The Atomic Sea by Jack Conner: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

Imagine a world at war. It isn’t terribly hard to do. Imagine, then, that this war is not going particularly well for anybody except the advancing armies. The opposing sides would do almost anything to stop the advance, but there isn’t a whole lot left to do. This is the state of things in Jack Conner’s The Atomic Sea. Ghenisa—and much of the world—is at war with Octung, and it is not going well for anybody except Octung. The only hope lies in catching and killing enough whales that live in the Atomic Sea to gather hot lard enough to keep the Octungens at bay. Except the Atomic Sea is a deadly place to be. Lightning spouts from gas bubbles in the water. The sea life is mutated and violent. The very air is enough to kill you.

This is where Dr. Francis Avery finds himself at the start of the book. He is the ship’s doctor aboard a Ghenisan vessel tasked with finding whales and avoiding the Octungen fleet. His job is to patch people up as best he can from exposure to the sea or from their battles with the mad whales. One day, though, Dr. Avery pulls a woman out of the belly of a whale, only to find that she is perfectly, bizarrely, normal. This woman is Leanna, and she says that she can stop Octung.

Thus starts an adventure in which secret conspiracies are discovered, plots are thwarted, and everything is changed. Dr. Avery is at the centre of this plot and he must keep Leanna from the Octungens or the entire world will be doomed. For that, he’s going to need a drink.

This book is an incredibly well-written piece. The prose itself is expressive and engaging, making it difficult to stop reading. The worldbuilding is accordingly capable, as well. The setting of this book reminds me of what World War I would be if you added steampunk technology. Oh, and made that technology atomic, alchemical, and added a few steroids to the mix. The pieces involving the sea monsters is particularly fascinating. The idea is that if you eat unprocessed sea food, you are likely to develop mutations that turn you into some sort of fishy-person. If you survive. In Ghenisa, this is not a particularly good thing, considering that they are a country next to the sea. These sorts of details, though, make this story absolutely fascinating to read.

The characters are equally interesting. In Dr. Francis Avery’s case, he is an unreliable main character at best. He is absolutely not a hero and yet his heroic qualities make the story possible. Leanna, the person who is supposed to be able to save everybody, may look normal but she is really quite bizarre by the standards of everybody else. The villains have their own justifications. But what makes these characters so interesting to read is that the scale of events starts out small, focusing only on their own immediate lives and the series of situations in which they find themselves. Eventually, things grow to be so large and all-encompassing that it is almost impossible to think that these characters could find themselves in that particular situation. And yet, they are. And they do spectacularly well. I really enjoyed reading the diverse cast of characters and seeing their own particular quirks evolve as they developed along with the story.

My main critique for this book is that near the end, when the characters find themselves in a mountain kingdom far from the sea, things feel a little strange. This is likely due to the extreme culture differences that occur in the mountains as compared with the sea-side countries. It is so different that catching up with the differences takes a little extra focus from the story and so everything is almost suspended in time. I would put this down to the culture-shock between sea and mountain peoples. And, it is perhaps more strange in retrospect than in the actual reading. This is due to the fact that the prose just sort of carries you along in the story without extra thought. I would say that this strangeness does not really change my impression of the book. It is just present enough to note it. (And I imagine it will change in subsequent books as more cultures and places are experienced.)

In a nutshell—or rather, lobster shell—I would have to say that this book is a really fantastic read. The world of The Atomic Sea is completely unique, which is quite the feat considering it is familiar ground: a world war, with a naval fleet, whaling ships, and characters for whom things are not going particularly well. The familiar is taken to new heights, however, with the stunning world building, the addition of whales that are like Moby Dick gained access to weapons of mass destruction, and a story that is sure to keep you interested from start to finish. Basically, this book is an easy shoe-in for my best books of 2020 list, even considering the strangeness of the culture-shock in the mountain kingdom. If you are interested in steampunk, in fantasy and sci-fi, in complex stories that have adventure enough to keep you thrilled throughout, then this is a book to read.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Sea-One-Jack-Conner-ebook/dp/B00QH3SE0C

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Jacq of Spades by Patricia Loofbourrow: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

While fantasy, science fiction, and their subgenres are no stranger to mystery, it is a fairly rare occurrence to see them combined with noir. So when Patty Loofbourrow told me that her steampunk book, Jacq of Spades was also a noir, I was intrigued. Noir has its own special requirements, some of the most important of which include the fact that our hero is definitely not a hero. The protagonist is an outsider in the world in which they find themselves. And this world, make no mistake, is crumbling. Noir fiction focuses on the often fatalistic idea that the good guys rarely win. Things are darker than they appear and that darkness is ever encroaching. However, our protagonist is not necessarily fighting against this darkness, as many mystery-solvers—even the ones in the speculative fiction genres—are, but is merely trying to survive it.

This, I thought, would be very interesting. A lot of fantasy and science fiction is very much about the “good guy” standing up against the “bad guy” and trying to improve the world. Jacq of Spades, though, has all the elements that you would expect from a steampunk novel. Worldbuilding. Stunning technology. Characters and a society straight out of Victorian England. Make no mistake, though. It is noir through and through.

The world in which we find ourselves is Bridges, a domed city that is divided into four quadrants, each ruled by a crime family. Our main character is Jacqueline, the wife of the heir to the Spadros family. She was an outsider, raised in what equates to the slums, and groomed to be the perfect wife for the Spadros heir. Jacquie, though, is a bit of a rebel. She goes off to the dressmaker and, when no one is looking, solves mysteries. Usually small ones, until she is requested to investigate a missing child.

Things spiral quickly into darkness, with our main character—an anti-hero if ever I saw one, yet with all the sass of a femme fatale—drawn into scandal, secrets, and conspiracies.

This book is not at all what I expected. I haven’t read noir fiction in a long time, so I half believed that this would be overwhelmed by the mystery. It was not. Instead, we are drawn into a world that is creatively built. We discover the world through the thoughts of our narrator, the main character (incidentally, noir is often first-person, but that’s besides the point) and she does a wonderfully imperfect job of seeing things. We are tantalised with tidbits that are probably very important, but not really touched on more than once or twice. The prose is individual and flows well, making Jacqueline pop off the page. And the worldbuilding itself is exactly what I would expect of a steampunk novel, with one exception: the drawbacks of Victorian society are purposefully mentioned.

As far as the mystery goes, it is very interesting. This has the feeling of an epic fantasy, where the tiny details turn out to be incredibly important in a world-changing sort of way. However, in true mystery fashion, those threads are woven together to form a picture that our protagonist must solve. She doesn’t, necessarily, gather all the pieces to put everything together, but this is only book one.

As a steampunk book, this one is a great example. The technology is precisely what you would expect. Steampunk novels, technology aside, also tend to be a bit more romantic than your average science-fiction or fantasy novel. And by romantic, I do not mean romance, though that may be a factor. I mean the Romanticists, like Byron or Keats, who focus on the world around them (usually with nature, though in steampunk this is technology) and have a more singular devotion to the essential thoughts and pieces that make up humankind. It is a little nostalgic, though this is not a complete description. Jacq of Spades is nostalgic, but not for the Victorian era. It is nostalgic for the things lost in childhood, for innocence. This, combined with the technology, make a singular impression on noir fiction.

My main critique for this work is that the internal monologue was a bit difficult to understand at times, particularly when Mrs. Spadros jumped through time in her thoughts. However, this is part of what makes the story so intriguing; we don’t know everything and must piece the important pieces together. I would suggest a slightly tighter focus on verbs when referring to or jumping from a different time.

Overall, I would say that this story is incredibly well done. It takes a look at the darker side of life without necessarily crossing the line into dark fantasy/sci-fi. The combination of noir and steampunk is not one that I would have expected, but it works quite well to create a story that is in-depth and interesting. As a reader, I really enjoy learning about the world and the characters. As a writer, I greatly appreciate the deft combination of genres that, on the surface, would not fit together. This book is well written and I enjoyed the adventure. I look forwards to more books from this series (of which I understand there are many).

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jacq-Spades-Part-Red-Conspiracy-ebook/dp/B017X29XUU

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Sword of Ruyn by RG Long: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

There is something impossible to describe about the older epic fantasy novels, like Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, or The Sword of Shannara, or other books of the same era. Modern fantasy books can be equally epic in scale, but they read differently; not badly, just differently, much as older science fiction reads differently from modern science fiction. Ronald G. Long’s Sword of Ruyn reads like one of the older epic fantasy novels. And it is most definitely an epic fantasy.

The story begins with Ealrin, our main character, washing up on a beach with amnesia. He is in unfamiliar territory, and awakens to find himself being tended in a small coastal town by Holve, and adventurer who has a few tasks ahead of him and who is impressed by Ealrin. Ealrin goes with Holve and Roland, a fellow adventurer, to see about fighting against goblins and mercenaries who believe that the elves and dwarves who also rule the land should bow unequivocally to humankind. Much like any epic, the scope of this story starts small, focusing on Ealrin and the questions about his past, which is mysterious and possibly not as pleasant as he would like. The story then shifts and grows to become about so much more, as Ealrin and his companions experience new dangers and learn of the threats their lands are facing. An epic fantasy, adventurous, grand, and interesting beyond all doubt.

The story itself is very well written. The prose is fluid and moves seamlessly from one scene to the next. The dialogue is distinct for each character and still manages to portray their particular race and culture. The characters themselves are well developed and unique. I find myself really enjoying Ealrin and Holve, but Roland, their temporary companion, is by far my favorite. The characters, no matter the race, are realistic and interesting, displaying cultural attributes that make them distinct and yet part of their greater whole. Some of the characters could have perhaps been expounded upon a little bit more, but that is not really necessary. Most of them died anyways, as is often the case with epic fantasy, so I would have probably have grown more attached to the characters had they been developed deeper and then probably would have been more affected by their deaths.

As far as the plot goes, this book definitely has some of the favorite aspects of the fantasy novel. There is intrigue—in the form of Ealrin having no memory and the possibility of a questionable past—as well as adventure. Actually, the adventure is where a good portion of the supporting cast meets their terrible fate. It is hugely necessary, considering the stakes coming from two enemy attacking from flanking sides, but a little bit sad. The adventure is great, though, and moves the story along nicely. Not to mention it helps Ealrin develop from a basically blank slate to something far more useful and dangerous and important. The worldbuilding itself adds to the adventure, because there is more at stake than just humanity, there is the fate of an entire world of distinct and fascinating people and cultures and races.

My main critique for this story is that there are a few pieces that come up in the worldbuilding that are not particularly necessary to the story. For example, many of the aspects of the dwarven language, such as the purpose of their cities being denoted by certain terms, is not really necessary to the story and appears more like exposition than Ealrin actually experiencing a new world. There are a few places where such exposition occurs, and this could have been fixed by having Ealrin experience these things or think about these things, rather than the narrator/author telling us. It is important to build the world, in order to have the reader able to imagine a complete and detailed picture. This book definitely gives us that. The details, though, appear more as extraneous than otherwise simply because Ealrin is not necessarily learning about the world in the same manner as the readers. However, these aspects do not really detract from the story and they are quite interesting when looked at from the aspect of a bigger picture.

Overall, I would say that Sword of Ruyn is a good, interesting, entertaining book that explores the realm of epic fantasy in a way that is both modern and classic. It is the perfect book with which to curl up next to a fire with a hot beverage. And the ending— n fact all of the events leading up to the ending—is quite dramatic and brings up more extremely pressing questions that will have to be answered in book two. This book is one that I would recommend, for all those who love fantasy from its roots to its modern variations. I know I do.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sword-Ruyn-Legends-Gilia-Book-ebook/dp/B079QVQ3RR

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Soulship: First Orbit by Nathan Thompson: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

Cultivation genre is a sub-set of the speculative fiction umbrella that has only recently started gaining in traction. It arose in China, from the Xanxia tradition, which has many elements of the Qigong technique philosophy about energy. In general, cultivation genre focuses on peple who are cultivators of energy that helps them grow and become powerful, even immortal. Many of the cultivation genre books fall into the fantasy category, but not all. Nathan Thompson’s book Soulship: First Orbit is perhaps more sci-fi than fantasy, but it is still a fascinating read in a genre that I’d not before encountered.

Soulship: First Orbit follows young Jasper Cloud, an outcast in society. He is ostracised for the simple fact that his parents educated him in topics now forbidden in the Global Republish. Only his friend Nova is prepared to help him. Except, as it turns out, Nova isn’t all that she seems. Following instructions that filter into his head from a dead language, Jasper must help the soulship Vessa repair herself and reunite with her other-self, in order to save Nova. Along the way, Jasper learns how to manipulate the Source energy of the world around him: essence, mana, and qi. Jasper must venture to new places and learn new things if he is to help repair Vessa and save Nova. But there are things darkening the night sky and some are turning their attention in his direction.

At first blush, this book looks a lot like a dystopian novel. There is a powerful government that controls how its people speak, think, live. Jasper is one of the ostracised amongst them and, as a result, can see the government for what it truly is. Things change very quickly, though, once the appearance of the soulship occurs. This novel shifts from dystopian to something entirely different. It feels almost like a sci-fi adventure; not quite a hardboiled sci-fi, but something more than a space opera. There are definitely elements of fantasy, though, with the Source energies acting almost like magic. This whole book feels like a genre mash in the best way, because all the elements of some of my favourite genres are in one place, playing together to create something new.

The characters are quite interesting. Jasper, for all that he is on the outside of what remains of Earth society, is very much a well-behaved and very polite person possessed of such things as common decency and a sense of right and wrong. He is, most definitely a cynic, as experience has shown him the price of weakness. Vessa is the flesh-body manifestation of a ship meant to care for and help civilisations in the universe grow. She has been on her own for a long time, needing repairs and managing as best she can. This culminates in an interesting mix of independent will and the need for help. Some of Vessa’s reactions are a bit confusing, but that could just be the fact that she is part ship, something I haven’t any experience with. The other characters—specifically Nova and Lunei—are well described and quite interesting, but aren’t seen enough in the book to really have a set personality. My favourite of the characters, though, is Nestor the lifemouse. He is so cheerful, and learns quickly. At the end, I feel he might have developed a bit of sass, but I’m not quite sure (sequel time!). Definitely a great character, though, with loads of untapped potential.

The real work of art with this book, though, lies in its worldbuilding. On the surface, the world is a fairly simple collection of concepts. There are soulships that roam the universe, helping people. There are forces working against the soulships to gather Source energy and rule the universe. On Earth specifically, society has fallen into a dystopian dreamland—er, nightmare—and the old history has been all but forgotten. In the midst of everything, Source energy enables people to gather energy and grow, becoming more powerful and capable. A few different concepts that all work together to form a complete whole.

The execution of these concepts, though, is akin to seeing a master create a work of art with a single pencil. Picture-perfect and astonishing. The concepts that make up this world are well explained and flow together in a way that makes seemingly-incongrous pieces, like qi and dystopian societies, part of a larger picture. The questions Jasper asks as he tries to understand his new world are pertinent and bring up many other questions. As you read, the world takes shape much as that drawing takes shape. A masterful stroke of the pencil (er, keyboard) and suddenly things are clear and daring you to take a closer look.

Worldbuilding and characters aside, I do have one critique for this novel. The language, particularly in instances of dialogue, seems a bit too congruous. By that, I mean that the characters all generally speak with the same style and it makes it difficult to tell them apart. I can tell easily from dialogue tags who is speaking, but without those tags, the characters sound much alike, even if what they are saying is quite different. Except for Nestor. He’s about as distinct as a character can get.

On the whole, I found Soulship: First Orbit to be an intriguing read with many different avenues to explore. The worldbuilding was excellent and combined genres that aren’t normally seen together into one well-made whole. The characters were fun to read and I quite enjoyed watching Jasper grow throughout the novel. I think the concept for this book was really good and I’m eager to read more about cultivation genre. On to book two, I think.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/First-Orbit-Soulship-Book-1-ebook/dp/B07X7GWGMN

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Dark Yule by R.M. Callahan: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

Have you ever wondered about cats? Why they sleep for so many hours at a time? What it is they do at night? Why they stare at things that aren’t there? Sometimes it seems that just about everything cats do is a mystery—a possibly unsolvable one. Well, unless, that is, you start looking at cats through the lens of R.M. Callahan’s The Dark Yule. Then, everything makes perfect sense.

The Dark Yule follows the adventures of Pumpkin Spice, a Maine Coon cat who is just trying her best to make sure her human, Morwen, and her baby—er, Morwen’s baby—are not in danger from the various supernatural forces that roam Kingsport. These include things like night-gaunts, beings not quite in the material realm that are somewhat bat-like and dangerous to human children. Or ghouls, who roam graveyards and will happily chase cats from hither to yon if it means getting a decent meal in. For Spice, though, things take a turn for the worse when she discovers that things are not as they seem in Kingsport. She ventures to the dreamlands—the realm sof the immaterial and a gathering place for all cats—to gather help from other felines and their knowledge of their past lives, as well as all around Kingsport. They have only a very short amount of time to stop this mysterious Dark Yule, or things are going to be very bad for everyone involved, not just the cats.

It is not often that you see a fantasy story told from the perspective of an animal of any sort, though if you had to pick one a cat would be the one to pick. I think that the peculiarities of cats were captured perfectly. And the fantastical explanations and reasons for those peculiarities was clever and made perfect sense. I really liked how the world was described from the perspective of our four-legged feline friends. The culture and society of cats was well thought out and the character of Pumpkin Spice herself was charming to read. The worldbuilding from a fantasy perspective was also done really well in this book. I have rarely seen an urban fantasy that ventures outside the realm of elves, faeries, vampires, werewolves, even dragons, hiding in plain sight and being revealed slowly over time. This book also explores the fantastic, revealing more of the world over time, but the creatures feel more like an H.P. Lovecraft novel, more Chthulian, and definitely more apt to the interaction of cats.

As far as the actual characters themselves, there are a few to watch out for. Spice, being the main character, naturally has more moxy and gets into more trouble than her other feline friends. This makes her rather unusual for a cat—cats are more likely to discover what the trouble is before running away, instead of running into trouble. Her friends, Dot, Libby, and Cinnamon, note this and chide her for it. Before following Spice right into the midst of the trouble. I think the characters are very well thought out. Each personality is unique and fun to read, especially considering the fact that the breed of cat shows through their personalities. Spiece as a Maine Coon is big enough to take on just about anything. Libby, the Devon Rex, is a bit more cautious and apt to flee. Dot, a mix of who-knows-what, is saucy and capable. And Cinnamon, a Savannah cat, is a bit unusual but willing to help. The thought that went into these characters shows through into a stunning collection of characters that are great fun to read.

My only critique for this book is that the end seemed a little confusing. Yes, the cats weren’t quite certain of all the details that were happening—as they were dealing with humans and magic—but there were a few details that slipped through the cracks. I think this has to do with pacing a little more than it does actually leaving things out. Naturally, events are moving faster at the climax of the novel and the details tend to get muddied when moving quickly. However, there was enough clarity to ensure that the reader knew what had happened during the really important bits. And the less important bits were explained in the following book. (Which was also really fantastic, by the way. Actually, all three of the books were great, and I am now eagerly awaiting book four.)

Apart from the pacing at the end, I think this book is a shining example of taking the ordinary—though suffer telling a cat they are ordinary at your own peril—and making it into something extraordinary and perfectly reasonable. R.M. Callahan manages to paint a picture of cats and magic that had me looking at my own cat in a new, slightly-scary, light.

The Dark Yule is a very good read for anyone interested in a Chthulian urban fantasy adventure in which the heroes of the day are the feline creatures doing their very best to wake us up at two in the morning. The characters are well-developed and fun to read and the story is a great progression from slightly-worrying to downright-dangerous. I would highly recommend this book to fans of the genre (and those outside the genre). This book, and its follow-ons, have made my list of best books read for 2019. Now, on to book four!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Yule-Pumpkin-Spice-Tales-ebook/dp/B07JGBVFG5

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Wolf We Feed by P.A. Sheppard: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

The story goes that there are two wolves living inside us. One is good, encouraging us to do honourable things and work for a better future. The other is bad, encouraging us to work for the selfish urges and our own future. The wolf that wins is the wolf you feed. Under dire circumstances, which wolf would you feed? That is the question examined by P.A. Sheppard in his book The Wolf We Feed.

This book is a mix of historical fantasy and fantasy adventure. It follows two twins, Drake and Tirith as they take different paths in life. They have both been raised in relative isolation by their grandfather, a man as mysterious as the worlds that surround them. They have learned how to fight and how to survive, emboldened by the promise that they will meet their father when they are ready. Drake and Tirith, though, go different directions. Drake leaves to the city to go and find his own path. There, he meets people connected to his path and fights for power and influence in a world of danger. Tirith goes to find her people in the mountains, learning about the secrets in her family’s past and also her role in the future. When Drake and Tirith meet again, though, things are not going to be as they were.

In some ways, this story followed many of the tropes for this genre. It was a coming-of-age novel that dealt with fantasy adventure and historical fantasy. Therefore, you expect certain things. However, this story was much deeper than your typical novel of the same sort of genre. There were ideas explored that did not quite seem to fit the normal tropes. The details that made up these characters’ lives were really well described and made the story pop. I think that these details and the amount of work put into making the story hinge on those details was what made it stand apart from other similar books. Yes, the tropes were present. Yes, you could determine what was likely to occur based on those tropes. The story moved beyond those ideas, though, and changed them into something unique.

The characters were quite nice to read. Drake and Tirith, being the main characters, were fleshed out to very thorough levels. They seemed to be almost real in their depth and I was engrossed every time I read about them. (Tirith is my favourite, simply because she’s snarky and still manages to get things done. Gotta love that.) The secondary characters, such as Bolverk, Udvir, and Tam, were also very interesting characters and definitely central to the plot, but I think they were not nearly as rounded or dynamic as Tirith and Drake. This makes sense, as the journey detailed in the book belongs to the twins, but I would have liked to see a little more depth to these characters. Mostly, though, I would like Bolverk to be a little less… confusing. He, naturally, had many secrets. The problem wasn’t the fact that he had secrets, it was the fact that he seemed to waffle between doing bad things because he was helping people and doing bad things because he was “helping” people. It’s a fine distinction, but that did cause enough problems in trying to determine Bolverk’s character that I think it mattered.

My only real critique, though, were that a few of the characters seemed to fit into stereotypical roles and fulfilled those roles simply because they were placed there by the author. This was mostly apparent in the character Beth, who was meant to be the villain. I understood that she was villainous, that descriptions of her actions had portrayed her as a villain, but I never really got the sense that she was a villain. She just seemed to be entitled. It felt a little too “moustache twirly” for my tastes. However, the impressive characterisation of Tirith and Drake really countered that and I think overall, the characters were quite well done.

As far as story goes, I really enjoyed the adventure. I think it was well paced and ended in such a way that had me interested in the next arc without absolutely demanding my attention by means of an impossibly annoying cliffhanger. Not that this story didn’t have a cliffhanger, just that it was freely open to interpretation and made the transition for book two smooth. (Not that impossibly annoying cliffhangers are bad, either, just… impossibly annoying.)

The Wolf We Feed is a good fantasy adventure with entertaining characters, a decent amount of action and trouble, and a couple of explosions that really made things quite interesting. I would say that this book stands above many of the others in its genre and that I would recommend it to potential readers. It was great fun to read and I really did enjoy it. Ready for book two!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-We-Feed-P-Sheppard-ebook/dp/B07WDDNJL7

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Silent Pantheon by Eric Nierstedt: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

Terry Pratchett and Niel Gaiman have undoubtedly changed the way people look at fantasy novels. They have added the element of the irreverent and the humorous while still very much taking the genre seriously. (Most of the time.) As such, they have inspired a whole slew of writers to look at the world in a different way. The result? You get books like Eric Nierstedt’s Silent Pantheon, one of the best books I read this year.

In a similar vein to Niel Gaiman’s American Gods, Eric Nierstedt’s book Silent Pantheon follows five deities of somewhat-forgotten religions and mythologies who have ended up in New York City, doing their jobs to the best of their ability in the modern world. There is Balder, the Norse god of Light, Beauty and Resurrection—who also happens to have some serious inability to get hurt and an aversion to mistletoe—who works as an EMT. Coyote, the Navajo trickster god of chaos and the rains, is a public defender. Anubis, the Ancient Egyptian god of embalming and the dead is working at a funeral home as a mortician. Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and honourable war, is a philosophy teacher at a university. And Kali, the Hindu destroying mother, who is a child counsellor. Each of these gods has been “deposed” by Yahweh, excepting Kali’s case where she split herself from the part that watches the universe, due to the historical spread of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. However, these five gods were offered deals to keep working at their jobs, only without recognition. Once a month, they meet up and gripe to one another about this new life. After that, they report to the angel Joshua about following the rules. Life, it seems, is fairly normal. Until it isn’t.

Now, these five must face off with the end of the world and save humanity. Or we’re all snookered.

This book does really well in describing the mythology and ideology surrounding these deities without turning into a pedantic history lesson. The original characteristics of these gods is woven through their interactions with others and their daily lives pretending to be mortals amongst us mundanes. I really managed to get a sense of the original ideas of these gods and it was great to learn. I’m familiar with all of them in some form or another, except Kali-Ma, but it was really great to get reacquainted with them in the context of the modern world. They are well researched and integrated into our society flawlessly.

I also quite liked the way that this book dealt with the concept of Yahweh. Technically speaking, Yahweh was meant to be the “bad guy”. But, again, Nierstedt managed to integrate the historical reality and the ideology within the religion in such a way that it felt like the enormously complex issue that it was. Nierstedt did not go on a rant about how bad Yahweh is, or how good. It just was. In this day and age of polarisation, it was really nice to see a well-researched and well-thought out middle ground that was more than just a minor part of the story. Integrating this with the other “forgotten” deities was very well done and enjoyable to read throughout the entire piece.

Now, let’s get into the ending. I can’t say much, because that requires huge amounts of spoilers. I can say that the world doesn’t end—it never does in these stories—and that they way in which the world did not end was a great surprise. I really liked how everything that had happened to that point was woven together and important. There were surprises that I did not expect at all but which were executed in such a way that fit with the story. I did want to strangle Jane (one of the secondary characters) a bit, but I suppose it turned out alright. The epilogue—golly, I hope there’s a sequel because that epilogue had me sitting straight up, nearly shouting. Seriously?! Anyways, the epilogue was really good, too.

My main critique for the book is that there were a few minor line edit issues that popped up now and again. I think they could easily be fixed with a very close read through and they were minor enough that I wouldn’t even bother with most of it. However, they did knock me out of the story on occasion, which was a shame because the rest of the book was so good. On the whole, though, I think those issues were really minor.

Silent Pantheon is one of those books that you can go back to again and again and find new things to appreciate and enjoy. It is very much in the vein of Terry Pratchett and Niel Gaiman, though perhaps not quite as irreverent as Good Omens. Still, it is huge amounts of fun, trouble, and research all thrown together in a pot and served up hot. I would highly recommend this book. It definitely made the list of best books that I have read in 2019. Then again, any modern book that deals with Coyote as a featured character is going to be fun.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/SILENT-PANTHEON-Eric-Nierstedt-ebook/dp/B07VRFJ119

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Shattering Dreams by Catherine Walker: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

Many fantasy books deal with the Otherworld in various different forms. It comes in a myriad of names—Avalon, Faerie, the ether—and forms, but one thing that is fairly always clear is that the rules there are different and things are not what they seem. Catherine Walker’s Shattering Dreams, book one of the Being Of Dreams series, captures that mystery in a unique manner, pulling readers into the deeps with relatable characters and a story that is much more than it seems.

The story follows three different characters: Alex, the fourth son of a king; Kyle, his loyal and extremely dangerous best friend; and Jess, the deceptively tame lady and hunter. All three of these characters are possessed of an ability known to their world as “the Taint”. This ability allows them to travel through the veil, a world of shadows and in-between places. The problem is that people who have this “Taint” often go mad in extraordinarily violent ways, making them into beings called the Sundered. Not everyone who has the Taint goes mad—or so Alex, Kyle and Jess have been told—but the veil is still a dangerous place to explore. Shattering Dreams follows these three as they come to terms with their responsibilities—to themselves and to the realm—and their abilities.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure whether or not I would like these characters. For the beginning of the book, they seemed to be intent on debauchery and that was about it. They managed to win me over, though, because their trouble-causing turned into so much more than that. There were things happening behind the scenes which were quite intriguing and dangerous. The characters developed many different facets that made them sympathetic and dynamic. They were presented with a mystery, as well as problems from a mystical perspective, and naturally things started to go wrong. This was the point where I really started to like the characters. Jess is my favourite of the three main characters for the simple fact that she takes no nonsense and could probably kill you with a glare. (As well as several dangerous weapons.)

Catherine Walker managed to take the trope of royals/nobles in fantasy and turn it into something entirely different. In many fantasy novels, you see the royal family and are focused on the Crown Prince or Princess. They are important and know it, no matter if they’re also the chosen one or encounter various difficulties on their way to the throne. Alex, though, was not the Crown Prince and managed to move past the stereotypes that one expects of these sorts of fantasy novels. In fact, all of the characters feel more real and down-to-earth than one often sees in stories revolving around nobility. It is testimony to Catherine Walker’s writing and story that I actually like these characters as much as I do, because often the nobility/royalty story-line is one I find a bit annoying. This story and these characters were not at all annoying.

Of course, one cannot simply have a mysterious veil to explore, nor can we just expect the usual responsibilities to the realm for our characters. No, things have to go spectacularly wrong. And this story definitely does that. Kyle in particular seems to bear the brunt of the problems and, my goodness, what problems they are. (Sorry, Alex, I know you’re meant to be the “main” main character, but honestly, Kyle wins that one.) These problems were less to do with the ability to kill someone and more to do with interpersonal communication. This was a lovely break from the norm and I admit I enjoyed it rather more than I probably should. (I’m a writer. I enjoy watching other writers torment their characters.)

The writing itself flowed very well. The story moved along at a very good pace, pulling me with the story in a way that had me working out the problems with the characters instead of being one step ahead or behind. I wasn’t lost at any point. Excepting, of course, the points where the author wanted me to wonder what was going on. (Note: these questions don’t get answered in book one. I still don’t know what’s going on for some of these things.) I did not feel rushed or bored and that was a welcome relief. However, there were a few parts where some of the information was repeated. It was done to make a point and to be certain that things were explained, but this wasn’t really necessary. It wasn’t a big enough part of the story to be something I would grumble about, but it was there. (I have it from the author that this is fixed in book two, because editors were changed.)

On the whole, I would say that this book was a really interesting one that I liked quite a lot. The characters were fun and had distinct, entertaining personalities. They were engaged in some serious mystries that I enjoyed a lot. The story was well-written and explored past and present in a way that made the veil all that much more intriguing. I would say that this book is a great fantasy adventure that pushes beyond the tropes of a magical adventure and gives you plenty to think about.

Oh, and naturally, the ending had me desperate for book two. At this point, I would expect no less from Catherine Walker.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Shattering-Dreams-Being-Book-ebook/dp/B07CK1F91N/

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Outpost by F.T. McKinstry: a Review by E.G. Stone

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Fantasy Focus

Have you ever read a book where the characters seemed to jump off of the page? Where you get weirdly invested in their journey and exclaim out loud (much to the annoyance of the cat) when they finally do what you’ve been waiting for the entire book? Yeah… That book for me was Outpost by F.T. McKinstry, book one of the Fylking series. And let me tell you, those poor characters are in for quite a ride.

This book falls (I think, but I’m really bad at genre identification) into the epic fantasy category, with drawn-out quests, interdimensional beings and huge amounts of possibly world-ending problems. The Fylking are a group of highly-powerful beings from another dimension and world. They gathered a group of Wardens, the only ones who could see them, to protect their gateway—a weapon to be used in a war against a terrible enemy who also happens to be, you know, highly-powerful beings from another dimension and world. Because normal people aren’t tiny enough beings as it is.

Those poor, unfortunate normal beings upon which this book focuses are Othin, a ranger and lawkeeper who travels around a set territory to preserve the law set down by the rulers in a distant city; Melisande, Othin’s lover who lives in one of the northern villages on his route, is a knitter with strange abilities; and Arcmael, a warden with guardian Fylking meant to help and protect him in his duties. These characters’ lives intertwine in many different ways and yet they never seem to actually cross paths until things are going very, very badly. Othin and Melisande’s relationship was one of my favourite parts of this novel, because they manage to be something much more than a romantic sub-plot and, as it turns out, their relationship is really quite important. Arcmael did manage to frustrate me at the beginning quite a bit. He wasn’t annoying, per se, but he did do some really stupid things for rather silly reasons which had me grumbling. He managed to win me over in the end, so all’s well I suppose. These characters’ interaction-by-lack-of-interaction was a fascinating detail that made the book all the more interesting to me. How does one create a relationship between characters when they are so very far apart? The way that this is managed is really quite well done and I like it. A lot.

The writing itself has many details that are described in such a way as to make this world feel quite real. The idea of Norse and Scandinavian deities, for one, adds a level of reality to the mystery of the Fylking. The details of Melisande’s knitting, the daily troubles of Othin’s work, and even Arcmael’s… well, everything, really. His conversations, his convictions, his mental state, all described very well. Take note of the details, dear reader. They are, actually, quite important. I won’t tell you which ones, though, because that ruins the fun.

After the richness of the details and the torture that is the characters’ reality, we come to the end. Spoilers, Othin and Melisande actually manage to interact with one another. Arcmael turns out to have a very important role to play. But then… aaaaaggghhhhh. It’s all quite dramatic, I assure you. The author has a very good purpose in doing things the way that she has, but my goodness. Okay, okay, I know. Book one is always going to end in a flurry of drama and excitement. But really! You could give a reader a break! (Actually, the ending is really well done and as a writer I wish I could have done something quite so, well, stunning.)

Honestly, I don’t really have much in the way of critique here. The Fylking were perhaps my least favourite part of the novel simply because their crypticness could have easily caused more problems than otherwise. I think that was rather the point, though. The characters were well done, they had lovely developmental arcs, the worldbuilding was thorough and pulled me in right from the beginning. Yes, the plot and characters did drive me a bit crazy at points. Yes, the ending was a cliffhanger that had me startling the cat. But those things are what make a lovely book. I suppose my main issue with the book is that there are so many questions left unanswered. But that is what book two is for, no?

On the whole, Outpost is a really good read that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in epic fantasy with characters that just about jump out of the book. On to book two!

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Outpost-Fylking-Book-F-T-McKinstry-ebook/dp/B0138V5YE4

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A Storyteller within His Story with Author William David Ellis

Posted on February 14, 2020 by Jamie Davis

This is the Books and Authors Fantasy Podcast Episode 88 with William David Ellis.

Good day and welcome to this episode of the Books and Authors Fantasy Podcast. I’m your host, podcaster and author of Fun Fantasy Reads, Jamie Davis. This podcast is exactly what the title says it is, a show focused on everything in fantasy books.

This show will cover everything to do with fantasy books. From Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sword and Sorcery, and everything in between, expect to find the best and brightest authors from all the various corners of the fantasy book world. Plus we’ll add in a few other very special guests as well along the way.

To start off things this week, I’ll begin with my author update. I’m still hard at work on book 8 in the Extreme Medical Services series. It’s tentatively titled The Paramedic’s Amazon. I hope to wrap up the first draft next week. I can’t wait to share it with my readers. It’s exciting to jump into this series again after more than a year. I hope you all will enjoy it, too.

I’m also prepping things to get ready for the release of Huntress Cadet, book 3 in the Huntress Clan Saga on February 25. That’s a little over a week away. Follow my reader group on Facebook or sign up for my newsletter at my website and you’ll get a sneak peek at the new cover design before anyone else. If you haven’t already started this awesome series, you can check it out with Huntress Initiate, the first book in the Huntress Clan Saga.

Huntress Initiate book cover

You can check out more information on what I’m up to, including sneak peeks of upcoming covers, special giveaways, and more, by visiting my fan group on Facebook, Jamie’s Fun Fantasy Readers and over at my website and blog, JamieDavisBooks.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

On today’s show I interview William David Ellis. David is a storyteller, and an award winning author. Other than that, he is the son of an English teacher, the husband of an English teacher, and the father of an English teacher. In spite of them, he occasionally punctuates. He has written Christian fantasy novels, and short stories. He writes in East Texas dialect ( which covers a multitude of grammatical short comings!)

We talk a lot about his short stories, articles in local papers, and his book The Harry Ferguson Chronicles The Princess Who Forgot She Was Beautiful. Check out my interview with him now.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Posted in Books & Authors Fantasy Podcast | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment