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Annwn Cycle #The Darkness Within the Li
Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists
Experience your favourite fantasy worlds through some of the most fearsome, devious, and brutal antagonists in fantasy. Villains take centre stage in nineteen dark and magical stories that will have you cheering for all the wrong heroes as they perform savage deeds towards wicked ends. And why not? They are the champions of their own stories—evil is a matter of perspective.
R. Scott Bakker (The Second Apocalypse)
Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, The Tiger and the Wolf)
Michael R. Fletcher (Manifest Delusions)
Shawn Speakman (The Annwn Cycles)
Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)
Kaaron Warren (The Gate Theory, Mistification)
Courtney Schafer (The Shattered Sigil)
Marc Turner (Chronicles of the Exile)
Jeff Salyards (Bloodsounder's Arc)
Mazarkis Williams (The Tower & Knife)
Deborah A. Wolf (The Dragon's Legacy)
Brian Staveley (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)
Alex Marshall (Crimson Empire)
Bradley P. Beaulieu (The Song of the Shattered Sands, The Lays of Anuskaya)
Matthew Ward (Shadow of the Raven, Coldharbour)
Mark Alder (Banners of Blood)
Janny Wurts (The Wars of Light and Shadow, The Empire Trilogy)
E.V. Morrigan (Glyph War world)
Peter Orullian (The Vault of Heaven)
Tommy Arnold (cover)
Jason Deem (interior art)
Shawn King (design)
R. Scott Bakker (The Second Apocalypse)
Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, The Tiger and the Wolf)
Michael R. Fletcher (Manifest Delusions)
Shawn Speakman (The Annwn Cycles)
Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)
Kaaron Warren (The Gate Theory, Mistification)
Courtney Schafer (The Shattered Sigil)
Marc Turner (Chronicles of the Exile)
Jeff Salyards (Bloodsounder's Arc)
Mazarkis Williams (The Tower & Knife)
Deborah A. Wolf (The Dragon's Legacy)
Brian Staveley (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)
Alex Marshall (Crimson Empire)
Bradley P. Beaulieu (The Song of the Shattered Sands, The Lays of Anuskaya)
Matthew Ward (Shadow of the Raven, Coldharbour)
Mark Alder (Banners of Blood)
Janny Wurts (The Wars of Light and Shadow, The Empire Trilogy)
E.V. Morrigan (Glyph War world)
Peter Orullian (The Vault of Heaven)
Tommy Arnold (cover)
Jason Deem (interior art)
Shawn King (design)
522 pages, Paperback
First published May 24, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 82 reviews
January 24, 2023
Review copy was provided by the editor in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 stars
Grimdark fantasy fans, this anthology is the perfect place for you to find a new hidden gem in the genre.
Let me start off by saying that this anthology has one of the best production values you can find in a book; stunning cover, nineteen short stories. Not only most of the stories are quite excellent, if you're reading this from the physical book, each story even has their mini-cover done by Jason Deem.
Picture: The Syldoon Sun mini cover (Interior artworks can only be found in the physical book.)
Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists, like the title implied, is a collection to show you that most of the times, ‘evil' really only depends on the side to which you belong. Right from the start, the book began with a beautifully written introduction and concept on what grimdark fantasy is all about by R. Scott Baker and the editor, Adrian Collins.
Almost all of the short stories here took place in each author's respective main series from a villain's POV. The only related series I've read before this collection is Manifest Delusions by Michael R. Fletcher and Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley and because of that, both stories felt more comfortable to read for me. The rest is completely uncharted territory, most of them I never even heard about, and that's okay because, in my opinion, the purpose of this anthology is for you to find which author's work suited you most so you can try the main series you think you'll like.
I don't want you to think of me as being lazy here with my review, but I won't be doing a mini review on any of the stories here. Almost all of them are way too short and take just five to twenty minutes to complete and as such relating any of it will just spoil some aspect of the tale; it is better to just read them for yourself.
Like all anthology I've read, some of the stories are amazing, some are not; no single story can work for everyone after all. I'll list which ones were the most memorable and the least for me.
Most memorable:
The Broken Dead (Manifest Delusions) by Michael R. Fletcher
The Syldoon Sun (Bloodsounder’s Arc) by Jeff Salyards
The Darkness within the Light (The Annwyn Cycles) by Shawn Speakman
The Greater of Two Evils (Chronicles of the Exile) by Marc Turner
Better Than Breath (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne) by Brian Staveley
Least memorable:
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore (Crimson Empire) by Alex Marshall
A Royal Gift (Banners of Blood) by Mark Alder
A Storm Unbound (Glyph War World) - E.V. Morrigan
Outside of the ones I listed above, the rest are either decent or great in quality. One minor con I had with the overall book is that from my perspective, almost all the POV featured a wholly evil character with virtually no redeeming factor. However, that may be just me, as the title said, it's a matter of perspective, and it doesn't change the fact that the majority of the stories here are enjoyable, some even poignant.
It wouldn't be fair for me to rate this book based on the cumulative score of each short story, it's better for me to rate it by the whole package. The most important thing you should be aware of you're reading this book is not to expect epic tales —most of the stories are too short to get that kind of experience— but to potentially discover new authors who have been producing quality at work in the genre. At least that's how it was for me. For example, I've never heard about Chronicles of the Exile, but after this, I'm interested in its tale and will probably read it in the future.
Overall, this is one of the greatest anthologies I've read after Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson. If you're a fan of grimdark fantasy, you should get this; it's pretty much a literary treasure hunt.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
3.5/5 stars
Grimdark fantasy fans, this anthology is the perfect place for you to find a new hidden gem in the genre.
Let me start off by saying that this anthology has one of the best production values you can find in a book; stunning cover, nineteen short stories. Not only most of the stories are quite excellent, if you're reading this from the physical book, each story even has their mini-cover done by Jason Deem.
Picture: The Syldoon Sun mini cover (Interior artworks can only be found in the physical book.)
Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists, like the title implied, is a collection to show you that most of the times, ‘evil' really only depends on the side to which you belong. Right from the start, the book began with a beautifully written introduction and concept on what grimdark fantasy is all about by R. Scott Baker and the editor, Adrian Collins.
“To write grimdark, to pursue complicated moralities in fantastic settings, is to risk the universal instincts of one's fellows in a manner no other genre can."
Almost all of the short stories here took place in each author's respective main series from a villain's POV. The only related series I've read before this collection is Manifest Delusions by Michael R. Fletcher and Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne by Brian Staveley and because of that, both stories felt more comfortable to read for me. The rest is completely uncharted territory, most of them I never even heard about, and that's okay because, in my opinion, the purpose of this anthology is for you to find which author's work suited you most so you can try the main series you think you'll like.
I don't want you to think of me as being lazy here with my review, but I won't be doing a mini review on any of the stories here. Almost all of them are way too short and take just five to twenty minutes to complete and as such relating any of it will just spoil some aspect of the tale; it is better to just read them for yourself.
Like all anthology I've read, some of the stories are amazing, some are not; no single story can work for everyone after all. I'll list which ones were the most memorable and the least for me.
Most memorable:
The Broken Dead (Manifest Delusions) by Michael R. Fletcher
The Syldoon Sun (Bloodsounder’s Arc) by Jeff Salyards
The Darkness within the Light (The Annwyn Cycles) by Shawn Speakman
The Greater of Two Evils (Chronicles of the Exile) by Marc Turner
Better Than Breath (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne) by Brian Staveley
Least memorable:
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore (Crimson Empire) by Alex Marshall
A Royal Gift (Banners of Blood) by Mark Alder
A Storm Unbound (Glyph War World) - E.V. Morrigan
Outside of the ones I listed above, the rest are either decent or great in quality. One minor con I had with the overall book is that from my perspective, almost all the POV featured a wholly evil character with virtually no redeeming factor. However, that may be just me, as the title said, it's a matter of perspective, and it doesn't change the fact that the majority of the stories here are enjoyable, some even poignant.
It wouldn't be fair for me to rate this book based on the cumulative score of each short story, it's better for me to rate it by the whole package. The most important thing you should be aware of you're reading this book is not to expect epic tales —most of the stories are too short to get that kind of experience— but to potentially discover new authors who have been producing quality at work in the genre. At least that's how it was for me. For example, I've never heard about Chronicles of the Exile, but after this, I'm interested in its tale and will probably read it in the future.
Overall, this is one of the greatest anthologies I've read after Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson. If you're a fan of grimdark fantasy, you should get this; it's pretty much a literary treasure hunt.
You can find this and the rest of my Adult Epic/High Fantasy & Sci-Fi reviews at BookNest
June 8, 2017
Originally reviewed at Bookwraiths.
Grimdark lovers gather around! Followers of the most foul follow my lead! The ultimate anthology of the genre has arrived, and it perfectly captures the despicable, rotten, violent worlds and people of all our favorite authors. And whether you’re a dedicated reader of Grimdark Magazine or not, its creator Adrian Collins has put together a damn fine collection of stories with Evil Is A Matter of Perspective, one every fan of villains must read.
Once the book opens, a reader will immediately be dazzled by the authors included here. R. Scott Bakker, Michael R. Fletcher, Janny Wurts, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Alex Marshall, Marc Turner, Peter Orullian, Jeff Salyards, Deborah A. Wolf, Mazarkis Williams, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Matthew Ward, and many more. The list reading like a who’s who of fantasy. And, for the most part, the stories each of these authors contribute live up to their stellar reputations.
Naturally, there were all types of tales presented. The only similarity among the lot that the protagonist are villains. Those despicable characters most of us usually love to hate. All the authors doing their best to reveal the hidden side of their most repulsive, vile creations. And more than a few of these guys grew on me, made me feel bad at their circumstances, and even understand their motives. Can’t say I ever liked any of them, but at least I became a more sympathetic hater. But, naturally, I liked some of these people and their stories more than others, so instead of going through every single story in this anthology, I’m going to highlight my favorites of the bunch.
Right out of the gate I got to devour a delectable morsel of madness from my favorite author of the moment Michael R. Fletcher. His story “The Broken Dead” about an emotional scarred young woman, her misuse by her lover, and where it leads both immensely insightful and wickedly entertaining. If you haven’t read Fletcher yet, this tale will definitely whet your appetite for more.
The most surprising and jarring story for me was “Better than Breath” by Brian Staveley. This tale about a mother protecting her children tore at my heart, because the author’s twist at the end really stabbed the knife in deep, causing me to question everything I had felt so certain of just pages before.
Another favorite author of mine was Jeff Salyards look at a traitor in “The Syldoon Sun.” The motives and reasons for a turncoats’ seemingly horrible actions made clear, and his end more tragic for how it occurs.
Alex Marshall’s “The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore” was probably my favorite weird tale. The look at a young, naive woman ascending to the position of Black Pope of her world’s universal church quite the depressing, chaotic, and grim look at how youthful exuberance to change the world isn’t always a good thing.
But the highlight of the anthology for me was Peter Orullian’s amazingly clever, delightfully cruel, and cunningly crafted “The Aging of a Kill.” This revenge (or justice, according to your point of view) story about the calculated subversion of a person’s whole life rather than their murder so good I could not stop reading it. The Count of Monte Cristo has nothing on this story, boys and girls.
The only flaw of this anthology (Other reviewers have also mentioned it.) the fact that most of the villains here are just that VILLAINS. The stories not really presenting any sense that these guys have any redeeming qualities or are conflicted in any way regarding their vile ways. In fact, most of these people are bad at the beginning, middle and end of their story. No remorse. No believable struggle to fight their baser instincts. They are pieces of shite and don’t apologize for it. Nothing wrong with that, but I had expected these stories to highlight more ambiguity in their natures. So it probably should come as no surprise that my favorite stories are the ones where I felt the author did the best job of actually justifying their protagonists’ grimness.
Even with that criticism, I have to say Evil Is A Matter of Perspective was an excellent anthology, filled with stories for every readers’ taste. Simply put, it is some damn fine grimdark. And if you like villains, then there is no better place to get your fix, my grim brothers and sisters.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
Grimdark lovers gather around! Followers of the most foul follow my lead! The ultimate anthology of the genre has arrived, and it perfectly captures the despicable, rotten, violent worlds and people of all our favorite authors. And whether you’re a dedicated reader of Grimdark Magazine or not, its creator Adrian Collins has put together a damn fine collection of stories with Evil Is A Matter of Perspective, one every fan of villains must read.
Once the book opens, a reader will immediately be dazzled by the authors included here. R. Scott Bakker, Michael R. Fletcher, Janny Wurts, Adrian Tchaikovsky, Alex Marshall, Marc Turner, Peter Orullian, Jeff Salyards, Deborah A. Wolf, Mazarkis Williams, Bradley P. Beaulieu, Matthew Ward, and many more. The list reading like a who’s who of fantasy. And, for the most part, the stories each of these authors contribute live up to their stellar reputations.
Naturally, there were all types of tales presented. The only similarity among the lot that the protagonist are villains. Those despicable characters most of us usually love to hate. All the authors doing their best to reveal the hidden side of their most repulsive, vile creations. And more than a few of these guys grew on me, made me feel bad at their circumstances, and even understand their motives. Can’t say I ever liked any of them, but at least I became a more sympathetic hater. But, naturally, I liked some of these people and their stories more than others, so instead of going through every single story in this anthology, I’m going to highlight my favorites of the bunch.
Right out of the gate I got to devour a delectable morsel of madness from my favorite author of the moment Michael R. Fletcher. His story “The Broken Dead” about an emotional scarred young woman, her misuse by her lover, and where it leads both immensely insightful and wickedly entertaining. If you haven’t read Fletcher yet, this tale will definitely whet your appetite for more.
The most surprising and jarring story for me was “Better than Breath” by Brian Staveley. This tale about a mother protecting her children tore at my heart, because the author’s twist at the end really stabbed the knife in deep, causing me to question everything I had felt so certain of just pages before.
Another favorite author of mine was Jeff Salyards look at a traitor in “The Syldoon Sun.” The motives and reasons for a turncoats’ seemingly horrible actions made clear, and his end more tragic for how it occurs.
Alex Marshall’s “The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore” was probably my favorite weird tale. The look at a young, naive woman ascending to the position of Black Pope of her world’s universal church quite the depressing, chaotic, and grim look at how youthful exuberance to change the world isn’t always a good thing.
But the highlight of the anthology for me was Peter Orullian’s amazingly clever, delightfully cruel, and cunningly crafted “The Aging of a Kill.” This revenge (or justice, according to your point of view) story about the calculated subversion of a person’s whole life rather than their murder so good I could not stop reading it. The Count of Monte Cristo has nothing on this story, boys and girls.
The only flaw of this anthology (Other reviewers have also mentioned it.) the fact that most of the villains here are just that VILLAINS. The stories not really presenting any sense that these guys have any redeeming qualities or are conflicted in any way regarding their vile ways. In fact, most of these people are bad at the beginning, middle and end of their story. No remorse. No believable struggle to fight their baser instincts. They are pieces of shite and don’t apologize for it. Nothing wrong with that, but I had expected these stories to highlight more ambiguity in their natures. So it probably should come as no surprise that my favorite stories are the ones where I felt the author did the best job of actually justifying their protagonists’ grimness.
Even with that criticism, I have to say Evil Is A Matter of Perspective was an excellent anthology, filled with stories for every readers’ taste. Simply put, it is some damn fine grimdark. And if you like villains, then there is no better place to get your fix, my grim brothers and sisters.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review. I’d like to thank them for allowing me to receive this review copy and inform everyone that the review you have read is my opinion alone.
July 8, 2017
Evil is a Matter of Perspective is, by far, the best anthology I've ever had the joy to read.
"Evil is a matter of perspective. To appreciate this fact is to surmount the tribalism that is our inheritance, to join those who refuse, as far as they are able, to play groupish games. To write grimdark, to pursue complicated moralities in fantastic settings, is to risk the universal instincts of one's fellows in a manner no other genre can."
Adrian Collins outdid himself with this project - you wouldn't imagine it was self-published if you haven't been told so. From the amazing cover art by Tommy Arnold to the 26 stunning black & white interior art pieces by the talented Jason Deem, and from the eloquent design by the unparalleled Shawn King to the quality edits by Mike Myers, EiaMoP is a wonder to behold. I would lie if I said that EiaMoP isn't an inspiration to my work with Art of War.
Art and design are important aspects of every book, but what truly makes the difference is what's inside, and Collins truly couldn't create a more impressive line-up: From the well-written and captivating story of Michael R. Fletcher to the top-notched and rapid character development of Brian Staveley, from the eloquent prose of Adrian Tchaikovsky to the fascinating setting and engrossing plot of Jeff Salyards, and from the consistent writing of Bradley P. Beaulieu to the well-flowed and compelling narrative of Marc Turner, EiaMoP is an anthology of gritty, grim, and top quality stories.
"Anomie stood and her Schatten Morder, the five corpses scattered about the floor, stood too. All bore swords, but none wore more than shreds of long rotted clothing. None wore armour - such contrivances are for those who fear death. In those rare times when the Theocrat called them into service, they always saw violence. When they became too damaged to continue, Anomie left them where they fell. Someday her own body would suffer enough damage to render her incapable of movement and she too would fall. She didn't fear that moment."
Alex Marshall, Mark Alder, Janny Wurts, Shawn Speakman, Kaaron Warren, Courtney Schafer, E.V. Morrigan, Matthew Ward, Deborah A. Wolf, Teresa Frochock, Mazarkis Williams, Peter Orullian and R. Scott Bakker are the rest of the participating authors, and I can tell you with confidence that you will enjoy every single one of their stories.
All in all, Evil is a Matter of Perspective is a grimdark anthology that stands out among myriad of others, and if you call yourself a fantasy fan, then you should buy it ASAP.
You can find all of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu
"Evil is a matter of perspective. To appreciate this fact is to surmount the tribalism that is our inheritance, to join those who refuse, as far as they are able, to play groupish games. To write grimdark, to pursue complicated moralities in fantastic settings, is to risk the universal instincts of one's fellows in a manner no other genre can."
Adrian Collins outdid himself with this project - you wouldn't imagine it was self-published if you haven't been told so. From the amazing cover art by Tommy Arnold to the 26 stunning black & white interior art pieces by the talented Jason Deem, and from the eloquent design by the unparalleled Shawn King to the quality edits by Mike Myers, EiaMoP is a wonder to behold. I would lie if I said that EiaMoP isn't an inspiration to my work with Art of War.
Art and design are important aspects of every book, but what truly makes the difference is what's inside, and Collins truly couldn't create a more impressive line-up: From the well-written and captivating story of Michael R. Fletcher to the top-notched and rapid character development of Brian Staveley, from the eloquent prose of Adrian Tchaikovsky to the fascinating setting and engrossing plot of Jeff Salyards, and from the consistent writing of Bradley P. Beaulieu to the well-flowed and compelling narrative of Marc Turner, EiaMoP is an anthology of gritty, grim, and top quality stories.
"Anomie stood and her Schatten Morder, the five corpses scattered about the floor, stood too. All bore swords, but none wore more than shreds of long rotted clothing. None wore armour - such contrivances are for those who fear death. In those rare times when the Theocrat called them into service, they always saw violence. When they became too damaged to continue, Anomie left them where they fell. Someday her own body would suffer enough damage to render her incapable of movement and she too would fall. She didn't fear that moment."
Alex Marshall, Mark Alder, Janny Wurts, Shawn Speakman, Kaaron Warren, Courtney Schafer, E.V. Morrigan, Matthew Ward, Deborah A. Wolf, Teresa Frochock, Mazarkis Williams, Peter Orullian and R. Scott Bakker are the rest of the participating authors, and I can tell you with confidence that you will enjoy every single one of their stories.
All in all, Evil is a Matter of Perspective is a grimdark anthology that stands out among myriad of others, and if you call yourself a fantasy fan, then you should buy it ASAP.
You can find all of my reviews over at http://BookNest.eu
Currently reading
November 10, 2017I'm going to update this review as I progress. This way I'll share my thoughts as the stories are still very fresh on my mind. My reviews will include my thoughts only, you better find out for yourself what the stories are all about :)
Gems: Marc Turner, Jeff Salyards, Shawn Speakman and Courtney Schafer have the best stories so far. Teresa Frohock's story was quite good. Adrian Tchaikovsky's story is good too, but relies too much on prior knowledge of Shadows of Apt world.
There are two introductions to this book in the beginning. First one - On the Goodness of Evil by R. Scott Bakker deals with assertions of universal good and evil. Bakker gives examples of different approaches in fantasy by analyzing Tolkien and Martin’s works. It was quite interesting, but nothing new here.
Second introduction is A Lifetime of Inspiration by Adrian Collins. This one is more accessible and personal than Bakker’s intro. He tells his story, and explains why these issues have compelled him into exploring them since a very young age. The personal approach was interesting and most people would probably find it more appealing than Bakker’s intro.
The Broken Dead (Manifested Delusions) by Michael R. Fletcher – I've already read Fire and Flesh, so I was familiar with Fletcher's unique style and world so it felt less odd. It was an ok/nice short story, but the plot wasn’t as good as Flesh and Fire.
3.5/5.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow (Los Neffilim) by Teresa Frohock – It's a really interesting mix between Spanish civil war and war between angels and demons. The story is also influenced by biblical mythology (Neffilim, Rafael, Molech). I liked this short story and it made me curious about Los Nefilim series.
4/5
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore (The Crimson Empire) by Alex Marshall – Mehh…It was a bit boring story.
2.75-3/5
A royal Gift (Banners of Blood) by Mark Alder– A very short historical fiction bordering fantasy. The writing style is quite good, but it wasn’t really interesting.
3-3.25/5
Old Blood (Shadows of Apt) by Adrian Tchaikovsky – The story is well-written and there's a good plot with lots of big-scale schemes, but the story has a significant problem.
Adrian throws you into the world of Shadows of Apt and relies too much on prior knowledge. In the first half it was more or less ok, but in the second half he throws a lot of things to the air regarding the world and history of different species that requires a lot of prior knowledge of this world and its lore in order to enjoy it to the fully. Submitting to an anthology a short story that relies too much on prior knowledge is not a good idea imo. It's also not a good idea for a short story that suppose to attract new readers.
Having said that, I enjoyed reading the story, and I'm curious about his series as it appears like there're a lot of interesting.
3.75/5 (I had to knock-off 0.5 stars due to issue I mentioned above).
Black Bargain (The Wars of Light and Shadow) by Janny Wurts - The premise is pretty interesting, and first third raised my expectations that unfortunately the last 2/3 hadn't met. I read the first two pages of Curse of the Mistwraith for comparison and found the writing style more engaging than this story. It's a nice story, but I had higher expectations.
3.5-3.75/5
The Syldoon Sun (Bloodsounder's Arc) by Jeff Salyards - A great short story! Writing, plot, pacing and characterization were very good. The ending felt a bit rushed out.
4.5/5
"The Darkness within the Light (The Chronicle of the Exile) by Shawn Speakman - What a great execution of "Evil is a Matter of Perspective" theme in an Arthurian story. Great story that I was really impressed by.
4.5/5
The Greater of Two Evils (The Chronicle of the Exile) by Marc Turner - Perfect story! Lots of fun with water mages and pirates on the high seas. Great charaterization of main characters, excellent dialogues and banter, good writing-style, and engaging plot with excellent pacing. I would definitely bump the series on my tbr.
5/5
Exceeding Bitter by Kaaron Warren - Odd, creepy, and not interesting story. I skimmed through some parts of the story.
2/5
A Game of Mages (shattered Sigil) by Courtney Schafer - The story occurs a few years prior to the events of The Whitefire Crossing, and feature most of the main characters from TWC. It was the only world I was already familiar with, and it was a really good and smart story about schemes of cunning wizards.
4.25/5
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Unveiled (The Song of the Shattered Sands) by Bradley P. Beaulieu - A pretty nice story with some Arabian nights flavors. It's the longest story in the book, but while it was a nice story it wasn't much more than that, as it didn't excel in anything in particular.
3.75-4/5
Gems: Marc Turner, Jeff Salyards, Shawn Speakman and Courtney Schafer have the best stories so far. Teresa Frohock's story was quite good. Adrian Tchaikovsky's story is good too, but relies too much on prior knowledge of Shadows of Apt world.
There are two introductions to this book in the beginning. First one - On the Goodness of Evil by R. Scott Bakker deals with assertions of universal good and evil. Bakker gives examples of different approaches in fantasy by analyzing Tolkien and Martin’s works. It was quite interesting, but nothing new here.
Second introduction is A Lifetime of Inspiration by Adrian Collins. This one is more accessible and personal than Bakker’s intro. He tells his story, and explains why these issues have compelled him into exploring them since a very young age. The personal approach was interesting and most people would probably find it more appealing than Bakker’s intro.
The Broken Dead (Manifested Delusions) by Michael R. Fletcher – I've already read Fire and Flesh, so I was familiar with Fletcher's unique style and world so it felt less odd. It was an ok/nice short story, but the plot wasn’t as good as Flesh and Fire.
3.5/5.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow (Los Neffilim) by Teresa Frohock – It's a really interesting mix between Spanish civil war and war between angels and demons. The story is also influenced by biblical mythology (Neffilim, Rafael, Molech). I liked this short story and it made me curious about Los Nefilim series.
4/5
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore (The Crimson Empire) by Alex Marshall – Mehh…It was a bit boring story.
2.75-3/5
A royal Gift (Banners of Blood) by Mark Alder– A very short historical fiction bordering fantasy. The writing style is quite good, but it wasn’t really interesting.
3-3.25/5
Old Blood (Shadows of Apt) by Adrian Tchaikovsky – The story is well-written and there's a good plot with lots of big-scale schemes, but the story has a significant problem.
Adrian throws you into the world of Shadows of Apt and relies too much on prior knowledge. In the first half it was more or less ok, but in the second half he throws a lot of things to the air regarding the world and history of different species that requires a lot of prior knowledge of this world and its lore in order to enjoy it to the fully. Submitting to an anthology a short story that relies too much on prior knowledge is not a good idea imo. It's also not a good idea for a short story that suppose to attract new readers.
Having said that, I enjoyed reading the story, and I'm curious about his series as it appears like there're a lot of interesting.
3.75/5 (I had to knock-off 0.5 stars due to issue I mentioned above).
Black Bargain (The Wars of Light and Shadow) by Janny Wurts - The premise is pretty interesting, and first third raised my expectations that unfortunately the last 2/3 hadn't met. I read the first two pages of Curse of the Mistwraith for comparison and found the writing style more engaging than this story. It's a nice story, but I had higher expectations.
3.5-3.75/5
The Syldoon Sun (Bloodsounder's Arc) by Jeff Salyards - A great short story! Writing, plot, pacing and characterization were very good. The ending felt a bit rushed out.
4.5/5
"The Darkness within the Light (The Chronicle of the Exile) by Shawn Speakman - What a great execution of "Evil is a Matter of Perspective" theme in an Arthurian story. Great story that I was really impressed by.
4.5/5
The Greater of Two Evils (The Chronicle of the Exile) by Marc Turner - Perfect story! Lots of fun with water mages and pirates on the high seas. Great charaterization of main characters, excellent dialogues and banter, good writing-style, and engaging plot with excellent pacing. I would definitely bump the series on my tbr.
5/5
Exceeding Bitter by Kaaron Warren - Odd, creepy, and not interesting story. I skimmed through some parts of the story.
2/5
A Game of Mages (shattered Sigil) by Courtney Schafer - The story occurs a few years prior to the events of The Whitefire Crossing, and feature most of the main characters from TWC. It was the only world I was already familiar with, and it was a really good and smart story about schemes of cunning wizards.
4.25/5
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Unveiled (The Song of the Shattered Sands) by Bradley P. Beaulieu - A pretty nice story with some Arabian nights flavors. It's the longest story in the book, but while it was a nice story it wasn't much more than that, as it didn't excel in anything in particular.
3.75-4/5
November 21, 2017
The main reason why I took this book in consideration was for the opportunity to learn something new about my favorite sub-genre grimdark, and subsequently read new stories and learn about those authors I was unaware of so far.
So, what this book is actually about, and why should you read it if you enjoy reading grimdark?
Right from the start, in very foreword, R. Scott Bakker, author of The Second Apocalypse Series, tries to explain differences between:
high fantasy stories that have characters which represent ancient evil that knows nothing else except to be evil;
and today’s grimdark stories where evil can be found within every single character - even within main protagonist.
And what ultimately makes them evil in their stories, he says, is a matter of perspective.
He advocates this “change in perspective narrative” by comparing J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth with George R.R. Martin's Westeros, and to me that’s a very interesting comparison.
Where have we read about Orcs farming their lands? Having families, wives and children?
Having dreams and ambitions other than to serve as minions to their master by pillaging and killing?
We couldn’t read that anywhere because that wasn’t their purpose in the story, and for purpose of the story – to show what’s morally right in this world of Middle Earth, world where goodness must overcome evil – they had to be stripped of any personality.
Orcs couldn’t be murdered; Orcs could only be destroyed because they represent nothing but an evil obstacle for those who have a moral high-ground.
In contrast to Tolkien’s Middle Earth what Martin in his Westeros did is that he made everyone an Orc. With personality.
They can farm their lands and mind their own business, but if opportunity presents itself, they can take upon their arms and they can start pillaging and killing all across the continent.
Not because they are possessed by malice - but to answer the call of their sovereign. Or simply for their personal gain. To defend themselves or to run away. Often they are simply pushed into making bad choices.
And what makes them evil in this kind of story, where there's no moral high-ground, is someone else’s, distorted, point of view. Perspective.
If you find yourself intrigued by this concept where even your main hero can be corrupted, than this book is for you.
Now, because stories in this anthology were so short I cannot review them as I usually do or else I'll spoil them, so to avoid that I’ll just quickly mention those stories that left bigger impression on me than others and reasons why.
(Which, of course, doesn’t mean those others were less good or significant in making this book amazing as she is.)
The Broken Dead - Manifest Delusions series - by Michael R. Fletcher
From the very first sentence something struck me as familiar when I started reading first story in this anthology. This repetition quoted above, this echoing of sentences used to indicate or point out significance, reminded me of Anna Smith Spark's prose she wrote in her debut novel The Court of Broken Knives.
I vaguely remember she mentioned him in acknowledgments, and as I progressed reading this story and getting to know myself with Michael’s writing, I could clearly see his influence in her writing style, too.
And since Anna’s debut novel was, in my opinion, best debut novel I have read this year, I can’t wait to further explore Michael’s books. And of course, those who haven’t read Anna’s book, but enjoyed Michaels writing, should definitely check it out.
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore - The Crimson Empire series - by Alex Marshall
I have this series for a very long time on my ‘to read’ list, and this short story about a young common girl who believes that she is chosen next in line by goddess Fallen Mother herself for a succession of a Black Pope, made me ask myself what have I been waiting so far.
Story actually managed to show me everything I would be interested in reading this series: intrigues of politicking, ancient foes and endless battles, fricking War-Nuns wielding longswords, strange creatures and even twists and turns of characters we’re following in this story.
Black Bargain – Wars of Light and Shadow series – by Janny Wurts
First impression while I was reading this story was how eloquent everyone was while berating each other. I mean, worst you could read was:
“Go suck the port magistrate’s pip”, upon which someone would respond with: “Your mannerless tongue’s an embarrassment and nuisance better off silenced”.
Prose, along with the (quite dark) story itself of course, in this one was just magnificent, and I can’t wait to get my hands on her series.
The Greater of Two Evils – The Chronicles of the Exile series – by Marc Turner
Mazana Creed is a water-mage and a captain of a pirate ship Zest, that’s riding on waves of water-magic.
She seeks the seat of a Storm Lord by chasing down other pirates, since, you know, killing previous Storm Lord – her father – isn’t enough for a seat at Storm Council, so now she has to show she deserves that honor.
I think that’s quite enough of attention.
Also, I think this series is my next read.
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled – The Song of the Shattered Sands series – by Bradley P. Beaulieu
This story is yet another reason why I think Bradley is one of the best writers of fantasy today. If you haven’t already, treat yourself with his series mentioned above.
What I love about him is that he never misses a chance, in little side stories like this, to build upon his world. He makes them standalone for sure, but you would miss so much if you would skip it.
Blood Penny – The Dragon’s Legacy series – by Deborah A. Wolf
This is not a story. This is a transporter to another world. Beautifully written story about a child of thirteen who can make all the wrong choices out of the best intentions. Sometimes children in stories can be most terrifying villains.
And many more great authors and short stories can be found here. For me, it was like a treasure hunt discovering all of them.
So, what this book is actually about, and why should you read it if you enjoy reading grimdark?
Right from the start, in very foreword, R. Scott Bakker, author of The Second Apocalypse Series, tries to explain differences between:
high fantasy stories that have characters which represent ancient evil that knows nothing else except to be evil;
and today’s grimdark stories where evil can be found within every single character - even within main protagonist.
And what ultimately makes them evil in their stories, he says, is a matter of perspective.
He advocates this “change in perspective narrative” by comparing J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle Earth with George R.R. Martin's Westeros, and to me that’s a very interesting comparison.
Where have we read about Orcs farming their lands? Having families, wives and children?
Having dreams and ambitions other than to serve as minions to their master by pillaging and killing?
We couldn’t read that anywhere because that wasn’t their purpose in the story, and for purpose of the story – to show what’s morally right in this world of Middle Earth, world where goodness must overcome evil – they had to be stripped of any personality.
Orcs couldn’t be murdered; Orcs could only be destroyed because they represent nothing but an evil obstacle for those who have a moral high-ground.
In contrast to Tolkien’s Middle Earth what Martin in his Westeros did is that he made everyone an Orc. With personality.
They can farm their lands and mind their own business, but if opportunity presents itself, they can take upon their arms and they can start pillaging and killing all across the continent.
Not because they are possessed by malice - but to answer the call of their sovereign. Or simply for their personal gain. To defend themselves or to run away. Often they are simply pushed into making bad choices.
And what makes them evil in this kind of story, where there's no moral high-ground, is someone else’s, distorted, point of view. Perspective.
If you find yourself intrigued by this concept where even your main hero can be corrupted, than this book is for you.
Now, because stories in this anthology were so short I cannot review them as I usually do or else I'll spoil them, so to avoid that I’ll just quickly mention those stories that left bigger impression on me than others and reasons why.
(Which, of course, doesn’t mean those others were less good or significant in making this book amazing as she is.)
The Broken Dead - Manifest Delusions series - by Michael R. Fletcher
“She ran until she could no longer hear him. She ran until she could run no more. She ran until exhaustion dragged her down.”
“She didn’t want to be alone. Had never been alone. Didn’t know how to be alone.”
From the very first sentence something struck me as familiar when I started reading first story in this anthology. This repetition quoted above, this echoing of sentences used to indicate or point out significance, reminded me of Anna Smith Spark's prose she wrote in her debut novel The Court of Broken Knives.
I vaguely remember she mentioned him in acknowledgments, and as I progressed reading this story and getting to know myself with Michael’s writing, I could clearly see his influence in her writing style, too.
And since Anna’s debut novel was, in my opinion, best debut novel I have read this year, I can’t wait to further explore Michael’s books. And of course, those who haven’t read Anna’s book, but enjoyed Michaels writing, should definitely check it out.
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore - The Crimson Empire series - by Alex Marshall
I have this series for a very long time on my ‘to read’ list, and this short story about a young common girl who believes that she is chosen next in line by goddess Fallen Mother herself for a succession of a Black Pope, made me ask myself what have I been waiting so far.
Story actually managed to show me everything I would be interested in reading this series: intrigues of politicking, ancient foes and endless battles, fricking War-Nuns wielding longswords, strange creatures and even twists and turns of characters we’re following in this story.
Black Bargain – Wars of Light and Shadow series – by Janny Wurts
First impression while I was reading this story was how eloquent everyone was while berating each other. I mean, worst you could read was:
“Go suck the port magistrate’s pip”, upon which someone would respond with: “Your mannerless tongue’s an embarrassment and nuisance better off silenced”.
Prose, along with the (quite dark) story itself of course, in this one was just magnificent, and I can’t wait to get my hands on her series.
The Greater of Two Evils – The Chronicles of the Exile series – by Marc Turner
“To command a space, one must first command attention.”
Mazana Creed is a water-mage and a captain of a pirate ship Zest, that’s riding on waves of water-magic.
She seeks the seat of a Storm Lord by chasing down other pirates, since, you know, killing previous Storm Lord – her father – isn’t enough for a seat at Storm Council, so now she has to show she deserves that honor.
I think that’s quite enough of attention.
“People are so easily corrupted.”
“No, they are easily led. The direction you choose to lead them in, that is down to you alone.”
Also, I think this series is my next read.
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled – The Song of the Shattered Sands series – by Bradley P. Beaulieu
This story is yet another reason why I think Bradley is one of the best writers of fantasy today. If you haven’t already, treat yourself with his series mentioned above.
What I love about him is that he never misses a chance, in little side stories like this, to build upon his world. He makes them standalone for sure, but you would miss so much if you would skip it.
Blood Penny – The Dragon’s Legacy series – by Deborah A. Wolf
This is not a story. This is a transporter to another world. Beautifully written story about a child of thirteen who can make all the wrong choices out of the best intentions. Sometimes children in stories can be most terrifying villains.
And many more great authors and short stories can be found here. For me, it was like a treasure hunt discovering all of them.
July 15, 2017
The ultimate grimdark anthology that introduces what the genre is. A collection of all of the grey characters you could possibly want, all gathered in one place. Of course, some of my favourites were from fantasy universes I've experienced before, but it is not necessary to have prior knowledge of the settings. Some of the stories I ended up loving were from authors I've never read or even heard of.
Forward and Introduction - R. Scott Bakker, Adrian Collins
Nice introduction to the anthology that really captures the essence of what grimdark is and the evolution of the fantasy genre.
The Broken Dead - Michael R. Fletcher 5/5*
This is the first thing I've read by Michael Fletcher. He's been on my TBR for a while now and a lot of my friends put his Manifest Delusions in their list of favourite fantasy series. I must say, after reading this short story I am even more excited to pick up his novels. The story was super weird (in a good way) and really set the tone for the collection.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow - Teresa Frohock 3/5*
Another author I haven't read before. An interesting paranormal urban fantasy. The Spanish background added something different to the angels and demons story. Will be adding her Los Nelifim series to my TBR.
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore - Alex Marshall 1/5*
Sadly, not my cup of tea.
A Royal Gift - Mark Alder 2/5*
This story was extremely short. It had promise and seemed like it might have been going somewhere, but I felt the ending happened very abruptly and nothing really happened.
Old Blood - Adrian Tchaikovsky 3/5*
I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I'd read Shadows of the Apt because the story seemed to assume you knew things that have been mentioned in the series. I like his writing style and the story was still good, but this was a confusing choice for an anthology.
Black Bargain - Janny Wurts 4/5*
Janny Wurt's prose is beautiful. The story was good, but the writing stood out to me more than anything. She definitely has a story-telling gift and I've decided I need to put The Curse of the Mistwraith higher on my TBR.
The Syldoon Sun - Jeff Salyards 5/5*
This is the first of the collection where I've read the author's novel. It was so cool to see the event that is referenced so often in the main series, Bloodsounder's Arc, and it was great to see some of my favourite characters again. I'm rather biased when it comes to this story because I really enjoyed Jeff's series so I hope people who haven't read the series enjoy this one as well.
The Darkness within the Light - Shawn Speakman 5/5*
Another fantastic story. The characterization was great and even in just a short story, I grew to really like Tathal. I need to read more Arthurian fantasy.
The Greater of Two Evils - Marc Turner 5/5*
Pirates, magic and schemes all fit into one short story? Yes, please! My favourite story so far and I really need to move his series up on my TBR list.
Exceedingly Bitter - Kaaron Warren 1/5*
Quite a boring story. Also, super creepy (and not in a good way). I guess I'm just not really into too much horror.
A Game of Mages - Courtney Schafer 3/5*
The story was decent; it was nothing new or exciting, but it was well-paced and interesting. I have to admit I found Lizaveta to be quite annoying. I can't really put my finger on why I thought so, but I just didn't like her.
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled - Bradley P. Beaulieu 4/5*
The longest story in the anthology, this was a good example of the title of the anthology. Evil is a word that is used so often, but not always used fairly. It was a good story and reminded me that I really need to make time to read The Song of the Shattered Sands.
A Storm Unbound - E.V. Morrigan 1/5*
I'll be honest, after about 5 pages, I skipped this story. The reason I didn't finish it was the writing really bothered me. It seemed really choppy and the style repetitive. It was to the point where I really wasn't paying attention to the story anymore.
The Game - Matthew Ward 4/5*
I love a good clever character who can work his way out of any situation while still managing to be a pompous manipulative ass about everything. I'm not sure what that says about me, but this story was fun.
Blood Penny - Deborah A. Wolf 5/5*
This one was a pleasant surprise. I'd never heard of Deborah Wolf so I had no expectations going into this story. My friends often tell me that when they read, it's like they step into another world and they can actually see themselves in that world - almost like a movie. While I also lose myself in a story or book, I usually cannot visualize it the same way others do. However, this was a story I really transported to another world. A super creepy, nightmare inducing world, but I was there for a short time and that is always a special experience for me.
Better than Breath - Brian Staveley 5/5*
Another author whose work I was familiar with before reading this anthology. This story was very short, but it was still able to make me emotional by the end.
A Foundation of Bones - Mazarkis Williams 2/5*
This was was pretty mediocre and not really interesting to me, but I'll be sure to check out his other work.
The Aging of a Kill - Peter Orullian 3/5*
Another long one for this anthology, but it was a good classic revenge story.
The Carathayan - R. Scott Bakker 4/5*
I really have no idea what I just read. There was a lot of yelling and a lot of murder, but I had no idea why anything was happening. For some reason, this story was really intriguing even though I don't really know what happened.
Forward and Introduction - R. Scott Bakker, Adrian Collins
Nice introduction to the anthology that really captures the essence of what grimdark is and the evolution of the fantasy genre.
The Broken Dead - Michael R. Fletcher 5/5*
This is the first thing I've read by Michael Fletcher. He's been on my TBR for a while now and a lot of my friends put his Manifest Delusions in their list of favourite fantasy series. I must say, after reading this short story I am even more excited to pick up his novels. The story was super weird (in a good way) and really set the tone for the collection.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow - Teresa Frohock 3/5*
Another author I haven't read before. An interesting paranormal urban fantasy. The Spanish background added something different to the angels and demons story. Will be adding her Los Nelifim series to my TBR.
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore - Alex Marshall 1/5*
Sadly, not my cup of tea.
A Royal Gift - Mark Alder 2/5*
This story was extremely short. It had promise and seemed like it might have been going somewhere, but I felt the ending happened very abruptly and nothing really happened.
Old Blood - Adrian Tchaikovsky 3/5*
I think I would have enjoyed this a lot more if I'd read Shadows of the Apt because the story seemed to assume you knew things that have been mentioned in the series. I like his writing style and the story was still good, but this was a confusing choice for an anthology.
Black Bargain - Janny Wurts 4/5*
Janny Wurt's prose is beautiful. The story was good, but the writing stood out to me more than anything. She definitely has a story-telling gift and I've decided I need to put The Curse of the Mistwraith higher on my TBR.
The Syldoon Sun - Jeff Salyards 5/5*
This is the first of the collection where I've read the author's novel. It was so cool to see the event that is referenced so often in the main series, Bloodsounder's Arc, and it was great to see some of my favourite characters again. I'm rather biased when it comes to this story because I really enjoyed Jeff's series so I hope people who haven't read the series enjoy this one as well.
The Darkness within the Light - Shawn Speakman 5/5*
Another fantastic story. The characterization was great and even in just a short story, I grew to really like Tathal. I need to read more Arthurian fantasy.
The Greater of Two Evils - Marc Turner 5/5*
Pirates, magic and schemes all fit into one short story? Yes, please! My favourite story so far and I really need to move his series up on my TBR list.
Exceedingly Bitter - Kaaron Warren 1/5*
Quite a boring story. Also, super creepy (and not in a good way). I guess I'm just not really into too much horror.
A Game of Mages - Courtney Schafer 3/5*
The story was decent; it was nothing new or exciting, but it was well-paced and interesting. I have to admit I found Lizaveta to be quite annoying. I can't really put my finger on why I thought so, but I just didn't like her.
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled - Bradley P. Beaulieu 4/5*
The longest story in the anthology, this was a good example of the title of the anthology. Evil is a word that is used so often, but not always used fairly. It was a good story and reminded me that I really need to make time to read The Song of the Shattered Sands.
A Storm Unbound - E.V. Morrigan 1/5*
I'll be honest, after about 5 pages, I skipped this story. The reason I didn't finish it was the writing really bothered me. It seemed really choppy and the style repetitive. It was to the point where I really wasn't paying attention to the story anymore.
The Game - Matthew Ward 4/5*
I love a good clever character who can work his way out of any situation while still managing to be a pompous manipulative ass about everything. I'm not sure what that says about me, but this story was fun.
Blood Penny - Deborah A. Wolf 5/5*
This one was a pleasant surprise. I'd never heard of Deborah Wolf so I had no expectations going into this story. My friends often tell me that when they read, it's like they step into another world and they can actually see themselves in that world - almost like a movie. While I also lose myself in a story or book, I usually cannot visualize it the same way others do. However, this was a story I really transported to another world. A super creepy, nightmare inducing world, but I was there for a short time and that is always a special experience for me.
Better than Breath - Brian Staveley 5/5*
Another author whose work I was familiar with before reading this anthology. This story was very short, but it was still able to make me emotional by the end.
A Foundation of Bones - Mazarkis Williams 2/5*
This was was pretty mediocre and not really interesting to me, but I'll be sure to check out his other work.
The Aging of a Kill - Peter Orullian 3/5*
Another long one for this anthology, but it was a good classic revenge story.
The Carathayan - R. Scott Bakker 4/5*
I really have no idea what I just read. There was a lot of yelling and a lot of murder, but I had no idea why anything was happening. For some reason, this story was really intriguing even though I don't really know what happened.
July 30, 2017
4.5 stars. I liked the foreword very much, it's savvy and bleak, very fitting to the collection and interesting on its own.
The book opens with a Manifest Delusions story, I'm not familiar with MICHAEL R. FLETCHER though I've read good reviews about his work. Not an easy going but after all it's not a linear story and it is very dark and tantalizing. Sanity is optional.
"We live. We die. But we all want to leave our mark. We all want to be remembered after we are gone."
TERESA FROHOCK's excellent debut novel is still vivid in my mind. She has great talent and imagination, I really liked her characters. Her Los Nefilim piece is upbeat, not confusing to follow and well-plotted.
“As above, so below,”
ALEX MARSHALL's story is very grim-dark, at first it wasn't clear how villainous the protagonist really was, but then she adjusted swiftly -too swiftly- through her ordeals. It's graphic and a bit perplexing.
"Her uncle would not be happy, but sorrow is the lot of mortals."
I didn't like MARK ALDER's Son of the Morning, even though all the ingredients were there: great prose, my favorite historical backdrop, intrigues, violence, angels and demons. This is a very short story about the Black Prince's destiny.
“I do not feel like a devil.” But how does a devil feel?
ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY narrates a sword&sorcery story set in his Shadows of the Apt world, I've yet to read a novel of his, but again he is good at short format.
“Oh, there is always blood,”
JANNY WURTS. One of my favorite authors ever. She can write hefty tomes or short stories and she never ceases to spellbind me with her imagination and immersive storytelling. This story stands well on its own, but it's also part of the Wars of Light and Shadow universe and I was widely anticipating it because it shines light on one of the most Machiavellian and morally complex characters I've ever read about.
"Folly, to imagine he might slip the leash of a predator able to refigure natural order at whim."
JEFF SALYARDS's trilogy is another favorite of mine, and a superb military/dark character-driven action story. This particular piece is about Braylar's first chronicler, it flows nicely and I relished both the clever badinage and the plot twist (even with the foreknowledge of a returning reader). An entertaining homecoming!
“Indeed. For everything, a cost. So. What is this dream worth to you, young clerk?”
SHAWN SPEAKMAN's short stories are always a pleasure. The protagonist is thoroughly twisted and possessed of a calm, cold logic, voicing deep questions. It's straightforward quest fantasy laced with Arthurian myth and also the inspiration (or a tribute to) for the anthology cover & title.
"Death had a way of revealing a man in ways no discussion ever could."
MARC TURNER is a new author for me. I usually love sailing and pirates, the setting of his story doesn't disappoint but while I understand it's important to give background, the wordplay & explanations didn't feel natural and I didn't get invested in the chase. The pacing was very good though.
"Just because you were intent on killing someone, though, didn’t mean you had to be uncivil about it."
KAARON WARREN's story is odd. I didn't understand it at all, not what was going on, nor the characters behavior. For instance, why would Mrs Jacobs leave the boy to her husband's care, knowing his drowning proclivities? Why would the family not bat an eyelash when Mihai foretold death? The color theme development was interesting but that's about it.
“You know of the tulip?” Mihai said. “It grows weaker the more beautiful. There is little to be said for beauty, much for strength.”
COURTNEY SCHAFER's Shattered Sigil trilogy is a thing of beauty, a great epic fantasy with memorable characters. Maybe I'm biased, but objectively this short story is riveting. No prior knowledge is required and I loved reading again about such an original villain.
Experience was the best of teachers. Lizaveta smiled and drew her barbed knife. “Let us make our vows.”
BRADLEY P. BEAULIEU's tale is fun. I'm getting familiar with this author through his short stories. I keep telling myself I need to try a series, and this piece is yet another reminder; he knows how to weave a compelling tale with an engaging mystery in the span of a few pages. It was also nice a side character I remember is the protagonist this time.
“I am but a relic of a man,” Brama replies. “A ruin.” The Malasani grins. “Even ruins can be buried, so I ask you once again—”
E.V. MORRIGAN's tale stars an assassin-thief with a legacy of bloodlust who dropped out and started a family, much against the wishes of her former master. It's a simple and pleasant story where blackmail and retaliation abound.
"Much as she detested the reason she was there, there was no denying the primal urges inside her, the need to stalk, to hunt."
MATTHEW WARD's story is a fine game, citation intended. I particularly liked the businesslike wit of the protagonist, and the different playing styles of the main characters. Both prose and storytelling are very good. Definitely an author to keep my eye on.
"Everything’s a game. Life. Death. War. Love. Ambition. Oh, especially ambition. It is the master that rules us all. It drives every desire—for what is desire but the longing for something we do not have?"
DEBORAH A. WOLF's story is set in a world with detailed lore and a classic fantasy flavor, the protagonists are two half-human teens, one with nothing and the other with everything to lose, but none free, who decide to pursue their darkest desires. Nice and flowing.
"She felt sick to her stomach, and dizzy, and...faint. Thin. Like wine that had been cut with water until there was hardly any color left to it at all."
BRIAN STAVELEY is an author I've appreciated before and here he narrates the story of a mother with a twisted secret, and the lengths to which she'll go to protect her children. A very short dark and chilly tale which is a spot-on tribute to the anthology theme.
“All I wanted was to be left alone.” My voice sounds like pleading in my ears. I’m beating a man to death with a shovel, but I want him to see, to understand.
MAZARKIS WILLIAMS's short story is about a young priest with torn loyalties who tutors a talented noble child-hostage.
Unfortunately the protagonist's contradictory thoughts and actions, the Chosen One elements and the inquisition-like religion didn't work well for me, particularly because little happens in the tale. It's probably better appreciated by readers familiar with The Tower and Knife.
"His path had been cleared with murder. What good could proceed from that?"
PETER ORULLIAN's story featured in Unfettered II (awesome anthology) was brilliant so I eagerly delved into this one. I was surprised to see both shared the very same premise and pattern but, after all, it's always good to hear a Dannire's story. Knowing the drill anticipated the ending and the connections but it didn't kill the fun since the dialogues are one of the best characteristics.
“Everything is gain,” Jenn countered. “No one does a thing except for advantage. Coin is the most obvious, but certainly not the lowest.”
R. SCOTT BAKKER. I'm a bit ashamed to confess this is my first Bakker piece (not counting the introduction) even though I'm a fan of the grimdark genre. But if this story is anything to go by, I'll probably enjoy Prince of Nothing, hopefully edited with less words in italics: I'm all for emphasis but that was overkill. Anyway, he did a great job with three characters, two corpses and one Carathayan.
She paused, turned to the Lady Bayal with a slack grin that shouted malevolence and a love of sport. “We have a few matters to discuss...”
“Nobody is a villain in their own story. We're all the heroes of our own stories". - G. R. R. Martin
"No one is an unjust villain in his own mind. Even - perhaps even especially those who are the worst of us. Some of the cruelest tyrants in history were motivated by noble ideals, or made choices they would call "hard but necessary" for the good of their nation. We're all the hero of our own story". - Jim Butcher
More than successfully funded on Kickstarter :D!
The book opens with a Manifest Delusions story, I'm not familiar with MICHAEL R. FLETCHER though I've read good reviews about his work. Not an easy going but after all it's not a linear story and it is very dark and tantalizing. Sanity is optional.
"We live. We die. But we all want to leave our mark. We all want to be remembered after we are gone."
TERESA FROHOCK's excellent debut novel is still vivid in my mind. She has great talent and imagination, I really liked her characters. Her Los Nefilim piece is upbeat, not confusing to follow and well-plotted.
“As above, so below,”
ALEX MARSHALL's story is very grim-dark, at first it wasn't clear how villainous the protagonist really was, but then she adjusted swiftly -too swiftly- through her ordeals. It's graphic and a bit perplexing.
"Her uncle would not be happy, but sorrow is the lot of mortals."
I didn't like MARK ALDER's Son of the Morning, even though all the ingredients were there: great prose, my favorite historical backdrop, intrigues, violence, angels and demons. This is a very short story about the Black Prince's destiny.
“I do not feel like a devil.” But how does a devil feel?
ADRIAN TCHAIKOVSKY narrates a sword&sorcery story set in his Shadows of the Apt world, I've yet to read a novel of his, but again he is good at short format.
“Oh, there is always blood,”
JANNY WURTS. One of my favorite authors ever. She can write hefty tomes or short stories and she never ceases to spellbind me with her imagination and immersive storytelling. This story stands well on its own, but it's also part of the Wars of Light and Shadow universe and I was widely anticipating it because it shines light on one of the most Machiavellian and morally complex characters I've ever read about.
"Folly, to imagine he might slip the leash of a predator able to refigure natural order at whim."
JEFF SALYARDS's trilogy is another favorite of mine, and a superb military/dark character-driven action story. This particular piece is about Braylar's first chronicler, it flows nicely and I relished both the clever badinage and the plot twist (even with the foreknowledge of a returning reader). An entertaining homecoming!
“Indeed. For everything, a cost. So. What is this dream worth to you, young clerk?”
SHAWN SPEAKMAN's short stories are always a pleasure. The protagonist is thoroughly twisted and possessed of a calm, cold logic, voicing deep questions. It's straightforward quest fantasy laced with Arthurian myth and also the inspiration (or a tribute to) for the anthology cover & title.
"Death had a way of revealing a man in ways no discussion ever could."
MARC TURNER is a new author for me. I usually love sailing and pirates, the setting of his story doesn't disappoint but while I understand it's important to give background, the wordplay & explanations didn't feel natural and I didn't get invested in the chase. The pacing was very good though.
"Just because you were intent on killing someone, though, didn’t mean you had to be uncivil about it."
KAARON WARREN's story is odd. I didn't understand it at all, not what was going on, nor the characters behavior. For instance, why would Mrs Jacobs leave the boy to her husband's care, knowing his drowning proclivities? Why would the family not bat an eyelash when Mihai foretold death? The color theme development was interesting but that's about it.
“You know of the tulip?” Mihai said. “It grows weaker the more beautiful. There is little to be said for beauty, much for strength.”
COURTNEY SCHAFER's Shattered Sigil trilogy is a thing of beauty, a great epic fantasy with memorable characters. Maybe I'm biased, but objectively this short story is riveting. No prior knowledge is required and I loved reading again about such an original villain.
Experience was the best of teachers. Lizaveta smiled and drew her barbed knife. “Let us make our vows.”
BRADLEY P. BEAULIEU's tale is fun. I'm getting familiar with this author through his short stories. I keep telling myself I need to try a series, and this piece is yet another reminder; he knows how to weave a compelling tale with an engaging mystery in the span of a few pages. It was also nice a side character I remember is the protagonist this time.
“I am but a relic of a man,” Brama replies. “A ruin.” The Malasani grins. “Even ruins can be buried, so I ask you once again—”
E.V. MORRIGAN's tale stars an assassin-thief with a legacy of bloodlust who dropped out and started a family, much against the wishes of her former master. It's a simple and pleasant story where blackmail and retaliation abound.
"Much as she detested the reason she was there, there was no denying the primal urges inside her, the need to stalk, to hunt."
MATTHEW WARD's story is a fine game, citation intended. I particularly liked the businesslike wit of the protagonist, and the different playing styles of the main characters. Both prose and storytelling are very good. Definitely an author to keep my eye on.
"Everything’s a game. Life. Death. War. Love. Ambition. Oh, especially ambition. It is the master that rules us all. It drives every desire—for what is desire but the longing for something we do not have?"
DEBORAH A. WOLF's story is set in a world with detailed lore and a classic fantasy flavor, the protagonists are two half-human teens, one with nothing and the other with everything to lose, but none free, who decide to pursue their darkest desires. Nice and flowing.
"She felt sick to her stomach, and dizzy, and...faint. Thin. Like wine that had been cut with water until there was hardly any color left to it at all."
BRIAN STAVELEY is an author I've appreciated before and here he narrates the story of a mother with a twisted secret, and the lengths to which she'll go to protect her children. A very short dark and chilly tale which is a spot-on tribute to the anthology theme.
“All I wanted was to be left alone.” My voice sounds like pleading in my ears. I’m beating a man to death with a shovel, but I want him to see, to understand.
MAZARKIS WILLIAMS's short story is about a young priest with torn loyalties who tutors a talented noble child-hostage.
Unfortunately the protagonist's contradictory thoughts and actions, the Chosen One elements and the inquisition-like religion didn't work well for me, particularly because little happens in the tale. It's probably better appreciated by readers familiar with The Tower and Knife.
"His path had been cleared with murder. What good could proceed from that?"
PETER ORULLIAN's story featured in Unfettered II (awesome anthology) was brilliant so I eagerly delved into this one. I was surprised to see both shared the very same premise and pattern but, after all, it's always good to hear a Dannire's story. Knowing the drill anticipated the ending and the connections but it didn't kill the fun since the dialogues are one of the best characteristics.
“Everything is gain,” Jenn countered. “No one does a thing except for advantage. Coin is the most obvious, but certainly not the lowest.”
R. SCOTT BAKKER. I'm a bit ashamed to confess this is my first Bakker piece (not counting the introduction) even though I'm a fan of the grimdark genre. But if this story is anything to go by, I'll probably enjoy Prince of Nothing, hopefully edited with less words in italics: I'm all for emphasis but that was overkill. Anyway, he did a great job with three characters, two corpses and one Carathayan.
She paused, turned to the Lady Bayal with a slack grin that shouted malevolence and a love of sport. “We have a few matters to discuss...”
“Nobody is a villain in their own story. We're all the heroes of our own stories". - G. R. R. Martin
"No one is an unjust villain in his own mind. Even - perhaps even especially those who are the worst of us. Some of the cruelest tyrants in history were motivated by noble ideals, or made choices they would call "hard but necessary" for the good of their nation. We're all the hero of our own story". - Jim Butcher
More than successfully funded on Kickstarter :D!
September 18, 2017
My rating 4.5
I really liked all story in this compilation Grimdark Magazine. Although some of the stories I liked less than others, in the entire magazine there are still many of them that are great. Mostly fantasy readers will find stories for themselves because there is something for everyone. I sincerely enjoyed a lot of stories from which good novels might have emerged, if they were not written yet. In stories, there are characters that you can easily hate or love, but antagonism and rivalry among characters are well described. In some stories, I literally hated the characters who at all costs want to achieve their goals, but in their perception of the world, this is the right way. One thing is certain that all the stories in the magazine will not leave you inferior because it will drag you into the fantasy world and that is the most important thing. All in all, I was delighted to read this short story collection. I believe every fantasy fan will love this collection.
I really liked all story in this compilation Grimdark Magazine. Although some of the stories I liked less than others, in the entire magazine there are still many of them that are great. Mostly fantasy readers will find stories for themselves because there is something for everyone. I sincerely enjoyed a lot of stories from which good novels might have emerged, if they were not written yet. In stories, there are characters that you can easily hate or love, but antagonism and rivalry among characters are well described. In some stories, I literally hated the characters who at all costs want to achieve their goals, but in their perception of the world, this is the right way. One thing is certain that all the stories in the magazine will not leave you inferior because it will drag you into the fantasy world and that is the most important thing. All in all, I was delighted to read this short story collection. I believe every fantasy fan will love this collection.
May 26, 2017
Evil is a matter of perspective. This is a quality which is extremely relevant to grimdark as it involves making sure even the most reprehensible characters have a point. Jaime Lannister is the Kingslayer but he did so because he wanted to save King's Landing and protect his father. Cersei Lannister has many defenders because her marriage to Robert Baratheon was such a nightmare. Glokta tortures people because it's the only thing left to him by a society which functions on corruption and patronage. Jorg Ancrath is a murderer and a rapist but he doesn't have control over his own mind when he's not struggling to survive the war between the thousand kingdoms.
The anthology of the same title is as grimdark as you're going to get, pedigree-wise, since it is the personal project of Grimdark Magazine's editor Adrian Collins. It exists for the explicit purpose of crafting a collection of stories about rotten [expletive] so we can walk a mile in their shoes. It also has a wonderful collection of authors who are some of the most notable names in the genre of "gritty, realistic fantasy." These include R. Scott Bakker (who provides the introduction), Alex Marshall, Peter Orullian, Jeff Salyards, Deborah A. Wolf, Matthew Ward, Michael R. Fletcher, and more.
A disclaimer for people who are reading this but I have some ties to the anthology's publisher. I've written a number of articles for Grimdark Magazine (all pro-bono) as well as reviews for their website. This isn't going to affect my opinion of the works within but consider yourself warned. The grimdark community is not so large as you can be an expert and not bump into the people involved. A similar random fact is actress Ashley Judd used to be my babysitter and will prove as relevant to my reviews (i.e. not at all).
So, short version, is it any good? Yes, yes it is. Some stories are more awesome than others and a couple just didn't work for me at all but I could say that about any anthology. For the most part, this is a solid piece of fiction from start to finish and anyone who likes villain protagonists as well as horror with their fantasy will love this. Certainly, grimdark exists in large part due to the fact too much fantasy ends with the universe bending over backward for the "good guys" to have their violence justified as moral.
Is there any flaws with the book as a whole? Eh, a minor one in the fact it's not quite true to its title. There's not really much moral ambiguity to the protagonists. While a few of the leads in the short stories are misunderstood or operating from a different code than regular society, most of the time their evil is a matter of being a complete [expletive]. Only a few short stories any sort of Miltonian (or Rolling Stones) sympathy for the devil and they're really just about [expletive]. I also wish I could swear but I want to share this on Amazon. Still, it's still a great piece of dark fantasy throughout.
Now for the individual stories:
"On the Goodness of Evil" by R. Scott Bakker
A foreword which turns into a full-blown essay about how humanity divides people into tribes with "evil" being the Other. It's a great little academic work and while I don't actually agree with it all that much, it's still fascinating reading. It also really does reflect the "good and evil are merely sides" view which I would have been interested in reading stories about.
"A Lifetime of Inspiration" by Adrian Collins
A more personal foreword which talks about Adrian's life-long obsession with seeing things from the perspective of the bad guys. I, personally, liked his statement a lot and think it definitely applies to things like war as well as the making of good antagonists. We are all villains indeed, at least in someone's story. Just like they are the heroes in theirs and we in ours. Because, someone, somewhere, doesn't like us.
"The Broken Dead" by Michael R. Fletcher
One of the strongest short stories in the novel, right out of the gate. This is a tale of a broken and misused young woman who ends up as a murderous revenant in the service of evil necromancer priests. The fact I can use that sentence and still say it's a touching story about dignity and self-worth shows Fletcher is a delightfully depraved new talent.
"Every Hair Casts a Shadow" by Teresa Frohick
I like this story and am interested in exploring its universe a bit more since it's not just a story in this novel. Angels and demons are fighting it out during the Spanish Civil War with one child being a demon who has sworn allegiance to the angels and his grandfather wanting to corrupt him back. I actually felt the morality of the protagonists were pretty clear but checked myself it was always about the "side" I picked more than anything they did.
"The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore" by Alex Marshall
A fascinating story about the ascension of a young woman to the office of Pontifex. Except, in this universe, the Pope is determined by magical ritual that turns you into a human wasteland and a major part of church doctrine is the extermination of animal-featured humans. This is a good example of the "Evil is a matter of perspective" theme as the young woman wants to do good but her church is royally [expletive]-up.
"A Royal Gift" by Mark Alder
An alternate history short story where the famous Black Prince of England was actually a half-human/half-demon hybrid in the service to Satan (God's jailer versus Lucifer in this universe). This is one of the short stories I think which really encapsulates the theme and shows a genuinely alien mindset which some would call evil but is just operating to its own interior values.
"Old Blood" by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A lot of animal motifs, sacrifice, and vengeance themes in this book but I can't say I actually understood much of it. It makes me want to read Shadows of the Apt, though, so I can know what was going on here.
"Black Bargain" by Janny Wurts
A human waste of space named Toler gets enslaved by a wizard who is engaged in a convoluted plot to prevent the end of the world by dragon due to the fact humanity has done some horrible stuff which would compel dragons to eliminate them. I didn't always understand the politics but enjoyed the premise.
"The Syldoon Sun" by Jeff Salyards
Remember that deformed guy in 300? The one who ended up betraying the Spartans because they wouldn't let him fight the Persians? This is basically a version of his story with a new army and a less awful set of circumstances. His story also ends in a way which is dark and tragic whereas most of the protagonists in this book get away with their actions.
"The Darkness within the Light" by Shawn Speakman
A wizard murders, kidnaps, blackmails, and extorts his way to finding the Holy Grail. Why? So he can get revenge on God.The question of evil and suffering in the world is a constant one for the faithful and one which I have often struggled myself with. In the case of the wizard here, it is doubly so because he has proof God exists but still doesn't act. He's certainly a monster but his actions are driven by a very cosmic anger in the Miltonian sense.
"The Greater of Two Evils" by Marc Turner
A tyrannical group of sea wizards fighting against pirates with delusions of being revolutionaries.I love stories where both sides in a war are just dirty with people caught in-between. It inspired my novel Lucifer's Star and Marc Turner does a great job of depicting a conflict where idealistic heroism is grossly misplaced. The ending is also esoterically happy in a way.
"Exceeding Bitter" by Kaaron Warren
An exceedingly (no pun intended) weird little horror story with a lot of creep factor.
"A Game of Mages" by Courtney Schafer
One of my two favorite stories in the book, this is about a completely awful person who is about as moral as your typical Chaotic Evil D&D villainess but is still capable of loving her spouse/partner/lover. Her partner is capable of loving other people, though, and we see how that affects their relationship. The ending also foretells that their evil will destroy itself because, well, traces of goodness is a poison in the well of a truly evil person's happiness.
"The Tattered Prince and the Demon Unveiled" by Bradley P. Beaulieu
The best short story in the anthology, this story feels not-to-dissimilar to a retelling of Aladdin. Except Aladdin's genie is a demon, may want to possess him, and he's protecting his erstwhile princess from a bunch of drug-dealers. Brama is a pretty decent fellow, actually, but evil is a word thrown around a lot against people who don't deserve it.
"A Storm Unbound" by E.V. Morrigan
This is a great story that I hesitate to reveal the twists of but amounts to it being a fantasy version of John Wick with a female protagonist. The ending is also one I found to be touching as humans in peril are an overused motivation versus poochies.
"The Game" by Matthew Ward
This is a story which stars a genuine irredeemable [expletive] and one which I sincerely hope gets eaten by wolverines in his trousers. Nevertheless, I will say the protagonist is an amazingly capable character who you have to marvel at the manipulations of.
"Blood Penny" by Deborah A Wolf.
A runner up for the best story in the anthology, the story of a demon-tainted waif who is desperate to survive and turns to some poorly understood black magic for revenge. The ending is more hopeful than I expected but it's a dark ride throughout.
"Better than Breath" by Brian Steveley
I may have misunderstood this one but I think it's probably the best vampire story I've read in a very long time. Even monsters have mothers....or are them.
"A Foundation of Bones" by Mazarkis Williams
A story about a messiah being raised by a man who wants dearly to make him a hero but may accidentally damn him down a different path. I felt it was a good story but more in the middle than my favorite of this work.
"The Aging of a Kill" by Peter Orullian
I gave Peter Orullian a bad review for "A Length of Cherrywood" in Blackguards but he's won my respect for this little work. It's a story about revenge in the Count of Monte Cristo sense of ruining people utterly rather than simply murdering them. It's also about a very alien mindset where retribution for every slight can make a truly horrifying pile of seemingly justified actions.
"The Carathayan" by R. Scott Bakker
I'm going to grimdark hell for this but I actually had no idea what the hell was going on in this story from beginning to end. There's a lot of murder, mayhem, shouting, and accusations but I felt like I was going "Whose on First" the entire time.
In short, great book. Solid 4.5 bloody axes out of 5.
The anthology of the same title is as grimdark as you're going to get, pedigree-wise, since it is the personal project of Grimdark Magazine's editor Adrian Collins. It exists for the explicit purpose of crafting a collection of stories about rotten [expletive] so we can walk a mile in their shoes. It also has a wonderful collection of authors who are some of the most notable names in the genre of "gritty, realistic fantasy." These include R. Scott Bakker (who provides the introduction), Alex Marshall, Peter Orullian, Jeff Salyards, Deborah A. Wolf, Matthew Ward, Michael R. Fletcher, and more.
A disclaimer for people who are reading this but I have some ties to the anthology's publisher. I've written a number of articles for Grimdark Magazine (all pro-bono) as well as reviews for their website. This isn't going to affect my opinion of the works within but consider yourself warned. The grimdark community is not so large as you can be an expert and not bump into the people involved. A similar random fact is actress Ashley Judd used to be my babysitter and will prove as relevant to my reviews (i.e. not at all).
So, short version, is it any good? Yes, yes it is. Some stories are more awesome than others and a couple just didn't work for me at all but I could say that about any anthology. For the most part, this is a solid piece of fiction from start to finish and anyone who likes villain protagonists as well as horror with their fantasy will love this. Certainly, grimdark exists in large part due to the fact too much fantasy ends with the universe bending over backward for the "good guys" to have their violence justified as moral.
Is there any flaws with the book as a whole? Eh, a minor one in the fact it's not quite true to its title. There's not really much moral ambiguity to the protagonists. While a few of the leads in the short stories are misunderstood or operating from a different code than regular society, most of the time their evil is a matter of being a complete [expletive]. Only a few short stories any sort of Miltonian (or Rolling Stones) sympathy for the devil and they're really just about [expletive]. I also wish I could swear but I want to share this on Amazon. Still, it's still a great piece of dark fantasy throughout.
Now for the individual stories:
"On the Goodness of Evil" by R. Scott Bakker
A foreword which turns into a full-blown essay about how humanity divides people into tribes with "evil" being the Other. It's a great little academic work and while I don't actually agree with it all that much, it's still fascinating reading. It also really does reflect the "good and evil are merely sides" view which I would have been interested in reading stories about.
"A Lifetime of Inspiration" by Adrian Collins
A more personal foreword which talks about Adrian's life-long obsession with seeing things from the perspective of the bad guys. I, personally, liked his statement a lot and think it definitely applies to things like war as well as the making of good antagonists. We are all villains indeed, at least in someone's story. Just like they are the heroes in theirs and we in ours. Because, someone, somewhere, doesn't like us.
"The Broken Dead" by Michael R. Fletcher
One of the strongest short stories in the novel, right out of the gate. This is a tale of a broken and misused young woman who ends up as a murderous revenant in the service of evil necromancer priests. The fact I can use that sentence and still say it's a touching story about dignity and self-worth shows Fletcher is a delightfully depraved new talent.
"Every Hair Casts a Shadow" by Teresa Frohick
I like this story and am interested in exploring its universe a bit more since it's not just a story in this novel. Angels and demons are fighting it out during the Spanish Civil War with one child being a demon who has sworn allegiance to the angels and his grandfather wanting to corrupt him back. I actually felt the morality of the protagonists were pretty clear but checked myself it was always about the "side" I picked more than anything they did.
"The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore" by Alex Marshall
A fascinating story about the ascension of a young woman to the office of Pontifex. Except, in this universe, the Pope is determined by magical ritual that turns you into a human wasteland and a major part of church doctrine is the extermination of animal-featured humans. This is a good example of the "Evil is a matter of perspective" theme as the young woman wants to do good but her church is royally [expletive]-up.
"A Royal Gift" by Mark Alder
An alternate history short story where the famous Black Prince of England was actually a half-human/half-demon hybrid in the service to Satan (God's jailer versus Lucifer in this universe). This is one of the short stories I think which really encapsulates the theme and shows a genuinely alien mindset which some would call evil but is just operating to its own interior values.
"Old Blood" by Adrian Tchaikovsky
A lot of animal motifs, sacrifice, and vengeance themes in this book but I can't say I actually understood much of it. It makes me want to read Shadows of the Apt, though, so I can know what was going on here.
"Black Bargain" by Janny Wurts
A human waste of space named Toler gets enslaved by a wizard who is engaged in a convoluted plot to prevent the end of the world by dragon due to the fact humanity has done some horrible stuff which would compel dragons to eliminate them. I didn't always understand the politics but enjoyed the premise.
"The Syldoon Sun" by Jeff Salyards
Remember that deformed guy in 300? The one who ended up betraying the Spartans because they wouldn't let him fight the Persians? This is basically a version of his story with a new army and a less awful set of circumstances. His story also ends in a way which is dark and tragic whereas most of the protagonists in this book get away with their actions.
"The Darkness within the Light" by Shawn Speakman
A wizard murders, kidnaps, blackmails, and extorts his way to finding the Holy Grail. Why? So he can get revenge on God.The question of evil and suffering in the world is a constant one for the faithful and one which I have often struggled myself with. In the case of the wizard here, it is doubly so because he has proof God exists but still doesn't act. He's certainly a monster but his actions are driven by a very cosmic anger in the Miltonian sense.
"The Greater of Two Evils" by Marc Turner
A tyrannical group of sea wizards fighting against pirates with delusions of being revolutionaries.I love stories where both sides in a war are just dirty with people caught in-between. It inspired my novel Lucifer's Star and Marc Turner does a great job of depicting a conflict where idealistic heroism is grossly misplaced. The ending is also esoterically happy in a way.
"Exceeding Bitter" by Kaaron Warren
An exceedingly (no pun intended) weird little horror story with a lot of creep factor.
"A Game of Mages" by Courtney Schafer
One of my two favorite stories in the book, this is about a completely awful person who is about as moral as your typical Chaotic Evil D&D villainess but is still capable of loving her spouse/partner/lover. Her partner is capable of loving other people, though, and we see how that affects their relationship. The ending also foretells that their evil will destroy itself because, well, traces of goodness is a poison in the well of a truly evil person's happiness.
"The Tattered Prince and the Demon Unveiled" by Bradley P. Beaulieu
The best short story in the anthology, this story feels not-to-dissimilar to a retelling of Aladdin. Except Aladdin's genie is a demon, may want to possess him, and he's protecting his erstwhile princess from a bunch of drug-dealers. Brama is a pretty decent fellow, actually, but evil is a word thrown around a lot against people who don't deserve it.
"A Storm Unbound" by E.V. Morrigan
This is a great story that I hesitate to reveal the twists of but amounts to it being a fantasy version of John Wick with a female protagonist. The ending is also one I found to be touching as humans in peril are an overused motivation versus poochies.
"The Game" by Matthew Ward
This is a story which stars a genuine irredeemable [expletive] and one which I sincerely hope gets eaten by wolverines in his trousers. Nevertheless, I will say the protagonist is an amazingly capable character who you have to marvel at the manipulations of.
"Blood Penny" by Deborah A Wolf.
A runner up for the best story in the anthology, the story of a demon-tainted waif who is desperate to survive and turns to some poorly understood black magic for revenge. The ending is more hopeful than I expected but it's a dark ride throughout.
"Better than Breath" by Brian Steveley
I may have misunderstood this one but I think it's probably the best vampire story I've read in a very long time. Even monsters have mothers....or are them.
"A Foundation of Bones" by Mazarkis Williams
A story about a messiah being raised by a man who wants dearly to make him a hero but may accidentally damn him down a different path. I felt it was a good story but more in the middle than my favorite of this work.
"The Aging of a Kill" by Peter Orullian
I gave Peter Orullian a bad review for "A Length of Cherrywood" in Blackguards but he's won my respect for this little work. It's a story about revenge in the Count of Monte Cristo sense of ruining people utterly rather than simply murdering them. It's also about a very alien mindset where retribution for every slight can make a truly horrifying pile of seemingly justified actions.
"The Carathayan" by R. Scott Bakker
I'm going to grimdark hell for this but I actually had no idea what the hell was going on in this story from beginning to end. There's a lot of murder, mayhem, shouting, and accusations but I felt like I was going "Whose on First" the entire time.
In short, great book. Solid 4.5 bloody axes out of 5.
Shelved as 'pass'
October 31, 2017I picked this up a) because the title interested me greatly (I maintain that you can't write a good villain without understanding their motivation, which will be more than just "bwahaha I love to do bad things") and b) because I've said a lot of rude things about grimdark as a genre without reading much if any so I thought, give it a fair try.
Well.
The introduction has a passionate defence of putting rape scenes in books because moral relativism or rape happens or something. The usual but as a philosophy. I can't be bothered so here's a great piece to read instead.
Then the first story has a MC called Anomie. (Anomie, n., lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group.) I get characters called Chastity or Suffer-Not-Injustice or Gabriel Oak, but Anomie? You might as well call the MC Dystopia, or Angst.
I read four and skimmed two and got bored because for me this wasn't "evil is a matter of perspective" so much as "this story is from the perspective of an Evil Person". Lots of gory death, not so much moral and human flaws, or self deception, or honest yet rigid belief in good things leading inexorably to bad things, or whatever other texture to why the evil was done. So, yes, it was all grim and dark and if you like grimdark I'm sure it has lots of nuances that weren't apparent to me (or maybe the remaining stories had more variety, I DNFd early), but as a novice to the genre, it mostly felt monotonous. Dark, dark, dark, irrecoverably dark without all hope of day, which is fine, but my days of painting my bedroom black and listening to Joy Division on repeat are behind me, so I'm out.
Well.
The introduction has a passionate defence of putting rape scenes in books because moral relativism or rape happens or something. The usual but as a philosophy. I can't be bothered so here's a great piece to read instead.
Then the first story has a MC called Anomie. (Anomie, n., lack of the usual social or ethical standards in an individual or group.) I get characters called Chastity or Suffer-Not-Injustice or Gabriel Oak, but Anomie? You might as well call the MC Dystopia, or Angst.
I read four and skimmed two and got bored because for me this wasn't "evil is a matter of perspective" so much as "this story is from the perspective of an Evil Person". Lots of gory death, not so much moral and human flaws, or self deception, or honest yet rigid belief in good things leading inexorably to bad things, or whatever other texture to why the evil was done. So, yes, it was all grim and dark and if you like grimdark I'm sure it has lots of nuances that weren't apparent to me (or maybe the remaining stories had more variety, I DNFd early), but as a novice to the genre, it mostly felt monotonous. Dark, dark, dark, irrecoverably dark without all hope of day, which is fine, but my days of painting my bedroom black and listening to Joy Division on repeat are behind me, so I'm out.
October 25, 2018
Even though I'm a big fan of grimdark, the majority of these stories failed to engage me in the way I hoped they would.
June 8, 2017
Evil is a matter of perspective. But this book is superb and that's a fact.
A stella line-up of the best of the best in grimdark fantasy. Beautiful colour illustrations to open every story. Wonderful stories. All about the bad guys.
I do like the bad guys. That's possibly not news to anyone.
Actually, of course, it's far more complicated. Anyone can write a nasty story about a nasty people doing nasty things. Gods know, I've tried. But 'vile bloke is vile to people' wouldn't really fill 500 pages. Might, whisper it, get a bit ... dull. I even got tired of dear old Ramsey Bolton for not really moving on past the 'being vile to people' bit. The characters here are certainly the villains of the series they inhabit. But they get to be the protagonists of the story, the ones we're cheering for. Not quite antiheroes. More ... heroes-heroes, but still villains as well. Some of the stories are maybe origins stories, showing us how all that pain and rage came into being. Some just let us sit back and watch a beautiful bad guy deliciously kick ass. None of the stories wallow in empty depravity. Nor do they pretend for this one book that these are nice people really, kind and lovely and nice to kittens and tragically misunderstood. But they show human morality in all its complexity, its shades of grey and bleeding, that it's possible to be on the right side and still be a right bastard, or to be evil beyond belief, depraved, a child murderer, and yet still to love and be loved and to deeply, deeply care about that.
The stories are, as you'd expect given the authors involved, dazzling. Beautifully written and a true grimdark pleasure to read. And you can sense the authors involved are having a great deal of fun. I have to admit to preferring swords and sorcery over urban fantasy, so I'm deeply biased, but particular highlights for me were Adrian Tchaikovsky's Old Blood, Courtney Schafer's A Game of Mages and Michael R. Fletcher's The Broken Dead. Oh, and Alex Marshal's The Divine Death of Jerilla Martigore. And Deborah A Wolf's Blood Penny. And then there's The Carathayan. By R Scott Bakker. The God Bakker. Him to whom I kneel. Just that title alone makes me happy. I'd have bought the book for this one story alone.
I'm possibly a bit biased, what with being @QueenofGrimdark tm and all and this book therefore having kind of being written with me as the Platonic reader ideal. You may also be able to tell that I'm more comfortable writing my own fiction than other people's book reviews. But I'd really recommend this book.
A stella line-up of the best of the best in grimdark fantasy. Beautiful colour illustrations to open every story. Wonderful stories. All about the bad guys.
I do like the bad guys. That's possibly not news to anyone.
Actually, of course, it's far more complicated. Anyone can write a nasty story about a nasty people doing nasty things. Gods know, I've tried. But 'vile bloke is vile to people' wouldn't really fill 500 pages. Might, whisper it, get a bit ... dull. I even got tired of dear old Ramsey Bolton for not really moving on past the 'being vile to people' bit. The characters here are certainly the villains of the series they inhabit. But they get to be the protagonists of the story, the ones we're cheering for. Not quite antiheroes. More ... heroes-heroes, but still villains as well. Some of the stories are maybe origins stories, showing us how all that pain and rage came into being. Some just let us sit back and watch a beautiful bad guy deliciously kick ass. None of the stories wallow in empty depravity. Nor do they pretend for this one book that these are nice people really, kind and lovely and nice to kittens and tragically misunderstood. But they show human morality in all its complexity, its shades of grey and bleeding, that it's possible to be on the right side and still be a right bastard, or to be evil beyond belief, depraved, a child murderer, and yet still to love and be loved and to deeply, deeply care about that.
The stories are, as you'd expect given the authors involved, dazzling. Beautifully written and a true grimdark pleasure to read. And you can sense the authors involved are having a great deal of fun. I have to admit to preferring swords and sorcery over urban fantasy, so I'm deeply biased, but particular highlights for me were Adrian Tchaikovsky's Old Blood, Courtney Schafer's A Game of Mages and Michael R. Fletcher's The Broken Dead. Oh, and Alex Marshal's The Divine Death of Jerilla Martigore. And Deborah A Wolf's Blood Penny. And then there's The Carathayan. By R Scott Bakker. The God Bakker. Him to whom I kneel. Just that title alone makes me happy. I'd have bought the book for this one story alone.
I'm possibly a bit biased, what with being @QueenofGrimdark tm and all and this book therefore having kind of being written with me as the Platonic reader ideal. You may also be able to tell that I'm more comfortable writing my own fiction than other people's book reviews. But I'd really recommend this book.
June 6, 2017
The title says it all. In this anthology, evil really is a matter of perspective. And damn, it's fucking fantastic! Featuring some of the sharpest stories I've read in many years, this anthology delivers on so many different levels. Enjoy morally demented characters? This tome has you covered. Like cracking action sequences and bloody mayhem? You'll find it in spades. I was enthralled from start to finish as I waded through familiar universes and some that weren't so familiar. In fact, one of the coolest things about this anthology was that it introduced me to some new writers whose work I am now dying to check out more.
Did I have any favourites? Well I thought Michael R. Fletcher's 'The Broken Dead' reinforced my view that he's the best up and coming talent in dark fantasy right now. I adored Alex Marshall's 'The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore', and Teresa Frohock and Shaun Speakman impressed with 'Every Hair Casts a Shadow' and 'The Darkness Within the Light'. My favourite story, however, was 'Blood Penny' by Deborah A. Wolf. Telling the tale of a demon-tainted waif, Wolf weaved a dark and suspenseful story of revenge and black magic that left me stunned and overjoyed at the same time.
All in all I loved this book. I can't really top that. Evil is a Matter of Perspective is, hands down, one of the best dark fantasy tomes I've ever read. If you like grimdark or fantasy fiction you'll find a lot to love here.
Five out of five stars. A must read for speculative fiction fans.
Did I have any favourites? Well I thought Michael R. Fletcher's 'The Broken Dead' reinforced my view that he's the best up and coming talent in dark fantasy right now. I adored Alex Marshall's 'The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore', and Teresa Frohock and Shaun Speakman impressed with 'Every Hair Casts a Shadow' and 'The Darkness Within the Light'. My favourite story, however, was 'Blood Penny' by Deborah A. Wolf. Telling the tale of a demon-tainted waif, Wolf weaved a dark and suspenseful story of revenge and black magic that left me stunned and overjoyed at the same time.
All in all I loved this book. I can't really top that. Evil is a Matter of Perspective is, hands down, one of the best dark fantasy tomes I've ever read. If you like grimdark or fantasy fiction you'll find a lot to love here.
Five out of five stars. A must read for speculative fiction fans.
August 22, 2018
When this was announced by Arian Collins over at Grimdark Magazine as an upcoming Kickstarter, I couldn’t wait to jump on board. As I have always found myself intrigued by well written villains/adversaries, I knew this was something I wanted to experience. I’ve discovered while watching the Marvel shows on Netflix that the characters I’m most interested in, (Kingpin, Punisher, and Killgrave) are always the “bad guys”. These shows have great writing, such that they really dig deep into what made the villains..villains. While they don’t justify what they’ve become, these stories give some perspective, some insight on how they came to be the way they are.
So yes, I was excited to have that experience In narrative form. Some authors have entertained me over the years with this concept, telling stories of the “bad guys” within the overall works that bring it all together. I think of George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, and Steven Erikson, among others. Heck, this is the whole concept that has drawn me in to what is now called “grimdark” fiction.
I could not be more pleased with the final product. The cover art is fantastic, as is the interior art. It was a joy to hold this paperback and slowly absorb the total reading experience. As with most anthologies, there is a bit of mixed bag – great stories mixed in with stuff that isn’t as great. But all in all, I’d say that every story offers something and is worth exploring.
I will say that while I love the concept (telling the story from the perspective of the bad-guy), there is a flaw with the idea of jumping in here. It is extremely difficult within the limitations of a short story to bring the total story into perspective, that is to really give us the full effect of “hey, now I get to see this from the bad guy’s perspective”. The reason is simple; most of us have not read all the material that these characters are drawn from. Even with well known authors, it’s going to take one prolific reader to catch up on all the source material before reading these tales. This is not criticism, but a flaw in the “perfect” situation. Perfect would have been to come in having read everything to this point.
The example of “Old Blood” is a good one. There were a lot of references to people and events from the main series, so it was difficult to follow and really get the intended effect of the story for new readers. “The Broken Dead” was a good example of how it worked for me, because I’ve read all of Fletcher’s published material in this universe and even remembered the events and characters drawn up here. So yes, this one worked better than all the rest for me personally.
So as a new introduction to these authors, this is probably not the ideal collection. It’s good for some as you get a good taste of their style and how their worlds work, but a grain of salt should be held out. Still, many of these authors are now highlighted for me in my future reading plans, so it does work.
Now, on to my individual story comments. I’ll keep them brief..Favorites indicated with (*):
Introductions – The first was by R. Scott Bakker. It gave me a headache. I can tell this guy is one of those genius craftsman authors that just don’t connect to regular dudes like me. This introduction and the story from Knee Deep in Grit have me thinking that, and I see we have a story in this book to loom over us.
The second intro was perfect. Adrian Collins is a regular guy and he gave a teaser for the book’s content without weighing me down. This is the kind of thing that gets me excited about what I’m fixing to read.
*“The Broken Dead” by Michael R. Fletcher – This guy never fails to impress. I enjoyed reading a key scene from Beyond Redemption from a different perspective, this time from one of the adversaries. Of course, everyone is a villain in this book so in this case I had more sympathy for the POV character than the first time through.
“Every Hair Casts a Shadow” by Teresa Frohock. I haven’t read any of her work before, but I can say that this seems to be an intriguing take on the Angels vs Demons theme, and it might even turn out better than most in the execution. Too early to tell with a short story, but definite potential here.
*“The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore” by Alex Marshall – That was different. I was definitely engrossed in the writing as I tried to take in all the world building. I’m curious enough to try the first novel, which I’ve had on the TBR since before it came out.
“A Royal Gift” by Mark Adler – I didn’t get the historical references and it was too short to decide if I liked the dark fantasy edge.
“Old Blood” by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Now I’ve read a couple of short stories in the Shadows of the Apt series, and enjoyed them quite a bit, enough to put the first novel on my TBR. This time around, I didn’t love the story. It was well written, but I felt lost. I’m coming to think that some of these stories just don’t work as well as intended with a reader that hasn’t read the main series it’s from. I’d be interested in revisiting this one after I’ve read some of the novels, and see if I enjoy it better. That said, I’m still wanting to check out the first novel.
“Black Bargain” by Janny Wurts – First, I love this lady’s prose and characters. I found myself immersed immediately and ran with it. Thing is, it has been so long since I’ve read any of these books that I felt lost with all the names, places, and events referenced. This is another case where I think a lot is lost unless the reader is a (fresh) veteran reader of the original work.
*“The Syldoon Sun” by Jeff Salyards – Now that was fun. I’m not sure how it all ties into the main series, but I definitely want to read those books sooner rather than later. This was a great introduction to Salyards’s work.
“The Darkness within the Light” by Shawn Speakman – An author that’s been on my TBR radar for awhile, I was very pleased with this story. Wizards, fae, Arthurian stuff, and plenty of grim. Definitely one to explore further.
*“The Greater of Two Evils” by Marc Turner – Wow. Another author that I’ve been meaning to try, and I see why. Pirates and Storm Lords on the seas, with battle magics and plot twists. Loved it, and will be moving that Turner book I have up the TBR.
“Exceeding Bitter” by Kaaron Warren – Creepy grimdark ghost-story; this was really interesting. It might be worth exploring more of this author’s work.
*“A Game of Mages” – by Courtney Schafer – Here’s yet another author I’ve been meaning to try, and once more I’m not disappointed. This is a favorite. I loved the dark magics and was interested in immersing into the world further.
“The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled” by Bradley P. Beaulieu – This was the longest story in the book, I think. The pacing was pretty good though. I have read and liked the author previously, though had not yet read anything set in this world. It was very intriguing, but I think I’d get more out of this story by reading a longer work first.
*“Storm Unbound” by E.V. Morrigan – Heck yes. This is what I love about grimdark! Deception, assassins, and a twist with a twist at the end.
“The Game” by Matthew Ward – Political maneuvering with dark magic. Nice plot, setting up for something else later. Would still like to learn more of this world.
“Blood Penny” by Deborah A. Wolf – Great imagery and creepy ritual magics going on. Here’s another author I’ve been meaning to try and I can tell already she’s a good ‘un. I’m still undecided if this particular world setting is to my taste, but it definitely has some potential.
*“Better than Breath” by Brian Staveley – here’s another author I’ve been meaning to try for a long time and I keep hearing great things about his stuff. And this story does not disappoint. This is a perfect example of the book’s theme, and is realized even without being familiar with the original work.
“The Foundation of Bones” by Mazarkis Williams – I haven’t heard as much about this author as some of the others, but was still curious. This turned out to be a pretty good one; nicely paced with some intriguing backstory.
*“The Aging of a Kill” by Peter Orullian – A definite favorite. This was my second Orullian story this year and I had much the same reaction, one that makes me want to read his novels immediately. I love the way this story was layered, stories within stories, and the way he tied it all together at the end. Brilliant. I need more of this in my reading life.
“The Carathayan” by R. Scott Bakker – This is also my second reading from Bakker, and once more I feel consistent. I did enjoy this one more than the first I read, but also found myself a bit confused by all the names/places and just the weirdness of the story. His prose is wonderful and there are certainly some intriguing ideas in here, but I just don’t know if I could read through an entire novel of it. I’ll hold out judgment though and just see where my reading path takes me.
So yes, I was excited to have that experience In narrative form. Some authors have entertained me over the years with this concept, telling stories of the “bad guys” within the overall works that bring it all together. I think of George R.R. Martin, Joe Abercrombie, Mark Lawrence, and Steven Erikson, among others. Heck, this is the whole concept that has drawn me in to what is now called “grimdark” fiction.
I could not be more pleased with the final product. The cover art is fantastic, as is the interior art. It was a joy to hold this paperback and slowly absorb the total reading experience. As with most anthologies, there is a bit of mixed bag – great stories mixed in with stuff that isn’t as great. But all in all, I’d say that every story offers something and is worth exploring.
I will say that while I love the concept (telling the story from the perspective of the bad-guy), there is a flaw with the idea of jumping in here. It is extremely difficult within the limitations of a short story to bring the total story into perspective, that is to really give us the full effect of “hey, now I get to see this from the bad guy’s perspective”. The reason is simple; most of us have not read all the material that these characters are drawn from. Even with well known authors, it’s going to take one prolific reader to catch up on all the source material before reading these tales. This is not criticism, but a flaw in the “perfect” situation. Perfect would have been to come in having read everything to this point.
The example of “Old Blood” is a good one. There were a lot of references to people and events from the main series, so it was difficult to follow and really get the intended effect of the story for new readers. “The Broken Dead” was a good example of how it worked for me, because I’ve read all of Fletcher’s published material in this universe and even remembered the events and characters drawn up here. So yes, this one worked better than all the rest for me personally.
So as a new introduction to these authors, this is probably not the ideal collection. It’s good for some as you get a good taste of their style and how their worlds work, but a grain of salt should be held out. Still, many of these authors are now highlighted for me in my future reading plans, so it does work.
Now, on to my individual story comments. I’ll keep them brief..Favorites indicated with (*):
Introductions – The first was by R. Scott Bakker. It gave me a headache. I can tell this guy is one of those genius craftsman authors that just don’t connect to regular dudes like me. This introduction and the story from Knee Deep in Grit have me thinking that, and I see we have a story in this book to loom over us.
The second intro was perfect. Adrian Collins is a regular guy and he gave a teaser for the book’s content without weighing me down. This is the kind of thing that gets me excited about what I’m fixing to read.
*“The Broken Dead” by Michael R. Fletcher – This guy never fails to impress. I enjoyed reading a key scene from Beyond Redemption from a different perspective, this time from one of the adversaries. Of course, everyone is a villain in this book so in this case I had more sympathy for the POV character than the first time through.
“Every Hair Casts a Shadow” by Teresa Frohock. I haven’t read any of her work before, but I can say that this seems to be an intriguing take on the Angels vs Demons theme, and it might even turn out better than most in the execution. Too early to tell with a short story, but definite potential here.
*“The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore” by Alex Marshall – That was different. I was definitely engrossed in the writing as I tried to take in all the world building. I’m curious enough to try the first novel, which I’ve had on the TBR since before it came out.
“A Royal Gift” by Mark Adler – I didn’t get the historical references and it was too short to decide if I liked the dark fantasy edge.
“Old Blood” by Adrian Tchaikovsky – Now I’ve read a couple of short stories in the Shadows of the Apt series, and enjoyed them quite a bit, enough to put the first novel on my TBR. This time around, I didn’t love the story. It was well written, but I felt lost. I’m coming to think that some of these stories just don’t work as well as intended with a reader that hasn’t read the main series it’s from. I’d be interested in revisiting this one after I’ve read some of the novels, and see if I enjoy it better. That said, I’m still wanting to check out the first novel.
“Black Bargain” by Janny Wurts – First, I love this lady’s prose and characters. I found myself immersed immediately and ran with it. Thing is, it has been so long since I’ve read any of these books that I felt lost with all the names, places, and events referenced. This is another case where I think a lot is lost unless the reader is a (fresh) veteran reader of the original work.
*“The Syldoon Sun” by Jeff Salyards – Now that was fun. I’m not sure how it all ties into the main series, but I definitely want to read those books sooner rather than later. This was a great introduction to Salyards’s work.
“The Darkness within the Light” by Shawn Speakman – An author that’s been on my TBR radar for awhile, I was very pleased with this story. Wizards, fae, Arthurian stuff, and plenty of grim. Definitely one to explore further.
*“The Greater of Two Evils” by Marc Turner – Wow. Another author that I’ve been meaning to try, and I see why. Pirates and Storm Lords on the seas, with battle magics and plot twists. Loved it, and will be moving that Turner book I have up the TBR.
“Exceeding Bitter” by Kaaron Warren – Creepy grimdark ghost-story; this was really interesting. It might be worth exploring more of this author’s work.
*“A Game of Mages” – by Courtney Schafer – Here’s yet another author I’ve been meaning to try, and once more I’m not disappointed. This is a favorite. I loved the dark magics and was interested in immersing into the world further.
“The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled” by Bradley P. Beaulieu – This was the longest story in the book, I think. The pacing was pretty good though. I have read and liked the author previously, though had not yet read anything set in this world. It was very intriguing, but I think I’d get more out of this story by reading a longer work first.
*“Storm Unbound” by E.V. Morrigan – Heck yes. This is what I love about grimdark! Deception, assassins, and a twist with a twist at the end.
“The Game” by Matthew Ward – Political maneuvering with dark magic. Nice plot, setting up for something else later. Would still like to learn more of this world.
“Blood Penny” by Deborah A. Wolf – Great imagery and creepy ritual magics going on. Here’s another author I’ve been meaning to try and I can tell already she’s a good ‘un. I’m still undecided if this particular world setting is to my taste, but it definitely has some potential.
*“Better than Breath” by Brian Staveley – here’s another author I’ve been meaning to try for a long time and I keep hearing great things about his stuff. And this story does not disappoint. This is a perfect example of the book’s theme, and is realized even without being familiar with the original work.
“The Foundation of Bones” by Mazarkis Williams – I haven’t heard as much about this author as some of the others, but was still curious. This turned out to be a pretty good one; nicely paced with some intriguing backstory.
*“The Aging of a Kill” by Peter Orullian – A definite favorite. This was my second Orullian story this year and I had much the same reaction, one that makes me want to read his novels immediately. I love the way this story was layered, stories within stories, and the way he tied it all together at the end. Brilliant. I need more of this in my reading life.
“The Carathayan” by R. Scott Bakker – This is also my second reading from Bakker, and once more I feel consistent. I did enjoy this one more than the first I read, but also found myself a bit confused by all the names/places and just the weirdness of the story. His prose is wonderful and there are certainly some intriguing ideas in here, but I just don’t know if I could read through an entire novel of it. I’ll hold out judgment though and just see where my reading path takes me.
September 27, 2023
19 stories! Think I'll start at the beginning...
The Broken Dead - by Michael R. Fletcher ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Every Hair Casts A Shadow - by Teresa Frohock ⭐⭐⭐
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore - by Alex Marshall ⭐
A Royal Gift - by Mark Alder ⭐⭐
Old Blood - by Adrian Tchairovsky ⭐⭐⭐
Black Bargain – by Janny Wurts
The Syldoon Sun - by Jeff Salyards
The Darkness Within The Light - by Shawn Speakman
The Greater of Two Evils – by Marc Turner
Exceeding Bitter - by Kaaron Warren
A Game Of Mages - by Courtney Schafer
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled – by Bradley P. Beaulieu
A Storm Unbound - by E.V. Morrigan
The Game - by Matthew Ward
Blood Penny – by Deborah A. Wolf
Better Than Breath - by Brian Staveley
Foundation Of Bones - by Mazarkis Williams
The Aging Of A Kill - by Peter Orullian
The Carathayan - by R. Scott Bakker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Manifest Delusions Series
The year is 2022 and this anthology came out in 2017. My order in reading grimdark authors is off-kilter. I still haven't read Beyond Redemption but it's on my TBR. I have read Smoke and Stone and I can see Fletcher's calling card when it comes to young characters slumming it and doing hallucinogenic drugs.
Anomie is a terror of a character. I can see how Michael R. Fletcher gave her some humanity and sets this story off true to the theme of this anthology. Exciting, and a page chewer. Bumping up Beyond Redemption on my TBR.
Los Nefilim Series
I love the idea of this world. Angels and demons using their voice/songs as weapons. Also, the story is set in Barcelona. Enriched the story with that old world feel.
However, the writing did not grip me. Right at the start my mind drifted off. I had to read the first 2 pages three times before anything sunk in. This is another author on TBR with a different book. Although, I am interested in this world, I just don't see myself jumping into Frohock's books anytime soon.
The Crimson Empire Series
This is another series on my TBR. Or was. I'm afraid I'm going to remove The Crimson Empire Series from my TBR.
Only about 30 pages long and I could only make it halfway through. Just didn't grab me and I couldn't see how it was keeping to the anthology theme. Bummer. But that's part of what these anthologies are about. To get a feel for the author.
Next!
The Second Apocalypse Series
Dark. Brutal. Insane.
THIS is what I love.
Banners of Blood Series
A bit too religious for me. Not quite my style. I won't be adding this to my TBR.
Shadows Of The Apt Series
Having read Children of Time and seeing humans on the cover of all the Apt books, I was massively confused if this story was truly about bugs or humans. This series description helps out enormously:
The series is set in a hypothetical universe populated by different kinden. Each kinden is a fictional race of humans, named after (and having certain characteristics of) an insect. Kinden are typically divided into two categories : Apt and Inapt. The Apt do not have magical abilities, but are able to understand, use and design mechanical devices. The Inapt have varying amounts of magical abilities, but cannot use mechanical devices, even those as simple as latches. The series focuses on the attempted conquest of the lowlands by the Wasp-kinden empire.
Only 3 stars because I was really confused. I added the series to my TBR because I truly love Adrian Tchairovsky. Maybe short stories aren't his cup of tea, or perhaps I'd have a better time if I read some of the books first. Now the question is do I start with the short stories Spoils Of War, or book one Empire In Black And Gold?
The Broken Dead - by Michael R. Fletcher ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Every Hair Casts A Shadow - by Teresa Frohock ⭐⭐⭐
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore - by Alex Marshall ⭐
A Royal Gift - by Mark Alder ⭐⭐
Old Blood - by Adrian Tchairovsky ⭐⭐⭐
Black Bargain – by Janny Wurts
The Syldoon Sun - by Jeff Salyards
The Darkness Within The Light - by Shawn Speakman
The Greater of Two Evils – by Marc Turner
Exceeding Bitter - by Kaaron Warren
A Game Of Mages - by Courtney Schafer
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled – by Bradley P. Beaulieu
A Storm Unbound - by E.V. Morrigan
The Game - by Matthew Ward
Blood Penny – by Deborah A. Wolf
Better Than Breath - by Brian Staveley
Foundation Of Bones - by Mazarkis Williams
The Aging Of A Kill - by Peter Orullian
The Carathayan - by R. Scott Bakker ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~The Broken Dead - by Michael R. Fletcher
Manifest Delusions Series
The year is 2022 and this anthology came out in 2017. My order in reading grimdark authors is off-kilter. I still haven't read Beyond Redemption but it's on my TBR. I have read Smoke and Stone and I can see Fletcher's calling card when it comes to young characters slumming it and doing hallucinogenic drugs.
Anomie is a terror of a character. I can see how Michael R. Fletcher gave her some humanity and sets this story off true to the theme of this anthology. Exciting, and a page chewer. Bumping up Beyond Redemption on my TBR.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Every Hair Casts A Shadow - by Teresa Frohock
Los Nefilim Series
I love the idea of this world. Angels and demons using their voice/songs as weapons. Also, the story is set in Barcelona. Enriched the story with that old world feel.
However, the writing did not grip me. Right at the start my mind drifted off. I had to read the first 2 pages three times before anything sunk in. This is another author on TBR with a different book. Although, I am interested in this world, I just don't see myself jumping into Frohock's books anytime soon.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore - by Alex Marshall
The Crimson Empire Series
This is another series on my TBR. Or was. I'm afraid I'm going to remove The Crimson Empire Series from my TBR.
Only about 30 pages long and I could only make it halfway through. Just didn't grab me and I couldn't see how it was keeping to the anthology theme. Bummer. But that's part of what these anthologies are about. To get a feel for the author.
Next!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~The Carathayan - by R. Scott Bakker
The Second Apocalypse Series
Dark. Brutal. Insane.
THIS is what I love.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~A Royal Gift - by Mark Alder
Banners of Blood Series
A bit too religious for me. Not quite my style. I won't be adding this to my TBR.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~Old Blood - by Adrian Tchairovsky
Shadows Of The Apt Series
Having read Children of Time and seeing humans on the cover of all the Apt books, I was massively confused if this story was truly about bugs or humans. This series description helps out enormously:
The series is set in a hypothetical universe populated by different kinden. Each kinden is a fictional race of humans, named after (and having certain characteristics of) an insect. Kinden are typically divided into two categories : Apt and Inapt. The Apt do not have magical abilities, but are able to understand, use and design mechanical devices. The Inapt have varying amounts of magical abilities, but cannot use mechanical devices, even those as simple as latches. The series focuses on the attempted conquest of the lowlands by the Wasp-kinden empire.
Only 3 stars because I was really confused. I added the series to my TBR because I truly love Adrian Tchairovsky. Maybe short stories aren't his cup of tea, or perhaps I'd have a better time if I read some of the books first. Now the question is do I start with the short stories Spoils Of War, or book one Empire In Black And Gold?
May 29, 2017
Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists was a captivating read from start to finish. Don’t get me wrong; some stories hooked me more than others – as can be expected in any anthology. Overall, I found this a tantalizing read that delivered wholesale on the mysterious and melancholy promise of the cover. The stories within, written by a cornucopia of names easily recognizable by anyone familiar with the genre were, without exception, well written and well edited. Each had a gritty, soiled feel that left me thirsting for more. And yet, strangely, the piece that I found most stirring was not fiction at all, but rather the Foreword by R. Scott Bakker.
In “On the Goodness of Evil,” Bakker sumptuously defines grimdark in striking terms that give context and meaning to the genre in today’s world of moral turbidity. Bakker paints the grimdark genre in terms of perspective, grounding it firmly within cultural and historical contexts. According to Bakker, grimdark’s pillars run contrary to our cultural norms of good and evil, bringing the nature of evil itself into question as a construct of historical and religious stereotypes.
This essay worked so well for me. Bakker’s assertions acutely echoed my own ideals of the genre, which I have grown to adore for grimdark’s ability to stimulate my own curiosity about humanity’s moral underpinnings.
What the anthology does exceptionally well is cast a stage filled with macabre characters that entice the imagination: tormented, compelled, sometimes coerced to terrible and often grotesque ends. In this respect, the anthology promises and delivers with resounding satisfaction.
I loved “The Broken Dead” by Michael R. Fletcher for its exquisite imagery. I also enjoyed “The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore,” finding it well researched and lavishly gruesome. “Black Bargain” by Janny Wurts sucked me right into her characters’ heads (though I am biased, as I’ve been a Janny Wurts fan for more years than I care to admit). “The Darkness Within the Light” by Shawn Speakman I found to be brilliant, a fresh deconstruction of Arthurian legend. “Blood Penny” by Deborah A. Wolf stood out for the strength of her characterization and evocative plot―a tenderly dark story that I adored. “The Carathayan” by R. Scott Bakker was a joy to read, as the strong, deft prose carried me right along.
All in all, a splendid collection that any adult fan of dark fantasy fiction will enjoy. Highly recommend.
In “On the Goodness of Evil,” Bakker sumptuously defines grimdark in striking terms that give context and meaning to the genre in today’s world of moral turbidity. Bakker paints the grimdark genre in terms of perspective, grounding it firmly within cultural and historical contexts. According to Bakker, grimdark’s pillars run contrary to our cultural norms of good and evil, bringing the nature of evil itself into question as a construct of historical and religious stereotypes.
This essay worked so well for me. Bakker’s assertions acutely echoed my own ideals of the genre, which I have grown to adore for grimdark’s ability to stimulate my own curiosity about humanity’s moral underpinnings.
What the anthology does exceptionally well is cast a stage filled with macabre characters that entice the imagination: tormented, compelled, sometimes coerced to terrible and often grotesque ends. In this respect, the anthology promises and delivers with resounding satisfaction.
I loved “The Broken Dead” by Michael R. Fletcher for its exquisite imagery. I also enjoyed “The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore,” finding it well researched and lavishly gruesome. “Black Bargain” by Janny Wurts sucked me right into her characters’ heads (though I am biased, as I’ve been a Janny Wurts fan for more years than I care to admit). “The Darkness Within the Light” by Shawn Speakman I found to be brilliant, a fresh deconstruction of Arthurian legend. “Blood Penny” by Deborah A. Wolf stood out for the strength of her characterization and evocative plot―a tenderly dark story that I adored. “The Carathayan” by R. Scott Bakker was a joy to read, as the strong, deft prose carried me right along.
All in all, a splendid collection that any adult fan of dark fantasy fiction will enjoy. Highly recommend.
August 19, 2017
A good anthology I would recommend to anyone who wants to try out new grimdark authors. This is my first reading of any of these authors. I was able to follow the stories just fine without prior knowledge of their works. There's a great variety of different settings and styles. Some of them really resonated with me, and I just loved. Others I couldn't get into and ended up scrolling through. But I'm sure those "scroll through it" stories will vary for different people, depending on what kinds of storytelling styles appeal to them.
The variety applies not only to writing styles (POV, tense, etc.) but also subject matter. The characters' motivations range from political to religious to survival to personal. There's a bit of something here for everyone.
The foreword is also worth the read, especially if you're interested in the philosophy behind grimdark.
The variety applies not only to writing styles (POV, tense, etc.) but also subject matter. The characters' motivations range from political to religious to survival to personal. There's a bit of something here for everyone.
The foreword is also worth the read, especially if you're interested in the philosophy behind grimdark.
September 18, 2017
Not something I read a lot of are anthologies but I did enjoy the stories in this one, some more than others.
Going to look out the authors I have not read yet.
Going to look out the authors I have not read yet.
August 21, 2017
Beaulieu, Schafer, Marc Turner, Jeff Salyards, and in the end, even Fletcher, all had good stories that I've enjoyed and appreciated.
The problem was that I forgot some of the characters and I wasn't all the time in tothe knowing factor.
Usually, in this kind of Anthology the big names have stories that disappoint, but in this case the situation was highly reversed.
There were other ok stories, but the vast majority of them didn't interest me one bit.
Still, this is a good project that has a wide range of writers to discover and enjoy, some of them having the potential to surprise a new reader unfamiliar with this side of the fantasy branch.
Three stars from my part.
The problem was that I forgot some of the characters and I wasn't all the time in tothe knowing factor.
Usually, in this kind of Anthology the big names have stories that disappoint, but in this case the situation was highly reversed.
There were other ok stories, but the vast majority of them didn't interest me one bit.
Still, this is a good project that has a wide range of writers to discover and enjoy, some of them having the potential to surprise a new reader unfamiliar with this side of the fantasy branch.
Three stars from my part.
June 13, 2017
I'm a fan of Grimdark Magazine and Grimdark fantasy in general, so when I found out they were planning an anthology, the decision to back it on Kickstarter was a no-brainer. I'm happy to say that my slavishly servile minions at GdM did a fantastic job of bringing my baby to life (I think I may be overemphasizing the importance of my role as a backer here just a bit).
Fantasy seems like it wouldn't be an ideal genre for short fiction; you would think it requires more context and worldbuilding than a short story has space to provide. Though I tend to stick to horror for my short fiction needs, I have liked the few fantasy short fiction anthologies I've read in the past and I enjoyed this one quite a bit as well.
Like most anthologies, your mileage is going to vary a bit from story to story depending on your tastes. That was somewhat the case for me with this collection, but it was still remarkably consistent from beginning to end. The folks at GdM know the kinds of stories they want to tell and the authors that are capable of telling them, and it shows in the finished product.
All of the stories take place in existing fantasy universes, and unsurprisingly the stories I enjoyed the most tended to be based on series that I had already read, written by authors I was already familiar with. The book opens with a great introduction by R Scott Bakker, a mainstay of Grimdark fantasy who also has a story that closes out the collection. After reading that and a second introduction by Adrian Collins from GdM, my appetite for gritty, blood-drenched complexity was sufficiently whetted and I moved on to the first entry in the collection: a story in the Manifest Delusions universe of Michael R. Fletcher. This turned out to be a great starting point for me as Michael is one of those authors that I'm well familiar with and one of my favorites in the Grimdark subgenre. It was a great start to the book not only because of the great writing and my familiarity with the characters and events, but because it encapsulated the mission statement of the anthology quite literally: it tells the story of Anomie, a character from Beyond Redemption who serves the main villain. Anomie was a secondary character at best in that book, and not deeply fleshed out (no pun intended, if you're familiar with the character). What makes it such a literal interpretation of the anthology's title is that it not only gives further background on the character, giving her a depth and complexity we weren't treated to in the original series, but it actually retells scenes from the original book from her perspective. I was so psyched to see the book open with the story I was most looking forward to, and even happier after reading it.
Some of the other stories were also based on series that I was already familiar with, including ones by Alex Marshall and Jeff Salyards. Along with Fletcher's those were two that I was most looking forward to, and neither disappointed. I know Alex has more Crimson Empire in the pipeline, but I think Jeff might be done with the Bloodsounder's Arc series. I may have to start an online campaign to get him to write more in that world - I need more Braylar and company in my life!
Deborah A. Wolf's story was also familiar to me, having recently read The Dragon's Legacy. Hers turned out to be one of the darkest in a group of very dark tales, and was another of my favorites. R Scott Bakker's Second Apocalypse world is one I've visited before, and his story marked a fine end to the collection; both very dark (it features a mother being gagged with the severed hand of her dead son), and yet wickedly humorous.
The only other story set in the framework of a series I had read previously was Brian Staveley's. I actually didn't love The Emperor's Blades quite as much as many of the other Grimdark readers I know, but I'm fully back on board after reading this story and looking forward to catching up on that series.
My favorite stories weren't limited to authors/series I was familiar with. Theresa Frohock's contribution, taking place in 1937 Barcelona, had me itching to dive into the rest of her Los Nefilim works. Shawn Speakman's story featured the best opening line: "Tathal Ennis slid the dagger into the side of Old Wynn’s neck." This story appears to be the inspiration for both the cover image and the title. A great story, though I'm not sure I'd read more in that series because I'm just not that into Arthurian stuff.
Kaaron Warren's story about three women who portend death when they visit, Courtney Shafer's Blood Mages, and Peter Orullian's The Aging of a Kill were other major highlights. Shae from E.V. Morrigan's A Storm Unbound may be my favorite character from the anthology and one I'm itching to read more about, and Solomon from Matthew Ward's The Game may be the most evil, manipulative bastard in the bunch. Bradley Beaulieu's Twelve Kings of Sharakai has been sitting in my kindle taking up digital space for months and has now moved up the TBR after reading his fantastic story here.
As previously stated, the book was remarkably consistent from beginning to end - I wouldn't categorize any as clunkers or skip-worthy, but the ones I talked about are the ones that really stood out for me. My only complaint about the book: while I did get second billing in the acknowledgments among the 900+ backers, they only included my first name! I'm just some random Andrew. I'm hardly feeling immortalized in print over here. Despite that ungrateful slap in the chops, I'm very glad that I backed the project and appreciative that I got to follow the process of its creation and get an early look at it in print. Thanks to the talented folks at GdM for putting it together and bringing Grimdark to the masses!
Fantasy seems like it wouldn't be an ideal genre for short fiction; you would think it requires more context and worldbuilding than a short story has space to provide. Though I tend to stick to horror for my short fiction needs, I have liked the few fantasy short fiction anthologies I've read in the past and I enjoyed this one quite a bit as well.
Like most anthologies, your mileage is going to vary a bit from story to story depending on your tastes. That was somewhat the case for me with this collection, but it was still remarkably consistent from beginning to end. The folks at GdM know the kinds of stories they want to tell and the authors that are capable of telling them, and it shows in the finished product.
All of the stories take place in existing fantasy universes, and unsurprisingly the stories I enjoyed the most tended to be based on series that I had already read, written by authors I was already familiar with. The book opens with a great introduction by R Scott Bakker, a mainstay of Grimdark fantasy who also has a story that closes out the collection. After reading that and a second introduction by Adrian Collins from GdM, my appetite for gritty, blood-drenched complexity was sufficiently whetted and I moved on to the first entry in the collection: a story in the Manifest Delusions universe of Michael R. Fletcher. This turned out to be a great starting point for me as Michael is one of those authors that I'm well familiar with and one of my favorites in the Grimdark subgenre. It was a great start to the book not only because of the great writing and my familiarity with the characters and events, but because it encapsulated the mission statement of the anthology quite literally: it tells the story of Anomie, a character from Beyond Redemption who serves the main villain. Anomie was a secondary character at best in that book, and not deeply fleshed out (no pun intended, if you're familiar with the character). What makes it such a literal interpretation of the anthology's title is that it not only gives further background on the character, giving her a depth and complexity we weren't treated to in the original series, but it actually retells scenes from the original book from her perspective. I was so psyched to see the book open with the story I was most looking forward to, and even happier after reading it.
Some of the other stories were also based on series that I was already familiar with, including ones by Alex Marshall and Jeff Salyards. Along with Fletcher's those were two that I was most looking forward to, and neither disappointed. I know Alex has more Crimson Empire in the pipeline, but I think Jeff might be done with the Bloodsounder's Arc series. I may have to start an online campaign to get him to write more in that world - I need more Braylar and company in my life!
Deborah A. Wolf's story was also familiar to me, having recently read The Dragon's Legacy. Hers turned out to be one of the darkest in a group of very dark tales, and was another of my favorites. R Scott Bakker's Second Apocalypse world is one I've visited before, and his story marked a fine end to the collection; both very dark (it features a mother being gagged with the severed hand of her dead son), and yet wickedly humorous.
The only other story set in the framework of a series I had read previously was Brian Staveley's. I actually didn't love The Emperor's Blades quite as much as many of the other Grimdark readers I know, but I'm fully back on board after reading this story and looking forward to catching up on that series.
My favorite stories weren't limited to authors/series I was familiar with. Theresa Frohock's contribution, taking place in 1937 Barcelona, had me itching to dive into the rest of her Los Nefilim works. Shawn Speakman's story featured the best opening line: "Tathal Ennis slid the dagger into the side of Old Wynn’s neck." This story appears to be the inspiration for both the cover image and the title. A great story, though I'm not sure I'd read more in that series because I'm just not that into Arthurian stuff.
Kaaron Warren's story about three women who portend death when they visit, Courtney Shafer's Blood Mages, and Peter Orullian's The Aging of a Kill were other major highlights. Shae from E.V. Morrigan's A Storm Unbound may be my favorite character from the anthology and one I'm itching to read more about, and Solomon from Matthew Ward's The Game may be the most evil, manipulative bastard in the bunch. Bradley Beaulieu's Twelve Kings of Sharakai has been sitting in my kindle taking up digital space for months and has now moved up the TBR after reading his fantastic story here.
As previously stated, the book was remarkably consistent from beginning to end - I wouldn't categorize any as clunkers or skip-worthy, but the ones I talked about are the ones that really stood out for me. My only complaint about the book: while I did get second billing in the acknowledgments among the 900+ backers, they only included my first name! I'm just some random Andrew. I'm hardly feeling immortalized in print over here. Despite that ungrateful slap in the chops, I'm very glad that I backed the project and appreciative that I got to follow the process of its creation and get an early look at it in print. Thanks to the talented folks at GdM for putting it together and bringing Grimdark to the masses!
July 31, 2017
I have met with some authors, that I will start to read, with this book. If you like grimdark then there is no reason not to read it. I must say I have a few stories to read still
June 25, 2018
Overall, a good anthology and a must read for all grimdark fans.
I liked 11 stories out of 19, so I guess three stars are enough.
My top three stories are: The Greater of Two Evils (Turner), A Storm Unbound (Morrigan), The Aging of a Kill (Orullian). It so happens that they showcase strong and interesting female characters.
My bottom three are: Old Blood (Tchaikovsky), Black Bargain (Wurts) and The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled (Beaulieu). Well, actually the last story by Bakker is kind of annoying as well.
Well, lucky that I read Tchaikovsky before this, or else I would have backed away from his works. Which is what I am planning to do with Wurts and Bakker. I read one of Beaulieu's works before which I disliked, reading his story in this collection just cemented my judgment.
Individual random comments about each story:
The Broken Dead by Michael Fletcher.
Very interesting worldbuilding and sufficiently dark. I need to read Manifest Delusions someday.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow by Teresa Frohock. This is also a new author for me. I liked the Spanish Civil War setting but unsure about the use of angels and demons. Would probably make a good visuals. An okay story - not really crazy about the plot.
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore by Alex Marshall
Started out so-so but it gets really dark at the end. I am not particularly fond of the writing/narrative style.
A Royal Gift by Mark Alder
It so happens that I am currently reading a book about The Plantagenets so I was excited to know that the story's about Edward the Black Prince. Too bad it ended too abruptly.
Old Blood by Adrian Tchaikovsky
I don't get it.
Black Bargain by Janny Wurts
Too many worldbuilding with lack of clear plot - my head hurts.
The Syldoon Sun by Jeff Salyards
Interesting set-up, and I always like military fantasy stuff. The ending was rather unclear to me though.
The Darkness within the Light (The Annwyn Cycles) by Shawn Speakman
Surprisingly I like this one. Read one of his works years ago and did not like it. Grimdark faerie world is cool.
The Greater of Two Evils by Marc Turner
Probably my favorite so far. I love any kind of water magic and the MC is such as a bad ass. I think I want to try his trilogy.
Exceeding Bitter by Kaaron Warrren
This is a ghost story and it is so sad.
A Game of Mage by Courtney Schafer
I liked this one too, with its Eastern flavor. Great pacing.
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled (Beaulieu) - I don't like it. It's overly long and just convoluted. I read his Sharakai first book and almost DNFed it. I guess his writing style is not for me.
A Storm Unbound (Morrigan): fantastic character! great action. and that ending!
The Game (Ward): I like the world - the start of the story reminds me of the movie Gladiator where Maximus faces his judgment. I may try on his novels someday.
Blood Penny (Wolf); I am familiar with her work, and I found myself also liking this. She's a great wordsmith and I enjoy her writing and characters.
Better than Breath (Staveley): also not a stranger to the author, this is a great GD story. great characterization as well.
A Foundation of Bones (Williams): a bit of a snoozefest, to be frank.
The Aging of a Kill (Orullian): very unique and intriguing. I love these kind of conversation between adversaries and flashbacks in between. One of my favorites of the bunch.
The Carathayan (Bakker): That's weird. Not my kind of weird. Sufficiently dark but it's too disturbing. Also, there were too many exclamation points.
I liked 11 stories out of 19, so I guess three stars are enough.
My top three stories are: The Greater of Two Evils (Turner), A Storm Unbound (Morrigan), The Aging of a Kill (Orullian). It so happens that they showcase strong and interesting female characters.
My bottom three are: Old Blood (Tchaikovsky), Black Bargain (Wurts) and The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled (Beaulieu). Well, actually the last story by Bakker is kind of annoying as well.
Well, lucky that I read Tchaikovsky before this, or else I would have backed away from his works. Which is what I am planning to do with Wurts and Bakker. I read one of Beaulieu's works before which I disliked, reading his story in this collection just cemented my judgment.
Individual random comments about each story:
The Broken Dead by Michael Fletcher.
Very interesting worldbuilding and sufficiently dark. I need to read Manifest Delusions someday.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow by Teresa Frohock. This is also a new author for me. I liked the Spanish Civil War setting but unsure about the use of angels and demons. Would probably make a good visuals. An okay story - not really crazy about the plot.
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore by Alex Marshall
Started out so-so but it gets really dark at the end. I am not particularly fond of the writing/narrative style.
A Royal Gift by Mark Alder
It so happens that I am currently reading a book about The Plantagenets so I was excited to know that the story's about Edward the Black Prince. Too bad it ended too abruptly.
Old Blood by Adrian Tchaikovsky
I don't get it.
Black Bargain by Janny Wurts
Too many worldbuilding with lack of clear plot - my head hurts.
The Syldoon Sun by Jeff Salyards
Interesting set-up, and I always like military fantasy stuff. The ending was rather unclear to me though.
The Darkness within the Light (The Annwyn Cycles) by Shawn Speakman
Surprisingly I like this one. Read one of his works years ago and did not like it. Grimdark faerie world is cool.
The Greater of Two Evils by Marc Turner
Probably my favorite so far. I love any kind of water magic and the MC is such as a bad ass. I think I want to try his trilogy.
Exceeding Bitter by Kaaron Warrren
This is a ghost story and it is so sad.
A Game of Mage by Courtney Schafer
I liked this one too, with its Eastern flavor. Great pacing.
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled (Beaulieu) - I don't like it. It's overly long and just convoluted. I read his Sharakai first book and almost DNFed it. I guess his writing style is not for me.
A Storm Unbound (Morrigan): fantastic character! great action. and that ending!
The Game (Ward): I like the world - the start of the story reminds me of the movie Gladiator where Maximus faces his judgment. I may try on his novels someday.
Blood Penny (Wolf); I am familiar with her work, and I found myself also liking this. She's a great wordsmith and I enjoy her writing and characters.
Better than Breath (Staveley): also not a stranger to the author, this is a great GD story. great characterization as well.
A Foundation of Bones (Williams): a bit of a snoozefest, to be frank.
The Aging of a Kill (Orullian): very unique and intriguing. I love these kind of conversation between adversaries and flashbacks in between. One of my favorites of the bunch.
The Carathayan (Bakker): That's weird. Not my kind of weird. Sufficiently dark but it's too disturbing. Also, there were too many exclamation points.
August 14, 2017
A mixed bag of Tales. I even had to stop reading at one point, but I persevered and found the last half of the book much better.
August 24, 2019
1.R. Scott Bakker (The Second Apocalypse)
2.Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, The Tiger and the Wolf)
3.Michael R. Fletcher (Manifest Delusions)
4.Shawn Speakman (The Annwn Cycles)
5.Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)
6.Kaaron Warren (The Gate Theory, Mistification)
7.Courtney Schafer (The Shattered Sigil)
8.Marc Turner (Chronicles of the Exile)
9.Jeff Salyards (Bloodsounder's Arc)
10.Mazarkis Williams (The Tower & Knife)
11.Deborah A. Wolf (The Dragon's Legacy)
12.Brian Staveley (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)
13.Alex Marshall (Crimson Empire)
14.Bradley P. Beaulieu (The Song of the Shattered Sands, The Lays of Anuskaya)
15.Matthew Ward (Shadow of the Raven, Coldharbour)
16.Mark Alder (Banners of Blood)
17.Janny Wurts (The Wars of Light and Shadow, The Empire Trilogy)
18.E.V. Morrigan (Glyph War world)
19.Peter Orullian (The Vault of Heaven)
Great stories
I think my fav was Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)
2.Adrian Tchaikovsky (Shadows of the Apt, The Tiger and the Wolf)
3.Michael R. Fletcher (Manifest Delusions)
4.Shawn Speakman (The Annwn Cycles)
5.Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)
6.Kaaron Warren (The Gate Theory, Mistification)
7.Courtney Schafer (The Shattered Sigil)
8.Marc Turner (Chronicles of the Exile)
9.Jeff Salyards (Bloodsounder's Arc)
10.Mazarkis Williams (The Tower & Knife)
11.Deborah A. Wolf (The Dragon's Legacy)
12.Brian Staveley (Chronicle of the Unhewn Throne)
13.Alex Marshall (Crimson Empire)
14.Bradley P. Beaulieu (The Song of the Shattered Sands, The Lays of Anuskaya)
15.Matthew Ward (Shadow of the Raven, Coldharbour)
16.Mark Alder (Banners of Blood)
17.Janny Wurts (The Wars of Light and Shadow, The Empire Trilogy)
18.E.V. Morrigan (Glyph War world)
19.Peter Orullian (The Vault of Heaven)
Great stories
I think my fav was Teresa Frohock (Los Nefilim)
October 7, 2017
A fairly strong anthology. Obviously the stories set in worlds I was familiar with were easiest for me to latch onto but they weren't always my favorites. In fact several of the authors I was unfamiliar with left me curious enough to seek out their full-length novels.
Standouts: Brian Staveley, Jeff Salyards, Marc Turner, Courtney Schafer and E.V. Morrigan.
The Broken Dead by Michael R. Fletcher -- 3/5
Zombies and split narratives and not quite polished enough.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow by Teresa Frohock -- 1/5
Too much happening, no depth. And also: strongly object to "Nefilim."
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore by Alex Marshall -- 3/5
Intriguing idea not necessarily executed far enough.
A Royal Gift by Mark Adler -- 2/5
Weird story where the Black Prince is a demon who bargains to die before his dad.
Old Blood by Adrian Tchaikovsky -- 2/5
Not bad but I DNF'd the series this is set within bc it was overly complicated and unengaging.
Black Bargain by Janny Wurts -- 3/5
Not bad, not particularly memorable.
The Syldoon Sun by Jeff Salyards -- 4/5
Creative and well-paced, especially for the length.
The Darkness Within the Light by Shawn Speakman -- 2/5
Boring, with clarity issues. Villains should never be boring.
The Greater of Two Evils by Marc Turner -- 4/5
Pirates and clever women and with a side of patricide. My favorites.
Exceeding Bitter by Kaaron Warren -- 3/5
Jumbled beginning but it builds and ends strongly.
A Game of Mages by Courtney Schafer -- 4/5
Dark and bloody, unsettling and memorable. Bumped this author and series up my TBR.
The Shattered Prince and the Demon Veiled by Bradley P. Beaulieu -- 3.5/5
This felt overwrought and unexplained.
A Storm Unbound by E.V. Morrigan -- 4/5
The lengths a woman will go for love, vengeance.... and one surprising thing more that made me love this.
The Game by Matthew Ward -- 1/5
blah blah blee blee bloo boring. Staveley should have gotten these 30 pages.
Blood Penny by Deborah A. Wolfe -- 3.5/5
Like her full-length novels this was initially hard to grasp unto but original and improves from there.
Better than Breath by Brian Staveley -- 5/5
This is perhaps a bit too short and easily ended to earn that full five stars but it's my fave author of the bunch in my fave world with a clever little plot. Sold.
Foundation of Bones by Mazarkis Williams -- 3/5
Could use some fleshing out, plot and character-wise.
The Aging of a Kill by Peter Orullian -- 2/5
Pretty dull across the board and plodding.
The Carathayan by R. Scott Bakker -- 1/5
Technically this was a DNF but a 1/5 because I hate Bakker's pretentious bullshit.
Standouts: Brian Staveley, Jeff Salyards, Marc Turner, Courtney Schafer and E.V. Morrigan.
The Broken Dead by Michael R. Fletcher -- 3/5
Zombies and split narratives and not quite polished enough.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow by Teresa Frohock -- 1/5
Too much happening, no depth. And also: strongly object to "Nefilim."
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore by Alex Marshall -- 3/5
Intriguing idea not necessarily executed far enough.
A Royal Gift by Mark Adler -- 2/5
Weird story where the Black Prince is a demon who bargains to die before his dad.
Old Blood by Adrian Tchaikovsky -- 2/5
Not bad but I DNF'd the series this is set within bc it was overly complicated and unengaging.
Black Bargain by Janny Wurts -- 3/5
Not bad, not particularly memorable.
The Syldoon Sun by Jeff Salyards -- 4/5
Creative and well-paced, especially for the length.
The Darkness Within the Light by Shawn Speakman -- 2/5
Boring, with clarity issues. Villains should never be boring.
The Greater of Two Evils by Marc Turner -- 4/5
Pirates and clever women and with a side of patricide. My favorites.
Exceeding Bitter by Kaaron Warren -- 3/5
Jumbled beginning but it builds and ends strongly.
A Game of Mages by Courtney Schafer -- 4/5
Dark and bloody, unsettling and memorable. Bumped this author and series up my TBR.
The Shattered Prince and the Demon Veiled by Bradley P. Beaulieu -- 3.5/5
This felt overwrought and unexplained.
A Storm Unbound by E.V. Morrigan -- 4/5
The lengths a woman will go for love, vengeance.... and one surprising thing more that made me love this.
The Game by Matthew Ward -- 1/5
blah blah blee blee bloo boring. Staveley should have gotten these 30 pages.
Blood Penny by Deborah A. Wolfe -- 3.5/5
Like her full-length novels this was initially hard to grasp unto but original and improves from there.
Better than Breath by Brian Staveley -- 5/5
This is perhaps a bit too short and easily ended to earn that full five stars but it's my fave author of the bunch in my fave world with a clever little plot. Sold.
Foundation of Bones by Mazarkis Williams -- 3/5
Could use some fleshing out, plot and character-wise.
The Aging of a Kill by Peter Orullian -- 2/5
Pretty dull across the board and plodding.
The Carathayan by R. Scott Bakker -- 1/5
Technically this was a DNF but a 1/5 because I hate Bakker's pretentious bullshit.
Want to read
April 22, 2019Backed on Kickstarter
February 18, 2018
***Reading in progress - Rating will be updated as I read more of the stories***
T. Frohock - Every Hair Casts a Shadow: 5 stars
T. Frohock - Every Hair Casts a Shadow: 5 stars
February 13, 2018
AVERAGE RATING 3.2 STARS
Okay – First off this book has made me confused about the use of the word ‘antagonist,’ because the antagonist is a character who actively opposes or is hostile to something the protagonist wants or is fighting for, and hence cannot be the protagonist. So this doesn’t mean the antagonist has to be ‘evil.’
Then I found out that the stories are all based on an antagonist of a series written by the author of each short story. Now, I haven’t read any of these series, and it quickly became clear that this placed me at a major disadvantage. Also, this made the protagonists seem a lot less…villainy.
Most of these stories read like prologues to the author’s series than standalone stories, which was also to the anthology’s detriment. There were some definite hits, but a hell of a lot of misses, although the anthology seemed to hit its stride about half way through. As a collection in itself, it was okay. I just don’t think it deserves the title or description.
The Broken Dead – Michael R Fletcher - 2 Stars
This was not a great start to this anthology. Not only was it overly convoluted, but I was left with a lot of questions. I can’t even describe the plot here because it didn’t really have one. Anomie was pretty much a nothing character. Matthaus was the antagonist in the story, but he wasn’t a very good one. There was no depth to him at all. A good antagonist needs to be well crafted, and motivated, and Matthaus didn’t have either of these qualities. This is really disappointing. I hope the stories get better from here.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow – Teresa Frochock - 3 Stars
Better. Alvaro, a demon who happens to share his body with Moloch, was actually evil with very bad intentions. But this worked quite well, and I liked seeing through his eyes and into his motivations. I feel like Rafael wasn’t really given much time to really explore what he wanted and why, with the ending quite rushed and a few questions left unanswered. How did he manage to stop the scorpion? What actually became of Alvaro?
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore – Alex Marshall - 3.5 Stars
This was better as a story, and included a very interesting wider world. Great characterisation for a short story, and the writing had a nice flow about it. Jirella, a nun at a convent, is selected to be the next Black Pope. A new leader for a new era, but Jirella is only just coming to understand what that means, and that she may need to die to complete her transition. Jirella was not a villain, and while her transformation may suggest some kind of evil has corrupted her, this is pretty much where the story ended.
A Royal Gift – Mark Alder - 2 Stars
This was the definition of a prologue. No plot, characterisation was key, and I had absolutely no investment in the world at all. While the protagonist, known only as ‘the prince,’ contemplates his demon nature, he is yet waiting for a sign for God as to how to proceed with his life. I feel like if you wanted to know what actually happened, it is pointing to reading the book. But given I was not impressed with this story at all…I think I’ll pass.
Old Blood – Adrian Tchaikovsky - 4 Stars
This was much better. There was an actual story, and while it was likely the lead in for the author’s series, it stood on its own as well. The world seemed interesting and not too confusing for a short story. Uctebri seemed like a proper villain, and hearing the story from his perspective mad him seem…not so bad. This is what I thought this anthology would be about. Reading stories of villains and experiencing things from their perspective. This was the first story that seemed to get the formula right.
Black Bargain – Janny Wurts - 3 Stars
This was interesting…This is the longest story so far in the collection, and it also took me the longest time to get through. Wow the language is thick. I’m not sure whether it’s overwritten, or just the style the writer is trying to utilise. I don’t think there was a word under two syllables long. There was a massive jump in the story at the end, and I didn’t feel the story was from the point of view of the villain at all. In fact, it was kind of confused as to what actually happened as I was so distracted by the writing.
The Syldoon Sun – Jeff Salyards - 2.5 stars
Where was the villain?! In an anthology about stories from the perspective of the villain, this protagonist was not villainous at all, nor he wasn’t presented in that way. There was an antagonist, yes, but he received minimal time and this story was not from his point of view. There was a destination and a basic plot, but as to why the events were actually happening…I have no idea.
The Darkness Within the Light – Shawn Speakman - 5 stars
There is a darkness within the light Tathal Ennis. The best intentions of a wayward heart can lead to great evil.. Thank you Shawn Speakman! This was the perfect story of a villain seeking out his prize for his own gain for his own reasons. Tathal does horrible things, especially sacrificing one of his comrades without a second thought, but he does it for a cause he believes in just. He lost someone he loved, and while he may not be going about addressing it the right way, he feels that it is the path he must travel. This story is what I thought this anthology would be about, and this story actually gets it right. The plot and writing were also really good, and I think this is the only story so far where I would consider picking up the novel.
The Greater of Two Evils – Marc Turner - 4 stars
Aptly titled. Both Mazana and Revek believe they are the one of the right side of history, doing what they believe to be right. Mazana feels the Storm Lords are right and just, but Revek sees them as oppressive and wants to fight for the little guy who is exploited. To them, the other is evil, which really is a matter of perspective. And they are pirates, so that’s awesome. I don’t know why there was the twist at the end, with Revek believing he had tricked Mazana, but her instead realising his rouse and going along with it from the start. This made the story more convoluted than it needed to be and wasn’t really the point.
Exceeding Bitter – Kaaron Warren - 2.5 stars
This is a hard one to review. I loved the idea of the Grey Ladies, however I don’t think they were explained well enough. Obviously they are meant to be ‘evil,’ and this was the story of how they came to be, but I didn’t really know what made them evil now. There was something with a boy at the beginning, but this was forgotten after the first few pages and basically just become backstory. Great idea, poor execution.
A Game of Mages – Courtney Schafer - 4 stars
Much better. Lizaveta and Ruslan are powerful mages who definitely bend the rules around villainy. It showed the mages at their worst (killing innocents for their own power), and their best (raising two young children and the love they have for them). This seemed to have an actual story, a beginning and an end. And it was interesting to boot, with Lizaverta focused on her plans for revenge to the point where she plans to drop a meteorite on her enemy! You do not fuck with her obviously.
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled – Bradley P. Beaulieu - 4.5 stars
This was a pretty interesting little tale. Brama was our protagonist, but the story was told by the soul inside the sapphire necklace belonging to the man who once called Brama his slave. It put and different spin on the story. The only problem I really had with it, was the ending. I didn’t really believe that the soul trapped in the sapphire would really choose Brama, especially given how he so wanted to escape his prison. Still, even villains have feelings.
A Storm Unbound – E. V. Morrigan – 3 stars
Shae is no more a villain than Celaena Sardothien is. They were both brought up by a warlord/thief master, had the ones they love taken from them, and tried to leave but found themselves coming back against their will. This was a pretty predicable story, although I did like the twist at the end of Shae doing all this for her ‘baby,’ which ended up being her dog. But hey, pets are members of the family too you know.
The Game – Matthew Ward – 3 stars
I liked Arlia, she was pretty cool. Just sitting there watching the slaughter that she created, using her magic causing everyone to essentially rip each other to pieces. Pretty much everyone in this story was a villain; but some are more than others. Especially those like Solomon. He feels that he is protecting his city, but what is the cost? He had been what Arlia is capable of and he just formed a truce with her. Yeah…that city is going to burn.
Blood Penny – Deborah A. Wolf – 3 stars
Ummmm….okay. Sweet story. I liked both Awitsu and Kanati. However, neither of them were villains in this story. They were the mistreated children who wanted nothing more than freedom, and ultimately Awitsu gives up her wish to be with Kanati. The only point where Awitsu came close to being evil was when she threatened to kill the kitten. But she didn’t, and she didn’t really want to anyway, so was she really that bad?
Better than Breath – Brian Staveley – 3 stars
I liked the twist in this story. What started out as a loving mother trying to protect her family completely turned to a woman who had stolen those children and was now trying to stop them from returning back to their rightful homes. There was a bit more I wanted to know, such as the woman’s power, how long she had those children, and how she was eventually found. So while the premise was good, the execution was not so.
Foundation of Bones – Mazarkis Williams – 3 stars
An interesting story about the second coming of a God. This one held some parallels to the story of Jesus, but just set in a different world. So Adam, a servant of the church, has started to privately teach the child Didryk when he sees the power that he holds. He hides this from the church for…reasons. And ends up allowing his acolyte to die to the secret can be kept. However, he has made a powerful enemy in young Didryk, but I did not get his motivations at all. I don’t even think he really understood them either.
The Aging of a Kill – Peter Orullian – 3.5 stars
Audra is a Dannire…and I still don’t really understand what that means, but guess it is some kind of assassin. Audra tells her employer Jenn about all the deaths she has caused and all the havoc she has brought, and while it first seems like little stories, they all have a purpose in the end. I liked Audra, although she seemed to be more of a heroin than a villain. I would have liked to see what made Jenn so bad that Audra had to completely destroy all facets of her life and wait two years in her service to kill her, but I guess maybe she gets off on it a little or something. Good use of switching between first and third person, and the background of the winery.
The Carathayan – R. Scott Baker – 2.5 stars
I felt like I had come in during the middle of something in this story. I couldn’t work out the characters motivations, especially given the slaughter that just took place. And then there was the monster called the ‘Carathayan,’ ruled by some curse to take the first born female. There seemed to be some major family drama happening, but again I felt apart from it, like there was a larger story I was not seeing, and hence I didn’t really know who was good, who was bad. It’s a shame the anthology had to end on this note, because there were some pretty good stories that came before it.
Okay – First off this book has made me confused about the use of the word ‘antagonist,’ because the antagonist is a character who actively opposes or is hostile to something the protagonist wants or is fighting for, and hence cannot be the protagonist. So this doesn’t mean the antagonist has to be ‘evil.’
Then I found out that the stories are all based on an antagonist of a series written by the author of each short story. Now, I haven’t read any of these series, and it quickly became clear that this placed me at a major disadvantage. Also, this made the protagonists seem a lot less…villainy.
Most of these stories read like prologues to the author’s series than standalone stories, which was also to the anthology’s detriment. There were some definite hits, but a hell of a lot of misses, although the anthology seemed to hit its stride about half way through. As a collection in itself, it was okay. I just don’t think it deserves the title or description.
The Broken Dead – Michael R Fletcher - 2 Stars
This was not a great start to this anthology. Not only was it overly convoluted, but I was left with a lot of questions. I can’t even describe the plot here because it didn’t really have one. Anomie was pretty much a nothing character. Matthaus was the antagonist in the story, but he wasn’t a very good one. There was no depth to him at all. A good antagonist needs to be well crafted, and motivated, and Matthaus didn’t have either of these qualities. This is really disappointing. I hope the stories get better from here.
Every Hair Casts a Shadow – Teresa Frochock - 3 Stars
Better. Alvaro, a demon who happens to share his body with Moloch, was actually evil with very bad intentions. But this worked quite well, and I liked seeing through his eyes and into his motivations. I feel like Rafael wasn’t really given much time to really explore what he wanted and why, with the ending quite rushed and a few questions left unanswered. How did he manage to stop the scorpion? What actually became of Alvaro?
The Divine Death of Jirella Martigore – Alex Marshall - 3.5 Stars
This was better as a story, and included a very interesting wider world. Great characterisation for a short story, and the writing had a nice flow about it. Jirella, a nun at a convent, is selected to be the next Black Pope. A new leader for a new era, but Jirella is only just coming to understand what that means, and that she may need to die to complete her transition. Jirella was not a villain, and while her transformation may suggest some kind of evil has corrupted her, this is pretty much where the story ended.
A Royal Gift – Mark Alder - 2 Stars
This was the definition of a prologue. No plot, characterisation was key, and I had absolutely no investment in the world at all. While the protagonist, known only as ‘the prince,’ contemplates his demon nature, he is yet waiting for a sign for God as to how to proceed with his life. I feel like if you wanted to know what actually happened, it is pointing to reading the book. But given I was not impressed with this story at all…I think I’ll pass.
Old Blood – Adrian Tchaikovsky - 4 Stars
This was much better. There was an actual story, and while it was likely the lead in for the author’s series, it stood on its own as well. The world seemed interesting and not too confusing for a short story. Uctebri seemed like a proper villain, and hearing the story from his perspective mad him seem…not so bad. This is what I thought this anthology would be about. Reading stories of villains and experiencing things from their perspective. This was the first story that seemed to get the formula right.
Black Bargain – Janny Wurts - 3 Stars
This was interesting…This is the longest story so far in the collection, and it also took me the longest time to get through. Wow the language is thick. I’m not sure whether it’s overwritten, or just the style the writer is trying to utilise. I don’t think there was a word under two syllables long. There was a massive jump in the story at the end, and I didn’t feel the story was from the point of view of the villain at all. In fact, it was kind of confused as to what actually happened as I was so distracted by the writing.
The Syldoon Sun – Jeff Salyards - 2.5 stars
Where was the villain?! In an anthology about stories from the perspective of the villain, this protagonist was not villainous at all, nor he wasn’t presented in that way. There was an antagonist, yes, but he received minimal time and this story was not from his point of view. There was a destination and a basic plot, but as to why the events were actually happening…I have no idea.
The Darkness Within the Light – Shawn Speakman - 5 stars
There is a darkness within the light Tathal Ennis. The best intentions of a wayward heart can lead to great evil.. Thank you Shawn Speakman! This was the perfect story of a villain seeking out his prize for his own gain for his own reasons. Tathal does horrible things, especially sacrificing one of his comrades without a second thought, but he does it for a cause he believes in just. He lost someone he loved, and while he may not be going about addressing it the right way, he feels that it is the path he must travel. This story is what I thought this anthology would be about, and this story actually gets it right. The plot and writing were also really good, and I think this is the only story so far where I would consider picking up the novel.
The Greater of Two Evils – Marc Turner - 4 stars
Aptly titled. Both Mazana and Revek believe they are the one of the right side of history, doing what they believe to be right. Mazana feels the Storm Lords are right and just, but Revek sees them as oppressive and wants to fight for the little guy who is exploited. To them, the other is evil, which really is a matter of perspective. And they are pirates, so that’s awesome. I don’t know why there was the twist at the end, with Revek believing he had tricked Mazana, but her instead realising his rouse and going along with it from the start. This made the story more convoluted than it needed to be and wasn’t really the point.
Exceeding Bitter – Kaaron Warren - 2.5 stars
This is a hard one to review. I loved the idea of the Grey Ladies, however I don’t think they were explained well enough. Obviously they are meant to be ‘evil,’ and this was the story of how they came to be, but I didn’t really know what made them evil now. There was something with a boy at the beginning, but this was forgotten after the first few pages and basically just become backstory. Great idea, poor execution.
A Game of Mages – Courtney Schafer - 4 stars
Much better. Lizaveta and Ruslan are powerful mages who definitely bend the rules around villainy. It showed the mages at their worst (killing innocents for their own power), and their best (raising two young children and the love they have for them). This seemed to have an actual story, a beginning and an end. And it was interesting to boot, with Lizaverta focused on her plans for revenge to the point where she plans to drop a meteorite on her enemy! You do not fuck with her obviously.
The Tattered Prince and the Demon Veiled – Bradley P. Beaulieu - 4.5 stars
This was a pretty interesting little tale. Brama was our protagonist, but the story was told by the soul inside the sapphire necklace belonging to the man who once called Brama his slave. It put and different spin on the story. The only problem I really had with it, was the ending. I didn’t really believe that the soul trapped in the sapphire would really choose Brama, especially given how he so wanted to escape his prison. Still, even villains have feelings.
A Storm Unbound – E. V. Morrigan – 3 stars
Shae is no more a villain than Celaena Sardothien is. They were both brought up by a warlord/thief master, had the ones they love taken from them, and tried to leave but found themselves coming back against their will. This was a pretty predicable story, although I did like the twist at the end of Shae doing all this for her ‘baby,’ which ended up being her dog. But hey, pets are members of the family too you know.
The Game – Matthew Ward – 3 stars
I liked Arlia, she was pretty cool. Just sitting there watching the slaughter that she created, using her magic causing everyone to essentially rip each other to pieces. Pretty much everyone in this story was a villain; but some are more than others. Especially those like Solomon. He feels that he is protecting his city, but what is the cost? He had been what Arlia is capable of and he just formed a truce with her. Yeah…that city is going to burn.
Blood Penny – Deborah A. Wolf – 3 stars
Ummmm….okay. Sweet story. I liked both Awitsu and Kanati. However, neither of them were villains in this story. They were the mistreated children who wanted nothing more than freedom, and ultimately Awitsu gives up her wish to be with Kanati. The only point where Awitsu came close to being evil was when she threatened to kill the kitten. But she didn’t, and she didn’t really want to anyway, so was she really that bad?
Better than Breath – Brian Staveley – 3 stars
I liked the twist in this story. What started out as a loving mother trying to protect her family completely turned to a woman who had stolen those children and was now trying to stop them from returning back to their rightful homes. There was a bit more I wanted to know, such as the woman’s power, how long she had those children, and how she was eventually found. So while the premise was good, the execution was not so.
Foundation of Bones – Mazarkis Williams – 3 stars
An interesting story about the second coming of a God. This one held some parallels to the story of Jesus, but just set in a different world. So Adam, a servant of the church, has started to privately teach the child Didryk when he sees the power that he holds. He hides this from the church for…reasons. And ends up allowing his acolyte to die to the secret can be kept. However, he has made a powerful enemy in young Didryk, but I did not get his motivations at all. I don’t even think he really understood them either.
The Aging of a Kill – Peter Orullian – 3.5 stars
Audra is a Dannire…and I still don’t really understand what that means, but guess it is some kind of assassin. Audra tells her employer Jenn about all the deaths she has caused and all the havoc she has brought, and while it first seems like little stories, they all have a purpose in the end. I liked Audra, although she seemed to be more of a heroin than a villain. I would have liked to see what made Jenn so bad that Audra had to completely destroy all facets of her life and wait two years in her service to kill her, but I guess maybe she gets off on it a little or something. Good use of switching between first and third person, and the background of the winery.
The Carathayan – R. Scott Baker – 2.5 stars
I felt like I had come in during the middle of something in this story. I couldn’t work out the characters motivations, especially given the slaughter that just took place. And then there was the monster called the ‘Carathayan,’ ruled by some curse to take the first born female. There seemed to be some major family drama happening, but again I felt apart from it, like there was a larger story I was not seeing, and hence I didn’t really know who was good, who was bad. It’s a shame the anthology had to end on this note, because there were some pretty good stories that came before it.
October 30, 2017
Read half the book, liked most of the stories but some are in line with novels which I haven't read yet. Loved the grey shades and enjoyed the pain and anguish but felt some protagonists/main characters were morally fairer than grey with pretty dark antagonists.
The introduction was interesting.
Especially enjoyed the editor's description of grimdark. Detailed and perfectly suitable for those with doubts like me. A must-read, as important or probably more than the stories themselves.
I will get back to the book as soon as I can make time.
A detailed review will be posted on completion.
The introduction was interesting.
Especially enjoyed the editor's description of grimdark. Detailed and perfectly suitable for those with doubts like me. A must-read, as important or probably more than the stories themselves.
I will get back to the book as soon as I can make time.
A detailed review will be posted on completion.
October 15, 2017
Wow! This was one of the finest anthologies I've had the pleasure to read. Not all stories are equal, with some better than others, but there are no duds. The editor, Adrian Collins, and the crew at Grimdark Magazine, deserve the majority of the credit for putting together such a good collection, but RJ Bakker's foreword and closing story kickoff and end the fun in fine fashion. In between are a number of stories from various dark fantasy authors (I'm not sure they all count as Grimdark, but they're darn good), some of whom you've already heard of, and the rest you'll look forward to hearing more from.
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