REVIEW: Times Never Change by John R. Fultz
The Emperor of Yhorom is dead. Its five-thousand-year Empire on the edge of ruin. Now ungoverned, the Masters of Yhorom feud amongst each other for power. Their war may destroy the civilized world. Their sorcery threatens all life. Brutality reigns over all in Times Never Change by John R. Fultz. The second book of The Scaleborn series plunges to the far depths of human depravity and clings to hope.
As a sorcerer, Emperor Pai Sing had pledged the Thousand Year Bond. By swearing this oath, which brings immunity to disease and delays aging, only sorcery could have ended the Emperor’s life. Someone had betrayed the Emperor to his death. The Empire in disarray, the Masters of Yhorom are more fractured. One among them is the killer. Huto Sing, brother to the late Emperor, breaks three hundred and fifty-two years of isolation to bring his brother’s killer to justice. He sets for Yhorom, the city of Masters. A city where no good men exist. As someone who refuses to use sorcery, Huto’s quest is suicide. His vow forswearing magic spells doom. His refusal may seal the fate for many.
John R. Fultz throws his readers down a pit of cruelty in Times Never Change. His first book in the series Immaculate Scoundrels is a barbarian-esque fantasy adventure with plenty of bloodshed but only scratches the surface of Yhorom’s corrupt politics. It follows several scaleborn characters, humans with patches of scales on their skin. The time of scaleborn slavery ended but their rights remain as little more than technicality. While the first book is bleak, Times Never Change is far darker in comparison. The time jumps in the second book shows the world before scaleborn people were freed. While both stories have flashy battles and fights, Times Never Change delves into the more intimate side of horror. Fighting is futile against a world of hate.
Times Never Change is told from the perspective of several new characters. Huto Sing spent more than three hundred years living as a hermit, renouncing the crown and refusing sorcery. He seeks justice for his brother’s death at the risk of losing everything he stands for. His struggle to uphold his ideal identity imposes harm on his companions. A new pivotal character introduced is Umi. She is from Mossback Hollow, a scaleborn village hidden from the rest of humanity. When her village is attacked and burnt down by soldiers, she is forced to wander this cruel world. Her interactions with humans reveal the most about humanity’s disposition towards scaleborn. Her journey exposes readers to the worst of this world.
The time jumps in Times Never Change is mostly subtle and restricted to Umi’s story. Her character steals the show. Her resolve to help other scaleborns is pinned against her naivety. She takes readers on a turbulent journey of some successes and many soul crushing failures. While the time jumps are necessary to progress the story, a couple parts of Umi’s tale feel rushed.
John R. Fultz showcases the range of his writing ability in Times Never Change. While faithful to its sword and sorcery spirit, the second book of The Scaleborn series swaps some barbarian-esque elements with full scale brutality.
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