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Lady of Gems #1
Brood of Bones
Cursed by constant sleepiness, Enchantress Hiresha has no time to marry and raise a family. From virgin to grandmother, all the women in her city are in their last trimester, power drained by a lurking sorcerer. Only the Lord of the Feast, a dangerous yet charming illusionist, is uncivilized enough to help.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 28, 2011
66 people are currently reading
2609 people want to read
About the author
A.E. Marling
13 books306 followersA.E. Marling writes on pages, cards, and buildings. A member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, A.E. has published several novels and written names and flavor text for Magic: the Gathering. In the past he also shone words in light on buildings as a projection activist (@AEMarling).
Pronouns: he/them
Pronouns: he/them
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 162 reviews
November 29, 2014
“I never learned the knack for waking. Consciousness hung over me like a sodden rag, weighing on my eyelids and muffling my ears, yet even my stifled senses did not spare me the indignity of hearing my name screamed across a public place.“
Sounds like me...
Brood of Bones is the first in a series about Hiresha, an expert in jewel enchantment and sufferer of severe narcolepsy. She has journeyed back to her hometown, Morimound, at the request of the Siri the Flawless, city arbiter. Accompanying Hiresha are her protector, the Spellsword Deepmand, and her servant, Maid Janny. The tale begins as their carriage travels through a city bazaar where they discover Siri is imprisoned–and pregnant–at seventy. Soon Hiresha realizes every woman she sees appears to be pregnant. As she works through her own envy and regret, she investigates the puzzle of the pregnant women of Moribound. Could the city be facing the foretold “Seventh Flood” of disaster? Protecting the women and Moribound may mean an alliance with forbidden magic–and the malevolent Feasters.
It is hard to review a single book in a series, especially from a beginning author, as each book ends up being compared to the series development as much as the genre in general. I enjoyed Brood of Bones, A.E. Marling’s first novel, but I suspect that my enjoyment was related more to the character and world background than the story. That sounds as if I’m damning it with faint praise, but truly, it is because I’m comparing it to two of his other books which were quite wonderful in story and imagery. Some time ago, Marling offered me a reviewer’s copy of Fox’s Bride. I enjoyed it a great deal, and ended up with two other of his books in the series, Brood of Bones (free on Amazon at the moment) and Dream Storm Sea. So I approached this book looking to fill in the history of Enchantress Hiresha. The storyline centering on a plague of pregnancies, and Hiresha’s own emotional conundrums held less resonance for me.
The fantasy setting Marling has created has pleasantly unusual–but constrained–magic systems. Most of Hiresha’s magic takes place in a dream-laboratory, where her skills there allow her recreate observations and further analyze people’s reactions, much as a detective might replay an interview tape. I enjoyed the combination of reasoning and magic as an approach to problem-solving. In terms of world-building, not much in the world is explained outright, but rather pieced together as one reads. It occasionally gives the sense that one might have dropped into the middle of a series, with the fallout of earlier events still resonating and relationships already in place. As I’m rather fond of the immersion school of world-building, I didn’t mind, but it may prove frustrating to those who prefer a more explicit style. On the bonus side, it means an absence of “as you know…” type explanatory conversations.
I find Hiresha an extremely interesting heroine, and look forward to reading more about her story and her unusual magic. One of Marling’s strengths is characterization, but characters here feel more underdeveloped compared to his normal high standard. Initially, it felt as if the descriptive flourishes were too frequent and contradictory, making Hiresha sound more than a tad over-dramatic and mercurial. It could be, however, that it was partially an issue of her immaturity. While it was pleasant to have some of Hiresha’s story filled in, particularly an eventful meeting with a Feaster, I found her thoughts tended to be repetitive. So young! So over-confident! So certain in her morality, so focused on her thwarted dreams and jealousy for those who can achieve the ‘normal’ instead of accepting and embracing herself.
As always, I love the flourishes of humor throughout the story:
“Morimound’s second priest, Salkant of the Fate Weaver, I believed, had slunk behind me in a manner most discourteous. If one had the habit of sneaking up on people then bells tied to one’s feet would be a matter of simple courtesy.“
Dialogue with the Lord of the Feast was particularly amusing, and I confess that I mostly read for their interactions and developing connection. Their dialogue bears a pleasing similarity to a Benedict-Beatrice dynamic, with Maid Janny playing a bawdy Dogberry-type (Much Ado About Nothing).
“He raised his voice:and said, ‘And you needn’t wear all those ridiculous gowns.’
‘Excuse me?’…
‘Your gowns are overdone. And I say that as a man with rubies on his shoes.’
‘I have never been so offended!’
‘I am sorry,’ he said, ‘to hear it. You should have been offended more often.’
‘Well! Those are spinels on your shoes, not rubies.’“
Overall, I’d recommend consideration of it if you are a fan of unusual fantasy, or looking to fill more blanks in Hiresha’s world. If you are just starting in the world, I’m very fond of Fox’s Bride and Dream Storm Sea.
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November 10, 2011A story without fantasy is like a holiday without fireworks.
The fantasy genre has always lit my eyes with wonder, whisking me away to lands of great frights and greater friendships. I knew since my sophomore year in high school that I loved writing tales crackling with magic, and that passion only grew into a relentless pursuit of the craft of storytelling. I would like to thank my faithful readers, who have always encouraged me. I have learned so much from you. The praise directed toward this novel must also be yours.
I am also indebted beyond measure to my illustrator, a Russian grandmaster of Adobe Photoshop, whom I would trek through frozen wastes and quarrelsome blizzards to work with again. Her portrayal of Enchantress Hiresha is awesome on stilts.
Most of all, my thoughts and best wishes go to the Idiopathic Hypersomnia support group. The condition steals away lives with a crushing weight of sleep, and those who must endure it are just as much heroes as the story's protagonist.
To those considering reading Brood of Bones, I can only wish you half the fun I had writing it. Any more than fifty percent might cause an acute hemorrhage of bliss.
The fantasy genre has always lit my eyes with wonder, whisking me away to lands of great frights and greater friendships. I knew since my sophomore year in high school that I loved writing tales crackling with magic, and that passion only grew into a relentless pursuit of the craft of storytelling. I would like to thank my faithful readers, who have always encouraged me. I have learned so much from you. The praise directed toward this novel must also be yours.
I am also indebted beyond measure to my illustrator, a Russian grandmaster of Adobe Photoshop, whom I would trek through frozen wastes and quarrelsome blizzards to work with again. Her portrayal of Enchantress Hiresha is awesome on stilts.
Most of all, my thoughts and best wishes go to the Idiopathic Hypersomnia support group. The condition steals away lives with a crushing weight of sleep, and those who must endure it are just as much heroes as the story's protagonist.
To those considering reading Brood of Bones, I can only wish you half the fun I had writing it. Any more than fifty percent might cause an acute hemorrhage of bliss.
March 28, 2013
I am finding this book hard to review.
The writing was good, the story was interesting its just that I found the main character an asshole.
In the beginning of the book you find out that before she was this all powerful, and rich enchantress she was poor. As well as being poor she was made fun of due to her narcolepsy, and made to feel not quite worthy of a normal life.
You would think this would have had some sort of lasting effect when she came into power. She could have taken that childhood, and have been bitter about it. Grown up to be a complete douche bag. She could have used her past and seen how not to treat people. She could have been a good person, and try not to stoop to the level of her tormentors.
I don't know what the author was thinking at this point, cause at first you think she went the compassionate route. This is not the case, she is a selfish child that wants her way and thinks others deserve to give it to her. She keeps putting down her maid, treating her less than a person. She takes a family heirloom from her servant, and tells him she will buy a new one with her gold. She keeps threatening to fire her guard for doing his job, and not doing what she tells him too.
She is a spoiled, petulant child, and I didn't like her very much.
So in saying all this, the main character ruined the book for me.
The writing was good, the story was interesting its just that I found the main character an asshole.
In the beginning of the book you find out that before she was this all powerful, and rich enchantress she was poor. As well as being poor she was made fun of due to her narcolepsy, and made to feel not quite worthy of a normal life.
You would think this would have had some sort of lasting effect when she came into power. She could have taken that childhood, and have been bitter about it. Grown up to be a complete douche bag. She could have used her past and seen how not to treat people. She could have been a good person, and try not to stoop to the level of her tormentors.
I don't know what the author was thinking at this point, cause at first you think she went the compassionate route. This is not the case, she is a selfish child that wants her way and thinks others deserve to give it to her. She keeps putting down her maid, treating her less than a person. She takes a family heirloom from her servant, and tells him she will buy a new one with her gold. She keeps threatening to fire her guard for doing his job, and not doing what she tells him too.
She is a spoiled, petulant child, and I didn't like her very much.
So in saying all this, the main character ruined the book for me.
September 17, 2025
Stars: 3 out of 5
I loved the worldbuilding and the unique magic system.
The protagonist, however, I liked a lot less. I understand that this is the first book in the series, so Hireasha is still very young here. This is, in a way, a coming-of-age story, or a coming into her power story. But boy, did she irritate me for most of the book!
She is quick to judge others and disparage them, says the most insensitive things to people, yet expects to be treated with respect and reverence in return. She also jumps to (often wrong) conclusions too easily, and doesn't listen to others. I really wanted to slap some sense into her for most of the book. Thankfully, she got over a lot of her hangups by the end of the story.
I was also told that she is a lot more mature in the next book, so I might check it out, because the world is interesting and complex.
I loved the worldbuilding and the unique magic system.
The protagonist, however, I liked a lot less. I understand that this is the first book in the series, so Hireasha is still very young here. This is, in a way, a coming-of-age story, or a coming into her power story. But boy, did she irritate me for most of the book!
She is quick to judge others and disparage them, says the most insensitive things to people, yet expects to be treated with respect and reverence in return. She also jumps to (often wrong) conclusions too easily, and doesn't listen to others. I really wanted to slap some sense into her for most of the book. Thankfully, she got over a lot of her hangups by the end of the story.
I was also told that she is a lot more mature in the next book, so I might check it out, because the world is interesting and complex.
August 24, 2017
I got this book because I wanted to read some of Marling's work and it seemed a good starting point. I downloaded it at the same time as a lot of other works, intending just to skim the first chapter of each and then decide which one I was going to read.
I read the first part of this novel and I was hooked. The story unfolds really well and there is real suspense. The writing is a joy to read and the descriptions of the world are really evocative.
The story revolves around Elder Enchantress Hiresha who having become a powerful practitioner of magic is requested to return to her home town. There she quickly realises that something is very wrong - all the women are pregnant, and all are due around the same time. Clearly this is not normal, but what is the cause and why has it happened?
Hiresha must unravel the threads to work out what is going on and exactly what the threat to the town is. Perhaps the pregnancies are the divine work of a god, but for what purpose? Or perhaps the dark Lord of the Feast is involved so that he may dine on the fears of the population in the night? Hiresha must find the truth - and quickly - and along the way she will make both questionable alliances and bitter enemies. But who can really be trusted when the fate of the city is at stake?
The world is immersive, and Marling does well to convey just enough information to ensure the reader is not overwhelmed by some of the stranger aspects of his world. I have read other (more well known) authors who struggle in this regard. The characterisations are good, particularly impressive is Hiresha who despite her mastery of magic is very human, with many faults and failings which she must overcome during the course of the story. The supporting characters are also well drawn and have a depth. There is a real impression that they are leading their own lives outside of the story.
The story itself is mainly a fantasy 'whodunnit' with Hiresha gathering evidence and suspects, as well has finding out exactly what the pregnancies entail. The main twist is that she suffers from a form of narcolepsy and finds it hard to keep awake - and when awake she is not very perceptive. But when sleeps she is able to perform her magic and analyse what she has seen while awake.
Once the culprit is revealed, the ending is hard to put down as Hiresha has put herself - and possibly the whole town - in grave danger in order to find out the truth. The final part of the story is a breathtaking battle as powerful forces fight over the fate of the town.
I really could not stop reading this book. I looked forward to picking it up and was reluctant to put it down. The story is really very compelling and despite having a lot of swords and sorcery in it, this does not fall into any of the well trodden paths of fantasy. The writing moves the story on at a good pace and is full of fantastic descriptions and little details that really bring the world alive.
I rate this book very highly. I know it is only January but already I feel that this is easily one of the best books I will read this year. Very highly recommended.
I read the first part of this novel and I was hooked. The story unfolds really well and there is real suspense. The writing is a joy to read and the descriptions of the world are really evocative.
The story revolves around Elder Enchantress Hiresha who having become a powerful practitioner of magic is requested to return to her home town. There she quickly realises that something is very wrong - all the women are pregnant, and all are due around the same time. Clearly this is not normal, but what is the cause and why has it happened?
Hiresha must unravel the threads to work out what is going on and exactly what the threat to the town is. Perhaps the pregnancies are the divine work of a god, but for what purpose? Or perhaps the dark Lord of the Feast is involved so that he may dine on the fears of the population in the night? Hiresha must find the truth - and quickly - and along the way she will make both questionable alliances and bitter enemies. But who can really be trusted when the fate of the city is at stake?
The world is immersive, and Marling does well to convey just enough information to ensure the reader is not overwhelmed by some of the stranger aspects of his world. I have read other (more well known) authors who struggle in this regard. The characterisations are good, particularly impressive is Hiresha who despite her mastery of magic is very human, with many faults and failings which she must overcome during the course of the story. The supporting characters are also well drawn and have a depth. There is a real impression that they are leading their own lives outside of the story.
The story itself is mainly a fantasy 'whodunnit' with Hiresha gathering evidence and suspects, as well has finding out exactly what the pregnancies entail. The main twist is that she suffers from a form of narcolepsy and finds it hard to keep awake - and when awake she is not very perceptive. But when sleeps she is able to perform her magic and analyse what she has seen while awake.
Once the culprit is revealed, the ending is hard to put down as Hiresha has put herself - and possibly the whole town - in grave danger in order to find out the truth. The final part of the story is a breathtaking battle as powerful forces fight over the fate of the town.
I really could not stop reading this book. I looked forward to picking it up and was reluctant to put it down. The story is really very compelling and despite having a lot of swords and sorcery in it, this does not fall into any of the well trodden paths of fantasy. The writing moves the story on at a good pace and is full of fantastic descriptions and little details that really bring the world alive.
I rate this book very highly. I know it is only January but already I feel that this is easily one of the best books I will read this year. Very highly recommended.
July 27, 2013
I've been interested in reading some self-published books recently, but wasn't keen enough on the hunt, or confident enough in its success, to brave the wilds of the Kindle freebie woods myself. Luckily here comes Carol with a nicely positive review of A.E. Marling's Fox's Bride to lead me to this first book about Enchantress Hiresha.
The blurb will give you a pretty good idea of the basic plot of the book, so here are a couple of impressions.
Hiresha is a really interesting character. Her disability, which seems like a severe form of narcolepsy, makes her muzzy when she's awake, lucid when she's in the magic laboratory she inhabits in her dreams. She has problems dealing with normal human interactions, and tends to describe her emotional instincts in purely physiological terms like sweat or a rapidly beating heart.
Her attendants, Spellsword Deepmand and Maid Janny, get scenes that show their affection for and frustrations with Hiresha, and Janny is particularly good for a laugh. Hiresha's potential love interest supplied much of the emotional heft of the book, and I'd like to see more of him.
The descriptions are quite vivid at times, especially Hiresha's gowns and the magical gems. I didn't get anywhere near as good of a picture of the world at large or even the particular society Hiresha belongs to--it has both religion and magic, for example, but how either affects the average person (aside from what's necessary to the plot) isn't made clear. Things like that could have been filled out with more detail without bogging the pace down, I think.
The story's a hybrid of horror, mystery and dark fantasy, and the mix came across well. The villain was one-note in his villainy but his magic was interesting (and gross). The pace of the first 3/4 of the book was somewhat languid, and maybe a bit repetitive--notably in talking about wombs every few paragraphs. I had no problem with the pacing overall, though. The mystery and the character beats were more than intriguing enough to keep me reading, and there were some nice big splashy action scenes at the end!
Definitely better than expected, though I'm hard pressed to think of a single person on my friends list I'd unreservedly recommend it to.
The blurb will give you a pretty good idea of the basic plot of the book, so here are a couple of impressions.
Hiresha is a really interesting character. Her disability, which seems like a severe form of narcolepsy, makes her muzzy when she's awake, lucid when she's in the magic laboratory she inhabits in her dreams. She has problems dealing with normal human interactions, and tends to describe her emotional instincts in purely physiological terms like sweat or a rapidly beating heart.
Her attendants, Spellsword Deepmand and Maid Janny, get scenes that show their affection for and frustrations with Hiresha, and Janny is particularly good for a laugh. Hiresha's potential love interest supplied much of the emotional heft of the book, and I'd like to see more of him.
The descriptions are quite vivid at times, especially Hiresha's gowns and the magical gems. I didn't get anywhere near as good of a picture of the world at large or even the particular society Hiresha belongs to--it has both religion and magic, for example, but how either affects the average person (aside from what's necessary to the plot) isn't made clear. Things like that could have been filled out with more detail without bogging the pace down, I think.
The story's a hybrid of horror, mystery and dark fantasy, and the mix came across well. The villain was one-note in his villainy but his magic was interesting (and gross). The pace of the first 3/4 of the book was somewhat languid, and maybe a bit repetitive--notably in talking about wombs every few paragraphs. I had no problem with the pacing overall, though. The mystery and the character beats were more than intriguing enough to keep me reading, and there were some nice big splashy action scenes at the end!
Definitely better than expected, though I'm hard pressed to think of a single person on my friends list I'd unreservedly recommend it to.
July 22, 2012
I admit I approached this novel with some reservations. Despite the fact that my own husband's work is "self published" and that a few friends of mine have gone the "small publisher" route, there is still a nervousness in stepping away from the taste-makers at the Big Six. Not that they don't publish plenty of lousy stuff, but at least you wont get something written by two goldfish via translation through a Kazoo.
So when I stumbled across a link to it for free download in Goodreads' new Ebook Section I thought, to hell with it and gave it a chance.
Random House, Penguin, if you sent this man away you are bigger fools than I thought you were.
"Brood Of Bones" has the most original premise I've seen in fantasy writing in a decade. It starts a little rough, perhaps only because I've grown so accustomed to gentle introductions to new fantasy settings. Marling doesn't pander in that way. He pitches us into the deep end right off the bat, confident that we can all swim by now, and gets right to the storytelling.
The writing could use a touch more polish but not outstandingly so- It's unclear if the slight formality of the language is a style choice, the lack of an editor or inexperience. Also, chapters are short enough that they're jarring* to those accustomed to more traditional formatting. The pace however races like a bullet train, pulling you along faster and faster until you find it nearly impossible to put the book down. This is not your fluffy wizards and woe novel.
Overall I strongly recommend this novel, and cant wait to see what Marling offers up next, and how he expands upon this universe.
* This might have had more to do with the epub version I read. My Sony Touch PRS600 had some formatting trouble with the decorative elements used at chapter headings, and it would lock a few seconds at each chapter break.
So when I stumbled across a link to it for free download in Goodreads' new Ebook Section I thought, to hell with it and gave it a chance.
Random House, Penguin, if you sent this man away you are bigger fools than I thought you were.
"Brood Of Bones" has the most original premise I've seen in fantasy writing in a decade. It starts a little rough, perhaps only because I've grown so accustomed to gentle introductions to new fantasy settings. Marling doesn't pander in that way. He pitches us into the deep end right off the bat, confident that we can all swim by now, and gets right to the storytelling.
The writing could use a touch more polish but not outstandingly so- It's unclear if the slight formality of the language is a style choice, the lack of an editor or inexperience. Also, chapters are short enough that they're jarring* to those accustomed to more traditional formatting. The pace however races like a bullet train, pulling you along faster and faster until you find it nearly impossible to put the book down. This is not your fluffy wizards and woe novel.
Overall I strongly recommend this novel, and cant wait to see what Marling offers up next, and how he expands upon this universe.
* This might have had more to do with the epub version I read. My Sony Touch PRS600 had some formatting trouble with the decorative elements used at chapter headings, and it would lock a few seconds at each chapter break.
April 15, 2013
I stumbled upon this completely by happy accident, via Twitter...nd I'm extremely happy I did. As a lifelong fantasy reader, I found myself bereft and sad in between books from current authors I enjoyed. I decided a new author would be worth a try.
Trust me, its worth the read.
The world of the Enchantress Hiresha is at once similiar yet astonishly different from your 'standard' fantasy world. Magic in this realm cannot be used in the waking world - which puts the narcoleptic Hiresha at a distinct advantage. The fact that Enchantresses use laboratories and gemstones in their work pushes it remarkably close to the edge of science fiction, which I found a nice change.
Poor Hiresha, while incredibly powerful, finds herself lonely at times for the idea of the family she dreams of - pushed rather rudely into her face by the sudden unexplained pregnancy of every woman over 12 in her hometown of Morimound. I found it rather interesting to see how the different factions reacted to the 'divine' pregnancies, actually. Any road, Hiresha must find out what caused all of these pregnancies, and soon, or the city would be in the grip of whatever brought them about.
While some reviewers complained about Hiresha's acerbic nature, I found it rather refreshing to have a flawed heroine instead of a perfect one. Her constant questioning of herself and her sometimes brittle treatment of her servants show a deeper self-conciousness than you would expect in a fantasy heroine.
Small warning that it does get a bit bloody and brutal towards the end, but that is fairly part and parcel in good fantasy.
Also, Kudos for being a fantasy author who dares to write and exclude elves.
Trust me, its worth the read.
The world of the Enchantress Hiresha is at once similiar yet astonishly different from your 'standard' fantasy world. Magic in this realm cannot be used in the waking world - which puts the narcoleptic Hiresha at a distinct advantage. The fact that Enchantresses use laboratories and gemstones in their work pushes it remarkably close to the edge of science fiction, which I found a nice change.
Poor Hiresha, while incredibly powerful, finds herself lonely at times for the idea of the family she dreams of - pushed rather rudely into her face by the sudden unexplained pregnancy of every woman over 12 in her hometown of Morimound. I found it rather interesting to see how the different factions reacted to the 'divine' pregnancies, actually. Any road, Hiresha must find out what caused all of these pregnancies, and soon, or the city would be in the grip of whatever brought them about.
While some reviewers complained about Hiresha's acerbic nature, I found it rather refreshing to have a flawed heroine instead of a perfect one. Her constant questioning of herself and her sometimes brittle treatment of her servants show a deeper self-conciousness than you would expect in a fantasy heroine.
Small warning that it does get a bit bloody and brutal towards the end, but that is fairly part and parcel in good fantasy.
Also, Kudos for being a fantasy author who dares to write and exclude elves.
January 27, 2019
Newcomer A. E. Marling does a bang-up job with this novel about a magic-wielder afflicted with a sleeping disorder. Her drowsiness does not equate boredom for the reader. On the contrary, "Brood of Bones" is a fantasy whodunnit, with Enchantress Hiresha cast in the role of arcane detective. The setting and the magic are skillfully portrayed; the characters are complex and not always predictable. Hiresha struggles not only with her sleeping problem, but with the past that has formed her; her position is her armor and her purpose. Maid Janny is a gem of irreverence, while the Lord of the Feasts is both charming and terrible. The deposed arbiter of the city is exasperating at the same time she is delightful, and the two city leaders (a pair of priests representing different deities) are not what they might seem. I could wish the bodyguard were better developed, but it is a small complaint. The story is told from Hiresha's point of view, depicting her insecurities and fears in a very personal, very *human* way embroidered with the mores of her particular society. I am looking forward to Marling's next book.
August 19, 2015
I was expecting there to be more romance in this, but Hiresha's gowns made it a little impractical. She has a strange relationship with Tethiel that i hope to see further developed in the next book, but this was more about Hiresha coming to terms with her past and coming out of her laboratory into the real world. Just because she sleeps a lot doesn't mean that she isn't a powerful enchantress capable of helping the less fortunate and solving a compelling mystery. I'll admit, i guessed wrong about who the culprit was (which is rather unusual for me), but clues were there. The setting is beautiful and scorching and Tethiel is tortured and (hopefully) redeemable. Hiresha is a bit naive and definitely a dreamer but i think she's grown up a lot.
January 2, 2021
Aaahhh! I just bought this author's newest release, and can't believe I never wrote an in depth review of Brood of Bones, which is one of the first novels I finished exclusively using Amazon Kindle software (both the paperwhite and the app on my Android). I was blown away! Its worldbuilding was a breath of fresh air, and Hiresha -- a unique and unforgettable character. I highly recommend it to anyone who's jaded with fantasy but is unsatisfied with more mainstream genres. Looks like I'll have to reread it!
October 11, 2011
I love this!
The plot and characters in this book are so original and engaging. I love the sharp contrast in writing between when Hiresha is asleep (and hyperintelligent and powerful) and when she is awake (drowsy and confused). The Feasters are creepy and fascinating. I was on the edge of my seat until the last page! It's so hard to find fantasy that has strong female characters and tight plot. This is it.
The plot and characters in this book are so original and engaging. I love the sharp contrast in writing between when Hiresha is asleep (and hyperintelligent and powerful) and when she is awake (drowsy and confused). The Feasters are creepy and fascinating. I was on the edge of my seat until the last page! It's so hard to find fantasy that has strong female characters and tight plot. This is it.
September 13, 2012
Brood of Bones is worth reading for its unique characters, world, and storytelling, but ultimately it’s pleasant, not wowing.
The main character Hiresha is like a magical Lisbeth Salander. Both Hiresha and Lisbeth live in their own detached realities. They see people around them as illogical or inferior. They feel no compulsion for human interaction, and when they do seek companionship, they struggle to connect to others. They are also extremely powerful: Lisbeth can hack into any computer system with a flick of her wrist and Hiresha can do amazing enchantments in the laboratory in her dreams, including reliving every sight and sound of conversations, ensorcelling gems, and performing major surgery on herself and others.
Except Lisbeth is a Swedish gothic genius with Asperger syndrome and Hiresha is an enchantress who can barely fight off sleep, yet whose magic can only be done in slumber.
In Brood of Bones, Hiresha tries to figure out how every woman in the city has suddenly become pregnant, told in her own words. The “brood of bones” refers to the fetuses being not altogether human. Helping her are a collection of rich, flawed characters: the sarcastic and bawdy maid Janny (makes me laugh every time!), the dedicated guard Deepmand, and the disturbed, disturbing, and oddly tender Tethial.
The novel is as much mystery as fantasy, as Hiresha sifts through clues and interrogates suspects. There’s also a little romance, though it takes her a long time to recognize it. It’s not that she’s unfeeling: she experiences sorrow, horror, and guilt at the fate of the pregnant women. She just calculates the fluttering of her pulse in beats per minute and notes her sweaty palms as a need to rehydrate.
Marling did an excellent job with his protagonist. Hiresha was at times frustrating and hilarious. I laughed out loud at the dry wit of the writing. An example:
Regretfully, said goddess had yet to provide any clue as to how I could help [one pregnant woman] and the other thousands. If I but knew how a letter might reach the Fate Weaver’s cavern palace at the center of the world, then I would have written a stern complaint.
And another:
“I fell asleep with my throat cut. I am a professional.”
At other times, I wanted to tear out my hair as she misinterpreted what was obvious to a normal person. Here is Marling’s strength: he built an absolutely convincing and intact character. Never once did I feel like I stepped outside her head. In the end I liked her, but as with Lisbeth, she would not be my BFF in real life.
In addition, the world is enchanting and distinctive. Marling always shows instead of tells, again as if you were seeing the world through Hiresha’s eyes. She would not recite the encyclopedic entry for each god or type of magic but merely interact with the priests and enchanters as she goes about her work. The gods and magics are definitely unique, as are little details about the city: architecture, history, customs, an individual's habits. An excellent example is how Marling uses gems. Hiresha is fascinated with them, but instead of the typical red rubies and green emeralds, she takes us from ametrine to zircon. There are diamonds of all different shades and both scientific and mythic explanations for the colors. Hiresha designs geometries for gem cuts and evaluates a stone’s weight and refractive index within her dream laboratory. The details are not interesting flare, difference for difference’s sake; they add meaning to the story and make everything real. Marling knows what he’s talking about, and you can’t help falling headfirst into his world.
In fact, I would particularly recommend this book to aspiring fantasy authors. One can learn from his world- and character-building. No knock-offs here.
To finish up… The beginning was slow, but it got more gripping over time. The mystery part of the plot seemed chunky. I’m not a fan of otherworldly characters dropping in with half-clues to nudge the detective along. Still, it may make this a good crossover novel for mystery-readers.
I’d be interested to read another book by Marling, preferably not a sequel. A second novel from Hiresha’s perspective might be tough, but I’d love to see how he crafts his next creative character and the world she or he inhabits.
The main character Hiresha is like a magical Lisbeth Salander. Both Hiresha and Lisbeth live in their own detached realities. They see people around them as illogical or inferior. They feel no compulsion for human interaction, and when they do seek companionship, they struggle to connect to others. They are also extremely powerful: Lisbeth can hack into any computer system with a flick of her wrist and Hiresha can do amazing enchantments in the laboratory in her dreams, including reliving every sight and sound of conversations, ensorcelling gems, and performing major surgery on herself and others.
Except Lisbeth is a Swedish gothic genius with Asperger syndrome and Hiresha is an enchantress who can barely fight off sleep, yet whose magic can only be done in slumber.
In Brood of Bones, Hiresha tries to figure out how every woman in the city has suddenly become pregnant, told in her own words. The “brood of bones” refers to the fetuses being not altogether human. Helping her are a collection of rich, flawed characters: the sarcastic and bawdy maid Janny (makes me laugh every time!), the dedicated guard Deepmand, and the disturbed, disturbing, and oddly tender Tethial.
The novel is as much mystery as fantasy, as Hiresha sifts through clues and interrogates suspects. There’s also a little romance, though it takes her a long time to recognize it. It’s not that she’s unfeeling: she experiences sorrow, horror, and guilt at the fate of the pregnant women. She just calculates the fluttering of her pulse in beats per minute and notes her sweaty palms as a need to rehydrate.
Marling did an excellent job with his protagonist. Hiresha was at times frustrating and hilarious. I laughed out loud at the dry wit of the writing. An example:
Regretfully, said goddess had yet to provide any clue as to how I could help [one pregnant woman] and the other thousands. If I but knew how a letter might reach the Fate Weaver’s cavern palace at the center of the world, then I would have written a stern complaint.
And another:
“I fell asleep with my throat cut. I am a professional.”
At other times, I wanted to tear out my hair as she misinterpreted what was obvious to a normal person. Here is Marling’s strength: he built an absolutely convincing and intact character. Never once did I feel like I stepped outside her head. In the end I liked her, but as with Lisbeth, she would not be my BFF in real life.
In addition, the world is enchanting and distinctive. Marling always shows instead of tells, again as if you were seeing the world through Hiresha’s eyes. She would not recite the encyclopedic entry for each god or type of magic but merely interact with the priests and enchanters as she goes about her work. The gods and magics are definitely unique, as are little details about the city: architecture, history, customs, an individual's habits. An excellent example is how Marling uses gems. Hiresha is fascinated with them, but instead of the typical red rubies and green emeralds, she takes us from ametrine to zircon. There are diamonds of all different shades and both scientific and mythic explanations for the colors. Hiresha designs geometries for gem cuts and evaluates a stone’s weight and refractive index within her dream laboratory. The details are not interesting flare, difference for difference’s sake; they add meaning to the story and make everything real. Marling knows what he’s talking about, and you can’t help falling headfirst into his world.
In fact, I would particularly recommend this book to aspiring fantasy authors. One can learn from his world- and character-building. No knock-offs here.
To finish up… The beginning was slow, but it got more gripping over time. The mystery part of the plot seemed chunky. I’m not a fan of otherworldly characters dropping in with half-clues to nudge the detective along. Still, it may make this a good crossover novel for mystery-readers.
I’d be interested to read another book by Marling, preferably not a sequel. A second novel from Hiresha’s perspective might be tough, but I’d love to see how he crafts his next creative character and the world she or he inhabits.
June 27, 2012
Brood of Bones is the story of Hiresha, an enchantress with what appears to be narcolepsy. However, instead of treating this with humor (as so many works do), Mr. Marling treats it with the utmost seriousness. In fact, for Hiresha, it’s actually an advantage in her line of work — but I won’t go into any more detail so as to avoid spoilers.
In the past two months, I have undertaken to read five different books, and have finished none of them. With some of them I barely made it past the first few pages; with others, I read halfway through and bogged down in the middle. I’ve been finding it harder and harder lately to finish something that I just don’t like.
It took less than ten pages to draw me into Hiresha’s story, and once I was drawn in, I didn’t stop reading until I was forced to by outside influence — and then I went back as soon as humanly possible to find out how it ended.
Mr. Marling’s characters are deep, interesting and flawed. His world-building is fascinating at many points, including the introduction of the Bright Palms (who are essentially “paladins”, but with some very intriguing extrapolation added in). The stakes and challenges that Hiresha faces seem very strikingly real. Everything from the city of Morimound to the gods and the strange ally/adversary that Hiresha must deal with are engaging, fascinating and sometimes downright funny.
The ending of works has been a particular point of contention for me lately, and I am happy to say that Mr. Marling does not disappoint.
Brood of Bones is very well-edited and highly polished. I noticed only a few minor changes that I would have made in the usage of punctuation, but no typos and no obvious grammar mistakes. This is a book to make the indie fantasy movement proud.
Whether his next book returns to the city of Morimound, elsewhere in this fascinating world he’s built or a different place entirely, you can bet that I’ll be buying Mr. Marling’s next book on launch day.
In the past two months, I have undertaken to read five different books, and have finished none of them. With some of them I barely made it past the first few pages; with others, I read halfway through and bogged down in the middle. I’ve been finding it harder and harder lately to finish something that I just don’t like.
It took less than ten pages to draw me into Hiresha’s story, and once I was drawn in, I didn’t stop reading until I was forced to by outside influence — and then I went back as soon as humanly possible to find out how it ended.
Mr. Marling’s characters are deep, interesting and flawed. His world-building is fascinating at many points, including the introduction of the Bright Palms (who are essentially “paladins”, but with some very intriguing extrapolation added in). The stakes and challenges that Hiresha faces seem very strikingly real. Everything from the city of Morimound to the gods and the strange ally/adversary that Hiresha must deal with are engaging, fascinating and sometimes downright funny.
The ending of works has been a particular point of contention for me lately, and I am happy to say that Mr. Marling does not disappoint.
Brood of Bones is very well-edited and highly polished. I noticed only a few minor changes that I would have made in the usage of punctuation, but no typos and no obvious grammar mistakes. This is a book to make the indie fantasy movement proud.
Whether his next book returns to the city of Morimound, elsewhere in this fascinating world he’s built or a different place entirely, you can bet that I’ll be buying Mr. Marling’s next book on launch day.
October 26, 2012
This is a well crafted, intellectual piece of High Fantasy. I feel that my review might clash with the intellect level with which it was written. A. E. Marling has created a very unique fantasy world, at least from my viewpoint, and well thought out characters.
Elder Enchantress Hiresha is a powerful magic user, but with many flaws. The largest being her inability to live in the waking world. She has been gifted twelve gowns and her station requires she wears them all. That alone would make me exhausted, but what causes her drowsiness is not the physical activity, but the magic.
The Lord of the Feast is a very interesting chap and I could see he and Hiresha marrying. (If he were not a damned being.) His cryptic humor as he aids the Elder Enchantress helped keep the story moving forward.
I really enjoyed this book. I can't give too many details without giving the entire story away, as much as I would like to prattle on about it. The world was well thought out, the characters were well rounded and flawed deeply. The story itself flowed well and progressed at a decent pace. Most stories you read where a lot of sleep is involved are usually boring, but Marling presents Hiresha's problem with wakefulness in an interesting manner without putting the reader to sleep as well.
Did I mention I LOVE the cover?
Very clean, well written, highly intellectual.
Elder Enchantress Hiresha is a powerful magic user, but with many flaws. The largest being her inability to live in the waking world. She has been gifted twelve gowns and her station requires she wears them all. That alone would make me exhausted, but what causes her drowsiness is not the physical activity, but the magic.
The Lord of the Feast is a very interesting chap and I could see he and Hiresha marrying. (If he were not a damned being.) His cryptic humor as he aids the Elder Enchantress helped keep the story moving forward.
I really enjoyed this book. I can't give too many details without giving the entire story away, as much as I would like to prattle on about it. The world was well thought out, the characters were well rounded and flawed deeply. The story itself flowed well and progressed at a decent pace. Most stories you read where a lot of sleep is involved are usually boring, but Marling presents Hiresha's problem with wakefulness in an interesting manner without putting the reader to sleep as well.
Did I mention I LOVE the cover?
Very clean, well written, highly intellectual.
February 29, 2012
In short, Brood of Bones is an excellent novel.
- The cover was beautiful, and it led me to click through to the book blurb.
- The blurb was intriguing, and it led me to click on the link for a free sample on Kindle.
- The free sample sucked me into the story immediately, and without hesitation I bought the full Kindle version.
I was blown away by the originality of the setting and the magic system as well as the endearing imperfection and authenticity of the characters. The prose was effortless and evocative, true to the voice of the heroine/narrator in a way that exposed her strengths and vulnerabilities as a character. The mystery element was handled adroitly, and was not heavy handed. The plotting was well-paced with appropriate crescendos of action and there was a genuine feeling of jeopardy for the characters up until the very end. Great stuff. As an aspiring author, I'm envious of most every detail.
Brood of Bones is not only the best self-published novel I've ever read, it's actually one of my favorite novels in the Fantasy genre. Ever.
I'm buying the paperback version for the bookshelf.
- The cover was beautiful, and it led me to click through to the book blurb.
- The blurb was intriguing, and it led me to click on the link for a free sample on Kindle.
- The free sample sucked me into the story immediately, and without hesitation I bought the full Kindle version.
I was blown away by the originality of the setting and the magic system as well as the endearing imperfection and authenticity of the characters. The prose was effortless and evocative, true to the voice of the heroine/narrator in a way that exposed her strengths and vulnerabilities as a character. The mystery element was handled adroitly, and was not heavy handed. The plotting was well-paced with appropriate crescendos of action and there was a genuine feeling of jeopardy for the characters up until the very end. Great stuff. As an aspiring author, I'm envious of most every detail.
Brood of Bones is not only the best self-published novel I've ever read, it's actually one of my favorite novels in the Fantasy genre. Ever.
I'm buying the paperback version for the bookshelf.
March 17, 2014
I really liked this book. Torn between a 4 and a 5, I'm going to have to let it sit for a while.
The writing was invisible (ie: I didn't notice I was reading text so much as simply knowing the story as it unfolded) while at the same time it seemed to provide very vivid, almost technicolor, visuals.
The "romance" element was nicely done. Not very romantic, I suppose, but there was a depth of feeling lurking just below the surface.
I did not like the protagonist at all for 90% of the book - and yes, that's one of the elements I enjoyed! Having to root for her in spite of not liking her as a person actually made me pause and reflect for a moment. That's some good writing.
I loved the scale of the crisis. Too often our fantasy-genre heroes have to save the whole world from dOOOOOOoooooom, but this was only a city-wide disaster (with potential for further spread of course).
The problem itself, the perpetrator, and the "bad guys" were all intriguingly different than expected. Personalities, methods, backstories - not overexplained, not obvious. Just right.
The writing was invisible (ie: I didn't notice I was reading text so much as simply knowing the story as it unfolded) while at the same time it seemed to provide very vivid, almost technicolor, visuals.
The "romance" element was nicely done. Not very romantic, I suppose, but there was a depth of feeling lurking just below the surface.
I did not like the protagonist at all for 90% of the book - and yes, that's one of the elements I enjoyed! Having to root for her in spite of not liking her as a person actually made me pause and reflect for a moment. That's some good writing.
I loved the scale of the crisis. Too often our fantasy-genre heroes have to save the whole world from dOOOOOOoooooom, but this was only a city-wide disaster (with potential for further spread of course).
The problem itself, the perpetrator, and the "bad guys" were all intriguingly different than expected. Personalities, methods, backstories - not overexplained, not obvious. Just right.
July 3, 2014
Hiresha is an enchantress who struggles to stay awake, which helps her with her magic that can only be performed while she is dreaming. Unfortunately, this means she hardly lives in the real world. After receiving a letter from an old arbiter, she returns home to find most of the women there pregnant, from children to grandmothers. Hiresha decides to investigate what is really happening once she realises none of the future mothers has felt their babies yet.
I admit it took me a long time to warm up to Hiresha. I realised she had a good heart from the beginning, but her manners were insufferable. I felt particularly bad for her maid and bodyguard as they were constantly told off. As a woman who never wanted children, all her suffering for not having children felt artificial to me. Having said that, this world of magic is as original as it can be. The dreams, the gems, the magic, the feasters, all the characters and enchantments pulled me into the story and I could not put down the book once I reached the last half. I am secretly hoping Tethiel appears in the following books.
I admit it took me a long time to warm up to Hiresha. I realised she had a good heart from the beginning, but her manners were insufferable. I felt particularly bad for her maid and bodyguard as they were constantly told off. As a woman who never wanted children, all her suffering for not having children felt artificial to me. Having said that, this world of magic is as original as it can be. The dreams, the gems, the magic, the feasters, all the characters and enchantments pulled me into the story and I could not put down the book once I reached the last half. I am secretly hoping Tethiel appears in the following books.
July 2, 2016
HOLY CRAP
THIS WAS AMAZING
Let me get the bad out of the way: It's in first person, so it made me very sleepy since Hiresha is constantly falling asleep. I was So. Sleepy. But I couldn't put it down. There was almost too much description of what things looked like, the vividness of how jewels were described bordering on tedious. But they were great descriptions, and painted a beautiful (if not vaguely gaudy) picture in my mind.
The good: I never thought I could be so engaged in a story whose main character is constantly falling asleep. The suspense of the mystery and the curiosity of the magic was captivating. The descriptions of the physical was good, but the characterization of the characters and the dialogue was fantastic. Difficult topics such as abortion were addressed without getting preachy, and the intelligence and emotion with which Hiresha deals with these magically induced pregnancies was believable.
I could not stop reading.
Seriously. I couldn't put it down.
THIS WAS AMAZING
Let me get the bad out of the way: It's in first person, so it made me very sleepy since Hiresha is constantly falling asleep. I was So. Sleepy. But I couldn't put it down. There was almost too much description of what things looked like, the vividness of how jewels were described bordering on tedious. But they were great descriptions, and painted a beautiful (if not vaguely gaudy) picture in my mind.
The good: I never thought I could be so engaged in a story whose main character is constantly falling asleep. The suspense of the mystery and the curiosity of the magic was captivating. The descriptions of the physical was good, but the characterization of the characters and the dialogue was fantastic. Difficult topics such as abortion were addressed without getting preachy, and the intelligence and emotion with which Hiresha deals with these magically induced pregnancies was believable.
I could not stop reading.
Seriously. I couldn't put it down.
February 26, 2015
I loved this book. I was fascinated by the world created by the author. The setup of the magical system for enchantresses was creative and interesting. I found it fascinating to read a fantasy novel but clearly recognize elements of the detective genre in it.
Hiresha is a unique protagonist. I can completely relate to her, being a female who can sometimes be straight-forward, blunt, formal, and not one to suffer fools lightly. Tethiel is even more interesting, filling the anti-hero role without strictly adhering to the norm for an anti-hero. Nothing about this book is typical and I greatly enjoy that.
Hiresha is a unique protagonist. I can completely relate to her, being a female who can sometimes be straight-forward, blunt, formal, and not one to suffer fools lightly. Tethiel is even more interesting, filling the anti-hero role without strictly adhering to the norm for an anti-hero. Nothing about this book is typical and I greatly enjoy that.
November 1, 2011
Mystery, Magic, Humor and Craftmanship
What a pleasure to encounter a book with precise and concise writing; clearly each sentence was crafted. The flawed Heroine Hiresha drew me in immediately, surprisingly with her humorous misinterpretations of her waking world. However her complete mastery of lucid dreaming was unexpected and drew me more deeply into the book. Call this a fantasy or a mystery, I loved it.
What a pleasure to encounter a book with precise and concise writing; clearly each sentence was crafted. The flawed Heroine Hiresha drew me in immediately, surprisingly with her humorous misinterpretations of her waking world. However her complete mastery of lucid dreaming was unexpected and drew me more deeply into the book. Call this a fantasy or a mystery, I loved it.
October 12, 2011
This is one of the best fantasy novels I have read in years. The level of detail that A.E. Marling has put into creating this universe, and more specifically the characters, is just astonishing. The main character, Hiresha, is everything that I love in a strong, competent, intriguing female lead, and I truly hope to read more of her adventures.
October 18, 2011
No idealized two-dimensional fantasy heroines/heroes here! If you want high fantasy about fascinating, flawed characters set in a deliciously complex world, read this book. Funny and dark by turns, and completely satisfying without ever being cliche, Brood of Bones proves that one can expect excellent writing and characterization from the fantasy genre.
July 13, 2012
Not one but two highly original premises: one, a woman suffering from narcolepsy has great magical powers because a certain type of magic can only be done when asleep; and two, every single woman in a city is mysteriously pregnant even if a virgin and even if having gone through menopause. Brood of Bones is an intelligent, well paced, well plotted story. Read it, you'll love it like I did.
June 6, 2014
Astonishingly original. Can't recommend it highly enough to fantasy readers.
January 18, 2019
It isn’t exactly perfect. But it’s so fun, and so imaginative, and so clever, that I’ve found myself rereading this series over & over again. Let me describe a few things I liked about this book:
The main characters are so interesting. The heroine, Hiresha, is unlike any other fantasy heroine I've read about. Firstly, she is in her mid-thirties and already a powerful enchantress, which I found refreshing--I think a lot of fantasy authors write coming-of-age tales because they lend themselves more easily to character development. Despite this, Hiresha as a character goes through significant changes as she faces significant challenges, which include living with a disability: Hiresha suffers from a strange drowsiness that impedes her thinking while awake and causes her to suddenly fall asleep often, even when standing. She learns to forgive, to set new goals for herself, to accept the help and friendship of others, and finds new ways to work around her somnolence without giving up on finding a cure.
Hiresha is also highly intelligent and inventive, and has developed the self-confidence of a poor girl made helpless by her physical condition, raised to a position of great power and responsibility. As such, she can be seen as very cold and distant to others, and the way she speaks to others is often rather rude and brusque. However, it is clear throughout the book that she genuinely cares about her homeland and wants to improve the world with her enchantments. Like many who have gone through great struggles , she has a tough & unwelcoming exterior, but she is actually very compassionate and generous. She is deeply flawed, possessing both good and bad traits, and this made her more likeable to me than almost anything else.
The Lord of the Feast is one of the most interesting characters I've ever encountered in literature - I don't want to spoil anything by saying more, but he is truly a fascinating person. He is a little reminiscent of Howl in the movie "Howl's Moving Castle" (based on the book of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones--another book I highly recommend, by the way, definitely a favorite). Ahh!! You just have to read about him.
The world-building is rich and imaginative, even limited in this book to Hiresha's hometown of Morimound (the rest of the series will take you to other locations in the Lands of Loam that are just as interesting and intricately detailed, too). The cultural tones seem to borrow most from Indian and African influence, and it's really interesting and beautiful the way the author weaves it all together.
The magic systems are original and fascinating, as well. The main showcases in this book are 1. Enchantress magic--which can only be worked by sleeping, which is how Hiresha got to be so good at it, what with her somnolence (very clever that her greatest weakness worked in her favor in this way, and doesn't that provide an interesting conflict for if she ever finds a cure for her condition?). There is also 2. Feasting magic, which is a darker, much more undesirable magic performed by people who are basically fear-vampires; their talents are to create terrifying illusions and sustain themselves by sucking the resulting fear out of people, causing madness and death. There are additional types of magic introduced in this book and later in the series which have equally unique & interesting rules and characteristics.
In conclusion, the mind of this author is like an endless treasure chest of ideas and imagination--just when you think "this is the most delightfully interesting thing I've ever read," he introduces another delightfully interesting thing. Listen, if you take a chance on any Indie book this year, and you enjoy high fantasy, TAKE A CHANCE ON THIS ONE. It is simply brilliant.
note: This is the first book in the Lands of Loam series. It does conclude nicely, so you do not have to read the next book to finish the story started here.
(Note: I also read the other books in this series. Amazingly enough, Hiresha's adventures just get better and better. I love the way this world is expanded.)
The main characters are so interesting. The heroine, Hiresha, is unlike any other fantasy heroine I've read about. Firstly, she is in her mid-thirties and already a powerful enchantress, which I found refreshing--I think a lot of fantasy authors write coming-of-age tales because they lend themselves more easily to character development. Despite this, Hiresha as a character goes through significant changes as she faces significant challenges, which include living with a disability: Hiresha suffers from a strange drowsiness that impedes her thinking while awake and causes her to suddenly fall asleep often, even when standing. She learns to forgive, to set new goals for herself, to accept the help and friendship of others, and finds new ways to work around her somnolence without giving up on finding a cure.
Hiresha is also highly intelligent and inventive, and has developed the self-confidence of a poor girl made helpless by her physical condition, raised to a position of great power and responsibility. As such, she can be seen as very cold and distant to others, and the way she speaks to others is often rather rude and brusque. However, it is clear throughout the book that she genuinely cares about her homeland and wants to improve the world with her enchantments. Like many who have gone through great struggles , she has a tough & unwelcoming exterior, but she is actually very compassionate and generous. She is deeply flawed, possessing both good and bad traits, and this made her more likeable to me than almost anything else.
The Lord of the Feast is one of the most interesting characters I've ever encountered in literature - I don't want to spoil anything by saying more, but he is truly a fascinating person. He is a little reminiscent of Howl in the movie "Howl's Moving Castle" (based on the book of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones--another book I highly recommend, by the way, definitely a favorite). Ahh!! You just have to read about him.
The world-building is rich and imaginative, even limited in this book to Hiresha's hometown of Morimound (the rest of the series will take you to other locations in the Lands of Loam that are just as interesting and intricately detailed, too). The cultural tones seem to borrow most from Indian and African influence, and it's really interesting and beautiful the way the author weaves it all together.
The magic systems are original and fascinating, as well. The main showcases in this book are 1. Enchantress magic--which can only be worked by sleeping, which is how Hiresha got to be so good at it, what with her somnolence (very clever that her greatest weakness worked in her favor in this way, and doesn't that provide an interesting conflict for if she ever finds a cure for her condition?). There is also 2. Feasting magic, which is a darker, much more undesirable magic performed by people who are basically fear-vampires; their talents are to create terrifying illusions and sustain themselves by sucking the resulting fear out of people, causing madness and death. There are additional types of magic introduced in this book and later in the series which have equally unique & interesting rules and characteristics.
In conclusion, the mind of this author is like an endless treasure chest of ideas and imagination--just when you think "this is the most delightfully interesting thing I've ever read," he introduces another delightfully interesting thing. Listen, if you take a chance on any Indie book this year, and you enjoy high fantasy, TAKE A CHANCE ON THIS ONE. It is simply brilliant.
note: This is the first book in the Lands of Loam series. It does conclude nicely, so you do not have to read the next book to finish the story started here.
(Note: I also read the other books in this series. Amazingly enough, Hiresha's adventures just get better and better. I love the way this world is expanded.)
January 19, 2018
WOW. This was just so darned good, stop reading this review and go get it. Get all of E.E. Marling's books.
What, still reading? Do I have to go over how the magic systems are intricate and fascinating? How the characters are complex and the plot unpredictable without being confusing? About all the heart pounding magical showdowns?
Not to mention how the Lord of the Feast, Tethial (I think I'm spelling that right, I listened to the audiobook. I've been spelling Hiresha as Hyratia in my head the whole time) is just a bloody amazing character, and he's going into my Favourite Character Box with the Doctor, the Fool, Locke Lamora, Elodin, and Wayne from the second Mistborn era.
And how Hiresha, who has ?narcolepsy? still has it at the end of the book without being magically cured! Shock! Horror! It's so refreshing to see disability not trivialised or erased in fantasy.
And how the reader did wonderful justice to Hiresha's inner voice. This character is so sweetly human, with pretty normal fears and desires. She's socially awkward and absolutely terrifying when she gets her enchantress on.
It is not often I finish a first book of a series, by an author who's new to me and not a huge name in fantasy, thinking "I've got to get all the books. Shut up and take my money," but I did with this.
What, still reading? Do I have to go over how the magic systems are intricate and fascinating? How the characters are complex and the plot unpredictable without being confusing? About all the heart pounding magical showdowns?
Not to mention how the Lord of the Feast, Tethial (I think I'm spelling that right, I listened to the audiobook. I've been spelling Hiresha as Hyratia in my head the whole time) is just a bloody amazing character, and he's going into my Favourite Character Box with the Doctor, the Fool, Locke Lamora, Elodin, and Wayne from the second Mistborn era.
And how Hiresha, who has ?narcolepsy? still has it at the end of the book without being magically cured! Shock! Horror! It's so refreshing to see disability not trivialised or erased in fantasy.
And how the reader did wonderful justice to Hiresha's inner voice. This character is so sweetly human, with pretty normal fears and desires. She's socially awkward and absolutely terrifying when she gets her enchantress on.
It is not often I finish a first book of a series, by an author who's new to me and not a huge name in fantasy, thinking "I've got to get all the books. Shut up and take my money," but I did with this.
Read
June 3, 2021I remember only four things about this book: 1) Edward was a vampire I LOVED the heroine, 2) the pregnancy horror wasn't too much for me at 14 but would probably be too much for me now, 3) the worldbuilding was super cool, and 4) I seem to remember a couple of plot holes that irritated me but I do not remember any of the details?? Though I did read it when I was fourteen, so I could have just misread something lmao. But yeah, I really enjoyed this book (disclaimer: at age fourteen), and I should probably read it again sometime!
August 3, 2016
I love it when I see something genuinely new, something that isn't the same old story in the same old setting retold for the far-too-manyth time, and that is what Brood of Bones is. Though it's not without its flaws, it's certainly the kind of book that makes me want to read the sequel.
First, let's talk about the homonyms and malapropisms. It's usually unfortunate when an author attempts a "formal", "high" or "period" style, not only because it makes the characters seem remote and unemotional, but because very few people have the vocabulary to pull it off. This author is not one of those few people. (Note: He tells me in a comment to the Amazon version of this review that he has fixed these issues thanks to my feedback, so when you pick up a copy of the book - and I hope you do - they should be gone. I've removed the list from this review accordingly.)
So much for language. It's mostly serviceable enough, but there were enough errors to annoy me (I'm easily annoyed when it comes to language errors).
Now, worldbuilding. The worldbuilding is very much a game of two halves. On the one hand, the magical setup reminds me of Brandon Sanderson: it's creative and fresh, and there are a number of different kinds of magic-user. Enchantresses (like the main character) can cast spells on objects, mainly metal and gems, and on people, but only while asleep and in skin-to-skin contact - a detail they keep secret. Spellswords are their guards, who can use magical swords and armour that ordinary men couldn't lift. Feasters are evil illusionists who kill with fear and act like psychic vampires, feeding on the terror of their victims. Soultrappers are evil magicians of blood and bone who can dominate people's will. The powers, and limitations, of the various kinds of magic are a key element in the plot.
On the other hand, the culture of the setting feels a bit slapped together. It's like someone took some mostly African animals and plants (though there's also a random cockatoo) and some Arabic cultural odds and ends, added a slight flavour of India and ran them through a blender set on Extra Chunky. It's not up to the standard of the magic system. There's also an anachronism, where the enchantress refers to a "clone" (which isn't a literal clone, it's an illusionary doppelganger, so it's not as if that was the only word to use).
Now, the characters. The first-person narrator is an enchantress with narcolepsy, which is useful in that she's constantly falling asleep (and in her dreams she's lucid in both senses of the word, capable of "playing back" conversations in a magic mirror and spotting tiny details of facial expression that give away deception, and able to work her magic, including healing herself). On the other hand, when she's awake she's bleary, short-tempered, rude, undiplomatic and not all that bright, and liable to fall asleep again at inconvenient moments. She also wears twenty-seven gowns, each of which represents an honour she's won, and is constantly struggling with their bulk and the limitations they place on her with the help of her sarcastic servant, Maid Janny.
I can see why some reviewers didn't like her. She insists on formality, perhaps because she comes from a relatively poor background in which she was ill thought of because of her narcolepsy, and now that she's a top dog instead of an underdog she's determined to bark. She's rude, as I said, not only to Maid Janny but to everyone. I did sympathise and empathise with her, however. She's struggling with chronic illness, she suffers from the formality more than anyone because of the ridiculous gowns, and she's doing her best, at considerable personal risk, to save her beloved home city and its people from several different major threats. She definitely grew on me over the course of the book, and she wasn't one-note or one-dimensional. I appreciated, too, her knowledge of anatomy and physiology (and gemstones, though I'm fairly sure that a red sapphire is, by definition, a ruby).
Only one other character really emerges from minor-character status, and I won't say who it is because of spoilers, but he's a deeply conflicted person with a tragic history. Well done on the characters.
The plot is, essentially, a mystery: Who has somehow made every woman in the city pregnant at once, how, and why? The answers to those questions unfold slowly, but at a steady pace, and are appropriately dramatic, even horrifying. Meanwhile, the enchantress's own single status and her despair of ever having a family of her own, given her illness, play against the pregnancy theme (she herself was out of the city when the pregnancies began).
A.E. Marling is a name I see around a bit, and I'll definitely be looking for other books by this author, though I would plead with him to get a better proofreader.
First, let's talk about the homonyms and malapropisms. It's usually unfortunate when an author attempts a "formal", "high" or "period" style, not only because it makes the characters seem remote and unemotional, but because very few people have the vocabulary to pull it off. This author is not one of those few people. (Note: He tells me in a comment to the Amazon version of this review that he has fixed these issues thanks to my feedback, so when you pick up a copy of the book - and I hope you do - they should be gone. I've removed the list from this review accordingly.)
So much for language. It's mostly serviceable enough, but there were enough errors to annoy me (I'm easily annoyed when it comes to language errors).
Now, worldbuilding. The worldbuilding is very much a game of two halves. On the one hand, the magical setup reminds me of Brandon Sanderson: it's creative and fresh, and there are a number of different kinds of magic-user. Enchantresses (like the main character) can cast spells on objects, mainly metal and gems, and on people, but only while asleep and in skin-to-skin contact - a detail they keep secret. Spellswords are their guards, who can use magical swords and armour that ordinary men couldn't lift. Feasters are evil illusionists who kill with fear and act like psychic vampires, feeding on the terror of their victims. Soultrappers are evil magicians of blood and bone who can dominate people's will. The powers, and limitations, of the various kinds of magic are a key element in the plot.
On the other hand, the culture of the setting feels a bit slapped together. It's like someone took some mostly African animals and plants (though there's also a random cockatoo) and some Arabic cultural odds and ends, added a slight flavour of India and ran them through a blender set on Extra Chunky. It's not up to the standard of the magic system. There's also an anachronism, where the enchantress refers to a "clone" (which isn't a literal clone, it's an illusionary doppelganger, so it's not as if that was the only word to use).
Now, the characters. The first-person narrator is an enchantress with narcolepsy, which is useful in that she's constantly falling asleep (and in her dreams she's lucid in both senses of the word, capable of "playing back" conversations in a magic mirror and spotting tiny details of facial expression that give away deception, and able to work her magic, including healing herself). On the other hand, when she's awake she's bleary, short-tempered, rude, undiplomatic and not all that bright, and liable to fall asleep again at inconvenient moments. She also wears twenty-seven gowns, each of which represents an honour she's won, and is constantly struggling with their bulk and the limitations they place on her with the help of her sarcastic servant, Maid Janny.
I can see why some reviewers didn't like her. She insists on formality, perhaps because she comes from a relatively poor background in which she was ill thought of because of her narcolepsy, and now that she's a top dog instead of an underdog she's determined to bark. She's rude, as I said, not only to Maid Janny but to everyone. I did sympathise and empathise with her, however. She's struggling with chronic illness, she suffers from the formality more than anyone because of the ridiculous gowns, and she's doing her best, at considerable personal risk, to save her beloved home city and its people from several different major threats. She definitely grew on me over the course of the book, and she wasn't one-note or one-dimensional. I appreciated, too, her knowledge of anatomy and physiology (and gemstones, though I'm fairly sure that a red sapphire is, by definition, a ruby).
Only one other character really emerges from minor-character status, and I won't say who it is because of spoilers, but he's a deeply conflicted person with a tragic history. Well done on the characters.
The plot is, essentially, a mystery: Who has somehow made every woman in the city pregnant at once, how, and why? The answers to those questions unfold slowly, but at a steady pace, and are appropriately dramatic, even horrifying. Meanwhile, the enchantress's own single status and her despair of ever having a family of her own, given her illness, play against the pregnancy theme (she herself was out of the city when the pregnancies began).
A.E. Marling is a name I see around a bit, and I'll definitely be looking for other books by this author, though I would plead with him to get a better proofreader.
February 18, 2013
This book was definitely a fast read... there was a lot of action without a lot of down time, and the mystery that served as the main plot point really drove the story along.
Our main character, Elder Enchantress Hiresha was... an interesting character. I'm pretty sure we weren't supposed to like her, but I'm not entirely sure about that. She's arrogant, completely out of touch with how others feel, and she's pretty damn selfish. But, she's the only one who has a chance of figuring out what the hell is up with all the pregnant ladies. The only reason I think we may be expected to side with her is because there is a continuous theme running through the book of her lamenting her life without a family and children, and how alllllll her magic and studies are just so she can someday be awake and have children and all these plans for babiessss babies babies. But... honestly, she would pretty much make the worst mother ever. She's entirely too self-involved and mean to nurture children, and the fact that she has such grand plans for each child and what they will be just shows that she cares more about what the child will do for her than caring about the actual child. So I'm kind of confused if we're supposed to also pine along with her and hope she has children someday too, because I sure as hell hope she doesn't.
The book felt a little claustrophobic to me... it was very limited in both scope and point of view. The author has created a seemingly-large world of many different kinds of magic users, an Academy, etc, but we are strictly limited to one point of view, about 1-2 weeks, and our main character only rides her carriage between two or three locations. It seems like it could have greatly benefited from multiple points of view or some other plot woven in from the outside of the city. It's a very direct, simplistic plot. All these women are pregnant, and we have to figure out what happened. She rides in between a couple places to do that and muses about her lack of family, but really that's all you get. It's unique enough that it carries the story but I feel like it was missing a depth that could have easily been there. The author may be planning more stories in this world, but each story also needs to feel bigger than just one person's POV in 3 locations.
This is an independent author, and his writing itself was quite polished -- especially compared to many independent authors out there. That's one thing I don't like about picking up an independently-written novel -- not knowing if I'm going to be constantly thrust out of the story by poor writing and grammatical errors that make me feel like I'm reading someone's 9th grade creative writing effort. This book doesn't have that problem. While I would like to see the author expand the points of view and the world, the writing itself is good. Phew! I would definitely pick up something else by this author in the future.
Our main character, Elder Enchantress Hiresha was... an interesting character. I'm pretty sure we weren't supposed to like her, but I'm not entirely sure about that. She's arrogant, completely out of touch with how others feel, and she's pretty damn selfish. But, she's the only one who has a chance of figuring out what the hell is up with all the pregnant ladies. The only reason I think we may be expected to side with her is because there is a continuous theme running through the book of her lamenting her life without a family and children, and how alllllll her magic and studies are just so she can someday be awake and have children and all these plans for babiessss babies babies. But... honestly, she would pretty much make the worst mother ever. She's entirely too self-involved and mean to nurture children, and the fact that she has such grand plans for each child and what they will be just shows that she cares more about what the child will do for her than caring about the actual child. So I'm kind of confused if we're supposed to also pine along with her and hope she has children someday too, because I sure as hell hope she doesn't.
The book felt a little claustrophobic to me... it was very limited in both scope and point of view. The author has created a seemingly-large world of many different kinds of magic users, an Academy, etc, but we are strictly limited to one point of view, about 1-2 weeks, and our main character only rides her carriage between two or three locations. It seems like it could have greatly benefited from multiple points of view or some other plot woven in from the outside of the city. It's a very direct, simplistic plot. All these women are pregnant, and we have to figure out what happened. She rides in between a couple places to do that and muses about her lack of family, but really that's all you get. It's unique enough that it carries the story but I feel like it was missing a depth that could have easily been there. The author may be planning more stories in this world, but each story also needs to feel bigger than just one person's POV in 3 locations.
This is an independent author, and his writing itself was quite polished -- especially compared to many independent authors out there. That's one thing I don't like about picking up an independently-written novel -- not knowing if I'm going to be constantly thrust out of the story by poor writing and grammatical errors that make me feel like I'm reading someone's 9th grade creative writing effort. This book doesn't have that problem. While I would like to see the author expand the points of view and the world, the writing itself is good. Phew! I would definitely pick up something else by this author in the future.
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