Tag Archives: sword & sorcery

Adventure, Fantasy

Man of Swords: The Queen of Scorpions – a Review

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By Robert Victor Mills

(Part 4 of a 6-part series)

Review by Gio THE INFAMOUS 🦀

 

“There is no need for you to accompany us any further, young man,” protested Eridiathe. “Aye, there is no need,” admitted Rhoye, “but there is HONOUR, and WORD GIVEN. I will come, see you both safe to your bourne.”

 

The Queen of Scorpions is pure, grade A ‘Robert V. Mills’ finest. And by that I’m referring to the pure, unadulterated, fantasy adventure where honor, chivalry, and a WORD GIVEN still mean something! 

Once again, our hero finds himself in a ‘situation’, this time involving high priestesses, inquisitors, and a holy book that ignites a fierce hunt of those who try to spread its content throughout the Wandered Lands!

Rohye finds work on a merchant ship which cargo includes two ‘holy women’: Eridiathe and her young apprentice Giustinia. Little does he know that the content of their belongings includes a holy book for which they are being persecuted by Inquisitress Bethaina, a powerful and evil sorceress who will stop at nothing to see the alleged manuscript destroyed.

Of course Rohye cannot let two defenseless women be victims of this pure evil, and despite the opportunity to go his merry way he decides to stick around for the ‘fireworks’.

The Scorpion Queen is beautiful in its simplicity. You don’t always need a Machiavellian plot to have a good story. But it’s got to be well written, with memorable characters, and a plot that is solid and compelling. This story checks all those boxes!

So far, I would put The Scorpion Queen as the second best tale out of the four we’ve read from Man of Swords. I’m comfortable saying that this is another little gem of new fantasy fiction that is rare to find these days.

Another legend in the making!

Fantasy, Interview

Fallen Crest Abbey by James Krake

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An inside look by INFAMOUS 🦀



“They fought for themselves and others but paid the ultimate price. They have been buried in the southern cemetery of Fallen Crest Abbey”




There is this author/youtuber I’ve been following now for some time by the name of James Krake. Although known mostly as a cyberpunk genre writer, Krake also runs a webnovel on Royal Road titled The Undying Emperor. This novel departs a good deal from the typical genre Krake is known for. I won’t spend too much time suggesting our readers to start following The Undying Emperor, though they should, for it is truly a marvelous work of sword and sorcery fiction extravaganza. But what I really want to zero-in on is the short story within this webnovel; a true ‘hidden gem’: 


Fallen Crest Abbey.




INFAMOUS: what is Fallen Crest Abbey and what inspired this story?


Krake: Bram Stoker’s Dracula actually. I like exploring form and genre and a gothic horror epistolary story intrigued me. That started the series of questions I had to answer in order to make a satisfying story that would actually matter to readers of my webnovel. I’ve been doing a good deal of thinking about how sci-fi and fantasy should be incorporating matters of faith, so I wanted to take a look at some of the religious aspects of this fantasy world.




INFAMOUS: I’ve read both of your published cyberpunk novels and follow The Undying Emperor on Royal Road, but to me it is in Fallen Crest Abbey that I sense a new level of maturity from you as an author. Do you agree?


Krake: Fallen Crest Abbey was written to have a different tone and feeling to it. I’m not sure I would call it ‘maturity’, but it’s certainly different. The novellas I am writing in 2024 should feel closer to how Fallen Crest Abbey came together, and next year I have a stand-alone I’ll write which should be a full novel length experience that’s even better.




INFAMOUS: sometimes this question gets thrown around a lot: will we ever see the likes of a new Tolkien, or a new Howard, or a new Lovecraft, in the realms of indie authors? I think we have, in the works of British writer R. V. Mills. But when I read Fallen Crest Abbey I see that same ‘sparkle’, that same unrelenting and unapologetic quest–albeit under a different writing style-for new legends in the making. 


Is that something that you have been aware of at all?


Krake: The problem, I think, is that those names became those names because they were able to influence people. They had an impact on future literary endeavors the way Doyle did (or further back, Shakespeare). So, I don’t think the question today is “will we see somebody who writes as well as so-and-so?” but will that person get noticed? Just looking at the numbers, and the advantages today, there are probably MANY people better than Tolkien, who simply haven’t gotten the reverence because society is more connected, critical, and quick to move on.




INFAMOUS: speaking of legends, there is a creature we’re introduced to in FCA called a ‘grendel’. I found some of his features most fascinating. Would you share with us how this grendel came about?


Krake: Beowulf, mixed with my approach to trolls that tries to portray them as early hominids. I coaxed up the legend the way I felt people would rumor-monger around a campfire and indulged the horror aspect it can create.




INFAMOUS: one thing that I loved about Fallen Crest Abbey is how most chapters open with a formal letter written by one of the characters. It really is an effective way to set up a certain mood and pace. Was this a conscious decision or did it just develop that way as you wrote the story?


Krake: It was how I initially conceived of the story, because it posed a technical challenge. I had to figure out how to explain the plot beats, endear the characters, and keep everything well paced, despite using journal entries, letters, posted bounties, and any other ‘record’ that I could come up with. A large reason I became attracted to the idea was the challenge of ending the story, and writing it, without the structure of the story itself giving away the ending.




INFAMOUS: can you disclose future projects-if any-related to Fallen Crest Abbey? What about future works not necessarily related to FCA?


Krake: Well it’s clearly part of The Undying Emperor, which is mostly a life story, hero’s journey of conquest. That has a particular genre to it, however. The world itself has possibilities far beyond what befits essentially a YA action story designed for weekly releases. This year I’ll be writing a novella that is to be like a mix of Romeo & Juliet with The Count of Monte Cristo, taking place in the same world, and I’ve got the start of a novel that started from the question “What if The Odyssey, but the main character couldn’t fight? Can a scholar be a good protagonist?”


On a more immediate horizon, my next paperback release is just around the corner, keep an eye out for Low Key Connections, a Narnia-style isekai. Light hearted, fun, and also high action.




Follow here to not miss out.




Well folks, there you have it. In a world of TikTok, instant gratification, and low attention span, supporting authors like James is important to keep good story-writing thriving. If you’re reading this, most likely you already know that there are great authors out there who deserve recognition and that, sadly, reading books in general is dwindling in our society. 


Support these writers, support books, support Virtual Pulp! 


INFAMOUS 🦀




Click to read Fallen Crest Abbey:


 


	

	
	




	
	

			
	

				

			Adventure, Fantasy, Reviews
		

			
Citadel of the Seven Swords – a Review

		

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You may have noticed that Gio has been reviewing a lot of fantasy lately that may or may not qualify as Iron Age (depending on who you talk to). Well, I also have recently bought some new fantasy and sci-fi by based authors. Maybe I’m not knocking down my TBR pile as fast as Gio is chopping down his, but I’ll have some reviews coming your way, too.


This is Book One of Erik Waag’s Wandering Sword Series.


The story opens with the protagonist (the wily Northman, Skarde) a slave bending the oar on a ship–due to misfortune from a previous misadventure.


I know we’ve been making many comparisons to Robert E. Howard’s fantasy lately (and that’s a good thing), but I’m not done yet. The beginning of this adventure felt very Howardesque.


Skarde escapes from the ship, and enslavement to the Iron Brotherhood–but is doggedly pursued even after reaching the seeming safety of an island.


That island is ruled by a cult with some serious muscle at its disposal. A literal titan  dwells in the fiery bowls of the island’s volcano, forging the seven swords of the title. The adventure takes us through the island’s underground labyrinth where, with the help of other slaves, and a powerful sorceress, Skarde hatches a plan to defeat the titan and the cult leader, and secure his freedom.




Waag shoots for verisimilitude in his action sequences. Skarde is certainly clever, agile, and strong, but is not superhuman and far from infallible. And the tension runs high in between the action. My only complaint is that the story feels like it’s just finding its rhythm when the book ends. No character arc or development to speak of–the reader is just getting to know Skarde, in fact.


This is not unusual for the first book in a series. And, of course, the current market is friendliest to series fiction–so it’s no wonder so many authors choose to write them. I found enough promise in Citadel of Seven Swords that I do want to read the next book. But I expect it to delve deeper into characterization (at least enough to make Skarde stand out in some way from other fantasy adventure heroes) and provide a more immersive reading experience.


	

	
	




	
	

			
	

				

			Fantasy, Reviews
		

			
Shades of Black: In Darkness Cast – a Review

		

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by Jonathan Shuerguer

Reviewed by the INFAMOUS REVIEWER GIO


 




The first thing that jumped at me when I read this book was how the author incorporated a monotheistic faith system in a world inhabited by warrior tribes resembling the Vikings which historically are known to worship multiple deities. I thought that created an interesting stage for the action to take place. Shuerger also does a very good job at baiting the reader into thinking this is going to be another ‘Conan the Barbarian’ kind of tale in the opening act, but then with the introduction of co-main character Ashkelon, things take a whole different path.




Who is Ashkelon? Imagine MCU’s Thanos and multiply by 100! Ashkelon is a warrior/wizard so powerful that he even seems to be bored in not finding worthy opponents to offer him a real challenge. Ashkelon takes young Gideon under his wing to train him up as the ultimate warrior of light. THIS is where the story excels, my fellow readers! The tension, the dynamics, the dialogues and moral debates these two characters engage in, all of that is where In Darkness Cast truly shines! 




Of course, we will witness battles for the ages, one-on-one combat that will keep you glued to your seat, and Gideon ultimately finding out who he really is and who he will become along the way. Oh, and big spiders, lots of ‘em!


The storyline is engaging and you feel like you want to keep reading because at any point in time this ride can take an unexpected turn!


There are a few secondary characters that felt too hollow and cliche`, particularly the elder Skald and the wolf-maiden Anya and her father. These characters come off as too one-dimensional, almost like ‘cardboard’ characters with not much to bring to the table.




The prose was probably my main issue. I understand that when we write fantasy inspired by ancient mythology we want to use a prosaic style that sounds appropriate, but we have to be careful not to slip and let some of our modern jargon taint this objective. For example, the use of the term ‘lactic acid’ to describe the onset of fatigue during a swordfight between two ancient warriors is probably not highly recommended, given the epic nature of the event!


Overall, I feel this book has:


    

  1. Great plot line  and dynamics between the two main characters
    2. 

  2. A few superficial secondary characters that could have used more fleshing out
    3. 

  3. A prose style that at times is not consistent with the world 
    4. 



To wrap this up, I give this 4 stars out of 5 and if you enjoy a story that is not totally predictable and don’t care too much for solid prose, get yourself a copy today!


	

	
	




	
	

			
	

				

			Reviews
		

			
Coming Soon: Robert Victor Mills’ Man of Swords

		

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Just a heads-up that Gio will soon be reviewing RV Mills’ first Legends of the Wandered Lands book: Man of Swords. Sounds like there may be a follow-up interview forthcoming, as well.


The Wandered Lands. The crucible where legends are forged...

Atop a sacred mountain a young man discovers himself doomed with the cruellest of curses, ever to wander, never to find rest. So begin his adventures through realms of dark peril peopled with men and monsters both, his purpose unknown to all, save perhaps the Gods themselves.

Man of Swords chronicles the first six adventures of the mighty hero Rhoye of Khetaine, wanderer, wildlander, sellsword, as his legend begins. Contains six thrilling tales of dark heroic fantasy, including:


    

  • The Eye and the Dragon, where the young hero faces his first trial in the Cave of Rite.
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  • The Knight Who Would Not Kneel, where Rhoye becomes unwillingly sworn to a dying king desperate to rescue his realm from monsters.
    • 

  • The Devil Out the Wych Elm, where Rhoye is saved from sure death only to face a peril all the greater – what is the strange secret of the old spirit’s tree?
    • 

  • The Queen of Scorpions, where Rhoye grapples savage pirates and priestesses of terrible purpose in a chase across the Wild Main.
    • 

  • The Ember Nixie, a drunken misadventure in the gambling underworld of a snowbound northern port.
    • 

  • The Beast Beneath Druihmkirk, where the only escape from an ancient walled city is through the sewers, through the belly of the beast beneath.
    • 



Across these six thrilling adventures of sword and sorcery, of chance and fate, and of great deeds, Man of Swords charts the rise of the newest hero to join the Legends of the Wandered Lands.