REVIEW | The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett

The Daylight War is the third book in the Demon Cycle series, which is planned at 5 books at this point. So it is very much a middle volume. Relationships are tested, alliances are made, and demons are killed. What more could you ask for? A book you stay up late for because you're lost in it perhaps? Well that's what Brett has given us.

As The Warded Man was Arlen's book and The Desert Spear was Jardir's the latest is Inevera's. While I do feel an important aspect of Brett's style is reveling in the back stories of his focus characters The Desert Spear felt too bloated on Jardir's part. The Daylight War gives Inevera the limelight this go around and it was much more balanced showing more of what other characters were up to. In fact, I wouldn't have minded a few more chapters on her past as some aspects of her personality were not addressed as much as I hoped. My liking of Inevera's part could be due to the fact it was more interspersed throughout the book rather than being dropped in larger chunks as Jardir's portion was.

Inevera's rise to Dama Ting is the mental game compared to the physical game Jardir rose to the top of. They are very much the two sides of the same coin. The female side of the Krasians society is explored in depth from the very bottom up. Brett's nod to his love of dice-throwing is finally showcased as we learn the secrets to Inevera's dice and how much they mean.

Killing demons seems very secondary to most of the book save a couple very large battles. It really comes down to whether Arlen or Jardir will lead humanity or somehow find a way to work together again.

Brett's characterization is at an all time high, giving each and every character nuance and depth. This is also the volume where I actually found myself liking Gared. Rojer begins to truly master his powers while also gaining companions of his own, which injects just the right amount of levity when needed. Renna goes to extremes to keep pace with Arlen while Leesha, having not decided on her options in time, is left with few alternatives. Renna's relationship with Arlen deepens in many unforeseen ways. She is keeping Arlen tethered to his humanity while she tempts losing her own. Yet even with all of this going on it was the trader Abban I kept waiting to hear from again. Abban comes alive showing his side of things. Or at least a partial view of his side as his grand plans are kept close to his chest. Mark my words he's up to big things.

The ending, while fulfilling some promises, did feel very rushed. It was a confrontation that seemed to warrant more page time given the amount spent on lesser entanglements.The abruptness may also throw off some fans, but at this point I trust that Brett can live up to what he has done so far.

The Daylight War keeps the quality to near the same level as previous volumes while turning up the pacing, but if you haven't dug what's happened so far than this isn't the series for you. If you like your Fantasy big, dramatic, and with characters you grow to love the Demon Cycle will be quite memorable. With The Daylight War, Brett reaffirms his high place in modern Epic Fantasy. I give The Daylight War 4 out of 5 hats. By the end it seems like the deliverer issue was put to bed so that the true war against the demons can begin. The wait for the fourth volume, The Skull Throne also begins...

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REVIEW | Scoundrels (Star Wars) by Timothy Zahn

What's this? Me read a Star Wars novel? Well stranger things have certainly happened. The last time I got into a SW story it was The Force Unleashed, which I liked well enough, but the video game was better. Scoundrels though is a decidedly different style though and is part of the movement to diversify the stories told in the SW universe.

Scoundrels is the caper we've all wanted from the SW universe and what should be the type of story that Disney attempts next rather than jumping into Episode 7. They need to do a side story or something only loosely attached to get their feet wet and what better than something that plays off the fun side of the SW Universe?

The story takes place not long after the events of Episode 4, so those memories are fresh for the characters, especially the destruction of Alderaan. Scoundrels is above all things a caper/heists, which is pulled off quite well as Han is put on the trail of over 100 million credits in the hands of the Black Sun, which is basically an intergalactic Mafia outfit used in many of the SW novels. Han, not one to be too greedy, brings in a crew to share the wealth and danger.

There are a few too many characters to keep track of on the team of 11 that Han has assembled, but Zahn has done an admirable job giving each their own distinctive voice and not throwing the balance too much in favor of any. The story is at its best when Lando and Han get into the thick of it. Han in particular spends too much time behind the scenes giving Lando a lot of time to grab attention, but isn't that what Lando is best at? Chewie even through all the warbling is still somehow an endearing character, but it was those I just met such as the ghost burglar, Bink, that I keep hoping would get more page time.

The villains though are much more of a standout than the traditional SW villains showcasing a keen intelligence and understanding of the implications at hand as they try to thwart all comers. With a caper it is all in the planning and finally improvisation to really sell it, which Scoundrels does well.

All in all this is a big step away from the traditional SW novels focused on action with plenty more tension and planning, but there are still plenty of things that go boom. And that ending was a nice twist I didn't see coming.

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MICRO REVIEW | Year Zero by Rob Reid

Like Ready Player One, Year Zero is the type of book that will hit the sweet spot for those of a certain generation. Year Zero revels in the music of the 80's and 90's and also the Napster era legal issues of the 00's. Some characters are even supposed to resemble names you might know from the late 80's to early 90's pop music. Reid certainly has the right pedigree to write such a book having started Rhapsody. There are plenty of laughs to be had as we meet a cadre of unusual aliens and odd situations.

There are some issues, which keep Year Zero from attaining its potential. The main character comes off very flat and doesn't go through much growth despite the outcome. Yet he knows himself well. However, many of the side characters are also very one dimensional as well and just seem there for a specific joke at times. Especially the space slut.

Besides the many in-jokes, the time exploring the other races of the cosmos was very inventive, especially a certain race whose name isn't worth mentioning. All in all, a very solid albeit light first novel, but don't going into thinking this is the next Hitchhiker's Guide or you'll be disappointed. The style actually reminded more of Christopher Moore in space mixed with some court room theatrics and a decent send-up of reality television.

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REVIEW | Kraken by China Mieville (Del Rey)

A pickled and jarred giant squid has been stolen from the Natural History Museum of London and so begins the wild, tangent-ridden, and utterly delectable Kraken. Seers of London are predicting a fiery end of the world and to avert this the squid must be rescued. Gods of all stripes make appearances while the local police just muck everything up.

Kraken is quite a divergence from Mieville's last effort The City & The City, which was more of a somber and masterfully plotted police procedural. Word on the street is Mieville wrote both at the same time, which boggles the mind a little given how each feel like they weren't written on the same world let alone the same Universe. Kraken is a mad mix of China Mieville at his most weird with a pinch of Alan Moore on his a normal daily dose of acid with a healthy influence of Lovecraft to boot.

Kraken evokes the feel of a caper as the main characters are eluding many while in search of the missing squid and people responsibility for its disappearance. Given what I expect from Mieville nowadays I was actually quite bored for the first 70 pages and then all of a sudden Mieville brings the Weird in force and never lets up from there on introducing grotesqueries, out-there gods, wild concepts, and an inordinate amount of religious fanatics to the fray. Oh, and there are phasers! Can't forget the phasers. And yes they make sense as much as anything does in this story.

In Kraken nothing is true and everything is pure fact. Don't ponder that thought too much or you'll get lost in it. Mieville wants to create a sense of discomfort and surrealism from his readers, but with a bite of humor and satire about religion, Sci-Fi, and Fantasy in general. He also does cooler things with origami than even the best master out there. Kraken often reads as Mieville's bedside dream diary with constant apocalypses and flights of fancy taking off to dark, weird corners to bring his vision of London to light.

Everything boils to a fever pitch that doesn't disappoint, but will still leave you scratching your head weeks later wondering how the hell did Mieville pull that off? Kraken is Mieville's most accessible and fun adult work to-date even if it is a mess, but what a beautiful mess it is to behold.   He wants us to wonder: Where the heck is this going? Then he'll change his mind and bring us along for the ride. The get is that he more than succeeds on that front. I give Kraken 8.5 out of 10 hats. Mieville is still a master of his craft, he just melts that craft to fit whatever fiendish mold his mind comes up with. Man, now I feel like some calamari.

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REVIEW | Child of Fire by Harry Connolly (Del Rey)

Child of Fire is an Urban Fantasy that is not exactly an Urban Fantasy. It has the tropes of and sentimentality, but takes place entirely in a small town in Washington State with a decidedly dark take as nasty creatures, werewolves, and evil magic are the main focus. Child of Fire goes full throttle from start to finish in a new Urban Fantasy. It comes off as an odd mix of feeling like a light read at less than 350 pages, but still having an edge which was a pleasant surprise for a debut book. It definitely didn't drag at any point even when issues with the narrative arose.

Child of Fire centers on Ray Lilly who is sort of a thugged out version of a magician only without the mad skills and friends to back him up ala Harry Dresden. He is the grunt boy to the frigid Annalise, a heavy hitter for Twenty Palaces Society, which is an ancient order that watches out for misuses of magic throughout the world. Lilly is strangely approachable. This is a guy I didn't want to like, but his willingness to keep throwing himself into the fire kept drawing me to him. Don't make a mistake by my mention of Dresden earlier. Connolly has a similar sense of pacing as the early Dresden books, but that is where the similarities end. Lilly isn't a former golden boy turned bad. He is a bad boy who is trying to learn from the mistakes of his past and make some sort of amends for his misdeeds. The cynical humor does a lot to keep the attention going, especially as Ray spars his way verbally with many characters.

After Ray's release from prison he is on a parole of sorts as Annalise's "wooden boy." They have been drawn to a small town by signs of magic use and are quickly caught up in a strange series of events as children have morphed into something quite gross. Ray's magical armaments consist of a ghost knife, which I quickly tired of and a bit of shielding magic on his body. The knife is at first quite cool, but is used so much it comes off as a crutch to get Ray just in the nick. Ray has somehow gotten himself involved in the magic world and once you are in you are there for life. Or until they kill you.

Quite a few inconsistencies pop up though, which boggled my mind at times. Annalise and Ray have a very antagonistic relationship, but part way through their relationship changes. There are reasons for this, but they don't seem sufficient given their shared past. Which brings me to the biggest problem. There is an abundance of back-story hinted at for Ray and also the Twenty Palaces society, but not enough revealed to sate. Ray's reasons for being in jail and now in debt to the society is glossed over all too briefly in a page or two when clearly there is a lot to delve into. There are loads of loose ends only some of which, I suspect will be answered in future volumes.

The world is left very vague, which seems mostly on purpose as Connolly is still developing his craft and may fear giving away too much too soon. But I hope as he comes into his own and can better parse out the guts of these characters and this world. The best authors will give it all they have and when the next book comes along do it all over again. Connolly clearly sees this a a living, breathing world where his characters won't or can't take care of everything though.

While not wholly memorable Child of Fire shows promise for the future. Fans of Rob Thurman, and Anton Strout will find plenty to gravitate towards if they are hankering for a new series. When you get down to it Child of Fire is a fun ride while it lasts. The sequel Game of Cages is due out at the end of the month, which I plan to read at some point. I'm keen to learn more about Twenty Palaces society and their history. The one story we are told about them was one of my favorite parts of the book, but not nearly enough.


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New Cover Unveiled for The Red Wolf Conspiracy

The mass market edition of The Red Wolf Conspiracy will be released next week. Redick's publisher Del Rey has opted to change from the great art used on the hardcover to something a bit more commecial. This also explains the diviation in art for the sequel The Ruling Sea, which has a very similar setup.  Overall the art for the weapons is wonderfully detailed, but I did like seeing the ship in the background on the hardcover and UK editions.  Either way I should be getting to The Red Wolf Conspiracy in the near future.

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REVIEW | The Demon Redcoat (Traitor to the Crown) by C.C. Finlay (Del Rey)

One of my reading goals this year was to finish up any trilogies that I had started while they were still fresh in my mind. The Demon Redcoat caps off C.C. Finlay's American Revolution secret history series Traitor to the Crown that started out very strongly with The Patriot Witch followed by A Spell for the Revolution.  I thought enough of The Patriot Witch to include it as the Runner-up to Best Fantasy Series debut of 2009. With The Demon Redcoat, Finlay again sets the proper tone enmeshing the reader in what daily life was like during revolutionary times yet making it all feel natural. The customs and dialogue are like something straight out of a historical novel.

Proctor is back to his saving ways as he attempts to finally put a stop to the terror The Covenant has wrought upon the Americas. Only this time he is not only doing it to defend his country, but to protect his daughter with Deborah. To do so Proctor must travel to England to cut off the threat at its source.  Lydia travels with Proctor which certainly expands the view of how freed slaves were treated in Europe. This also gives Lydia's character a lot more depth, which she desperately needed after being trod upon so much.

As Proctor makes his way from America to England he travels on the same boat with John Adams, which was quite an infamous voyage that nearly didn't make it.  Adams was a colorful character, whose dialogue was pitch-perfect and I wonder if it was drawn directly from historical sources.  As always it is interesting to see how Finlay weaves the use of magic to explain oddities of historical records.  We are also entreated to a stay with Benjamin Franklin who opens the doors of Europe to Proctor, although I felt Finlay's portrayal of Franklin was a bit on the kind side given some of the dubious actions attributed to him during this period. But Franklin was instrumental in establishing good relations with the French and other underground happenings.

Proctor stumbles around England for a bit too long as Finlay tries to ensnare him in nearly every major event of the time.  Yet the history lesson learned is perhaps done better than my professors ever accomplished.  I wonder how this series would be treated in high school as supplemental text for those who have trouble with text book learning?  Part of the story is told from the view point of Banastre Tarleton who is a British loyalist responsible for keeping the American forces on their toes during this period.  Many atrocities were committed by him and his men that are explained away by the demon of the title, which made for a nice twist on the narrative. I could have done with a few more section from Tarleton's point of view, but I can understand why Finlay refrained as some things done in his chapters are quite horrible.

The Covenant illustrious membership is finally revealed, which I'll refrain from going into detail about because it is too good to spoil. Let's just say it is a bit of a who's who of infamous European magical celebrities. Although, I do think Finlay colored one of the leaders much darker than history traditionally paints him.

Overall, it took a bit long to get to the ending, especially with the turnabout Proctor has to undertake towards the end.  The time spent on the sea was a too much for me as well as Proctor's time in another famous locale.  The final battle itself worked well, but felt a little rushed given everything it took to get there. At this point the formula of the series has grown a little tiresome on me.  The Demon Redcoat is still quite enjoyable, especially for alternative history fans, but it felt the most labored out of the lot.  Yet the cast of historical characters does enliven the story quite a bit.  I give The Demon Redcoat 7.5 out of 10 Hats.  I'm eager to see what else Finlay has next in his quiver as he has grown quite a bit as a writer.  He has mentioned doing another book in this world although probably later in the timeline with new characters, but he also mentioned recently on twitter that he has changed projects so I'm not sure what to make of that.  The first volume of the series The Patriot Witch is still freely available as a full eBook.


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Covers Unveiled for Kraken by China Mieville and Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton

Kraken by China Mieville is looking very good.  The cover is so simple yet evocative.  Kraken is a standalone with a very Lovecraftian twist.  Really can't wait for this one to come out next June. 

 Deep in the research wing of the Natural History Museum is a prize specimen, something that comes along much less often than once in a lifetime: a perfect, and perfectly preserved, giant squid. But what does it mean when the creature suddenly and impossibly disappears?

For curator Billy Harrow it's the start of a headlong pitch into a London of warring cults, surreal magic, apostates and assassins. It might just be that the creature he's been preserving is more than a biological rarity: there are those who are sure it's a god.

A god that someone is hoping will end the world.

UPDATE: James over at Speculative Horizons tipped me off to the UK cover for Kraken, which is very cool as well.

Newton's Nights of Villjamur has been gaining strong accolades in the UK.  We finally get a crack at it in June stateside.  The cover when compared to the UK is a bit ho-hum and nowhere near as interesting as what Tor UK did.  The art is also a bit bright for what is supposedly a very dark read.  I'm still eagerly awaiting its release and follow-up City of Ruin though.

Political intrigue and dark violence converge in a superb new action series of enthralling fantasy. An ice age strikes a chain of islands, and thousands come to seek sanctuary at the gates of Villjamur: a city of ancient spires and bridges, a place where banshees wail the deceased, cultists use forgotten technology for their own gain and where, further out, the dead have been seen walking across the tundra.  When the Emperor commits suicide, his elder daughter, Rika, is brought home to lead the Jamur Empire, but the sinister Chancellor plans to get rid of her and claim the throne for himself. Meanwhile a senior investigator in the city inquisition must solve the high-profile and savage murder of a city politician, whilst battling evils within his own life, and a handsome and serial womanizer manipulates his way into the imperial residence with a hidden agenda. When reports are received that tens of thousands of citizens are dying in a bizarre genocide on the northern islands of the Empire, members of the elite Night Guard are sent to investigate. It seems that, in this land under a red sun, the long winter is bringing more than just snow.

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REVIEW | Already Dead (Joe Pitt 1) by Charlie Huston (Del Rey)

I know, I know. I was just ranting about Vampires in New York recently. How many books have come out in the last 10 years with Vampires in NYC? Shit loads. How many are aimed at men? Not as many as you would think. I've been seeing Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series on UF for Men list for a few years, but until recently never looked beyond the covers, which are pretty cool. I'm glad I finally picked this one up as it hit all the right buttons. Already Dead is an easy and quick pulpish read at less than 270 pages, which can easily be finished in a couple sittings. Already Dead falls in the category of Crime novel more than Urban Fantasy, which is what sets it apart. I was reminded greatly of Richard Kadrey's Sandman Slim (reviewed here) in terms of its badass style, format, and creating anti-heroes you can root for, although Joe Pitt has better control of his temper than Stark. Pitt is a mercenary of sorts in Manhattan. He is also a card carrying, blood drinking Vampire with an attitude problem, which leads to some great dialogue and violence galore. NYC was once controlled by The Coalition, which is one of the oldest Vampire clans. Nowadays Manhattan is divided into different territories with the Coalition controlling the largest portion from 14th street up to Harlem with the rest of lower Manhattan divided into small clans. Vampires from one group are not supposed to travel through the areas of the others without permission although some groups are friendlier with others. Joe Pitt lives south of 14th street in the area controlled by The Society, a group Pitt was part of in the past, but he now works as a free agent for any group that pays. The Enclave group is the most original aspect of the world build as they go about things very differently than other Vampires and I can already tell a lot of future books will center on them. Pitt is pulled from one group to another and is one of those characters that seems to just fall into crap and get pulled deeper and deeper. With his rough tone and punk demeanour, Pitt gets cajoled into what looks like a simple case of a missing rich Uptown girl who likes to go slumming while tracking down some roving Zombies which are a little too close to home. The world building is huge with the hierarchy and division of the Vampires and deep history many of the characters share in addition to some prophetic statements made by certain clan members. Packed full of bloody action, off putting sex, Zombies, and terse dialogue Already Dead is an impressive start to a series that you have to force yourself to put down. The Vampire politics are gorgeous and I can't wait to see how big this world gets as Huston has four books out with the 5th and last due out soon. Did anyone say Vampire War? I give Already Dead 8 out of 10 Hats. I plan to pick up the next couple Pitt novels at some point in the not too distant future. Trying out Huston's standalone crime novel The Mystic Art of Erasing All Signs of Death is a distinct possibility as well. Book link: US Europe Canada

MINI-REVIEW | Un Lun Dun by China Miéville (Del Rey)

China Miéville is fast becoming one of my favorite authors as The City & The City made my top reads this year so far and Un Lun Dun is now up there as well. I still need to dive deeper into his work to be sure as I've heard the majority of his other books are much darker, but his imagination, prose, and pacing are impeccable. Un Lun Dun is Miéville's try at subverting Young Adult Fantasy, which turns out to be one of the best attempts in recent years. Un Lun Dun is also adorned by a couple dozen drawings by Miéville, which work beautifully but I do wish there were more. Un Lun Dun starts with unusual things happening to teenaged Zanna in her hometown of London. It seems as if Zanna is destined for greatness however much she doesn't understand or believe it. She and her best friend Deeba stumble into Unlondon, which is where all things that are forgotten end up and whole subcultures have developed. Binjas, a talking book, words made manifest, Window Spiders, a needy milk carton, an umbrella wielding adventurer all make this one exciting and nutty read. Zanna's enemy is an evil sentient cloud of Smog along with his smoglodites, which works surprisingly well. Miéville quickly turns the idea the destined one on its head and pushes it to all thing Un.

If you are worried that this is similar to Gaiman's Neverwhere have no fear. Little ground, if any, is retread yet Miéville does include Gaiman in the acknowledgements as a source of inspiration. Lose yourself in in the strangely wonderful Un Lun Dun. You won't be disappointed. This is a book I wish I had read in my formative years as it sets your imagination on fire. I give Un Lun Dun 9 out of 10 Hats. China left the door open for more visit to Unlondon and if he delves into Young Adult Fantasy I'll definitely be there for it. I'd love to see a Sub Press version of Un Lun Dun with more art and maybe China's sketch book as an extra appendix. Book link: US Europe Canada

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REVIEW | A Spell for the Revolution (Traitor to the Crown) by C.C. Finlay (Del Rey)

A Spell for the Revolution is the 2nd volume of C.C. Finlay's Traitor to the Crown series. I was more than pleasantly surprised by how much I liked The Patriot Witch so I was eager to start this one. You can check out my very positive review of the first volume here, which is so far one of my top 5 reads of the year. A Spell for the Revolution picks up a year after the events of The Patriot Witch. Proctor is in search of other witches to join him and Deborah at The Farm so they can combat The Covenant who are supporting the British in their efforts to thwart the American Revolution. Finlay shows yet again that he is no light weight when it comes to American history. His melding of history with fantasy is completely seamless. Proctor and Deborah undertake a journey that brings them to the front lines again and again. As with the first volume they play pivotal roles in explaining the events around many of the Revolution's most baffling times. A Spell for the Revolution had a few slow places as Finlay sometimes has to put the characters through a lot to get them at the scene of some incidents, but it all works beautifully in the end. A Spell for the Revolution truly evokes what hardships Americans were under during the times and how close the British came to putting down the Revolution. Finlay's portrayal of George Washington and other pivotal historical characters feels so right. The main characters certainly have shown growth as well in more than just their skill with magic. Proctor is coming into his own instead of being overshadowed by Deborah. Deborah still comes off as a strong woman though her perniciousness in the 3rd quarter did get on my nerves a bit. I could also have done with a little less arguing between Deborah and Proctor. It just seemed like they were having the same argument again and again. The new enemies introduced worked well and I love the mythology behind them. Mentioning exactly who and what they are would ruin their introduction so I'll refrain. The ending is satisfying as all of the players come together for a show down of sorts. This is the most solid series I've read this year and it flows so easily. I give A Spell for the Revolution 8 out of 10 Hats. I've already picked up the third volume The Demon Redcoat so expect that to be reviewed quite soon as I am anxious to see how everything culminates. I'd recommend this to any American history buff in addition to alternative history fans. Book Link: US Canada Europe

REVIEW | The City & The City by China Miéville (Del Rey)

The City & The City was one of those books that everyone has been hotly awaiting since announced. I must admit I fell into the trap as well with the entire mystique surround its release. Even to the point where the author asked reviewers to be very vague about some of the details. After reading I can certainly see why China and his publisher wanted to keep things quite. A loose word here or there could ruin the entire experience, which is why I'll keep this brief.

The City & The City is a detective murder mystery a la Raymond Chandler with a little fantasy mixed in narrated by Inspector Tyador Borlu of Beszel Extreme Crime Squad. The setting is quite strange in that it is a divided city. Think East/West Berlin only with the streets split in half with one side of the populace on each side and neither being able to acknowledge or see the other. Borlu lives in Beszel and the other half of the city is called Ul Qoma.

The style of writing is almost as if it were written in another language and than translated into English, but it works beautifully. Some may consider this work too high brow, but I think it can be enjoyed by anyone willing to put in the effort. It will certainly make you think. I found myself putting the book down a few times between chapters just to ponder what it would be like to live or visit a city such as this. A few brief chapters have Borlu accompanying visitors around the Bezel, which gives you a bit more insight into the alienness of it all. Borlu's investigation takes him to the other side of the city so you do get a complete view of each.

The City & The City twists and turns into something I was never expecting, but is all the more satisfying for doing so. I give The City & The City 9.5 out 10 Hats. I would have given it 10, but I do have to leave room for improvement. I'm even contemplating getting the Subterranean edition, but I haven't decide if it will live up to repeated readings. I'll definitely be checking out China's Un Lun Dun and maybe some other works by him in the next couple of months.

Book link: US UK Canada Subterranean

REVIEW | The Patriot Witch (Traitor to the Crown) by C.C. Finlay (Del Rey)

The Patriot Witch is the first in a trilogy of historical fantasies in the Traitor to the Crown series by C.C. Finlay also known as Charles Coleman Finlay author of The Prodigal Troll. Del Rey is releasing the series one a month with the first this past April and the 2nd and 3rd books following a month apart similar to how Brent Weeks' Night Angel Trilogy and Naomi Novik's Temeraire / His Majesty's Dragon were done. I love it when a publisher does something like this, especially given the lag time most of us wait for our favorite series to have a new release. Although publisher a has to have a lot of confidence in the books as their expectations would have to be high. I can say without any reservations that The Patriot Witch hits all the right marks with gritty action, believable characters, and good magic while nailing the setting. The story is centered during revolutionary times in Massachusetts, mostly in the Lexington to Boston area. From a historical aspect The Patriot Witch is completely accurate to the point you could consider it a secret history instead of an alternative one. The story just mixes in magic here and there to help explain how events unfold as they did in ingenious and completely logical ways. I'll refrain from mentioning specific events as it would ruin the fun of finding out what the characters were involved with. The lead and some secondary characters have a lot of depth given the length of the book at 330 pages, which nowadays I'd consider a light read in the fantasy genre. The Patriot Witch gives you the common people's view of the revolution through the eyes of Proctor Brown, a christian farmer and minuteman who also happens to be descended from a line of witches with magic in his blood. I watched the John Adams HBO mini-series last year, which was enthralling but it differed in that it was from the perspective of the leaders of the time so I found Brown's everyman POV refreshing. Proctor is very conflicted between his faith, his newly found powers, and also turning against the British. Even nowadays it is strange to think that people considered themselves British just as much as American during revolutionary times. There is a second war being fought at the same time. One with arms and the other magical as the British side has witches of its own helping. Although it is unclear how much the Brits know about their involvement, but more of the intrigue will probably unfold in succeeding volumes. At it heart The Patriot Witch is a story or responsibility, courage, and selflessness with the main characters sense of doing the right thing driving them even when alternatives from danger are given to them time and again. The one slow point was Proctor's time spent on a farm while trying to learn about his abilities, but even that sequence ends on a high note of surprises and action. The battle scenes are well drawn from historical sources with very realistic combat. The ending plays out well and leaves you wanting for so much more from the characters. The Patriot Witch turned into one of those reads you stay up late for just to get a few more pages in. Before you know it you look up and see you should have been to sleep an hour ago and than turn back for another page. I give The Patriot Witch 8.5 out of 10 Hats. If it wasn't for The Prodigal Troll I'd put this up as a possible Fantasy Debut of the year. Judging by the synopsis of A Spell for the Revolution the action will only be getting bigger so I'll definitely keep following the series. ***Until the end of May The Patriot Witch is available as a complete free e-book here. Grab it while you can. Book Link: US Canada UK