Adrian Collins's Blog, page 72

REVIEW: The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen

The Kingdom of Sweets is the latest novel from author Erika Johansen, and her first not set in the Tearling world that readers may have come across before. I remember reading and largely enjoying Johansen’s The Queen of the Tearling trilogy many years ago, so went in to The Kingdom of Sweets expecting to like Johansen’s writing style but with few other expectations. One might think this a strange thing to say, given that The Kingdom of Sweets is a dark retelling of the classic story of The Nutcracker. However, as much as I like fairy tale retellings and indeed the fairy tales in their original form, I have apparently gone my whole life having never actually read or watched The Nutcracker in any way. So, in short, I liked The Kingdom of Sweets, it was a dark fairy tale, with a suitably seasonal setting – but if you are curious about the similarities and differences between this and The Nutcracker from which Johansen takes inspiration, I am afraid I cannot tell you.

The Kingdom of Sweets is the story of two sisters, Clara and Natasha. Born on Christmas Day, the twins were “blessed” by their godfather, Drosselmeyer, to be light and dark. The light twin, Clara, is beautiful and charming, and as the twins grow up she is a society darling and shines in every room she enters. Natasha, the dark one, fades into the back ground. She is plain, clever, and always overlooked in favour of her darling sister. For years Natasha accepted this as her unfortunate lot, the twisted curse of Drosselmeyer, until one fateful Christmas Eve when the sister she saw as her only friend betrays her. The overlooked and ignored Natasha sneaks her way in to a deceptively beautiful world using the magic intended only for Clara. Here, in the titular Kingdom of Sweets, Natasha makes a bargain with a power far stronger than Drosselmeyer.

There was a lot of things I really liked about The Kingdom of Sweets. Johansen’s tale is a dark and twisted wintery story with a little sprinkle of horror and it reads very easily. It has most of the key features of a fairy tale and provided some much needed escapism. The premise of a light twin vs a dark twin, is one which has been used many times before, but Johansen’s take on this trope is imaginative and well written. The protagonist of The Kingdom of Sweets is the “dark” twin, Natasha, who I really sympathised with almost from the outset of the story, even though she probably is not meant to be liked very much by the reader. Clara’s betrayal of Natasha, and Natasha’s subsequent bloody revenge felt almost justified given how abysmally Natasha seems to have been treated. It sounds strange to say, but I enjoyed Johansen’s portrayal of Natasha’s consuming rage and her finally standing up for herself. I was swept up in this tale, and enjoying the read, for most of the novel.

Unfortunately, the ending of The Kingdom of Sweets just did not quite work for me. Which is such as shame because the story lost me only in the last few chapters. The final section of the book takes place after the curtain falls so to speak (Johansen has divided the novel in to sections: overture, acts I-V, and finally the curtain) and in hindsight if I had stopped at ‘the curtain’ and not read beyond I would have enjoyed the story more. I believe this to be a very personal thing and it is something that may well be enjoyed by other readers, but the inclusion of real world events in this part of the book just threw me off-balance and pulled me out of the fantasy realm which I had been enjoying. In comparison to the whole novel this is a relatively small issue, but it did mean that The Kingdom of Sweets ended a little flat for me.

Thank you to Erika Johansen and the team over at Transworld for sending me a copy of The Kingdom of Sweets to be able to provide this review.

Read The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen

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REVIEW: The Doom of Odin by Scott Oden

Last Updated on December 23, 2023

Third and final volume in The Grimnir Saga, The Doom of Odin begins where many tales would end. The year is 1347, and Grimnir—the last skraelingr (i.e., orc)—has doggedly tracked his nemesis to Rome, a dying city decimated by the black plague. After nearly 130 years of pursuit, it is there that he plans to fulfill his oath to destroy the resurrected wyrm Níðhöggr, Odin’s chosen weapon and the ancient enemy of Grimnir’s people. As he’s closing in on Níðhöggr’s lair, however, Grimnir is felled by a crossbow bolt loosed by a terrified mercenary. Just like that, a legendary warrior seasoned by a thousand years of battle is snuffed out by a single lucky shot.

Grimnir awakens in Nástrond, a grim realm at the base of the World Tree Yggðrasil. A dark mirror of the humans’ Valhalla, Nástrond is where Grimnir’s extinct people feast, intrigue, and brawl. The family reunion is an acrimonious one, however, as his parents, cousins, and myriad half-brothers despise him as an upstart outsider. The contempt is mutual, as Grimnir feels his fellows have strayed from Loki’s path, more concerned with social jockeying and establishing petty kingdoms than honing each other through constant warfare in preparation for Ragnarök. A treacherous ambush cuts short Grimnir’s afterlife, but while “slain” souls in Nástrond are typically revived a few hours later, Grimnir instead finds himself unceremoniously shunted back into the world of the living. Subsequent deaths catapult Grimnir back and forth between Rome and the Worlds Below, where he doggedly pursues his goals in parallel. In the world of the living, he continues his quest to destroy Níðhöggr and thwart the wyrm’s master, Odin. When in the afterlife, Grimnir strives to discover the source of his mysterious resilience and the role he is destined to play in the final battle of Ragnarök.

Norse mythology figured heavily in both A Gathering of Ravens and Twilight of the Gods. But while the gods and creatures of Scandinavian folklore were marginalized by the encroachment of Christianity in the first two volumes of The Grimnir Saga, having so much of the final book’s action take place in otherworldly realms allows Scott Oden to pull out all the stops, delivering a phantasmagorical epic packed with Scandinavian spirits and monsters. In The Doom of Odin humans are mostly anonymous rabble rather than the central characters they were previously. Instead, Grimnir finds himself struggling against the souls of his vanquished race, fey witches, undead draugar, winged murder-crones, giants, and Odin himself. While the story is consequently less grounded in our historical world than previous volumes, the cosmic elements feel like a natural escalation at this point in the narrative. Oden creates the sense that not only is Ragnarök nigh, it’s also just two steps away.

After following Grimnir’s exploits over two books as the sole surviving skraelingr, it was fascinating seeing him thrown in among his own people. Grimnir’s cocksure bravado and casual cruelty seem ubiquitous among his kind; they act like jackals, constantly circling each other, waiting for an opening to strike. While the skraelingar clearly share a certain base disposition, their personalities are given enough nuance to keep them from feeling one-dimensional. The fierce warrior woman Skaði is a special highlight, especially after seeing Grimnir mostly interact with smaller, more fragile human women in the previous books.

Even compared to the first two volumes, The Doom of Odin revels in vicious, graphic violence. Skulls are smashed and entrails are spilt, and it’s all rendered in vivid detail. Much like the story’s stakes had been raised, it felt like the brutality had been taken up a few notches as well. This wasn’t a negative point for me, if anything it created the sense that Grimnir was truly unchained for the first time, giving in to his empowering rage in a way most works of entertainment warn against. Sensitive readers might find themselves skimming some passages, however.

A minor issue I had with The Doom of Odin is that the cast of characters is considerably larger than before, and Old Norse mythological terms more frequently encountered. There were occasions when I had trouble keeping track of who some of the minor characters were, or what a given branch of the World Tree signified. It was only upon finishing the book that I discovered that a combination glossary/dramatis personae had been tucked away in the back. This appendix would have smoothed over the few rough patches in my reading journey if only the book had drawn my attention to it earlier, perhaps in a table of contents.

Packed with world-shaking events and operatic struggle, The Doom of Odin is an immensely satisfying conclusion to Grimnir’s saga. One of grimdark’s most compelling characters gets exactly the bloody send-off he deserves. Grimnir’s tale couldn’t have ended any other way.

Read The Doom of Odin by Scott Oden

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REVIEW: GEN V

Last Updated on December 22, 2023

Gen V is a spin off from the wild and brilliant The Boys. Set between season 3 and 4 of the main show, this teen superhero drama keeps the high standards set by The Boys and delivers a season that is fresh and intelligent at a time when the genre is in a bit of a lull.

The Boys is known for its disgusting and wild scenes as well as its clever take on morally bankrupt superheroes (supes) and absurd violence. You might have thought that setting this series in a school for supes would dilute that a bit but if anything, the show’s creators (Eric Kripke, Evan Goldberg, and Craig Rosenberg) have upped the ante. There’s the biggest small penis you’ll ever see on screen, fists thrust through a stomach and popping out of a guy’s mouth, and an exploding dick. That’s just a tiny sample. There’s more. If your stomach is strong enough, you’ll find this dark tale as interesting as anything delivered in the genre for some time. Focusing on the story thread from The Boys where parents voluntarily gave their children compound V, a drug capable of giving them powers, Gen V looks at the morality of parents making such decisions and the impact that parents’ choices can have on their kids. They may have powers but these kids are still struggling with eating disorders, acceptance of their gender identity, adoption, social media and the struggle for likes, and more.

Gen V follows Marie Moreau who has a suitably tragic backstory. She becomes aware of her blood bending powers as a teenager and accidentally kills her parents in view of her younger sister. It’s a brutal scene and instantly informs viewers that this is a series ready to push the limits of what can be done just like The Boys. Earning a place at a university for crimfighting, Marie meets other supes and is drawn into a world where she not only has to navigate the many twists and turns of uni life but there also happens to be a dark conspiracy that she gets caught up in involving the mistreatment of these young supes. It’s a well-written series that manages to get the audience to pity individuals with these incredible abilities. There’s a simmering tension throughout the show that links in with The Boys arc where the country is becoming divided and torn between differing ideologies and on the brink of a civil war. There is a clear parallel with real world events and the way in which a cult of personality can influence large groups of people and it is interesting to see where both The Boys and Gen V go with it.

Gen V is as good as anything else you will see in the superhero genre this year. Grimdark fans will love the morally grey characters and the brutal fights are a joy to watch for those who like their battles bloody and gory. An interesting series that expands on the brilliance of The Boys without being beholden to it. Fans of The Boys and newcomers alike will enjoy this super bloody take on the difficulties of school life. Binge it before The Boys S4 hits your home screens. You won’t regret it!

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REVIEW: Cults of the Blood Gods

Cults of the Blood Gods is a somewhat controversial topic to begin with as it is a book that reflects Kindred (vampire) religion. One of the elements that makes V:TM so interesting is that it doesn’t shy away from presenting a dark Christian mythology-flavored universe where God cursed Caine only to have said being spread his curse across Abel’s descendants. This has not always sat well with atheist or other religious gamers and is a topic some prefer to be left out of their power fantasy of bloodsucking monsters.

I personally have always loved the occult aspect of the World of Darkness setting. Speaking as a liberal Christian growing up in the fundamentalist Bible Belt, I’ve enjoyed the satirical element of the setting as well as its hidden mysteries. Cults of the Blood Gods doesn’t just focus on the Caine myth, though, and expands significantly on the options for those who wish to play polytheistic, pagan, drug, ancestor, and other forms of religion cultists.

I am also a stalwart defender of Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition. I believe it is the best edition to come out since 1st Edition and the original Chicago Chronicles. However, I’m going to be honest in that I also feel like it’s been really hit or miss. The two best things to come out of 5th Edition so far have been the LA by Night web series and Chicago by Night 5th Edition as well as its supplements (The Chicago Folios, Let the Streets Run Red). Sabbat: The Black Hand and The Second Inquisition, though? Yeah, they were honestly terrible. How is Cults of the Blood Gods? Fantastic.

A warning for those who are reading this book in hopes of getting new material for the Sabbat, the largest blood cult among vampires, that this book doesn’t contain any information about that organization or rules for Paths of Enlightenment. While it does offer some options for inhuman convictions, the book is primarily devoted to other cults as well as updating the Giovanni as well as Cappadocian Clans to the modern era. Personally, I’m content to wait for the Sabbat to get their own recently-announced book.

It is difficult to pick out the best parts of the book so I’m just going to list some of my favorite elements of the new cults presented as well as give some short thoughts:

* The Church of Caine: I’ve always been a fan of the Cainite Heresy and hated how the Sabbat had warped our vampiric lord, the First Murderer’s, ministry. This provides a revival of the organization with some hints of Sabbat defection. It also provides a coherent mythology for the undead as well as an updated to the Lure of Flames Path as a pyrotechnic set of rituals.

* The Church of Set: The Church of Set and Ministry split was confusing to me so it was nice to have it spelled out to be an ideological conflict between the Set purists versus the polytheistic chaos worshipers of the Clan. The Church of Set are fundamentalists of a religion devoted to freedom and that is an interesting twist to me. They’re also archenemies of the Church of Mithras as well as Ministry.

* The Cult of Mithras: I’ve long been a fan of cult favorite, Mithras, the 4th generation Prince of London. This expands on his in-universe cult and adds plenty of new rituals as well as world-building for those who want to use him as background flavor. Mithras, himself, is probably dead as of The Fall of London but that doesn’t mean his cult doesn’t live on. I also like how he’s set up as another archenemy for the Church of Set (alongside the Children of Osiris, Kemintiri, Mummies, and Silent Striders–guys are hated worse than the Tremere).

* The Nephilim: An interesting character from the Dark Ages was Michael the False Archangel of Constantinople. The Nephilim are what remains of his cult and they are the most Toreador that ever Toreadored. They’re arrogant, beauty-obsessed, obnoxious hedonists that are basically Toreador + another Toreador. I don’t think they’d let the Nosferatu into the club, though. That’s just not their bag, IMHO.

* The Dread Cult of Eligos: I’ll be honest, this is probably my favorite of all the cults in the book and one that I want to use in my next Chronicle. It is a Satanic cult of blood sucking lunatics who are worshiping a vampire methuselah. Except not. It is a front for the Second Inquisition that has gotten completely out of control.

* The Sevitors of Irad: I’ve always liked the Servitors of Irad ever since the Elysium supplement. They were eventually expanded into a group allied with the True Hand. This group write-up doesn’;t mention the True Hand but I’m inclined to think that’s because they’re still rebuilding/being co-opted by the Baali. I love Antediluvian worshipers is all I’m saying.

The biggest part of the book is the update of the Cappadocian and Giovanni bloodlines. The Harbingers of Skulls, Samedi, and Nagaraja are all merged together via a mystical rite with the former to become the Hecata. Augustus Giovanni has apparently been destroyed and many of his closest cronies have been assassinated but the majority of the Giovanni clan remains intact. It is more a reorganization than a genocide.

I honestly think the book went a bit overboard with the mystical binding but I think the Hecate being a micro-sect akin to the Camarilla of the “Necromancy” clans is a pretty cool idea. The Nagaraja may not be related to the Cappadocians but them joining together with the Harbingers after the Black Hand’s destruction is a pretty good idea. I also like the greater focus on the Giovanni branch families versus the debased Italian banking clan.

Rule-wise, there’s a lot more here than in Chicago by Night. We have the rules for creating Hecata characters as well as expansions on how to use Oblivion in your chronicle. Not everyone liked merging Necromancy with Oblivion but I think it works well. We also have information on the aforementioned Bloodlines and some cool Loresheets.

Cults of the Blood Gods also contains a cool little chronicle called “Styx and Bones” that is about the resurrection of a Cappadocian Elder gone horribly wrong. I’m a little nonplussed by, “wait, people can be raised from the dead in the setting now?” However, it’s a pretty great story all round and I will eventually run it.

In conclusion, this is a fantastic supplement that is a must for any campaign that wants to deal with extreme religion in Cainite society, the Giovanni, Cappadocians, or the Underworld. It’s probably better if you’re going to run an all-Hecata Chronicle but I also think that it’s perfect for those who want to play one of those pale medium types. It’s probably better if you’re going to run an all-Hecata Chronicle but I also think that it’s perfect for those who want to play one of those pale medium types.

Read Cults of the Blood Gods

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The best dark fantasy and science fiction books of 2023

It’s getting late in the year and so it’s time for the Grimdark Magazine team to pick the best dark fantasy and science fiction books of 2023. With plenty of awesomeness being released in fantasy and science fiction this year, we’re focussed on the best dark SFF books released in 2023 that we think will appeal most to grimdark readers. So, depending on where you are in the world, grab yourself a coffee, tea, an ice cold frothy, or a piping hot toddy, and prepare your TBR pile to get much, much taller.

Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonaldPicked by Fiona Denton

Choosing my most loved book of the year was hard because I’ve had the privilege of reading and reviewing some cracking novels. I’ve picked Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald because this is the one that has stuck with me the most; I can’t quite shake it off. I find myself imagining what will happen next in the final installment of The Redwinter Chronicle, wondering if we will get more novels set in this amazing world, and replaying the book in my head in random moments of down time. Traitor of Redwinter should be for epic fantasy fans what catnip is to kittens. You really really really love it whilst you have it, and then you’re searching around the house for something to give you the same feeling. It’s got everything I love from fantasy all in one place. I keep looking at my TBR, and back to Traitor of Redwinter, and wondering if I shouldn’t just sack one off on favour of jumping back in to the other and that’s what has made it so special.

Read our full review, here.

About the book

The power of the Sixth Gate grows stronger within Raine each day―to control it, she needs lessons no living Draoihn can teach her. Her fledgling friendships are tested to a breaking point as she tries to face what she has become, and her master Ulovar is struck by a mysterious sickness that slowly saps the vitality from his body, leaving Raine to face her growing darkness alone. There’s only one chance to turn the tide of power surging within her―to learn the secrets the Draoihn themselves purged from the world.

The book can teach her. She doesn’t know where she found it, or when exactly, but its ever changing pages whisper power that has lain untouched for centuries.

As the king’s health fails and the north suffers in the grip of famine, rebellious lords hunger for the power of the Crown, backed by powers that would see the Crowns undone. Amidst this growing threat, Raine’s former friend Ovitus brings a powerful new alliance, raising his status and power of his own. He professes support for the heir to the throne even as others would see him take it for himself, and desperately craves Raine’s forgiveness―or her submission.

But the grandmaster has her own plans for Raine, and the deadly training she has been given has not been conducted carelessly. In Raine she seeks to craft a weapon to launch right into her enemy’s heart, as Redwinter seeks to hold onto power.

Amidst threats old and new, Raine must learn the secrets promised by the book, magic promised by a queen with a crown of feathers. A queen to whom Raine has promised more than she can afford to give…

Read Traitor of Redwinter by Ed McDonald

Some Desperate Glory by Emily TeshPicked by Beth Tabler

I have been a fan of Emily Tesh for awhile. Her Greenhollow Duology is a beautiful lyrical masterpiece. However, in Some Desperate Glory, Tesh proved that she can write in multiple genres and styles. It was a fascinating premise, and I left the book excited to read the next. More so than any other book I have read this year.

About the book

While we live, the enemy shall fear us.

Since she was born, Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the majoda their victory over humanity.

They are what’s left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. When Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to Nursery to bear sons until she dies trying, she knows she must take humanity’s revenge into her own hands.

Alongside her brother’s brilliant but seditious friend and a lonely, captive alien, Kyr escapes from everything she’s known into a universe far more complicated than she was taught and far more wondrous than she could have imagined.

Read Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

After the Forest by Kell WoodsPicked by Fabienne Schwizer

Fairy tales always end with evil defeated. But what happens to the heroes after their ordeal? For them, vanquishing their foes is only the beginning of their story. Kell Woods’ After the Forest picks up on such a story, fifteen years later. Hans and Greta are now adults, struggling to fit into a society that doesn’t have space for them. After the Forest is a powerful story of belonging and finding your place in the world – and how perhaps what is considered “right” may well be wrong. Woods’ writing is haunting and evocative and I loved how After the Forest combines commercial historical fantasy with a deeper sense of social awareness.

Read our full review, here.

About the book

Ginger. Honey. Cinnamon. Flour.

Twenty years after the witch in the gingerbread house, Greta and Hans are struggling to get by. Their mother and stepmother are long dead, Hans is deeply in debt from gambling, and the countryside lies in ruin, its people starving in the aftermath of a brutal war.

Greta has a secret, though: the witch’s grimoire, hidden away and whispering in Greta’s ear for the past two decades, and the recipe inside that makes the best gingerbread you’ve ever tasted. As long as she can bake, Greta can keep her small family afloat.

But in a village full of superstition, Greta and her mysteriously addictive gingerbread, not to mention the rumors about her childhood misadventures, is a source of gossip and suspicion.

And now, dark magic is returning to the woods and Greta’s magic―magic she is still trying to understand―may be the only thing that can save her. If it doesn’t kill her first.

Read After the Forest by Kell Woods

The Hurricane Wars by Thea GuanzonPicked by Saberin

The Hurricane Wars is Thea Guanzon’s sleek and addictive debut into the world of fantasy, inspired by her Filipino roots. It has since hooked me in from the first page. Guanzon takes a common theme like light versus dark and makes it entirely her own. The worldbuilding, the romance, the characters and the politics are all crafted so well and so balanced against one another, making it literally impossible to put down. I’m eagerly awaiting the sequel, and the title hasn’t even been announced yet!

Read our full review, here.

About the book

The heart is a battlefield.

All Talasyn has ever known is the Hurricane Wars. Growing up an orphan in a nation under siege by the ruthless Night Emperor, she found her family among the soldiers who fight for freedom. But she is hiding a deadly secret: light magic courses through her veins, a blazing power believed to have been wiped out years ago that can cut through the Night Empire’s shadows.

Prince Alaric, the emperor’s only son and heir, has been tasked with obliterating any threats to the Night Empire’s rule with the strength of his armies and mighty shadow magic. He discovers the greatest threat yet in Talasyn: a girl burning brightly on the battlefield with the magic that killed his grandfather, turned his father into a monster, and ignited the Hurricane Wars. He tries to kill her, but in a clash of light and dark, their powers merge and create a force the likes of which has never been seen.

This war can only end with them. But an even greater danger is coming, and the strange magic they can create together could be the only way to overcome it. Talasyn and Alaric must decide… are they fated to join hands, or destroy each other?

Read The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark LawrencePicked by John Mauro

The Book That Wouldn’t Burn is Mark Lawrence’s self-described love letter to books and the buildings where they live. No one combines fantasy and science fiction as effectively as Lawrence. The Book That Wouldn’t Burn sees Lawrence elevate his craft to new heights, offering a meditation on human society in the information age, the seductive nature of lies, and the intrinsic danger of knowledge in the absence of wisdom. As a long-time Mark Lawrence fan, I was also delighted by the large number of Easter eggs pointing back to his previous work.

Read our full review, here.

About the book

The boy has lived his whole life trapped within a book-choked chamber older than empires and larger than cities.

The girl has been plucked from the outskirts of civilization to be trained as a librarian, studying the mysteries of the great library at the heart of her kingdom.

They were never supposed to meet. But in the library, they did.

Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another. A journey on which knowledge erodes certainty and on which, though the pen may be mightier than the sword, blood will be spilled and cities burned.

Read The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

Children of Memory by Adrian TchaikovskyPicked by Chris Napier

The Children of Time series is one of my favourite sci-fi series of recent years, dealing with core themes of what makes a person a person even in profoundly alien forms. Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky sets the increasingly diverse civilisation of explorers against an arguably even bleaker setting than previously, trying to integrate with and save a colony of long fallen Earth that’s slipping into a seemingly inevitable apocalypse, over and over again. It’s trippy, emotive, thought provoking and supremely layered.

About the book

Earth failed. In a desperate bid to escape, the spaceship Enkidu and its captain, Heorest Holt, carried its precious human cargo to a potential new paradise. Generations later, this fragile colony has managed to survive, eking out a hardy existence. Yet life is tough, and much technological knowledge has been lost.

Then strangers appear. They possess unparalleled knowledge and thrilling technology – and they’ve arrived from another world to help humanity’s colonies. But not all is as it seems, and the price of the strangers’ help may be the colony itself.

Read Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard SwanPicked by Adrian Collins

The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan is an absolutely unputdownable read. Swan ramps up the awesomeness of The Justice of Kings by giving readers more of what we loved in book one, and then building on it in book two. The emotional hits are harder, the action is bloodier, the magic out of control, and the stakes just keep going up as the tens of millions of people in The Empire of the Wolf are set up to be torn down. Dark fantasy fans need to be on this series.

Read our full review here.

About the book

A Justice’s work is never done.

The Battle of Galen’s Vale is over, but the war for the Empire’s future has just begun. Concerned by rumors that the Magistratum’s authority is waning, Sir Konrad Vonvalt returns to Sova to find the capital city gripped by intrigue and whispers of rebellion. In the Senate, patricians speak openly against the Emperor, while fanatics preach holy vengeance on the streets.

Yet facing down these threats to the throne will have to wait, for the Emperor’s grandson has been kidnapped – and Vonvalt is charged with rescuing the missing prince. His quest will lead him – and his allies Helena, Bressinger and Sir Radomir – to the southern frontier, where they will once again face the puritanical fury of Bartholomew Claver and his templar knights – and a dark power far more terrifying than they could have imagined.

Read The Tyranny of Faith by Richard Swan

Need more book recommendations?

Fret not! The GdM team have got you covered:

Best dark fantasy and science fiction books 2022Best dark fantasy and science fiction books 2021Best dark fantasy and science fiction books 2020

The post The best dark fantasy and science fiction books of 2023 appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.

Warhammer Amazon contracts are signed and it’s time to start ramping up your excitement

Last Updated on December 20, 2023

In December of last year we were part of an online chorus of wary exhilaration when it was announced an agreement between Games Workshop and Amazon was in the works. Yesterday it was announced the Warhammer Amazon contracts are signed. Work has begun under stern executive production overseer and Warhammer fanatic, Henry Cavill. And if the announcement over on the Warhammer Communities page is anything to go by, it’s time to start ramping up that excitement (on a slow burn, naturally, as this is the movie and TV industry).

Back in December last year we announced Games Workshop and Amazon Studios had signed an agreement in principle to work together to bring the Warhammer 40,000 universe to screens, big and small.

Well, today we have an update, and it’s one we’ve all been longing to hear. We’ve now signed the full agreement and the next stage can begin!

There isn’t a huge amount of additional detail in the announcement, but there are some key things we should look at.

Henry Cavill remains executive producer of the Warhammer Amazon team

With how quickly crew (producers, writers, actors) seem to drop in and out of projects these days, it is a colossal relief to see that Cavill remains as the executive producer (and hopeful star) of the Warhammer Amazon collaboration.

All we can tell you right now is that an elite band of screenwriters, each with their own particular passion for Warhammer, is being assembled to help bring the setting and characters you love to the screen. This illustrious group will be championed by Henry Cavill, who stands ready to take his place as executive producer – bringing his pen, sword and/or spear to the project.

To me, Cavill is pivotal to the success of this venture. He is a big fan of the franchise; and with the kinds of lore knowledge he’s reported to have brought to the The Witcher, it seems likely that he gets it and understands what makes the Warhammer 40,000 universe awesome. We’ve seen what can happen to even the biggest dark fantasy stories when the writers go too far off script, with Cavill leaving the role of Geralt of Rivia in The Witcher from Netflix over creative differences, and fans dropping the series like a broken sword. We’ve all got our fingers crossed that, under Cavill’s leadership, the Warhammer Amazon collaboration is a wild success for years to come.

When can we watch Warhammer on Amazon Prime

When I said you need to slow-burn that excitement ramp up, I meant it. While I’m sure that now the contracts are signed a marketing team will start to drip feed us delicious morsels of teasing information over time, the announcement made it quite clear we’re going to be waiting until likely 2027 at the earliest to see feature or series-length content on screen.

TV and Film production is a mammoth undertaking. It’s not unusual for projects to take two to three years from this point before something arrives on screen. Still, things are now properly rolling, and you can bet we’ll bring you all the latest updates and cool snippets as soon as we’re able.

As a firm believer in doing something properly and not quickly, I am happy to wait to see them hit the big and small screens.

But what about WarhammerTV?

As somebody who subscribed on day one of Games Workshop’s WarhammerTV subscription, I have noticed (and I am sure I’m not the only one to have noticed) a notable reduction in the release schedule of animated WarhammerTV animated series (though the quality of productions like Pariah: Nexus is still amazing). Also, some of the promised sequels to previous fan series, such as the absolutely magnificent Astartes by Syama Pedersen, have not come to fruition. While the Games Workshop community announcement does not seem to delineate between animated and live action, and it provides an interesting correlation between the time it likely took to create, negotiate, and sign this deal, and the seeming rolling down of animated content on the WarhammerTV app. There is still plenty on there for gamers and hobbyists, to be clear, but for this subscriber, the animations were all I wanted, and I wonder if it’s future is to be focussed on the actual game and hobby, versus the animated series.

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REVIEW: A Sword from Red Ice by J.V. Jones

A Sword from Red Ice is the third entry in J.V. Jones’ epic, dark, and snowy fantasy series, Sword of Shadows. I am completely invested in Jones’ grim world and fully engaged with the characters, their adventures, and the turmoil that they face. This novel continues presenting the same elements that have gripped me so far, however, some of the plot progression this time seemed drawn out and mundane.

Following the climax of A Fortress of Grey Ice, a frustrated, injured, and starving Raif finds himself wandering through the Want, an area that, being broken by sorcery, is bewitching and does not follow nature’s laws. Elsewhere, Clan Blackhail’s chief’s wife Raina is disenchanted with her clan’s actions, believing they are going against the morals and ethics that made Blackhail so formidable and respected a clan, culminating in the Gods deserting them. As these events are unfolding, the formidable yet aging Dog Lord and his party of five are still trying to avoid detection from rivals after escaping through the Tomb of Dhoone Princes. These viewpoints, alongside Bram, Robbie Dun Dhoone’s younger brother, are the most enjoyable chapters to follow, being the most action-packed and thought-provoking.

“I need you to tell your brother two things. First, you must tell him old grievances should be forgotten. Whilst we fight amongst ourselves the city men circle like wolves. When they spy weakness they will strike.” He paused, waiting. Bram made the smallest possible movement that could be taken for a nod. “And there’s another thing. Tell him days darker than night lie ahead.”

There are approximately twelve point-of-view perspectives and all of them are intriguing and focused so that no viewpoints blur into one another or are cumbersome. Main players Effie Sevrance and Ash Marsh continue to be fascinating characters yet I cannot help but assess that their arcs, this time, were more about them travelling from point A to point B. Essentially, just traversing to where they have to be for their particular culminations at A Sword from Red Ice’s conclusion. Less page time is given to loyal giant Crope and the brutal, beast of a man, Marifice Eye. Both are interesting to follow, showcasing and giving detailed insights into further aspects of Jones’ world, including those magical and political.

A Sword from Red Ice contains dozens of cinematic and incredible set pieces. A portion of these reflect that the stakes are increasing. This is because the vale between reality and the blind has been pierced, with the shadowy unmade now stalking the land. Other stunning segments include pivotal meetings of main characters from different factions, heartwrenching sequences, oath-setting, hardships and deaths, and stunning scenes with Raif and Traggis Mole. The latter are, to me, some of my favourite moments in dark fantasy literature.

Jones’ world is incredible and immersive. Furthermore, it is a testament to her skill as a writer that main characters such as Angus Lok and Drey Sevrance are rarely seen throughout this book but their presence and influence are felt. Although I am reading what is featured here, I am considering implications elsewhere and what is taking place behind the words on the page. Jones allows us to use our imagination to fill in the blanks, based upon what clues are given. For example, Bram is now fostering with Clan Castlemilk (and doing very well), but, because of this, we are no longer given a front-row view of the Thorn King, Robbie Dun Dhoone. As this is the case, our image of Robbie becomes altered based on how other characters perceive him as his legacy builds.

This novel is a long read at 600+ pages yet, even so, it took me a month to read which I believe reflects the pacing and my overall enjoyment. Some of the point-of-view perspectives felt like they were only given 2 to 3 chapters over the entire course of the book therefore feeling like there was little progression. On the contrary, I adored Raif’s and the Dog Lord’s chapters which were full of drama and updates, and I was always content when returning to see how things were progressing there.

That sense of peace would not last for long. Mor Drakka, Watcher of the Dead, Oathbreaker, Twelve Kill: a man possessing such names could not expect to live a peaceful life.

A Sword from Red Ice is a solid dark fantasy read with moments of brilliance and fantastic dialogue but it can sometimes be hard work during more plodding sections. I feel that the highest I can award this entry is a 7/10. Next, I shall move on to Watcher of the Dead, the final novel released by Jones in Sword of Shadows, which is a proposed series of 6 books.

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REVIEW: A Season of Monstrous Conceptions by Lina Rather

Last Updated on December 18, 2023

Bisexual Sarah is a widow and a midwife. But she’s also one of those born with monstrous deformities. Most often, these children get killed at birth due to fear of the unknown and the power that may rest in them. Lina Rather’s A Season of Monstrous Conceptions is queer historical fantasy horror, deeply rooted in its seventeenth century London. It situates itself on the more literary end of the spectrum – a space in which Tordotcom is doing amazing work at the moment.

In A Season of Monstrous Conceptions, babies are sometimes born with what are considered monstrous attributes. Either, the parents hide these, or the child is abandoned – these children don’t have a place in the codified society. But, they also carry unusual powers. Tethering a fine line between witchcraft, heresy and medicine, Sarah is able to use hers in her work as a midwife – an uncanny knowing of things. And then, she is called to assist Sir Christopher Wren’s wife during her pregnancy. A true renaissance man, Wren sees everything as a challenge and a possible discovery. As time goes on, Sarah will have to decide whether this unusual man is mesmerising or rather dangerous. Her relationship with Margaret, a fellow monstrous-born able to hide her deformity is tender and illustrates the world they live in with a queer lens.

Sarah at one point aptly discusses her queer relationship as two women, living together with little scrutiny as women have such a highly codified role in society that others wouldn’t consider whether there is more to it. Much easier for women than men in the period, I found this really interesting. It doesn’t take up much space in the novella as a whole, but it resonated with me and my understanding of the Early Modern period. Being different, after all, isn’t just down to physical characteristics. Having the great Christopher Wren (of St Paul’s Cathedral fame) be a major character further helped create a rich backdrop to the story, rooting it in time and place.

I loved my time reading A Season of Monstrous Conceptions. It is uncanny rather than diving into true horror – working hard to evoke atmosphere. It would have been great to have a bit more breathing space, time to really dive into the world (and the otherworld) and see what effect that on the mindset of the society in more nuance. But it’s criticism on a very high level – the writing is wonderful and the story is fascinating. A worthy successor to Rather’s Sisters of the Vast Black – and a great introduction to her writing for those new to it. As I have been obsessively reading literary horror lately, this fit in well with the general mood and I can only recommend it if that’s your jam too.

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REVIEW: Chicago by Night 5th Edition

Last Updated on December 17, 2023

Chicago by Night 5th Edition is technically the third edition of the seminal Chicago by Night city book supplement for Vampire: The Masquerade. Way back in 1991, the book was released for the then-new series about playing tragic misunderstood creatures of the night a decade before Twilight made it uncool. The book was a shocking change the kind of books present from Dungeons and Dragons or even Call of Cthulhu. It was adult, edgy, racially diverse, sexually diverse, and full of complicated politics your player characters were meant to involve themselves in without shooting up the place. Well, yeah, they’d probably shoot up the place anyway, but it wasn’t advised.

The premise is the same for Vampire: The Masquerade as a whole. The World of Darkness is one where immortals walk among humanity, feasting on their blood and forming complicated societies that continually jockey for power like a vampire Game of Thrones. The young rebel against the old, the poor against the rich, and the powerful pull the strings of the weak(er).

As awesome as the original CbN was, it’s almost thirty years old now. It was updated in 1993 for Second Edition but even that was part of an era’s end. City books have never been the best-selling products of Vampire: The Masquerade and the setting ended with lots of potential ways for the main characters to affect the city. Any further updates would be immaterial as the city would be unrecognizable.

Nostalgia has a powerful effect on the aging gamer, though, and Onyx Path Publishing revived the V:TM gameline with the Vampire: The Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition. We’re now on the 5th Edition of that game and they’ve created a similar update to the Chicago setting. It was successfully Kickstarted in 2018 and only now has been released to the public.

The new Chicago is secretly ruled by Kevin Jackson, a former Cabrini Green gangster turned respectable undead businessman. He has successfully seized control over the city in the chaos of the recent events in the setting and set down a brutal set of laws designed to make him the most revered Prince in America. He has recruited some of the Anarchs (rebellious young vampires) who opposed the former Prince and turned them against their fellows.

The book updates the setting to 2019 from its early Nineties roots. A lot of social, government, and economic changes have happened both to Chicago as well as the nation. The history of Chicago incorporates such things as the failed Chicago Olympics bid, gentrification (including the destruction of Cabrini Green), and the collapse of Gary, Indiana from a dying town to a dead one. It also incorporates some facts about society ranging from segregation to violence to better roleplay the city’s inhabitants.

This is a gorgeous book and one that was made with every possible attention to detail. The art is different from both the classic black and white V:TM art as well as the V5 photoshopped pictures. Every vampire in the book has a portrait and while not all of them match their original appearances, most are just beautiful. The layout is also extremely well done, drawing attention to the little sidebars and tidbits designed to make the lore evocative.

The real appeal of the book, though, is its immense attention to detail as well as its usefulness for making the controversial 5th Edition make sense. While a fan of 5E, I feel it made numerous missteps and may have changed too much for the average player. This is not the case here as we see a seamless blend of the old with the new. Things like the Beckoning, Second Inquisition, and Anarch/Camarilla War are all integrated in an organic fashion that allows what was good about the old to be kept while advancing the plots of characters in new directions.

I absolutely love the method of handling NPCs in this book with every one of them detailed with mortal history, vampire history, their current plots, mortal retainers, and what their public identities are. It’s everything you could possibly need to know how to do serious roleplaying as well as any number of adventure hooks with practically any character. Characters I loved in this book were Anita Wainwright, Critias, Maldavis, Bennet Steadman, Flyboy, and a dozen others.

The book continues the original CbN’s conflict between the Anarchs and the Elders. V5 was criticized for returning to this conflict over the Camarilla vs. Sabbat but I love it. Kevin Jackson is ruthlessly purging the Anarchs but doing it in a subtle backhanded way. The conflict has multiple leaders and participants that mean, however the PCs choose to fight the war (if at all), they have strong personalities to work off of. The treason of Damien, a long-beloved Anarch hero, worked surprisingly well in illustrating how the years can wear down even the most noble soul.

Diversity-wise, this is one of the strongest books in V:TM for any edition. There are gay, straight, transgender, black, white, Native American, rich, and poor characters that help illustrate Chicago from multiple perspectives. As a better author than me said, “reality has a diversity bias.” One thing that I shouldn’t be happy about but is the fact that with only one or two exceptions, almost every vampire in the book has a horrifying side to go along with their more likable qualities. Even decent-ish folk like Anita Wainwright crave bloodthirsty (ha!) revenge on their enemies or plan to use other Kindred as dupes.

A lot of gamers don’t buy books for the storybeats and world-building, though. How is the crunch of the book? Well, the biggest thing the book provides is the rules and material for the Lasombra. One of the biggest criticisms of V5 was it didn’t provide rules for popular clans the Assamites, Giovanni, Followers of Set, Tzimisce, Lasombra, and Ravnos. The Lasombra get a full write-up here with roughly half the clan defecting to the Camarilla as well as rules for their new discipline of Oblivion.

The authors of the book have the hard job of explaining why the Lasombra, a fanatical and snooty clan that hates all things Camarilla, would join with their ancient rivals. I think they did a pretty good job of making it justifiable. The fact that only half the Clan joins also makes it believable to me. I won’t spoil their reasoning, but it’s spelled out in their Clan section.

If I had to pick a favorite part of the book out, it would probably be “The Sacrifice” which is a chronicle at the end of the book that could easily fill out an entire campaign for Storytellers. The player characters are assigned by Prince Jackson (willingly or not) to serve as bodyguards as well as tourguides for a visiting Lasombra delegation. If the negotiations go well, they can make the Lasombra a part of the Camarilla (something the player characters may wish to prevent). While published adventures are always a bit of hit and miss, I feel this did an amazing job. It also showed why some Lasombra would probably fit in well to the Camarilla while others would just make it worse. Kudos to the creators.

Stats-wise, in addition to the write-up for Oblivion, we also have plenty of adventure hooks and Loresheets. The book provides the rules for creating your own cities and adventures plus also making coteries for vampires to interact with. It’s not my cup of tea but I think people wanting to expand their city-write ups will find the book more than worth its cost. I think my favorite of the Loresheets has to be the Book of Nod and Malkavian Madness Network. Both of which will help my current characters.

Are there any criticisms? Well, die-hard fans of V20 will note that this book isn’t metaplot agnostic by any means. The Second Inquisition plays a huge role, large numbers of characters have succumbed to the Beckoning, and many old characters have been knocked off by the random hand of fate. A few characters like Joshua, Al Capone, Juggler, Dickie, and Doctor Genet also get mentioned but aren’t detailed in the book. They were detailed in previous supplements, but new gamers could be confused by their inclusion.

In conclusion, Chicago by Night 5th Edition is an amazing book. I loved every single V20 book and I’m probably not the person to criticize any work for this line (unless it’s The Sabbat supplement–that will be coming soon). However, I think this is easily the best of 5th Edition and shows exactly what can be accomplished in that setting if you give it a chance. A lot of old favorites return and are made better, deeper, and more intense by their updates. The new characters also include what I’m sure will be classics to come. It’s not the best V:TM book of all time but it is probably in the top five.

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REVIEW: The Wheel of Time Season Two

Last Updated on December 16, 2023

The Wheel of Time season one was a controversial show that caused a split among fans of the books as well as fantasy fans in general. Amazon itself seemed to have less faith in it than they should have, being more interested in Rings of Power than the works of Robert Jordan. The show creators wanted not only a full ten episodes but a two hour season pilot. They got neither. Honestly, this issue is about ninety percent of my issues with the adaptation right there as it is incredibly difficult for people who haven’t read the books to know who is who, what is what, and why is why.

Honestly, I wasn’t going to watch the second season. Which is a shame because there was a lot to love in the first season. However, I feel like so much was lost in the weeds that it became impossible for my wife and niece to follow the story. This despite the fact that both of them are huge Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon fans. They’re dedicated fantasy fans but the show just did a bad job of establishing what was going on. Still, they were interested in giving it a try and so we binged it a couple of months after release.

Overall? Much improved. The problem is that the show is still damn near incomprehensible for people who haven’t read the books and a lot of the most important moments are undermined by lack of time developing them. If these questions are things that strike you as “the kind of things you should explain” then you might have a problem as a person who is new to the show. “Who are the Forsaken?”, “Why are they imprisoned?”, “What’s a Black Ajah?”, “Who are the Seanchan?”, “What’s this horn thing and why is it important?”, “Who are the Aiel?”, and “When did reincarnation become a thing?” If you’re a book fan, you understand these are not small questions. They’re kind of important details.

I’m reminded of the fact the original animated Lord of the Rings had to combine The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers into one movie. The showrunners are making a game effort and the show has a lot of fanastic bits left and right. All of the cast are on point, including the recasting of Mat Cauthon that works much better this time around, and have quite a few standout moments throughout the season. The new characters are introduced much better and with lots of great moments between them: Elayne, Aviendha, Lanfear, and Liandrin are all fantastically realized.

The action and production values have also improved significantly. A flaw of the first season was the fact the show frequently looked cheap when it needed to look grandiose. Game of Thrones did many clever tricks to disguise the fact that it didn’t have the budget for the massive scale of Martin’s books and sometimes still failed (like the tournament or royal hunt) but here, we really get a sense of the grandiosity of the conflicts.

Fans of the book will note that there have been significant changes to the text but I actually don’t mind these ones as it feels like they’re getting back on the tracks that the previous season jumped off of. Some of the changes are also improvements. I know, shocking. Just little things like the fact Lanfear in the books pretended to be a woman Rand’s age but here is allowed to be an older woman he’s attracted to. We also get some meaty bits for Siuan and Loghain that were frequently lacking in plot relevance.

Season 2 of Wheel of Time is flawed and I wouldn’t recommend this series to anyone not familiar with the books or at least someone there to explain details constantly in the most annoying manner possible. Nevertheless, it no longer feels like a train wreck and I’m actually excited about Season 3.

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