Monthly Archives: January 2025

Action, Fantasy, Reviews

SON OF THE BLACK SWORD by Larry Correia

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SON OF THE BLACK SWORD by Larry Correia

A review by INFAMOUSšŸ¦€

 

Larry Correia’s Son of the Black Sword is a book that has been on my radar for quite some time. When the author himself offered me a copy for review, needles to say I pushed this title to the top of my TBR list and frankly, thank you Larry for such a kind gesture. Much appreciated!

Having said that, we must keep it honest and we must keep it transparent when it comes to reviewing a book objectively and fairly, so here is my breakdown of what I overall believe to be a good fantasy/action book. Is it perfect? No. Are there things I feel could have done better? Absolutely.

 

ANOTHER ONE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTER?

Had I read only the opening chapter I would have quickly misjudged the overall quality of this book because the main character, Ashok, is as interesting to read as a plank of wood. He is the epitome of a ā€˜Marty Stuā€™, an overly idealized character with little to no realistic limitations.Ā 

Whenever a Marty Stu is at the center of the narrative only one of two things can develop:

  1. The book will end up being a snooze fest of boring action scenes on top of action scenes with the hero mowing down bad guys after bad guys until we fall asleep
  2. The narrative will take an unexpected turn, becoming more story-driven than character-driven

 

When number 2 occurs, interesting things can develop because now it’s no longer about the unlimited power of the main character but it’s about the situations he is put in and how those situations will move the narrative in ways we, the readers, can thoroughly enjoy. I’m glad to say that this is exactly what takes place in this book.

 

PLOT:

Ashok Vadal is presented as a Protector of the Law, whose duty is to safeguard the law in a society divided in castes. The ā€˜castelessā€™ are part of the bottom of the barrel and they are not even considered human by the higher castes. This is an era in which the demon beasts have been casted out into the sea, but at times some of them will reemerge to claim blood. The Protectors make sure, among other things, that these demons are always pushed back into the waters of the sea.

Things take an abrupt turn when Ashok finds out that his mother was a casteless and therefore, he too is a casteless. All of a sudden everything he held true falls apart. In a very ingenious plan by the Inquisitors, he is forced to withdraw his status and alone with his black sword Angruvadal, ends up joining some rebels and fulfilling the prophecy of the Forgotten, a divine being many still believe in, who gives hope to the hearts of the casteless. But no longer being a Protector is a great disadvantage and all of a sudden Ashok finds himself hunted; every move he makes, terrible foes are ready to take his head off for he is wanted, along with his coveted sword.

FIGHT SCENES:

The fight scenes in this book are massive, and I’m talking ā€˜John Wickā€™ massive if you know what I mean! Ashok is a one-man army and can take down a lot of armed men before even getting a scratch! The choreography is neat and the vivid descriptions of each fight is very captivating.

 

MY ISSUES:

Some modern euphemisms in my opinion could have been avoided. For example lines like:

ā€œI expected wanted posters for you at some point.ā€

ā€˜Postersā€™ to me doesn’t sound very evocative and doesn’t gel well with this pre-industrialization fantasy world. What’s next? The casteless kids asking Ashok for his ā€˜autographā€™?

I understand this book might want to appeal to a younger male audience but why assume that a younger male audience can only feel engaged when the language is modern and relatable? We live in a country where the rate of illiteracy is up, and most young people can’t even write a well-structured letter without the Internet. I think fiction should not fuel this trend but counter it by writing in more articulated English and clean up all the modern euphemisms that really do not belong in these stories.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

Overall, I like the book and I enjoyed the fact that the STORY to me was the real main draw rather than the main character. It goes to show that dull, one-dimensional characters CAN work when they are inserted in a good story with a solid plot. The action was great; the black sword kinda reminded me of Stormbringer, the sword in Michael Moorcockā€™s Elric of Melnibone. This is more than a sword, it kind of has a mind of its own and Ashok, just like Elric, has an actual ā€˜connectionā€™ with it that goes beyond the physical realm.

Other than the modern euphemisms I already mentioned, this is a well-written, well-edited book that can offer a great alternative to some of the atrocious fantasy content that is available out there currently.Ā 

Let us know what you think in the comment section below!

šŸ¦€

 

Interview

Katelynsam Interviewed by INFAMOUS

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Q&A with Katelynsam

Author of Last Masquerade at the Carousel House

 

šŸ¦€ What authors, people, or stories inspired you to start writing?

 

Growing up, I stayed up far too many late nights reading fantasy authors, such as Cassandra Clare, Roshani Chokshi, and Sarah J. Maas among others. I loved how the stories transported me to other worlds and other lives, and so I began to write stories of my own that I hoped would do the same for my readers someday.Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ What does your creative process consist of? Do ideas for a story just come to you or is there anything specific that you have to do in order to create a story and its characters?

 

Ideas for my stories often arrive at the most random of times. Sometimes, I will see a beautiful piece of art, a scene from a movie or TV show, or something in my own life that will inspire the kernel of a story that takes days or weeks to fully develop into a story idea. When the story idea at last arrives, it does like a flash of lightning, sizzling with promise and potential. Iā€™m usually in the middle of another project when it does, so I keep a list of future story ideas that Iā€™m always adding to.Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ You submitted a story to a traditional publisher and it was rejected. What story was it? Do you feel like going independent is the way to go moving forward?

 

I wrote my first book at 12 and started querying agents (for another story) when I was 15. It took me 10 years, 6 books, and hundreds of agency rejections to finally find my first agent.Ā 

 

For 4 years, I worked with my first and second agent (both from big well-known agencies) to publish my debut fantasy novel THE FATED, which Iā€™m releasing next month. I worked with my first agent when the novel was classified as Young Adult. When we ultimately werenā€™t able to sell, I revised the novel to be adult and worked with my second agent to go on several rounds of more submissions. The feedback from the publishers on all the submission rounds was kind and flattering, but each publisher and editor had different reasons for why they felt they couldnā€™t take on the project. To give you an idea, one editor said they enjoyed the story, but that it fit too much between the area of fantasy and magic realism for the publishing house to be able to market. Another editor adored the book, but her colleagues didnā€™t share the same enthusiasm, so the book never made it any further in the acquisition process.Ā 

 

Unsurprisingly, facing so much repeated rejection for over a decade was very disheartening. I spent months of my life waiting for my ā€œbig breakā€ to come, and when it didnā€™t, I would tell myself that the next book would do it, and then the next one after that. When it became clear THE FATED would never be traditionally published, I was heartbroken. For the hundredth time, I considered giving up writing altogether, but of course, like always when this thought had crossed my mind, I kept going. Iā€™ve written for so many years that it has become a part of me, and to sever myself from it would be like losing my voice and my anchor in an already chaotic and confusing world.Ā 

 

 

So instead of locking THE FATED away in a drawer, I decided to self-publish it. The book was already polished since I had revised it at least 6 times with my previous agents over the last 4 years. It would be as ready now as it would ever beā€“and I was tired of relying on anyone else to fulfill my lifelong dream of being published. Looking back, Iā€™m grateful to my agents because they took a chance on an unknown writer and spent many hours giving me editing notes. I learned a lot from them about how to tell a story. I also am deeply thankful for the prior experience I gained about the publishing industry through both the agents that represented me as well as several agencies I interned for in college.Ā 

 

I am, however, also grateful for all the amazing tools now available for authors to publish their works themselves. As the marketing and other budgets for even the biggest publishers continue to shrink, I believe self-publishing will play an even greater role in the industry moving forward. With the rise of booktok and self-published authors landing hybrid or traditional book deals after they made tons of sales on their own, weā€™ve already seen a lot of the stigma that previously surrounded self-publishing dissipate in the winds of change.Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ Where did the concept of this carousel house originate from?

 

To be honest, Iā€™m not really sure. I just knew I wanted the setting to be luxurious and magicalā€“a characteristic that my debut novel THE FATED also shares. I also think that the concept of a lavish mansion that can spin like a carousel reinforces how powerful of a sorcerer the owner (Raidenn) is, which plays an integral role in setting up the stakes for the story.Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ Are you Yuina, the main character of this short story?Ā 

 

What a fun question! No, I would definitely say Yuina is a bit edgier than me. Sheā€™s also quite as glamorous as she is bitter, which are both traits with which I donā€™t particularly resonate. I do strive to make every main character I write relatable though in some way. So I would say I relate to Yuinaā€™s desperation to change the circumstances around her and take her power back.Ā 

 

 

šŸ¦€ In the story there is this line:

 

ā€œThe jazz music and opulent surroundings washed over our senses like the most intoxicating plume of opium smokeā€

 

Is that suggesting that Yuina smokes opium, therefore she is familiar with its effects?Ā 

 

I didnā€™t intend it that way, but readers are welcome to interpret those words for themselves. With this line, I was striving to solidify how intoxicatingly luxurious and carefree the setting of the Carousel House was. I also think it hints or at least might question how much Raidennā€™s magic might be enhancing the already lavish decorations of the mansion in order to further dazzle and disarm his guests.Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ I know you have a full novel coming out soon. Can you tell us what it’s about and what in your mind will make it worth it for readers to buy it and read it?

 

Sure, would love to! Here is the pitch:Ā 

 

Every sixteen years a luxurious ocean liner known as The Fated appears at the docks of Abeon City to carry a few lucky passengers to paradise. Yet when people onboard begin disappearing, one woman soon discovers their destination might not be paradise after all.

Ā 

Amarra Obrel never expects to receive a ticket in the mail. Ever since failing her chance at becoming a concert pianist three years ago, she has spent her days as an elevator operator, resigned to the uninteresting future that seems set before her. When given the opportunity to embark on The Fated, however, she boards with the hope of starting a new life. Yet she soon senses something dark and sinister lurks beneath the ship’s decadent halls, ornate ballrooms, and opulent jazz clubs. When people close to her begin disappearing, she is left with no other choice than to set out and uncover the vessel’s secrets along with fellow passenger Kye-Shin Hura. But instead of providing answers, every discovery leads to more questionsā€”questions about why they were selected for this voyage in the first place and more disturbingly: If not to paradise, then where exactly is The Fated taking them?Ā Ā 

With cinematic and haunting prose, The Fated is the perfect suspenseful and atmospheric read for fans of The Night Circus, Titanic, The Great Gatsby, and The Midnight Library.Ā 

This novel is for anyone who is looking for a luxurious and magical setting infused with mystery, romance, and suspense. While I am marketing it as a fantasy since it takes place in an alternative world, it has elements of magic realism as well as historical fantasy given the world of THE FATED resembles the glamor and undercurrent of tension in the 1920s-30s.Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ I always see you posting on Substack and you always come off as a very driven and motivated writer. Where do you find that motivation in an industry where it seems so hard to make your books known to the general audience?

 

I believe every rejection Iā€™ve received has made my resolve and determination to share my work with the world even stronger, so Iā€™m willing to put in more hours and work than I likely would have had I never faced any obstacles. Writing is also just a part of my way of life, so while it can be difficult and frustrating at times, it never feels like the kind of work that is draining. In fact, writing and the purpose and love I infuse behind it is what motivates so much of my life.Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ Your favorite writer today? Your least favorite one?

 

I canā€™t think of a least favorite writer, but I have so many I enjoy reading. In addition to the writers that I mentioned earlier who inspired me, I love reading Danielle L. Jensen, Donna Tartt, Kelly Link, and Leigh Bardugo among others.Ā Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ Does eating chocolate help write better books? If so, any specific type of chocolate you would recommend that writers should eat more often? I personally enjoy drinking hot cocoa before I go to bed. It gives me weird dreams.

 

I firmly believe eating chocolate helps with writing books along with many other things in life! I love milk chocolate truffles with the raspberry or strawberry filling, you know, the kind that you have to hunt for in the holiday chocolate boxes (which sometimes results inĀ  a disastrous mis-selection). Also I agree that eating sugar right before bed can induce the strangest dreams. I should know as Iā€™ve been guilty of this multiple times.Ā 

 

šŸ¦€ Thank you for taking this time to give us an insight on yourself and your passion for storytelling. Look forward to great things coming up!

 

Thank you for reaching out as well as taking the time to read my work and speak with me!Ā 

 

For anyone who is interested in following my writing journey further, I regularly give behind-the-scenes looks at my writing, publishing, and cover design process through my Dear Writing Diary series on Substack: katelynsam.substack.com.Ā 

 

I also regularly post on Instagram @_katelynsam_, and my website is katelynsam.com

 

Reviews

Last Masquerade at the Carousel House

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Last Masquerade at the Carousel House By Katelynsam

An interview by INFAMOUSšŸ¦€

 

I admit it, sometimes I find books and short stories that instantly grab my attention and I would move them in my queue ahead of other TBR titles and break my own rules! Sometimes it’s because of the title, sometimes because of the cover, other times it might be the blurb (though the latter is very rare).

 

Such was the case with Last Masquerade at the Carousel House By Katelynsam, a short story with a long title.

 

I really didn’t know much about the author until I read a note on Substack where she was promoting the publication of this short story. I immediately loved both the title, the cover, and the premise of the story so I decided to not only buy and read the story but also contact Katelynsam to ask her more about her writing and its origins. Stay tuned for an upcoming Q&A with the author after this review.

 

PLOT:

Since this is a short story that I want to encourage all to buy and read, I will keep the synopsis to a bare minimum.

Basically this all takes place one evening at a social gathering where selected guests-including our protagonist Yuina, her uncle, and her fiance-have been invited to attend.

It’s a mysterious ball thrown by an even more mysterious host known for honing very powerful magic skills, which he uses here for his guestsā€™ own amusement.

As you read on, you will find out more about the ā€˜fragileā€™ relationship Yuina has with uncle and fiance, and how meeting the host of this most extravagant party will change the course of her life and theirs.

 

MYSTERY + OPULENCE:

I’ve always been a fan of mystery stories that take place in opulent settings. The film masterpiece Last Year in Marienbad is a good example of this, where the dark, mysterious elements intertwine with the beauty and opulence of the environment. Usually that consists of a hotel, or a house, or even a cruise ship. In this story the author did spectacularly well at really taking us into this 4-story building (which by the way swivels on its own axis!) and we immediately feel pulled in. This setting MUST work in this type of story for everything else to work as well. If you have good characters but their surroundings lack that aura of beauty and mystery the readers won’t be able to fully commit to the narrative. So special attention must be paid to how the environment is described.

Katelynsam, fortunately for us, managed to meet those expectations and recreated a carousel house that feels beautiful but eerie, as both the outside and inside of it are so well defined that I have to admit, I wish this was more than just a short story.

 

TITLE + COVER:

Special credit also goes to the author for coming up with such a catchy and intriguing title, certainly a massive hook for me, and for designing the cover concept. Look at that cover, it is gorgeous! That is the type of book cover I particularly love because it creates mystery around the book but it also compliments the aesthetics of a personal library or studio like a piece of decoration. I know many of our readers do not necessarily go crazy for that cover style but nevertheless, major credit to Katelynsam for creating it.

 

JUST A FEW ISSUES:

Perhaps because this is a short story, I felt like the author could have used more exposition at times. How did the main character, fiance, and uncle get the invitation to this event? How was the host Raidenn casually wearing the magic talisman around his neck where anyone could easily snatch it?

Also a few lines to me that sounded awkward, like:

 

ā€œThe jazz music and opulent surroundings washed over our senses like the most intoxicating plume of opium smoke.ā€

 

Does that imply that Yuima is an opium smoker? Don’t know, nor does the author ever explain.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

Is this short story with a long name a perfect five star read? No.

Do I highly recommend it? Yes! And I say this because the positives far outweigh the (minor) negatives and I feel that perhaps the short story format is to blame for its shortcomings more so than the writer’s own skills.

 

Stay tuned for a Q&A with the author coming up soon!

 

Let us know what you think in the comments below!

šŸ¦€

Action, Crime, Reviews

Homecoming by Jake Widmer – a Review

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Homecoming: The First Chris Folly Thriller (Chris Folly Series Book 1)

 

Trying to spark a resurgence of men’s fiction has been a lonely (and Quixotic) quest for the last 15 years. But the desired renaissance might be imminent, judging by the recent interest in the masculine genres of yesteryear. In fact, there’s a burgeoning community of literate men who not only enjoy reading it, but are now writing new men’s adventure fiction themselves.

Jake Widmer is part of that community, and has created an heir to the legendary characters like Mack Bolan and Nick Carter.

PLOT:

Chris Folly returns from overseas to his hometown of Pittsburgh, discovering that he and his erstwhile stomping grounds have traveled opposite trajectories. It is implied that he was a bit of a hellraiser as a kid, but has straightened out and calmed down considerably. Meanwhile, the old neighborhood has gone down the toilet.

There’s a new (?) drug on the streets that is turning everything worse as it makes the rounds. I don’t know if the drug is real or fictional, but is plausible enough for me.

The local police department is corrupt from top to bottom, locked in a sort of clandestine struggle against County Law Enforcement, which fortunately has some honest deputies. Even more fortunate is that an old platonic female friend of Chris Folly’s is one such deputy.

Not so fortunate is the fact that Folly’s single mother is in a relationship with the drug kingpin who owns the metro police and is turning the city into his own dirty, violent kingdom. This is a wrinkle I don’t believe I’ve come across before.

Folly’s old friend introduces him to an honest cop who runs the LEO for the sheriff and has considerable pull. Folly is unofficially offered to work off-the-books for the Sheriff’s Department and bust heads, if necessary, cleaning up the syndicate and the network of drug trafficking.

Perfect setup for a well-armed vigilante with a particular set of skills. What follows is fun and satisfying.

CHARACTERS:

I appreciate that the military background Widmer chose for Folly is off the beaten path. Also, the boss villain is not a stereotype at all. He is so understated as to seem harmless–whereas his amoral nephew is quite obviously dangerous.

Folly’s mother is another refreshing departure from the typical supporting cast. Not someone whose behavior will make you feel warm and fuzzy; but someone painfully real.

CRAFT:

Homecoming is a well-written book. Not mistake-free, but well worth your time and a nice launch of a character who may have plenty of literary mileage ahead of him.

Interview, Non-Fiction/Documentary

An Interview with INFAMOUS

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A Q & A with the Infamous Reviewer, GiošŸ¦€

 

Gio šŸ¦€ has been reviewing on Virtual Pulp for a little over a year now. He’s a prolific reviewer with a strong work ethic and sometimes eclectic tastes. He’s got his own fiction project in the works right now. Maybe this is overdue, but I think it’s a good idea to help his audience get to know him better, and find out about what he’s up to lately.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: First of all, you are a blessing to the writers of the world. I wish there were more readers like you out there and I probably speak for most of the authors you have reviewed. Seeing as how you’re not just a prolific reader but a prolific reviewer, and an honest one at that (so honest, you won’t even accept free review copies), I’m obligated to try figuring out what makes such a rare and selfless reader tick.

So what set you on this mission?

šŸ¦€ Honestly, it comes down to upbringing and my predisposition to listening to a good story being told. From a very young age my mother would often drop me off at my grandparentsā€™ to go to work while my father was out at sea in the Navy,Ā  and my grandma would read me books that ranged from Homer to the Brothers Grimm. Those afternoons exposed me for the first time to the magic of storytelling. As I grew up, my hunger for discovering books that would capture my imagination just grew exponentially. When we studied Homer in school I already knew about The Iliad and The Odyssey as much as our teacher did.

Now with social media and a platform my purpose really is kinda the same: find that next book, that next story that stirs up my imagination.Ā 

 

MACHINE TROOPER:Ā Again, glad to have you here.

Since you started reviewing on Virtual Pulp, the fantasy category has exploded in weight. Is that a favorite genre that you seek out more than others? Is it that most of the authors who contact you for reviews write in that genre? Or something else?

šŸ¦€ Fantasy is obviously what I read most but also perhaps the most popular genre in fiction literature currently. Most of my review requests I receive are for fantasy novels. Of course I have other reading interests (Jane Austen; Agatha Christie, to name a couple), but for the most part fantasy is obviously my main thing.

 

 

MACHINE TROOPER: It kinda’ looked that way to me.

You’ve read fiction from some of the legends in literature, as well as plenty of newish indie fiction.Ā  Have you noticed any general trends in the newer fiction–common strengths, weaknesses? Common or overused tropes?

 

šŸ¦€ I think a lot of new authors get stuck in a rut due to the bombardment from social mediaā€™s not-so-subliminal messages. It used to be that an author would draw inspiration from dreams, from traveling, from first hand experiences (or from those of others). Now the process is to pick up what’s already been written, take a few elements from this book and that book, blend them all together, and hope people will like the end result.Ā 

One of the most common overused tropes is that of having some kind of powerful trinket (amulet, stone, gem, sword, crown) and making it all about who can get their hands on it first. This trope has been used and abused to no end.

The strength in modern writing is the obvious instant access to information that writers have available, however that technical advantage is also partially responsible for the lack of original content. Writers used to draw inspiration from real-life experiences, from traveling, from having to stay at old motels in the middle of nowhere. They didn’t go online to see what was trending that day before writing their stories, if you catch my drift.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Yup. There’s so much hopelessly derivative drivel out there now. Most of my creative efforts were derivative when I was a kid; but as you mature, you notice real life has so much inspiring experience–as you pointed out.

How do you decide what to review next?

 

šŸ¦€ I try to go in order of request placed, but truthfully sometimes I make exceptions depending on some factors. There are writers who request a review but in addition to that they want to speak to me about their books and depending on what they say I might take their books and move them up the queue because again, it goes back to me first and foremost searching for that story that is unapologetically original and written in such a manner that is unique in its own way.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: If you were to guesstimate, what proportion of books do you read because the author requested a review, versus how many you choose all on your own?

šŸ¦€50/50

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Do you still read any tradpub fiction? If so, who?

šŸ¦€ Not current tradpud fiction. I read a lot of classic Agatha Christie, Jane Austen,Ā  Lord Dunsany, Poe, and Lovecraft for the most part, when I’m not reviewing indie books.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: What are some of your favorite things to experience when reading a book or watching a movie? How have authors or directors managed to really ramp up your enjoyment of a story? Examples?

 

šŸ¦€ I like to expect the unexpected and unexpect the expected. What I mean by that is that I want to read stories and watch films that feel organic in their plot development and not just an amalgamation of previous existing stories and tropes blended together. I want to see writers disassociate their minds from how we communicate on social media and write in ways that are unique to their work (unless of course the story is about this world in present time).Ā 

Writing should be an art form not unlike singing, for example. Do singers sing like they talk? No. Same with writing. Don’t write like you post on Instagram or X. Make it an art form.

A good example of this is the last book I reviewed by Robert Mortell: Tales & Treasure. Though the book is not perfect in some aspects, Mortell seems to get that it’s time to move on in the fantasy genre and experiment with new concepts. The hunt for the crown in his story is just a facade, and even the characters in it know it. So the story is no longer about ā€œWho shall find the crown shall have infinite powerā€ but the hunt for this trinket becomes crucial for the characters/plot developing in ways that are fresh, compelling, and fascinating.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Simply put, then: fresh narratives not built around a formula.

Do you read blurbs? I ask because they can be challenging to write and so many of them are bad. Can you generalize for us what elements in a blurb make you want to read a book (and conversely, what turns you off or makes it fall short, if you like)?

 

šŸ¦€ I do read blurbs and then I regret it! LOL! Honestly most blurbs today only make me feel like I should probably skip that book. I know it is hard to write blurbs that are effective without giving away too much of the story, but (sorry, have to mention him again) Rob Mortell proved that you can write blurbs that make you go like: ā€œI gotta read this book now!ā€ So Rob ,to me, also sets an example that there can be ways to write blurbs that are effective and intriguing. Is it an easy task? Absolutely not, but it’s doable.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Remember that proposal you made to Iron Age Media? Could you reproduce it here for the blog followers?

šŸ¦€ Basically I DMā€™ed ā€˜The King’ with a proposal of featuring my book reviews on his zine but never got a response. I know he read it, but that’s water under the bridge.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Now tell us if you’re ever going to do that. If not, why not?

 

šŸ¦€ Michael has a new book coming out soon. I’ll wait for that to release and do an interview with him.

 

MACHINE TROOPER:Ā  Thanks for answering those questions.Ā  Now let’s discuss your own current fiction project.

First of all: how and why were you motivated to tackle this subject matter in your first foray into fiction writing?

 

šŸ¦€ I was initially (and only partially) inspired by the modern feminist movement. But eventually the concept evolved into the creation of super Amazonian warriors rather than just a bunch of women who want to be like men. As more defined characters began to form in my mind I let the concept stir whichever direction it chose, organically.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Most work that turns out to be worthwhile does take some surprising turns from what the writer originally envisioned.

Does the setting of this story take place on some version or alternate of Earth?

 

A: The setting is 100% pure fantasy world from my imagination, taking inspiration from The Iliad by Homer to Solomon Kane by R. E. Howard and everything in between. I think you may also find traces of E. R. Burroughs and H. P. Lovecraft here and there.Ā 

Oh and there will be mystical beaches, too. The most mysterious, enchanting beaches populated by not-too-friendly crustaceans!

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Nothing against Tolkien, but it’s always nice to discover people who understand that good literature existed before he came along.

Are you planning to eventually publish this story?

 

šŸ¦€ First of all I want to reiterate that everything that you read in Jerimath and Varian (and in the upcoming novel Scars) is simply the result of my ā€˜therapy programā€™. These characters and their stories have been living rent-free in my head for almost a year now, and I needed to find a way to let them out. This is therapy for me. So I decided to write down everything my imagination was creating in my sleep. I really don’t care what the ā€˜criticsā€™ may think of it nor am I trying to be a ā€˜writerā€™ in the sense that I’ll be constantly thinking of what to write next. I’m writing these stories and characters simply because they came to existence through my imagination in my dreams and I really needed an outlet for my own mental healthā€™s sake.

Having said all that, a long-format novel is also in the works, in cooperation with another writer, Jerimath and Varian providing just a glimpse into this fantastic world. With professional editing/proof-reading I would like to perhaps first make this short story available for free and then add it as a bonus to the long-format novel that is currently under construction.

 

MACHINE TROOPER:Ā  So this part is just you; but the full-length novel will be co-written with Fredo McBoxhead.

How did you come up with the term “Agogex”?

 

 

šŸ¦€ The term was inspired by Agoge, a military program/training system in ancient Sparta. It was kinda fitting, given the military nature of this caste of women. Partial credit goes to Scars co-writer James for coming up with that idea.

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Who are the “Aratex”?

 

šŸ¦€ The Aratex are the ā€˜mindā€™ of the nation of Carriala (whereas the Agogex are the ā€˜armā€™ of Carriala). Aratex is a caste of men picked at birth to basically become eunuchs and fulfill vital roles as statesmen, lawmakers, scientists, architects. They will make an appearance in Scars, the long-format story I mentioned earlier, which will be mostly written by co-writer James.Ā 

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Jeez, you make it hard not to draw parallels between this and Current Year geopolitics.

You’ve been borderline-obsessed with crabs since you reviewed that one RVM story. Your characters even refer to “the Holy Crab” in this book. What is the deal with you and crabs?

 

šŸ¦€ I wouldn’t say just borderline obsessed (LOL), but yes, ever since I read R. V. Miller’s short story The Isle of the Shrine of the Sick’ning Scarab (I know, long title!) I became infatuated with mystical islands and red crabs to the point that I was having dreams (or nightmares? Your pick) about not just red crabs but walking on these otherworldly ā€˜Lovecraftianā€™ sandy beaches with more red crabs than one can count. Those were the same dreams by which these characters and stories I’m writing originated from.

At the time I discussed this with Mills and he even suggested using the ā€˜mystical red crabā€™ as my brand logo. And so I did.

Scars: an INFAMOUS Legend will zero in on the whole red crab legend more in depth once Agogex Master Megax takes the leading role in that storyline.

 

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Henceforth shall I remember this origin every time I dine at Red Lobster.

It seems Larizza (and now Megax, in this draft) is pretty brutish–if not retarded. Is this a result of the sorcery that altered her hormones and DNA to make her ripped and hyper-masculine? Or was she this way from birth?

šŸ¦€ All Agogex speak in the same ā€˜strange tongue’ which baffles even the men of Greater Valley. Again this particular mystery will be revealed in the long novel in due time, but for now I can only say that their speech is not due to a mental disorder or birth defect, or because they are foreigners (they’re not), or because they are just meatheads, even.Ā 

Agogex are very smart and cunning. Not only do they possess superhuman strength and endurance but they are also very apt for military strategy development and leadership on the battlefield. Agogex never end up being common soldiers. There are not a whole lot of them, they’re an elite, and they are all raised and trained to make it to the ranks of captain and general.

 

 

MACHINE TROOPER: Okay, I’ll be patient to find out.

In the duel between Jerimath and Larizza, the High Knight is full of bluster (or braggadocio?) beforehand, then refuses to make any offensive effort. Even as he tires from evading the attacks of the Agogex (who has nigh-unlimited stamina), he still refuses to counterattack. Regardless of the effectiveness of the fighting discipline, or the skill of its practicioner, an attack–especially a failed one, opens you up for a counterstrike. (This is how Max Schmelling beat Joe Louis in their first bout, for instance, and how Ken Shamrock beat Dan Severn.) Yet Jerimath limits himself to defense after, presumably, many such openings. Is he a white knight deep down, despite the bluster? Is he mesmerized by her eyes? Can he not overcome his conditioning to not hit a girl? I am a bit perplexed and, to be honest, this reminds me too much of the Homowood trope of the trash-talking 220 pound tough guy who gets his ass kicked by the five-foot-nothing Amazon superninja.

šŸ¦€ Jerimath at this point is only aware of the unnatural strength of Larizza, but he doesn’t suspect that Agogex have almost infinite endurance as well. His plan was to let her swing at him long enough to tire her out, then disarm her. Notice how he tells Varian:Ā 

 

ā€œLet me teach this silly child a lessonā€

 

He obviously has no intentions to seriously hurt her. Also notice what he says to Larizza after he is hit and gets back on his feet:

 

ā€œLarizza, I do not want to harm you. I am just seeking justice. If you lay down your weapons now no harm shall come to you or your men. The Tower is as just as it is merciful. I give you my word as a High Knight and Paladin of The Tower.ā€

 

Jerimath is doing two things here:

  • Giving Larizza a genuine chance to surrender.
  • Gaining precious minutes to regain some gas, would he not be given any other chance but to strike her. He is speaking to her while in the back of his head he is also calculating his next move now that he is within striking range. Larizza is being fooled into thinking he is done at this point.

 

You also have to keep in mind two factors:

  • High Knights are raised to respect women, all women
  • There is something going on when Jerimath looks into Larizzaā€™s eyes but he is not even fully aware of it at a conscious level. Attraction? Agogex sorcery? Something else? Gotta keep reading part 2 to find out.

 

MACHINE TROOPER:Ā  If Jerimath is truly concerned with justice, why does he choose to let the Carrealans off scott-free rather than see Larizza punished?

šŸ¦€ Jerimath wants to see justice being served, but not the Agogex version of it , with unsolicited torture. His decision to pardon Larizza of her crimes is made in the spur of the moment because he only has seconds to do something that would prevent the flogging to take place. As a Captain of The Tower he has power to pardon a criminal in certain circumstances and so he uses that power.Ā 

Oh and of course the ā€˜EYESā€™ thingy I’m sure has something to do with it also!

 

MACHINE TROOPER:Ā  I appreciate you taking the time to “chat” with me about your reviews and your work-in-progress.

 

Follow Gio and watch for his collaborative fantasy project, Scars, to come out in the future, of which this tale of Jerimath and Varian will be a part.

Fantasy, Reviews

TALES & TREASURES by Rob Mortell

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A review by INFAMOUSšŸ¦€

 

I remember the very first time I watched ā€˜French New Waveā€™ movie Last Year in MarienbadĀ and instantly feeling so aware that I was witnessing something original and unprecedented in film-making. That same feeling I got when I first read Lord Dunsanyā€™s The King of Elflandā€™s Daughter (link); I knew then this was ground-breaking content. That was years agoā€¦

Fast-forward to today, and the same phenomenon occurred to me as I read Tales & Treasures, the fantasy novel debut by Rob Mortell.Ā 

It’s not the norm in this day and age to grab a fantasy-based novel and be surprised by its originality or uniqueness. In an over-saturated marketplace of Tolkien’s ripoffs, finding fiction writing like that found in Tales & Treasure is a rarity, and this goes as a massive credit to the author R. Mortell.

 

AMBIENCE :

As Mortell says:Ā 

 

ā€œLike many fantasy authors it started with Tolkien, but my more modern influences are Patrick Rothfus and Scott Lynch. The way they blend interesting characters with high-quality prose is unmatched.ā€

 

The way this story unfolds, the way the characters behave and interact all contributes to create an exclusive ambience, and it is ā€˜unmatchedā€™. It is fantasy but you’re not going to see fire-spitting dragons or wizards shooting lightning from their hands. Instead, it is subtle, refined, at times corky, and it very much reminds me of the French cinema of the late ā€˜60s with characters that feel ā€˜ordinary-but-not-reallyā€™; characters that make us laugh even in situations which are not laughable at all.

 

PLOT:

Instead of the story building around a king, or a knight, or a mage, it builds around a bard, which is a brilliant idea and instantly sets up the tone for a different kind of fantasy ride. Vatis is our bard, and he has a ā€˜dark pastā€™. His fate entangles with that of a treasure hunter, Vidmar, former member of the royal army, also with a dark past of his own. The two of them are subsequently joined by 12-year-old orphan girl Mia, and Kamet, former army pal of Vidmar.

Why would a bard tag along with a treasure hunter? Simple: Vatis feels that Vidmar’s current task of recovering the crown of Slavanes Greco, the crown of the true king of Emre, will provide all the content necessary to write his next big story, which would make him the most prominent bard in all of Emre. But what transpires is a fate that none of the players could possibly predict. Both Vatis and Vidmar are in for a very unexpected adventure, as they follow the vague clues to find the coveted crown.

 

CHARACTERS:

This is for me the high point of this book, but also the low point of it. Let me explain:

These are some of the most lively, ā€˜3Dā€™ characters I’ve read about in most new fantasy literature. The way Vatis, Vidmar, and even supporting characters like Mia come to life is truly something that must be experienced firsthand! We feel engaged with them from the first to the last page. Their large spectrum of emotions, their sense of humor, even their sense of hopelessness at times is so well timed by Mortell that several times I had to pause, breathe, and think about what I’d just read! Just fantastic characters all around!

 

THE NEGATIVES:

As always we gotta mention the good of course, but also the bad and the ugly as well. Fortunately this book does not contain any ā€˜uglyā€™ to speak of but it does contain some ā€˜badā€™:

  • Language: there is an extreme amount of profanity and crude language that was not needed for these characters. They already shine as they are, there was no need to have them drop so many F words and say so many crude ā€˜mammaā€™s jokesā€™. Virtually every character except for young Mia cusses like a sailor without adding one iota of richness to their established personalities. Not sure why Mortell wanted to go that route but this hardly works in fiction except in some sci-fi and detective novels for example. All that does here is cheapen the finished work in my opinion.
  • The bardā€™s performances: bards are supposed to be performers even when they are simply telling a story to an audience. If they narrate their stories in standard prose you no longer feel like you’re listening to a performance. I’m not saying that our bard Vatis should be more like Shakespeare but even a simple meter tweak to the writing could create that difference between ā€˜Vatis speakingā€™ and ā€˜Vatis performingā€™.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

All in all, despite the negative aspects I just mentioned, this story and characters are too original to give the book less than 5 stars. As a reviewer sometimes I find myself torn between giving a book 4/5 stars and 5/5 stars. If a book is not ‘perfect’ in certain aspects but it oozes with originality and ‘3D’ characters I might still give it 5/5 because I want to encourage the author to keep pursuing this and to encourage readers to buy and read the book.

I hope my advice is taken as constructive criticism but also I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy most aspects of this fantastic debut novel!

šŸ¦€