BOB THE WIZARD by M.V. PRINDLE

THERE WAS NO TURNING BACK NOW. HE WAS LOST IN A FOREST OF WORLDS CONNECTED BY, AS FAR AS BOB COULD TELL, A MAGICAL HIGHWAY CALLED THE ASTRAVERSE. HE'D FIND AND KILL THE GRAY MAN, OR HE'D DIE TRYING.

Where do I even begin telling you about this lovely little gem? 

We’ll start with the title. How could I NOT purchase a book with such a simple, yet intriguing title? Bob the Wizard? Come on! Sounds like a children’s book, although the cover definitely indicates otherwise. The blurb sucked me in even more. Check it.

 “Bob, a chain-smoking, foul-mouthed, shotgun-wielding ex-garbage man, chases his family’s killer—the gray-skinned Galvidon—through the realms of the mysterious Astraverse. The trail leads him to Hub, a world in turmoil populated by wizards, blue elves, faeries, giants, dragons, and unfortunately, plain old humans. Chained by his addictions and haunted by his past, Bob must find a way through this dark, magical realm and uncover its secrets, or lose all hope of ending Galvidon once and for all. See through the haze of smoke. Glimpse the dragon. Follow Bob across the Astraverse.”

Worth noting. If you’ve never tried writing a blurb, you’ve no idea how challenging they are. But this is a good one. Moving on…

If travelling through the Astraverse sounds a little sci-fi to you, well, you aren’t wrong. There’s a nice little touch of science fiction thrown in. However, Prindle does an excellent job of painting any science fiction topics with broad fantasy strokes. 

“Someone from his Earth had once said that any technology, sufficiently advanced, was indistinguishable from magic.”

As with all SFF, suspension of belief is necessary to fully grasp what is happening and how high the stakes really are. And the stakes are much higher for the residents of Hub than Bob’s personal vendetta against Galvidon. Culture wars, unexpected friendships, slavery, self-discovery, greed, altruism, religious fanaticism, all collide in glorious technicolor.

We know Bob is on a mission of vengeance when he arrives via Gatekey to Hub. That much is clear from the get-go. Hot on Galvidon’s trail, he quickly finds himself involved in a skirmish with bandits while hitching a ride with a local to the nearest town. The wagon’s owner, and several of the bandits, are killed in the raid and Bob assumes the wagon’s cargo as his raison d’etre for being in the town in the first place. At the city gates, his sunglasses are questioned. He passes them off as wizard glasses and gifts them to the guards. Things go wildly downhill from here for Bob. He is seized by the city watch, thrown into jail, stripped of his belongings (including his shotgun and Gatekey), and enslaved in an iron ore mine. 

While in the mines, he is eventually befriended by the blue-skinned En’harae, or elves, to use the local pejorative. Understandably mistrustful of anyone who resembles their human oppressors, the En’harae are a resilient, gracious people with a rich cultural history. Bob makes in-roads to gaining their trust when he saves their leader, Torael, from being crushed in a mine collapse. He wins them over with his honesty, frank curiosity, attempts to learn their language, and genuine concern for their welfare. Together, Bob and the En’harae plan their escape, the retrieval of Bob’s Gatekey, and Galvidon’s ultimate demise.

Along the way, Bob makes the acquaintance of a real wizard, Bernard, who helps him understand his role in the greater, cosmic scheme of things. Under Bernard’s tutelage, Bob discovers his kinship with the Earth spirit, Erto, and learns to literally move mountains. He is also adopted by a fairy scientist, Osivia, who is fascinated by human behavior and determined to accompany Bob through any adventure. Bernard, Erto, and Osivia are integral players in the En’harae uprising.

Obviously, there’s more to the story than I’m telling but since I’m not a fan of spoilers, that’s all I’ll say here. Bob spends quite a long time on Hub and while the passage of time can be tricky for authors, Prindle does an excellent job navigating this common pitfall. He lingers in the right places and move quickly when the narrative calls for it. It feels like Prindle was inspired by Native American history in his structure and creation of the En’harae. He is respectful without being obsequious or grasping at tropes. Likewise, his treatment of an En’harae ally, the men of the Nine Peaks, leans into Norse legends without treating the Niners like gregarious buffoons. 

Prindle allows his characters to grow and learn, to celebrate their victories and grieve their losses. He gives his readers space to savor each emotion before charging into the next fray. Don’t take that to mean Bob the Wizard is a slow moving narrative. The pace is fast when it needs to be, more relaxed when it can afford it. Prindle’s timing is impeccable. 

Fortunately, the ending is not only supremely satisfying, but also leaves readers wanting more. Thankfully, it seems another installment of Bob is in the works. I look forward to reading it. 

Et tessat sheerat morae. 

May the spirits guide our journeys.

(Did I mention the glossary and maps? No? Well, now I did.)

Discovering New Fantasy, New History, and Taking a Break

 

In addition to finishing up coursework for my MFA program, I have been a busy little reading bee!

I'll start with the #SPFBO winner from last season, Reign and Ruin by J.D. Evans. For those of you who don't know, the #SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off) contest is open to self-published authors only. Each year there are more entries for the all-volunteer judges to consider. Reign set itself apart from the field because it is an excellent example of fantasy romance. The stakes are high. The characters are compelling - even if they are predictably attractive. The plot and sub-plots are superbly executed. And like all romances, the chemistry between the protagonists is steamy. There's not a lot of sex in this book but what's there is tastefully done and just enough to elevate your heartrate. If you're into fantasy romance, you'll probably enjoy this one. I'm not a romance reader generally so...eh. It's good but some of the other finalists would have been my #1 pick.

The Living Waters by self-published author, Dan Fitzgerald, blew me away. The first installment in the Weirdwaters Confluence duology, Living Waters is a sword-free fantasy featuring unconventional relationships redolent in lush landscapes and gut-wrenchingly sympathetic characters. I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful this book is. When two painted-faces, prized for the paleness of their skin, embark on a journey of discovery before settling into their "rightful" places in high society, they each get more than they bargained for. Float along the river with them as they discover legendary places and civilizations are very real and accepted perceptions aren't always true. If I ever get to teach a writing class, this book will be on the list of required reading. It is simply stunning. I've never read anything like it.

The first two books in P.L. Stuart's Drowned Kingdom Saga were challenging. Beautifully written with excellent plotting, solid power structures, and convincing world building, both A Drowned Kingdom and The Last of the Atalanteans are well worth your reading time. What challenged me was the protagonist, Prince Othrun of Atalantea. Sure, the dude faces some horrific obstacles with bravery and honor but man alive! I have never enjoyed a book this much while simultaneously wanting to throat punch the MC. I kept having to remind myself, "It's fiction! It's a book! He's not real!" Othrun is an immature, arrogant, bigoted, chauvinistic, religious zealot with few redeeming qualities. His growth is slow but all signs point to fundamental change in subsequent books. (I mean, Othrun is so bleh that P.L. acknowledged his general unlikableness in the forward of Book #2!) I am looking forward to the next installment to see if Othrun pulls his head out of his butt. 

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree is a shining example of the little book that could. Originally a selp-published work, L&L was picked up by a traditional publisher and has been making waves ever since. Seriously, I found it in the wilds of B&N last week. Super satisfying! Almost as satisfying as reading this book. Viv is an orc mercenary who dreams of opening her own coffee shop in a town where folks don't even know what coffee is. She buys a store front and hires help to make her dream come true. Of course, there's drama and sketchiness and betrayal to go along with the heart-melting, deliciousness of new friendships and self-realization. If you've never experienced what it's like to be hugged by a book, you should drop what you're doing and read this one. Have some coffee and a cinnamon roll while you're at it. Hug your imagination and your tastebuds at the same time. 

Oh my. I recently discovered Ruta Sepetys and y'all...her books are so good! I love a good historical fiction and these are it. Centering around and in historically significant places and events, Ruta draws you into the lives of her historically insignificant characters and makes you care about the everyday people swept up in what's happening around them. Out of the Easy is set in mid-twentieth century New Orleans and tells the tale of a girl who dreams of education as her ticket to escape the brothel-and-crime centered life she was born to. I Must Betray You drops readers into communist Romania just after the fall of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the struggle for democracy in the former Soviet block. While the protagonists are all young adults, the subject matter and consequences are not. You can bet I have more of Ruta's books lined up on my TBR list.

Duckett & Dyer: Dicks for Hire

 

Inter-dimensional travel? Check!

Snarky, ironic humor? Check!

Demons and cults? Check and check!

I usually avoid science fiction and crime novels. Not because I think there’s anything wrong or bad with these genres but rather because the science is generally over my head, and I am anti-social enough already. I don’t need to learn any new tricks from literary criminals. That said, I happily admit to faulty research before purchasing the self-published Duckett & Dyer series by G.M. Nair.

Little did in know I was in for a hilarious, universe hopping, interstitial bad-guy hunting, against-all-odds story of lifelong friendship and loyalty. Now, the last bit comes off as a tad schmaltzy but in all honesty, that’s the big takeaway from all three books. Michael Duckett and Stephanie Dyer, no matter how irritated they get with each other, simply do not know how to NOT be friends. And there’s the charm.

Michael Duckett is a neurotic, anxious, keep-your-head-down, worker drone. He has a pointless job with the city’s largest company, The Future Group, and is pretty sure what he does doesn’t matter to anyone in the organization. His paycheck barely covers the bills in the crappy tenement apartment he shares with Stephanie. Michael just keeps on keeping on.

Stephanie Dyer is a larger than life dreamer, into everything while doing nothing. She is positively unpredictable and keeps Michael on his toes. Stephanie Dyer impulsively forges ahead and damns the consequences.

Both have a talent for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and the results are spectacular.

Please Don’t Drink the Poison Even Though You’re Thirsty

In Dicks For Hire, advertisements for the detective agency “Duckett & Dyer, PI’s For Hire” have been popping up all over the city. Neither Michael nor Steph have any idea why. Nevertheless, Michael’s phone rings constantly with potential business. One particularly insistent ‘client,’ searching for her missing fiancé, drags the bickering duo into an investigation which literally opens up the spaces between universes and drags them into the crosshairs of local police detective, Rex Calhoun.

Thanks, In Advance

The One-Hundred Percent Solution sees Michael fired from The Future Group for not being a team player. Worried about keeping the roof of their less-than-desirable step-down apartment/offices over their heads, Michael and Steph are involuntarily recruited to investigate some shady dealings by his former employer. Recruitment along the lines of, “Do this or we’ll kill you. Don’t worry about the assassin running around killing people associated with the company. No pressure. Oh and by the way, you dodged a multi-verse, demon worshipping, cult-bullet by being fired. Good job.” No big deal.

A Talking, Gender-Fluid, Reverse Werewolf

In case you were wondering if Duckett & Dyer ever take on cases which are less universally threatening, well, they do. Kinda. The Mystery of the Murdered Guy jumps from case to case while Michael and Stephanie grow into their roles as entrepreneurial private investigators. The aforementioned reverse werewolf, a very angry otherverse Santa Clause, performative train-jacking, and a lady who keeps losing her cats all make appearances. If you read the first two books, you’ll see some old friends (acquaintances?) along the way.

The Upshot:

G.M. Nair delivers a weird and supremely entertaining triple-hit with this series. The science isn’t overwhelming and rendered believable to non-science readers like me. The crimes are so far beyond human reality that the bad guys don’t have a chance. The humor is slick and smart. Traipse around the multi-verse with Duckett & Dyer for a few days. Maybe you’ll meet yourself along the way.

History, Fantasy, and Thrilling Romance - OH MY!

After finishing Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar last month, I thought I'd explore a couple more SPFBO nominated works and let me tell you, they did NOT disappoint. HL Tinsley's We Men of Ash and Shadow introduces us to John Vanguard, background fader and assassin extraordinaire with a checkered reputation and a mission to unravel why the last war happened. Vanguard becomes the unlikely mentor to an aspiring assassin and discovers a revolution in the making. Vanguard finds himself pitted against his equally talented former pupil. This SPFBO finalist, adult fiction book is engrossing and serves as the jumping off point for a new series, The Vanguard Chronicles. Adult themes and subject matter included so maybe not the best idea for young or sensitive readers.

If you're hankering for a new epic fantasy with dragons, minotaurs, vampires, demons, good vs. evil, and strange magics, SPFBO nominee The Forever King by Ben Galley will be right up your alley. Weaving bits of Norse mythology into a dense, chonky narrative, the 600+ pages of The Forever King will wear you out, make you laugh, piss you off, give you hope, stomp on that hope, and leave you begging for more. Galley creates a world and power structure which should make Tor Publishing angry and jealous they didn't get the chance to add it to their stable. I have no idea if Galley tried to traditionally publish but if so, the trads missed out by passing on this one. Follow the tale of Mithrid, a teenage refugee in the frozen lands of Scalussen, as she discovers the dangerous and valuable magic which resides within. Rebel king, Farden, hopes Mithrid will use her talents to help him overthrow the greedy and corrupt Emperor Malvus, thus freeing Emaneska from his ever-tightening stranglehold. I suffered from extreme book hangover when I finished this one...even so, I need a few days to recuperate before moving on to the sequels. I'm exhausted.

Unknown Number by Anna Grace steps way outside my comfort zone. I don't usually read romance or thrillers and this one serves up both. Packing a super-satisfying twist at the end, this little book rolls along with predictably attractive characters in relatively unchallenging relationships which often border on the schmaltzy. UNTIL THE TWIST! Here I was just bee-bopping along, not bored but not enthralled either, when BOOM! All of a sudden my heart is racing and I am racing myself to the final page.

I love historical fiction but with the glut of WWII works in the field, I'd become a little "meh" and haven't read much in the genre recently. Still, They Went Left by Monica Hesse, caught my attention. So many works which place themselves in the WWII era focus on stories from during the war and life in the camps. While those stories are compelling and interesting, often highlighting true and incredible events, for me, it just felt like there were pieces of history which were being overlooked. Hesse shines her spotlight on camp survivors as they try to piece together themselves, their psyches, and their families after liberation. The guilt of survival, the foreignness of familiarity, the desperation for hope, the agonizing wait for news. All of these are front and center in They Went Left as it tells us of Zofia's search for the only member of her family she believes might have survived, her younger brother, Abek. Hesse does a wonderful job exposing Zofia's strength and frailty without making her seem superhuman or pitiful. I couldn't walk away from Zofia. You shouldn't either. 

The 13th Zodiac

 

Once, there were four Titans:

Urth, the mother of Gaea,

Sky, the father of the heavens,

Fate, the overseer of life and death,

And Time, the keeper of the Eternal Clock.

The lovers, Fate and Time, ruled over all.

Together they kept Gaea at peace,

Until one thousand years ago when

Mother Urth and Father sky created mortal man.

And shattered the Eternal Clock.

 

Time hated the children of Urth and Sky.

Thus, the Keepers were born.

Time assigned each to small pieces of Gaea,

Taking parts from Fate, Urth, and Sky.

 

Then, Time turned Urth into the Mother Tree

And dissipated Sky into the clouds.

The Keepers resented Time for what she had done.

For which Time banished them.

 

What her lover had done disgusted Fate.

To trap Time, Fate turned to the Keeper of the Stars.

Who Time shattered into twelve.

Creating the Zodiac – The heroes of mortal men.

 

Beneath the boughs of the Mother Tree,

Fate trapped Time for an eternity.

 

Angry and hurt, Time divided her soul in two.

Thus the 13^th Zodiac was born:

Eternity

 

 The 13^th Zodiac

By Lacey Krauch

 

Time is fickle and petulant. She is the one ephemeral idea of which we simultaneously have too much and never enough. She promises never-ending tomorrows and warps the memories of our yesterdays. Time traps young hearts in decaying bodies and gifts wretched souls with youthful vigor. She tricks us into believing we are more or less than we are, than we could ever be. Time smiles as she gives with one hand and steals with the other.

In The 13^th Zodiac, Lacey Krauch delivers her rendition of Time’s saga. Mortals, the children of Urth and Sky, tell their young the tale of Time’s ill-fated quest to repair the Eternal Clock and undo the creation of men. Time is their elusive boogeyman and her lover, Fate, their stalwart champion. But the Titans are distant, little more than fairy tales told as bedtime stories. The Zodiac are all too real. Twelve individuals bearing the sigils as birthmarks, evidence proving the stories are as real as their skin.

When Liya, the daughter of Aria’s Queen and her husband, Prophet Skylis, is born with the eternity symbol on her delicate newborn shoulder, Eternity, the thirteenth zodiac takes her first breath. Skylis, desperate to know the meaning behind his daughter’s mark, convinces Fate to allow him to see Time. Time, still angry over her lover’s betrayal, is trapped in a cave deep under the Mother Tree, held fast by ancient roots. Against Fate’s warnings, he begs Time to show him Liya’s future. Time grants his request, taking his eyes as payment. After all, one doesn’t truly need eyes to see. She kills Fate and is loosed on Gaea once again, determined to repair the Eternal Clock and erase men from existence.

Time chooses Soren, the cruel and grasping King of Chall, as her puppet, enlisting him to search for Liya, the princess of Aria. She gifts his kingdom with superior armaments and encourages his invasion of the tiny island kingdom to expand his borders and take possession of the princess. The now eight-year-old Liya escapes under the protection of sixteen-year-old Jemi, her sworn protector. They make their way to a Brighton, a small coastal village, and are adopted by a friend of Jemi’s father. There they live as commoners. Liya remembers nothing of her life as a princess. Jemi and the adoptive family are vigilant in hiding Liya’s true identity. Until one day, ten years later when a chance encounter with a man in the market. This man turns out to be the Crown Prince of Chall, Jase, Zodiac Leo. Jase has been searching for Liya for years. For reasons of his own, Jase has no intentions of taking the princess back to his monster of a father.

Alarmed by his sudden appearance, Jemi, Zodiac Aries, and her twin adopted brothers, Jiroo and Tokei, Pisces and Capricorn, with the assistance of a local shopkeeper, June, Sagitarrius, kidnap the prince and escape to Undall with Liya. Along the way, Liya’s zodiac-inherited ability to pause time becomes more and more evident. The group has questions and heads to the Keeper’s Library for answers. The librarians are also Zodiacs and happily assist the group on their quest to keep Time from her realizing destructive plans.

Skirmishes with soldiers from Chall, near-misses, breath-taking escapes, heart-breaking betrayals, and mind-boggling revelations stalk the Zodiac across Gaea from the gates of Chall to the Monastery of Fate Divided in the Dark Forest to the prison fortress of Mount Callous. Love is found and lost, families are created and torn apart. Zodiacs are discovered and scattered. Time is killed and a new Titan takes her place.

This book is a page-turner and threatens readers with losing track of Time. Give in to that impulse, just this once. Surely nothing bad will happen if you do.

The Witch's Knight - SOON TO BE RELEASED!! - by Paula and Trevor Brackston

 

ARC Review - Scheduled Release Date - April 19, 2022

The Witch's Knight by Paula and Trevor Brackston

“I, Rhiannon, pledge you my allegiance, my dagger hand, my magic, and my life.

You have my oath.”

Do you enjoy stories about witches and knights in armor? You should read this book. Medieval historical fiction? You should read this book. Eternal love? Read this book. Modern suspense thriller? Yep. This book.

The Witch’s Knight, by Paula Brackston and her brother, Trevor, is an exhilarating departure from Paula’s wildly successful Witch’s and Found Things series. This collaborative work adds a thrilling new dimension which Paula’s already dedicated readers will love. (I certainly did!) Trevor’s voice adds a rumbling bass line of suspense and danger in counterpoint to Paula’s soaring sopranos of magic and romance. Dare I say this work is “magical?”

When Gwen’s home in The Black Mountains of Wales is attacked by vicious Norman baron, De Chapelle, in 1094, following William the Conqueror’s invasion of England, she confronts the baron, defending her family and village from further depredation. No match for the villainous Norman, Gwen picks a battle she cannot hope to win. He turns her own knife against her and leaves her for dead.

The few survivors of the attack desperately retreat to a small farming croft high in the mountains and carve out a meager and isolated, yet peaceful, existence. Gwen is nursed back to health and the tiny community – widows, wounded soldiers from her father’s court, orphans – becomes a family. The village grandmother, Mamgi, tutors Gwen in the art of witchcraft, encouraging her to use her abilities to protect the settlement. Gwen protects their crops and livestock from the worst of the weather and lends her skills to healing the sick.

After surviving their first winter tucked away in the Black Valley, the displaced villagers choose a small party to travel to a nearby town for much needed supplies and news. Gwen, now known as Lady Rhiannon, and two of the men track carefully into town, intent on making their trades and leaving as quickly as possible. That plan goes awry when Gwen is recognized by one of de Chappelle’s men. A traveling knight comes to her rescue and is wounded in the melee. One of the men is taken captive while the other narrowly escapes with the supply wagon.

Gwen’s savior is Tudor. While he heals, and as he is slowly accepted by the wary villagers, the two become inseparable. When de Chappelle eventually finds them, Tudor is mortally wounded in defense of the village and Gwen pleads with ancient powers to spare his life. Thus sparking a love which will transcend the limits of time and span centuries.

 

“Tudor watched her go, wondering at the way the world had a habit of spinning like a roulette wheel, snatching you onto familiar numbers at the most unexpected of times.”

 

In modern day London, Rhys Tudor is an ex-military private security contractor responsible for the safety of a nineteen year-old rich kid. When his employers purchase a posh flat in The Aurora, an extremely exclusive building, for their son, Tudor is diligent about protecting his charge. Not long after moving his ward into his new digs, a series of grisly murders take place, annihilating two entire families in the building. Suddenly, Tudor and his daughter, Emily are swept up in a terrifying whirlwind of Slavic gangsters, fighting off assailants and dodging bullets. Despite his connections with the Metropolitan Police, Tudor is unsuccessful at ferreting out the reason why he or his daughter would be targets for the mafia-like Begovich family. His quest for clues and the safety of his daughter, leads him to strange and unusual ends where coincidences and happenings are unnerving, even for a hardened soldier like Tudor.

Told as two seemingly separate stories, through two seemingly unrelated timelines, The Witch’s Knight weaves together disparate characters and incongruous eras in a beautiful dance to the final page when the two worlds eventually, finally, collide. The Brackstons hurtle their readers through time and space, never letting up on the throttle, until the last gasp, quite literally the last four paragraphs of the book. My only complaint with this work is purely selfish. I need Book Two (and Three!) to be ready for consumption. I need to know more!

The Chaos of War and the Brightwash

Chaos, by indie author Jimi Rodriguez, is an interesting YA/CoA (?) story. Loads of teenage angst and sexuality without being pornographic. With a hodge-podge of Hogwarts meets Hunger Games meets Divergent vibes, Chaos focuses on the life of Jacob Titus and his continual struggle to navigate the often deadly magical world with his very real secrets. Titus is a scholarship student at Valcrest School for the Promised. When a magical talent scout spots him on the streets of Eslor Island, Titus makes the tough decision to leave his mother and take the opportunity offered by Valcrest. He has little interest in magic though, preferring to search for an Alzheimer's cure to salvage what's left of his mother's mind. The concept behind Chaos is intriguing but, I admit, the sexual overtones were occasionally distracting. Maybe I'm just old. Ha! Still, if you're a YA/CoA fan, you might dig this one. Chaos is action packed and moves along at a quick clip. 

 

Not to be confused with legendary journalist Barbara Walters, political scientist Barbara F. Walter serves up an engrossing study on civil wars in How Civil Wars Start and How to Stop Them. I am an avid amateur poli-sci student and history nut. Civil Wars grabbed me by the throat and throttled me. I was by turns horrified and hopeful. She takes her readers on a break-neck trip around the world, pointing to triggers and indicators across the political regime spectrum about how and where civil wars began, could begin, and how world citizens can prevent them. Walter's delivery is warm and inviting without being dry or opaque. All poli-sci books should be so easy to read. This timely and thought provoking book took me about ten days to get through and I didn't mind one bit. Seriously, this one should be added to required reading lists in high school and college civics/political science classes.

Welcome to Dominion. A land powered by the highly regulated, and subjugated, "tainted" - people with talents ranging from the ability to heal, remove pain, light lamps, power machinery, to blowing up buildings. Krystle Matar's Legacy of the Brightwash is a gorgeous display of gaslamp/grimdark fiction. Regulation Officer Tashue Blackwood, is charged with keeping track of the "tainted" in his area. He's never questioned the law which requires people with "talent" to register and use their gifts in service to the nation. Well, not until his own son refused to register and is imprisoned in the Rift for non-compliance. But, Tashue still has his doubts. After all, his son's refusal to register may just be a flight of youthful defiance lashing out at authority. A decorated war-veteran, Tashue develops feelings for a tainted neighbor, Stella Whiterock and her daughter, Ceridwen. His complicating and complicated attachment to the mother and daughter pulls at the loose threads of his loyalty to Dominion. The plight of the tainted nags at him from every direction. Matar's fantastic new world is beckoning to you. Don't miss out on this #Stabby award nominee and SPFBO finalist. Legacy of the Brightwash is sure to be a fantasy classic before long. 

Perilous Confessions - Carrie Dalby

While browsing The Haunted Bookshop on Dauphin Street in downtown Mobile, AL, I asked the proprietor if they carried local or independent authors. Indeed they do! Imagine my delight as he directed me to an entire section right up in the front of the shop! Perilous Confessions by Carrie Dalby immediately caught my eye. I admit I was intrigued by the Southern Gothic genre classification and that part of my purchase decision was based solely on the gorgeous cover art. I couldn’t help but wonder, “What on earth is Southern Gothic?” Hopping on my googler, I determined that, according to Study.com, Southern Gothic is a genre of Southern writing which often focuses on grotesque themes. It may include supernatural elements but generally focuses on damaged, even delusional, characters. Interesting…

There are no supernatural elements in Perilous Confessions but there are damaged characters a plenty. Set in the very earliest years of the 20th century, Dalby beautifully recreates the rich, and hidden, dramas of Mobile high-society. Our heroine, Lucille Easton is an aspiring novelist and reluctant participant in the approaching Carnival season. Her heart is stolen and her passion ignited when she is pursued by the charismatic, wealthy, notorious bad-boy, Alexander Melling. 

“’All artists need a spectacular love affair – something to power their work for years to come. I want to teach you what you can’t learn from novels, Lucy.’ His mouth hovered over hers as he spoke the tantalizing words. ‘Will you allow me to open you to a world of passion?’”

Lucy’s brother, Edward, and Alexander are members of the same Mardi Gras krewe, the Mystics of Dardenne, a scandalous group of bachelors who wreak havoc everywhere they go. While membership is secret, the krewe’s reputation is less than respectable. Edward does his best to warn her about Alexander and the damage he could do to her reputation. He tries to scare Alexander away, even encouraging another friend to pursue Lucy. But the couple forges on – secretly tempting fate and flouting the strict rules of courtship. Her mother, despairing of Lucy ever finding a husband, is delighted to discover her daughter has a secret suitor. 

However, when her secret love is revealed to be Alexander Melling, Lucy’s family is concerned about her future with Alexander. Alex assures them his intentions towards Lucy are entirely proper and his reveling days are over. When he proposes, they are delighted. She will be marrying into one of the most influential families in the city. Their own status is sure to be elevated. 

Unfortunately, the Mellings have a dark, controlling, and perverse history which rears its ugly head just days before their Valentine’s Day wedding. Suffering under the suffocating thumb of his father, Alexander turns to drinking to exorcise his personal demons, unleashing them on the innocent Lucy.  

“Hot, searing agony radiated from where she used to have a heart. Lucy pondered the words she’d overheard Mr. Melling say: She’s liable to break the first time you drive her. While she didn’t understand the words Saturday, she now knew all too well what he’d meant.”

Her body will mend but all the confessions in the world may not be enough to repair the damage to Lucy’s heart.

I read Perilous Confessions in one glorious afternoon, unable to put it down. Dalby’s love for the city of Mobile is evident and her historical research shines through without overshadowing the story. Dark, impetuous romance at its finest. Attributed to independent publishing house, Bienvenue Press in Youngsville, LA, Dalby is an author Mobile should be proud of.

Totally Traditional This Round - Sorry If I Let You Down

 

Alas dear readers, I have no Indie Authors to review for you this month. And to be quite honest, I feel a bit fraudulent and shamefaced because of it and wondered if you would find me to be isingenuous for even writing this month's "What I'm Reading" section. Nevertheless, I did quite a bit of reading this month and wanted to share my thoughts on the books which occupied much of my free time.

I discovered Angela Duckworth's, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, after watching her TEDtalk for a class assignment. I purchased the Kindle version, realized I was underlining on nearly every page, and promptly ordered a paperback copy for ease of flip-through reference. I even recommended the book to my husband, who is not known for his love of reading. Her insight into the influence of 'grit' on success is fascinating. She effectively and engagingly explains why sometimes lackluster students go on to surprising professional triumphs while students who breeze through school sometimes struggle to find their place in a world which was once their oyster. She offers advice for how to instill 'grittiness' in our children as well as how to be more 'gritty' ourselves. We often tell others to never give up. Grit exposes the characteristics of those who couldn't give up if they wanted to and how we can cultivate those same characteristics to develop our own passions. 

Melanie Karsak dives deep into the legend of Celtic Queen Boudica in her book, Queen of Oak. If you enjoy tales of old magic, druids, priestesses, faeries, family, love, and loss, you're sure to enjoy the quick paced twists and turns as Boudica and her family strive to protect their kingdom from greedy neighbors and worry over rumors of another Roman invasion. Karsak creates a world grounded in reality with a healthy infusion of fantasy as only the ancients could have imagined it. This is no fly by night, read in one sitting tale. At 598 pages, readers are thoroughly immersed in the Celtic Iceni holdings of Britain, now known as Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridge and Essex, during the first century AD. History is somewhat sparse for this period, so why not turn our imaginations to what might have been. Fair warning, Queen of Oak is the first in a series and the second isn't due out until March of 2022. If you enjoy it as much as I did, you'll be left dangling by a breathless thread until then.  
 
When two of your FAVORITE authors drop much anticipated, pre-ordered books on the SAME DAY, you are left shaking your fists at the Gods of Publishing and gnashing your teeth in indecision about which to read first. This was the dilemma I faced when Paula Brackston's City of Time and Magic dropped on the same day as Diana Gabaldon's Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone. I won't reveal which I read first because it is enough to say that I've now read them both and am happy to pass along my thoughts to you.

In City of Time and Magic, Brackston masterfully manages a lovely bit of crossover between her two very popular book series, Witches and Found Things. When the previous book in the Found Things series, The Garden of Promises and Lies, ended with a heart wrenching, gut punching cliffhanger, I was eager to rejoin Xanthe in her quest to find and rescue her lover, Liam, from her erstwhile Spinning mentor, Lydia Flyte. Although she is understandably nervous about the potential consequences, she decides she may need some 'muscle' on this trip through time and agrees to allow the lovable bear of a barman, Harley, to accompany her on her mission. Brackston graciously spared us from heartache this go around but not from wanting more of Xanthe's time-traveling adventures. I am looking forward to traveling with her. All I can do is hope the Gods of Publishing are more benevolent next time. Oh! And don't worry, if you haven't read the Witches books, you won't be lost or puzzled by the crossover. Brackston's story weaving skills are impeccable. Familiar readers will recognize old friends, new readers will simply make new ones. 

Oh Diana Gabaldon, for some reason, I was under the impression that Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone was going to be the last installment in your addictive Outlander series. When I saw the page count, I thought "Nope. No way she wraps this up in such a short work." Don't laugh. This series routinely tops 1000 pages per installment so I knew 960 pages would never be enough. Indeed, Gabaldon has been doling out massive doses of Jamie Fraser and Claire Randall for thirty years and quite frankly, I will be bereft when she does finish their story. In Bees, Jamie and Claire rebuild their home, welcome Brianna and Roger back to the ridge, argue with tenants as the Revolution creeps further and further south, and of course, make lots of love along the way. I won't spoil the story but I will tell you I was thrilled and breathless when I read the last pages as I realized there absolutely MUST be another book in the offing. Gabaldon works a cliffhanger as deftly as a potter spins clay.

In tribute to my end of year reflections, I thought it would be nice to revisit the book which forever and irrevocably hooked me, heart and imagination, on Historical Fiction. Sharon Kay Penman's, When Christ and His Saints Slept, illuminates the story of Matilda (also known as Maude), Empress of Germany and granddaughter of William the Conqueror, who is forced into a loveless, violent, political marriage to the much younger Count of Anjou, Geoffrey, after her first husband's death. When her father, Henry I, names her as his heir, the English Lords are unsettled. At his death, they swear he made a deathbed proclamation identifying his nephew, Stephen of Blois, as his heir instead. Maude feels robbed and, with her husband, launches a decades long war to reclaim her stolen crown. With more twists and turns than even the best pure fiction novel can provide, Penman's thorough research and recounting of historical events proves the adage, "truth is sometimes stranger than fiction." This epic tale, the first in Penman's Plantagenet series, is spellbinding - every time I dip into its pages. I am in perpetual upside-down debt to Penman for the gift she unknowingly gave me when I stumbled on this book nearly 26 years ago. 

From Yellow Fever to March Madness and Everything in Between

 Madness, by Mike DeLucia, was an immensely satisfying surprise. I haven't enjoyed baskedball this much since before I was kicked off the team in Junior High for popping off at the mouth. At any rate, Madness shines a well-deserved spotlight on the man who single-handedly changed the shape and speed of basketball as we know it. Now virtually unknown, Hank Liusetti overcame obstacles and heartbreak on his journey to revolutionize the sport which gave rise to greats like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson. This self-published, creative non-fiction novel had me racing up and down the court alongside Hank and his teammates from page one. With basketball season currently in full swing, I highly recommend picking this one up. Better yet, grab a second copy and gift it to the budding basketball fanatic in your life. They'll thank you for it and you'll have something to talk about when March Madness is over.

Apparently, Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson spurred some middle schools to have "Yellow Fever Days" after it was published in 2011? While I can't speak to that from personal experience, I can see the value in bringing history to life for the YA crowd. I readily admit, I didn't realize Fever was a YA book until after I was invested in the narrative. And by invested, I was hooked. Our young heroine, Mattie, struggles beneath the restrictions of her overprotective mother and seeks shelter in the indulgence of her grandfather as they work to keep the family coffee house afloat in post-colonial Philadelphia. Mattie's journey to independence and discovery of her own personal strength starts when she learns of the untimely death of a friend, Polly. It isn't long before the Yellow Fever is running rampant through the streets of the city, leaving Mattie and her family to make difficult decisions about survival. Worth the read for any American History middle grade students you might know. 
 
I am a long time subscriber to Sean Dietrich's daily essay emails. You might know him as "Sean of the South"? While I was living in Utah, his short stories provided a taste of home and a bit of red clay under my feet. I assumed he made his living as a public speaker and was a bit embarrassed to discover he'd written not one but seven books! Stars of Alabama falls right into my comfortable wheelhouse of southern historical fiction. In the inimitable style of generations of southern story-tellers, Dietrich braids three seemingly unrelated tales, and a wide-ranging cast of characters, into a grand and beautiful coiffure any church lady would be proud to wear to church on Sunday mornings. Set firmly in the years between the Great Depression and the Korean War, Stars is a love story to the families we lose and the families we choose with a generous nod to redemption and grace. Heart-warming is the epitaph I'd put on the marker for Stars of Alabama. 

While searching for comp titles to use for my own work-in-progress, I stumbled upon Family Law by Gin Phillips. In the early 1980's, Lucia Gilbert is an attractive, petite attorney in Montgomery, AL, carving out a space for herself in a traditionally male dominated industry. She fights for the rights of the women and children she represents through divorce and custody proceedings. Though she has no children of her own, she becomes an unlikely mother-figure to Rachel, a teenager and child of divorce. Lucia's advocacy for women settles her and Rachel firmly in the cross-hairs of objectors. Phillips gives us a beautiful story threaded with social commentary. My one and only complaint is the abrupt and unsatisfying ending. I'm not sure, perhaps the ending itself is a sort of uncomfortable commentary on it's own. So, if you choose to add this one to your TBR list, consider yourself warned there's no happily-ever-after, or even a happy-for-now. 

The Violins Played Before Junstan

 

I loved this book! Indie author, Lou Kemp does an incredible job weaving together so many elements and tropes - steampunk, Victoriana, magical realism, demons (?), witches, even a very mild touch of romance. Amazingly, it all works beautifully. 

The Violins Played Before Junstan is the prequel book to Kemp's Celwyn series. While it isn't required to read Violins before diving into the series, I do recommend it. Simply because it is just so very well crafted! Jonas Celwyn is a strong protagonist who uses his magical abilities to manipulate the world around him. But, he's not a bad guy. Not at all. His logical, ethical counterpart, Professor Xiau Kang, a mechanical automat, serves to balance and ground Celwyn's capricious nature. On a ship from San Francisco to Singapore, Kang and Celwyn identify threats against them and set out to neutralize those threats. Shenanigans ensue and leave the two men no closer to solving the mystery of who is hunting them or why. 

They also wind up collecting a wide array of companions who each bring a new facet to this thrilling and complicated adventure. Annabelle, the wealthy and feisty American heiress, trying to escape a forced marriage, who insists on joining their quest in return for helping them out of a tight spot when Celwyn is suspected of murdering another passenger. Bartholomew, a well-educated African, who merely hoped to book passage on a train but was denied because of his race, joins the group when Celwyn purchases a first-class ticket for him. Zander and Telly, orphaned children in need of love and opportunity, rescued from a madman, round out the unconventional family as they make their way across continents via private rail from Singapore to Prague. A host of other characters wander in and through the narrative, adding color and intrigue, as Kang and Celwyn attempt to protect them all from the evil which lurks. 

I couldn't put it down. Indeed, as soon as I turned the last page, I immediately purchased the first book in the series, Music Shall Untune The Sky, just so I didn't have to leave this incredible cast of characters or miss any of their adventures. 

Follow Up on The Tomb, Freeing the Bastards, and Brain Stretching

 

I promised more about The Tomb, Book 1 of The Watchers Series by Carl Novakovich and didn't want to let you down. So, here goes!

This independently published book is a roaring good time practically guaranteed to make you laugh out loud, hold your breath, and groan in dismay. Sometimes all in the space of one page! Chicago Police Detective, John Gideon and his partner cum father figure, Walter are working multiple missing persons cases. One of which holds particular interest for them both, the case of John’s missing mother. When a suspect in these cases, Steven, is taken into custody, John and Walter find themselves catapulted into a world they never knew existed. A world of demons which operates alongside the human world, forever plotting and planning, to unleash Hell on earth.
 
With the aid of a witch-turned-demon, Beth, John learns his family has a historical tie to the battle to keep Hell in its rightful place. He also discovers that his mother’s disappearance is not only connected to the demonic designs but that CPD leadership is somehow “in on it.” Can Beth and John rescue Walter, solve the case of John’s mother’s disappearance, and save the world from possession?
 
Told in the first person omniscient, with occasional fourth-wall breaks, The Watchers: The Tomb is well worth the space on your calendar to read. I promise.

I confess to anxiously waiting for the third installment of The Bastards series by Jonathan French and I have to say, The Free Bastards does not disappoint! Fabulously filthy and fun, Fetching, Jackal, and Oats grudgingly partner with Crafty, the half-orc wizard who they feel is responsible for the disintegration of their hoof, to take on Hispartha and wrest control of their home, the Lot Lands, away from the crown. The mongrels come into their own and realize their potential in this exciting trilogy conclusion. I have to admit, I hope French continues to tell us about their adventures as truly free bastards in the years to come. I will read each and every story without regret or remorse. 

The Red Grouse Tales, by indie author Leslie Garland, spins us in a completely different direction. Think Aesop's Fables meets Modern Morality. Constructed as an anthology (of sorts) of stories told around a pub table by a group of long-time friends, The Red Grouse Tales each stand alone without need for further explanation or exploration. However, don't write this off as just a fun time. The Little Dog, The White Hart, The Crow, The Blue Horse, The Golden Tup (and others) are thought provoking, philosophically challenging and engrossing. Garland's compelling stories kept me turning pages well into the wee hours when I should have been sleeping instead of reading. He masterfully weaves social commentary into tales of the uncanny without being heavy-handed or overbearing.

Thoroughly and effectively utilizing the story-as-lesson trope, Garland presents readers with gorgeously crafted narratives which are excellent on the surface and yet also address larger concerns such as the nature of good and evil, heartbreak and betrayal, redemption, vengeance, gender equality, and simple pleasures versus material strife. Several times in each short story, I was drawn up short to re-read and thoughtfully consider what I'd just read - even though I desperately wanted to forge ahead and find out what happened next! 

I'll be continuing my journey through the other Red Grouse Tales not included in this collection. I'll also be recommending these to educator friends and colleagues as discussion prompts.

Fantasy For The Win This Go 'Round!

Let's get this party started!

Beneath a Brass Sky by independent author, Eli Steele, is a fantasy adventure tale told from the third-person omniscient POV which follows Ulfric Halehorn and his band of sellswords as they embark on a dangerous mission across the Brasslands. From the beginning readers are dropped into an unfamiliar terrain with often confusing yet compelling power structures. Still, Halehorn, former Lord of Wyrmwatch from Prydia, has made his way to the lieutenancy of a sellsword company. He’s turned his back on his rightful place in the nobility for a life on the road, securing contracts, and working in the company of men whose demons are as familiar as his own. When his company, the Fives, secures a contract to deliver “something” valuable to the coastal city of Kush, his survival and drive for justice are put to the test.

Set upon by brigands in the Brasslands, a vast sprawling desert which divides the continent, Ulfric is knocked unconscious and awakens to find that only he and one other, Spero the Banker, have survived the attack. Halehorn is promoted to Captain by default and the two join forces with a mummer’s troupe for security in numbers. Determined to meet the terms of the contract and make the delivery to Kush, Halehorn’s contingent of misfits encounters a band of men led by The Huntsman, a charismatic, enigma who draws followers to him and leaves a destructive, killing trail in his wake across the Brasslands. Following a trail of crucified men, scalped corpses, and defiled children, it isn’t long before Halehorn and Spero realize The Huntsman is also headed for Kush. This realization redoubles their urgent push to the city and their desire to put an end to The Huntsman's murderous path.

With a mind-bending cast of characters (GoT fans will be thrilled), and a dizzying landscape which demands a map which is, sadly, not included, Steele delivers world building prose which borders on purple at times.

“A gust moaned in from the east, carrying with it thick smoke that reeked of scorched stone, and charred timber, and seared manflesh, and half a hundred other odors acrid and unknown. A bouquet of slaughter…His eyes burned.”

Occasionally, it is difficult to keep track of who’s speaking, why they're important, where they are, or where they’re going. But, it really doesn't matter. The blistering plot moves inexorably forward as quickly as Halehorn’s quest across the Brasslands; racing across endless dunes, winding through slot canyons, clambering over towering mountains, always on the lookout for dangers both real and imagined. Rife with misunderstood magics, creatures both familiar and strange, friendships forged and lost, Beneath a Brass Sky is worth the read and Ulfric Halehorn is a compelling, complicated hero. “And if rage was this sweet, it’s all I’d ever eat…”

Understand this before you venture into the Brasslands, “This is a hollow country – never forget that – all it does is swallow things up.”

The Wrack by John Bierce is an eerily relevant and timely work of fantasy about a plague which ravages the continent of Tyringia. Told from multiple points of view and with varying perspectives, The Wrack provides readers with fascinating insight into how a seemingly unstoppable, infectious disease affects everyone from kings to paupers. 

When a northern prince is suddenly struck with a crippling, immensely painful ailment, poison is immediately suspected and healers are called to assist. When healers are unable to find an antidote, they turn to a seer for aid. In Tyringia, seers tap into the spiritual flow and vibrations of all the elements which make up and surround the physical world. Seers spend years training in their art and of necessity, pluck out at least one of their eyes in order to use gemstones to help them navigate the aethers. This is where the magic happens.

"Having one's eye put out as a youth to gain the ability to see the spirit flows was also a rather challenging aspect of learning magic, of course."

The seer can see the illness in the prince and understands there is no poison but a new, virulent disease instead. 

Known as the Wrack, the disease ravages across the continent, killing and crippling thousands. Each new case signaled by the sudden screams of its new victim as they convulse in wild, excruciating muscle spasms. Many resort to filling their ears with wax in an attempt to drown out the sound. Insultingly, if the Wrack doesn't kill it's victims, it leaves their fingers and toes scorched and useless. 

News of the disease, its course, its suspected causes is spread across the world through semaphore. A network of lines, placed in the spirit currents surrounding the world in the rare places where the currents dipped low to the ground. As villages, towns, cities, and countries are brought to their knees by the Wrack, the semaphore lines of communication are brought to a near-stand still. Survivors are left to fend for themselves and often descend into rumor and superstition to protect themselves. 

The Wrack is an engaging and well-written work of fantasy which manages to avoid comparison to the current pandemic while still respecting the fear modern readers face in the face of uncertainty. 

I just started reading The Tomb - The Watchers Book 1 by Carl Novakovich, a tale of demons, both good and bad, roaming the Windy City of Chicago. Novakovich reached me on Twitter and asked if I'd consider reading his work. When he pitched the story, I have to admit, I was immediately hooked by the idea of demons in Chicago, one of my favorite cities in the US. I'm only a few pages in and have to admit, so far, it's very good. I'll have a complete review for you next time!

Thanks for reading!

W

The Ladies Have It

 Gild by Raven Kennedy. 

Hm. I can’t say I loved this book, but, neither can I say I hated it. If I were asked to describe Gild by Raven Kennedy in ten words or less, I would say “BDSM Billionaire Sort-of-Romance Wrapped Loosely in Fantasy.” Let me start by focusing on what I thoroughly enjoyed about this book.

Kennedy does an excellent job building the world of Orea, with its Six, albeit unimaginatively named, Kingdoms. The kingdoms are quite literally named, First, Second, Third, you get the picture. Nevertheless, she imparts each kingdom with defining and distinctive characteristics, cultures, geography. Only those with power can rule. In Orea, rulers must possess magical abilities, and should an heir not possess any special talents, well, the throne is up for grabs by whomever can claim and keep it by virtue of their own magic. The kingdoms are represented as extensions of their rulers. Snowy, perpetually cold Sixth Kingdom, the setting for most of Gild, is insulated from her neighbors. And, by all outward appearances, Sixth Kingdom is wealthy in reflection of Midas’ ability to gold-touch anything. Fourth Kingdom, realm of King Ravinger (or King Rot) is marred by his gift of decay. Fifth Kingdom is ruled by King Fulke, a lecherous and greedy man with the gift of duplication. His prosperity relies on his alliance with Midas. Midas turns items to gold for Fulke; Fulke duplicates those items. As ever in politics, allies are often the other side of an enemy’s coin and fortunes may be decided on the toss.

Kennedy delivers royals with magic abilities, fantastic beasts such as gigantic snow cats with flaming paws, snow pirates who’s ships glide over glistening fields of powder through the harnessed fire claws, pulse-racing plot twists, taut political tensions, heart-breaking humanity, and wretched villains. Her prose is often breathtakingly beautiful. The snowfall hasn’t stopped and continues to drop in a slow, delicate descent, the flakes landing on shaking shoulders. Another burden to carry on our backs.

Auren is the favored “saddle,” (concubine for those with gentler constitutions) of King Midas, the ruler of Sixth Kingdom. He rescued her from poverty and a certain future of slavery during a raid on her village. You’re safe now. Let me help you. I was done being exposed and vulnerable in the world, so he made sure I didn’t have to be anymore. She became his trusted lover before he married Sixth Kingdom’s magic-less princess and ascended to the throne by dint of his magical golden touch. Once Midas became king, he still treasured her as his “favored” but in reality, she is just as much a slave as she’d once feared being. She is the only person he has ever “gold-touched,” and he keeps her locked away in a gilded cage. She is precious and safe and bored out of her mind. Midas may have loved her once, but his love has twisted into a love of novelty.

King Midas is as duplicitous as the Greek mythologies suggest. King Fulke of Fifth Kingdom is his gullible ally in a plot to attack Fourth Kingdom, the domain of King Rot. Midas barters a night with Auren for Fulke’s cooperation in the attack; never intending to deliver his favored to fulfill his end of the bargain. Rather, he uses Auren as bait to lure Fulke’s armies to defeat at the borders of King Rot’s lands and depose Fulke. Thus leaving Fifth Kingdom vulnerable to Midas’s power grab.

Midas sends orders for his harem of “saddles”, including Auren, to join him in Fifth Kingdom’s capital. Their journey is the first time Auren has been outside in more than ten years. Along the way, Auren takes every opportunity to escape the confines of her gilded carriage and breathe freely, befriending one of her guards along the way. When the party is hijacked by the Red Raids, Auren realizes and regrets the danger her status as “Midas’ Favored” has placed upon the others in the caravan. Her despair deepens as she discovers there may have been a spy in the entourage; a spy willing to sell the lot of them to King Rot’s fae warrior, Commander Rip. Action, adventure, espionage! So far, so good!

Now, for what surprised me most about this book. Perhaps I should have read the synopsis more closely, taken it more seriously, something. I love a good sex scene. While there is a lot of sex in Gild, not much of it is very good. I did not anticipate a full-on, graphically described orgy within the first ten pages. I still wonder why this was entirely necessary. I don’t mind coarse language (full disclosure: my own language is often very coarse). However, in a work of fantasy, I was unprepared for modern speech patterns and shock-factor slurs. They feel gratuitous and redundant.

I kept waiting for Auren to NOT be the damsel-in-distress. I kept wanting her to claim her own agency. I kept wanting her to be more than the plaything of a childish king. I wanted her to recognize her own value and stop drinking so much wine. I needed her to not acquiesce so readily. I kept waiting for Midas to redeem himself. I needed him to not be an ass. I don’t regret reading Gild, but I probably won’t be reading further into this series. I didn’t care about the characters enough.

The Lost Queen by Signe Pike

Now this story, I can't say enough good things about it. Based on long-forgotten and dismissed parts of the Arthurian legends, The Lost Queen by Signe Pike centers on the story of Languoreth the alleged twin sister of the man who would become Merlin. 

Like most women of the period, Languoreth knows her options her few and she will have little say in how her life path unfolds before her feet. However, it doesn't mean she meekly accepts her fate or keeps her thoughts to herself. Rather, I found her to be a wholly believable representation of how a woman of noble birth might have actually behaved. She knows her role as the only daughter of a minor king in early Britain/Scotland and plays her part, rebelling in small ways whenever possible. Still, Languoreth generally chooses duty over desire and the consequences of those choices haunt her at every turn. 

The Lost Queen isn't a galloping adventure book. No, you're invited to follow Languoreth from childhood to middle-age at the same pace by which seasons turn. You get to know her and understand her frustrations, foibles, jealousies, mistakes, and triumphs as intimately as you know your own. The men in her life who would become legendary are merely uncles and brothers to this impressive and impressionable young woman. Languoreth shines just as brightly as they do in their armor. She wields her loyalties and loves as fiercely as their swords and spears.

Pike includes just enough romance to add to the humanity of Languoreth and her wanted, but unattainable lover, Maelgwyn. Their impossible, decades long love provides vulnerabilities more potent, more relatable to modern readers than the threat of Angle invasion or political maneuverings. Languoreth's political marriage to Rydderch is not without love but it does lack passion; he is not cruel or unsympathetic. He is as much a pawn of his king as she and together they must navigate intrigues if he is ever to be named heir to his father's throne. 

I love Pike's exploration of the forgotten women in history and legend. So many of our favorite heroes have the women in their lives to thank for their fame; the women who have become footnotes in the heroic tales. Pike refuses to let these women hide in the shadows or be overlooked when creating these works of fiction and I heartily approve.  

Small Dark Wonders

 

It's not unusual for me to plow through 4 or five books a week. However, in recent weeks, due to an increase in reading material for my MFA courses, and in thanks to the heaviness of this post's feature books, I only have 3 to review this time. I know...I'm a slacker. I would also like to apologize, there are no indie books on this list. I'll do better next time. Pinky swear.

That said, shout out to my sister for recommending Jodi Picoult's Small Great Things. Although this book was published in 2016, the uncomfortable subject matter is sadly still all to relevant. Follow Ruth Jefferson, an L&D nurse with twenty years of experience, as she answers the complicated question, Do I help the baby of the white supremacist who specifically said I'm not allowed to touch his child? Or do I uphold my oath as a nurse and defy his wishes and the orders given to me by my supervisors? No one should ever be in this situation but this is exactly where Ruth finds herself and the results of her decision threaten to unmoor the foundations of the life she has worked so hard to build for her and her son. I read this book slowly and carefully, aching for the characters, mourning the fact that these issues are still very real and shamefully still present in our society. I couldn't put this one down. 

Matt Adcock's Complete Darkness just about did me in. I was fascinated and confused from word one. Relying on an unreliable narrator, the sci-fi, future-world of L2 is filled with AI technology, immersive gaming, homogenized religion, mind-altering drugs, secrets, magic, and old-world mythologies. All of those things shouldn't work together, right? But, incredibly, Adcock manages to weave a fraying narrative with characters I couldn't help but care about, even if I did spend the book wondering how on earth all these people and groups would ever resolve themselves in a cohesive ending. This entertaining, and at times disturbing, SFF commentary on theology, social mores, and humanity is well worth the read. 

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks promised a break from both textbooks and heavy social pressures. I can't say this is a light read - because you know, COVID-19 pandemic. A fictionalized version of historical events, Year of Wonders tells the tale of a small English village, engulfed by the Plague in 1665-1666, which voluntarily shuts itself off from the world in order to save the rest of the country from a nationwide outbreak. Our narrator, Anna, loses everything that was once important to her but, in the end, gains a life she can truly call her own. I probably should have been prepared for the unintentional parallels between this story and our own experiences in the past 17 months but I wasn't. Excellent story, told in a voice which evokes the formality of the period, heartbreaking and hopeful all at once, I recommend Year of Wonders wholeheartedly. But, only if you aren't still exhausted by the current world health situation. If you are, I suggest you put this one on the bottom of your TBR stack and read it later. It's been out since 2002 so there's no hurry.