose love story, and the main character, Rosalina, has four, yes four*, hot princes in the mix (*number of princes perhaps subject to change, I hope). Though the story leans heavily on the source material to start, it increasingly develops its own individual, and frankly far more interesting threads, becoming steadily darker in aspect and exploring what it really means to be cursed.

The story follows Rosalina O’Connell, a bookworm trapped in small town Orca Cove while her somewhat eccentric father explores the world in his wild search for the lands of the fae. Convinced his wife was taken there against her will, his crazed determination leaves Rosalina caged at home, wreathed in poverty and loneliness. When a local discovers her father’s bloodied jacket in the depths of the woods, a desperate hunt for him leads her into a much deadlier forest, one infested with thorns and goblins, and in one moment everything changes, her life will never be the same again…

This is a novel that dares to be slow, the authors feeding us information alongside Rosalina, letting the tension build as we wait impatiently for the characters to make the connections we’re already certain we know (and want). It leaves us restless, feeling trapped, just like Rosalina, who has gone from one cage to another. Her character development in the novel is, at times, frustrating. Isolated, mocked, and in what is very clearly an abusive ‘relationship’, it’s no wonder that Rosalina flourishes in the fae lands, a place where nothing is as it seems and she’s free of the weight of human expectations – and of her father’s obsession. Yet she also makes some stunningly poor decisions, often for the sake of the plot, and while the fun of yelling at the pages of a book never dies, it’s not enough to excuse the inconsistency between her as brilliant one moment and outright stupid the next. No matter, I like her anyway – and it’s not just jealousy of her living situation. Her snark can be genuinely funny and she reads like one of us, which only helps with the wish fulfilment aspect of the novel.

And all this is before we get into the spicy stuff. The reader will have to manage with little more than a bit of touching and some hot MM material here, but with the number of people involved, this reader is more than a little intrigued about the dynamics of future action. I already have favourites (*cough* Prince of Thorns) and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. In terms of the worldbuilding, we only get to see tiny snippets here in Bonded by Thorns, but each moment leaves no doubt that the authors have created a comprehensive and fully realised wider world – one I have no doubt we will travel in the next books. I, of course, will be moving straight onto those. I have questions that need to be answered due to that cliffhanger ending. Damn you, Elizabeth Helen!

Bonded by Thorns was a TikTok sensation and one that well deserves its popularity. Now it’s being traditionally published by Magpie in a beautiful hardback version, complete with colour endpaper maps in the front and back and chapter illustrations. Best of all, Bonded by Thorns and the two following books, Woven in Gold and Forged in Malice, will all be published on the same day (18th July) in their own stunning editions. Then you only need to wait until 10th September for Book 4, Broken by Daylight. Not only is this a series that is going to hook your imagination and stir your heart, it’s also going to look incredible on your bookshelf. This is an unmissable series and my sincere thanks to Magpie for the review copy.

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REVIEW: The Dark Feather by Anna Stephens

The Dark Feather by Anna Stephens is the epic third and final book in her The Songs of the Drowned trilogy. Fans of Stephens are also likely to know her writing from the Godblind trilogy. The earlier two novels in The Songs of the Drowned, The Stone Knife and The Jaguar Path, are essential pre-reading before you commence The Dark Feather. I suggest rereading them, as the events in The Dark Feather are not summarised before the novel begins. Stephens jumps into the action, with the plot picking up a few weeks after the finale of The Jaguar Path. If you are a reader awaiting the release of The Dark Feather, you will find it to be a complex, compelling, and entirely satisfying conclusion to the series.

The long-planned slave rebellion has finally come to the Empire of Songs. Bitterly clinging on for control from the Great Pyramid in the Singing City, Tayan, the Shadow Singer, is pitted against his former friends and family. As well as defending against the battle raging outside the pyramid’s walls, Tayan must decide where his loyalties lie and whether he will side with his home or the seduction powers within the Song. Out on the streets of the Singing City, Xessa, Lilla, and Ekon are critical players in a guerilla campaign. At first, united in the cause of trying to silence the Song, their rebellion becomes more desperate over time, and divisions appear. It might cost them more than their lives to carry on. The final main character, Illandeh, a former spy, far to the north and out from under the Song’s power, has a decision to make – her freedom or returning to the Singer’s regime.

Stephens’ The Dark Feather continues the same engaging and intricate style I enjoyed in the previous novels in the trilogy. Moving between perspectives inside the Great Pyramid, out in the rebellion, and away in the north, the reader can see the impact of the events in The Dark Feather from many points of view and follow the shifting loyalties. The chapters are long and detailed, so this read requires concentration; it should not be considered a light or easy read in that respect. As a relatively slow reader and often unable to read every day, I found it challenging to settle into the story and become as immersed as I wanted. In hindsight, I
should have started The Dark Feather when I had more time to dedicate to it rather than attempting to dip in and out over a few weeks of smaller reading sessions. With the interconnected politics, faiths, and magic, Stephens’ detailed world deserved more attention than I could sometimes give.

The Dark Feather is also enjoyably unpredictable, and even after two novels of forming character relationships and worldbuilding, I was continually surprised by the events and character responses. Stephens’ writing is intense and emotional – I was dismayed by some of the events and jubilant at others; I mourned the losses and cheered the victories. The battles in The Dark Feather particularly stand out as well-written and engaging. At the same time, amid the actions and the ongoing consequences that Stephens later refers to (for example, a character continuing to limp after a leg wound, rather than it seems like they have never been injured mere pages on).

The reader also gets to follow the characters’ developments across the trilogy, and Stephens’ characters are detailed and nuanced. They make this novel, and the others, such a good read. In The Dark Feather, it is not as simple as the goodies vs the badies. Stephens manages to create sympathy for characters even while they commit atrocities and show moments of joy and love even when they are surrounded by death and destruction. It is a delicate balance in dark fantasy to craft a novel with just the right amount of light, along with the brutalities of war. Stephens has managed this superbly.

The Dark Feather is out now from Harper Voyager, and I am very grateful to Anna Stephens and the team at Harper Voyager for sending me a copy to review.

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An Interview with Moses Ose Utomi

Please give a warm Grimdark Magazine welcome to Moses Ose Utomi, who’s here today to chat to us about his novella The Truth of the Aleke – which is out now from Tordotcom (reviewed here). The sequel to 2023’s phenomenal The Lies of the Ajungo (reviewed here), this second novella peels back another layer of the Forever Desert trilogy, and if you read and loved the first book you’ll want to jump straight into this one. First though, read on to find out more about what to expect from this fascinating new story and its protagonist, its place in the Forever Desert, the merits of novellas, and lots more.

[GdM] To start things off, could you tell us a bit about The Truth of the Aleke and what readers can expect from it?

[MOU] The Truth of the Aleke is kind of an unconventional sequel. Instead of giving you more adventure with the same characters, it takes place 500 years after the events of The Lies of the Ajungo. Tutu, the cousins, Oba Ijefi, the Ajungo—all things of the past. Instead, we follow a boy named Osi who must undertake a journey across the Forever Desert to defeat the Aleke—a mysterious, brutal warlord—and free his city from oppression.

If you enjoyed the camaraderie, magic, and slow unfurling of the first book, be prepared for more of that. But also be prepared to for some surprising differences, including learning much more about how the magic system works.

[GdM] If we can take a step back from The Truth of the Aleke for a moment, I’d like to ask you about the Forever Desert trilogy as a whole. Could you talk about the spark behind this trilogy – what prompted you to write these books, telling this particular story?

[MOU] The Lies of the Ajungo came to me in this strange fever dream, almost fully formed from the beginning. I wrote it shortly after returning to the US after living in China for a year and a half, and I think it was my way of reckoning with the fact that the world I saw abroad was nothing like the world I’d been lead to believe existed. Then when I started thinking about where the story could go from there, all these different experiences from my formative years began filtering in—the Bush, Obama, and Trump presidencies, 9/11, social media’s growth, George Floyd, the Covid pandemic, my time traveling, stories from relatives who had visited from Nigeria, and a million other things. It was a lot, and I realized I wanted to make the reader feel what the experience felt like for me—and, hopefully, many other people of my generation—in trying to be a sane person in an insane world.

[GdM] Despite the short length of these books, the setting of the Forever Desert – from its cities and peoples to the magic that runs through it – feels incredibly rich and real. What sort of influences (whether literary or otherwise) did you draw upon while creating this world?

[MOU] The clearest influences are West and North Africa. The names, foods, architecture and more are most heavily drawn from different cultures and historical eras in those regions. Dune, Binti, and other desert fictions may be noticeable as well. Less obvious is the influence of my growing up in Las Vegas—a desert city, if perhaps an unconventional one. There’s also a heavy influence from the anime Attack on Titan, of which I am a deranged superfan, and a not insignificant dollop of Final Fantasy 7, of which I am also a deranged superfan. The tone of the writing is drawn mostly from the scripture and stories of my childhood—the Bible, my dad’s storytelling, etc.

[GdM] The Forever Desert is a trilogy of novellas, as opposed to the full-length novel format you went for with your YA novel Daughters of Oduma – could you talk a bit about how you settle on which format to use for a story, and how (or indeed whether) the choice of format affects how you write it?

[MOU] I’d intended to write Daughters of Oduma as a novella, but the story just didn’t feel finished, even though the novella version ended in pretty much the same place as the novel version. I ended up having to go in and fill in some blanks until it was novel length. That’s pretty common for me—projects tend to have their own desires that trump mine. I will say, though, that the books of the Forever Desert are the only projects I’ve ever written that are almost exactly the length I intended from the start. To me, a novella is the perfect middle ground between poetry and epics—it can deliver the devastating punch of a poem while having some of the space for meandering and adventure of an epic. That was exactly what I wanted each book of the Forever Desert to achieve, so it felt like the perfect length.

[GdM] Without spoiling The Lies of the Ajungo for anyone who hasn’t read it, it definitely makes sense that The Truth of the Aleke should be about different characters, but I was interested in just how long after the first book this takes place. What did that 500-year gap allow you to do with this story?

[MOU] I knew I wanted this series to look not just at societal changes, but systemic and even climatological changes. 500 years felt long enough that the people and events of the previous book will be in the distant past, but not so long—we often see events occurring millennia ago in fantasy, and I didn’t want that—that the time becomes an almost meaningless quantity. 500 years, for a pre-industrial society, is enough time for substantial societal change, but not so much that geological, technological, or even evolutionary change is a factor. It’s the same world, it’s just a bit different, and the events of the previous book are still relevant to the characters.

[GdM] Compared to Tutu [the main character of The Lies of the Ajungo], Osi has many more advantages: he isn’t plagued by thirst, his family is relatively speaking more fortunate than Tutu’s, he’s grown older before having to face his trials. Was that a conscious decision, to set the two protagonists apart?

[MOU] It was, yeah. Both are products of their environment. In the City of Lies, people spend their lives seeking water and typically die young, so Tutu lives minimally, both in resources and, to a degree, in self expression. Osi grew up in a state of desire, but not quite desperation. The Aleke’s siege is real and brutal, but it is not the sort of thing that impedes every day life. So Osi has aspirations in career and family and other things that would never really occur to Tutu. Osi doesn’t minimize himself—he takes up space unapologetically. Both a great representatives of their respective worlds, and neither could exist in the other’s. Without spoiling book 3, I think getting to see both of these types of people is essential to the overall story of the Forever Desert.

[GdM] To use a slightly hackneyed comparison, The Truth of the Aleke feels like a darker story than the first book – if The Lies of the Ajungo was A New Hope, this is The Empire Strikes Back, playing out the consequences of the first story. Was that always the intention, to make this the darker ‘middle’ part of the trilogy?

[MOU] It was indeed. Though I wasn’t necessarily setting out to make it “darker” as much as “closer,” if that makes sense. Tutu’s world is plenty dark. I could even argue that the ritualized mass tongue severance in Ajungo is darker than anything that happens in Aleke. But Ajungo is a bit further away from the darkness—you hear about the tongue cutting, but you don’t actually see it. Or, even moreso, feel it. Part of this goes back to what I was saying about the characters being products of their environments. Tutu, for all his lack, has his mama to protect him. Osi is much more exposed than Tutu is, and he doesn’t really have anyone as invested in protecting him. Since the reader experiences it through Osi’s eyes, that means less protection
for you too (sorrynotsorry!).

[GdM] Even more so than in The Lies of the Ajungo, it feels like Osi’s story really lives in the grey areas, with very little being black and white and the realities of the story developing over time. How did you find writing that, balancing how much to reveal and when?

[MOU] I found it extremely difficult, lol. I probably wrote more pages that got cut from Aleke than I wrote pages that ended up in the book. I tried scene after scene to see if I could find the right balance of revelation, and it was exceedingly difficult. In the end, I
had to trust my editors and the story itself and kind of let it unfold how it wanted.

[GdM] I really enjoyed the callbacks to the first book, and the way certain elements stand out differently in light of the sequel – like how Tutu almost never cries while Osi cries openly and often, or the way certain characters and events take on different meanings. Did you have a lot of that planned out in advance, or was it more a case of looking for opportunities during the writing of book two?

[MOU] I’m glad you noticed! A lot of that was in service of the story and to reward careful readers like yourself, but some of it was just fun for me, as a writer. There’s something very pleasurable, and sometimes even haunting, when such things line up between books. I’d planned in advance to do plenty of that, and I had a couple things in mind from the beginning (such as the crying), but a lot of it came out organically in the writing.

[GdM] Looking back now that two of the three volumes of the trilogy are published, are there any particular lessons you feel like you’ve learned from a writing craft perspective?

[MOU] Definitely. Maybe the biggest is knowing when to write in what I call poetic voice vs mythological voice. Poetic voice, as I define it, is for the deep and meaningful. The little insights into a world or character that belong uniquely to that book. Tutu’s first encounter with water is, to me, a poetic moment—it wouldn’t make sense to put in pretty much any other work. Mythological moments are simple and relatable and feel similar to things you’d see anywhere. Descriptions of the sun and sand and things like that. I’d classify the opening/prologue of each book as mythological, too. These books rely heavily on my ability to known when to use which voice, and I’m learning with each book how to better do that.

[GdM] To finish off, if you were a Seer is there a particular use that you’d want to put that power to?

[MOU] Sand manipulation. In a place like the Forever Desert, being able to control sand could be pretty powerful. Perhaps we’ll see more of that in book 3…

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REVIEW: The Division: Compromised by Thomas Parrott

Compromised is the second of the Operation: Crossroads series for Tom Clancy’s The Division franchise by Ubisoft. The premise for that series is that the Dollar Flu AKA The Green Poison has spread through the world and wiped-out ninety percent of the planet. The survivors of humanity are fighting over the remainder of the world’s resources with most of them running out within a few months of the events. Humanity, or at least America’s, only hope is the brave soldiers of the Strategic Homeland Division that have been given extraordinary powers to “save what remains.”

Recruited was a fun novel for fans of the series with the character of Maira Kanhai being recruited (hence the title) into the Division after the events of The Division 2. The book resolved some of the larger questions of famine and other issues that needed to be addressed in the semi-realistic world bearing the name of the late Tom Clancy. It also introduced some new factions as well told an interesting story regarding Rogue agents, revenge, and moral compromises. Basically, what fans of The Division like about the games.

Recruited takes place some months after the events of the original book with the characters still recovering from their injuries. Unfortunately, there is no rest for the righteous in the post-apocalypse world and Maira is activated to journey down to Texas in order to try to secure one of the few remaining oil refineries left in the world. It is under attack by eco-terrorists who believe that the Green Poison is the best time to start making a serious effort to start a sustainable lifestyle. This would be more sympathetic if there wasn’t millions of people depending on gas-powered trucks to deliver food.

Honestly, while I enjoyed this book, I feel it is inferior to Recruited. The Reborn and Molassi are interesting new factions but don’t feel as original as the Freighties and Roamers. Plus, eco-terrorists are a questionable villain to begin with before you have most of humanity dead and even the most Malthusian economist going, “Woah there.” It also doesn’t help the Reborn get treated more sympathetically than they probably should be given the atrocities that they carry out as well as the, well, frank stupidity of their arguments. Recruited also has not one but two dead characters show up as surprise reveals as well, including a long-lost brother.

I think the book would have been better if it had continued focusing on the role of fossil fuels as a resource necessary in the post-apocalypse world. The Road Warrior managed to tell a fantastic action movie with much the same plot and never lost sight of how oil was something simultaneously a curse as well as blessing to mankind. Instead, the entirety of the plot is cast aside fairly early for some more Rogue Agent nonsense that is usually entertaining but just doesn’t work here.

Still, I enjoyed this volume, and it is still something I recommend for fans of The Division games. Maira is a great character and seeing her slowly develop into an experienced agent able to negotiate as well as fight is a nice process to see. I like the new characters introduced to their squad as well, though I don’t think either of them is as enjoyable as Brenda or Leo.

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