Beth Tabler's Blog, page 198
February 19, 2022
Blog Tour Review – Shadow of a Dead God by Patrick Samphire
This book had already received quite a few accolades in the fantasy community, and was a finalist in the Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off for 2020 (SPFBO#6), a finalist in the Book Bloggers’ Book of the Year Award (BBNYA) 2021, and was shortlisted for the Booknest Fantasy Award for Best Self-published Novel of 2020. What attracted me personally to the book was the fact that it advertised the concept of mages for hire, complicated and morally grey characters, and an engaging slow-burn read. I am pleased to report I found all three in this excellent book, and more.
“Ah, the glamorous life of a mage for hire.”
To me the book read like part epic fantasy, part murder-mystery, part heist-job thriller, and even part horror at times. Set in the shadowy coastal town of Agatos, Shadow of a Dead God follows the plight of the mage for hire, Mennik Thorne, otherwise known as “Nik”. Nik is not the typical all-powerful, cocky and self-assured magic wielder that grace the pages of many a fantasy book. He is utterly lacking in self-assurance, completely indecisive, anxious, self-effacing, and traumatized from his previous experiences as a mage on a higher level. Nik is also in desperate need of funds. While he is essentially a good person, as we all know, despair can drive people to do certain things they otherwise might not have. A down-on-his-luck person with magical abilities who might be willing to do anything to survive is a potential recipe for disaster. Bring it on! The story opens with Nik doing ridiculous work for a snobby client who thinks Nik is far beneath her. But beggars can’t be choosers. Nik is not pleased with his current lot that has brought him to this pass, but he has little choice. Still, even with the unsavoury odd-job employment status, Nik is certainly not seeking adventure. But that “might be willing to do anything to survive” offer arrives at his doorstep in the form of his old friend Benny. Within a few lines of Benny’s arrival, as the reader you just know that association with Benny is going to be a bad thing. He’s that kind of friend that always has you stepping in it, but you love them, feel sorry for them, and feel obligated to them, so you go along anyway. Immeasurably bad idea. Because Benny is a thief, and he wants Nik to help him break into the domain of a high mage, and steal a business ledger. It was his affiliation with the powerful and dangerous high mages that traumatized Nik in the first place, so one can imagine he greets this task with less than enthusiasm. But he owes Benny, and does not want to lose his friend, so against his better judgment, off they go on the obviously ill-fated job. The break-in into the flower-covered palace of the high mage goes horribly wrong, a master servant dies in the process, and subsequently the blame for the murder falls squarely on the shoulders of the hapless Nik and Benny. Nik must use his wits, his magic, and summon what bravery he wasn’t certain he possessed, to clear their names, and stay alive. I absolutely loved the characters in Shadow of a Dead God, and well-developed characters will always be the most important aspect of any book for me. I also love first-person narratives, and this book had that too! The unreliability as a narrator of the innately decent, modest, unsure, yet snarky and hilarious Nik, was just my jam. He is an easy character to root for. But Benny was by far my favourite, and he was a scene-stealer for sure! He’s a complete hot mess, and it was glorious! He is in complete denial of his crimes, and willing to call in favours from any corner, blackmailing or guilt-tripping his friends, and all the while looking to make that next buck. I truly enjoyed the banter between Nik and Benny, and their odd friendship and caring for one another was the highlight of the book for me. And I must say something here about Benny’s eleven-year-old daughter, Sereh. She’s young, but freakishly powerful, and downright scary. A truly fascinating character! Exceptional job by Samphire in drawing these characters. The worldbuilding and magic system was very well done. Agatos is a dark and gritty place, filled with mysterious creatures, magic, and divided by social status and unique customs and language, that was easy to envision thanks to Samphire’s deft and descriptive writing. The best part of these elements for me was the dreaded and mystifying Ash-Guard, who hunts and kills mages. And the concept of having the main power source for mages originating from the rotting corpses of dead gods, was original and fascinating. While a fair length at around 470 pages, the book was extremely well-paced, and I could not put it down for long, wanting to get back to the action. Yet it still had those quiet and reflective moments I crave in fiction, where I can just soak up the imagery and enjoy those enlightening conversations between characters that can become so memorable. Samphire is clearly a fan of the witty, ironic dialogue and exposition, and it worked just right for me in this book. Believe me, sometimes it doesn’t hit the mark for me in other books, but of course that is completely individual reader preference. Ultimately, this was a book that makes one go to the author’s profile on Goodreads and add all their books to one’s TBR (which is exactly what I did after I finished The Shadow of a Dead God). Five stars for The Shadow of A Dead God, which was an exceptional book that has surely sold me on picking up the sequel, entitled Nectar for the God! Purchase Your Copy HereCheck Out Some of Our Other Reviews#FebruarySheWrote Review – Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
Review – Dreadnoughts: Breaking Ground by Michael Carroll, John Higgins
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February 18, 2022
#FebruarySheWrote Review – The Moon’s Eye by A.J. Calvin
My #FebruarySheWrote reads, where I will be reading exclusively female authors who use the pronouns she/her, continues. This next book is one I had been eyeing for a while: The Moon’s Eye, Book One in The Relics of War Series, by A.J. Calvin. I found this book to be wonderful, a real hidden gem that deserves a lot more attention, in my estimation.
Fantasy fans who like the (enjoyable) trope of capricious gods callously manipulating hapless mortals for the gods’ own (often nefarious or at the least selfish) purposes, you are going to love this book. The setting for The Moon’s Eye is the Five Kingdoms. There, the Scorpion Men, half-scorpion, half-humanoid creatures, enjoy an uneasy peace, holed up in the vicinity of the Wasted Land, behind the fastness of The Stronghold, their formidable domains.
These partial arachnids are a stoic warrior culture, and among the best fighters is the hero, Vardak. Vardak is young, fairly reserved, but he loves his family, including his brothers, fellow warriors. Vardak has the (potentially dubious) honour of being chosen as the apprentice of the god Blademon, the Scorpion Men’s patron deity. Blademon’s sibling goddess, the ill-tempered Fire Maiden Flariel, has a human daughter, named Janna. As per Flariel, Janna requires a champion to guard her on a perilous quest, and Blademon tasks the reluctant Vardak with the job.
The quest involves recovering the titular Moon’s Eye. The Moon’s Eye is a powerful artifact, and is needed to combat another powerful relic, the Shalin Stone. The reason why the Shalin Stone is so dangerous is that it can be used to summon the malevolent powers of The Nameless, a Satan-like figure, whose main servants are the hideous, demonic, Soulless. The Nameless is currently shackled and neutered, but if his Soulless can use mortals to their advantage, they will be able to free their master to once more wreak havoc on the world.
Unfortunately, the Shalin Stone is in the hands of a madman, the sorcerer Shan’tar, who controls an army of Murkors. Murkors are mysterious tattooed humans, who remain hooded at all times. They are as formidable warriors as the Scorpion Men. Shan’tar plans to summon the Soulless, to aid in his plans to conquer the Five Kingdoms. The Murkor commander, Aran’daj, just wants to keep his followers alive, and not be the pawn of wizards or demons. Aran’daj is a man who always has a plan, and he plans to find a way to extricate his subordinates from the clutches of those who would use the Murkors as expendable foot soldiers in their unholy wars.
The Soulless, whose seat of power is the foreboding Obsidian Tower, have dissension among their ranks, vying for the favour of the Nameless. The incumbent successor to the Nameless, Alyra, is challenged by the most powerful Soulless, Dranamir. Dranamir is using the Princess Tamarin, who killed her own parents, and training Tamarin in the dark arts, as the young Princess has latent magical powers. Meanwhile, the Soulless Kama, a great strategist, has his own mission, as he takes Aran’daj as his right-hand man, to lead the Murkors into battle.
Finally, the Shining Tower, training academy for sorcerers where Shan’tar was a member of the Council, is the place where talented newcomer Tavesin, has found a portal to the Aetherium. The Aetherium is the gateway by which the Soulless enter the Five Kingdoms. But Tavesin’s intrusion to the Aetherium has come to the attention of one of the demons, putting him in grievous danger.
Calvin spins an intoxicating, complex tale, filled with numerous races and creatures. Reptilian Drakkon, the warlike and fascinating Murkors and Scorpion Men, intrepid feline-like fighters, sea serpents, and more, come to life on the pages of “The Moon’s Eye”. Calvin’s layered and nuanced world-building is exceptional. Her prose is illuminating, and vivid; the book is very well-written.
The characters are fascinating, and there were just enough POVs to give a fulsome picture of the major plot threads, without being overwhelming. Calvin nicely ties all the important characters and their arcs together as the book progresses.
Vardak is an interesting lead. He’s pragmatic, taciturn, but has plenty of flavour to his personality. My favourite was the general Aran’daj, whose dogged resolve to save his people, facing extermination for the slightest failure, via the hands of his pitiless Soulless master, made him compelling and admirable.
This book is an amazing example of a classic-feeling fantasy tale, that while not groundbreaking in themes, feels fresh, inventive, is well-paced, very well-written, and is loads of fun. A quick read at around 350 pages, I barely put this one down, and polished it off in an evening plus an afternoon.
My only quibble about this book is that, along with the great map provided, a glossary of characters as a reference, would have been handy, to keep things sorted.
If you’re looking for an under-the-radar book that had the potential to be a fantastic first installment in what could shape up to be an very intriguing series, don’t sleep on this one! I will definitely be picking up book two, The Talisman of Delucha, coming later in 2022!
Purchase Your Copy HereCheck Out Some of Our Other Reviews#FebruarySheWrote Review: When I Arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll
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February 17, 2022
#FebruarySheWrote Review – Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee
“You’d think it would be easier to face death as you get older, but it doesn’t work that way. You get more attached to life, to people you love and things that are worth living for.”
Jade Legacy, the final part of the Green Bone Saga trilogy was probably my most anticipated read of 2021. I have followed the Kaul family for two books now and watched them grow and evolve.
But I had no idea what Fonda Lee had in store for me with this entry.
Let’s get the dumb statement out of the way first…
I’ve always known that this series was about the Kaul family. It’s such an essential part of the series. Focusing on the dynamics and relationships within this family that now runs an international criminal organisation. And as much as I wanted to believe that this was solely Hilo’s story or Shae’s, it’s not! This is about the legacy of the Kaul family.
I mean duh, Ben! That’s pretty obvious. It’s even in the title.
Correct! But what I really mean is that Jade Legacy is about family. Not just their achievements, nor their failures. But this entire series is about the intimate details of the Kaul family and ultimately, about the mark that they have left on the world.
The previous two novels have seen us stick to relatively narrow timelines. While the story has broken from the contained island of Kekon to reach across other nations. We finally see the influence of our characters go global. That’s pretty important to remember. Because our characters have come so far since their early beginnings. I’m Jade Legacy, time rapidly speeds up and passes by. This could have been a huge risk for the arcs of characters that we’ve come to know so personally. But the new generation of the Kaul family make a huge impression and teaches us a little something that can only happen with time.
It’s difficult at this point. Because we’re so heavily invested in the characters and we don’t want bad things to happen.
But of course, Fonda Lee has different ideas…
And she tears us apart!
In a similar fashion to the two previous books, Jade Legacy is a slow and steady build-up of intimate but vital character moments.
We see all of our characters forced to adapt. The world is changing. Jade is being weaponised. Shine has hit global markets and suddenly the fabled jade warriors aren’t the revered threat they used to be.
The No Peak clan no longer need to be solely concerned about their neighbouring rivals the Mountain Clan. But they must now juggle their local rivalry with several newer threats spanning across several countries.
And during all of this. The internal conflicts our characters are facing continues to boil and simmer. We steadily watch our protagonists get pushed closer and closer between a rock and a hard place. And the outcomes are bitterly sublime.
Hilo faces the crisis of being both a parent and the leader of No Peak. All while dealing with the repercussions and difficulties his wife faced during the last book. I’m satisfied by how Hilo skirts between regressing and growing. He encounters real human emotions and faces more than one dilemma on a daily basis. What Fonda Lee did with Hilo is nothing short of exceptional.
And behind every man is an even stronger partner. Wen becomes even more significant to the story and plays a prominent part on influencing the character I believed to be the central protagonist.
But I was wrong.
Wen in her own rights is a character just as deserving of admiration and recognition. She plays a pivotal part in protecting and supporting the family during the numerous trials that they face. She’s a much stronger character than readers might believe. We even see her brother face difficulties and challenges, which all culminates into some incredible plot points later on.
Shae still remains one of the most resonant characters for me in the series. Like Hilo she has come leaps and bounds since the original novel. To me, there’s some beautiful parallels between her and Hilo. What I love is that Shae is positioned with making some brutally tough decisions in this book. No matter the outcome (out how we feel about them) she remains resolute and proves herself to be such an iconic character.
Rounding out the original trio we have Anden, who continues to grow and flourish. I like how Anden’s arc directly contrasts his arc from the first book. But this time he’s making all the decisions for himself. He no longer seems trapped or pressured. But is ultimately pursuing the goals that he wants. It’s so satisfying to finally see Anden reach that point.
To top it off there are moments where he is pulled back into the family drama as well as clan politics. But Anden proves himself to be capable, sure-headed, and determined. His arc might just be there most fulfilling of the original three. Anden also bridges the familial ties between the older generation and the younger something which is essential in this part of the story.
Because of the much larger timeline here we also get to see the younger members of the Kaul family step into the limelight.
Rue, Niko and Jaya all play their respective parts in the family and clan. It was both delightful and painful to watch this new generation grow and take on clan responsibilities. But what I particularly love is how these three characters mirror the three original Kaul siblings. Bare that in mind when reading this. The similarities (and differences) are uncanny.
Eventually, we reach a point where there are conflicting opinions and ideologies between generations. And that’s what, to me, Jade Legacy is all about. But just a passing of the torch. But a sign that times are changing. The dogmatic and outdated ideals of the clan’s past must be open to change and adapt. And these three new characters play a prominent role in ushering in this new world.
The antagonists in this story are also experiencing a similar shift within their ranks. Ayt Mada and her successor in the Mountain Clan face some obstacles both inside and outside their own four walls. Yet again we see that the new generation will play a role with influencing change even despite Ayt remaining such a terrifying threat.
And of course, there’s Bero. The cockroach, the unexplainable and last man standing. He’s always been the maverick, the wild card in the series. But readers will find some solace and satisfaction in his arc. Bero has always been a divisive character. While I’ve always tolerated his existence, you truly come to understand his purpose by the end of the book.
Expect to have your emotions messed with as in her traditional style, Fonda Lee throws in explosive bursts of action and events that will leave you emotionally scarred.
The momentum, repercussions, and consequences continue to build all the way to the end of the book. It’s in these final few moments when we reflect upon the journeys of the characters we’ve become so fond of that one thing stands out from all the rest. Legacies aren’t eternal but families remain forever.
Read this book if you love: Family hierarchies and all the drama that comes with it. Expanding storylines into a vast but fleshed-out world. Intimate character relationships. Complex inner conflicts. Newcoming characters that land their mark. A story where family is truly at its core.
If you like the following books/series then you may also like this one too: Nice Dragons Finish Last. The Sword of Kaigen. The Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Legacy of the Brightwash. The Burning God.
The Final Verdict: 9 out of 10.
Purchase Your Copy HereCheck Out Some of Our Other Reviews
Review – Mazarin Blues by Al Hess
Review – Jennifer Government by Max Barry
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February 16, 2022
9 Fantasy Books from the 1980s You Might Not Have Heard Of
While the 1980s has always been described as a decade of decadence and corporate greed. One of the best parts of the 1980s was the rise of some of our favorite fantasy writers. It is the decade of Eddings, Brooks, and Wolfe.
But aside from these big household names, there are tons of captivating stories that you might not have heard of.
Check out these titles!
The Curse of Sagamore by Kara DalkeyEveryone in the kingdom is battling over control of the throne except young Prince Abderian, who becomes trapped in a web of political intrigue involving ghosts and goddesses, demons and dragons, heroes and heretics, and a powerful but senile wizard.
The Mask of the Wizard by Catherine CookeWhen Kyellan led his troops north to guard the royal prince on his pilgrimage, he didn't expect to encounter an intriguing young priestess and a dangerous wizard invasion. Swords and sorcery lead to romance in this epic fantasy, in a new ebook edition with corrections by the author. Book One in a trilogy that includes "Veil of Shadow" and "The Hidden Temple."
The Winged Assassin by Catherine CookeHaunted by gods and demons, Arris flees from his destiny into a life of slavery and danger. Then he faces a mission to kill his childhood best friend—if he doesn't fall in love with him first. The first in a trilogy set in an imaginary ancient Middle East, the story continues in Realm of the Gods and The Crimson Goddess.
The Greenbriar Queen by Sheila GillulyThe watchmen must guard Princess Ariadne, the future queen of Ilyria, from the wizard Fallen, who needs some of her blood to free the evil Dark Lord from exile.
The Sleeping Dragon by Joel RosenbergSeven college students meet for another night of role-playing games, where they will be cast as wizard, warrior, cleric, or thief. However, their conniving gamemaster has something entirely new planned for them. The seven gamers are cast into an alternate world of magic, fire-breathing dragons – and a quasi-medieval culture with slavery. The only way back to Earth is through a dragon-guarded Gate Between Worlds, about which little is known.The five men and two women face tough challenges – simple survival in a harsh environment as well as finding the mysterious Gate to bring them home. Publishers Weekly praised this series for its “energy, wit, and a strong moral sensibility.”
Did You Know?Terry Pratchett published books in the 70s, but it was his Discworld novels, starting with The Colour of Magic in 1983, that brought him his greatest success. In the 90s he was the UK’s best-selling author.
Did You Know?David Eddings originally wrote The Belgariad as three very long books, believing fantasy was meant to come in trilogies. His publisher Del Rey proposed he publish it in 5 volumes, saying booksellers wouldn’t accept 600-page books. While initially reluctant, Eddings eventually agreed.
Did You Know?Magician is based on a role-playing game. Raymond E. Feist and his friends created the world of Midkemia as an alternative to Dungeons & Dragons and founded Midkemia Press. Feist eventually wrote a story set 500 years earlier than the RPG, which became the Riftwar Saga.
The River of the Dancing Gods by Jack L. ChalkerSomething strange happens to Joe and Marge on the way to El Paso. They run into Throckmorton P. Ruddygore, a strange wizard who informs them that they are going to die in nineteen minutes and eighteen seconds.But they also have a choice. They can abandon the current world by taking a ferryboat across the Sea of Dreams to a new life in a new world, full of magic, fairies and wonder.But along with all its wonders, the new world is also the site of an ancient battle still being fought between the forces of Evil and Good, and the forces of Hell threaten to unleash perpetual darkness.Joe and Marge not only need their wits to survive in this unpredictable and dangerous world, but must somehow help prevent the oncoming Armageddon.
Thieves World, Edited by Robert Asprin and Lynn AbbeyA classic series for a new generation of fantasy adventure fans, Thieves’ World® paved the way for the shared-world anthology tradition with epic worldbuilding, unforgettable characters, and nonstop action thanks to the legendary authors who contribute to it. The series’s groundbreaking debut features stories by John Brunner, Lynn Abbey, Poul Anderson, Andrew J. Offutt, Robert Lynn Asprin, Joe Haldeman, Christine DeWees, and Marion Zimmer Bradley, who populate the lawless city of Sanctuary with orphans and wizards, fortune tellers and emperors, merchants and madams, spies, assassins, and, of course, thieves.
Magic Kingdom for Sale—Sold! By Terry BrooksLandover was a genuine magic kingdom, with fairy folk and wizardry, just as the advertisement has promised. But after he purchased it, Ben Holiday learned that there were a few details the ad had failed to mention.The kingdom was in ruin. The Barons refused to recognize a king, and the peasants were without hope. A dragon was laying waste the countryside, while an evil witch plotted to destroy everything.Ben's only followers were the incompetent Court Magician; Abernathy, the talking dog who served as Court Scribe; and the lovely Willow—but she had a habit of putting down roots in the moonlight and turning into a tree. The Paladin, legendary champion of the Kings of Landover, seemed to be only a myth and an empty suit of armor.To put the final touch on the whole affair, Ben soon learned that the Iron Mark, terrible lord of the demons, had challenged all prospective Kings of Landover to duel to the death—a duel which no human could hope to win.The task of proving his right to be King seemed hopeless. But Ben Holiday was stubborn. . . .
A Malady of Magicks by Craig Shaw Gardener"Guxx Unfufadoo is my name. And killing wizards is my game!"Thus spoke the dreaded rhyming demon, come from the Netherhells, to munch a bunch of the great Ebenezum.Only it didn't quite work out that way. Ebenezum lived, cursed by Guxx with a mighty curse that he should henceforth be allergic to magic.So Ebenezum and his hapless apprentice Wuntvor must journey to the City of Forbidden Delights to seek a cure. They find the road fraught with peril and dark magic, from tap-dancing dragons to enchanted chickens, slobbering trolls, winsome witches and sinister shrubbery.It's up to Wunt to see them through, to utter the sounds of power and speak the spells that will insure their health, wealth and continued life. It only he could remember the words...
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February 15, 2022
Review – Dreadnoughts: Breaking Ground by Michael Carroll, John Higgins
JUDGE DREDD is one of those comics that suffers from a fandom that sometimes isn’t on the central joke of the premise: that its protagonist is a fascist who is working for a system that is utterly nonfunctional. Creator John Wagner was fully aware of the irony and deliberately wrote it as a bleak comedy about a man who desperately believed in the law like a priest while seemingly being utterly blind to the fact said law was created by falliable mortals. Even after stories like “The Day the Law Died”, “America”, “Democracy”, and the 19th or 20th corrupt Chief Judge there’s people who think the Judges have the right idea.
The premise of DREADNOUGHTS: BREAKING GROUND is pretty much a rather ham-fisted attempted to spell out for the reader that, no, it’s actually an utterly horrifying system to live under and terrible in every possible way. Whether such a story needed to be told or not is questionable since I’m of the mind that readers are generally not morons. If they support the authoritarian ruthlessness of the Judge System in RL or at least think the system is not hard enough rather than too hard, it’s because of their own political leanings versus not “getting it.”
Nevertheless, I admit I’m a fan of the more serious Judge Dredd stories. I’ll never like Judge Death and his cadre of lich Judges as much as I enjoy stories about failed democracies and Chief Judge Fargo realizing that he has utterly screwed the pooch. This one treats its premise as seriously as possible with the transformation of American policing and prisons to the horrors of Dredd’s world.
The premise is Judge Veranda Glover is sent by Chief Judge Fargo to the city of Boulder, Colorado to deal with protestors that have gotten out of hand. By which I mean they were protesting and Judge Glover shoots a bunch of them for virtually no reason. The local police are uncomfortable with her methods (no kidding, really) but are helpless to do anything about it. It only gets worse as Judge Glover is assigned the task of finding a kidnapped child.
From there, Judge Glover proceeds to wreck life after life ranging from sending the father of the kidnapped child to prison for fourteen years for helping his brother escape a rape charge (though he claims he had no idea what it was for), assaulting a religious commune that may or may not be a cult, and insisting that every decision she makes is 100% right no matter how stupid or asinine. Effectively, she’s Judge Dredd without his softer qualities and against people who aren’t insane violent criminals. If the author wanted to create a truly repulsive character, which I’m sure they did, they succeeded beyond their wildest imagination.
Still, I’m a fairly progressive person and even I found the graphic novel to be heavy handed. Not only is a big speech made about the loss of liberty and how the Judge System is a symptom of a sick society not the cure but SEVERAL people make said speeches. Judge Glover’s perhaps only genuinely “cool” moment is when someone starts making one of those speeches and she just walks past him, ignoring it as the self important sermonizing it is. We get it, fascism bad. I’d argue that the book also shoots itself in the foot by making Judge Glover eventually solve the case–collateral damage be damned.
The art is beautiful and the story is dark as well as sad. This isn’t a “fun” comic but it’s not meant to be. Indeed, the foreword to the comic describes it as a “horror story.” It’s overly preachy but I can’t fault it for not being true to its convictions. It also does tell a complete story that does have a number of interesting twists and turns. I just wish Judge Glover had ended up dead on the street because, well, she sucks. It says something that the Judge Dredd backup story at the end is incredibly lighter by comparison and it deals with nerve gas.
Previous Next Purchase Your Copy Here Check out some of our other reviews #FebruarySheWrote Review: When I Arrived at the Castle by Emily Carroll
#FebruarySheWrote REVIEW – THE FIRES OF TREASON BY MICHELE QUIRKE
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February 14, 2022
Interview with Anna Mocikat Author of Behind Blue Eyes
anna MOCIKAT "...Often sci-fi is sterile and PG13. Behind Blue Eyes is dark, violent and very sexy. There’s plenty of bloody business and naked people doing things in there ...." 1. Tell us what Behind Blue Eyes is all about.
Behind Blue Eyes circles around its heroine Nephilim. She’s a cybernetically and genetically modified super-soldier who has been created to do all the dirty work for the mega-corporation she belongs to. Until she realizes one day that everything she had believed in was a lie and decides to take it up with the corporation and her creator.
Behind Blue Eyes is an action-driven sci-fi/cyberpunk story in the tradition of Ghost in the Shell and Deus Ex.
2. What separates Behind Blue Eyes from other science fiction series?
Often sci-fi is sterile and PG13. Behind Blue Eyes is dark, violent and very sexy. There’s plenty of bloody business and naked people doing things in there 
3. What can you tell us about the protagonists?
Nephilim is the main character of the story. She’s a killer cyborg, a human-machine hybrid designed to destroy. She and her kind are almost unstoppable, the perfect weapon. However, Nephilim’s dreams aren’t as empty as they’re supposed to be. She experiences human emotions and begins doubting the system that made her a killer. She’s a very strong character, not only physically where she can snap an iron bar with her hand, but also mentally. She’s the kind of person who will defend what she loves to her death.
Then there’s Jake, a 100% bio-human Nephilim falls in love with. He convinces her to join a rebellion against the system but as it turns out he’s not what he seems to be.
And finally, Finwick, who’s the most popular character among readers. Finwick is an IT nerd who works for the Guardian Angels and develops a very unhealthy crush on a killer cyborg and stumbles into the adventure of his life.
4. What can you tell us about the setting?
The story is set in Olympias City, a mega-city of the future and HQ of the Olympias Conglomerate, the mega-corp that controls the American continents, or rather what’s left of them. It’s in a constant cold war with the two other big global players, Rosprom which controls Europe and TongbuaXiang which controls Asia, Australia and Oceania. Those three send cyborg troops against each other to infiltrate and sabotage.
Olympias is a dystopia coming disguised as a utopia. Poverty and inequality have been eradicated and everyone is free to be whatever they wish to be. But only as long as they obey the mantras the corporation feeds them and never question the lifestyle of hedonism, consumerism and promiscuity. Relationships and any deeper bonds are forbidden and people who want to have something as simple as a family have to risk their lives and flee the “utopia”. But there is no escape as Nephilim and her kind will find and kill them.
5. Who are the antagonists in your book?
Nephilim’s antagonist is Metatron, the leader of the Guardian Angels, the unit she belongs to. He’s a ruthless, cunning, sadistic genius. Metatron is also the only one who knows the secret of who Nephilim really is. He’s obsessed with her and will do anything in his power to stop her from breaking free.
6. What genre is your book? Action? Cyberpunk? Or Dystopian?
All three of those. It certainly is a very dystopian sci-fi story that belongs into the cyberpunk sub-genre. A lot of it has been inspired by Ghost in the Shell. But it also is an adrenaline filled action ride.
7. What do you think appeals to audiences about cyberpunk?
In my opinion, cyberpunk is the most exciting and innovative sci-fi subgenre. It’s often dystopian by nature and deals with existential questions such as what makes us human and where the human stops and the machine begins. It’s the main theme in Ghost in the Shell and also an important question in Behind Blue Eyes. I see myself in the tradition of Japanese cyberpunk which goes deeply into philosophical topics while still being filled with action. Other authors follow the western school of William Gibson and others from his time. Often those works center around socio-economic questions.
I think cyberpunk is the genre that combines intellectual questions with action and cool tech, which makes it unique in sci-fi. But the genre is incredibly diverse and there’s a whole new generation of young authors who are redefining it.
8. What sort of themes does your book possess?
The central theme in Behind Blue Eyes is freedom: freedom of choice, freedom of speech, freedom of thought. Is the perfect life possible without freedom?
9. What authors influenced you?
Besides Japanese anime and manga I think my biggest influences are George Orwell, Aldous Huxley and Isaac Asimov.
10. Behind Blue Eyes: Fallen Angels is already out. What’s the plot of that book?
The first book, Behind Blue Eyes, can be seen as a stand-alone story but it’s also the prologue to a much bigger story, which only really starts with book 2, Fallen Angels. The first book doesn’t end in a way anyone would expect and therefore the story continues in a different way than most sequels would. In the end, the freedom Nephilim seeks might come in a different form than she had expected.
The whole story is designed to be six books and everything that has happened since book 1 leads to the grand finale in book 6.
Fallen Angels starts with horrible murders being committed in the perfect city and the victims are no one less than Guardian Angels, the seemingly invincible killer cyborgs. Someone is hunting them down one by one. But this is only the tip of the iceberg of a massive conspiracy in which the other mega-corporations are involved to destroy Olympias. This is only possible with the Guardian Angels gone.
11. Is Behind Blue Eyes III coming out any time soon?
Yes! It’s set for release on March 23rd and I’m very excited about it. BBE3 – War Games will continue the story of Fallen Angels. Nephilim will have to fight her most challenging and most personal battle yet – and she won’t get away without scratches.
12. What else can we look for from you?
I’m also the editor of Neo Cyberpunk, an anthology series in which each book features 15 cyberpunk short stories by 15 authors. Besides, I also have two more series going on, Shadow City and Cyber Squad. And I’m about to co-write a sci-fi series with my friend and bestselling author C.T. Phipps.
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February 13, 2022
#FebruarySheWrote Review – Escape Reality by Kayla Frost
@Escape Reality is a science fiction novel written by Kayla Frost and was published in November of 2020. It’s also the Gold Award Winner for the 2020 – 2021 Reader Views Literary Awards.
This book really impressed me with the amount of world-building that was in it, especially for a debut novel. The universe that is created in this book is fleshed out and clear when you’re done with the story. I almost pictured Kayla in front of a huge wall with strings and pictures with all the different character races, groups, locations, and characters. She does a great job preparing us for the rest of the series, setting the table for the characters and what’s to come.
I’m pretty new to reading science fiction, especially what some people would call “hard” science fiction, the really deep and complex science fiction. This book definitely fits into that category. If I’m turning the page and feel like I miss something or I don’t understand everything I feel like I should go back and re-read. With this book, I tried to relax and go along for the ride and it paid off in a big way.
I’ve read other reviewers’ comments that the beginning is a little uneven with the amount of reveals and the amount of explanations but that didn’t bother me. I had faith that everything would be explained and Kayla does a great job explaining the world, the rules, the races, the technologies, and conflicts. The environments are described beautifully, jumping off the page at you. I had a clear vision of what was happening in my mind from the page. I could even hear the sounds described in the book in my own ears. I was on the ship or the planet and could hear the automated voice we’ve all heard in science fiction movies on the page.
Something that takes me out of the story especially in fantasy or science fiction is when characters use modern slang. I’m in this otherworldly environment and it’s jarring to hear characters use modern lingo. While I enjoyed the reveals and surprises, I think a few of them were drawn out a little too long.
I always prefer to go into books blind, knowing as little as possible so I usually avoid the synopsis. In this case, I wish I could have read the synopsis before I read the book. Reading the synopsis gives you a really good idea of what you’re in for and gives you some footing to stand on.
If you’re like me and you’re new to “hard” science fiction and you get lost in this book, be patient and go along for the ride – the payoffs are worth it. I was enthralled by the amount of world-building, with all the different terminology, technology, and acronyms. Sometimes it takes a minute to get your bearings. Kayla develops a very lush, detailed, and complex world that blew me away. There must have been a ton of time developing this world and she does a fantastic job.
If you enjoy complex and detailed science fiction with interesting characters and a ton of world-building, give this book a read. Especially impressed that Kayla not only wrote the book but also created the artwork for the cover and interior.
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February 12, 2022
Review – Engine of the Empire by R.S. Ford
Engines of the Empire by R.S. Ford is a book that I have been eyeing with excitement for the last six months. It did not disappoint and was just as exciting as I had hoped with a few caveats.
“How long do you think the battalions will carry on this war when it stops being profitable? This won’t last.”
From the first chapter, where we meet one of our protagonists, Tyreta, the reader becomes very aware of the depth of the storytelling Ford brings. The story is separated into multiple very distinct points of view, mostly revolving around three siblings, Tyreta, Fulren, and Conall. Their lives go on very different winding paths in service to the empire. They are the Hawkspurs, heirs of the Hawkspur guild in the nation of Torwyn. Multiple guilds rule the empire through Plutocracy, which is explained in the story. But I am looking forward to learning more about the various guilds and how they work.
Additionally, the story is peppered with those who practice a craft with pyrstone that fuels the empire’s machines. This craft reads like part magic and part science. Those who practice get a “feel” for the device and can control the machines from afar.
“By placing a number of pyrestones inside small conversion chambers, a webwainer could use them to imbue any piece of artifice to life.”
Encapsulating the story’s narrative is a blanket of political intrigue, unrest, and colonialism. While we are viewing the story through the eyes of mainly three members of the ruling class of Torwyn, it is evident that Torwyn has not always been on the side of angels when it comes to relations with neighboring areas. Specifically, the nation of Nyrakkis, who are foreign, differs in every way from the nation of Torwyn.
The story starts with a random emissary from the country of Nyrakkis who has come to open up trade agreements with Torwyn. The deal that the emissary wants to broker would benefit both countries and start an age of great prosperity for the two nations. This kicks off a series of events that change the siblings’ lives forever.
Engines of the Empire is not an easy fantasy book to read; instead, it asks a lot of the reader. You need to parse multiple levels of intrigue and points of view. But even with these various paths, Ford masterfully curves all paths back to the empire. No matter what, the fates of this family are intricately entwined with the people, culture, and future of the Torwyn society.
“There might be a price for this later. Lady Rosomon had never been a tolerant woman. Whatever that price was, Tyreta thought as a smile played across her lips, it had been worth it.”
When the 2/3rds through the book, the action sequences started to pick up, and it was like watching a movie. Even better, because the characters’ paths go not just away from each other, but into new cultures. Ford wrote the combat as distinctly as the settings. Characters do not just fight, but they fight in ways characteristic of their cultures. If the worldbuilding did not hammer home how different the cultures are, the action will.
The one issue I had with the story, and is my caveat mentioned above, is that while these character paths expertly wind through the empire, the characters didn’t feel like they have narrative arcs. I couldn’t point to a goal for each of the characters except for lack of a better term, “level-up.” I needed more connection with the characters on an individual level that are less lofty than the empire’s health. Because the characters didn’t have that, the characters always felt at arm’s length from me. I admit this might be a preference for me as a reader, but it was a sticking point for this story.
All in all, Engines of the Empire is an exciting story full of intrigue, worldbuilding, and power struggles. Any reader of classic fantasy will find a home inside Ford’s world. It was a captivating story, and aside from my difficulties with how the characters were written, it was enthralling.
I look forward to seeing what happens next in this world!
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February 11, 2022
ANNOUNCEMENT! Check Out CT Phipps and Michael Suttkus’s Newest Release – Daughter of the Cyber Dragons
Where To Find It? What is it about? FROM THE BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF THE SUPERVILLAINY SAGA:Check Out Some of our Reviews
Keiko “Kei” Springs is a Rider, a specialized form of delivery girl and mercenary all in one. They are among the most highly prized criminals in the dystopian neon city of New Los Angeles. Kei has been running from her past for years and has literally erased it from her mind using a popular street drug called lethe. Unfortunately, you can’t outrun your past forever, even on her specialized Nina cybercycle.
Strapped for cash, Kei accepts a job she probably shouldn’t after barely surviving a live fire test by a married pair of oligarchs. Teamed up with a group of other mercenaries and cyborgs, Kei is to seek out a stolen computer program that has the power to drive otherwise ordinary individuals to shocking acts of violence. Her team includes her ex, a handsome bioroid assassin, a teenage hacker, and a ruthless corporate exec that all have their own agendas. It’d be the worst time of her life if not for all the ones she can’t remember.
The Cyber Dragons Trilogy is set in the same world as the Agent G series and is an exciting action adventure cyberpunk thriller with plenty of humor.
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Review – Red Shirts by John Scalzi
RED SHIRTS by John Scalzi remains one of my all-time favorite books so if you’re looking for an unbiased recommendation then you’re probably looking in the wrong place. I have some issues with the novellas in the back of the book but I consider the main story to be damn near perfect. Mind you, I am exactly the sort of person who would love this book as both a Star Trek fan as well as a satirist. If you don’t think making fun of weird ideas in Star Trek and cliched storytelling would amuse you then this is probably not the book for you but it is entirely my jam.
The premise is the Universal Union capital ship Intrepid is a death trap. Well, sort of. Nothing bad ever happens to its bridge crew that they don’t bounce back from. Murderous alien worms, horrifying parasites, terrifying plagues, and encounters with hostile alien planets. However, the rest of the crew dies at a horrifying and often nonsensical rate. They do stupid things that get them killed despite being trained professionals on a spaceship. Sometimes even when they’re incredibly smart and careful, events contort themselves to killing at least one of them a mission.
This is not good news for Ensign Andrew Dahl who shows up for work on the Intrepid with three new friends, only to find this “minesweeper in Baghdad” level of attrition is just the tip of the iceberg for weird stuff going on board this vessel. There’s a weird black box that can solve virtually all scientific problems in exactly thirty minutes (no more, no less) that none of the crew actually understand the workings of. There’s a guy living in the ship’s maintenance ducts trying to warn them of the insane rules that mean the difference between life and death. Finally, and this is something even Andrew hesitates to mention, does it feel like this is all a rehash of a mid-20th century TV show?
Redshirts is a delightful deconstruction of the various cliches that authors rely on in genre fiction. It would be easy to describe this as Rosencratz and Guldenstern vs. Star Trek but then you’d have to know both of these works to get what I mean. More likely, Trek fans will probably think this resembles Galaxy Quest and Lower Decks, which is also true. But beyond a parody of Star Trek, it is also a critique of laziness in storytelling.
The humor doesn’t require you to have a degree in Trekology to laugh but does need to be you to be familiar with the concept of “The Red Shirt” which is a character that exists to die horribly in order to make dangers seem more real while not harming the main cast. This is a joke that was common enough to show up in the TV show Lost so it shouldn’t be too big of a demand of readers.
I love this book and its oddball character development as well as the investigation of the surreal circumstances around our heroes. Despite this, I do think the book has some flaws. The four leads are largely interchangeable and all pretty much sound identical in dialogue. Also, I wasn’t a big fan of the epilogues as I think they detracted from the strength of the book’s ending. Otherwise, this book is darn near perfect. You won’t regret its purchase.
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