Tag: dark fantasy

Waiqar: A Descent: Legends of the Dark Novel by Robbie MacNiven

Enter the extraordinary fantasy world of Descent: Legends in the Dark through the eyes of its most notorious necromancer as he begins his conquest of the realms of Terrinoth

Waiqar, Lord of the Mistlands, is a necromancer of supreme power, arrogance, and skill. Driven by his hunger for power, he has the whole of Terrinoth in his sights. But before he can raise his undead armies and march on the Baronies, his hold on the Mistlands must be complete. Waiqar’s court is rife with scheming and deception, from corrupt vampires with plans to usurp him, to an apprentice harboring dark ambition of his own. As his enemies vie for power, Waiqar’s own plans come to fruition. For power is hard won but easily lost, and this great necromancer has more to lose than anyone. (Taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Aconyte Books for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Waiqar: A Descent: Legends of the Dark novel is available now.

I’m beginning to associate Aconyte Books with fun. The last two Aconyte books that I read were entertaining adventures and, while Waiqar is dark and bloody, it has an underlying sense of excitement that begs you to suspend disbelief and join a fabulous fantasy world for a while. Author Robbie MacNiven balanced a classic gothic with a sense of enthusiasm, to brilliant effect.

Waiqar is set in the world of Descent: Legends of the Dark, which I have limited knowledge of. Previous experience isn’t required, though. The book jumps right in but has a gentle learning curve, taking the reader along with it. It begins with a poor hapless student who strayed a little too far down the path to necromancy. His “friends” betray him and he finds himself enslaved to Waiqar, necomancer extarordinaire. Think the worst of the worst, and you’ve got our Big Bad here.Except he isn’t the only Big Bad. He just happens to be the one calling the shots. Waiqar in turn gifts his slave to Tristayne, his protégé, who chafs at being the student of his undead teacher.

See, Tristayne can’t possibly achieve all that he dreams of while his necomanctic overlord controls everything. Thus, the stage is set for a novel that takes place through the eyes of the villains. This is the strength of the book. There are no heroes, no paths to redemption. There’s just evil, manipulations, lust for power, and a setting reminiscent of the best horror movies.

The pacing in Waiqar is snappy. There are no lags and I never got bored. The evil characters are unapologetically evil, not deigning to give a reason or excuse, which I loved. Backstories were short and to the point, never slowing down the storyline. The characters themselves were great, each offering a different brand of wickeness. Even Tomaz, the unfortunate student-turned-slave was unique in his own right.

While I enjoyed Waiqar’s brooding brutality (which was delightfully over the top from time to time, keeping the fun of a slasher movie), Tristayne was by far my favorite character. He was sulky and entitled, but also ambitious. His scenes were always a blast and I enjoyed seeing him plot against Waiqar. His confessions to his human slave, Tomaz, added extra layers to his pesonality. I thought the idea of using his slave as a sort of a diary was fantastic and often found myself grinning.

There was a ton happening within the pages, what with wars being planned, shifts in power being plotted, and lots of action besides. I’m not going to spoil the book by sharing how everything came together, but it was loads of gory fun. There were ghouls, liches, vampires, and battles aplenty. The ending was extremely gratifying and fit the tone of the book perfectly. Waiqar is a rip-roaring gothic adventure that I highly recommend to those looking for a bloody good read. Sorry, I had to permit myself a bad pun.

Pick this one up.

Wraith Knight by CT Phipps

“Will he save the world, or rule it?”

Jacob Riverson was once the greatest hero of an age. Cut down during what should have been the final battle against the King Below, he was condemned to centuries of torment as a Wraith Knight in the service of said monster.

With the destruction of his master, Jacob finds his free will returning and discovers he is in a world torn by civil war between the King Below’s former slaves and the heroes who “saved” them. Joining forces with the overly-idealistic but brilliant warrior Regina Whitetremor, Jacob must determine whether he has any place in the new world and whether his destiny is as a hero or monster. (Taken from Amazon)

Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. Wraith Knight is available now.

The idea behind Wraith Knight is an intriguing one. Jacob Riverson was a hero in life, one of those do-gooders who inspire folk songs and have specialty drinks named after them. Then things went a little sideways. The book finds him reeling knowing that, following his death, he spent centuries enslaved as a Wraith Knight, serving the very evil that he fought against. His free will is finally restored to him, his Master being dead(ish). Jacob gets to see firsthand what a world devoid of the evil he died trying to defeat looks like, and it isn’t what he expected. Now he has to decide: is he a hero or the next big villain?

There was a lot to like about this book. First of all, is how the author used Jacob as a conduit to the world and history while still avoiding the dreaded info dump. While Jacob was getting caught up on what had happened in the time he missed, the reader also got the important information. I loved that, as in all history books, what actually happened and how it’s being told aren’t precisely the same thing. Jacob gets to hear how people think things occurred and who they think he was. I got a laugh out of his thoughts on how his friends were described.

Jacob was the very definition of a morally gray character. From early on, he makes less than glowing choices, and his immediate justification of his decisions showcased a character with a sliding moral scale. I love morally conflicted characters, and Jacob was written very well. His personality allowed the author to explore questions of morality, such as whether the end really ever justifies the means and what makes up the invisible line between good and evil. The fact that the author also included dragons and fantasy battles makes this a win-win for readers.

Wraith Knight features a smaller cast of characters. These include Sarah, a witch who had a flair for Shadow magic, and a rather naive but well-meaning warrior named Regina (who was introduced on dragonback, immediately upping her cool factor). Regina, in particular, was a character that I went back and forth on. At times, I really enjoyed reading about her. After a while, she became a tad annoying, though. It was an interesting back and forth, and I’m really not sure what caused my changes in opinion on her.

The book was fast-paced with battles aplenty. The pacing was consistent, never dragging or jumping. The world itself featured slight twists on the general fantasy setting, being different enough to be intriguing yet similar enough that I didn’t have to think about it all that much. The book is character driven, so the world itself becomes secondary. It’s the choices made and the character development that are the focus in Wraith Knight.

There was a romantic entanglement of sorts which I wasn’t a big fan of. As those of you who have followed my blog know, I’m ridiculously picky when it comes to romance in books, so take my opinion on this with that in mind.

At the end of the day, there was a lot to like about Wraith Knight. While it’s a darker book, it never became fully grimdark. However, this book will be best enjoyed by those who like to read on the grittier side of fantasy. Pick up Wraith Knight for morally complicated characters and a surprisingly introspective look at right vs. wrong and the ideals that often stray a little into both categories.

The Big, Long List of Awesome Indie Books

I like lists. I know, that’s a weird thing to have strong feelings about, but I do. I often have trouble sleeping and, while making lists doesn’t help with that, it’s a fun way to pass the time when I’m laying in bed overthinking something I said in the seventh grade. But I digress.

I’ve been working on a list of great indie books I’ve read for quite a while now. This is far from complete and I’m sure I have several favorites that I’ve forgotten to add. However, since yet another odd take on indie books is circulating online, I’m sharing this list today. I’ll keep adding to it as the list of indie books I enjoy grows.

Tell me what some of your favorite indie books are! Let’s show indie authors some appreciation!

*If I have mistakenly added a non-indie book to this list, please let me know.

  • Adjacent Monsters by Luke Tarzian
  • The Archives of Evelium by Jeffrey Speight
  • Around the Dark Dial by JD Sanderson
  • Blade’s Edge by Virginia McClain
  • Burn Red Skies by Kerstin Espinosa Rosero
  • Constable Inspector Lunaria Adventures by Geoff Tangent and Coy Kissee
  • The Dragon’s Banker by Scott Warren
  • Dragon Mage by ML Spencer
  • Duckett and Dyer: Dicks for Hire by GM Nair
  • Fairy Godmurderer by Sarah J. Sover
  • The Flaws of Gravity by Stepanie Caye
  • The Forever King by Ben Galley
  • Frith Chronicles by Shami Stovall
  • The Gifted and the Cursed by Marcus Lee
  • A Good Running Away by Kevin Pettway
  • The Hand of Fire by Rolan J. O’Leary
  • Henry by Christopher Hooks
  • The Hero Interviews by Andi Ewington
  • The Heroes of Spira by Dorian Hart
  • The Hummingbird’s Tear by CM Kerley
  • Justice Academy by Rob Edwards
  • The Legend of Black Jack by A.R. Witham
  • Legends of Cyrradon by Jason and Rose Bishop
  • Lexcalibur by Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik
  • Little White Hands by Mark Cushen
  • The Maer Cycle by Dan Fitzgerald
  • Mennik Thorn series by Patrick Samphire
  • Messengers of the Macabre by LindaAnn LoSchiavo and David Davies
  • Mirror in Time by D. Ellis Overttun
  • Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson
  • Oil and Dust by Jami Farleigh
  • The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson
  • Path to Villainy by SL Roland
  • The Return of King Lillian by Suzie Plakson
  • The Royal Champion by GM White
  • Sacaran Nights by Rachel Emma Shaw
  • Shadowless by Randall McNally
  • Sherlock Holmes and the Remaining Improbable by Susanne M. Dutton
  • Small Places by Matthew Samuels
  • Voice of War by Zach Argyle
  • The Tempest Blades by Ricardo Victoria
  • We Break Immortals by Thomas Howard Riley
  • Why Odin Drinks by Bjørn Larssen 
  • The Windshine Chronicles by Todd Sullivan
  • Wraith Knight by CT Phipps




    Books I am about to read/ am excited to read:
  • Arvia: Heart of the Sky by DH Willison
  • Heart of Fire by Raina Nightingale
  • How NOT to Murder a Boyband by Jason Roche
  • Lucky Jack by Sue Bavey
  • Vevin Song by Jonathan Neves Mayers

Adjacent Monsters by Luke Tarzian

BOOK 1: THE WORLD MAKER PARABLE
Guilt will always call you back…
Rhona is a faithful servant of the country Jémoon and a woman in love. Everything changes when her beloved sets the ravenous Vulture goddess loose upon the land. Forced to execute the woman she loves for committing treason, Rhona discovers a profound correlation between morality and truth. A connection that might save her people or annihilate them all.

You are a lie…
Varésh Lúm-talé is many things, most of all a genocidal liar. A falsity searching for the Phoenix goddess whom he believes can help him rectify his atrocities. Such an undertaking is an arduous one for a man with missing memories and a conscience set on rending him from inside out. A man whose journey leads to Hang-Dead Forest and a meeting with a Vulture goddess who is not entirely as she seems.

BOOK 2: THE WORLD BREAKER REQUIEM
Prince of Woe…
Avaria Norrith is the adopted heir to the Ariathan throne. But that means little to a man who, for the better part of fifteen years, has sought and failed to earn his mother’s love. Fueled by pride and envy, Avaria seeks the means to prove himself and cast away his mental chains. When he’s tasked with the recreation of The Raven’s Rage he sees his chance, for with the infamous blade he can rewrite history and start anew.

Daughter of the Mountain…
Erath has not felt sunlight for a century. Not since Ariath condemned her people to a life of darkness with their misuse of The Raven’s Rage. But when an old friend comes seeking the remnants of the ancient sword, Erath cannot contain her curiosity and resolves to lend her aid. Is it true-can history be revised? Can her people be reclaimed?

Toll the Hounds…
They are hungry-and they are here.

Thank you to the author for providing me with these books in exchange for my honest opinion. The Adjacent Monsters duology is available now.

Some authors guide you into their book, gently holding your hand and providing a safe space from which to explore their world. That is far from the case with Luke Tarzian. Readers will instead find themselves lost in a twisted landscape of beautiful, raw writing, so full of emotion and truth that it sometimes hurts. It’s glorious.

Adjacent Monsters takes trust. Trust on the part of the author, who bared his soul to strangers, writing honestly and unflinchingly about themes that are obviously very personal to him. And trust from the reader, to follow dark and winding paths, believing that it will pay off. And wow, does it pay off!

I first fell in love with Luke Tarzian’s writing when reading Vultures. I can honestly say that I have never read anything similar to the absolute distortion of reality that I experience in his writing. If you don’t pay attention, you’ll end up completely lost. His writing is easy to pay attention to, though. It’s pulling yourself out of the story that you’ll find difficult.

Themes of grief, guilt, and regret lace through this duology and the characters make difficult choices while questioning the very decisions they must make. It is sad and rather relatable (although I have yet to be in the position of leading a loved one to their own execution). Who hasn’t felt guilt or regret? A word of warning: Don’t read Adjacent Monsters if you are in a difficult headspace: Luke Tarzian’s writing is superb, but it is also difficult to read if you are struggling emotionally.

It’s hard to have a “favorite character” in books such as these. I was drawn to the inner torment of each character and the way it is explored in their actions. It’s almost as though you’re watching them go through the stages of grief that we’re always told about. Rhona and Varésh sucked me into The World Maker Parable (the first in the duology). Despite being very different characters with separate motivations, they were linked in the deep feeling they provoked in me.

As much as I loved The World Maker Parable, The World Breaker Requiem left me stunned. It’s gorgeous in a heartbreaking, surreal way. The characters seem so much more than what they are: questers looking for a legendary sword. At times they are in fact overshadowed by the writing itself which is both stark and beautiful.

Reading Adjacent Monsters is like being in a fever dream: uncomfortable, disorienting, and utterly engrossing. I loved it.

Cover Reveal- Unseen: The Mercer Nox Story by L.A. Wasielewski

Today I get to participate in a cover reveal! Unseen: The Mercer Nox Story, an Alchemist Trilogy Tale will be available on July 20th!

Check out this awesome cover!

What’s it about:

What did life give me?  Torment.  Grief.  A scarred soul.  Did I deserve it?  Maybe.  Did I welcome it?  Maybe…

Call me cursed, arrogant, bitter.  Call me whatever you want.  I know my place in this world, I know where I stand with the Goddess.  I know how I ended up here, what I did.  What I didn’t do.  It haunts me, but then again, don’t we all have demons?

Some tried to tell me it was destiny, but I refuse to believe some outside force controls my life.  Bad things happen, good things happen.  In my case, well, let’s just leave it at that and move on.  It’s probably better that way.

Unseen: The Mercer Nox Story follows the incredible life of a man who never really wanted to participate in the whole “saving the world” thing in the first place—but realized he really didn’t have a choice.  And it annoyed him to no end. 

This book contains major spoilers for The Alchemist Trilogy, it is recommended that you read the original trilogy first for maximum enjoyment!

About the author:

 L.A. Wasielewski is a gamer, nerd, baseball fan (even though the Brewers make it very difficult sometimes), and mom.  When she’s not writing, she’s blasting feral ghouls and super mutants in the wastelands, baking and cooking, and generally being a smart-ass.  She’s very proud of the fact that she has survived several years with two drum kits in the house—and still has most of her hearing intact. Her high dark fantasy series, The Alchemist Trilogy, is available now!

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorBebedora
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LAWasielewski/
Website: https://www.lawasielewski.com/

Fantasy Focus: Grimdark Featuring Luke Tarzian

Banner Credit: Beth Tabler

This year, I’m doing a new series: Fantasy Focus. Each month will have a week-long focus on a different fantasy subgenre- fantasy is as varied as its creators’ imaginations! If you’ve missed them, there have been fantasy focuses on comedic fantasy and romantic fantasy. This month, I’m taking a walk on the grittier, darker side of fantasy- grimdark!

I’m so happy to have somehow coerced Luke Tarzian into joining me for another talk. This time, he tackles grimdark.

Hi, Luke. Thank you so much for taking the time to chat a little bit about the grittier side of fantasy!

Hi Jodie. Thank you for having me!

First, would you introduce yourself and talk a little bit about your work?

Sure. During the day I work full time as a paralegal for a special education law firm. At night, I moonlight as a long-suffering New York Knicks fan, an annoyingly thrilled Phoenix Suns fan, a freelance cover artist, and book designer. I guess I also write too. That seems pretty relevant. 

As far as my work is concerned, I write dark psychological fantasy with enough twists and turns to make your head spin. A lot of what I write deals pretty heavily with mental illness, grief, loss, death, and the like.

You’ve described your books as “grimdark adjacent”. Can you expand a little on that?

Sure. There are varying definitions of grimdark, but the most general I’ve seen involve some combination of amoral, nihilistic, cynical, gritty, and/or bleak settings and characters. Depending on who you ask, it’s also hyper violent, blood and gore to the absolute max. In that case, maybe that’s a commentary on real life. I’m not sure. 

As far my own work is concerned, I feel like I utilize a lot of similar tropes—grey characters, bleak settings, “fuck” as the wonderful multipurpose tool it is, death—with the caveat being I do so in order to highly the possibility of hope, however slim it may be. I think that latter part ties into a lot of what my books are influenced by, chiefly my own battles with mental illness, grief, and the like and that struggle to hold onto whatever ray of light I can. I wouldn’t call my protagonists heroes in any sense, nor would I refer to the antagonists as villains. Rather, they’re all people with their own scars, virtues, and moral faults trying to do what they think is right or good, even if that tends to make things worse. 

There are many misconceptions about grimdark out there, and even some disagreement on what grimdark is. How would you describe grimdark?

At this point, I’m really not sure. Like I said previously, there are so many different definitions that I don’t think you can simply limit it to one. To me, personally, the best representation of grimdark is the Gears of War games. War, hopelessness, ultra-violence, and characters fighting to survive, some of who eventually lose to the will to carry on. It still has tinges of hope, but it’s a dying world. Ultimately, I think that’s what grimdark examines—dying hope in a dying world and how that affects the characters.

What draws you to the darker side of fantasy (I feel like I’m talking about The Force and definitely need better wording)?

I’ve always liked darker things, for lack of a better phrase. I think with dark fantasy in particular it’s always been a more “accepted” approach to examining the human condition in extremes that other genres might shy from. As someone fascinated by psychology and who deals with a lot internally, it obviously appeals.

Is your writing ever influenced by things that are happening in the “real world”?

Not so much the real world as my own personal experiences. Vultures is a very grief-tinged book, the rough draft of which I finished shortly after my mother died. The World Breaker Requiem takes that to the extreme. I’ve mentioned several times, but I refer to it as my catharsis novel even though it put me on the edge of a mental breakdown and almost sent me back to therapy.

I know we’ve discussed your writing in terms of being a way to talk about grief and mental illness. It makes your writing both raw and very, very powerful. Do you think fantasy is uniquely capable of creating a safe platform for dealing with some of the more difficult things that life chucks at us?

This ties into a lot of what I’ve said already, so obviously my answer is yes. And I think the darker the fantasy, the more one can explore. I think dark fantasy is uniquely equipped to tackle mental health, especially when you factor in overcoming challenges. In the darkest night, the faintest light is blinding.

If someone asked you to build them a “to be read” list, what are some books that would have to be on it?

I’m going to do this on the assumption this is for general recommendations, but I’ll start with some grimdark fantasy to keep with the theme:

  • Legacy of the Brightwash by Krystle Matar
  • The Obsidian Psalm by Clayton Snyder
  • The Empires of Dust trilogy by Anna Smith Spark
  • Norylska Groans by Clayton Snyder and Michael Fletcher 
  • The Darkness that Comes Before by R. Scott Bakker
  • Seraphina’s Lament by Sarah Chorn
  • Of Honey and Wildfires by Sarah Chorn
  • The Boy Who Walked Too Far by Dom Watson
  • The History of Love by Nicole Krauss 
  • The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
  • The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
  • The View From the Cheap Seats by Neil Gaiman 
  • The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
  • The Earthsea series by Ursula Le Guin
  • The Collected Works of Edgar Allan Poe
  • The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
  • Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

I could add so much more to this list, but I wanted to recommend books that have been formative to the way I write, whether fiction or nonfiction. 

Thank you so much for having me!

About the author:

Fantasy Author. Long Doggo Enthusiast. Snoot Booper. Shouter of F**ks. Drinker of Whiskey. These are all titles. I’m the Khaleesi nobody wanted and the one they certainly didn’t deserve, but here we are, friendos…

Purchase links:

The World Maker Parable

The World Breaker Requiem

We Break Immortals by Thomas Howard Riley

Thank you to the author for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. We Break Immortals is available now.

An exciting debut by a new fantasy author, We Break Immortals by Thomas Howard Riley held nothing back and left me eager for more. Everything is dialed up to eleven, and nothing is certain.

The book follows multiple characters as they try desperately to prevent a demented serial killer from becoming, in essence, a god. He is one of the baddest of big bads that I have read recently and taking him down is a nigh-impossible goal. The characters are all fighting their own battles, however, against themselves. The question is: how can they defeat a powerful villain if they can’t even defeat their own personal demons? These battles that the characters fight against themselves are what kept me riveted.

Aren is a Render Tracer, otherwise known as a “glasseye”, meaning someone who can see traces of magick remnants. He does this with the help of some special tools. Aren uses his gifts to track down magickusers gone rogue. The magick in We Break Immortals is incredibly well-developed. It’s complicated and could be confusing if not for the use of Aren to show how everything works. Thankfully, it is explained in a way that makes perfect sense. Aren is very good at what he does. He is also an addict, which elevates his character from interesting to incredibly nuanced and complex. He is his own worst enemy, a fact that is made extremely apparent throughout the book. I love books that have characters with inner struggles and hidden obstacles to overcome.

Keluwen is a walking timebomb. She’s angry, she’s snarky, and she doesn’t take crap from anyone. She’s also a magickuser, which complicates matters when both her crew and Aren–a glasseye who goes after people like her–end up crossing paths. The dynamic within her crew was always interesting, especially her relationship with the crew’s leader.

Lastly, there’s Corrin. Ah, how I loved Corrin! Rougish with a knack for attracting trouble, he nonetheless manages to have his own sense of right and wrong. Corrin is the sort of person who does the best he can with what he has. And what he has is a fair amount of luck (whether it’s good or bad, I’ll leave to the reader to decide), a long list of vices, and a liberal dash of derring-do.

The world was well thought out and brought to life. More than just a backdrop for the storyline, the amount of development that has gone into the world makes it almost a character in its own right. The history, and mythologies are fascinating and it just keeps building.

We Break Immortals has heart, humor, excellent characters, and violence aplenty. It’s the sort of book that plunges in and never stops to let you catch your breath. It is, in a word, badass.

This review was originally published in Grimdark Magazine.

Fantasy Subgenres: A Plethora of Choices UPDATED

Every now and again, I’ll hear someone say “I don’t like fantasy,” even though they’ve never read any. Of course, everyone has their own preferences in literature, which is totally fine, but I sometimes think that what people mean is that they don’t like a certain type of fantasy. There’s much more than just swords and magic when it comes to fantasy (although I happen to love books that have swords and magic).

Here are a few sub-genres, with explanations, as well as examples of books that fit into each category. Of course, I’m in no way an expert, and some of these books can fit quite comfortably in multiple sub-genres. Talk to me! Tell me what I got right, what I messed up, and what I missed completely. Here goes nothing!

Since my original post, I have learned about and read a few new subgenres, which I am now adding to the list. Let me know what you think!

High Fantasy: High fantasy is probably what comes to mind first when people hear “fantasy.” There are some characteristics that separate high fantasy from other kinds of fantasy. First of all, it’s very character-focused. The choices made by a single character, or a few, are most important. High fantasy is set in its own world with its own defined rules of magic. A common theme is good vs. evil.

Examples: The Swans’ War trilogy by Sean Russell; The Dragonlance Chronicles by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman; The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks

Epic Fantasy: Epic fantasy is, well…epic. It usually consists of a threat to the entire world and has a large cast of characters, as opposed to the few that characterize high fantasy. While The Hobbit, for example, is high fantasy, The Lord of the Rings is what I would classify as epic fantasy. There’s a larger cast of characters, and a danger to the entire world.
Examples: Game of Thrones; Wheel of Time; Lord of the Rings

Low Fantasy: Low fantasy is characterized by magical events that intrude on daily life in a normal world.

Examples: Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett; American Gods by Neil Gaiman; Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Sword and Sorcery: Well, aside from the obvious (swords and magic), think romance, and adventure. Sword and Sorcery is a bit on the pulpy side (nothing wrong with that). I always picture 80’s era Sylvester Stallone as the movie equivalent of a Sword and Sorcery hero.
Examples: Conan the Barbarian; Legend by David Gemmell. Honestly, I’m on the fence about including Legend here, as it doesn’t seem as pulpy as other Sword and Sorcery books, but I’m drawing a blank on other examples. What would you add to this category?

Military Fantasy: This is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s basically military life in a fantasy setting, often following one solider, or a small company.
Examples: The Codex Alera by Jim Butcher; The Black Company by Glen Cook

Grimdark Fantasy: Don’t expect happily ever after’s or the archetypal heroes. Grimdark is marked with violence, morally gray as well as completely amoral characters. It also doesn’t shy away from violence.
Examples: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff; The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie

Dark Fantasy/ Gothic Fantasy: This sub-genre incorporates themes of death, fear, and romance. It has a darker tone, and elements of horror. Think Edgar Allen Poe- goes fantasy, and you’ve got the general idea.
Examples: Black Sun Rising by C.S. Friedman; Wicked Saints by Emily A. Duncan

Urban Fantasy: This is interesting in that there are a few different routes urban fantasy is known to take: either a separate fantasy world with rules that are similar to ours or, conversely, our world with fantasy elements mixed in. Go figure.
Examples: Jackaby by William Ritter; City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Arthurian Fantasy: This is fantasy based directly on the myths and legends of King Arthur.
Examples: The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart; The Once and Future King by T.H. White

Superhero Fantasy: This is fantasy based on the character of a superhero. Easily defined.
Examples: Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson; Vicious by V.E. Schwab

RPG Lit: Combining fantasy with role playing games, the main character is generally aware that they are in a game-type world. Stats. are very much a part of the book, and the characters interact and progress through the book as they would an rpg.
Examples: The Other Normals by Ned Vizzini; Path to Villainy: An NPC Kobold’s Tale by S.L. Rowland

Fairy Tales: Starting as children’s stories, lately there have been many re-imaginings of these books that are marked by fantastical elements and magic.
Examples of fairy tale retellings: Echo North by Joanna Ruth Meyer; Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik; House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig; A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow

Portal Fantasy: I argue that this is a sub-genre in its own right! This would be books in which the characters leave their own world through a portal/door/etc, and travel to a world with different rules than their own. Often, fantasy elements such as magic are present.
Examples: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow; The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.

Fantasy of Manners: I’m a little newer to this subgenre ( Thank you to Way Too Fantasy for telling me about this one). You won’t see many dragons or violent battles. This subgenre is defined by its wit and its use of words as weapons. There is often a sort of hierarchy and the battles tend to be more involved with social maneuvering. I tend to picture Jane Austen-meets-fantasy.
Examples: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke; Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton

Sword-free Fantasy: Sans fantasy violence, sword-free fantasy uses wondrous, reality-free worlds to explore very real emotions and relationships. Look for themes of family, love, self-acceptance, or self-discovery.
Examples: The Living Waters by Dan Fitzgerald; The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune; Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson

Viking-Inspired Fantasy: This subgenre could go a few different directions. It could borrow from heavily from Norse mythology or it can be set in a world that borrows elements from the Norse mythology or Viking way of life while still having its own mythologies or pantheons.
Examples: The Shadow of the Gods by John Gwyne; The Broken Sword by Poul Anderson

Fantasy Comedy: Irreverent and witty, fantasy comedy often takes a humorous look at the fantasy genre, either creating new and entertaining fantasy worlds that focus on humor, parodying common fantasy tropes, or even poking lighthearted fun at specific works of fantasy.
Examples: The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True by Sean Gibson; Harpyness is Only Skin Deep by D.H. Willison; Iliad: The Reboot by Keith Tokash

Time for you to weigh in! What did I get right? What did I mess up? What am I still missing? Let’s talk!

Self-published Authors Appreciation Week: Shadowless by Randall Mcnally

Banner Credit: Anca Antoci

For Self-published Authors Appreciation Week, it is only fitting that I repost a review of one of the most uniquely-written fantasy books I’ve had the pleasure to read. My review was originally published in Grimdark Magazine. You can find it here.

Grim and fascinating, Shadowless is a masterpiece told in shades of gray. It is a fantasy of the epic variety, one with incredible world building.

Every now and then, in the Northern Realms, a child will be born without a shadow. These children are half-human/half-gods, a concept that is very reminiscent of Greek mythology. They each have a bit of their godly father’s power. Where the book goes from here, though, is completely unique. See, a god’s offspring can be used as a vessel to gather more power, which the gods harvest in the most brutal of ways. These Shadowless are hunted. Their killers are soldiers, priests, even the gods themselves. How do you survive when even the gods want you dead?

Shadowless unfolds in a very unusual way: each chapter follows a different character and is almost a short story. Eventually these individual threads form a tapestry, rich in detail and creativity. The Shadowless are gathered together by a mysterious figure, with a common goal: ensure their safety by any means necessary.

Each character is fully formed and developed, adding their own one-of-a-kind perspective. In fact, every character’s story could easily be made into a separate novel, complete and incredibly interesting. Rarely is there that much detail in a book with multiple points of view. It was impressive, to say the least.

Another point in the book’s favor is that the reader doesn’t have to wait long to understand what being Shadowless means: an explanation is given in the very first part. It helped to know a little bit more early on, as there were so many characters that trying to figure things out without much detail would have detracted from the story.

I loved each character (oh-and did I mention that here there be dragons?). However, where author Randall McNally truly shines is in his ability to paint vivid pictures of a grim world, one filled with darkness, but not quite hopeless. That tiny shred of hope–call it a refusal to lay down and give up–lends extra layers to a book that is already extremely nuanced.

This is a longer book, but I flew through it, sucked into both the story and the world. Shadowless is a perfect book for fans of large, sweeping fantasies. Any book that contains complex histories, secrets to be discovered, and meddling gods is one that I’ll happily disappear into.

From Merlin to Mistborn: A Discussion on Magic- Blood, Fire, and Death

Today, I’m moving on to the darker side of magic in fantasy. You know, the sort that gives you shivers and speaks of power and things that cannot be contained. I’m fortunate to be joined by author Maria Blackrane as she discusses magic in her upcoming debut, Blood, Fire, and Death.

Maria Blackrane:

Hello! I’m Maria, and I’m currently editing my debut novel, Blood, Fire, & Death. It’s a “girl power” dark fantasy that takes place in a militant matriarchal culture in a country called Helvendias. It’s about a main ruling family, the Darkthornes, and their group of close friends who wade through drama, politics, and war to stay on top of their world in some rather morally black ways. The main female lead, Pensilea Belith Darkthorne, is to inherit the crown but her grandmother refuses to pass it to her, which causes conflict between them. It follows her the challenges of her kind of life, her mental and emotional struggles with the world around her, how she navigates through political drama and handles men seeking her for the prize, to father the next queen.  

As for the magic system, its very title, Blood, Fire, & Death represents their three main deities. Keldoreth, the god of war and blood, his sister Azaliel, goddess of death who walks through the battlefield and places a flower on the slain warriors before her brother Keldoreth takes them to his Hall. Their mother Mala, is the goddess of the underworld and fire. Much of the story centers around their worship and loyalty to their gods, the practices dedicated to them. Three is a sacred number, symbolic of their three deities. Their use of trident spears as weapons reflects that. It’s also their country’s emblem. Three points are for each deity. They refer to Mala as “the mother of them all,” for they believe her to be the true founder of their country, Helvendias. 

There are three priest circles dedicated to the deities. There is a sacred fire, like a portal that leads to her underworld, maintained by a circle of priestesses trained in fire magic. Similar to the Vestal virgins and Zoroastrian fire temples, which I loosely based on them. The purpose of their fire magic is to control the fires and for purification rituals. Also, people can seek Mala’s wisdom by being guided by a priestess through the portal. I based her on Hekate, so she carries a torch and is something of an “enlightener” figure. The main character’s grandmother Thora has fire capabilities because she’s descended from fire witches, only she’s used it for destructive purposes. Her grandchildren, twins Pensilea and Leorin, inherited it from her. She has prophetic dreams of them causing great destruction with it and pissing off the Mother Goddess, so she forbids them to be able to access any kind of magic.

Next are priests who serve Azaliel, the death goddess. They oversee the death rites and guide spirits into the Afterlife or to Keldoreth’s hall for slain warriors. Their practices are more Shamanic, where they act like mediums between the living and the spirit worlds. They assist in ritualistic human sacrifices. 

The priests of Keldoreth train in combat magic. They create stealth on the battlefield and the warriors go into a battle meditation while the priests infuse them with blessings of strength. Keldoreth’s aspect is blood, so they perform human sacrifice rituals with captured enemy warriors as blood gifts to him. 

The religion worships life and sex and as much as they do blood and death. Sex is a powerful energy. They engage in ritualistic sex for certain celebrations, such as the Festival of the Wolf Goddess, which is a fertility festival. They also believe sexual energy strengthens magic and blessings so they engage in it during some rituals, especially after the blood offerings. 

Helvendias refer to the ocean, the Cathian Sea, as the “goddess of life” since it’s their livelihood. Their food source comes from the sea, they extract their medicines and healing oils from seaweed, so they rely heavily on the sea to sustain them. There is a scene in Chapter 1 where my main character, Pensilea, is watching a circle of priests on the beach bless the fishing ships before they take off. It’s a ritual that involves prayers and burning sage around them. They pray to the goddess of life for an abundant catch. But just as they pray for life, they also worship blood and death. I point this dichotomy out in different ways throughout the book. Pensilea watches her priest lover among the circle pray to the goddess of life, while he has also performs human sacrifices. She often ponders the life and death aspects of the religion of her people.

“Pensilea chuckled to herself at the irony of life and death. How those who sanctified battle also praised life. The very priests who sacrificed lives also uttered the sacredness of it. Hands that kill can also give life.” 

“How many have died under his blade, bleeding out on a cold stone slab? Yet, there he was, praying to the goddess of life. Oh, death and life.”

How one becomes a priest is that it’s actually a blood type. I refer to people with this blood type to as the Bloodkind, with the ability to access higher senses and powers. One can only inherit it from both parents. At age twelve, they enter an academy and after a few years, they’re evaluated on where their skills and powers lean toward to see which deity they’ll serve. Not all Bloodkind choose to become priests. Why would someone choose not to? Believe it or not, it’s more grueling than fighting school, there’s a lot more commitment involved. Using their powers can take a mental and physical toll on them. They spend a few days in rest and meditation to recover. Those with the blood type who do not become priests are allowed to perform certain rituals, spells, and to access some minor powers. Pensilea can communicate telepathically with crows, for example. They also are stronger and faster with higher senses, which are useful in combat.

Look for Blood, Fire, and Death on October 27th.

About the author:

Maria Blackrane was born in upstate NY under the sign of Gemini some decades ago. She discovered a passion for writing when she was six years old. She started writing stories about the adventures of people and their pets before she moved on to more twisted subjects later on in life. She studied history and anthropology and took creative writing classes as electives. Her favorite genres to read and write are horror, darkfantasy, and grimdark. In her spare time, she’s a horse rider, wine witch, and collects dead things.