House of Open Wounds by Adrian Tchaikovsky

On December 20, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, Five-Star Books21 Comments

Publisher: Head of Zeus (Ebook – 7 December 2023)

Series: The Tyrant Philosophers – Book Two

Length: 636 pages

My Rating: 5 out 5 stars

The always deeply impressive Adrian Tchaikovsky returns with an exceptional and remarkable piece of fantasy fiction, House of Open Wounds, which presents the reader with a particularly unique and ruthlessly entertaining story, chock full of brilliant characters.

Few fantasy authors have the range and style of Adrian Tchaikovsky, whose distinctive contributions to the science fiction and fantasy fields are quite remarkable. While Tchaikovsky has written several highly regarded series, I have only just scratched the surface of his works, having read a few of his recent reads. This includes his first foray into the Warhammer 40,000 universe, with the captivating standalone read, Day of Ascension, as well as the brilliant and elaborate novella, Ogres. However, my favourite book from Tchaikovsky so far would have to be the outstanding City of Last Chances.

The first book in The Tyrant Philosophers series, City of Last Chances was an outstanding read that I had the pleasure of enjoying earlier this year. Set around a conquered city with several unique magical inclusions, City of Last Chances introduced the reader to a cool new world and told a range of character driven stories about resistance, religion and sacrifice. City of Last Chances got a very easy five-star rating from me, and it honestly was one of the best books and audiobooks I enjoyed in the first half of 2023. I had such a brilliant time with City of Last Chances that when Tchaikovsky announced he was releasing a sequel in the second half of 2023, I was ecstatic. This sequel, House of Open Wounds, continued some of the complex storylines Tchaikovsky started in City of Last Chances, and it was one of my most anticipated books for the second half of the year.

There are few nations more feared or relentless than the ever-expanding Palleseen. A rising empire of zealots who are determined to bring Perfection and Correctness to an imperfect world, the Palleseen have advanced out of their homeland in an unstoppable wave, wiping out all religion and superstition as they go. As cities and kingdoms fall before their military might, their armies leave behind mounds of dead and wounded soldiers who require tending in field hospital tents just behind the frontline.

Into this chaos is thrust the god smuggler Yasnic. A former priest, miracle healer and occasional rebel, whose previous experiences with the Palleseen saw him hanged, attacked and banished from his city, Yasnic has experienced many upheavals throughout his life. Saved from another execution by the army bureaucracy, Yasnic and his box of orphan gods arrive at the frontlines, where he has been assigned to work in an unorthodox medical unit.

Made up of a mixture of former priests, gods, magicians, alchemists, artificers, necromancers and led by a gigantic brute known as the Butcher, the experimental medical unit treats the soldiers no one else can save and recycles the rest into the war effort. Entrusted to save the Palleseen soldiers, but doomed if anyone ever discovers the full extent of their abilities, the surgeons and orderlies of this unit ply their bloody trade as best they can while living as part of an unusual family, but the arrival of Yasnic could change everything.

As Yasnic works to fit into the unit and save lives, his unusual connections to the weakened and hidden gods of the world slowly begin to cause chaos throughout the army. Not only is he aware of the divine forces that secretly hang around the hospital, but his own illegal and crotchety God is determined to bring miracles to the Palleseen, whether that want them or not. As an outbreak of impossible healing and sudden pacifism spreads through the regiment, can Yasnic keep himself and his gods alive, or will the full force of the Palleseen zealots come crashing down upon him?

This was another epic and truly remarkable novel from Tchaikovsky that had me hooked the entire way through. Featuring a dark, bloody and fun story, House of Open Wounds was a particularly distinctive read that told its own captivating story while continuing some of the best elements from City of Last Chances. Funny, thoughtful and moving in equal measures, House of Open Wounds was an incredible and addictive novel that gets another very easy five-star rating.

I was very impressed with the exceptional and moving narrative that Tchaikovsky pulled together for House of Open Wounds, and I was hooked the second I got into it. After the events of City of Last Chances, the reader is thrust into a new part of Tchaikovsky’s fantasy world as you find yourself imbedded in a Palleseen battalion following the members of an unusual but effective military hospital. Like City of Last Chances, House of Open Wounds is strongly character driven, as you follow the personal stories surrounding each of these unusual outsider characters and learn about their complex pasts while watching their lives play out in the present. Much of the plot revolves around returning protagonist Yasnic and his God, who are drafted into the unit, and you get to see his experiences of the other characters, the wars, and the internal Palleseen bureaucracy. Most of the first half of House of Open Wounds is dedicated to exploring the new cast of characters and introducing their unique stories, as they find themselves closely following a bloody and dangerous war. This part of the book is primarily focused on the healing and medical work of the protagonists, as well as diving into their reasons for being there and the unique skills they bring to the surgical table. Apart from that, there isn’t an amazing amount of major plot progression here, except when Yasnic starts to mix things up around the battalion. While this pace is a little slow, this first half of the book was really fun and enjoyable, as you find yourself getting really lost in the characters’ lives, unique struggles, desires, and experiences. It also helps that many of these character details, as well as the mundane events of the hospital, eventually lead to bigger things later in the main plot, and Tchaikovsky does an outstanding amount of set up here.

The plot picks up a lot more in the second half, when the main battalion moves to a different warzone and find themselves involved in a substantial fight that really pushes the medical unit to its limits. The new battles, as well as the intriguing location they find themselves in, move several of the character arcs in some big directions, and you find out more and more about each of the main characters as a result. The constant chaos that surrounds Yasnic also starts to take its toll on the main story, as his strangeness and the double-edged miracles he occasionally brings cause him to make enemies and upset the delicate balance of the Palleseen army. At the same time, the Palleseen war machine starts to alienate the members of the medical unit, who find their talents being stolen to create weapons. Everything leads up to the big finale, where the protagonists attempt to free themselves with an elaborate and ambitious plan. This plan makes great use of all their individual skills and histories, and so many little details and elements from the story are used to bring a fun and creative conclusion to the book. Each of the fascinating character arcs conclude nicely and I loved how Tchaikovsky masterfully brought everything together in a satisfying and entertaining way.

Tchaikovsky utilises his typical excellent and distinctive writing style to convey this elaborate and entertaining narrative to the reader, and I had such a wonderful time seeing it unfold. As with the previous novel in the series, Tchaikovsky relies very heavily on perspective changes to tell a multilayered, character-driven story. Like the previous book, many of the major characters are initially showcased in their own chapter at the beginning, which often leads to additional cast introductions. As the book progresses, the chapters feature perspective changes so you can see more interactions and a wider view of the entire story. I loved the immediate deep background on several of these characters, and while you still often must wait a while to get their full story, you learn enough to like them in the opening parts of the novel. Tchaikovsky makes full use of these characters to tell a fantastic story, and I loved how well he showcases some unique events through their eyes. As with the previous book, House of Open Wounds has a range of tones as Tchaikovsky works hard to produce the right balance of humour, excitement, and moving and powerful character moments. The multiple detailed and confronting scenes of the bloody battlefield hospitals are well balanced out by the fantastic and subtle humour, which often comes from the outrageous situations that occur throughout the book, as well as the various character’s unique outlooks on life. This made for a particularly compelling book as you found yourself moving from comedic scene to a more dramatic or tragic moment with frequent regularity, as you find yourself stuck onboard a well-thought-out emotional roller coaster.

House of Open Wounds proves to be an intriguing and clever follow-up to City of Last Chances, especially as the author deepens the lore surrounding this fantasy world and brings back two fantastic protagonists. Readers of City of Last Chances will have an absolute blast with this book, as you get some interesting follow up to Yasnic’s compelling storyline while also seeing a different side to the antagonistic nation from the first book. This is a somewhat loose follow-up, and you really don’t need to have read City of Last Chances to enjoy House of Open Wounds. In many ways this is a good standalone novel, especially as most of the focus is on a whole new group of protagonists, and even Yasnic is given a new name for much of the book. Tchaikovsky does ensure that some of the key details and plot points from the first book are carried over when needed, although he does leave a bit of context out in places so as not to overwhelm new readers. As such, House of Open Wounds is a very accessible read, although established fans of Tchaikovsky are going to particularly enjoy this, especially if they loved City of Last Chances.

One thing you can always rely on Tchaikovsky to do is to pull together an elaborate and deeply compelling world to set his stories around. This is extremely true in this series as Tchaikovsky has come up with a war-torn landscape filled with magic, gods, demons and a new rising empire. The author did some interesting set up for this world in the previous novel, although the plot there was primarily contained inside a single city. In House of Open Wounds, the reader gets to see a bigger chunk of this world, even though much of the plot takes place either on the battlefield or in the camp behind the lines. Despite this, you get a better idea of the politics, wars and conquests that have taken place in recent history, and you particularly learn more about the Palleseen. The Palleseen are a group of ideological zealots dedicated to bringing their version of perfection to the world, which primarily involves breaking everything down into logic and reason, and doing away with superstitions and beliefs. As such, their goal is to rid the world of gods, deities and other superstitions, usually by conquering the lands and bringing them under the control of their relentless bureaucracy. Most of this book is dedicated to exploring the nature of their war machine, and you really get to see just how corrupt and ambitious some of their members are as a result.

I loved the focus on the military hospital and the war camp for most of the book, especially as seeing the various members of Palleseen camp allows the reader to fully understand the many problems, compromises and cruelties the Palleseen experience on their road to perfection. Tchaikovsky throws in some great critiques of militarisation and empire building throughout the book as you see these perfect Palleseen become racked with pride, ambition and greed to prove themselves and advance up the ranks. Their determination to win means they turn a blind eye to gods and superstitions when it suits them, and that results in the experimental medical unit that serves as the centre of the book. However, while they appear to only want the assembled gods, alchemists, and other strange magics for healing, really they are working to corrupt them into terrible weapons to further their war capability. There are several great storylines that see the Palleseen turning benevolent tools and creatures into highly inventive tools of war, and it serves as a major plot point and motivation for several characters, including a few Palleseen who have enough of their colleague’s lust for power. Combine that with the returning minor gods, who end up having their own impact on several characters, and the reader comes away with a very cynical look at the Palleseen, and empires in general, which both ridicules them and shows just how malevolent and insidious they can be.

The real key that pulls together House of Open Wounds is the huge array of memorable and complex characters that are introduced throughout the course of the plot. Tchaikovsky does a remarkable job of introducing and swiftly building up some truly amazing characters in this novel, and their compelling and often traumatic personal stories become so highly ingrained in the plot as a result. There are so many great protagonists and supporting figures in this novel, and I was personally impressed with how all of them were original characters that were not built up in the prior novel.

The main exception to this rule is Yasnic and his god, both of whom were introduced in City of Last Chances and who are masterfully inserted into this sequel. Yasnic was honestly one of Tchaikovsky’s best characters in City of Last Chances and I was so glad to see more of him here, especially as the author somehow manages to work in even more development after all the defining character moments that shaped him in the prior novel. Since we last saw him, Yasnic has moved on from being the last priest of a forgotten god and has instead become a more generalised religious figure, offering shelter and assistance to fallen and orphaned gods who no longer have any power or believers by carrying them around in a box on his back. After everything he has gone through, including his own crisis of faith, Yasnic now has a different view of the world, although he is still being haunted by his demanding and petty god. Yasnic has some wonderful moments in this book as he tries to fit into his new role while also hanging onto the trappings of his old life. Desperate to save everyone he can, Yasnic finds his views and pacifism really badly damaged by the constant war and the relentless and orderly Palleseen, and he is forced to make some haunting compromises. You really get some very interesting insights into Yasnic’s mind in this book, especially as you see how the aftermath of him abandoning his position as a priest impacted him. You cannot help but feel for the extremely likeable Yasnic at times, as he is thrust into tragic and heartbreaking positions against his will, and his quiet determination and general positivity pluck at your heartstrings. Throw in some great new friends, an unusual but surprisingly wholesome love interest and a series of unfortunate misunderstandings that frustrate even this gentle soul, and Yasnic once again stands out as a particularly awesome and likeable protagonist.

The other side of Yasnic’s character resides in the body of his tiny, stumpy, and petty deity, God, a former major healing god who has lost all his worshippers apart from Yasnic, but still maintains his powerful healing abilities. However, God refuses to heal anyone unless they swear a vow of pacifism, and if they cause harm to someone in any way, it will result in their wounds automatically returning, generally resulting in a sudden death. Thanks to his stubbornness, pride, and his whiny focus on Yasnic’s soul, God was one of the most entertaining characters in City of Last Chances, and I am really glad that Tchaikovsky brought him back for House of Open Wounds. While he is still a judgemental, mischievous and ugly angel on Yasnic’s shoulder in this sequel, you get to learn more about God and why he refuses to help save people. There are some surprisingly emotional scenes where God expresses why he is so bitter and you really get a much better understanding of his angry mind, especially when Yasnic makes the same mistakes, adding to God’s sadness. I also loved how well God played off Yasnic as he proves to be a surprising and entertaining counterpoint to the humble and nice former priest. While most of their dialogue is quite contentious, with God trying to control his increasingly independent former priest, you can see deep down that God cares about Yasnic, and they form quite an interesting and fun duo. Tchaikovsky took God’s character arc in some interesting directions towards the end of House of Open Wounds, and I have a feeling he is going to be a real nuisance to people in the next book.

House of Open Wounds also features quite a fun range of supporting characters, each of whom has their own compelling story to tell. This primarily includes the crazy and unusual group of associated healers and hospital workers that work in the experimental hospital unit, as well as the competitive and dangerous Palleseen officers controlling their destinies. I won’t go into too much detail here, as I could honestly go one for a paragraph about each, but I was really impressed with how well Tchaikovsky set each of them up and explored their histories and stories as the booked continued. There are some brilliant and very well fleshed out character arcs everywhere in House of Open Wounds, and I loved just how compelling a story Tchaikovsky was able to make as a result.

Adrian Tchaikovsky once again shows why he is one of the absolute best authors of complex and intelligent fantasy fiction with this outstanding and epic read. House of Open Wounds is a deeply clever, compelling and moving read that hooks the reader with its unique scenarios, fantastic humour, and memorable characters. I loved every single second I spent reading this novel and I really appreciated the amazing way Tchaikovsky chose to continue the great story started in City of Last Chances. I cannot wait to see what over elaborate fantasy stories Tchaikovsky creates in this universe in the future, and this epic novel is one of the best pieces of fantasy fiction I enjoyed in 2023.

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Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn

On December 5, 2021May 30, 2023 By The Unseen LibraryIn Fantasy, LGBT+6 Comments

Among Thieves Cover

Publisher: Gollancz (Trade Paperback – 14 September 2021)

Series: Standalone/Book One

Length: 343 pages

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

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Magic, betrayal and the ultimate fantasy heist await in Among Thieves by M. J. Kuhn, one of the most exciting and compelling debuts of 2021.

Welcome to the city of Carrowwick, where life is cheap and three powerful gangs fight for supremacy and control of its notorious underground. Out of all the thieves, rogues and assassins found within Carrowwick, no one is more feared than Ryia Cautella. Better known as ‘the Butcher’, thanks to her uncanny skill with her twin hatchets, Ryia is sworn to notorious gang-leader Callum Clem, and is the chief enforcer and hidden blade of his Saints gang. But while she seems content to spend her time fighting, drinking, and womanizing, deep down Ryia harbours a dark secret and a hidden past.

Thanks to an incredibly rough childhood, Ryia is in hiding from the most dangerous person in the entire realm, the Guildmaster, the powerful magic user who serves as the de facto ruler of the continent of Thamorr. The Guildmaster runs a continent-spanning organisation whose operatives locate, capture and bind every child with magical potential in order to sell them to the highest bidder. Forced to flee from city to city, constantly changing her identity, Ryia has no chance at a future while the Guildmaster is after her, and there is only so long that she can avoid her fate. However, a chance encounter soon reveals a potential way out of her desperate situation, although it will mean journeying to the most dangerous place in the world, the Guildmaster’s Island, to steal a powerful magical artefact.

Determined to gain her freedom, Ryia prepares to attempt the impossible and infiltrate the Guildmaster’s Island during the annual auction where the bound and brainwashed magic users are sold. However, not even the mighty Butcher can break into this impenetrable fortress alone. Reluctantly forced to work with a team, Ryia sets out with a motley crew of rogues and miscreants, including a forger, a conman, a fallen soldier, and a smuggler. But can this disparate crew pull off their impossible job, or are they all marching towards their deaths? Worse, who among the crew can really be trusted, as every member has their own reason for being there, and none of them would hesitate to stab the others in the back to achieve their goals. Let the heist begin!

This was a brilliant and outstandingly entertaining debut from M. J. Kuhn, who has done a remarkable job with her first book. Among Thieves has a fun and clever story that takes its fantastically motley group of protagonists on an intense and thrilling adventure. I loved the great blend of enthralling characters, an interesting new fantasy setting and an outstanding narrative, and this ended up being one of the best debut novels I have read in 2021.

Among Thieves has a really awesome narrative that I had an absolute blast getting through. Frankly, I was very keen to read this novel the moment I saw it was a fantasy heist novel, as I love it when dark magical settings combine with classic crime fiction heist storylines. Kuhn really did not disappoint as Among Thieves’ narrative is extremely well set out and does a great job bringing together its disparate genre threads. The world, the various characters, and the dark tone of the book are set out quickly in an entertaining and easy-to-follow manner in the first 100 pages. The reader gets a great sense of all the key players of this book, especially as the author makes excellent use of a multiple-perspective storytelling device, with all five members of the heist crew narrating several chapters within the book.

Once the scenario and the characters are established, Kuhn quickly moves into the exciting centre of the novel, which sees the protagonists infiltrating the Guildmaster’s island to find the treasure they seek and steal it. The characters face some major adversity here, from betrayals within and without, as well as the unfortunate attention of rivals, law enforcement and the forces of their target. This leads to several intense and entertaining scenes as the protagonists attempt to overcome these obstacles while their own personal demons and ambitions come to the surface. There is a major twist about two-thirds through Among Thieves that is not only fun and a little unexpected but which also sets up the final arc of the novel extremely well. This final third of the book sees the various characters make their final plays for the prize (if they still want it), while several revelations and twists are brought to the surface. I deeply enjoyed the way that the story turned out, especially the reveal of the book’s real winner, and Kuhn chucks in some great surprises towards the end. The entire story is an amazing blend of intrigue, action, thievery and relatable character interactions, which helps to produce a fast-paced and captivating narrative that I had a really hard time setting down. Kuhn also makes sure to leave a few storylines wide open, which would translate into a sequel extremely well. I really hope that the author continues this storyline in the future as I cannot wait to see how this awesome narrative finishes up.

Easily one of the best things about this amazing novel was the great mixture of unique and entertaining characters. As I mentioned above, Among Thieves’ story features five central protagonists, the members of the heist crew, each of whom has their perspective shown at various points of the book. This includes:

Ryia, a hardnosed and incredibly powerful killer who parties hard, flirts mercilessly with every female character and kicks ass in some incredibly violent ways. While Ryia appears to be a fun and entertaining character most of the time, she has a very dark past, filled with regret, betrayal, and the shocking actions of her father. Thanks to her tendency to use humour and crassness as a distraction to hide deeper pain, Ryia proves to be both an entertaining and tragic figure, and it was deeply compelling to see her storyline unfold. I loved the focus on her twisted loyalties, especially as she initially plans to betray her crew for her own ends. However, she goes through some major development as the book continues, and slowly establishes some emotional connections she has been missing throughout most of her life. A brilliant and fun central character, you will fall in love with this axe-wielding maniac.
Tristan, the youngest member of the group and their resident sleight of hand expert, specialising in gambling, cheating and pickpocketing. Tristan is bit of a dandy who was forced into the Saints after incurring a substantial debt, later sticking around due to his unrequited love with Ryia. Like Ryia, Tristan has a lot of secrets from his past and is also a bit of a fugitive. Tristan ends up being forced into some very unfortunate positions as the book continues due to various betrayals (his and other peoples), and he ends up being quite a major figure in the story. I deeply enjoyed some of the great twists surrounding him, and it looks like Kuhn has some intriguing plans for him in the future.
Nash, the smuggler, a ship captain of great skill and cunning who transports the gang to the Guildmaster’s Island and helps them pull off their heist. Nash is a fun character who has some interesting storylines surrounding her inconvenient relationship with gang leader Callum Clem. While I quite liked her as a protagonist, she was one of the least developed characters in the novel, mainly because she is the only one who didn’t have a plan to betray the gang. Kuhn does add some interesting details to her arc towards the end of Among Thieves, as she is forced to deal with her growing attraction to Ivan, her conflicted loyalty to the insane Callum, and her own ambitions and survival instincts.
Ivan, the forger who serves as another entertaining character with a compelling storyline around him. Ivan is ultra-talented master of all sorts of forgery, including documents, tattoos, disguises, and everything in between. A natural charmer and brilliant actor, Ivan manages to win the hearts of many, including Nash and the reader. However, he also has a secret past as a freedom fighter, and he sees this job as an opportunity to free his imprisoned brother and re-start his revolution. I found Ivan to be a funny and charming figure, and like I did with Ryia and Tristan, I deeply appreciated the inclusion of a hidden past which motivates his potential betrayal. Ivan ends up in an interesting place at the end of the novel, and it will be fascinating to see how his gamble will play out.
Evelyn, the former city guard of Carrowwick and Among Thieves’ final point-of-view character. Evelyn is a complex and intense figure, a former honourable officer who is dishonoured and disinherited partially thanks to Ryia’s actions. After a massive bender, she is convinced to join the heist crew by Callum Clem in exchange for being allowed to capture Ryia, whose imprisonment would restore her honour and position. Evelyn has one of the best character arcs in the entire novel, especially as she plays a fish-out-of-water character, as the former cop trapped among a group of thieves. This allows her to serve as an excellent foil to Ryia, and the two have a very adversarial relationship, which naturally develops some romantic overtones as the book progresses. I liked how Evelyn slowly became more devious and criminally minded as the book progresses, and she was an excellent addition to the story, bring some great humour, drama and integrity (briefly) to the narrative.

Overall, I felt that Kuhn did an amazing job establishing all these main characters, and each of them brings something unique and fun to the story. There was a pretty good balance between each of these characters, and it was very enjoyable getting to know all five of them. That being said, having five separate motivations/planned betrayals was a bit much on top of the heist storyline, and it muddied the main plot just a little. Still, I think that Kuhn made it work and it wasn’t too overwhelming. All five characters have great chemistry with each other, and their distinctive perspectives helped to highlight the various mad plans and ideas in a very entertaining light. I had an amazing time following these five rogues, and I look forward to seeing what happens to them in any future novels Kuhn writes. I am also very curious about the side character who was cleverly given a point-of-view chapter at the end of the book, and I am sure it will result in a brilliant and villainous performance in the next book.

In addition to the awesome story and complex characters, I also was quite taken by the intriguing new fantasy world that Kuhn came up with. Among Thieves is set in the continent of Thamorr, which is made up of five kingdoms who all pay homage to the Guildmaster, who controls the supply and demand of the magically powered supersoldiers each nation relies on. Kuhn does a great job of introducing and setting up this new fantasy world, and the reader is soon dragged into the great crime-riddled city of Carrowwick, with its warring gangs, and the eventual travel to the Guidmaster’s island, a grim and hopeless magical fortress. The interplay of the rival gangs, the political upheaval of several kingdoms, and the creation of obedient magical beings are all fantastic and add some great depth and background to the story. I also loved the cool magical system Kuhn works into the narrative really well, ensuring that the control of people with magical potential becomes a major plot point. This amazing setting serves as the perfect backdrop to the fast-paced and clever narrative, and it was quite fascinating to see the characters explore every compelling aspect of it. It looks like this fantasy world will be massively expanded in the future novels, and I cannot wait to what cool new elements Kuhn introduces next.

With her debut novel, Among Thieves, new author M. J. Kuhn has shown herself to be an outstanding and impressive new talent on the fantasy fiction stage. Among Thieves has an awesome and captivating heist-centric storyline, and I loved the cool combination of intense fantasy and thrilling crime fiction elements. This all results in a powerful and intense narrative based on five brilliant and complex characters, which proves to be exceedingly addictive and thrilling. I had an excellent time reading Among Thieves and this was easily one of the best debut novels of 2021.

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