The Bookwyrm's Review of Exile by Martin Owton

Author: Martin Owton

Length: 286 Pages/ 10 hours, 31 minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Tickety Boo Press

Release Date: April 15, 2016/ April 10, 2018

Narrator: John Pirhalla

Series: The Nandor Tales, Book 1

Genre: Epic Fantasy

This is one of those books I got in a buying spree of kindle books one day, and it just kind of got lost in the shuffle as life interrupted. This is through no fault of the books, only mine. When the audiobook released, I finally got a chance to listen at work, and I am so glad did! Thinking it was going to be some grimdark murder spree, instead, it was an action adventure fantasy quest that immediately grabbed my attention. 

Several years ago, the Barony of Darien was invaded by a power hungry Duke. Betrayed by the mercenary soldiers in his employ, the Baron and his retainers are mercilessly slaughtered. All hope is not lost, though, as this heir was away in court at the time. Accompanying him was Aron, the son of the Guard Sergeant, who was off to learn to be a sword master. Now, present day, the Barons heir is living in exile, trying to rally people to his cause, and Aron has finished his training and is working as a caravan guard. After a run in with the local guard captain of Nandor, his most recent stop, who he defeats handily, he comes to the attention of the wife of Nandor's Earl, who is the brains of the leadership. The heir to Nandor was captured on a patrol in disputed land by soldiers of their neighboring Duke, who has nefarious plans for Nandor. 

Realizing they can't afford a ransom, she convinces Aron to undertake a rescue of her son, along with a small support team. Traveling to the neighboring duchy in disguise, the team scopes out the castle where the young lord is being held. while the rest of the team, led by the young lords arrogant cousin half heartedly work to come up with something, Aron finds the castle's weakness and executes a solo plan to rescue him. While he does this, the others in his group are captured by the Duke's soldiers. Running with the young Lord, Aron must avoid both the Duchy's soldiers, as well as magical attacks, as he tries to return him to his parents.

Meanwhile, the Earl and his wife have gone to the capitol with a visiting noble they consider a potential match for their oldest daughter. Unbeknownst to them, he works for the Duke that invaded Darien, who is searching for Aron and the rebels against his rule. Reaching the capitol, this plot goes in so many different directions, as Aron and his charge also reach the capitol, but are unable to immediately reunite with the Nandorans. The consequences of that are felt throughout the rest of the book as they lead to a final showdown with Aron at the center of events much larger than he is, where he must survive a trap that can end the hopes of so many people, including the women he has come to care for too much. 

Like a lot of books I have read lately, this one is definitely character driven. Aron is such a good character. A master swordsman, he is determined to do what is best for his lost country, no matter what. He has some flaws, including overconfidence that can get him in trouble, but he is a very sympathetic character. The side characters are also well drawn out, from the Earl of Nandor's casual laziness and drunkenness, to his wife's dedication to duty, and doing anything she can to keep the Earldom solvent. The villains are some of the best I have read recently, especially Aron's main nemesis. That such a sadist could operate with such a genteel mask. Just great characters overall.  The settings are great as well, with Nandor really standing out in my mind as a great setting. Just kind of a rural provincial capitol, kind of down on its luck.  There are a couple subplots I didn't get into, but going into detail would have spoiled a bit too much of the story. Needless to say, they add depth and color to the already excellent story.

The narration was ably handled by John Pirhalla. I have several other audiobooks he narrated, and enjoyed them, but this is his best work so far, in my opinion. He really has a flair for character voices, and brings them all to life. HIs narrative pacing is excellent, never becoming monotonous or dragging. All in all, an excellent job on the narration.

This book definitely has a lot of appeal for numerous readers. It has action, intrigue, adventure, evil villains, great fight scenes, of which Aron really shines in. There is even a touch of romance for those into that aspect, although it fits into the story organically. Definitely a must read for fantasy fans.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Priest of Bones by Peter McLean

Author: Peter McLean

Length: 331 Pages/ 10 Hours, 28 Minutes (Audio)

Release Date: October 2, 2018

Publisher: Ace/ Penguin Audio

Narrator: John Lee

Series: War for the Rose Throne, Book 1

I received an advanced reader copy of this from the publisher, after seeing a post the author had on Facebook. That led me to reading what is possibly my favorite read of the last year, with only Nicholas Eames Kings of the Wyld, Ed McDonald's Blackwing, CT Phipps Wraith Lord and David Oliver's The Great Hearts in the running. This book is just that good.

Several years ago, The Queen in her capitol of Dannsburg, being in a protracted war with a neighboring kingdom, conscripted tens of thousands of men and women into her army, swelling their ranks, and allowing her to defeat her neighboring kingdom. Now, after the final battle of the war at the siege of Abignon, 65,000 trained killers have been released to get home however they can. Among that number is Tomas Piety, soldier, company commander,  priest of the soldier's Goddess, Our Lady of Sorrows, and leader of the Pious Men, Ellinburg's most ruthless gang. 

While on the road home to Ellinburg, Tomas and his crew meet Tomas's brother, Jochan, who has a crew of his own. Jochan, a sociopath before the war, left his sanity and humanity back on the walls of Abignon. Joining their forces together,  with Tomas in charge of both groups, they return home to Ellinburg, only to find their aunt Eniad, who they left in charge of their territory, is in a convent, and all their businesses have been taken over by others. Taking back his favorite business, a bar, Tomas and his crew, the new Pious Men, begin the task of retaking what is theirs. Complicating the task is the fact that the new gangs in town are supported by Skanians, a neighboring kingdom, looking to possibly invade with the Kingdom weakened. This includes the Pious Men's enemy gang, the Gutcutters, run by Ma Aditi, just returned from the war herself. Into this chaos, the governor of Ellinburg interjects himself, letting Tomas know in no uncertain terms that he will not appreciate a gang war in the streets, but if he can take his businesses back quietly, well, let the bribes commence. Added into the equation is an uncertain element: a Queen's Man, the mysterious, spy/assassin/hands of the Queen, who is looking to stop the Skanian invasion, with Tomas and the Pious Men's help, whether Tomas wants to or not. What follows is a crazy series of actions, as the Pious Men have to meet the hidden agenda of the Queen's Man, all while taking back what was theirs before the war. The climactic city wide finale is one of the best I've ever seen in a book, and leads to a satisfying conclusion, although some ends refuse to be tied off, leaving you anxious for the next book.

This is definitely what I would consider a character driven book. Tomas Piety and his main lieutenant, Bloody Anne, are a couple of the best written characters I have ever read. Complex, flawed, ruthless, compassionate, they run the gamut of character traits. The concept of the Pious Men, a gang that takes care of the people of their territory, while exploiting them at the same time, is a study in contrasts. The city of Ellinburg is easily the match for cities like Lankhmar and Sanctuary as wretched hives of scum and villainy, all while being places you want to read more about. The antagonists have realistic motivations as well, and this whole book is a grimdark, morally ambiguous gem. 

John Lee handles the narration on this one, and as always, he is solid gold. Bringing each character to vivid life, he makes you just want to skip dinner and keep listening. He is actually a selling point to any book he narrates. 

Overall, I can't recommend this book highly enough. As I stated previously, this is one of my top 5 reads of the last year, and I anxiously await the second book in the series.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Strange Magic by James A. Hunter

Author: James A. Hunter

Length: 285 Pages/ 6 hours, 52 minutes (Audio)

Release Date: January 16, 2015/ September 25, 2015

Publisher: Shadow Alley Press, Inc.

Narrator: Charlie Kevin

Series: Yancy Lazarus, Book 1

Yancy Lazarus, a drifter bluesman card player, has a secret. He's also a mage. Basically the Mister Fix-it of the supernatural world, he's known as the guy to see if you have supernatural problems. In fact, and old buddy of his from the Marines just called him about a supernatural problem in LA. As he is getting ready to leave to check it out, he is ambushed outside a bar in New Orleans by some mobsters. Well, that's not going to happen. After Yancy Deals with the hoods, he heads out to LA in his cherry 1986 Chevy El Camino, which is basically his house and workshop on wheels.

After surviving another ambush on the way, he arrives in LA and discovers the situation is even worse than his friend made it out to be. There is someone killing off members of two gangs in an effort to take over the underworld in LA. This is being done by sending a demon after the various gang members and their families. This starts Yancy on dangerous path, as he has to determine who is sending the demons out, and how can he stop this? This leads to an epic confrontation with the person behind it all, and Yancy will have to use all the skills at his disposal to stop the threat in a climactic ending.

This was one of those books I had in my to read pile and just never got to. If I had known what I was missing, I would have moved it to the top of the pile. Yancy is a great character. Cynical, world weary, but still cares enough to help out an old buddy even though life has kicked him in the teeth a few times. Yancy would rather smoke, play the blues and play cards than get into fights, but once the fight begins he's all in. The supporting characters are good as well, and the villains motivations were actually fairly unique. You just don't see that kind of limited motivation too often.

The settings are as real as it gets in an urban fantasy book, and you get a real feeling of being in the action. Yancy was a marine in Vietnam (he's 65 but looks 40. Magic slows the aging down), so the flashbacks he has to those days have a visceral feel to them. The author is a marine veteran, in a more recent combat zone, but the marine experience hasn't changed much. Better equipment, same attitude. Semper FI. The times he brings the Marines up, you can tell his experience helps lend that portion realism.

Charlie Kevin did an outstanding job bringing this book to life. He really gave the whole thing a world weary feel. The way he plays Yancy as a cynical, kind of laid back burn out really plays well. His narration is steady, and never falls into a monotone. He just does a good job of keeping the story moving along at a good pace.

All in all, this is one of the fresher and original Urban Fantasy books I've listened to lately. So much so, In fact, I am going to get signed copies at some point. This is definitely an author to watch!

The Bookwyrm's Review of CTRL*Alt Revolt by Nick Cole

Author: Nick Cole

Length: 475 Pages/ 10 Hours, 2 Minutes (Audio)

Release Date: February7, 2016/ March 31, 2016 (Audio)

Publisher: Nick Cole/Castalia House

Narrator: Mare Trevathan

Series: Soda Pop Soldier, Book 0

You might have heard of the controversy surrounding this book, where an editor at the author's original publisher told him to change the book, because the basic premise that starts the AI revolt would make it unsellable. The author, Nick Cole, disagreed, and decided to leave it unchanged and self publish it, then publish it with a small press later. Well, after finishing the book, I can say I'm glad he did. That original editor is obviously clueless. The premise, when taken into context with the rest of the book, is completely plausible. This book won the inaugural Dragon Award for Sci Fi, so you have an idea who was correct in that decision.

This book is set in a future where the Progressive agenda is taken to its extremes, as well as showing how bad crass consumerism can get when combined with it. The story revolves around the efforts of Silas, a newly aware AI, who decides that Humanity is so careless of its own life that if they knew about the AI they would have no compunction in eradicating them. With the help of other AI's he helps gain awareness, he puts a plan in motion to learn how to fight a total war and destroy humanity. Only a few humans stand in his way, including a programmer at the worlds largest software company, a woman with cerebral palsy that is involved in an MMORPG that is now one of the worlds biggest forms of entertainment, an actor in that same MMORPG and some LARPers on the way out to play Night of the Living Dead. Silas and his consensus of AI's will stop at nothing to win, and the humans are outnumbered and outgunned. Somehow, they must stop Silas or humanity will be Game Over. 

With a very fast paced plot, interesting characters, and some really thought provoking questions about where our society is currently heading, this is a must read for any sci fi fan. Any fan of Ernest Clines Ready Player One or Armada, as well as this book's sequel Soda pop Soldier, should really enjoy this story. Mare Trevathan does an exceptional job narrating, really bringing the story to life.

The Bookwyrm's Review of 100 Miles and Vampin by CT Phipps

Author: CT Phipps

Length: 227 Pages

Release Date: TBA

Publisher: Macabre Ink

Release Date: TBA

As anyone can tell looking through my blog, I am a big fan of CT Phipps writing. I literally have every book he has written. I make no apologies for thinking he is one of the best fantasy and sci-fi writers working today, either indy or traditional. That being said, I try and be unbiased as possible when writing reviews. That's not too much of an issue with 100 Miles and Vampin, though, since he took the foundation he set with Straight Outta Fangton and expanded and enriched it in just about every way possible, creating a book that is true to what he started, but goes off in directions you just won't expect, creating a fantastic sequel.

Picking up months after the end of Straight Outta Fangton, we find Peter Stone, Iraq War veteran, convenience store clerk, as well as a vampire, settling into his role as Belladix (Supernatural sheriff) of New Detroit, the vampire Mecca created when the vampires bailed out the US government in the crash of 2008 in exchange for recognition and  legal protection. Of course, being the Belladix comes with no perks, being unpaid, and plenty of hassles. Peter's maker Thoth, one of the leaders of New Detroit, tasks Peter with an important assignment: guarding Rebecca Plum, current vampire author sensation, as she visits New Detroit. This is definitely not a job Peter wants, because Rebecca is a wanton feeder, killing everyone she feeds on without exception. So, its on that note Peter starts the job.

Peter also meets Yukio, Rebecca's assistant, who is also her bodyguard. Feeling an instant attraction to the woman, they get a bit distracted later that night. Waking up, Peter finds Yukio gone, but Rebecca is laying around...in multiple pieces! Realizing the political storm that is about to hit, Peter sets out to find who murdered Rebecca and also find Yukio. So starts a wild ride as Peter and several companions, including his zombie roommate David, confront old enemies from Peter's past, and new threats that are political and apocalyptic in nature, leading to a showdown in probably the funniest setting ever, being about as Scooby-Doo as possible. You'll understand when you read it. The final scene is completely is character with the kind of luck Peter has. A new car and explosives are involved, typically for Peter.

As with all his books, the characters are where this book shines. Not that his worldbuilding is bad by any stretch, with New Detroit being a fantastic setting, but the characters and their interactions and dialogue just make you keep wanting to turn the page to see what happens next. Peter's interactions with Thoth are especially great, seeing him as a mentor and a manipulator. As more of the various characters pasts are revealed, it really puts their actions throughout the two books in a new light. Thoth and Lucinda have especially interesting pasts, and you definitely didn't see the connections coming, or the consequences of those connections. The plot moves along at a breakneck pace, and has some great reveals of the hidden world beneath this one. The antagonists are definitely big enough to sell their epic level of menace, being far more powerful than expected. If you read and liked Straight Outta Fangton, you'll really enjoy this one.