Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Mini-Reviews: The Wolf In Winter by John Connolly & The Shotgun Arcana by Rod S. Belcher (Reviewed by Mihir Wanchoo)
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Review of “The Lovers”
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Review of “The Whisperers”
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Review of “The Burning Soul”
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Review of “The Wrath Of Angels”
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with John Connolly
Why You Should Read John Connolly (A Fantasy Literature feature)
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: After the terrific and fatalistic events of The Wrath Of Angels, The Wolf In Winter was a highly anticipated title for me. This book leads on with certain pivotal events from The Wrath Of Angels however its main plot makes it a standalone read (for those who apprehensive to jump into a 10-plus books series). This book’s title though has more of a fantastical feel to it than any of the previous ones. One thing though there’ll be some spoilers for The Wrath Of Angels as I discuss certain plot points so don’t read ahead if you haven’t read the aforementioned title.
We begin with Parker, Louis, & Angel hot on the track of the Collector for his murder of Jackie Garner. The Collector or Kushiel as is his name, is not quite feeling up to his usual fatal self. He has always been the predator but never the prey and this new feeling isn't one he’s enjoying all that much. Parker is focused on ending the Collector’s murderous reign however the suicide of a friend of his pulls him back to Portland. Jude is a homeless man who’s been an ally of Parker for a long time. His suicide draws Parker away from his search and he’s rather stumped by it all.
Another odd thread to Jude’s suicide leads Parker to the small town of Prosperous that has its own customs, and quite a church as well. Jude’s daughter was last seen in Prosperous however the locals deny her presence and Jude was also deemed persona non-grata when he went there to find her. All of this pulls Parker’s empathetic strings and makes him head straight to Prosperous wherein he finds something crooked. Thus begins the story wherein we learn more about the historical sect of Family of Love, which was birthed in England and to escape persecution, came to the North American shores. They also brought something over that makes their church and town unique. Tied into all these happenings is the tale of a lone wolf who also comes into the woods around Prosperous and is the titular character of the book.
As with any John Connolly story, there’s never a simple straightforward tale. With this book, John explores a small historical sect of Christianity that had strange roots and even stranger customs. They also had a murderous rumor attached to their past that they couldn't quite shake off no matter how hard they tried. The story also features a stronger focus on Louis, Angel and a couple of other characters due to the story and that was simply fascinating to read. The story also continues a strong horror trend that has been so prevalent in the past couple of books. Within this story, the horror is nicely tied into a mythological bent and while a tad predictable nicely amped up the climax of the story.
One of the biggest twists of the story which occurs about halfway into the story really stumped me & the last chapter especially will have HUGE ramifications for the next saga in Charlie Parker’s life. The next book is titled A Song Of Shadows and believe me, once you are done with this volume. You won’t be able to wait to get your hands on it. The Wolf In Winter is a very good thriller that will thrill John Connolly fans and makes sure that the series is still exciting.
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Review of “The Lovers”
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Review of “The Whisperers”
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Review of “The Burning Soul”
Read Fantasy Book Critic's Review of “The Wrath Of Angels”
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with John Connolly
Why You Should Read John Connolly (A Fantasy Literature feature)
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: After the terrific and fatalistic events of The Wrath Of Angels, The Wolf In Winter was a highly anticipated title for me. This book leads on with certain pivotal events from The Wrath Of Angels however its main plot makes it a standalone read (for those who apprehensive to jump into a 10-plus books series). This book’s title though has more of a fantastical feel to it than any of the previous ones. One thing though there’ll be some spoilers for The Wrath Of Angels as I discuss certain plot points so don’t read ahead if you haven’t read the aforementioned title.
We begin with Parker, Louis, & Angel hot on the track of the Collector for his murder of Jackie Garner. The Collector or Kushiel as is his name, is not quite feeling up to his usual fatal self. He has always been the predator but never the prey and this new feeling isn't one he’s enjoying all that much. Parker is focused on ending the Collector’s murderous reign however the suicide of a friend of his pulls him back to Portland. Jude is a homeless man who’s been an ally of Parker for a long time. His suicide draws Parker away from his search and he’s rather stumped by it all.
Another odd thread to Jude’s suicide leads Parker to the small town of Prosperous that has its own customs, and quite a church as well. Jude’s daughter was last seen in Prosperous however the locals deny her presence and Jude was also deemed persona non-grata when he went there to find her. All of this pulls Parker’s empathetic strings and makes him head straight to Prosperous wherein he finds something crooked. Thus begins the story wherein we learn more about the historical sect of Family of Love, which was birthed in England and to escape persecution, came to the North American shores. They also brought something over that makes their church and town unique. Tied into all these happenings is the tale of a lone wolf who also comes into the woods around Prosperous and is the titular character of the book.
As with any John Connolly story, there’s never a simple straightforward tale. With this book, John explores a small historical sect of Christianity that had strange roots and even stranger customs. They also had a murderous rumor attached to their past that they couldn't quite shake off no matter how hard they tried. The story also features a stronger focus on Louis, Angel and a couple of other characters due to the story and that was simply fascinating to read. The story also continues a strong horror trend that has been so prevalent in the past couple of books. Within this story, the horror is nicely tied into a mythological bent and while a tad predictable nicely amped up the climax of the story.
One of the biggest twists of the story which occurs about halfway into the story really stumped me & the last chapter especially will have HUGE ramifications for the next saga in Charlie Parker’s life. The next book is titled A Song Of Shadows and believe me, once you are done with this volume. You won’t be able to wait to get your hands on it. The Wolf In Winter is a very good thriller that will thrill John Connolly fans and makes sure that the series is still exciting.
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Six-Gun Tarot
Read The Route To Golgotha by R. S. Belcher (guest post)
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Shotgun Arcana is the sequel to last year’s The Six-Gun Tarot. It was a book that Cindy and me both enjoyed and had big expectations from the author going forward. The Shotgun Arcana is the sequel to that fantastic debut and contrary to my worries; Rod Belcher has outdone himself with this solid sophomore effort. Also there'll be mild spoilers for The Six-Gun Tarot as I talk about the plot so be forewarned those who haven't read the previous volume.
The story begins set nearly a year after the troubled events that were shown in The Six-gun Tarot. The town residents have come back to a semblance of normalcy & managed to convince themselves that perhaps it was all a horrible nightmare. For certain residents like Jim who’s now a deputy sheriff along with Mutt and helping Jon Highfeather keeps everything under control. Maude had to sacrifice a lot (especially a big part of her legacy) to keep her daughter alive and save the world at the same time. Malachi Bick is back in Golgotha after his reappearance at the fag end of the events shown in The Six-gun tarot and is quite unpopular with the town folk due to his business tactics.
Harry Pratt the town mayor has settled down with his dual role as mayor and gay Mormon and also has a special weapon to keep him busy. Augustus Schultz is remarried but seeks to help his friend Clay Turlough (the resident mad scuientist). His second wife Gillian Proctor further does her best to help him avail his second chance at happiness. Then are quite a few new characters who are introduced and share familial and friendly ties to several POV characters. The big draw with with this story is the presence of a person familiar to Biqa/Malachi who has been given a similar task as him. This person though hasn't held up their share of the bargain and this has led to the spread of 32 teeth of Cain. These teeth seek out the very worst of human depravity and so there’s a whole host of killers coming towards Golgotha for something sinister.
There’s also a serial killer in the town who’s taken a clue from an infamous Whitechapel passerby who’s left a bloody stain on their past. This killer is striking havoc among the working girls of the town and seems to work in an invisible manner. Jon, Mutt and Jim will have to pool their brains as well take the help of all their friends to solve these murders and at the same time try to solve all their individual problems. There’s a bunch more stuff that’s combined with the main threads of this story that make this sequel such a fantastic read for me.
Beginning with the characterization, in review for The Six-gun Tarot, I had noted: “his prose and characterization upends this tale from simply a fantastic idea onto a fantastic story. The characters even though numerous hold their own and each of them alternatively convince the reader of their importance.” But with this sequel, Rod Belcher basically outdoes himself in the characters department. There are so many good ones: Augustus, Maude, Jon, Malachi, Jim, Clay, & a couple of the new ones introduced in this volume. Frankly at this point, I’ll be ecstatic if the author keeps writing further tales of Golgotha as there are several pointers in this story for future & past exploits.
There’s also quite a few historical references personas such as Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allen Poe, etc and events/organizations like the Donner Party and the Pinkerton agency. The author judiciously mixes historical nuggets within his story to make it seem oh so plausible and entirely delectable. This sequel is basically the book that convinced me that Rod S. Belcher is an author to watch out for. His imagination, writing style and characters simply have elevated him into that select group of authors whose books I will heartily keep recommending to all and sundry.
The Shotgun Arcana is a fabulous sequel that builds on the terrific premise that was laid out in the Six Gun Tarot. It is a book that right now is in my top three books for 2014 and this series as a whole deserves to be adapted for TV. Think of it as Wild west meets League of Extraordinary Gentlemen crossed with a little bit of Lovecraft and mixed in with superb characterization. If you haven’t read The Shotgun Arcana & its predecessor yet, you ARE missing out on a classic series in the making.
Order the book HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Six-Gun Tarot
Read The Route To Golgotha by R. S. Belcher (guest post)
OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: The Shotgun Arcana is the sequel to last year’s The Six-Gun Tarot. It was a book that Cindy and me both enjoyed and had big expectations from the author going forward. The Shotgun Arcana is the sequel to that fantastic debut and contrary to my worries; Rod Belcher has outdone himself with this solid sophomore effort. Also there'll be mild spoilers for The Six-Gun Tarot as I talk about the plot so be forewarned those who haven't read the previous volume.
The story begins set nearly a year after the troubled events that were shown in The Six-gun Tarot. The town residents have come back to a semblance of normalcy & managed to convince themselves that perhaps it was all a horrible nightmare. For certain residents like Jim who’s now a deputy sheriff along with Mutt and helping Jon Highfeather keeps everything under control. Maude had to sacrifice a lot (especially a big part of her legacy) to keep her daughter alive and save the world at the same time. Malachi Bick is back in Golgotha after his reappearance at the fag end of the events shown in The Six-gun tarot and is quite unpopular with the town folk due to his business tactics.
Harry Pratt the town mayor has settled down with his dual role as mayor and gay Mormon and also has a special weapon to keep him busy. Augustus Schultz is remarried but seeks to help his friend Clay Turlough (the resident mad scuientist). His second wife Gillian Proctor further does her best to help him avail his second chance at happiness. Then are quite a few new characters who are introduced and share familial and friendly ties to several POV characters. The big draw with with this story is the presence of a person familiar to Biqa/Malachi who has been given a similar task as him. This person though hasn't held up their share of the bargain and this has led to the spread of 32 teeth of Cain. These teeth seek out the very worst of human depravity and so there’s a whole host of killers coming towards Golgotha for something sinister.
There’s also a serial killer in the town who’s taken a clue from an infamous Whitechapel passerby who’s left a bloody stain on their past. This killer is striking havoc among the working girls of the town and seems to work in an invisible manner. Jon, Mutt and Jim will have to pool their brains as well take the help of all their friends to solve these murders and at the same time try to solve all their individual problems. There’s a bunch more stuff that’s combined with the main threads of this story that make this sequel such a fantastic read for me.
Beginning with the characterization, in review for The Six-gun Tarot, I had noted: “his prose and characterization upends this tale from simply a fantastic idea onto a fantastic story. The characters even though numerous hold their own and each of them alternatively convince the reader of their importance.” But with this sequel, Rod Belcher basically outdoes himself in the characters department. There are so many good ones: Augustus, Maude, Jon, Malachi, Jim, Clay, & a couple of the new ones introduced in this volume. Frankly at this point, I’ll be ecstatic if the author keeps writing further tales of Golgotha as there are several pointers in this story for future & past exploits.
There’s also quite a few historical references personas such as Abraham Lincoln, Edgar Allen Poe, etc and events/organizations like the Donner Party and the Pinkerton agency. The author judiciously mixes historical nuggets within his story to make it seem oh so plausible and entirely delectable. This sequel is basically the book that convinced me that Rod S. Belcher is an author to watch out for. His imagination, writing style and characters simply have elevated him into that select group of authors whose books I will heartily keep recommending to all and sundry.
The Shotgun Arcana is a fabulous sequel that builds on the terrific premise that was laid out in the Six Gun Tarot. It is a book that right now is in my top three books for 2014 and this series as a whole deserves to be adapted for TV. Think of it as Wild west meets League of Extraordinary Gentlemen crossed with a little bit of Lovecraft and mixed in with superb characterization. If you haven’t read The Shotgun Arcana & its predecessor yet, you ARE missing out on a classic series in the making.
12:00 AM | 
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The Reader |
When I decided I wanted to try my hand at writing a steampunk setting, I gave myself a few provisos.
The first was that I’d avoid the rose-colored goggles point of view. Some SP settings instil the transition from rural to industrial age with a sense of wonder, and tend to gloss over the ugly side of industrialization, and the whole child exploitation/slavery unpleasantness that came along with our transition to urban life.
Second, I wanted to avoid Victorian England as a cultural touchstone. It’s been done, and done well (Colonial America too, tbh). I decided to build a steampunk world based on a culture nobody had really tackled yet – Shogunate Japan.
Basing your fantasy world on an existing culture is hardly a new concept – most modern fantasy has at least some grounding in cultures of the past (albeit with a decidedly euro-centric focus). But there are pro’s and con’s to writing a world based on an existing culture that isn’t actually yours.
Pro: Different Perspectives
Delving into a culture you haven’t been raised in will invariably be an eye-opening experience. You’ll be inundated with new concepts and imagery. Researching an unfamiliar culture might open up story avenues, conflicts, hooks and twists that you wouldn’t have considered if you were writing fantasy of the Tolkienite variety. At the very least, you’re filling your skullspace with interesting factoids that might come in handy during some future dinner engagement. For example, did you know that in ancient Greece, when a boy turned 13, an uncle or close family friend would take the lad up into the hills to teach him the time-honored art of fellatio?
Drop that one on your next dinner party. Guaranteed show-stopper!
Con: WTB Glossary PST
What we think of as traditional fantasy is often an alt-version of medieval England. Concepts like “knight” and “throne” are so ingrained in our cultural psyche, they need no explanation. You don’t need to take the time to explain to your reader what a “Lord” is. They already know how a “shortsword” works. They’re guaranteed to be repeatedly cursing the skies if you use terms like “Daimyo” or “wakizashi” and offer no explanation, even if you write the term in context. You’ll need to explain all these new words you’re bandying about, and some readers tire of that routine quickly. They just want to get to the fireworks factory.
Pro: Zigging Not Zagging
Because modern fantasy tends to have a heavy western European focus, when a piece of work that strays from that norm rears its head, it’ll stand out like the proverbial… well, you know…
“Different” equates to “intriguing” in the minds of many readers – this is simply human nature. Intriguing isn’t a bad thing for your novel’s concept to be. Just like your eyes are inexorably drawn to the six-foot transvestite in a red miniskirt amidst a sea of six-foot transvestites in grey ballgowns, an epic fantasy novel with nary a king or knight or dragon in sight will probably turn some heads. In theory, anyways.
Second, I wanted to avoid Victorian England as a cultural touchstone. It’s been done, and done well (Colonial America too, tbh). I decided to build a steampunk world based on a culture nobody had really tackled yet – Shogunate Japan.
Basing your fantasy world on an existing culture is hardly a new concept – most modern fantasy has at least some grounding in cultures of the past (albeit with a decidedly euro-centric focus). But there are pro’s and con’s to writing a world based on an existing culture that isn’t actually yours.
Pro: Different Perspectives
Delving into a culture you haven’t been raised in will invariably be an eye-opening experience. You’ll be inundated with new concepts and imagery. Researching an unfamiliar culture might open up story avenues, conflicts, hooks and twists that you wouldn’t have considered if you were writing fantasy of the Tolkienite variety. At the very least, you’re filling your skullspace with interesting factoids that might come in handy during some future dinner engagement. For example, did you know that in ancient Greece, when a boy turned 13, an uncle or close family friend would take the lad up into the hills to teach him the time-honored art of fellatio?
Drop that one on your next dinner party. Guaranteed show-stopper!
Con: WTB Glossary PST
What we think of as traditional fantasy is often an alt-version of medieval England. Concepts like “knight” and “throne” are so ingrained in our cultural psyche, they need no explanation. You don’t need to take the time to explain to your reader what a “Lord” is. They already know how a “shortsword” works. They’re guaranteed to be repeatedly cursing the skies if you use terms like “Daimyo” or “wakizashi” and offer no explanation, even if you write the term in context. You’ll need to explain all these new words you’re bandying about, and some readers tire of that routine quickly. They just want to get to the fireworks factory.
Pro: Zigging Not Zagging
Because modern fantasy tends to have a heavy western European focus, when a piece of work that strays from that norm rears its head, it’ll stand out like the proverbial… well, you know…
“Different” equates to “intriguing” in the minds of many readers – this is simply human nature. Intriguing isn’t a bad thing for your novel’s concept to be. Just like your eyes are inexorably drawn to the six-foot transvestite in a red miniskirt amidst a sea of six-foot transvestites in grey ballgowns, an epic fantasy novel with nary a king or knight or dragon in sight will probably turn some heads. In theory, anyways.
Con: Performance Anxiety
They’re all looking at you now. This series better be good.
Pro: The Sand Pit
The liberating notion about drawing inspiration from an existing culture but still keeping your world entirely fantastical is that you can take elements of the touchstone you want, and leave the rest where you found it. You’re building your own sandpit after all, and you make the rules. If you want to utilize part of an ancient religion but not use the entire pantheon, you’re free to do so. If you want to utilize cultural or societal structures, religious hierarchy or elements of language, there’s no rule saying you can’t change it, or mix it with other concepts from halfway around the globe. Combining the real with the fantastical can lead you to create truly unique worlds, even if their foundation is one we’re all at least partially acquainted with.
Con: Unavoidable Collisions
Even if you call your world “Not’thureel’wurld” and make it plain that your story is not in any way historical, nor indeed, any form of commentary on the culture that inspired you, if your setting was inspired by an existing culture, particularly a culture you don’t come from, then you’re going to offend somebody. The differences between Tsarist Russia and your fantasy world based on Tsarist Russia can be explained very simply – you aren’t writing a story set in Tsarist Russia. But despite your setting being fantastical, you will be told in no uncertain terms that “you are doing it wrong”.
Most readers will understand you’re writing fantasy, and that your inspiration was exactly that, and only that. Some won’t, and some won’t care. Like death and taxes, this is unavoidable.
This is not to say that, by slapping a “this is make believe” tag on your work, you have license to do whatever you please. Stereotyping is always a pit best avoided. Simplifying any culture, fantastical or not, down to a handful of traits simply doesn’t do the complexity of life justice. The golden rule is that people are, first and foremost, people. They have hopes and dreams, desires and imaginations, and the amount of melanin in their skins or the shape of their eyes most likely has nothing to do with any of that.
There are certainly other pitfalls to watch out for, particularly if you’re writing the story of an outsider interacting with another’s culture (the Sensei, the Neo-Native, the Magic Colored Man to name a few). If your setting has no “outsider”, these tropes are easy to avoid.
Woe betide you if you drop a white protagonist into a non-white culture and have said protagonist start teaching the primitive natives what’s what, or worse, discovering the beauty of the primitive native culture and the evils of their own. Those antics might win you seven academy awards or give you the highest grossing film of all time, but…
… waitaminute…
They’re all looking at you now. This series better be good.
Pro: The Sand Pit
The liberating notion about drawing inspiration from an existing culture but still keeping your world entirely fantastical is that you can take elements of the touchstone you want, and leave the rest where you found it. You’re building your own sandpit after all, and you make the rules. If you want to utilize part of an ancient religion but not use the entire pantheon, you’re free to do so. If you want to utilize cultural or societal structures, religious hierarchy or elements of language, there’s no rule saying you can’t change it, or mix it with other concepts from halfway around the globe. Combining the real with the fantastical can lead you to create truly unique worlds, even if their foundation is one we’re all at least partially acquainted with.
Con: Unavoidable Collisions
Even if you call your world “Not’thureel’wurld” and make it plain that your story is not in any way historical, nor indeed, any form of commentary on the culture that inspired you, if your setting was inspired by an existing culture, particularly a culture you don’t come from, then you’re going to offend somebody. The differences between Tsarist Russia and your fantasy world based on Tsarist Russia can be explained very simply – you aren’t writing a story set in Tsarist Russia. But despite your setting being fantastical, you will be told in no uncertain terms that “you are doing it wrong”.
Most readers will understand you’re writing fantasy, and that your inspiration was exactly that, and only that. Some won’t, and some won’t care. Like death and taxes, this is unavoidable.
This is not to say that, by slapping a “this is make believe” tag on your work, you have license to do whatever you please. Stereotyping is always a pit best avoided. Simplifying any culture, fantastical or not, down to a handful of traits simply doesn’t do the complexity of life justice. The golden rule is that people are, first and foremost, people. They have hopes and dreams, desires and imaginations, and the amount of melanin in their skins or the shape of their eyes most likely has nothing to do with any of that.
There are certainly other pitfalls to watch out for, particularly if you’re writing the story of an outsider interacting with another’s culture (the Sensei, the Neo-Native, the Magic Colored Man to name a few). If your setting has no “outsider”, these tropes are easy to avoid.
Woe betide you if you drop a white protagonist into a non-white culture and have said protagonist start teaching the primitive natives what’s what, or worse, discovering the beauty of the primitive native culture and the evils of their own. Those antics might win you seven academy awards or give you the highest grossing film of all time, but…
… waitaminute…
Official Author Website
Pre-Order Endsinger HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Stormdancer
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Jay Kristoff was born and brought up in Perth. He grew up reading and collecting books and spent most of his free time playing Dungeons & Dragons. He graduated with an Arts degree and then spent ten years in the field of “creative advertising”. He currently lives in Melbourne with his wife and dog. His first trilogy, the award winning THE LOTUS WAR is set to be published in over a dozen countries. The third book in the series, ENDSINGER, is due for publication in November 2014. Jay’s new series, the SciFi thriller ILLUMINAE, which he co-authored with Amie Kaufman, is due for publication by Random House in 2015.
NOTE: Author picture courtesy of Christopher Tovo. The remaining stops of Jay's ENDSINGER blog tour can be found over here.
Pre-Order Endsinger HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Stormdancer
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Jay Kristoff was born and brought up in Perth. He grew up reading and collecting books and spent most of his free time playing Dungeons & Dragons. He graduated with an Arts degree and then spent ten years in the field of “creative advertising”. He currently lives in Melbourne with his wife and dog. His first trilogy, the award winning THE LOTUS WAR is set to be published in over a dozen countries. The third book in the series, ENDSINGER, is due for publication in November 2014. Jay’s new series, the SciFi thriller ILLUMINAE, which he co-authored with Amie Kaufman, is due for publication by Random House in 2015.
NOTE: Author picture courtesy of Christopher Tovo. The remaining stops of Jay's ENDSINGER blog tour can be found over here.
Official Author Website
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Heresy Within by Rob J. Hayes
Last year Rob J. Hayes absolutely exploded on to readers with his excellent debut, grimdark trilogy. He’s now being re-published and it's our great pleasure to announce Ragnarok Publications and Fantasy Book Critic are giving away one signed copy of ”The Heresy Within” to One Lucky Winner!!!
To enter, please send an email to fbcgiveaway@gmail.com with your Name, Mailing Address, and the subject: Heresy. Giveaway has ENDED and was open to participants WORlDWIDE!.
Thank you for entering and Good Luck!
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1) Open To Anyone WORLDWIDE
2) Only One Entry Per Household (Multiple Entries Will Be Disqualified)
3) Must Enter Valid Email Address, Mailing Address + Name
4) No Purchase Necessary
5) Giveaway HAS ENDED
6) Winner Will Be Randomly Selected and Notified By Email
7) Personal Information Will Only Be Used In Mailing Out the Books To The Winner
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Heresy Within by Rob J. Hayes
Last year Rob J. Hayes absolutely exploded on to readers with his excellent debut, grimdark trilogy. He’s now being re-published and it's our great pleasure to announce Ragnarok Publications and Fantasy Book Critic are giving away one signed copy of ”The Heresy Within” to One Lucky Winner!!!
To enter, please send an email to fbcgiveaway@gmail.com with your Name, Mailing Address, and the subject: Heresy. Giveaway has ENDED and was open to participants WORlDWIDE!.
Thank you for entering and Good Luck!
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1) Open To Anyone WORLDWIDE
2) Only One Entry Per Household (Multiple Entries Will Be Disqualified)
3) Must Enter Valid Email Address, Mailing Address + Name
4) No Purchase Necessary
5) Giveaway HAS ENDED
6) Winner Will Be Randomly Selected and Notified By Email
7) Personal Information Will Only Be Used In Mailing Out the Books To The Winner
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.
OFFICIAL BLURB: Jezzet Vel'urn is a trained swordswoman. She has rightfully earned the title Blademaster, and she knows that for a woman like her there are generally just two ways out of most hostile situations; fight or fornicate. All too often for Jezzet's liking, it comes down to some gods-be-damned combination of the two.
In The Heresy Within Jezzet is chased into the Wild by a vengeful warlord until she finally makes it to the sovereign city-state of Chade. But instead of sanctuary, she finds only more opportunistic bastards waiting to turn her over to her enemies.
Also figuring majorly in the story is Thanquil Darkheart, a sorcerer hunter called an Arbiter, tasked with hunting down and purging heretics for the Inquisition. Thanquil is given a task by the God Emperor of Sarth from which he has no escape. Lastly there’s the brutal outlaw called Black Thorn, best known perhaps for the killing of several Arbiters and possibly being one of the biggest names in the Wild for his proclivities.
All three of their fates seem to be converging on the Free City of Chade and, before long, Jezzet, Thanquil, and the Black Thorn will have to confront each other as they find themselves facing The Heresy Within.
In The Heresy Within Jezzet is chased into the Wild by a vengeful warlord until she finally makes it to the sovereign city-state of Chade. But instead of sanctuary, she finds only more opportunistic bastards waiting to turn her over to her enemies.
Also figuring majorly in the story is Thanquil Darkheart, a sorcerer hunter called an Arbiter, tasked with hunting down and purging heretics for the Inquisition. Thanquil is given a task by the God Emperor of Sarth from which he has no escape. Lastly there’s the brutal outlaw called Black Thorn, best known perhaps for the killing of several Arbiters and possibly being one of the biggest names in the Wild for his proclivities.
All three of their fates seem to be converging on the Free City of Chade and, before long, Jezzet, Thanquil, and the Black Thorn will have to confront each other as they find themselves facing The Heresy Within.
FORMAT/INFO: The Heresy Within is divided into four sections with sixty POV chapters. The narration is in third person via Thanquil Darkheart, Jezzet Vel’urn and Betrim Thorn aka The Black Thorn. This is the first book of the Ties That Bind trilogy.
November 10, 2014 marks the American e-book publication of The Heresy Within via Ragnarok Publications. Cover illustration is provided by Alex Raspad.
CLASSIFICATION: The Heresy Within is a dark fantasy debut with terrific characterization and a twisted plotline that is very reminiscent of the works by Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence and Scott Lynch.
ANALYSIS: This book was originally self-published by the author last year and it completely blew my mind. When I first read it, I had no clue about this book but the blurb suggested a dark story and the excerpt that I read had me salivating as soon as I finished it. The story safe to say was far from a disappointment.
The story begins with Arbiter Thanquil Darkheart who is a member of the Inquisition that seeks to root out demons and those who practice the dark arts in the lands in and around the holy city of Sarth. They are an organization who based on the teachings of Volmar, and have dedicated their lives trying to burn heretics and forever stamp out the dark arts. Such dedication has given them the street title of “witch hunters” and it’s one that is actively discouraged as well. Thanquil is however not a typical arbiter and is just returning from a distant mission before he gets shanghaied into an even more dangerous one.
Jezzet Vel’urn is a blademaster, she’s also a person who thinks more of day-to-day survival than anything else. Her troubles stem from a past friendship gone sour and before long she has to decide whether she will “fight or fuck her way” out of the shit headed her way. Lastly there’s Betrim the Black Thorn, mercenary, rogue and all round deadly murderer. His name echoes throughout the wilds as a name to be feared. Having lost a few digits on his hands and feet have made the Black Thorn extremely cautious in trusting folk even those among his crew but come long he will have to decide whether he wants to remembered as just a vile mercenary or something more.
That’s the basic gist of all the POV characters however there are more and all of them crazier and scarier than these POV ones. If I had to pinpoint the one single strength of this book, I would say it’s the characterization. Very few authors manage to write such terrific characters in their debut, only a few such as Scott Lynch, Joe Abercrombie and Anthony Ryan come to mind but now I believe we have another addition to this list. Rob J. Hayes who writes about lowlifes and scum but writes with such wonderful application that these very characters seem fascinating gems and before long have you hooked onto their antics. This is the best part of the story, and very reminiscent of Blake Crouch and J. A. Konrath’s serial killer thrillers wherein they explored the darker side of human depravity and power.
Similarly the author herein focuses on people who frankly would be villains in most books however gives them three dimensional personas for the readers to enjoy reading about. Betrim, Thanquil and Jezzet are the main characters and they shine brightly through their chapters but it's also the side character cast such as Henry, Bones, Swift, etc that make the story so much more intriguing. The POV characters Thanquil, Jezzet and Betrim are all psychologically broken people however the way they cope with their problems is fascinating to read. Plus amid all the savagery, their semi-honorable actions seem even brighter as compared to the muck around them. Sure enough some of them are still scum, act crazy, commit violence in a wild manner upon each other and normal folk, however many of them become so interesting that the readers will be forced to turn the pages to get to know them better as well as their sides of the story. This was what I loved so much about this debut, the terrific characterization, the unpredictable plot-line with all the action and bleakness.
There are plot twists galore as the story hardly moves in the direction that the readers would expect and in the end the author makes sure that the rules of the world are obeyed in the sense that no character is truly safe. The author also subverts several fantasy tropes by not following conventional storylines Case in point the God Emperor of Sarth was a farm boy who was revealed to be a human incarnation of Volmar. However the author doesn't focus on this and mentions it and moves on to the juicy parts. There are quite a few deaths and so I would recommend that readers not read the blurb of the next books to not spoil their reads. The ending is very Abercrombie-like wherein situations are resolved but the characters are put through a psychological and physical grinder of sorts. All in all this is a kind of debut that you definitely don’t want to miss because as soon as you finish this book, you’ll want to start the next one and then the one after that. The great news is that the next couple will be released soon and therefore ready to be devoured.
Now moving onto the parts of the book that seem to be a bit deficient, namely the worldbuilding front. Sure enough there is enough history and geography provided to make it seem three dimensional but because the story focuses so much on characters and action, some readers who might want to know more of the surrounding world might not be satisfied. This book is without a map and so for cartophiles it’s a bit of a negative. Lastly those who don’t like dark fantasy or grey characters please, please avoid this book at all costs as you definitely will not be able to stomach it for all its brutality, gore and graphic nature. There's also quite a few situations and characters that come on to the main stage without any explanation and so I hope their status and back-stories will be explained in the succeeding volumes.
CONCLUSION: Who is Rob J. Hayes, I don’t know entirely but I’m willing to bet that before the year ends, many readers will have heard his name and also become fans of his. The Heresy Within is a debut and like 2012’s Blood Song is an absolute gem. If you like Joe Abercrombie, Scott Lynch or Mark Lawrence, make sure this is your next book. If you want a dark journey filled with action, betrayals and truly magnificent bastards of characters then The Heresy Within is the book that you should seek. DO NOT MISS IT!
Monday, November 3, 2014
Kindle First Digital Launch Scavenger Hunt Event for TICKER by Lisa Mantchev - Visit the Flying Fortress
Fantasy Book Critic is pleased to welcome Lisa Mantchev as
she celebrates the Kindle First digital launch of her new novel, TICKER. We are
one of many blog stops that are part of a wonderful and fun scavenger hunt.
Join us in welcoming Lisa Mantchev, learning about her new
book and traveling the world that is created in it, and of course – take part
in a scavenger hunt to win a Kindle Paperwhite! Grab your hunting skills and
let's get started!
Meet Lisa Mantchev
Lisa Mantchev is a temporally-displaced Capricorn who
casts her spells from an ancient tree in the Pacific Northwest. She is best
known as the author of the young adult fantasy trilogy, The Théâtre Illuminata.
Published by Feiwel & Friends (Macmillan,) the series includes the Andre
Norton and Mythopoeic awards-nominated EYES LIKE STARS (2009), PERCHANCE TO
DREAM (2010), and SO SILVER BRIGHT (2011.)
Learn About TICKER
When Penny Farthing nearly dies, brilliant surgeon Calvin
Warwick manages to implant a brass “Ticker” in her chest, transforming her into
the first of the Augmented. But soon it’s discovered that Warwick killed dozens
of people as he strove to perfect another improved Ticker for Penny, and he’s
put on trial for mass murder.
On the last day of Warwick’s trial, the Farthings’ factory
is bombed, Penny’s parents disappear, and Penny and her brother, Nic, receive a
ransom note demanding all of their Augmentation research if they want to see
their parents again. Is someone trying to destroy the Farthings...or is the
motive more sinister?
Desperate to reunite their family and rescue their research,
Penny and her brother recruit fiery baker Violet Nesselrode,
gentleman-about-town Sebastian Stirling, and Marcus Kingsley, a young army
general who has his own reasons for wanting to lift the veil between this world
and the next. Wagers are placed, friends are lost, romance stages an ambush,
and time is running out for the girl with the clockwork heart.
Let the Scavenger Hunt BEGIN
To celebrate the Kindle First digital launch of TICKER by Lisa Mantchev, the
Farthing family would like to loan you your very own Vitesse motorized
high-wheeled bicycle and messenger bag. Venture out into the city of Bazalgate
to see the sights and retrieve six items necessary to celebrate with Penny and
her friends. When you are done, remit the list for a chance to win your very
own Kindle Paperwhite customized with the TICKER cover!
Contest open to US residents. Email entries to lisa@lisamantchev.com
with the subject line “TICKER Paperwhite Giveaway”. Deadline for entry is midnight
PST on November 15th. Winner will be announced here on November 16th.
THE FLYING FORTRESS
Any rejoinder I might have made evaporated with the clouds
as the Flying Fortress came into view. Sunlight glinted off white columns and
sleek glass architecture. Smaller satellite buildings clustered around a
singularly imposing main structure, like chicks to a mother hen. Under it all,
turbines produced the necessary amount of thrust to keep everything aloft. I
hadn’t any idea what the power source might be, nor could I fathom how Marcus’s
engineers achieved a nearly clean burn, but the utter lack of emissions meant
that the air around the Fortress was cold water sipped from a crystal goblet, a
far cry from Bazalgate’s soot-smudged tankard. I adjusted my goggles and leaned
as far out of the SkyDart as my lap belt allowed.
Item to retrieve : set of Ferrum Viriae bracelets
ONWARD to adventure, glory and teatime!
SUGARWERKS FULLY AUTOMATED BAKERY - Lisa Mantchev
FARTHING COGS & RIVETS FACTORY - Team Nerd Reviews
Official Author Website
Order The Scarlet Tides HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Mage's Blood
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with David Hair
Read Inner Selves, and Writing What You Know by David Hair (guest post)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: David Hair is an award-winning writer with two YA fiction series, The Aotearoa (set in New Zealand), and The Return of Ravana (based upon the Indian epic The Ramayana). He likes mythology and history, both of which he studied at the university level. Mage’s Blood, his first work of adult fantasy, is the first in his brand new quartet which draws upon both these subjects. He was raised in New Zealand, and after living in Britain and India and travelling the world, he now lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: The Moontide has come and the Leviathan Bridge stands open: now thrones will shake and hearts will be torn apart in a world at war. A scarlet tide of Rondian legions is flooding into the East, led by the Inquisition’s windships flying the Sacred Heart, bright banner of the Church’s darkest sons.
They are slaughtering and pillaging their way across Antiopia in the name of Emperor Constant. But the emperor’s greatest treasure, the Scytale of Corineus, has slipped through his fingers and his ruthless Inquisitors must scour two continents for the artefact, the source of all magical power.
Against them are the unlikeliest of heroes. Alaron, a failed mage, the gypsy Cymbellea and Ramita, once just a lowly market-girl, have pledged to end the cycle of war and restore peace to Urte.
East and West have clashed before, but this time, as secret factions and cabals emerge from the shadows, the world is about to discover that love, loyalty and truth can be forged into weapons as strong as swords and magic.
ANALYSIS (Liviu): I expected to enjoy The Scarlet Tides as Mage's Blood grew on me quite a lot as time passed, but I did not expect the awesome novel it was, so much so that at least temporarily it jumped to my #1 SFF spot of the year - of course time will tell if it will stay there, but The Scarlet Tides has really everything one wants in fantasy: excellent world building, superb adventures, hair rising escapes, great characters, very intriguing storylines, narrative momentum, an almost perfect place to end all the 4 main arcs, while there were some pages that were so funny that I couldn't stop laughing out loud for a few minutes - overall the book stands more on the adventure side of the genre than on the "new gritty" one, though it blends the two aspects quite well.
For a proper review of the universe and of the main characters of the series I refer to the review of Mage's Blood linked above.
All the main characters shine in The Scarlet Tides, though I would say that Ramon's war mage persona - so the view of the crusade from the ground up, as of course he is assigned as supporting mage to the worst legion of the army and there to the lowest of the low company, namely the supply one, where he corrupts the commanding tribune and they start running a perfect Ponzi scheme with all the army's gold and much more, while he gets as fellow mages, the incompetent, the stupid, the vain and the ones that annoyed powerful people so:
"Can we count on them in a fight?’ Ramon asked.
Prenton snorted amiably. "A fight? Dear Kore, this is a Crusade, lad, not a war. There’ll be no fighting, only endless days of marching around from ruin to empty ruin. There may be a bit of looting and pillaging thrown in, if we’re lucky. The Keshi don’t fight back. They run and hide." He pulled a face. "The biggest risk is their God-awful food."
(while we readers know that this time, the Keshi have quite a few battle magi of their own, not to speak of modern weaponry like gnosis powered aircraft...) - and Gurvon Gyle's Javon story where his cynicism and "you gotta be realistic" persona are staple new gritty done pitch perfect, were the most directly compelling arcs, but Alaron's saga with quite a few surprises - not least having Malevorn part of the Inquisition posse after him and meeting some strange people in his flight - had its great moments as had the story-lines of Ramita, Kazim or Elena - as of course one knew beforehand that she wouldn't remain possessed by an enemy mage for long.
Here is one quote that illustrates the action part:
"If we can find Gyle, we will kill him before they march," Gatoz put in.
"How will we find him?" Jamil asked.
"I will find him," Magister Sindon put in, his usually mild voice vehement. "I know Gyle, believe me. I have used his services before, and he trusts me."
********
Sindon turned and made a sign, and the door from which he’d emerged opened again, allowing more hooded figures to enter the courtyard, fanning out as they came.
"Magister Gyle, we’re so grateful,’ Sindon said, offering his hand.
Sordell saw Gyle go to take the offered hand, when he abruptly froze
Sindon’s pupils went wider. The game is up, those eyes said.
It is. Gyle swore softly. "And I have too few pieces on the board"
(and a fast and furious battle with spells and swords follows pitting Gurvon Gyle's mercenaries against the renegade Sindon and his Keshi dark mage strike commando)
There are a lot of twists and turns too - including double crosses, strange allies, unexpected connections and as I really do not want to spoil the book, I will just emphasize again that while Mage's Blood takes a while to get going and understand what's what, The Scarlet Tides is how modern epic fantasy should be from the first page and raises the series to the top level of the genre.
One more quote from one of Alaron's close encounters with the Inquistion:
"There was nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. He’d landed near a narrow channel that wound from the waterfall above towards the ocean miles to the east, but it was only a few feet deep. He’d dropped his sword as he fell and couldn’t see it anywhere. Brilliant … "
"Fatalism filled him. There was no way a lowly quarter-blood like him could get out of this. He tried to summon mental images of the people he loved: his parents, Cym, Ramon … Anise – thank Kore I didn’t tell her to wait – and that was about it, really. Not so many to farewell"
************
"Kore’s blood, you’ve been a nuisance," the Inquisitor said, "but I’ve got you now." Mage-fire blossomed from his left hand and blasted into Alaron’s midriff. His shields failed and his wet clothing sizzled as the energy jolted through him. He curled up, stricken, trying to breathe. The Inquisitor put the sword-point to his throat. Alaron looked along the straight steel blade and wished only to die. "I, Acolyte Seldon of the Eighteenth Fist, arrest you in the name of the Inquisition."
Seldon’s call resounded through the aether and Malevorn rolled his eyes as he followed the call back to the east. Damn. Muttered curses echoed dimly through the aether as the Fist’s mental links conveyed the mix of relief at the finding of their quarry and annoyance at losing the wager.
************
"As Alaron stared along Seldon’s blade, watching gnosis-energy crackle along the steel, a dark shape rose behind the Inquisitor..."
ANALYSIS (Mihir): The Scarlet Tides is the second volume in the Moontide Quartet and begins in the same way its predecessor did.The crucial difference being that we get the next part in the epic conference of the Rondian emperor's council and things are no less dire as the Guvron Gyle and the empress bring out the second part of the plan to make the crusade a resounding success.
As the story begins we begin with where we left all our main characters, betrayed by their allies, besot with danger and forced to run. Alaron, Elena, Ramita have to overcome massive challenges. There's a new POV introduced in this book and that's of Alaron's best friend Ramon who does his best to profit in the war. His chapters were dark and yet humorous enough to keep me thoroughly entertained. The author then focusses on Alaron & Cymbellea as they run with the scythe. Elena is forced to deal with Cera's betrayal and must try to gain back her footing to save the kingdom. Kazim is further entranced by Shihad and revelations about his father that lead him on a dark path. Ramita is forced to learn the Magi ways as she and Justina (her daughter now) must try to forge a path with Antonin Meiros' plans. . There's also POVs from Guvron Gyle, Malevorn and a couple of other characters who make up the antagonist bunch.
All in all the author thoroughly expands his world and showcases a war that is englfing almost every known nation. With the expanded POVs the author however manages to avoid the GRRM trap of the story losing its focus. Kudos to the author for managing this vast storyline and avoiding the bloat. Many of our esteemed epic fantasy authors can definitely learn a thing or two from Hair with regards to writing a tight epic fantasy saga with a set number of books and consistently producing them. The author also further reveals a lot of the gnosis and how the Three Hundred came to be, in this volume, a lot of secrets are revealed about the magical prowess of the Eastern practitioners.
What I loved with about this book is that it showcases how absolutely brutal war is and even those not directly in its path are still savaged by it. The author makes a fascinating comparison of executives meeting before going on a cataclysmic path, in this regards, the prologue makes so much sense is chilling in its scope. The characterization is superb dealing with both genders and among various age groups and sexual orientations. David Hair is truly writing one hell of a series and by saluting tropes but subverting them none the less, he manages to make the Scarlet Tides a sequel that is magnificent and a better book than its predecessor in every factor of consideration.
CONCLUSION (Liviu & Mihir): Lastly the book ends on a few cliffhangers with regards to a couple of characters which will have you wanting Unholy War desperately. But the overall conclusion presented leave this story and the readers gasping and yet wanting more. As far as stories go, that is what authors strive for and here this Kiwi author strikes bullseye again. Overall, The Scarlet Tides represents modern epic fantasy at its best.
Order The Scarlet Tides HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Mage's Blood
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with David Hair
Read Inner Selves, and Writing What You Know by David Hair (guest post)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: David Hair is an award-winning writer with two YA fiction series, The Aotearoa (set in New Zealand), and The Return of Ravana (based upon the Indian epic The Ramayana). He likes mythology and history, both of which he studied at the university level. Mage’s Blood, his first work of adult fantasy, is the first in his brand new quartet which draws upon both these subjects. He was raised in New Zealand, and after living in Britain and India and travelling the world, he now lives in Wellington, New Zealand.
OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: The Moontide has come and the Leviathan Bridge stands open: now thrones will shake and hearts will be torn apart in a world at war. A scarlet tide of Rondian legions is flooding into the East, led by the Inquisition’s windships flying the Sacred Heart, bright banner of the Church’s darkest sons.
They are slaughtering and pillaging their way across Antiopia in the name of Emperor Constant. But the emperor’s greatest treasure, the Scytale of Corineus, has slipped through his fingers and his ruthless Inquisitors must scour two continents for the artefact, the source of all magical power.
Against them are the unlikeliest of heroes. Alaron, a failed mage, the gypsy Cymbellea and Ramita, once just a lowly market-girl, have pledged to end the cycle of war and restore peace to Urte.
East and West have clashed before, but this time, as secret factions and cabals emerge from the shadows, the world is about to discover that love, loyalty and truth can be forged into weapons as strong as swords and magic.
ANALYSIS (Liviu): I expected to enjoy The Scarlet Tides as Mage's Blood grew on me quite a lot as time passed, but I did not expect the awesome novel it was, so much so that at least temporarily it jumped to my #1 SFF spot of the year - of course time will tell if it will stay there, but The Scarlet Tides has really everything one wants in fantasy: excellent world building, superb adventures, hair rising escapes, great characters, very intriguing storylines, narrative momentum, an almost perfect place to end all the 4 main arcs, while there were some pages that were so funny that I couldn't stop laughing out loud for a few minutes - overall the book stands more on the adventure side of the genre than on the "new gritty" one, though it blends the two aspects quite well.
For a proper review of the universe and of the main characters of the series I refer to the review of Mage's Blood linked above.
All the main characters shine in The Scarlet Tides, though I would say that Ramon's war mage persona - so the view of the crusade from the ground up, as of course he is assigned as supporting mage to the worst legion of the army and there to the lowest of the low company, namely the supply one, where he corrupts the commanding tribune and they start running a perfect Ponzi scheme with all the army's gold and much more, while he gets as fellow mages, the incompetent, the stupid, the vain and the ones that annoyed powerful people so:
"Can we count on them in a fight?’ Ramon asked.
Prenton snorted amiably. "A fight? Dear Kore, this is a Crusade, lad, not a war. There’ll be no fighting, only endless days of marching around from ruin to empty ruin. There may be a bit of looting and pillaging thrown in, if we’re lucky. The Keshi don’t fight back. They run and hide." He pulled a face. "The biggest risk is their God-awful food."
(while we readers know that this time, the Keshi have quite a few battle magi of their own, not to speak of modern weaponry like gnosis powered aircraft...) - and Gurvon Gyle's Javon story where his cynicism and "you gotta be realistic" persona are staple new gritty done pitch perfect, were the most directly compelling arcs, but Alaron's saga with quite a few surprises - not least having Malevorn part of the Inquisition posse after him and meeting some strange people in his flight - had its great moments as had the story-lines of Ramita, Kazim or Elena - as of course one knew beforehand that she wouldn't remain possessed by an enemy mage for long.
Here is one quote that illustrates the action part:
"If we can find Gyle, we will kill him before they march," Gatoz put in.
"How will we find him?" Jamil asked.
"I will find him," Magister Sindon put in, his usually mild voice vehement. "I know Gyle, believe me. I have used his services before, and he trusts me."
********
Sindon turned and made a sign, and the door from which he’d emerged opened again, allowing more hooded figures to enter the courtyard, fanning out as they came.
"Magister Gyle, we’re so grateful,’ Sindon said, offering his hand.
Sordell saw Gyle go to take the offered hand, when he abruptly froze
Sindon’s pupils went wider. The game is up, those eyes said.
It is. Gyle swore softly. "And I have too few pieces on the board"
(and a fast and furious battle with spells and swords follows pitting Gurvon Gyle's mercenaries against the renegade Sindon and his Keshi dark mage strike commando)
There are a lot of twists and turns too - including double crosses, strange allies, unexpected connections and as I really do not want to spoil the book, I will just emphasize again that while Mage's Blood takes a while to get going and understand what's what, The Scarlet Tides is how modern epic fantasy should be from the first page and raises the series to the top level of the genre.
One more quote from one of Alaron's close encounters with the Inquistion:
"There was nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. He’d landed near a narrow channel that wound from the waterfall above towards the ocean miles to the east, but it was only a few feet deep. He’d dropped his sword as he fell and couldn’t see it anywhere. Brilliant … "
"Fatalism filled him. There was no way a lowly quarter-blood like him could get out of this. He tried to summon mental images of the people he loved: his parents, Cym, Ramon … Anise – thank Kore I didn’t tell her to wait – and that was about it, really. Not so many to farewell"
************
"Kore’s blood, you’ve been a nuisance," the Inquisitor said, "but I’ve got you now." Mage-fire blossomed from his left hand and blasted into Alaron’s midriff. His shields failed and his wet clothing sizzled as the energy jolted through him. He curled up, stricken, trying to breathe. The Inquisitor put the sword-point to his throat. Alaron looked along the straight steel blade and wished only to die. "I, Acolyte Seldon of the Eighteenth Fist, arrest you in the name of the Inquisition."
Seldon’s call resounded through the aether and Malevorn rolled his eyes as he followed the call back to the east. Damn. Muttered curses echoed dimly through the aether as the Fist’s mental links conveyed the mix of relief at the finding of their quarry and annoyance at losing the wager.
************
"As Alaron stared along Seldon’s blade, watching gnosis-energy crackle along the steel, a dark shape rose behind the Inquisitor..."
ANALYSIS (Mihir): The Scarlet Tides is the second volume in the Moontide Quartet and begins in the same way its predecessor did.The crucial difference being that we get the next part in the epic conference of the Rondian emperor's council and things are no less dire as the Guvron Gyle and the empress bring out the second part of the plan to make the crusade a resounding success.
As the story begins we begin with where we left all our main characters, betrayed by their allies, besot with danger and forced to run. Alaron, Elena, Ramita have to overcome massive challenges. There's a new POV introduced in this book and that's of Alaron's best friend Ramon who does his best to profit in the war. His chapters were dark and yet humorous enough to keep me thoroughly entertained. The author then focusses on Alaron & Cymbellea as they run with the scythe. Elena is forced to deal with Cera's betrayal and must try to gain back her footing to save the kingdom. Kazim is further entranced by Shihad and revelations about his father that lead him on a dark path. Ramita is forced to learn the Magi ways as she and Justina (her daughter now) must try to forge a path with Antonin Meiros' plans. . There's also POVs from Guvron Gyle, Malevorn and a couple of other characters who make up the antagonist bunch.
All in all the author thoroughly expands his world and showcases a war that is englfing almost every known nation. With the expanded POVs the author however manages to avoid the GRRM trap of the story losing its focus. Kudos to the author for managing this vast storyline and avoiding the bloat. Many of our esteemed epic fantasy authors can definitely learn a thing or two from Hair with regards to writing a tight epic fantasy saga with a set number of books and consistently producing them. The author also further reveals a lot of the gnosis and how the Three Hundred came to be, in this volume, a lot of secrets are revealed about the magical prowess of the Eastern practitioners.
What I loved with about this book is that it showcases how absolutely brutal war is and even those not directly in its path are still savaged by it. The author makes a fascinating comparison of executives meeting before going on a cataclysmic path, in this regards, the prologue makes so much sense is chilling in its scope. The characterization is superb dealing with both genders and among various age groups and sexual orientations. David Hair is truly writing one hell of a series and by saluting tropes but subverting them none the less, he manages to make the Scarlet Tides a sequel that is magnificent and a better book than its predecessor in every factor of consideration.
CONCLUSION (Liviu & Mihir): Lastly the book ends on a few cliffhangers with regards to a couple of characters which will have you wanting Unholy War desperately. But the overall conclusion presented leave this story and the readers gasping and yet wanting more. As far as stories go, that is what authors strive for and here this Kiwi author strikes bullseye again. Overall, The Scarlet Tides represents modern epic fantasy at its best.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
NEWS: City Of Stairs by Robert J. Bennett, Sword Of The North by Luke Scull, and The Nothing by Kerry Schafer
One of the best books that I’ve read this year is City Of Stairs by Rob J. Bennett, its UK publishers Jo Fletcher Books are running a tremendous competition to give away five copies of the book, plus one lucky winner will receive a £100 Red Letter Day experience.
Here’s what you would have to do for the chance to win is let Jo Fletcher Book folks know on their blog, Facebook page or Twitter – with the hashtag "CityOfStairs" – “What tangible miraculous object would you create if you were a god of Bulikov? A door which takes you to the past? A knotted cord that brings rain when untied? These are just some of the miracles the gods brought to Bulikov, but what would you add?
Let them know by October 30th for your chance to win.
Here’s what you would have to do for the chance to win is let Jo Fletcher Book folks know on their blog, Facebook page or Twitter – with the hashtag "CityOfStairs" – “What tangible miraculous object would you create if you were a god of Bulikov? A door which takes you to the past? A knotted cord that brings rain when untied? These are just some of the miracles the gods brought to Bulikov, but what would you add?
Let them know by October 30th for your chance to win.
There’s also good news from Luke Scull, who announced at the start of this month that the sequel to his debut The Grim Company, is at the copy editing stage. It sits currently at 154K and is expected to release in March in the UK and May in the US.
Also the author recently posted the first two chapters to Sword Of The North. So head over and find out all about Brodar Kayne’s past.
Lastly there’s another kickstarter you all might consider supporting. Kerry Schafer, the author of Between and Wakeworld is running one for the publication of The Nothing. The series was unfortunately dropped by ACE books, so checkout the kickstarter page and take a look at all the rewards up for offer.
The event is already 45% funded at the halfway mark. So do check it out and kindly considering donation to this exciting series which mixes urban and high fantasy.
Official Author Website
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Heresy Within
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Color Of Vengeance
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Northern Sunrise
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with Rob J. Hayes
Read The Northern Sunrise mini-Q&A with Rob J. Hayes
One of my favorite authors whom I discovered last year was Rob J. Hayes. He from the UK indie front released a trilogy of books focusing on characters that were dangerous, morally grey (blackish even) and highly entertaining. I read all three of them within a week and the second volume was my favorite fantasy title for 2013.
Landing as much acclaim as a self-published book could find, the author certainly took things into stride and began work on his follow-up books. His terrific prose and characterization however struck a chord with the Ragnarok Publications folks who specialize in the darker side of fiction and publish quality stories.
To my joy, I found that Rob had signed on the Ties That Bind trilogy with them and so it’s with great pleasure that I present the new covers of this terrific trilogy. Also Rob was more than kind to talk a bit on each cover that was so magnificently drawn by Alex Raspad.
So primarily here’s Rob on the main reason behind him writing this trilogy, and why he decided to partner with Ragnarok:
“I wrote these books because I wanted to craft a dark, gritty fantasy world populated by anti-heroes that reflect realistic strengths and weaknesses as they struggle to do what they believe is right in a world where moral compasses have no North. The story is very character driven with the three protagonists being both likable and hate-able in equal measure.”
“When I first self-published The Ties that Bind trilogy it did very well, far beyond my expectations, but there's only so much an indie author can achieve. I don't have the contacts, the knowledge, or the experience to properly market a book and the trilogy never took off in the US quite as well as the UK. My hope for Ragnarok is that they can fill in the blanks in my own marketing methods and help my little stories reaches a wider audience.”
So here’s the cover for The Heresy Within:
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Heresy Within
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Color Of Vengeance
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Northern Sunrise
Read Fantasy Book Critic interview with Rob J. Hayes
Read The Northern Sunrise mini-Q&A with Rob J. Hayes
One of my favorite authors whom I discovered last year was Rob J. Hayes. He from the UK indie front released a trilogy of books focusing on characters that were dangerous, morally grey (blackish even) and highly entertaining. I read all three of them within a week and the second volume was my favorite fantasy title for 2013.
Landing as much acclaim as a self-published book could find, the author certainly took things into stride and began work on his follow-up books. His terrific prose and characterization however struck a chord with the Ragnarok Publications folks who specialize in the darker side of fiction and publish quality stories.
To my joy, I found that Rob had signed on the Ties That Bind trilogy with them and so it’s with great pleasure that I present the new covers of this terrific trilogy. Also Rob was more than kind to talk a bit on each cover that was so magnificently drawn by Alex Raspad.
So primarily here’s Rob on the main reason behind him writing this trilogy, and why he decided to partner with Ragnarok:
“I wrote these books because I wanted to craft a dark, gritty fantasy world populated by anti-heroes that reflect realistic strengths and weaknesses as they struggle to do what they believe is right in a world where moral compasses have no North. The story is very character driven with the three protagonists being both likable and hate-able in equal measure.”
“When I first self-published The Ties that Bind trilogy it did very well, far beyond my expectations, but there's only so much an indie author can achieve. I don't have the contacts, the knowledge, or the experience to properly market a book and the trilogy never took off in the US quite as well as the UK. My hope for Ragnarok is that they can fill in the blanks in my own marketing methods and help my little stories reaches a wider audience.”
So here’s the cover for The Heresy Within:
Rob’s thoughts: “When I first published the trilogy I put Thanquil on the cover of The Heresy Within (THW) but with this re-issue Jezzet graduates to pole position. It makes sense in a way, while the book is undoubtedly about all 3 characters and each one gets about the same screen time, Jezzet's character has the most progression in THW.”
Official Book Blurb - Jezzet Vel'urn is a trained swordswoman. She has rightfully earned the title Blademaster, and she knows that for a woman like her there are generally just two ways out of most hostile situations; fight or fornicate. All too often for Jezzet's liking, it comes down to some gods-be-damned combination of the two.
In The Heresy Within Jezzet is chased into the Wild by a vengeful warlord until she finally makes it to the sovereign city-state of Chade. But instead of sanctuary, she finds only more opportunistic bastards waiting to turn her over to her enemies.
Also figuring majorly in the story is Thanquil Darkheart, a sorcerer hunter called an Arbiter, tasked with hunting down and purging heretics for the Inquisition. Thanquil is given a task by the God Emperor of Sarth from which he has no escape. Lastly there’s the brutal outlaw called Black Thorn, best known perhaps for the killing of several Arbiters and possibly being one of the biggest names in the Wild for his proclivities.
All three of their fates seem to be converging on the Free City of Chade and, before long, Jezzet, Thanquil, and Black Thorn will have to confront each other as they find themselves facing The Heresy Within.
Then there’s The Color Of Vengeance, which absolutely stole my heart with its breakneck pace and plot twists:
Official Book Blurb - Jezzet Vel'urn is a trained swordswoman. She has rightfully earned the title Blademaster, and she knows that for a woman like her there are generally just two ways out of most hostile situations; fight or fornicate. All too often for Jezzet's liking, it comes down to some gods-be-damned combination of the two.
In The Heresy Within Jezzet is chased into the Wild by a vengeful warlord until she finally makes it to the sovereign city-state of Chade. But instead of sanctuary, she finds only more opportunistic bastards waiting to turn her over to her enemies.
Also figuring majorly in the story is Thanquil Darkheart, a sorcerer hunter called an Arbiter, tasked with hunting down and purging heretics for the Inquisition. Thanquil is given a task by the God Emperor of Sarth from which he has no escape. Lastly there’s the brutal outlaw called Black Thorn, best known perhaps for the killing of several Arbiters and possibly being one of the biggest names in the Wild for his proclivities.
All three of their fates seem to be converging on the Free City of Chade and, before long, Jezzet, Thanquil, and Black Thorn will have to confront each other as they find themselves facing The Heresy Within.
Then there’s The Color Of Vengeance, which absolutely stole my heart with its breakneck pace and plot twists:
Rob’s thoughts: "The Black Thorn isn't quite as ugly as he should be but DAMN! does he look awesome. I love the level of detail Alex Raspad has put into the illustrations from Thorn's missing fingers to the torn and blood-spattered armor. Oh, and the eerie background is brilliant."
Official Book Blurb - Beaten, battered and damned near broken with a bounty on his head so large he’s tempted to turn himself in, the Black Thorn finds himself on trial for the crime of being him. Despite the impending probability of death he has but one thought on his mind; taking revenge against the Arbiter who took his eye.
In order to carry out his vengeance Thorn must first escape Sarth and recruit a new crew, each one with their own designs on revenge.
Lastly there’s The Price Of Faith, which I’ll be reviewing closer to its release next year:
Official Book Blurb - Beaten, battered and damned near broken with a bounty on his head so large he’s tempted to turn himself in, the Black Thorn finds himself on trial for the crime of being him. Despite the impending probability of death he has but one thought on his mind; taking revenge against the Arbiter who took his eye.
In order to carry out his vengeance Thorn must first escape Sarth and recruit a new crew, each one with their own designs on revenge.
Lastly there’s The Price Of Faith, which I’ll be reviewing closer to its release next year:
Rob’s thoughts: "I didn't notice this at first but if you look at the wall behind Thanquil there's a shadow that isn't his, for anyone who hasn't read the books it could be a preview of what's in store. Also I want an Arbiter coat for myself, I've always wanted one to be honest but now I REALLY want one."
Official Book Blurb - Separated and miserable, Thanquil Darkheart and Jezzet Vel’urn both have their reasons for wanting to leave the Dragon Empire. Jezzet flees from the wrathful fury of an Empress scorned while accompanied by the ever insidious Drake Morrass, and Thanquil sets out to find and judge his one heretical loose end.
Official Book Blurb - Separated and miserable, Thanquil Darkheart and Jezzet Vel’urn both have their reasons for wanting to leave the Dragon Empire. Jezzet flees from the wrathful fury of an Empress scorned while accompanied by the ever insidious Drake Morrass, and Thanquil sets out to find and judge his one heretical loose end.
They say you should write what you know. That’s always struck me as an awkward bit of advice for authors of speculative fiction. If we all followed it, SF/F would be a hell of a lot less interesting. Galactic cruisers would give way to minivans. Werewolves would be swapped out for Pomeranians. Shape shifting would consist of wriggling into last year’s skinny jeans.
That being said, I’m lucky enough to have the kind of day job that I can draw on in my writing. My work has sent me to some pretty interesting places over the years, many of them affected by violent conflict. Often, it’s been my job to analyse that conflict – its history and causes, players and agendas. Doing so has taught me a lot about war, and politics in general.
It isn’t that I’ve had any epiphanies, exactly. Most of the things I’ve come away with are instinctive on at least some level. But it’s safe to say that I’ve reflected on them, metabolised them, in ways I probably wouldn’t have otherwise. No surprise, then, that all of them feature to a greater or lesser extent in THE BLOODBOUND series.
Here, in no particular order, are five things I’ve learned about war that have enriched my writing:
1) There is always someone who profits – Seems obvious, doesn’t it? But you’d be amazed how many well-meaning peacemaking efforts ignore this central fact. Wars generate their own economies. They shift the balance of power, presenting new opportunities to those clever and ruthless enough to capitalise on them. Some will seek to align themselves with a rising power. Others will find more advantage in keeping the war going for as long as possible. Oftentimes it’s these people, rather than the belligerents themselves, who define the course of the conflict, and pose the greatest threat to peace.
2) Knowing your enemy is more complicated than it seems – There’s a tendency in fiction (as well as in modern journalism) to portray war as a clash between two sides with clear objectives. That’s rarely, if ever, the case. Wars are not fought between homogeneous actors with straightforward, static agendas. They’re fought between blocs, shifting confederations of stakeholders with differing, sometimes competing, interests, and those interests evolve over time. And I’m not just talking about alliances here – I mean within states as well, and within governments, cabinets, inner circles – to an almost infinitely reducible level, like a Russian nesting doll. That makes it difficult to interpret your enemy’s behaviour. What appears on the surface to be baffling inconsistencies may be the waxing and waning of influence between factions. The person you believe to be your arch-nemesis might actually be powerless, little more than a figurehead. By the same token, your allies – even your own closest confederates – might not be as firmly in your corner as you think.
3) The good guys never win – Where there is war, there will be war crimes. I can’t think of a single conflict that wasn’t full of them. And not just by the “bad guys”. Some of my greatest historical heroes are, by any modern definition, war criminals. I’ve struggled with that, but I’ve come to accept it, however uncomfortably. That’s because when it comes to the difficult questions, there are no good choices. Show me a victor, and I will show you someone who has waded hip deep into a moral quagmire. (Show me a political settlement, and I’ll ask you to get back to me in twenty years. Cynical, I know.)
4) History matters forever – A fleeting glance at the Middle East, the Balkans – hell, anywhere – is all it takes to recognise the pivotal, and often poisonous, role history can play in conflict. But it doesn’t always manifest itself in obvious ways. It’s not only about the major traumas – the massacres, the stolen land, the oppression. Historical narratives fundamentally orient our worldview. Should you strike first, or lie in wait for your enemy? Is compromise possible? When things are darkest, can you count on your neighbours, or are you in this alone? Are your leaders heroes, or parasites? Can peace and justice coexist? For those in the business of brokering peace, these attitudes, these beliefs that we carry in the very marrow of our bones, are often harder to deal with than any border demarcation.
5) Behind every epic struggle is an infinite number of individual dramas – This is perhaps the most obvious, and most consistently forgotten, aspect of conflict. It’s so easy – even necessary sometimes – to dehumanize, to jumble people together into numbers, into territory gained and lost. To classify and label: “refugees”, “separatists”, “victims”. But when you’re in the middle of it, with all these momentous events going on around you, they often don’t seem that momentous. History doesn’t always feel like history when it’s unfolding right in front of you. Instead, what inspires you, what breaks your heart, what overwhelms you, are the individual stories. So recognisable, so relatable, and yet so fundamentally beyond your ken, because they’re unfolding in the midst of a heaving shitstorm you can barely comprehend, let alone cope with. This is where you find your real heroes, and sometimes your real villains as well. Not symbols or labels, but actual human beings with fears and desires very much like your own.
I could go on, but these are the five that have most directly affected my writing so far. I didn’t deliberately set out to reflect them in THE BLOODBOUND, but they somehow ended up there anyway. Next time around, I may well make it a more conscious effort, because I think keeping these things in mind while outlining – developing the plot, fleshing out the motivations of characters – will make for a textured, realistic portrayal of conflict.
In the meantime, you can try to spot them in THE BLOODBOUND. Gold stars up for grabs!
Official Author Website
Order the book HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Erin Lindsey is on a quest to write the perfect summer vacation novel, with just the right blend of action, heartbreak, and triumph. THE BLOODBOUND is her first effort. She lives and works in Bujumbura, Burundi, with her husband and a pair of half-domesticated cats. She also writes fantasy mysteries as E.L. Tettensor.
NOTE: Castle siege art courtesy of Grandlore Wiki. Author pic courtesy of the author herself.
Order the book HERE
AUTHOR INFORMATION: Erin Lindsey is on a quest to write the perfect summer vacation novel, with just the right blend of action, heartbreak, and triumph. THE BLOODBOUND is her first effort. She lives and works in Bujumbura, Burundi, with her husband and a pair of half-domesticated cats. She also writes fantasy mysteries as E.L. Tettensor.
NOTE: Castle siege art courtesy of Grandlore Wiki. Author pic courtesy of the author herself.
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