Official Author Website
Order Empowered: Agent HERE

AUTHOR INFORMATION: Dale Ivan Smith lives in Oregon where he works for the public library system. He loves writing and reading fantasy and science fiction, and also enjoys watching fantasy and SF movies and TV shows. Two large tiger tabby cat brothers rule his house.

OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: The world says those with superpowers are either heroes or villains. But what if you're both? Mathilda Brandt isn't the angry, out-of-control teenager she was before she got out of jail. She's hungry for a chance at a normal life, but when a gang threatens her sisters, she has no choice but to use her illegal superpower to protect them. A secretive government agency gives her a choice: go back to prison for life, or infiltrate a notorious super-villain group in order to stop a psychotic Empowered. To save her city, her family, and herself, Mat must become the last thing she ever wanted to be again: a criminal.

CLASSIFICATION: Empowered is action-packed YA urban fantasy series with a healthy dose of superpowers and snarkiness.

FORMAT/INFO: Agent is 360 pages long divided over twenty numbered chapters. The narration is in the first person via Matthilda Brandt. This is the first volume of the Empowered series.

The book is available in e-book and paperback formats. It was self-published by the author. Cover art and design are by Yocla Design.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: As some of you already know, I was raised on a healthy, well-balanced diet of comic books and cartoon movies. I'm conditioned. I'm always eager to discover new stories about people with superpowers. The Fates (read - Mihir) wanted me to start my SPFBO judging adventure with a book about empowered human beings. I'm cool with that.

Agent focuses on Mat Brands (aka Vine), an angry young woman who wants nothing more than to take care of her family and lead a normal life. Not an easy task for the empowered. Even more complicated for empowered on parole. Despite her best efforts, she ends up with the choice to go back to prison or infiltrate a group of superpowered criminals.

Mat's superpowers aren't very impressive. She is classified as a Botanical Catalyst which is a fancy way of saying she can control plants. She can't stop hearing plants in her mind. She hears them sleep. She hears them suffer and feel when they need water. As someone who loves nature and walking barefoot, I think it's a fantastic power that can enhance the sense of unity with the world around us. On the other hand, speaking with plants and growing them, no matter how fast, isn't going to impress people wowed by real, kick-ass superpowers.

That's one of the reasons why Mat turned rogue in her youth. She was too lame to join the Hero Council and too different to socialise with regular people. Her desire to belong somewhere lead her to join The Renegades - a group of innocuous villains.

Yes, we've all seen it before in YA novels. An alienated and angsty teenager with few aces up her sleeve turns rogue but remains good at heart. It's not new, but it's done well. Mat is headstrong, snarky, and fearless. I enjoyed discovering the world through her eyes, although at times I felt irritated by her explosive behaviour. Behaviour that gets her into a lot of troubles.

The first-person narrative is tricky. The reader becomes aware of the events and characters of the story through the narrator's views and knowledge. First-person POV is an imperfect witness by definition, unable to fully see and comprehend events in their entirety as they unfurl. It can make the story engaging or boring. I liked Mat's voice, but I'm afraid many potential readers may dislike her because of her sometimes immature behaviour.

Secondary characters are somewhat one-dimensional. We have a good and a bad cop (who's actually good), loving grandmother, troubled siblings, insta-hate between female team members that soon turns into friendship, and psychotic villain. All of them feel underdeveloped and slightly flat.

Mat's siblings and their behaviour is unbelievable (especially sudden change of hearts). Mat's and Keisha insta-hate resulting in name calling grew old very fast and made for an unpleasant eye-rolling experience. Women in fiction need to stop calling each other bitches, especially if it's done million times.

The main villain, Mutter, should be terrifying. Instead, he's ridiculous. His powers are funky and dangerous; I'll give you that. Unfortunately, he's a one-dimensional bad guy who gets high on messing with people's head or pulling the wings off a fly. Call him Mr Psycho. Near the end of the book, Miss Co-Psycho joins Mr Psycho to wreak some havoc and increase the sense of danger. Very surprising. I'm still shocked.

The plot is easily accessible and easy to follow, if slightly predictable. The outcome was easy to guess from the beginning. Some clever twists and turns made up for it, though and allowed me to entertain a certain level of doubt. I saw the ending. I wasn't shocked, but I was entertained. And it's a good thing.

The writing is simple, neat and well edited. It serves the story and never gets in the way. There were two or three similes that feel a bit over the top in a juvenile way, like this one:

I felt my anger inside me, like a volcano about to explode

Overall, though, the writing is good and easy to follow. Superpowers are the heart of any superhero story. I'm satisfied with Smith's ideas and their displays. Mat's powers shouldn't be underestimated. Give her some vines and trees, and prepare for the mayhem. There's a speedster who wasn't fast enough, a gal controlling metal and a guy controlling air currents. These powers aren't new, but I enjoyed them anyway. Well done.

CONCLUSION: In the end, I liked this book. It's not perfect. It has some flaws, weak characterization being the main one. On the other hand, the story engaged and entertained me. I felt motivated to turn the pages, even when what I saw in my mind's eye was silly. The pacing is excellent, and some action scenes impressed me with vivid imagery. So, despite numerous eye-rolling moments, I plan to continue with the series. It's a great palate cleanser.

Additionally, take into account I'm slowly but inevitably rolling towards my forties. I'm pretty sure that younger audience will be able to identify with Mat in a more intimate way than I.

Official Author Website

Order Detonation Boulevard HERE

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AUTHOR INFORMATION: Craig Schaefer was born in Chicago and wanted to be a writer since a very young age. His writing was inspired by Elmore Leonard, Richard Stark, Clive Barker & H. P. Lovecraft. After reaching his 40th birthday he decided to give in to his passion and since then has released twelve novels in the last three years. He currently lives in North Carolina and loves visiting museums and libraries for inspiration. 



OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: When NYPD detective Marie Reinhart met Nessa Roth, a Manhattan socialite and dabbler in the occult, sparks flew. Then came the gunfire. Nessa and Marie are the Witch and her Knight, characters from a fairy tale brought to life and trapped in an endless curse: to meet, fall in love, and be torn from each other’s arms by violent death, again and again for all eternity. Now they have one slim chance to escape their doom. It lies in Wisdom’s Grave, the resting-place of the first witch who ever lived, and the wellspring of magic.

To find it, they’ll have to cross over two thousand miles of hostile territory from New York to Las Vegas, pursued by the law, the criminal underworld, and a cult of demonic bounty hunters. Their enemies have political power and an army of ruthless assassins. They have a book of black magic, a Cadillac, and a gun.

The American heartland is about to become a war zone. And as portals to other worlds tear open, showing the way to secrets buried since the dawn of time, Nessa and Marie prepare to make their final stand.

FORMAT/INFO: Detonation Boulevard is 396 pages long divided over fifty-three chapters with a prologue, & three interludes (spread out over two acts). Narration is in the third-person, via Nessa Fieri, Marie Reinhart, Carolyn Saunders, Daniel Faust, Harmony Black, Scottie Pierce, Dr. Savannah Cross, Tony Fisher, Monique, Hedy,  and a few others . This is the second volume of the Wisdom's Grave trilogy.

August 14, 2018 marked the North American e-book publication of Detonation Boulevard and it was self-published by the author. Cover art and design is by James T. Egan of Bookfly Design. 


OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Detonation Boulevard is a sequel that I’ve been wanting to read the moment I finished Sworn To The Night in January of this year. Sworn To The Night was the start of the culmination trilogy that focused on all of Craig Schaefer’s previous works (the Daniel Faust series, the Harmony Black series and the Revanche cycle). It’s safe to say Detonation Boulevard had to exceed (my) very high expectations, avoid the middle book syndrome and up the ante even more. For me to discuss things about this book even in the slightest will be spoilerific for the first book so bear that in mind. For those who don’t mind it, read ahead to know more

As with the first book, we are presented with two timelines. The first wherein Carolyn Saunders has been captured and interrogated by persons unknown and made to recount the modern day story of the Witch and The Knight. The second one focuses on Marie Reinhart and Nessa Fieri as they try to escape the clutches of the law, the chains of hellish bounty hunters, and also the machinations of the Universal Story. As with the preceding title, we are presented with a story wherein the tension is high strung throughout the entire plot and the pace is even better than its predecessor.

Since the characters of both Nessa and Marie are already established, the author is able to really let loose with the story in this one. Both Nessa and Marie are now fully aware of who they are and what they are. They are also on the run from the events of New York City which saw Nessa’s husband and his compatriots fall to their own rituals. Nessa and Marie don’t necessarily have a plan but what they do have is a destination of sorts. Unable to pick up any essential items from their homes, they have some cash and some specialized things that Nessa needs for her witchcraft. Focusing on finding Wisdom’s Grave, they soon learn that Carolyn Saunders can be of some help and drive off to Illinois to find her. Amidst the way they will learn more about the Universal Story, the existence and location of the Bast club in Chicago and hopefully a reunion with a daughter. All in all the story becomes pretty wild and the pace is set to match the best thrillers ever written.

I finished this book in less than a day, and I can honestly say this was one of those reads that I didn’t want to put it down until I reached the last page. This book is a crazy mix of references to the previous stories set within the same world as well as other worlds. It talks about the nature of things, people and why they possibly do the things that they do. Also the plot is an ingenious mix of interdimensional adventure, amazing character interactions and action sequences that will keep readers riveted.

For me the main reasons for why this book jived with me so much are:
- The amazingly, crazy plot that makes sense while being so twisted
- A mind-bending mix of Lovecraftian and aquatic horror that I’ll will never be able to forget
- A return to the world of the Revanche Cycle which I thoroughly enjoyed

Let’s start with the plot, when it comes to any Craig Schaefer book. I’ve come to expect grand plot designs and twists that will keep me guessing all the way till the end. The Wisdom’s Grave trilogy being the culmination saga that it’s meant to be, it takes all of the author’s skills to plan and then successfully portray it all. The plot of this book is really hard to describe without spoilers but the best blurb I can come up with is "Lost meets Thelma & Louise meets Fringe".

Craig Scahefer is also known to readers for his horror touches across all of his books (so far) and here he produces something that manages to combine Lovecraft and aquatic terror in the most unnerving way possible. Seriously if you are afflicted by Thalassophobia or were simply scared by Jaws, then be ready to get your wits blown by what Craig Schaefer unleashes. The action sequences are also amped accordingly and while there’s no all-out action, it’s solidly interspersed within the story.

The author has only so much room to get the story on the read and he does it with aplomb. Along the way, there’s some kinky romance, plenty of action and a lot of cameos by characters who will be known to Craig Schaefer fans. The story keeps on upping the ante and we also get a pseudo-sequel to the events of the Revanche cycle in this book. Best part about it, we get to see what that world is like afterwards and also meet a few characters who we last saw in the epilogue of Queen Of The Night.

The characters as ever are truly what make this book shine. Previously it was Nessa and Marie and in this book too, they are at the fore but the beauty is in the side character cast. Daniel Faust makes up a wonderful extended cameo as he’s once again tasked by the Mourner of The Red Rocks to help the cross-fated lovers. Faust is entirely hilarious and makes some subtle references to events in his previous series which are endearing and quirky at the same time. Seriously if I hadn’t read all of the Daniel Faust books, I would be hunting them down pronto as such is understated quirky awesomeness of Faust’s appearance. There’s another character (who shall remain unnamed) that makes a triumphant return and as such that person was one of my favourite non-POV characters and it’s a true joy to reunited with them after so long.

The world setting are expanded beyond belief as we get some crazy reveals and which unsurprisingly just lead to more questions. But the author has assured us that all will be answered in the final volume of the trilogy, In The Fire and I can’t wait to read it. The multiverse concept has been teased throughout all of Scahefer’s books and it’s in this volume that he really unloads on that phenomenon. Fans of DC comics will definitely find some fun parallels but the credit to Schaefer for not letting it go haywire. Lastly the prologue and interludes are very meta and it was fun to see that unfold.

Going on to the negatives of this book, I feel that the author managed to improve on the two pitfalls of Sworn To The Night, namely the slowburn pace and then end twist which seemed to be rehashed from another book of his. In this book he successfully negates both of those drawbacks by streamlined pace throughout as well as exploring & consolidating that climatic twist.  The only thing I can choose to fault this book for, is the absence of the Enemy. I find it hard to believe that in a tale wherein the Story is the main plot element, the Enemy wouldn’t be meddling or be featured at all. Again this is a very personal observation with regards to this title and for many, this might not be a point to consider. Lastly for those who hate cliffhangers, the story ends on some big ones so there’s that to contend with.

CONCLUSION: Detonation Boulevard is a book that is incredible and better in almost every way to its preceding title. Craig Schaefer is on the verge of unveiling his zaniest story yet and Detonation Boulevard only proves that Schaefer is a talent unlike any other in the urban fantasy sub-genre. You should be reading the Wisdom’s Grave trilogy if you haven’t so far. This trilogy has all the hallmarks of a classic genre-bending fantasy story and the author is doing his hardest to make sure all the readers feel that way.

Official Author Website
Order By Raven's Call HERE

AUTHOR INFORMATION: J. A. Devenport was forged from the wilds of Alaska, a true cross between polar bear and man. After obtaining an education from BYU, Devenport began the long journey of making a career from writing. He now resides in Utah where he writes, works out, and chills with his two cats Buddy, and Lulu.

FORMAT/INFO: By Raven’s Call is 391 pages long divided over thirty five numbered chapters preceded by a prologue and followed by an epilogue . The narration is in the third person. There are few important POVs. This is the first volume of the Blackwing Cycle series.

The book is available in e-book and paperback formats. It was self-published by the author. Cover art and design are DIY.

CLASSIFICATION: By Raven’s Call is a plot-driven dark epic fantasy book with imaginative and immersive world-building.

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Raven is an unstoppable killing machine. He's more of a weapon than a human being. Rumour has it that he killed thousands of people, including the old king. Unfortunately, the new one is even worse. To put it mildly, the tyrant king is a despicable and greedy individual who doesn't care about the kingdom or its people.

The Uprising lead by a mysterious leader works to overthrow the ruler. It seems The Raven may be involved, but it's tricky to be sure when no one knows who The Raven is and if he exists at all.

As it's a plot-driven story with multiple narrative twists and turns, I won't get into more details. Suffice to say it gets better, deeper and more surprising the further we go. By Raven's Call's pacing is brisk, and it takes place in a fascinating world riddled with mysteries. The world-building is impressive and deep.

The setting starts out routine enough, but soon magic (sort of), airships, flying machines, drugs enhancing strength make their appearance. The story takes more than a few unexpected turns. Things explode. Stoned warriors jump from the airships. Characters aren't who they seem to be.

Well, yes. We've seen it before. But here it's done very well. I enjoyed the inclusion of alchemically powered airships a lot. They're powered by three god-metals (each with different properties, thanks to them airships can levitate, navigate and generate light). It turns out there may be one more, a much more sinister ingredient necessary to fuel King's fleet.

If only killing the bastard was easy. But it's not. He's guarded by a powerful Spirit Dancer - Valora. Spirit Dancers summon the spirits called aenmai who give them preternatural skills (ungodly strength, almost Flash-like speed, control over the matter and many others; each aenmai shares a unique set of skills with a human it bonded with).

Regular people can increase their chances of survival by using augments - potions like aceta or ciraj that can reduce fear and make impossible feats (like single-handedly devastating a garrison of trained soldiers) possible.

And that's just a start. I'm thoroughly impressed by the rich world-building and parts of aenmai mythos introduced in this novel. They give plenty of exciting possibilities for future developments.

Both plot and world-building are intriguing and enjoyable. What about characters?

And therein lies the rub.

To be fair, I reread parts of the book. My opinion didn't change. Characters are... decent. And I prefer them spectacular. Sure, each of them has a backstory and some distinct defining traits, but they don't feel fully fleshed out. There's a bear of a man wanting nothing more than to find his daughter, a woman who changes from prey to predator, a mysterious assassin hearing voices in his head. They're enjoyable, but none of them really stayed with me after I finished the book.

While it was entertaining to read slow-motion action-scenes involving The Raven, his statements like “I’m a weapon, I’m hardly safe” grow old fast. Yes, he's not in control of himself. He's ruled by Raven's voices in his head, and it's a fascinating concept. On the other hand, his internalizations and ramblings that he can't love or be loved are tiring and make me think about B-grade action movies of the 80s. He's a character with great potential but somehow remains unmemorable as a person I could relate to.

The same is true for others. Their motivations are believable, but somewhere along the line, they start to be defined by the need for revenge, berserk rage, blind devotion and stuff.

My other issue with the book is its cinematic panache. On the one hand, it's fantastic as the scenes are explosive, strong and easy to visualise. On the other hand, when you think about them they're over the top:

Uncertainty and awe crossed the man’s face as he felt the sheer weight of power emanating from her. Valora raised her arms, and the man turned and fled. With one leap he was twenty feet away, dust swirling into the air from the force of his passage. He ran, twice as fast as a normal man, leaving curling spirals of smoke in his wake, diving over the burning remains of buildings and flipping in the air before landing on his feet and sprinting onward.

I think it's a great action scene. It contains plenty of embellishments, though. There's also one crucial and dramatic scene in which loyal royalists/mercenaries turn into insurgents seconds after witnessing the King cruelty. I'm not saying it wouldn't happen. I just don't think it would happen that fast and that unequivocally. To be fair, though, it reads very well.

CONCLUSION: While not fully satisfying in certain regards, rough with its characterisation, there is a sound concept, and enough plot hooks to keep readers flipping the pages with growing excitement.

Fresh and unique world-building deserves high praise. I'll definitely read the sequel.

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Read A Game of ̶T̶h̶r̶o̶n̶e̶s̶ Death by Rob J. Hayes (guest post)

Q] Welcome back Rob and thank you for your time. How has your launch for City Of Kings been? 

RJH: Thanks for having me again. The launch has been somewhat stressful (as all launches are), but it's going really well. Books have been sold and are being read, so I generally consider that a win.

Q] Since your SPFBO win, you have had an SF release and now this book which is a tie-in to your debut saga. How has the reader feedback been for both those releases?

RJH: Extremely positive. I'll admit I was a little worried about both releases. DRONES is a huge departure from my normal stuff for a number of reasons. It's sci-fi, it's spec fic, it's all written in 1st person present tense (which is a nightmare to write in), so it was a daunting release. Luckily most people have really taken to it.

 For City Of Kings, it's again a little different as it's my first standalone set in the world of First Earth, and it deals with some quite dark themes. Again, most readers seem to be digging the brutality of it.

I'm still waiting for the 1 stars though, I'm sure they're coming.

Q] With Drones being your SF genre debut, it was an interesting read and a different read from your usual fantasy fare. What lead you to write a SF-thriller dealing with harvesting and packaging of human emotions?

RJH: I just had the concept idea rolling around in my head, this ability to harvest and sell emotions in a way that drains the memory of all emotional connection and then passes the pure emotion on to the buyer. At the time of coming up with it I had no setting or story surrounding it. It took me a good six months to decide it would work best in a science fiction future sort of like Total Recall or Bladerunner. I do love a good cyperpunk future setting. The real headache was that I decided it should be written in 1st person present tense... never again. It took me about a year of editing to get rid of all the past tense inconsistencies.

Q] Let’s talk about CITY OF KINGS. It’s your first standalone fantasy book and also a proper sequel to some of the events and characters of your first trilogy (especially The Colour Of Vengeance) and the your short story Pre-Emptive Vengeance. What lead to its inception?

RJH: It was pretty much always there. I went into my fantasy saga of First Earth with a plan, a 12 book plan. That plan turned out to be quite fluid. Some stories have grown from nothing, demanding to be written, others have sunk into the murky waters of just not working out. But the 12 book plan remains intact with a number of key points that have to happen along the way. City Of Kings is the midway point, as the sixth book in the saga, and it's an important one. It introduces a couple of key pieces of information that will become very relevant later on in the saga, and introduces a new character.

Q] As a sequel to The Colour Of Vengeance, all of the POV characters except Rose had been POV characters in The Colour Of Vengeance. What was the impetus for Rose to get her own POV in this book?

RJH: It's her book. Rose is the driving force behind everything that happens in City Of Kings. She has a vision for the Wilds that she is determined to bring about, no matter how much a monster it makes her. And she's fully aware that she's running out of time to make it happen. It would have been a crime for me to write it without Rose's point of view.

Q] Anders is the only other person besides Henry who has appeared in all of your First Earth books. However he knows much, more about what's happening than Henry has any idea about. Would you say that's a fair approximation? Will the latter books reveal all of Anders' mysteries?

RJH: Yes. :D

Q] Chronologically it’s set alongside the Best Laid Plans duology and I believe CITY OF KINGS runs parallel the events of THE FIFTH EMPIRE OF MAN. Was that an intentional move? Another trilogy of sorts by combining a duology and a standalone?

RJH: Not really. Believe it or not, the timing of everything that happens is because of one particular character. I pay a lot of attention to where my characters are at what time, and I try my best to keep a consistent timeline running. So it really all boils down to City Of Kings had to happen when it happened because of Anders. It's all his fault, and most of my characters agree.

Q] From our talks before you have mentioned that the next book and trilogy will be skipping a few years (after the events of City Of Kings & the Best Laid Plans duology) and will be set in Acanthia. Can you tell us more about it?

RJH: Yes. There is actually roughly a fifteen year time skip between City Of Kings and the next series. I can't give away too much right now, but I will say that the series will reveal a lot more about First Earth's secondary race, the Drurr, and how they fit into the larger plot of the saga. The series will also tell readers more about the rise of necromancy as an ongoing threat.

Q] You currently have a quite a few short stories set at different timepoints and places in the First Earth World whilst featuring many different characters. Which short stor(y)ies will be tying in to the new trilogy?

RJH: There's already a couple. There's two short stories in The Bound Folio called, The Merchant of Truridge and By My Life and Bloodline, both of which feature characters who feature strongly in the next series. There might be a few more shorts on the way as well, but I can't say for certain. Too much of my time is being taken up with writing full length novels at the moment.

Q] I never have asked you about this, but the grand title of your saga is the First Earth. What does it mean and why did you choose to call it as such?

RJH: Well if there's a First Earth, it would suggest there might be a Second Earth... and maybe a Third and Fourth Earth as well.

Q] What’s next on the horizon for you? Are you writing a sequel to one of your earlier works or will you be releasing something brand new?

RJH: My next release is a book called NEVER DIE, and it's a standalone fantasy book set in its very own world. I've taken a lot of inspiration from eastern martial art films and anime with it. It follows a young boy called Ein who is given a quest by a shinigami (god of death) to kill the emperor. To do this, Ein is given the power to bring heroes back to life to fight for him. The only problem is, to bring them back to life and bind them to his cause, first those heroes have to die. NEVER DIE will be releasing early next year.

And beyond that my next project is a trilogy set in a new world where magic is granted to Sourcerers by swallowing crystals. It's a bit more high fantasy than I've written before with a few other races, and lots of big magic, and it's another one I've written in first person from the perspective of young woman called Eska. Book 1, Along the Razor's Edge, will be releasing next year (this is the first time I've revealed that), with books 2 and 3 following the year after.

Q] Never Die sounds amazing and I'm sure your fans will love to hear more about it. The other trilogy you reference sounds even cooler, will this be your turn to dabble in the YA genre?

RJH: Apparently so. I certainly didn't intend it to be YA when I started it, and in my mind it isn't, but some of my early readers have said it has YA elements to it. I've also been told it's what would happen if you put Faithless and Red Sister in a blender. I'm not sure I agree with either statements personally.

Q] Thank you for your time and answers, I’ll look forward to Never Die when it releases next year. In parting, it there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

RJH: Just to say thank you for reading. I love sharing stories with people, and I couldn't do that without readers. You are all awesome!

Official Author Website
Order Circe OVER HERE

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS:  Men, can’t live with ‘em, can’t turn ‘em all into swine.

What do you mean turn them into swine? From her earliest application of her new found transformative skills it is suggested that what Circe turns her unfortunate guests into has more to do with their innermost nature than Circe’s selection of a target form. (The strength of those flowers lay in their sap, which could transform any creature to its truest self.) Clearly her sty residents had an oinky predisposition. And I am sure that there are many who had started the transformation long before landing on her island.

Whaddya call the large sty Circe filled with erstwhile men? A good start.

Ok. You had to know this would be part of the deal for this review. So, now that I have gotten it out of my system, (it is out, right?) we can proceed.

When I was born, the name for what I was did not exist. It was a word that Barbara Bush might have had in mind when she described Geraldine Ferraro, her husband’s opponent for the Vice Presidency, in 1984. “"I can't say it, but it rhymes with 'rich,'" she said, later insisting that the word in question did not begin with a “b,” but a “w.” Sure, whatever. But in this case, I suppose both might apply. Circe is indeed the first witch in western literature. And many a sailing crew might have had unkind things to say about her.

Our primary introduction to Circe (which we pronounce as Sir-Sea, and even Miller goes along with this, so people don’t throw things at her. But for how it might be pronounced in Greek, you know, the proper way, you might check out this link. Put that down, there will be no throwing of things in this review!) was that wondrous classic of Western literature, The Odyssey. Given how many times this and its companion volume, The Iliad, have been reworked through the ages, it is no surprise that there have been many variations on the stories they told. Circe’s story has seen its share of re-imaginings as well. But Miller tries to stick fairly close to the Homeric version. Be warned, though, some license was taken, and other sources inspired the work as well. But it is from Homer that we get the primary association we have with her name, the magical transmutation of men into pigs.

We follow the life of our Ur-witch from birth to whatever. She did not start out with much by way of godly powers. Her mother, Perse, daughter of the sea-god Oceanos, was a nymph, and her father was Helios, the sun god. Despite the lofty position of Pop’s place in things, Circe was just a nymph, on the low end of the godly powers scale. This did not help in the family to which she had been born. Not one of her parents’ favorites, she was blessed with neither power nor beauty, had a very ungod-like human-level voice, and her sibs were not exactly the nicest. Kinda tough to keep up when daddy is the actual bloody sun.

Years pass, and one day she comes across a mortal fisherman. He seems pretty nice, someone she can talk to. She’d like to take it to the next stage, so she lays low, listens in on family gatherings, and picks up intel on substances that might be used to effect powerful and advantageous changes. She asks her grandmother, Tethys, (wife AND SISTER to Oceanos) to transform him into a god for her, but Granny throws her out, alarmed when her granddaughter mentions this pharmakos stuff she had been looking into. Left to her own devices she tries this out on her bf, making him into his truest self. It does not end the way she’d hoped. (Pearls before you-know-what.) Not the last bad experience she would have with a man.

Her relationships with men are actually not all bad. Daddy is singularly unfeeling, and can be pretty dim for such a bright bulb, and her brothers are far less than wonderful, but there is some good in her sibling connections as well. She has a warm interaction with a titan, Prometheus, which is a net positive. Later, she has an interesting relationship with Hermes, who is not to be trusted, but who offers some helpful guidance. And then there are the mortals, Daedalus (the master artist, the Michelangelo, the Leonardo da Vinci of his era), Jason, of Argonaut fame, Odysseus, who you may have heard of, and more. There were dark encounters as well, and thus the whole turning-men-into-pigs thing.

Miller has had a passion for the classics since she was eight, when her mother read her the Iliad and began taking her to Egyptian and Greek exhibits at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. It made her a nerdy classmate but was a boon when she got to college and was able to find peers who shared her love of the ancient tales. It was this passion that led her to write her first novel, The Song of Achilles, a reimagining of Achilles relationship with his lover, Patroclus, a delight of a book, a Times bestseller, and winner of the Orange prize. It took her ten years to write her first novel, about seven for this one and the gestation period for number three remains to be seen. She is weighing whether to base it on Shakespeare’s The Tempest or Virgil’s Aeneid. If past is portent, it will be the latter, and should be ready by about 2025.

The central, driving force in the story is Circe becoming her fullest possible self. (I suppose one might say she made a silk purse from a sow’s ear. I wouldn’t, but some might.)

This is the story of a woman finding her power and, as part of that, finding her voice. She starts out really unable to say what she thinks and by the end of the book, she’s able to live life on her terms and say what she thinks and what she feels. - from the Bookriot interview

Most gods are awful sorts, vain, selfish, greedy, careless of the harm they do to others. Circe actually has better inclinations. For instance, when Prometheus is being tortured by the titans for the crime of giving fire to humans, Circe alone is kind to him, bringing him nectar, and talking with him when no one else offers him anything but anger and scorn. She is curious about mortals, and asks him about them, going so far as to cut herself to experience a bit of humanity.

Livestock comes in for some attention outside the sty. Turns out Circe’s father has a thing for a well-turned fetlock, so maybe she comes by her affinity for animals of all sorts, albeit in a very different way, quite naturally. Her island is rich with diverse fauna, including some close companions most of us would flee. An early version of Doctor Doolittle?

Scholars have debated whether Circe’s pet lions are supposed to be transformed men, or merely tamed beasts. In my novel, I chose to make them actual animals, because I wanted to honor Circe’s connection to Eastern and Anatolian goddesses like Cybele. Such goddesses also had power over fierce animals, and are known by the title Potnia Theron, Mistress of the Beasts.  - from the author's photo essay

Not be confused with The Beastmaster!

While she has her darker side (she does change her nymph love-rival Scylla into a beast of epic proportions, which gets her sent to her room, or in this case, island, and there is that pig thing again) she is also a welcoming hostess on her isle of exile, Aiaia. (Which sounds to me like the palindromic beginning of a lament, Aiaiaiaiaiaiaia, which might feel a bit more familiar with a minor transformation, to oy-oy-oy-oy-oy-oy-oy-oy). I mean, she runs a pretty nifty BnB, with free-roaming wild animals, of both the barnyard and terrifying sort, a steady flow of wayward nymphs sent there by desperate parents in hopes that Circe might transform them into less troublesome progeny, a table with a seemingly bottomless supply of food and drink. And she is more than willing to offer special services to world-class mortals, among others. I mean, after that little misunderstanding with Odysseus about his men, (Pigs? What pigs? What could you possibly mean? Oh, you mean those pigs. Oopsy. How careless of me.) she not only invites everyone to stay for a prolonged vacay, but shacks up with the peripatetic one, offers him instructions on reaching the underworld, suggests ways to get past Scylla and Charybdis, and probably packs bag lunches for him and his crew. She is not all bad.

Circe struggles with the mortals-vs-immortals tension. Her mortal voice makes her less frightening to the short-lived ones, allowing her to establish actual relationships with them that a more boombox-voice-level deity might not be able to manage. Of course, it is still quite limiting that even the youngest of her mortal love interests would wither and die while she remained the same age pretty much forever. Knowing that you will see any man you love die is a definite limiting factor. Yet, she manages. She certainly recognizes what a psycho crew the immortals are, even her immediate family, and respects that mortals who gain fame do so by the sweat of their brow or extreme cunning, (even if it is to dark purpose) not their questionable godly DNA. Reinforcing this is her front row seat to the real-housewives tension between the erstwhile global rulers, the Titans, and the relatively new champions of everything there is, the Olympians. I mean, perpetual torture, thunderbolts, ongoing seditious plots, the nurturing of monsters, wholesale slaughter of mortals? She knows a thing or two, because she’s seen a thing or two.

My thoughts about [Circe as caregiver] really start with the gods, who in Greek myth are horrendous creatures. Selfish, totally invested only in their own desires, and unable to really care for anyone but themselves. Circe has this impulse from the beginning to care for other people. She has this initial encounter with Prometheus where she comes across another god who seems to understand that and also who triggers that impulse in her. I wanted to write about what it’s like when you to want to try to be a good person, but you have absolutely no models for that. How do you construct a moral view coming from a completely immoral family? - from the Bookriot interview

Of course, there is a pretty straight line between the sort of MCP hogwash Circe had to endure in the wayback and recent events that have been getting so much attention of late

“I wasn’t trying to write Circe’s story in a modern way… I was just trying to be true to her experience in the ancient world.” “It was a very eerie experience. I would put the book away and check the news. The top story was literally the same issue I had just been writing about — sexual assault, abuse, men refusing to allow women to have any power ... I was drawn to the mystery of her character — why is she turning men into pigs?” – from The Times interview

There are plenty of classical connections peppered throughout Circe’s tale. Jason and Medea (niece) pop by for a spell. She is summoned to assist in the birthing of the minotaur (nephew) to her seriously nasty sister. She is part of Scylla’s origin story, interacts with Prometheus (cousin), gives shit to Athena, even heads into the briny deep to take a meeting with a huge sea creature (no, not the Kraaken). Hangs with Penelope (her bf’s wife) and Telemachus (bf’s son), and spends a lot of time with Hermes. She definitely had a life, many even, particularly for someone who was ostracized to live on an island.

For Circe, I would say the Odyssey was my primary touch-stone in the sense that that’s where I started building the character. I take character clues directly from Homer’s text, both large and small. I mentioned her mortal-like voice. The lions. The pigs. And then when I get to the Odysseus episode in the book, I follow Homer obviously very closely… - from the BookRiot interview

In terms of sources, I used texts from all over the ancient world and a few from the more modern world as well. For Circe herself, I drew inspiration from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Apollonius of Rhodes’ Argonautica, Vergil’s Aeneid, the lost epic Telegony (which survives only in summary) and myths of the Anatolian goddess Cybele. For other characters, I was inspired by the Iliad, of course, the tragedies (specifically the Oresteia, Medea and Philoctetes), Vergil’s Aeneid again, Tennyson’s Ulysses and Shakespeare’s Troilus and Cressida. Alert readers may note a few small pieces of Shakespeare’s Ulysses in my Odysseus! - from the Bookpage interview

CONCLUSION: Madeline Miller’s Circe is not a lovelorn, lonely heart desperate for connection in her isolation, but a multi-faceted character (not actually a human being, though), with inner seams of the dark and light sort, with family issues that might seem familiar in feel, if not in external content, with sins on her soul, but a desire to do good, and with a curiosity about the world. She may not have been the brightest light in the house of Helios, but she glowed with an inner strength, a capacity for mercy, an appreciation for genius, beauty and talent, and a fondness for pork. This is the epic story of a life lived to the fullest.

Circe is an explorer, a lover, a destroyer, and can be a very angry goddess. This transformative figure is our doorway to a very accessible look at the Greek tales which lie at the root of so much of our culture. If you have a decent grounding in western mythology this will offer a delightful refresher. If you do not, it can offer a delightful introduction, and will no doubt spark a desire to root about for more. Madeline Miller may not have a wand with special powers, or transmogrifying potions at her command, but she demonstrates here a power to transform mere readers into fans. Circe is a fabulous read! You will go hog wild for it. Can you pass the hot dogs? That’s All Folks

NOTE: (1) George Romney's 1782 portrait of Emma Hamilton as Circe, image courtesy of wikipedia.
(2) Briton Rivière's 1896 Circe and Her Swine - image courtesy of Wikipedia.
(3) Circe by Wright Barker, 1889 - image courtesy of the author's photo essay.
(4) Circe Offering the Cup to Odysseus by John William Waterhouse, 1891 - image courtesy of Wikipedia.
(5) Review originally posted on Will's Goodreads page.

Official Author Website
Order Hell Comes To Hogtown HERE

AUTHOR INFORMATION: C.D. Gallant-King wrote his first story when he was five years old. He had to make his baby-sitter look up how to spell "extra-terrestrial" in the dictionary. He now writes stories about un-heroic people doing generally hilarious things in horrifying worlds. 

C.D. has also written eight novels you haven't read, because they're still locked in The Closet. The Closet is both a figurative and literal location - it is the space in his head where the stories are kept, but it's also an actual closet under the stairs in his basement where the stories are also kept. It's very meta.



He's a loving husband and proud father of two wonderful little kids. He was born and raised in Newfoundland and currently resides in Ottawa, Ontario. There was also a ten-year period in between where he tried to make a go of a career in Theatre in Toronto, but that didn't work out so well.


OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: Fitz is a broke night manager for a grubby comic book store. His only friend Dee is a drugged-out, womanizing pro-wrestler. Together they’re the most pathetic losers on the face of the planet. Their lives cannot possibly get any worse. And then they’re implicated in the kidnapping of the prime minister’s wife. On the run from the cops, Fitz and Dee discover there is something far worse than the RCMP stalking the dark streets of Toronto. They are being hunted by an ancient demon of unspeakable evil with an insatiable taste for blood... or maybe it’s just your run-of-the-mill giant murderous hobo? Either way, life in prison might be better than whatever the creepy drifter has in store for them...

CLASSIFICATION: Hell Comes To Hogtown is a genre - bending mix of horror, comedy, fantasy and supernatural thriller.

FORMAT/INFO: Hell Comes To Hogtown is 303 pages long divided over thirty-nine numbered chapters with a prologue and epilogue. The narration is in the third person via Fitz and Inspector Croteau.

The book is available in e-book and paperback formats. It was self-published by the author. Cover art and design are by Jason Salvadori and Max Covers. .

OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: I'm a fantasy guy at heart. Sure, I go on adventures and try new things but there's nothing like a good old-fashioned epic story. Horror is a genre of its own that can intersect with fantasy but is definitely not contained fully within it. I have a feeling that horror tends to create two very distinct camps– those who love it and those who would never dream of reading (or watching) anything in the genre. I'm in the middle. I'm willing to read horror novels, but I rarely enjoy them.

Hell Comes to Hogtown surprised me in a good way. How do I even describe it? It’s a strange, genre-bending mixture of action, horror, fantasy and comedy. And it works - it entertains, surprises and, above all, gives a lot of fun.

Fitz (Fistpunch Chetrit) is a broke night manager for a grubby comic book store. His only friend in the world, Dee (King David Bonecrusher) is a womanizing drug fiend and pro-wrestler. Everybody has ups and downs in their lives, but in case of these two, there are no ups. To make matter worse, they’re implicated in the kidnapping of the prime minister’s wife and, in consequence, plunged into a world of darkness.

Soon, they discover that Toronto police is nothing compared to unspeakable evil stalking the dark streets of the city.

Hell Comes to Hogtown has plenty of strengths. The thing that gripped my attention from page one was a humorous, instantly likeable writing voice. It blends comedy and blackness in a way that hits all the right notes for me. I would go as far as to say it may appeal to Pratchett or Vonnegut fans. On the other hand, where Pratchett's perfectly British sense of humour was quite universal, Gallant's dark and pop-culture influenced voice may be slightly over the top to more sensitive readers. Be prepared to see dildo-bat used to fight forces of darkness or hear Dee's sexist ramblings. Sometimes the dialogue is vulgar but witty. All in all, if you like Family Guy's kind of fun, you'll dig it. I did.

Last year I followed SPFBO's unexpected developments with bated breath. I’ve read close to fifty books by authors determined to win the SPFBO selfie-stick. Who wouldn’t like to get one?

This year, thanks to FBC, I’m participating in the fourth edition of the SPFBO as a judge. I’m honoured.

The first step of the contest is simple – each of us was asked to filter through a batch of books and choose a semi-finalist. While we’re not asked to read the books from cover to cover, I’ve done precisely this. I want my reviews to be fair and some of my all-time favourite books gripped me a bit later in the story than suggested minimum of 20% of the book.

Each title in my mini-batch of eight books will get a full, brutal review on my Goodreads account. Chosen titles will get full reviews also on FBC.

Other FBC judges may approach their batches differently, so bear in mind that not all books in our group will be read from cover to cover.

Here’s my batch of eight books, and my brief thoughts on them:

By Raven's Call by J.A. Devenport

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Series/Standalone: Book 1 of The Blackwing Cycle series

Overview: The Raven is an unstoppable killing machine. He's more of a weapon than a human being. Rumour has it that he killed thousands of people, including the old king. Unfortunately, the new one is even worse. To put it mildly, the tyrant king is a despicable and greedy individual who doesn't care about the kingdom or his people.

The Uprising lead by a mysterious leader works to overthrow the ruler. It seems The Raven may be involved, but it's tricky to be sure when no one knows who The Raven is and if he exists at all.

While not fully satisfying in certain regards, rough with its characterisation, there is a sound concept, and enough plot hooks to keep readers flipping the pages with growing excitement. Also, world-building deserves high praise. It feels fresh and unique.

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Dancing in the Dust by Gwendolyn Pendraig

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Dystopian

Standalone/Series: Listed as a standalone, but the ending opens plenty of possibilities for the sequel.

Overview: We're done. A virus of Bubble Flu killed most of the human race. Those who survived behave more like feral animals than civilised humans. If you look closely you'll see mothers roasting their children over the fire, men raping women and abusing them in every imaginable way. Even if your imagination is twisted, you'll witness scenes of such cruelty that even Satan himself would turn his eyes in shame.

This novel is uber-dark, gruesome and puts on display the very worst humankind has to offer. I can't say that I love nihilistic fiction, but if there's a cathartic quality to it, I'm usually able to appreciate it. At least a bit. Unfortunately, it's not the case here. For me Dancing In The Dust doesn't deliver any meaningful message; instead, it assaults the reader with ultra-violent, often disgusting scenes.

If you're in the mood to shower in blood, brain matter and other body fluids, buckle your seatbelts and go for it. I'll stay at home and water the garden instead.

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Dominus Silentia: Part 1 Awakening by Eric Wooden

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Dark fantasy(?)

Standalone/Series: Book 1 of the series

Overview: Dominus Silentia is compact. It moves quickly and is easy to read. The prose isn’t perfectly fluid, but it works fine for the story. There isn’t enough time for extensive worldbuilding; that’s the kind of thing left for the sequels, I guess. We get as much worldbuilding as we need to follow the adventure, remain engaged and be surprised.

This is essentially an origin story of sorts. The supernatural world is introduced in an entertaining way and Dominus Silentia's take on werewolves and vampires is less obvious than what we get in most YA books and movies. I was motivated to turn pages and discover what happens next. While not really surprising, the ending fit the story and the promise made in the title.

Ultimately, though, it didn’t do anything to pull itself up out of the pool of gazillion of UF books surrounding it.

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