Fallen Gods by James A. Moore

On June 11, 2018August 20, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn FantasyLeave a comment

Fallen Gods Cover

Publisher: Angry Robot

Publication Date – 2 January 2018

Those looking for a fast-paced action fantasy adventure to really get the blood pumping should prepare themselves for Fallen Gods, the latest novel from one of the leading authors in dark fantasy, James A. Moore.

Brogan McTyre, former soldier of the Kingdom of Stennis Brae, is a damned man. After the Grakhul, the servants of his world’s cruel gods, took his entire family, Brogan risked everything to save them from being sacrificed. Although he failed, his actions resulted in the disruption of sacred rites, a desecration he compounded by killing or enslaving all of the Grakhul. Now with the gods angered beyond all belief, their dark heralds, the He-Kisshu, have unleased terrible storms and intense acts of destruction across the Five Kingdoms. The only way they will stop the destruction and avert armageddon is with the sacrifice of Brogan and his companions.

Now Brogan and his men, including his loyal second-in-command, Harper Ruttket, are being hunted. Everyone is out to capture them – not just the servants of the gods but anyone seeking to survive the oncoming destruction. As Brogan and his men flee across the Five Kingdoms, their adversaries start to become more powerful and demonic in nature, and not even an army of mercenaries will be able to save them. Their only hope might be an item of immense power: a sword containing the heart of a slain god hidden within the Broken Mountains.

Elsewhere, Myridia the Grakhul leads her remaining sisters to salvation while trying to avoid the shadowy Night People hunting them. Niall Leraby and Tully, two freed former sacrifices, seek safety in Niall’s home city of Edinrun but find it already in the grips of an intense magical madness. Brogan’s former king, Bron McNar, and his fellow rulers of the Five Kingdoms must find a way to appease the gods before their lands and people are completely destroyed. Beron the slaver seeks revenge against Brogan and the men who brought the wrath of the gods down on him and his people. But Beron is serving a darker master; one who may prove to be an even greater threat to the world then the gods.

As the world he knows breaks down around him, can Brogan claim the power he needs to survive, and will it be enough to stop the utter chaos he has unleashed?

James A Moore is a renowned author of dark fantasy and horror who has written more than 40 books in his career. Some of his previous works include the Serenity Falls trilogy, the Seven Forges series and the Subject Seven series. Fallen Gods is the second book in The Tides of War series and is the sequel to his 2017 action extravaganza, The Last Sacrifice.

This is a perfect book for readers who are looking for an action-packed adventure story. Moore has made sure to include a large number of varied battles and fight sequences through this book, as well as several other intense action scenes. These action sequences are also enhanced by the author’s use of crazy and inventive fantasy creatures that are encountered by the book’s characters. In addition to the unique creatures that Moore introduced in the previous book in this series, the characters within Fallen Gods are also forced to contend with numerous new creatures and opponents. Not only do they encounter rampaging gods, magically powered soldiers and maddened slavers, they are also forced to contend with corrupted and demonically mutated Grakhuls and He-Kissus that are even more freaky than the original versions. As a result, this is an extremely fun dark fantasy book than contains enough action to excite any reader with a pulse.

As soon as a reader starts Fallen Gods it will quickly become obvious that there is a lot going on within this book. Moore makes use of several recurring narrators throughout the books and is constantly implementing quick-fire changes between them. Each of the narrators has their own unique storyline filled with their own side characters and adventures throughout different parts of Moore’s fantasy world. There are also several interludes told from the perspectives of minor characters and groups away from the story’s main characters. Whilst many of these interludes contain key plot points and set up later scenes with one or more of the main characters, a number have been included to explore the rest of the Five Kingdoms. In particular, they show how a range of different characters are experiencing the wrath of the gods and the associated destruction, as well as the various ways in which they are attempting to survive. Moore does a great job of tying the varied storylines and interludes together at the end of the book, as most of the main and minor characters have been subtly placed in or have had their focus turned towards a singular location where they will all meet up. As a result, Moore is able to showcase large portions of his fantasy landscape to the reader whilst also expanding on his fascinating narrative of a world suffering divine punishment and the craziness that results.

While there are a number of positives to Moore having such a huge range of narrators and storylines, Fallen Gods does seem a bit overcrowded at the start. However, readers should be reassured that each of the individual storylines is very easy to follow and they should have no problem viewing all of the storylines together as one cohesive and enjoyable plot. That being said, new readers could possibly benefit from starting with the first book in the series, The Last Sacrifice. While Moore does a really good job of explaining the vast majority of the book’s story elements, there are one or two features that may confuse new readers when they are first introduced. Most of these are eventually explained later in the book, so readers will only be in the dark for a short period of time. However, there is at least one plot element that originated within The Last Sacrifice which could prove to be slightly confusing to the uninitiated. That said, if a reader wishes to start their exploration of this series with Fallen Gods, they should have no problem enjoying this excellent action adventure.

Overall, this is an exciting and highly charged book that makes the most of its dark fantasy premise. Readers will love the overarching story of a world experiencing the wrath of its vengeful gods, which Moore masterfully tells with his huge range of narrators and point-of-view characters. This is a fantastic sequel to The Last Sacrifice, and I can’t wait to see what madness occurs in the next instalment of this series.

My Rating:

Four stars

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Star Wars: Last Shot by Daniel Jose Older

On May 30, 2018August 13, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Extended Universe, Science Fiction, Star Wars, Tie-in Novel9 Comments

Publisher: Century

Australian Publication Date – 30 April 2018

World Publication Date – 17 April 2018

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Han and Lando return in Last Shot, the latest Star Wars novel, released just ahead of the characters’ upcoming prequel movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story.

The Phylanx Transmitter is one of the most secretive and dangerous weapons in the galaxy. Built by the psychotic Fyzen Gor, over the years it has been sought by some of the most nefarious people in the galaxy, from criminal gangs to bounty hunters and even the Empire. Two captains of the Millennium Falcon have gone up against Gor in an attempt to claim the Phylanx Transmitter. In the early days of his career, the dangerously charismatic Lando Calrissian and his pilot droid, L3-37, encountered a prototype of the transmitter and barely survived. Years later, a young Han Solo and the Wookiee Chewbacca raced through the criminal underworld to reach the transmitter before it disappeared into the stars.

Since then, the Empire has fallen and the New Republic has taken its place. Lando has become a successful business owner and the respected administrator of Cloud City, while Han has settled down with Princess Leia and is now trying to be a good father to young Ben Solo. While Lando and Han both believe they have put their former lives as thieves and smugglers behind them, the past has a way of catching up with everyone.

Having escaped custody, Gor is holding Cloud City hostage and demands that Han and Lando find and reclaim the Phylanx Transmitter. Forced to fly under the radar, the two scoundrels must find the transmitter and prevent Gor from using it to rain down untold destruction across the galaxy. In order to succeed, they recruit a brand new team, including a young hotshot pilot, a brilliant Ewok slicer, a woman who may be the love of Lando’s life, and, of course, the best and fluffiest co-pilot around, Chewbacca. However, even their new team may not be able to withstand Gor and his twisted droid creations.

Last Shot is the latest book from the acclaimed Daniel Jose Older, author of the young adult fantasy sensation Shadowshaper. This represents his first venture into Star Wars fiction.

Ever since the original Star Wars movies, vast amounts of books, comics, video games and a television series have been created, resulting in a massive extended universe. Since Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012, the vast majority of this extended universe has been expunged, with only the movies and a few products, such as The Clone Wars, now considered canon. Some elements of the original extended universe have resurfaced over the years, such as fan favourite character Grand Admiral Thrawn, who recently appeared as an antagonist in Rebels and was the subject of last year’s Thrawn by Timothy Zahn. Last Shot is the latest book in the smaller Star Wars canon extended universe which has been cultivated in the Disney years. This stand-alone book has been released as a companion piece to the upcoming movie, Solo: A Star Wars Story, and features four of the characters who are going to appear in it.

Last Shot contains a clever combination of four separate storylines set in different points in time throughout the franchise’s history. The main story is set a couple of years after the events of Return of the Jedi, and features the characters forced to return to their lives of crime. Two of the side storylines follow the main characters on a separate mission in their past, and these subplots are set on either side of the upcoming Solo movie. The final storyline is set over a period of years and follows the rise of Fyzen Gor. Older does a skilful job of switching between the various storylines to reveal certain clues and show the reader the hidden history the two main characters have with the protagonist.

This book will strongly appeal to fans of Star Wars, particularly those who like to dive deeper into the lore and storylines of the extended universe. However, even dedicated fans may feel a little overwhelmed by the constant references to other elements of canon and the inclusion of nearly every alien race in the galaxy. Even the addition of The Force Awakens fan favourite character Maz Kanata seems a bit forced and unnecessary. Despite this, casual fans will easily be able to follow the story and enjoy the funny and action-packed adventure within.

Last Shot sets itself apart from many of the other Star Wars stories by avoiding the Jedi-saturated and force-fixated storylines that define most of the movies and books. This book doesn’t even feature a single Jedi, but instead focuses on the criminal underworld of the galaxy as the main characters fight, cheat and steal their way to victory. This is a refreshing story which seems to mirror the crime-orientated plot of the upcoming Solo movie.

In addition to the crime-centric story and the multitude of action-packed scenes, the readers will really enjoy the substantial humour that Older has included within book. In particular, most readers will appreciate the number of self-deprecating jokes and references towards elements of the Star Wars universe. For example, one particularly enjoyable sequence involves a Gungan who is annoyed with how his species is perceived by the galaxy thanks to the actions of a certain individual. Despite there being a 40-year gap between the events of this book and those of The Phantom Menace, some shade is still thrown over the infamous Jar Jar Binks. Not only does the book come across as more humorous and less serious than other Star Wars stories, the book has also been written in a much more adult way, as there are a number of jokes and allusions that would never get included in the family friendly movies. As a result, Last Shot is an incredibly entertaining story that stands apart from previous works of Star Wars fiction.

Star Wars: Last Shot is an outrageously fun new novel that will greatly appeal to all fans of the Star Wars franchise. Filled with innumerable references and jokes about the wider Star Wars universe, readers will love to see Han Solo and Lando Calrissian being the very best scoundrels they can be. This is amazing and addictive new adventure in a galaxy, far, far away.

My Rating:

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King of Ashes by Raymond E. Feist

On May 30, 2018August 29, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Five-Star Books21 Comments

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Australian Publication Date – 5 April 2018

World Publication Date – 8 May 2018

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For over 30 years, one of the most reliable cornerstones of fantasy fiction has been the books of Raymond E. Feist. Starting with the 1982 fantasy classic, Magician, Feist has produced 30 books, all set in the worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan, as part of his long running Riftwar Cycle. King of Ashes is the first book Feist has written since he ended the Riftwar Cycle in 2013. It is also the start of The Firemane Saga, a new series which is set in a completely different universe to the Riftwar Cycle and introduces the reader to an exciting new story.

The continent of Garn was once home to five kingdoms, the greatest of which was the Kingdom of Ithrace. Ruled by the red-haired Firemanes, Ithrace was known for its culture and creativity. However, following a great betrayal, Ithrace was destroyed and its king executed. In order to avoid any retribution, the power-hungry King of Sandura ordered the deaths of every member of the Ithrace royal family, and not even their legendary affinity for fire could save them.

Now, 17 years later, war is returning to Garn. Ancient pacts of peace are failing, and the four kingdoms are out of balance. As the kingdoms and the independent baronies prepare for a new conflict, rumours of a hidden heir to Ithrace’s throne begin to surface.

In the previously peaceful Covenant Lands, Declan, a young and talented blacksmith, is forced to flee slavers raiding his village. Carrying the rare knowledge of crafting the legendary jewel-steel, Declan flees to the Barony of Marquensas, where he hopes to create a new life for himself.

Meanwhile, in the feared and hidden island nation of Coaltachin, three youths, Donte, Hava and Hatu, are being trained in the way of the Quelli Nascosti assassins, learning how to spy, steal and kill. All three of the young agents are eager to explore the world outside of their island home, but they quickly find themselves under attack. The mysterious group of assailants seem to have been trained in a similar way to the assassins of Coaltachin. Whoever these attackers are, they are unafraid of the young assassins and have a particular interest in capturing Hatu, an orphan with red hair and a fiery temper. As events transpire, these young people find themselves in the heart of events that will transform Garn forever.

Feist delivers a fantastic and absorbing read that once again illustrates why he is one of the preeminent writers of fantasy fiction in the world today. His latest book is a classic fantasy tale set within another unique and memorable universe and is one of the most thrilling and addictive releases so far this year.

King of Ashes is the first book in a brand new trilogy that has definite potential to expand out into another long-running series. As a result, Feist presented this book as a set up for the rest of the series, rather than a stand-alone book. Substantial time was spent establishing the characters, world and overall story, and introducing elements to be further explored in future instalments of the series. While some questions are answered towards the end of the book, a number of mysteries still remain. King of Ashes proved very hard to put down—an impressive feat, considering it was 545 pages long in the hardcover edition.

Feist has done a lot of work building up this new fantasy location, producing some amazing settings and locations. The characters venture to large cities, small towns, fortified keeps, grasslands, forests and various islands. There are also several scenes set on the ocean, which allow for some intricate sequences involving ships and naval combat. It also appears that, despite how far many of the characters travel, they have only just brushed the surface of the continent mapped out in the front of the book. This area of land appears to be less than half of the entire continent of Garn, which indicates wider adventures in future books. There were also some brief mentions of other continents existing on this new world, which may be a possible indication of plans to expand this series past its initial trilogy.

While Feist introduces a number of new kingdoms and peoples throughout his story, many readers will really enjoy his inclusion of the Quelli Nascosti assassins on the island nation of Coaltachin. In the story, the nation of Coaltachin, also known as the Invisible Nation, is ruled by the Quelli Nascosti assassins, who work throughout the continent as assassins, spies and informants. Feist spends a significant amount of time focusing on this group of assassins, displaying various aspects of their society, operations, influence throughout Garn and varied training techniques. As a result, they are the most fleshed-out group of characters within King of Ashes and are a definite highlight of the book. Readers will really enjoy the significant focus Feist puts on this group, as this results in a number of high-intensity scenes with covert activities and exciting action.

Feist tells most of the story through three prominent characters, Declan, Hava and Hatu. All three of these characters have fascinating and unique accounts to follow, although all of them could be considered to be coming-of-age stories. Hava and Hatu are both members of the Quelli Nascosti, and it is through their eyes that we see most of the secretive nation and their actions. Hatu is involved in action throughout the continent, encountering mysterious foes and discovering his hidden destiny, while Hava’s story focuses on more specialised training and a secret side mission. Declan’s story is a classic fantasy story of a young man trying to find his way in life while overcoming destructive elements. There are some more classic fight scenes in this storyline, and some very detailed descriptions of blacksmithing. Each of these storylines is extremely enjoyable to read and provides different insights into this exhilarating new fantasy universe.

King of Ashes is the latest book from fantasy legend Raymond E. Feist and represents an outstanding start to a fantastic new series. Featuring multiple coming-of-age stories, this is a pure fantasy tale set within an intriguing and detailed new universe. This is mandatory reading for fans of Feist’s previous work and comes highly recommended for all fans of the fantasy genre. I cannot wait for the next book in this series.

My Rating:

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Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

On May 30, 2018August 13, 2022 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Young AdultLeave a comment

Children of Blood and Bone Cover.png

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Australian Publication Date – 13 March 2018

World Publication Date – 6 March 2018

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A brand new magical world is born in Children of Blood and Bone, the enthralling first book from a talented new author.

In the nation of Orisha, magic was once controlled by the maji, powerful practitioners who were respected and feared throughout the land. However, that all changed eleven years ago, when magic suddenly and mysteriously died, leaving the maji powerless and confused. Taking advantage of this uncertainty, the magic-fearing King Saran struck out, arresting and killing all the former maji. Now the people of Orisha consider magic evil and all links to the old order are shunned. Those children who would have become maji, if not for the death of magic, are known as diviners. Made distinctive by their white hair, they have become a second-class citizenry within Orisha and are routinely targeted by abusive guards and crippling taxes as King Saran seeks to slowly kill them all off.

Zelie Adebola is one of these diviners and remembers what it was like before magic died. Haunted by the death of her maji mother and still defiant after years of oppression, Zelie is determined to survive. However, when a chance run-in with an ancient scroll awakens her latent magical abilities, Zelie is given an unexpected chance to restore magic to the world. With the help of her brother, Tzain, and the rogue princess, Amari, Zelie must reclaim three artefacts and travel across Orisha before the solstice. If they fail, magic will be gone forever.

As the trio encounter the dangers that lurk throughout Orisha they must also contend with a dangerous force that is following them. Amari’s brother, Prince Inan, has been tasked by the king to hunt the fugitives down and ensure that magic can never return. However, Inan’s own latent magical powers have surfaced, and he is torn between the burning powers in his head and his father’s instilled hatred of all things magical. Will his sudden infatuation with Zelie save him, or will it lead to his destruction?

The greatest threat to the quest may come from Zelie herself, whose powers over life and death may turn out to be too dangerous to control.

Children of Blood and Bones is the first book from Nigerian American author Tomi Adeyemi. It is a bold fantasy adventure targeted towards the young adult demographic, and has already received significant hype from various sources, including discussion about a possible movie adaption.

One of the most obvious things that will appeal to potential readers is the considerable work and imagination that Adeyemi has put into her fantasy creation. The central focus on a group of oppressed magic users who have lost their power and influence is particularly engrossing, as is the distinctive magical practice and lore that Adeyemi has used. The detailed landscapes and cities of the nation of Orisha do a wonderful job of catching the imagination, especially as the characters traverse a number of different locations, each with their own unique environments and features. There are also a number of intricate battle scenes that add significant excitement to the narrative, including a particularly memorable sequence where the main characters participate in a massive ship-to-ship gladiatorial battle in a flooded desert arena.

In addition to the above elements, readers will enjoy the use of multiple character perspectives throughout Children of Blood and Bone. Three of the main characters, Zelie, Amari and Inan, each narrate their own chapters and provide a detailed overview of the story from their point of view. There are many quick-fire perspective changes that serve to give multiple different viewpoints of the same event. This is particularly useful as much of the book is dedicated to Zelie, Amari and Tzain being closely pursued by Inan. Seeing how close Inan gets to the protagonists through these separate perspectives adds a lot of tension and suspense to the book. It also works well in enhancing many of the larger battle scenes, especially the above mentioned gladiatorial naval battle. The different viewpoints also allow the reader a clear picture of the ideological breakdown of Adeyemi’s world, as the readers are given insight from both the oppressed diviners and the paranoid King Saran

Adeyemi’s clever use of multiple narrators also allows for a clearer view of the personal and group development of the main characters, which can be seen not just through their own eyes but through the eyes of the other narrators. Amari’s change from spoiled princess to hardened warrior is fun and heart-warming. The changes to Zelie and Inan as a result of their dramatic internal conflicts are much more intriguing and draw the audience in emotionally.

While Adeyemi explores several themes throughout the book, the most intriguing is her examination of power and the responsibility to wield it. Within Children of Blood and Bone, the maji have had their magical power taken away from them and are oppressed by the king as a result. The subsequent quest to return magic to the world raises certain ethical questions, like whether an oppressed group should suddenly have destructive powers returned to them? Within the book there a number of characters who have dissenting views on the subject, but only Zelie and Inan are in the unique position of seeing both parts of this debate. Inan has always been taught to fear and hate magic, but his perception of magic changes when he gains his own powers, meets Zelie and experiences the oppression brought on by his father. As a result, his opinion about the future of magic is changed multiple times throughout the book. Zelie on the other hand, has experienced oppression all her life, and is at first determined to bring back magic. However, when she uses her own destructive powers and sees the devastation caused by other magic users, she starts to question her previously held beliefs. This fascinating internal debate is masterfully woven in the story through the books narrators, and it will be interesting to see how this debate continues in any future books.

Children of Blood and Bone is an intricate and ambitious young adult fantasy debut that includes a first-rate, emotionally charged story. Set in an inventive new universe and featuring slick use of characters and multiple narrators, Children of Blood and Bones lives up to its significant hype.