Book Review: Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne
Posted on August 23, 2021 19 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Ink & Sigil
Publisher: Del Rey (August 10, 2021)
Length: 304 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Al MacBharrais is back in Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne, the follow up to Ink & Sigil which introduced our Scottish sigil agent extraordinaire who is in his sixties, but can still work ink magic with the best of them. All he needs is a pen and paper to work some amazing spells. He’s also part of a global network which polices the travel of supernatural beings to and from our mortal plane, which makes his skills come in handy as magically binding contracts are needed whenever these magical creatures go, and these can only be worked with certain sigils and special ink.
A new adventure begins as Al receives word that a fellow agent had gone missing in Australia while on assignment, leading our protagonist to drop everything and make his way to the Dandenong Ranges in Victoria to investigate the disappearance. Fortunately, he’s got help. Nadia, his accountant who is also a fierce pit fighter, has offered to lend a hand. And of course, this would not be a true sequel without the return of Buck Foi, the mischievous hobgoblin who has also decided to tag along. But the real surprise is perhaps the appearance of Atticus O’Sullivan, also known as the Iron Druid. The ancient one has arrived with his two dogs, Oberon and Starbuck, to join Al and the rest of them in the Australian wilds, determined to follow the trail of their missing colleague.
First off, I have to say this book was very entertaining, especially the setting and the world-building and the magic system. I loved Ink & Sigil, which made me want to know Al MacBharrais a bit better, not to mention learn more about the lore and fantasy aspects of his world. In this, Paper & Blood delivered exactly what I wanted. The main character also has a great sense of humor, which along with his Scottish brogue brings a kind of unique charm to this series. I’ve written before about how much I enjoyed Al’s genuine and down-to-earth personality, the fact that you don’t see many protagonists of his age and background in urban fantasy. His dialogue and interactions with the supporting cast were also delightful, and it was fun watching the shenanigans and clever banter fly between the members of this motley group.
Still, at some point, I had to wonder why the author felt the need to bring back Atticus O’Sullivan, the protagonist from his Iron Druid Chronicles, from which the Ink & Sigil series spun off. Here is also the part of the review where I will get ranty, because I’m a firm believer that while spin offs can be a great opportunity to continue or expand the worlds and stories we love, they should also come from a different angle and be entirely capable of standing on its own two feet. Otherwise, why bother creating a new series with new characters?
What I’m about to say next is also going to be an unpopular opinion, I think, but what the heck—I can’t stand Atticus! At times his snark can be a bit too much, and I can only take him in small doses. It’s also a huge part of why I abandoned the Iron Druid Chronicles after book three, and why I was so happy with the different tone and direction of Ink & Sigil, because Al was such a breath of fresh air. With the return of Atticus in Paper & Blood though, Al’s presence was diminished and he quickly began to feel like a guest in someone else’s world, playing second fiddle to Atticus’ larger-than-life personality. And it’s a shame, because I really felt Al was just starting to step up to the wheel of his own series. Until his role as main protagonist could be firmly established, or until readers could bond with the new characters, Hearne probably should have backed off on the cameos, or at least had Atticus play a smaller role. Instead, this felt too much like an attempt to write another Iron Druid book, or a blatant attempt to service Atticus fans.
That said, if you followed the Iron Druid Chronicles, I think you will have a blast with this one. My quibbles notwithstanding, I did too. New readers will still have plenty to delight in, as Paper & Blood is bang-up sequel for what it is, a rollicking continuation of Ink & Sigil which touches lightly upon the aftermath of the previous book’s events while featuring a new adventure that can generally be read as a standalone. I have a feeling it’s going to take while for this series to develop its own hook and overall flavor, but that’s pretty common for urban fantasy. Hopefully we can refocus our attention on Al and have him retake the reins going forward.
Friday Face-Off: Dressed to Kill
Posted on August 20, 2021 10 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
~ DRESSED TO KILL
Consortium Rebellion by Jessie Mihalik
This topic involves featuring someone on a cover literally dressed to kill, or someone dressed up for a big night out. This week I’m doing something different by picking a series instead of a book. The Consortium Rebellion trilogy immediately came to mind, which follows the three kickass sisters of House von Hasenberg, and you can bet they’ve all got style!
Waiting on Wednesday 08/18/21
Posted on August 18, 2021 12 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
Scorpica by G.R. Macallister (February 22, 2022 by Saga Press)
This is the fantasy debut of historical fiction author Greer Macallister, and while it has an interesting concept, I confess the main draw for me is the comparison to Robin Hobb as well as Circe. I hope it’ll be good!
“A centuries-long peace is shattered in a matriarchal society when a decade passes without a single girl being born in this sweeping epic fantasy that’s perfect for fans of Robin Hobb and Circe.
Five hundred years of peace between queendoms shatters when girls inexplicably stop being born. As the Drought of Girls stretches across a generation, it sets off a cascade of political and personal consequences across all five queendoms of the known world, throwing long-standing alliances into disarray as each queendom begins to turn on each other—and new threats to each nation rise from within.
Uniting the stories of women from across the queendoms, this propulsive, gripping epic fantasy follows a warrior queen who must rise from childbirth bed to fight for her life and her throne, a healer in hiding desperate to protect the secret of her daughter’s explosive power, a queen whose desperation to retain control leads her to risk using the darkest magic, a near-immortal sorcerer demigod powerful enough to remake the world for her own ends—and the generation of lastborn girls, the ones born just before the Drought, who must bear the hopes and traditions of their nations if the queendoms are to survive.”
Book Review: The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett
Posted on August 17, 2021 21 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Desert Prince by Peter V. Brett
Mogsy’s Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Book 1 of Nightfall Saga
Publisher: Del Rey (August 3, 2021)
Length: 656 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
It’s great to be back in the Hollow! Mind you, fifteen years have passed since the end of The Demon Cycle which saw the humans beat back the creatures of the darkness, but to be honest, much here still feels comfy and familiar. Now in The Desert Prince, which kicks off a new series called the Nightfall Saga, the next generation will have their chance to prove themselves.
The story is told mainly from two perspective characters. Olive is the daughter of Leesha Paper, now the Duchess of Hollow, and Darin Bales is the son of the hero known as the Deliverer. Both of them have grown up in this peaceful world, the feats of their parents having become the stuff of legends. However, Olive wants more. As a princess and the heir of the Hollow, she has her whole life planned out by her mother, who wants to keep her only child sheltered and safe. But Leesha has also kept a big secret from her daughter. Olive has always known she is different, being intersex, but the fact has never bothered her, until her mother reveals how she had been assigned the gender of female at birth because the alagai hora—prophetic dice made of demon bone—willed it so. Olive can’t help but wonder what her life would have been like, had the fates decided differently.
Her friend Darin on the other hand faces a different kind of problem. As the son of the legendary Arlen Bales, the world expects greatness from him, but it’s a different world now without any corelings to fight. All Darin really wants is to be left alone to find his own path, and that way, maybe he won’t be a disappointment to everyone around him. But then one night, Olive and Darin cross the protective wards around the village to find out that the demons are not all gone. The threat is serious enough that the Hollow elders decide to investigate, hoping it is not a sign of a new corbeling resurgence. But soon afterwards, Olive’s heritage catches up with her as the Krasian enemies of her father come calling, capturing her for their own designs. But somewhere in this strange turn of events may be an opportunity for Olive to discover more about herself, and for Darin, who will stop at nothing to rescue his friend, this could be his chance to save the world from the demons.
As many others have noted, while The Desert Prince is a start of a new series, the novel really feels more like a continuation of The Demon Cycle. Sure, it can be read on its own without any knowledge of the prior books since the author does a pretty good job at catching you up, but the truth is, there’s really no substitute for the massive body of lore and character development you’ll be missing out on. As such, the Nightfall Saga feels very much like it was written for existing fans, though that’s not to say newcomers won’t find plenty to enjoy as well. In fact, if you love the epic fantasy genre, this will make you feel right at home, featuring heroic characters, stunning magic, and world-building on a massive scale.
Speaking as someone with the benefit of having the original series under my best, I actually thought The Desert Prince was quite good, the quality of the storytelling and writing even surpassing the previous books in a few cases. Peter V. Brett has certainly learned from his successes and mistakes, and as a result, here we have a tightly told plot which also highlights the importance of having well-developed characters. Of course, in this case having a memorable cast is important—they are the children of some larger-than-life heroes, after all. There’s a good balance between the POVs, with Olive’s probably being slightly more prominent (which makes sense, since her arc feels more consequential to the overall story, at least at this early point in the series) though both threads take on major coming-of-age themes like self-discovery or living up to parental expectations, etc., making these characters and their struggles feel more genuine and relatable.
Arguably though, the real stars are the corelings. A renewed war against the demons was undoubtedly what I’d hoped for when I picked up The Desert Prince, and one of the main reasons I signed up for the ride. And I know I can’t be the only one. The harrowing night fights against the demons in this book are some of the best Brett has ever written, which is enough to make me overlook some of the more annoying aspects which have been carried over from the original series, like the excessive melodrama and relationship shenanigans or the prejudice and merciless attitudes of Krasia. Those new to the magic system based around demon bones and warding are sure to be in for a nice surprise, while returning readers will also be treated to additions and an overall expansion to the lore. In other words, the experience was fresh yet comfortable, and coming from The Demon Cycle, I was impressed with the seamless shift from old to new.
All in all, I was happy to be back in the world of The Demon Cycle, upgraded and looking sleek in a new fresh coat of paint. Peter V. Brett slips right back into the rhythm of things without compromising the characteristic elements of the original series while putting a new generation in the spotlight and allowing them a chance to endear themselves into the hearts of readers new and old. On the whole, long-time fans will probably gain the most appreciation out of The Desert Prince but I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys epic fantasy.
Review: City of Iron and Dust by J.P. Oakes
Posted on August 16, 2021 9 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
City of Iron and Dust by J.P. Oakes
Mogsy’s Rating (Overall): 3 of 5 stars
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Titan Books (July 6, 2021) | Tantor Audio (July 20, 2021)
Length: 400 pages | 11 hrs and 27 mins
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Narrator (Audiobook): Dan Calley
In City of Iron and Dust, an oppressed society of Fae seek to rise up against their Goblin overlords in order to win their freedom. Writing in a contemporary urban fantasy style with dark undertones, debut author J.P. Oakes incorporates faerie folklore and magical themes along with dystopian elements to create a harsh world on the brink of violent change. This novel has a fascinating premise to be sure, but the pacing is extremely uneven which made reading it rather slow going.
In the Iron City, all that stands is a symbol of the Goblin victory against the Fae in their age-old war. Now the Fae are imprisoned within its walls, subservient to the five major houses of their Goblin rulers who reside in the towering spires at the center of the city. The only hopes the prisoners have left are fueled by Dust, a drug capable of restoring magic—if only briefly—to the desperate Fae eager to capture even a few moments of what they lost and what their lives used to be. Not only is this substance highly illegal, it is also extremely addictive, giving rise to vicious black market.
In the midst of this grim scenario, we have a varied cast including Knull, a drug dealer; Jag, a sheltered goblin princess; Sil, her badass bodyguard half-sister; Edwynn, an artist and idealist; Skart, an old kobold war veteran and freedom fighter; Granny Spregg, a depose noblewoman with designs to claw her way back into power, and a couple others I might be missing. Cut off from nature which is the source of their magic, the poverty-stricken Fae are barely surviving in these hopeless conditions, which is why the mere idea of a drug like Dust can hold so much power. And now a bag of it has found its way into the city, and whoever controls it will hold the city’s fate in their hands.
I liked this book but didn’t love it. While imaginative and action-packed, it’s also feels bloated and overloaded with way too many ideas and too much stuff going on. As I alluded to before, there are a number of POVs to follow, too many to even remember all of them after I finished the book. Not only that, I also feel the author treats character development far too casually, never giving readers a chance to connect with any of them on a deeper, more meaningful level. We flit back and forth between their perspectives like it’s going out of style, often shifting the focus just as things were getting good. There also wasn’t enough to distinguish between some of the voices, with the dialogue, tone and snark being somewhat interchangeable. Truth be told, none of them really made an impression on me in the end.
There’s also a breathless quality when it comes to many debuts, and I can feel that here. Oakes’ enthusiasm is practically palpable, which isn’t necessarily bad, but things do get a little dicey when you try to put in too much. The saying “less is more” comes to mind here, as a jumble of different styles seem to struggle against each other for dominance. Here and there you get a hint of crime noir, while at other times a touch of military thriller kicks in, all to a dizzying backdrop of fantasy and paranormal elements. And with how quickly the story moves, it rather tough to get a bead on things. Certain literary devices, like the humor, feel forced or ill-timed, coming in at the most awkward moments. The result is this chaotic and often confusing energy that sometimes makes the book hard to follow, which can be very exhausting, and it’s a shame because what should have been the story’s powerful message of resistance against oppression ends up getting lost in all the noise.
With a bit more polish, this book could have been great, and with more experience, the author’s future looks bright. J.P. Oakes clearly has the talent, the imagination, and the potential, but City of Iron and Dust could have done with some streamlining and character development to help it be more memorable. Despite its flaws though, I loved the world-building and the fact that all the characters in the story are non-human. It’s definitely a treat for fantasy fans looking for that sort of thing, as long as you don’t mind the prose and storytelling that’s a bit raw and rough around the edges.
Bookshelf Roundup: 08/14/21: Stacking the Shelves & Recent Reads
Posted on August 14, 2021 22 Comments
Bookshelf Roundup is a feature I do every weekend which fills the role of several blog memes, like Stacking the Shelves where I talk about the new books I’ve added to my library or received for review, as well as It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? where I summarize what I’ve finished reading in the last week and what I’m planning to read soon. Mostly it also serves as a recap post, so sometimes I’ll throw in stuff like reading challenge progress reports, book lists, and other random bookish thoughts or announcements.
Okay, so we’re nearly halfway through the month and my reading output has been dismal! I have one more road trip coming up next week to visit the in-laws which will probably be our last time to get away before the summer ends, so hopefully my schedule will return to somewhat normal sooner rather than later, because between work and family obligations I feel like I’ve been running on fumes these past few weeks. Anyway, some posts have been scheduled in advance, but my online presence will probably be sparse to none until I get back. I look forward to catching up with everyone’s posts upon my return though, and hoo boy does my neglected TBR need some long overdue attention!
Received for Review
My thanks to the publishers and authors for the following review copies received, and be sure to click the links to their Goodreads pages for more details and full descriptions!
A big thank you to Orbit Books for a hardcover of Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky, the first book of The Final Architecture series. I’m pretty excited, because as much as I appreciate his versatility in other genres, I very much prefer his sci-fi space opera. Also from the publisher I received The Pariah by Anthony Ryan, an all new epic fantasy trilogy from the author of the Raven’s Shadow books. I’m also looking forward to this one, but man, that’s one massive tome!
With thanks also to Angry Robot for Twenty-Five to Life by R.W.W. Greene. This was relatively new to me, but I am intrigued by the apocalyptic setting and the premise of using virtual reality to block it all out. I’m looking forward to exploring this one.
Thank you also to the awesome team at Tordotcom for this gorgeous copy of The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente. I can always count on her stuff to be pretty unique, and I’ve heard some great things about this book already, so I can’t wait to read it. I also received an ARC of Along the Saltwise Sea by A. Deborah Baker, which wasn’t even on my radar because apparently it’s the sequel of a book that spins off of Middlegame by Seanan McGuire, which I haven’t read (A. Deborah Baker is a pseudonym). I’m not sure if I’ll be completely lost if I haven’t read either Middlegame or Over the Woodward Wall but maybe someone who has can tell me if these Up-and-Under books are standalone?
And finally I also received a review copy of The Seventh Age: Dystopia by Rick Heinz. Thank you to the author for getting in touch and offering me this sequel to The Seventh Age: Dawn, which I read a few years ago and enjoyed!
On to the digital haul! With thanks to Penguin Random House Audio’s Listening Library imprint, I received ALCs of Burden Falls by Kat Ellis and The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins. Just a couple of YA horror novels to lighten the mood!
Also thanks to Hachette Audio for a listenign copy of Getaway by Zoje Stage, because how can I possibly resist anything described as a terrifying psychological thriller?
Last but not least, I just had to grab the eARC of The Beholden by Cassandra Rose Clarke when I saw it pop upon Edelweiss earlier this week. I’ve always enjoyed her work, and that cover is just stunning!
Reviews
The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones (3.5 of 5 stars)
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward (3.5 of 5 stars)
What I’ve Been Reading
Have you heard of or read any of the books featured this week? What caught your eye? Any new discoveries? I hope you found something interesting for a future read!
Friday Face-Off: Holiday Read
Posted on August 13, 2021 15 Comments
Welcome to The Friday Face-Off, a weekly meme created by Books by Proxy! Each Friday, we will pit cover against cover while also taking the opportunity to showcase gorgeous artwork and feature some of our favorite book covers. If you want to join the fun, simply choose a book each Friday that fits that week’s predetermined theme, post and compare two or more different covers available for that book, then name your favorite. A list of future weeks’ themes are available at Lynn’s Book Blog.
This week’s theme is:
~ a HOLIDAY READ cover
The Dogs of Christmas by W. Bruce Cameron
There were several directions I could have gone with this theme, considering a “holiday read” can mean just about anything. But I’ve decided to go the classic route, and what could possibly put one in a holiday mood more than Christmas and puppies? I really love W. Bruce Cameron’s dog books, they can always be counted on to lift one’s spirits. So are you ready for an attack of the cuteness?
From left to right:
Forge Books (2013) – Pan Publishing (2013)
Polish Edition (2017) – Italian Edition (2013) – Portuguese Edition (2013)
Turkish Edition (2014) – Hungarian Edition (2017) – German Edition (2014)
Winner:
Cuteness overload! But my favorite is probably the Polish edition because of the “holiday card” look, and I think the reindeer ears are a bit different but still so adorable.
But what do you think? Which one is your favorite?
Thursday Thriller: The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones
Posted on August 12, 2021 18 Comments
I received a review copy from the publisher. This does not affect the contents of my review and all opinions are my own.
The Guilt Trip by Sandie Jones
Mogsy’s Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Minotaur Books (August 3, 2021)
Length: 320 pages
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Twenty years’ worth of secrets and suppressed truths all come out in a single weekend, as two couples come together for a third’s destination wedding in a gorgeous cliffside villa in Portugal. Sandie Jones’ latest suspense thriller The Guilt Trip is so titled because the protagonist, Rachel, knows keep down she’s selfish for wanting her best friend Paige along by her side when her brother-in-law Will gets married. The younger brother of Rachel’s husband Jack is a great guy, but his fiancée Ali just seems to rub everyone the wrong way—she’s flaky, embarrassingly loud and impulsive, and has a tendency to exaggerate or overembellish her own accomplishments. Just the thought of having to spend the whole time making small talk with Jack and Will’s family while putting up with Ali by herself makes Rachel feel sick. Still, if Paige was there, things might not be so bad, especially since her husband Noah is also an old college friend of Rachel’s.
Even before they can get on the plane though, Ali causes a scene at the airport by misplacing her passport. Then she pretends to get drunk on the flight. Even after the group finally makes it to Portugal, where they meet Will, Rachel’s future sister-in-law just seems to have a knack for making them all feel uncomfortable. At just twenty-nine years old, beautiful and shapely Ali makes Rachel feel old and ungainly in comparison, but some of the others are practically hostile towards the younger woman. Paige doesn’t like Ali’s fake and attention-seeking ways, and Jack has admitted he doesn’t trust her and fears his brother is making a terrible mistake. When pressed why, Jack finally reveals that he believes Ali may have cheated on Will. Rachel, Paige, and Noah are shocked, of course, but with the wedding almost upon them, what could any of them do? The four of them agree that, for the sake of Will’s happiness, they’ll just have to keep their mouths shut and get through the weekend. But with the way Ali carries on, that might not be as easy as any of them think. There’s something not quite right about the bride-to-be, the way she seems just a little too friendly with Jack, or her propensity to lie and get all up in others’ business, stirring up old secrets that are best left in the past.
So, is The Guilt Trip really a mystery thriller? Or is it a drama-filled soap opera? Of course, you’d be forgiven for thinking the latter, if you simply go by the first half. For example, it’s revealed pretty early on that Rachel and Noah used to be besties in university. In a moment that changed the trajectory of their lives forever, Rachel decided not to go with Noah on his year-long trip abroad, choosing instead to stay behind to see how things will work out with Jack, her new boyfriend at the time. But while Rachel and Noah’s relationship had remained platonic up to that point, on that final night, one thing led to another, and well…let’s just say there are things Rachel hopes Jack will never never ever in a million years find out. Because by the time Noah came back from his year away, Rachel was planning a wedding and expecting a child, and so he went on to meet and marry Paige. While the two women eventually became best friends themselves, as you can see, there’s a lot of history there and it wasn’t all open and honest.
And then there’s Ali, which is like throwing a grenade into an already heated situation. She’s definitely a character with a boatload of secrets of her own, and I think at times the author plays it up a tad too heavily, threatening to reveal her hand early. You also have to be willing to suspense your disbelief, BIG TIME. I mean, it’s hard to imagine someone like Rachel who has been married to her husband for twenty years having all of these misconceptions about him and being so unwilling to communicate. The plot also thrives on misunderstandings, featuring of the kind of problems that can be solved in like two seconds if only the characters would stop making dumb assumptions and just sit down and talk to one another, for God’s sake. So, if those are the types of stories that frustrate you, then this one is going to really try your patience. With most of the book being told through Rachel’s perspective, and she being such a difficult protagonist to engage with (read: stupid and naïve), that can be a point of challenge as well. There aren’t too many likeable characters here, I’m afraid. From arrogance and dishonesty to pettiness and insecurity, they all seem to have their hang-ups and nasty sides to their personalities, but then, I suppose that’s also par for the course when you’re dealing with this genre.
Still, it was fun and never boring, and in the end, that’s what counts when it comes to thrillers. While the first half did not really feel like one, I think the final sections of the book went a long way to redeem that. My only criticism about the ending is that it was too rushed and wasn’t developed enough for the maximum impact, but on the whole I also enjoyed The Guilt Trip as much as my first two novels by Sandie Jones, so that’s definitely a win. For a more intense and full-bodied mystery thriller, there are no doubt better books out there, but if you’re just looking for something quick and entertaining as a popcorn read, this will do just fine. I look forward to whatever the author writes next.
Waiting on Wednesday 08/11/21
Posted on August 11, 2021 12 Comments
Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly meme that first originated at Breaking the Spine but has since linked up with “Can’t Wait Wednesday” at Wishful Endings now that the original creator is unable to host it anymore. Either way, this fun feature is a chance to showcase the upcoming releases that we can’t wait to get our hands on!
Mogsy’s Pick
Last Exit by Max Gladstone (February 22, 2022 by Tor Books)
While browsing Amazon the other day, I was pretty excited to see this cover and description of an upcoming release by Max Gladstone, whose Craft Sequence books I really enjoyed. And it sounds pretty awesome too1
“American Gods meets The Amber Chronicles in Max Gladstone’s Last Exit: A hitchhiker wizard gathers her estranged friends to defend the world from her long lost lover—and the monsters that return with her.
Imagine that the American highway system is a vast magical network binding city to city. By soaking up magic from intentionally directionless travel, initiates can slip into alternate realities. Stray too far from our America, though, and things get weird. And dangerous. And terrifying.
When visionary mathematician Zelda Qiang was in college, she learned how to travel from one alternate reality to another. Her response was to take her friends on a road trip to strange new worlds. Six of them set out. Only five returned. Zelda’s lover, Sal, betrayed them: she walked into the jags—sharp cutting shadows like cracks in space—and didn’t come back.
Now Zelda still walks the road alone, a wandering magus keeping the jags from breaking through. But now Sal is coming back—with Dark Things in tow.”
Excerpt: The Fort by Adrian Goldsworthy
Posted on August 10, 2021 4 Comments
Today, we are pleased to be featuring an excerpt from The Fort by Adrian Goldsworthy, releasing today from Head of Zeus! Action-packed and highly authentic, this first novel of the City of Victory set on Rome’s Danubian frontier is sure to appeal to ancient history buffs and fans of adventure fiction.
The Fort by Adrian Goldsworthy
AD 105: DACIA
The Dacian kingdom and Rome are at peace, but no one thinks that it will last. Sent to command an isolated fort beyond the Danube, centurion Flavius Ferox can sense that war is coming, but also knows that enemies may be closer to home.
Many of the Brigantes under his command are former rebels and convicts, as likely to kill him as obey an order. And then there is Hadrian, the emperor’s cousin, and a man with plans of his own…
Gritty, gripping and profoundly authentic, The Fort is the first book in a brand new trilogy set in the Roman empire from bestselling historian Adrian Goldsworthy.
Excerpt from The Fort by Adrian Goldsworthy, published by Head of Zeus. Copyright © 2021 by Adrian Goldsworthy
The fort at Piroboridava, Province of Moesia Inferior
Three days after the Ides of Februarius, in the consulship of Julius Candidus and Caius Antius (ad 105)
Snow starting falling again as they reached the top of the tower, the big flakes tumbling slowly through the still air to settle on the timbers. Two sentries were on watch, their drab cloaks dotted with flecks of white, and the men stiffened to attention when their centurion appeared. Sabinus, round faced, looking far younger than his twenty-seven years, was a relative newcomer to the legion and indeed the army, commissioned after several years on the council in his home town in Baetica, but was well liked. He grinned at the two legionaries, and gestured for them to stand at ease.
‘All well, boys?’ Sabinus asked them, knowing the answer already.
‘All well, sir.’ The ‘boys’ were both veterans, only a couple of years away from the end of their twenty-five years with I Minervia, and glad not to stand on ceremony. They pulled their cloaks tight and assumed the well-practised stare of sentries doing their job, apparently oblivious to the centurion and the officers with him, while making sure that they heard anything that might be useful or worthy of gossip. Rumours that they were to be relieved and allowed back to civilization had being doing the rounds of the garrison for weeks, and the arrival of the four riders at noon today was taken as a good sign. It was happening. No matter that it seemed odd to change garrisons before the winter was out, and no matter that it seemed even odder to replace a predominantly legionary garrison with a band of irregulars from the wilds of Britannia. If it meant that the vexillatio of I Minervia could return to their base – or anywhere other than here – then what did it matter if the army was making even less sense than usual. They were going, and soon by the look of things, and that promise helped to keep a man warm as he paced up and down on top of this tower.
One of the Britons’ boot skidded where snow had been trodden into sludge. The man next to him steadied him and then nodded as if to reassure his comrade. They were clean shaven, smart and might easily have been decurions in a regular ala of cavalry, true auxiliaries rather than half-barbarian irregulars. Each had a fine iron helmet with the shallow neck guard safer for a horseman than the wide ones on an infantry helmet. Both were slim, rangy men, with a stiff yellow plume atop each helmet adding to their height. The third was built along the same lines, but taller, the skin on his face so taut that even with his drooping moustache it looked skull-like. He seemed to sneer at the man who had almost fallen, although that may simply have been his usual expression. Swathed in a thick tartan cloak, with an old-fashioned army issue helmet, but no mark of rank, he struck Sabinus as more bandit than soldier.
The fourth man was slow to follow, but as he was the most important of the party – indeed the only man of account among them – Sabinus waited for him to appear. At long last the high transverse crest of the centurion’s helmet came up through the open trap door. Flavius Ferox was another Briton, but he came from a legion, even if currently put in charge of a band of cut-throats. From the start of the tour of the garrison the younger officer had done his best to be amiable. Ferox was senior to him, and by all accounts had a long, even distinguished, record, and it never did any harm to be pleasant to someone who was – or one day might become – a useful acquaintance. Pity the fellow was so surly.
‘The scorpio below,’ Ferox said abruptly before he was even off the ladder, ‘how often is it checked?’ On the level below there was a light bolt-shooting engine, covered as usual against the weather.
Before Sabinus could answer, one of the sentries slammed his boots down on the planking as he came to attention. ‘Cleaned every third day, sir!’ the man shouted his report. ‘Springs checked daily, sir!’
Ferox grunted, and Sabinus hoped that his gratitude to the soldier was not too obvious. He would have remembered the answer eventually, but had gone blank.
‘Can you reach the bridge with it?’ The fort lay beside the main track where it crossed over the river.
‘No,’ Sabinus replied, confident of this at least. ‘With luck and the right wind, you might get close now and again, but not with any accuracy. It’s just over two hundred and fifty paces from the gate to the first plank of the bridge. Two hundred and fifty-three to be precise,’ he added, having supervised the survey himself.
About the Author
Adrian Goldsworthy is a respected historian of the ancient world. He studied at Oxford, where his doctoral thesis examined the Roman army, and he went on to write acclaimed works of non-fiction including Caesar, Hadrian’s Wall, and Philip and Alexander. His fiction includes the authentic and action-packed Vindolanda Trilogy, set in Roman Britain.
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