Category Archives: Fantasy

Fantasy, Marketing, Sci-Fi

Based Books that Don’t Break the Bank

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Have you noticed the change in the zeitgeist in the last couple weeks? This might be the most confident and optimistic you’ve felt for decades, or ever. Amirite?

The clusterbomb of revelations that began exploding when DOGE hit the ground running is the culmination of planning, preparation, team-building, wargaming and fine-tuning which took long years.

Some of us are not surprised about the information coming out–just surprised that it IS coming out and that it appears something may finally be done about a  full of corruption, treason, and worse.

The reason there are any unsurprised Americans at all is because they were well-informed despite the corporate, globalist-controlled Swamp Media and its legions of glowing clown influencers who regurgitate its lies. The dissident right is well-informed because of culture warriors who have been tirelessly sounding the alarm.

Some culture warriors are investigative journalists who built their own alternative media platforms. Some are livestreamers and podcasters.  Some are meme-makers; some are meme-sharers. And some are based authors.

Based authors have been offering their books at steep discounts for the Based Book Sale four times a year, dropping forbidden truth bombs even in that aforementioned status quo when American citizens could be arrested for sharing a meme. That status quo wherein you would be classified as a domestic terrorist by the FBI for reading excerpts in a school board meeting from a perverse book that the school board made your children read.

We sounded the alarm. We revealed suppressed information. We questioned Establishment-approved assumptions. But most of all, we told good stories (unlike Hollywood and traditional publishing).

If you missed out on those Based Book Sales from the exciting (and fearful) days of the Cancel Culture Era, never fear! The Based Book Sale rolls on and you can still get those good stories. But now there’s a new sheriff in town who won’t be putting you on an enemies list because you read something without the Establishment-mandated daily dose of Marxist agitprop, sexual deviancy, and America Hate.

Don’t make the assumption that “based” means “preachy.” What it really means in this context is that story quality is the priority. Some books are controversial and name names, but most is actually apolitical. Based authors don’t lace their books with woketardery.

Speaking of controversial, I understand Vox Day will be offering his fantasy novel Throne of Bones at this sale. Other well-known authors like John C. Wright and Devon Eriksen  (at the Fall Sale their books finished first and second in sales, followed by my very own magnum opus: Paradox) have discounted their books for the sale in the past and might this time, too.

I plan to have three of my sci-fi novels available through the sale for 99 cents. My readers know I write adventure of one flavor or another. These novels mix that with conspiracy thriller, sports, romance, time travel, some coming-of age and a little bit of alternate history.

Get yours for 99 cents while you can!

Fantasy, Reviews

Heir to the Sundered Crown – a Review

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Heir to the Sundered Crown – The Sundered Crown Saga Book One by M.S. Olney

A review by INFAMOUS🦀

 

Book 1 of Heir to the Sundered Crown is a well-written, enthralling fantasy tale that I found quite enjoyable for different reasons. Let’s face it, it is very difficult nowadays to write fantasy that manages to capture our full attention. This is due to several reasons: 

 

  1.  The market is oversaturated with fantasy books and if the author is not well known, chances are they will fly under the radar of most readers.
  2. Most current fantasy stories today are a ‘reassembling of parts’ from Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, and Harry Potter. It’s the norm for modern fantasy writers to just copy and paste aspects of those fantasy cult classics without adding anything fresh or original to them.
  3. We have progressive modernists who want to use the genre with the application of ‘modern thinking’ so that the ‘fantasy’ element becomes just a veneer, with the essence of the stories becoming a sad reflection of the deranged post-modernist agenda.

 

HTSC manages to offer enough exciting content while avoiding to fall into the category of stereotypical fantasy/adventure novel. 

 

PLOT:

The entire story centers around the assassination of the royal family of the kingdom of Delfinia. The assassins, however, fail to find and murder the young prince who, thanks to Davik and Elena, is taken to safety at an undisclosed location. This coup leads to civil unrest and skirmishes among local barons, all vying for power.

However, the mastermind behind this plot is a supernatural foe greater than any mortal being, and that is our mage apprentice, Luxon gets introduced to us. 

Luxon is made aware that he comes from a lineage of powerful mages and, along with a team composed of knights, nightblades, and witch hunters, will play a key role in finding the young prince and rightful heir to the throne, which is key to avoid the legions of darkness to breach the Void and take over the world.

THE TOLKIEN EFFECT:

As I was reading this book, I couldn’t help but think of Lord of The Rings at some points. 

For example the friendship between apprentice mage Luxon and his buddy Yepert (a rotund, jolly friend from the mage apprentice school) reminded me very much of the same relationship we see with Frodo and Sam. Yepert even finds courage and strength when it’s needed most just like Sam, while Luxon, just like Frodo, is the most reflective of the two.

Also lines like “Please don’t turn me in anything unnatural” too reminded me very much of what we read in Tolkien. Not a major issue but it speaks volume of the massive influence Tolkien still has on modern fantasy writing.

 

MODERN EUPHEMISMS:

If there is one area I think the author could improve is in the implementation of modern euphemisms. 

Phrases like:

  • All in all, I’d say that was a good day’s work
  • And none of us died, which is always a bonus
  • intelligence network
  • until the cows come home

 

The above could easily be replaced with more evocative alternatives. That would help readers be drawn further into this fantasy world. Just because a term CAN be used doesn’t necessarily mean that it SHOULD be used, within the context of this genre.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

All in all, book 1 of HTSC delivers a fun, action-packed fantasy adventure for die-hard fans of the genre with heavy Tolkienian influence. I suggest you pick this book or maybe buy it as a gift and perhaps get your family and friends into discovering the magic and excitement that books like this one can offer. 

Book 2 will probably get reviewed at a later date since I’m curious to know what could possibly happen in the plot after the seemingly decisive victory of good over evil we read in book 1!

🦀

 

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 INFAMOUS🦀

 

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 ‘Marty Stu’, an overly idealized character with little to no realistic limitations. 

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 ‘casteless’ 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 ‘John Wick’ 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:

“I expected wanted posters for you at some point.”

‘Posters’ 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 ‘autograph’?

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 Moorcock’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 ‘connection’ 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. 

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

🦀

 

Fantasy, Reviews

TALES & TREASURES by Rob Mortell

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A review by INFAMOUS🦀

 

I remember the very first time I watched ‘French New Wave’ movie Last Year in Marienbad 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 Dunsany’s The King of Elfland’s Daughter (link); I knew then this was ground-breaking content. That was years ago…

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

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: 

 

“Like 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.”

 

The way this story unfolds, the way the characters behave and interact all contributes to create an exclusive ambience, and it is ‘unmatched’. 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 ‘60s with characters that feel ‘ordinary-but-not-really’; 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 ‘dark past’. 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, ‘3D’ 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 ‘ugly’ to speak of but it does contain some ‘bad’:

  • 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 ‘mamma’s jokes’. 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 bard’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 ‘Vatis speaking’ and ‘Vatis performing’.

 

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!

🦀

 

Adventure, Fantasy, Reviews

Relentless Blades by Russell Carroll

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Relentless Blades – Volume 1 of The Prophecies of Zarune by Russell Carroll (and a word from the author)

A review by INFAMOUS🦀

 

If there was one thing author R. Carroll wanted to accomplish with Relentless Blades that would be to present a story that even though might not be everyone’s ‘favorite cup of tea’, that it would at least come across as an undeniably well-written, professional, and competent work of fantasy literature. 

Russell wrote Relentless Blades because of his love of ‘everything fantasy’ and Dungeons & Dragons in particular. It’s no exaggeration to say that the book was twenty-years in the making and a ‘love letter to his teenage-self’. In Russell’s own words:

 

“Remember, you’re never too old to pursue your dream!”

 

As for an author who inspired Russell? R. A. Salvatore and his Legends of Drizzt series is at the top of his list, and it clearly shows all throughout this first and exciting debut publication.

IN A NUTSHELL/CHARACTERS: 

What is this book really about? And why should we be excited to read it?

 Russell shares that:

“I determined to tell a fairly linear, character-driven story, that hints at a bigger picture and world, but without focusing on trying to explore the intricacies of multiple kingdoms.

As a debut author I was aware not to bite off too much.”

This is in fact part of the charm of RB. It’s easy to follow and because it is so well written we can quickly start to identify various relatable characters who don’t come across as dull or forgettable in the least. For example Grimlock, a skron halfbreed (skrons are kinda like blue-skinned orcs with orange hair), immediately becomes one of our favorite characters because although he is this apparently selfish hunter-for-hire, mountain of a humanoid, he has a conscience, and deep inside he values life and is resentful when a life is lost on his watch.

We have brothers Mathias and Val Braunstone, who on the surface couldn’t be any more different, the former being an esteemed Valadian Knight-Lieutenant while the latter choosing to put his abilities at the service of local crime lord Henshawe.

These are not your typical one-dimensional characters and the reader will feel easily drawn to the story thanks mostly to them.

 

PLOT:

When some ancient artifacts are found while mining near the Fractured Crags, a dispute for possessions of such items ensues between the Valedians, who claim such artifacts belong to them as they were found within their territory, and the Vragoths, who claim that the artifacts found are clearly of Vragothian origins.

We will quickly learn that the Mazzinoth’s Eggs are more than meets the eye, and they can become potentially a most devastating weapon in the wrong hands. If the Vragoths acquire the recently discovered scepter, they will unlock the way to awaken the dragons within the eggs.

A seemingly unorthodox group of heroes led by Grim and Vig are the only chance to stop the unleashing of dragons by the Vragoths. Find the enchanted scepter and stop the ritual before it’s too late. This is their mission.

A FRESH OUTLOOK:

Beyond the very well-written action scenes and suspenseful fights, where this book really stands out is in tackling noble virtues like altruism, courage, and kindness but in ways that feel very organic within the story and not forced into the narrative.

When Vig, who has dealt with dyslexia all his life, finds the compassion and the support of Everleign all he can say is:

“My whole life, I’ve felt ashamed of my problem, but you didn’t make me feel bad about it.”

To which Everleigh replies:

“Why would I do that? Acknowledging your limitations and seeking help to overcome them shows bravery. I’d never mock someone for that.”

And THAT is where this story really shines and becomes more than just another forgettable fantasy/action trope. In showing strength but also vulnerability in his characters, Russell manages to hit a home run with this debut publication.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

I always felt that fantasy literature had gotten more nihilistic in the last decade. The YA books are literally polluting the market and the ‘Game of Thrones’ types of books are a bit too much for my taste with their grey areas of morality.

Relentless Blades reminds me of the Dragonlance books and Salvatore’s D&D books we used to read decades ago. This is a story ‘with soul’: friendship, courage, honesty and perseverance in the face of adversities is what makes this relevant and it leaves an impression on the readers. 

Russell communicates with vivid images that life is precious and fighting for others is a just and righteous cause.

The prose is snappy and concise without giving in to the insufferable modern-day euphemisms that pollute our everyday social media. A smart choice that always pays off in the long run. 

It is exciting to see how this new fantasy realm will further unfold and I sure look forward to it! 

🦀

Fantasy, Reviews, Speculative

The Fall of Selvandrea by T. J. McKay

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The Fall of Selvandrea – Volume 1 of the Draemeir Chronicle by T. J. McKay

A review by INFAMOUS🦀

 

I’ve been acquainted with McKay’s writing for a couple of years now ever since I read his first official edition of Book 1 of the Draemeir Chronicle, Rise of Dresca, and I always thought there was something special and quite unique about his style and the type of fantasy he was exploring. The Fall of Selvandrea represents the culmination of everything previously seen in Books 1 and 2 (Seas of the Zovah) in what I can only describe as a spectacular edition.

 

GENRE:

Although this is clearly a fantasy novel, it’s very difficult to pinpoint exactly WHAT type of fantasy category it falls into. McKay likes to call it ‘flintlock fantasy’ although there are some elements of science-fiction involved we will discuss later on in this review. The only other fictional works that might fall in this same category are A Sea of Broken Glass and to a lesser degree Gunmetal Gods. Some other smaller titles like in The Sendyne Flintlock Fantasy Chronicles by Seth Hobbsand could also fit the bill.

I personally feel like TFOS occupies its own niche, and it represents some of the most original and exquisite fantasy writing of late.

PLOT:

Discussing the plot here can be difficult for one main reason: the author has chosen a narrating style with very little exposition, throwing readers right into the midst of the action. We see WHAT characters do, we see HOW they do it, but very little is unfolded as to WHY they do it. We’re fed little crumbs here and there but no ‘info dump’ at any rate. 

Other reviewers have expressed that this style of delivery can stir up confusion; however I can respect this as being the author’s artistic choice and cannot view it as a negative remark in itself.

We will learn of a technologically advanced world plagued by the draemeir strains (sort of a supernatural plague) which is pure evil and chaos, using humans as hosts. Our protagonist Valdaris Drascar-whom we may call in this review Future Vald-creates a new draemeir strain that he can control unlike the other strains of pure chaos and destruction. In order to save his world from the draemeir, Future Vald sends his consciousness (preserved inside the ruby attached to his sword) into the past via a vortex he is able to generate.

Here is where Past Vald takes up the sword with the ruby, and now we have Future Vald’s consciousness and Past Vald’s consciousness merging as one being (thus a dual personality of sorts).

It is also of relevance to mention that as Future Vald opens the vortex to the past, a group of ‘strangers’ led by Alessa Sinclaes also travels to the past through the same vortex, finding themselves in a world on the brink of war between the kingdoms of the Selvar and the Naemredd. This is also where the sci-fi elements come into play, since these time travelers carry very sophisticated gadgets and weapons (Ambrovian technology).

DARK, DREAMLIKE, FANTASY:

The narrative feels very dark and mysterious, but also beautiful and dreamlike. On several instances it was difficult for me to understand where dream and reality separated. As the author puts it:

 

“It’s not meant to be an easy read (though I try to keep the writing style line-by-line easy/simple).”

 

What I noticed most is that this style doesn’t really look or feel like anything else that is currently out there, and this is saying a lot considering the oversaturated market of fantasy books. It can be disorienting at times, with its multiple POVs and thin exposition, but in a sense that is part of the lure.

If we ask McKay what or who might have influenced his story, he will tell us this:

 

“The Judas Strain by James Rollins and the Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton both influenced the sci-fi elements… plus the movie Transcendence with Johnny Depp. On the fantasy side, Wheel of Time and The Pendragon Cycle (Stephen R. Lawhead). To a much lesser extent, The Count of Monte Cristo had some influence too, and Les Miserables. And I’d also give some credit to Revan from Star Wars (Knights of the Old Republic).”

CONCLUSION:

It is important to point out that McKay is not your average indie writer. He has mastered his writing skills and it transpires all throughout TFOS. He is a writers’ writer folks!  Am I saying that McKay is as original as he is an objectively talented writer? That’d be a big YES.

Sure this is a challenging read with obscure characters, intricate plots, little exposition, and multiple POVs, leaving me with more questions by the end of the book than I had at the beginning, but not everything must be spoon fed in order to be a fantastic experience.

And The Fall of Selvandrea is a fantastic and unique experience indeed!

🦀

Fantasy, Reviews

Dawn of Chaos by Tony Andarian

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DAWN OF CHAOS: Sanctum of the Archmage 

by Tony Andarian 

(and a word from the author)

A review by INFAMOUS🦀

 

~“What is this place?” she breathed in wonder.

Lenard chuckled, but his eyes didn’t waver from what he was doing at the mysterious table.

“Welcome to the Sanctum of the Archmage, my dear,” he said simply.~

 

Dawn of Chaos is the culmination of a long and passionate project by indie author Tony Andarian. This latest edition was the result of several revisions and changes Andarian felt were needed as a result of growing and developing as a writer:

 

“I took the book down at the end of ’18 with the intent to release the rewrite in ’19, but escalating craziness at work forced me to put it off until after I retired at the end of ’21.”

 

And it follows:

 

“I revised the version of Dawn of Chaos that I’d published in 2017 for re-release in 2021 and 2022. But the changes were primarily cosmetic, and had mostly to do with improving my writing style. Story-wise, it was identical except for very minor changes, and the addition of a few scenes.”

 

This is an approach I admire and strongly suggest to all writers out there, but particularly to those writers with limited experience or just now contemplating publishing for the first time. Producing a novel that is professional, competitive, and worth buying is no easy task, and it takes more than just ‘a good story’ to make it all work. So pace yourself, make adjustments when needed, and DO NOT rush the process.

CONTENT:

Dawn of Chaos is a collection of three books:

  • Book 1 – Prologue to Chaos
  • Book 2 – Hell Gate
  • Book 3 – Aftermath

 

The original concept was created for a D&D game, which Andarian eventually felt needed to be transferred into novel format. If this book immediately comes across as very thorough and professional now you know why. This is not something that just spurted overnight and it took many years to refine and perfect.

 

PLOT:

The action takes place in the mythical kingdom of Kalara, with the capital being the great city of Carlissa, center of a prosperous civilization. The royal family consisting of the king (man), queen (elf), two sons, and a daughter reigns with fairness and honor and people enjoy a time of peace and prosperity… Until a hellgate opens up one day over the center of the city through which an army of demon monsters steps through to kill and conquer all. 

In fact, as we learn:

 

“Many thousands of years ago, a great war between the Gods and the Demons came to the world. The Demons had opened a door from the realms of Hell itself, and their armies threatened to overrun the earth.”

 

Now, thanks to a ‘rogue wizard’ named Zomoran, the demon hordes have found a way through that gate again, and the kingdom is  certainly not prepared for this massive and surprising attack after enjoying a long era of peace.

 

CHARACTERS:

The story is rich in characters which are divided into groups, each one going through their own perils and challenges but all ultimately serving the same cause: delivering a particular magic ring to the Archmage Lenard which will give the kingdom a hope of victory.

 

PACE:

There’s never a dull moment or wasted page in this book. The action is relentless but also well written; the sense of immediate danger, ever present at every corner. But what I found worth mentioning-and what makes this a legit 5-star book-is that amidst all the action the author never misses an opportunity to keep readers in the loop when it comes to the lore of this world and the reason behind everything that takes place. The attention to details, whether that be the city’s layout, the geography of the region, or the social structure of this civilization, is all impeccable and works perfectly well with the breath-taking action scenes.

 

MORAL/PHILOSOPHICAL ASPECTS:

The seemingly straightforward storyline holds compelling moral questions which some readers might miss while being caught up in all the action and epic battles. The author mentions one of his major influences as being Ayn Rand:

 

“I first read Ayn Rand decades ago, and have been heavily influenced by her ideas for most of my adult life. The way they show up in the Sanctum Saga has a lot to do with how they’ve influenced my thoughts about the nature of civilization, what makes it possible, and what causes it to collapse. 

The major influence of Rand’s ideas on Dawn of Chaos shows up in the recurrent theme of independence vs. obedience to authority. Zomoran’s ideology, as revealed in the first chapter, is that he believes in elite rule over freedom and individual choice. Independence and the right to individual choice were among Rand’s cardinal virtues, and that’s represented in the battle against Professor Zomoran and his demons.”

 

CONCLUSIONS:

The author informs readers this saga is not over yet with this book, and announces that Wrath of the Peregrine King will be in fact the next installment where this epic D&D story will continue. 

This is how you create a well laid out epic adventure with relatable characters and interesting villains. I can’t praise this book enough or recommend it enough if you like the genre. The stellar editing makes this exactly what we need in the indie sphere right now. When an author aims for excellence and nails it, we as readers can’t ask for more, and Dawn of Chaos is an excellent book indeed!

🦀

Fantasy, Historical, Reviews, TRENDS DIE OUT; LEGENDS LIVE ON

Ghost King by David Gemmell

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TRENDS DIE OUT/LEGENDS LIVE ON:

GHOST KING by David Gemmell

A review by INFAMOUS🦀

 

David Gemmell might not be one of the most popular sword and sorcery writers perhaps, but his work truly has been a gift to those of us who admire captivating characters, well thought-out plot lines, and the ‘magic’ of fairy stories of old,  combining  history and fantasy uniquely.

Ghost King in many aspects could be loosely compared to the legend of King Arthur, but only on the surface. Once we take a deep dive into the core of it we realize that this is an original and exquisite tale that should be shared and praised throughout the ages.

PLOT:

The kingdom of the Romano-Britons finds itself without a king when Brigante King Eldared murders King Aurelius in a hunting ambush. However, Prince Thuro, son of Aurelius, manages to escape and with the aid of very powerful and unexpected allies regroups to regain his father’s kingdom and take back the throne.

As you can see, the general plot line is pretty straightforward but where Gemmell excels is in making this story unique by presenting characters that are not flat or one-dimensional and sub-plots that we might not expect, yet  ‘make sense’.

 

TEEN CHARACTERS: 

Prince Thuro and Laitha are first introduced as teenagers. Commonly teen characters, as written in modern times, come off as insufferable due to either being portrayed as exceedingly talented and self-confident for their age or as nitwits with low self-esteem. Not here!

For example, when Thuro is asked who he really is, his answer is:

 

“I am a young man, barely of age, who needs wise counsel from trusted friends”

 

How could we not get to side with a character like Thuro? He is ignorant/innocent, inexperienced, and he knows it. While he does not quit on his task to regain the throne from the usurper he realizes he can’t do it alone and he is conscious of his age and limitations.

 

SECONDARY CHARACTERS: 

Other characters that we will find intriguing and well defined throughout the story are:

  • The three retainers Victorious, Gwalchmai, and Caradoc, who manage to survive the ambush on their king and ride back to their homeland to regroup and raise an army.
  • The Enchanter Maedhlyn, who allegedly inspired the building of Troy and took Alexander “to the brink of domination”. A ‘Merlin’ character who seems to have had influence over several historical figures according to the lore of Ghost King:
  • Demigod Culain, who turns out to be Thuro’s grandfather and makes the critical decision to give up his immortality out of sheer love
  • King Eldared who engages the Soul Stealers, terrible wraiths of doom with invincibility and great speed to usurp the throne
  • Prasamaccus the crippled brigante who saves Victorinus from the threat of the Atrols (giant creatures sent by Eldared)
  • Goroien the Witch, who constantly requires the sacrifice of pregnant women in order to maintain her eternal youth

 

And of course we gotta have a legendary sword… The Sword of Cunobelin, lost when the king was murdered. Thuro must rescue it in order to reclaim the throne.

PROSE:

Gemmell is very clear with the prosaic style he decided to adopt in the foreword:

 

“The language used is relatively modern, and undoubtedly there will be some students who find it jarring to read of arrows being ‘fired’, when of course the expression evolved only after the introduction of matchlock muskets.”

 

This is the best move any author can make when choosing a style of language for a similar epic fantasy tale. When unsure, write in the most neutral style you can manage. Don’t try to be Shakespeare and don’t try to use modern XXI slang either. When you use a neutral language you let the reader’s imagination take the driver’s seat, and that’s a good thing.

 

CONCLUSIONS:

If you don’t know David Gemmell, grab a copy of Ghost King and be delighted with high quality epic fantasy that is compelling, imaginative, but also well thought-out and professionally presented. The blend of history with fantasy is exactly what I personally appreciate more than anything, and that’s why we will cover book 2 soon:

The Last Sword of Power

Don’t miss it!

🦀

Fantasy, Reviews

Contracts & Chaos by Joseph L. Wiess

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Contracts & Chaos – Tales from Crann Na Beatha by Joseph L. Wiess

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Contracts & Chaos is probably one of the most bizarre indie sword and sorcery(?) novels I’ve read as of late. This is labeled as Volume 2 of the Tales from Crann Na Beatha but as per the author it represents a totally independent narrative from Volume 1 and can be read on its own.

Why, you then may ask, do I feel like this story contains some bizarre elements? 

Well, the word ‘chaos’ in the title fits well in this instance! First and foremost, women in this world are generally portrayed with a weird touch of harem/Gorean submission narrative. Whether that was intentional of the author or not, we will discuss it in this review and in the comments that you will hopefully drop us.

PLOT:

The story kicks off with a damsel in distress-Heather-literally dropping at the feet of a man she doesn’t even know, begging him to make her his woman (or bond, as per this lore). The man in question is Balgair, a knight-turned-mercenary. Balgair already has two women/bonds waiting for him back at home but he decides that three is better than two so he accepts Heather’s offer. From that point on, Heather’s behavior is about constantly obsessing with pleasing Balgair. And if you think this is an isolated feature of Heather, let me introduce you to Lucy, another girl who is infatuated with Brandyn, the tavern owner, and her obsession with wanting to please this man is no less disturbing than Heather’s!

After rescuing Heather from the evil mage Brigid, the pace seems to slow down a big deal, with Balgair taking Heather to a shop to buy her new clothes and Heather being attacked by the store clerk. 

Aside from the slow pace, dialogue is very wooden and sometimes things just don’t add up. For example, when Heather gets verbally and physically attacked by Katrine the clerk, we read:

 

“The clerk drew her hand back again and sent Heather to the floor with a well-placed slap to the other cheek.”

 

But when Balgair hears the commotion and walks into the shop to rescue Heather, her reply is:

 

“I was looking for a new dress and had found one when I was hit from behind, and that woman was screaming at me.”

 

So was Heather attacked from behind or slapped on the face??

 

Before leaving the store, the goddess Ananke appears to Heather and reveals that she has great potential to become the perfect boireannach, which means a perfect submissive (I kid you not!).

CHARACTERS:

Other secondary (and totally forgettable) characters are Farank and his bond Arien the sorcerer. What’s interesting is that the entire time these two are trying to rescue Balgair and Heather, all Arien seems to do is drool over Balgair:

 

“If you are as strong as your Aura suggests, it’s no wonder your bond fell for you. The voice teased. I’m already bonded, yet I am straining not to run from my master to you. You must be quite a man.”

 

Again, dialogue to me seems quite odd and out of place.

 

Some of the punchlines also completely miss the mark, like when Balgair faces the powerful warrior Yarsmith, and Yarsmith introduces himself:

 

“I suppose I should introduce myself. I am Indigo Yarsmith, and you killed my father.” When Balgair raised his left brow in confusion, Yarsmith laughed. “No, not really, but it sounded good.”

 

But the odd moments don’t end there. While Heather is held captive by evil mage Brigid, she seems frightened, fearing for her life, and doubting that Balgair will make it on time to rescue her. However when he does finally rescue her, all she can say is:

 

“It’s about time you got here. I was so bored”

 

Again, inconsistencies and oddities are aplenty throughout this novel.

 

SEXUALLY EXPLICIT:

Another aspect that I totally did not appreciate is the sexually explicit scene with Balgair and Heather. This is basically X rated, smutty writing at this point and I’m surprised the author didn’t even bother adding a disclaimer or warning sign on Amazon so that those of us who don’t want to read such filth can avoid buying this trash altogether.

 

OTHER ODDITIES:

Another weird and quite annoying technique the author utilizes is showcasing the thoughts in the characters’ minds by separating the text using italic. This is something that could work when it’s isolated to one specific character, but in this book EVERYBODY has their thoughts on display. It could be a minor character who only has a brief appearance in the story and they will have their thoughts on display in italic text. So all of a sudden you have all these sentences in italic from pretty much almost every single character and it  just gets too chaotic.

 

The author also often forgets to open/close quotes which is also another painful feature of this book and suggesting poor editing work as well.

 

CONCLUSIONS: 

I found no redeemable qualities in this novel and the real question is:

Who was this novel written for? I cannot possibly imagine any normal reader feeling excited to read this type of content.

Contracts & Chaos is probably one of the most painful novels I’ve read as of late: poor editing/proof-reading, weak prose, wooden dialogue, and why is it that ALL characters sound like absolute nincompoops? Particularly the exchanges between Balgair and Heather sound like two 12-year-old children speaking. 

The only thing Contracts & Chaos achieved was making me feel slightly dumber by the time I reached the last page!

🦀

Fantasy, Reviews

Tears of an Indifferent God by Isom Ashe

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Agoric Myths Book One by Isom Ashe

Reviewed by

Welcome to Tears of an Indifferent God, a not-so-Greek mythological world where heroes are not what they seem and where pretty much every man and woman is bisexual! This book is comparable to a visit to the dentist: it hurts, it sucks, and we can’t wait to be done and over with!

But let’s take it all one breath at a time…

It’s not clear why the author decided to take all the most popular elements of Greek mythology and simply give them all different names. I understand taking inspiration from ancient mythology but to simply take well defined legends and just assign them new names seems lazy at best. So instead of Mount Olympus we now have Mount Arimus; instead of Aphrodite Goddess of Love we have Terha Goddess of Ecstasy, Zeus is now replaced by Gracix…You get the idea.

Hindsight, I speculate to believe that these lazy alterations were made intentionally by the author as to get away with the horrendous liberties he decided to take in order to ‘modernize’ some of the most ancient and most beloved legends.

 

CREATIVE LIBERTIES?

Despite the fact that we’re supposed to witness a mythological civilization, with fantastic characters and ethereal gods, it all feels very XXI century. The dialogue, the thinking process of the characters, even that weird Disney/MCU superhero vibe, at times!

You have Gordon, the legendary hero and the people’s champ, who is part of the Helios League of Heroes. You have Solacles, our MC, who keeps blaming Gordon for the death of his parents when he was still a child. You have Agda, Sola’s girlfriend (or not, since she sleeps with everything with a pulse?) who just wants to party and have fun, since the prospect of marriage is viewed as a daunting burden. You have capricious gods with hearing impairments like Terha, who can’t hear what a mortal is saying if other mortals are talking over him (not kidding!) and who feels the urge to expose herself whenever she witnesses mortals engage in debauchery!

 

PLOT: 

The plot stems from a series of the most illogical decisions made by these characters. It seems as if anything goes as long as it helps move the plot a certain direction. Nothing feels organic: Sola, our MC, gets promoted to commander in chief for simply stabbing a minotaur in the back and with zero military experience. Gordon, the greatest warrior of all times, who has a resume of slaying giants and demigods, ends up falling to a few stab wounds inflicted  by bird men wearing feather suits! All these weird decisions just so that the plot can move where the author wants it to move, no matter how nonsensical it all feels.

NO REDEEMING QUALITIES: 

What all these characters share is that none seems to possess any redeeming qualities. As we read about their ‘adventures’ it’s hard to feel emotionally invested in any of them. Sola, the MC, is described as someone who, when feeling down, ”often hid himself in the arms of a man or woman and drank away his sorrows”. 

Agda, Sola’s female supporting character, will sleep with anybody and everybody without a blink of an eye, yet she stands by Sola’s side ‘faithfully’…

Gordon, the warrior/hero is the typical dumb jock who can only think with his muscles and lives to slay monsters and bed women (and men).

 

CONCLUSION: 

To me this book felt as though the author was indulging himself in creating a fictional world that represents perhaps his ideal utopia. Homosexuality, heavy drinking, gods who act more like children than even human adults. A world where friendship without sex does not exist, where monogamy is scoffed at, where family is whatever we want it to be…or nothing at all.

This is exactly what is wrong with modern fantasy literature in our times. These authors not only fail to catch the nature of mythology but their use of these legendary icons comes across as shallow and  superficial, with the only purpose to twist them in ways as to confirm and reinforce their modern progressive perceptions.

🦀