The Bookwyrm's Review of The Fall of the House by C. T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus

Authors: C.T. Phipps & Michael Suttkus

Length: 267 Pages

Publisher: Crossroad Press

Release Date: April 18, 2020

Series: Red Room, Book 3

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

This book was a long time coming, being the third book in a series started with a publisher that went under, and a bit of a struggle to get the rights sorted for the first two books. The authors then decided to do a soft retcon to align the timeline of this trilogy to their United States of Monsters series, and have seamlessly added a richer backstory to the several characters series.

PLOT SUMMARY

The story picks up with Derek Hawthorne, Council member of the Red House and still sometime field agent, reeling from the events of Eldritch Ops, including his role in the death of his sister Rebecca, who was working on a plan to mind control all the supernatural creatures of the world. Derek is now dedicated to exposing the corruption of the Red House, and bringing it down from the inside. Unfortunately, he's not the only one with these plans.

The story starts with Derek reliving a memory of his first partner, Ashley Morgan, a powerful psychic, who he helped escape the House's clutches with the help of another agent who was his partner, Christopher, who would become a vampire afterwards. Awaking in the hospital after barely surviving his sister's end, Derek's current partner and lover Shannon, his Uncle Talbot and Christopher come in and let him know moves are afoot to destroy the House, and that Ashley has disappeared. This is immediately followed by an attack by an unknown force of mercenaries, who turn out to be elves, which shouldn't be possible, since elves no longer live on earth's plane. 

Dealing with the elves with extreme prejudice, they let the House cleanup crew deal with the fallout while they try to determine who is plotting against them. What they discover is that their past is coming back to haunt them, as Derek's ex brother-in-law, Roland, now head of the Pantheon Corp., the House's weapons supplier, is gunning to take Derek's seat on the council. The problem is, that's not all that he's up to, and he has unexpected allies in a plan to bring about a world ending horror from the past back to the world, all while bringing down the House and exposing the world to the truth that the supernatural exists. Its up to Derek and company to try and stop Roland and his allies, and save the people in Derek's life that it would crush him to lose. Oh, and maybe save the world while they are at it. Derek may have to make the ultimate sacrifice if the world is to survive.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

Anyone familiar with the authors' work knows they are extremely character driven. They spend a lot of time fleshing out the various characters. this includes all the familial and romantic relationships, some of which are just oddly funny, sort of like real life. Derek is such a tragic character, raised to be something he has fought against being for years not to be. His beliefs are the exact opposite of what he has been trained to believe, and his relationships feed off that. The various other characters also get their moments throughout of character development, and they never feel like cardboard cutouts, but fully realized characters. The villains are unexpected and have interesting motivations, feeding into the theme of the book, which is change on an unprecedented scale for the whole world.

The world building is solid, helping to create a solid foundation for various other parts of the series. The supernatural world has been slowly approaching exposure to the mundane world, and this story ties the pre-reveal world to the post-reveal world, creating a bridge between the story arcs. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

The idea of merging this series in with The United States of Monsters world was an inspired choice, taking the fairly undeveloped backstory of the post-reveal world and adding some rich layers of occult spy action leading right up to the reveal. It is definitely some of the authors' best writing, and is a fitting end to this arc, while adding to the various future arcs. I'm hoping to see a few more of these characters in future installments of the various series.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Harpyness Is Only Skin Deep by D.H. Willison

Author: D. H. Willison

Length: 297 Pages

Release Date: January 20, 2020

Rating:4.5/5 Stars

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I've noticed a trend lately towards edgy, dark and moody fantasy. Even the comedic stuff a lot of time has an edge to it. I am always on the look for stuff that reminds me of my favorites from when I was younger, like books Craig Shaw Gardener, Piers Anthony, Esther Friesner, Lawrence Watt-Evans and Kyra Dalkey used to, and in fact, still do, write. Fun, lighter fare that still tells an interesting story, with good characters on fun adventures. I'm happy to say that Harpiness Is Only Skin Deep is just such a book, and fits in well with the company I mentioned earlier.

PLOT SUMMARY

Darin is a regular guy in his 20's just getting by, going nowhere fast. Hearing from some gaming friends about the newest experience in gaming, Darin follows the instructions to find how to join. He discovers the new game is no game at all. Its a chance to travel to another dimension, one that's a real fantasy world. Since he's not rich, he can't just go for a visit. Instead, we will be transferred there permanently, and a visitor from another dimension will take over his life. Signing the contract to travel to a world called Arvia, which is listed to have only small creatures and a low mortality rate for visitors, Darin gets his affairs in order. Meeting his contact to be sent over, Darin is told there were a couple typos in the contract that needed to be amended. Darin doesn't really take a close look, just signing, and gets sent across. Not reading what he signed will lead to some interesting consequences for Darin.

Arvia is definitely a fantasy world. It has fantasy creatures and races, and even magic. What Darin didn't realize is the predators of the world, which the original contract said weren't any larger than 100 inches, were actually no more than 100 feet, and were shockingly unpicky about what kind of meat they eat. Meeting up with other travelers, Darin learns its not all dungeon raids and gold. He will have to work as a laborer and earn money to live and eat. This doesn't leave time to try and find old tombs to raid. The giant predators also give incentive not to be roaming around either! 

A few months into his new life, Darin has a job working for a merchant. He makes a deal for some magic fabric and finds it has magic properties, making it usable for Darin to make a wing suit that allows him to glide long distances. On an excursion testing the suit, he gets caught by a group of harpies, who are about 30 feet tall, and they start throwing him around before they would devour him. Escaping the smallest one, he ends up turning the tables and lands on her back, which leads to something amazing. Darin starts talking to the harpy, named Rinloh, and they strike up a strange friendship, as Darin teaches Rinloh humans have more uses than as a tasty part of a balanced diet.

This leads to the heart of the story, as Darin and Rinloh teach each other about their cultures, and Rinloh starts to think of Darin as her friend, something unimaginable before their meeting. Its also during this time that Darin starts adventuring in the city he lives in, called Xin, looking into various mysterious disappearances in the city that are increasing in number as the yearly fair is about to happen, something the city doesn't need to be interrupted. What Darin and his partners discover will threaten Darin's life, and even Rinloh might not be able to keep Darin from meeting a horrible end.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

This is one of those books that has a lot of character building mixed with quite a bit of world building. Darin and Rinloh are both POV characters, and a lot of attention is paid to their character arcs, letting the reader get into their heads, with a close look at their thoughts and motivations. They both get excellent character building arcs, coming really far from where they started. There are several secondary characters, who get various levels of character building, but do rise above the level of two dimensional cutouts. The villains have actual realistic motivations based on how their society operates. 

The world building is pretty expansive, since Arvia is such a different kind of fantasy world. It has magic, but where Darin lives, in Xin, its weak and diffuse. The wilderness is full of huge fantasy predators, from giant harpies, naga, even more giant mermaids, various giant cats, giant crabs, centaurs, and many others, most not friendly to humans, who are forced to live in walled cities for protection. Xin the city is fairly small by Arvia standards, and considered a backwater, but provides protection form the predators to its residents. The various predators have their territories which they guard jealously. This is the world Darin finds himself in, a fantasy realm with not a lot of fantasy aside from the monsters.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I noted previously, I always appreciate a fantasy story that has a lighter side. Even though there are a few darker moments in this one, they are far outweighed by the comedic elements. With fun characters and an atypical fantasy setting, its a fun story that keeps the reader turning pages, and hoping their will be more stories to come.

The Bookwyrm's Review of The Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Arnold

Author: Luke Arnold

Length: 369 Pages/ 7 hours, 55 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Orbit

Release Date: February 25, 2020

Narrator: Luke Arnold

Series: Fetch Phillips Archives, Book 1

Rating: 4/5 stars

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I saw the premise of Luke Arnold's debut novel, The Last Smile of Sunder City, and decided I had check it out, especially after a few recommendations from people I trust. What I found was a very solid story that mixes several fantasy genres and created a gripping dystopian world in a shambles, struggling with the loss of magic. 

PLOT SUMMARY

Six years after the humans of the world "accidentally" wrecked the source of magic, life has changed significantly for the residents of Sunder City. A city founded as an industrial hub taking advantage of a geothermal hot spot which went out when the magic died, the city now tries to make things work with science based technology. The magic folk, such as elves, trolls, weres, vampires, etc., have suffered far worse, as the magic that made them strong, long lived, or magic wielding has disappeared, and killed a significant part of their populations. 

This is the world Fetch Phillips, human former soldier and now private investigator finds himself in. Called in by the schoolmaster of the local school for magicals, Fetch is hired to find the schools history professor, a distinguished historian who is also a vampire, who has disappeared without a trace. Fetch takes the case, beginning the search at the vampire's local haunts, including the city library. Not finding him, but finding some clues, he continues the search, finding that one of the vampires students is also missing. Linking the two together, Fetch broadens his search, getting push back from elements of underworld, the business community and even the remnants of vampire society, who, with the loss of the magic, are now slowly dying off.

Slowly gathering evidence, he comes across some shocking evidence that the magic might not be as dead as everyone thought. This is impossible, as Fetch knows, since he had a big part, albeit unknowingly, for the magic dying. We see a series of flashbacks into Fetch's past, as he grew up a poor human in a magic dominated world, ended up the lone human in the Opus, the governmental organization of the magical beings, as a soldier. That part of his life doesn't end well, and he foolishly gives away information to the humans that lead to the disaster the world ends up.

Following the clues finally leads Fetch to a confrontation with forces beyond his control, leading to Fetch barely escaping with his life. It also leaves him with more questions than answers, and he and his allies have to wonder if the magic is really gone. Fetch has a very personal reason to hope not, and makes a deal with someone he could never imagine to keep that hope alive. You can see that Fetch has more reason than ever to stay in business and keep looking for the elusive solution he hopes to one day see.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

This book is a combination of excellent character creation and strong world building. Fetch is an especially interesting character, having such a tragic backstory, dealing with the aftermath of past mistakes that caused so much damage to the world. Stubborn and morose, he finds it hard to find value in his own life. This changes a bit as the story progresses, and you get to see some real character growth with him. The secondary characters are for the most part well written, and you get a real feel for their thoughts and motivations, and you feel the interactions are realistic within the settings.

The setting, Sunder City, is just a fantastic new setting in the fantasy world. A combination of a fantasy city crossed with magical steampunk with some science thrown in for variety, it is not the usual fantasy setting. The reader is immersed in this tragic fallen city as it tries to recover from a disaster that affects every aspect of it's citizens lives, from food production to transportation to communication. It's one of the best realized worlds I've read in quite a while, especially in a debut novel.

NARRATION

The narration is handled by the author, who is an actor. You may even be familiar with him, as he played the pirate Long John Silver on the Starz series Black Sails. I have to say this worked out well, since he is talented as a voice actor. He does a great job creating a voice for each character, using a variety of tones, cadences and pitches. His narrative pacing is excellent, keeping the story moving along, never getting monotonous. I hope to hear him doing more narration in the future.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I did really enjoy the book. For a debut novel, it seemed very polished, which tells me he worked well with his editor. There were a couple of debut issues, such as an overuse of metaphors in inner monologues, and his use of third person plural pronouns to describe a single demon was jarring and a bit hard to follow, and since it was describing a non-human character, seemed a bit unnecessary, but these are minor issues. All told, it was an entertaining story told by someone who has a real feel for the fantasy genre, without resorting to all the usual tropes. I look forward to the next installment in the series.

The Bookwyrm's Review of I'm Glad You're Dead by Hunter Blain

Author: Hunter Blain

Length: 333 Pages/8 hours, 39 Minutes (Audio)

Release Date: March 8, 2019/December 9, 2019 (Audio)

Narrator: Luke Daniels

Series: Preternatural Chronicles, Book 1

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Being a big fan of urban fantasy for a long time, I am always looking for new books to check out. When I was given the chance to read and review I'm Glad You're Dead, the premise hooked me and I knew I had to check it out. That turned out to be a good decision, since this book takes the usual vampire tropes, spins them in a blender, and makes them its own with some whole new wrinkles.

PLOT SUMMARY

In Houston, a vampire named John is the last of his kind. Working with catholic priest Phillip Philseep, John is best described as a fixer, putting down supernatural menaces such as demons and their summoners. Being a vampire, John needs human blood, and satisfies the need by killing murderers and rapists. There is a supernatural underground with only one rule: don't let the mundanes see you doing supernatural stuff. Secrecy is the key to their society's safety, and someone has been trying to raise demons, threatening their exposure. Father Philseep thinks there's a bigger conspiracy behind the demon summoning, and it's up to John to find out what. 

The story also flashes back to John's past, showing how and when he became a vampire. As a teen in the late 1400's Ireland, his parents are killed in a pogrom against heretics. While he awaits his fate, John is given a choice by a strange man offering him revenge against the men who killed his family. Taking the offer, he is made into a vampire and proceeds on a crusade to destroy his parent's killers, learning to use the many powers of his vampire nature, finally ending years later in an event that changes the course of his unlife.

Back in the present day, a local warlock tries to warn John off the hunt for the summoners. John, in his hatred for being told what to do, instead antagonizes the warlock, letting him know that he was not dropping the pursuit. Ending up back in his secure hidden home under a crypt, he awakens in the day weakened and seeing sunlight in his hidey hole, which is filling with water and iron dust, which is toxic to any magical creature, including vampires. Burning and weak, John is half a step ahead from the tactical team that is trying to kill him in a place they shouldn't know exists. With the help of his one foot tall fairy roommate, John manages to fool the team. He also discovers the warlock has an unexpected connection to his past, guaranteeing they will be confronting another again. 

Escaping out the hidden emergency exit, John is so hurt he is basically feral, and breaks the cardinal rule, don't hurt innocents. This leads him into conflict with Father Philseep, who locks him away in a special cell. Fearing the priest means to kill him, John escapes with some difficulty and proceeds to get some help from another friend, a werewolf he knew from World War Two. They go after the cause of demon summoning, finding that it has a connection to John's first moments of his undead life, and will have repercussions that will affect the rest of John's undead life.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

This is very much a character driven story. Taking place in modern Houston, with only a secret underbelly of supernatural creatures, it relies heavily on the characters and their interactions. John is a very interesting character, being over 500 years old, as well as a completely irreverent smart ass. He is kind of tragic, trying to atone for years of blood and slaughter, knowing the truth of the afterlife. His friends, Da the fairy and his werewolf friend are also fun characters, each bring something to the story. The villain has realistic motivations, even if they are a lust for power. The various supernaturals are creatively described, and get some new twists.

The setting, modern Houston, is a nice change of pace from the usual New York, Chicago or LA urban fantasy setting. It does have the stereotypical magical bar that's neutral ground, with the requisite mysterious barman owner, but that's about the only trope as far as setting. The rest is just real Houston with supernatural events and creatures, giving it a realistic gritty feel not often found in urban fantasy books.

NARRATION

The narration is handled quite ably by Audible Hall of Famer Luke Daniels. I was very familiar with his other work, so I came in knowing what to expect, and wasn't disappointed. Luke does an amazing job creating various character voices, using a wide variety of tones, accents and cadences to differentiate the various characters. His narrative pacing is some of the best in the business, never becoming monotonous, while keeping the listener engaged at all times. I would consider this some of his best work to date.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I was surprised how many unique aspects the book had. This is definitely not a sparkly vampire romance with vegetarian vampires, but a redemption story set in an offbeat setting, with a cast of characters that keeps the readers on tier toes. I know I am excited to see how the series continues on, and will definitely be doing a review for that one as well. This book has something to offer for any fan of vampire and urban fantasy stories.

Thanks

The Bookwyrm's Review of The Headlock of Destiny

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The Bookwyrm's Review of The Ravenmaster's Revenge by Jacob Sannox.

Author: Jacob Sannox

Length: 229 Pages/ 5 Hours, 52 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Alan O'Donoghue

Release Date: May 23, 2019/ September 20, 2019 (Audio)

Narrator: Nigel Peever

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I have to admit, I am a sucker for Arthurian stories. Camelot setting, modern day, it makes no difference. I just love the mythos surrounding Arthur and his knights, and the hubris and betrayal that brought them down. If Merlin is a wizard in the story, even better. That's why Ravenmaster's Revenge immediately got my attention, and got such a quick read through.

PLOT SUMMARY

On a field in Camlan 1500 years ago, King Arthur and his knights and army face off against Arthur's bastard son Mordred and his army. This battle is to determine the fate of Arthur's kingdom, and brings about the end of the kingdom, as Arthur and Mordred mortally wound each other. As this knights start to mourn Arthur, Merlin appears and offers them a choice. He will bring Arthur back, but Arthur will sleep until land needs him again, and they can sleep with him as well, waiting to return when needed. Of course, all the loyal knights follow their king into sleep, awaiting the day the land needs them most. 

Moving on to modern day, we go to the White Tower in London, where the ravens of the tower suddenly fly off and don't return, which legend tells portends the end of England. The ravens, all six of them, fly off to their true master, Branok, Merlin's former apprentice. Branok has a plan to use the ravens to bring about his revenge on England for the execution of Charles I. 

We see in a series of flashback chapters how Arthur and his knights are revived during the War of the Roses, when it looked like the monarchy would fall. Instead, Henry VII took the throne and his line continued. Its during this time Branok was apprenticed to Merlin. Arthur and his knights would remain awake and involved in the background, protecting England. When Arthur makes the decision not to save Charles I from being overthrown by the forces of Cromwell, Branok turns fully to the darker side of magic, and only the intervention of Merlin stops him from saving Charles. 

Locking Branok into a magical stasis in the tower, Merlin, Arthur and the knights continue on through history. The battle of the Somme in WW1 was especially bad, with a knight dying and Arthur severely injured and never fully recovering, either physically or mentally. This leads to the modern day, where Merlin is living as a homeless itinerant, keeping his own counsel as he watches for Branok escaping. Arthur is a living as a rich business owner, and his knights make up his security detail. This is the setting as Branok makes his plans for revenge, which includes revenge against Arthur for not being the king he wanted him to be. Its up to Arthur and the knights to try and stop a wizard that is willing to use the darkest arts to bring about the destruction of everything they love, with no guarantee they will succeed. 

CHARACTER AND WORLD BUILDING

Since this is an Arthurian story, even in modern times, Arthur has to have his knights and Merlin. It definitely does, although you find out a few knights have fallen over the centuries since they were awakened. Merlin remains an imperious force in Arthur's life, but Arthur is very much his own man. He gets a definite character arc you relive with him through the flashbacks into modern times, through his triumphs and failures into the present day. The various knights are a bit two dimensional, for the most part being loyal knights and retainers and not a whole lot else, although you get the idea that at least one knight went rogue at some point. The villain Branok is a tragic character. He really gets an interesting character arc, since so many of his life's tragedies are a direct result of Arthur and Merlin's actions, even though he's not an innocent himself. 

The various historical settings are obviously well researched. The modern day London settings are well thought out, and you get a real sense of the where the action is taking place. Since its flashbacks take place as far back as the 6th century, there's a  lot of creative license with the historical settings, but they have a very real feel, immersing the reader into the setting.

NARRATOR

The narrative duties are handled by Nigel Peever. This was the first time I've heard his work, and it was an enjoyable listen. He creates a variety of voices for the various characters using various accents and tones, avoiding  the trap of repeating voices for the characters. His narrative pacing is solid, never devolving to monotone, and he really emotes well while in character. I look forward to hearing him in the future.

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I stated before, I'm a sucker for all things Arthurian. Well, except for that last movie with Charlie Hunnam. Anyways, this is the kind of urban fantasy tale with enough story and action to appeal to a wide array of people. If you like the kind of story Steve McHugh tells with his Hellequin Chronicles, this should appeal to you. 

The Bookwyrm's Review of Bulb by Bradley Wind

Author: Bradley Wind

Length: 363 Pages

Publisher: Kind Books

Release Date: October 13, 2019

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I get a lot of requests to review books. I heard the premise for Bulb and decided to give it a go. I can honestly say I have never read anything quite like it. It crosses a few genres and raises some disturbing questions about the nature of privacy.

PLOT SUMMARY

Ben Tinthawin is a 29 year old artist living in a future where privacy is a thing of the past. The Grand Archive, created by Dr. Mamon, has seen to that. Every thought and experience person have is stored in the Grand Archive for all to view. Initially causing riots, its now accepted by the vast majority of the population, being the ultimate form of entertainment. There is a movement to keep off the grid, but its far outpaced by the group who accept the Archive.

Ben is struggling to recover from the car crash he came out of fairly unscathed that killed his mother and father, as well as the aftermath which left him even more emotionally damaged. He is left raising his 7 year old conjoined twin brothers Ed and Francis, a result of their father's genetic tampering. Ben also goes to counseling and is also trying to recover from a broken relationship, which is due to the pitfalls of the Archive. This is the shape of Ben's life as he gets the opportunity to work with Dr. Mamon in creating an even more exciting project. Unfortunately, Dr. Mamon has plans of his own that could have far reaching consequences for the rest of the world, and its up to Ben and his new allies to try and stop the destruction of everything they cherish.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

The idea that there is no privacy in thought allows for a very deep look into each character. Ben is such a tortured character, having to deal with so much trauma, while also trying to keep it together for his brothers. He definitely is a rounded character. Ed and Francis are a product of their age, and ring true to it. The secondary characters all come across as fleshed out, with motivations and actions based on the unique circumstances of the world they live in. The antagonists have realistic motivations, seeing their actions as a way to point the way to a new future.

The world building is a mix of what I'd consider future tech and cyberpunk semi-dystopia, since there are still ruined areas left over from the riots that destroyed some cities after the Grand Archive went online. The Archive is a technical marvel, although it has problems of its own that it brings to society. The whole idea that there can really be no privacy in the end makes interactions different. It makes a blind date a choice, since you can look anything up abut a date. It also creates interesting entertainment opportunities, and makes people think twice about just what they are doing. It does raise some interesting questions.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The concepts and ideas in this book are a lot deeper than you expect out of a sci-fi novel. The author creates a very plausible society and its reaction to the loss of any real mental privacy, creating some intriguing scenarios around the idea. I can recommend this book for anyone looking for an idea driven book, which will have you turning the pages until you reach the satisfying conclusion.

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The Bookwyrm's Review of Mogworld by Yahtzee Crowshaw

Author: Yahtzee Crowshaw

Length: 350 Pages/ 13 Hours, 18 minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Dark Horse

Narrator: Yahtzee Crowshaw

Genre: GameLit

RATING: 5/5 STARS

When a gaming industry insider like Yahtzee Crowshaw puts out a book directly poking some fun at the industry he has spent so much time in, it’s best to check it out. Mogworld is the fruit of that labor. You can tell he has deep roots in the gaming industry, as he details some of the backroom details someone on the outside wouldn’t be privy to, while creating a cracking good bit of hilarious fantasy GameLit that is basically what Monty Python would come up with if they wrote a GameLit book.

PLOT SUMMARY

Jim has a dream. Graduate magic school and open up a magic shop, avoiding being a pig farmer like his parents. After a year in magic school, he has three spells and is ready to continue his studies. Unfortunately, the students from the warrior school down the road have other ideas, invading his school and killing Jim and the rest of the students. That should be the end, but life has a funny way of warping expectations, because 60 years later, Jim finds himself awoken in his previously alive, and now undead, body. Things are bound to get weird from here.

Being called back by a necromancer looking for an undead horde isn’t all bad. Since Dreadgrave the Necromancer forgot the part about unquestioning obedience in his spell, his horde has free will. Dreadgrave also provides a nice pay and benefits package, such as keeping the spoils of any looting and quality jobs in his   dread fortress. Jim lands the plumb assignment as head of the giant rat pit, and takes a real shine to the destruction of all the heroes. He even gets to kill what is possibly the funniest rogue ever, Slippery John, a time or two as he raids the fortress. Unlife is goodish until a bunch of strange Angels show up and Delete the fortress, Dreadgrave and all the undead but Jim, his associate Meryl, and a loudmouth undead priest. 

Now on the run, Jim and his companions discover things in the world are getting really strange. Another priestnamed Barry that they met in the first village they came to after the deleting is now traveling around with a bunch of adventurers, destroying whole towns, and he is exhibiting incredibly powerful Magic! He is also preaching the word of Simon, his new god. Who is this god Simon? And why is he trying to delete so much of the world? With a couple of crazy adventurer’s gulld goons chasing them as well, Jim, Meryl, the Priest and Slippery John must discover what is threatening their world. And Jim needs to find out why he is all of a sudden hearing voices in his head, possibly from another god. The answers will shock them, and their world will never be the same after they discover what is causing it all.

CHARACTERS & WORLD BUILDING

This book has so many good things going for it. Snappy dialogue, fun world building, a plot that mixes fantasy, game and real life seamlessly and some of the best characters you’re likely to find. The characters are all fully realized, and show depth you wouldn’t expect. The comedy is mixed throughout and is , and really fits well within the story. The entire group of Jim, Meryl and the Priest are so funny, and even the priest’s name is a hilarious joke. The GameLit elements fit seamlessly, and just make the book that much better.  

NARRATION

The narration is handled quite ably by the author. This is not a bad thing, as anyone who has ever heard his podcast can attest. Acerbic, witty, snarky and droll are all words that can be used to describe his performance, and he does such a great job bringing his characters to life. His narrative pacing is excellent, and he has such a good grasp of what he wants to emphasize in the story! He is definitely my favorite narrating author.

FINAL THOUGHTS

All told, this is definitely in my top five favorite of this genre. I can’t think of anything I disliked, and it should appeal to a wide range of fans, from straight fantasy, grimdark, LitRPG and GameLit. There’s something in here for everyone.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Ravine of Blood and Shadow by D.P. Prior

Author: D.P. Prior

Length: 238 Pages/ 8 Hours, 25 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Homunculus

Release Date: March 6, 2016/October 22, 2019 (Audio)

Narrator: Mike Carnes

Series: Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 1

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I've been having a really good run of books lately. Ravine of Blood and Shadow is just the latest of exceptional fantasy books I've read lately. Starting off in a fairly traditional fantasy manner, the book starts to take some twists and turns until it just goes down some really crazy paths to reach its unique conclusion.

PLOT SUMMARY  

Arx Gravis is the hidden ravine city of the dwarves, their last refuge with the fall of the great dwarven kings and their great city. The city is now run by a council who has one main rule, strictly enforced: No contact with the outside world. Anyone breaking this rule is subject to death. The ravine guards protect the ravine from outside treats, and ensure no one leaves, as well as enforces the laws in the city. Carnac Thayn, called Carn, is an officer in the guard, and comes across a murder in the scriptorium, the first in as long as Carn, 160 years old, can remember. He ends up chasing the murderer, a Fein, which is another subterranean race not seen in years, until it escapes into the lake at the base of the ravine. 

This creates a lot of tensions, since the ruling council doesn't want to believe the dwarves are at risk. They are already massively isolationist. The threat of outsiders is just too much to bear. Carn's mentor, the leader of the Ravine Guard, Thumil, sets more guards to watch for a repeat. Meanwhile, Carn's brother, a scholar, is convinced through his studies that the lost axe of the dwarven kings is what is needed to protect Arx Gravis. The only problem is that if it exists at all, it was lost outside the dwarven realm on an exploring mission, and it's death to even go looking for it. As tensions within the city rise between various factions, Carn has made enemies with elements within the Black Cloaks, the ruling council guard force. 

After one of the Black Cloaks attempts to murder Carn, and gets killed instead, Carn goes on the run, discovering his brother has left the city to find the lost axe, which determines where Carn goes. Leaving through the hidden exit at the bottom of the ravine lake, Carn is one step ahead of the Black Cloaks, travelling through the strange underworld following the trail he hopes will lead to his brother. Fighting Black Cloaks and escaping again, Carn arrives at the lowest level and finds his brother. He also discovers the lost axe of the dwarven kings there as well, guarded by stone golems.

Things don't go how Carn hopes, though, as the Black Cloaks attack when they arrive, and Carn's brother pays the price. The guards have their own surprise though, when the golems attack them and they find out what being on the wrong end of stone giants is like. Carn manages to get the axe and escape. Returning to Arx Gravis, Carn sees the city has been overrun with demons, and he goes into a berserk rage determined to destroy them all. Everything isn't what it seems, though, and Carn may pay the ultimate price for this discovery.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

I was amazed at how much character building was built into this story. The family ties, how they interact is all worked into the story in intricate ways. Carn is obviously given the most attention, and you really get a peak in his head and into his motivations, as well as seeing how he reacts to triumphs and failure. The secondary characters are given some attention as well, rounding them out as much as possible. The more villainous characters are given realistic motivations, whether they be jealousy, greed or just a sense of xenophobia according to their natures. 

The world building is excellent. The hidden city of Arx Gravis is fully realized, with excellent descriptions of the nature and shape of the city. You get a real feeling of being in the city carved out of the ravine, hidden from the rest of the world. Its easy to see how the city can remain hidden based on the descriptions, being a xenophobes dream.

NARRATION

I wasn't real familiar with Mike Carnes before I listened to this, but I have to say, I was very impressed. He does such a great job of bringing the characters to life, infusing them with their own voices and personality through use of different tones and registers, really differentiating them. His narrative pacing was outstanding, moving the story along and sinking into a monotone. I will definitely be giving his other work a look.

FINAL THOUGHTS

You would think every kind of story about that old fantasy standout, the dwarves, had already been told. Books like this prove that's not the case. Characters like Carn and Thumil just aren't Gimli knockoffs. They, and the others, have their own distinct society and personalities, and you really get into the storytelling aspects of the story. The loose ends were tied up, but there is definitely more story to tell down the road, which I will definitely be reading and reviewing.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Blackest Spells, Edited by C.T. Phipps

Author: Various Authors, Edited by C.T. Phipps

Length: 298 Pages

Publisher: Crossroad Press

Release Date: December 12, 2019

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

For the longest time, I was a huge fan of a variety of fantasy and sci fi anthologies, such as Robert Asprin and Lynn Abbey's Thieve's World and David Drake's The Fleet. I still love those series, but hadn't read an Anthology in years until I read Blackest Knight's, the first anthology edited by C.T. Phipps. I really enjoyed the various stories in that one, and was excited to get a chance to review Blackest Spells. 

This is a rarity in my experience, since there are no duds in this collections of stories. I enjoyed every story, which ranged from dark tales of necromancy and witchcraft, to urban fantasy and Twilight Zoneesque creepyness. While all the stories are good, there were some standouts.

 CH Baum's story about an ambitious mage apprentice really sets the tone for the collection as the first story. Matthew Gilbert's story about a man hunting a serial killer mage is outstanding, as is the very trippy CT Phipps story about a man trapped in his own worst nightmare by a mysterious gentleman. The rest of the stories stand up well on their own, creating an anthology that literally has something for everyone who enjoys fantasy. I can't recommend this book highly enough.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Predestiny by C.T. Phipps and Frank Martin

Authors: C.T. Phipps and Frank Martin

Length: 198 Pages

Publisher: Crossroad Press

Release Date: September 14, 2018

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

As a fan of both C.T. Phipps and Frank Martin, I was more than happy to give Predestiny a read and review. It definitely pushed some interesting buttons, having a sci-fi and older YA feel, with a touch of dystopia creeping about.

PLOT SUMMARY

In a near future, in which corporations have gained so much power they control government policy, the Monarch Corporation is the biggest of the ten megacorporations that run things. They have lobbied for special powers to do what was necessary to get through the Great Recession. Now, they are untouchable by the law, and abuse their privileges. This is where H.O.P. E. (Heroes for Occupying the Public Economy) comes in, peacefully protesting the corporations abuses, especially Monarch. 

Robbie is a member of H.O.P.E, a lot of the reason being his girlfriend, who is a big supporter of the peaceful protest movement. The story starts with Robbie and Anna on their way to a protest in New Detroit at the Monarch headquarters. While at the protest, they witness the protest get out of control as someone tries to shoot Robbie, causing the Monarch guards to start to brutally break up the protest. While running from the protest, someone tries to kill Robbie again as he helps Christine, the movements leader, to try and get away. He is saved by a mysterious woman, who gets him away from the people who are trying to kill him.

The woman, named Jane, protects Robbie from some guards trying to kill them, and then hides them as her associates show up, since Robbie is on their hit list. Throwing them off the trail, Jane gets them to safety and enters Robbie's life as his "cousin", explaining she is from a future time when what he will become will decide the fate of the world, and that elements of that time will do anything to see him dead. What follows is a high stakes game of cat and mouse, and Jane has to protect Robbie from people just as good as she is, to ensure Robbie can fulfill his future role. The question is, is that role something Robbie wants to be part of, because things start unrolling before Robbie that seem to point to a darker future than he could have imagined!

CHARACTERS AND WORLDBUILDING

Like anything written by C.T. Phipps, character development is a hugely important element to the story. Robbie really blossoms as the story develops, showing a lot of different facets to his personality. He is forced way out of his comfort zone, and he really grows with having to respond to the various crises. Jane is also given a lot of attention, and her mysterious past/future is revealed, and explains why she is the hardened warrior she is. The secondary characters are not spectacularly fleshed out, but are given enough attention to let them fulfill their roles. The villain in the present is a bit of a stereotype, being the underhanded corporate robber baron, but in a dystopian megacorp future, its kind of expected. Theres more to the characters, but it would spoile the story arc to reveal too much.

The worldbuilding is definitely solid, as I've come to expect from both authors. Its very much the dystopian corporate future so many expect. A police state with curtailed civil rights and corporate overlords who don't have to fear the government, instead controlling what it does. While not particularly new, its still well done with little creative touches of their own,

FINAL THOUGHTS

This book could have easily gone wrong. It could have gone the over the top YA route of Hunger Games, or gone the other way and gone bleak adult Blade Runner. Instead, what we get is a nuanced story that straddles the genre line, taking elements from several to create an engaging story for teens and adults that will leave both satisfied and wanting more from these characters and the universe they're in.