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 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.
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.
SPFBO CHAMPIONS' LEAGUE RATING FOR NOW
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1) The Storm beneath The World by Michael R. Fletcher – This was an incredibly unique story about an anthromorphic insect civilization & easily the best story that has sprouted form the mad Canadian’s mind. Can’t wait to read the sequel and see how Fletcher ends it all.
2) The Doors Of Midnight by RR Virdi – The sequel to The First Binding was in everyway a sequel that outshone its predecessor. The brilliance of the author’s prose & plotting skills were already visible in the preceding title but in this one, he took things to a new level. The 3rd volume in the Tales Of Tremaine is easily one of my most anticipated reads whenever it releases.
3) Herald by Rob J. Hayes – The beginning of a new epic fantasy from one of my favourites is always a cause to celebrate. With the Godeater saga, Rob plans to go the GRRM route and has written a story that is simultaneously unfolding across three millennia.
4) The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston – Cameron Johnston is a huge fan of David Gemmell and in this book, he was able to give us a heroic fantasy story & a stoic female MC who absolutely would have done the big man proud.
5) Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang – This book was a fantasy title that originally was released in 2023 but I got to it in 2024. M.L. Wang’s BOBH was a fascinating tapestry about academia, racism and xenophobia while giving us a fascinating world. An incredibly different follow up to Kaigen but retaining all of the author’s signature style.
6) The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence – This was another 2023 title which I was only able to read a year later after its release. The Library trilogy book 1 is possibly the most meta story that Mark Lawrence has written & another feather in his already shining cap.
7) Fool’s Promise by Angela Boord – Angela Boord’s 2nd volume of the Eterean saga showcased exactly why we loved Fortune’s Fool. With more worldbuilding & complex characters, accompanied by stellar prose, this sequel proved why AB needs to be celebrated by more readers.
8) How To Become The Dark Lord And Die Trying by Django Wexler – This was a funny story that exceeded my wildest expectations as the author really went all in with its zany premise. Filled with snark, humour & a lot of fun, this is one series that I couldn’t get more of.
9) Mushroom Blues by Adrian M. Gibson – Adrian M. Gibson’s debut was a sleek hybrid mixing fantasy, SF, & Noir with a complex world scenario. It was also very polished & hence was the FBC finalist for SPFBOX. If you haven’t read this one yet, you need to jump on it.
10) The Hunter’s Gambit by Ciel Pierlot – I was made aware of this book thanks to my blogmate Caitlin, and her review precisely encapsulates what this book is about. Evil vampires, bloody action, a morally grey protagonist made this standalone a quick and fast read. Ciel Pierlot absolutely nailed this dark fantasy tale & I hope we get more stories within this milieu.
Book Review: Blood Brothers Beyond by Rob J. Hayes (reviewed by Adam Weller)
Book links: Amazon, Goodreads
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).
Publisher: Rob J Hayes (17 Dec. 2024) Length: 108 Formats: ebook, paperback
The Sword of Kaigen & Where Loyalties Lie - Special Editions Interview with Bryce O'Connor (interviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
Sins Of The Mother (The War Eternal# 4) by Rob J. Hayes (reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
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Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of Spirits Of Vengeance
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Spirits Of Vengeance & The Century Blade by Rob J. Hayes (reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
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Read Fantasy Book Critic's Post COK interview with Rob J. Hayes
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Never Die Release Interview with Rob J. Hayes
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Read Fantasy Book Critic’s Pawn’s Gambit Release Interview Read A Game of ̶T̶h̶r̶o̶n̶e̶s̶ Death by Rob J. Hayes (guest post)
Official Author Website
Pre-order Pawn’s Gambit over HERE (USA) and HERE (UK)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Rob J. Hayes was born and brought up in Basingstoke, UK. As a child he was fascinated with Lego, Star Wars and Transformers that fueled his imagination and he spent quite a bit of his growing up years playing around with such. He began writing at the age of fourteen however soon discovered the fallacies of his work. After four years at University studying Zoology and three years working for a string of high street banks as a desk jockey/keyboard monkey. Rob lived on a desert island in Fiji for three months. It was there he re-discovered his love of writing and, more specifically, of writing fantasy.
Order Pawn’s Gambit over HERE (USA) and HERE (UK)Read Fantasy Book Critic’s review of Pawn’s Gambit
Pawn's Gambit Release Interview with Rob J. Hayes (Interviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
Official
Author Website
Pre-order Pawn’s Gambit over HERE (USA) and HERE (UK)
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Along
The Razor's Edge
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Lessons Never Learned
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Book Critic’s review of From Cold
Ashes Risen
