Fan-tastic Goings-On Over At Fanbase Press

I've always been a fan of Fanbase Press, and have followed them for a number of years. So long, in fact, that I remember when they were called Fanboy Comics. And really, who wouldn't be a follower? Fanbase Press are an award-winning comic book publisher and geek culture website.

They celebrate fandom in all its guises; produce new and distinctive works; and conduct interviews, reviews and podcasts that span the whole spectrum of everything and anything that is uber-cool.

And THAT's why I was particularly pleased to be interviewed by none other than Fanbase's Editor-in-Chief, Barbra Dillon regarding the recent release of my latest book:

IX Genesis

A IX Origins Novel

Why not take a trip over to Fanbase Press and see what happened as I chat with Barbra regarding aspects of my writing process, my inspiration, and discuss the impact stories can have on readers, and why authors should always strive to look beyond the simple entertainment factor of storytelling so that they can really connect with the hearts and minds of their followers.

It's all good stuff.
And it can all be found here, at. . .

Fanbase Press

 Discover How I lost Myself In. . .

The Space Between Worlds

This is another of those books I was attracted to after reading about it on Black Gate Fantasy. And thanks to them, I’ve rather enjoyed myself.

Here’s the cover blurb:

******

'My mother used to say I was born reaching, which is true. She also used to say it would get me killed, which it hasn't. Not yet, anyway.'

Born in the dirt of the wasteland, Cara has fought her entire life just to survive. Now she has done the impossible, and landed herself a comfortable life on the lower levels of the wealthy and walled-off Wiley City. So long as she can keep her head down and avoid trouble, she's on a sure path to citizenship and security - on this world, at least.

Of the 380 realities that have been unlocked, Cara is dead in all but 8.

Cara's parallel selves are exceptionally good at dying - from disease, turf wars, or vendettas they couldn't outrun - which makes Cara wary, and valuable. Because while multiverse travel is possible, no one can visit a world in which their counterpart is still alive. And no one has fewer counterparts than Cara.

But then one of her eight doppelgängers dies under mysterious circumstances, and Cara is plunged into a new world with an old secret. What she discovers will connect her past and future in ways she never could have imagined - and reveal her own role in a plot that endangers not just her earth, but the entire multiverse.

******

Interesting eh?

And it is. Imagine a post apocalyptic world struggling to recover from a war that all but ruined the planet. And while mankind survived, it’s now a world of division. There are those who live a life of plenty within their walled cities, and those who eke out an existence in the ruined – albeit it slowly recovering – wastelands outside.

If you live inside a city, you have everything you could possibly need: security; safety; the best hospitals and medical care; education and employment. (You get the idea). Life is good . . . as well it should be, for the star of their society discovered the means to travel between dimensions to parallel worlds; a secret process by which they ‘datamine’ information and technology and anything else that can be used to improve their own scientific advancement.

But travelling between worlds is dangerous. That’s why you’ll never find city-dwellers volunteering for the job. And really, why would they when there’s an endless supply of candidates just waiting for an opportunity to earn decent money – if only for a short while – and the possibility of full citizenship if they do well.

Enter Cara, a traverser with a penchant for survival. As the blurb reveals, of the 380 realities discovered so far, she’s only alive in 8 of them. Sheer coincidence? Or is there something more insidious, more duplicitous behind those figures?

Well, we certainly find out in an engaging adventure that – although set in a bleak and miserable world – nevertheless lets the sun shine through. It’s a tale about survival. Of love gone wrong and hope for a better future. Of the determination to improve. To see things to a conclusion without giving up. Our characters are human. Flawed and broken. Their interactions are colored by their social, cultural and racial differences, allowing for an engaging dialogue that keeps things real. Well placed plot twists and an easy pace keep the story moving along nicely, until you find yourself at a poignant end that you didn’t quite expect. (Kudos there).

This is the first book I’ve read by Micaiah Johnson, and from what I’ve seen, I know it won’t be the last. The Space Between Worlds, a fresh slant on a well-used trope. And a darn good read to boot!

Amazon Review

 Find Out How Much I Enjoyed My Stroll Through

The Quantum Garden - By Derek Künsken

The Quantum Garden

Having thoroughly enjoyed The Quantum Magician, I was keen to discover how Derek Künsken would follow it up in The Quantum Garden. And I have to say, I wasn’t disappointed.

Here’s what the cover reveals:

******

Days ago, Belisarius pulled off the most audacious con job in history. He’s rich, he’s back with the love of his life, and he has the Time Gates, the most valuable things in existence. Nothing could spoil this… except the utter destruction of his people and their world. To save them, he has to make a new deal with the boss he just double-crossed, travel back in time and work his quantum magic once again. If he can avoid detection, dodge paradox and stay ahead of the eerie, relentless Scarecrow, he might just get back to his own time alive.

******

This is one of those stories where the blurb does its job. It provides a hint – just a taster, mind – of what’s to come. And oh boy, when the main course hits you, it’s well worth the wait.

Now, I should point out straight away that this follow-up story isn’t about the con. It’s about facing the consequences of your actions. As such, it has a different flavor entirely to our first outing. Especially when you remember those consequences are triggered after rubbing the wrong peoples’ noses in the dirty. Yes, it’s payback time. And as Belisarius discovers, the cost is exceedingly high. So high, in fact, that he witnesses the eradication of the homo quantus as a species.

And that’s only the beginning of the reprisals, because he also finds himself marked as galactic enemy #1 and the top of a hate list that will bring tears to your eyes.

So what is he to do?

Well, don’t forget he has the time gates. But how to unravel a mess of gargantuan proportions without compromising the timeline and history itself, AND while simultaneously avoiding highly trained assassins who will commit any atrocity to see you dead?

In an amazingly structured and entertaining manner. That’s how.

And I’ve got to say I was most impressed.

Künsken relies heavily on the principles of theoretical physics to make his story arc work. Fortunately he does so in a remarkably uncomplicated way that keeps this adventure extremely entertaining. A significant feat, especially when you realize his main character, Belisarius Arjona, isn’t out to con anyone. Oh no. This is a lesson about facing consequences. About morality. About duty and honor, and putting personal vendettas aside for the greater good. About accepting responsibility for your actions and moving on and trying to make the best of the situation. (You’ll see just how deeply those threads run as you read the story). There are some remarkable surprises and OMG moments that will keep you guessing right down to the end.

The Quantum Garden. A profoundly entertaining trip down ‘possible’ memory lanes. 

Amazon Review

 Find Out What Secrets I Learned From. . .

The Quantum Magician

The Quantum Magician

I was drawn to The Quantum Magician after the author – Derek Künsken – was highlighted in one of the articles over at Black Gate Fantasy. And seeing as Black Gate has a good nose for quality sci-fi and fantasy, I thought I’d give it a try.

Here’s the cover blurb:

******

Belisarius is a Homo quantus, engineered with impossible insight. But his gift is also a curse an uncontrollable, even suicidal drive to know, to understand. Genetically flawed, he leaves his people to find a different life, and ends up becoming the galaxy's greatest con man and thief. 

But the jobs are getting too easy and his extraordinary brain is chafing at the neglect. When a client offers him untold wealth to move a squadron of secret warships across an enemy wormhole, Belisarius jumps at it. Now he must embrace his true nature to pull off the job, alongside a crew of extraordinary men and women.

If he succeeds, he could trigger an interstellar war... or the next step in human evolution.

******

Okay, so what have we got?

One of the best depictions of a future human society that has gone to extremes in adapting to the colonization of deep space, that’s what.

We have homo eridanus – the tribe of the mongrel – who have been genetically altered to survive the crushing depths of alien oceans; homo pupa, literal puppet-sized people biochemically hard-wired to revere their creators, the Numen; homo quantus, those whose brains and nervous systems have been adapted to delve into the secrets of multidimensional reality; sentient AIs with their own agendas. And they’re all packed into a disjointed civilization dependent upon the Axis Mundi, an artificial wormhole system that makes traveling around the galaxy possible. The trouble is, those wormholes are ancient, designed and built by the forerunners who ceased to exist millennia ago. Nobody really knows how they work, much less understand the technology involved. And it’s all under the control of a loosely tied conglomeration of interstellar banks and corporations who are only interested in making a profit. The thing is, the Venusian Congregate think they run the show. They have the biggest, best and most heavily armed warships after all. And if anyone steps out of line, there are always the Scarecrows. (Think of a unit comprised of superhuman assets who are an unholy blending of the Obsidian Order/the Gestapo/Grammaton Clerics/Section 31/Assassins Creed, etc – and you’ll be on the right track)

Into the mix comes Belisarius Arjona, a misfit homo quantus who never really fitted into the niche his people find themselves in. When he’s asked to help transport a fleet of decrepit warships from one side of known space to the other, he doesn’t really see the challenge in it. Until he learns the truth, that is. For while these warships might be out of date – having been lost for decades – their crews have made an incredible discovery. One they don’t want to share. One that could change the balance of power throughout the galaxy. And they need to use the Axis Mundis without that secret being exposed.

What follows is an ambitiously complex, nifty little tale of misdirection, sleight of hand, the foibles of human – and inhuman – nature, and outright betrayal, all wrapped up with a leading cast of characters who are as flawed and damaged as they are quirkily brilliant. And what Künsken lacks in detailed imagery of the actual worlds in which the story is set, he more than makes up for in energy, action, and storytelling.

I loved it, especially the frictional camaraderie that builds between each of the main characters as they play off each other’s limitations and weaknesses. Without realizing, that helps them bond to each other, forming an alliance hard to beat. . .

Or does it?

 Yes, treachery abounds in this spellbinding tale of deception and double-dealing. And nobody is above suspicion.

Amazon Review

 The IX Genesis

Cover Reveal

So many of the fans who enjoyed the IX Series asked for a prequel, that I was obliged to respond. And I’m glad I did. As I mentioned last time out, IX Genesis is a story about the origins of the Horde, their expansion, and the impact their rampage has on the people of Arden.

Here’s the back-story:

*********

Arden, birthplace of a people who have mastered the secrets of arcane, reality-bending technology, and home to a civilization that now spans more than thirty planets throughout an entire quadrant of the galaxy. They are wise and understanding. Majestic in vision. Powerful beyond compare. And intent on extending their benevolent influence throughout the stars. . .

Until the fateful day their thirst for knowledge leads them to push too far, too quickly. In doing so, they open a door into the antiverse, a realm where the very nature of existence is an anathema to life. An antithesis to all that is good. Evil. And that evil is sentient, as highly contagious as it is fueled by an irresistible proclivity to feed and multiply and spread.

And feed and multiply it does.

Faced with an overwhelming flood, the Ardenese have no option.

They must fight or die!

*********

So, does that want to make you find out more?

If so, head on over to my sister page at:

https://theix.blogspot.com/

Where you'll find a complete breakdown on the cover:

And if you like what you see, please feel free to click on the Buy Link Below:

IX GENESIS

Or feel free to try the links on the cover pictures in the side bar.

In any event, be sure to let me know what you think.

 Enjoy My Glimpse Into The Past

With. . .

Mistborn Secret History

In Mistborn Secret History, Brandon Sanderson adds a wealth of hitherto unknown details to the Mistborn and Wax and Wayne sagas.

Here’s a snippet of what you can expect:

******

Mistborn: Secret History is a companion story to the original Mistborn trilogy.

As such, it contains HUGE SPOILERS for the books Mistborn (the Final Empire), The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages. It also contains very minor spoilers for the book The Bands of Mourning.

Mistborn: Secret History builds upon the characterization, events, and worldbuilding of the original trilogy. Reading it without that background will be a confusing process at best.

In short, this isn’t the place to start your journey into Mistborn. (Though if you have read the trilogy—but it has been a while—you should be just fine, so long as you remember the characters and the general plot of the books.)

Saying anything more here risks revealing too much. Even knowledge of this story’s existence is, in a way, a spoiler.

There’s always another secret.

******

Rather tight-lipped isn’t it? That’s because to do otherwise would – as it so plainly explains – spoil what’s in store for those who haven’t yet read the opening six books. And as someone who hates to reveal any form of spoiler, I totally agree. So, be reassured by the last line: There’s always another secret.

And what a secret it is!

Before I go any further, I would say that, if you haven’t already, ensure you read the original Mistborn and Wax & Wayne adventures first. And as you do so, keep an eye out for ‘things’ that don’t quite add up. Things that make you stop and think or suspect, ‘hang on, what else might be going on?’

Because they ARE there. Little teasers of something else. Something bigger. Something . . . secret. And just what those niggles in the back of your mind might relate to is laid bare in this companion story. Yes, Sanderson has achieved something of a gem with this novella, as it lifts the veil, allowing us to peek into behind the scene developments that we suspected were taking place all along. And now we know about them, it feels as if a void has been filled. Like a comfy pair of slippers that fit ‘right.’

Personally, I rather enjoyed this step back – and through – time. The revelations it contains are evocative, mind-blowing, and fully satisfying, providing a number of ‘I knew it' moments that will leave you eager for the concluding story: The Lost Metal.

And better still, you’re introduced to characters you won’t meet for real just yet. Characters you know will take the story arc into new and exciting territory when we eventually get to the finale.

Treat yourself. It’s always better to see the bigger picture.

Amazon Review

 My Thoughts On

Harrow the Ninth

I found this second book of The Locked Tomb Trilogy rather tiresome.

Yes, I know. I absolutely adored Gideon the Ninth. It touched a nerve, deep inside my darkened soul. What’s more, I’m usually spot-on when it comes to choosing reading material and the kind of saga I think I’ll enjoy. Alas, I failed in this regard. Though – I’m glad to say – my faith in Tamsyn Muir was restored as the story drew toward its climax.

Here’s the blurb to start you off, and then I’ll explain what I think was a major flaw that sucked all the joy out of this particular book.

*********

She answered the Emperor's call.

She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend.

In victory, her world has turned to ash.

After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman's shoulders.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath -- but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.

Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?

*********

Sounds epic, doesn’t it?

And to be fair, it is . . . after a fashion.
As before, we have all the elements of Dark City, the Necromongers from The Chronicles of Riddick and the evocative imagery of the Bene Gesserit nuns in Dune, blended into a ‘whodunnit” style murder/killer-on-the-loose/mystery to fathom out. And yes, as before, it’s interspersed with clever dialogue, untrustworthy characters with their own agendas, a brutal magic system, and plenty of action that keeps you guessing . . . And more importantly: who is it that seeks Harrowhark’s death?

Buuuuut. . .

In my honest, heartfelt opinion, it still falls flat. And the main reason for that is the amount of time/perspective/and literal head hopping spent flitting backward, forward – and sometimes – sideways, in between an imaginative and appealing opening, and the Hail-Mary redeemer of an ending that saves the day by lifting the story arc – at last – to a level that matches the pedigree of Gideon the Ninth.

And the reason for that is Gideon Nav.

Fans of Gideon the Ninth know all about Gideon Nav. A sassy, smart/foul-mouthed, hooligan with a sword the size of her ego. But, my oh my, she made battling foul necromantic monsters and backstabbing opponents to the death lots of fun!

SPOILER ALERT:

And yet we hardly get to see her? A surprise, as fans will also know that once a necromancer and sword wielding cavalier have blended to rise to Lyctorhood, they become near all-powerful immortal servants of the everlasting resurrection, nigh on impossible to kill.

Yet amazingly, Gideon is missing from most of the story.

END OF SPOILER ALERT:

So, okay. There IS a reason for that. And it took me until about halfway through the story to guess why that might be. (Slow, for me, as I’m usually sharp as the proverbial nail in working out the plot). But THAT was due to all the time/perspective/head hopping I mentioned. It’s distracting. And far from enhancing the mystery element, it stymies it completely.

Now, don’t get me wrong. This kind of thing doesn’t usually bother me. I’ve seen it employed in other stories by a variety of writers. Yet they managed it in a cohesive way that allows you to maintain a proper grasp of the storyline. And it’s here that Tamsyn Muir falls short. The temporal skipping is haphazard in that it often comes so unexpectedly that it takes a while for you to appreciate you’ve left the main story thread. So it becomes irritating. And that’s a mistake, as far as I’m concerned, as it spoils what could be – and does its best to be – an awesome sequel.

Now, this is only my opinion. As I mentioned at the outset, the story is saved by a much more consistent beginning and spectacular ending. But in between? All I can say is that I do read and review a lot of different books by a wide variety of authors. And when something I enjoyed immensely first time out is unnecessarily tainted by an avoidable trait? THAT vexes me.

I’m still a huge fan of the Locked Tomb trilogy, and hope Tamsyn Muir’s concluding chapter returns to the original format. Something I look forward to very much.

Amazon Review