Aleksandra (Ola) Hill is a Polish-Canadian writer and the founder and editor-in-chief of khōréō, a magazine of speculative fiction by immigrant and diaspora writers. She won the grand prize in the 2019 Writer’s Digest Popular Fiction Awards and is currently pursuing an MFA in writing at The New School. You can find her on Twitter at @_aleksandrahill.

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TL;DR: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan is a glorious first book in an epic historical fantasy duology. Set in 14th-century China, it brings to mind Mulan crossed with A Song of Ice and Fire. It’s perfect for fans of political intrigue, war, and a main character who strives for glory—whatever it takes.

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Destiny isn’t exactly a new theme in literature. Prophecies frequently figured into Greek tragedies and have been used heavily in fantasy since then, including about half a dozen different ones appearing in our beloved Wheel of Time series. Characters learning about and fulfilling their destinies, or working to “change their stars”, are common enough to risk being cliches. 

What I haven’t seen as much of is characters literally taking someone else’s destiny for their own. 

She Who Became the Sun begins with a girl, her brother, her father, and the starving village where they live. A local fortune teller tells the brother that greatness is in his future: that “his deeds will bring a hundred generations of pride to the family name.” 

For the girl, he sees… nothing. Just nothingness. 

And so, when her brother dies, she takes his fate for herself. Zhu, known only as ‘the girl’ until the moment she begins using her brother’s name, leaves the village to join a monastery as a novice using his identity and her own tenacity. Yet even climbing within the ranks of the monks proves to be insufficient to guarantee Zhu’s safety and comfort when the outside world forces its way into the monastery—and so we embark upon Zhu’s true journey towards (possible) greatness.

The historical setting of the novel is particularly brimming with opportunity. Taking place in 1345, when China is under Mongolian rule, the book explores two interlinked concepts of political philosophy: tiānmìng, the Mandate of Heaven, which provides the right to rule; and the Right of Rebellion, which provides moral ground for overthrowing an unjust ruler (I’ll take this opportunity to note that I’m neither a philosopher, nor political scientist, nor a scholar of Chinese history; I beg the forgiveness of those who are better versed in these subjects for any gross oversimplification!). At the beginning of the book, a descendant of Kublai Khan holds power and thus the Mandate of Heaven. While Zhu is the main character of the novel, the reader is also able to dive into a number of different points of view in the second part of the novel, including two on the Mongolian side. The first of these, Esen, is a prince and a rising star of the court thanks to Ouyang, who is a famed general, eunuch, and Esen’s best friend. Through their eyes, we see not only the Mongolians’ battle to retain power versus the rebelling Chinese, but also the smaller power struggles within a cutthroat court. 

On the rebel’s side, we see the world through Zhu’s eyes, as well as those of Ma, an young woman with no family who is betrothed to a rebel leader’s bumbling, inept son. While, as a reader, one naturally sides with the rebels clearly living under an oppressive rule, their own faction is rife with the same issues that plague the party in power: unchecked ambition, betrayal, and greed. 

The struggle for power is enriched by one of the themes running through the novel: that of identity, especially in light of gender, sex, and relationships. For one, Zhu is born a woman and lives as a man, yet gender has not—in my reading—been of particular import to them except as a tool, even though it matters so much to the society that they live in. Their relationship with Ma, who is ensnared by society in her identity as a woman, provides an additional layer of depth to Zhu’s character that had me riveted to the page. In addition, Ouyang provides a strong counterpoint and foil to Zhu’s on views of gender by his status as a eunuch, especially in light of his relationship to Esen, a man who has never had to question his identity or place in the world. In contrast, Ouyang is held in contempt by the court, considered a sort of in-between thing rather than a man. These facets of identity play off of each other, deepening the tension and raising the stakes for every scene. 

Importantly, this may not be an epic fantasy series in the way that readers of Jordan, Sanderson, Bardugo, and Jemisin might think of it. Specifically, there is no magic system of weaves or elements or spells; nor are there mythological creatures. Rather, the fantasy (if, indeed, it is fantasy*) comes from the personification of the Mandate of Heaven and the unquestionable existence of destiny, as well as the existence of (ancestral) ghosts. Some characters can see the dead, for example; in addition, the Mandate of Heaven is clearly visible to individuals. Zhu can also feel Heaven’s eyes on them, especially if they act outside of the character of Zhu. 

^{_{*Writing this as a non-religious Polish-Canadian scientist/writer, the existence of something like Heaven, fate, and ancestral spirits are fantasy to me—but they may be very real to others.}} 

This may be a different feeling to fantasy for many, especially when thinking of epic fantasy. There is no magic school and no focus on harnessing supernatural power in ways that you might expect. However, I never felt anything but enchanted by the world that Parker-Chan has created, both from the beauty of their writing and the sheer immenseness of the history that they have chosen to reimagine, and that’s everything that I’ve ever wanted from fantasy. Daes Dae’mar and battles like Dumai’s Wells were integral to The Wheel of Time—as are the politics and battles in this book.

She Who Became the Sun swallowed me whole from the very first page and didn’t let go until I emerged, blinking into the sunlight and slightly disoriented, at the end of the story. I was enthralled by Zhu as a highly flawed protagonist, enraptured by Esen and Ouyang, and enamored of Ma. Most of all, I love how unapologetically queer this book is and how deeply it explores love, sex, and gender against a truly epic backdrop. It’s one of my favourite books of the year, but I particularly recommend it to those who love political and military fantasy, alternative history, queer fantasy, and flawed protagonists. 
 

In this story, Robert Endicott comes from a family gifted with heraldry—a sort of foretelling for people, places, and things.  This innate ability gets him noticed as a possible student for the Duchess’s New School, a program that teaches dynamics, a form of magic that derives from shifting probability and the physics of thermodynamics. 

As Endicott and his classmates get further into their training, they learn that the New School’s not as safe as they thought.  The previous year’s trainees suffered fatalities in their studies and the courses this year aim to keep the students from the same mistakes.

To make matters worse, rumors of Nimrheal—a mythical figure who outlawed innovation and is credited with killing mathematicians and inventors in the past—begin to circulate and riots break out in his name.  The real threat of mishandling the magic and the perceived threat of Nimrheal push Endicott down a road he never intended to take.

Some reviews of Lee Hunt’s Dynamicist claim that mathematics is just as important as magic within the world of this trilogy.  This idea was so intriguing, and as a math teacher, I knew I had to read this book.  While Dynamicist only scratches the surface of this magic system, there is the promise of more to come as the series continues.  This view of magic is unique and I enjoyed the tie in to math and science.  

Endicott is a likeable hero.  He struggles to learn the needed academic skills and form bonds with his new classmates.  Raised on a farm, Endicott is naïve about the city and his interactions with others.  Because of his humble upbringing, he approaches these relationships and situations with an honest sincerity that’s refreshing.  He wants to discuss poetry and his emotions.  He constantly analyses himself.  He realizes he has a weakness for protecting others, and this love drives his character forward.

This book was an enjoyable read and a great introduction to a new world and a new magic system. I’m very excited to finish the trilogy and see how fleshed out the math magic can get!

The second book in the series, Herald, was released on audiobook earlier this month!  I listened to the audiobook for Dynamicist and recommend it.  The narration by Craig A. Hart is well done.  His emotions come through for each character.

To read more on Lee Hunt and the rest of the Dynamicist trilogy, you can visit his website.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

Is a life worth living if it is spent alone? As we are faced with the growing truth that we are mortal I am sure at one time or another we have all fantasized about what we could do with time without end. I have often pondered what I would be willing to give up for even an extra fifty years of life on earth. In her most recent novel V.E. Schwab gives us the opportunity to dance through time as we follow young Addie LaRue. She exchanged her soul for a life without end, but it didn’t come without a price. 

As Friedrich Neitzsche once said, “The devil is in the detail”. This is a lesson that Addie would have been wise to take to heart. Stifled and caged by her gender and rural surroundings of Villon-sur-Sarthe, France in 1714, Adeline dreamed of a life without obligation. A life full of wonder, new experiences, and the freedom of choice. It is this desire that leads her to be cursed by her own hand. She makes a deal with the devil to live until she is done with it. “You can have my soul when I don’t want it anymore,” she promises, and that’s all it takes to erase the life she had once known.  

I love when something I read doesn’t spark a memory or a comparison to another book. That speaks to my soul as something wholly original that needs to be read. To be honest I have not read many fantasy novels that take place in our own world. I prefer to be transported to another world, but I knew within the first few chapters that this book was something different. 

The best way I can describe it is a dance through time, seen through the eyes of Addie. As she navigates our modern world as something like a spectator, we are given a passport to her past. All of her 300 long years of life adding up to the final decision we see her make. 

There are no large action sequences or epic battles, except perhaps the entanglement between Addie and the Devil for her soul. Even still the book moves. I was carried through the pages by the desire to see if her road would come to an end. Was this to be a story about the entirety of her life? Or just a snapshot of her struggle? As I read the last words, I found myself aching to know more, but not so much so that I was dissatisfied. I believe that to be the hallmark of a tale well told. I was and am still impressed by how beautifully this story was written. V.E. (Victoria) Schwab has gained a new fan.  

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab is available from Dragonmount's store as a DRM-free ebook. You can also purchase it on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent bookseller. 

The Child of Chaos by Glen Dahlgren

In mother nature there is balance. For every dark night there is the light of day; for every devastating fire there is new life. In a world that is created by order, there will be a need for chaos to create harmony. In the young adult fantasy fiction world, there is a tendency by authors to follow a familiar path. As my fellow lovers of the fantasy and science fiction genre know, many authors can easily fall victim to this trap (Not that it means we love them any less!). Glen Dahlgren’s debut novel The Child of Chaos takes a new approach to the genre that was refreshing. Many in our fandom will know him as the lead designer of the Wheel of Time video game—which was released in 1999—but I suspect you will come to love him as a fantasy author as well.

The story is told mostly in alternating points of view between the hero and the villain. Our hero, young Galen, and his former friend Horace grow up quite quickly as their lives careen off of their predestined paths. Dahlgren creates a polytheistic religious system in which people feel called by “The Longing” to serve their God. Those not tied to the temples are faithless and expected to pay their tithe to the Order. The different Gods come together to create harmony and order, but what happens when Chaos is thrown into the mix? Galen is a young man with a powerful imagination who does not fit into the black and white world in which the faithless live. In the end it is his differences that make him exactly what the world needs.

At times the novel surges forward in leaps and bounds and you are never able to truly anticipate what lays ahead on the next page. The characters, religion and unique magic system are incredibly well developed. I personally would have liked even more world building, though as a disciple of Jordan I tend to live by the motto “more is more,” which is not for everyone.  As I have stated before, I love reviewing debut novels as it is exciting to see where burgeoning authors’ careers will go. The Child of Chaos is a very nice addition to the fantasy genre and one that I recommend to both new fantasy readers and to those of us who forever dwell in this literary realm. 

The Child of Chaos by Glen Dahlgren is available at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent bookseller. 

Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston

The world we are living in is rife with crisis and bubbling with change. This novel landed in my lap at the perfect time. As I read, I drew many parallels to our unpredictable lives in 2020. The standalone novel, Master of Poisons written by Andrea Hairston is a richly diverse epic fantasy saga. The story is filled with familiar fantasy accoutrement that is woven together with African influences.  The book raised many poignant questions for me that are resonant with our lives today. What are you willing to give up in order to change the future? How do you stand up to corruption? How long can our planet withstand our blatant disregard for the warnings it's presenting to us? 

The African-inspired world Hairston created stands on the precipice of destruction. A poisoned desert is destroying their physical world and the world found in dreams and hearts, the Smokeland. The leaders who are supposed to be looking out for their people’s best interests only seem to care about their own gain. Djola, The Master of Poisons and the right hand of the Emperor is willing to give up everything to save their world. The rest of the council is unwilling to see past their own self-interests and limiting beliefs. Djola sets off alone in search of the cure for the poisoned desert but discovers so much more. 

In another part of the world there is a young garden Sprite Awa, who is trying to find where she belongs after being abandoned by everyone she ever loved. Her journey with the griots expands her knowledge of the world and its stories, but it also shows her the measure of her own inner strength. The epic journey of these characters was enough to pull me through to the end of the novel. Yet, at times I found myself referring back to the glossary, and rereading passages to gain further understanding. The world building was an immensely impressive feat that at times borders on overly complex. There were moments of brilliant prose that kept me aching for more. The chapters written from the view of the animals were always captivating, and the songs and spells woven into the text were beautiful. 

Master of Poisons is a novel that is worth a second read to fully gain an understanding of the layers of subtext. The magic system used is unique and unlike anything I have ever read. It gives me hope for the continued creativity of the fantasy genre. I truly appreciated the subtle way in which Hairston integrated issues of today without feeling as if I was being taught a lesson. Her ability to construct such a detailed world was inspiring to me as both a reader and a writer. I am looking forward to exploring her other works.

Master of Poisons by Andrea Hairston is available from Dragonmount's store as a DRM-free ebook. You can also purchase it on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent bookseller. 

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

I have reached an important conclusion concerning my identity as a reader. I am officially a science fiction fan. I can go on to add a willing and excited reader of science fiction. I am new enough to the genre to know I still have a lot to explore, but my first few forays in the world of science fiction have been a triumph. The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi is no exception. In fact, since finishing this book I have already gone on to begin book two. In my mind that is the highest compliment I can give to an author; to immediately read more of their works. 

I learned that for me to truly invest myself into the world a fantasy or science fiction author creates, there has to be a certain level of familiarity. A blend of what truly exists in our world and the unique features of the universe that they have created. It is a delicate balance to borrow and adapt without seeming to “steal” too much of our reality. It is a dance I face daily in my own writing, and one that I think Scalzi executes masterfully. 

Being a relative newb to this genre, I often find myself rereading passages to make sure I understand what is being conveyed. When reading The Collapsing Empire, the rules of the world were presented in such a fashion it was almost as if I had always known of their existence. I hesitate to give away too much of this gem, but the book is set up as the possible future of the human race after Earth has been lost, or at least deemed uninhabitable. The majority of the population is spread throughout the universe and living on planets that are not truly inhabitable. The only civilization that lives on a planet’s surface, is the End.  In order to survive they make use of The Flow, to sustain trade and keep each planet supplied with that they need to survive. The Flow, which is essentially a one-directional worm hole between planets is essential to the survival of the entire Interdependency. The question becomes, what happens when this pivotal network no longer functions as it should? 

Since its founding, the Interdependency has been led by the Emperox from the Wu family, and as the story begins the leader of the Universe is dying and his unwilling daughter is preparing to assume the weight of the entire system on her shoulders. As is true of any ruler, there are those who wish to control, or even replace her right from the first moments of her rule. While most of the story is told from only three characters' point of view, we are shown the deep impact of their decisions on the fate of the human race. 

This succinct and captivating novel can easily be finished in one midafternoon reading marathon, and Scalzi’s characters are so engaging that you truly won’t want to put it down. As I read the last sentence, I found myself feeling very grateful that I was able to immediately begin the next book in the series. I think having to wait for the next book would have been a reader’s torture. Do yourself a favor and pick up this book to have on hand for when you have a few hours to yourself. I can confidently say that you will enjoy this highly accessible Space-opera. 

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi is available from Dragonmount's store as a DRM-free ebook. You can also purchase it on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent bookseller. 

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

There is great beauty in a willingness to see the world through someone else’s eyes. I have come to find it even more important in our world’s changing and uncertain times to surround myself with media that helps to broaden my worldview. In my opinion it is truly one of the best things about literature, more so than any other medium. Reading requires you to use your imagination and visualize. A well written book can take you to another world and allow you to walk in someone else’s shoes.

Binti is a 2015 award-winning science fiction novella by Nnedi Okorafor. Our main character Binti is a sixteen-year-old minority prodigy.  She is offered a position at the prestigious Oomza University, something that no one else in her village would ever consider. Part of the Himba people, Binti was always destined to succeed her father in their business. The Himba people are deeply tied to their ancestral land, and they believe that if you move away you will begin to diminish. They even coat their bodies in a special material “Otjize” made from a red clay from the earth and the oil from local flowers. It is what makes Binti’s resolve to venture out into the universe even more inspiring. 

Surrounded by people foreign to herself, Binti finds similarities in a love of learning. She quickly makes friends and becomes more comfortable with the idea of being so far from home. Much like in real life, Binti’s leap of faith is not met with an easy road. She is faced with challenges and strife and is forced to find her own inner strength. I would recommend this book to fantasy and sci-fi readers alike. It is a quick read and offers a story that is richly woven with ethnic issues. I am excited to read the next two novellas in the series. 

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor is available from Dragonmount's store as a DRM-free ebook. You can also purchase it on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent bookseller. 

A Memory Called Empire

By Arkady Martine

Some of my first and fondest memories as a child are of hiding in my closet with a camp light so that I could read, undisturbed, for the entire day. I devoured all forms of fiction, with the exception of one.... Science Fiction. Over the years I have given several Sci-Fi novels a chance, but none managed to hold my interest till the end. When I was presented with A Memory Called Empire to review, I knew that for the first time that streak was going to come to an end. What surprised me was how thoroughly I enjoyed this science fiction novel.

We are launched into a world where small, planet-less stations do what they can to remain just outside of the control of the Empire, Teixcalaan. A young Ambassador, Mahit Dzmare, is being sent from Lsel Station to Teixcalaan to replace her recently deceased predecessor. She is equal parts trepidation and excitement; with all the vigor of someone young and eager to prove themselves. Mahit very quickly finds herself utterly alone and unsure who she can trust among the stoic and expressionless Teixcalaanlitzlim. The entire novel takes place in the span of days, not months or years, which means that it moves along at a lightning pace. Many of the choices Mahit is forced to make are born out of urgent necessity. She is forced to think on her feet and move with profound purpose.  

Arkady Martines’ debut novel is a fantastic blend of political intrigue and personal ambition. I found myself repeatedly impressed with the depth of detail she created surrounding both culture and political conspiracy. At times the poetic nature of the language takes a second reading, and the intense vocabulary requires careful concentration. I am happily shocked to report that I am anxiously awaiting the next novel in this series. The story is beautifully designed to pull you into the Lsel Ambassador’s psyche and leave you aching to know of her future. 

A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine is available from Dragonmount's store as a DRM-free ebook. You can also purchase it on Barnes and Nobel,  Amazon, and your local independent bookseller. 

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood

Leaping into the unknown with a debut fantasy novel is equal parts trepidation and excitement. Will familiar themes enchant or disappoint? Will the author live up to the promises made in the book's synopsis? Can the book hold your attention to the very end? Diving into The Unspoken Name, I was intent to answer these questions and more. 

From the first few pages, the novel struck me as something wholly unique and exciting. I was instantly enchanted by our humanoid protagonist Csorwe, and her willingness to walk headlong to her own demise. She was young and seemingly pious, and completely resigned to her fate. Csorwe was the Chosen Bride. While alive she prayed, gave blessings, dispensed prophecy, and walked ever closer to the day that she would walk into her god’s shrine and never be seen again. 

Call it fate or simply a choice, but when the sacrificial day came Csorwe chose to flee her faith and live, rather than die in the tomb of her cruel god. She did not come to the choice to leave on her own, but rather was prodded towards heresy by a wise old wizard. From that moment the wizard, Belthandros Sethennai, became the compass that directed her life. Sadly, Csorwe’s life had been promised to her god from a young age, and debts such as those always seem to find a way to be paid. 

Throughout the course of the novel Larkwood repeatedly puts her characters in situations where they are forced to make a choice between who they are and who they want to be. The gift of choice is presented time and time again, and yet fate always seems to intervene. At times it can become almost dizzying to keep up. There is often an abruptness to major changes in the novel that left me feeling a bit dissatisfied. What kept me turning the pages was the beauty and uniqueness of the world and its magic system.  

A.K. Larkwood created a vivid universe that is a seamless meld of traditional fantasy, and science fiction. The lives of the characters are steeped in medieval mundanity and yet they travel using flying ships and a complex lace of a Maze that transports them between worlds. These two different styles were expertly blended and completely captivating. I also couldn't help but cheer the normalcy created around queerness. The love and lust felt between characters was both beautiful and compelling. The magic system, one which is derived completely through god worship and extracts a toll on the body, is also a compelling subplot throughout the story. 

In whole, The Unspoken Name is an intriguing and promising debut novel. It is a modern take on the fantasy genre that has me curious about what the future holds. While the novel could certainly be a stand alone, I have a feeling it is not the last I will read about this world. 

The Unspoken Name by A.K. Larkwood is available from Dragonmount's store as a DRM-free ebook. You can also purchase it on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent bookseller. 

The Bard’s Blade (The Sorcerer’s Song #1)

By Brian D. Anderson

Crystal Fritz is Dragonmount's book reviewer. Read more reviews here.

My favorite aspect of the fantasy genre is that it transports us from our fast-paced and hectic world, and into realms of nostalgic and fantastic beauty. I hesitate to call these worlds simpler times, but nonetheless there is a fascinating quaintness to lives that are lived before the advent of modern technologies. In The Sorcerer's Song #1 The Bard’s Blade a new trilogy by author Brian D. Anderson, we are thrust in the midst of an epic love between two young people living in the picturesque and quaint Vylari.

Our heroin Mariyah is a strong-willed and obviously intelligent young woman with her heart set on marrying her oddball, but immensely talented musician beau named Lem. Their homeland of Vylari is a place of peace. Friendly neighbors, warm summer nights, enchanting music and good wine are prevalent, and as long as the barrier that hides their land from the evils of Lamoria remains intact it seems as if nothing can shatter the never-ending calm. As often happens, a stranger brings ill tidings of impending disaster that set Lem and Mariyah down very different paths. They are thrust into a world similar, and yet far harsher than any they are used to. Fanatical “god” worship, magic, and murder are all common place in Lamoria. Our heroes have to quickly learn how to adapt and survive in their startling new reality.

This novel is very much a story about love, but more than that the lengths that we will go to save what is precious to us. Decisions that we make can take us places we never thought to go, and that happens repeatedly to Lem and Mariyah. To avid readers of The Wheel of Time, there are many familiar situations and themes that give this novel a comforting feeling; almost like a favorite meal or a close friend. There are no epic battles and yet just enough intrigue to keep the pages turning. I believe this novel is highly accessible and would be a great introduction to the fantasy genre for someone looking to expand their horizons. For those of us who devour everything the genre has to offer The Bard’s Blade is an effortless read that reminded me how beautiful a simple story can be. This novel felt very much like coming home.

Have you ever picked up a book and instantly felt like you had found a long-lost friend?

The Bard’s Blade by Brian D. Anderson is available from Dragonmount's store as a DRM-free ebook. You can also purchase it on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent bookseller.

Crystal Fritz is Dragonmount's book reviewer. Read more reviews here.

Intricate, complex, and engaging were the first words that came to mind as I dug into The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons. The author creates for us an extremely well thought-out, vivid, and mature world that leaves this reader wondering if anyone truly has control over their own fate; or are we all simply pawns in a much larger game?

Our journey begins with a letter from a seemingly educated man of unknown origin named Thurvishar D’Lorus. In his short message, he informs us that he is our true storyteller. He has reconstructed this story from transcripts and eyewitness accounts of events. Thurvishar foreshadows for us the fall of a capital. Who he is, and what capital city he is speaking of, is unknown to us for some time. Our second window into this rich world is through the eyes and conversation between a jailor and her. The jailor Talon is a fierce and terrifying creature, that brings to mind for me, a sadistic and charming succubus, although that is not who or what she truly is. Caught in her trap is a witty young man named Kihrin, who seems more or less resigned to his fate. 

It is Kihrins’ life and his journey toward his current confinement that we are following. We ping-pong through, chapter by chapter and year by year learning about how his life was twisted and changed by outside forces of prophecy and fate. Talon’s recount focuses on an earlier point in time, and it takes most of the novel before she and Kihrin’s tale converge to its inevitable end. 

As this story is being told from the outside, our tale’s author Thurvishar includes footnotes on many of the pages meant to expand our knowledge of the history of the world. As you learn the “language” and history of the universe Jenn Lyons created the more captivating the story becomes. 

The detailed complexity of this novel lends itself well to a quiet room and a glass of wine (or any beverage of your choice). It is clear to me the depth of the work that went into creating the many pitfalls and triumphs that drive the story forward. Lyons created an epic and fast-paced world filled with magic, demons, dragons, and heroes that leaves you wanting to know what is next for its cast of characters. I have already added the second book in the series to my reading list and am looking forward to discovering what happens next and answering the question(s) spinning in my mind. 

What other books have you read that make you question the effect fate has on your life?

Hypothetically speaking, as a captive or prisoner, what affect would the discovery of the manipulative outside forces in your life have on you? How accepting or understanding would you find yourself while facing the grim prospect of future imprisonment or even, worse?  

The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons is available from Dragonmount's store as a DRM-free ebook. You can also purchase it on Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and your local independent bookseller. 

A good fantasy novel will have some familiar archetypes that avid readers of the genre know well. There are the endless battles between Good and Evil, Lightness and Dark, a Dark Lord and a scrappy Hero. Mix in a harrowing quest, a magical system, and a cast of mythical creatures, and you can create an epic novel that grips the reader to the very end. Good writers are able to reinvent these concepts in new ways again and again to keep fantasy readers hooked. Kel Kade presents us with a trope-subverting version of those archetypes in her new novel, Fate of the Fallen: Shroud of Prophecy (Book One). 

“What happens when the path of good and right, the triumph of light over darkness, the only path to salvation...fails?” This is the question Kade poses for us in the prologue of the book. I was instantly intrigued at the concept of evil winning out over good. I have come to expect heartbreak and tragedy as I travel along my fantasy journey, but however messy the journey becomes, I always expect the heroes to win the day. 

We are thrown immediately into a medievalesque world where a young handsome hero Mathais and his faithful friend Aaslo are bantering in the forest. We quickly learn the depth of their bond, and the book continually reinforces the lengths that “brothers in all things” will go to in order to honor that friendship. It isn’t long before our main characters have left the quaint life they once led, where their greatest worry was whom to take to the next town dance and are now venturing off into foreign lands. The duo are taking on a seemingly doomed quest to save humankind. In Kade’s world, the Greek-like gods take an active role in the manipulation of human lives. These ethereal beings exist in their own microcosms of the universe he created; and the lines between the realms seem less static than in other fantasy novels. As a reader you have to pay close attention to disentangle the many varied names and locations that are thrown your way as Kade gallops rather quickly through book one of this series. There are a few abrupt transitions that left me going back to reread the previous page, but I do not think that this was an accident. I believe Kade was intentionally trying to subvert the typical experience of the fantasy genre. 

She wove a tapestry of fascinating characters who were easy to love and that easily pulled me through the pages. In my opinion this book’s greatest strength is the witty banter that exists between its characters. There is a relatable and endearing comradery between Mathais and Aaslo that had me wondering if my best friend would go to such epic lengths for me? I finished the last page and was surprised to find myself so committed to seeing this journey to its end. I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of book two, to hear more of Mathais and Aaslo’s banter and to see what other surprises Kade can conjure. 

Get a Free extended preview (ebook) on the DM ebook store

Other Links

• KelKade.com
• Dragonmount eBook Store
  
• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble
• IndieBound.org / local retailers

The Way of Shadows is the first installment of the Night Angel trilogy by Brent Weeks.  Weeks will be the Author Guest of Honor at this year’s JordanCon, taking place April 26-28, 2019.

The story follows Azoth, an orphan living on the streets of Cenaria.

Azoth's character development is fascinating since he starts as a relatively young child living on the streets in the Warrens, the seedy underside of Cenaria.  We watch him go from child to young adult under the tutelage of Durzo Blint. Durzo is not the best of influences, but he is all Azoth has.  Azoth's character arc almost seems to be the reverse of Blint's which makes the interaction between the characters interesting.

As far as Weeks writing style, he does not spend an extensive amount of time on descriptions of settings or clothing, but it does not take away from the story. Character interaction gives the reader the complete experience of setting and mood.

Week's portrayal of female characters fell a little short for me. He seems to stick to many of the tropes women are regulated to in fantasy. That being said, there is one female character that shows promise at the end of the story. Hopefully, this continues into the second installment.

My Pros:

• There are plot twists. I always enjoy it when an author can catch me off guard.
• Once the action starts, it is quick paced and holds the reader's interest.
• Azoth is a well-developed character, and it is interesting to see how his character grows and changes as he learns the ways of the world.

My Cons:

• Contains possible triggers for those that have experienced sexual abuse.
• The beginning of the book that takes place in the Warrens is rather dark, more so, because the characters involved are children.

All in all, The Way of Shadows is a good read, provided you are not bothered by the darkness of the beginning chapters.

You can find out more about Brent Weeks and his other books at his website.

If you are part of the Facebook Wheel of Time Community, you may have run into Drew McCaffrey.  He has been an active part of the online community and is an excellent resource for anyone that needs information about the Wheel of Time series.

But Drew is more than just a Wheel of Time fan, he is also an up and coming author.  He recently began writing for TOR.com, and I had a chance to sit down with him to discuss this new opportunity.

Ebony: How did you get involved in writing for Tor.com?

Drew: One of my friends, Alice Arneson, has been writing the Brandon Sanderson Cosmere re-reads on Tor.com. She encouraged me to submit a proposal this fall, when Tor announced they were looking for new voices covering different books. I was thrilled when they said they were interested!

E: What is your official title with Tor.com?

D:I don't think I have one...maybe "contributing writer"?

E: What topics will you be writing about?

D: I'm starting with a big article about 10 of the best completed series in science fiction and fantasy. Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson fans will undoubtedly enjoy it (and maybe find a couple new series to check out)!

E: How often do you expect to post articles?

D: For now, it will depend on how often I propose ideas and Tor approves them. I don't have a regularly scheduled column or re-read or anything.

E: What will your first article be on Tor.com be about and when will it be posted?

D: My first will be that completed series article. It should be going up in the next week or so!

E: How did feel after submitting your first article to Tor.com?

D: I was incredibly excited and nervous. Tor.com is one of the biggest emerging platforms in SFF, with an outstanding track record in publishing revolutionary short fiction, novellas, and literary essays. I'm blown away by how many of their stories have been nominated for, and even won, major SFF awards.

E: Aside from writing for Tor.com do you any other sort of writing?

D: I do sports writing, covering the New York Rangers for bluelinestation.com. I also write lots of original fiction, ranging from short stories to novels, and I wrote a fair amount of book reviews for dcafwriting.com, although I haven't had the time to keep my site current.

E: How does writing from Tor.com differ from other writing you have done?

D: Writing for Tor.com has me much more cognizant of audience. Writing a book review or an opinion piece for dcafwriting is low-stress, because there isn't much of an active comment section and the general audience is relatively small. Tor.com is a big-time site, and articles there regularly see 100+ comments.

E: Are there any topics you hope to be able to write about for Tor.com?

D: I have at least one article about Matthew Stover's Acts of Caine series on my plate, and I hope to explore that series more. I'd love to talk about Glen Cook's Black Company, The Gap Cycle by Stephen R. Donaldson, and David Farland's Runelords series, too.

E: What do you think/hope you will gain from your experience with Tor.com?

D: I think this will give me a great chance to bring some lesser-known series to a wider audience, but more importantly, it will give me a chance to see what that wider audience loves. How many amazing series are out there that I haven't heard of or read yet? Interacting with the Tor.com audience will assuredly open my eyes to things that haven't crossed my path yet.

E:Are there any other writing endeavors in your future?

D: My Blue Line Station writing is an ongoing job, but my big focus for the future is getting a novel published. I'm writing my fourth novel right now, and I've gotten to the point where I'm confident enough in my stories and my writing that I'm querying literary agents.

Well, we will certainly keep an eye out for Drew’s upcoming novel.  Until then check out his TOR.com articles:

The 10 Best Completed SF and Fantasy Series (According to Me)

Matthew Stover’s Heroes Die is a Grimdark Cult Classic

It’s time for another author interview!  I’m very pleased to be able to have J.S. Fields with us.  J.S. is the author of the Ardulum Series, with the third book, Third Don, being released June 4, 2018.  J.S. is an author, an artist, and a scientist, with a special interest in wood spalting.

Q: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, J.S.  Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Thank you for having me! I’m a professor, parent, professional sculptor, and most recently, author. I live in the Pacific Northwest of the USA but am not a dog person, which is sort of a perpetual issue in this region. I love dark chocolate, dark fantasy, and anything with a strong f/f or enby/f romance line (assuming it still has plot). Also I’m queer x10000, but I think that goes without saying.

Q: Your Ardulum Series is praised as a ground-breaking space opera with special emphasis on species with more than two genders, or gender-neutral roles.  How important is it to you to see this representation within the writing community?

Being nonbinary myself, I am of course very tired of not seeing myself in fiction. But I think more importantly, in space science fiction, there is really no excuse to not have nonbinary genders. The binary doesn’t even routinely exist on earth, so why in the world would it exist for every species we might meet in space? While representation clearly matters, I think I’m actually more insulted on a science front when I read science fiction that doesn’t include nonbinary genders. How can anyone claim to be a scientist and not understand (or embrace) the natural variability of living systems?

On the representation front, I think in many ways science fiction has not really evolved in terms of gender. Sexuality has always been explored (not always well, or respectfully), but gender seems to be this big hurdle writers can’t get around (exceptions, of course, do exist). We can imagine hyperdrives and wormholes, but not the idea that this person with breasts and a vulva isn’t a woman. And the more space science fiction, especially, pushes the boundaries of sexuality, the more the lack of gender representation stands out. It’s demoralizing and, quite frankly, incredibly ignorant, to imagine worlds where, say, everyone is ‘anatomically female,’ so of course there are lesbians, but no one ever seems to stop and go, oh, hey, just because they have these parts doesn’t mean you still wouldn’t have men, or enbies. It feels like conscious erasure, like nonbinary and trans people are just too much work to put into a narrative. Because calling someone with a penis a woman is so much harder than a two-page treatise on how a civilization evolved on a tidally locked planet inside a wormhole.

Q: Your series introduces several new species.  Can you explain a bit about them, and how they are different/similar to humanity or other alien species we’ve grown accustomed to?

ARDULUM has a number of non-human species. In fact, humans, while present, are not POV characters, nor do they drive the narrative.

I did make a conscious effort to make most of my aliens humanoid. This was for a number of reasons, including but not limited to:

1)      reader familiarity: while some readers love a good goopy, phase-shifting being, if you don’t have humans as your main characters, you will lose readers who cannot connect with goopy-protag.

2)      technology: we all work within the ecosystems that support us. It makes sense that bipeds would generally congregate together due to similarities in needs. Hence, while it is made apparent in the series that plenty of variation exists across the galaxy, the bipeds mostly hang out in biped-specific establishments. This means they generally only meet other bipeds. Some exclusions occur, and in fact, it is the interaction of biped/non-biped interactions that drive a lot of the narrative

3)      genetics and reproductive fitness: there are a lot of genetic narratives in play in the ARDULUM  series, and for those to work, I need genetically related species. Genetic relations generally tend to mean you look like the person you’re related to (on a family level or higher), so I didn’t have a lot of leeway to have non-humanoid bipeds in the narrative.

4)      Sex. I like a good tentacle sex scene as much as the next person but I’m not prepared to write one.

To the aliens in ARDULUM specifically:

At the heart of the story is Neek (from a planet of the same name), a young woman outcast from her world for failure to tow the religious line. This species has two distinct phenotypes: the eight-fingered variety that mostly have reddish hair and variable skin melanin content, and the variety that have bone white skin and variable fingers. All secrete empathic mucous from their fingertips. There are three standard genders on Neek: male, female, and gatoi. Gatoi is third gender, and while genitals are never discussed, it is established that this gender is a player in reproduction.

The Ardulans are bipedal humanoids with transparent skin (of varying melanin contents), also all with reddish hair, and also with a male/female/gatoi breakdown (you see now where the genetic through-line is coming in). To describe much more would give spoilers, unfortunately, but generally this species has some unique telekinetic abilities.

Mmnnuggls are the primary non-bipeds of the series. These are ball-shaped beings that hover a few meters off the ground (the mechanics of this are not discussed). They’re generally shades of purple (sometimes so dark as to be almost black). They have four genders (primary male, secondary male, primary female, secondary female), which includes both anatomical changes and social role changes. This species was a lot of fun to write because they choose to interact with bipeds, but there is so much to understand between fundamentally different lifeforms. What are the purpose of hands, afterall, if your species has evolved to have no use for them? They probably just look downright stupid! But really, having characters like the Mmnnuggls points out the real struggle in writing aliens, and why so many books/movies chose to use a standard biped form. If you’re going to have multiple aliens, there’s just too much anatomy and culture to build to even have your species begin to interact. And the more disparate the anatomy, the more likely it is that the species require mutually-exclusive environments. And then you’re into a whole different type of science fiction.

The final species of note are the Risalians, an agender, bipedal, humanoid species with a blend of mammalian and reptilian roots. These are the prerequisite blue-skinned aliens of the series (tropes help ground readers, I’ve found, when you have a lot of new information and ideas to toss at them). While the neopronouns for the Risalians threw some readers, I thought it was really important to not just give nonbinary genders a pass with ‘they,’ especially since there are so many different flavors of nonbinary in the book. Hence, every type of nonbinary gender gets its own pronoun set. The reviews on that are about what you would expect, but as a nonbinary person, it was really important to me to highlight the uniqueness of each gender. ‘They’ just wasn’t going to cut it.

Q: How important is it to add romance within the series?  Do you feel it’s a personal preference or more an obligation to the reader?

I think that depends on what type of audience you are trying to capture. A lot of hard science fiction readers aren’t looking for romance. Romance readers, clearly, are. Yet, it’s very hard to market a book as f/f and not have some romance (although it really shouldn’t be. Lesbians are allowed to have autonomous lives without chasing tail constantly). For me personally, I like to see a romance line in a heavier plot, because I just haven’t had the opportunity to see the kinds of relationships I engage in mirrored in fiction. Hence, my books always have a romance line which is integral to the story, although as in the case of ARDULUM, the purpose behind it is so deeply wound in with the plot that you don’t see its purpose until the very end.

Q: Do you have any authors that have influenced your writing?

Not particularly. I think a lot of TV shows influenced me though, especially the slew of 9pm sci fi serials that used to play on FOX back in the 80s and 90s. M.AN.T.I.S., VR5, Time Trax, these were the shows that shaped my understanding of science fiction/fantasy and inspired me to write.

Q: Your scientific background is amazing!  How does your academic work influence your fiction writing?

Specifically for the ARDULUM series, the science part of the book is entirely informed by my background in wood science. I get to interact with some really neat tech as part of my job, and it was a great opportunity to get to showcase some of that work in fiction. In THIRD DON, I got to play with the other end of my research, fungi, and I think any mycophiles reading it will be pleasantly surprised with the nods to the science of wood decay.

Q: Do you have any other fiction projects in the works?

I am currently querying a YA fantasy with a nonbinary protagonist, where the magical system is based on spalting fungi (there’s that academic tie-in again). There will also be a fourth ARDULUM book—a book of shorts that contains origin stories for the main characters.

Q: Is there anything else you’d like readers to know about you, or your series?

One of the best ways to support authors, especially indy and small press authors, is to leave reviews, especially on Amazon! If you read any of the ARDULUM books I would love it if you would take a few minutes and leave an Amazon review. It can be something as simple as ‘Boobs!’ or a several page narrative. One start or five, every review matters.

And of course if you want to chat, whether to bemoan the very slow-burn romance of Neek and Emn, or to work through the mechanics of cellulose microkinesis, you are always welcome to engage with me on Twitter.

You can check out J.S.’s website, Twitter, or Goodread’s page for more information. First Don and Second Don are currently available, and Third Don is available for preorder from NineStar Press.

Welcome back to another “Fantasy Review.”  This edition is for J. Scott Coatsworth’s Skythane, the first in the Oberon Cycle trilogy.

Slight spoilers follow.

Synopsis:

The planet of Oberon is missing half its mass.  Some scientists speculate the other side is filled with dark matter—balancing the inhabited hemisphere and making it stable.  Most citizens of Oberon don’t even think about it.  For them, life continues like normal.  The rich live in splendor while the poor are forced to scavenge in the Slander.

Xander began his life in the Slander.  Orphaned at an early age, Xander grew up on the streets—abused, neglected, and forgotten.  Also against him is his heritage.  He is a skythane—a race similar to humans, but with wings and the capacity of flight.  The human settlers of Oberon forced the semi-native skythane out of their homes and off their land.

Miraculously rescued off the streets, Xander is given a second chance at life, and a very important mission.

When the planet’s main export—a drug called pith—suddenly dries up, Jameson is sent to investigate.  When he lands in Oberon City, he’s suddenly wisked away by Xander, and thrown headfirst into a situation that may kill them both.  Xander’s companion Quince tells Jameson that they need to save Oberon, and Titania—the other half of the planet only accessible by gateway.  And, of course, he and Xander are the key.

Pros:

This story is an excellent blend of sci-fi and fantasy.  Oberon City is full of technology, hovercars, computer chips installed in a person’s brain.  The first half of the novel takes place on Oberon, where technology has a relevant role in daily life.  The city is run by two rival powers—the OberCorp in charge of mining the pith, and the Syndicate, in charge of the Slander.  Xander and Jameson get stuck in the middle of both the powers as they struggle to get to Titania.  Then, when in Titania, the fantasy comes through.  Though some technology from Oberon filters through the gateways, Titania is a lot simpler in its culture.  It’s ruled completely by the skythane—though by two rival houses, Gaelani and Erriani.  The skythane depend on their ancient gods to oversee and protect them.  Magical creatures inhabit this world—some friends and some foes.  The rich histories of both of the worlds adds a lot of depth to this novel.

The characters are well developed, with clear goals and ambitions.  Xander and Jameson start off antagonistic to one another, and you can see the shift in their thinking as they grow closer.  I loved the romance between them.  They balance each other and fit as a couple.

The skythane people intrigue me.  There are several scenes when they fly and Coatsworth does a great job of conveying the feeling of exhilaration.  When Jameson learns how to fly, and revels in the feeling of being free, it was very touching.

Cons:
Though I enjoyed the romance between Xander and Jameson, and they do gradually thaw with their cool treatment of one another, I did feel like it was rushed.  Their feelings could have grown more organically.  Even Quince “helping” them along by slipping them small dosages of pith—which can act as an aphrodisiac—made me cringe.

Conclusion:

This story is pure entertainment.  It has action, adventure, intrigue, suspense, and romance.  It was a quick read, fast paced, and with a deeply enthralling landscape.  Every now and then, it’s nice to read a novel that’s just for fun.

Rating:

4 out of 5

To find out more about J. Scott Coastworth and his other novels, you can visit his website.

This edition of “Fantasy Review” is for Brandon Sanderson’s Oathbringer, the third part of The Stormlight Archive series.  For a quick refresher of what’s happened in the previous two books, you can read a synopsis of the story so far from Tor.com.

Some spoilers follow.

Synopsis:

After battling against the Parshendi and their new storm, Dalinar Kholin and his Alethi troops take shelter in the city of Urithiru—the ancient home of the Knights Radiant.  They set up a base there to try and regroup as the Everstorm rages around the entire world.  Reports show that when the Everstorm hits a location, all the Parshmen change into warform and flee.  Besides the few groups of Parshmen that hurt or kill on their way out of the cities, this also leaves the nations without a working class.

As life settles in Urithiru, Dalinar and his Kights—Kaladin, Shallan, and Renarin—attempt to make peace with the other nations, and beg to use the Oathgates, which would transport people and supplies across the world instantly.  Very few monarchs take the bait, assuming it is a trap by the Alethi to conquer their lands.

Meanwhile, Alethkar suddenly goes silent.  No news comes from the city, or from Elhokar’s queen and child who still live there.  Elhokar convinces Dalinar to allow him to sneak into the city with some of the Radiants and try to take it back by opening the Oathgate.  In Alethkar, though, there are more than just Voidbringers and Fused.  There are also some of the Unmade, ancient spren who are splinters of Odium.  When Elhokar’s team runs into these creatures, it seems their mission is doomed.  The group (plus or minus a few of their numbers) is transported to Shadesmar—the realm of spren—and unable to return to their own land.

Pros:

This world is so rich.  The characters are amazingly diverse.  The storytelling done here is among the best I have ever read.  Brandon weaves a world that is so tangible, so fleshed out.  His characters act like people, doing things that make sense to them.  Each is unique, with their own cares and concerns.  That’s tricky to do when you have hundreds of characters!

For this part of the story, I loved Adolin the most.  He’s really grown since being introduced as a shallow playboy.  I was actually concerned for him at the end of Words of Radiance.  When he killed Sadias, I thought Adolin would slowly go mad from the guilt.  Plus, he’s got a fiancé who’s a Knight Radiant, a father who is a Knight Radiant, and a brother who is a Knight Radiant.  I anticipated he’d eventually succumb to jealousy.  I was so wrong, and so glad I was so wrong!  Adolin is a caring, hardworking, slightly vain person who only has the good of the Alethi people in his mind.  I can’t get over how much I came to care for him during this book.

Also, during book two, there was a hint of something between Shallan and Kaladin.  I didn’t mind the idea, as Shallan and Adolin hadn’t really formed a deep bond yet.  However, in Oathbringer, when there are hints of a love triangle, I never once wanted Shallan to side with Kaladin.  Adolin is too good a match for Shallan.  They are very well suited.  And his handling of her increased shifts between personalities shows he cares for her, no matter her current form.  Near the end, there was a sort of Star Wars moment (similar to when Han tells Leia he’ll stay out of her and Luke’s way in Return of the Jedi).  Like Leia, Shallan sets Adolin straight, letting him know she loved him and that her other personalities can’t dictate her decisions.

Another piece I loved about this installment was Dalinar’s flashbacks.  We finally got to see his wife, Evi, and what happened to cause him to lose his memories.  I cried several times near the conclusion of the book, when Dalinar thinks of his lost wife, and the pain that returns with all his memories.  It was heartbreaking.  But, Dalinar is such an amazing character.  He’s strong.  He’s unyielding.  He won’t break under any amount of pressure.  I was also surprised how much I came to like Dalinar during this book.  I felt Shallan and Kaladin were more central to the first two novels, but Dalinar really shone in this one.  I think of him as the main character, the hero of the story, much more than Kaladin.

Cons:

This story is huge.  Almost intimidatingly big.  There’s a ton of information and side plots, and considering the first two novels had just as much information and side plots… there’s a lot to keep track of.  While I enjoyed all of these stories so far, I can’t reread them before each release.  They don’t enthrall me the way Wheel of Time did.  So remembering what happened to one minor character in the first book and piecing it together with what’s happening in the third book is rather difficult.  The online synopsis was very helpful with refreshing my memory, but it doesn't even come close to listing all the minor plot lines that weave through this story.

Conclusion:

This tale is a great addition to the whole of the series.  It was the book I enjoyed most out of the three.  I loved the way the characters’ lives developed (particularly Adolin and Shallan) and how they all fought together in the final battle in the novel.  When Dalinar stood before Odium with his assembled Knights, my heart rate sped up.  It was a powerful moment.

Rating:

5 out of 5

You can purchase a copy of Oathbringer from Dragonmount's DRM-free ebook store.

This “Fantasy Review” is for The Stone Sky, the third and final book in The Broken Earth series, by N.K. Jemisin.

Synopsis:

Essun is still determined to find her daughter, Nessun.  The comm of Castrima Under—where Essun currently dwells—has been damaged by their war with Rennaris.  The people must find a new place to ride out the Fifth Season.  Due to Essun’s annihilation of the Rennarin people, the comm decides to travel the far distance to the now-abandoned city.  Essun’s still plans to grab the moon when its orbit circles close, but there is still time before she must leave her place within the com.

Nessun, meanwhile, begins her trek to the other side of the world, with Shaffa and the Stone Eater, Steel, as companions.  Steel can transport them through the earth, but Nassun fears the Stone Eater may “accidently” lose Shaffa on the journey.  This means a longer way is necessary, going to an ancient station capable of taking them through the earth’s core.  But at the earth’s center is something far more frightening than Steel’s mode of transportation.

Mixed in with these two accounts is a flashback into Hoa’s past, where the events that lead to the war with Father Earth are finally revealed.

Pros:

I loved the addition of Hoa’s storyline.  It was terrible seeing the beginning of orogenes and the atrocities the ancient society did in order to maintain peace and balance.  The choices Hoa and his kind made are understandable, and parallel the conflict within Essun and Nassun.  Essun wishes to save the earth by grabbing the moon.  Nassun, based on Shaffa’s pessimistic—or maybe weary—view of the world, wishes for it, and Father Earth, to die.

I was also pleasantly pleased by the actual ending, the last chapter.  SPOILER: I thought the perfect match for Essun was Innon and Alabaster; the three of them together made a wonderful family.  However, seeing her paired with Hoa was heartwarming.  Essun’s life was so horrible and filled with so much tragedy, it was uplifting to see she wound up with a happy ending.

Cons:

Once we got the reunion between mother and daughter, the character motivations were understandable, but rather annoying.  The reader has the benefit of seeing the character’s thoughts, so I was frustrated when the two were unable to communicate their desires to the other.  Like I said, understandable considering all that had happened between them, but at the same time, I wanted to shake them both and make them talk it out!  Alas, too much had transpired, too much harm had been done—to both of them.  

Conclusion:
This was a fantastic final.  Satisfying and rather hopeful for a brighter future.  I’d been doubting whether this would have a happy ending or not.  And it surprisingly does.  Or maybe—to coin a phrase from the romance genre—a Happy For Now.

I loved everything about this series, the characters, the world, the magic.  It was emotional the whole way through, tugging on my heartstrings over and over and over.  I was very sad when it ended.  I could read so much more in this world.  Perhaps Jemisin will revisit the world a thousand years in the future—like Brandon Sanderson’s ideas for Mistborn.

Rating:

4 out of 5

For more from N. K. Jemisin, you can check out her website.

This edition of “Fantasy Review” is for The Obelisk Gate, the second novel in N. K. Jemisin’s The Broken Earth series.  This book was also awarded the Hugo for Best Novel in 2017.  It’s easy to see why.

Synopsis:

Reunited with Alabaster, Essun once again becomes the learner. He has plans—and since he is turning into a rock—it’s up to Essun to finish them. They try to make the best of things in their new comm, Castrima, but when the world is breaking down, no place is safe.  Not only do they need to contend with a dwindling food supply due to the ash-filled sky, but wild animals mutate during a Season, and their evolved abilities can be devastating.  When Alabaster finally reveals his mission of catching the moon, Essun wonders if she can accomplish such a fete.

Meanwhile, Jija and Nassun travel for a year to reach the safety—and a promised cure for orogeny—in Found Moon.  There, Nassun is put in the charge of three Guardians—all of whom have panicked and given their bodies over to the voices inside their heads.  The leader of the bunch is Schaffa and he takes a particular liking to Nassun and eventually makes the connection of her being the daughter of Syenite.  While Jija wants Nassun to cure herself of orogeny, her desire to help Schaffa pushes her powers to new and startling depths.

Pros:

These characters are amazing!  So developed, captivating, realistic.  It’s easy to understand Essun’s choices and her point of view of the world.  Her struggles—trying to piece together the life of Syenite, which Alabaster represents, and her life as a mother, which Lerna represents—resonate with raw emotions.  This was another book that made me cry.

The evolution of the magic system is one of the main driving forces in this novel.  With Alabaster’s help, Essun is able to sense something that is not orogeny.  It’s described as silver, and it is dubbed as “magic.”  With magic and orogeny, Essun’s task to grab the moon may be in reach.

Nassun takes more prominence.  Her powers grow incredibly fast once she’s under the care and guidance of the Guardians.  It’s hard to get a good read on Schaffa’s character.  He’s been portrayed as nothing but evil since book one, and Nassun’s favorable opinion of him makes me think he may be redeemed.  Or perhaps he’s able to con Nassun easier than he could Syenite.

And though Alabaster is not very active in this storyline, he is still my favorite character.  Though I also grew to like Hoa—the stone eater who has claimed Essun.  The end of the first novel revealed him as the narrator, and knowing that it’s his perspective gave a lot more insight to his character.  I’m really interested in the link between orogenes and the stone eaters.  It seems like an Aes Sedai/Warder type relationship, but it does have hints of something more sinister.

Cons:

The pace slowed down a lot from the first book.  In The Fifth Season, it covered three different timelines spread out over 30 years.  So for this novel to have the scope of only one year, it seemed like not many things were happening at once.  Not necessarily a bad thing, a slow pace does not mean a boring book.  But for me, personally, it didn’t feel as sweeping and encompassing as the previous novel.

Conclusion:

I am amazed at the writing of the these novels, the tone and voice, the growth of characters, the details of the world.  This one slowed down a bit, but I’m still loving the journey.  I’m hoping the concluding novel, The Stone Sky, gives me the epic finale I’m waiting for.

Rating:

4 out of 5

For more from N. K. Jemisin, you can check out her website.

This edition of “Fantasy Review” is for The Fifth Season, by N. K. Jemisin. This story was the winner of the 2016 Hugo for Best Novel.  And it was a fantastic read!

Slight spoilers follow.

Synopsis:

The earth is in fluctuation.  Father Earth hates the humans who inhabit him, and he is constantly spewing his molten blood to their surface homes.  Periods where his anger is most fierce are called Seasons, and ash clouds block out the sky for decades, if not centuries.  

Essun doesn’t even notice when the Season starts because she is lost in grief over the death of her son.  He was murdered by Jija, his father, her husband.  Jija discovered the child was an orogene—a person given less-than-human status who is able to control the shifts and energy within the earth—a skill inherited from Essun.  She sets out to track Jija down and make him pay for the murder of her youngest child.

Damaya is a girl who recently discovered she was an orogene.  A Guardian—members who keep the orogenes’ magic in check—is sent to bring her back to the Fulcrum to learn to control her powers.  The Guardian is not there protect her, but to protect the rest of humanity from her.  She struggles to find her place in life and in the Fulcrum.

Syenite is a four-ringer orogene.  She is chosen for a mission, and is forced to take Alabaster—a ten-ringer—along.  The Fulcrum pairs them with instructions to mate.  The child of Alabaster is sure to be powerful, so he is often used in breeding.  The two are an unlikely couple, but along the way they bond over trials and tribulation. But Alabaster’s more than a little mad, and he might drag Syenite into insanity with him.

Pros:

The synopsis is long and detailed because the story and its characters are so detailed.  The richness of this tale cannot be explained with words.  It is emotion, deep and sometimes unsettling.  The world is cruel and the characters seem to suffer more than their fair share of the despair.  But they all persevere.  It is a theme through the novel: no matter how often Father Earth sends ash clouds, the human race has not died off yet.  But, the story seems to suggest maybe they should.

Out of all the characters, I loved Alabaster the most.  I could see a bit of Rand in him—driven slightly mad by the infinite power he can wield.  He cracked under the strain of his life, but kept living in spite of it all.  He and Syenite together were wonderful and engrossing.  Though never a true romantic pairing, there is a sense of love between them—transcending the bond forged from forced lovers.  Their time together was the most enjoyable to read.  Syenite herself was just as capable as Alabaster, but not nearly as wounded from the ways of the Fulcrum.  Much of that may have stemmed from her powers—she’s nowhere near as powerful as him.  

One scene in particular with them made my heart ache with its loveliness.  My emotions were stirred so deeply, I thought of this scene for days.  But I won’t say more, in fear of too many spoilers.

The stories of Essun and Damaya were both interesting.  The pain in Essun after the loss of her son was so vivid.  And Damaya, packed up and shipped off to a place she would lose her status as human, was equally pitying.

I couldn’t get enough of this world and these characters.

Cons:

The format.  I’ve made statements about this in regard to other books.  It think this is my old-fashioned look on genre fiction.  The standard is 3rd person omnipotent, past tense.  Those are the rules.  I think this works because when dealing with such fantastical ideas and worlds, clear and concise language solidifies it in the mind of the reader.  But, this is all personal preference.  It had no bearing on the enjoyment of the story.

The weird—or maybe “not common” is a better description—format in this novel comes at you from two fronts.  First, the writing is done in present tense.  Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but something that readers might not be used to.  And the other front?  All the chapters from Essun’s perspective are written in 2nd person point of view.  The reader is given the persona of Essun, letting them experience the world more clearly through her eyes.  The other characters remain in 3rd person.

Does this format work?  Yes, it does.  It’s sort of explained why this format is used, as well.  I will be honest and admit it threw me off at first.  However, the characters, plot, and setting quickly grabbed me back and steadied me.  After I got used to this way of looking at the story, it was not a hindrance at all.

And that is the only con I can even come close to saying.  This novel was brilliant and near perfect in its execution.

Conclusion:

I was awed by this story.  The worldbuilding was incredible, the characters three dimensional with flaws and faults, their exploits riveting.  It’s very easy to see why it was awarded the Hugo.  The day I completed this novel, I began reading the second in the series.

Rating:

5 out of 5

For more from N. K. Jemisin, you can check out her website.

This month’s “Fantasy Review” is for Brandon Sanderson’s YA novel The Dark Talent, the fifth in the Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians series.

Slight spoilers follow.

Synopsis:

Alcatraz saved Mokia, but in doing so, broke his Talent and those belonging to nearby Smedrys.  Now he must try to stop his father with his wits alone.  With Grandpa Smedry, Kaz, Draulin, Cousin Dif, and Shasta, Alcatraz sets off for the Highbrary, the root of the Librarian’s power in the world.

But Biblioden, the original Librarian, isn’t as dead as history says.  The evil mastermind needs Alcatraz’s bloodline—which means he needs Alcatraz’s blood.

Pros:

When I first learned Brandon Sanderson was going to finish The Wheel of Time series, like most fans, I ran out and found some of his books to read.  I read Elantis first, then the Mistborn series, and after that I read Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians.  When I had the opportunity to have dinner with Brandon as a Storm Leader at the release of The Gathering Storm book tour in Scottsdale, Arizona, I gushed over the Alcatraz book.  So unlike his other novels, but still so amazing!  This is a long way to say I have been waiting for this “final” book for a very long time!

With that in mind, this addition had all the same silly antics of the earlier books—a huge draw for me.  Alcatraz as the narrator is hilarious and such a delight to read.  Plus, the more serious plot line of trying to stop his father from giving every person a Smedry Talent makes it engaging and keeps up a fast pace.

There’s a lot of emotion here.  Alcatraz’s narration deepens as certain truths are discovered about himself, his family, and his ideals of the world.  Despite the comical nature of the whole series, there are some incredibly deep thoughts in these books.  

Cons:

The ending was not very satisfying.  I hate to say that—and I do believe that the feeling of being unresolved is exactly what Alcatraz wanted—but I did hope we’d get more answers out of this volume.  Brandon has revealed that there is still another in the series (if you don’t mind spoilers, you can see more details in his post here), but I’m not a big fan of cliffhanger endings.  Still, the prospect of seeing more to come gives me hope and I will wait patiently for the next release.

Conclusion:

This whole series is worth a read.  It’s an amazing hybrid of fantasy, sci-fi, and humor.  As it’s geared toward children, some of the humor can be lowbrow, but much of it is clever, and likely to go over the intended audience’s heads.  Despite the lackluster and abrupt ending of this book, I will sing the praises of this series to anyone who will listen. It is one of my favorites of Brandon's works—behind The Wheel of Time and Legion.  

Rating:

4 out of 5

You can purchase this book, and the others in the series, at Dragonmount's DRM-free eBook store!

I was excited to get to speak to J. Scott Coatsworth about his newly released sci-fi novel, The Stark Divide. The book was enjoyable, and I was eager to delve further into what its author had to say.  You can read my review of The Stark Divide here.

Slight spoilers will follow.

Q: The cast of the series is quite diverse, in terms of age, gender, nationality, and sexual orientation. I like that it suggests a uniform front in the future, people willing to work together regardless of their background or lifestyle. Was that a theme you wanted to emphasis?

Hmmm, that’s a great question. I’m a fan of golden age sci fi, when things were a little simpler. And while I sometimes like things dark and complicated, sometimes I’m in the mood for Star Trek. I was a Superman fan as a kid - I loved that he was true and strong and good, and for that reason I absolutely HATED Batman vs. Superman. We’r going through such a dark period now that I want to believe, have to believe that at some point, some of us will find a way again to pull together for the common good. So yeah, I guess that does come out in the book.

Q: The story also spans the course of 30 years.  How difficult was it to storyboard or brainstorm the steps for the evolution of Forever?  Can you tell us how far into the future the series will reach?

The Stark Divide is actually the second book in the series. The first one was written more than twenty years ago, and was never published. In the current timeline, it would take place a few hundred years after this part of the story. I sent it off around 1995 to ten big publishers - it took a year, but the last rejection came in, and I pretty much gave up writing for almost twenty years.

When I came back to writing in 2014, I decided to go back in time and figure out how the world came to be. It started with a novella that eventually became Seedling, the first part of the novel. I’m writing another sci fi series - Skythane - that’s told in a more traditional one story format, so doing The Stark Divide in a three-story epic format has actually been a lot of fun. Each story can stand alone, but they share characters, and allow me to telegraph the story over a long period of time. It’s exciting to see how things shift each time, as a decade or two passes.

The current trilogy will cover a hundred years, give or take. But I hope to eventually take it all the way across the stars, to mankind’s new home - maybe 300-400 years in all.

Q: Did you find it difficult with these jumps in the timeline? Or was it easy to let the reader conclude the natural steps between without it being shown in the text?

I think in most cases it should be easy for readers to fill in the gaps. It’s like getting to fast forward and see if the couple you liked really makes it, or if the world comes through the latest challenges and goes on to grow into something new. It’s one of my favorite things about the story.

Q: I love the undertone of religious epiphany throughout the piece. First in Hammond’s realization that AI may have souls, and then in the coincidental episodes that lead to Ana’s metamorphosis. Is this important to the plotline of the story arc, or just a detail of the characters?

It’s something I didn’t really plan at first. Initially I was going to have the Church be a villain in the first part of the story, but then it took a turn. One of my best friends is a very religious Catholic, but she’s also one of the most progressive people I know. I’m more on the atheist side, but when I asked her for some help on the confirmation process for the story, it made me think. It’s so easy for me as a gay man to make a villain out of organized religion.

Not too much later, my husband decided he wanted to go back to church for the first time in more than twenty-five years - a reaction to the growing strife and negativity we are all living through today. I went with him out of solidarity, and we found a progressive church nearby. These two events made me reconsider religion, and realize that it had a place in any future that would spring forward from our present.

So I decided to weave religion into the story, and it’s been a fascinating thing to work with.

On a side note, the series title, “Liminal Sky,” came out of a sermon Pastor Matt gave in which he used the word liminal to talk about the people on the edges of society. It was the first time I’d ever heard it, and so I looked it up:

Liminal

1. relating to a transitional or initial stage of a process.

2. occupying a position at, or on both sides of, a boundary or threshold.

It seemed perfect for the time when everything changes.

Q: On that same note, Lex seems to be able to anticipate what may happen. Within your world, is Lex a deity?  Or is it more the processing of a supercomputer to analyze logical outcomes?

Hmmm, I’d never thought of it that way. Lex is not a deity, though there’s that famous quote from Arthur C. Clarke: 

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

And I do play more with the themes of religion and heaven in book two, “The Rising Tide,” which I just finished.

Q: Andy’s inherited “dipping” seems to be something similar to magic.  With this genetic code being passed onto the next generation, will more and more of humanity be able to bend the world around them?

Um, yes… and… kinda? There will be a lot more of it in book two, along with reaching and pushing. :P But by the end, things will shift again. That’s all I can say.

Q: The ending is bittersweet.  Was it depressing to write, thinking of how easily the world could be decimated?  Or is there more a focus on the hope that life will always find a way?

A little of both? I gotta say, part of me is ready to blow things up and start with a clean slate. We’ve gone so far down some dark roads that I’m not sure there’s a way back. On the other hand, the Obama years showed me what was possible when good people strive for big things, and I still hold out hope that things will change. Or yeah, that life (and mankind) will find a way.

You can purchase The Stark Divide in paperback or ebook here.  To learn more about J. Scott Coatsworth, check out his website!

I’m excited that this month’s Fantasy Review is J. Scott Coatsworth’s The Stark Divide, the first in the Liminal Sky series. I was able to get an early copy of this stunning sci-fi tale!

Synopsis:

In the year 2135 AD, the human race is struggling. To combat the devastation on Earth, a new world is being created.  An AI will be merged with a seedling, a ship that will grow from an asteroid and eventually become an inhabitable world. Due to an unforeseen accident, the seedling’s planting doesn’t go according to plan. The three crewmembers do what they must to ensure the new world starts to form.

In 2145 AD, the new world, known as Forever, is growing.  The first workers are terraforming the land, planting compatible seeds, building sustainable homes. But, Lex, the AI who runs Forever, hasn’t forgiven those who caused the accident so many years ago.  When given the chance to meet her maker, Lex shows that though she has been manufactured, she is still capable of very human emotions.  Hopefully, forgiveness is one of them.

By the year 2165 AD, Earth has reached its boiling point. War, famine, changes in weather.  Refugees try everything to flee the dying world and make their way to Forever.  But the new world is not so safe as everyone seems to think. Humanity still walks its surface, which means their base nature of greed, envy, and corruption will never be left behind.

Pros:

This story is very epic in scope, spanning over a thirty year period. You get to see the birth of the seedling, its adolescence, and finally its capabilities of being a host and home for humanity.  One enjoyable aspect is viewing the technology as it grows, understanding the process taken to ensure the survival of the human race. It’s a well thought out and logical system.  The idea of the self-aware AI is given a different spin in this story.  They are seen as if they are a new species, ones with souls and worth.  I loved the evolution of Lex as she grew and began to gasp her place within the universe, and her purpose for being brought to life.

The details of Forever were intricate.  It was easy to picture the terrain and landscape of the asteroid, and so interesting to imagine the aspects that made it unique, like the plants glowing with an ethereal light, powered by the lifeforce of Lex.  The concept was exciting.

Cons:

While each of the three segments of the story were engaging on their own, I wished they could have been more drawn out. The first chuck about the birth of the seedling was my favorite, with a sense of intrigue and suspense.  Spending more time with the buildup and the release would have been great.  And I wish the rest of the story could have held up that same tension.

Conclusion:

This story is a great introduction to the series, establishing the measures needed to allow life to survive after Earth.  Now that the basics of the world and the people’s plight have been laid out, I hope the next in the series will set a breakneck pace of the evolution of the citizens as they learn to live away from their native homeworld.  I’m more interested on the species as a whole, than any focus on one particular human.

Rating:

4/5

The Stark Divide will be released on October 10th, and is available to purchase from the publisher in paperback or as an eBook,or from Amazon.

This edition of “Fantasy Review” may be a bit unorthodox. I wanted to cover Renewal, the new anthology released by Queer Sci-Fi and Mischief Corner Books.  The two team up once a year to host a flash fiction contest (300 words or less).  Of all the submissions, only 110 were selected for publication. And of those chosen, three placement awards were given out, a judge’s choice for each of the five judges, and twenty-five honorable mentions.

Since discussing all 110 entries would be nearly impossible, I narrowed my focus to the winners and judge’s choice recipients.

A brief synopsis:

First Place Winner
“Mating Season” by Steve Fuson
A tale of resignation and then realization. A young female repulsed by the opposite sex is given a son, and through this bond sees how precious a treasure a child is.

Second Place Winner
“In a Bind” by SR Jones
Out in space, solutions get creative. A human pilot creates an unorthodox playpen for a bunch of alien eggs.

Third Place Winner
“Urban Renewal” by Siri Paulson
Changing things, for better or worse. Sikander's home is scheduled for a renewal. Unbeknown to him, it's also a renewal of his life.

Judge’s Choice Recipients:
“Bluebonnets” by Emily Horner
A futuristic Johnny Appleseed. In a post-apocalyptic world, a woman seeks the blue wildflowers her girlfriend always spoke of. Though love may be lost, the seeds planted along the way still bloom.

“ARC” by ER Zhang
The line at the DMV is always long. In the distant future, an alien shapeshifter needs to renew its visa. Unfortunately, to do so it needs a new ARC card. After hours of waiting and dozens of papers, revealing its true form may be its salvation.

“The Wrong Daughter” by Robyn Walker
The black sheep of the family. In a world where the "bad" children are left in the borderlands, Mary's daughter Annabelle is just shy of that point. But when Annabelle comes carrying tales about her sister, Alice, Mary wonders who the bad one really is.

“Love Rituals” by Elsa M León
A lovesick witch seeks a demon. After unsuccessfully trying to summon a demon with a spell, a witch's crocodile familiar pokes fun at its mistress's unlikely crush.

“The Dust” by A.M. Soto
The Earth is dry. Meg’s childhood memory of snow and rain are awoken when she spots a cloud in the sky.

My take:

Of these eight stories, I enjoyed “The Wrong Daughter” the most.  Featured in the anthology’s science fiction section, I’d compare it to a horror tale as well.  It’s got just a bit of that hair-tingling terror that made me wish the story was longer. The character development of Annabelle is expertly done in the allotted length.

For suburb settings, “Love Rituals” was amazing. The witch and her crocodile familiar live in the bayou, and the crocodile’s words elicit that soft, southern dialect to echo in your head. The familiar itself is quite a hook; I’d be fascinated to read more fantasy stories set in such locations.

“Bluebonnets,” while post-apocalyptic, was still a beautiful romance. It spoke of hope even though the world was falling apart around her, and lasting emotions despite the fact the love had diminished. 

And “ARC” was familiar in its anecdote (the common runaround seen at the DMV), but still so great to see from an alien’s perspective. A nice comical break and another story I wanted to read more of.

The anthology is an amazing collection of works, ranging from sci-fi and fantasy to paranormal and horror. There’s something in here for everyone, and since it takes only a minute to read each story, you’ll keep going and going. On a side note, my own addition, “Springtime Fae,” was awarded an honorable mention!

The Renewal anthology is available now in print and eBook formats.

This month’s “Fantasy Review” is Deadmen Walking, by Sherrilyn Kenyon. A swashbuckler tale, with a hefty dose of romance and comedy, this book was a lot different than I expected.  Slight spoilers below.

Synopsis:

Cameron Jack’s brother was killed when his ship sank off the shore of Cape Canaveral, Florida. However, she received a letter—and a trinket—from him dated weeks after he was supposedly dead.  Taking the advice of a witch, Cameron seeks out Devyl Bane, feared captain of a crew of Deadmen—souls damned and freed from hell to fight evil in the human realm.  Cameron’s brother is being held by an evil Vanir, who also happens to be Devyl Bane’s ex-wife—their marriage ended when she cut out his heart centuries ago.

Cameron and Captain Bane, along with a hodge-podge crew of murderers and scoundrels, seek to find a way to free Cameron’s brother from the hands of his captors.  The Jack family, being descendants of Michael—the Archangel—allows their blood is able to open the gates of hell and release all the demons lurking within.

Pros:

This story is stuffed full with every sort of mythology. Mermen. Seraph and fallen angels. A servant of the Greek gods. Vanir and Aesir.  Jinn-like men who keep their souls in whisky bottles.  Ghede Nibo, the leader of dead spirits.  Dragons and sea monsters.  And more.  The world Kenyon inhabits is vibrant with its characters and its settings. A history buff would better understand all the underlying relationships and oppositions of these sometimes-warring, sometimes-allied peoples, but even without such knowledge, it’s still easy enough to follow.

The plot is thick, and though a bit predictable at times, the pace is quick and engaging.  The characters—and the story boasts many of them—are complex, unique, and interesting.  Each of the Deadmen come with tragic backstories which explains their motives for wanting redemption.

The romance was the most surprising aspect of the tale. Without going into too much detail, I expected Cameron to be the object of the captain’s affection—with her innocence and part-Seraph heritage to provide the nice contrast to Bane’s brooding, damned soul.  But, the two are not fated to be together, and the romance that blooms instead is a lot more fulfilling.

Cons:

As a personal preference, I don’t particularly care to read third-person omniscient.  It’s very difficult to do correctly.  Some authors have succeeded (see Frank Herbert’s Dune for an excellent example) but most I try to read in this format fail utterly.  Kenyon pulls it off pretty well, but it’s still not my favorite style.

Not necessarily a con, but something that was contrary to my expectations, was the lack of grittiness.  Thinking this a tale of pirates, demons breaking free from hell, and a ship full of sinners, I thought it would be a bit rougher.  The voice Kenyon used was almost poetic, which was a contrast to the theme of death and damnation.

Conclusion:

This story was fascinating, full of fleshed out characters, detailed settings, engaging mythology, and a beautiful romance.  Though not my typical read, I still enjoyed this.  The plot didn’t offer much in the way of new material, but the characters were endearing enough I would have loved to read about them sitting around to eat dinner.  Their banter was charming and so natural, and their friendships were touching and sweet.  This book was a lot of fun and definitely worth a read.

Rating:

4 out of 5

If you’re interested in a copy of this eBook, check out Dragonmount’s DRM-free eBook store!