5/5 stars, Fun-filled, imaginative and gory LitRPG with Princess Donut the talking cat…oh and Carl
Got this on a whim, looking at the high rating and large number of them I took a peek inside and found I liked the easy tone, the snarky banter and the gory action. Roll on three books and four levels later and it is just as fast-paced and fun as when I started and, wonderfully, Carl does not feel OP (overpowered) which I find is an issue in many LitRPGs.
The premise is the world has been bought by an interstellar mega-corporation and in an instant all buildings and tech are wiped out using some physics-defying technology. If you were unfortunate to have been in said buildings when they slammed into the ground and disappeared from the surface of the planet then oops, you failed to make it to level one. For the survivors the choice is stark, try and survive on the surface or descend into the Dungeon world that has been newly created beneath the Earth and fight through to the end. Whoever survives gets to reclaim the earth for humanity.
I know, it’s all pretty silly and impossible but hey, this is fantasy and it is about the journey and Carl, our unlikely hero, is about to take it. In the freezing, sub-zero of a winter’s night, Carl finds himself outside in his boxers trying to coax Princess Donut his ex-girlfriend’s cat out of a tree when the apocalypse happens and damn me if he isn’t feeling the cold. His building is gone, mushed into the ground along with lamp posts, bridges and pretty much anything built by man or woman.
Okay, that’s all you get, but suffice it to say it gets even hairier and scarier for Carl and Donut who are forced to enter the Dungeon down below or freeze to death up above.
The writing is fast and punchy and oftentimes hilarious. The creativity, particularly of the many creatures, is both fresh and gross. The banter between Carl and Donut is snarky and funny and I found that aspect of the story very engaging. I just wanted to see what Carl and Donut would do, what abilities they would unlock or choose and how oh how could they get out of all the trouble they find themselves in. And it’s a lot of trouble. Cudos too to the system AI for the Prachett’esc descriptions of everything from mobs, NPC’s and loot rewards.
This is a review of the first 3 books because I just kept reading and have only just now emerged for air and because really, it is just one long story of survival broken up into floor levels. Overall, a thoroughly fun read and highly entertaining and if you’re a fan of LitRPG I highly recommend this book to you.
Wow, it has been five months since my last news drop I’m not sure where the time has gone but thank you so much for staying with me.
Looking Back…
In January’s Fantasy News, Darkness Resides, book 3 of the Morhudrim Cycle had just been released and so far it has been well received, I have had some amazing reviews that have blown me away. I worked so hard to write something epic, worthy and engaging and I believe this is my best volume yet. Thank you, thank you, thank you to any and all who have read my works and a double helping for those who posted a rating or left a review. Trust me, it means more than you could know to an author. I read every review and ruminate on them, good or bad. They can turn a rough day into a great day!
The Here and the Now…
Book four, Chaos Reign is well underway. In all honesty, I wish I was further along but that thing called life keeps tripping me up. Which is not a bad thing. I can all too easily get zeroed in on my books even when I’m not sitting behind my keyboard. Cooking, washing, walking the dog, having a conversation with my wife… all have fallen foul to my wandering mind (that last one by the way should be avoided!!) which all too often is spent thinking about Nihm and Renco and a plethora of plotlines. I can’t help it. So you see, it is good to get tripped up now and then – it makes me appreciate the things I so often take for granted.
At the moment my old man is over from Australia so I am spending time with him and showing him the sights and indeed the sites of North Yorkshire, which are many and varied and also great fodder for my books…..damn it! Almost a paragraph without straying on to my obsession. There goes my 1-day token.
Reviews
I have been a bit quiet on the review front you may have noticed. Along the Razor’s Edge by Rob J Hayes was my last one back in April. That does not mean I haven’t been reading as well as writing, I have, but nothing I felt compelled to write a review for.
Also, I have been catching up on a series I follow, He Who Fights With Monsters Book 7 – A strong return from Shirtaloon back to the world of Palimustus. The Earth adventures of Jason Asano were good but not in the same dimension (that is cleverer than it sounds) as the wonderful world of Palimustus. Jason is back in the thick of it but this time he has friends he can trust. Seriously, try it out if you haven’t already.
I am also 3 books into Dungeon Crawler Carl (a LitRPG) which was a whim buy but is actually really good fun and I am enjoying it immensely. It’s got a cat called Donut in it, what’s not to like? Look out for my 3-book review, coming soon.
Don’t forget to check in on adgreenauthor.com occasionally for news, reviews and updates.
That’s it – I got nothing else for you. Have a great summer (or winter for my NZ and Aussie mates). Have fun, stay safe and read a book.
5/5 Stars, Dark, brutal fantasy and utterly compelling
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Modern fantasy is full of flawed characters. There are no more heroes it seems these days just anti-heroes and this tale is no exception though the telling is executed better than most.
It is Eska’s story and it starts at the end of a war she can’t quite let go. A war in which she is on the losing side. She is fifteen, a sourcerer honed for battle with mastery over five (or was it six) sources. Captured, she is thrown into the Pit along with her closest friend and fellow sourcerer, Josef. Josef who is considered a genius, once-in-a-generation sourcerer but one who lacks Eska’s conviction and thirst for battle.
Wow, the pit is a showcase of how monstrous humans can be and for a fifteen-year-old, slip of a girl stripped of magic, it is not the place to be. This is dark fantasy, it is brutal and sordid and vicious and Eskara Helsene is thrown in with only two ways of leaving. Death or desert and join the empire which destroyed her world. Damn that. Eska is a fiery, illogical, ball of rage and anger who refuses to bow to the enemy or suffer an eternity in the pit, she will escape to see the sky again and then rain bloody vengeance down on all those who have crossed her, even those she loves.
This story is told by Eska and you can feel every emotion and hear every thought as she grapples with her new reality. It isn’t pretty. It has moments of reflective interludes which I loved where we go back into Eska’s past and learn where she came from, who she is and how she became this force of nature. She is not pleasant or good and yet I found myself rooting for her, swept up in her vortex every bit as much as Hardt and Josef and the characters that inhabit her world. It grabbed me from the first page till the last. I know she’s going to be an evil little b!tch, if she’s not already, and this is just the first book of five, but if this turns into a redemption story it will be some feat of literary magic.
So yeah, I liked it. All the characters are so well-written and fully fleshed. The Overseer oozes his inner Hans Landa and Hardt I have a soft spot for, I mean comeon, Hardt is a seven-foot wall of muscle, a former pirate and born-again pacifist, how can you not like that contradiction of character?
The only negative criticism is the copy I read (Kindle Unlimited) had some typos and misconstructed sentences. Not many and not enough to steal a star but those few moments did take me out of the story which is never a good thing. That aside though it was well-crafted and masterly told.
So to finish up this review you could say it is a ‘coming of age’ fantasy but it is not the typical ‘coming of age’ tale you would expect so be warned. If you like good v evil storylines or do not like your stories too graphic then you may struggle. However, if you like grim and dark fantasy with no heroes then I highly recommend this book. It is unique and captivating and will sink its teeth into you and not let go.
5/5 Stars Twisty, Tricksy, Dirty Deeds done with panache and flare. Brilliant
I have been meaning to read this book for some time and boy was it worth the wait. I am a massive fan of Douglas Hulick’s Among Thieves – Tale of the Kin, one of my favourite fantasy reads and I thought I would struggle to ever find something comparable but now I have.
I will confess that for whatever reason I did not rip through this book in a few days, though it merits it, so well was it written. I guess it was a slow-burner. That is not to say I did not enjoy every page but rather I think it was the overarching storytelling style the book started in. As our story opens we hear of Locke Lamora in a roundabout way for the first few chapters, he is spoken of rather than introduced. It was an interesting and compelling way to set the foundations for what was to come and a great introduction to Camorr the city-state our tale is set in. And my, what a fascinating, detailed and mysterious bit of world-building that was.
I loved the detailed and rich characters that inhabit the world. The bad ones, of which there are many, and the good ones which are few but all are richly unique and imagined. The dialogue deserves special mention because it is some of the best I have read. I also liked the mystery of the previous occupants of Camorr of which little is known, it added a unique element to everything.
The Gentlemen Bastards as Locke and his crew coin themselves are long cons whose misdeeds go unnoticed (for the most part). Like Robin Hood, they steal from the rich, but in the GBs case, they most assuredly do not give to the poor. In fact, they don’t seem to know quite what to do with their ‘earnings’ and it sits unspent for the most part. See they have been nurtured and trained by Father Chains for the big one and the Gentleman Bastards are about to pull it off with their biggest con yet.
Unfortunately, for the Bastards there is more going on in the underworld they inhabit. There’s Barsavi the Thief Lord of Camorr, the mysterious Grey King formenting trouble and the Grand Duke’s Midnighters on the prowl for the Thorn of Camorr. It all paints a fantastic picture and weaves a twisty, bendy story of dodge and cheat, murder and mayhem. It is brutal and dark and unforgiving all at the same time and no one is safe. Locke is a character you will root for as are all of the GBs though I was rather taken with Jean Tannen the more his past and present is told.
The story is told in the present day but rather cleverly has numerous interludes mid-chapter that take you back in time to Locke and his crew when they were younger and learning under Father Chains. A really good way to reveal more of what makes them all tick and how their deep-seated bond of brotherhood was founded.
Though this is book one it is a complete story, so whilst there are lots of cliffhanger chapters there is a satisfying (depending on your point of view) ending.
Finally, an amusing observation. As I was writing this review I couldn’t help but notice that The Lies of Locke Lamora was ranked on Amazon at #181 in Parenting & Families. No. Just no, lol. This book most definitely does not belong there.
5/5 Fantasy, martial arts, elemental magic in a samurai-like society
This book has been on my to-read list for a while. As a huge fan of James Clavell’s Shogun, I was intrigued by the setting which has an asain-samurai influence, much in the same way as the ‘Daughter of the Empire’ series by Raymond E Feist and Janny Wurts, although this tale is very different and unique from those two offerings.
The Sword of Kaigen is figurative rather than literal. It is no weapon forged of mithril or some other magical metal but a title given to the people of the Kusanagi Peninsula, powerful warriors and defenders who have long protected the Kaiganese Empire. Our tale revolves around the legendary Matsuda family, one of the most powerful of the ancient clans of Kusanagi.
The story is of Mamoru, a 14-year-old boy, who is committed to mastering his family’s fighting techniques and his mother, Misaki, a powerful Theonite (Elementalist) who put aside her youthful passion along with her sword when she married into the family. It is a tale of discovery but both Mamoru and Misaki are on very different journeys. Mamoru wants to be the best fighter he can be and to master the family’s special technique the ‘Whispering Blade’ a blade made of ice so pure it is only a molecule thick and can cut through anything. Misaki yearns for her lost youth and the promise it once held whilst struggling in a loveless marriage. But both their worlds are about to change when an outsider family moves to their remote mountainside. Outsiders who challenge Mamoru’s understanding of the world, the emperor they serve and the enemies they face.
Okay, that is all your getting as a synopsis, if you aren’t intrigued already you should be. This book is wonderfully written and engagingly told from Mamoru and Misaki’s perspective. The world was beautifully rendered in my imagination, an isolated people living in the old ways and observing the ancient customs of their people clashing against the modern technology and society of the rest of the empire and larger world (which we do not see much of).
The Elementalist powers of the Theonites are vividly imagined and brought to life. The story told is both elegant and profound, but equally tragic and at times brutal and sad. It put me through a wringer of emotions and I love that.
There is a question or a few that I had, about the clash of ancient traditions and modern technology. The ultimate destructive power of modern weapons versus swords, fighting techniques and elemental powers seemed out of camber to me. That line from The Untouchables seems particularly apt ‘Don’t bring a knife to a gunfight’. Also, the political motivations of the emperor seem cloudy and ill-considered and illogical not that we get to examine the reasoning in anything other than a peripheral way. These though are small things that bugged me and it is not what carries this story which is the beautifully written characters and wonderfully descriptive writing of Mamoru and Misaki’s story.
Uplifting, at times tragic, this is a tale of discovery. Of lost love found. Of honour and tradition. It is a story which I thoroughly enjoyed from the first page to the last. If this all sounds good to you then why not give it a go? And remember, if you read a book please leave a rating or even a review, especially if you enjoyed it. It is the best thank you you can give an author for all their hard work and it can uplift and make a writer’s day which is usually pretty thankless.
There is so much great Scandinavian fiction around and this novel is no exception. This is a gritty and grungy tale set in the suburbs of Stockholm in Blackeberg, a housing project that is as bleak as its name suggests.
It centers around Oskar a twelve-year-old boy from a broken home who is the target of some vicious bullies at his school. Trying to navigate his way in life is a constant trial and when he makes a new friend, Eli, in the playground outside his apartment one night things start to look up. Eli is mysterious and a bit weird but they find themselves drawn to each other. Two young kids trying to find meaning and understanding. Both lonely and unseen.
The writing was engaging, unapologetic and quite harrowing at times. The characters are flawed and human, all sharp edges and rough surfaces presenting a microcosm of the dingier side of life that we walk past every day and turn our eyes from like the homeless and drunks, who we find in this tale are just as real and human and heroic in their own way. A real-world setting for an ancient tale that shows you the ugly side of humanity.
Oskar is a lost soul with an interest in grim crime and when a brutal murder takes place in a nearby suburb it fascinates Oskar. The Ritual Killer the murderer is named whose own tale is sad and tragic and degenerate and it stirs the community to terror since he cannot be found.
What I loved so much about this story and the horror elements of it was the depiction of the Ritual Killer who transforms into a zombie-like character. The vampire legend was so well realised. The aversion to sunlight was so vividly described you could feel the agony. The threshold barrier a vampire could not cross without invitation was the best explanation I have ever read.
It is a dark tale and there is not much joy to be found in its pages for our protagonist. It is bleak and grim and sad and is oftentimes disturbing but always, always it is compelling. A mirror held up that shows the ugliness of humanity and that the monster lives within us all but for circumstance.
As you might have been able to glean from my review. I liked this book. Not a book I would rush back to but it certainly is one I was pleased to have read.
An intriguing cover and synopsis drew me into trying this book and I have to say it did not disappoint. A thoroughly engrossing dark fantasy that captures you from the first page, what a great opening to a story.
The initial part of the book had a fantasy Hunger Games vibe to it with the survival and competition elements that our protagonist, Malina finds herself in. No fluff, no disposition or build-up to what is about to transpire but straight into do-or-die where the only rule is to survive.
Our tale is told from the perspective of Malina, an Orphan girl who we learn over the opening few chapters was sold on the auction blocks and bought by a clandestine organisation with a hidden agenda.
Malina was a wonderful character, the dreams she has with her younger, dead brother Karston add a nice, mystical element to it. The story is action-packed and moves at a great pace and all the characters in it are uniquely distinct and interesting. There are some dark moments in the book and throughout it carries a sinister undertone, like death wrapped in Christmas paper.
The world-building is subtle and grows with the story and the human depiction through the soul gaze is morbidly grotesque and imaginative. Honestly, what a wonderful read. Just try the sample, the first chapter, and if that doesn’t grab your attention then I don’t know what will.
Another year and we’re all still here on planet Earth. I hope the festive season was good to you and January gave you a kind start to the year.
Thanks for sticking with me, I know my newsletters are outstripping my book reviews at the moment but there has been a lot going on in Nu, particularly in the Nine Kingdoms, most notably the release of Book 3 Darkness Resides which I am proud as punch to say has been my most successful book launch to date, even though I still only have half a clue as to what I’m doing when it comes to marketing and publicising. I think a large part of that success is down to you and the many people who follow and support me and help to get the word out.
As you will know (if you read my last two newsletters) I ran a followers competition on my website to coincide with the new book launch and Charlie, the winner elected to get a free paperback of Book One Rivers Run Red and was happy to send me a photo of himself and his prize for me to post.
Well done Charlie
Now on to….
My 2023 Book roundup.
I have read many Indie books this year and there were some crackers. Some honourable mentions that didn’t quite make it onto the shortlist:
If you like the sound of any of the above please check them out. You will have received the reviews throughout last years but in case you missed any you can click on the titles to check them out again.
So onto the pointy end of things, there were three candidates this year for my book of the year and in my eyes, they are all winners, However, as Connor MacLeod of the Clan MacLeod will tell you, there can be only one. But first… down to the contenders:
(5/5) (Adult, YA) One of the most enjoyable and thrilling dark fantasy stories I have ever read. EDIT – *The Most! Dare I jinx it? Yeah I dare – an early contender for 2023 book of the year!
Yep, I called it early since this book followed hot on the heels of 2022’s Book of the Year, The Song of the First Blade by T.C. Edge. I was on a book roll. Not as delicious as a sausage roll but far more fulfilling.
(4.5/5) (Adult) Epic dark fantasy with an emphasis on the dark.
A second entry in the Dark Fantasy genre, this one however was more like the bastard child of John McLean from Diehard and Durzo Blint from Brent Weeks’ excellent Night Angel Trilogy.
(5/5) (YA, Adult) A great read. Historical naval fiction done well.
I loved this book, it took me back to Alexander Kent’s Bolitho Series. Thoroughly enjoyable and recommended to those of you who love Ships of the Line and Naval Historical Fiction or even pirates! Just not the Jack Sparrow variety.
So….drum roll….
The winner of my book of the year 2023 is….
Steven William Hannah’s The First Rule. If you like your fantasy deliciously dark and told with artistic flair then you will do no better than this offering.
Well done to all the authors whose books I have read and reviewed.
That’s it – stay tuned for an upcoming book review of Mountain Of Souls which is a great read (so far).
Wow, this year seems to have flown by and here I am facing mince pies and Christmas turkey once again. I wonder how you are all doing? It’s been tricky (or as Gollum would say tricksy) times for so many people and the world looms ever deeper into darkness with war still in Ukraine, the Gaza conflict and the ongoing climate crisis and cost of living crisis.
Sorry, this is meant to be a pick-me-up newsletter, not one filled with doom and gloom. So I will try with some cheery news, news I am proud to announce because I have really loved writing this third book.
Yes, you saw before anyone else the cover reveal for Book 3 Darkness Resides and now it is finally here….
BOOK LAUNCH DAY
Darkness Resides is available on Amazon, in eBook, Paperback and Hardcover editions. It is also free to read for Kindle Unlimited members. It is available in every Amazon marketplace and below are the links for the UK and US my 2 biggest markets.
It has been a lot of work and I have had great support along the way. I would like to especially thank my editor Michelle who has had to listen to my ideas and plans and then edit my manuscript and slap it all into readable shape. I would like to thank Ian, Jordan and Martin my beta-readers, your feedback was awesome and made the book better so thank you. Finally, special mention to my wife Lynne who, whilst not a devourer of fantasy, was a great enabler. She gave me the time and freedom to pursue my dream and without her none of this would have been possible (look at her – grabbing all the glory! Oops, that was the Smeagol in me, I’ll just put it back in it’s box).
For those who have pre-ordered – blessings to you. You have given the book the best of starts.
BOOK GIVEAWAY PRIZE WINNER
As promised you, my subscribers, were all entered into my Darkness Resides book giveaway draw. I used a number randomiser on google to randomly pick the winner and I can announce that winner was…
Charlie from York, England. Charlie wins a signed paperback edition of his choice of either Rivers Run Red, Shadows Fall or Darkness Resides. Congratulations Charlie.
BOOK REVIEWS
This newsletter is not all about me ( although it is mostly) but also books that I have been reading. The observant among you will have noticed I have not sent a book review since the 11th November which was for the rather good historical maritime novel ‘A Certain Threat’ Book one in the Merriman Chronicles. Well, I have been reading, never fear. A good writer needs also to be a good reader!
I decided to try my hand at some more LitRPG and started with:
Re-Roll by Robyn Wideman. It started okay and I found the story mildly pleasant. There was a quaintness about it I liked. The story was clearly aimed at a YA audience which is fine, YA books can be a great read, but this one just didn’t hold my attention. There was too much mundane to go with the action and whilst I liked the main character and wouldn’t rule out revisiting the book my interest in it waned and I stopped reading 60% through. So no formally rating.
Next up….
The Realm Between by Phoenix Grey – this was a 3 book boxset. The writing was solid and the premise, whilst still a cookie-cutter, typical LitRPG start, was somewhat more promising than most. I enjoyed the start but by interest struggled and I only finished the first of the 3 books in the set. The world building was okay but the characters were, just stupid. Made poor choices, were dumb as a wall and just too disjointed for me. I think the quality of the writing is there just not the story for me. I found I did not care for Will the main character at all and it all seemed a little underwhelming to me. Others may love it and indeed it seems many do, but it wasn’t my taste. Again – DNF’d so no rating given
I was despairing at this point so I turned to a classic that I had not read before…
The Lensman Super Pack by E.E. ‘Doc’ Smith – One of the founding fathers of Science fiction. Okay, I know I will love this series but the superpack is big…and the concepts are brilliant, however, I will need to read this over a larger timeframe. At least initially. The first part reads like a science fiction Silmarillion and is quite cerebral. No main characters, more main civilisations and concepts. I know it will intrigue me but…I need something less deep so this will be a slow read for me.
So then I went to an old favourite of mine I had not read for a decade or more…
Amoung Thieves, A Tale of the Kin by Douglas Hulick – Fantasy, old school and simply awesome. This book is an old friend and is a thrill ride from start to finish with some amazing characters in it. Really, if you are looking for a fun; edge of your seat; you can’t get any deeper in the mire; fantasy book. Then do yourself a favour and pick this bad boy up. The story is clever and twisted and Bronze Degan is the man! Say no more.
Finally…yep almost done….what am I reading now…
The First Wizard (Dawn of Wizards Book 1) by Jeffrey L. Kohanek – Quite an enjoyable fantasy read. I am 60% in and will post a full review when I finish it.
That’s it. It just remains for me to say. Merry Christmas. Enjoy your friends and family, eat plenty, walk lots and read!
Thank you all for your support and I will be back in the New Year.
A short, sweet newsletter to let you all know about my upcoming book release and you lot are the first to read about it! Or should I say, see it?
Darkness Resides, Book 3 of the Morhudrim Cycle will be out on the 15th of December just in time for Christmas and you get an exclusive first peek at the cover. Let me know what you think (as long as it’s positive because I’ve already paid!).
The ebook is ready to go and I hope to have the paperback and hardback editions available as well (if Amazon will let me load the manuscript without telling me it is too big!)
In Other News
Shadows Fall hardback edition is now available on Amazon and like Rivers Run Red is now out in all formats apart from audio (Audio is still a dream at this point in time).
Chaos Reigns book four – This manuscript is moving along. Writing has been slow in the past month or two since I have been focused Darkness Resides, edits and getting it ready for release.
Website – Check back I am often updating news and adding book reviews (which you all get emailed to you). The Maps section has just had a few updates added.
I told you – short and sweet. That’s It…the end…until the next time.
A D Green 