I’ve been trying to decide when the best time to talk about this book is, and I think I’ve decided it’s now, because I’m tired of not talking about it.
Before I get into this review, you need to know something. Reader, I edited Windborn, so I am a bit biased in what I think about it. Keep that in mind. I truly love my job, and I truly want all of my authors to succeed. I like to shout about their books when they are coming out, so all of you can know how amazing they are, as well.
Windborn is Alex S. Bradshaw’s first book. I knew when I saw the few pages, I wanted in on this project. I am not hugely into Norse mythology, but every now and again, a Norse-inspired epic fantasy will come along that will just wow me. This was one such book. Once I saw the first few pages, I knew this one was something really special, and I’d do just about anything to get in on a project that looks this promising.
So, with a deal struck, Alex sent me the manuscript and I started working.
The first thing I noticed was the prose. Bradshaw has a way with writing that is descriptive with an edge of lyrical that I loved. The scenery came to life, but more, so did the emotions. In fact, that was one of my favorite parts of this book. It’s impossible to not feel. Edda is a character that is full of passion, and that passion can take many different forms throughout the book, but it is always there. You’ll ride her highs, and you’ll feel her lows. She’s not someone you sit back and enjoy from a distance. Edda is someone you experience. She got right in my blood and started haunting me. More real than real, she was an absolutely stunningly crafted character.
If you know anything about me, you’ll know that my favorite books are the ones that make me feel, and this book actually had me wiping away tears in a few parts. It isn’t often that a book I’m editing makes me cry, and when that happens, I tend to really savor the moment.
I have a speech I give the authors I work with a lot. Picture a big chasm. You have the writer on one side, and the reader on the other. The writer’s job is to build a bridge with their story, so somehow the two can meet in the middle. Sometimes, a truly special book will come along and the writer will build a bridge, and instead of meeting in the middle, the reader just walks over to the writer’s side of the chasm and camps there. Those are the special books. Those are the books that live, and breathe both on and off the page.
Those are the books like Windborn.
Edda is an interesting character with an unforgettable narrative voice, due, largely, to what she has to endure. Bradshaw takes you into the book on a high. Riding all of Edda’s hopes and dreams, feeling her burning love for her husband, and the promise in her future. Then, something happens, and all of that changes. In a blink, she loses literally everything. While she tries to make her way through her grief, you see her determination and feel her pain. Then, another tragedy strikes and she loses even more. She loses things she doesn’t even know she had. Everything changes, and Edda has to tap into a new, heretofore undiscovered well of strength.
From this point on (which is pretty early in the book), Edda’s story changes. Edda becomes Windborn, or a cursed warrior with supernatural abilities who is, essentially, a sort of slave. Determined to strike back at the people who cost her so much, she ends up embroiled in a struggle she never saw coming, with her own thirst for vengeance powering her. Again, you see Bradshaw’s power for prose, not just in description, but in Edda’s emotions, the constant tug-of-war she has with herself, her struggle to find her own reason to keep going in a world that no longer feels like her own, being a stranger in her own skin.
I seriously, seriously felt for Edda. Her story touched every part of me, and it was impossible to not feel torn apart as I read not only about her outer journey but her inner one as well. I think Bradshaw did an incredible job balancing the two, never skipping over one to highlight the other. In summation, this book is as much about the internal as the external, and I absolutely loved it for that.
There is a lot of action in Windborn, as you’d expect from a book based on a bunch of warriors. Some of it is unpredictable. I’m about 99% sure I cursed him eternally for some plot twists I didn’t see coming. There were some parts that were brutal and made me shrink back a bit. The ending is bittersweet and perfect for the story being told. Friends, the ending made me feel that burning deep inside, that sort of keening, hollow ache. Why? Because it was over, and I just wasn’t ready yet. I’m still not ready, truthfully. I want to go back and read this book for the first time all over again. I want to experience the highs and lows of Edda’s tale with eyes that have never seen it.
It’s the kind of book that amazed me so much, it took a long, long time for me to move past it. In fact, I edited this book months ago, and I still find myself thinking about it. Just the other day, I was cooking dinner and the random thought, “I wonder what Edda is doing right now” popped into my head. I mean, that’s how real this book was. I edited it, and I lived it, and I breathed it, and now that it’s over I’m still not quite okay with that.
In fact, Alex Bradshaw, I think you and I need to have a conversation, because I need more of this series, and I will do just about anything to be the person to edit it. I’m putting that out there in the world, because that’s, right now, what I want to get out of it.
This book is truly special, and I honestly cannot wait for all of you to experience the surreal, incredible, wild ride that is Windborn.
Windborn releases on April 28. Right now you can pre-order it for $.99. I suggest you do that, because it is important to support authors (pre-orders are how you hug an author without invading their personal space). It’s also important because this book truly is amazing, and I really want it to explode on the charts.
Alex Bradshaw is an author you need to watch.
Alex, I need to read the next book. Like, yesterday.
I wasn't sure what I was getting when I was handed this book. I know the writing duo well enough to know that whatever it was, it would involve blood,I wasn't sure what I was getting when I was handed this book. I know the writing duo well enough to know that whatever it was, it would involve blood, snark, and dark edges. I was not wrong.
However, what you should also know is that Clayton and Mike are two phenomenally talented authors, who, between them, have the ability to influence the genre. I told them when I handed this book back to them that I think they have a bestseller on their hands, and I am going to stand beside that.
This book is a sort of historical/fantasy/noir mashup. It will appeal to fans who don't mind scenes that make you go, "eeeeewwwww." However, it's a breakneck pace, and character that take unexpected turns along their story arcs. The world is stunningly well crafted, wherein the city itself almost becomes its own character. I had a whole lot of fun picking out the historical details and...
The magic system. Holy crap, the magic system. It. Is. Everything. Understated, yet incredibly powerful, the magic impacts the most personal part of you, and fundamentally changes you while doing so. The nice balance of positives and negatives, the strength of it... the different uses... it really, really blew me away. Hands down, one of my favorite magic systems I've come across in a very long time.
This book isn't releasing until May, so closer to the release date, I will foam at the mouth a bit about how good this book is over on my website. Until then, I suggest you pre-order. You can thank me later. ...more
I’ve edited… I don’t even know how many of Fletcher’s books I’ve edited by now. I think I’m on six? Maybe seven? I haven’t looked. Anyway, the point is, I edit for this guy. I edit a lot for this guy. I’m a bit invested in his career. You should know that before you continue reading.
The thing is, I’m pretty invested in Fletcher’s career regardless. The reason being, I don’t often come across an author who is this incredibly talented, and I always want talented authors to not only succeed, but thrive. Fletcher has this way with telling a story that just works for me. It’s like he wraps his fist around my heart and squeezes, squeezes, squeezes, and oh, it hurts, but it’s the kind of pain I love. He pushes me to understand just how far a person can push a story, and just how well unexpected elements can work together to create something completely new, and intensely captivating.
Fletcher isn’t really an author you want to read if you want comfortable. His books are anything but comfortable. Case and point, She Dreams in Blood. This is the second book in his The Obsidian Path series. You do need to read Black Stone Heart before you read this book. You won’t understand any of it if you don’t, and that would be a real shame because this book is really worth your time. Also, if you haven’t read Black Stone Heart yet, you need to. Do yourself a favor and just read it. You’ll be glad you did.
Honestly, I edit so many books and read so many more these days, it’s really hard to surprise me. I have a sort of gut sense about where a story will go, and the twists along the way, and 90% of the time, as I read/edit, I find my gut is right. This doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the book I’m editing/reading, but I am much harder to surprise these days.
She Dreams in Blood had me pretty shocked the entire time I was editing it. Reader, I was not prepared for this Lovecraftian horror-fantasy, nor was I prepared for the various twists along the way. The character I went into this book not trusting was the one I went out of it feeling extremely sorry for. The one I liked ended up being a repugnant skinbag. My entire worldview was flipped on its head. I mean that literally. In the space of one (*checks notes*) 358 page book, everything I thought I knew was wrong and I was left with an ending that had me messaging Fletcher with “OH MY GOD.”
Anyway, Fletcher is a great man with a fantastic sense of story but She Dreams in Blood took everything I thought I knew and mixed it up a bit, then threw in some Lovecraft for flavor and right when I thought stuff was settling I realized that absolutely nothing is what I thought it was, neither world nor people. This book just changed the game big time.
I don’t know what to expect next, and for someone who reads and edits as much as I do, that’s really the best compliment I can give any author. I genuinely do not have a clue. Fletcher’s next book in this series will drop next year, I’m guessing, and as I write this, I cannot even hazard a guess as to what will be in it. I genuinely don’t know.
Do you know the last time I’ve been able to say that? A long, long time. And oh, what a gift it is.
Black Stone Heart was good. As you can see from its SPFBO ratings, it’s really, really good and it is getting the praise it deserves.
She Dreams in Blood takes all the good parts of Black Stone Heart, and builds on them by orders of magnitude. I honestly was wondering if Fletcher could top his previous book, but he did. This one is incredible. Unpredictable. Horrifying, and, more than that, human. These struggles, changes, the journey to understand both oneself and one’s past, is so incredibly human. And maybe that’s why this book works so well. It’s somehow manages to stay true to its fantasy nature with larger than life characters and gods, magic, and mystery while the people at the heart of this tale are so shockingly, painfully human despite their larger-than-life natures.
This series is all about hearts. It is fitting that She Dreams in Blood never loses sight of what makes a heart beat.
Fletcher is a master craftsman. It is honestly the highlight of my editing career to work with him, to see his books unfold, and to see how well received they are. He has taught me a whole lot about writing. More than that, his books are, in my estimation, some of the best fantasy out there. She Dreams in Blood is a magnificent edition to this author’s portfolio.
I cannot wait for all of you to read it.
5/5 stars
P.S. I had this hunch for a while now that Fletcher has been leaving Easter eggs in his books about his entire body of work as a whole. I finally confronted him about it when I was editing this one. He confirmed my suspicions, said not many people are picking up on it (I think we both decided this is pretty awesome), and I just think that’s delightful. So I guess what I’m saying here is, look for Easter eggs and have your mind blown the way mine was. I think my direct quote once I figured it all out was, “Wait. WAIT. I just read this, didn’t I? I didn’t make this up?! This is SO COOL.”
I’m telling you people, this man is a mad scientist. He works on numerous levels. Not only is he an incredible wordsmith, but he tells stories no one else would dare to tell, and he masters them. Plus, there’s all this beneath the surface stuff too that adds layers and depth to everything. I don’t know what Fletcher’s brain must be like, but it’s got to be labyrinthian and incredible. I mean… just wow....more
Alec Hutson’s email seeing if I was available for an edit came through at the exact moment I was buying all his books off Amazon. Talk about timing.
I’m a big fan of Hutson. He has a knack for worldbuilding that I’ve always really admired, but it wasn’t until I was editing this book that I realized just how good at worldbuilding he really is. The Shadows of Dust continually blew my mind. I can absolutely say there is literally nothing else in the fantasy genre that is like this book, and that is the best possible compliment. In fact, I don’t even think this is fantasy. Or, it is, but it’s not. It’s not SciFi either. It’s its very own genre and boy howdy, do I feel some kinship with authors that create their own genres (*glares meaningfully at her own books*).
I’ve read a bajillion books, and I’ve never read another like this. Considering how much I read and how much I edit, that’s really saying something quite meaningful. Do not take that lightly.
And here’s the beauty of it. You can prepare yourself for different all you want, but I guarantee that you won’t prepare yourself enough for just how different and wonderful this book actually is. There’s just no girding yourself for what you’ll get in The Shadows of Dust. I mean, what genre does space surfing dudes on the backs of gigantic telepathic turtles and squid belong in? Have you ever heard of such a thing? Because I sure haven’t.
If that doesn’t sound awesome enough, you’ve got anthropomorphic characters here, space pirates, ancient magic and feuds that span eons, empires clashing, and so much more.
I mean, I don’t know what genre this book is, but it’s absolutely fantastic from bottom to top.
Kerin thon Talisien is an out-for himself mercenary who plies the stellar tributaries on the back of his gigantic, telepathically linked turtle, Drifter. Things happen, and he ends up with an unexpected companion who makes him question everything. Plus, now he’s the target of a lich (which, trust me, is as FREAKING AWESOME as that sounds. This lich became my book boyfriend. I professed my undying love of him in my editorial comments.). Together, they end up on a planet called Dust, while they attempt to regroup and learn about some ancient artifacts that have suddenly become bound up in their story. On Dust, everything kind of explodes. The book changes from being a story about a guy in this situation, and moves to being about a clash of empires, ancient civilizations, religion, ghosts, armies, and so much more.
I mean, this book is EPIC.
But more than that, what I loved so much here, was that Hutson didn’t really sacrifice anything for anything else. What I mean by this is, he didn’t sacrifice worldbuilding for characters, and he didn’t sacrifice characters for his magic system and the like. (And the fact that he managed all this without infodumps still blows my mind.) Every element was perfectly balanced, and due to this, the reader is left with this really interesting book that is both one of the most epic stories I’ve ever read, and also one of the most intimate. Kerin is a character that grows as the novel progresses, and I truly enjoyed seeing his more personal journey, the transformation of the relationships that are core to this book. The way his past impacts who he is in this novel, and who he ends up being by the novel’s end.
Furthermore, there are nuances to each of the characters, even the secondary ones, that I just dug. There is no laughing, maniacal evil guy here. Hutson does a great job at showing how each side feels justified in their aims, and while you will inevitably sympathize with some more than others, he does an amazing job at humanizing everyone’s stories, even those who seem a bit beyond humanization.
Hutson has a knack for plot and pacing. There’s never a moment in this book that drags. There were quite a few times when I was saying, “just one more chapter…” as I was editing and before I knew it, the entire day had slid right past me, and I still couldn’t pull myself away from the book. No, I’ll go even further. There were vast stretches of this book I got so completely absorbed in, I literally forgot to edit. So in all reality, I think I’ve probably read The Shadows of Dust at least three times due to that. I mean, this sucker starts going and it just does not quit until the end. And then… that ending! I was left reeling, and I instantly sent an email to Hutson, “Please, for the love of god, tell me THERE IS MORE.”
If you’ve read Hutson’s previous work, expect the same high quality, but that is just about where similarities end. There’s nothing about The Shadows of Dust that is like anything else on the market, and that’s only part of what makes it such a strong work. There’s vision here, scope, fantastic writing, a shocking amount of depth, and a relentless plot that grabs you by the throat and refuses to let go. The Shadows of Dust was one of the best books I have ever edited. It really knocked my socks off. I spent most of my time working on this book reeling, because the entire thing is just so POWERFULLY UNIQUE.
I am always looking for a book that is truly in a class of its own. I long for the stories that are different in just about every respect. Give me space mercinaries on flying telepathic turtles. Give me lich armies. Give me ancient magic and long, lost civilizations. Give me ghosts, and clashing empires on some oddball planet. Give me a plot that refuses to let go. Give me dynamic, nuanced characters.
Shelving this as a book I've edited while I've actually just proofread the re-release of this book. I'll write up a Thing about how great it is and puShelving this as a book I've edited while I've actually just proofread the re-release of this book. I'll write up a Thing about how great it is and put it on my website soon-ish....more
One of my favorite things about my job is seeing books evolve. JC Kang’s books were a bit different than my usual, because I wasn’t hired to edit them, but proofread them, so they were already pretty done when they made their way to my desk. Regardless, I was absolutely swept away by the story being told, and the way he told it. There are a lot of nuances in Songs of Insurrection that I really enjoyed immensely (I am such a sucker for details), and an attention to detail on the author’s part that not only intrigued me but left a path of subtle eggs for me to follow throughout the novel.
I love stuff like that.
Songs of Insurrection is a unique amalgamation of fantasy with enough recognizable real-world cultural elements to keep any reader intrigued. There are elves, dwarves, and dragons of numerous kinds mentioned in the book. While not given overly detailed descriptions (and thus, never bogged down the plot), there’s enough there for readers to be able to understand the role each has in this world. These fantasy elements, however, are set against a backdrop that truly fascinated me, and this is really where Kang’s vision truly shines.
His world building is nothing short of incredible. With an obviously Chinese-inspired setting, there are also enough other cultures drawn from real world influence that you will undoubtedly recognize (India, for example). Furthermore, as with the real world, nothing in this one is simple. Layers abound, as Kang deftly avoids keeping anything surface-simple. Cultures clash. People say bad things about other people. Stuff can get ugly, and while that sucks, it is REAL and I appreciated Kang’s unflinching desire to show how ugly things can be in both overt and subtle ways.
On the other hand, his world truly is beautiful, and there are quiet moments sprinkled throughout the book where you can truly see the author settling in to just appreciate the world and the characters he’s built. The relationships that form and evolve feel as realistic as the world they are set in. They aren’t easy, and there are conflicts and strife, misunderstandings and pain, but there are moments of intense beauty as well. I loved how Kang seemed to know exactly when to turn the screws, and when to back off and let the reader just enjoy the setting, and the characters in this extremely nuanced world of his.
There are enough mentions of other places, other lands, and a much wider world that makes this entire book feel like it’s just one small piece of the whole. There’s a whole lot of room for Kang to spread his wings and explore, and not just that, but I found it fascinating how he used conflict, and consequence in this book. As in, something happens over here, but it impacts these people over there too. Like dominoes, nothing is untouched, and like our world, it’s a large, large place full of diverse peoples and unique cultures and I am honestly eager to explore more of it.
The plot is relentless, and that’s another thing I enjoyed. While there are quiet moments, nothing in this book is wasted as it all comes barreling toward a magnificent ending. Kang has a way with building tension, but he also has managed to balance that with hope, and passion. This isn’t a book written using some formula. Kang put a lot of thought into not only the story, but how he tells it. He has a set of tools at his disposal, and, like a master craftsman, he knows exactly when and how to use which tool.
The characters in this book are young, and while that might make some readers thing YA fantasy, it’s really not. The themes here are fully adult, and some of the ways they are handled are as well. However, I actually thought the young age of the characters was a benefit to the story itself. As I’ve read further into this series, I’ve realized that one of the joys of it is growing right along with the young cast. They don’t stay young forever, and life twists them all up and changes them. A few years passes between this book and the next in the series, for example, and a lot of personal growth and development happens not just in the books, but between the characters themselves. I truly enjoyed that element of the story. We don’t just get to see the characters as they appear “now” but we get to grow with them as well. It gives the entire saga a level of intimacy that I just absolutely dug on every level.
One thing I really want to touch on involves the three main perspectives in this book, because I think what Kang did with them is genius. As in, each character sort of understands the world a completely different way than any other. Kaiya senses understand the world more through a soundscape, while Jie, for example, seems more keen on noticing smells than anything else. Then, you have Tian (who I just absolutely fell in love with) who was a sort of mix of both of those characters. While this might be a small detail people don’t notice unless they really think about it, the author did this on purpose, and he put a lot of thought into why and how to do this throughout his narrative. Honestly, I thought it was a superb way to draw on each character’s strengths. First of all, these three individuals are all so different, there’s no way to mix up their voices, or how they see the world. Secondly, the mixture of these perspectives actually weaves together a really dynamic, detailed understanding of not just what is happening, but the larger world as a whole. It is really rare that I come across three POV characters in a novel that are so completely different from each other but complement each other so well.
So, where does this leave us?
It should be pretty obvious that I loved this book. It’s a solid start to a very dynamic, fast moving, layered series. The characters are just as well-crafted as the world itself, and it’s a delight to grow and evolve with them as the series expands. Perhaps my favorite part of this book was the author’s passion, which infuses each and every page. He put so much thought into every aspect of this book, and I think it came together beautifully.
Excellent start to a fantastic series. Highly recommended. ...more
I edited this book, so you should know that first.
Dragon Mage was a delight in every possible respect. Spencer is a true master of her craft, with thI edited this book, so you should know that first.
Dragon Mage was a delight in every possible respect. Spencer is a true master of her craft, with the skills to keep plot, character development, and world building perfectly balanced. Dragon Mage is a book where the author's passion shines through on every page.
In a lot of ways, this book felt like a homage to the fantasy I fell in love with as a high schooler. The epic quest, the magic, the personal growth and development and DRAGONS are all there. However, Spencer adds her own twist to things, which keeps the book fresh and absolutely addictive.
I ultimately felt like this book was a love letter to fantasy, to all the things that made me fall in love with the genre all those years ago. Furthermore, bravo for having a neurodivergent protagonist. There aren't enough neurodivergent characters in fantasy. Aram is such a real, vivid, multifaceted character, it's impossible not to love him, and the story of his evolution through all the many trials he faces.
Dragon Mage progresses at a nice clip. While the book is long, it doesn't FEEL long and it left me with a book hangover, the likes of which I have not experienced in a long time. This is, hands down, one of the best books I've read in 2020. It made me fall in love with fantasy all over again.
I'll write a longer review/write up on my website closer to publication. All you need to know right now is THIS BOOK IS AMAZING and YOU REALLY NEED TO READ IT....more
I've read and edited a whole lot of books. I have said a lot recently that it's the books that veer from the path, the ones that are different and strI've read and edited a whole lot of books. I have said a lot recently that it's the books that veer from the path, the ones that are different and strange that catch my attention. Look, the truth is, I've read a billion books about princes, armies, wars, and women. I am honestly kind of exhausted by all of that. I mean, what good is fantasy if the author writing it doesn't dare to be different?
I can tell you, hands down, I've never read anything like this before. Some of the most interesting world building I've ever, ever come across. This fantastic, intoxicating mix of fantasy and science fiction that just worked for me on every level. It's like Short said, "Why should the sky be the limit? I'd rather own it."
It was really almost dizzying in scope, and mercilessly on point in execution.
Mix into this, a world populated by people that are obviously influenced by some of our real-world history, and a nice blend of what only Jordan Loyal Short can create, and you really have my attention.
The Weeping Sigil never stops. It has a relentless forward motion. It's painful, and its glorious, and there are twists and turns that I never saw coming. It made my heart pound and yes, there was even a tear or two. Jordan Loyal Dhort made me FEEL.
Basically, all you have to know is that this was one of the best things I've read all year, and it was an absolute honor to edit. If you're in the mood for something totally unique, something I *PROMISE* you have never seen before, you really need to check Jordan Loyal Short's books out. This guy is going places....more
I’ve tried to write this review a few times, and each time I just fail. There are a few reasons for this. First, I edited this book, so I’m pretty attached to it. I’ve got a personal connection that is hard for me to see around, and I have a hard time talking about stuff that I’m personally attached to like this. It isn’t easy. Secondly, I loved this book so much, I have had just a holy hell of a time distilling all the reasons it is so amazing.
As I’ve said, this book is one I’ve edited, and so this isn’t really a review. I am not coming here as an unbiased reader. I am very much biased, because I loved this book, I worked on it, and I want it to do well. Take that into consideration before you read on.
Cradle of Sea and Soil is one of those multilayered tapestries that just ticks off all my boxes. First, with have Colibrí and Narune, mother and son. The story is told from both of their perspectives, mother and son. Colibri is a single mother. Both her and her son are outcasts, exiles, lowly regarded for what they are—Halfborn. Humans with animal/plant traits. In Narune and Colibri, it manifests with ears and tails. In another character in the book, she grows flowers and etc. It’s really freaking cool. However, the fact that they are Halfborn makes them a danger. Things happened long, long ago that hang over everyone who is born this way, and so all Halfborn are reduced to a life of poverty and exile, if they are not forced to sacrifice their own halfborn children.
So, we’ve got social stratification going on, and lots and lots of deeply rooted prejudice that has been worked into the bedrock of the society that has been crafted for this book. Added into that is Narune’s coming-of-age story as he fights for his place in his world as a man, and to bring honor to his mother’s name. And then there is his mother, who is doing everything she can to keep everything, and everyone she loves protected as the world comes fraying apart at the edges. More about that later.
The relationship between Narune and his mother was probably one of my favorite parts of the book, purely because it’s just so incredibly rare that relationships between family members are examined in this way. Not a relationship where various parties are overwhelming and hard to deal with, but relationships where there is love, so strong and realistic that I could honestly feel it through the pages. And this expands out. Narune has two friends that he spends a lot of the book with, and the intimacy and emotional pull I felt there as well was just as vivid and real as everything else in the book. I honestly can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished I’ve read a book with realistic family and friend relationships, and how rarely I actually find that in fantasy, but here is one, and it’s kisses fingers magnifique.
The plot of the book circles around this idea of the Primordial Wound, basically a wound in the fabric of the world that births all sorts of unholy beasties and basically slowly kills the land. The war between the islanders and the primordial wound has been going on for ages upon ages, but now, they are losing. The leader of the islanders is trying to find outside help, but getting very little serious offers of aid, so largely they are isolated, alone, and fighting for the future of the world and, more immediately, their islands. There are battles fought, and they are so well realizes and well written, you’ll feel like you’re on the edge of your seat, living through them. The reason behind why things are happening the way they are came as a bit of a surprise to me, which is saying something because I’m pretty hard to surprise these days (I read too much).
There is a lot of action and intensity here, and since Bernie is playing on a few different levels, not all of it comes in the form of pitched battles and lots of wounds and sweating. No, a lot of the action happens on more personal levels, as well. There are misunderstandings, rifts in friendships, typical growing pains between a mother who wants to keep her son safe and young, and the son who wants to prove his adulthood for his mother and blaze his own trail. There’s also some really interesting, subtle magic (literally) that takes place between mother and child in the way of coercion, which can be used both for good, and almost as an abuse. And there’s ways friends can share memories by touching skin and whatnot. It all adds to a really multitextured tapestry that always has something going on, no matter what. Basically, the action isn’t always where you expect it to be.
I want to talk a bit about the world building, because this is a Caribbean styled world, written from someone who is from that region of the world. I absolutely love OwnVoices, and this book is absolutely that. Bernie has written a lot of what he knows into this book to create the world. I often found small details, like the coqui frogs that fill the book actually exist in the real world, and his uncle can’t fall asleep without hearing them, interesting because it’s just something that, no matter how much I read about a place, I never would have added. So, his personal experience with this region, his personal connection to it, really floods the book. Furthermore, he takes some inventive liberties and has filled his jungle paradise with some creatures that are just surreal and so awesome I wish I’d thought of them first, like plants that actually wander around hunting people, and wolves made out of moss. Tree lords, and root roads, and just so many cool things. I literally spent about 75% of this book just soaking in his genius because oh my god, this world building is incredible.
I also want to give a shoutout to the diversity. There is a lot of LGBTQ+ in this book, and it’s done in such a good way, from the m/m fathers mentioned, to the polyamorous relationships, and just about everything else. A lot of the time, people seem to try to make their books diverse in this way, and then they sort of hang up flashing lights and say, “Look at all my diverse characters” but this book isn’t like that. In this book, diversity exists because it exists, and no one blinks twice at it because it’s just part of the world in which they belong. I do have to admit, on a personal note, that I get tired of carrying the prejudices of our own world into secondary worlds, and while sometimes that needs to be done, I do always find it extremely refreshing when a character can have two dads and literally no one in the world says a word about it because it’s fine, normal, and not worth mentioning.
And then, as if there isn’t enough here that I’m praising, the prose is absolutely superb. Bernie has a way with knowing when to slip into poetry, which I love, and knowing when he needs to use his words like a hammer. He has real skill with knowing how to use words to set an atmosphere, and how to paint a picture that is so vivid his world and the people and events that transpire here breathe with their own air, and seem more real than the world around me.
Okay, so now that I’ve gone on quite an impressive tangent, I really want all of you to read this book. It’s full of action and adventure, part coming of age story, part stay true to yourself story. Mix in some OwnVoices, and some LGBTQ+ representation and we’ve got one of the best epic fantasy books I’ve read in a long, long, long time here. It deserves all the praise, and I really hope it does as well as I think it deserves to. ...more
I loved it, though. Fugazzotto has a knack with telling a story. I have a huge respect for novellas. It seemI edited this book, so I am a bit biased.
I loved it, though. Fugazzotto has a knack with telling a story. I have a huge respect for novellas. It seems incredible to me that some authors can pack so much world building, character development, and story into so few pages. When it's done well, it really nails me to the chair. Fugazzotto does this so well. The story is dark, and it evolves at a good pace. He's got a knack for subtly weaving in all these intense emotions, and unraveling a world that is hauntingly other, as he does so. This one kept me going, and when it was over, I was upset that he didn't have more books for me to edit right away.
Fantastic novella that's got a bit of a dark, horror bend, and a fantastic plot that left me misty-eyed and wanting more. ...more
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