Synopsis:

Bounty Hunter. Necromancer. Outcast.
She goes on the hunt when the law doesn’t want to get its hands dirty.

Born and bred in the harsh northern winters, Hunter collects bounties on thieves and murderers for a handful of coin, dragging Rip, her animated corpse, behind her. Trust wears thin in the wild Territories, and the law doesn’t always land on the side of justice. Or the side of a necromancer.
Shadowed by the influence of a wealthy Shadesilver baron, Hunter takes on one last job. But instead of an easy payday, Hunter finds something she never expected, something that will tear open old wounds and set her on a path to find justice… for someone else.

Review:

It feels as though the mashup of the fantasy and western genres has become more common as of late, and as a reader who loves both, it’s been a pleasure to witness. Cold Silver for Souls is a fantastic series opener that leans hard into both the western setting and the magical backdrop, and I greatly enjoyed my time in these pages.

The story follows Hunter, a bounty hunter shunned by much of society because she’s a necromancer, a magical ability that wins her few friends on her travels. She makes no effort to hide what she is, as she’s followed everywhere by Rip, a dead man under her control.

Cold Silver for Souls feels like it is best understood as an introduction to a new world and new characters, and I think that it serves that capacity beautifully. The story transports us to various locations, introduces a host of interesting characters, and sets the stage for what promises to be a much larger tale.

This is my first time reading one of Tori’s books, though I’ve had The Blood Stones sitting on my kindle for what feels like ages, and I was impressed by her skill. Writing a western is hard because it’s too easy to fall into clichéd tropes, but she threads the needle with an expert hand. The story feels like a western, from the clothing to the food (as a born and bred midwesterner, I think this is the first time I’ve seen lefse mentioned in print, and it made me so very happy) to the people running their shops and establishments.

If I had any complaint about the story, it’s that it really does only feel like an introduction. There’s clearly a lot more to this world, to this story, and even to Hunter than we’ve been given, and I want to know more. While the story here feels complete enough to be satisfying, it’s already a world I would like to spend far more time in.

I greatly enjoyed this book. It was a quick and fun read with an excellent balance of character and action. I’m very much looking forward to the next!

Synopis:

The Saxons have returned and their war bands stalk the land. The lords of Britain look only to their own survival, unable or unwilling to unite as they once did under Arthur.

And in a monastery hidden in the marshlands of Avalon, a novice monk prepares to take his vows. However, two strangers – the wild-spirited, Saxon-killing Iselle and the ageing warrior Gawain – will pluck him from his sheltered existence and his world will be turned upside down.

Together they will go in search of the last druid, to find the cauldron of a god, and to raise an army to hold the darkness at bay.

And as they journey, so the novice will cast aside his training and embrace his legacy.

For he is a warrior born.

His name is Galahad. And he is the son of Lancelot . . .

Review:

Lancelot, by Giles Kristian, was one of my most unanticipated favorite reads of early 2025. I’d heard glowing reviews, but even so, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. The beauty of the prose and the power of the story carried me away, and the ending lines still consume my thoughts as some of my favorite of all time.

I’ll confess I approached the sequel: Camelot, with some trepidation. Lancelot was written as a standalone novel that told a full and complete story. Sure, there were some loose ends that could be wrapped up, but none were truly meaningful, and certainly nothing that demanded a sequel.

But at the same time, I was excited to return to Kristian’s vivid world and deep characters. I certainly didn’t wait long before cracking open the second book of the trilogy and diving in.

I was greeted by a story even more unexpected than the first, a story that pulled me in and kept the pages turning until the very last sentence.

In an attempt to avoid spoilers, I will say little about the plot. The story takes place in the same brutal world as the first, in which the remnants of Arthur’s army and allies struggle against the never-ending waves of the Saxon invasion. Camelot focuses on Galahad, the son of Lancelot, as he finds his way through a murderous and dangerous environment.

Much of what I said about Kristian’s first story remains true here. The prose is rich in both style and description, painting a vivid world that lives and breathes as its characters suffer. The names and places of the Arthurian legends are familiar, though their roles are largely of Kristian’s invention. This story, by its nature, is even more a reimagining of the Arthurian tale than a retelling. It takes us in directions Mallory never would have considered.

There are strong themes of legacy and consequence running throughout these pages. Galahad is a character of contradictions, and his journey of resolving those contradictions forms the beating heart of the story. The choices of the first novel are analyzed anew from a future perspective, reminding the reader constantly that a person’s legacy is rarely as straightforward as history makes us think it is.

It’s a powerful tale, and one that has lingered in my mind these last few weeks. Kristian is cementing himself as one of my favorite new (to me) writers, and I’m tremendously excited to tackle the third book in the series soon.

Synopsis:

Druss, Captain of the Ax, is the stuff of legends. Tales of his battles are told throughout the land, and the stories expand with each telling. But Druss himself grows older, until finally, the warrior turns his back on glory and retreats to his mountain lair. There he awaits his old enemy: death. 

But far below, the barbarian Nadir hordes are on the march. All that stands between them and the Drenai people is a mighty six-walled fortress, Dros Delnoch—a great citadel that seems destined to fall. If it does, the Nadir will sweep inexorably across the land, killing all who oppose them.

Reluctantly Druss agrees to come down from his mountaintop to lead this last, hopeless fight. Lost causes mean nothing to him—he has fought in such battles a thousand times in a thousand lands. And he is a hero to inspire a new generation of warriors. He is Druss the Legend.

Thus begins David Gemmell’s most celebrated novel—an unrivaled classic of mythic heroism and magnificent adventure. . . .

Review:

I’ve officially had people telling me to read David Gemmell for years now. He’s a writing legend best known for his Heroic Fantasy tales. Legend is his first novel and probably one of his best-known works, and often recommended for newcomers to Gemmell’s work. I chose it mostly on a whim, but I’m glad that I did.

Of the plot summary, there is little to say. The story focuses almost exclusively on the siege of the walled city of Dros Delnoch by the Nadir invaders. An aging legend named Druss, Captain of the Ax, is convinced to fight one last time against truly hopeless odds. What follows is very much a classic siege story, filled with action, betrayal, page-turning tension, and magic.

It wasn’t the plot, though, that seized my attention. It was the characters and the heart with which they’re written. These are hard men and women, shaped by hard times and constant strife. They’re not as complex as what we’ve come to expect in more modern fantasy, but they’re compelling all the same.

The Siege of Dros Delnoch is a tale of bravery, courage, and honor, and I’ll confess, is exactly the sort of story I’m a sucker for. Gemmel is rightfully considered one of the foundational voices in Heroic Fantasy, and after reading Legend I better understand why.

Legend was published in 1984, and while it still largely holds up, there are some signs of its age. The very ending of the story, in particular, incorporates a fair amount of deus ex machina that probably wouldn’t survive a developmental editor these days. That being said, I was enjoying the characters enough that I was in a pretty forgiving mood.

If you’re looking for a tale of honor in warfare, loads of action, and compelling characters, Legend is a great book to crack open.

Synopsis:

A powerful, layered weaving of myth, prose and pure imagination – The Ships of Merior continues an epic fantasy series perfect for enthusiasts of The Dark Tower and Earthsea.

The second volume of Janny Wurts’s incomparable series following Arithon and Lysaer, two brothers forced to take opposite sides in a relentless conflict.
After defeating the malevolent fog that blighted Athera, Arithon and Lysaer battle the throes of the Mistwraith’s insidious retribution: a curse set upon them at their moment of triumph compels them each to seek the other’s downfall.
Lysaer, the charming and charismatic Lord of Light, drives his brother out of hiding and hounds Arithon with a massive army at his command. Meanwhile Arithon, Master of Shadow, the sensitive mage who prefers music to violence, must take to the seas to evade capture and strike back against Lysaer’s mighty war host.
Locked into lifelong enmity, the brothers’ pursuit of each other’s destruction will test the foundations of human morailty, even as threat to the world’s deepest magic rides on the outcome.
The Ships of Merior weaves a rich and complicated tapestry, bringing readers deeper into the mystical world of Athera. Striking a balance between epic scope and intricate subtlety, the Wars of Light and Shadow is a must-read series for readers of intelligent fantasy.

Review:

I don’t know if any series in recent memory has captured my attention as fully and completely as Janny Wurts’ The Wars of Light and Shadow series. The first book, The Curse of the Mistwraith, jumped immediately to the top of my “best of the year” list, and I was almost afraid to continue the series, as it seemed impossible for anything that followed to live up to the promise of that opening salvo.

I shouldn’t have worried.

The Ships of Merior is a worthy second entry in the series. It continues to follow the adventures of the half-brothers Arithon and Lysaer, and that’s about all the summary I’ll provide in my effort to avoid any spoilers.

All the hallmarks of the series remain strong with this second entry. The prose is rich and complex, rewarding the careful reader. The worlds are ancient and brimming with magic. Characters are layered and nuanced. This is particularly true of Arithon in this entry, but applies to even minor named characters.

There are a few features of this story, though, that elevate it beyond other great epic fantasies. The first has to be the razor sharp focus on the two half-brothers. I think often of the phrase “epic yet personal,” and I don’t know that I’ve ever read anything that embraces that ethic more than WoLaS. This is a sprawling, ancient world with dozens of plot threads weaving the story at any one moment, and yet the spotlight is relentlessly focused on the cursed brothers. Every small detail eventually leads back to Arithon and Lysaer.

I think this is one of the reasons why this series hits the emotions as hard as it does. Every worldbuilding detail is in service of character.

This second novel also began to introduce another aspect of the series that I can only imagine will become a common theme, which is how seemingly small and insignificant decisions lead to tremendous change. Time and time again, there’s a small action or decision which seems entirely insignificant. In most series, it would be. Yet here, nothing is wasted, and these seemingly meaningless choices quickly become world-altering.

Reading that last paragraph, it almost sounds forced, but the genius of this series is that it isn’t. It instead feels like the most natural thing in the world.

I’m fascinated by the theme of “Choice” that runs through this tale. Many writers have tackled the theme in their work, but I can’t think of any who have explored it in such a powerful fashion. I’ve mentioned already the small choices that have world-changing effects, but this stands in stark contrast to the curse of the mistwraith that poisons the half-brothers. A minor character’s choice, freely made, might change the world, but the protagonists with the power to change the world at their slightest whim are denied many of their most consequential choices due to the curse’s influence.

That stripping away of choice both drives the story forward and haunts me, long after the last pages are finished.

In short, even though I was doing everything in my power to slowly savor this story, I ended up plowing through these pages in fairly short order, and I can guarantee I’ll be moving on soon to book 3. This series has the feel of a masterpiece in the making, and I’m thrilled to be on the ride.

Synopis:

From outer space to inner space, from realms of the never-were to those of the here-and-now and the soon-to-be, the twenty-four authors in this fifth and final collection of science fiction and fantasy by writers featured on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers plunge readers into fantastic worlds filled with unforgettable characters.

Teenagers are disappearing in a mysterious grove, and no one knows why—not even those who escape it. The god of love finds magical arrows just don’t cut it in the modern world of digital matchmaking. A prisoner discovers he has been stripped of thirty-five years of memories as punishment for a crime he cannot remember. Far from being a refuge from humdrum reality, dreams become a trap for one young man when he encounters those who dwell there. A man who hunts angels for a living has the tables turned on him by the last angel he corners. Talking beasts from the island of a certain infamous doctor arrive in London to make their way in the world of men, only to be caught up in the ongoing Martian invasion . . .

Shapers of Worlds Volume V showcases stories by Brad C. Anderson, Edo van Belkom, J. G. Gardner, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, Chadwick Ginther, Evan Graham, M. C. A. Hogarth, M. J. Kuhn, L. Jagi Lamplighter, Kevin Moore, Robin Stevens Payes, James S. Peet, Omari Richards, Lawrence M. Schoen, Alex Shvartsman, Alan Smale, Richard Sparks, P. L. Stuart, Brad R. Torgersen, Hayden Trenholm, Brian Trent, Eli K. P. William, Edward Willett, and Natalie Wright. Every story is illustrated with an original black-and-white drawing by Wendi Nordell.

Review:

Watching the rise and growth of the independent short story scene has become one of my favorite pastimes over the past few years. From the anthologies on Kickstarter raising incredible sums of money to the authors challenging themselves to write and publish a new short story every week, it feels like a subtle rebirth of the short story is upon us.

Into this milieu steps Shapers of Worlds Volume 5, the last of the series, a collection of short stories from authors who have appeared on the Aurora Award-winning podcast The Worldshapers. Published by Shadowpaw Press and edited by Edward Willett, this is undoubtedly one of the most wide-ranging collections of shorts I’ve personally come across. There’s science fiction and fantasy of all stripes here, and it was a joy to open the book up, never quite knowing what I’d find hiding behind the next page.

I’ve always found reviewing collections like these a challenging task. The obvious truism for almost any collection, that’s even more true here, is that for every individual reader some stories will work and others won’t. The promise of a wide-ranging collection like this is that no matter who you are, there will be at least a handful of stories you find entertaining and moving. The peril with such a wide-ranging collection is that it’s much more likely you’ll bounce off a few, too.

The ultimate question is whether the collection is worth your time and attention, and my feeling here is an unambiguous yes. There are a couple of good reasons.

First, this is a wonderful introduction to an enormous number of talented storytellers. There were at least a handful of names within this collection that I’ve wanted to read but haven’t yet tried due to the enormity of my TBR. Because (as near as I can tell) there was no overarching theme or guidance to the stories, Shapers of Worlds provides an unfiltered look at each author’s style, which is a true gift. I definitely added a few names of authors to keep an eye on here.

Second, a collection like this places its finger on the pulse of the cultural zeitgeist. Though there was no overarching theme, it’s clear what is on the mind of many artists. Particularly among the science fiction crowd, there’s a clear concern about the role of technology in society, particularly around the growth and use of artificial intelligence.

But finally, and maybe most importantly, this collection was fun to read. Most of the stories are actually short, unlike some anthologies I’ve read where the stories grew and expanded until they were pushing into novella lengths. It meant that the book was easy to pick up during short breaks, and each story was a completely new adventure. I thought the book would take me a lot longer to read than it actually did.

In short, I enjoyed my time within these pages, and if you pick it up, I hope you do as well.

Synopsis:

In Britain, Rome’s legions are but a distant memory. And Uther Pendragon is dying. Enemies stalk the land. Into this uncertain world a boy is cast – an outsider, plagued by memories of those he’s lost. Under the watchful eye of Merlin, the boy begins his journey to manhood. He meets another outcast, Guinevere – wild, proud and beautiful. And he is dazzled by Arthur – a warrior who carries the hopes of the people like a flaming torch in the dark. But these are treacherous times, and the fate of Britain rests on a sword’s edge. This young man becomes a lord of war: loved, hated, admired and feared. He is a man forsaken but not forgotten. He is Lancelot.

Set in a 5th century Britain besieged by invading bands of Saxons and Franks, Irish and Picts, Giles Kristian’s epic novel tells – in Lancelot’s own words – the story of the most revered yet reviled of all Arthur’s knights, the warrior who fought at his lord’s side – yet stole his wife. It’s is the story of one of the great figures of British myth and legend.

Review:

As a reader than only rarely re-reads a book, I tend to avoid retellings of well-known stories. It’s hard for me to summon any interest in a story if I already know how it is going to unfold, even if the story is told from a new point of view or a twist or three has been added to the plot. This is even more true for Arthurian tales, as I went through a phase in university where I devoured a large corpus of Arthurian stories and even went to England to visit Tintagel and other sites of Arthurian lore.

It’s all been done, I tell myself, sitting comfortably on my high horse.

It was Alex over at Spells and Spaceships that convinced me to give Giles Kristian’s Lancelot a try. He raved about the prose and the story, and as I sat on my high horse and surveyed the state of Arthurian literature, I shrugged and said, “Why not?”

Friends, I’m glad I did.

Kristian himself states, in the author’s note following the tale, that Lancelot is more a reimagining than a retelling, and that’s well said. Many of the names within these pages are famous, and their roles in the story have that comfortable edge of familiarity to them, but Lancelot takes what is familiar, tips it on its side, and reveals a compelling and fresh story.

As any astute observer would guess, Lancelot follows our infamous titular knight from his childhood on. It chronicles his upbringing, his meeting and companionship with Arthur, and his role in what is arguably one of the most famous love triangles in the English language, although that triangle is depicted in a way I’ve not seen before.

What sets Lancelot apart is its prose and the compelling nature of its characters. The quality of the writing shines from the first page to the last, with rich description that never bogs down the pace of the story and always serves to strike deep emotional chords. It works in service of a host of complex characters battling conflicting loyalties and duties.

In my mind, the Arthurian legend is one riddled with traps for any unwary writer. Does one make Arthur so noble that he’s naive, unable to believe his wife and best friend would ever have an affair? Is Lancelot (or Guinevere, for that matter) so deeply in love that he would forget his vows and forsake his honor? I’ve seen all these choices and more made, and it’s tough not to feel a bit cheated by the various answers authors have invented over the years.

Not so with Lancelot. Kristian’s handling of the Arthurian tragedy is exquisite. No one is a fool, and every choice comes from the heart of a fully-realized and sympathetic character.

It is, in short, one of the very best Arthurian tales I’ve ever read, and is certainly going to be on my list of favorite books of the year. Even better – this story can stand alone if you would like it to. Kristian continues the series, but without spoiling anything, I can safely say this book can be read alone and be a perfectly satisfying experience.

This will definitely not be the last Giles Kristian book I read.

Rating: /10

Let each who reads determine the good and the evil for himself
Athera is besieged by the Mistwraith, which blights the land and dims the mysteries guarded by the last fugitives of the old bloodlines.
But from a prophecy springs hope: the gifts of two brothers – one dark, one fair, raised on opposite sides of a relentless war – when paired may challenge the Mistwraith’s invasion, though at brutal cost…
Arithon, Master of Shadow, musician and mage, commands the power of illusion and darkness. Taken prisoner in battle, his fate falls to his half-brother, Prince Lysaer – a man endowed with the gift of light through the mother they share. Lysaer is the legitimate son of a king who was betrayed by his queen’s choice to father Arithon by his mortal enemy but that does not save him:
Vengeful fury drives the king to banish both Lysaer and Arithon from the world they know to the troubled realms of Athera beyond the Worldsend Gate.
The two exiles are thrown together by hatred and spilled blood – then bound by destiny to champion Athera’s sundered heritage. The highest stakes ride the backlash of their conflict – they must reforge their adverse ideals into balance, or destroy the etheric grace of a culture all but lost to antiquity.
A subtle and intricate tale of morality and difference, justice versus compassion, told with epic scope and real magic, Curse of the Mistwraith remains a modern classic of the fantasy genre.

Review:

Reading has been my favorite leisure activity since I was a child, and in that time, I’d imagine that I’ve read thousands of books. Of those thousands, there are a handful that linger in my thoughts and memories far longer than the rest, books that have written themselves into the marrow of my bones. The Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts is the most recent book to join that small list.

Of the story itself I’ll say little, for I would encourage anyone interested in the book and the series to do as I did and dive in relatively blind. There’s a surprise around every corner, and any effort on my part to provide my own synopsis will almost inevitably run afoul of one of those plot twists.

Indeed, it’s the unexpected nature of the story that first caught my attention. The very first scenes of the novel open up on the aftermath of a battle, a narrative choice that’s already rare, and continues to travel in surprising directions after.

My favorite way to approach a new book these days is with a bare minimum of knowledge. Most books I pick up are ones recommended to me by others I trust, and that’s all I care to know before cracking open a new spine. Even without having read synopses or reviews, though, most stories have familiar arcs.

The Curse of the Mistwraith defies those expectations in all the best ways, and kept me hooked, always curious what the next page would hold.

The Curse of the Mistwraith is about as epic as epic fantasy gets. It’s an enormous tome on its own, but it is only the opening salvo of the completed 11-novel Wars of Light and Shadowseries. The world is rich in history, magic, and characters. It feels well lived in and real, and I know I’m personally eager to continue exploring.

Beyond the surprises held within the story, my love for Mistwraith was established early by the prose. In just the one novel, Wurts has established herself as one of my favorite writers. Her writing is evocative and emotional, a treasure of detail and nuance. When reading Mistwraith I was simultaneously pulled relentlessly forward by the plot and transfixed by the writing. The care that went into every line is apparent, and it was a feast for my eyes and my imagination. 

I’ve read other reviews of Mistwraith that have mixed feelings on the prose, and if I was to chime in, I would say this: Mistwraith is a book that rewards close attention. I think it could certainly be enjoyed as a (relatively) quick read, for the plot is always pulling readers forward, but it’s best appreciated if it is approached more carefully. In this sense, it reminds me of Malazan, although I will confess I always had a pretty good sense of what was happening in Mistwraith and that was not always true in Malazan.

Following closely behind my admiration of the writing is Mistwraith’s complex and ever-shifting relationship between the half-brothers Lysaer and Arithon. Both are nuanced, tragic figures, and the way in which their relationship evolves over the course of the story is honestly like nothing I’ve ever seen before. Mistwraith is an epic fantasy that still feels intensely personal. Even when Wurts turns the camera to another part of the world, that thread will always come back and affect the two brothers.

The Curse of the Mistwraith is already sure to be one of my favorite books of this year, which is not a term I throw around lightly. To hear Wurts’ fandom speak of the series, though, the stories only get better. I’m not sure how, but I’m eager to find out.

Synopsis:

The Moon was once colonized. Now it lies silent—mostly.

When a mysterious radio signal echoes from the abandoned colony of Serenitatis, the Vatican dispatches an elite squad of space marines to investigate. Paladin-Captain Samuel Cohen’s mission is simple: locate survivors, uncover the signal’s source, and get out. But beneath the sterile domes, something ancient stirs—an adversary that challenges not only the mission but the very foundations of his faith.

A gripping new novella that explores the resilience of the human—and holy—spirit in the darkness of the void. For fans of Event Horizon and Richard Paul Russo’s Ship of Fools.

Review:

Sometimes it feels like we’re living through the golden age of the novella. I can think of at least a dozen published by some of my favorite authors in the past few months, and Orders of Magnitude was one of the first that started my streak.

Orders of Magnitude follows Samuel, who serves as a captain in what are essentially the future Catholic Space Marines. He heads a unit being sent to the moon to investigate a mysterious message. What follows is a gorgeous mash-up of sci-fi, horror, and action, all with strong religious themes tying it together. It’s safe to say I’ve never read anything quite like it, and now I want more.

This story does a lot in a limited space, and I enjoyed my time within these pages. This marked the first time I’ve read anything from the growing genre of incensepunk, of which Kordov is a leader.

Incensepunk, as I understand it, is a genre that seeks to honestly and genuinely explore what faith might look like in the future. It’s a fascinating question rife with possibility, not just for stories, but for discussion, and it was a treat to dip my toes in the water of this future world. Incensepunk feels fresh, freely combining ideas in a way I haven’t seen before.

As for the novella itself, it seems to me the less said about the story the better. If you like space marines or movies like Event Horizon, odds are favorable you’ll find something you like here. The pace moves quickly and Kordov is an excellent writer with sharp and evocative prose. The book packs an emotional punch in short order.

I was impressed by Kordov’s ability to slowly crank up the tension and horror throughout the story. He realizes that sometimes the most terrifying thing that can happen is nothing, and when the bullets do start flying, it’s almost a relief.

Synopsis:

In a future where one phrase can heal any pain, there exists a meditation unlike any other: Solosis. It’s a practice that forms an empathetic bond between two souls, unlocking unparalleled healing power. But its secrets are fiercely guarded by Sasha Sumzer, a mysterious meditation teacher with a darker agenda.

Sasha is determined to bring down Axiom, the social media giant that has reshaped society with its revolutionary Glow Domes—devices that have replaced smartphones and altered daily life forever. While Glow Domes captivate the masses, Sasha believes the human mind is the final frontier for true liberation.

As an unsuspecting group of individuals stumbles upon Sasha’s teachings, they become entangled in a dangerous game that forces them to question whether Solosis is a tool for healing or a weapon for control. To discover the truth, they must confront their deepest fears and decide what they’re willing to sacrifice to save the nation’s collective consciousness.

In this gripping thriller, the battle for the mind has begun—and the line between healing and manipulation is dangerously thin.

Review:

This book’s synopsis hooked me hard. As someone who both likes to meditate and believes that the modern incarnations of social media are a net negative, a story about a meditation teacher attempting to take down a social media empire was promising to press all the right buttons.

The most dystopian antagonist in Bell Tower is the nearly ubiquitous Glow Domes, which are retinal implants that can both play and record media. They’ve replaced smartphones and become a dominant economic driver within the world. Sasha, a meditation teacher, has hated the Glow Domes since he was young, and has personal reasons for wanting to bring down Axiom, the company that controls the Glow Domes. To do so, he enlists the aid of a group of like-minded individuals, hoping to destroy Axiom before Glow Domes destroy all that he loves about humanity.

Bell Tower is a fast-paced story that I ended up reading really quickly. There’s almost no time to catch your breath, and there are multiple POV and time jumps throughout the story. The powers of meditation definitely break away from any sci-fi underpinnings, though, and walk straight into the realm of magical realism.

I’ll confess that I struggled with the depictions of the meditations described in the book. While the mental aspects of the meditations are well-imagined, I found that the straightforwardness of the process for Sasha’s initiates stretched my willingness to suspend disbelief. Several characters also go through what amounts to minor variations of the same meditation, and some of the scenes come close to being repetitive.

I personally found the story most compelling when describing the dystopian, Glow Dome wearing society of the near future. It’s all the current negative trends of social media dialed up to eleven, and the picture painted is a grim one, in which recording failures and shame is a more sure path to virality than creating something worthwhile. Those were the moments I felt most viscerally.

If a fast-paced, sci-fi thriller with a healthy dose of magical realism sounds like your cup of tea, Bell Tower might be a good read for you.

Synopsis:

In the Dominion of Aleznuaweite, anyone can rise to the greatest heights—if they are willing to pay the price.

Failure is a luxury Rahelu can’t afford. Her family sold everything, left their ancestral home, and became destitute foreigners for the sake of her resonance skills. Now she can manipulate emotional echoes to discern truth from lies, conjure the past, and even foretell the future.

But an act of petty revenge by her rival destroys her chance at joining one of the great Houses. Desperate to prove her family’s sacrifices were not in vain, Rahelu calls upon the most dangerous magic of all—altering fortune.

A slight twist of fate is enough to restore her way forward…with deadly consequences she never bargained for. The Houses make a pawn of her in their bitter struggle for control of the Dominion. A shadowy cult grows ever closer to completing an ancient ritual.

And Rahelu discovers that fulfilling her oath to her family might come at the cost of her mother’s life.

Review:

Petition first came to my attention last year as it fought, like its protagonist Rahelu, tooth and nail for a position in the SPFBO 9 Finals. It lost that fight by the slimmest of hairs, but the glowing reviews caught my attention and I immediately added it to my TBR. Now in the wake of a successful Kickstarter campaign for the sequel, I decided it was time to read it.

The praise it’s garnered thus far is well deserved.

The synopsis details the story well, and there’s little I would add that doesn’t venture into spoiler territory. Waan’s prose is clean and impactful, rising to the challenge of writing a protagonist as complex as Rahelu without a problem.

And it is Rahelu that carries this story. We first meet her at the conclusion of her education as she attempts to defy the odds and achieve a position with a great House, lifting her family out of the dire poverty they’ve endured for the sake of her learning how to master her resonance magic. She’s quick to anger, but with good reason, and she’s certainly one of the most multifaceted characters I’ve come across in a bit.

As I closed the final pages, I couldn’t help but think of her as a tragic figure from Greek myth, a character whose greatest gift may also prove to be their greatest weakness. She’s stubborn and tenacious, two traits which are more than necessary for her to find any degree of success as she fights against the discrimination present in almost every aspect of her life. But that same stubbornness applies to the story she has of herself.

It’s in this character development I found the most enjoyment. Rahelu is forced to grow, chapter after chapter, but her progress is never linear, and she’s too stubborn to completely abandon how she sees herself. Waan skillfully puts Rahelu through the blender, and watching her character develop through the length of the story was a treat.

I’ll confess the story took several chapters to reel me in. Petition is not a magical academy story, but there’s echoes of one in the first several chapters, and that’s not my personal cup of tea. But I was soon invested and eager to read more.

The book is also clearly the first part in a larger series, and while a handful of conflicts are resolved, it’s apparent we’ve only seen the first act in a much greater play.

I would highly recommended this for readers looking for a complex protagonist and rich magic system.