Tag: Damaged Protagonist

The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Five-Star Books, Horror, Murder Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller8 Comments

The Gathering Cover

Publisher: Michael Joseph (ebook – 16 April 2024)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 412 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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Acclaimed author C. J. Tudor continues her excellent run of clever and dark thrillers with the intense, inventive, and gripping horror murder mystery, The Gathering.

C. J. Tudor is a talented and highly inventive author who has been producing some intriguing reads over the last couple of years. Starting with her 2018 debut, The Chalk Man, Tudor has consistently produced some compelling books with clever horror or psychological thriller elements. Her other books include The Hiding Place (also titled The Taking of Annie Thorne), The Other People, The Burning Girls and The Drift.  While Tudor’s intriguing novels have often stood out to me, generally because their unique plots, I unfortunately haven’t had the opportunity to read any of her prior works, which is something I really regret.  However, this has recently changed as I was lucky enough to receive a copy of Tudor’s latest book, The Gathering, an intriguing murder mystery thriller with some distinctive element behind it.

Welcome to the small town of Deadhart, Alaska, home to a small population of living humans and a colony of vampyrs.  Maligned and hunted beings throughout the world, vampyrs in America now have legal protection from unsanctioned killings, as long as they don’t harm any humans.  While members of the Colony attempt to stay away from humans, old hatreds, prejudices and grudges rear their ugly head when a young teenager is found murdered with his throat ripped out and his body drained of blood.

Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings and physiology, is sent to Deadhart to determine if a vampyr committed the murder and authorise a cull if the Colony is unwilling to hand over the perpetrator.  Arriving in the small town, Barbara finds the local inhabitants afraid and angry, looking for vengeance for the death of the boy and determined to wipe out the vampyrs for good, especially as this case bears a striking similarity to a previous killing blamed on the Colony 25 years ago.

Beginning her investigation, Barbara soon discovers that there is far more to the case then initially appears.  Much of the evidence has been staged, and no one is willing to tell her the truth about what has really going on in town.  When more deaths occurring throughout Deadhart and the town in uproar, Barbara deputises former Deadhart sheriff Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous killings nearly left him for dead.

As Barbara and Jenson attempt to discover the culprit, it soon becomes clear that someone is attempting to stir up a conflict between the people of Deadhart and their vampyr neighbours.  With both settlements on the warpath, Barbara and Jenson need to dive into Deadhart’s dark history to truly understand the crime before them.  But is the killer a bloodthirsty vampyr, a psychotic human with a taste for chaos, or something far worse?

Tudor absolutely blew me away with this exceptional and highly clever read.  The Gathering was a brilliant book that expertly combined an inventive and well-established concept with a complex murder mystery.  Loaded with intriguing and damaged characters and a dark story of death, revenge and oppression, The Gathering was an extremely awesome book that I could not turn away from.

Thanks to its vampyr focused murder mystery, I knew I was going to really enjoy the plot behind The Gathering well in advance of reading it, and boy was I proven right.  Tudor does a wonderful job quickly and effectively setting the scene, and you are soon introduced to the town of Deadhart, the concept of vampyrs and the particulars of the murder.  What follows is a complex case as protagonist Barbara Atkins is forced to investigate as an outsider, as most of the town is filled with anti-vampyr sentiment.  Further complications are added when Atkins finds a range of dark secrets hidden throughout Deadhart, both in the present and in the past, which have bearing on the modern case.  At the same time, the various residents of Deadhart and the Colony react in different ways to the murder, using it to restart old grudges or bring long-festering hurts to the surface.

The Gathering’s narrative progresses at a fast and compelling pace, and you are soon treated to revelation after revelation, as well as several additional killings.  I loved the combination of a modern-day investigation and dives back into various periods of Deadhart’s history that emerged, especially as clues in the past have huge bearings on the modern story.  Tudor cleverly builds up several simultaneous mysteries and ongoing storylines, and soon the protagonist is not only trying to discover who the killer is but prevent a war between Deadhart and the Colony.  Everything leads up nicely to a pretty epic conclusion, which was well foreshadowed, with some pretty awesome revelations coming to the fore.  I loved how well several compelling character arcs came full circle during this confrontation, and the main antagonist of the plot proved to be quite sinister and well established.  Several other tertiary mysteries are also solved near the end, and Tudor ensures that many storylines are tied off in a satisfying and clever way.  There are some awesome twists at the end, including one surrounding one of the book’s most compelling characters, and this last twist in particular is likely to lead to additional books in the series.  I honestly was the hooked the entire way through this amazing story, and I really appreciate how Tudor brought it together.

I’m a huge sucker for classic for thrillers with distinctive twists to them, and The Gathering was a great example of this.  Tudor managed to pull together a complex murder mystery that not only features an isolated Alaskan town with a dark history and multiple complex and haunted characters, but also contains an elaborate vampiric society and history.  All these elements are used extremely well throughout The Gathering, and I was extremely impressed with how Tudor was able to tie everything so effectively together.  Tudor makes sure to tell multiple character-focused storylines at the same time, which allows for a more multifaceted plot that goes in some very interesting direction.  The split focus on several captivating and distinctive figures works wonders to enhance this, and Tudor uses this to showcase the rising tension in the town, and the various perspectives surrounding it.  There are some great plot lines here, and the way that they interacted and came together was very impressive.  I was particularly impressed by the chapters that kept coming back to an unnamed figure being held prisoner by a mysterious captor.  This storyline was weaved throughout the novel, and I was constantly left guessing about who the figures were and how it would work into the main story.  The reveal surrounding it was not what I was expecting, but I loved how well it set up a major twist at the end.  Other character-focused storylines also proved to be just as compelling, and the way everything came together was very impressive.  I honestly knocked out this book in just over a day, it was that damn good, and I cannot emphasise how cleverly Tudor brought everything together.

One aspect of this book that I really must highlight is just how great a setting Deadhart proved to be as it enhances the plot of The Gathering in so many excellent ways.  The well-written depictions of the frigid Alaskan wilderness and secluding storms allows Tudor to bring together a classic thriller background of an isolated, snowed-in town, where the protagonist is unable to get backup and is forced to rely on unlikely help from the local outsider.  While this always makes for a great story background, Tudor enhances it by building up a dark history around Deadhart and the Colony, that plays so well into the modern storyline.  This unique history of the town was expertly explored by Tudor, and it worked to produce a much more complicated mystery, one dotted with historical grudges and family feuds.  I particularly loved how effectively Tudor explored the growing terror infesting Deadhart as the killings continue, as both the humans and the isolated vampyrs begin to fear what is to come.  This undercurrent of fear and the resulting rage it leads to is almost palpable at times, and you can fully understand how and why the various characters act the way they do.

Another element of The Gathering that really impressed me was how well Tudor set up an alternate world where vampyrs exist.  The whole concept of the vampyrs as biological offshoots with several classic vampiric traits, including blood drinking and an aversion to sunlight, is quickly and effectively established by Tudor, who does a wonderful job of immediately bringing readers into this world.  As the book continues, the reader gets a more in-depth look at the vampyrs, their biology, their psychology, and their history, especially when it comes to their interactions with humans.  This examination of the interaction with humans is particularly key, as Tudor explores the prejudices that emerged, as humans learned to hate the entire species.  Featuring some fantastic parallels between other social rights issues, the relationship between the two species is explored in detail, and then applied to isolated Deadhart.  Watching the prejudices of the town come to light again was a great part of the book, especially as it is well contrasted by looks at the vampyr community.  As the story continues, you soon realise that there are monsters on both sides of the biological line, and figuring out who is crossing this line is a major part of the plot.  Defining vampyrs in both a scientific and social way proved to be very interesting, and I liked the attempts at humanising the figures and making them less of a horror monster.  That being said, there are some dark and scary scenes in The Gathering, especially when the vampyrs get angry.  Overall, the use of vampyrs is in The Gathering was very cleverly, and Tudor really highlighted her writing ability by setting this up so effectively.

The final element of the book I want to highlight is the amazing group of complex and damaged characters featured throughout The Gathering.  Tudor clearly has an aptitude for bringing together a compelling cast, as the reader is treated to a range of different figures, each of whom have their own compelling histories and dark pasts mottled by the troubled relationships between humans and vampyrs.  The most prominent of these is the visiting detective, Barbara Atkins, who is forced to battle mystery, local hatred, and her own unique feelings about vampyrs as she determines whether a cull is required.  Showcased as the calm and reasonable inclusion to the investigation, Barbara finds herself severely tested by the town’s prejudices and mistrust, while trying to find the truth no matter what.  Much of Barbara’s actions are guided by rationality, although there is an intriguing look back into her past, as her own experiences with small towns with vampyr colonies plays a big role in her motivations.  As such, she is an excellent central protagonist, and I loved how well she played the outsider figure coming into town.

In addition to Barbara, The Gathering also features a complex group of locals, each of whom have their own connection to Deadhart’s dark history and the hostile relationship between the town and the Colony.  Standouts include former sheriff Jenson Tucker, whose previous investigation of a vampyr death left him as the town pariah.  Tucker goes through a powerful redemption arc in The Gathering, and he proved to be an able secondary protagonist as he comes to terms with his many secrets.  Other great characters include an ancient vampyr, trapped in the form of a child, whose connection to the dark side of Deadhart becomes a driving force for their revenge.  There is also a mysterious local preacher determined to bring violence to the vampyrs, and who proves to be an intriguing counterpoint to the main protagonist Barbara.  Finally, the various members of an original Deadhart family with a long simmering hatred for all thing vampyr, adds a great amount of drama to the plot, not only because of their connections to the previous killing in town but because their well-established fear of vampyrs leads to much of The Gathering’s conflict.  These characters, and more, are very well written, and their dark attitudes, fearful actions and unique viewpoints add a great deal to this already impressive and emotionally charged novel.

C. J. Tudor deeply impressed me as The Gathering turned out to be one hell of a read. Expertly utilising her inventive and clever alternate world in conjunction with a captivating mystery, Tudor wrote a particularly epic tale in The Gathering, and I had such a lot of fun getting through it. An intense and powerful read, The Gathering is one of the best books I have read so far in 2024 and I cannot recommend it enough.

The Gathering Cover 2

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Lone Wolf by Gregg Hurwitz

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Thriller8 Comments

Lone Wolf Cover 2

Publisher: Michael Joseph (Trade Paperback – 20 February 2024)

Series: Orphan X – Book 9

Length: 420 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Leading thriller author Gregg Hurwitz continues his high-octane Orphan X series in a big way with the epic and compelling novel, Lone Wolf.

The Orphan X books by Gregg Hurwitz is an epic series that follows a former elite government assassin, Evan Smoak, known to the intelligence community as Orphan X.  Upon leaving the program, Smoak decided to make up for his prior misdeeds by becoming an elite vigilante, The Nowhere Man, who helps those with nowhere else to turn.  This series started back in 2016 with Orphan X, although I personally started reading it with the fourth book, Out of the Dark.  Out of the Dark had a great plot behind it that really drew me in, as Evan went to war with a corrupt US President.  This resulted in an amazing and highly entertaining read that made me a fan of Hurwitz’s writing and ensured I would grab the next book in the series, Into the Fire.  Into the Fire was a particularly epic read, and the Orphan X books quickly entered my yearly must-read books list as a result.  I have since had an outstanding time reading the following releases, with Prodigal Son, Dark Horse and The Last Orphan being awesome in their own way.  As such, when 2024 came around, I had very little choice but to read the latest Orphan X book, Lone Wolf, which took the protagonist in another interesting direction with a deadly adventure.

Evan Smoak, better known as either as Orphan X or the Nowhere Man, is suffering a personal crisis.  Having reached out to his long-lost father, Evan is in a dangerous emotional spiral, and is no longer the calm and confident secret agent he once was.  Looking for an easy mission to get back into his stride, Evan finds himself with an unusual job, helping a young girl find her lost dog.  Initially reluctant, Evan agrees to help, but this unlikely job will lead the infamous vigilant into all manner of trouble.

An elite female hitwoman is in Los Angeles, taking out a range of seemingly unconnected people.  Known only as the Wolf, she excels in targeted strikes and apparent accidental deaths, leaving no trace behind.  However, her final kill leaves behind two witnesses when Evan arrives on the scene looking for the lost dog.  Forced to intervene to save the daughter of the Wolf’s last victim, Evan finds himself a target of an assassin just as deadly as himself.

With the girl he just saved still in danger from a vengeful Wolf, Evan decides to save her and stop this killer terrorising his city.  But first, he needs to work out who hired her and what secrets lie behind their deaths.  His investigation leads him to two rival tech billionaires, both of whom had a motive for hiring the assassin and organising the killings.  To save the day, Evan needs to find out which of them is responsible and destroy them and the psychotic killer they hired.  But is the emotionally compromised Nowhere Man up to the task?

Lone Wolf was another outstanding addition to the Orphan X series that really showcased Hurwitz’s distinctive writing style.  Blending an intense, action-packed story, with some outstanding character development, this was an amazing book that I deeply enjoyed reading.

Hurwitz comes up with a pretty excellent story for Lone Wolf that dragged me in very quickly.  Starting off with some intense and personal character work around Evan Smoak that follows through from the last few books, Hurwitz does a good job setting the scene for much of the story off the bat, especially when it comes to the protagonist’s distracted headspace and his reliance on his unconventional family.  The author also spends this time introducing one of the book’s main villains, the Wolf, who serves as an effective mirror for Orphan X.  This initial setup works very well, as you quickly get drawn into the plot by the Wolf callous nature, while also getting invested in the protagonist’s emotional well-being.  These story aspects quickly collide, as Evan, who finds himself helping his recently discovered niece, accidently intrudes upon one of the Wolf’s kills.  The resulting extended action sequence is glorious, as Evan is forced to contend with the assassin and an army of cops, while trying to keep the daughter of the Wolf’s last victim alive.  This entire action scene is a major highlight of the first half of the book, and Hurwitz wrote a brilliant continuous and frenetic chase sequence that pushes Evan to the limit.

Following this chase sequence, the pace of the book slows down a little, although Evan still finds himself in trouble as he enters a game of cat-and-mouse with the Wolf over the fate of the bystander he just saved.  Forced to determine who hired the Wolf, Evan begins a compelling investigation angle where he probes two rival billionaires with twisted and unique morals.  At the same time, Evan also finds himself in several intriguing personal situations, including trouble with his half-brother, mentoring his adopted daughter, and even a rather entertaining side-story about a battle for control of his building’s HOA.  These work to keep the unique feel of the Orphan X series intact, and I loved how emotionally rich the book got at times.

The final third of Lone Wolf is mostly awesome, starting off with a great sequence that sees Evan interrogate a gang of thugs who have details he needs about the Wolf.  The very entertaining and over-the-top way he goes about getting said information is so damn good, and it was another major highlight off the book.  Unfortunately, the rest of the novel seems a little rushed, and frankly Hurwitz could have benefited from including another 100 pages or so to really wrap everything up perfectly.  While it is still a fun and exciting read, the reveal about who is truly behind everything isn’t too surprising, despite some attempts at misdirection.  In addition, the final confrontation against the main antagonists is somewhat weak, and could have been a little more epic, especially as one character went down way too easily.  Still, the deep character development aspects of the story end up being extremely strong, and I liked the intriguing final twist that is going to cause additional drama in the next book.  As such, I felt this was a really good story and I got so wrapped up in it.

I really enjoyed how Lone Wolf came together, especially as Hurwitz brought his usual blend of intensity and compelling human moments to this latest book.  There is a great balance here between character development and thriller action, which I deeply appreciated.  Indeed, I felt this was one of the better-balanced novels that Hurwitz has written recently.  While the action sequences are always the highlight of this book, I have really appreciated how Hurwitz seeks to offset them with more typical moments, and the focus on character relationships and ordinary occurrences, such as a funny HOA election, adds a certain level of fun to the book.  I really do think this was a great entry in the Orphan X series, and like most of the books in this series, Lone Wolf can mostly be read as a standalone, as Hurwitz is good at revisiting the key plot points from the previous books.  However, those readers going in with a greater understanding of some of the characters, especially the protagonist and his complex relationships, will get a bit more out of this book, and it was fantastic to see the further development.

As I have alluded to a few times above, a lot of Lone Wolf’s strength lies in the excellent character work that Hurwitz layers into the story.  Much of this is done to attempt to humanise the usually deadly protagonists featured within, especially as many of them are trying to adjust to a more civilian focused life after years being government assassins.  The most prominent of these is Evan Smoak, the infamous Orphan X who his trying to redeem himself as the Nowhere Man.  While Evan is usually a calm figure, minus his OECD, in this book he finds himself completely outside of his headspace as a bad encounter with his biological father at the start throws him completely out of whack.  This was a very interesting situation, and it was really moving to see this implacable figure so out of sorts and relying on his family, both adopted and newly discovered, to find himself.  Watching Evan grapple with the many personal battles surrounding him is an amazing part of the book, and you really get drawn into his emotional concerns.  At the same time, Evan continues to struggle with the more mundane elements of a normal existence, and the various awkward encounters he has with certain family members and the residence of his building, show you just how lost and damaged he truly is.  All this results in a great portrait of a complex figure, and Evan Smoak is honestly one of the best and most unique thriller protagonists out there.

While Evan is the focus of the book, he would be nothing without the unique array of side characters that have been drawn to him over the years and who supporting him in various ways.  The most prominent of these is Joey Morales, Evan’s surrogate daughter and former trainee spy who serves as his tech support.  Flippant, immature and only slightly more normal than her mentor, Joey serves as the major humanising force in Evan’s life and is a key ally, despite being a teenager.  Joey is always a fun highlight, especially as she can push the protagonist’s buttons while bringing out his protective side.  However, I liked how Hurwitz showed in Lone Wolf that despite her advanced knowledge of the world of espionage, she is still a teenager girl, and the scenes where Evan talks her through a social crisis, is surprisingly heartwarming and really captures their close relationship.  The other major character is Tommy Stojack, Evan’s armourer and one of the few constant figures in his life.  While cantankerous and unusual, Tommy serves as Evan’s rock for much of the series, and it was great to see him in this role again.  While Tommy isn’t too controversial in Lone Wolf, there were some interesting developments with him that are going to be cool to follow in the next book.

Of course, no thriller would be complete without its villains, and Hurwitz did a great job of this with both the Wolf and the nefarious billionaire who may be behind her.  Both are threatening in their own way, although I think I preferred the Wolf, as her deadly skills, ruthlessness, and enjoyment of the kill, made her an interesting opponent for Evan.  The billionaire figure was also great, and his various monologues about the state of society and how his control of personal information allows him to control people in so many ways, was nearly as menacing as the killing.  Throw in some intriguing new family elements for the protagonist, as well as the eccentric residence of his apartment complex (minus his long-term love interest who has been seemingly cut from the books), and this was an excellent group of characters whose interactions deeply enhanced the narrative.

Gregg Hurwitz continues to impress with his latest addition to the very cool Orphan X series with Lone Wolf.  An emotionally charged thriller with powerful character work, Lone Wolf is an outstanding read that comes highly recommended.  I cannot wait to see how Hurwitz follows up Lone Wolf in the future and I remain a massive fan of this amazing series.

Lone Wolf Cover

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Quick Review – Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead by Jenny Hollander

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Drama, Quick Review, Thriller2 Comments

Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead Cover

Publisher: Constable (Trade Paperback – 13 February 2024)

Series: Standalone

Length: 326 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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Debuting author Jenny Hollander presents a memorable first book with Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead, an excellent read that provides a powerful insight into grief and trauma.

Plot Synopsis:

THEY CALL ME THE LUCKY ONE. THEY DON’T KNOW I LIED.

Nine years ago, Charlie Colbert’s life changed for ever.

On Christmas Eve, as the snow fell, her elite graduate school was the site of a chilling attack. Several of her classmates died. Charlie survived.

Years later, Charlie has the life she always wanted at her fingertips: she’s editor-in-chief of a major magazine and engaged to the golden child of the publishing industry.

But when a film adaptation of that fateful night goes into production, Charlie’s dark past threatens to crash into her shiny present.

Charlie was named a ‘witness’ in the police reports. Yet she knows she was much more than that.

The truth about that night will shatter everything she’s worked for. Just how far will she go to protect it?


Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead is an outstanding first book from Hollander, who provides a gripping and intense narrative for readers to get stuck into.  Told through the eyes of main character Charlie Colbert, the story quickly engrosses you.  Charlie has rebuilt her life after a brutal attack years ago, but when secrets from the past threaten to come forth, Charlie is forced to interact with her fellow survivors once again.  At the same time, Charlie also begins reliving the events leading up to that fateful night in her head, desperately trying to remember everything that happened to truly understand everything that she’s been running from.

The resulting story is very good, and Hollander has come up with a gripping, character-driven book that you can really sink your teeth into.  The combination of past and present storylines is quite effective, and I liked how you got to see the protagonist’s dark reactions in the present while slowly learning about the events that traumatised her and the people involved.  The way in which Hollander reveals all the secrets of the past is handled exceptionally well, and I loved the combination of flashbacks, discussions in the present, and quotes from fictional news articles that hint at what happened.  The full events of the past storyline turn out to be far more complicated than you initially think, and the author throws in some incredibly clever twists.  I honestly was surprised at some of the more brilliant reveals that come to light, and you really appreciate Hollander’s ability to misdirect the audience into assuming certain things happened.  The full reveal and the fallout in the present for the protagonist are pretty amazing, and I loved how everything came together.  The reader really comes away feeling satisfied, especially as everyone gets what they truly deserve at the end.

While I loved the intricate story that Hollander pulled together for Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead, I think the most distinctive aspect of the book is the author’s focus on trauma and how different people deal with it.  This is mainly done through the eyes of the main character, Charlie, who is forced to continuously live with the trauma, guilt and emotional damage that followed the college massacre.  While a lot of this trauma results in a memory black hole for the protagonist, you get to see other aspects of it as the book continues, as she is dragged back into the past and begins to relive all the dark feelings that emerge.  The author’s portrayal of how a person would deal with such events, as well as how it would impact their memory, feels extremely realistic, and you can really feel the emotional damage done to Charlie and those closest to her as they try to help.  Other characters are also forced to deal with the trauma in other ways, and the different levels of regret, involvement and despair prove to be a captivating part of the book.  Throw in a cynical, if realistic, look at how the public idolises dark events, and Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead proves to be quite an emotional rollercoaster.  This emotional charge really enhances the impact of the book, and I deeply appreciated how Hollander worked the protagonist’s attempts to remember and overcome her past into the overarching story.

Overall, I found Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead to be an excellent and compelling first novel from Jenny Hollander that is really worth checking out.  Thanks to the great blend of personal storytelling, moving emotion, and dark secrets, readers come away from Everyone Who Can Forgive Me is Dead deeply moved, and I look forward to seeing what intriguing reads Hollander writes in the future.

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Skin Game by Jim Butcher

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Five-Star Books, Throwback Thursday8 Comments

Skin Game Cover

Publisher: Penguin Audio (Audiobook – 27 May 2014)

Series: Dresden Files – Book 15

Length: 15 hours and 49 minutes

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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I was once again in the mood for a guaranteed hit, so I looked no further than Jim Butcher’s exceptional Dresden Files series, with the 15th book Skin Game.

As readers of this blog will know, for the last couple of years I have been having a wonderful time getting through Jim Butcher’s iconic Dresden Files series.  One of the most well-known and impressive urban fantasy series, the Dresden Files follow the titular wizard, Harry Dresden, as he investigates magical crimes and protects Chicago from supernatural threats.  This series is so damn cool, and I have loved the unique combination of mystery, great characters, and intensive world building as Butcher pulls together a brilliant, modern fantasy universe.  I honestly have loved every single book in the Dresden Files series, although I feel that the last few additions I have read, including Changes, Ghost Story and Cold Days are Butcher at his finest, especially as he really built in some elaborate and original stories.  As such, I had no reservations about checking out the 15th book in the series, Skin Game, especially as it had a pretty damn awesome plot behind it.

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s sole practicing wizard and the new anointed Winter Knight, is in trouble.  Trapped on his island in the middle of Lake Michigan with a magical parasite in his head, Dresden has only days left to live.  Salvation soon appears when his boss, Queen Mab, arrives on the island, offering to save him.  However, nothing from Mab is ever free, and the conditions for her help might prove even more lethal.

To pay off an old debt, Mab has loaned out Dresden to one of his most hated and dangerous foes, the fallen angel Nicodemus Archleone.  To further his dark goals, Nicodemus is planning to break into the personal vault of the Greek god Hades to loot several valuable artefacts.  However, Nicodemus can’t do it alone and he hires a group of rogues, thieves and specialists, as well as Dresden, to pull off the job.  If they succeed, they will all come away insanely rich, but if they fail, their souls be trapped forever in the underworld.

As the job proceeds, it quickly becomes apparent that Nicodemus has no intention of letting any of his heist crew live, especially Dresden and his allies.  To survive, Dresden needs to work out how to both counter the many obstacles between them and the treasure they seek, while also finding a way to stop Nicodemus without breaking the agreements that bind the two together.  Can Dresden outsmart one of the most treacherous and deceptive beings in all creation while keeping everyone alive?  Let the games begin!

Wow, what an awesome book.  I am constantly impressed with how Butcher continues to produce outstanding and epic reads throughout this series, and nearly every Dresden Files book is better than the last.  Skin Game was a pretty great example of this, as Butcher produces one of his most entertaining stories yet with so many twists, betrayals and fantastic revelations.

I cannot emphasise enough just how cool the plot of Skin Game is, especially as Butcher comes up with a particularly clever and exciting heist storyline that the narrative is centred around.  After effectively following through from the events of the prior novel, the reader is soon thrust into the new scenario, which sees Dresden forced to work for his old enemy Nicodemus.  This leads to a classic heist scenario, with Dresden meeting Nicodemus’s unique crew, gathering up new members, and pulling together the resources need to break into the vault, even if the target is a much more supernatural than usual.  Butcher also adds in the fantastic dynamic between Dresden and Nicodemus as they plot against each other.  Both knows that the other is planning to betray them at some point, however they are forced to play by the rules in public to preserve the magical bargain between Nicodemus and Mab.  This leads to a great series of betrayals, manipulations and confrontations, as Dresden walks a thin line while trying to stop Nicodemus.  At the same time, several great recurring characters are brought back, which results in some powerful and personal character-driven storylines that I really got invested in.

There are so many great story elements ongoing through the bulk of Skin Game’s narrative, that by the time you get to the main event, the heist, you are extremely hooked.  The heist in question is everything you would hope it to be, as Dresden and his erstwhile crew of rogues, engage in some daring exploits to achieve their goals.  They are some brilliant set pieces, intriguing revelations, and several brutal twists, including one heartbreaking moment surrounding the main antagonist.  Everything leads up to the inevitable betrayal which sees Dresden and Nicodemus finally face off after dancing around each other all book.  I loved some of the scenes that followed, especially as there is a particularly great twist shown through a well-placed flashback that changes your entire perspective of the earlier story.  A subsequent sequence also presents some of the most emotionally charged moments of Skin Game, especially when it comes to one of my favourite supporting characters.  Everything gets wrapped up nicely by the end, and I loved some of the final revelations in the book, especially when you finally understand who was running the true game and why.

Butcher applies his usual excellent writing skills to Skin Game, and I love how effectively he tells this latest powerful and entertaining story; since it is once again told solely from the perspective of the protagonist, you are treated to Dresden’s typically amusing take on the events occurring around him.  This proves to be quite funny at times, although Butcher adds in a good level of drama and highly personal character development which I think balances out the book and ensures Skin Game can hit you at multiple emotional levels.  I love how Butcher experimented a bit with elements of Skin Game’s writing, especially with how he worked in some very clever, and well planned out twists and revelations, which I felt was one of the strongest points of the novel.  Butcher also really amps up the unique action, intrigue and adventure of the story, and I was constantly engrossed with how the story was going.  The depictions of the underworld and its defences were very striking, and I loved some of the unique scenarios Dresden found himself in.   This entire story come across extremely well with the writing, and I enjoyed every second I spent listening to it.

One of the things I have enjoyed getting through the Dresden Files series is how accessible Butcher makes each novel, as any entry in the series can be read somewhat independently from the others.  However, the deeper you get into the Dresden Files, the more the new book references elements from previous novels, while also building on existing storylines and character arcs.  Skin Game is a great example of this, as new readers can come in and have a wonderful time reading it, especially as Butcher does a good job explaining all the key plot points new readers might be unfamiliar with.  However, established fans of the series will get a lot more out of this book, as Butcher continues or concludes several amazing storylines here.  In particular, there are a lot of references to the last two books that featured Nicodemus as an antagonist, Death Masks and Small Favour, as Dresden continues his deadly fight against his old foe, while remembering all the previous battles that have occurred.  Several great character arcs also come full circle in Skin Game, which proves to be quite moving, especially to those readers who have laboured through the rest of the series and are already quite attached to the main cast.  As such, I probably would recommend reading the rest of the series before trying out Skin Game, mainly because you are in for a much more impactful time if you do so.  However, for those who want a fun and moving fantasy heist novel, you can easily dive into Skin Game and have an outstanding time witnessing all the betrayal, lies and deceit.

As always, one of the best elements of this Dresden Files novel was the exceptional character work.  Butcher always excels at creating complex and powerful character arcs that showcase the many different layers of each excellent protagonist and villain, and Skin Game is no exception.  Indeed, Skin Game was one of the best character-focused books Butcher has released, as it features an interesting cast and some deep and intense character arcs that showcase just how much many of the protagonists have changed.

Naturally, most of the focus of Skin Game revolves around protagonist and point-of-view character, Harry Dresden.  The wizard defender of Chicago, Dresden has gone through a hell of a lot in the last few books, which starts to catch up to him in Skin Game.  While he is still his usual flippant and disrespectful self, you can really see the cracks forming in Dresden’s psyche, especially as he balances the many responsibilities and traumas afflicting him.  Not only is his personality being altered by his decision to become the Winter Knight, but he is dealing with so much guilt for some of his recent actions.  This has made Dresden start to doubt himself, and he has trouble at times seeing whether he is still the same good guy he was at the start of the series, especially when some of his friends start to lose faith in him.  However, thanks to the help of those closest to him, Dresden regains a bit of himself as Skin Game continues, although the dark battles along the way once again take their toll on him.  Butcher works in some extremely powerful and emotional scenes around Dresden in Skin Game, especially as he finally gets closure with some other characters, including his daughter (the scene where they finally talk nearly had me in tears).  While Butcher really did amp up the heavy emotion around Dresden here, you still get a healthy dose of the protagonist’s distinctive with and humour, especially when it comes to the outrageous events, he finds himself in.  The unique situation where Dresden is forced to work with one his enemies prove a rich ground for the protagonist’s humour to come out.  It also allowed the reader to see how much smarter and more mature Dresden has become after fighting against all comers for over a decade.  I really loved how Dresden was able to anticipate many of the coming betrayals and pull together a particularly effective counter that shook up everything.  Butcher does such a great job writing Dresden, and it has been extremely fun to see this character once again grow.

Aside from Dresden, Skin Game featured an excellent collection of recurring characters from the previous books, each of whom had their own unique and powerful character arc that Butcher expertly continued with.  This includes Karrin Murphy, the former cop, who Dresden recruits as his muscle for the job.  Murphy is always one of the best characters in a Dresden Files novel, and Skin Game was a great example of this, as she once again serves as Dresden’s unwavering backup and conscience.  Skin Game proves to be a major novel for Murphy, especially as they finally resolved the romantic tension between Dresden and Murphy that had been building since the first book, Storm Front.  I really appreciate how well Butcher kept up the will-they/won’t-they atmosphere of these two characters for so long, and it was great to finally get some closure on that, even if I know I’m going to get my heart broken in Battle Ground.  Skin Game also saw the return of one of Butcher’s best characters, Michael Carpenter, the former Knight of the Cross who has been out of action for several books.  Michael gets back into the fray for this novel, and it was so good to finally see him return to his old ways.  The ultimate good-guy character, Michael is always a reassuring presence in any Dresden Files novel, and the interactions he has with Dresden are some of the most moving in the entire book, especially as he provides Dresden insights and emotional support like no one else can.

While I love Murphy and Michael, probably my favourite supporting character in the book is Waldo Butters.  The nerdy and kind medical examiner has been getting a real glow-up as the series continues, and you finally see how serious he has become by the events of Skin Game, especially after having to hold down the fort during Dresden’s enforced absence.  The events of the last few years have really changed Butters, and some of the interactions he has with Dresden are surprisingly intense, especially as Butters no longer trusts the main character.  Butcher had a lot of fun turning Butters into a magical superhero in Skin Game, and I loved some of the unique magical inventions that Butters uses to face off against forces way outside his weight class.  There is also the major turning point for Butters at the end of the book, where he shows just how noble he truly is, and the universe rewards him in a big way.  In many ways, Butter is the true MVP of Skin Game, and his future storyline looks very bright, especially as Butcher could easily do a whole spinoff series focused solely on him.

Of course, no Dresden Files book would be complete without a great villain, and Skin Game has one of the very best with the return of Nicodemus.  A fallen angel possessing an ancient, evil human, Nicodemus is a particularly suave and dapper figure, who always makes a huge impact when he appears.  Nicodemus falls into the role of heist leader extremely well, and I loved the fun dynamic that emerges between him and Dresden, especially as they both hate each other and known that betrayal is imminent on both fronts.  Some of the confrontations he has with the protagonists are pretty brutal, and you get to see just how dangerous he can be as a villain.  While Nicodemus is mostly his usual calm self for most of the book, certain big events push him over the edge, especially as he makes some big sacrifices.  It was both satisfying and a little heartbreaking to see him so damaged as a result, especially when the truth about the events are fully revealed.  I cannot wait to see Nicodemus return in some future books, especially as he is going to be even more dangerous and desperate.  Throw in a truly entertaining and dangerous group of fellow heisters, old enemies, Dresden’s loveable dog, Mouse, and a fantastic Greek god who proves surprisingly similar to the protagonist, and you have an incredible group of characters who help turn Skin Game into something truly special.

Unsurprisingly, I chose to listen to Skin Game on audiobook, which is frankly the best way to enjoy a Dresden Files book.  Coming in with a runtime of just under 16 hours, Skin Game was a decently long audiobook, although I was able to power through it very quickly, especially after getting caught up in Butcher’s impressive story.  As always, the audiobook format really enhances Skin Game’s presentation, and the novel’s humour, intense action and great characters really come through when read out.  Most of this is due to one of my favourite narrators, actor James Marsters, who has lent his voice to all the books in the series.  Marsters is so damn entertaining as a narrator, and I love how well he inhabits the various characters featured in the book, especially the protagonist.  Each character is given a very fitting voice, whether it be the dapper voice of Nicodemus, the calm tones of Michael Carpenter, or the hilariously British voice of Binder (which always reminds me of Spike).  Not only are these voices entertaining, but Marsters does such a good job of conveying emotion and feeling through his characters, including through the protagonist’s deep narration.  This was such a great way to enjoy Skin Game, and I cannot recommend the audiobook format of this book enough.

Overall, Skin Game proved to be an exceptional and highly addictive addition to Jim Butcher’s always impressive Dresden Files series.  Loaded with an outstanding heist story, amazing characters, and tons of sacrifice and betrayal, Skin Game was a particularly strong Dresden Files book and one I cannot recommend enough.  An incredible read that gets a very easy five-star rating from me.

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Saevus Corax Captures the Castle by K. J. Parker

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Comedy/Satire, Fantasy, Five-Star Books7 Comments

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle Cover

Publisher: Orbit (Trade Paperback – 21 November 2023)

Series: Corax – Book Two

Length: 321 pages

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

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One of the funniest fantasy authors in the game presents a fantastic second entry in his closely released Corax trilogy with the hilarious and brutally brilliant Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.

In 2023, fantasy author K. J. Parker (a pseudonym of author Tom Holt), had an incredible blast of creativity as he managed to release an entire trilogy within the space of a month with the outstanding Corax series.  Set to follow an infamous battlefield salvager, the titular Saevus Corax, as he finds himself getting dragged into all manner of unusual scenarios, this series sounded so damn fun.  I was particularly intrigued, especially as these books were set in the same universe as his epic The Siege series, which featured Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City (one of my favourite books of 2019), How to Rule an Empire and Get Away with It (one of my favourite books of 2020) and A Practical Guide to Conquering the World (one of my favourite books of 2022).

While I managed to get all three of Parker’s Corax books last year, I only had the chance to read the first novel, Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead before 2023 ended.  This first entry in the trilogy was pretty damn incredible, and I loved the wonderful and highly entertaining story it contained, especially as it was masterfully layered with Parker’s trademark humour.  Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead got an easy five-star rating from me, and it ended up being one of my favourite books of 2023.  As such, I really want to get through the other two Corax books as soon as possible so I quickly powered through the second one, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, last weekend.  Saeuvs Corax Captures the Castle was another outstanding read that I had such I wonderful time with.

Several years after his last outrageous adventure when he was crowned a king against his will, Saevus Corax is back to what he knows best, battlefield salvage.  While it is not the most glamorous work, it provides a living for his large crew of outcasts and rogues, as they tour their world’s many scattered battlefields, rescuing and repurposing everything they can recover from the dead.  However, a nemesis with a personal grudge will send Corax on a dangerous path he might have no escape from.

When several of his men are kidnapped, Corax’s only apparent chance to save them is to capture a delipidated castle in the middle of nowhere.  Utilising his unconventional tactics and knowledge of warfare, Corax begins his impromptu siege, only to discover that his old flame, the beautiful con artist Stauracia, is in charge of the castle’s defence, and she has no intention of losing to Corax again.

But why is Corax’s new unwelcomed employer so determined to capture the castle, and what are they hoping to achieve by using Corax’s motley crew?  The truth has the potential to plunge the whole world into war if Corax can’t keep it under wraps.  However, Corax soon finds himself distracted by revelations from his past, as he finds hope being dangled before his eyes.  Can Corax survive this latest misadventure and the dastardly rivals it brings, or has he finally met his match?

The second Corax book proved to be just as funny, addictive, and inventive as the first awesome entry, and I had such an outstanding time with Saevus Corax Captures the Castle.  Placing his wonderfully witty and world-weary protagonist on the course for more unusual conflict, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle had me fully hooked from the very first word and I just had to give it another full five-star rating.

Parker came up with a pretty clever and memorable narrative for Saevus Corax Capture the Castle, which proved to be a lot of fun to read.  Starting with another entertaining look at one of the group’s salvage jobs, the book soon places Corax’s entire group in a bad situation when members of the salvage band are kidnapped, and the only way to get them back is by capturing a castle.  So begins a battle of wits as Corax pits his innate knowledge of war and human nature against the manipulation of his old foe Stauracia, as they both try and work out why they have been charged with looking after an isolated castle.  This impromptu siege between two groups of people who do not actually want to be there proves to be quite entertaining, and it serves as a fun focus for the first half of the book.  This first half also features several flashbacks into Corax’s past, especially the events that have occurred since Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, which provides some interesting motivations and looks at the connections between Corax and the book’s main antagonist.

Thanks to some deeply personal manipulations, there is an interesting and dramatic plot change in the second half of Saevus Corax Captures the Castle, as Corax finds himself motivated to journey alone to a forbidden nation.  This change from a siege to an independent journey actually works really well in the context of the story, and it builds on a lot of cleverly hidden elements and clues from the earlier plot.  You are really on the edge of your seat during this second part of the book, especially as Corax is in the direst of scenarios, and I loved seeing him use his understanding of people to get out of trouble.  The ending of this misguided quest proves to be very clever and a little heartbreaking, as Corax finds what he is looking for, but it’s not what he wants.  It does allow him a few bits of knowledge that let him destroy his opponents back home and get the payday, although nothing is every that simple for Corax.  I liked the intriguing tone that Parker left this second book on, especially as like the first book, the protagonist soon realises that he’s happiest when back doing what he does best.

Saevus Corax Captures the Castle features the exact same writing style as the first book in the series, which you tend to notice when you read these books in quick succession.  I personally liked this continuation of style, especially as it is what made me a fan of Parker in the first place, and it results in quite an entertaining story.  Told in a chronicle format from the perspective of main character Saevus Corax, the book is his account of events, filled with his commentary, observations and memories, to tell an intriguing tale.  Corax proves to be a very fun narrator, and his ultra-cynical take on the world has an entertaining influence on the story which is hard not to enjoy.  The resulting mixture of betrayals, manipulations and unconventional warfare really comes together into quite a comprehensive and fun story thanks to this great narration, and I was chuckling the entire way through.

The series continues to utilise the unique world that Parker came up with for both the Corax books and The Siege novels, and the fun references to some of the prior events are quite amusing.  As I mentioned in my review for Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, this series is in some ways more of an alternate history novel rather than a fantasy book, as it does not feature any magic or unnatural elements.  Instead, we get a world of war, politics, and domineering nations, which acts as a satirical mirror of our own history.  I would still prefer some form of map up front to keep track of where the characters are going and where some of the nations being discussed are in relation to each other, but you can get by without one.  While there are a few mentions of the previous novel in the series, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle is for the most part a standalone novel, and anyone interested in a particularly fun tale can dive in here no problem.  However, I would personally suggest going from the start of the trilogy, if for no other reason than some of the jokes in this sequel are a little funnier after Saevus Corax Deals with the Dead, and you get the full understanding of the unique relationship between Corax and Stauracia.  It also solves one of the main mysteries from the first book, and it would not surprise me if a couple of story elements from this novel are featured in the third and final novel in the series.

As you would expect from a first-person perspective novel like this, most of the focus is on the titular Saevus Corax, whose unique adventures we are following.  Corax is a very typical Parker protagonist, in that he is an intelligent and cynical being who would rather live a simple life doing what he does best, but instead finds himself thrust into complex and dangerous events.  This proves to be a fun character dynamic, and I loved seeing the often-exasperated Corax forced to deal with people trying to outsmart and manipulate him while he is just trying to do the right thing.  Luckily his strong ability to understand how people think and then use that to outplay them often keeps him out of trouble, and it is quite entertaining to see him casually stop a clever enemy plan, just because they are doing exactly what he would.  His distrustful, intense, and often very honest outlook on life really impacts how the reader sees the world he lives in, and you really grow to appreciate his take on events, especially as he knows everyone is out to get him.  However, readers do get to see another side of Corax in this second book, especially as you get to see how his one previous attempt at romance worked out, and the impacts its tragic ending has on him cause him to act out in some big ways.  As such, this is a very intriguing book for this great character, and I had a wonderful time seeing him develop even further.

Aside from Corax, the cast of Saevus Corax Captures the Castle is pretty fun, as Parker comes up with an interesting group of self-centred, occasionally loyal, but mostly treacherous figures to partner up with our favourite rogue.  The most prominent of these is Stauracia, who was both a secondary antagonist of the first novel and the protagonist’s love interest.  Stauracia is a con-artist who has run afoul of Corax and his group before, and who finds herself forced to work both with and against them in this novel.  Smart, manipulative, and utterly lovely, Stauracia is the perfect foil for the more subdued Corax, and they have some amazing chemistry in this book.  I loved the unique relationship that bloomed between them that is often driven more by dislike or mistrust than anything else, but both of them come away a bit better from knowing the other.  Other major characters include the group of unlikely companions that make up Corax’s battlefield scavengers.  Their constant bickering makes for a fun background to many scenes, and I like how they are usually annoyed with Corax’s antics, although they keep following because no-one else could do the job better.  Throw in a great villain, whose prior connections to Corax result in some brutal plots against him, and the cast of Saevus Corax Capture the Castle are extremely entertaining, and I loved seeing the unique narrative that formed around them.

Overall, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle was a highly fun and utterly amazing novel from K. J. Parker that I cannot recommend enough.  Featuring all the humour, entertaining cynicism and clever characters that made the first Corax book so incredible, Saevus Corax Captures the Castle serves as an outstanding sequel that continues the series in an awesome way.  An outstanding and epic read, this was such a great book and I cannot wait to read the final Corax novel as soon as I can.

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Murtagh by Christopher Paolini

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Audiobook, Fantasy, Young Adult4 Comments

Murtagh Cover

Publisher: Penguin (Audiobook – 7 November 2023)

Series: The Inheritance Cycle – Book Five

Length: 24 hours and 32 minutes

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Bestselling author Christopher Paolini returns to the iconic world of Alagaësia with Murtagh, a powerful novel that continues his original series while focusing on a complex and damaged protagonist.

I am very excited about this review as it offers me the first chance to review a recently released Paolini fantasy novel.  I am a massive fan of Christopher Paolini, having read every single novel he has written in his impressive career, including the science fiction Fractalverse series (To Sleep in a Sea of Stars and Fractal Noise).  However, the series that most readers will associate him with are the Inheritance Cycle novels.

The Inheritance Cycle is an awesome young adult fantasy series that follows a young man who bonds with a dragon to take down an evil tyrant.  A particularly iconic series, the original Inheritance Cycle consists of Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr and Inheritance, and it told a complex, well-established and exciting tale that saw the protagonist, Eragon, rise to great heights and eventually defeat the big bad.  I was gifted the Inheritance Cycle novels when I was growing up and it became a favourite fantasy series that I read multiple times.  While I tend to view it with a more critical eye these days, I still love it and its powerful adventure.  Due to how much I enjoy this series, I have been eagerly awaiting a sequel for years, and I was so damn excited when I found out that Paolini was releasing a follow-up book.  Murtagh was one of my most anticipated reads for 2023, especially when I saw that it was going to follow one of the best characters from the original series.

A year has passed since the war to free Alagaësia ended and the evil king Galbatorix was killed at the hands of the Dragon Rider Eragon and his companions.  Peace now reigns across the land as the people look to rebuild.  But there are two beings in Alagaësia who will never find peace: Eragon’s half-brother, Murtagh, and his dragon, Thorn.  Already reviled for being the son of the traitorous Dragon Rider, Morzan, Murtagh is hated by every race in Alagaësia for the involuntary role he played in Galbatorix’s evils.  Finally freed from Galbatorix’s iron control, Murtagh and Thorn travel the outskirts of the land, trying to find a semblance of harmony that has been lacking their entire lives.

However, the troubles of the world are always lurking, and the pair soon discover that not everything is as peaceful as it seems.  Following warnings and whispers from an ancient dragon spirit, Murtagh and Thorn become aware of a dark conspiracy building in the land, as unusual rumours of brittle ground, the scent of brimstone and mysterious beings reach their ears.

Determined to stop a new evil rising and wreaking havoc, the exiled rider and dragon begin their own investigation and soon uncover the source of this evil: a mysterious cult whose influence stretches across all the races and nations of Alagaësia.  Due to their surprising power and ability to manipulate the world, Murtagh and Thorn might be the only people capable of stopping them, and they set out to investigate.  However, they are unprepared for the dangerous witch at the centre of this cult, as well as the deadly power she represents.  Can Murtagh and Thorn defeat this evil before it is too late, or will they once again find themselves enthralled to a dangerous power beyond their comprehension?

Christopher Paolini returns with another outstanding book that takes the reader on an exciting and emotionally rich adventure which also cleverly expands his already elaborate setting.  While I am sure my review might be partially influenced by nostalgia, I found Murtagh to be an exceptional read that brings back all the things I loved about the original novels while also showcasing Paolini’s increased ability as an author.

For this new book, Paolini goes backs to basics and creates a classic epic fantasy around one of his most damaged and compelling characters.  Starting off a year after the climatic events of Inheritance, Murtagh follows the titular protagonist and his dragon as they try to unwrap a mysterious warning given to them in the last book.  This warning and an obsession with redeeming themselves leads Murtagh and Thorn to investigate troubling rumours and encounter a group of dangerous warriors and infiltrators utilising powerful magic.  This forces Murtagh into a search for knowledge while once again traversing areas of Alagaësia where he is the most wanted.  There are some intriguing moments as Murtagh embarks on a series of side quests that will allow him to achieve his goal, including infiltrating a city, killing a giant fish, encountering old “friends” and uncovering corruption at the heart of a regiment of city guard.  While I will admit that parts of this novel get a little slow in places, Paolini does a great job of reintroducing key elements of lore, building up a new growing threat and showcasing the main character elements of the protagonists, including their trauma, the bond between rider and dragon, and their unfairly given outcast status.

The second half of the book is extremely strong as Murtagh and Thorn come face to face with their new enemy, the witch Bachel and her unusual followers.  Paolini writes this entire half of the book extremely well, as Murtagh attempts to at first subtly uncover what Bachel is plotting and what power she controls.  Naturally things go wrong and this leads to a pretty dark and traumatic part of the story where Murtagh is at his lowest point.  This part of the book is painful to read, especially as you have really grown to care for the protagonist, but it is so damn well-written and emotionally charged.  Everything leads up perfectly to a much needed and exceptionally presented climax, where Murtagh manages to fight back and the resulting carnage is very therapeutic after all the dark scenes the reader has been forced to experience.  The big confrontation was very epic and really tied into the author’s excellent characterisation of the protagonists, allowing for some impressive moments.  The conclusion is both hopeful and worrying as a new big-bad looms on the horizon, and there are still many secrets left to unwrap.

I really liked how Murtagh came together as Paolini presents a powerful, character-driven read that really tries to capture the heart and feel of a classic epic.  Murtagh really had all the best elements of Paolini’s first book, with a lone character and his dragon navigating through a complex world, searching for a big bad on the horizon.  I loved these story elements, including the loosely connected quests, the elaborate and dark interactions in the second half of the book, as well as the general menace implied by the world’s new hidden threat.  This story is so damn good and served as an interesting continuation of the original Inheritance Cycle novels, adding to the overall plot of the series, while also allowing the new protagonist to strike out on his own and encounter the world on his terms.  Paolini really hits the right balance of elements in Murtagh, with a great focus on character work blending nicely with the complex story and great focus on expanding Alagaësia.  While this series is usually marketed as young adult fantasy fiction, I honestly would consider Murtagh to be more of an adult book due to its elaborate story, big world, and complex older characters.  Despite that, younger readers can still really sink their teeth into Murtagh as an early fantasy experience, and Paolini really hits the right balance of violence and other themes that ensures Murtagh is very palatable to a range of readers.

As I have made clear a few times already, Murtagh is a sequel to Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle series, where quite a lot of plot, character histories and elements about the world of Alagaësia were introduced.  Due to it being a direct sequel, a large amount of this detail was essential for Murtagh, which does put newer readers at a disadvantage.  I think Paolini did a good job of reintroducing these relevant story elements where needed, so new readers can dive into this book without too many issues.  However, the re-establishment of these elements does take a little time, so there might be some occasional blind spots for these newer readers, especially towards the beginning of the book.  As such, established Inheritance Cycle fans will get a lot more out of Murtagh than new readers, and there are tons of incidental references and callbacks that will make a lot more sense as a result.  I was just so glad to finally get a new Inheritance Cycle book, especially one with such an elaborate and well-written story that connects to the original books in some creative and meaningful ways.

One thing I have always particularly loved about Paolini’s works is the insane amount of effort and detail he puts into developing his elaborate fantasy world.  He did an outstanding job of this in the Inheritance Cycle, and the resulting world was filled with a fantastic history, some classic fantasy elements, and a complex evil empire ruled over by an all-controlling madman.  I had an outstanding time exploring Alagaësia when I was younger, and so one of the things I was most excited about with Murtagh was seeing how much this fantasy world has changed in the aftermath of the protagonist’s victory.  Paolini delivers this in spades, showcasing some intriguing changes as the nations rebuild, the other races once again integrate with humanity, and the compelling legends of Eragon’s victory over Galbatorix are built up, even if Murtagh’s role in that victory are largely forgotten.  Many of the well-established rules of magic and Dragon Riders are brought back for this sequel, and Paolini makes sure to reintroduce them effectively for new readers.

It was quite interesting to see Murtagh’s less-knowledgeable take on much of this fantasy lore, especially as that cleverly tied it with his more brutal tutoring in magic than Eragon had in the original series.  Indeed, Murtagh’s insights into many elements of this world are very different to those of the previous protagonists, and this helped to make a lot of the novel a lot more grounded and approachable.  While it was great to see these familiar elements again, I also liked the new fantasy features of Alagaësia that Paolini came up with for Murtagh.  While I won’t give too much away here, the new big bad of the series is very intimidating, and I loved how well Paolini set them up.  The author is subtle with this introduction, and its gradual reveal really increases its threat level, as it seems potentially even more dangerous than Galbatorix.  I look forward to seeing how Paolini expands on this, and I was so impressed with how much additional world building was featured in Murtagh.

A major highlight of this book had to be the compelling character arcs that formed the basis of the book.  Murtagh is extremely character driven, perhaps even more so than the other Inheritance Cycle novels, and Paolini writes an exceptional story around his characters.  Naturally most of this focus revolves around the titular character of Murtagh, who is the only point of view character in the novel.  I was happy that Paolini decided to focus an entire novel on Murtagh, as he was such a great character in the original trilogy whose perspective you never got to experience.  The son of a monstrous traitor who served Galbatorix, Murtagh eventually rebelled and tried to escape his fate, only to be captured again after meeting Eragon in the first book.  Forced to serve Galbatorix against his will, thanks to the torture levelled against his newly hatched dragon, Murtagh ended up being the secondary antagonist of the series, especially once it was revealed he was Eragon’s half-brother.  Murtagh was eventually able to free himself from Galbatorix’s control at the climactic battle however, despite the role he played in killing the big-bad, he is still very much reviled by the people due to the atrocities and murders he was forced to commit.

As such, the plot of Murtagh is essentially what happens if a somewhat redeemed Darth Vader (there are a lot of parallels between the two characters), was wondering the land trying to atone for the evils he caused and reflecting on all the mistakes in his life.  I loved that we got to see this unique and compelling character focus, and it proves to be a very intense and powerful central storyline, especially as Murtagh is forced to relive a lot of the pivotal moments of his plot from the original novels, in addition to some previously unseen backstory.  You really get to experience Murtagh’s regrets, despair and self-loathing, and Paolini does a great job of focusing on that, while also introducing some additional growth as Murtagh comes to terms with who he is.  Paolini writes a fantastic redemption arc in this novel, and Murtagh really grows into a character you can care for.  Naturally, Paolini rewards you for caring by showing some extended scenes of Murtagh suffering in some major ways, and some of these sequences, especially in the second half, pull at the heartstrings.  The author expertly ties this suffering into Murtagh’s journey of self-discovery, and the scenes where he overcomes major adversity again proves to be some of the most powerful in the entire book.  I also appreciated how Paolini portrayed him in a very different way to Eragon, as he is more angry, impatient, and less-well trained in many of the arts of magic.  The author portrays these differing character elements in an extremely impressive way, and the character history surrounding the protagonist really explains why Murtagh is so separate from his fellow Dagon Rider and half-brother.  I honestly was so impressed with how Murtagh was showcased in this book and he ended being a pretty exceptional character.

Due to their mental connection, Murtagh’s dragon Thorn is also a major character in the novel, and he proves to be an excellent alternative protagonist as a result.  Thorn proves to be a fun and over-protective companion to Murtagh, especially with their joint history of abuse, and Paolini always does a great job of showcasing the soul bond that exists between a dragon and rider.  In many ways, Thorn is very similar to Saphira from the original Inheritance Cycle novels, being proud, predatory and occasionally playful (very much like a cat).  However, unlike Saphira, Thorn has gone through a substantial amount of trauma thanks to the machinations of Galbatorix, who used magic to age him quickly and tortured him the entire way to make him even more vicious.  It was fascinating to see a psychologically traumatised dragon , especially as certain things set him off, and watching him try to mentally heal alongside his human is a very heartwarming part of the novel.  While he does suffer at times alongside Murtagh, he also gets to cut loose at the end in a particularly cathartic, if destructive, sequence, which was really great.

Murtagh also features an interesting array of new supporting characters, who ensure some interesting interactions with the two protagonists.  There is a noticeable lack of major characters from the original Inheritance Cycle novels, which I thought was a very clever move as it helped this novel to stand on its own.  I did think that one or two good characters from the previous novel, such as Angela, might have fit into this storyline well, but I’ll settle for seeing them later, especially after how successful their absence worked here.  As such, the supporting cast of Murtagh are all new characters, and Paolini did an outstanding job of introducing them and working them into the plot.  While many of these characters did not appear in the story for a long period, namely because of the protagonist’s transitory narrative, several characters did stand out.

I loved the Urgal shaman Uvek Windtalker who Murtagh encounters in the second half of the novel, whose interaction with the protagonist leads to some powerful scenes.  However, the true standout character in Murtagh had to be the main antagonist, Bachel.  A powerful which and apparent profit, Bachel is a mysterious and aloof figure, who proves to be quite sinister.  You end up getting quite a good look at just how malicious, arrogant and dangerous Bachel and her minions can be as the book continues, and Paolini does a remarkable job of building her up as someone to really despise.  This ensures that you are really pumped up for the big confrontations with her at the end of the novel, and I liked just how effective the author was able to make her.  These characters and more really help to push the narrative of Murtagh in some awesome directions, and I liked the more unique figures that were featured in this latest entry in the Inheritance Cycle.

While I did receive a paperback copy of Murtagh, I ended up listening to the audiobook version instead.  This is mainly because the last few times I enjoyed the Inheritance Cycle I chose to listen to the audiobook format, and I wanted some continuity from that since they brought back Gerard Doyle, the narrator from the original Inheritance Cycle, to voice this latest entry.  Doyle does an amazing job of narrating Murtagh, and I felt that he really enhanced the impact and enjoyment I had of the story.  Not only has he got a great basic tone that helps move the plot and lore heavy parts of the book along at a good pace, but he also has some excellent takes on the character voices.  His powerful voice for the titular character really hits all the right notes, and I love the range of emotion he can bring to this figure.  He brings back the classic ‘dragon’ voice for Thorn that featured in the other Inheritance Cycle books, and I loved the somewhat bestial nature to it, as well as the ethereal nature of a mental communication.  The rest of the intriguing cast is also well captured by Doyle, and he especially makes the main antagonist pretty sinister at times.  This outstanding voice work really drew me into the Murtagh, and I easily absorbed a lot more of the intense detail and lore in this format.  Coming in at 24 hours and 32 minutes, this is a pretty long audiobook (it would rank 15th on my current Longest Audiobook I’ve Listened To list), but it really worth a listen, especially if you enjoyed the original Inheritance Cycle novels in this format.

I think the multi-page ramblings above make it clear that I had an excellent time with Murtagh.  Christopher Paolini did an outstanding job of continuing his iconic Inheritance Cycle series, and I loved the compelling direction he is taking this story.  I also love how much Paolini appears to have improved as a writer, especially when it comes to complex character work, and I cannot wait to see what the next stage in Murtagh and Thorn’s journey is.  Murtagh is very-much worth the read, especially if you grew up reading the Inheritance Cycle books like I did.

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Quick Review – The Night House by Jo Nesbo

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Horror, Quick Review1 Comment

The Night House Cover

Publisher: Harvill Seeker (Trade Paperback – 26 September 2023)

Series: Standalone

Length: 263 pages

My Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

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Earlier this year I was lucky enough to receive a copy of the intriguing new novel from international bestselling author Jo Nesbo, The Night House.  Nesbo is an author whose work I have been interested in checking out for a while as I have heard a lot of about his intriguing crime fiction stories and thrillers.  I was really excited to check out something from Nesbo this year, and whilst The Night House is somewhat different from the author’s more typical work, it proved to be a very fascinating and compelling read with a deep story behind it.

Plot Synopsis:

WHEN THE VOICES CALL, DON’T ANSWER…

In the wake of his parents’ tragic deaths fourteen-year-old Richard Elauved has been sent to live with his aunt and uncle in the remote town of Ballantyne.

Richard quickly earns a reputation as an outcast, and when a classmate named Tom goes missing, everyone suspects the new, angry boy is responsible. No one believes him when he says the telephone booth out by the edge of the woods sucked Tom into the receiver like something out of a horror movie.

No one, that is, except Karen, a beguiling fellow outsider who encourages Richard to pursue clues the police refuse to investigate. He traces the number that Tom prank called from the phone booth to an abandoned house in the woods. There he catches a glimpse of a terrifying face in the window. And then the voices start . . .

When another classmate disappears, Richard must find a way to prove his innocence as he grapples with the dark magic that is possessing Ballantyne.

Then again, Richard may not be the most reliable narrator of his own story.


The Night House was a very unique read that combines several disparate genre elements and turns them into a personal and moving novel set around a damaged protagonist.  The book is broken into three parts with three different, if closely related, stories being told in each section of the book.  The first story is a great coming-of-age tale that sees an extremely angry teenager, Richard Elauved, witness a series of extremely graphic and strange deaths around town, seemingly linked to a phone number he called as a prank.  Blamed for these apparent murders, Richard tries to prove his innocence and face off against a mysterious and dangerous evil threatening his town.  There is something very reminiscent of classic Stephen King in this early part of the book, and Nesbo moves this horror infused storyline at a very quick pace, setting Richard up against terrors and mysterious manipulations, with many of his friends dying all around him.  There is an interesting conclusion to this part, which really explores the protagonist’s deeper feelings and desire to be the hero, and it proved to be a great self-contained story.

Things start to take an interesting turn as Nesbo suddenly jumps into a whole new story.  The second part of The Night House puts a different tint on the prior events as an older Richard appears and shows that not everything is as it seems.  There is a great central story that takes some dark twists and turns, while you also get some intriguing continuation of character elements from the first part of the book, especially towards Richard’s past and the events that formed him.  Nesbo introduces some key revelations, hints and intriguing differences between the protagonist’s memories of events and what other characters remember, all of which lead up to the big twist revealed in the third part of the book.

I’m not going to dive too deeply into the third and final section of The Night House, as to do so would reveal too many spoilers, but it really ties everything together in an extremely clever way.  The overarching secrets, conflicting stories and differing backgrounds are all worked into this short final part of the book, and you get a complete story as the gaps in Richard’s unreliable narration are filled in.  This part of the book really brings the story full circle, and you can fully appreciate how clever Nesbo has been in the prior sections of the book, especially with how he was simultaneously telling unique stories while also setting up this finale.  There was some brilliant character work involved in building up this finale, especially when it comes to trauma and how it impacts behaviour, and I really enjoyed how the horror elements for the prior parts of The Night House had some great symbolism for the book’s conclusion.

I ended up having a great time with The Night House, and it proves to be a quick and interesting read to get through.  Thanks to its excellent character work and the clever way Nesbo sets up the story, The Night House is one of the more unique reads of 2023, and I really appreciated the compelling and heartfelt story that Nesbo told, especially as he managed to work some memorable horror moments into it.  A moving and compelling read that proves to be an excellent introduction to Nesbo’s writing.

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The Drowning Girls by Veronica Lando

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Australian, Murder Mystery2 Comments

The Drowning Girls Cover

Publisher: Harper Collins Australia (Trade Paperback – 5 July 2023)

Series: Standalone

Length: 323 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Rising Australian crime fiction author Veronica Lando presents a particularly intense and captivating read in her latest gritty release, The Drowning Girls.

Port Flinders in the north of Australia is a desperate town, suffering from depleted fishing and a poor economic future.  The only thing that is keeping the tiny town going is its infamous Drowning Girl Festival, which draws vast crowds of tourists to the town’s mangrove-lined shores each year.  The festival honours a statue that is symbolically dropped into the water in a seemingly harmless bit of fun, recognising an old legend that a woman must be sacrificed each year to revitalise the town’s fishing.  But not everyone thinks that the legend is untrue, especially as a tragic drowning of two girls 25 years earlier seemed to save the town.

As the new festival beings, Nate Bass arrives, set to temporarily fill in as the town’s sole teacher.  Forced to take the job after an incident at his last school, Port Flinders is the last place Nate ever wanted to come back to, as he has history with the town and its sinister festival.  However, the past has a way of coming back to haunt everyone, and soon a new development in the towns infamous history emerges.

A dead woman is pulled from the water at the height of festivities, but is she the victim of an unfortunate drowning accident, or has someone sacrificed her to the ocean?  As Nate finds himself drawn to the case, he is forced to dive back into his tragic childhood to events that have haunted him for 25 years, especially when the identity of the drowned woman is revealed.  To discover the truth, the past and present will need to come together, but is Nate ready to reveal his biggest mistake to the world?

The Drowning Girls was a very distinctive and captivating bit of Australian fiction by Lando which deeply impressed me when I checked it out.  Set around a compelling rural Australian setting with some major baggage associated with it, The Drowning Girls has a great story to it that features an excellent blend of mystery, emotional dives into the past, and some major character moments that really drew me in.

The story itself is told through two separate perspectives, that of Nate Bass, the town’s substitute teacher who returns during the height of the Drowning Girl Festival, and a young boy nicknamed Tack, who provides an intriguing alternate perspective of certain events.  Both get embroiled in the mysterious drownings that occur in Port Flinders in different ways, and their character-driven narratives swiftly come together to tell a story of tragedy, friendship, and secrets.  Nate’s story serves as the central focus of much of The Drowning Girl’s plot, and his exploration of the town’s history, the mindset of its people, and the impact of the festival adds some great depth to the story, especially as the author introduces some excellent supporting characters/suspects in the case.  The story revolving around Tack is an interesting coming-of-age tale, which shows the young protagonist trying to fit in around Port Flinders, while also learning about the mysteries of the festival.  This secondary storyline is a little harder to get into at the start, but the intriguing inclusions it features have some fantastic and fascinating impacts on the larger story.

There is a great reveal about halfway through the book that completely changes everything you thought you knew about The Drowning Girls’ plot, and which brings the two separate storylines together in an outstanding way.  I loved how Lando turned everything around at that point, and it led to a pretty addictive and exceptional second half of the book, which I honestly had a hard time putting down.  There are even more excellent twists revealed towards the end of the book, as well as some deeper dives into the protagonist, as he explores all the trauma from his past, as well as the deadly events from 25 years earlier.  The full extent of both the drownings in the past and the present are intense and very clever, and the elaborate and dramatic mystery that Lando came up with is extremely impressive and moving.  This entire story comes together pretty perfectly, and the full extent of the book’s tragic and moving storyline results in some truly shocking moments.  I honestly did not see the book’s big conclusion coming, and the Lando ensured that readers will come away from The Drowning Girls shocked and deeply moved.

There are a lot of great elements to The Drowning Girls that I enjoyed, and Lando has a real talent for writing and creativity that really connected with me.  Her creation of the fictional town of Port Flinders is fantastic, and she does a remarkable job of capturing the feel of a dying tourist town in Australia’s far north.  Everything about this town, including the crippling isolation, the rowdy tourists, the oppressive feel of the surrounding mangroves, and the various people who choose to call such a location home, feels highly realistic and it works into the dark storyline of The Drowning Girls extremely well.  I also loved the intense feelings invoked by the mysterious festival that is such a key part of the book’s plot, and you have to love the dark symbolism that Lando chose to associate with it.  You can almost understand the desperation that some of the town’s residents feel when it comes to the festival, and I felt that it was an outstanding and creepy plot focus that really stood out.  However, one of the best elements of The Drowning Girls was the main protagonist, Nate Bass, who has a complicated past and a deep and traumatic connection to the town.  Seeing the slow unravelling of Nate’s personal history is an outstanding and moving part of the book, and you really get attached to him as a result.  Watching him unload his guilt, trauma and resentment is some of the most powerful parts of the book, and you really must appreciate everything that Lando puts her protagonist through.  Thanks to the author’s great use of the split storyline, as well as the fantastic blend of drama and mystery that emerges throughout the narrative, The Drowning Girls’ story really shines through, and I came away with a huge appreciation for Lando’s style.

The Drowning Girls by Veronica Lando is one of the more unique and complex Australian crime fiction books I have so far read this year, and I was really impressed with how compelling and dark she was able to make it.  Featuring a clever and twisted mystery with some major character moments, The Drowning Girls is a highly recommended read and easily one of my favourite pieces of Australian fiction in 2023 so far.

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Quick Review – The Last Orphan by Gregg Hurwitz

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Thriller10 Comments

The Last Orphan Cover 2

Publisher: Michael Joseph (Trade Paperback – 21 February 2023)

Series: Orphan X – Book 8

Length: 342 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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The always impressive Gregg Hurwitz continues his amazing Orphan X series with the awesome and wonderful new addition, The Last Orphan.

One of my favourite spy thriller series at the moment is easily the exciting and cool Orphan X series by rising thriller author Gregg Hurwitz.  This fantastic series follows a former elite government assassin, Evan Smoak, codenamed Orphan X, who is forced to go rogue and hide himself away from his old employers.  Hoping to redeem himself after all the killing he’s done, Evan takes up a new identity, the Nowhere Man, a vigilante who helps the most desperate people in ways no one else can.  I have been a fan of this series for ages, ever since I read Out of the Dark, which pitted the protagonist against a deranged US President.  Since then, I have had an outstanding time reading the latest books in the series, including Into the Fire, Prodigal Son, and Dark Horse.  I always make it a point to pick up the new Orphan X book each year, and the latest entry, The Last Orphan, was another pretty awesome book that I was quickly able to power through.

Plot Synopsis:

As a child, Evan Smoak was plucked out of a group home, raised and trained as an off-the-books assassin for the government as part of the Orphan program. When he broke with the program and went deep underground, he left with a lot of secrets in his head that the government would do anything to make sure never got out.

When he remade himself as The Nowhere Man, dedicated to helping the most desperate in their times of trouble, Evan found himself slowly back on the government’s radar. Having eliminated most of the Orphans in the program, the government will stop at nothing to eliminate the threat they see in Evan. But Orphan X has always been several steps ahead of his pursuers.

Until he makes one little mistake…

Now the President has him in her control and offers Evan a deal – eliminate a rich, powerful man she says is too dangerous to live and, in turn, she’ll let Evan survive. But when Evan left the Program he swore to only use his skills against those who really deserve it. Now he has to decide what’s more important – his principles or his life.


The Last Orphan was another outstanding entry in this great series and Hurwitz ensures that it features all his trademark features, including strong characters, a powerful emotional heart, and a ton of action and intrigue.

This latest Orphan X book has a very strong start to it as Evan is ambushed right at the beginning of the novel by a massive Secret Service detail, determined to finally bring him in after he went rogue on the President a few too many times.  Captured and trapped, Evan is forced to make a deal: kill mysterious industrialist Luke Devine or lose his own life.  However, Orphan X makes his own decisions about who he assassinates, and after escaping, he begins his own research into his target, hoping to determine if he deserves to die.  Investigating a mysterious death associated with Devine’s estate and the massive parties that go on there, Evan begins to make his own connections about the case and is forced to go up against Devine’s lethal and morally dangerous security detail.  There are some pretty intense scenes in this part of the book as Evan makes some curious discoveries about Devine and his company, while also being forced to protect potential witnesses from his target’s security.  At the same time, Evan begins to wonder if Devine actually deserves to die and must soon choose between his conscious and his peaceful life of anonymity.

This was a pretty good entry in this series, although possibly not the best that I have so far read (in my mind, that’s Into the Fire).  I really liked the awesome start to The Last Orphan, especially as the over-the-top and intense capture by the Secret Service was so damn cool and it was interesting to finally see Evan taken down by the Government.  However, this doesn’t last long, and once he rather easily escapes, the intensity and pace of the story kind of slows down a bit.  Don’t get me wrong; I did really enjoy the subsequent storyline set around the investigation into the mysterious industrialist and his security crew, but it was a bit of a step down after the initial excitement.  Still, this second half of the novel is a ton of fun, and Hurwitz presents his usual blend of fascinating spy thriller moments, particularly intense and brutal action, as well as the focus on Evan’s strained and unique personal life.

The villains of this story, Devine’s security detail, are some pretty over-the-top but genuinely threatening figures, and Hurwitz comes up with some excellent scenes around them, even presenting them as real threats to the protagonist.  At the same time, Hurwitz works in a very compelling morality edge to the story, as Evan tries to work out whether Devine is actually evil or just a political threat to the President.  The author makes this determination pretty hard, especially as Devine comes across as a very manipulative and unusual figure who manages to make even the legendary Orphan X doubt himself.  The big conclusion of this books is very good and features all the typical action and carnage that you would expect.  However, parts of the story go in some very surprising directions and I liked the unique ideas that Hurwitz presented here.

In addition to all the action and intrigue, quite a lot of The Last Orphan revolved around the compelling and moving emotional and personal concerns of the protagonist and his great supporting cast.  Evan has always been a very complex figure due to his unusual upbringing, his lack of personal skills, and his crippling OCD, and a fantastic recurring theme of the books has been him trying to overcome this and finally make some connections.  This continues extremely well in The Last Orphan, as he once again relies on his friends and his surrogate daughter/little sister to pull him out of the fire and keep his sanity.  There are some pretty emotional interactions between Evan and these figures throughout the course of The Last Orphan, especially as it appears that Evan might not be able to come back from his latest adventure, and I felt that this was another powerful and impressive evolution of some already deep character growth.  There are some other pretty big personal moments for Evan in The Last Orphan, including the seeming end of one relationship due to Evan’s fugitive status, and the potential development of another as Evan finally attempts to dive into his own complex past.  It will be fascinating to see how this develops in the future, and I am sure that Hurwitz has some very intense moments planned for all of us.  I honestly felt that the author got the right balance between action and emotion for The Last Orphan, and this ended up being a stronger book as a result.

Overall, The Last Orphan was a pretty awesome new entry in the great Orphan X series, and I really liked how Gregg Hurwitz continued his fantastic ongoing narrative.  Featuring an excellent blend of spy thriller fun and powerful character work, The Last Orphan was an addictive and clever read, and I am glad I got the chance to check it out.  Highly recommended, especially to established fans of the series, The Last Orphan is really worth the read.

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Quick Review – Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini

On By The Unseen LibraryIn Quick Review, Science Fiction4 Comments

Fractal Noise Cover

Publisher: Tor (Trade Paperback – 16 May 2023)

Series: Fractalverse – 0.5

Length: 287 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Return to the epic Fractalverse of the always awesome Christopher Paolini with this standalone prequel novel, Fractal Noise, a tense and impressive dark science fiction novel.

Christopher Paolini is an author that I have been a major fan of for a very long time thanks to his iconic and epic Inheritance Cycle series.  The amazing Inheritance Cycle first debuted over 20 years ago with the amazing fantasy novel Eragon, which told the compelling story of a young hero and his dragon companion as they fight to free a conquered land.  The Inheritance Cycle series is one of my all-time favourite series due to the great story, impressive world building, and the sheer nostalgia that I hold for them.  Indeed, I am particularly excited because Paolini is also releasing a sequel to the Inheritance Cycle books later this year with Murtagh, which is one of my most anticipated reads for the second half of 2023.  However, before we get to that there is even more Paolini goodness to unwrap this year as the author has also released the intriguing science fiction novel, Fractal Noise.  A standalone prequel to his science fiction epic from a few years ago, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, Fractal Noise was an intriguing read that I had a lot of fun reading in the last week.

Plot Synopsis:

July 25th, 2234: The crew of the Adamura discovers the Anomaly.

On the seemingly uninhabited planet Talos VII: a circular pit, 50 kilometers wide.

Its curve not of nature, but design.

Now, a small team must land and journey on foot across the surface to learn who built the hole and why.

But they all carry the burdens of lives carved out on disparate colonies in the cruel cold of space.

For some the mission is the dream of the lifetime, for others a risk not worth taking, and for one it is a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe.

Each step they take toward the mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last.

And the ghosts of their past follow.


Fractal Noise was a very awesome book from Paolini that I had an outstanding time getting through.  I must admit that when I first received a copy of Fractal Noise, I wasn’t too sure that I was going to read it, mainly because while I enjoyed To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, it was a bit too long and overcomplicated, and I feared this potentially unnecessary prequel would be the same.  However, I decided to give it a shot, especially as Fractal Noise was considerably shorter than the original novel in this series, and boy am I glad that I did.

Paolini sets up a simple but very effective story in Fractal Noise that is set 23 years before the events of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, which details the discover and early exploration of a mysterious alien artefact that was mentioned in the original novel.  Just like with To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, Fractal Noise is told from the perspective of a single scientific protagonist, this time a xenobiologist names Alex Crichton, and follows them and their team as they examine a newly discovered space anomaly, an uninhabited planet with a 50km-wide perfect hole in it that is constantly relaying a continuous, overwhelming beat.  This anomaly could only have been created by a sentient species, and the scientists aboard the ship decide to journey to the planet to find any additional signs of alien life and to discover more about the hole.  However, to make it to the edge they need to land a substantial distance away and trek to it by foot in an arduous journey with many potential complications.

Paolini does a good job of quickly and effectively setting up this compelling plot in the first 50 pages of Fractal Noise while also providing great introductions to the damaged protagonist, as well as the accompanying scientists that are taking the trek with him.  However, the real story doesn’t start until the protagonists land on the planet and begin walking the distance towards the hole.  The author really goes out of his way to make this trek as arduous as possible, as the characters need to walk through wind, dust and other obstacles, all while pulling a mechanised sled behind them that slowly breaks down.  The sheer repetitiveness of this task, combined with the desolate landscape, injuries, and the unique planet that rings with a loud “thud” every few seconds, works to slowly wear down the protagonists and force them into some very dark places of their mind.  The closer they get to their goal, the harder their task becomes as the vibrations and noise produced by the hole becomes more intense and places a bigger toil on their bodies and technology.  At the same time, every setback impacts their minds even further as the four scientists soon fall to dangerous infighting as each of them is haunted by their own ghosts and their own reasons for being there.

I really liked how the entire story slowly devolved into a dark and ultra-intense psychological science fiction thriller as Paolini worked to emulate desolate real-life expeditions (such as those old-school arctic journeys), with his excellent storytelling.  The slow but unstoppable mental decline of the characters is handled perfectly, and while you are initially more worried about the protagonist, Alex Crichton, due to the recent tragedies in his life, the other characters are the ones you have to watch out for as they become more and more deranged or determined in their own ways.  Watching everyone slowly turn on each other as the journey becomes harder and harder on them is extremely compelling, and it proves hard to turn away as things get darker and darker.  The author supplements this compelling narrative with some intriguing, realistic and very-well thought out science fiction elements, especially when it comes to the physics of the planet, the obstacles they are facing, and the technology they have access to.  However, there is also a certain primitive edge to the storytelling as no matter how advanced their technology is, when it starts to fail, they are forced to dive back into more a much more basic mindset.  All this combines well with the fantastic dive into Crichton’s bleak mental state, as the protagonist begins to see the expedition as an important quest that will give him some redemption for his recent losses.

The entire story continues along this dark vein all the way to its compelling conclusion, and I was honestly pretty addicted towards the end, knocking out the last couple of hundred pages in a single night.  Watching the final snap of each protagonist was pretty brutal, but it was a necessary commutation of the complex storytelling that had been leading up to at that point.  I loved how well the barren landscape served as a background to this great story, and the constant “thump” “thump” of the planet as they drew closer gave such an outstanding atmosphere to the plot.  Paolini really pulled together an excellent read here that both serves as a continuation of his existing universe, while also giving readers a story so very different to anything that he has produced before.

Overall, I found Fractal Noise to be an outstanding and epic new novel from Christopher Paolini, which I had such a great time with.  I cannot emphasise just how intense and complex this initially simple story becomes, and the author’s ability to create forbidding settings, damaged characters, and suffocating story atmospheres has clearly grow over the years.  Due to its connections to the history of his pervious novel, Fractal Noise is perfect for fans of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, while also being very open to new readers interested in a compelling and bleak science fiction adventure.  Fractal Noise was an exceptional read that comes very highly recommended from me and I cannot wait to see more of Paolini’s writing later this year when Murtagh comes out.

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