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Reviews

A Hot Dose of Hell by Steve Stark

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A Hot Dose of Hell: A Tale of Stark Terror

by Steve Stark

Review by INFAMOUS🦀

 

If director Guy Ritchie ever decided to film a zombie-based horror movie, A Hot Dose of Hell would be it! This story combines elements of Night of the Living Dead and Resident Evil with that action/satire style typical of the British filmmaker. Stark excels in offering a story that we have perhaps seen many times before but with fun-to-watch characters that are lively, funny, and are filled with a humanity dearly needed not just in the horror genre but in any genre really.

 

PLOT:

When foster girl Rhonda goes looking for her missing half-sister Roxy in a slum known for being the home of junkies and drug dealers, what she finds is more than what she is willing to bargain for. Accompanied by a group of young social activists, Rhonda is worried that something might have happened to Roxy since they have not been in contact by phone or even on Facebook for longer than what she would consider a normal pattern, even for Roxy. She knows her sister has an addiction problem and her concern grows as the silence extends.

What Rhonda does not realize is that something has been going on in this little junkie suburb. Something dark and nefarious. And she and the little group of far-left activists/volunteers will regret ever having driven into town!

 

THE ZOMBIE FORMULA:

We’ve seen this play out many times before: an R&D government agency decides to use an entire suburb as ground zero for an experimental compound that they might possibly want to weaponize based on the data they will gather. They find a way to put this experimental compound into circulation among the junkies who live in these slums, and  they just watch and gather data via drones. What they don’t take into consideration is that this contagious compound can be spread through animals like sea gulls, which inhabit the area in large numbers.

You can imagine what comes next!

WHY IS THIS WORTH READING:

I am not a big fan of horror, and usually this genre is very ‘boxed in’, prepackaged, and very predictable. But what makes A Hot Dose of Hell worth reading is its characters. Rhonda and Roxy feel very real in their behavior and thinking process; two half-sisters who could not be more opposite, yet linked by a strong bond since their childhood.

Fred and Pinkie are the ‘muscle’ of a prostitution ring who find themselves in the middle of a situation where two ‘employees’ seem to have gone literally mad at the brothel. These two no-nonsense thugs truly embody that dry sense of humor typical of early Ritchie’s movies.

You also have the group of social activist kids who keep arguing about what words are OK to use in a society where anyone seems to get too easily offended. You cannot use the term ‘guys’ in a group of mixed sexes, that would make you a misogynist!

All these characters come to life from the pages of the book in ways that really make the story fun to follow despite the obvious plot development which we might have seen many times before.

There was also an author’s decision made for one of the characters’ fate that caught me off guard. But in hindsight, I thought it was clever of Stark and I applaud him for taking a risk here. It paid off this time!

 

CONCLUSIONS:

This book is definitely worth grabbing if you like horror/zombies stories. But I have to highly recommend it if you like to read about characters that are not just planks of wood waiting to be eaten by the walking dead but rather relatable characters with a large spectrum of emotions. Some characters you may end up loving, some hating. Nevertheless, they will all make you feel something, and that’s crucial when rating a novel.

The book is also very professionally written and edited and the local accents of these characters are gold. Writing dialogue with thick  accents can be fun but tricky at times because it can go too far where you lose the readers. But this is not the case here, as the author manages to  walk that fine line between reproducing realistic urban British accents and keeping the readers engaged all throughout this crazy ride.

Stark has definitely established himself as a sensational writer of ‘horror with an attitude”!

🦀

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!

🦀

 

Reviews

Last Masquerade at the Carousel House

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Last Masquerade at the Carousel House By Katelynsam

An interview by INFAMOUS🦀

 

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 guests’ own amusement.

As you read on, you will find out more about the ‘fragile’ 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:

 

“The jazz music and opulent surroundings washed over our senses like the most intoxicating plume of opium smoke.”

 

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!

🦀

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.

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!

🦀

 

Crime, Reviews, Sci-Fi

Murder on the Stellar Schooner

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Illustrated Detective Sci-Fi

by Brian Heming

 

I’ve read some of these genre mash-ups written in the heyday of pulpy paperbacks. Whether written for laughs or not, it was obvious that the authors had a good time taking a hardboiled P.I. character and giving him a case to solve on an extraterrestrial planet or a futuristic Earth. Bladerunner is the most popular such mash-up (based on Phillip K. Dick’s Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?), and was not played for laughs.

Murder on the Stellar Schooner is not exactly played for laughs. That is: no jokes are cracked by the narrator. The humor is there for the eye of the beholder, spawned simply by the scenario of a hardboiled detective from 1930s Los Angeles solving a murder on a space ship.

The attitude, lingo, and illustrations are lifted from a Depression-era noire milieu–only the technology is different.

A freshly-minted widow hires our hero to solve the murder of her erstwhile boyfriend. He was snuffed shortly after winning big in a card game. There’s a short list of suspects and it doesn’t take long for the murderer to be identified.

Honestly, that’s my only complaint: I wish there had been more. I didn’t check the word count beforehand, and was expecting a novella. That length would have served this story well. The “facts of the case” wouldn’t even need to change much, if at all. Simply fleshing out the characters and action would have done the trick. Nevertheless, an enjoyable read.

 

Speaking of mash-ups, check out my Paradox Series, which blends time travel with conspiracy thriller, sports fiction, a little coming-of-age, and a whole lot of men’s adventure!

 

 

Adventure, Reviews

Quest for the Lost Sword by Andy Flattery

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As a boy, I was a voracious reader. I don’t know how many Hardy Boys books were published by the time I outgrew them, but I had probably read most. (But in a public library I frequently haunted, I discovered The Three Investigators, which I liked even better.) Tom Swift and His Rocket Ship is a book I have managed to hang onto over the decades, and sits on my shelf today.

As a poster child for Generation X, I would trade childhoods with a dude from pretty much any other generation. However, one advantage my cohort had over the Millennials and Homelanders was that masculinity wasn’t considered “toxic” in the mainstream back then. You could still find literature for boys and men on store shelves. Boys today are mostly outa’ luck.

Mostly, but not completely outa’ luck, because small publishers like Raconteur Press and authors like Andy Flattery are producing books specifically for boys. Flattery set out to create a sort of pastiche of the Hardy Boys, Tom Swift, and young Indiana Jones. I’ve heard that imitation is the most sincere form of…wait for it…Flattery.

Couldn’t resist.

Quest for the Lost Sword is a lightning-quick read for an adult. The author does not take much time at all setting up the mystery. It’s all bang, bang, boom, done. Which may be perfect for the preteen and early teen demographic (which Leo and Henry, the two young protagonists, fit). The more I ponder it, the more I believe a story of this length and pace might be the perfect gateway to literature for boys.

Our two young heroes are growing up in a stable, traditional Catholic family. Their father is a globetrotting antiquarian, while their mother seems to be a stay-at-home mom. Their house is an historic building with a secret hideout underneath. The parents are a bit indulgent–trusting the boys to behave as responsibly as adults most of the time. In other words, the Kelly boys have a nearly ideal childhood.

Their priest comes to visit one day while Mr. Kelly is away on business. A family heirloom–the titular sword–has been stolen, after being in the priest’s family for centuries. The sword (and some other items) are spiritually charged objects–so there is a touch of the supernatural to the story.

Don’t ask me how the boys are able to book and pay for an international flight, but after dredging up a clue from an old Latin book, they are off to Europe to find and recover the sword. Their bravery and resourcefulness will be put to the test there, because there are people who don’t want the boys to succeed.

This story is simple, yet fantastical. As such, it’s a good one for boys. If you know a young boy, particularly one who doesn’t voluntarily read yet, buy him this book. It could just repair some of the damage public education has wreaked on the male of the species.

 

And speaking of all that, my Paradox series had a similar purpose, though the target audience is more young men than boys, after the first book.

Reviews, Speculative

A Song of Bones by Isaac Anderson

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A Song of Bones by Isaac Anderson

A review by INFAMOUS🦀

 

“When the rats come, you run. If you can’t run, you hide. If you can’t hide, you bow. You can always bow.”

 

A Song of Bones is a high-octane, action-packed rollercoaster ride featuring some not-so-adorable rats and some ‘oppressed’ mice as main characters. As the author Isaac Anderson tells us:

 

“I was a big fan of the Redwall books as a kid and I wanted to write something that a younger me would have enjoyed discovering on the library shelves.”

 

This is book one of a series. Anderson wrote the whole thing over the course of several years but quickly realized it was too big to fit into just one book. The ‘ending at the window’ (read the book for more on that scene) was the cleanest break between parts. 

The next book will be released in the summer/fall of 2025, according to Anderson.

 

PLOT:

Naturally, when we think of a story with talking animals who act and behave very human-like, we immediately think of some of the most popular Disney or WB characters and their general features: cute, clumsy, light-hearted, and fun-loving…

Not these fellas! 

The rats and mice featured in A Song of Bones are very jaded, stoic, and at times very bitter characters overall.

 

Basically the story can be summarized as a ‘mice prison outbreak’ by a group of our little furry friends. 

Several mice have been kidnapped and put to slave labor in the caves of Dorgue’s Tree, an infernal system of caves and caverns where a group of mean rats lead by rat Dorgue are forcing these mice to dig, dig, and dig some more for reasons that are slowly revealed as we keep reading  further.

Our main character, Richard, finds himself at the head of a small group of insurgents and slowly a plan forms to escape and regain their freedom.

JADED:

I think the approach (talking animals that act human, use tools, wear clothes, and build equipment) can work, but in this case I felt like even the backstories of these rats at times felt too grim and death-filled. Even when Richard recalls his childhood there’s very little joy to speak of, overall. Death is the main theme no matter which way we look. 

It was a bit awkward to visualize these talking mice but to also see them being so jaded and really not having a good time overall.

I think there could have been a little more of a balancing act, but they are mostly doing hard labor in deep caves and in horrendous conditions so this aspect is not a deal breaker. I just felt like at least their memories of the outside world would have been more filled with joy and cheerfulness.

 

WHERE THE STORY SHINES:

When we look past the talking rats, the breath-taking action scenes, the claustrophobia of the deep caves: 

 

“Ultimately this is a story about singing over your loved one’s bones. About remembering them.”

 

as Anderson puts it.

This driving concept is present from the very opening scene all the way to the closing scene, and it is delivered efficiently through the intense action that will keep you on the edge.

Also credit to the author for succeeding at ingraining the images of the characters as rats and mice in the reader’s mind even when they act and behave very human-like. At no point was I picturing humans trapped in dark caves. All I envisioned was RATS!

 

CONCLUSIONS:

If you want one reason to pick up this book here it is: the story is a rich example of honoring our loved ones who are gone. As Richard recalls the passing of his mother first, then his father, and now some of his newly acquired friends, we can feel the sense of loss along with him.

I’d say Book 1–though not perfect–can be the beginning of fantastic things to come, the door to a fascinating world similar to what former Disney animator Don Bluth did with some of his animated characters. I would certainly recommend the book to both children and adults alike and hope you’ll pick up a copy and discover this new and exciting universe of rats!

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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! 

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