The Bookwyrm's Review of Duckett & Dyer: Dicks for Hire by G.M. Nair

 Length: 302 Pages

Publisher: DsDf

Release Date: March 30, 2019

Genre: Comedy/sci-fi

Rating: 4 1/2 of 5 Stars

Link to Buy on Amazon

I make no secret of my love for comedic sci-fi and fantasy. Make it kind of silly with lots of laughs, and a crazy cast of characters and I'm sold. When I saw the premise of Duckett & Dyer: Dicks for Hire, I knew this was a book I had to read, and the author was kind enough to send me a review copy. I almost didn't finish it, though, because I did something I never do with a book: I misplaced it. Took me a week to find it, because I couldn't for the life of me remember I had been reading it outside. Luckily, none of the kids or the animals got to it, and I was able to finish this highly entertaining took.

PLOT SUMMARY

Michael Duckett is fed up with his life. His job is a drag, and his roommate and best friend of fifteen years, Stephanie Dyer, is only making him more anxious with her lazy irresponsibility. Things continue to escalate when they face the threat of imminent eviction from their palatial 5th floor walk-up and find that someone has been plastering ads all over the city for their Detective Agency.

The only problem is: He and Stephanie don’t have one of those.

Despite their baffling levels of incompetence, Stephanie eagerly pursues this crazy scheme and drags Michael, kicking and screaming, into the fray only to find that they are way out of their depth. They stumble upon a web of missing people that are curiously linked to a sexually audacious theoretical physicist and his experiments with the fabric of space-time. And unless Michael and Stephanie can put their personal issues aside and fix the multi-verse, the concept of existence itself may, ironically, no longer exist.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

I mentioned that a zany cast of characters will draw me in every time, and this book has that in spades, especially in the two main characters, Michael Duckett and Stephanie Dyer. You could not pick two more different characters to play off one another. Michael, the straight lace, unambitious office drone, could have come right out of the movie Office Space. He's the kind of inoffensive guy you'd  never notice in a crowd. This is in contrast to his room mate and best friend Stephanie, who is as big a slacker as your likely to find. She can't hold a job, is always late with her half of the rent and basically just wants to sit around eating cereal on her couch while watching tv. People this different shouldn't be friends, but yet, they are. Stephanie is always pushing Michael to loosen up and take chances, while Michael wants Stephanie to grow up. Their reactions to the events in the book are priceless, and completely in character. You really get drawn into what makes this odd couple friends as they go from one disaster to another. 

The rest of the characters are well thought out, from a cop trying to solve years of mysterious disappearances to the guy who is responsible for the crazy events taking place. They all get some fun moments that point to greater motivations and their places in the universe. The characters just seem very carefully crafted to move the plot without seeming to, acting in natural ways to unusual situations. Its very well done.

The world building is insanely creative. When you are dealing with a multiverse, there seems to be a lot of temptation to make the various changes small between worlds. In this case, the changes are much bigger than that in a lot of cases, while in others, not much changes. There are some hilarious worlds Michael and Stephanie have to deal with, and some just plainly absurd but hilarious situations on them.  There is literally a world where their crazy conjecture about what could possibly be the weirdest world they can go to comes true, in hilarious fashion. The author has a twisted imagination, but in the best possible way. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is a book that could have gone horribly wrong in lesser hands. Luckily, it was written by just the right person. He managed to meld an interesting sci-fi premise to hilarious characters and situations and make it resonate with me as a reader. You really get to care about these characters, and can relate to their struggle, even though some of it is so out there. I think this book has appeal to a wide range of fans, from sci fi and comedic fans, with even mystery fans being able to find something to like here. I highly recommend you check out Duckett & Dyer: Dicks for Hire.

The Bookwyrm's Review of The Tinderbox: Soldier of Indira by Lou Diamond Phillips

Author: Lou Diamond Phillips

Length: 308 Pages

Release Date: October 20, 2020

Publisher: Aethon Books

Genre: Science Fiction

Amazon Link

It's not very often you see someone who's mostly known as an actor that can also add good sci-fi author to their resume. For every William Shatner and Claudia Christian, both of who's books I love, there's ten others that took a swing based on their fame and missed. I'm glad to say that Mr. Phillips' skills developed acting, directing and screenwriting are obvious throughout the book, and he uses them to finely craft a page turner of a sci-fi adventure.

PLOT SUMMARY

Everson didn't want to be a soldier. His parents forced him to serve, as all good Indiran men should. The only problem? His first battle against their mortal enemies goes horribly wrong and he winds up stranded on the enemy planet.

Now, Everson has to survive in this strange new land where everyone is out to get him. Not to mention, the planet Mano is covered in unforgiving desert. And he's the target of traitors who want to use him in a dastardly plot to overthrow their mad king, Xander the Firm, by having him retrieve a piece of mysterious and powerful ancient technology known as the Tinderbox.

But everything changes during a chance encounter with the king's daughter, Allegra. Despite her station, she's in as grave of danger from her own people as Everson is. And though their peoples have been at odds for centuries, an unlikely spark forms between them.

As their worlds come crashing down around them, their forbidden love might be the only chance to end this war forever. Or, it might just be the doom of everyone...

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

While the plot and story are tightly paced, well thought out, and keep you turning pages wanting to know what's going to happen next, I think the characters and world building really shine brightly throughout. Everson especially is such a good character, and I mean that in multiple ways.  We see he was a callow youth, struggling to get out from under the yoke of expectation and tradition of his position, when he is suddenly thrust into a wholly new life as an unknown enlisted recruit in the Indiran Army, with the real possibility of combat down the road. He must sink or swim in a crucible he feels unprepared for, and it is this trial by fire that tempers him into the man he was meant to be. 

Allegra is also an interesting character. Sequestered by her father King Xander of Mano due to a prophecy that she potentially spells his doom, she has lived a sheltered life, longing to be free of what basically amounts to a sumptuous prison. Her story proceeds in some fascinating directions, and we get to see the true strength she has: strengths of character, intelligence, courage and will to do what she feels is right, even in the most trying of circumstances. She and Everson are actually likable, sympathetic characters, trying to deal with destiny thrust upon them. 

The secondary characters are also fully fleshed out, whether it be a simple farmer that helps the alien-to-him Everson to find an ally on Mano, to Queen Nor of Mano, seeing the potential for ruin to all that she loves, and willing to make almost any sacrifice to ensure the planets survival. The antagonists are actually quite well thought out, with more than just the usual lust for power aspirations so many villains get stuck with today. They have realistic rationales for their actions, even if they may be misguided. Definitely not the usual evil overlords laughing maniacally in their tower.

I think that the world building is incredibly creative, with a backstory that leads to the current situation in such a logical fashion. The destruction and reformation of the planet from one into two livable, but very different planets, and the disparities in technology, wealth and knowledge between the two are stark. The underlying hatred of each other based on who got to go on which of the escape ships that later returned to the two new planets set up the inevitable conflict, which only grew more heated over the years. Mano and Indira are so different, and the legends and stories try to separate the fact that they were once the same planet and the same people. Its such a good use of making the opposing side that "other" that seeks to destroy what you hold dear, with only a superficial difference between them making them the other.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I got my  review copy through Netgalley, so I have to thank the fine people there for providing it. Aethon usually has a good eye for storytellers, and in this case, its another win for them. I think this book will appeal to such a wide range of sci-fi fans, and even just to people looking for a well crafted story with characters that aren't all grimdark and shades of grey, but are sympathetic and relatable. I highly recommend you give this one a read, you won't regret it. I hope to see many more books by Mr. Phillips in the near future.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Threads of Fate

 

Author: M.W. Arita

Length: 340 Pages

Publisher: Aeonian Entertainment

Release Date: September 14, 2014

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Young Adult

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Buy on Amazon

I make no great secret of my love for urban fantasy. whether it be the Dresden Files, the early Iron Druid books, Jane Yellowrock, Dante Valentine or the United States of Monsters series, I think there are just so many talented writers out there writing amazing stories. I had the chance to check out Threads of Fate, and I was glad I did, since this is definitely a fun beginning to a series. 

PLOT SUMMARY

As the story starts, we meet Tasia, a high school senior, at her part-time job as a barista in a local coffee shop in a town in upstate New York. Having a bad day at work one day, she upsets several customers, just feeling out of sync. After she leaves work, she is accosted in the park by one of the customers, who is ranting crazily that she ruined his life by messing up his coffee and he's going to kill her. Freezing up as he approaches her, she is shocked when a mysterious figure appears to save her, fighting the unnaturally fast and strong would be killer, and stopping him with a giant scythe with the help of Tasia, who mysteriously manifests a scythe of her own. 

Tasia's savior turns out to be Ace, a half-vampire Reaper who's job as a Reaper is to collect Remnants, parasitic remnants of souls that feed on specific negative emotions, taking over a host and emphasizing those negative emotions, creating chaos with them. Tasia just tries to continue on with her life afterward, but is surprised to see Ace the next day at school, who acts like he doesn't recognize her. She finds out what this is all about when her sister, Vivi, is kidnapped by a mysterious Remnant, and while Tasia and Ace try and stop the kidnapper, a female vampire hunter tries to kill him. Its only with the help of Ace 's twin Sunny that they manage to escape, although they lose Vivi in the process.

This starts a wild series of events, where they end up meeting the Ace and Sunny's long lost mother, a powerful vampire named Mira, who helps them along to the Reaper realm, where Tasia meets the queen of the Reapers, and is given the chance to take the reaper trials, even though she has not gone to the academy yet. This leads her to finding the kidnapper, who host is someone she never expected, and also brings out another powerful vampire, Hat, who wants to drain Tasia and gain her abilities, which turn out to be much more than just summoning a scythe and using Reaper powers. The Remnant that kidnapped Vivi has a connection to the girls they never expected, and is more powerful than they could have imagined. The final battle with the Remnant stretches all of their abilities to the utmost to avoid being killed and letting an evil far greater than could be controlled loose.

CHARACTERS & WORLD BUILDING

The characters are definitely the driving force with this book. Tasia especially is such a relatable character. She is not some perfect paragon who discovers her powers and masters them in two days and goes out and wrecks villains. Instead, she is a typical teenage girl, dealing with mean girls at school, job troubles, a drunk father, and helping control her wild child younger sister, all while dealing with crippling doubt in herself. Her character arc is handled really well, with plenty of setbacks and goofs to go along with her triumphs. In some cases, its just sheer willpower keeping her going. The other characters, such as Sunny and Ace, Gwen, the head mean girl, and Vivi, are all given some little growth arcs themselves, with the same combination of triumphs and failures adding so much to their character.. The antagonists are really well done, and the main villains are especially tragic, really taking a toll on Tasia and Vivi especially. These are definitely some of the better characters you're likely to find in urban fantasy.

The world building is very well executed. Taking place in a city in upstate New York, a setting not often used in urban fantasy, it creates good settings for the action to take place. The addition of the vampires hiding place in a magically hidden castle, as well as the very cool Reaper realm, gives a more mystical feel to the settings, and some of the other realms that are hinted at point to other potential settings in the future, adding another layer to the world. The magic is varied, but hidden from the mortal realm, and quite a few supernatural can learn to use it through spells, creating the potential for a lot more magical action in the future. Tasia's powers are really rare, and seem to have a really powerful potential behind them if she can learn to control them. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

As I read this book, I realized, as a 50 year old, I probably wasn't the target demographic for the book. However, It's been said of me that I'm just a boy grown tall, and there's some truth to that, because I found this book really enjoyable. It had some interesting, sympathetic characters that you can really get behind, and even the villains are more tragic than despotically evil. The author took the time to develop character arcs, which is something a lot of writers skip today, unfortunately, getting right into blowing stuff up. That's not to say there's no action in this, because there's plenty, but its just integral to the characters story arcs, not just tacked on. I think this book will appeal to a lot of urban fantasy fans, especially ones that like a good character arc. Its not a perfect book, but it is a really good one.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Born of Swords by Steven L. Shrewsbury

Author: Steven L. Shrewsbury

Length: 324 Pages

Release Date: June 22, 2015

Publisher: Seventh Star Press

Genre: Swords and Sorcery

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Amazon Link

Being a big fan of old pulp fantasy, I have wished for a while that someone would take up that style of uncomplicated action packed storytelling again. I discovered Steven Shrewsbury on his book King of the Bastards, co-authored with Brian Keene, which was a callback to Robert E. Howard era pulps like Conan and Kull. When I saw the premise about Born of Swords, I knew I had to review this one.

PLOT SUMMARY

Gorias La Gaul, 700 year old mercenary, finds himself in a small city hired to kill a man who has been cursed to turn into a monster. He was hired by the man's twin, who also turns into a monster, and who hired him to kill them both so they would stop wreaking havoc and death. While accomplishing this job, Gorias literally stumbles across Jessica, a scribe from the city of Nineveh, who has traveled a long distance to interview Gorias, and record his stories for posterity at the Nineveh School. Gorias is less than thrilled with the idea, telling her that she might not like what she learns, but she insists, so he allows her to tag along as he goes about with the trip he takes annually.

Jessica gets a chance to see the course of Gorias's life as recorded in the dragon eye gems she uses, and what she finds is nothing like she expected. She gets to see how Gorias's parents came to have him, and the details quite shock her, but it does set the tone for his life of violence, adventure and tragedy. We see the various adventures of his life, from his birth into a barbarian horde, to various adventures and battles against bandits, cults, wizards and warlords. Jessica sees him lead armies, and see those same armies betrayed and Gorias wreak terrible vengeance. She even sees him fight a dragon, something she never believed possible.

Meanwhile, as they travel, Gorias is collecting certain items on their travels, for which he won't tell Jessica the purpose. Why would he need a witches hand? Or a bag of bones? What could these items be worth killing for, and even possibly dying for? These questions lead to the end of the book, where the truth of what Gorias is doing is revealed, and Jessica's romantic illusions of the Gorias, who's name literally means King of the Bastards, are shattered by his need for revenge. She finds out that sometimes it doesn't pay to meet your heroes. 

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

Since this book is basically a slightly modernized version of pulp sword and sorcery like Robert E Howard or Edgar Rice Burroughs would write, the characters are definitely the center point of the story. Larger than life and twice and loud, Gorias is everything you would expect from the son of the chief of a barbarian horde. Strong, determined, and holding a grudge like nobody's business, Gorias is more than happy to remove an annoying warlord's head at the shoulders if that's what it takes to get a job done, or just stop their yapping. He is just an amazingly fun character, and is one of my top five characters in fantasy. The secondary characters are well thought out, with Jessica being the obvious example. She is much more than the weak book worm you would expect, being able to handle herself in dangerous situations, all while collecting the information she was sent for. There are a wide assortment of villains, from evil warlords to conniving princesses, to dangerous bandit chiefs. They are a just the kind of villains you'd expect in a pulp story, and they really add color to the story.

The world building is so much fun, and you could imagine seeing Gorias on the bar stool next to Conan and Kull. The world bears the hallmarks of a Hyborean era setting, with evil wizards and warlords vying for power, as well as crazy cults and monsters as well. There's a wide variety of terrain and settings, from desert kingdoms to jungle villages, and of course, temples to various gods. We see that Gorias's god is Wodan, and this Wodan is definitely in the mold of Crom, a merciless warrior's god. 

FINAL THOUGHTS

There are just so many good touch's to evoke that old school pulp feel in this book. From the pacing to the characters, you just find yourself turning pages, getting more engrossed in the story with every page. This book should appeal to any fan of old school pulp fantasy, but also has plenty to appeal to fans of more modern fantasies. It's just a classic story that I can't get enough of.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Cody Black Vampire Hunter: Bite of the Wolf by C.M. Craddock

 

Author: C.M. Craddock

Length: 285 Pages

Publisher: Self Published

Release Date: December 31, 2019

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 Stars

Amazon Link

I make no secret of my love for urban fantasy. Whether it be the big timer's like Jim Butcher, small press writers like C.T. Phipps or self published writers like Joel Spriggs, I just can't get enough of their books. When I got the chance to read and review this book, I jumped at the chance, and here are my thoughts.

PLOT SUMMARY

Cody Black absolutely hates vampires. This definitely helps with his job as a vampire hunter for the Foundation, the rulers of the vampires. Cody is not thrilled having to work for them, but its either kill rogues for them or end up dead. It does pay well, though. He launders the money through the gun shop and range he owns, which is run more by his assistant Sierra than it is by Cody. It does allow him to create and train with vampire killing weapons, though, so it works.

When a slew of murders start to occur in the club district, Cody is called in by the local vampire queen, Marie Delfleur, notifying him that an old vampire is turning people under 20, who can't handle the change and just become feral murder machines. This is against Federation law, and Cody is tasked to hunt him and his spawn down and end the threat. Discovering one of the young vampires, Cody follows him but is ambushed by the old vampire, a 1500 year old viking named Aabiorn,  who fights through all of Cody's weapons and injures him, although not without injury to himself that forces him to retreat. 

With the help of Sierra, Cody escapes, and begins to heal. Meeting with Marie, he gets injected by her with a substance that will supposedly help him be better able to hunt vampire, making him into a one of a kind vampire killer. Searching for the vampire's lair, he inadvertantly leaves clues as to where he lives, and they attack him there. 

This leads to the final frantic confrontation between Cody and Aabiorn, as he is now threatening everything Cody cherishes and would do anything to protect. This confrontation leads to even more revelations about who Aabiorn is, and what his plans were. It also shows that Marie has plans of her own that could have world shaking consequences if Cody does nothing to change it, and he has new allies to help him respond to the changes.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

This is a very character driven book, centered mostly on the title character, Cody. He's a very solid character, having a tragic background that led to his becoming a vampire hunter, and he is a well rounded character, with strengths and weaknesses that offset each other, just like a real person. Sierra also is fairly well rounded, although she is a bit of a trope as the beautiful assistant/love interest. The antagonists, which consist of Marie and Aabiorn, are both good foils to Cody, in their own way, with Marie wanting to control Cody, while Aabiorn just wants him dead. Their back stories are revealed later in the book, and help flesh out their motivations. The secondary characters are a bit flat, with most of the vampires just seeming to be a bit two dimensional. Not a deal breaker, but they don't add as much as they could.

The world building is fairly pedestrian. The story is set in New York, but it never really gives you a sense of anything particular about the setting. It just kind of seems like the story is set there, but none of the unique locales or culture is ever really used to enrich the story. Again, its not a deal breaker, but it just seems like a bit of a missed opportunity. The vampire world, though, is pretty well expanded upon, and a secret history of the world at large is also an interesting facet of the story. 

FINAL THOUGHTS  

While I wouldn't put this book in my very top tier of urban fantasy books, it's definitely in the upper range of the genre. Its flaws are far outweighed by the things that work in the story, and the characters are definitely worth exploring and keep the pages turning. I do have to mention that there are some adult sex scenes in this book, which I didn't mention earlier, so this is not a book I would recommend for young readers, but it shouldn't put off adult fans of vampire or urban fantasy. This is definitely on the recommended to read list.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Serpents Rising by Joe Jackson

 

Author: Joe Jackson

Length: 561 Pages/ 17 Hours, 5 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Aethon Books

Release Date: June 5, 2020

Narrator: Chelsea Stephens

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Series: Eve of Redemption, Book 3

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Amazon Link

Its always interesting to see where an author who has a multi-book arc is taking the series, especially when it's an extended series. At 11 books, I'd say Eve of Redemption qualifies as extended. When I started reading, I was wondering if this was kind of a placeholder book, or if it was moving the story arc along. I'm happy to say this is definitely a story mover, opening up new avenues of exploration for the characters, and challenging their knowledge of the world they live in.

PLOT SUMMARY

Picking up right after the events of the previous book, there is a bit of chaos in the ranks of the demon hunter's order, as it was discovered that quite a few syrinthian serpent people, servants of the demon king Sekassus, have infiltrated the order. Hatching a plan to expose them, they successfully draw them into the courtyard of the demon hunters compound in the city of Darkwind, and capture them. Kari, the new head of the demon hunter order, is weighing a journey to the underworld to help the priestess Danilynn rescue the daughter of a syrinthian high priestess she owed a debt to, and plans on using any intelligence gathered from those captured. 

After a lot of consultations to determine if its feasible, Kari decides to go, making a deal with one of Sekassus's rival demon kings, and they travel by magic to the underworld, only taking Kari, her sister-in-law Sonia, and the priestess Danilynn, as well as Kari's brother-in-law and her friend Eli. The women are to travel to Sekassus's kingdom from the underworlds capital city, since a group of women won't be accosted, being seen as harmless by the denizen's of that world. As they prepare to leave the underworld capital, they gain some much needed intelligence about the political situation, as well as how they need to proceed to get the young woman, named Sesasha, from the demon king. 

Proceeding through a path arranged for them, the party stops at a village they are guided to. The village is inhabited by mallasti, a hyena humanoid type of demon. This is where they start finding out that what Kari's order thought they knew about demons is completely wrong. Traveling with a young villager as their guide, they work their way towards Sekassus's kingdom, and along the way Sonia is learning to use her magic effectively from their guide, who's race is much more in tune with arcane power. 

Finally reaching Sekassus, they bargain for his prisoner, and Kari and the rest find out that their guide is the reason they can get her exchanged at all. When they have Sesasha, Sakassus shows how evil he truly is, shocking the entire party. As they leave to return to the capitol, they have a seven days grace period where they can't be harmed, but if they can't get out, they are subject to the whims of the king. 

What follows is a harrowing journey, as the Sekassus's forces try to delay the party, while Kari has to avoid killing the kings forces, invalidating their truce. Things come to a head at the border, where an unexpected attack comes from someone attached to Kari's deeds a few months earlier in Barcon. Barely escaping, they even add to their party, finding a lost elf from an earlier invasion of the underworld, and using his help to escape to the capitol.

Returning to the order, Kari takes Sesasha with her to meet the syrinthian prisoners, and Kari realizes Sesasha can be a huge source of help for them, since she is a high priestess of her people, who would happily turn on Sekassus. Taking Sesasha to the grave of her mother to commune with her spirit, Kari, along with a good part of her extended family, are attacked by someone who shouldn't exist, since he was killed by the king of the Gods. Returning part of the way home, Kari and a couple others travel to the temple that Kari, as Salvation's Dawn, is supposed to be able to open with certain keys. What they find there will change their plans going forward, exposing just how far behind they are of the forces arrayed against them. If they can't catch up, their world may be lost to them for good in fire and death.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

This series has to be one of the most character driven series I've ever read. While there's lots of action, strong plot and creative and expansive world building, it all revolves around the large cast of characters, with Kari Vanador as the focus. She has quickly become one of my favorite characters in fantasy. She's strong, well trained and determined to do right, but she can also be rash and caught by crushing self doubt, especially when it comes to her lack of formal education and the trauma of her childhood. She just really feels like a real person with the weight of the world on her shoulders. The secondary characters are so well written, they just fit seamlessly into the story. They are not cardboard cutouts, but well rounded characters in their own right, with strengths and weaknesses that really add to the story. The villains are well thought out, with their own motivations driving their actions, some in bewildering ways, but all seemingly for a purpose, and not just to advance the plot. I'm not sure I've ever read a better group of characters in any series.

The world building is strong once again, with the underworld added as a setting, and being not at all what I would have expected. Instead of a generic hellscape, we get a fully realized world that, while different than Citaria, is definitely a wide range of settings, as the kings realms are different from one another. When the history of this world is revealed, it really expands on what the demon hunters order doesn't know, but needs to find out if Citaria is to avoid the underworld's fate.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I have to say that this is an enjoyable read. It really takes some unexpected twists and turns, with the trip to the underworld really changing how the characters see their universe at large. I'm curious to see where these revelations lead. I think this series, which is now complete at 11 books, will appeal to a wide range of fantasy fans. 

The Bookwyrm's Review of The Temple of Arrival by M.S. Olney

Author: M. S. Olney

Length: 250 Pages

Publisher: Star Forge Books

Release Date: March 31, 2020

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Amazon Link

After reading The First Fear, the first book in this series, I was anxious to see where the story would go. Comparing it favorably to Brandon Sanderson's Mistborn series, I was hoping to see more development of the characters and world he created. Here are the results, which don't suffer from the dreaded second book slump.

PLOT SUMMARY

The Liberator's success in provoking an uprising in the city of Asta, which included killing the Supreme's head enforcer, the First Fear, has emboldened them, even though they were forced to retreat from the city. The powerful Empowered Elian, who can use all the powers of the Gifted, and combine them, which is supposed to be impossible, is now one of the leaders of raiding parties trying to damage the power base of the Supreme, starting with freeing the mines of Hestra. While they initially succeed, they are again forced to retreat from a much larger force of the Supreme's troops. 

They are forced to separate, with one group moving on to the capital to try and gain intelligence about the Supreme's plans, while Elian, who is now struggling to use certain powers, goes looking for Vavius, who betrayed the movement to try and gain power on his own, replacing the Supreme. Along the way he meets an Empowered woman named Cassia, who says shes there to help protect him as he continues his mission, as well as teach him to better utilize his power. Elian remains suspicious of her, as her turning up seems a bit to coincidental.

 Proceeding forward, both groups face the Supreme's attempts to stop both groups, and Elian knows he must beat Vavius to The Temple of Arrivals, because if he gets there and seizes the power held there, he can become even more powerful than the Supreme, and make her rule look kind and benevolent in comparison. 

This all leads to a final confrontation where all the opposing parties meet at the Temple of Arrivals. Unfortunately, the power is not what it seems, and even the history of the world is shown to be a lie. The Supreme is not what they thought, but forces out of their control force a confrontation with results that have world shaking consequences for both the Supreme's forces and the Liberators, which could end with death for them all.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

There are an intriguing mix of characters in this book, with Elian getting the lion's share of attention, as he is the main protagonist. He is such an interesting character, having so much power, but struggling in his use of it. He's definitely a flawed character, trying to do the best, but often rushing off without thinking, making things worse. He comes across as a real person of his age, being forced to mature by circumstances. The secondary characters are given attention as well, to round out their personalities and story arcs, and it helps enrich the story. The villains are excellent, with Vavius really standing out, as his motivations are explored more, and we get to see just what brought him from an ardent freedom fighter to traitor to the cause.

The world building is excellent. The magic system is fully fleshed out, with a consistent set of rules, and an interesting premise with how it's powered. The ability to gain another tier of magic with sufficient mastery is also intriguing, and really adds to the story. 

The world itself is creative, with the various locations drawn out nicely on the page. The descriptions are very well done, without being overblown or excessive. You get a real feel for these places, and have no problem imagining the various locales. You really get a feel for the oppression the populace feels under the Supreme's rule, the general dystopian feel of the place, and what pushes the Liberators into their actions. Its definitely one of my favorite fantasy settings.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I was impressed with the world the author has created. Its magic system seems a bit complicated to start, but the included key to the various magics at the front of the book really helped keep track of what the various powers can accomplish. I also really appreciated the map, it helped really bring the world into focus. I am excited to see where the series goes from here, and think this series will appeal to a wide variety of fantasy fans.

The Bookwyrm's Review of The Gilded Chain by Dave Duncan

Author: Dave Duncan

Length: 432 Pages/ 13 Hours, 33 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Harper Collins

Release Date: September 1, 1999/ November 4, 2019 (Audio)

Narrator: Austin Vanfleet

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Tales of the Kings Blades, Book 1

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

Amazon Link

While I usually review indie authored fantasy, I still have a huge collection of older traditionally published fantasy and sci-fi. This includes most of the books in The Kings Blades series, the first of which, The Gilded Chain, I'm reviewing here. The recent release of the audio version really piqued my interest, so here we go.

PLOT SUMMARY

This story starts with a young boy who's family brings him to Ironhall, where the King's Blades are trained to become the finest warriors in the world, being magically bound to their charges when they graduate. The young man takes the name of Durendal, the name of greatest hero in the history of the Blades, and a huge legacy to live up to.

We then switch to the POV of the kingdom's Chancellor, Lord Roland, as he sits in his office, running the day to day operations of the kingdom. When his biggest rival for power, the king's private secretary, comes in with an order removing him from office, Roland is relieved, thinking he can finally retire and spend time with his wife. Of course, its not that easy, and he is about to be arrested. Fortunately, Roland was gifted a King's Blade to bond to him as a guard, so he avoids being arrested, as any Blade is worth a dozen guardsmen. He heads home and apprises his wife of the situation.

Durendal, if you couldn't guess, is also Lord Roland, and the book switches between the two viewpoints, going back in the past for various important parts of his life, and then switching to the issues going on in the present. We see how, after his training, Durendal is bonded to his first charge, a spoiled noble who's gifted a Blade because his sister is the king's mistress. We get to see what the magical bond means, since it allows a blade to go without sleep for long periods of time, and forces them to defend their charge's life at all cost, including allowing them to fight long past injuries that would kill a normal fighter. 

We get to see Durendal caught up in a scheme by his charge to betray the king, and his bond forces him to go along, to eventual tragic consequences. This leads to Durendal being bonded directly to the king, and joining his household Blades. Rising though the ranks, he is tasked with a mission that takes him for years away from the kingdom,  tasked with bringing back a Blade that has supposedly been made into a gladiator slave in a distant land. This mission has a direct tie in to the end of the book, since what they find there will have dire consequences 30 years in the future. 

Upon returning, Durendal continues to rise in the ranks until he is eventually Blade commander, until the night the king is magically attacked by disgruntled magician's guilds, and Durendal saves the king's life, and is rewarded by being made the king's new chancellor. The years pass by and we get to the present, where we find that the king is finally dying, but something tied into that long ago mission is afoot, and will have horrible consequences for the kingdom, and possibly the world, if the king and his secretary aren't stopped from recreating what Durendal discovered all those years ago and thought he'd stopped then.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

While this book is very plot driven, the characters are surprising well rounded, especially Durendal and the King. Durendal is by every measure a fantasy hero of the old school, fearless, skilled, ruthless when necessary and a ladies man, and yet he also has flaws and blind spots you don't expect in such a traditional type character. His failures are as much a part of his character building as his many successes. The king is very much in the mold of King Henry VIII, starting out a vigorous, brash and energetic king, then getting fat and impatient with dissent as he gets old. He even alienates his daughter/heir. The secondary characters are given some love, especially the various Blades Durendal works with over the years, each given their own personalities, not just roles they play to move the story. 

The world building is solid, with the kingdom being pretty well described and populated, with the magic being fairly low key, but powerful in its way. The foreign locations are fairly well written, and you get a good feeling for the larger world, and the kingdom's place in it.

NARRATION

The narration is fantastically handled by Austin Vanfleet. He makes me think that every fantasy novel should be narrated with a scottish accent. He has such a good voice, with a smooth voice that creates many different voices for the various characters, giving them each their own unique life. His narrative pacing is some of the best I have ever heard, never dipping into a monotone, and really immersing the listener into the story. I will be happily reviewing more of his works in the coming months.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This is the kind of traditional fantasy that could be seen as old fashioned, since the protagonist is not some shades of grey antihero, but is very much a hero. However, he is a flawed hero, making him much more than a two dimensional cutout, and the story is so well told that it keeps the reader engaged, with twists and turns that keep you guessing.  I suspect this book will appeal to a wide range of fans, from teens to fans of old school pulps. 

The Bookwyrm's Review of Sapphire of Souls by M. R. Mathias

Author: M. R. Mathias

Length: 437 Pages/ 6 Hours, 22 Minutes

Publisher: Mathias Publishing

Release Date: August 17, 2017/ August 5, 2019

Narrator: William Hahn

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Series: Fantastica, Book 2

Rating:4/5 Stars

Amazon Link

I have been a big of M. R. Mathias for quite some time. He is one of the pioneers of the indie publishing scene, and its really amazing to see that variety of stories and series he's written since his first book over a decade ago. Fantastica is a worthy addition to his portfolio of series, with broad appeal.

PLOT SUMMARY

The story picks up with Braxton and his companion, the mercenary Nixy, surviving their sea journey in search of the Sapphire of Souls, the weapon that will hopefully help them defeat the powerful demon Pharark. Joining them are are a sorceress, several elven hunters, and two dwarves, one of whom is crown prince, and they are all determined to help save the kingdom of Narvosa from Pharark and his pawn, the necromancer Reaton-Stav. The problem with finding the Sapphire is that its been missing for a 100 years since the elf carrying it was eaten by a dragon, who then flew off. 

Proceeding through the Wilderkin, the wild forest area they must traverse to try and find the jewel, the group is in a race with the wood trolls controlled by Pharark to discover the hiding place of the jewel. The situation gets even more tense when Braxton is thought lost when the group is attacked by a giant serpent, and ends up separated some distance from the group. This turns out to be a blessing in disguise, since Braxton ends up meeting a young girl with a magical amulet similar to his, allowing her to access the void and use magic as well. Traveling with an old dragon named Emerald they've met, they must try and reunite with their friends, while trying to get another weapon, Bloodstone, that can harm Pharark. 

As the two parties get closer to their final goals, their enemies aren't idle. Pharark has more Trolls and the giant Gothicans trying to attack Narvosa through their neighboring kingdom, and Reaton-Stav is trying to create an army of the dead while he tries to get a spell book that will increase his power immensely. These disparate threads come together later in a climactic clash that has repercussions for the greater world, with the results leaving both sides more determined than ever that they are on the path to victory, with only time telling whose vision will win out.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

Like the first book in the series, this book is very character driven. The author does an excellent job creating characters that are sympathetic while being strong and determined to do whats right, as far as the protagonists go, and creates some truly villainous antagonists that you can really loath. Braxton is kind of a traditional hero on the hero's journey, so he does have struggles and failures along the way. The other characters are given attention as well, expanding their stories to draw the reader into their lives. The villains are pretty much irredeemable evil villains, but are powerful enough that they have to be seen as a threat to the world.

The world building, as I've come to expect from this author, is excellent. You really get a solid feel for the world he has created, and it tends to draw you right into the action. It is a high magic realm, so you get your fair share of fireballs and other magic flying around. The settings are top notch, and are so well described you fell like you're walking the paths through the forest and down the halls of the castles. It's pretty much a hallmark of this author's writing.

NARRATION

The narration is handled by William Hahn. He has a big, deep voice, so his narration reflects that, really jumping out of the speakers at you. He does a good job creating different voices for each of the characters, and his narrative pacing is good, moving the story along at a nice clip. I look forward to hearing him narrate the rest of the series.

FINAL THOUGHTS 

With a writer as experienced as M.R. Mathias, I had no doubts the book would be a polished, enjoyable story that avoided being a cliche of a fantasy novel. I was correct, and what we got was a well rounded story that should appeal to a wide range of fantasy fans. I am really looking forward to reading the rest of this series to see how it ends.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Mountain of Madness by Derek Prior

Author: Derek Prior

Length: 235 pages/ 8 Hours, 12 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Homunculus

Release Date: 2019/ January 6, 2020 (Audio)

Narrator: Mike Carnes

Series: Annals of the Nameless Dwarf, Book 2

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Rating 4/5 stars

Buy on Amazon

I have to admit, I am a sucker for stories with dwarves in them. Gruff natured, hard drinking, hard fighting dwarves to me just make a fantasy story better. Books like Markus Heitz's Dwarves, D.A. Adams's Brotherhood of Dwarves and J. Zachary Pike's Orconomics are just catnip for me. When I read the first book in this series, Ravine of Blood and Shadow, I knew I'd found a series easily as good as those other. Mountain of Madness does nothing to change that opinion, being an outstanding addition to this series.

PLOT SUMMARY

The story picks up one year after the tragic events in the dwarven city of Arx Gravis, where the now nameless dwarf was duped into taking up the black axe, which drove him into a magical rage that led him to killing many of his fellow dwarves thinking they were demons. The only thing that stopped him was being separated from the axe and having an ocris metal helmet permanently bonded to his head, and being placed into stasis until he can be separated permanently from the axe. Hearing a familiar voice, Nameless awakens before he's supposed to, alarming the guards and leading to a confrontation with a large part of the guard force with his cellmate. The various factions come together to try and kill him, but he is saved by the magical entrance of a swords-woman, an assassin and a wizard, who are there to help Nameless's cellmate escape, and decide take Nameless with them. 

Having escaped Arx Gravis, but now being a nameless exile, a fate worse than death for a dwarf, he decides to accompany the group on their quest to stop the evil wizard Sektis Gandaw from unmaking the entire world with the power of the captive goddess Etala. Realizing they need to try and get armies on the move to try and stop him, the group, made up of Aristodeus the wizard, Zaylus the holy order knight, Rutha, a mercenary, Shadrak, an assassin and Nameless, proceed to the nearest human city.  The group ends up in an inn on the seedy side of town, and run into Albrec, Shadrak's old partner in the assassins guild. They send Zaylus to warn the city leaders, which is a mistake, since his order is banned in the city. and Zaylus is beaten and sentenced to death. This leads to a wild series of events as the Nameless, Shadrak and Albrec have to break him out and escape, while Aristodeus and Rutha leave on a mission of their own.

Escaping the prison, Zaylus, who wields a magic sword tied to his mental purity, kills a helpless guard, and can't use the sword anymore. This is a huge issue, since that sword was one of the only weapons that could possibly stop Sekris. While Aristodeus trains Rutha in his tower to use another magic sword that might work against Sekris, Nameless, Shadrak, Albrec and an old dwarf teacher of Nameless's approach Sekris's mountain to try and take him on, while trying to figure a way for Zaylus to use his sword. What happens next is an action packed confrontation as Nameless's group has to infiltrate the mountain, avoiding or fighting the traps and monsters in their way, while Aristodeus and Rutha try to confront Sekris on their own, while Sekris attempts to destroy the world with the stolen power, and the results of their success or failure have world shaking consequences.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

This is a character driven book, especially with Nameless, as he struggles to find his place in a world he never expected to ever be in. He is such a great character, strong and brave, but haunted by what he did in Arx Gravis and wondering if he will ever be worthy again. His companions are such a great group as well, with so many strengths and flaws making them seem like real people, and really help to sink you into the story. The villain, Sekris Gandaw, is kind of a trope, the evil wizard that is irredeemably evil, and is a bit over the top, but still makes an effective villain, since his power is so overwhelming. He's just kind of old school, having a more pulp villain feel. 

As far as world building, it's an excellent fantasy world, from Arx Gravis to the city life, to the underground tunnels of Sekris's mountain lair. Magic is not commonplace, but it's not unknown, especially with regards to artifacts. I'd probably rate it middle fantasy in regards to magic and technology. While not unique, it does have some fun with the dwarven realm and culture, which are pretty developed in the story, especially the history and mythos. All told, it's another strength of the story.

NARRATION

The narration is handled quite well by Mike Carnes. He does an excellent job bringing the characters to life, especially Nameless, who is channeling his inner Gimli for all he's worth. He has knack for finding just the right tone, cadence and accent for each character. His narrative pacing is excellent as well, never falling into a monotone. I look forward to hearing him narrate the next book in the series.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This book is a perfect example of a book that not only avoids the sophomore slump, but continues the story in such a way that it brings you even more into the story. The characters and world building mix with the solid storytelling to create a book that will appeal to a wide range of fantasy fans. I look forward to reading/listening to the next book in the series.

The Bookwyrm's Review of Forgotten Soldiers by Joshua P. Simon

Author: Joshua P. Simon

Length: 265 Pages/ 8 Hours, 57 Minutes (Audio)

Publisher: Joshua P. Simon/ Podium Audio

Release Date: December 14, 2014/ May 19, 2017 (Audio)

Narrator: Steven Brand

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Buy on Amazon

I happened to pick this book up on sale, but was a bit over whelmed with review reads at the time, so I was only able to listen to it recently. It turns out I should have gotten to it sooner, because wow, what a story! The themes of this book hit home, since I served in the Army with the last of the Vietnam era vets, who told us of returning to a divided country that didn't want them, and had a skewed image of what they had done while deployed. This book was an emotional roller coaster for me, but in the best way.

PLOT SUMMARY

The Kingdom of Turine has been at war with the neighboring empire for a decade.  Included in that army are a large amount of conscripted soldiers, among whom is a special group of soldiers who work for the commanding General as his special ops group. This group is led by Sargent Tyrus, himself conscripted at the beginning of the war, and the brains behind most of the General's strategic wins. He is also one of the rare people immune to magic, a valued trait in a soldier. When the enemy reportedly finds a magical relic that will win them the war, they mobilize for a full scale attack against the Turine forces. Tyrus convinces the general to deploy forces to flank the invaders, as well as sending his unit behind the lines to try and get the weapon from the enemy. Sneaking through enemy territory, they find the sorcerer's encampment where the relic is held, and after an intense struggle, manages to win the day, including killing the enemy's top sorcerer. 

Returning the weapon to their camp, they find the enemy has surrendered, agreeing to become a vassal state to Turine, as long as they promise to bury the relic and forget it exists. Not so shockingly, the King wants the relic studied, and Tyrus sister, Ava, his unit's mage, goes with the relic to the capital while Tyrus and his unit are released from service, along with several larger units.

As the group of soldiers returns home, they find as they go that they are not welcomed as conquering heroes, but looked at as akin to rabid dogs that were killing innocent civilians, raping and pillaging their way through the war, and now just wanted to return and take what the people who remained have. This leads to soldiers being attacked in a small city when they stopped for the night, and them having to fight their way clear. As the soldiers continue on, the party grows smaller as soldiers return to their various homes, until its just Tyrus and a few of his squad left. Reaching the road to Tyrus's farm, they separate and Tyrus heads for his farm to be reunited with his wife and children.

Tragically, this isn't what happens, and Tyrus finds that his hopes and dreams are destroyed as his farm has been sold, and his family shattered by a series of events he had no knowledge of, since the army has had an information blackout for the past 5 years. In fact, the army messed up and sent a message that Tyrus was likely dead, and this forced his wife to make decisions that eventually led to tragic results for her. Determined to reunite with his family, he finds his children indentured to his childhood enemy, a rich bully, and end up on the wrong side of the law after fighting him and his bully boys to get his kids back. He and the children are trying to leave town when Tyrus runs into two of his former squad mates that found a similar welcome for them, and as they are about to leave town, a mob approaches to stop them.

 Its here where the story gets crazy, as a portal opens, and Tyrus's sister Ava pops out, telling them they need to leave town immediately, since the king's magicians are about to mess with the relic and bad things are going to happen. All of a sudden, there is a flash from the direction of the capital, and people collapse into seizures. Tyrus and his kids alone are ok, since they have  immunity to magic, but the townsfolk are wrecked, and Tyrus has to decide if he and the family should run for it or help the town. This leads to wild series of events, as the blast was just the beginning of what could possibly be the end of the world if Tyrus doesn't do everything he and his people can do to try and stop it, all while dealing with a village that wanted to string him up not too long ago. His decisions will have greater consequences than Tyrus could have imagined.

CHARACTERS AND WORLD BUILDING

The characters in this are such a treasure. I think Tyrus may be one of my favorite all time characters in fantasy. He is such a tragic character, having to deal with so much loss and horror, and yet he still finds ways to struggle past and remain functional. He's such a well rounded character, with his flaws given just as much light as his strengths, making him resonate with me as a reader. The secondary characters are also fully realized, his old squad mates especially reminding me of people and times I had in the army. They just come across as real flesh and blood characters. The villain is a bit of a trope, the rich childhood bully grown into the town bully, but he doesn't go overboard with it, and he is still effective as the foil to Tyrus. 

The world building is a solid as you're likely to find in a fantasy novel. Turine is basically a fantasy version of the US during the Vietnam War, as soldiers returned to scorn and derision, just trying to return to the lives they were forced away from, shattered by what they experienced in the war. The prose describing these places and situations is just fantastic, really drawing you into the world, which is all you can ask of any author creating a new world. It's just done in such an impactful way, you can't help but feel you're right there in the middle of the action.

NARRATION

The narration is ably handled by the talented Steven Brand. He is one of my favorite narrators, and this is just another example of why that is. He does such a fantastic job of creating individual voices for the various characters, breathing life into each of them. His narrative pacing is some of the best in the business, with a crisp delivery that really keeps the story flowing, and his accents and tones are perfect for the story. I can't wait to hear him narrate the rest of the series.

FINAL THOUGHTS

This was a difficult review for me, because I really did feel so badly for Tyrus and his fellow soldiers, having served with soldiers who had been through similar situations, and having heard their stories. Tyrus returning to tragically find his hopes dashed was a gut punch that when it all finally unfolded it actually left me in tears, and considering I have the emotional intelligence of a rock sometimes, that says a lot for the talent of the writer. I can't recommend this book enough to fantasy fans, and I'll even make a specific recommend, something I usually won't do. If you liked Peter McLean's Pries of Bones series, which starts with a similar premise but then goes a very different path, this may very well appeal to you. Definitely one of my top 10 all time reads of any genre.