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The Skullborn Trilogy #1
City of Scars
It’s been three decades since the Blood Queen led her legions on a brutal campaign of conquest and destruction, and the Empires are still struggling to rebuild. Now, in the distant aftermath of the war, the real battle is about to begin.
Haunted by the crimes of his past, fallen knight Azander Dane ekes out a mercenary existence as he drifts from one city to the next. His latest job is to hunt down Ijanna Taivorkan, a powerful outlaw witch desperate to escape her destiny.
Dane and Ijanna find themselves in Ebonmark, the City of Scars, where deadly crime guilds and shadowy agents of the White Dragon Empire prepare for a brutal confrontation. Pursued by apocalypse cults, mad alchemists, exiled giants and werewolf gangs, Dane and Ijanna soon learn a deadly lesson – in Ebonmark, only the cruelest and most cunning can survive.
City of Scars is the first volume of The Skullborn Trilogy, an all new epic fantasy adventure from the author of Blood Skies .
Check out bloodskies.com for more!
Haunted by the crimes of his past, fallen knight Azander Dane ekes out a mercenary existence as he drifts from one city to the next. His latest job is to hunt down Ijanna Taivorkan, a powerful outlaw witch desperate to escape her destiny.
Dane and Ijanna find themselves in Ebonmark, the City of Scars, where deadly crime guilds and shadowy agents of the White Dragon Empire prepare for a brutal confrontation. Pursued by apocalypse cults, mad alchemists, exiled giants and werewolf gangs, Dane and Ijanna soon learn a deadly lesson – in Ebonmark, only the cruelest and most cunning can survive.
City of Scars is the first volume of The Skullborn Trilogy, an all new epic fantasy adventure from the author of Blood Skies .
Check out bloodskies.com for more!
- GenresFantasy
330 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2013
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June 27, 2013
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City of Scars is the first volume of the Skullborn Trilogy, an all new epic fantasy adventure from the author of Blood Skies, Steven Montano.
City of Scars takes place in a world known as Malzaria. Thirty years prior to the outset of the story, the world was at war with the Blood Queen, whose sole desire was destruction. The prologue gives us a look into the Rift War, as it was later called, through the eyes of Colonel Corgan Bloodwine, an officer in the Jlantrian army. Jlantria, the White Dragon Empire, is your typical empire - expansionist shiny-armored soldiers led by a demigod Empress who wields impressive magical skills. The world, having been ravaged by the Blood Queen's war of conquest, is in the process of rebuilding when the real story begins.
Azander Dane is the primary protagonist. Dane was a member of the Dawn Knights, a disgraced order of elite soldiers that had been disbanded by the Empress some years past for certain brutalities they committed that are explained throughout the novel. Immediately upon meeting him, it is easy to tell Dane is truly haunted and scarred by his past and so his quest turns out to be one of redemption for both himself and his order. The Dawn Knights were some of the few people allowed to train in the ways of magic, or as it is known in City of Scars, The Veil. Dane's development as a character shines in his quest for redemption. He makes decisions his old self wouldn't make that show a distinct change in his character. Though we don't know much about his past yet, we see into his mind as he thinks about decisions he's making, and Montano really did a great job creating this tragic hero.
The magic system is probably the greatest strength of the novel. By Touching the Veil, one can do almost anything, from teleporting to deflecting projectiles via forcefield, hurling a fireball, or even tracking living things. Touching the Veil is not your traditional fantasy magic, where you can just do it - by using it, you drain the very life force from the world as well as yourself. I've always been a big fan of magic systems that don't just allow you to cast and cast until your enemy is dead. From when I first read about Raistlin Majere in Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance series', where Raistlin was visibly drained and internally damaged whenever he used his magic, though most other uses of magic in the series were conventional. Other magic-users in City of Scars include Bloodspeakers and Veilwardens. Veilwardens are elite users who appear to use magic the same way that Dane does, but Bloodspeakers are different. Bloodspeakers are born with the Veil in their blood - they don't draw their power from the world, but from their own life force. When their well of magic runs dry, they die.
Ijanna Taivorkan, the other primary protagonist, is one such Bloodspeaker, and she is known as the Dream Witch, the one whom Azander Dane is hired to hunt down. Ijanna is an incredibly powerful Bloodspeaker, and she is wanted by every organization in Malzaria because she is prophesized to sacrifice herself to 'eradicate the evil left behind in the wake of the Rift War'. Naturally, she doesn't want to die, so she needs to find an alternate route to fulfill the prophecy. Most of the points of view were given to Dane, with the remainder being spread across Ijanna and some minor characters. This didn't leave much for development in terms of the Dream Witch, and I think the story would have benefited from an extra hundred or so pages. While some minor characters didn't quite seem necessary, some were easy to become attached to, one of them being Kath, a young member of Ebonmark's city watch who is inadvertently (or maybe not so) linked to Ijanna and her mission. I have a strong feeling that the next in the series, Path of Bones, will shed much more light on some of these unnecessary-feeling characters.
Malzaria is filled to the brim with unique cultures and races. From the enormous ebon-skinned Voss to the barbaric Tuscars, the cannibalistic Chul and the giant insectoid nek'dool, Steven's worldbuilding continues to be top-notch. Not only does he create these cultures and races, he incorporates exotic and deadly weapons such as the shek'tar, vra'taar, and even the chemical weapon known as Serpentheart, which dissolves its infected from the inside out.
Steven Montano creates another fast-paced, gritty thrill ride in City of Scars, whose last 100 or so pages proceeded at a breakneck pace. For fantasy fans looking for something unique and fresh to escape from the prophetic orphan farm boy, look no further than City of Scars.
I'd like to thank Steven for the ARC and opportunity to participate in the release events and for writing such compelling stories!
City of Scars is the first volume of the Skullborn Trilogy, an all new epic fantasy adventure from the author of Blood Skies, Steven Montano.
City of Scars takes place in a world known as Malzaria. Thirty years prior to the outset of the story, the world was at war with the Blood Queen, whose sole desire was destruction. The prologue gives us a look into the Rift War, as it was later called, through the eyes of Colonel Corgan Bloodwine, an officer in the Jlantrian army. Jlantria, the White Dragon Empire, is your typical empire - expansionist shiny-armored soldiers led by a demigod Empress who wields impressive magical skills. The world, having been ravaged by the Blood Queen's war of conquest, is in the process of rebuilding when the real story begins.
Azander Dane is the primary protagonist. Dane was a member of the Dawn Knights, a disgraced order of elite soldiers that had been disbanded by the Empress some years past for certain brutalities they committed that are explained throughout the novel. Immediately upon meeting him, it is easy to tell Dane is truly haunted and scarred by his past and so his quest turns out to be one of redemption for both himself and his order. The Dawn Knights were some of the few people allowed to train in the ways of magic, or as it is known in City of Scars, The Veil. Dane's development as a character shines in his quest for redemption. He makes decisions his old self wouldn't make that show a distinct change in his character. Though we don't know much about his past yet, we see into his mind as he thinks about decisions he's making, and Montano really did a great job creating this tragic hero.
The magic system is probably the greatest strength of the novel. By Touching the Veil, one can do almost anything, from teleporting to deflecting projectiles via forcefield, hurling a fireball, or even tracking living things. Touching the Veil is not your traditional fantasy magic, where you can just do it - by using it, you drain the very life force from the world as well as yourself. I've always been a big fan of magic systems that don't just allow you to cast and cast until your enemy is dead. From when I first read about Raistlin Majere in Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman's Dragonlance series', where Raistlin was visibly drained and internally damaged whenever he used his magic, though most other uses of magic in the series were conventional. Other magic-users in City of Scars include Bloodspeakers and Veilwardens. Veilwardens are elite users who appear to use magic the same way that Dane does, but Bloodspeakers are different. Bloodspeakers are born with the Veil in their blood - they don't draw their power from the world, but from their own life force. When their well of magic runs dry, they die.
Ijanna Taivorkan, the other primary protagonist, is one such Bloodspeaker, and she is known as the Dream Witch, the one whom Azander Dane is hired to hunt down. Ijanna is an incredibly powerful Bloodspeaker, and she is wanted by every organization in Malzaria because she is prophesized to sacrifice herself to 'eradicate the evil left behind in the wake of the Rift War'. Naturally, she doesn't want to die, so she needs to find an alternate route to fulfill the prophecy. Most of the points of view were given to Dane, with the remainder being spread across Ijanna and some minor characters. This didn't leave much for development in terms of the Dream Witch, and I think the story would have benefited from an extra hundred or so pages. While some minor characters didn't quite seem necessary, some were easy to become attached to, one of them being Kath, a young member of Ebonmark's city watch who is inadvertently (or maybe not so) linked to Ijanna and her mission. I have a strong feeling that the next in the series, Path of Bones, will shed much more light on some of these unnecessary-feeling characters.
Malzaria is filled to the brim with unique cultures and races. From the enormous ebon-skinned Voss to the barbaric Tuscars, the cannibalistic Chul and the giant insectoid nek'dool, Steven's worldbuilding continues to be top-notch. Not only does he create these cultures and races, he incorporates exotic and deadly weapons such as the shek'tar, vra'taar, and even the chemical weapon known as Serpentheart, which dissolves its infected from the inside out.
Steven Montano creates another fast-paced, gritty thrill ride in City of Scars, whose last 100 or so pages proceeded at a breakneck pace. For fantasy fans looking for something unique and fresh to escape from the prophetic orphan farm boy, look no further than City of Scars.
I'd like to thank Steven for the ARC and opportunity to participate in the release events and for writing such compelling stories!
July 3, 2013
Full review originally over at Fantasy Book Critic
ANALYSIS: Steven Montano has made me a fan of his with eclectic genre mixed storyline that is his debut series, the Bloodskies volumes. I’ve read all of his previous books with various degrees of enjoyment however one thing is clear; Steven Montano is a man with a plan when it comes to his plots. When he announced his new series The Skullborn trilogy, I was very excited for the books after I read all about the series setting as well as the characters and the magic system. Steven was very kind to send over a review copy and so with high expectations I dove into this dark, war & magic ravaged world.
The story opens in the prologue with a group of warriors making a slog through a wasteland to launch an attack on the Blood Queen’s forces. Things though never go as expected but surprisingly the events that follow change the course of the war and affect all parties and sides involved. Next the actual story begins with Azander Dane, a former Dawn knight who is now a mercenary and ekes out an existence that slowly erodes his self worth and conscience. He arrives in Ebonmark looking for a new job and finds himself in cahoots with Vellexa a bloodspeaker and a lackey to the Iron Count. His job as assigned by the Iron Count is to locate Ijanna Taivorkan. Ijanna is a bloodspeaker, a practioner of a rare form of veil magic and central to the plans of almost all factions. She’s driven by events beyond her control but she wants to be the driver of her destiny even though her destiny portends to many big calamitous events.
Colonel Aaric Blackhall is the head of the White Dragon army sent to do his empress’ bidding and locate a vital artifact in Ebonmark. He not only has to contend with the general populace’s animosity but also has to factor in the rivalrly between the Phage and Guild, two rival crime cartels seeking to establish their total supremacy in Ebonmark. Lastly there’s Kruge, a Vossian prince who is hated by all humans for who he is and is held as a slave by a particularly odious crime boss. There are many more characters and angles to main plot but that’s for the reader to RAFO. This story is basically about multiple events happening as various factions and individuals plot and act to further their own plans. The readers will have to keep track of the character list so they can remember who’s who and related to whom.
What I loved about this story was how the author showcased a gritty world, which is still reeling after a war that has ravaged the continent. Imagine Europe after World War II and how all the empires and countries were shaken up. A similar situation is present here and the various cities that were previously under the yoke of the two dominant empires have now become their own rulers via the form of city-states. The theater of action for this opening volume is Ebonmark, the titular city and it is one that is ruled by crime cartels and ganglords who are all jockeying for power and further weakening the city. The world-building is truly massive as the author immerses the reader in an alien world with different types of races and magic however tying it to human sensibilities conveniently so as to make it seem inviting. With this volume, the author barely scratches the magic system and history of the world and so for worldbuilding geeks, this series should definitely be on your shelves for its ingenuity. There’s also the wide character cast, which is interesting to follow as each of them have their own lives and plans to destroy others. There’s a very strong LOTR vibe going on in this book as characters are introduced and we get an idea about the journey they might be taking in the sequel volumes.
Then there’s the characterization and as readers of Steven Montano books will know that he can be trusted to write compelling characters. A similar case presides over here and with the change of genre; he particularly excels in providing several terrific ones and with the caveat of all of them being grey. That’s the juicy part of the story as all of the POV characters are mostly grey or black with degrees of good nestled within. All of them are tortured souls due to their own actions or those of the world. I think the author drives home the point that war affects everyone and I mean *everyone*! Lastly there’s the plot itself, which is twisted and completely unpredictable. I was left bewildered as most of my plot predictions went awry and kudos to the author for making the plot complex and multi-layered. It was heartening to see the author paint this grey crumbling world in complex shades wherein any action could have several interpretations depending on whose perspective you look from. There are no heroes only survivors and as the blurb states only the cunning & cruel can survive in the end.
This book while being quite good has some drawbacks to it. Firstly in certain sections the book’s pace drops down to a slightly languid level and that can be a turnoff. Also this book while a big, complex one also feels like a lengthy prologue to the events that are to come. There are also a lot of events and characters that are referred to but no further clarification is given. As a reader I felt intrigued by this book’s twists and turns but also a bit irritated by all that is hinted at and never revealed entirely.
CONCLUSION: City Of Scars is the beginning of the Skullborn trilogy and is also an epic start to what promises to be a dark, fantastic story. I happen to be a fan of Steven Montano and yet was blown away with his dark, epic fantasy genre debut. Don’t take my word for it though, grab a copy and start reading to see why Steven is considered as a gem of an author who will go to further heights and brighter accolades.
July 27, 2013
This is the first book that I have read from the author Steven Montano and I am quite impressed. Considering that the author "is an accountant by day and an author by night", it is definitely a laudable effort.
I came to know about this book after reading a review over at FBC by Mihir which can also be read here. The first thing I noticed when I had just delved into the story was that the world setting was quite dark. The book does a fine job of transporting the reader to the world of the protagonists and it somehow even evoked memories of Mordor from Tolkien's famous work. I was immediately hooked to the story after this.
The story more or less centers around a few main characters with a former Dawn Knight Azander Dane featuring chief among them. The story is of a world which is just recovering from the aftermaths of a brutal war. While Dane is fighting with his own demons of the past, we are also introduced to Ijanna Taivorkan who is a very powerful witch. Dane is drawn into the conflict between the White Dragon Empire, the Phages and the Guild when he is virtually forced to find Ijanna and hand her over to the Guild. The conflict between the various factions in the city of Ebonmark even reminded me of George R R Martin with none of the factions really getting an upper hand.
My only complain with the book is that it ended just when I felt it needed to take off. It just felt as if it was missing another 100 or 200 pages there at the end.
All in all, this is very highly recommended book for dark fantasy lovers and a recommended one for the those who want to read something fresh in the fantasy genre. Looking forward to the next installment eagerly.
I came to know about this book after reading a review over at FBC by Mihir which can also be read here. The first thing I noticed when I had just delved into the story was that the world setting was quite dark. The book does a fine job of transporting the reader to the world of the protagonists and it somehow even evoked memories of Mordor from Tolkien's famous work. I was immediately hooked to the story after this.
The story more or less centers around a few main characters with a former Dawn Knight Azander Dane featuring chief among them. The story is of a world which is just recovering from the aftermaths of a brutal war. While Dane is fighting with his own demons of the past, we are also introduced to Ijanna Taivorkan who is a very powerful witch. Dane is drawn into the conflict between the White Dragon Empire, the Phages and the Guild when he is virtually forced to find Ijanna and hand her over to the Guild. The conflict between the various factions in the city of Ebonmark even reminded me of George R R Martin with none of the factions really getting an upper hand.
My only complain with the book is that it ended just when I felt it needed to take off. It just felt as if it was missing another 100 or 200 pages there at the end.
All in all, this is very highly recommended book for dark fantasy lovers and a recommended one for the those who want to read something fresh in the fantasy genre. Looking forward to the next installment eagerly.
July 8, 2013
Another great tale from Steven. And like his other stories:
We see lots of cool stuff. Weapons. Creatures. War machines.
We see lots of battle. Black Guild. White Dragon. The Phage. Bloodspeakers. Veilwardens. Dawn Knights. Dream Witch. Blood Queen. Skullborn. Some of these are not be plural but that's up to the reader to find out.
So much action, someone has to die. It's not who you expect. Or maybe it is. Once or twice.
Secret identities. 'Nuff said.
Stuff I liked:
I like the chapters by perspective. Every major character in the story get at least one POV chapter.
Steven has two more books to go - it is a trilogy - and this one goes to completion of the arc with this in mind. The ending isn't cliffhangery as far as immediate danger but: "What happens next?"
The imagery is similar to that of Blood Skies, but as similar as they are, they don't imitate each other. I don't see vra'taar and think Avenger. The Phage is nothing like the Revengers . Arena, not alike any more than they have to be.
Nearly every character has a choice to deal with, some more than others. Pay close attention to the descriptions; they have story bits everywhere.
Read, enjoy, anticipate. Wait, you don't have City of Scars yet? Stop reading this and go get it!
We see lots of cool stuff. Weapons. Creatures. War machines.
We see lots of battle. Black Guild. White Dragon. The Phage. Bloodspeakers. Veilwardens. Dawn Knights. Dream Witch. Blood Queen. Skullborn. Some of these are not be plural but that's up to the reader to find out.
So much action, someone has to die. It's not who you expect. Or maybe it is. Once or twice.
Secret identities. 'Nuff said.
Stuff I liked:
I like the chapters by perspective. Every major character in the story get at least one POV chapter.
Steven has two more books to go - it is a trilogy - and this one goes to completion of the arc with this in mind. The ending isn't cliffhangery as far as immediate danger but: "What happens next?"
The imagery is similar to that of Blood Skies, but as similar as they are, they don't imitate each other. I don't see vra'taar and think Avenger. The Phage is nothing like the Revengers . Arena, not alike any more than they have to be.
Nearly every character has a choice to deal with, some more than others. Pay close attention to the descriptions; they have story bits everywhere.
Read, enjoy, anticipate. Wait, you don't have City of Scars yet? Stop reading this and go get it!
July 15, 2013
City of Scars is this amazing fantasy story that takes you back to a time where things were ruled by magic and wars were fought at the end of a sword. A time where you would think that things were more simple, but you would be wrong. There is a war brewing in Ebonmark and our amazing hero, Dane is right in the thick of it. Even if he doesn't realize it at first.
When Dane first enters Ebonmark he is desperate for money and desperate for work. So needless to say he doesn't exactly listen to his own instincts when they tell him that he shouldn't take the job that the gorgeous woman is offering. And again he ignores his instincts when he realizes who the job is really for, the Black Guild, just one of the cartels vying for control over Ebonmark. But Dane doesn't back down from a challenge, any challenge. So, he rightly accepts the job that very well may end his own life; the job of hunting down the Dream Witch, Ijanna.
In his journey to find Ijanna, Dane faces both vicious man and creature alike. In City of Scars, Steven Montano delivers both amazing human characters with intense and incredible skill and development, but he also gives us amazing creatures that only an epic fantasy could deliver, from vicious cross-bred Trolls, monstrous humans called Chul, Arkan the monstrous race of creatures that strives to enslave other species and many more. And they are described perfectly, with just enough detail to allow your imagination to run wild. And it will.
Steven Montano never ceases to amaze me with his ability to create wonderful and different ways to use magic and worlds that both deliver darkness and hope. The hope comes from amazing characters that despite the darkness that surrounds them have a never ending drive to survive and be better.
Dane for example, has done and seen some pretty heinous things in his career as a Dawn Knight. His past haunts him and part of him doesn't think he can be a good man anymore, but somewhere along the way he decides to change his path and does what is surly to deliver an amazing story for the other two books in the trilogy. There are beautiful moments throughout this story where Dane really demonstrates his true character and you know just how amazing he really is. Not only does he have amazing character he is totally a grade A kick butt dude who wields not only a sword but magic as well.
Then of course you have Ijanna, the woman of the hour. The witch that everyone wants. Though we don't know much about who Ijanna is, we do know that she is running from her destiny and it is one that she will do anything to prevent. With the help of friends she attempts to escape Ebonmark and the claws of those who hunt her there. In the case of Ijanna you could sort of look at her like the damsel in distress, only she happens to be able to handle herself quite nicely. But she does need saving, the question is whom will be her savior?
City of Scars is a great fantasy that will instantly take you away to a place of magic, amazing worlds and dark and fierce creatures. City of Scars is definitely a must read story and promises you an adventure like no other. It will keep you guessing until the very end and will leave you thirsting for more as you yearn for the next installment. With City of Scars, Steven Montano delivers a world where even in the dark there is a glimmer of hope as long as you are fierce enough to take it.
*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
When Dane first enters Ebonmark he is desperate for money and desperate for work. So needless to say he doesn't exactly listen to his own instincts when they tell him that he shouldn't take the job that the gorgeous woman is offering. And again he ignores his instincts when he realizes who the job is really for, the Black Guild, just one of the cartels vying for control over Ebonmark. But Dane doesn't back down from a challenge, any challenge. So, he rightly accepts the job that very well may end his own life; the job of hunting down the Dream Witch, Ijanna.
In his journey to find Ijanna, Dane faces both vicious man and creature alike. In City of Scars, Steven Montano delivers both amazing human characters with intense and incredible skill and development, but he also gives us amazing creatures that only an epic fantasy could deliver, from vicious cross-bred Trolls, monstrous humans called Chul, Arkan the monstrous race of creatures that strives to enslave other species and many more. And they are described perfectly, with just enough detail to allow your imagination to run wild. And it will.
Steven Montano never ceases to amaze me with his ability to create wonderful and different ways to use magic and worlds that both deliver darkness and hope. The hope comes from amazing characters that despite the darkness that surrounds them have a never ending drive to survive and be better.
Dane for example, has done and seen some pretty heinous things in his career as a Dawn Knight. His past haunts him and part of him doesn't think he can be a good man anymore, but somewhere along the way he decides to change his path and does what is surly to deliver an amazing story for the other two books in the trilogy. There are beautiful moments throughout this story where Dane really demonstrates his true character and you know just how amazing he really is. Not only does he have amazing character he is totally a grade A kick butt dude who wields not only a sword but magic as well.
Then of course you have Ijanna, the woman of the hour. The witch that everyone wants. Though we don't know much about who Ijanna is, we do know that she is running from her destiny and it is one that she will do anything to prevent. With the help of friends she attempts to escape Ebonmark and the claws of those who hunt her there. In the case of Ijanna you could sort of look at her like the damsel in distress, only she happens to be able to handle herself quite nicely. But she does need saving, the question is whom will be her savior?
City of Scars is a great fantasy that will instantly take you away to a place of magic, amazing worlds and dark and fierce creatures. City of Scars is definitely a must read story and promises you an adventure like no other. It will keep you guessing until the very end and will leave you thirsting for more as you yearn for the next installment. With City of Scars, Steven Montano delivers a world where even in the dark there is a glimmer of hope as long as you are fierce enough to take it.
*Received a free copy in exchange for an honest review
February 11, 2014
City of Scars is the first book in what promises to be a highly detailed and addictive trilogy. We are transported to a world where the realm is struggling to recover from a incredibly bloody and lengthy war. Crime is easy to find and magic is outlawed. I found myself completely absorbed in the characters’ stories and dying to know more when I reached the last page.
When I read an imaginative and detailed high fantasy novel it immediately makes me want more, it’s one of the reasons I adore the genre more than others. If the story is done right then I can easily slip into the world and know the characters, the history, and the emotions. This is what City of Scars offered me and I’m incredibly excited to start more of Steven’s books in the future. Montano has created a world with a bleak history and took the time to explain as much as he could without including exhausting info dumps. There are several different races, which are incredibly diverse ranging from normal humans to the giant dark skinned Voss. Each race is given a unique depth and I really enjoyed learning about each of them. The mysterious Voss and their incredibly dangerous machines and the incredibly interactive tattoo designs of the Den’nar were among some of my favorite little tid-bits. The magic system is incredibly interesting and I enjoyed learning the differences between Bloodspeakers and Veilwardens. The story itself goes between several characters, which threatened to bother me at first but then I came to appreciate knowing everything that was happening…and I even liked the moments where I knew something the current focus didn’t. It really made for a great experience. The only problem I had was that some information given came late in the book and I really wish I had had it towards the beginning or middle, however it wasn’t enough to truly put a damper on things
As I said before there are several characters at focus here and they are varying in almost drastic ways. Our overall main focus is Dane Azander, a former solder known as a Dawn Knight, he’s a magic user with an incredibly dark and haunting past. In fact his past is the main driving motivation for him, he wants to be able to move passed it and redeem himself but at the same time he knows he can’t. I loved that he was is dangerous but has his limits and at times things fall down to luck and not skill. Ijanna is an incredibly powerful Bloodspeaker who is on a mission to prevent something bad from happening, all the while she is being hunted by criminal groups called the Phage and the Black Guild. I was pleasantly surprised to learn more about Ijanna, who I thought would be difficult and dangerous, but instead is a woman who is very easy to like.
I personally can’t wait to read Path of Bones, book two, in this trilogy. So much happens in City of Scars and yet it’s really only the beginning. Ijanna has some difficult choices to make and Dane has a lot of to atone for, and then there are some incredibly shady characters that I just know I haven’t seen the last of. If you’re looking for a great high fantasy novel that is full of action and world building then I really recommend this one.
When I read an imaginative and detailed high fantasy novel it immediately makes me want more, it’s one of the reasons I adore the genre more than others. If the story is done right then I can easily slip into the world and know the characters, the history, and the emotions. This is what City of Scars offered me and I’m incredibly excited to start more of Steven’s books in the future. Montano has created a world with a bleak history and took the time to explain as much as he could without including exhausting info dumps. There are several different races, which are incredibly diverse ranging from normal humans to the giant dark skinned Voss. Each race is given a unique depth and I really enjoyed learning about each of them. The mysterious Voss and their incredibly dangerous machines and the incredibly interactive tattoo designs of the Den’nar were among some of my favorite little tid-bits. The magic system is incredibly interesting and I enjoyed learning the differences between Bloodspeakers and Veilwardens. The story itself goes between several characters, which threatened to bother me at first but then I came to appreciate knowing everything that was happening…and I even liked the moments where I knew something the current focus didn’t. It really made for a great experience. The only problem I had was that some information given came late in the book and I really wish I had had it towards the beginning or middle, however it wasn’t enough to truly put a damper on things
As I said before there are several characters at focus here and they are varying in almost drastic ways. Our overall main focus is Dane Azander, a former solder known as a Dawn Knight, he’s a magic user with an incredibly dark and haunting past. In fact his past is the main driving motivation for him, he wants to be able to move passed it and redeem himself but at the same time he knows he can’t. I loved that he was is dangerous but has his limits and at times things fall down to luck and not skill. Ijanna is an incredibly powerful Bloodspeaker who is on a mission to prevent something bad from happening, all the while she is being hunted by criminal groups called the Phage and the Black Guild. I was pleasantly surprised to learn more about Ijanna, who I thought would be difficult and dangerous, but instead is a woman who is very easy to like.
I personally can’t wait to read Path of Bones, book two, in this trilogy. So much happens in City of Scars and yet it’s really only the beginning. Ijanna has some difficult choices to make and Dane has a lot of to atone for, and then there are some incredibly shady characters that I just know I haven’t seen the last of. If you’re looking for a great high fantasy novel that is full of action and world building then I really recommend this one.
February 8, 2014
The epic fantasy genre is making a grand resurgence into the literary world and I could not be happier to herald this novel into that category. Banners raised high as City of Scars, the first book in The Skullborn Trilogy visits The Library.
The Rift War destroyed a world, dividing the lands into straggling bands of vagabonds, alchemists ruling the underworlds, guilds battling for control, and a few good people fighting to survive in the sheer madness. The first shining example of a talented fantasy author is the ability to construct a complex world, without losing the reader in a madness of descriptive prattle. Montano has built a world that delves between the magical veil, the decimated lands ravaged by war, the corrupt cities, the underground wonders of the Voss, the darkened lairs of alchemy; always defining them with generosity, but not burdening the reader in boredom.
Yet, the true stars are the characters in this adventure. The cast is large and one would easily fear that keeping track of them would require a timeline or tree based by Guild. Thankfully, the author's skill propels each character exactly to the level of attention that they both need and deserve. From Vellaxa to Blackhall, Targo to Kleiderhorn, Maddox to Harrick, Kruje to Slayne, Meziaz Crinn to Empress Azaean; no character is left without a story. Of course, all tales must have lead characters and Azander Dane and Ijanna Taivorkan are some of the most compelling characters I have met in a novel in 2014.
Characters, a dramatic world, what more could the reader want? A good plot, and again Montano does not disappoint. From the prologue that introduces you to the past so you may better understand the essence of the story, you should be hooked. I know that I was, and could not manage to rest my eyes before I had read long into the night to finish the adventure...but wait, there is more to come. Path of Bones, book two of The Skullborn Trilogy is now available.
Unfortunately I could not dive directly into the next part of the saga, as there are other books begging my attention...including a story of my own demanding to be written. I do promise that the review is pending, as I am anxious to see what is in store for Dane and Ijanna.
The Rift War destroyed a world, dividing the lands into straggling bands of vagabonds, alchemists ruling the underworlds, guilds battling for control, and a few good people fighting to survive in the sheer madness. The first shining example of a talented fantasy author is the ability to construct a complex world, without losing the reader in a madness of descriptive prattle. Montano has built a world that delves between the magical veil, the decimated lands ravaged by war, the corrupt cities, the underground wonders of the Voss, the darkened lairs of alchemy; always defining them with generosity, but not burdening the reader in boredom.
Yet, the true stars are the characters in this adventure. The cast is large and one would easily fear that keeping track of them would require a timeline or tree based by Guild. Thankfully, the author's skill propels each character exactly to the level of attention that they both need and deserve. From Vellaxa to Blackhall, Targo to Kleiderhorn, Maddox to Harrick, Kruje to Slayne, Meziaz Crinn to Empress Azaean; no character is left without a story. Of course, all tales must have lead characters and Azander Dane and Ijanna Taivorkan are some of the most compelling characters I have met in a novel in 2014.
Characters, a dramatic world, what more could the reader want? A good plot, and again Montano does not disappoint. From the prologue that introduces you to the past so you may better understand the essence of the story, you should be hooked. I know that I was, and could not manage to rest my eyes before I had read long into the night to finish the adventure...but wait, there is more to come. Path of Bones, book two of The Skullborn Trilogy is now available.
Unfortunately I could not dive directly into the next part of the saga, as there are other books begging my attention...including a story of my own demanding to be written. I do promise that the review is pending, as I am anxious to see what is in store for Dane and Ijanna.
July 30, 2013
Mr. Montano has once again blown me away with a post-apocalyptic novel filled with grit, death, and powerful imagery. City of Scars contains an underworld of organized crime run by cyborgs, cannibalistic humanoids, and chemically created werewolves. With a human army trying to trying to control the latest generation of beasts and machines in Ebonmark, they are fighting against biochemical warfare with savvy, magic, and strategic alliances.
Unlike the Blood Skies series, Mr. Montano tries his hand outside the realm of vampires and warlocks. His ability to create such intricate fantasy worlds is incredible. Some creatures in Blood Skies are found in City of Scars; however, one in particular is given an endearing persona, so-to-speak. Magic is used throughout the novel, but it's not in the same sense as one would think. I can see City of Scars being a very popular video game if the rights were ever sold to the gaming industry. The series has a solid start, and I am excited to read the rest of the trilogy.
A big THANK YOU to Mr. Montano for allowing me to be a reviewer for all of his books!
Unlike the Blood Skies series, Mr. Montano tries his hand outside the realm of vampires and warlocks. His ability to create such intricate fantasy worlds is incredible. Some creatures in Blood Skies are found in City of Scars; however, one in particular is given an endearing persona, so-to-speak. Magic is used throughout the novel, but it's not in the same sense as one would think. I can see City of Scars being a very popular video game if the rights were ever sold to the gaming industry. The series has a solid start, and I am excited to read the rest of the trilogy.
A big THANK YOU to Mr. Montano for allowing me to be a reviewer for all of his books!
November 30, 2013
Lets just say i can't wait to read the next book.
October 8, 2013
like most good indie works this could easily been a 5 star novel with better editing
the prose and pacing were clunky at points and later revelations could have been foreshadowed better.
the prose and pacing were clunky at points and later revelations could have been foreshadowed better.
January 17, 2014
My review will be posted soon!
September 29, 2018
3.5 stars. OK
March 11, 2015
This is a trilogy, but it certainly does not leave on a massive cliffhanger. Don’t get me wrong, you still need to know what happens next, and maybe that is just me and the way that my mind works, but whatever it is, I will be buying the next two books at some point :-)
This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I found it absolutely spellbinding and captivating.
At first you find yourself trying to get used to the terminology of the whole different world. You have different soldiers, Voss, Phage, Bloodspeaker, Veilwarden, Dream Witch, Blood Queen, and the one goddess, without actually going into all the weapons used. I also will not mention the variety of characters that are named within the book, but I am doing this simply because of the spelling. (Dragon Dictation will not even guess at these, especially when it struggle with basic English!) You would think that this, and the head hopping between the characters would make this a difficult read. This is definitely not the case, as I found that each individual character had their own unique voice, and I was happy to learn more about them when you were inside their head.
Just like you would expect from book 1 of a trilogy, there is a lot of background to be learnt. However, this is mixed in with all the action, and as a result it is not difficult to pick up. There is a lot of action, and a lot of slaughter, but it all makes for a very interesting read. You still do not know when the book ends the full story of what happened to one of the characters that you have been following throughout (Dane). You do know that whatever it is haunts him and will probably surface later in the series.
As I said, you want to find out what is going to happen to finish off the story.
I would highly recommend this to anybody who loves fantasy, because it is beautiful on an epic scale. I rated this at five out of five, and am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
This is the first book that I have read by this author, but I found it absolutely spellbinding and captivating.
At first you find yourself trying to get used to the terminology of the whole different world. You have different soldiers, Voss, Phage, Bloodspeaker, Veilwarden, Dream Witch, Blood Queen, and the one goddess, without actually going into all the weapons used. I also will not mention the variety of characters that are named within the book, but I am doing this simply because of the spelling. (Dragon Dictation will not even guess at these, especially when it struggle with basic English!) You would think that this, and the head hopping between the characters would make this a difficult read. This is definitely not the case, as I found that each individual character had their own unique voice, and I was happy to learn more about them when you were inside their head.
Just like you would expect from book 1 of a trilogy, there is a lot of background to be learnt. However, this is mixed in with all the action, and as a result it is not difficult to pick up. There is a lot of action, and a lot of slaughter, but it all makes for a very interesting read. You still do not know when the book ends the full story of what happened to one of the characters that you have been following throughout (Dane). You do know that whatever it is haunts him and will probably surface later in the series.
As I said, you want to find out what is going to happen to finish off the story.
I would highly recommend this to anybody who loves fantasy, because it is beautiful on an epic scale. I rated this at five out of five, and am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
August 24, 2014
This one is dark. I don't just mean a little dark. I mean oh-my-god-what-am-I-reading-I'm-going-to-give-myself-nightmares dark. My description doesn't make that very apparent.
But, come on.
Think about it. You all know that I'm generally more of a unicorns and fairies person, mixed with a healthy amount of aliens and cybernetics for good measure. Dark fantasy isn't exactly my strong point when it comes to descriptions. I write holiday fantasy stories, after all!
Yet I really love reading the gritty, soul-wrenching stuff, as well, and there was plenty of that in this ebook!
The visuals in City of Scars were hypnotic. It's very easy to believe you're smelling the rot, agonizing over the injuries, seeing the blood mists (nasty stuff, blood mist!), and hearing the magically engineered machinery as it prepares to devastate everything in the vicinity.
Yeah. Definitely not a YA novel!
Montano paints a bleak picture of a world in ruin. It's a world in pain. The very fabric that all life spawns from is being depleted.
But Montano also gives us hope. He surrounds us with terrifying, even disgusting images, yes, and he paints a very dark and depraved picture of humanity...
But he also gives us reason to smile.
It doesn't happen often, but when it does we feel a desperate need to cling to those sudden moments of tenderness. Montano shows us that while it's rare, people can sometimes rise above the prejudices they've been raised with. He shows us that even such solid feelings as hatred and loathing are not absolute, and a single individual can reshape ideas that are deeply entrenched in us.
Montano shows us the beauty of humanity by revealing our ugliness.
That's flipping awesome!
(This is a truncation of my full review, posted to Undiscovered Tomes.)
But, come on.
Think about it. You all know that I'm generally more of a unicorns and fairies person, mixed with a healthy amount of aliens and cybernetics for good measure. Dark fantasy isn't exactly my strong point when it comes to descriptions. I write holiday fantasy stories, after all!
Yet I really love reading the gritty, soul-wrenching stuff, as well, and there was plenty of that in this ebook!
The visuals in City of Scars were hypnotic. It's very easy to believe you're smelling the rot, agonizing over the injuries, seeing the blood mists (nasty stuff, blood mist!), and hearing the magically engineered machinery as it prepares to devastate everything in the vicinity.
Yeah. Definitely not a YA novel!
Montano paints a bleak picture of a world in ruin. It's a world in pain. The very fabric that all life spawns from is being depleted.
But Montano also gives us hope. He surrounds us with terrifying, even disgusting images, yes, and he paints a very dark and depraved picture of humanity...
But he also gives us reason to smile.
It doesn't happen often, but when it does we feel a desperate need to cling to those sudden moments of tenderness. Montano shows us that while it's rare, people can sometimes rise above the prejudices they've been raised with. He shows us that even such solid feelings as hatred and loathing are not absolute, and a single individual can reshape ideas that are deeply entrenched in us.
Montano shows us the beauty of humanity by revealing our ugliness.
That's flipping awesome!
(This is a truncation of my full review, posted to Undiscovered Tomes.)
April 5, 2015
Overall a pretty decent read, finished it in about a week. There is one thing I have to point out however, and that is that there were way to many POVs, to the point it became really frustrating at least to me. I mean I know that some of the POVs were necessary to get some important information out to the readers that they probably wouldn't be able to get with just the main characters viewpoint, but there were some non essential ones in there as well. other than that pretty good read.
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