Beth Tabler's Blog, page 177

Review of ILLBORN by Daniel T. Jackson

 

 

“Illborn”. Oh my.

 

This book was an Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO 7) semi-finalist last year. With the buzz surrounding this book coming into that popular contest, many readers thought the 700-plus page juggernaut had a real chance to make the finals or perhaps win the entire contest.

While this did not happen, “Illborn” remains on of the most hyped self-published fantasy books published recently. And of course, based on that, I was leery of a letdown, keeping this book high on my TBR for months, but not wading in. But recently, I felt the pressure of the sands of the hourglass running out, as new SPFBO (8) contest books would be taking precedence on my reading list.

I’m so grateful I finally took the plunge. Because “Illborn”, debut novel by author Daniel T. Jackson, and Book One in “The Illborn Saga”, a coming-of-age dark high fantasy, is spectacular.

The plot of “Illborn” revolves around the multiple POVs of four young people, two male, two female. Set a medieval-style world, with the bulk of the action taking place in the lands to the east of the Holy Land of the Christ-Like figure Lord Aiduel, the four youths, Allana, Corin, Leanna, and Arion have never met one another. Nevertheless, they are bound by a common, haunting dream that will irrevocably change their lives and set them off on a path towards an uncertain, yet seemingly unescapable destiny.

Allana lives in relative penury with her terminally ill mother, who was formerly a courtesan. Desperate, prompted by her dying parent, Allana turns to a former influential and high ranking member of the clergy for assistance.

But only sorrow awaits Allana when she takes the chance to reach out to High Priest Ronis for aid. The tragedy resulting from the fateful plea for help forces Allana to flee her homeland of Dei Magnus. But she is pursued by powerful forces seeking justice for crimes they believe Allana has committed, and they will not rest until she is captured and brought to judgement. Meanwhile, the haunting dream is also relentless, as it calls to Allana, with the words, “LUST, POWER, DOMINATION”.

A marriage match has been found for Leanna, who seems to be the perfect future husband. But Leanna experiences a sudden manifestation of Lord Aiduel, and feels compelled to pledge herself to Aiduel instead of her betrothed. Vowing to become a priestess of the faith, Leanna soon finds there is corruption, hypocrisy, and grave danger awaiting her on her journey towards trying to achieve spiritual fulfillment.

And the words “DEVOTION, SACRIFICE, SALVATION”, which drive her will be needed if Leanna is to achieve the sense of purpose and belonging that she seeks.

Arion Sepian is born a nobleman, the youngest heir of a great Duke. Sepain is skilled as a warrior, and dreams of being a great warlord, leading his father’s armies. But his father insists that Arion join the priesthood in order to increase the prestige and political sway of his noble house.

Yet fate has another plan for Arion, and he will pursue the meaning of the words that call to him: “STRENGTH, VICTORY, GLORY”.

Finally, Corin is called “The Runt.” Undersized, scorned, and ridiculed all his young life, he is given the chance for some small measure of redemption when his tribe goes on a war-raid. But Corin’s desire for self-preservation above all else leads to cowardice, and for his shameful actions he is exiled from his clan.

His faithful friend Agbeth is the only member of his group willing to join him on his travels to unexplored wilds. Corin will need to understand the words that hold his fate, “FEAR, CONTROL, ORDER”, so that he may survive what lurks, waiting to tear him apart.

All four of these characters, hearing their words whispering in their minds, begin to develop formidable powers, coinciding with the strange dream they all share. However, they must keep these burgeoning abilities to themselves, lest they be accused of witchcraft, heresy, and face the fires of the stake at the hands of those religious fanatics who exert enormous power and control in their society.

“Illborn” is precisely the type of book I adore: essentially a character-driven novel with emphasis on the evolution of the characters. The author does a superb job of moulding realistic characters that the reader can relate to, identify with, and ultimately care about deeply. Even if the reader will not always agree with the actions taken, it is highly likely that the characters motivations and choices will always be understood and seem very plausible.

Jackson brilliantly paints the picture for the reader as to how the main players discover their innate abilities, what the costs of using those abilities are to both themselves and others around them are, and just how far the characters are willing to go in order to achieve their goals. Each of the four narrative voices were very distinct, engrossing, and the reader will compulsively plough throw the book, NEEDING to know what happens to each main character.

I tremendously enjoyed all four protagonists, and I stayed up in the wee hours, irresistibly burning through pages, obsessively having to find out what happens next to each of them. I have not felt that attachment to SO MANY main characters at once since I read ASOIAF by the esteemed G.R.R.M.

This was one of the best paced books I have read for a book of this immense size. 700-plus page novels are rarely referred to as page-turners, but this one certainly qualifies. The book features one of the best prologues I have ever read in fantasy since “Hall of Bones” by Tim Hardie. The prologue is absolutely dynamite, dark, disturbing, and it only serves to whet the readers appetite for what is to come.

The constant spectre of the dream that binds the main characters together, and what it means for both them and the rest of the world, the continual individual trials and tribulations of the characters, and the gradual weaving together of the character’s physical locations as we wait to see how their paths will cross, and what the outcome will be when they do, really propel the story ruthlessly forward. This combination of these reasons to keep going through this book were heady, and I could not stop reading; you won’t be able to resist either.

Things evolve organically, and never feel too fast or too slow. The constant feeling of tension as we fret over the character’s fates, the violent confrontations, murders, and larger scale battle scenes, evil, depravity, love, lust, manipulation, and obsession, are intoxicating and make this book entirely unputdownable.

Jackson clearly states that his fictional world is based on medieval Europe and that is plain to see. “Illborn” at time feels like its historical fiction (another genre I love), and it works exceptionally well. While more generic, and with obvious inspiration from ancient Christianity, the English Reformation, the Spanish Inquisition, the Knights Templar, the Crusades, and more elements from the past, the descriptions of the settings are not heavily detailed. Somehow though, the book felt very fresh and inventive, despite the heavy reliance on borrowing from real history, and some beloved tropes.

Nonetheless, there is certainly enough elucidation to give the reader that feeling of ‘reality”, and that’s the most important thing when one considers the effectiveness of a writer’s worldbuilding.
Moreover, the world Jackson created is dark, can be brutal, and I found it very authentic.

Here we come to the thing that puts “Illborn” over the top for me and firmly into the “Book of the Year”: the dark, compelling themes and how they were handled by the perspicacious Jackson. The author tackles the weighty, sensitive, and utterly fascinating subject of religious intolerance, sectarianism, and seems to pose two interesting questions.

First question (for the reader perhaps) where is the line drawn between being a devout worshipper and being a zealot?

Second question (perhaps for the characters) where is the line drawn between being seen as a devout worshipper and being a heretic?

In “Illborn”, be utterly devoted to the point of fanaticism, and be willing to commit torture, murder, atrocities, in the name of religion, and one is a true believer. But dare have miraculous dreams or visions about Lord Aiduel, or believe one can do “miracles” in his name, and one can potentially be considered insane, and worst, an apostate and subject to sanctioned murder by the religious hierarchy.

This is a very complex and confounding contradiction humankind has grappled with about organized religion for centuries, and these are things I as a reader, writer, and person of faith have also personally struggled with. When a religious hierarchy – composed of other flawed, and sometimes even contemptible humans – decide who is a saint versus who is a sinner worthy of extermination, where is there any room for a genuine divine experience?

If one must live in constant fear of being “devout enough”, or being considered an iconoclast, does that not rob some of the joy of being a believer from those who believe? Does that not drive people away from the faith? How can one stay true to a religion whereby the people who control the religion might kill you for what you believe is the contrary: signs that you have actually being specially blessed by the deity?

Final comment, overall the book is very written. While not as ornate as I often enjoy, Jackson’s prose delighted me. It struck that perfect chord between keeping me engaged in the story and keeping things flowing, versus diverting me with how lovely the words on the page were.

Jackson spins a marvellous tale of desire, loss, forbidden powers, beatific visions, rife with political and religious intrigue, overcoming and adapting through adversity, facing ones fears, and thrilling action. Jackson skillfully weaves it all together via multiple POVs, each one, that the reader will care about. It’s a mastercraft effort, especially for a first novel. Everything about it resonated with me, and after more than 700 pages I did not want it to end. I wanted more.

Amongst a lot of phenomenal books, “Illborn” might end up being my BEST read in 2022. Highly recommended, stars off the rating scale. I will be thinking about this book forever, and can’t wait for the next installment.

Final word: BLACKPAW!!!

Read Illborn

Review- Stones of Light by Zack Argyle

Review -; The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter

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Review of WHERE LOYALTIES LIE by Rob J. Hayes

 

This book was obviously a worthy SPFBO champion in its day, and everyone I respect who has read Rob Hayes’ other books rave about them.

 

Lechery, scheming, tense battles, giant centipede pet, and mayhem on the waters! A wonderful romp through a world of piracy and intrigue! So went my third book in my #Grimdarkmasters reading month, where in the month of April 2022 I dedicated most of TBR to reading four of the most lauded Indie grimdark writers, fantasy author Rob J. Hayes being one of them. The book I read by Hayes was “Where Loyalties Lie”, the first book in a duology called “Best Laid Plans”.

This book is a monster in the self-published world, and won the entire Self Published Fantasy Blog-Off’s (SPFBO) 3rd year contest (2017), capturing the coveted Selfie Stick Award, and helping to propel Hayes to Indie fantasy notoriety. After reading it, I can see why this book is so popular, and why it managed to beat out a lot of other great books to capture an SPFBO crown.

I recently watched “The Lost Pirate Kingdom” docuseries on Netflix, and in my head if “Where Loyalties Lie” were brought to the small screen, it would look something like that. That Netflix series chronicled some of the lives of the most feared real-life pirates of the Caribbean, including Blackbeard, Black Caesar, Anne Bonny, Calico Jack, Benjamin Hornigold, and more. It was a fascinating slice of history that revealed the fact that amidst all the marauding and plundering, the pirates managed to set up a quite egalitarian pirate republic in Nassau, Bahamas, in the 18th century.

Captain Drake Morass, one of the main characters in “Where Loyalties Lie”, paralleling real-life Captain Benjamin Hornigold, also wants to unite the pirates in Hayes’ world under one banner. But instead of a republic, Morass envisions it being more of a monarchy, with him as the king.

Morass has some issues that might get in the way of his desired kingdom. He’s a wanted man by some pretty powerful enemies, seeking to kill him. Luckily, or perhaps unluckily, Morass’ brother is influential, and sends an Arbiter (described by Morass as a ‘witch hunter of the Inquisition’) to protect him. That Arbiter’s name is Beck. Beck packs a set of six pistols, deadly accuracy, nerves of steel, and alluring beauty that Drake can’t help be drawn to.

This desire of Morass’ is at the heart of the plot for “Where Loyalties Lie.” Morass, a charming, ambitious, ruthless schemer, might actually have some semi-altruistic motives for wanting to untie normally feuding and competing buccaneers. The Five Kingdoms have banned together in a mission to exterminate the scourge of piracy, and have vowed to hunt down and kill pirates to the last woman and man. Divided and vying over ill-gotten booty, the pirates don’t stand a chance against the might of the Five Kingdoms forces unless they band together to stave off annihilation.

Morass, a big-picture thinker, sees this clearly, along with the chance to earn himself further glory, riches, and supremacy.

But Morass can’t accomplish his vision alone. He needs some of the other fiercely independent and well-respected pirate captains to buy into his plan, in order for it to have a hope of success. His prime target to have as his lieutenant is another charismatic and famous captain, Kevin Stillwater, known as the best swordsmen amongst the pirates.

Stillwater has an interesting reputation beyond his swordplay – he abhors violence and attempts to mitigate bloodshed to the lowest denominator when invading and capturing ships. Stillwater’s life is complicated, and one of the biggest complications is his on-again / off-again entanglements with another ferocious pirate captain – who is the daughter of perhaps the MOST feared pirate – named Eliana Black.

Eliana’s father is the brutal and sadistic Tanner Black. Black is the biggest, baddest pirate on the seas, and if anyone is going to be lording over anyone, it’s him, not Morass. And Black seems quite willing to step over Morass’ corpse to make sure of that.

Of course, for me, the most important element of any book is the characters and boy does this one have some colourful ones that I truly enjoyed. All the aforementioned are wonderfully shaded in grey, with divided loyalties, insecurities, secret desires, inner turmoil and conflicts, and underneath all the complexities (even the horrible Tanner Black) some sense of moral code, even if it is hard to decipher.

An amazing job here by Hayes to create a character-driven book that certainly does not sacrifice the plot, because it’s all frontal, very fast-paced, full-throttle, with conspiracies, intrigue, tense and bloody nautical battles, raunchy sex, magic, superstition, and tension. Everything always seems on the edge of falling apart for the two main captains, Morass and Stillwater, as they struggle to keep hold of their own crews, get into deadly confrontations with enemies, manage their romantic relationships, and just plain stay alive, and it keeps the suspense factor high.

Be warned re: triggers – there is a rape scene, and it is fairly violent and jarring. The person who is sexually assaulted is not a powerless figure by any means; I did not find the scene to be gratuitous by any means; and it was consistent with the plot and character arc as far as I could discern, yet still hard to read.

This is in keeping with the fact that this is a very grim book, despite the excellent dark humour and moments of lighthearted banter that permeate the novel. Women and children are slaughtered, people are massacred and tortured, and the battle scenes are not for the squeamish. There is also the psychological darkness of the book, which is very well done, but Hayes does not shy away from topics like substance addiction, manipulation, religious fanaticism, and brutality.

The world building was exceptional. It was layered, and included such features that I loved such as the differences between the numerous pirate islands (the Island of Many Deaths was an awesome concept) , sea monsters, (did I mention the giant pet centipede? really creepy but very cool!) an underground race called the Durr, the Arbiters previously mentioned, which are magically endowed beings who pursue, torture, and interrogate (hence Inquisition) people they consider heretics (which Stillwater is violently opposed to, bringing him into direct conflict with Morass’ protector and object of affections, Beck, setting up some additional explosive potential). Hayes does exceptional work of painting a lush world seen largely from the waters, complete with its own mythologies, cultures, and intriguing landscapes.

To top it off, the name for one of the brothels, “The Merry Fuck” is priceless!

This book was obviously a worthy SPFBO champion in its day, and everyone I respect who has read Rob Hayes’ other books rave about them. Hayes is a fantastic writer and truly a master of grimdark fantasy, based on this book, and his reputation for excellence, and I am very happy to have finally read some of his work!

Easily five stars for “Where Loyalties Lie”, and I can’t wait to see where things go in the concluding volume “The Fifth Empire of Man”!

Read Where Loyalties Lie

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#Bookcook American God’s American Pie

About the Book – American Gods by Neil Gaimon

You can find my review here

Days before his release from prison, Shadow’s wife, Laura, dies in a mysterious car crash. Numbly, he makes his way back home. On the plane, he encounters the enigmatic Mr Wednesday, who claims to be a refugee from a distant war, a former god and the king of America.

Together they embark on a profoundly strange journey across the heart of the USA, whilst all around them a storm of preternatural and epic proportions threatens to break.

Scary, gripping and deeply unsettling, American Gods takes a long, hard look into the soul of America. You’ll be surprised by what – and who – it finds there…

Ahh, the quintessential American dessert. What better way to celebrate the war between the old gods and the new than with a slice of apple goodness.

I hear even Thor likes a slice in Valhalla or Biloxi. Wherever he is at this moment.

Here is a great recipe for an apple pie I have made a few times. Don’t drop it on your metal breastplate, apple goo never comes out of the ringlets.

Buy American Gods by Neil Gaiman

 

APPLE TART WITH ALMOND PASTE FILLING RECIPE

“What I say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore. It may call itself a town, but unless it’s got a bookstore, it knows it’s not foolin’ a soul.”

American Gods – Neil Gaimon

Apple Tart with Almond Paste Filling

Prep Time 25 mins
Cook Time 50 mins
Total Time 1 hr 15 mins 

 

This Apple Tart has a hidden layer of delicious homemade almond paste underneath the apples. It is a wonderful dessert for Fall and will for sure be a hit at any of your holiday dinner parties. Course: Dessert Servings: 8 – 10 Author: Wild Wild Whisk

Ingredients For crust:




1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 oz unsalted butter 1 stick
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon cold water




For almond paste:




1 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 cup powder sugar
1 egg white
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt




For apple topping:




2 large honey crisp apples or 4 small ones
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter – melted




Instructions




For almond paste, add almond meal, sugar, egg white, almond extract and salt to a bowl, mix well until combined. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Almond paste can be prepared well in advance and store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
For the crust, place flour, sugar and salt in the food processor fitted with the dough blade and pulse a few times to mix.
Cube the butter and add to the flour mixture. Make sure butter is cold. Pulse several times until butter is about pea size and mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse until the dough starts to pull together. Be mindful not to overmix, you still want chunks of butter in the dough to create a flaky crust.
Turn the dough out on a lightly floured board and shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic and rest in the refrigerator for an hour.
Roll dough out into a circle about 1/4” thick and large enough to fit your tart pan. Transfer the dough to your tart pan and lightly press into the bottom and sides. Let the extra dough hang off the edge, then take your rolling pin and press along the edge of the pan to take off the extra dough.
Cover the dough in plastic and place in the freezer.
Move your oven rack to the lower third of the oven and preheat to 400°F.
Peel and cut apples into 1/8” thick slices.
When the oven is ready, take the crust out of the freezer. Take the almond paste, lightly spread and press it to the bottom of the crust so it covers the entire surface.
Arrange the apple slices on top of the almond paste. Brush the melted butter all over the apples. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle on top.
Bake for 50 minutes.
Let cool on a wire rack before serving

 

#Bookcook The Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster and Smash a Gold Brick Into Your Face

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#SPFBO8 Review and Cut: House of Bastiion by K.L. Kolarich

House of Bastiion is a quality work of epic fantasy that will appeal to those seeking elaborate worldbuilding, dense political intrigue, and intriguing magic.

This review is a collaboration between Dan Fitzgerald and Whitney Reinhart.

DAN:  This is a tough review to write because some of the reasons this book didn’t work for me are going to be selling points for many, so while this is a cut, it’s a quality work of epic fantasy that will appeal to those seeking elaborate worldbuilding, dense political intrigue, and intriguing magic.

WHITNEY:  Elaborate and dense are perfect adjectives to describe this book. Dense magic had me squinting at the words to figure out what was going on, like trying to read all those scrolling green pixels in The Matrix. This doesn’t mean it wasn’t good. On the contrary, once I figured out where I was and where I was going, the complexities were what convinced me to keep reading.

DAN:  Though there are plenty of lighter moments, there are very dark elements, including the murder of children, which places this firmly the dark epic fantasy category for me. So be sure to read the full content warnings here: https://www.thehaidrenlegacy.com/contentadvisory. Kudos for the author for making those available. I’ve read darker books, but some of this hits hard, so be aware of this, whether that’s a plus or a neg for you as a reader.

WHITNEY:  Providing sensitivity warnings on the website is such a smart move by Kolarich. I read the Kindle ebook version, however, and saw no mention of these on the listing and a table of contents search didn’t come up with anything either.

DAN:  The main characters, Luscia and Zaethan, are complex and imperfect, which is nice to see. They are chosen to be the next representatives of their houses, and they have to learn to work together, despite their differences and the strained relations between their houses. The author has suggested that the hints of romance will be borne out in future books, so those looking for a smoochy book won’t find it here. What you will find is complex and fully realized societies, well-developed conlangs, intriguing creatures, a slowly revealed magic system, and all the good stuff you look for in an epic fantasy novel.

WHITNEY:  Conlangs always throw me, especially when the meanings aren’t easily deciphered through context and I have to scrabble to the appendix for reference. Kolarich provides a glossary at the end of the book which is greatly appreciated, but not super handy for ebook readers. I’m glad there was no romantic involvement between Luscia and Zaethan. I agree with Dan that the stage is set for their relationship to develop romantically but honestly, I hope not. That would be too predictable. Luscia and Zaethan are interesting in their own rights. I hope they become friends and allies instead.

DAN:  Which brings me to the main issue I had with the book: slow pacing in the beginning. It felt like the main action took a very long time to occur, and while there was a lot of intriguing world-building, character study, and political machinations going on, I needed more immediate tension early on. Kolarich is building something large and impressive here, and it appears that this five-book series will have some long-game arcs that are only hinted at in this first book. Many epic fantasy fans will be fascinated by the slow buildup of details, but I needed a stronger hook to invest me in the larger story.

WHITNEY:  If readers know ahead of time that they’re reading Book One in a planned five-book series, the slow build and intricately detailed world building may not be a big deal. I didn’t know this ahead of time and like you, was impatient for the first 30%. There was quite a bit of info-dumping at the start and I had to make myself wade through it. That said, once the action got going, I was glad I persevered. There are some seriously tense moments in the last third which I really enjoyed.

DAN: The other thing that I struggled with was some unevenness in the prose. At times, it had a very classic high fantasy feel to it, almost stilted in a way, and at other times it was more lyrical. I mark passages in yellow and pink when reading, yellow being things that don’t work for me, pink for things that do. There was a lot more yellow in the beginning, especially the prologue, which may have been a stylistic choice to make it feel farther in the past, but some of that feel carried on in the book, and it slowed my reading pace down a bit. There was a lot of pink too—lovely descriptive passages, and for anyone into the intricacies of court dress and manners, there’s a lot to love about the writing. It was just a bit uneven to me.

This book already has a lot of fans, and I’m sure it’s going to have many more. It does what it does well, and its core audience will eat it up. It didn’t quite have the magic touch for me, which is why it’s a cut, but if you’re into dark epic fantasy with all the worldbuilding and long-game plot machinations, you should give this book a chance, because you might very well love it.

WHITNEY: I didn’t enjoy being initially frustrated with linguistics, four houses of political structures, and impenetrable magic but once I got the hang of it, I was interested. I’ll probably pick up the rest of the series as each book is released though. Kolarich does an excellent job leaving readers with unresolved questions at the end and I’d like to know how it all turns out. I agree with the cut though. The book is good but not, in my opinion, enough to move on in the competition.

Buy from Amazon Add it on Goodreads

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Review – Ex-Heroes by Peter Clines

 

The book neatly avoids the problem that many zombie movies possess, which is that such stories rarely have intriguing villains

 

EX-HEROES is about superheroes versus zombies. I’m a big fan of both, so I was quite excited to pick up a copy. I admit I was initially leery of the combination, however. Marvel’s Zombies was a story that I felt never reached its full potential (in fact: I actually preferred the Army of Darkness/Marvel comics crossover for zombies + superheroes). Overall, if you need any more thoughts about what I think of this story, it boils down to this: it’s much better than Marvel’s Zombies and is well worth the cover price. It did, however, have some areas that I think could be improved.

The thing I enjoyed most about Ex-Heroes is the use of archetypes. One reason I never got into Heroes or many independent productions is that appeal of superheroes for me is actually the stories told about the most famous of them: Superman, Batman, Iron Man, the Question, and so on. Ex-Heroes doesn’t just insert copies of these characters but it does have enough analogues that the question of “How would superheroes react to zombies?” is answered in sufficient detail to be enjoyed on that level.

The heroes are not nearly so flawless as the ones in DC comics, though some of them come close. Also, their transformation into heroes has occurred only within the past few years. I’m not sure it helps the believability, so to speak, that a dozen superheroes of varying types of origins appear from different circumstances all in the past few years before the Zombiepocalypse. Still, it helps free the world from requiring an encyclopedia-sized backstory like Astro City or Wild Cards. I personally appreciated that Peter Clines kept the flaws from being remotely similar to the Watchmen, aside from being sexual the majority of them are genuinely selfless and noble people.

The premise is somewhat similar to Land of the Dead in that it is an isolated fortress-like community (a refurbished Paramount Studios) being protected against an ongoing siege of seemingly endless numbers of zombies. The heroes, so to speak, have to make routine dangerous raids into hostile territory (in this case the greater Los Angeles area) in order to gain supplies. It’s one of my favorite premises for a zombie movie and one that I enjoy a great deal. It shows the heroes are doing their job, even if they are faced with overwhelming odds. I never much cared for the “individual survivors” premise because I liked being able to see the bigger picture.

Really, the biggest part of the book’s appeal is the lead characters: Gorgon, Saint George, Stealth, and Cerberus. I’m especially fond of Stealth, who is an amusing case of being a heroic sociopath and a Defrosting Ice Queen at once. My second favorite character is Cerberus, who I hope will have an equally prominent role in later books. While the only romances in the book are highly dysfunctional ones, the story of Banzai and Gorgon being especially interesting, I hope that we’ll see more in Ex-Patriots.

The book neatly avoids the problem that many zombie movies possess, which is that such stories rarely have intriguing villains. Zombies, being the mindless force that they are, require a Herbert West or an Umbrella Corporation to provide drama. This book has the Los Angeles Seventeens, a street gang that possesses no redeeming qualities whatsoever. I’m not sure, honestly, if I quite bought that any street gang could be quite as deadly as this one is depicted as. Still, I was willing to believe the almost tribal brutality depicted in the story by the end so that’s all I needed to end my objections.

I do feel like the book has some issues. There’s some nastiness with one character who decides to do some unpleasantly sexual things with a celebrity zombie (that has consequences any idiot could predict). Also, the only Latin characters (in LA) are part of the street gang. The author himself admitted some of these problems and corrected the imbalance in future books but it’s still present in the original. Still, this is a somewhat hard-R take on superheroes with the heroes mostly good people but a few being scumbags that turn villain.

In summary, I was very interested in the world and pleased by the fact that the Zombiepocalypse is not resolved by the end of the book. There’s plenty of stories left to tell in the universe and ones that I am eager to see. I hope to see more of the characters and more hook-ups within new volumes. So, I suppose that is the best measure of a story review that can be shared.

Read Ex-Heroes

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Bjørn Again – A Chat with Dan Fitzgerald

On the New Year’s Eve of 2019 I was overjoyed. FINALLY the decade from hell was over. Nothing could possibly be worse. Nothing. Then 2020 said “hold my beer,” after which 2021 said “hold my arsenic,” after which 2022 said “hold my nuclear waste,” and I found myself not wanting to read anything bloody, violent, and heavy. That was how I discovered Dan Fitzgerald’s books and a new sub-genre I’d never heard of before.

The Living Waters was my favourite – dreamy, hazy, its edges soft. I have never read anything like it before. It was perfect escape – a universe nothing like ours, exploration of mind and creating magic through meditation. Even the tenser scenes felt like peace.

“When I started writing The Living Waters, I didn’t set out to write a sword-free fantasy, just a book inspired by a real-life trip on a log raft on the Mississippi River.” Dan says. “When I was finished, I realized that this book, while it was definitely fantasy, was really not at all like most fantasy. It has literally no swords or mentions thereof. I tried to think of other fantasy books without swords, and I couldn’t come up with any. So I coined the phrase, ‘sword-free fantasy,’ and started using it. I even wrote a blog post about it. I think Trump and the pandemic played a role here. It felt (feels?) like the world is a flaming dumpster floating in polluted floodwaters, and wouldn’t it be nice if we could escape from that for a while?”

EXACTLY.

I gave book one, The Living Waters, a “tentative five-star review,” where I listed my expectations for the sequel. When The Isle of a Thousand Worlds arrived, I found myself unable to review it. As a sequel sequel, it did a very poor job, which is because it clearly wasn’t a sequel sequel. It wouldn’t work as a standalone (to me). It was… it was… what was it, Dan?

“It is a sequel in the sense that it is chronologically after the events of The Living Waters and it does include most of the characters, but it’s more of an adjacent story, or a convergent story. Hence the name ‘confluence’ for the duology.”

Hm.

Where I’d happily give Waters to my non-existent tween kid, I say, I would then tell them the sequel never came out, and also the Internet and all book stores in the world were irreversibly broken. The Isle of a Thousand Worlds is very much an adult book. The content warnings, in the beginning, aren’t exaggerated at all. It was a conscious artistic decision – which the author… apologised for. “Are you really sorry?” I ask, thinking it’s sarcasm.

“I truly am,” Dan confirms. “When I think about the ideal reader for The Living Waters and the ideal reader for Isle, it’s a Venn diagram with a fairly small overlap in the center. If you’ve enjoyed the light touch romantic storyline of Waters and an allo/ace pairing, the heavy sexual content in Isle may be very off-putting. A sex-averse reader might want to see what happens with the couple from Waters, but be unable to enjoy Isle because of that content (to be clear, the sexual content does not involve the allo/ace pairing). I really wish I had thought it through more carefully.”

I nod, thinking that I wanted more of that particular couple without realising they even were allo/ace, which probably tells me something about myself.

Dan continues: “I had literally no idea Patia was going to be so lusty (and she got toned down considerably in editing!) But I do love what she and Gero have, and separately, I do love what Temi and Gilea have in Isle too, though I probably should have included a bit more of that in the book. It’s just the way the story happened.

“Isle is the story of the body (Patia) and the mind (Gilea). I tried to go as deeply into the physical with Patia’s chapters as I did into the metaphysical with Gilea’s chapters. There is no food mentioned in Gilea’s chapters, whereas Patia’s meals are described in visceral detail. I love the dichotomy, but since we have such a central ace relationship in The Living Waters, I feel bad about alienating some readers who were here for that relationship but had heavy sexual content shoved in their face. The scene in Isle where Gilea and Temi are reunited is one of my favorites, and I hate that it comes in a place that may be inaccessible to some readers.”

I point out that while I know characters can get a bit too assertive, none of mine managed to change the genre and target audience from book one to two. (This, in all fairness, might be because neither of my series got to book two yet.) True, Patia is definitely an alpha, but how bossy can a character get before the author has to admit defeat?

“There’s no negotiating with a character like Patia,” Dan laughs. “There is, however, learning from your mistakes. I’ve come to accept that at this moment, as a writer, I am leaning very heavily in a romantic direction. Maybe Patia was trying to show me something about myself.

“The original plan was to write about Patia’s journey to Rontaia and her discovery of the Universal Tincture, alongside Gilea’s further exploration of the Caravan (mystical social media, for readers who aren’t familiar with either book). I did know there would be a romance, but I wasn’t prepared for who it would be with, or how intense it would be.A female main character isn’t allowed to be certain ways – lusty, stubborn, focused on her own wants and needs, etc. Patia just comes off as unlikable. That was, and is, a concern. Some female readers have said positive things about her portrayal, but perhaps there are others who didn’t like her and simply didn’t say so. I may never know. It was a big risk, and I can’t say that the payoff has been there for me, but I’m moving on to other projects, having learned a great deal.”

I loved that Patia and Gero are older, I say. They’ve seen things, done things, and they’re not ready for a nursing home…

“While I’m not as old as them, I am over fifty, and I can say with confidence one’s sex life can age like wine if one is open to the possibilities.” Dan smiles. “I also think it’s really important to have older characters with rich romantic and sex lives. Quenby Olson does a fabulous job in that regard, and she’s an absolute icon in my eyes.” [In mine too – see Bjørn Again: Quenby Olson]

What’s going to happen next, though? A duology consists of two books. What is a “confluence,” I ask, secretly hoping it’s something that produces duologies with more than two books?

“It is a play on words, especially since both stories take place along the same river (the Agra). I called it a confluence hoping it would convey the idea of two separate rivers flowing together. But I need to add more explicit explanation of that in the blurb itself for clarity. I wanted to do something unconventional, and in that, I guess I succeeded, though not in the way I might have hoped. The Weirdwater Confluence is one of three linked series, along with the Maer Cycle trilogy and the upcoming Time Before trio (trilogy of linked standalones).”

It dawns on me that Dan isn’t as much building duologies or trilogies, but a complete universe. The best way to experience it will most probably be an omnibus – especially as you can put content warnings on an omnibus, applying them to its entirety, avoiding the awkward change from chaste to everything but (“steamy” doesn’t begin to explain Patia and Gero’s relationship). I struggle with naming it – no writer declares “I’m writing an omnibus.” Is Dan writing a universe? How does a duology, a trilogy, and three standalones work?

“The whole will be called the Copper Circle, named after the circlets that are found in each series, and which were made in the Time Before (about 2,000 years before the events of the other series). I’m about 1/3 of the way finished drafting the third book in the Time Before, which will be very romantic and smutty at times. That seems to be the direction I’m headed as a writer, and Isle was my first real foray into that territory, though there’s a fair bit of romantic plot in The Archive (the second book in the Maer Cycle).”

Aha, I think, I get it now.

“My next book,” Dan says, because of course he does, “will feature swords and mayhem rather prominently. I love trying new things, and there are many types of stories to tell and many ways to tell them. I want to try them all. I should probably be more disciplined and craft a career that allows the same reader to follow through all my books, but since I’m evolving as a writer and I can’t seem to stop myself from telling the stories my brain wants to tell, I’m just going full steam ahead with the stories that are clamoring to be told.”

I decide I need to lie down – my blog talk show seems to have this side effect – before moving on to the second episode, in which Dan talks about queerness, romance, erotica, and, obviously, Patia.

Read Dan Fitzgerald’s Books

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Review – Stones of Light by Zack Argyle

 

Threadlight is turning out to be a watershed fantasy series.

 

Award-winning fantasy author, SPFBO/BBYNA Finalist, and winner at Indies Today Best Fantasy, Zack Argyle has become a darling in Indie fantasy circles. Racking up tons of glowing reviews, to accompany the numerous awards, his debut novel Voice of War put him firmly on the map, big-time, as an author to watch.

Now, the sequel, Stones of Light, in my opinion, has catapulted him into must-read territory for those who love fantasy. I read Stones of Light as one of the books in my #MarchoftheSequels reading month, and boy was it incredible!

The story continues, right where Voice of War left off. Argyle takes the reader back to the continent of Arasin, where things have turned disastrous. The Apogee is finally free, and that means there will be pain, blood, and death. Chrys Valerian, the main protagonist from the previous book, devoted father and husband, and former Alchean High General, has lost control over the malevolent spirit that has lurked hidden in him, biding its time, waiting to break out, for some time.

Chrys let the Apogee take over in order to save his family and innocent people, but the intended consequences have wrought the opposite effect. Now the Apogee is ready to rampage, kill anyone who stands in his way, and find his way back to his origins, taking Chrys unwillingly along for the ride, and further away from Chrys’ wife Iriel and son Aydin, whom he treasures above all else.

Grieving over the separation from his family, and wracked with guilt for abandoning them, Chrys will have to summon all his courage and fortitude to face what the Apogee has in store for him, and being able to live so he might have a hope of reuniting with Iriel and Aydin one day.

Laurel, meanwhile, the former Fairenwild runaway and threadlight addict, after nearly dying of a grievous injury, has lost her ability to command the potent magic. Recovering from her wound, she is completely despondent. But Sarla, a scientist and associate of the leader of the Bloodthieves – the scheming and dangerous Alabella – inserts herself in Laurel’s life. Laurel, in her desperation to regain her talent, is willing to risk death, just to feel the threadlight coursing through her veins, and be able to harness it, as she had in the past.

Alverax, once of Cynosure, the mysterious character the reader only had a limited and late introduction to in Voice of War, also returns in Stones of Light, in a much more significant role. After the battle in the Fairenwild, the former Bloodthief turned hero, accompanies the Zeda clan, along with Iriel and Aydin, as refugees to Felia, seeking a new home. There, danger, intrigue, seemingly a startling new destiny, and massive responsibilities that the last Obsidian threadweaver may not be ready to bear, await him.

Argyle does an amazing job with characterization in this novel, and I loved how he teased out much more in terms of the attributes of primary characters in this book compared to the previous installment. Laurel, in particular, who is probably the most unlikable (and interesting), to me, of the three leads, got some great scenes in this book that really emphasized her complexities. And Alverax, whose character obviously had big things in store, but we didn’t quite know “what” big things, was far more relevant in this book.

We get some great new tertiary characters, like Roshaw, Jisenna, Relak, Osinan, and the old blind man. Ones that figured prominently in Voice of War appear too, like Willow and Luther. All these secondary characters are inserted deftly into the narrative, and based on the ending crafted by Argyle, many of those characters will have HUGE parts in the next book.

The theme of found family, and fighting one’s way to rejoin actual family, plays heavily in the book, along with the themes of revenge, and accepting accountability for one’s actions. The main characters: Chrys, Laurel, and Alverax, are pushed close to either their physical or emotional limits in this book, past anything the reader previously witnessed them encounter in Voice of War.  What are they willing to do to accomplish their aims, and who are they willing to kill, or to sacrifice – including themselves – to protect those they love?

Argyle’s prose may not be baroque but by no means is it trite, and unless one prefers the more ornate variety of writing (I do, but I really enjoy Argyle’s prose), I believe many will find it’s just right. There were some absolutely beautiful passages and the simplicity and overall readability of the work was marvelous.

“‘The world needs hope, and the truth is often at odds. So, for the greater good, we lie, and we say that the world is one way when it is in fact another. But when it brings them hope and gives them reason to live a good life, we pat ourselves on the shoulder. Perhaps, over time, we even begin to believe the lies ourselves, because hope is sweet, and the truth can be quite bitter.'”

The worldbuilding is expertly done, a light touch, but detailed enough to keep you in the location and mood of each respective scene. The magic system and creatures are phenomenal. The chormawolves, corespawn, the wastelanders, and freaking huge monster apes like Xucan were all awesome features. And, have the Heralds – the gods themselves – returned? But it all starts with threadlight, the different types of threadweavers, and the astounding power they wield. I love the intriguing magic system in this series!

The book starts off with a bang, and the action rarely lets up. The pace was absolutely frenetic in especially the second half of the book, as the subplots are meshed together seamlessly into one and all the main characters are in the same orbit. The twists and turns in the plot are breathtaking, as the reader will be nail-biting to see what is coming next.

There are some completely shocking reveals, and true connections come to light, plenty of thrilling battle and action pieces, and get ready to have your heart ripped out, or to cheer at the demise of detested villains. Characters that you care about, and those you despise, WILL die, deservedly or undeservedly. Argyle’s knack for making the reader care about his characters has certainly not dissipated from his previous book.

This book is only around 350 pages, and it reads quite fast, but it feels like a bigger book. The writing is clean and tight. Everything is blended so adroitly in Argyle’s books: dialogue, exposition, worldbuilding, magic, action, that he can pack what is normally a 600 page book into half that. Argyle has a great formula going, and the proof is that readers are eating it up, the reviewers and bloggers are wowed, and his book releases are highly anticipated.

Threadlight is turning out to be a watershed fantasy series. And, although his career is just getting started, when one considers all the accolades already earned, and the quality of his current writing, there is no doubt Argyle has established himself as a bona fide fantasy star with this second book.

The best compliment I can pay to Argyle is that he has ENORMOUS potential as a writer, and the iconic Brandon Sanderson might be the ceiling we are talking about when it comes to how far Argyle could elevate his craft.

I can’t wait to see if he achieves those lofty heights (or beyond), and the rest of the fantasy world is also no doubt eagerly waiting to see too.

Read Stones of Light

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SIX ELEMENTALS AUTHOR INTERVIEW – STEPHEN ARYAN

Six Elementals Author Interviews will introduce prospective readers to some of the best writers in their genre you may, or may not, have heard of, via a series of six questions. I encourage you to check out the work of these phenomenal creatives! Links to their websites and purchase links will always appear, accompanying the interview. Check them out!

I am honoured to be interviewing a very popular writer in the fantasy genre, rising star Stephen Aryan! Stephen’s currently published works include: Age of Darkness Trilogy; Age of Dread Trilogy;  The Coward – Book One of the Quest for Heroes Duology; and the novella Of Gods and Men.

P.L.: Such a privilege to be able to interview you, Stephen! Welcome to Six Elementals Interviews! I thoroughly enjoyed The Coward and am very excited to see that the sequel, The Warrior, is coming soon!

You are now a veteran of the fantasy author scene, a well established writer with a reputation for excellence. You’ve already published two complete trilogies and the first book of a new duology has been released.

You are a David Gemmell Morningstar Award Nominee for Best Fantasy Newcomer in 2016 for your debut novel Battlemage, first book of your Age of Darkness trilogy. You are also known in the writing community for your outstanding YouTube videos, designed to help aspiring authors.  https://www.youtube.com/c/StephenAryan44

In many of those videos you provide advice for writers trying to navigate the world of traditional publishing, including querying literary agents, obtaining a book deal, and other extremely important elements of the journey to becoming traditionally published. You have also written about this topic too in a Kindle e-book called Good and Bad Advice About Writing and Getting Traditionally Published.

">By all nominal measures, you are very successful as an author, to the point where others in the industry look to you for guidance. Still, even for an established and successful author such as yourself, does self-doubt ever creep up on you, the same way it affects many other creatives? Have you ever experienced imposter syndrome?

Stephen: I appreciate the kind words and the short answer regarding self doubt is yes. It is always there. It never goes away and if it did, I would be concerned because then I could be accused of phoning it in. If I no longer cared about the material and was confident that my work was always going to be amazing, that’s a serious problem. Also, I’m only ever as good as my last book. Readers expect the same, but different, but equally awesome or better next time. So, every time I sit down to write a new book I wonder, how did I do it last time and can I do it again? I also have a phase with every book, where I’m certain that it is the worst thing I’ve ever written. But, now that I’ve done it a few times, I know that phase will pass and once I get over that hump, I feel ok.

P.L.: One of the things I loved about your book, The Coward, was your blistering combat scenes. I understand you have served in the military, and my assumption was that your experience in the armed forces helped bring authenticity to the fictional battles you create. Is this true? What goes into making the gripping battle scenes that you write?

Stephen: No, I’ve never served in the military, but members of my family have been in the Armed Forces, specifically the Navy and Royal Air Force. People have said in the past that my battles scenes feel real and immersive, and I take that as a huge compliment. My goal is to make the reader worry about the fate of the characters. In the heat of a battle, it’s intense and at any second, someone could die. But not just because, on that particular day, their opponent is better. It could be that they trip over something on the ground, or they get mud in their eye, or they’ve got a bad belly, so haven’t eaten for days and have no energy to fight. They could have something on their mind so they’re distracted. There’s a hundred reasons someone might die. Totally ungraceful, awful, ridiculous reasons that are not glorious. I try to put the reader right in the middle of the action, so they see, smell, hear and even taste the action. From the mud to the blood to the stench of death. The stakes are real and hopefully relatable, even if you’ve never been in a a fight to the death. That’s a lot more interesting to me than someone sat at the edge of a valley, moving units around like pieces on a chess board, where they are never actually at risk.
 
P.L.: I found the whole concept of The Coward fascinating. You take a comfortable and beloved fantasy trope – the sage veteran, reluctant hero (Kell) of many sagas who is signed up for one last impossible quest – and does something very interesting and unique with it. The back cover blurb highlights this, and it has really resonated with me, and a lot of other readers, judging by the popularity of the book. The one line that sticks in my head is the hook, “Everyone puts their faith in Kell, the Legend, but he’s just a coward who has no intention of risking his life for anyone…” What inspired you to write a book about this kind of protagonist?

Stephen: We all have heroes. People we look up to and respect, but often there’s the persona that is presented to the public, and then there’s the real person. No one is perfect. Everyone has flaws. Also, that old saying ‘history is written by the victors’ was ringing in my mind. Kell was the only one to return from his first adventure to the ice, which happened ten years before the start of the story. So who is to say what is really happened other than him? No one really knows. In the story, a useful song was created by a bard, part propaganda, part mythology, to inspire people, to make them feel safe and to give them a perfect hero. So status and celebrities were also on my mind, especially nowadays as a lot of people want their 15 minutes of fame. So, as you said, it’s about expectations versus reality. What really makes someone a hero? 
 
The other main aspect of the story is about people coming home from war. I read some non-fiction accounts of soldiers and journalists who went into some of the worst places on Earth, to fight or bring us the news, so we at home could see what was really happening. In my lifetime I’ve seen a lot of wars on the news, and many of the people who make it back have PTSD. In The Coward, Kell was scarred by his experience and has spent the last ten years trying to come to terms with what happened. The dreams of glory, riches and fame mean nothing to him now. Those were the childish fancies of a teenager. But now the King wants him to go north and do it again. To revisit his nightmares and open old wounds and who can blame him for not wanting to go.
 
So, on the surface, it’s a quest story with monsters and adventure, but it’s not about that at all.

P.L.: My favourite character in The Coward by far though was Britak, the Reverend Mother, leader of the Shepherd faith, who is the other main POV to contrast with Kell. This papal-like figure is no benevolent ruler of her religion. She oversees with an iron fist, a hand ready to cut out any and all opposition to her church decisively, like a gangrenous wound. What went into creating such a compelling, twisted character, who is a sinister, religious fanatic? What was the impetus to make Britak that way?

Stephen: I think it’s important to question that which is important to us and not blindly follow anything. Science is tested, again and again, as part of the process of proving a theory. Obviously, faith plays an important role in the lives of many people, so I think it should also be challenged. A lot of readers think the Reverend Mother is evil, but look at it from her perspective. The teachings of the Shepherd encourage people to share with those less fortunate, to be compassionate, and to help your neighbour if they are in need. Sound familiar? But in the Five Kingdoms people have become distracted. Instead of working together and helping one another, they’ve become fascinated and focused on unattainable goals. Such as a mythical figure, who doesn’t really exist. A hero who saved the world.

Ten years before the story of The Coward, the weather took a turn for the worst, but instead of pulling together and preparing for a tough year ahead, the people waited for a hero to save them. They passed the responsibility onto someone else and blamed it on a supernatural being, rather than just bad weather. The next year, the weather improved and the people thought Kell had saved the world from a mysterious evil, but did he really? Where is the proof?

Then, ten years later, the weather changes again for the worse, and once more, the people look to someone else to save them. The Reverend Mother knows that people are stronger together and the Shepherd’s teachings are the best way for the Five Kingdoms to flourish. Her belief is absolute and she will no tolerate any nonsense about the supernatural. So she’s willing to do whatever is necessary for the greater good which some will view as fanatical.

P.L.: Who are some of your favourite authors? What are you currently reading?

Stephen: The answer to my favourite author never tends to change, it’s always David Gemmell. Also my foundation in fantasy is much like a lot of other people of a similar age. I grew up reading Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Weis and Hickman, David Eddings, Terry Brooks, Ursula Le Guin and so on. However, I’ve read a lot of great books in the last 20 years. Recent books that have stood out are Blackwing by Ed McDonald, The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman, The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden, Blackhawks by David Wragg, Blood Upon the Sand by Bradley P. Beaulieu, Priest of Lies by Peter McLean, We Are the Dead by Mike Shackle, The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French, the list goes on and on. I’m currently reading The Righteous by David Wragg, book 2 of his duology.

P.L.: With your experience and knowledge, where do you predict the traditional publishing industry is headed? While traditional publishing is still considered the most lucrative (certainly the most prestigious) avenue to publish speculative fiction, there has been a recent proliferation of successful self-published authors.

Self-publishing is attaining more viability, credibility, and exposure. In general, top self-published authors such as Will Wight seem to be gaining acclaim and sales that can rival the average traditionally-published counterpart. Big traditional houses are increasingly amalgamating, “zero advances” have been witnessed in recent years, and it seems to be more and more competitive in terms of securing an agent and a book deal. What does your crystal ball tell you about what traditional publishing will look like in the next decade?

Stephen: Predicting where the industry will go is difficult. In general terms, I think self publishing will continue to flourish and traditional publishers will continue to offer contracts to authors who self publish something unique, interesting and popular. The origin of these books is changing all the time. It used to be authors who had originally self published or those on Amazon. Now it’s grown to include finalists and winners of competitions like the SPFBO, to recently, people who have had success on TikTok. I think traditional publishers will continue to take risks and seek out diverse voices and people with an interesting perspective, but beyond that, I have no ideas about future trends. 

P.L.: Stephen, it has been an honour to speak to you for Six Elementals Interviews! Thank you so much!

Interview original appeared here

Buy The Coward hereBuy The Age of Darkness Trilogy here

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RTY0D7U/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013HA6WCO/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01GGJJ6EE/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i6

Buy The Age of Dread Trilogy here

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N4W6IEG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i3
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078W54WQG/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i4

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K6JVKP9/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i5

Buy Of Gods and Men here

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0756BN8GC/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i8

Visit Stephen’s Social Media

Website: www.stephen-aryan.com

Twitter: @SteveAryan

 

Check Out Other Posts by Us

SIX ELEMENTALS AUTHOR INTERVIEW – SHANE SCOTT

SIX ELEMENTALS INTERVIEW WITH NATANIA BARRON

 

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Review – Ringworld by Larry Niven

No one but LOUIS WU! Wu is 200 years old and looks like he’s in his 30s.

 

A chain reaction of millions of tightly condensed stars in the Core of the galaxy has exploded and is sending out a massive wave of radiation that will eventually wipe out all of the life in the Known Universe!

“WHEN!?”
“Twenty-thousand years!”
“Oh. Well, nevermind then.”
“You fool!”

The Puppeteers take this threat very seriously and start investigating ways to move their millions of year-old society to someplace safe in the dwarf galaxy above the Spiral. However, this is a problem because they’re all (mostly) immortal and really-really hate risking their lives and making the kind of efforts to save themselves will require a lot of incredibly risky stuff. So they need a race that is incredibly cavalier about their lives, tool-using, but objectively kind of stupid. Yes, HUMANS!

Humanity has been in space awhile at this point and compared to the Puppeteers, they’re ignorant savages. So much so that their faster than light travel is almost 400 times slower and won’t be able to move anyone when the disaster happens. Which no one is worrying about because 20,000 years.

No one but LOUIS WU! Who is 200 years old and looks like he’s in his 30s. He’s one of the world’s richest and most famous men and brilliant scientists but as one of the oldest people alive (he’s a first-generation immortal), he also is having serious issues adjusting to immortality and jumps at the deal the Puppeteers offer as he thinks that getting their hyperdrive NOW will allow humans to work on it for 20,000 years and thus actually be ready when their stupid narcissism catches up with them.

The first problem is that Louis Wu doesn’t get to pick the crew he’s heading and he’s also objectively a jerk. I think Larry Niven thinks he’s a jerk too but he doesn’t think he’s nearly as big an asshole as he actually is. If you get what I mean. In simple terms, he’s a condescending sexist who constantly thinks of his companion, 20-year-old Teela as an ignorant child but that doesn’t stop him from sleeping with her. Teela, herself, is the magic pixie dream girl who doesn’t know space is dangerous but is the luckiest unlucky woman in the galaxy due to selective breeding.

“You can’t breed for luck!”
“You bred for psychic powers!”
“That’s different.”

The second problem Louis Wu has is that the Puppeteers are hedging their bets on humanity and have also included Kzin among the crew. Kzin are the other stupid tool using space-capable race cavalier about their lives and humanity’s mortal enemies: A stooping race of hostile tigers called the Kzin.

Except…not really our mortal enemies anymore. Larry Niven sets the book after humanity has utterly spanked the Kzin in five previous interstellar wars that wiped out 2/3rds of the Kzin males each time because they threw themselves at humanity with suicidal wave tactics that don’t work in space. So much devastation happened to the Kzin that the Puppeteers suggest that went through an evolutionary leap because the ones smart enough not to be suicidally bloodthirsty were the only ones to breed for a couple of centuries.

(But they’re still jerks)

The Kzin are odd in that only the males of their race are sentient and the females are NOT, which the females of the books find evil and wrong! Some fans speculate the men devolved them because its a creepy concept either way but creepier that way. Notably, Larry Niven made them part of Star Trek when he wrote a episode of the Animated Series.

And they end up finding THE RING which is a dyson sphere-sized ring habitat that can travel through hyperspace and thus transport trillions!

And who will get it!

A classic book of science fiction that also has dated badly in some respects.

Read Ringworld

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Review – The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter

“Where we fight, the world burns.”

 

Welcome my review of the second installment of The Burning series by magnificent author Evan Winter, entitled, appropriately, The Fires of Vengeance.

Winter’s first book, The Rage of Dragons, took the fantasy world by storm, winning a 2019 Reddit Stabby Award for Best Fantasy Book and was nominated by Booknest for Best Traditionally Published Novel in the same year. By now, most people who read fantasy have heard of Winter, and his acclaim is only growing with each book. After tearing through The Rage of Dragons, because frankly, it’s that kind of book, it felt like an eternity until I could read the next novel by Winter, but I finally had my chance, in #MarchoftheSequels reading month. Zero letdowns here, it was just as good as the first book.

The Fires of Vengeance picks up right where we left indomitable protagonist Tau, his Queen, the young Tsiora, and all those who follow her. After somewhat of a Pyrrhic victory where battle and death have left lands ravaged, in the wake of the mighty dragons being deployed by both sides of the titanic conflict in the battle for the realm of the Omehi, Tau is in mourning after losing his love interest, and so many noble comrades, but still very much standing. Not so much for his dear friend, the Noble Jabari.

Jabari lies horribly burnt, scarred, and tethering on the edge of life. Winter cleverly uses this convalescence by the incapacitated Jabari, to have the despairing Tau sit by Jabari’s beside, and recount the events that have gone before in The Rage of Dragons. This amounts to a very effective recap for the reader, who may have forgotten some of the events that transpired in the earlier book.

But Tau does not realize that, as he tells Jabari, while he lies in agony, recovering from his wounds (Jabari is unable to speak and respond, but can hear just fine) that Jabari will come to hate Tau, as Tau tells his friend that he killed Jabari’s brother in self-defence. Now Jabari has fuel to furnish his recovery, as he thirsts to be whole again, so he can confront and kill his former friend, and avenge his brother’s death.

Tau goes on to lead the fight to recapture Tsiora’s throne from Tsiora’s twin sister Esi. Tau, in the previous book, had been chosen the Queen’s champion, and now officially wields the two deadly obsidian blades and is adorned in the marvellous armour of the greatest warrior in the land. But as a Lesser, near the bottom of Ohemi’s caste scale, the Nobles won’t let Tau forget where he came from, and that he is beneath them, not worthy of holding the position of Champion in their eyes. But Tau’s response to this, as is his wont, is to carve his answer in blood, and nobody does this better than the Queen’s new Champion.

With his faithful sword brothers, his Ayim, by his side, once more Tau cleaves a path of death through all those who stand in the way of his Queen’s restoring to her rightful throne. This includes those who are supposed to be on the Queen’s side, but later prove treacherous, only seeking to use Tsiora’s power for their own ambitions.

Additionally, those on the usurping queen Esi’s side are also mortal enemies of Tau’s, so he has zero compunction destroying them as well, especially one noble, Abasi Odili, the object of Tau’s rage. Woe betide Abasi, for he has robbed Tau of much of what he loves, and Tau is coming for him. But Queen Tsiora’s forces are hopelessly outnumbered in the coming war to ensure she reclaims her kingdom, and defeat seems certain.

Yet Tau, who has become a killing-machine, partly because he has been entering the spirit world of Isihogo, and fighting the terrible demons who reside there, now must take some of those he cares about most to fight alongside him in that same spirit-world, if there is to be any hope of success.

The odds tell Tau and his comrades, and the Queen and her followers, will all perish. But never bet against the unquenchable spirit, lust for vengeance, and blinding sword skill of the Queen’s Champion, who fights as if he himself were birthed from the underworld. Tau cannot be denied his revenge – he will die, or he will triumph, no middle-ground. But the personal cost, this time around, may be even more than the seemingly unconquerable Tau can bear.

This book was full of amazing people, and the women were my favourites, especially Tsiora and Nyah, powerful, cunning, fearless female characters, who lit up the pages. Tau’s mother also appears, and she is incredibly fearsome. It was so interesting and realistic to see the mightiest warrior in the land shrink like a little boy in the face of his mother’s wrath, which is just as it would be in real life. All of the Ayim, Tau’s crew, were also incredible, and the villains were also thoroughly daunting, and well-drawn.

Still, Tau is the beating heart of the book, and his simple refusal to die or be defeated is something miraculous to behold. He is fueled by rage, bitterness, grief, and it is a potent mix. But I don’t believe it is a sustainable one. While it will sadden me if it happens, I can’t see Tau surviving this series, and I don’t think he’s meant to.

He’s the weapon to be used in war, the tool of vengeance, it’s his reason for being, and I can’t see him achieving much happiness in peacetime, despite finding new love, and a new reason to live for. Winter drops enough foreshadowing that Tau plans to go out on his own terms, much like one of his predecessors who was the champion to Tsiora’s mother, and also Tsiora’s father. But before Tau dies, if he dies at the end, he’s going to take a hell of a lot of people with him, over the course of the planned four-book series, no doubt about that.

Because of how gobsmacking his fight scenes are, Winter’s stupendous worldbuilding can get overshadowed. But let’s be clear, the worldbuilding is spectacular. The glossary at the back of the book is an indication of what an outstanding job Winter has done in creating the various tribes, caste system with Lessers, Nobles, etc., levels of magic users, language, military terms, colloquialisms, and other intricacies of an extremely well-fleshed out, African-inspired world.

The magic of the enraged Ingonyama, the Enragers (gifted who can siphon power from Isihogo and imbue it in the Ingonyama to make them bigger, stronger, faster), the DRAGONS, are all fantastic magical elements of Winter’s world, and just add to the dynamism of the novel.

With that world comes the compelling themes Winter explores surrounding privilege and prejudice, as Tau fights with his mouth as well as his swords, to be acknowledged, much less accepted, since he is a Lesser among Nobles. That fact is never more poignant when Tau realizes Tsiora envisions that her reign, once properly secured, will also usher in a new era, where that sort of prejudice can be done away with. Tau is dubious about this, but with his faith in the Queen, and his burgeoning feelings for her, he desperately wants to ensure her vision can be achieved.

But, if there’s one aspect of Winter’s books that will overshadow everything else, that’s his battle scenes. They are wholly visceral, chaotic, and your pulse will race through everyone, and there are enough to make you feel like you’ve swallowed a case of Red Bull. The adrenaline rush that is reading Winter’s combat sequences cannot be had in many places in fantasy. He’s one of the absolute best at it.

This book is one of the most intense fantasy books you will likely read this year, impossible to put down, immersive, savage, and wondrous. 500+ pages are going to fly by like they’re not even there, I promise you.

The Fires of Vengeance is going to make a lot of reader’s “fantasy book of the year” lists, and Winter seems destined to continue burning his way through big sales, recognition, and finding an enduring place amongst the great fantasy writers.

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