The Bookwyrm's Review of Blackwing by Stephen Drake

 

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Rating: 9/10 Stars

Synopsis

Socrates Blackwing - wizard, warrior, bounty hunter - has fallen into disfavor with his grandfather, The General.

It's the year 2070, and Socrates is stationed in Tacoma, PC-Washington. His mission is to investigate the people living in this Plane of Reality, and locate the ne'er-do-wells from his own Known Seven Planes that may have crossed over to wreak havoc.

But is his magic stronger than the technology of 2070, and what will he do when confronted with one of his own kind?

Review

This is one of those books that was on my shelf for a bit, and I saw it sitting there and something just told me this was my next read. It's a good thing, too, because this was one of those stories that mixed genres to great effect, creating something greater than it's parts.

The world building is an interesting mixing of different genres. Using the premise of multiple dimensions, the Earth of 2070 is seen as a primitive, off-limits place in comparison to the other dimensions, which are a variety of magical and tech worlds. The Earth dimension, known as the 8th dimension, seems to be a balkanized dystopia, where the haves and have-nots live in stark contrast to one another, movement is restricted, and corruption is endemic. It's kind of funny seeing a future America, with all it's tech, seen as primitive compared to dimensions that use magic and its associated technology. The other seven dimensions are a bit shocked when they find out we do have a weapon they weren't familiar with: Nuclear. This discovery creates a huge plot point in the story, and affects so many decisions made from that point on. It's very interesting where the story goes from here.

The characters are such an interesting bunch. Socrates Blackwing is such a bundle of contradictions. He can be cold and distant, merciless to criminals, and yet he can be rebellious and push the boundaries of what are considered the mores of his society. A scarred man in a society that prizes beauty, he wears his battle scars as a badge of honor, knowing it means he will never have a dryad consort to run his house and be his companion. Speaking of which, his race, which you'd think of as Tolkien elves, have reproductive habits that make Vulcans seem like party mad libertines. Their potential consorts are not of the sexual kind, more like partners in a business, although they can grow to care for each other. It's just an interesting difference between humans and his people. 

The secondary characters are and interesting bunch. Suzanne, who is the first human Socrates interacts with, is an excellent foil for Socrates and his reserved coldness. She is a fierce, independent person in a world that no longer values those traits. She helps Blackwing even when it wasn't necessarily in her best interest to do so, and as her arc continues, she pays a heavy price for her support. The other supporting characters are well thought out, and really help round out Socrates circle of supporters, as well as getting some of their own character development, including a really well done romantic element that adds greatly to the conclusion of this part of the story arc. 

The antagonists are a real strength of this story. Ranging from creatures illegally crossing into this dimension, crooked politicians to powerful sorcerers, they all present a real danger to Socrates and his companions. The main villain, the mind behind the whole thing, even has a tie to Socrates he could never had seen coming, and the revelation of who it is has dire consequences for not only the group, but for the world in general.

Overall, this story mixes its story elements well, creating an interesting bit of world building with some excellent action sequences. The characters all have well written arcs, and those arcs are tied in very well to the conspiracy arc in the story. I can see this book appealing to fans of traditional fantasy, inter-dimensional sci-fi, as well as urban fantasy fans. In fact, if you're looking for a good story, regardless of genre, I recommend checking this story out, you won't regret it.