ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Having served in a hundred different offices as a keyboard monkey Rob J. Hayes finally decided to follow his life long passion of daydreaming. After writing a small horde's worth of short stories, he released his debut dark fantasy trilogy "The Ties that Bind" in 2013 as an indie publication and followed it up with the steampunk caper "It Takes a Thief to Catch a Sunrise" in 2014.
In 2017 he released his piratical duology, Best Laid Plans, and in 2018 the first book, Where Loyalties Lie won Mark Lawrence's Self Published Fantasy Blog Off.
Rob has now tried his hand at Science-Fiction (Drones, 2018) and Military Fantasy (City of Kings, 2018), and even East-Asian influenced fantasy (Never Die, 2019).
Published: May 24, 2017 by Rob J. Hayes Length: 376 pages (Kindle) Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback Literary awards: SPFBO Award for Best Fantasy Book (2017)
LUKASZ
Historically, it was my first book by Rob J. Hayes. And not the last :)
Our main guy, Drake Morrass, is a classic sociopath who finds immense pleasure in bending others to his will through manipulation, coercion, threats, and violence. I can't help it—I like the guy. Drake has an ambition: he wants to unite the pirates of the South Seas and build a nation. Also, claim a crown for himself. The thing is, he's not exactly the most popular or neighbour-friendly pirate around. Everybody knows Captain Drake Morrass is only out for himself. That’s why he needs allies to help him gather other captains into his fleet. He reaches out to Captain Kellin Stillwater.
Nothing is entirely black and white; While Drake’s motivations aren't fully clear or selfless, the situation on the seas makes pirating a risky job. The Pirate Isles are under attack from Sarth and the Five Kingdoms, who have no problem with collateral damage. The book opens with them burning a pirate city and all its inhabitants.
The story mainly follows the paths of Kellin and Drake, although other characters get some attention too. The characters are well written, and it's easy to root for them. I'm particularly interested in Aimi and T’rack Khan. The Black family is terrifying, and Papa Black could easily go head-to-head with Tywin Lannister when it comes to being cruel to his children. He might even surpass him.
I enjoyed the writing, worldbuilding, and pacing. The book grabbed me from the get-go, and I didn’t lose interest throughout. Sure, the plot was a bit predictable in places, but it was entertaining all the same.
Only the ending was a bit of a letdown. I couldn’t help but notice that almost all the (anti)heroes acted out of character. There's no satisfying conclusion - but I guess there shouldn't be. It’s a duology, after all. We're supposed to get the answers in the sequel.
Warning: For those of you looking for redeeming qualities or who are sensitive to language, it’s worth noting that the book contains graphic scenes of violence (including rape), sex, and a lot of swearing.
MIHIR
The book begins with a pirate town burning and Drake Morass’s pirate crew watching it along with their captain. Pretty soon the news spread and the pirates are wary of being hunted, among one such pirate captain is Keelin Stillwater. A person with a secret past who is hunting for a specific thing, Keelin is one of the rare pirates that chooses to avoid bloodshed whenever possible. He’s the exception among the seas where brutality & betrayal seems the norm. Both these pirate captains are gunning for something and they will have to strive to overcome their mutual distrust for their survival. We also meet Elaina Black, daughter of feared pirate Tanner Black and a dangerous person on her own. Elaina is running for her own deal however has to be careful of fraternal jealousy. Following up on the POV list we have a few other characters such as Arbiter Beck, Captain T’ruck Khan, Princess (who’s a guy) and a few others. They don’t get the same amount of page time but they are very, very interesting none the less.
The main focus of the story is one of ambition, betrayals and plotting. All of this occurs via the characters and namely Drake Morass is situated in front and center of this story, Drake was a minor but important character in the previous trilogy and his background actions fueled a lot of the plot twists. This duology though stands separate from the events of the previous trilogy and while it shares a few characters from the previous work (who made minor cameos in the books). New readers can easily pick up these books and will be snared up in the events. Drake again is in the thick of things and we begin the book with him and we end with him as well.
The characters are what make this story come alive in a very visceral way, beginning with our two main POV pirate captains Drake Morass and Keelin Seawater. Who couldn’t be more different than each other, Drake is calculating at all times but can be bloodthirsty, enigmatic and certainly the most feared person on sea. Keelin on the other hand is driven by his past and will do almost anything except irrationally murder folks. These two characters are what fuel the narrative as we find out what reasons might force them to work together. Let’s be clear Drake is the biggest enigma of this series and possibly one of the biggest in this world wherein most things are unknown or hidden. Drake’s exploits while being legendary are also grim. They make him out to be a monster but a good-looking and charming one at that. In this book we get to see all of his personas. The cruelty, the tall tales (that sound implausible but hold more than a ring of truth), the vicarious nature of his plots which almost always pan out as he planned and his daredevilry at accomplishing his lofty goals (some of which are laid bare within this duology). He’s the main engine for the plot of this book and manages to be a scene-stealer all the way. On one level while the readers will be horrified by his actions, on a pure character note, he is impossible to ignore.
Keelin Stillwater has a lot to live up to and the readers will get to read all about his past as well as the internal struggle he fights. Keelin has previously appeared in a small bit in The Price Of Faith but unless one is eagle-eyed you will most likely not picked up on it. Keelin is a good mirror to Drake and it’s fun to compare them both. The biggest surprise is Elaina Black who along with Arbiter Beck and T’ruck Khan are the dark horses of this story. They start out as small characters but by their actions at the end of the book become core characters. The author has even written a short story focusing on Beck and Elaina Black which acts as a prequel (to this duology) and a nice introduction to the pirates. Every character introduced is someone that’s fully fleshed and you want to read more about them. I think that’s the hallmark of a good writer and Rob J. Hayes is certainly fulfilling that mark.
Another thing about this story is because it focuses on pirates, it also shines a light on characters that don’t always show the best aspects of humanity. This story is filled with violence, betrayals and visceral surprises. About the first aspect, truly no one is safe in this story and the violence is quite interspersed within the story and we get various scenes that will horrify readers but make sense within the confines of the story. However I must warn readers that there’s one scene involving Tanner Black and Elaina Black which will shock you beyond anything. It’s a very disturbing scene and one that’s present to showcase the terror and disgust. Tanner Black makes Tywin Lannister seem like a doting parent & that’s saying something. The action sequences are almost always over water or feature some terrific scenes of ship boarding. In the previous trilogy, the action was more on a personal level however with this book, Rob J. Hayes certainly exalts things to a grand level. The best action scenes are ones featuring T’ruck Khan and I believe he’s a character that will be imprinted a lot on readers’ minds.
The pace of the story and the plot twists will keep the readers hooked and engaged throughout. One of the things that surprised me about this book was the love story within it. To be fair there’s two love stories going on (neither of them in the classical way) but if you really want to get down to brass tacks, they can be called as such. Let me be clear, the romance isn’t the focus of the story in the least. As a reader I just happened to notice it and found it funny to compare both those threads. The book ends on a solid note and because this is a duology, we can expect the next book (The Fifth Empire Of Man) to end things in a brutal manner as all the plots come to a head.
The main focus of the story is one of ambition, betrayals and plotting. All of this occurs via the characters and namely Drake Morass is situated in front and center of this story, Drake was a minor but important character in the previous trilogy and his background actions fueled a lot of the plot twists. This duology though stands separate from the events of the previous trilogy and while it shares a few characters from the previous work (who made minor cameos in the books). New readers can easily pick up these books and will be snared up in the events. Drake again is in the thick of things and we begin the book with him and we end with him as well.
The characters are what make this story come alive in a very visceral way, beginning with our two main POV pirate captains Drake Morass and Keelin Seawater. Who couldn’t be more different than each other, Drake is calculating at all times but can be bloodthirsty, enigmatic and certainly the most feared person on sea. Keelin on the other hand is driven by his past and will do almost anything except irrationally murder folks. These two characters are what fuel the narrative as we find out what reasons might force them to work together. Let’s be clear Drake is the biggest enigma of this series and possibly one of the biggest in this world wherein most things are unknown or hidden. Drake’s exploits while being legendary are also grim. They make him out to be a monster but a good-looking and charming one at that. In this book we get to see all of his personas. The cruelty, the tall tales (that sound implausible but hold more than a ring of truth), the vicarious nature of his plots which almost always pan out as he planned and his daredevilry at accomplishing his lofty goals (some of which are laid bare within this duology). He’s the main engine for the plot of this book and manages to be a scene-stealer all the way. On one level while the readers will be horrified by his actions, on a pure character note, he is impossible to ignore.
Keelin Stillwater has a lot to live up to and the readers will get to read all about his past as well as the internal struggle he fights. Keelin has previously appeared in a small bit in The Price Of Faith but unless one is eagle-eyed you will most likely not picked up on it. Keelin is a good mirror to Drake and it’s fun to compare them both. The biggest surprise is Elaina Black who along with Arbiter Beck and T’ruck Khan are the dark horses of this story. They start out as small characters but by their actions at the end of the book become core characters. The author has even written a short story focusing on Beck and Elaina Black which acts as a prequel (to this duology) and a nice introduction to the pirates. Every character introduced is someone that’s fully fleshed and you want to read more about them. I think that’s the hallmark of a good writer and Rob J. Hayes is certainly fulfilling that mark.
Another thing about this story is because it focuses on pirates, it also shines a light on characters that don’t always show the best aspects of humanity. This story is filled with violence, betrayals and visceral surprises. About the first aspect, truly no one is safe in this story and the violence is quite interspersed within the story and we get various scenes that will horrify readers but make sense within the confines of the story. However I must warn readers that there’s one scene involving Tanner Black and Elaina Black which will shock you beyond anything. It’s a very disturbing scene and one that’s present to showcase the terror and disgust. Tanner Black makes Tywin Lannister seem like a doting parent & that’s saying something. The action sequences are almost always over water or feature some terrific scenes of ship boarding. In the previous trilogy, the action was more on a personal level however with this book, Rob J. Hayes certainly exalts things to a grand level. The best action scenes are ones featuring T’ruck Khan and I believe he’s a character that will be imprinted a lot on readers’ minds.
The pace of the story and the plot twists will keep the readers hooked and engaged throughout. One of the things that surprised me about this book was the love story within it. To be fair there’s two love stories going on (neither of them in the classical way) but if you really want to get down to brass tacks, they can be called as such. Let me be clear, the romance isn’t the focus of the story in the least. As a reader I just happened to notice it and found it funny to compare both those threads. The book ends on a solid note and because this is a duology, we can expect the next book (The Fifth Empire Of Man) to end things in a brutal manner as all the plots come to a head.
Lastly what I also loved about this book, was the action and the epic battles. This book is possibly one of the best nautical fantasy ones that I’ve ever read. The only other titles that I can think which come close are Paul Kearney’s Sea Beggars series and his Monarchies Of God series (which featured quite a lot of sea action as well). There’s also the Red Skies Over Red Seas by Scott Lynch but this book obliterates them all by being almost entirely set on water (or surrounded by it) for about 95% of the time. Sure there are events which take on land but these are mostly tiny islands which are out in the open seas. The next best thing about the book is the world that’s featured in the books. I loved the First Earth world introduced in The Ties That Bind trilogy but with this duology, the author showcases a very, very different aspect with the Pirates and the seas. He even manages to give us a look in to the magical side of things with the sea goddess Rin & the Drurr. The First Earth world is a complex one and it’s very much evident from this book that how much time the author has invested in crafting it. Eagle-eyed readers will even catch references to events happening around in the wilds and to the author’s short story “Pre-Emptive Revenge” featured in the GrimDark Magazine.
Drawbacks to me were next to none as this is the first volume and I felt that this book can serve as an excellent starting point to Rob J. Hayes’ violent & exciting First Earth saga. I must point out that this book is quite grim (but not bleak) and very, very violent. There’s one really graphic sexual violent scene that’s sure to raise hackles for some but it’s not there to titillate and makes sense from a story & character point of view. Overall I feel that this book is one that explores pirates quite unlike any other fantasy books I’ve read so far in the genre.
Drawbacks to me were next to none as this is the first volume and I felt that this book can serve as an excellent starting point to Rob J. Hayes’ violent & exciting First Earth saga. I must point out that this book is quite grim (but not bleak) and very, very violent. There’s one really graphic sexual violent scene that’s sure to raise hackles for some but it’s not there to titillate and makes sense from a story & character point of view. Overall I feel that this book is one that explores pirates quite unlike any other fantasy books I’ve read so far in the genre.
Where Loyalties Lie is the perfect fusion of Grimdark and epic nautical fantasy that you never thought possible. Check this book out as I've a feeling that it will be one that readers will be talking about a lot more in the months to come.
SPFBO CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE RATING FOR NOW
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Wednesday, August 6, 2025
SPFBO Champions' League Interview: Michael McClung, the Author of The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael McClung was born in San Antonio, Texas, but now lives in Europe. He has had the requisite number of odd jobs expected of a speculative fiction author, including soldier, book store manager, and bowling alley pin boy. His first book, the Sword & Sorcery novel "Thagoth," won the Del Rey Digital first novel competition in 2002 and was published by Random House in 2003.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Wick writes sci fi, medicine and zombies. He's also an ICU doctor. He has an amazing wife and baby girl and an adorable cat that keeps it all together.
Publisher: Demodocus Publishing (November 4, 2023) Length: 390 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, hardback. paperback Awards: SPSFC Finalist
Buy Pearl City
Read our review of book one, Ebony Gate
FORMAT/INFO: Pearl City was published on July 15th, 2025 by Tor Books. It is 400 pages long and available in hardcover and ebook formats.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ling Ling Huang is a writer and violinist. She plays with several ensembles including the Music Kitchen, Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra, Shattered Glass, and Experiential Orchestra, with whom she won a Grammy award in 2020. Natural Beauty is her first novel.
Published: April 4, 2023 by Dutton Page count: 272 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, hardback, paperback
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: J. L. Odom hails from Oklahoma. After a five year stint in the Marine Corps as an Arabic linguist, she graduated from George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs with an emphasis on Conflict and Security. She lives with her husband and five children wherever it is that the U.S. Army happens to send them. Her hobbies include running, jiu jitsu, and cooking to feed a crowd.
She can be found on Instagram @jlodom.author.
Find J.L. online: website
Published: May 14, 2024 by Azimuth Length: 374 pages (Kindle) Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback Literary awards: SPFBO Award for Best Fantasy Book (2024) Series Land of Exile #1
FORMAT/INFO: The Nightshade God was published by Orbit on July 15th, 2025. It is 480 pages and available in ebook, hardcover, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: With Lore and her allies scattered across the world, all hope seems lost. King Bastian reigns under the influence of an evil god, making deals with despots and undoing the reforms made in the last few months. But destiny has its own plans. Even scattered, Lore and her friends have one last chance to thwart the god trying to reshape the world, one last chance to steal his power back. It may just unfortunately take their own lives to pull it off.
The Nightshade God is the kind of finale that lands the plane competently, but without much pizzazz. It isn't a BAD book, but it lacked tension and failed to make me invested in the personal stakes for the characters. As an example, look no further than the central plot of the story. Book two ended with our characters scattered across the world for various reasons, and early in The Nightshade God, they all learn of objects that have been hidden for centuries that are important to defeating the central villain. Rather conveniently, there's one of these hidden objects in each of the locations these scattered characters ended up. While there's some attempt to explain this as destiny, it felt instead like it was giving the characters a thing to do before bringing them all together for the finale.
The characters themselves also really have very little growth to go through. There's still pining and angst between the characters but nothing that we hadn't seen previously. The one new romantic pairing that was introduced honestly left me baffled. Worst of all, the finale felt like it betrayed the themes of the entire series and the very lessons that the characters were supposed to be learning.
CONCLUSION: All that being said, I was never in a place where I was hate-reading The Nightshade God. It was simply that I was never excited to pick the book up, never dying to know what could possibly happen next. Every plot point was simply a hurdle to overcome fairly quickly in the journey to the inevitable conclusion. It's a book that I can honestly say I walked away from simply....whelmed.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: With Lore and her allies scattered across the world, all hope seems lost. King Bastian reigns under the influence of an evil god, making deals with despots and undoing the reforms made in the last few months. But destiny has its own plans. Even scattered, Lore and her friends have one last chance to thwart the god trying to reshape the world, one last chance to steal his power back. It may just unfortunately take their own lives to pull it off.
The Nightshade God is the kind of finale that lands the plane competently, but without much pizzazz. It isn't a BAD book, but it lacked tension and failed to make me invested in the personal stakes for the characters. As an example, look no further than the central plot of the story. Book two ended with our characters scattered across the world for various reasons, and early in The Nightshade God, they all learn of objects that have been hidden for centuries that are important to defeating the central villain. Rather conveniently, there's one of these hidden objects in each of the locations these scattered characters ended up. While there's some attempt to explain this as destiny, it felt instead like it was giving the characters a thing to do before bringing them all together for the finale.
The characters themselves also really have very little growth to go through. There's still pining and angst between the characters but nothing that we hadn't seen previously. The one new romantic pairing that was introduced honestly left me baffled. Worst of all, the finale felt like it betrayed the themes of the entire series and the very lessons that the characters were supposed to be learning.
CONCLUSION: All that being said, I was never in a place where I was hate-reading The Nightshade God. It was simply that I was never excited to pick the book up, never dying to know what could possibly happen next. Every plot point was simply a hurdle to overcome fairly quickly in the journey to the inevitable conclusion. It's a book that I can honestly say I walked away from simply....whelmed.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Superman 2025, I don’t think any DC CBM has been released with such a cloud of anxiety over it. You have the DC fans along with the James Gunn fans who genuinely want this movie to succeed wildly and herald the start of a new (and hopefully joyful & colourful) DCU. In another corner you have the DCEU or mainly Snyder diehards who might have a vested interest in this reboot, seeing that it came at the expense of the further expansion of their beloved Snyderverse storyline that Zack Snyder has more than hinted at and gloriously shown in his EPIC 4 hour vision. Then there’s the middle of the road CBM fans like me who would like a new movie that doesn’t fall to the usual pitfalls and entertain us while giving us a good story. We want to watch Supes fly, kick ass and be his good natured self.
Get SHATTERED for FREE on the author's Patreon (until July 14th)
Official Author Info: Nicholas W Fuller has been writing all of his life. He began writing his first novel while still in fifth grade—a science fiction story featuring an alien race inspired by his neighbor’s basset hounds. While that work remains incomplete, Nicholas has worked on various blogs and stories over the years, including publication in JCM Berne's Grimdwarf Magazine and earning an honorable mention from ElegantLiterature.com. Nicholas also started a youtube channel in early 2023 where he posts videos talking about books and other fun nerdy things as well as his interviews with authors and other creatives.
Thursday, July 3, 2025
SPFBO Champions' League Review: The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids by Michael McClung
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michael McClung was born and raised in Texas, lived in Southeast Asia for twenty years, and currently resides in Poland. He has published nine novels, a novella and a short story collection. His first novel was published by Random House in 2003, and in 2016 he won Mark Lawrence's inaugural SPFBO contest with The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble's Braids. He goes by @mcclungmike on Twitter, but doesn’t do the Facebook anymore, because reasons. He occasionally talks about stuff on his blog at somethingstickythiswaycomes.blogspot.com if you're interested in, uh, stuff being talked about.
Published: November 28, 2012 by Michael McClung Length: 208 pages (Kindle) Formats: Literary awards: SPFBO Award for Best Fantasy Book (2015) Series Amra Thetys #1
Buy The Two Lies of Faven Sythe
FORMAT/INFO: The Two Lies of Faven Sythe was published on June 3rd, 2025 by Orbit Books. It is 352 pages long and available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
FORMAT/INFO: The Silverblood Promise was published on May 7th, 2024 by Tor Books. It is 528 pages long and currently available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook formats.
FORMAT/INFO: Never the Roses will be published by Bramble Romance on July 8th, 2025. It is available in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: At long, long last, the Dread Sorceress Oneira has retired. Having bought her freedom after decades of indentured servitude to any who could buy her contract, she's retreated to a quiet abode where she can spend her final days in peace. But peace doesn't come easy to one who has spent most of her life in war, and Oneira soon finds herself restless. On a whim she can't quite explain, she uses her power over the Dream to travel to a rival sorcerer's library and steal one of his books. This quickly kicks off a flirtatious dance of more thefts and attempted entrapments as Stearanos Stormbreaker tries to discover who would dare pilfer from his shelves. But when it becomes clear that the king Stearanos serves is going to attack Oneira's former queen, their secret relationship becomes far too dangerous for anyone to discover.
Never the Roses is a slow burn romantic fantasy that does a beautiful job building up the attraction between two powerful magic users. It starts as flirtation, as Oneira steals books from the library of her rival Stearanos, and he in turn tries to entrap and discover the identity of his mysterious thief. Through notes left to each other in Stearanos’s library, they tease and poke at each other in turn, enjoying the sensation of a fresh challenge in their lives.
I was absolutely engrossed in the slow build of this relationship. Watching Stearanos be intrigued by someone who could best him, watching the two of them exchange flirtatious and witty letters, wondering when the two would finally meet face-to-face, this was catnip to me. More importantly was the growing realization between the two that they may have each found the only other person in the world who can understand what it's like to be them, to have all of the power and none of the power at the same time.
All of this is told through beautiful, lyrical prose. The tone is of a more serious bent, despite the mischievousness described above. At its heart, this is a tale about healing. Oneira, despite her legendary power, has spent most of her life magically enslaved to do the bidding of others. The things she did to finally break free of her contract broke her as well, and she doesn't know how, if at all, she can pick up the pieces. This romance comes into her life when she's trying to decide if she will ever know real peace again.
I did occasionally get frustrated with some of the repetitive beats of Oneira's character, as she would vow on one course of action and then immediately do the opposite within a day. Human, yes, but repetitive nonetheless.
I also had slightly mixed feelings about the ending. On the one hand, I did cry (in public no less). But there was a part of my brain that was whispering "this is a little over the top." In the moment, I chose to mostly shove that part of my brain into a deep corner, but upon reflection, I wrestle a bit with how that ending sits with me.
CONCLUSION: Either way, I still absolutely inhaled this book. I would recommend Never the Roses for those looking for a fantasy romance that focuses on the characters first and physical attraction second. There is a slight amount of spice, but only after the two have formed a deep connection. I'm so glad I took a chance on Never the Roses, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of the author's work.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: At long, long last, the Dread Sorceress Oneira has retired. Having bought her freedom after decades of indentured servitude to any who could buy her contract, she's retreated to a quiet abode where she can spend her final days in peace. But peace doesn't come easy to one who has spent most of her life in war, and Oneira soon finds herself restless. On a whim she can't quite explain, she uses her power over the Dream to travel to a rival sorcerer's library and steal one of his books. This quickly kicks off a flirtatious dance of more thefts and attempted entrapments as Stearanos Stormbreaker tries to discover who would dare pilfer from his shelves. But when it becomes clear that the king Stearanos serves is going to attack Oneira's former queen, their secret relationship becomes far too dangerous for anyone to discover.
Never the Roses is a slow burn romantic fantasy that does a beautiful job building up the attraction between two powerful magic users. It starts as flirtation, as Oneira steals books from the library of her rival Stearanos, and he in turn tries to entrap and discover the identity of his mysterious thief. Through notes left to each other in Stearanos’s library, they tease and poke at each other in turn, enjoying the sensation of a fresh challenge in their lives.
I was absolutely engrossed in the slow build of this relationship. Watching Stearanos be intrigued by someone who could best him, watching the two of them exchange flirtatious and witty letters, wondering when the two would finally meet face-to-face, this was catnip to me. More importantly was the growing realization between the two that they may have each found the only other person in the world who can understand what it's like to be them, to have all of the power and none of the power at the same time.
All of this is told through beautiful, lyrical prose. The tone is of a more serious bent, despite the mischievousness described above. At its heart, this is a tale about healing. Oneira, despite her legendary power, has spent most of her life magically enslaved to do the bidding of others. The things she did to finally break free of her contract broke her as well, and she doesn't know how, if at all, she can pick up the pieces. This romance comes into her life when she's trying to decide if she will ever know real peace again.
I did occasionally get frustrated with some of the repetitive beats of Oneira's character, as she would vow on one course of action and then immediately do the opposite within a day. Human, yes, but repetitive nonetheless.
I also had slightly mixed feelings about the ending. On the one hand, I did cry (in public no less). But there was a part of my brain that was whispering "this is a little over the top." In the moment, I chose to mostly shove that part of my brain into a deep corner, but upon reflection, I wrestle a bit with how that ending sits with me.
CONCLUSION: Either way, I still absolutely inhaled this book. I would recommend Never the Roses for those looking for a fantasy romance that focuses on the characters first and physical attraction second. There is a slight amount of spice, but only after the two have formed a deep connection. I'm so glad I took a chance on Never the Roses, and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of the author's work.
Official Author Website
Order Perils Of The Past over HERE
Order Perils Of The Past over HERE
Q) Welcome to Fantasy Book Critic Kane! We always love
to welcome new authors and hear about your journey. To start us off, could you
give us a brief introduction about yourself and how your life has brought you
to the wonderful world of self pub?
KW: Thanks for having me. I’m an Australian epic/high fantasy author on debut. Perils of the Past has occupied a place in my mind since I was a teenager. Four years ago (and twice the age I was back then), I sat down to write it in earnest—and now here we are.
KW: Love that reference, especially as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade was one source of inspiration. The scene underground where Harrison Ford is searching for the Holy Grail to save Sean Connery’s life is an all-time favourite.
Do you recall how reincarnation was used in The Mummy? Rachel Weisz’s character in present day aligned with who she was in a past life. But what if your past life stood against everything you believe in? That’s woven into Perils of the Past.
I doubt I’d be writing fantasy without J. R. R. Tolkien.
KW: My characters didn’t give me a choice, haha. Or, put it another way, it has persistently been the story that I see when I close my eyes.
KW: The process differed from name to name. Some just came to me; others took hours to workshop. I remember how hard it was to name my female lead character. I must have gone through about 50 before I found one that fit. Her name is Antarna and she’s been training in a temple on a snow-topped mountain. Her name was inspired by Antarctica.
KW: I’ve written the type of book I love to read. It’s a high-stakes, epic adventure set on a unique and dangerous world. There are battles with both man and beast, plus flawed, determined characters you can root for (or against). And, of course, plenty of secrets and twists to keep you guessing.
KW: While most species of spiders are solitary in nature, did you know that the Australian huntsman are social (e.g., often living and eating together)? The only thing more terrifying than a spider is a group of them working together. That made it into a small scene in Perils of the Past.
KW: The novel almost had 4 POV characters, but I craved more time with Antarna (featured on the front cover), Cal (a seer-in-training, who has a great sense of humour), and Zanth (a mage bent on revenge). I needed to explore what shapes them and how their choices collide. They each have a powerful journey to go on—internally and externally.
KW: In primary school, one of my favourite novels was Ice Station by Matthew Reilly (a fellow Australian). It’s a breakneck thriller. In high school, I read all the books he published and a steady stream of fantasy (e.g., from Raymond E. Feist).
I’ve found the writing process for flash fiction (e.g., a story in 50 words) worlds apart from penning my debut novel. I would add, though, that practicing flash fiction has made me a better writer.
KW: As I spent more time with my novel, I developed a clear picture of exactly what I wanted. Parts of this vision were big and exciting—several full-page internal illustrations, illustrated chapter headers and scene breaks, and a second design hidden under the dust jacket of the hardcover. Other aspects were more subtle, from formatting choices to several chapters intentionally lacking a chapter number to tie into a character’s backstory. Self-publishing allowed me to maintain creative control.
KW: Tough choice... but that would have to be writing the first draft: exploring the world with my characters and seeing that word count climb.
KW: As I was writing my novel, I kept a reference folder with my favourite covers and artists. I had a strong sense of the style I wanted but remained open to where the design process might lead.
KW: Antarna enters that very cave in chapter 1. She’ll find more questions than answers…
KW: From the very first sketches, Anderson took my breath away. He was always receptive to feedback, dedicated to bringing my vision for the novel to life. Likewise, I welcomed his artistic insights and expertise. We exchanged so many great emails and communication felt easy.
KW: Surreal; a dream taken material form.
KW: It is intended to be read as a stand-alone—although there’s a chance I may return to certain characters or world in the future. I have an ambitious fantasy novel (packed with action, adventure and intrigue, of course) I’m itching to write that takes place on another world (or two!).
KW: I hope it sweeps readers away. Fantasy has an amazing ability to offer an escape, and this story leans into that—with sword fights, magic duels, near-death experiences and mysteries to unravel. All of this unfolds on a unique world where humans are not at the top of the food chain. But amid the action and adventure, each POV character faces personal struggles and painful truths. The novel explores some important themes, including the extent that the past shapes us and the power of friendship.
KW: Best. Interview. Question. Ever.
KW: You can find Perils of the Past here or add it to Goodreads. Connect with me on X, Insta or the other socials listed on my website.
Review of Book 1, How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying
FORMAT/INFO: Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me was published on May 27th, 2025 by Orbit Books. It is 384 pages long and is available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Good news: Davi’s succeeded in her mission to become the Dark Lord! Bad news: the army under her control expects her to lead them on a glorious mission to eradicate all humans. Having been trapped in a time loop in this fantasy world for centuries (a loop that resets upon her death), Davi knows how poorly a wilder/human war will go for the humans. Even more scary, Davi isn’t quite sure how well the time loop is working given recent events. She can’t just endlessly try different solutions to fix the problem because this time, her decisions might be permanent. It’s time for one last Hail Mary gambit: peace talks between the Dark Lord and the human kingdom.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me is a solid conclusion to this comedy fantasy duology, even if it is able to have a little less fun with the premise this time around. (If you haven’t read book one, spoilers ahead, proceed at your own risk!) One of the fun things about How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying was that Davi essentially got to treat the world like a video game. She tries something, it fails, she dies spectacularly, she tries again until she’s found a way to master a scenario. With the time loop now in question, Davi now has to treat the world very, very carefully. In short, this adventure becomes much more of a straightforward fantasy adventure with no do-overs.
On the one hand, this pushes Davi into some more character growth. After all, she’s become callous and casual with playing with people’s lives because for her, there are no repercussions. If she kills or betrays someone, they’ll come back the next loop without any harm or memory of what happens. She doesn’t get that out this time. It’s a fact she forgets at first, but leads to her rediscovering her empathy - along with an existential crisis over the fact that the fate of the world is on her shoulders and she doesn’t have a safety net anymore.
Even without the time loop elements, this still manages overall to be a fun and funny story. Davi’s fourth-wall breaking quips return, and she has to go on some wild adventures in her quest for peace. That includes finding out once and for all why this time loop is happening to her in the first place. This finale does a solid job of providing that answer, keeping things relatively simple in both explanation and solution.
Unfortunately, what also returns is Davi’s rampant horniness. It feels like Davi can't interact with a single character without commenting on their attractiveness or impressive physical endowments. It quickly became grating to keep sitting through this objectification. Just because the comments come from a bisexual woman doesn’t make it more palatable.
Setting that aside, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me manages to be a fun summer fluff read. It does manage to be genuinely funny and to make you care about Davi, her annoying habits aside. If you need a breezy break from more serious affairs, give the Dark Lord Davi duology a try.
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Good news: Davi’s succeeded in her mission to become the Dark Lord! Bad news: the army under her control expects her to lead them on a glorious mission to eradicate all humans. Having been trapped in a time loop in this fantasy world for centuries (a loop that resets upon her death), Davi knows how poorly a wilder/human war will go for the humans. Even more scary, Davi isn’t quite sure how well the time loop is working given recent events. She can’t just endlessly try different solutions to fix the problem because this time, her decisions might be permanent. It’s time for one last Hail Mary gambit: peace talks between the Dark Lord and the human kingdom.
Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me is a solid conclusion to this comedy fantasy duology, even if it is able to have a little less fun with the premise this time around. (If you haven’t read book one, spoilers ahead, proceed at your own risk!) One of the fun things about How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying was that Davi essentially got to treat the world like a video game. She tries something, it fails, she dies spectacularly, she tries again until she’s found a way to master a scenario. With the time loop now in question, Davi now has to treat the world very, very carefully. In short, this adventure becomes much more of a straightforward fantasy adventure with no do-overs.
On the one hand, this pushes Davi into some more character growth. After all, she’s become callous and casual with playing with people’s lives because for her, there are no repercussions. If she kills or betrays someone, they’ll come back the next loop without any harm or memory of what happens. She doesn’t get that out this time. It’s a fact she forgets at first, but leads to her rediscovering her empathy - along with an existential crisis over the fact that the fate of the world is on her shoulders and she doesn’t have a safety net anymore.
Even without the time loop elements, this still manages overall to be a fun and funny story. Davi’s fourth-wall breaking quips return, and she has to go on some wild adventures in her quest for peace. That includes finding out once and for all why this time loop is happening to her in the first place. This finale does a solid job of providing that answer, keeping things relatively simple in both explanation and solution.
Unfortunately, what also returns is Davi’s rampant horniness. It feels like Davi can't interact with a single character without commenting on their attractiveness or impressive physical endowments. It quickly became grating to keep sitting through this objectification. Just because the comments come from a bisexual woman doesn’t make it more palatable.
Setting that aside, Everybody Wants to Rule the World Except Me manages to be a fun summer fluff read. It does manage to be genuinely funny and to make you care about Davi, her annoying habits aside. If you need a breezy break from more serious affairs, give the Dark Lord Davi duology a try.
(Skull with Cigarette by Vincent Van Gough)
Let's start with the understanding that even the framing of this title is disingenuous and lacks nuance. What is good art? Or, for that matter, a bad person? Are we defined by our worst actions? Can people change?
It all has to do with the way we relate to the person being defined. From the vantage point of someone who has been harmed by another's “bad behavior,” it's easy to see how one might label their perpetrator and similar people as bad. Juxtapose that to a loved one who knows the “bad person” outside of the context of their actions. I assume their view of the bad actor will be more nuanced and leave room for that person to be more than their actions.
What happens when we consume someone's bad actions from the sidelines? Do we empathize with the victim and label their victimizer a bad person? Do we identify as a person who loves or likes the victimizer and leave room for them to be more?
I think this choice is an individual one. However, just because a choice belongs to an individual doesn't mean it won't come with social consequences. There are many factors at play when deciding how to relate to an artist who has acted badly in a public way:
- personal trauma,
- political stances,
- parasocial relationships.
If you decide to publicly consume and support art produced by a “bad person,” many of the same factors that came into play when people defined their view of the artist will also factor into how they view you. This is not a value statement of whether or not that should be the case. It is instead an observational statement.
Everyone has trauma, and we use our experiences to evaluate whether the people in our lives are safe. Those who have experienced trauma related to the harm an artist inflicted on their victim(s) often feel obligated to use people's public opinions of bad actors as a factor in judging whether someone is a safe person in their lives.
For example, if you post your Hogwarts house in your social media bio, a trans person or trans ally may take that public support of Harry Potter and by extension, JK Rowling, as a statement of support for her transphobic views and behaviors. Do they know you, your views, and your personhood based on a silly comment about something you related to as a child? No, they don't have a full picture of you as a person. However, they might not have the luxury to give you the benefit of the doubt when there is rampant violence and hostility aimed at trans people. They may feel they have to read the signs of how you present publicly to determine whether you would be a safe person.
Likewise, if you continue to review Neil Giaman’s works in light of the many accusations of sexual assault, survivors of sexual assault might reconsider their relationships with you.
Just because you can compartmentalize a person’s art from their actions doesn’t mean everyone can. Or wants to.
As our online presence grows, the rate at which we form parasocial relationships with public figures has deepened. Celebrities share their diets, their romantic lives, and embarrassing stories of who they were as a child, and we believe we know them. We grow attached because their art has meant so much to us, and we feel an emotional resonance with them as an artist.
Due to our increasingly parasocial relationships with public figures, many of us struggle when we learn about their bad behavior. Their actions don't comport with the people we built up in our heads. So when someone speaks negatively about them, we respond as if someone is attacking a friend or family member rather than criticizing a stranger. This may lead to us giving an abuser more credit while we discredit their victims.
(Image credit Joss Whedon Twitter)
So what does this all mean? Does this mean I am telling everyone to stop reading Neil Gaiman, listening to Michael Jackson, and watching Joss Whedon movies?
Not necessarily. I believe that the consumption of art is a nuanced decision. We should consume art created by people we disagree with. I also think we should take into account whether the bad actor is financially benefiting from our consumption and if supporting them might help them continue their bad behavior.
In the case of J.K. Rowling, she benefits financially with every new Harry Potter project, and uses her money to support anti-trans groups and legislation. In fact, she has publicly announced her intensions to use her profits from the new HBO series to create an anti-trans advocacy organization. As opposed to Michael Jackson, who is no longer alive and can no longer financially benefit or cause harm.
Additionally, we have to consider private vs. public consumption. In what venue are we consuming art, and will there be people that can be negatively affected by our consumption in those spaces? In general, we need to think about our public consumption as an action and consider the consequences of it.
There is a difference between rewatching Annie Hall in the privacy of your home and doing a deep-dive YouTube review on the “brilliance” of Woody Allen’s script. We throw up signs every day of who we are, whether it is the cover of the book we have on the train or the post we make about how much we enjoyed a controversial video game. Just as we are free to choose the art we consume, others are able to make judgments about what that might mean about who we are.
Fair or not, it's true.
It can hurt when someone we felt a kinship with is accused of doing something terrible and the art we loved is subjected to mass critique. However, in most cases, we do not know the accused. So I personally try to think about the choices I make in relation to their art, how I display my choices to the world, the messages I am sending, and negotiate if I am comfortable with the consequences of my choices.
Some like to reframe all of these discussions as cancel culture. However, I would argue people have been making decisions about what art to consume and how to consume it since the beginning of art. The factors at play are different. The public nature of our consumption is different. But there have always been reasons why people make choices about art and peer pressure surrounding those choices.
I would argue the framing of things as cancel culture has more to do with who is being critiqued rather than the act of critiquing. Oscar Wilde was jailed for his sexuality, and I have no doubt that became a factor in how or if people read his works. Neil Gaiman has been accused of horrific sexual abuse and violence. However, he is a rich, straight, white man, and we have only recently begun to hold those with the most power accountable in public ways. The act of turning public critique on artists with more power in society is newer.
At the end of the day, I don't think anyone should dictate how others consume art. However, I do think that our choices, especially those we make in public, have consequences.
I read a quote, and I wish I could credit it but have been unable to find it again, that helped me think about my personal approach to art I have loved created by artists who have done great harm. "Don’t put your nostalgia for a piece of art over the reality of other people’s futures."
OFFICIAL AUTHOR INFORMATION: James is a nerd with a head full of stories and limited time to put them on the page. He grew up in Grand Rapids, MI, spending an excessive amount of time at a local community theater where he developed his affinity for storytelling. This affinity grew into a deep admiration for language and spoken word poetry while studying mathematics and education at the University of Michigan. He firmly believes that art—even silly books about magic, or maybe especially silly books about magic—has the ability to tell stories that sink beneath the surface.
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