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Gotheim #1
Blackwood: A Gotheim Fantasy Tale
A mysterious curse. A grim investigation. A fearful village. All evidence points to something wicked. The fate of a girl is to be decided.
In a world besieged by superstition and fear, the embittered and sceptical inquisitor Marcus Blackwood travels to the borderland village of Westgrave to investigate the curious case of Mary Shaw. Rumours of a curse are abound. An unsettling fog has settled upon the land, and those who wander those lands speak of a woman stalking the land.
At the heart of the mystery, Mary Shaw’s life teeters on the edge of salvation as dark powers muster around her. Accompanied by his loyal apprentice, can Blackwood overcome his own suspicions and uncover the truth? Or will the truth force him to sacrifice more than he is willing to part with?
In a world besieged by superstition and fear, the embittered and sceptical inquisitor Marcus Blackwood travels to the borderland village of Westgrave to investigate the curious case of Mary Shaw. Rumours of a curse are abound. An unsettling fog has settled upon the land, and those who wander those lands speak of a woman stalking the land.
At the heart of the mystery, Mary Shaw’s life teeters on the edge of salvation as dark powers muster around her. Accompanied by his loyal apprentice, can Blackwood overcome his own suspicions and uncover the truth? Or will the truth force him to sacrifice more than he is willing to part with?
166 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2019
About the author
Clyde Davis
1 book12 followersThe aspiration to become a writer came at an early age for Clyde Davis. If you were to ask him why, to this day, he would attribute it to his parents and the diet of literature they offered him. Before he could comprehend the premise of such tales, Clyde spent his afternoons in his mother’s classroom and listened as she taught the likes of Shakespeare, Fitzgerald, Miller and Hemingway. These figures always fascinated him - men and women who were able to craft timeless bodies of work. Stories which would last forever. For him, this was a temptation he could not deny. Besides the grand stories from his mother’s classroom, Clyde’s father would read to him at night. Before sleep would take him, he would lie and listen to his father read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Romeo and Juliet, The Great Gatsby, the Misty Mountains and the mystery of the Elves - how could any young boy resist such magnificence. Unbeknownst to him, these would become the foundations of his own storytelling.
Through the years, Clyde has continued to develop his own appetites for literature - exploring both literary fiction and fantasy - and has found the attraction in both. As a writer, he swings between both genres, often looking for the point at which they meet. His writing combines the realism of fiction with the magical elements of fantasy, lending aspects from one genre to give a unique impression on the other. With this as his core principle, Clyde refuses to isolate himself to any specific genre. He enjoys inhabiting both worlds, and is a firm believer that a writer can move between realms, pursuing inspiration as it comes. According to Clyde, the process of creation is intrinsic to the human condition, no matter the complexity or form. Whether it’s a conversation or a novel, we are all born with the ability to tell tales and be creative. It is only in the way that it is told that makes us different.
Clyde’s works are eclectic and varied. As with anyone’s imagination, there are different dimensions, aspects and inspirations - and as a writer, Clyde strives to offer his readers tales from every corner of his creativity.
Through the years, Clyde has continued to develop his own appetites for literature - exploring both literary fiction and fantasy - and has found the attraction in both. As a writer, he swings between both genres, often looking for the point at which they meet. His writing combines the realism of fiction with the magical elements of fantasy, lending aspects from one genre to give a unique impression on the other. With this as his core principle, Clyde refuses to isolate himself to any specific genre. He enjoys inhabiting both worlds, and is a firm believer that a writer can move between realms, pursuing inspiration as it comes. According to Clyde, the process of creation is intrinsic to the human condition, no matter the complexity or form. Whether it’s a conversation or a novel, we are all born with the ability to tell tales and be creative. It is only in the way that it is told that makes us different.
Clyde’s works are eclectic and varied. As with anyone’s imagination, there are different dimensions, aspects and inspirations - and as a writer, Clyde strives to offer his readers tales from every corner of his creativity.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 10, 2019
Warning: possible light spoilers are throughout the review. I kept these to a minimum as much as possible, but wanted to make my points.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book. There’s a strong central story, interesting fully fleshed out characters, and the world is consistent and engaging, very noir as well as Edwardian, all pluses for me. These are the heart of the book. If a book is an enjoyable read and has no major detractors I give it four stars. Then if it has something done especially well, something extra, or unexpected, I give it five.
This book was a problem rating for me because the potential for having the extra, the background world especially is so memorable and the tone so dark and consistent it would raise the book to a five. I love the inquisitor, his mission, the views we get of him through others’ eyes, his character’s self-control, how he keeps himself above the mob.
Unfortunately, the detractors from the story are substantial. As hard as I tried to ignore these blemishes, and I will name four, they ended up being severe enough to get in the way of the story for me. The quickest and easiest to correct would be the approximately twenty typographical errors. Some are harmless, like this one 94% of the way into the book: “Golden eyes and wicked teeth leered at him as her long brown fingers reaching for him.” Others really take one out of the story, like this one 92% of the way in: “‘Fee,’ Blackwood cried, looking his apprentice and the witch.” Huh? Who’s looking? The apprentice? The witch? Does the sentence mean Blackwood is looking for, or is it at his apprentice and the witch? Probably at. And on the reading goes.
The second one would require a careful reading of the entire story by an editor, but could also be easily corrected as well, and that’s the run-on paragraphs. Many of the paragraphs go well past one kindle page and sometimes two. This may seem like a minor quibble, but it’s really not. Paragraph breaks are how a writer signals to his reader that there’s a slight shift in thought coming up. This alerts a reader, “Okay this topic’s done; now I need to get ready for a new one that’s still related, but different.” Not having this break is like listening to someone speaking who doesn’t pause between sentences. There are significant changes in thought mid-paragraph that come with no warning. It’s really disorienting, a constant force driving me out of the spell of the story, when I would really prefer to lose myself in it.
The above two issues, when I was a professional editor, I would have simply corrected. The next two are ones I would have had to go back to the author for and ask him to consider further. The first issue is that there’s no positive women in the story. In fact, there are only two positive characters at all, both men. They are the inquisitor, Blackwood, and his apprentice, Fee. My request/suggestion would be to make one of them, probably the apprentice, female. It doesn’t even require a name change. What that would do is add an element of sexual tension. The author can take that any number of places, all of which would be of interest and add spice. What is their relationship? Potentials for a relationship? How does the one feel about the other on a number of levels? Their relationship isn’t explored to any depth because most straight guys aren’t interested in getting into these questions. I just see not doing this as an opportunity missed. I mean, look how well having this dimension worked with Dr. Strange and Clea.
The second and more substantial issue I have with the story is that the first 23%, almost entire first quarter of the story, has no significant action. Blackwood gets on a train, re-reads a couple letters his apprentice wrote, gets off the train, and meets his apprentice in a village. That’s what happened in forty-some-odd pages summed up in one sentence. The rest is all background. In the second quarter, when things heat up and get real exciting, we’re thrust into the main conflict of the book.
Fiction, be it genre fiction, a Charles Dickens novel, or an R. L. Stine child’s book, thrives on conflict to drive the action. Dialogue is nice too. We get none for far too long in this book, and then when we finally do it’s the first round of the main show. My suggestion would be to send Blackwood out on a few minor jobs before he boards the train. Make him fight or have to beat something that shows us readers who he is and what he’s about without giving us all this background. It’s great that the author has thought all this background out for the character. But if it’s not needed to tell the story, and most of it isn’t, it should be kept a secret by the author. That way he can appear brilliant to us readers when he introduces it to us piecemeal as we needed it, and we come to realize that background was there all the time. What other surprise is this author not telling us about we would then wonder.
Basically, I think we need to be better hooked into the main action by having more scenes early on that show us who Blackwood is as a person and force for good, or the church he represents. Like, does he have a problem with his church at all, or his role in it?
Enough on where the book comes up short. Reading it is still a fun time and a great, suspenseful story. The descriptions all make sense and are even cinematic in scope. I can clearly picture in my mind’s eye everything the author writes—no easy feat for any writer. It’s mostly exciting action for all of the last three quarters.
I recommend the book to anyone who likes dark fantasy and/or horror. (It is not Weird Fiction in any sense of the genre, however. The writing and world depicted could not be more straightforward.) The villain was a worthy foe. I like and care about the two main characters. I’m intrigued enough about the world created that I really want to read the next Gotheim tale. I think the author can and will overcome the problems mentioned to write truly great material as he goes forward.
On the whole, I enjoyed this book. There’s a strong central story, interesting fully fleshed out characters, and the world is consistent and engaging, very noir as well as Edwardian, all pluses for me. These are the heart of the book. If a book is an enjoyable read and has no major detractors I give it four stars. Then if it has something done especially well, something extra, or unexpected, I give it five.
This book was a problem rating for me because the potential for having the extra, the background world especially is so memorable and the tone so dark and consistent it would raise the book to a five. I love the inquisitor, his mission, the views we get of him through others’ eyes, his character’s self-control, how he keeps himself above the mob.
Unfortunately, the detractors from the story are substantial. As hard as I tried to ignore these blemishes, and I will name four, they ended up being severe enough to get in the way of the story for me. The quickest and easiest to correct would be the approximately twenty typographical errors. Some are harmless, like this one 94% of the way into the book: “Golden eyes and wicked teeth leered at him as her long brown fingers reaching for him.” Others really take one out of the story, like this one 92% of the way in: “‘Fee,’ Blackwood cried, looking his apprentice and the witch.” Huh? Who’s looking? The apprentice? The witch? Does the sentence mean Blackwood is looking for, or is it at his apprentice and the witch? Probably at. And on the reading goes.
The second one would require a careful reading of the entire story by an editor, but could also be easily corrected as well, and that’s the run-on paragraphs. Many of the paragraphs go well past one kindle page and sometimes two. This may seem like a minor quibble, but it’s really not. Paragraph breaks are how a writer signals to his reader that there’s a slight shift in thought coming up. This alerts a reader, “Okay this topic’s done; now I need to get ready for a new one that’s still related, but different.” Not having this break is like listening to someone speaking who doesn’t pause between sentences. There are significant changes in thought mid-paragraph that come with no warning. It’s really disorienting, a constant force driving me out of the spell of the story, when I would really prefer to lose myself in it.
The above two issues, when I was a professional editor, I would have simply corrected. The next two are ones I would have had to go back to the author for and ask him to consider further. The first issue is that there’s no positive women in the story. In fact, there are only two positive characters at all, both men. They are the inquisitor, Blackwood, and his apprentice, Fee. My request/suggestion would be to make one of them, probably the apprentice, female. It doesn’t even require a name change. What that would do is add an element of sexual tension. The author can take that any number of places, all of which would be of interest and add spice. What is their relationship? Potentials for a relationship? How does the one feel about the other on a number of levels? Their relationship isn’t explored to any depth because most straight guys aren’t interested in getting into these questions. I just see not doing this as an opportunity missed. I mean, look how well having this dimension worked with Dr. Strange and Clea.
The second and more substantial issue I have with the story is that the first 23%, almost entire first quarter of the story, has no significant action. Blackwood gets on a train, re-reads a couple letters his apprentice wrote, gets off the train, and meets his apprentice in a village. That’s what happened in forty-some-odd pages summed up in one sentence. The rest is all background. In the second quarter, when things heat up and get real exciting, we’re thrust into the main conflict of the book.
Fiction, be it genre fiction, a Charles Dickens novel, or an R. L. Stine child’s book, thrives on conflict to drive the action. Dialogue is nice too. We get none for far too long in this book, and then when we finally do it’s the first round of the main show. My suggestion would be to send Blackwood out on a few minor jobs before he boards the train. Make him fight or have to beat something that shows us readers who he is and what he’s about without giving us all this background. It’s great that the author has thought all this background out for the character. But if it’s not needed to tell the story, and most of it isn’t, it should be kept a secret by the author. That way he can appear brilliant to us readers when he introduces it to us piecemeal as we needed it, and we come to realize that background was there all the time. What other surprise is this author not telling us about we would then wonder.
Basically, I think we need to be better hooked into the main action by having more scenes early on that show us who Blackwood is as a person and force for good, or the church he represents. Like, does he have a problem with his church at all, or his role in it?
Enough on where the book comes up short. Reading it is still a fun time and a great, suspenseful story. The descriptions all make sense and are even cinematic in scope. I can clearly picture in my mind’s eye everything the author writes—no easy feat for any writer. It’s mostly exciting action for all of the last three quarters.
I recommend the book to anyone who likes dark fantasy and/or horror. (It is not Weird Fiction in any sense of the genre, however. The writing and world depicted could not be more straightforward.) The villain was a worthy foe. I like and care about the two main characters. I’m intrigued enough about the world created that I really want to read the next Gotheim tale. I think the author can and will overcome the problems mentioned to write truly great material as he goes forward.
April 26, 2020
I won this book in a giveaway on Instagram, thank you.
This is a very gothic tale, lots of description which really puts the imaginary into your head. I wasn't a huge fan of this tale, it just didn't suck me in. I think maybe this isn't my type of genre, but I think someone who likes this genre would really like this tale.
This is a very gothic tale, lots of description which really puts the imaginary into your head. I wasn't a huge fan of this tale, it just didn't suck me in. I think maybe this isn't my type of genre, but I think someone who likes this genre would really like this tale.
February 16, 2020
So I read the sample from amazon and I truly liked it. I just wish that the sample could have been more bc it left me on a cliff hanger. I want to know more I will definitely be buying the novel so that I can read the whole novel.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews