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Hull and Fire
A new continent rises out of the sea...
A ship returns home without a crew...
A stowaway exhibits strange powers...
Levy Tren-Ulitese—Lor of the Land and gentleman of high society—is awoken in the early hours of the morning for an emergency: his father’s ship, missing for nine years now, has reappeared near the mouth of its home harbor entirely bereft of its crew. The expedition to the New World, a place they call ‘Minera’, apparently ended in tragedy. But how did the ship sail itself home? What happened to the crew? And what is the strange, dark artifact found aboard her?
Pushed by internal divisions and outside political forces, Levy and his sister are forced to refit the ship and flee the only city they’ve ever called home. Declared fugitives by their father’s old allies, they assemble a strange crew of the desperate and depraved; a turncoat imperial marine, a man that can manipulate the spirit-lines of the world, a war-hero famed for his supernatural accuracy with the musket, and a mute stow-away with mysterious powers. Together, they will follow in the wake of Levy’s father.
Together they will find a new home on the shores of Minera!
A ship returns home without a crew...
A stowaway exhibits strange powers...
Levy Tren-Ulitese—Lor of the Land and gentleman of high society—is awoken in the early hours of the morning for an emergency: his father’s ship, missing for nine years now, has reappeared near the mouth of its home harbor entirely bereft of its crew. The expedition to the New World, a place they call ‘Minera’, apparently ended in tragedy. But how did the ship sail itself home? What happened to the crew? And what is the strange, dark artifact found aboard her?
Pushed by internal divisions and outside political forces, Levy and his sister are forced to refit the ship and flee the only city they’ve ever called home. Declared fugitives by their father’s old allies, they assemble a strange crew of the desperate and depraved; a turncoat imperial marine, a man that can manipulate the spirit-lines of the world, a war-hero famed for his supernatural accuracy with the musket, and a mute stow-away with mysterious powers. Together, they will follow in the wake of Levy’s father.
Together they will find a new home on the shores of Minera!
- GenresFantasy
213 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 1, 2025
13 people want to read
About the author
James W. Cutter
2 books5 followersI’m James W. Cutter, author of the ‘Wards of Minera’ flintlock-fantasy series. It's my goal to continue writing in fantasy niches that don't see much love, and carve out a unique space of my own. My next few planned novels are already announced on my website, (jameswcutter.com) and I have a pretty good idea of what I'll be writing for the next ten years or so.
I enjoy reading and writing about people that are held back by some kind of societal expectation, or a hierarchical power-structure that frustratingly prevents them from achieving their goals. Sometimes they find a way to work-around or defy it, but sometimes they let it corrupt them.
If you believe deeply-flawed characters are exciting, world-building is best when its parceled out in small bites, and that if magic were real it would absolutely be enjoyed and controlled by only a privileged few, then my books are for you.
I have a newsletter that will keep you up-to-date about future book releases: please click here.
I enjoy reading and writing about people that are held back by some kind of societal expectation, or a hierarchical power-structure that frustratingly prevents them from achieving their goals. Sometimes they find a way to work-around or defy it, but sometimes they let it corrupt them.
If you believe deeply-flawed characters are exciting, world-building is best when its parceled out in small bites, and that if magic were real it would absolutely be enjoyed and controlled by only a privileged few, then my books are for you.
I have a newsletter that will keep you up-to-date about future book releases: please click here.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 19, 2025
I'm always keen on some original worldbuilding, especially if it's essential to the plot and not just there for decoration, and this book offers some. It takes the approach of not always explaining the world immediately, so for a while you have to just let the unexplained cultural references wash over you. For myself, I prefer a little bit of infodumping to being left wondering what the heck the thing that was just mentioned is and why it matters, but tastes in this regard differ.
We have a world where a group of islands has mysteriously appeared, changing the weather, and also there's a new continent which is in the process of being colonized and which generates a mysterious call for at least some people who go there. The world is filled with lines of magical force or connection which some people can perceive and manipulate, using them both for communication and to pull ships along. All of which is cool and has a lot of potential, though in this book it's more potential than actual; the worldbuilding is relevant a couple of times, but it's not like it powerfully drives the whole book, apart from the new continent being a destination for the characters for various reasons - and that would have worked just about as well without the continent having recently come into existence, as far as this book is concerned.
The blurb did make me nervous that the book would turn out to be dystopian or depict a lot of cruelty and tragedy, and there was some, but not more than I could stand. The main characters are mostly of an ethnic group known as Woads, who are distinguished by having blue hands; they are currently being persecuted by a post-revolutionary government who overthrew a Woad emperor, and two of the viewpoint characters are a Woad brother and sister from an ancient landowning and merchant house, recently in decline, living in a free city near the former empire. They find that their fellow citizens, who they grew up with and dealt with on what they thought were terms of mutual respect, have turned against them under the influence of the post-revolutionaries. I had a moment of disbelief that a family who had been part of the city for a thousand years would suddenly be persecuted like that, but then I thought about the Jews. Though I did have some difficulty with the idea that a genetic difference could have been around for a thousand years (or more) and not spread to the whole population through intermarriage, which appears not to be a taboo.
The author can mostly punctuate, except that he puts commas between adjectives that do not require them (very common - but I haven't seen many people put a comma after the adjective "single," which he does), and sometimes uses a hyphen when he shouldn't, such as between an adjective and its noun; in fact, practically every hyphen he includes is in a place where no hyphen should be. He's also bad with homonyms, committing a lot of the common homonym errors and even one I hadn't seen before (hew for hue). I'll pass on the full list to the publisher in the hope they can be fixed in the ebook before publication, or maybe shortly after. There are a few examples of most of the other common errors that many people make: missing past perfect tense, "may" where it should be "might," and so forth, and some comma splices.
These issues aren't constant, so I was able (mostly) to focus on the story. Unfortunately, this is very much a setup book, introducing the characters and their issues and getting them ready to go to the new continent, where presumably more will happen. They do have obstacles to overcome in getting away from the city, but the book doesn't feel like it tells a complete story or is particularly strong in plot at all, though I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger.
I find I'm not sufficiently engaged to quite want to carry on with the series, though I was certainly engaged enough to finish the book. Part of that, as so often happens, is the editing issues wearing away at my enjoyment, and some readers will not notice those, and will be able to focus better on the other aspects. It's an original world with some interesting worldbuilding, though that's not so far strongly incorporated, and the characters are reasonably appealing, but it just doesn't quite grab me hard enough to make me want to continue.
We have a world where a group of islands has mysteriously appeared, changing the weather, and also there's a new continent which is in the process of being colonized and which generates a mysterious call for at least some people who go there. The world is filled with lines of magical force or connection which some people can perceive and manipulate, using them both for communication and to pull ships along. All of which is cool and has a lot of potential, though in this book it's more potential than actual; the worldbuilding is relevant a couple of times, but it's not like it powerfully drives the whole book, apart from the new continent being a destination for the characters for various reasons - and that would have worked just about as well without the continent having recently come into existence, as far as this book is concerned.
The blurb did make me nervous that the book would turn out to be dystopian or depict a lot of cruelty and tragedy, and there was some, but not more than I could stand. The main characters are mostly of an ethnic group known as Woads, who are distinguished by having blue hands; they are currently being persecuted by a post-revolutionary government who overthrew a Woad emperor, and two of the viewpoint characters are a Woad brother and sister from an ancient landowning and merchant house, recently in decline, living in a free city near the former empire. They find that their fellow citizens, who they grew up with and dealt with on what they thought were terms of mutual respect, have turned against them under the influence of the post-revolutionaries. I had a moment of disbelief that a family who had been part of the city for a thousand years would suddenly be persecuted like that, but then I thought about the Jews. Though I did have some difficulty with the idea that a genetic difference could have been around for a thousand years (or more) and not spread to the whole population through intermarriage, which appears not to be a taboo.
The author can mostly punctuate, except that he puts commas between adjectives that do not require them (very common - but I haven't seen many people put a comma after the adjective "single," which he does), and sometimes uses a hyphen when he shouldn't, such as between an adjective and its noun; in fact, practically every hyphen he includes is in a place where no hyphen should be. He's also bad with homonyms, committing a lot of the common homonym errors and even one I hadn't seen before (hew for hue). I'll pass on the full list to the publisher in the hope they can be fixed in the ebook before publication, or maybe shortly after. There are a few examples of most of the other common errors that many people make: missing past perfect tense, "may" where it should be "might," and so forth, and some comma splices.
These issues aren't constant, so I was able (mostly) to focus on the story. Unfortunately, this is very much a setup book, introducing the characters and their issues and getting them ready to go to the new continent, where presumably more will happen. They do have obstacles to overcome in getting away from the city, but the book doesn't feel like it tells a complete story or is particularly strong in plot at all, though I wouldn't call the ending a cliffhanger.
I find I'm not sufficiently engaged to quite want to carry on with the series, though I was certainly engaged enough to finish the book. Part of that, as so often happens, is the editing issues wearing away at my enjoyment, and some readers will not notice those, and will be able to focus better on the other aspects. It's an original world with some interesting worldbuilding, though that's not so far strongly incorporated, and the characters are reasonably appealing, but it just doesn't quite grab me hard enough to make me want to continue.
January 21, 2025
I enjoy finding stories that are truly different. When I read the blurb, I wasn’t exactly sure what I was getting myself into, but I am happy to say that I was completely engrossed by the story from start to finish. As a matter of fact, I finished the book and didn’t realize I finished the book, and that was the point I realized I needed to read more. (Boy that was a mouthful, lol)
There is a LOT going on in Hull and Fire with many complex characters and with pretty elaborate world building going on. One of my only real issues with the story itself is that there are many POVs that this story is told from. It was a little tough trying to keep everyone straight at first. But once I got into a groove, I couldn’t put the book down.
There are mysterious forces at work. A lot of lies and a lot of omissions happening at the same time. When everyone starts to turn on Levy and his kind, he takes things into his own hands. Instead of trying to change the people’s minds and face what can certainly be an awful outcome for his family, he defies the odds and moves on to a new world. It’s a compelling story that had me absolutely captivated. I look forward to finding out what happens next!
Pssst, the ghost ship is only going to be the beginning. It has to be. It was an incredible twist at the end to tie in one of the current characters with Levy’s father, the captain of the ghost ship! Kudos to the author!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
There is a LOT going on in Hull and Fire with many complex characters and with pretty elaborate world building going on. One of my only real issues with the story itself is that there are many POVs that this story is told from. It was a little tough trying to keep everyone straight at first. But once I got into a groove, I couldn’t put the book down.
There are mysterious forces at work. A lot of lies and a lot of omissions happening at the same time. When everyone starts to turn on Levy and his kind, he takes things into his own hands. Instead of trying to change the people’s minds and face what can certainly be an awful outcome for his family, he defies the odds and moves on to a new world. It’s a compelling story that had me absolutely captivated. I look forward to finding out what happens next!
Pssst, the ghost ship is only going to be the beginning. It has to be. It was an incredible twist at the end to tie in one of the current characters with Levy’s father, the captain of the ghost ship! Kudos to the author!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 31, 2025
After their father disappeared at sea Levy and Stancia Levenworth have seen their fortunes greatly reduced, so much so that many whisper that their family may be under a curse. However, one evening their father's ship, missing for ten years at sea just appears in the HiFort Harbor. While this seems to be a boon at least in terms of the siblings having a way to get a quick influx of desperately needed cash. Stancia, however, believes the best course of action is to use the ship to escape the rising anti-Woad sentiments taking root in HiFort. Levy unfortunately believes their status as a founding family will protect him, a notion he is rapidly disabused of when he and most of his fellow Woads are voted out of the city council. With no choice but to face the growing animosity towards his people Levy finally follows his sister's advice and they set sail, following their fathers original course hoping they will finally discover what happened to him.
It was pretty hard for me to determine how I wanted to rate this. It wasn't bad by any means but it wasn't my favorite either. We are given so little information about the main magic system that all I see in my head is someone literally picking up latitude and longitude lines on a map. Which that possibly could be exactly what they are doing. There seems to be a secondary magic system (or maybe magical people) in a group of people just referred to as the Bushwackers (which yeah it definitely sounds like a slur out of a Crocodile Dundee movie) who have some sort of connection to the forests (I believe it's forests) of their homeland Minera. Minera is discussed like it is an actual person that calls to all people from Minera and they just like head out into the forest and disappear. Not going to lie both of these magic systems sound very similar to a couple of books that have come out this year.
I didn't really find any of the characters likable either. And yes I know the whole debate about characters don't have to be likable thing, but, like none of them were likable. We aren't talking about one or two characters each of them weren't. Stancia may be the only one I kind of enjoyed but there's only so many times you can watch a woman be degraded by her brother before it just gets old. She's clearly the smarter of the two siblings. Levy and Stancia are both extremely priviliged as well and that does not help. Oh and I maybe liked Ben, he didn't have a ton of lines but when he did speak his comments made sense.
The thing that really got me is virtually nothing happens in this book. There doesn't seem to be anything at stake here at all. Sure yes it's hinted at this Agreement thing is coming after the Woads and a genocide seems to be what they are aiming for but I am not sure *why* other than the last Emperor was mad and he was a Woad so all Woads have to die. But they never actually said what the heck he did that made him so mad. There are some references to him possibly experimenting on people but I mean this information comes from the bad guy, so I take that with kind of a grain salt. They spend what could be a week or day on their dad's ship just sitting in the harbor and seem to be in no real rush to leave. Sure, yes, I get that getting a ship together for a year's long voyage is not something that you can do over night but by this point Stancia has been threatened to be arrested pretty much simply for existing. I'd have gotten the hell out of dodge shortly after that. Even when they do finally decide to go before they are all dragged off the ship to their deaths there's no sense of urgency at all.
Honestly, I probably won't finish this series and like I said it's certainly not awful, but I just didn't feel like I was engaged by the story at all.
It was pretty hard for me to determine how I wanted to rate this. It wasn't bad by any means but it wasn't my favorite either. We are given so little information about the main magic system that all I see in my head is someone literally picking up latitude and longitude lines on a map. Which that possibly could be exactly what they are doing. There seems to be a secondary magic system (or maybe magical people) in a group of people just referred to as the Bushwackers (which yeah it definitely sounds like a slur out of a Crocodile Dundee movie) who have some sort of connection to the forests (I believe it's forests) of their homeland Minera. Minera is discussed like it is an actual person that calls to all people from Minera and they just like head out into the forest and disappear. Not going to lie both of these magic systems sound very similar to a couple of books that have come out this year.
I didn't really find any of the characters likable either. And yes I know the whole debate about characters don't have to be likable thing, but, like none of them were likable. We aren't talking about one or two characters each of them weren't. Stancia may be the only one I kind of enjoyed but there's only so many times you can watch a woman be degraded by her brother before it just gets old. She's clearly the smarter of the two siblings. Levy and Stancia are both extremely priviliged as well and that does not help. Oh and I maybe liked Ben, he didn't have a ton of lines but when he did speak his comments made sense.
The thing that really got me is virtually nothing happens in this book. There doesn't seem to be anything at stake here at all. Sure yes it's hinted at this Agreement thing is coming after the Woads and a genocide seems to be what they are aiming for but I am not sure *why* other than the last Emperor was mad and he was a Woad so all Woads have to die. But they never actually said what the heck he did that made him so mad. There are some references to him possibly experimenting on people but I mean this information comes from the bad guy, so I take that with kind of a grain salt. They spend what could be a week or day on their dad's ship just sitting in the harbor and seem to be in no real rush to leave. Sure, yes, I get that getting a ship together for a year's long voyage is not something that you can do over night but by this point Stancia has been threatened to be arrested pretty much simply for existing. I'd have gotten the hell out of dodge shortly after that. Even when they do finally decide to go before they are all dragged off the ship to their deaths there's no sense of urgency at all.
Honestly, I probably won't finish this series and like I said it's certainly not awful, but I just didn't feel like I was engaged by the story at all.
January 18, 2025
While I expected more of a ghost story with a haunted ghost ship, what I found within this book was a compelling narrative that tackles the insidious creeping nature of racism and xenophobia that turns once loving neighbors into those who would turn their backs on you while you were being assaulted in the street. I was hooked from the first page, and the rest of this book kept me riveted in my seat until I finished reading this in one single sitting.
The worldbuilding in this book is compelling and intricate, and leaves the reader wishing for more when the last page is finally read. We are given glimpses into the world of these characters, and information is sprinkled along like breadcrumbs every time something new happens, and we - as the reader - need to connect the dots and fit together the puzzle.
The characters are compelling, and I enjoyed getting into the minds of those within this book. Figuring out their struggles and goals, while never explicitly telling us in a 1-to-1 fashion, instead allowing the narrative to tell the story and for the book and their actions to compel the reader into wanting more.
A brilliant introduction into this world, I cannot wait to read what happens next on their journey and to find out more of what - exactly - occurred on their father’s ghost ship. Or why it mysteriously showed back up - empty and unharmed - 9 years after his disappearance. Without giving too much away, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories with a shifting political landscape and characters trying to keep their heads above water at all costs, where their circumstances have forced their hands into choosing uncertainty over certain death. Hull and Fire almost feels like an alternate reality historical fiction tale, with a world and characters that feel both real and realistic - and where the reader can see the similarities reflected within our own society, as well.
A huge thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC.
The worldbuilding in this book is compelling and intricate, and leaves the reader wishing for more when the last page is finally read. We are given glimpses into the world of these characters, and information is sprinkled along like breadcrumbs every time something new happens, and we - as the reader - need to connect the dots and fit together the puzzle.
The characters are compelling, and I enjoyed getting into the minds of those within this book. Figuring out their struggles and goals, while never explicitly telling us in a 1-to-1 fashion, instead allowing the narrative to tell the story and for the book and their actions to compel the reader into wanting more.
A brilliant introduction into this world, I cannot wait to read what happens next on their journey and to find out more of what - exactly - occurred on their father’s ghost ship. Or why it mysteriously showed back up - empty and unharmed - 9 years after his disappearance. Without giving too much away, I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys stories with a shifting political landscape and characters trying to keep their heads above water at all costs, where their circumstances have forced their hands into choosing uncertainty over certain death. Hull and Fire almost feels like an alternate reality historical fiction tale, with a world and characters that feel both real and realistic - and where the reader can see the similarities reflected within our own society, as well.
A huge thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing this e-ARC.
January 29, 2025
Hull and Fire by James W. Cutter is a fantasy novel and the first in the Wards of Minera series. It follows Levy Tren-Ulitese, and his sister Stancia after their father's ship, the Eastern Skylark, shows up empty after going missing years before. Their father’s business has been faltering and debtors are knocking at their door, and the Skylark could be either a blessing or a curse.
The story is filled with suspense and intrigue. The tension that is present throughout makes this book a real page turner. The world building is great and I found myself pulled into the politics of the story. But by far the best part is the magic system, or perhaps it's a science system. Daenistheurgy, or the manipulation of lines called Liminals, is presented in-universe as a science. They can be used to pull ships or people and send messages across great distances. It's a unique and interesting magic system that I would love to see more of.
There are a few things that stop it from getting five stars. Oftentimes the dialogue steers into infodump territory with characters lecturing about history in situations that seem forced, and some plot lines would have been better if they'd been introduced earlier. But they're minor gripes in an otherwise excellent story, and a fine beginning to a new fantasy series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The story is filled with suspense and intrigue. The tension that is present throughout makes this book a real page turner. The world building is great and I found myself pulled into the politics of the story. But by far the best part is the magic system, or perhaps it's a science system. Daenistheurgy, or the manipulation of lines called Liminals, is presented in-universe as a science. They can be used to pull ships or people and send messages across great distances. It's a unique and interesting magic system that I would love to see more of.
There are a few things that stop it from getting five stars. Oftentimes the dialogue steers into infodump territory with characters lecturing about history in situations that seem forced, and some plot lines would have been better if they'd been introduced earlier. But they're minor gripes in an otherwise excellent story, and a fine beginning to a new fantasy series.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 13, 2025
"Hull and Fire" by James W. Cutter presents a compelling narrative, complemented by a diverse cast of intriguing characters. The author excels in character development, creating individuals I fell in love with instantly. While I craved more backstory for Lukas, I anticipate that his journey will unfold in future installments. This definitely adds to the attractive mystery man. What impressed me most was the captivating portrayal of the villain in Basina, which added an unexpected depth to the intricate magic system with the screamers woven into the story. (no pun intended with the luminal lines :) The pacing of the book held steady, but the final 25% was an exhilarating rush of action that kept me on the edge of my seat. The mystery surrounding the enigmatic child was skillfully handled; giving us just enough of her life story to heighten the suspense, leaving readers eager to learn more. Additionally, the flashback to Captain Kiriovinth Tren-Ulitese and the ghost ship with the connection to a character or characters was a brilliant touch. I'm eagerly looking forward to the next installment and further exploration of this richly crafted world.
January 16, 2025
This was a truly engaging read! The author weaves a compelling story with interesting characters and unique magic.
It is a quick read, with great pace and great action. While I wished it had been a little longer, I appreciate how it sets up key elements for the next installment. The history of the world and the political and social tensions are very interesting and well introduced throughout the story. I liked learning about the different characters and seeing how they came together as a crew.
Now, I’m eagerly anticipating the next book. I am definitely intrigued by the mysteries introduced and can’t wait for the second installment to see what happens next!
Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Editing, for the ARC!
It is a quick read, with great pace and great action. While I wished it had been a little longer, I appreciate how it sets up key elements for the next installment. The history of the world and the political and social tensions are very interesting and well introduced throughout the story. I liked learning about the different characters and seeing how they came together as a crew.
Now, I’m eagerly anticipating the next book. I am definitely intrigued by the mysteries introduced and can’t wait for the second installment to see what happens next!
Thank you, NetGalley and Victory Editing, for the ARC!
January 22, 2025
When I first read the summary, I thought this would be some kind of mystery ghost/fantasy story of wandering through sea, but boy was I wrong! This book had everything I wasn't anticipating and more. The worldbuilding, the compelling characters, the mystery of what happened. That you actually needed to read and wait to find out what's going on and not just have all the information dump on you right away. All of this got me hooked and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 24, 2025
This was a strong start to the Wards of Minera series, it had that element that I was looking for and thought worked as a fantasy novel. The overall concept worked well as a story being told and that this was a opening chapter. The characters were wonderfully done and worked in this universe. James W. Cutter has a strong writing style and am excited for more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 10, 2025
I really enjoyed this quick read by James W. Cutter. The book has a great pace, lots of action, and a couple of great plot twists. Honestly, I think my only complaint is that I wish it was longer - I finished it in 48 hours and now can’t wait to get my hands on the second book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this incredibly entertaining read!
Thank you to NetGalley for an advance copy of this incredibly entertaining read!
December 14, 2024
This is a very entertaining read. The cast of characters are exceptional in their uniqueness. The mystery and politics make this a terrific read.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
December 28, 2024
I had a great time reading the start to this story, enjoyed learning about the world, really likeable main characters too! Can't wait to read book 2.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily
January 24, 2025
Ship returns after missing 9 years - Son of Levy Tren-Ulitese—Lor of the Land discovers it is empty. Log talks about new Islands and strange happening. A great read with lots of history.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews