Darkness Rising 2 -Quest; Ross M Kitson

 

 As are most fantasy addicts, I love a good series; something I can get my teeth into. But I also like to know there will be some resolution, at some point and Ross M. Kitson has delivered on all points so far with his Darkness Rising Series. 

In Darkness Rising book 1 - Chained,  by indie author Ross M. Kitson, we met Emelia. Born with strange silver-grey eyes, Emelia is trapped in servitude to uncaring and haughty masters. Technically she is a ‘hired servant’ and not a slave, but the family who ‘employs’ her and others like her, own her body and soul.   It is a harsh and unforgiving life for a girl who hears voices which counsel rebellion; a girl who who frequently crosses the line and forgets her place through no fault of her own.  Even so, she has friends and loved ones within the servant community, and even a wistful romantic interest. Because of her eyes, she is called ‘Star-Eyed’, and it is suspected that one of her ancestors was actually a ‘Subaquan’ or a merman. Events happen to Emelia and she finds herself caught up in them, unable to control them or to avoid the punishments that surely follow.

The family that employs her, the Ebon-Farrs are members of an elite and highly-placed nobility with many important connections. They are also possessed of an item, a Crystal that the Arch-mage, Inkas-Tarr desires and plans to steal. Inkas also desires to possess Emelia, and he makes a bargain with the Ebon-Farrs to purchase her. Arch-mage Inkas is the highest ranking Elemental master and he sees something in her that he wishes to have at his enclave to study.

Before that can happen, she inadvertently runs afoul of Uthor Ebon-Farr, the arrogant son of the house, and strange powers emerge within her, but she is unaware of what has happened, only that strange things are happening to her, and that she is punished severely for the events that she had no control over.

On the night that she makes her escape from her masters, Emelia meets two men, Hunor and Jem, who are attempting to steal the very crystal that Arch-mage Inkas has also sent a thief after. Things begin to really go awry, but it turns out that Emelia is a Wild Mage, and is the antitheses of the Elemental Mages.

It turns out that the crystal is actually a dangerous and powerful magical artifact, one of the Prisms of Power - ancient artifacts made by a long dead race containing terrifying magic.

Once she is embroiled with Hunor and Jem, she embarks upon an epic adventure to find the Prisms. The Prisms are necessary to defeat the lord of the ghasts, the undead mages who are unequivocally evil.  No wishy-washy maybe-they-are evil here!!!  The Lord of the Ghasts is Evil. Emelia holds the key to their location but the Wild-magic comes at a dire cost...that of her mind.

Now in Darkness Rising Book 2 - Quest, Emelia, Hunor and Jem’s adventures continue. Wounded by a demon, Emelia is taken by her comrades, Jem and Hunor, into the dangerous Silver Mountains where they seek an old friend. A chance encounter propels them into a quest to find artifacts of awesome power.

Joining their quest is Lady Orla Farvous, a knight of the air, and member of the family which ‘owns’ Emelia. Her honor is put to the test as she finds herself fighting alongside people she despises. Also joining the group is Marthir, a druid and a thorn in Emelia’s side; Kervin (a tracker); and Mek-ik-ten, Jem’s mentor.

The Lord of the Ghasts, Vildor, has risen and lays a trap that may end their quest before it begins.  Emelia struggles to learn what she must and to do what she must, all the while fighting her personal demons.  In Thetoria, Aldred Enfarson, begins an investigation into a horrific murder. As he starts to unravel the events surrounding the appearance of a vampyr, he discovers a shocking truth which threatens all he holds dear.

Kitson has created a world that is fully fleshed in both its history and its social structure, and built a system of magic that is logical and is fully believable.  I love all the different races of sentient people; everything from lizardmen to mermen people this tale. The details are slipped into the story in such a way that you absorb them without realizing it.  Kitson's world is rich with the sounds and smells of another place and time; and I become fully immersed in the lives of Emelia, Hunor and Jem when I read his work.

I am positively over the moon knowing book three will soon be released, because I REALLY love this series.

 

 

A Storm in Tormay, by Christopher Bunn

 

A Storm in Tormay is a compilation of a three-book series. The first section, The Hawk and His Boy by indie author Christopher Bunn is book one of The Tormay Series, all three of which are comprised in this book. The tale opens with an orphan boy, Jute, undertaking a ‘chimney’ job for his cruel master, The Juggler. He climbs the wall, using his skills to quiet the wards on the wall. He is worried, because the Knife of the Thieves Guild has insisted he do this job, and only a fool would refuse The Knife anything. Jute wonders why The Knife needs a child for this job, since children were not real thieves, only cut-purses and pickpockets.

He senses the object he seeks in the dark house somehow ‘knows’ him, a thing that intrigues him as he has no idea of his real name or where he really belongs; only that he is an orphan and bound to The Juggler, an unsavory, greedy abusive thief. The box calls to him so clearly he hears it as if someone had spoken his name. The box was the length of his forearm, made of black oak and fastened with a catch and hinges of silver.  A carving of a lifelike hawk, his head staring right at Jute, with the moon and sun rising behind it completed the box.   Despite having been threatened with death if he did so, Jute opens the box. What he finds is an old knife, which seems to be nothing special. He accidentally cuts himself, and sucks the blood away as it wells from his finger. When he closes the box, the carving is no longer lifelike, nothing but a crude carving at best.

Terrified at what he has done, he flees the room. After giving the box to The Knife, the assassin pushes Jute over the edge of the chimney, a failed effort to kill him. Injured, he wakes up with the owners of the house trying to decide what punishments to inflict on his pain-wracked body.

Ronan of Aum, called ‘The Knife’. He holds no malice toward the boy, indeed he feels a bit sorry for him, but he has a job to do. He just wants to earn enough money to escape the city of Hearne and the Thieves Guild.

The Duke of Mizra has asked for the hand of a young noblewoman who is so much more than an ordinary woman, Levoreth.  Besides her obvious secret, she has a mysterious talent for melding her mind with the horses, causing her stablemen to consider her with awe.

Fen, a girl who ‘knows things’ has narrowing escaped the slaughter of her entire family by a creature of evil, becoming horribly injured in the process.  She is rescued by traders, passing through her family’s land.

Nio, the dark wizard who owns the box, pries the information of who had arranged for the theft out of Jute, and then gives him to his horrible creature to kill, but The Voice in Jute’s head helps save his life. Using magic he doesn’t really understand, but believes he does, Nio has created a creature of magic, called a wihitt, which something between a Golem and a demon. He created it from Darkness and the Four Elements to be his servant, and fed it with his own blood. He used it to get information on The Juggler and Ronan, The Knife. The wihitt frightens him somewhat, and he plans to unmake it.

Nio is one of four scholars who seek knowledge of the Gerecednes, a lost book written by a people known to have great knowledge and power over the elements.  One of the other scholars, Severan, knows Nio is up to no good and that he wants Jute. Severan finds Jute and takes him to the ruins of the university to hide him from all who now seek him and want him dead.

The threads of these characters are woven together to form a tapestry which is compelling and absorbing. This is a deep tale, and is frequently heart-rending.  Bunn’s narrative is reminiscent of Tad Williams’s style, making this series an immersive experience to read.  I highly recommend buying the compilation at the outset, because once you have begun reading this series, you won’t be able to stop.

Christopher Bunn can be found blogging on his website, Scribbles and Tunes for the Modern Human.  I must say, I spent a whole morning reading and enjoying his commentary on life and the world in general.

His books are available either through his website or at amazon.com and also Barnes & Noble; and at many other fine bookstores.

 

An Alien Collective by Roxanne Barbour

 

Today we enter the realm of indie YA science fiction. An AlienCollective by Canadian author Roxanne Barbour begins with the protagonist, Cyn-Tia Silverthorne and 7 other humans,4 females and 4 males, waking up in a strange world in a compound surrounded by 3 other compounds holding similar groups of aliens. They are all at the same stage of life as she is – young adulthood. The captives are a mix of four species from worlds which, like earth, are at the stage of making the leap to the rest of the galaxy.  All have universal translators around their necks, and each species is unique and clearly drawn.  Cyn seems to be quite a fan of Star Trek type shows and is unphased by this turn of events, accepting it and going along with the wishes of her abductors for the time being. 

At first they are separated by a barrier they can communicate through, with a strange box acting as the nexus in the center corner connecting the four compounds.  She meets Stire, a male of the world of Temma. When Cyn and Stire touch the box, they realize that the four groups will have to cooperate to open the box.  Reluctantly the others, Jana from Irandis and Frakis from Reanon comply, and box opens into each compound to reveal cryptic instructions for each group. They are not told why they are there, they are to live in integrated communities and the four individuals who opened the box are the leaders of the individual groups, and cannot be changed as their DNA is required to open the box. 

As their time goes on, they make friends and form alliances, learn many skills they need to survive, and embark on discovering the why of their kidnapping and become adults. In true Gene Roddenberry tradition, a tentative interspecies romance develops, which is both touching and believable.

I enjoyed the way Barbour creates the aliens, and gives them unique characteristics which are specific to their species, and also gives them similarities which might be common in diverse species who’ve reached our level in technology.  I must admit, Cyn is portrayed as being far more mature than an average seventeen year old, as is Stire; but her interactions with the others are interesting and believable. Several times during the tale I found myself backtracking, but overall it was an enjoyable reading experience, and is one which should appeal to teenagers and young readers from age twelve on up.  I give it four solid stars and will be buying it for my young family members who are discovering science-fiction.

Roxanne Barbour is also the author of the YA scifi murder mystery  A Way, About and can be found blogging at  http://roxannebarbour.wordpress.com/. You can follow her on Twitter at @RoxanneBarbour.

 

 

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UNICORN BAIT by S.A.Hunter

In Unicorn Bait by S. A. Hunter, Naomi’s day begins badly with her examining an artifact of her late grandfather’s – a purported ‘unicorn horn’. She accidentally pricks her finger and drops the horn, breaking it – and then the world she knows disappears and she is transported to a burning hut in a village that is under attack. An old woman named Agatha saves her from being raped and murdered, and gives her a dress to wear so she won’t stand out so much.  Unfortunately, the leader of the pillagers, Lord Tavik thinks her to be the wife of the late lord of the realm, Lady Naomi. As the conqueror, and he insists she marry him or die.

Lord Tavik wears an evil-looking mask at all times, never taking it off for one moment.  He’s murderous, given to conquering and blood-shed. He hates Agatha, and is completely paranoid. Naomi agrees to marry him as long as there is no sex and he agrees, giving her a cook, Yula, as her maid/jailor.  Oddly enough, he honors his side of the bargain.

After arriving at Tavik’s home castle, Naomi finds a mouse who not only talks, he claims to be a wizard, Mister Squibbles.  Apparently a spell has gone awry and he ended up as a mouse.  He agrees to tell her about Unicorns if she will provide him with wine and cheese. It turns out Tavik and Agatha are at odds over the evil God he worships.  It also turns out Mister Squibbles knows Agatha better than he would admit as he is her familiar.

This book is a hoot.  Naomi is desperate to find a unicorn, so she can get back home and she needs a virgin to act as bait to attract one. Oh my!  Guess what worshipper of an evil God is a virgin!  The adventures she has as a result of her inadvertent breaking of her grandfather’s Unicorn Horn are wildly creative and the characters are fun and extremely likeable.  I found myself thinking about this tale all day when I was doing other things and couldn’t wait to get back to reading it.

Hunter manages to tell a tale that's a hilarious take on the classic ‘Beauty and the Beast’ tale with just a hint of 'Sleeping Beauty' rolled into it , making it both modern and clever. Naomi and Tavik have great chemistry and all of the characters make you want to know them. Unicorn Bait is a great romp and I loved it - it's a great read and for the price of .99 at amazon.com how can you lose?

Osric’s Wand - The Wand-Maker’s Debate by Jack D. Albrecht Jr. & Ashley Delay

Osric’s Wand - The Wand-Maker’s Debate by Jack D. Albrecht Jr. & Ashley Delay is one of the most original fantasies I have read in a long time. In the world of Archana magic is commonplace – everyone has it. What separates you from the rest is how well you use your magic and your wand. A good wand is a must.

At large public celebrations one must beware of stepping on the drunken squirrels and giants hurl boulders into the air for enchantresses to turn into fireworks.  Lions tell stories reminding those who hunt to eat to respect the last wishes of their prey. The people are a mix of talking animals and people, all of whom apparently wish to die an honorable death by feeding someone (!) instead of dying of old age.

Osric is Portentist, and is a security officer. He has the gift of knowing when something momentous or dangerous is about to happen, and can sense the threatening intentions of others. His skills have advanced him to the high position of Vigile Contege, but he can’t shake the suspicion his superiors haven’t told him everything. The previous Contege has disappeared. Osric has been given a fine Eni wand as a reward for having thwarted an attempt to assassinate the Chancellor of the Wizardly Union.

The people are celebrating the ratification of a treaty, and at the big party in the castle, Osric’s gift as a portentist kicks in and he realizes a terrible crime is about to occur. This time, his gift tells him 2 things are about to occur and he chooses to go to the throne room to stop whatever is happening there. He discovers the problem – a goblet full of pearls is glowing, and he also discovers his wand is missing. Unable to prevent the pearls from exploding, Osric is knocked unconscious.

While being dug out of the debris, Osric is given a wand made by the famous wand-maker, Gus (a prairie-dog), one that he hasn’t had time to finish and pretty up yet and so it looks like an ordinary stick instead of a wand. The first time Osric uses it, he is overcome by the power-lock – the experience a person has when getting used to a new wand. Not only that, but unicorns have begun to take an interest in him – one saving his life in the explosion. He meets Bridgett, Maiden of the Unicorns, who can give him no answers as to what the unicorns know about the explosion.

Soon, Osric discovers that the weasels and something called the irua – a subterestrial race who occupied the same lands as the weasels, are involved in the explosion. Soon, he and his companions are boldly going into danger and Osric is discovering all sorts of powers his new wand bestows upon him. A witch’s vision declares ‘Victory cannot be achieved until the wand-that-is-not-a-wand is known by all on their path.’

Of course, more is going on than meets the eye at first. The treachery goes deep and Osric is determined to unravel it.

This is an intense tale, with many different characters and all of them clear and unique. There is a great deal of action, but the conversations are fascinating and quite humorous. The adventures Osric has with his companions are unexpected and exciting, and Osric himself is so much more than merely a policeman. Despite the fact it is a setup for a series I loved this book. It ends well enough to satisfy, and leaves you wanting more.  I like that in fantasy!

Prince of Bryanae, Jeffrey Getzin

I want to thank you all for your patience over the long hiatus – summer came and vacations interfered with my work ethic, but I did manage to read some awesome books while I was gallivanting all over the continental US.  Today, we celebrate my return to blogging about my favorite subject by sharing Jeffrey Getzin’s  breathtaking epic fantasy, ‘Prince of Bryanae’.

“Discipline. It was the most important word in Willow’s vocabulary.”  This is the opening line of one of the best fantasy books I’ve read all summer, and I read a lot of them.  The story begins with Willow, an elf and Captain in the King’s Guard, and who is in the service of the royal family of Bryanae. Willow’s life has taken a sudden turn for the bad, and it's about to become even worse.  She is beset by problems she has no control over, and no matter how much discipline she applies to the situation, it keeps spiraling out of control. She’s attracted to Captain Snyde, an arrogant man she despises but whom she inexplicably desires against her own wishes. To top it off, she refuses to admit she is in love with Private Tamlevar, a good, decent man who is in love with her and whose loyalty to her is unswerving.

From moment of the opening line, the action begins, and it is nonstop up to the final page. Willow is unfairly demoted, her despised mother shows up and Vazerian, the prince she is supposed to be guarding, gets kidnapped and she is frozen in place, unable to stop it, leaving her open to accusations of cowardice.   Those are the better parts of the week. Willow’s life as she knows it over, and all the discipline she has spent her very long life developing can’t keep it from going to hell.  Terribly injured and now on the run, only discipline keeps Willow from completely breaking under the onslaught of bad luck - discipline and Private Tamlevar who has insisted on following her.

Ultimately, Willow finds herself risking her life for the country which had turned its back on her, choosing to attempt to rescue the kidnapped Prince of Vazerian, even though she no longer has any authority.  Willow’s quest to save the prince takes her to the last place she ever wanted to be, and in the process she and Tamlevar discover what really happened, both in the past and in the present and who is really behind the death and destruction of everything and everyone Willow ever loved.


I am glad to say, I suspected all along things were not as they appeared with a certain character, but the final revelations took even me by surprise. As I said before, this is a complex tale of action, reaction and the repercussions actions taken frequently have.


Add the relentless action to the emotional roller-coaster which runs through all of Willow’s and Tamlevar’s adventures and you have tale which is incredibly intense and which completely captivated me. This is most definitely a five-star adventure, the sort I am always looking for but only rarely stumble upon.

You can find Prince of Bryanae at Amazon.com and at Goodreads.  Jeffrey Getzin can be found blogging at http://jeffreygetzin.com

The Amber Room, Tom Harris

The Amber Room, by Tom Harris is sure to become a classic.  This modern take on traditional fairytales begins with young North, a 14 year old boy suffering from kleptomania.  He’s been kicked out of his parent’s house because of it, and is living with his older sister, India.  Despised as a thief in general, North’s family hates him; the only one who loves him is India, who works at a cinema, and is a dedicated college student.  North’s life is complicated; the drive to steal things he has no use for rules his life, but India takes care of him as well as she can. One evening, while at the library studying, she falls from a fire escape and ends up in a coma. 

North goes the hospital to be with her, where he meets Dr. Tan and Nurse Pat. Out of everyone else in his life, Nurse Pat and Dr. Tan are kind to him, despite knowing he compulsively steals things. Things look very bad for India, and North is desperate to save her. When he arrived at the scene of her accident he’d seen a shadow on the roof of the library and knew she had been pushed.

He finds a note in his pocket from Dr. Tan, telling him to meet him in ‘the Amber Room’; a cryptic not saying he could help North’s sister, and that ‘sometimes you have to go out before you can really go in.’  Intrigued and hopeful, he goes to meet Dr. Tan. 

Strangely enough the elevator has a new button, for the ‘A R’. North takes it finding it opens directly into the Amber Room. The room really is amber, everything in it and the walls and the floors are amber. There are fairies in the door, which scream when it is opened.

Dr. Tan tells North his gift for stealing is what will save his sister.  He is to go to other worlds, inside a book and steal certain things for Dr. Tan. The good Doctor tells him what he must do and assures him that everything in the other world is real, so he runs the risk of dying there if things go awry. And, since North is headed to Fairy-land, things do not go as smoothly as one would hope. First of all, North only steals things when he gets the overwhelming urge to do so, and he doesn’t feel the slightest urge to steal when presented with the first item.

North meets a fairy, Rosie Boots, who becomes entwined in his adventures. Nothing is what it seems in this series of amazing adventures.  The characters are fully fleshed and colorful, without an excess of description.  The dialogue is humorous, despite the serious nature of some of the events and I sat down and read it in one afternoon, nonstop. 

This book leaves us hanging, but we are promised North and Rosie will return in the second book, the Amber Antidote.  Despite the fact this book is a set up for the next book, I highly recommend it. It is a great read for young and old, despite the very occasional rough language. It may indeed be a young adult tale, but I found myself as engrossed as if it were a Harry Potter book!  This tale stands beside the fabled Potter as one you will remember, and like me  you will be eager for the next book!