Showing posts with label action & adventure. Show all posts
Showing posts with label action & adventure. Show all posts
Tuesday, November 19, 2019
Quest of the Five Clans by Raymond St. Elmo (reviewed by Lukasz Przywóski)
Buy the books HERE(USA) or HERE(UK)
Author information: Raymond St. Elmo is a computer programmer living in Texas. A degree in Spanish Literature gave him a love of magic realism. A fascination with artificial intelligence gave him a job. His books tend to be first-person fantastical accounts with frequent references to William Blake, Borges and PKD.
Format: The series was self-published by the author and is available through Kindle Unlimited and in ebook and paperback formats. Cover art by Mark Summers.
Overview: Raymond St. Elmo writes peculiar books. They're very much his own, inimitable, style. Always filled with plenty of literary and philosophical references that play out as the stories unfold. He writes with wit, wisdom, and eloquence. At times, he seems more focused on the language, ideas, and internal monologues of well-educated and well-read characters than explosive action or linear plot. As a result, his books, Quest of the Five Clans included, won't appeal to everyone.
Quest of the Five Clans is an engaging series that will appeal to some, and bore others. I have an impression it's kind of a story that's more language, than character or plot-driven. It plays with poetry and makes philosophical excursions that don't move the plot forward. Moments of sheer brilliance mix with moments of utter confusion.
That said, readers looking for something different, clever and full of quotable lines should take a look at the series. Especially that the final book will be published in a few months making it bingeable.
While slightly mind-bending, the series contains enough exciting and humorous moments to engage readers and satisfy their need for action and witty dialogue. It introduces a lot of magical beings, including a were-fox and a were-bull or a clockwork kid. They all belong to different clans linked in one way or another to Rayne Gray's (hero of the series) spouse. They have little in common. Except for their weakness for kilts. What's the deal with them anyway?
I'll do my best to introduce the series for you, but the first few chapters of The Blood Tartan will tell you if it's your cup of tea better and faster than me, so why won't you try them?
The Blood Tartan (Quest of the Five Clans #1) by Raymond St. Elmo
300 pages, published on July 13th 2017
The Harlequin Tartan (Quest of the Five Clans #3) by Raymond St. Elmo
209 pages, published on June 29th, 2018
The Clockwork Tartan (Quest of the Five Clans #4) by Raymond St. Elmo
218 pages, published on July 29th, 2019
The first book in the series introduces Rayne Gray, the hero, and turns his world upside down. Rayne is a madman. When he's not killing, he's cheerful, charitable, and philosophical about his life of violence. He soon finds himself in a lot of troubles - three steps from madness, two steps from arrest, one step from death.
To make matters worse (and interesting), he engages with a vampiric creature with entire clans of strange cousins. As a result, he has to deal not only with power-hungry maniacs obsessed with expanding their industrial empire but also with vampires. You'll see him fighting for his life, fleeing hunters, edging past madmen, brooding on poetry and whiskey and vengeance. And quoting Blake.
It's a surprisingly dark book that doesn't always feel this way because the voice of the narrator is humorous. Rayne's first-person narrative remains engaging, fun and light-hearted against all odds. His observations are hilarious:
There is no more powerful reply to doubts of self-existence than to have booted idiots tread your toes. Ouch, ergo sum.
The Blood Tartan serves as an excellent introduction to St. Elmo's books, as it has a clear and well-pronounced plotline and intrigue. It doesn't shy away from philosophical ramblings and questions or literary references but is easy to read and follow. Witty references in the book (William Blake poetry, Occam's razor) won't be accessible to everyone. Once you get them, though, they add another layer of fun/meaning to the story.
If, after finishing The Blood Tartan, you'll want more, you're in for a treat - you can immediately jump to the sequel.
Overall, it's a great start to the series that will show you if St. Elmo's voice resonates with you. Even if it's not your cup of tea, chances are you'll remember at least a few great lines anyway.
The Moon Tartan (Quest of the Five Clans #2) by Raymond St. Elmo
279 pages, published on January 1st, 2018
Rayne's honeymoon in a haunted castle in Scotland ends rather abruptly. He has to deal with old enemies. To do so, he needs to return to Londonish to "kill a man, affirm social justice, place flowers upon a grave, and recover a fortune stolen". To his big surprise, there's another Rayne Gray in the city. A tricky business.
If you liked The Blood Tartan, you will be delighted in this sequel. If you finished The Blood Tartan unsure of your feelings, I would encourage you to pick up The Moon Tartan - we get more of Gray, more of the family, some development of our characters and some introductions of new ones.
The Moon Tartan is an intriguing novel. It contains a lot of good things: Vampires, minotaurs, death, mayhem, poetry, beheading with a scythe, philosophical ramblings, and stuff. Plus, the ending. Things will get interesting for Rayne.
209 pages, published on June 29th, 2018
Rayne Gray has lived a violent life that earned him a deep enmity of numerous beings (living and dead). He slew countless individuals, both friends, and foes. He's no stranger to a bloodbath, but he's also appreciative of finer things in life: love, poetry, art. He's a kind of protagonist who'll behead a friend while quoting Shakespeare.
Rayne considers himself firmly grounded in reality; fairy tales, magic, or vampires may inspire poets, but it doesn't make them real. A sound approach to life. Albeit a bit tricky when your wife is a vampire.
The events presented in The Moon Tartan resulted in Harlequin clan members stealing Mr. and Ms. Gray's memories of each other. The question remains what will happen after his reunion with his wife - will he slay her as a monster, or will she devour him as an evening meal?
The Harlequin Tartan is more difficult than previous entries, parts of the book presenting Rayne's visions and dream landscapes were challenging to follow. In the end, though, things come together nicely in a happy disco dance on a cemetery. Vampires, undead, bankers join hands and dance, and... Nah, I'm just joking. There's no dance. But there is a final, surprisingly brutal (dismemberment, beheading and stuff) and passionate sequence taking place in the middle of the night on a cemetery where Rayne plans to kill those he had already killed.
Quality stuff.
The Clockwork Tartan (Quest of the Five Clans #4) by Raymond St. Elmo
218 pages, published on July 29th, 2019
I stand in the doorway, my obituary in pocket. A torn scrap of tomorrow’s newsprint declaring this dull place, this sunny day, for my death. But what hour? Doesn’t say. Perhaps the press won’t think it matters. Annoying. It matters to me. Who knows the hour of their death? Not I, only the date and address. Might not come till evening.
Rayne leads an interesting life, as any self-respecting Spadassin should. He's no stranger to violence, fencing, fighting or poisoning. But nothing prepared him for being a husband and to deal with more of the clans nonsense. This time he faces the Clockmakers, his in-laws dabbling in automata and time travel. After a relatively normal beginning, things get complicated.
Rayne enters Halls of Time where different doorways lead to different pasts and futures. Some, he visits alone. Some with his unexpected companions.
It's the fourth book in the series. If you've read previous ones I won't have to convince you to try this one. If the adventure is still ahead of you, know this. The Quest of the Five Clans series blends classic adventure fantasy with magical realism elements, philosophy and profound love for the language. You'll observe characters fencing not only with sabers but also with quotes from famous poems. Moments of pure delight and deep reflection, all caught in elegant phrases. Strange visions and things that happen between dream and reality.
The Clockwork Tartan is, probably, my favorite entry in the series. I can't help but wonder what insanities await Rayne in the final tome of the series.
In conclusion, if you love weird and unique fiction that includes literary references, elements of magical realism, a cast of intriguing and mad characters and some rather nuanced humor then give Quest a try.
Personally, I can't wait to read the ultimate book in the series called The Scaled Tartan. Rayne but will deal with the final clan, a folk who can change form to dragons, raise the dead, and are fond of tea and chess.
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Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Blood Song
Read the first chapter (Verniers' account) here
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Anthony Ryan is a pseudonym used by the author as his previous day job prevented him from using his real identity. The has an academic background in history, works fulltime as a researcher and currently lives in London.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: “The blood-song rose with an unexpected tune, a warm hum mingling recognition with an impression of safety. He had a sense it was welcoming him home.”
Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, called Darkblade, called Hope Killer. The greatest warrior of his day, and witness to the greatest defeat of his nation: King Janus’s vision of a Greater Unified Realm drowned in the blood of brave men fighting for a cause Vaelin alone knows was forged from a lie. Sick at heart, he comes home, determined to kill no more. Named Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches by King Janus’s grateful heir, he can perhaps find peace in a colder, more remote land far from the intrigues of a troubled Realm.
But those gifted with the blood-song are never destined to live a quiet life. Many died in King Janus’s wars, but many survived, and Vaelin is a target, not just for those seeking revenge but for those who know what he can do. The Faith has been sundered, and many have no doubt who their leader should be. The new King is weak, but his sister is strong. The blood-song is powerful, rich in warning and guidance in times of trouble, but is only a fraction of the power available to others who understand more of its mysteries.
Something moves against the Realm, something that commands mighty forces, and Vaelin will find to his great regret that when faced with annihilation, even the most reluctant hand must eventually draw a sword.
FORMAT/INFO: Tower Lord is 608 pages long divided five sections, each of which open with a Verniers account and numbered chapters. This pattern is very similar to that of the first book. Narration is in the third-person, via Vaelin Al Sorna, Reva, Frentis, and Princess Lyrna. The book also feature maps of the unified realm, the Alipran and Volarian empire. There are two appendices for the Dramatis Personae as well as the game of Warrior’s Bluff. Tower Lord is the second volume of The Raven’s Shadow trilogy.
July 1, 2014 marks the North American Hardcover and e-book publication of Tower Lord via Ace Books. The UK version (see below) will be published on July 3, 2014 by Orbit Books UK.
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Blood Song
Read the first chapter (Verniers' account) here
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Anthony Ryan is a pseudonym used by the author as his previous day job prevented him from using his real identity. The has an academic background in history, works fulltime as a researcher and currently lives in London.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: “The blood-song rose with an unexpected tune, a warm hum mingling recognition with an impression of safety. He had a sense it was welcoming him home.”
Vaelin Al Sorna, warrior of the Sixth Order, called Darkblade, called Hope Killer. The greatest warrior of his day, and witness to the greatest defeat of his nation: King Janus’s vision of a Greater Unified Realm drowned in the blood of brave men fighting for a cause Vaelin alone knows was forged from a lie. Sick at heart, he comes home, determined to kill no more. Named Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches by King Janus’s grateful heir, he can perhaps find peace in a colder, more remote land far from the intrigues of a troubled Realm.
But those gifted with the blood-song are never destined to live a quiet life. Many died in King Janus’s wars, but many survived, and Vaelin is a target, not just for those seeking revenge but for those who know what he can do. The Faith has been sundered, and many have no doubt who their leader should be. The new King is weak, but his sister is strong. The blood-song is powerful, rich in warning and guidance in times of trouble, but is only a fraction of the power available to others who understand more of its mysteries.
Something moves against the Realm, something that commands mighty forces, and Vaelin will find to his great regret that when faced with annihilation, even the most reluctant hand must eventually draw a sword.
FORMAT/INFO: Tower Lord is 608 pages long divided five sections, each of which open with a Verniers account and numbered chapters. This pattern is very similar to that of the first book. Narration is in the third-person, via Vaelin Al Sorna, Reva, Frentis, and Princess Lyrna. The book also feature maps of the unified realm, the Alipran and Volarian empire. There are two appendices for the Dramatis Personae as well as the game of Warrior’s Bluff. Tower Lord is the second volume of The Raven’s Shadow trilogy.
July 1, 2014 marks the North American Hardcover and e-book publication of Tower Lord via Ace Books. The UK version (see below) will be published on July 3, 2014 by Orbit Books UK.
ANALYSIS: Tower Lord is a book that I’ve been waiting for since 2012. Anthony Ryan really announced himself in spectacular fashion with his self-publication success, which then translated into a traditional publishing contract. Two years later, a lot of fans are waiting to see if he can repeat and build upon his success with Tower Lord. In my review for Blood Song, at the end I had written "give this book a read if you want to read a story that’s closest to those written by David Gemmell." With Tower Lord, he not only proves that in spades by giving the readers a siege situation similar to that in Legend and also many more memorable events and characters. There will be mild spoilers in the review below so be wary before you start.
Let's begin with the story, in Tower Lord, we get three new POV characters besides Vaelin who was the sole narrator in Blood Song. Another funny aspect of the story is that this book also follows the same narrative format as Blood Song wherein the events begin in the near past and interspersed between five current accounts of the royal Alpiran chronicler Verniers Alishe Someren. As to why the story is set in such a format and what is Verniers doing will be up to the fans to RAFO. Safe to say it's quite shocking to meet Verniers who finds himself in quite stunning conditions.
We find Vaelin Al Sorna back to the Unified realm and seeks to find his relatives who might be still surviving. The second POV character is Reva a young woman with tremendous martial skills who seeks revenge on Vaelin for a past crime. She's not an Asraelian and seeks his death single-handedly, who she is and why she hates Vaelin is spoiler material and so I won’t comment on it. Safe to say for people wanting to know her identity can take guesses and I might just give you tell if you are correct or not in the comments section below. The other two POV characters are Princess Lyrna & Frentis. I, as a fan was expecting them to be POV characters and enjoyed getting to know their thoughts.
This book also magnifies the world situation by showcasing the continent east of the Alpiran & Unified realms, namely the Volarian Empire. The story begins by detailing an attack on the unified realms from many fronts. Vaelin is faced with a new responsibility when he's made Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches by King Malcius. He has to ride north and take charge which he does but not with some reluctance. Reva’s track has us focusing on how she came to hate Vaelin so much and how she tracks him to face him for a duel. Last when we met Frentis, he was aboard a strange ship heading off to lands unknown. We find him now as an Alpiran slave who’s fighting to stay alive. Lastly we also get to explore the Northern Reaches as Princess Lyrna tries to find accord with the realm’s northern neighbors.
That’s all I’m going to say about the plot contents, as what happens in the story is that realm truly faces an invasion that boggles the mind. I can see why the author choose to expand the POV list as this story would have been impossible to cover from just a singular POV. Another highlight of this book is that nearly every character that made a major & minor impression in its predeceasing title is back in this one (except the dead ones). We get to see all of them & experience different shades to them; this was an extremely pleasurable to read. A couple of mysteries from Blood Song, namely who attacked Vaelin in the Test Of the Wild as well as who was behind it get clarified. Many other bigger revelations also abound like what truly happened to Vaelin when he was an Alpiran captive. Who is the Witch’s bastard and who are his allies? There’s also a fascinating exploration of the Seventh order and the magic system espoused in this trilogy.
Secondly going on to the characterization, Anthony Ryan shines brighter in his sophomore effort by giving us many brilliant characters. Besides Vaelin, Reva, Frentis and Princess Lyrna get the POV turn and I loved how different the characters were from what we read in Vaelin’s thoughts. Princess Lyrna was the character that was the most intriguing to me and in this book, she gets to shine truly. There’s also the brothers (Caenis, Sollis, the order aspect, etc) who we have met before and now have acquired different roles. You’ll be surprised to see many of them and how they feel about Vaelin. There are also some characters who make an appearance under a different name & it will be fun if you can spot them. Many of those who complained about Frentis’ cockney accent will be glad to know that it isn’t a problem in this sequel. Infact I would say he becomes a terror worthy of Vaelin’s status. The author also expands the readers on to the world by focusing on the realm and giving us fascinating insights into the various types of people and faiths that abound. This light is also shone upon the Alpiran as well as the Volarian culture.
Lastly the pace and action sequences are amplified across all the four POV sections, we get to see our favorite characters face odds that they have never thought of and the fun is reading how it all ends. Previously I talked about the siege-like conditions similar to Legend. The author displays his skills and gives us a fascinating account in to the siege via Verniers and then through the actual characters. This dual approach creates some confusion but it’s done in a way that will leave you with a smile in the end. Coming back to my original statement of this book being similar to Legend, David Gemmell's epic debut. We get a siege wherein legends are forged and this was the highlight of the story. And how does the author manage to top off such an exciting read, he cruelly ends the story with a chapter that hearkens back to the shocker that was the epilogue in A Storm Of Swords. This climatic chapter ends on such a note that you might not want to wait a whole year for Queen Of Fire.
There's so much more I want to gush about this book but I think I've said enough. Regarding the negatives about this title, the only thing I can think is that the story has kind of a slow start with all POV chapters. It takes only a while for the pace to pick up but once it does, the chapters fly by on to a rousing action-packed finale that is memorable. Your mileage may vary but this is the only drawback in an otherwise superb sequel.
CONCLUSION: This book easily is the best heroic epic fantasy of 2014 (bettering the high of City Of Stairs which is yet to be released) and now all other books will have to excel to overcome it. Tower Lord is a loud proclamation that Anthony Ryan is David Gemmell’s natural successor and epic fantasy’s best British talent.
Let's begin with the story, in Tower Lord, we get three new POV characters besides Vaelin who was the sole narrator in Blood Song. Another funny aspect of the story is that this book also follows the same narrative format as Blood Song wherein the events begin in the near past and interspersed between five current accounts of the royal Alpiran chronicler Verniers Alishe Someren. As to why the story is set in such a format and what is Verniers doing will be up to the fans to RAFO. Safe to say it's quite shocking to meet Verniers who finds himself in quite stunning conditions.
We find Vaelin Al Sorna back to the Unified realm and seeks to find his relatives who might be still surviving. The second POV character is Reva a young woman with tremendous martial skills who seeks revenge on Vaelin for a past crime. She's not an Asraelian and seeks his death single-handedly, who she is and why she hates Vaelin is spoiler material and so I won’t comment on it. Safe to say for people wanting to know her identity can take guesses and I might just give you tell if you are correct or not in the comments section below. The other two POV characters are Princess Lyrna & Frentis. I, as a fan was expecting them to be POV characters and enjoyed getting to know their thoughts.
This book also magnifies the world situation by showcasing the continent east of the Alpiran & Unified realms, namely the Volarian Empire. The story begins by detailing an attack on the unified realms from many fronts. Vaelin is faced with a new responsibility when he's made Tower Lord of the Northern Reaches by King Malcius. He has to ride north and take charge which he does but not with some reluctance. Reva’s track has us focusing on how she came to hate Vaelin so much and how she tracks him to face him for a duel. Last when we met Frentis, he was aboard a strange ship heading off to lands unknown. We find him now as an Alpiran slave who’s fighting to stay alive. Lastly we also get to explore the Northern Reaches as Princess Lyrna tries to find accord with the realm’s northern neighbors.
That’s all I’m going to say about the plot contents, as what happens in the story is that realm truly faces an invasion that boggles the mind. I can see why the author choose to expand the POV list as this story would have been impossible to cover from just a singular POV. Another highlight of this book is that nearly every character that made a major & minor impression in its predeceasing title is back in this one (except the dead ones). We get to see all of them & experience different shades to them; this was an extremely pleasurable to read. A couple of mysteries from Blood Song, namely who attacked Vaelin in the Test Of the Wild as well as who was behind it get clarified. Many other bigger revelations also abound like what truly happened to Vaelin when he was an Alpiran captive. Who is the Witch’s bastard and who are his allies? There’s also a fascinating exploration of the Seventh order and the magic system espoused in this trilogy.
Secondly going on to the characterization, Anthony Ryan shines brighter in his sophomore effort by giving us many brilliant characters. Besides Vaelin, Reva, Frentis and Princess Lyrna get the POV turn and I loved how different the characters were from what we read in Vaelin’s thoughts. Princess Lyrna was the character that was the most intriguing to me and in this book, she gets to shine truly. There’s also the brothers (Caenis, Sollis, the order aspect, etc) who we have met before and now have acquired different roles. You’ll be surprised to see many of them and how they feel about Vaelin. There are also some characters who make an appearance under a different name & it will be fun if you can spot them. Many of those who complained about Frentis’ cockney accent will be glad to know that it isn’t a problem in this sequel. Infact I would say he becomes a terror worthy of Vaelin’s status. The author also expands the readers on to the world by focusing on the realm and giving us fascinating insights into the various types of people and faiths that abound. This light is also shone upon the Alpiran as well as the Volarian culture.
Lastly the pace and action sequences are amplified across all the four POV sections, we get to see our favorite characters face odds that they have never thought of and the fun is reading how it all ends. Previously I talked about the siege-like conditions similar to Legend. The author displays his skills and gives us a fascinating account in to the siege via Verniers and then through the actual characters. This dual approach creates some confusion but it’s done in a way that will leave you with a smile in the end. Coming back to my original statement of this book being similar to Legend, David Gemmell's epic debut. We get a siege wherein legends are forged and this was the highlight of the story. And how does the author manage to top off such an exciting read, he cruelly ends the story with a chapter that hearkens back to the shocker that was the epilogue in A Storm Of Swords. This climatic chapter ends on such a note that you might not want to wait a whole year for Queen Of Fire.
There's so much more I want to gush about this book but I think I've said enough. Regarding the negatives about this title, the only thing I can think is that the story has kind of a slow start with all POV chapters. It takes only a while for the pace to pick up but once it does, the chapters fly by on to a rousing action-packed finale that is memorable. Your mileage may vary but this is the only drawback in an otherwise superb sequel.
CONCLUSION: This book easily is the best heroic epic fantasy of 2014 (bettering the high of City Of Stairs which is yet to be released) and now all other books will have to excel to overcome it. Tower Lord is a loud proclamation that Anthony Ryan is David Gemmell’s natural successor and epic fantasy’s best British talent.
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